The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 152

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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A Mad Swordsman Returns – Chapter 152

Kakasha, the Coin-Devouring Hippo, had recently acquired a tremendous amount of coins.
By absorbing them, I recovered a considerable portion of my power.

[The Lord has accumulated sufficient power. Please select a blessing!]
[You may select up to three blessings.]
[The probability of a special blessing appearing has increased!]

Thanks to this, I could now select three blessings at once.
I wasn’t sure if it was because I absorbed so many coins at once, but I even obtained an additional bonus that increased the probability of a special blessing appearing.

[Stop calling this one a hippo…]
“You didn’t eat all the coins, did you? Hippo.”
[I did not! Half! I ate only half!]

At Kakasha’s desperate excuse, Han Yu-sung regarded him with skepticism.
But soon, I turned my gaze to the list that appeared before my eyes.

[1. All Stats +30 (Lv.6).]
[2. Special Blessing, ‘Legions of War’ Unlocked.]
[3. Flame Attribute Damage Increase +70% (Lv.7).]
[4. Experience Gain for Sworn Servants +26% (Lv.8).]
[5. Attack Power Enhancement +30% (Lv.6).]
[6. Mana Regeneration Speed During Combat +5% (Lv.1).]

“Hmm…”

I fell into thought for a moment.
But it didn’t take long before I made my decision.
There was truly nothing to deliberate about.

[All Stats level has increased by one rank!]
[Experience Gain for Sworn Servants level has increased by one rank!]
[‘Legions of War’ has been unlocked!]

Two blessings that worked well in any situation.
And then there was the ‘special blessing’ that left no reason not to choose it.
Kakasha seemed to share the sentiment, nodding with satisfaction.

[Army of War]
· When four or more ‘Sworn Servants of War’ gather on the Battlefield, all stats are enhanced by +5%. This buff strengthens the more Sworn Servants of War are present, with a maximum enhancement of +20%.
· ‘Apostles of War’ receive an additional separate buff.
· All these buffs are strengthened according to the intensity of war.

Upon reading the blessing’s details, I couldn’t help but marvel.
Sworn Servants typically operate alongside others who serve the same lord.
Because of this, meeting the condition of four or more was hardly difficult.
It amounted to enjoying a constant stat boost without any particular restrictions.
And on top of that, as an ‘Apostle’, I received an additional buff.
As I slowly pondered the details, a thought suddenly struck me.

“How did you lose with blessings like these?”
[Ugh! Kgh-kgh… Ahhh! It hurts, it hurts so much…]

My true thoughts spilled out before I could stop them.
True to his epithet of ‘War’, the lord possessed many blessings particularly useful in combat.
Yet he had suffered defeat at Achiros’s hands.
A devastating one at that—driven to the brink of absorption.
Witnessing it, I found it incomprehensible.

[It is no boast, but I had never experienced defeat before… until I faced Achiros, that monster.]
“Your mental state collapsed after losing to Achiros?”
[It sounds like a pathetic excuse, but it is the truth…]

Kakasha grew uncharacteristically somber.
It wasn’t particularly strange. Those who boasted of an undefeated legend often crumbled upon experiencing their first defeat—it happened more often than one might think.

[That is precisely it. Ugh, thinking of it now makes my heart ache again…]

Kakasha clutched his chest and groaned.
In any case, I had obtained a decent blessing. I thought the newly arrived Sworn Servants would be more than satisfied with it.
I felt the same way.
And there was a sacred artifact obtained this time as well.

[Stone Guardian (C-Grade Sacred Object)]
· A sacred object of the Earthquake Devourer. The power of stone resonates from it.
· You can use Stone Protection. The defense of nearby allies increases, and a defensive barrier is generated to block enemy attacks.

It was a sacred object that enveloped nearby allies with a defensive barrier.
During the lord’s war, when stone-like substances clung to the enemies’ bodies and formed barriers, it seemed similar to that.
I suspected it might take a form comparable to that.

“I think it’s better to just use it as is?”
[I share that sentiment. Not to boast, but I am not particularly fond of protecting things.]

A lord’s nature reveals itself through blessings and sacred objects.
Kakasha was a lord who enjoyed clashing directly with enemies, and his blessings and sacred objects possessed effects suited to that.
If I absorbed the Stone Guardian, it would transform to match that disposition.
It’s better to just use it as is.

[Difficult Realm: Stone Quarry.]
[A Difficult Realm opened by the Earthquake Devourer.]
[An underground dungeon with jagged stones jutting upward. Various items are hidden within the stones. You must evade the monsters tracking you, mine the stones, secure items, and escape.]
[Sworn Servants entering the Difficult Realm receive a Stone Barrier. This barrier can be strengthened by consuming coins.]
[Entry Restriction: Cannot enter at level 50 or above.]
[Entry Fee: 500 coins.]

In many ways, it was a Difficult Realm befitting the Earthquake Devourer.
The mechanics of stone mining and barriers were particularly so.
And from my experience.

“It’s a perfect Difficult Realm for fleecing someone.”
[Coincidentally, I was thinking the same thing.]

Such Difficult Realms often hide all manner of tricks.
Just as the Library of Knowledge that I had conquered in the past did.
Kakasha’s expression turned indifferent as he quickly scanned the Difficult Realm.

[It’s not a particularly well-made Difficult Realm. It seems designed to fleece clueless players as expected, but….]
“You’re not planning to use it as is, are you?”
[Hmph! Stealing coins from those who don’t know better is not to my taste.]

It was a satisfying answer.
Kakasha examined the Difficult Realm from every angle and reached a conclusion.

