The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 223

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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 223

Countless arrows embroidered the empty sky, while fierce winds surged from the ground below.
The overwhelming assault of Iliana, the High Elf ranked third in Tower conquest, crashed down upon Han Yu-sung.

Heaven’s Blood Ten Thousand Sword Technique.

Yet it all proved meaningless.
The countless sword auras born from a single blade stroke cleaved through arrows and magic alike.
Iliana gasped in disbelief at the impossible sight and summoned her spirits.
Multiple high-tier spirits materialized at her side.
And as if she had been waiting for this moment.

Kwaaaaaaaa!

“This… this can’t be…!”

Torrents of magic rained down upon the spirits.
They were spells Iliana herself had conjured.
The magic she thought had been severed along with the arrows suddenly reversed course and swept across the spirits.
And with it came a surge of blood from the earth.

Kwaaaang!

“Ugh, aaahhhhh!”

The blood explosion that ravaged the surroundings engulfed both the spirits and Iliana.
She cried out in agony.
Beyond her vision blurred by blood, a fierce gale howled as it bore down upon her.
She gritted her teeth and drew her bowstring taut.
Then the arrow was released.
A single arrow split into dozens, converging upon Han Yu-sung from all directions…

Scritch!

But the arrow never reached me.
A flash of light streaked across the space.
The arrow in its path was cleaved in two, and Iliana’s body was split in half.
That was the end of it.
I sheathed my sword.

[You have defeated the second challenger.]
[As a reward, you have obtained the structure: Hall of Losers!]

[Hall of Losers.]
[A hall where the weapons of those defeated at the Top Floor of the Tower are displayed. Though merely replicas, those who see them will feel dread.]
[Effect: Every time you defeat a challenger, all stats +20.]
[Current effect: All stats +20.]

A structure reward had been granted.
Faster than I expected, I’d say.
I thought I’d need to defeat more before receiving one, but it was a pleasant miscalculation.
The effect is clear. A structure that grows stronger as more challengers are defeated at the Top Floor.

“Not bad.”
[A timely structure indeed.]

Kakasha was right.
Had I received it later, it wouldn’t have been as effective.
I decided to install the structure beside the throne.
Shortly after, the Hall of Losers, displaying two replicated weapons, was installed.
Groznak’s greatsword and Iliana’s bow.

[Tsk… it’s a shame they’re fakes. If they were genuine, I would’ve taken them and sold them for a fortune!]

I shared the same thought.
High-level players would use expensive weapons. It would’ve been a great help in replenishing the coins Kakasha had wasted.
Of course, in reality, it doesn’t matter at all.

“Well then…”

Seated upon the throne, I gazed toward the stairs beyond.

“Let’s see who comes next.”

* * *

The battle raged on without respite.

“Undead, heed my command.”

Next came the fourth-ranked Tower climber, the centaur Berte.
A peculiar fighter. A player who wielded both swordsmanship and necromancy.
The undead he summoned were not particularly powerful individually.
Intermediate grade at best. But their sheer numbers were staggering.

[These creatures. They’re only intermediate in rank, but in reality, they’re no different from advanced-tier.]

Undead reinforced by demonic power and the support of a lord.
A quality and quantity that seemed impossible for a single player to summon. Countless undead surged forward in unison at their master’s command.
Any ordinary opponent would crumble before such an onslaught.
But he had chosen the wrong adversary.

[Sacred light flows forth from the Saint’s Legacy.]
[I activate Prayer of the Saint and the Order of Light Knights.]

[Hmph, what misfortune. This one truly lacks luck.]

The number of undead, the power they possessed—
all of it was meaningless before me.
Could undead summoned by a mere player compare to a lord?
To Han Yu-sung, who had trampled the undead legions raised by the Death Lord himself, Berte’s vaunted army held no significance whatsoever.

– Krrgh, krraaagh…!
– Gyaaaaaaah!
“How… how is this possible.”

Undead dissolving before the light that consumed all directions.
Berte’s mind reeled at the incomprehensible sight.
And that was the last thing he witnessed.

“…!”

The Blood Sea Flame Palm struck Berte’s heart with devastating force.
The half-demon, his insides shattered, collapsed while vomiting blood from every pore.
The moment he fell, the next challenger appeared as if waiting for their turn.

Fifth on the Tower’s ascent rankings: the Vampire Scarlet.
Vampires were, needless to say, an extraordinarily powerful race.
They wielded blood as a weapon and could absorb blood to recover even from grievous wounds. Their tenacity of life required no explanation.
Of course.

[This one’s undead too.]
“Kyaaaaaaagh!”

Before the Saint’s Legacy, the vampire was utterly powerless.
As if meeting the sun itself, the vampire’s entire body ignited and dissolved into ash.
Then came the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth ranked challengers.

“Ugh, cough… hack…!”

The challengers knelt before Han Yu-sung.
Of course, Han Yu-sung’s body was far from unscathed. From relentless combat, his frame bore numerous wounds both large and small.
Yet none of them impeded my movement.
Han Yu-sung lifted his head.

[You have defeated the fifth challenger.]
[As a reward, the structure ‘Throne of the Tower’ has been enhanced!]
[You have defeated the ninth challenger.]
[As a reward, you have obtained the structure ‘Banner of Victory’!]

[Throne of the Tower.]
[A throne where final bosses can indulge their arrogance. Looking down upon those climbing the Tower from this seat would surely feel magnificent.]
[Effect: All stats, attack power, defense, and speed +30%.]

