The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 217

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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 217

My first S-rank Sacred Artifact had finally materialized.
In my previous life, I had never served under a Lord, so obtaining an S-rank Sacred Artifact was truly my first time.
The effects were outstanding, and it was a Sacred Artifact I was quite pleased with in many respects.
Just one thing—if only the Coins it cost weren’t so steep.

‘Well, Coins can always be earned anyway.’

Coins were flowing in steadily from various Difficult Realms, so there was no real cause for concern. In truth, I gave it little thought.

[Uuuuuh….]

More than anything, I found Kakasha’s dejected demeanor quite amusing.
He seemed to think he had caused some disaster, and was thoroughly cowed.
Watching him, I clicked my tongue.

“Did you have a spending habit even before your downfall?”
[A-ah, no, not quite that bad. Of course, I do have a tendency to squander Coins freely depending on my mood…!]
“Isn’t that exactly what a spending habit is?”
[Uuuuuh….]

Kakasha’s spirits sank even further.
Seeing his expression, I turned away with a quiet smirk.

“Let’s go. To the Star Battlefield.”

I headed toward the Star Battlefield.
A vast expanse of White Space unfolded before me. Beyond the glass lay an infinite cosmos, welcoming all who entered the Star Battlefield.

[Welcome to the Star Battlefield.]
[This is where Oath-takers from countless worlds gather. Various Battlefields have been prepared for the Oath-takers. Participate in the Battlefields for your Lord, for Coins, and for rewards.]

[☆ A special event is currently underway! ☆]
[☆ Only the invited strong may participate in this event! ☆]
[☆ Congratulations, Han Yu-sung. You have been invited! ☆]

Whoooosh!

An invitation Han Yu-sung recognized appeared before him.
It was an event invitation that the Star Battlefield had sent to him.
As the invitation tore apart, a massive portal materialized.
Han Yu-sung entered the portal without hesitation.
Then.

“Hmm, this place…”
[A Colosseum? No, it seems slightly different from the Colosseum.]

An extraordinarily vast Colosseum welcomed Han Yu-sung.
The Battle Arena he had witnessed when advancing to ‘Wuji’ suddenly came to mind.
In that arena, I had waged endless battles against countless spirit soldiers.

‘Is this event structured similarly? It’s not bad, though.’

Gathering the strongest from multiple worlds into a single Colosseum, engaging in endless combat until a final victor emerges…
It’s not bad.
This was an event that pleased Han Yu-sung.
However, there was a slight sense that something was missing.

[Look, my lord. There are spectator seats.]
“The Lords are packed in here. Did they advertise this beforehand?”
[I saw them promoting it by saying that since they were gathering the strongest from multiple worlds for an entertaining event, anyone who wanted a spectacle should come.]

The Colosseum had spectator seating.
Countless eyes were wide open—it was utterly unsettling. The Lords who desired entertainment had come to watch.
Han Yu-sung clicked his tongue and surveyed his surroundings.

‘The place I’m in… is it a capsule?’

Han Yu-sung was confined within a translucent capsule-like structure.
That wasn’t all. Looking around, there were roughly fifty identical capsules, each containing what appeared to be players.
They, like Han Yu-sung, were observing their surroundings.

“There are quite a few non-human races.”
[I see races from the Plunder War. There are also several individuals from the Murim, and hmm… the caliber is higher than expected.]

The players inside the capsules were a diverse bunch.
There was Urkan, whom I had seen before in the Plunder War—a formidable race born from the evolution of orcs, impressive for their immense strength and resilient physiques.
There were also vampire-like races with sharp fangs, and elf-like beings radiating light from their entire bodies.
Most striking of all was a race possessing a colossal frame.

“They look like giants. Do you know what they are?”
[“They would be the Halmuks. A giant race born from stone. As sturdy as they appear. Their strength is beyond question. Though they tend to be rather dim-witted, I must say…”]

It seemed they possessed enough power to more than compensate for that shortcoming.
I found myself thinking they would be worthwhile opponents.

“Hmm, I see a familiar face too.”
[“That one appears to be a player from Earth, like yourself.”]
“Yes. I’m certain the name is…”

Among the players in the capsules, I spotted a face I recognized.
Han Yu-sung searched my memory, and the name soon surfaced.

“Blaze Carter.”

A large man with skin bronzed by the sun.
His striking red hair was memorable. He was also the leader of Fuse America, the multinational Guild representing the United States.

‘Was he America’s top-ranked player at this time?’

In the United States, there were several players with strength comparable to Blaze Carter’s.
I had heard the competition was fierce enough that the top position changed hands frequently.
It seemed Blaze had claimed the top spot during this period.

“It’s pleasant to see a countryman here.”
[“Though considering he’ll inevitably become your enemy, there’s little reason for pleasantries. Hmm, it appears that American has taken notice of you as well.”]

My gaze met Blaze Carter’s.
He widened his eyes as if seeing an unexpected face.
But it was brief—he nodded as if it made sense.
Thus the players in the Battle Arena began to assess one another.

[☆ Welcome to this special event at the Proving Ground. ☆]
[☆ This event is being held at the behest of one of the Lords. You, invited from various worlds, will prove your strength here, and numerous Lords will be watching. ☆]
[☆ This event will be broadcast live to the participants’ worlds! ☆]

It was a situation similar to the Tower of Blood Demon from before.
Back then, Han Yu-sung’s conquest of the Tower had been broadcast live to Earth and the Lords.
The difference was that then Han Yu-sung had chosen it to earn coins, but now there was no choice.
Either way, it wasn’t particularly important.

