The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 214

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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 214

The sun was rising beyond the sea.
Han Yu-sung stood at the seaside, quietly observing the spectacle.
Perhaps from moving about busily all night, a peculiar sentiment washed over me.

“Huff, huff… I, it’s finally over…”

Beside Han Yu-sung was Chu Gyu-il, looking like a drenched rat.
He was completely exhausted and staggered before collapsing to the ground.
Next to him lay backpacks so swollen they seemed ready to burst—all spoils brought from the Black Tower.

“Damn it. I’m working myself to death while you leisurely enjoy the ocean view… Hey, are you listening?”
“Did you forget who destroyed the Black Towers?”
“I know! I know, but it’s terrifying, so stop staring!”

Chu Gyu-il turned his head away from Han Yu-sung’s gaze.
In Chu Gyu-il’s mind, Han Yu-sung had transcended the realm of monsters.
A single glance was enough to send chills down his spine.

“What’s the haul?”
“This backpack contains only Legendary-grade items, this one has skill books, and this one has coins. Including items convertible to coins, I’d estimate around 800,000 to 900,000 coins total. There’s cash as well.”
“A rather satisfactory harvest.”

Considering what I’d earned in a single night, it was more than enough.
And that was before accounting for the compensation I’d extract from Heuksalmun.

[Mmm! It’s a shame this ended here—such a magnificent spectacle it was. A well-constructed building exploding like fireworks!]
“Well, I’d say I’ve destroyed enough at this point.”

Han Yu-sung had destroyed six Black Towers.
And as a bonus, completely obliterated the Black Flesh Gate as well.
The damage was catastrophic; reconstruction would require enormous resources and effort.
And for some, that would become an opportunity.
Han Yu-sung picked up his phone.

[…The call went through.]
“Wang Liu-ye. You’ve heard the news by now, haven’t you?”

After several rings, a woman answered the call.
It was Wang Liu-ye of Heuksalmun—a player who had once attempted to kidnap Han Yu-sung but failed, and had since bound herself through a contract with the Quill of Oath.
Remarkably, she had been thriving within Heuksalmun ever since.
Han Yu-sung had decided to give her wings to soar even higher.

[I heard you. That was absurd what you did. How on earth did you obtain such information? These are details I’ve never even heard of….]
“There’s a way. Anyway, never mind that. I’ve acquired quite a bit this time around, and I’d like to pass some of it along to you. What do you say?”
[….]

I had decided to send Wang Liu-ye a portion of the spoils I’d obtained this time.
Of course, it wasn’t a gift given out of pure goodwill.
Wang Liu-ye seemed to grasp this immediately upon hearing my words, falling silent.

“Of course, you understand how to use this, don’t you?”
[You’re telling me to seize control of Heuksalmun while it’s in chaos.]
“Exactly. Though even if you can’t take complete control, it would be enough to elevate your influence and position within the organization through this opportunity.”

A deep sigh came through the phone.
After a long silence, Wang Liu-ye spoke carefully.

[Are you trying to bring Heuksalmun under your command?]
“Well….”

Wang Liu-ye was bound by an unbreakable leash because of the Quill of Oath.
If Wang Liu-ye were to seize control of Heuksalmun, it would naturally become mine as well.
But controlling Heuksalmun was never my primary concern.

“Rather, I want to eliminate troublesome complications. If you gain real power within Heuksalmun, wouldn’t such problems disappear?”
[They would, if I could manage it.]
“Do you think Heuksalmun would suspect you?”
[No. It’s almost laughable, but the information you possess is of such high caliber that I could never reach it myself….]
“Then suspicion will naturally fall away from you.”
[Yes. Though I’ll need to observe the situation a bit longer….]

The location of the Black Tower, and even the Black Gate itself.
These were secrets known only to the highest echelons of Heuksalmun, figures like the Dark Emperor.
Wang Liu-ye could not possibly know of them, and indeed, she did not.

[Chaos will spread within Heuksalmun as well. This is merely my speculation, but the sect leader will likely attempt to root out traitors among the high-ranking officials. Yet there can be no traitors to find.]

The information originated from Han Yu-sung’s past life.
That’s where the problem begins.

[Those who’ve come under suspicion will certainly resist. The Dark Emperor’s authority has crumbled significantly, and he’s lost considerable elite forces as well….]
“They’ll see this as an opportunity.”

Heuksalmun was a place ruled by the Dark Emperor’s power and authority.
But now the Dark Emperor’s authority has collapsed because of Han Yu-sung, and he’s lost strength by sacrificing a substantial number of elite soldiers. On top of that, his reputation has suffered greatly.
There’s no reason for those under suspicion to accept their fate quietly.

“We can use that situation well. Don’t you think?”
[Right, we can. If we use the spoils you’ve given us well, we’ll be able to seize the opportunity. For now, they’ll follow your orders.]
“Good. Don’t miss the chance to rise to a higher position, Wang Liu-ye.”
[I know without you saying it.]

Wang Liu-ye ended the call at that.
The spoils would be sent through a separate channel.
Now, what remained was.

“Chu Gyu-il. Claim your share.”
“Ah, finally. Damn, all this hard work was worth it….”
“Separate from that, would you be willing to make a contract with our Lord?”

Chu Gyu-il’s hands, which had been gathering the spoils, froze.
A contract with a Lord?
The Lord of War, who’d recently become famous?

“…Are you forcing me?”
“How could I? What meaning would there be in forcing a contract? It’s your choice. If you don’t wish to, you’re free to refuse.”
“Uh, um….”

Chu Gyu-il fell into deep contemplation.
He’d learned only recently that Han Yu-sung’s contracted Lord was the Lord of War. He’d also heard various favorable stories circulating about the Lord.

