The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 205

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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 205

The victory condition for this Trial of God was straightforward.
Reach the ‘Pinnacle of Evolution’.
The moment a specific player reached the Pinnacle of Evolution, the Trial would end—this was explicitly stated.
Han Yu-sung in his past life had never reached the Pinnacle of Evolution.
Therefore, he had never known what the pinnacle truly was.

[Evolution Factor (Lv.50)]
[Strength +200%, Agility +200%, Stamina +200%, Mana +200%.]
[Your body has evolved to be optimally suited for close-quarters combat. (Lv.MAX)]
[The ‘Dragon Nature’ you possess has awakened. The Evolution Factor has guided your body’s transformation in a direction befitting the Dragon Nature. (LV.MAX)]
[Unique Factor….]
[Special Factor….]

And now, Han Yu-sung beheld the pinnacle.
I felt the overwhelming power coursing through my being.
And I sensed the ‘Evolution Factor’ granting that power throb with violent intensity.

“Is this what they call the ‘Pinnacle of Evolution’?”

Han Yu-sung stood alone upon the vast expanse of earth.
Countless corpses lay scattered around him.
The bodies of uninvited guests and players who had rushed in hoping to reap the benefits.
I exhaled and surveyed my own form.

“It’s not exactly a form I’m fond of.”

Han Yu-sung’s body had transcended humanity.
Rather than human, one might call it a ‘Dragon-human’.
It bore a resemblance to the Draken. After all, they too were a draconic species.
The difference was that Han Yu-sung retained much of his human form.

[Is that so? I find it quite pleasing. The scales blooming across your entire body, the wings sprouting from your back. Isn’t it a fine appearance?]
“I suppose….”

Han Yu-sung gazed at the sprouted wings with obvious displeasure.
The evolved form differed greatly from my previous life. It was likely due to the ‘Dragon’s Heart’.
Back then, I didn’t have the Dragon’s Heart, but now I did.
Since the heart was the most vital organ in the body, its influence was considerable.

“I prefer my human form to this.”
[Hmm, I suppose so. Now that I think about it, that does seem right. The original form is better than something cumbersome hanging off it.]
“How unprincipled of you.”
[After I went along with you!]

It was a personal preference.
Using inhuman power was one thing.
But I didn’t want to abandon the category of being human, so to speak.
To be precise, I didn’t want to change my ‘species’.

‘I’ll use anything to kill Achiros.’

Yet there remained a desire not to alter the very ‘roots’ of my humanity.
In any case, I had reached the ‘Peak of Evolution’.
What that meant was—

[You have reached the ‘Peak of Evolution’ that none have ever surpassed.]
[Congratulations! The ultimate victor of this Trial is ‘Han Yu-sung’!]

I had won the Trial.
And God’s Trial, ‘Peak of Evolution’, had come to an end.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

The surrounding landscape began collapsing rapidly.
Han Yu-sung felt light enveloping his body and exhaled a long breath.

“I’m exhausted.”

Achiros, Geomson, and even Lee Su-ho.
It had been a Trial filled with many trials. Perhaps because of that, extreme fatigue weighed upon me.
When I return, I’ll rest for a day without a single thought.
With that in mind, Han Yu-sung returned to Earth.

* * *

God’s Trial had concluded.
This trial was a ‘competitive format’. The Lords could pay coins to send as many Oath-takers as they wished into the trial.
With so many Lords coveting the rewards, it was only natural that the number of trial participants had surged dramatically.

“Who do you think will win this trial?”
“Hard to say. Quite a few famous players participated, it seems….”
“I hope Korea produces a victor again. Han Yu-sung is competing, and didn’t you say Lee Su-ho also entered?”
“Since Han Yu-sung is participating, he’ll obviously win!”

Since this trial was Lord-oriented, there would be no direct benefits returning to the nation.
Yet everyone still hoped their country’s player would emerge victorious.
It was a matter of national pride.
Beyond that, the victor would grow tremendously as a player.
One way or another, they would bring substantial benefits to their nation in the future.

‘Who will win?’

Everyone waited for the trial results to be announced.
And not long after, the results were revealed across the entire world.

[God’s Trial, 【The Pinnacle of Evolution】.]
[Korea’s Han Yu-sung has achieved victory in this trial.]

It was news that delighted the Korean people who had been waiting for the results.
Yet simultaneously, it was hardly surprising news.
How many trials had Han Yu-sung won before?
In crude terms, he was a player with a track record of single-handedly ‘carrying’ trials.

“See? I told you Han Yu-sung would win?”
“How many consecutive victories is this now? It’s absurd.”
“Han Yu-sung’s victory is both surprising and unsurprising….”

It was a contradiction in itself, yet it was precisely true.
The news of Han Yu-sung’s victory felt inevitable.
Above all.

“Wait, hold on. This is….”
“What, what is it? Is this fake news?”

But this time, there was news far more shocking than that.
News that left everyone who saw the breaking report speechless.

[Korean Player ‘Lee Su-ho’ Dead!]
[Complete Annihilation of the Sworn Servants of Justice, including Lee Su-ho, in the Trial!]

“Lee Su-ho is… dead?”
“Wait. Is this the Lee Su-ho I know? Could it be someone with the same name?”
“There can’t be another Lee Su-ho who’s a Sworn Servant of Justice!”

In their shock, they even uttered such nonsensical words.
The news of Lee Su-ho’s death was that shocking.
It couldn’t have been otherwise.

[Korea’s Pride, ‘Lee Su-ho’.]
[The One Who Brought Korea Its First Victory in the ‘Trial of God’.]
[Lee Su-ho, an Oath-taker Greatly Cherished by the Lord of Justice. Could he become Korea’s first player to attain the rank of ‘Apostle’?]
[Lee Su-ho is Korea’s Future!]

