The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 21

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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 21

God’s Trial presents a difficulty so severe that countless casualties occur with each iteration.
Yet in stark contrast, God’s Trial has always provided some explanation upon commencement.
Who the opponent is, how formidable they are, what the objective entails.
Though occasionally it deceives, the explanations themselves have always been considerate.

[Participants (Korea): 10,000.]
[The Hunt Night shall commence momentarily.]

—–!

A Ruined City where no one dwells, utterly devastated.
In this place where only countless traces remained, the roar of an unfamiliar beast echoed.
The players dragged into the trial trembled involuntarily.

[Shortly, the Hunter shall appear.]
[You prey must flee from the Hunter. This Hunter possesses overwhelming power and is an existence against which no attack shall avail.]
[The long-starved Hunter wishes to sate its hunger.]

“A, a Hunter?”

Those summoned here are prey.
Tonight, the Hunter shall greedily hunt its prey.
There is no way to resist. Attacks cannot touch the Hunter.

[The Hunter shall devour prey upon successful hunts, and the souls of the devoured shall become enslaved, aiding in future hunts.]
[Devices to stop the Hunter exist throughout this region. Complete various Quests to discover these devices and stop the Hunter.]
[There are only two ways for the prey to escape this place.]
[Kill the Hunter, or die altogether.]

The considerate explanation concluded.
Who the opponent is, what must be done, what the objective entails.
An explanation containing everything. Which made it all the more despairing.

“No, wait, what do you mean no attack will work…?”
“Is it invincible? What are we supposed to do against such a thing!”
“Hold on, that… there’s something floating in the sky!”

The description was unmistakably clear.
‘No attack can touch Hunter’, it stated.
Wasn’t that essentially invincibility?
And then.
The players clutching their heads looked skyward at someone’s cry.
The sky displayed scenes of ruins similar to this place.

“What is that?”
“They look like other countries. They’re undergoing God’s Trial just like us….”
“Damn it. How many people were dragged into this in total….”

The number of projected ruins easily exceeded double digits.
If you combined all the players participating in this trial, it would easily surpass hundreds of thousands.
An absolutely staggering number had been dragged here.
And among them, there would be catastrophic casualties.

“Ugh, uhhh… what are we supposed to do about this….”
“We were told to complete the Quest. We need to move immediately.”
“Hey, hey! Take us with you!”

We had to move fast.
The experienced players began moving urgently to survive, and some desperate players rushed after them.
But before they could leave this place.

– KRAAAAAAAAAA!

A roar laden with tremendous power swept across the players far more quickly.

“Huh, huh?!”
“M-my body won’t move!?”

They couldn’t move even if they wanted to.
And then, something fell from the towering sky.

BOOM!

The ground trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
Along with it, a colossal monster rose to its feet. The creature, its body lowered in a crouch, slowly lifted its head, and its form became visible.

– Kaaahhh….

It was a grotesquely twisted ‘wolf’.
Or rather, a werewolf.
A werewolf of overwhelming stature, standing some four to five meters tall, with a bizarrely emaciated frame.

[The hunt begins.]

The Hunter’s bloodshot eyes recognized the players.

Shwaaaack!

Two massive greatswords hung at the Hunter’s waist tore through the air.
A deafening roar as if space itself were being rent asunder assaulted their ears, and in the very next instant.

“Wh-what?”
“Gaaahhh…!”

Splurch—

The players’ bodies were cleaved in half.
There was no time to react, no chance to respond.
Literally instantaneous.
The bisected corpses collapsed helplessly.

[I hunt my prey and devour it. Before any others.]

Skreeeee!

Then something horrifying occurred.

Crunch, crack!

The dead players’ bodies were consumed by something invisible, and from their remains, something began to rise.
They were souls.
The souls of the fallen players.

[You shall aid my hunt.]

The souls began to scream in agony.
At the same moment, ordinary humans transformed into creatures that resembled Hunter—a degraded version of a “wolf” monster.

– Auuuuuu!
– Krraaagh!

“What, what is this! What is happening! Kyaaaah!”

The enslaved souls of Hunter descended upon the players, and those devoured became nourishment for Hunter.
I could see flesh gradually filling out Hunter’s emaciated frame.

‘That’s Hunter’s defining trait. Growing stronger through predation.’