‘I don’t know what things were like before the decline, but right now it seems fine.’

Among lords bearing a title, she was certainly one of the more respectable ones.
She distributed rewards to her Oath-takers according to their contributions, and the compensation was generous. I’d even heard she was financially stable.
She was an attractive lord, certainly.
And separate from that.

‘To shed this contract quickly, I’d need to contract with her as well….’

I had a contract with Han Yu-sung.
Whenever I discovered a special Difficult Realm, I had to report it. If Han Yu-sung needed me, I had to come immediately and assist with utmost sincerity.
Beyond that, there were numerous clauses—location reports and the like.
To me, it was no different from a slave contract.
But there was exactly one way to mitigate that contract.

[Special Clause: Should Chu Gyu-il form an Oath with a lord contracted by Han Yu-sung, the frequency conditions of this contract shall be reduced by half.]

Strictly speaking, it was a contradiction.
To escape a slave contract by contracting with a lord? What difference was there between that and willingly placing another noose around my own neck?
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have even considered it.

‘But with the Lord of War, there’s definitely merit.’

Besides, she supposedly didn’t interfere much with her Oath-takers.
The lord’s attention was concentrated on Han Yu-sung.
Minimal interference, rapid growth potential, and sufficient support—that was the kind of lord she was.
Of course, there would be misinformation mixed in, so I’d need to filter what I heard.
But, but….

“Yes, our lord told me to convey this: she will divide the spoils of war according to her Oath-taker’s contributions. If you find treasures, she’ll give you proper compensation, so don’t worry about being used as a ‘treasure-hunting tool.'”
“…!”

I swallowed hard.
‘Treasure-hunting tool.’ That was precisely why I dreaded contracting with a lord.

“How could I possibly believe that?”
“Look at the spoils she’s already given you—and you still can’t believe? Well, whether you believe or not is your choice. Like I said before, she has no intention of forcing you.”

Han Yu-sung slowly turned away.

“If you’re thinking of making a contract, come find us at the Arca Building. Neither our Lord nor I have any intention of going back on our word.”
“….”

Han Yu-sung left those words hanging in the air, shouldered his backpack, and pushed off the ground.
His silhouette vanished into the distance in an instant.
Chu Gyu-il watched his retreating figure for a long time.
Without a word, for quite some time.

* * *

As the sun rose, chaos erupted across Asia.
The remnants of the Black Towers that Han Yu-sung had destroyed were laid bare.
The Black Towers had been concealed using formation techniques or disguised as ordinary buildings, so people scrambled to understand what had happened.

“What in the world happened in just one night…?”
“The building was fine when I went to bed. How did it end up like this?”
“Wait, if I look at the remaining documents….”

Among the Black Tower ruins lay documents that hadn’t been destroyed in time.
People examined those documents and.

“Insane, it’s Heuksalmun!”
“Heuksalmun? Isn’t that a Guild from China?”
“Yeah. It’s a major Guild, but it’s basically a criminal organization.”
“So you’re saying this is a building belonging to the Chinese Heuksalmun? But this is Korea. Why would their building be here?”

They realized the building’s owner was Heuksalmun.
Why would Heuksalmun have buildings in foreign countries?
The answer became clear as they examined the remaining documents.

“These were built for espionage, assassination, kidnapping, and all manner of illegal activities, it seems. They appear to be called Black Towers.”
“Identical buildings have appeared in Japan as well!”
“And in Southeast Asia too…. This doesn’t seem like just one or two locations?”

People were left dumbfounded.
Branches of the notorious criminal organization from China had been hidden throughout Asia.
Then one question arose.
Why had all of them been destroyed in a single night?
And who was responsible for their destruction?

[Breaking News! Hidden ‘Black Tower’ discovered across Asia! What is the Black Tower? And what are Heuksalmun’s intentions in concealing it?]
[Urgent Update! The identity of the one who destroyed the Black Tower has been revealed….]

That mystery was quickly answered.

[Han Yu-sung! Single-handedly destroyed multiple Black Towers alone.]
[Player Alliance releases investigation results… Heuksalmun attempted to assassinate Han Yu-sung but failed. In the process, they discovered what is presumed to be the assassins’ stronghold—the Black Tower—and destroyed it….]
[Why did Heuksalmun attempt to assassinate Han Yu-sung?]
[Discussion of similar cases from the past.]

Shocking news erupted one after another.
All of Asia, including Korea, was engulfed in shock.
Heuksalmun’s assassination attempt was nothing short of appalling.
If similar cases had occurred in the past, it meant there were more players who had died this way.
But what was even more shocking than that was something else entirely.

“Wait, so you’re saying. These Black Towers scattered across Asia….”
“…Han Yu-sung destroyed them all by himself?”

People checked the distances between the Black Towers.
Could the Black Towers have been located close to one another?
Was that how he could travel quickly and destroy the other Black Towers just as rapidly?
Naturally, it was not.
The Black Towers were far apart, and they were concealed with great secrecy. It was physically impossible to destroy them all in a single night.

“How on earth…?”
“What exactly happened in a single night?”
“Is such a thing even possible?”

Yet this impossible feat had actually come to pass.
Soon, those observing the situation came to realize something.
Heuksalmun had lost far too much in a single night.
It was catastrophic damage—the kind that could shake the very foundation of the organization.
And there was only one reason it had happened.

“….”
“….”

Because they touched Han Yu-sung.
In retaliation, Heuksalmun suffered damage severe enough to shake the entire organization. Those who grasped this reality swallowed hard.
They could feel the message Han Yu-sung was sending.
A fierce, unmistakable warning: do not provoke him with petty schemes.

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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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