The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 161
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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 161
After Achiros suffered massive losses in the Hero’s War,
Lee Su-ho and the other Sworn Servants of Justice found themselves in a whirlwind of activity.
Among them, the Korean Sworn Servants were particularly overwhelmed.
“Damn it, we just finished the Star Battlefield yesterday, and now we’re being sent to the Difficult Realm?”
“At this rate, we’re going to die. How are we supposed to rest when there’s no time to breathe?”
It was an absolutely grueling forced march.
They earned coins by participating in the Star Battlefield, then were thrust into the Difficult Realm without a moment’s respite, and were even dragged into the Lords’ War that Achiros had orchestrated.
The Sworn Servants of Justice were exhausted beyond measure.
“Is he making us bear responsibility for the failure?”
“Are the losses from the Hero’s War our fault? No, it’s because Han Yu-sung did something insane.”
“Watch your tongue. What if the Lord hears you?”
Moreover, everyone’s frustrations had accumulated to a breaking point.
And Lee Su-ho was no exception.
‘I’ve lost far too much.’
How many failures had he endured?
Lee Su-ho had failed to distinguish himself even in the Hero’s War.
Achiros made his disappointment evident, ordering him to cooperate with the other Sworn Servants and focus on recovering the lost coins.
‘And he gave that order to me, of all people.’
It was a humiliating position to be in.
Not only had his aspirations for the Apostle rank slipped away, but he had now lost the Lord’s trust as well.
Lee Su-ho knew he had to break free from this situation somehow.
It was then that a new Trial of God opened.
[Lee Su-ho, you have been selected as a candidate for the Trial of God.]
[You may refuse this selection. Do you accept?]
He could refuse, but there was no reason to.
The Trial of God was dangerous, but it offered rewards proportional to that risk.
‘Maezato Rinzo is dead. If I use this well….’
I could regain the trust I had lost.
I could even restore my tarnished reputation.
Lee Su-ho moved to accept God’s Trial without hesitation.
But then.
[“Refuse it.”]
“…!”
This time, the situation was different.
Achiros, Lee Su-ho’s Lord, blocked his participation.
Faced with this unexpected turn, Lee Su-ho tried to ask for an explanation.
[“Korea will lose in this Trial.”]
“Does that mean you intend to choose Japan as the nation to intervene for, my Lord?”
Achiros did not answer.
That silence was answer enough. He would aid the Sworn Servants of Justice from Japan participating in this Trial, eliminating Korea’s players in the process.
The ultimate target would be Han Yu-sung.
“My Lord. If I cannot participate in this Trial, public opinion will….”
If Han Yu-sung participated in the Trial that Lee Su-ho refused to join.
And if Han Yu-sung distinguished himself there once more.
Lee Su-ho’s standing in Korea would be severely shaken.
But Achiros did not answer.
“….”
He simply vanished as though the question was beneath his notice.
Feeling his Lord depart, Lee Su-ho bit his lip.
‘I have lost my Lord’s trust. And now, I don’t even have a chance to recover….’
What was he supposed to do in this situation?
Or rather, would such an opportunity even be given to him?
Lee Su-ho lowered his head.
‘A reason.’
As Lee Su-ho’s fingers cut through the empty air, a subspace materialized before him.
A subspace that even the Lords could not perceive.
The Sworn Servants of Justice often concealed their secrets within such spaces.
Lee Su-ho’s subspace contained such treasures as well.
Among them, one item in particular—shrouded in secrecy, as it had to be.
“….”
Within the subspace lay a small fragment of a sword.
It was an object entrusted to him long ago by a certain ‘Wanderer’ who had taken notice of him.
‘Is there any reason to follow a Lord who does not trust me?’
He gazed silently at the sword fragment.
For a long time, as if searching for an answer to his own question.
But no answer came.
“….”
Lee Su-ho’s eyes darkened with shadow.
* * *
Everything was consumed by light.
When that radiance faded, Han Yu-sung found himself suspended in the vast sky above.
