The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 206

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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 206

After the Trial ended, Han Yu-sung took an extended rest.
The damage he’d sustained from his battle with Lee Su-ho had been considerable.
The wounds had regenerated, but the accumulated fatigue was no trivial matter.

“The problem is that resting doesn’t feel like resting at all.”

Han Yu-sung exhaled wearily as he watched the flood of articles pouring in.
There was no need to guess what they contained.
Most were nothing but articles about Lee Su-ho’s betrayal and Han Yu-sung’s elimination of him.

‘For now, I need to gather as much information as possible.’

Han Yu-sung leveraged his resources to collect intelligence on Achiros.
The man had suffered catastrophic losses in this Trial. There was no predicting how he might move.
For the time being, I intended to focus on monitoring his actions.
Beyond that, Geomson weighed on my mind as well.

‘He’s not the type to end like this.’

Sooner or later, he would attempt to seize the ‘Legacy’ by whatever means necessary.
I needed to prepare for that contingency.
Han Yu-sung rested while simultaneously working with relentless intensity.

[Kufufufufu….]
“….”
[Kufufu, hufuhufufu….]
“….”

Just as Han Yu-sung labored tirelessly, Kakasha moved with equal fervor.
And he did so with an unceasing smile plastered across his face all day long.

[Kufufufu….]
“This is unbearable. Have you forgotten how to speak?”
[I can’t help but laugh!]

Kakasha was absolutely thrilled.
In truth, the situation left him no choice but to be.

[Oath-takers! Oath-takers are flocking in droves! Uuuugh… Suddenly I’m overcome with memories of the old days, and tears are welling up!]
“They flocked in not long ago too.”
[Hm? Now that you mention it, that’s true.]

Players seeking to become Oath-takers had been streaming in.
The reason was obvious. Lee Su-ho’s defection had cast numerous suspicions on Achiros, and Kakasha had reaped the secondary benefits.

[Never did I imagine that equipping the Oath-takers so generously would come back to reward me like this!]
“Well, it’s not as if I was doing it purely out of kindness….”
[Mm, it was because of the Shop….]

There were multiple reasons, but that was the biggest one.
A Lord’s Shop increases in grade the more goods are bought and sold through it.
And at the same time, it was an opportunity to cultivate the loyalty of the Oath-takers.
I never imagined it would snowball like this.

“Still, things worked out well. Just pick out the decent ones.”
[I shall show you the roster. Since you possess memories of your past life, you should be able to identify the promising ones among them.]
“True enough. Though it’s tedious….”

Still, it was something I had to do.
Han Yu-sung lay sprawled on the sofa, reviewing the list Kakasha presented.
Surprisingly, several players I recognized appeared on it.

“I see quite a few who were Sworn Servants of Justice in their past lives.”
[Kufufufu! Now they are my Oath-takers! If you remember them, they must be reasonably skilled. I’m even more pleased!]
“Right. That bastard Achiros must be absolutely seething….”

As I continued, my mood suddenly brightened.
Han Yu-sung marked the promising candidates with a faint smile playing at my lips.
With sufficient support, these were players who would grow formidably.

“Ah, right. And we should strengthen the defenses of our Building too.”
[Mm, I was thinking the same thing. It’s good that our subordinates have increased, but at the same time, our enemies have grown far too numerous….]
“There might be those who’d attempt to strike at us.”

The Lord of the Dead, Achiros, and even Geomson.
There’s also the Black Flesh Gate in China. Wang Liu-ye continues to send reports, but the recent news has been unsettling.
They might make a move soon, one way or another.

[Worry not. I shall bestow my blessing upon the Building directly. With the aid of a Lord specialized in construction, it shall be manageable. Coins… Coins are divine! With coins alone, anything is possible!]
“Get a grip.”
[Hah!]

