The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 169

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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 169

Upon leaving the Altar, Han Yu-sung summoned his forces.
He needed to observe how the retreating Lord of the Dead would move, then adjust his strategy accordingly.
How much time had passed since then?
“From a distance, I cannot be entirely certain, but it appears they are focusing on growth rather than attacking us.”
“Is that so? Hmm, it seems our Lord’s prediction was correct.”
“Our Lord’s prediction? What did they say?”
“It’s something like that.”
Yoon Ga-ram dismissed her shadow raven and tilted her head in thought.
Just as Kakasha had said, the Lord of the Dead seemed to be wary of us and had retreated. They were likely preparing to gather strength for their descent.
They had judged that fighting now would result in defeat.
“It was worth throwing that gamble.”
“The gamble was… defeating the Lord’s descent form?”
“What exactly happened? I heard you achieved the feat of defeating a descended Lord.”
“Could it be… Han Yu-sung did that?”
The players bombarded Han Yu-sung with questions.
Yoon Ga-ram also looked curious. Only Baek Min-jun’s party stood slightly back, regarding Han Yu-sung with worried eyes.
Under the barrage of gazes, Han Yu-sung nodded.
“I defeated one of Britain’s Lords. It happened to be in sight at the time.”
“No, you’re talking about it like you just hunted a single monster…”
“How can you speak of it so casually? If this gets out, it’ll cause an uproar! A human defeating a descent form in combat!”
Everyone’s eyes filled with shock.
They seemed eager to pry into what had happened, but Han Yu-sung had no intention of explaining further.
He didn’t have the leisure for it either.
“For now, we’ve bought time. We need to grow the Blessing of Stars as much as possible in the meantime. We’ll continue moving in three groups like we have been.”
“Since the Blessing of Stars has grown, we should be able to use it well.”
“Right.”
Baek Min-jun, Yoon Ga-ram, and Han Yu-sung.
Dividing the personnel as they had been doing would suffice.
Compared to the Blessing of Stars other nations had obtained, theirs was still lacking, but the 【Last Hero】 had grown considerably as well.
And there were the Unique Facilities.
[Occupied Unique Facilities.]
1. Ancient Fortress. (Defense +10%.)
2. Altar of Valor. (All Stats +10%, Morale Enhancement.)
3. Lighthouse of the Hawk. (Vision Expansion, Speed +10%.)
4. Ruined Magic Academy. (Skill Damage +10%, Mana +10%.)
5. Warrior’s Armory. (Attack Power +10%.)
Unique Facilities granted special effects upon occupation.
Individually, each effect isn’t particularly remarkable.
But when combined, they provide substantial assistance.
[List of ‘Feats’ that can be achieved.]
1. Enemy Elimination (Players and Monsters alike). (650/700)
2. Seizure and Occupation of ‘Unique Facilities’. (5/6)
3. Resolution of ‘Special Battlefields’. (4/7)
4. Completion of ‘Special Quests’. (10/15)
5. Defeat of ‘Descended Lords’. (1/2)
6. Acquisition of Limited Skills. (9/10)
7. Limited….
These would play a crucial role in achieving the remaining feats.
Han Yu-sung surveyed the players.
Confidence radiated from their faces.
‘If I can just keep strengthening the Blessing of Stars like this….’
‘A player capable of breaking a Descended Lord is on my side.’
‘Perhaps… we can actually win this?’
Hope naturally blossomed in such circumstances.
The players gazed at Han Yu-sung with expectant eyes.
He nodded.
“Let’s move.”
“Yes!”
The players responded loudly and quickly dispersed.
Yoon Ga-ram wore an expression full of questions but reluctantly withdrew, while Baek Min-jun’s party exchanged glances before cautiously approaching.
“Commander, are you certain about this? The Descended Lord, I mean.”
“We saw it during the Lord’s War, so it doesn’t really matter for us….”
“Whether sooner or later, it would have been revealed. It’s just happening a bit faster.”
Han Yu-sung spoke nonchalantly.
Baek Min-jun, who had been contemplating, nodded in agreement.
“Actually, there’s already been talk circulating in the community. About the Lord’s War. ‘The Earthquake Devourer lost,’ ‘didn’t it lose even after descending,’ ‘didn’t Han Yu-sung break it,’ that sort of thing.”
“It seemed like people didn’t believe it because it was such an unbelievable story….”
This incident would prove that to be true.
Just as I had experienced in my past life, things would become quite chaotic in many ways.
Naturally, the Lords’ vigilance toward Han Yu-sung would intensify as well.
“I’m curious about something. How is it even possible? Every time I watch you fight, I feel it….”
Then, Ahn Jung-hyuk, who had been silently observing Han Yu-sung, suddenly spoke up.
“Especially when fighting a Descended Lord, you seem stronger than usual.”
“Oh, sir. That’s exactly what we wanted to ask….”
“If you don’t wish to answer, you need not.”
Ahn Jung-hyuk added carefully.
A man with quite sharp instincts. There’s no reason to provide a detailed explanation of how it’s possible, but there’s also no reason to conceal it entirely.
Han Yu-sung asked Ahn Jung-hyuk to open his palm.
[Buff.]
With his finger, he wrote it simply across the surface.
Baek Min-jun’s party exchanged puzzled glances at the sight.
‘Buff? Is there some skill that only activates when fighting an Incarnate?’
‘Wait, but even so….’
‘Doesn’t this mean he has the actual strength to fight an Incarnate directly and win?’
‘Even if he gives us that buff, there’s no way we could defeat an Incarnate.’
Baek Min-jun’s party looked at one another.
Their eyes posed the question silently—do you think you could win?—and without hesitation, all three shook their heads in unison.
Han Yu-sung left the three of them behind and departed first.
“We can’t win.”
“Yeah. Whether it’s you or me, we’d just get trampled.”
“Hmm, I have no confidence we could fight and win.”
Baek Min-jun’s party exchanged these words and turned away.