All around him, clusters of luminescence—presumed to be other players—filled his vision.
A sight he had witnessed countless times, now rendered familiar.
“The Battlefield is quite expansive.”
Han Yu-sung surveyed the sprawling expanse that lay before him.
Countless things were visible. Hordes of monsters, Dungeons scattered throughout.
Regions designated as ‘special Battlefields,’ and various extraordinary facilities.
[This Trial shall proceed in the form of inter-national competition.]
[Each player’s head displays the flag of their nation, and you cannot inflict harm upon players from your own country.]
[Nations that achieve a ‘final contribution’ rating of a certain threshold or higher shall have their fallen players resurrected upon the Trial’s conclusion.]
A message inciting the participants to fight.
Fight fiercely. By any means necessary, raise your ‘Final Contribution Score’. Then even if you die, you can be resurrected.
[Hmm, that benefit is unnecessary for you. You have no intention of dying, and you wouldn’t want that kind of resurrection in the first place.]
“You know me well.”
Kakasha was right.
An unnecessary benefit. But thanks to that incentive, the participants will fight far more aggressively.
In that sense, it was decent bait.
[Player Han Yu-sung.]
[You are affiliated with the nation of South Korea.]
[You will be deployed to a random location. Survive to the end!]
A deep resonant hum echoed across the sky.
Countless orbs of light suspended in the heavens plummeted to the ground.
When my violently shaking vision finally stabilized.
“Hmm, this place…”
I stood in a Wasteland strewn with corpses and equipment.
Participants newly deployed around me began to materialize.
“Ugh! I’m dizzy as hell! Where is this?”
“Damn it, something feels off about this location.”
“There are many players here. I need to find those from my own nation to form a party…”
I surveyed my surroundings.
There were quite a few participants summoned to this same location.
A rough count put the number at around two hundred.
Participants from China, Japan, Russia, Britain, and various other nations were visible scattered about.
And I could see people finding compatriots and forming parties.
Unfortunately, I saw no Koreans.
“….”
“….”
Silence descended upon the Wasteland.
Participants from different nations were all enemies to one another. They watched each other warily, and the air grew thick with tension that threatened to explode at any moment.
Han Yu-sung was the only one who remained untroubled.
‘What should I prioritize first?’
There were two critical objectives in this Trial.
First, I needed to rally participants from my own nation. I had to locate and unite all Korean participants scattered throughout the Trial.
And second.
‘Finding the Blessing of Stars should be my immediate focus.’
The Blessing of Stars.
A national-level buff that applied to all players of the nation whose member obtained it—a blessing granted to an entire country.
The problem was.
‘The number of Blessings of Stars is limited.’
Dozens of nations participated in this Trial alone.
Yet there were fewer than ten Blessings of Stars available. Considering the sheer number of participating nations, the supply was critically scarce.
And their effects were far from weak. As a national-level buff with considerable potency, missing out would create serious complications.
‘Searching for the Blessing of Stars first is definitely the right call.’
The moment that thought crossed my mind.
A message materialized before everyone in the Wasteland.
[Welcome to the Special Battlefield, the Tomb of Warriors.]
[This is a tomb where the spirits of countless warriors rest. They wish to test those who have come to this place….]
The instant the message appeared, bones erupted from the ground.
Massive skeletal structures rose up, forming a dome-like canopy over the surrounding area.
As if to ensure that no one could escape from here.
And then.
Shhhhhhhhhhh!
An ominous wail echoed forth as countless spectral forms materialized.
The wraiths of many warriors gazed down upon the living.
[Face the souls of warriors. Prove yourself by crushing participants from foreign nations on this same battlefield.]
[The final victor shall receive contribution points and special rewards.]
[No one may leave this place until the battle concludes.]
The Star Battlefield contained numerous helpful elements, or so I had been told.
The blessing of stars, special quests, unique facilities, and lastly—the special battlefields.
The Tomb of Warriors was one such special battlefield.