[This Difficult Realm, I shall personally revise it. Surely, if I tinker with it enough, something pleasing will emerge, yes?]
“Very well. Now then, how fares the Hall of Trials? Is it progressing smoothly?”
[It flourishes magnificently! Kufufu, I even received evaluation rewards this time! I’ve already accumulated over 100,000 coins in revenue!]
“Oh, that’s quite impressive.”

Kakasha puffed out his chest with pride.
Since the Hall of Trials was entirely his undertaking, he had every right to boast.
The problem was that watching him made me irritated for some reason.

[Ugh, ack, gah… Why, why are you pressing down on my head…!]
“Because I felt like it.”

I tormented Kakasha while retrieving an item.
A sphere burning with intense heat.
It was the Fire Phoenix’s Inner Core.

[Ugh… Hmm? So you obtained this from the Fire Phoenix.]
“I should have used it long ago, but the Blood Demon kept me from it.”

There simply hadn’t been an opportunity.
Now that I had a moment of respite, I decided to use it.
I activated the Inner Core without hesitation.

[Intense flames consume your inner being….]

True to the message, scorching flames ignited within me.
For an ordinary player, such firepower would have incinerated their body entirely.
But, regrettably.

Whoooosh…

It fell short of burning me.
It was only natural—I possessed far too many flame-related resistances.

[You have successfully resisted the flames dwelling within the Inner Core.]
[As a reward, your Strength has increased by 10. Additionally, you may now unlock the latent potential within one flame-related skill!]

Where should I apply this effect?
I had already considered this, so there was nothing to deliberate over.

[Drawing out the latent potential embedded in Inferno Leg Technique (S)…]
[The skill level rises significantly, and an additional effect is generated!]

[Inferno Leg Technique (S, Lv.MAX)]
· Classification: Active.
· A leg technique of three supreme forms founded by the Fire Dragon who swept through the Murim.
· Effect: Greatly enhances the durability of the relevant body part when executing the leg technique.
· Additional Effect: Inferno Leg Technique Damage +50%, Resistance Penetration +20%.

Inferno Leg Technique’s original level was 6.
From there, the effect of my inner core raised it by 4 levels at once.
The three supreme forms showed no particular changes.
However, with the level increase and the new additional effect, its power must have risen as well.

“The immediate task is complete. What remains…”

I leaned back against the chair, lost in thought.
With the trials opening soon, I would need to begin preparations in earnest.
I also needed to secure accommodations for the Sworn Servants of Justice.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to discuss lodging with the Alliance.
And what remained…

Bzzzzzzzz!

At that moment, my phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown sender had arrived in my messenger.
But seeing the contents of the message, I could guess who had sent it.

[Maezato Rinzo discovered a Difficult Realm. Details when we meet.]
[This message will be deleted in 10 minutes.]

Ran—the Japanese woman who wanted to escape the rampaging Linjo.
The message was from her, and two maps were attached.
One was a map with the location of the Difficult Realm marked.
The other was a map showing the rendezvous point where I would meet Ran.

“I gave you my messenger ID last time.”

I had mentioned building a communication network.
I’d been so busy lately that I’d momentarily forgotten about it.
Han Yu-sung gazed quietly at the map depicting the location of the Difficult Realm.

[What’s wrong?]
“Hmm… no, it just feels like I’ve seen this somewhere before…”

The terrain drawn on the map stirred a sense of déjà vu within me.
Han Yu-sung tilted his head in confusion and saved the map separately.

“This works out well. I was just thinking about Maezato Rinzo.”

Wasn’t he the one who had been troublesome on several occasions?
I was thinking it was about time to deal with him, and now a message arrives.

“The time has come.”

* * *

Zangetsu in Japan was a Guild with exceptional information-gathering capabilities.
It was the result of combining Zangetsu’s own intelligence network with the information resources of the Major Japanese Conglomerate that Linjo led.
The intelligence produced by such a network brought forth diverse information.
Information about Players in Japan, intelligence on various organizations, details regarding items, and…

[A ‘hidden Difficult Realm’ has surfaced in the East Sea.]

Even information about a Difficult Realm that no one had yet discovered.
Maezato Rinzo examined the report containing information about the Difficult Realm in the East Sea.

“The details remain unclear. However, based on the description, it appears to be a Difficult Realm capable of bringing tremendous benefits to the Lord…”

Linjo fell into thought with his eyes closed.
The Lord of Justice had recently suffered a grave setback in the trials.
She had incurred massive coin losses, and the Sworn Servants of Justice, including Lee Su-ho who participated in the trials, had lost the Lord’s trust.
Perhaps this could become an opportunity.

“A chance to reclaim everything that was lost…”

The Lord of Justice was focused on recovering her losses.
If I could only deliver her substantial gains in this situation, it might become possible to pursue the Apostle position that had become unreachable once more.
With that thought, Linjo reported to the Lord.

[“Fascinating.”]
[“I grant you permission to conquer the Difficult Realm. Should you bring me its rewards, you shall receive compensation befitting your success.”]

The Lord had shown interest in the Difficult Realm.
It meant the Difficult Realm was significant enough to capture even her attention. Given that weight, I could not afford to fail this time.
I had to succeed without question.

“…I must take the field myself.”

There was no one trustworthy enough to entrust this to.
I had no choice but to step forward and lead my subordinates personally.
This approach was not my preferred method.
But given the importance of this Difficult Realm, it was unavoidable.

‘If those who catch the scent come crawling, it will become troublesome.’

I would need to proceed in absolute secrecy, leading only those I could trust.
Maezato Linjo rose from his seat with that resolve.
Then, the text written at the top of the report he had been examining became visible.

[Report Regarding the Difficult Realm of the East Sea: The Sunken Treasure Vault.]

Linjo began to move.
And there was another who had been waiting for this very moment.

“….”

In the darkness, Ran’s eyes gleamed with ominous light.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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