The more players hunted, the stronger Hunter became.
The increasing number of enslaved servants following Hunter was merely a bonus.
As time passed, it would become increasingly difficult to contain.
Feeling the surging power, Hunter let out a twisted laugh.

[Kraaaaaaah!]

Hunter wielded two massive greatswords with frenzied abandon.
Endless waves of blade energy erupted forth. Countless more players fell in death.
So meaninglessly, so utterly without purpose.

– Krraaagh!

“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“S-save me! Please! Aaaagh!”

Panicked players began to flee.
Hunter did not let them escape.
The distance closed in an instant.
A player facing imminent consumption spilled forth despair.

“They’re coming! Those bastards are swarming!”
“…What exactly does it mean that our attacks don’t work?”
“What are you saying! Run, now!”
“It’s too late to run, you fool!”

His words rang true.
Slaves converged from all directions, and with Hunter bearing down mere steps away, escape was impossible.
There was only one option left.

“We need to immobilize him. Attack now! Use every crowd control ability you have!”
“F-Flash! Blind them all!”
“Lord of Nature, hear us!”

The players launched their counterattack.
A blinding flash erupted directly before Hunter.
In perfect synchronization, countless roots surged from the earth, attempting to ensnare his legs.
Wave after wave of crowd control abilities crashed down upon Hunter.
And yet.

[Meaningless.]

It was a futile struggle with no substance.
Hunter didn’t even blink as the flash detonated before his eyes.
The roots meant to bind his legs dissolved the instant they made contact.
The other crowd control abilities fared no better.
No attack whatsoever could touch Hunter.

“The attacks aren’t…”
“No, they’re not landing at all…”

A sickening crunch.

Players bisected in half collapsed to the ground.
Invincible—that was the only word for it.
No attack could harm Hunter.
And then came news even more devastating.

[10% of Korean players participating in God’s Trial have been eliminated.]
[Hunter grows ferocious. Savage aura engulfs the Ruined City.]
[Player movement speed decreases by 10%.]
[Traps to ensnare prey begin appearing throughout the Ruined City.]

It was one of the mechanics of 【Night of the Hunt】.
A mechanic that imposed penalties if a certain percentage or more of the players participating in God’s Trial died.
The penalty grew stronger as the ratio of casualties increased.
Eventually, debuffs so powerful that even moving one’s body became difficult would be imposed, and storms of sword energy would erupt across the city.

[Trial! Are you watching?]

The Hunter, who had been slaughtering countless players, gazed upward at the sky.
In the distant heavens, I could see other nations undergoing God’s Trial. Monsters resembling the Hunter were hunting down players.
Seeing this, the Hunter let out a tremendous roar.

[I shall be the first to complete the hunt! That promise to grant me freedom must be kept without fail!]

The Hunter’s movements became even more ferocious.
Though I couldn’t determine exactly what it was, the enemies that appeared in God’s Trial possessed a kind of sense of purpose.

‘That’s why the trial is so troublesome. Especially one like this.’

God’s Trial inevitably resulted in numerous casualties.
But since this trial became harder to clear the more casualties occurred, it had a particularly troublesome aspect.
There was only one way to complete the trial with minimal penalties.

‘Kill the Hunter quickly. The problem is….’

Attacks didn’t work on him.
Han Yu-sung observed the Hunter’s body carefully.
When attacks connected, something like a protective barrier appeared on his body.
The trial called Night of the Hunt had granted him this barrier.
A barrier that could nullify any attack whatsoever.
The method to disable that barrier was simple.

‘I need to find and complete a hidden Quest somewhere in this city.’

By completing the Quest, I could find the means to disable that barrier.
In my previous life, I only discovered this fact after suffering massive damage, and barely overcame the trial after incurring enormous casualties.
And.
Han Yu-sung knew exactly where that Quest was located.

[So the orthodox method is to complete the Quest. Will you do so?]

Kakasha whispered at my ear.
His voice carried an unmistakable note of anticipation.
Literally, that would be the orthodox approach.
But.

“You already know my answer, don’t you?”

I had no intention of doing that.
Players fleeing in terror in every direction.
Among them, only I walked in a different direction.
Not fleeing, but toward the Hunter.