[☆ A list of participants is provided to the Lords watching the event. The list contains combat power indicators for the participants, calculated based on ‘publicly’ known information. ☆]
[☆ Place your bets on participants using the indicators as reference! ☆]
[☆ You can bet up to 1 million coins! If your chosen participant wins, you can receive up to 7 times your wager! ☆]

Betting.
A mechanic I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Han Yu-sung regarded the text that appeared before his eyes with indifference, then heard rough breathing.
It was Kakasha’s breathing.

[1 million coins! Seven times the return! At this rate, I could recover what I lost in one shot…!]

One shot—more like he’d already staked 10 million coins.
Still, a considerable amount could be recovered.
Of course, assuming the other Lords didn’t bet on Han Yu-sung.

“Kakasha. Did you receive the list too?”
[Huh? Yes! I did receive it. Let me see…. Huh?]

Kakasha, who had been looking at the list, suddenly began rubbing his eyes.
It was as though he’d witnessed something unbelievable.

“What’s wrong?”
[No, your combat power indicator is… uh…?]
“Is it high or low?”

Kakasha tilted his head in confusion and showed Han Yu-sung the list.
The combat power indicators of roughly fifty participants were visible.
And among them, at the bottom of the list.

[Han Yu-sung (Affiliation: Earth, Gold Grade.)]
[Combat Power Rating: C+ (Click to view detailed metrics.)]
[Reason: A player whose impressive close-range combat prowess stems from robust physical capabilities and exceptional tactical instincts, complemented by formidable magical aptitude. Recently demonstrated remarkable performance against multiple alien races in the Plunder War.]
[However, the inherent weakness arising from the racial limitations of being ‘human’ is regrettable. It is presumed difficult to overcome the deficiency in physical capabilities.]

Han Yu-sung’s name was listed there.
After confirming the roster, Han Yu-sung locked eyes with Kakasha.

[…So it’s C+ grade.]
“Not particularly high. Though I can roughly guess the reasoning.”

The reason was remarkably straightforward.
The evaluation data had been compiled based solely on ‘publicly known information.’
Since the fact that I had acquired the Heavenly Martial Body remained undisclosed, it naturally wouldn’t be reflected in the metrics.

‘The Urkan race being beneath me is likely for the same reason.’

Beneath Han Yu-sung were players of the Urkan race.
He had demonstrated remarkable feats against Urkan, Siraphene, and Dark Elves during the Plunder War. Thanks to that record, he had managed to secure a higher grade than the Urkan players themselves.
But that was all there was to it.
Since this event featured races far stronger than the Urkan, a higher grade could not be justified.
The reasoning was entirely rational.
And simultaneously.

“An opportunity.”
[A tantalizing opportunity indeed…!]

An opportunity to earn coins as much as I desired.
How many Lords would actually place bets on players ranked lower on the roster?
If I could only ’emerge victorious,’ the profits would be staggering.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

At that very moment, the Colosseum where Han Yu-sung stood trembled violently.
Soon after, a colossal Tower rose from the center.

[“The Proving Ground consists of two stages.”]
[“The first stage: the Tower of Records rises before you.”]
[“This tower comprises ten floors in total. The participant who conquers it first becomes the stage’s ‘victor.'”]
[“The tower contains records achieved by others. Those who surpass these records receive rewards along with the ‘Tower’s Blessing.'”]

A stage without unnecessary complications.
All I had to do was conquer the tower before me as quickly as possible.
Perhaps that’s why an unsettling feeling gnawed at me.

“Kakasha, what do you make of this?”
[“You’re troubled by the second stage. For something that awards fragments of an ‘Eternity-grade’ item, the first stage seems…”]
“Too simple. There might be something hidden.”

The second stage could present unforeseen difficulties.
Regardless, now was the time to focus on the tower before me.
I gazed up at the towering structure.

[“All participants are summoned to the tower’s Lobby.”]

In the next instant, brilliant light enveloped me.
When I opened my eyes, I stood in the tower’s Lobby. The space around me was filled with classical clocks on all sides.
Tick, tick. The sound of second hands echoed through the air.

“Hmm, this is…”

Within the Lobby where the clock hands ticked away, countless “afterimages” existed.
They were the afterimages of players trapped within capsules.

[“Participants will conquer the identical tower simultaneously. You can observe other participants’ progress through the tower in the form of ‘afterimages.'”]
[“Do not fall behind the afterimages.”]

A mechanic designed to provoke competitive spirit.
If the afterimages surpassed me, I would feel the pressure of falling behind.
I would be driven to move faster, to push harder.
That was precisely what this mechanic aimed to achieve.

[“…!”]
[“….]

The afterimages gazed at one another, their lips moving silently.
They were attempting to converse, it seemed.
Yet the afterimages of the players could only be seen—no sound reached across the divide.

Rummmble!

A colossal staircase descended into the Lobby.
The afterimages of the players began to move.
Some ascended the moment the stairs appeared, as though they had been waiting; others hesitated, watching their companions climb before following suit.
The players displayed varied strategies as they mounted the steps.
Among them, Han Yu-sung stood alone, gazing into empty space.

[What are you doing?]
“Ah, it’s a restriction. It seems I cannot impose one this time.”
[So you were planning to impose a restriction again….]

Kakasha clicked his tongue in disapproval.
The Star Battlefield allowed restrictions to be imposed, granting greater Star Point rewards in return.
Unfortunately, this time, I could not impose one.

“What a shame.”
[Not a shame at all! In fact, this is fortunate!]
“Well, fine then. So….”

Han Yu-sung looked up at the afterimages ascending the staircase.
The objective remained constant: victory among countless races.
But this time, that alone would not suffice.

“Let us begin.”

The rewards for breaking records, and the ‘Tower’s Blessing’ as well.
All of it would become mine.
As it always had been.

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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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