[Banner of Victory.]
[A banner erected to commemorate victory. Enemies who witness this magnificent banner will naturally have their morale shattered.]
[Effect: Enemy morale decreased for a set duration, all stats –20%.]

The rewards obtained thus far came into view.
Han Yu-sung wiped the blood from his blade and awaited the next challenger.
Yet this time, no challenger ascended.

[Hmm, have they lost their nerve? No one’s coming.]
“That’s possible. Or maybe something else is at play.”

Conveniently, the number of challengers had reached exactly ten.
It was about time something changed.
As if responding to Han Yu-sung’s thoughts.

[The Waiting Room has opened.]
[Players may remain in the ‘Waiting Room’ before challenging the Top Floor of the Tower. Here, you may interact with other players or form a party to challenge the Top Floor together.]
[However, rewards will be reduced if you cooperate.]
[Maximum party size: 12 members.]

“As expected.”

The message appeared.
I’d anticipated this to some degree ever since being given the ‘structures’.
As I grew stronger with the structures’ buffs, the caliber of players challenging the Top Floor would steadily decline.
The progression would become tedious.
I’d expected some mechanism to obstruct my path.

[So they’re using ‘cooperation’ as the obstruction.]
“Textbook strategy. Twelve members, then…”

A smile crossed my lips.
Not bad. I was already growing weary of the monotony anyway.
Besides, this was an opportunity to dispatch multiple enemies at once.
Considering the maximum party size was twelve.

“I’d finish this with just two or three more substantial battles.”
[Hmm… now that I think about it, that’s not so bad either.]

I’d gained a chance to end this event faster.
After installing the structures I’d obtained, I settled onto the throne.
By now, conversations were likely already underway in the Waiting Room.

“All I need to do is wait.”

With my eyes closed, I awaited the challengers’ arrival.

* * *

The Top Floor of the Tower of Records.
In the center of the staircase leading upward, a Waiting Room materialized.
It was a space where players challenging the Top Floor could gather.

“….”
“….”

Silence permeated the Waiting Room.
Multiple players had assembled, yet none dared speak. They simply stared in wordless awe at the screen hovering in the empty air.
It displayed the combat records of Han Yu-sung, the master of the Top Floor.

Whoooosh!

Not every battle was visible.
One might call it a highlight reel—only the most striking moments from his encounters with the players who had climbed before him were shown.

‘A monster.’

These were players counted among the strongest in their respective worlds. Yet Han Yu-sung was an opponent they could not easily contend with.
But was such strength even possible?
Could a human truly possess this level of power?

‘Surely his combat power rating wasn’t that high….’

Vizelthia, ranked 13th in Tower ascension, thought to himself.
When Han Yu-sung became the master of the Top Floor, the Sovereign had spoken words of disbelief.

[A mere C+ combat power rating reached the Top Floor…? Unbelievable. No, wait. This is….]

The one who ascended fastest of all, who eliminated his competitors with his own hands, was merely C+ rank?
Surely the assessment was flawed?
The answer came swiftly.

[…The combat power rating is ultimately based on information known ‘publicly.’ It seems he has been concealing his true strength.]
“My Sovereign. Can a human truly possess such power?”
[It is not impossible. However, considering that God’s Trial has only recently opened to this world, I would say it borders on the impossible.]

In fact, the Murim had humans with remarkable power.
But Earth? Impossible. There simply wasn’t enough time, physically speaking.
Yet a being had appeared who shattered that impossibility.

‘No, that can’t be right.’
‘There must be another cause. Something we don’t know about.’

Naturally, there were those who refused to accept it.
The players searched for alternative explanations, and they found one quickly enough.
The ‘structures’ that were steadily multiplying on the Top Floor.
With each structure that appeared, Han Yu-sung’s power visibly grew stronger.

“Is that structure buffing him?”
“I can’t say for certain, but it seems highly likely.”
“It appears they increase each time a challenger is defeated.”
“Damn it. So the longer this goes on, the worse our odds become.”

The players’ minds grew even more turbulent.

‘Ten players have already fallen. And not just any players, either.’
‘Top-tier players. Players stronger than me have been defeated. So how could I possibly succeed if I went up there?’

It was impossible.
They would lose without achieving anything of note.
Unless this Han Yu-sung fellow grew exhausted. But he showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
If anything, he appeared to be enjoying the situation.
Watching him, the players’ thoughts converged in the same direction.

‘I can’t do this alone.’
‘…Even if the rewards diminish, we have to cooperate.’

A total of twelve players could enter the Top Floor.
Compared to those who had entered before, it was somewhat lacking, yet these too were counted among the strong in their respective worlds.
If they gathered like this, they should be able to eliminate Han Yu-sung.

“….”
“….”

The players met each other’s gaze.
And without anyone needing to speak first, they all nodded in agreement.

“Damn it. This situation itself is humiliating, but…”
“Isn’t it better to gain something rather than return empty-handed? First, shouldn’t we at least learn each other’s classes?”
“We should also think about how to deal with that man.”
“Based on the footage we saw earlier…”

The challengers, now forming a party, contemplated their strategy to overcome Han Yu-sung.
Lively conversation filled the Waiting Room.

“This is tedious. How much longer?”

Han Yu-sung waited for them atop the Tower’s Top Floor, his expression one of pure boredom.

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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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