‘The Hunter grows stronger with each successful hunt.’

That meant he would grow stronger as time passed.
Breaking the Quest to disable the barrier would take considerable time. Even with my knowledge from my past life, the outcome wouldn’t differ much.
There was a tedious process in between.

‘By then, the Hunter will have grown stronger. Then I won’t be able to face him.’

My current level was 10.
Considering my abnormally high stats for my level, I was at the 30 to 40 range.
So what was the Hunter’s current level?

[Hunter, the Starving ‘Nocturnal Predator’. Lv.80]

Level 80.
A level I absolutely could not face.
If he continued hunting, his level would grow even further from here.
Eventually, he would become a monster far exceeding level 100.
But there was one thing hidden within this situation.

‘The Hunter’s level is high, but his stats don’t match it.’

He had grown weak from prolonged starvation.
Even accounting for what he’d consumed, he was probably around level 70.
If I used all the means at my disposal, he was a manageable opponent.
So now was my only chance.

‘My chance to strike him down alone.’

Han Yu-sung had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“P-please! Save me! Take me too… *cough*!”

– Krraaaaaaah!

Blood and flesh scattered through the air.
Screams echoed from the people. Souls writhed in agony.
Han Yu-sung stamped the ground. A dense crimson tempest engulfed everything around him.

Kwaarrrrr!

– K-haaack?!

The winds unleashed by Blood Wind Chain Shatter tore the slaves to shreds.
Han Yu-sung greedily absorbed the blood they spilled as he advanced.
There was only one destination.
Where Hunter stood.

[Krrhhh….]

Hunter, who had been feasting, turned his head.
He sensed the rapid decrease in the number of slaves.
The gaze of a starving wolf found the source of his hunger’s interruption.

“Kakasha.”

A figure moved against the tide of fleeing humans.
Han Yu-sung, drenched entirely in blood, drew the blade from his waist.
A pathetic, rusted sword that looked as though it might shatter at any moment.

“I offer you a worthy sacrifice.”

Doubt flickered in Hunter’s eyes.
Why would someone wearing such extraordinary gauntlets wield such a pitiful blade?
Why choose such a worthless sword as one’s weapon?
It was a question anyone would naturally ask.
But there was no need to ponder the answer for long.

“In exchange, ignite the flames of war.”

Whoooosh!

Fierce dread-fire erupted from the rusted blade. The flames consumed the entire sword in an instant, revealing the weapon’s true form beneath the corrosion.
Before the Lord of War fell.
The endless burning visage of the Flames of War itself.

[Your sacrifice is worthy. Show it to the original, Sworn One.]

I feel the heat.
The Flames of War, having consumed the Coin as an offering, burn fiercely.
They rage as if demanding my immediate liberation.
Han Yu-sung answered that call.

[Heated warfare. Struggle where blood and flesh are exchanged!]

A blade cleaves through empty air.
The dread-fire that consumed the sword blazed ferociously and shot forth.
The flames, devouring all the surrounding air, transformed into a colossal wave—an irresistible inferno advancing forward.

Whoooosh!

– Kiiiieeeeek?!
– Gah, ahhhhh…!

All that remained in the wake of the dread-fire was ash.
The slaves that had lunged toward the players were all consumed by the flames.
The dread-fire, using even them as fuel, surged violently upward.

[Grrrr… I told you. It’s meaningless.]

The Hunter was engulfed.
Even as terror descended upon him, he made no move to defend himself. There was no need—he knew this truth intimately.
Against the divine protection that enveloped him, any attack was meaningless.
And that conviction—

Whoooosh!

[Gah, aaaaah!]

—crumbled to ash upon the wind.
The war-flame that consumed the Hunter burned with ferocious intensity. Those infernal tongues incinerated the barrier that shielded him, consuming the flesh beneath.
The Hunter reeled from the unexpected agony.

[How… how can this be…? My protection…!]
“Fight with honor.”

A crimson tempest howled forth.
Through its fury came a voice laced with mockery.
The Hunter’s bloodshot eyes searched for the speaker.
The search did not take long.

“Let us see who the true hunter is.”

Crash!

A fist drove into the Hunter’s abdomen.
With the impact came the fangs of a colossal dragon, tearing into his body.
A roar of agony echoed through the Ruined City.

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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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