In any case, what mattered was that they had an ally—a player with the strength and power to fight an Incarnate and emerge victorious.
“Let’s move. There’s much to do.”
“Understood.”
* * *
Time flowed swiftly.
Throughout this period, the Lord of the Dead observed the Japanese Camp’s growth.
The Japanese Camp was expanding rapidly and without incident, supported by the Lords including the Dead and Justice.
They had resolved numerous Quests and Battlefields, and occupied various Facilities.
In the process, they had also eliminated rival nations.
That was not all.
[Sworn One’s Final Contribution: 255,500.]
[You have achieved a high final contribution score. Maximum intervention in the Trial is possible, and you may ‘Incarnate’ by borrowing the Sworn One’s body.]
[However, you have only one opportunity to Incarnate. Additionally, if you do Incarnate, other Lords of the same nation may only Incarnate after a certain time has passed.]
I had even obtained the opportunity for Incarnation, my objective.
The Japanese Camp had grown sufficiently—at this rate, Japan would claim victory.
[….]
Yet the Lord of the Dead’s expression remained ambiguous as I observed this.
My face seemed lost in profound contemplation rather than joy.
It could not have been otherwise.
[The Lord of War….]
It was because of the sight I witnessed at the Altar of Valor.
The fact that a human had overwhelmingly crushed an Incarnate was astonishing. But more shocking than that was the possibility that the Lord of War was alive.
Or rather, might still be alive.
Either way.
[…I have no choice but to ask directly.]
There was only one way to resolve this question.
Ask the Lord of Justice directly.
Since we needed to discuss who would descend first, I could ask about it at the same time.
And so the Lord of the Dead sent word to Achiros.
[I yield the right of descent to you, Lord of the Dead.]
Achiros ceded the right of descent to the Lord of the Dead.
But both of them knew. This concession did not stem from goodwill, but was merely an attempt to use the Lord of the Dead.
[So you want to use me to test that human?]
[Well, think what you will. It matters not to me. If you refuse, you may yield the right to me instead. Either way, I am unbothered.]
The Lord of the Dead let out a silent scoff.
The player called Han Yu-sung possessed unknown strength. Achiros would want to directly confirm the extent of his power before making his move.
Yet he spoke of it as though it were a magnanimous concession.
[Very well. I shall accept that right. But in exchange, there is something I wish to ask you.]
Achiros did not answer.
As if he had anticipated the question that would follow.
[Is the Lord of War dead?]
In that moment, silence fell.
Achiros did not answer.
[You brought that woman to ruin. There was much talk about it. Whether you absorbed the Lord of War or let her slip away….]
[What do you think?]
[I believed it was the former. But now my thoughts are changing.]
That divine flame was unmistakably the Lord of War’s.
As the Lord of the Dead had clashed greatly with her, I knew it well.
Now that I thought about it, there were countless strange inconsistencies.
[You boasted of your achievement to all when you brought the Lord of War to ruin. That I defeated the Lord of War, everything she possessed is now mine…. Yet later, you became eerily silent. Am I wrong?]
[So, what are you trying to say?]
[You let the Lord of War escape.]
The Lord of the Dead spoke with certainty.
The answer did not come immediately.
But that silence was answer enough.
And after a long silence, Achiros finally spoke.
[Yes, you are right. The Lord of War hid within a sacred relic and fled. I sent my sworn followers to pursue her. And they failed.]
[That means….]
[Yes. The Lord of War is alive.]
[And you have left her be all this time?]
It was incomprehensible.
Achiros was a cold and merciless lord. When he executed his justice upon enemies, it could seem almost cruel.
Such a lord simply left the Lord of War alone?
[I was uncertain. I failed to absorb the Lord of War, true, but I did strip her of everything she possessed. I judged that even if she fled, she could never rise again and would soon fade away.]
It was not an incorrect judgment.
For a fallen Lord to rise again is nearly impossible. Even if it were possible, it would require considerable time, and in that process, their existence would inevitably be revealed.
I judged that if they had not been annihilated by then, I could deal with them at that moment.
The problem is.
[Ah, I see. Things got complicated because of the variable named Han Yu-sung?]
[….]
Achiros did not answer.
Unlike moments before, he clearly had no desire to respond.
As if answering that question would wound his pride.
Just as the Lord of the Dead had suffered, Achiros too had sustained considerable damage at Han Yu-sung’s hands. For a Lord, it was something utterly unforgivable.
[How amusing. How did the Lord of War manage to save such a Covenant Bearer when she was in such a fallen state? She should have had nothing to offer.]
[It might be the opposite.]
[…You mean that man actually sought out the fallen Lord himself?]
The Lord of the Dead furrowed her brow.
How? And why?
Was there even a reason it had to be that way?
[It is merely speculation.]
[I suppose so. Well, regardless. I will descend first. I want to kill that man with my own hands. And the Lord of War who made a contract with him as well. So, you will support me.]
[Very well. This time, I will have it your way.]
Achiros accepted readily.
The Lord of the Dead, understanding the true meaning beneath that acceptance, let out a cold laugh.
It mattered little. What was important to her now was singular.
[Han Yu-sung, and the Lord of War….]
To crush them both at once.
The ‘descent’ would make it possible for her.
She smiled cruelly as she imagined the events about to unfold.

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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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