Kakasha wiped the drool trickling from the corner of his mouth.
It was an unavoidable instinct of a Lord.
Whenever coins were involved, he lost all composure. Or perhaps, thinking about it more carefully…

‘This one seems excessively obsessed.’

Lords like the Lord of Shadow weren’t like this.
Han Yu-sung gazed at Kakasha in silence.

[P-please don’t look at me with such eyes…]
“I wish I could avoid it.”

Han Yu-sung exhaled deeply.
Kakasha’s antics were nothing new; he’d grown accustomed to them by now.
He ignored Kakasha circling around him and gazed into empty space.
A skill description floated in that void.

[Heroic Essence (SS)].
· Classification: Passive.
· You possess a talent bestowed by the heavens.
· With your innate talent, you can master all skills with ease and employ them harmoniously. Additionally, the time required for proficiency is reduced.
· Your body becomes more complete, and your physical abilities are enhanced.

It was Lee Su-ho’s unique ability.
In his past life, it had grown to SSS rank.
Lee Su-ho had achieved successive victories using this unique ability and had even gained the opportunity to become a Lord.
In this life, it held no significance whatsoever.

“Perhaps because I obtained it from a fragment of talent. The skill seems incomplete.”

Compared to what Han Yu-sung remembered, the effects fell short in many ways.
I knew that once a level reached a certain threshold, additional stat bonuses were granted, and there were various powerful effects related to skills.
But it couldn’t be helped.

[Even accounting for that, it’s a remarkable unique ability. Well, at this level, it makes sense that you slaughtered my Oath-takers so thoroughly.]
“Hm? Ah, now that you mention it…”

Kakasha, circling nearby, spoke with evident interest.
Lee Su-ho had hunted War Covenant Members under Achiros’s command.
Kakasha, as a Lord, must have been observing that spectacle all along.

[Had you arrived even slightly later, I would have fallen into that creature’s hands. And then been absorbed by Achiros… ugh!]
“That would’ve happened. Lee Su-ho was practically at my doorstep.”
[Ugh, a memory I’d rather not recall…]

Kakasha shuddered and departed.
Probably heading off to reinforce the Building. Thanks to that, the surroundings grew quiet.
I felt the urge to handle the tasks I’d been putting off during this reprieve.

[You have achieved victory in God’s Trial, 【Peak of Evolution】.]
[Appropriate rewards are being granted.]

“Let me process these first.”

Countless messages floated in the empty air.
They’d been hovering there for days, but I’d deliberately ignored them.
They were rewards from the Trial.

[Your level has increased by 20 stages!]
[Strength +20, Agility +20, Endurance +20.]
[Through the effect of God-Slayer, Strength and Agility increase by +7, Endurance increases by +6!]
[Demon Slayer has increased by +30.]

[1.5 million Coins are awarded as a reward.]
[You have obtained the item, ‘Aura of Evolution (Mythic)’.]
[You have obtained two copies of the item, ‘Tome of Awakening – Evolution (Mythic)’.]

No matter how many times I saw it, the rewards were exhilarating.
Since the Trial’s theme was ‘Evolution,’ the items granted as rewards were naturally related to evolution as well.

[Essence of Evolution (Mythic)]
· A vial imbued with the essence of evolution.
· When used on an item, it transforms that item into a ‘Growth-type’ artifact. Additionally, as the power of ‘Evolution’ takes root, supplementary effects are granted.

[Tome of Awakening – Evolution (Mythic)]
· A tome containing the power of both awakening and evolution.
· Upon use, it can elevate an S-Grade skill by one tier. In this process, ‘Evolution’ takes effect, transforming the skill into one optimized for the user.

Fascinating items indeed.
Particularly the Essence of Evolution, which could transform items into ‘Growth-type’ artifacts.
And beyond that.