“Damn it. Of all the places to be assigned, why here?”
“You don’t mean we can’t leave until the final victor is decided?”
“Hell, hell, hell…!”
Someone attempted to flee the battlefield, but it proved impossible.
The walls of bone could not be destroyed by any attack.
True to the message, no one could escape until the battle ended.
‘There’s no choice but to fight and win.’
‘I must kill every participant from other nations…’
Survival was the only option.
The moment the participants reached this conclusion and prepared to engage in combat.
“Wait, wait! That bastard… that Korean!”
A Chinese player suddenly cried out, pointing at someone.
It was Han Yu-sung.
All eyes naturally turned toward Han Yu-sung.
“That’s him! Han Yu-sung! The one who killed Wei Hao!”
“Han Yu-sung? Where have I heard that name before?”
“Could it be… the one who distinguished himself in the previous trial?”
The participants murmured among themselves.
The name Han Yu-sung had become known even overseas.
A player who had performed brilliantly through successive trials and recently dealt tremendous losses to the Lords bearing epithets.
Needless to say, he possessed formidable power.
In other words.
“…It doesn’t seem like this is the time for us to fight each other, does it?”
“That man killed Maezato Ouju. If we just let him be, won’t he survive to the very end? Rather than let that happen….”
A formidable competitor—that’s what it meant.
The wary gazes and seething battle intent of the gathered participants all converged upon Han Yu-sung.
“Wouldn’t it be better to kill that bastard first and then start?”
Fighting now would be a loss for everyone. We’d only exhaust ourselves against one another.
And when that happened, who would emerge victorious?
Han Yu-sung—the one wielding the greatest power. After a war of attrition left the other participants weakened, he could dispatch them all without effort.
Every participant present reached the same conclusion.
Their blades and spears turned toward Han Yu-sung.
“I never imagined I’d find myself in such a situation from the start.”
For reasons unknown, the spirits of the warriors remained motionless.
The participants, sensing their opportunity, encircled Han Yu-sung.
Witnessing this, Han Yu-sung let out a quiet chuckle.
“You’re laughing in this situation?”
“Don’t mind him. He’s trapped here just like we are. With nowhere to escape, if we all attack at once while maintaining the encirclement….”
“We can kill him. Yes, surely…!”
Mana rose from the bodies of the participants.
And without anyone going first.
“Fire!”
Countless skills unfurled.
Numerous sword auras sliced through the air, torrents of arrows rained from the sky, and stone spears erupted from the ground.
Descending lightning, massive fireballs, countless skills.
All converged upon Han Yu-sung from every direction.
‘Nowhere to escape, then.’
But Han Yu-sung did not retreat.
Instead, I gripped the Blood Demon Blade and stepped forward.
They were right.
This Battlefield was a place from which one could not escape until the battle ended—there was nowhere to run.
However, there was one thing they had overlooked.
“You cannot escape from here either.”
The moment a participant heard those words and began to furrow their brow.
The Blood Demon Blade, wreathed in demonic energy, tore through the air.
And then.
Thousand Blood Slash.
Hundreds of blade strikes engulfed the void.
The sword energy shattered every skill rushing toward Han Yu-sung and drove forward against the enemies.
Shhhhwaaaack!
“Gack! Krraaaagh?!”
“My, my arm! My arm is…!”
Screams erupted from all directions.
Participants who had been slain collapsed, while those bearing wounds writhed on the ground, gasping in agony.
The few participants still unharmed stared at the scene unfolding before them in utter disbelief.
What just happened? We were the ones attacking.
Why did our allies fall? And where is the enemy…?
Kwaaaaaaah!
Where did Han Yu-sung go?
The moment a participant harbored that question, a crimson whirlwind swept through.
A blood storm bearing the name Han Yu-sung.
Moments later, screams pierced the air.
“Ugh, uuuaaah!”
“Monster… Kraaaagh!”
It was the desperate screams of participants who had lost all means of escape.
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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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