Lee Su-ho’s standing in Korea was immense.
Though his momentum had waned recently, until then he had been called Korea’s representative player.
One could say he was the very face of Korea.
And now that player was dead.

[Why Did Lee Su-ho Fall in the Trial of God?]

Many wondered why Lee Su-ho had died.
What exactly had happened in the Trial of God? Was the trial’s difficulty so high that it claimed Lee Su-ho’s life?
Why did Lee Su-ho die, and why were all the Sworn Servants of Justice annihilated?
The answer came not long after.

[(Breaking News) Lee Su-ho’s Defection!]
[Yes, this is shocking breaking news. We have word that player Lee Su-ho, who was a Sworn Servant of Justice, has fallen in battle. It seems investigation results have come in?]
[That’s correct. Following an investigation conducted jointly by the government and the Alliance into the cause of death, it has been confirmed that Lee Su-ho defected to the side of Geomson. It is suspected that in the process, he killed his fellow Oath-takers.]

The news was shocking enough to shake Korea to its core.
Lee Su-ho—once called the face of Korea, praised by many as the player closest to achieving Apostle status.
And yet, he had defected to The Wanderer, to Geomson.
In the process, he had killed his comrades and ultimately fallen in battle.

[According to additional reports….]

And the shocking revelations were far from over.
The most astounding news was still to come.

[…The player who eliminated Lee Su-ho is said to be Han Yu-sung.]

The identity of the one who had slain Lee Su-ho.
The victor of the 【Evolution’s Pinnacle】.
The man who had surpassed Lee Su-ho and was now hailed as Korea’s representative player.
The news that Han Yu-sung had eliminated Lee Su-ho spread across the globe.
Massive upheaval was inevitable.

“Quite symbolic, isn’t it?”

Yoon Ga-ram, a Shadow Oath-taker, offered her assessment.
Her companions nodded in agreement.

“Indeed. A rising new face has eliminated someone who was once the old face.”
“Is this what they call a generational shift?”
“Isn’t that a rather cruel way to describe a generational shift?”

The Shadow Oath-takers exchanged their idle remarks.
Though they spoke lightly, they too were shaken by the news.

“…But who would have thought Lee Su-ho would die.”
“Exactly. Not anyone else, but Lee Su-ho himself….”
“And in the worst possible way—through defection.”

No one had anticipated Lee Su-ho’s defection.
He had been the most loyal Sworn Servant to the Lord of Justice.
A man driven by the ambition to achieve Apostle status.

[Fascinating. This is….]

The Lord of Shadow watched the situation unfold, a smile of amusement playing across her face.

[This could deal quite a blow to the Lord of Justice as well.]

Not only the Lord of Shadow, but the other Lords shared this assessment.
And their prediction proved accurate.

[What exactly has the Lord of Justice been doing? Isn’t Lee Su-ho one of her closest subordinates? She didn’t notice that such a player was attempting to defect?]
[At this rate, she’s not managing her Oath-takers at all, is she?]
[I heard she suffered massive losses recently. They say she’s been overworking her Oath-takers recklessly to recover from those losses….]
[There’s also a rumor that she treated Lee Su-ho with excessive neglect.]

And Lee Su-ho was no ordinary Oath-taker.
A player whose skills ranked among the finest not just in Korea, but across the entire world. Such a player had defected.

“Could there be something wrong with the Lord of Justice’s organization?”
“It’s possible. Given that Lee Su-ho defected….”
“Her internal structure might be in chaos. Perhaps he thought there was no hope.”

Inevitably, suspicion turned toward the Lord herself.
Of course, regardless of the circumstances, Achiros was a Lord bearing an Epithet.
Though she had suffered massive losses recently, she still commanded formidable power.
Lee Su-ho’s defection had dealt her faction significant damage, but not enough to cause its collapse.
However, it had inflicted a deeper wound from an unexpected direction.

“I should reconsider contracting with the Lord of Justice.”
“There are other Lords out there, and one with these kinds of issues….”
“What if we just end up being exploited if we join?”

These were the novice players.
The Lord of Justice, Achiros, had been a Lord many players preferred as a contract partner.
She commanded formidable power, and the support given to her Oath-takers was excellent. Above all, there was Lee Su-ho.
But that was no longer the case.
Lee Su-ho was gone, and now she was overworking her Oath-takers due to her losses.

“Speaking of which, did you hear? About Baek Min-jun’s party.”
“Baek Min-jun? What about them?”

The Oath-takers began searching for a Lord other than Achiros.
Specifically, one whose reputation had recently begun to flourish.

“Aren’t those the ones groveling under that nameless Lord? I heard their master was so destitute he squeezed his Oath-takers dry.”
“That’s ancient history. When did they even contract with the Lord of War? Didn’t you see that party decked out entirely in Legendary gear?”
“Legendary? Did they have that kind of money?”
“Of course not. The Lord obviously sponsored them. And those new players who just joined? Their equipment is pretty impressive too.”

It was exactly as they said.
Han Yu-sung and Kakasha equipped their subordinate Oath-takers—including Baek Min-jun’s party—with the finest gear their ‘contribution’ allowance permitted.
There were several reasons, but the most decisive one was simple.

“I heard they’re financially stable. They’ve got plenty of Difficult Realms.”
“If they’re taking care of new players like that….”

Rumors about the Lord of War began spreading among newcomers.
And that became the beginning of a tide.

“Should we try the Lord of War? Are they recruiting new Oath-takers?”
“It might not be a bad idea to check it out….”

A most gratifying turn of events for Han Yu-sung and Kakasha.
And yet.

[The Lord of War, Han Yu-sung…!]

For Achiros, nothing but a tide of fury he could not contain.

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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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