[You receive a reward for your victory over the Lord of War!]
[2.5 million Coins are granted as your reward.]
[You are granted the authority to elevate one Sacred Artifact to S-Grade. However, this requires an enormous expenditure of resources as the price.]
[The Sanctuary possessed by the Lord of War expands further. Additionally, you are granted the authority to install facilities related to ‘Evolution’ within the Sanctuary!]
[The ‘Blessing of War’ ascends, and new effects are added!]
[An opportunity is granted to strengthen your possessed ‘Special Grace’!]

And then came the rewards that returned to Kakasha.
From outside, I could hear Kakasha’s triumphant cry.
What was even more astonishing was that the rewards had not yet concluded.
A truly captivating reward materialized before my eyes.

[You may inherit the 【Evolution Factor】 you created in the form of a skill. However, the inherited ‘Evolution Factor’ will be significantly weaker than the original.]
[You may select one desired effect, and additionally choose one unique factor and one special factor each.]
[However, certain ‘special’ factors cannot be selected.]

A reward concerning the Evolution Factor.
Han Yu-sung had reached the pinnacle of evolution upon completing the Evolution Factor.
Now I could bring that factor into my possession as a skill.
Though there was a penalty attached—a significant weakening of its power.

“I suppose this counts as acquiring a decent skill.”

In any case, it was not an unfavorable reward.
Moments later, a lengthy list materialized before my eyes.
A catalog of all the factors I had obtained throughout this Trial.
Among these, which factors would prove most beneficial to me?

“Division… tsk, I can’t select it.”

Because it was a special factor, it was locked from selection.
It was unfortunate.
It would have been useful for reconnaissance, and equally valuable in combat for creating variables.
【Plunder】 was the same. However, since Plunder was useless in places without evolution factors to begin with, it wasn’t particularly important.

“One of each… this should work.”

Han Yu-sung, who had been deliberating, quickly selected two factors.
Soon after, a new skill was born.

[Congratulations!]
[The active skill, 【Evolution Factor (SS)】, has been created!]

[Evolution Factor (SS)]
· Classification: Active.
· Upon use, all stats +40%.
· The body evolves to become suited for ‘close combat’.
· Unique Factor, 【Reinforced Exoskeleton】: An ‘reinforced exoskeleton’ that transforms according to the dragon’s nature manifests on the body. Attack power, defense, magic resistance, and physical abilities are enhanced, and the duration of 【Draconic Transformation】 increases.
· Special Factor, 【Potent Regeneration】: During the skill’s duration, regenerative power is enhanced. Mana can be consumed to regenerate wounds.

It was a skill I was pleased with.
A skill that enhanced 【Draconic Transformation】 while simultaneously allowing me to fight more aggressively by utilizing the enhanced regeneration.
It was a skill that suited my style perfectly.

“All things considered, this trial yielded quite a harvest.”

I evaluated this trial in that manner.
I had eliminated Lee Su-ho and inflicted massive losses upon Achiros. Though unexpected gains, the War Covenant Members were set to increase significantly.
Soon enough, there would be things to extract from Geomson through the ‘Scale’.
I had gained so much that I felt utterly satiated.

Whoooooosh!
“Huh?”

Satisfied, Han Yu-sung was about to return to rest.
Had it not been for the sudden radiance emanating from his body, he would have succeeded.
Brilliant light flooded the surrounding space.
And then, moments later.

[Player, Han Yu-sung.]

A voice reached his ears.
It was unmistakably a voice he had heard before.
Yes, this voice—I had heard it once before.

[You have proven your worthiness anew.]
[Are you prepared to awaken the true power of ‘Soulless’?]

“…Soulless?”

It was from the distant past, when Han Yu-sung had first advanced to the Soulless class.
As his thoughts reached that moment, understanding crystallized—he knew exactly what was happening.

“An advancement opportunity.”

Players possessed something called a ‘class’.
When a player reached a certain level, this class granted the opportunity to advance to a higher tier.
That opportunity had now arrived for Han Yu-sung.

“An unexpected reward has found me once again?”

Han Yu-sung let out a soft chuckle.

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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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