The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 228

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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 228

A Tower rose from a monster-infested zone in the Seoul Outskirts.
Word spread across Korea in no time, and Players of every stripe converged on the Tower.
And what they saw was.

[The Tower that Han Yu-sung conquered!]
[The Tower of Records comes to you in multiple difficulty levels. Build your experience and seize the chance for outstanding rewards!]
[Tower opens in D-4.]

The sign was bewildering, to say the least.
Even more bewildering was the Tower’s name.

“The Tower of Records—that’s the one Han Yu-sung conquered, isn’t it?”
“Are they really opening it so other Players can clear it?”
“But… even if they open it, can anyone actually beat it?”

It was only natural they felt this way.
How brutally difficult was the Tower of Records? Wasn’t it the very place where the strongest from countless worlds gathered to compete for records?
Could ordinary Players truly conquer something like that?

“…So that’s why they’re dividing the difficulty levels?”
“Maybe. At the difficulty we know, there’s no chance of clearing it. I suspect they’ll lower the difficulty…”

Han Yu-sung was nowhere to be seen.
People’s attention naturally began to focus on the Tower.
What exactly was the difficulty? And the rewards? Would the Lord of War guarantee survival like she did with the other Difficult Realms she opened?

“Why does time move so slowly!”
“And they want us to wait four days after this?”

But no new information emerged.
There was nothing to do but wait.
People could only wait endlessly for the Tower of Records to open.
This immense interest was not limited to the Players alone.

[…Tsk, that thundering fool of a Lord.]
[A being who had fallen so miserably. Yet somehow he managed to salvage a decent Oath-taker and rise again… I find it most disagreeable.]
[A Tower—something so precious—returning to the Lord of War!]
[Should we really allow that Tower to fall into his hands?]

The gaze of the Lords was thick with undisguised envy.
Had he not contracted with Han Yu-sung, he would have simply faded away.
They could not fathom why such a Player would contract with the Lord of War.
With that level of skill, he could have contracted with any Lord he desired!
Of course.
They could only speak such words because they were ignorant of the contract between Han Yu-sung and Kakasha.
Had they known that a Lord had entered into a slave contract with a mere human, they would have shrieked madness itself, envy be damned.

[So then, when does this Tower open?]
[Not much longer remains. It should open soon.]

In any case, time flowed onward.
For the Lords, it was but an instant; for the Players awaiting the Tower, it felt like an eternity.
And then.

“The Tower opens today, right? Is it finally happening?”
“According to what’s written on that sign, today should be correct.”
“Phew, at last… but wait….”

On the very day the Tower was to open, near the Tower of Records.
A Player who had been waiting looked around at the surroundings and clicked his tongue in disgust.
There was no helping it.

“Why are there so many….”
“…Are they all here to conquer the Tower?”
“That’s… probably not the case….”

The crowd gathered around the Tower was immense—far too immense.
There were Players aplenty, and no shortage of those who appeared to be journalists. Representatives from the Alliance and government were equally numerous.
And the place was packed with people from overseas.

“Is this some kind of gathering for humanity’s unification? What a blessing, what a blessing indeed.”

The words escaped my lips unbidden.
Yet upon reflection, it was only natural.
Jain, the Alliance Leader, gazed up at the towering structure with awestruck eyes and murmured softly.

“This is the first time a Tower has opened to the Difficult Realm from Earth. To think that we—not some other nation—would be granted such a glorious opportunity….”
“I share your sentiment. In that regard, about the authorities I mentioned before, the ones we’d grant to Han Yu-sung. Would those be enough to keep Han Yu-sung in check?”
“You’re aware those are unreasonable authorities, are you not?”
“I am. We can discuss the details later.”

There were too many eyes watching here.
Jain gestured with her eyes toward the cameras positioned all around.

“Do you see it? That is the ‘Tower of Records’ that emerged four days ago. Today is the day the Tower is scheduled to open!”
“Players are both eager and anxious simultaneously. If the structure matches the Tower that Han Yu-sung conquered, they lack the power to clear it themselves. Some are saying….”
“In short, the entire world is watching this place.”

The perimeter established by the Alliance, encircling the Tower.
Beyond it, countless journalists lay in wait.
They had rushed here upon hearing the news that the Tower would open today.

“…It will be noisy.”
“Yes, indeed.”

Jain exhaled a weary sigh.

“So, is it still far off? It should be opening soon….”

It seemed the time had come.
The moment Jain spoke those words.

A deep, resonant boom erupted.

The earth trembled violently as a tremendous collision sound reverberated across the landscape.
Then, intense pillars of flame erupted consecutively around the Tower.
It felt like watching celebratory fireworks commemorating the Tower’s opening.
Jain caught a fleeting vision of Han Yu-sung exhaling a sigh.

[You’ve waited long enough. At last, the Tower of Records opens!]
[That tower conquered by Han Yu-sung! The tower where he proved himself the strongest among countless powerhouses across worlds! The tower where he obtained the ‘Eternity’ item!]
[The Tower of Records comes to you!]

“….”
“….”

Upon reading the text, both Jain and Park Yu-ha fell silent without realizing it.
It didn’t seem like Han Yu-sung had written those words.
Then could it be a Lord? Would even the Lord of War herself resort to such showmanship….
But that theatrical flair was certainly effective.

“Roooaaarrr!”
“What kind of ‘Eternity’ item did you obtain! All of Korea, no—the entire world is dying to know! Please, just say one word!”
“Open the door already!”

The crowd erupted in fervent cheers.
Jain shook her head with a sigh.
And before everyone’s eyes, a long window appeared.

[Difficult Realm: Tower of Records.]
[A tower inherited and refined by the Lord of War. Each floor awaits challengers with its own unique trial. Difficulty can be selected in the Lobby, and the trial’s content varies based on your chosen difficulty.]
[Currently available difficulties are ‘Easy’, ‘Normal’, and ‘Hard’, with higher difficulties to be unlocked as Players grow stronger.]
[Rewards are granted upon clearing the tower, with additional rewards based on ‘Clear Time’. Details will be provided separately.]
[The tower’s Lobby contains portals connected to various worlds. However, currently only Players from ‘Earth’ may challenge it.]
[Death is waived in this Difficult Realm. Additionally, if you fail to clear it, you may pay coins to receive one additional attempt.]
[Entry Restriction: Lv.30~Lv.200.]
[Entry Fee: 2,000~10,000 coins (varies by difficulty).]

[In the Tower of Records, you can record your ‘Clear Time’. Those who achieve the best record in each difficulty receive special rewards. These records reset at regular intervals.]
[Those who achieve the best record cannot participate in the next cycle. For additional restrictions, please check by selecting the relevant text.]

[Best Record Reward List.]
[Easy: ‘Enhanced’ Epic-grade item set.]
[Normal: ‘Enhanced’ Legendary-grade item set.]
[Hard: ‘Enhanced’ Mythic-grade item.]

Everyone who laid eyes on the elongated spear fell silent.
They couldn’t believe what they were seeing was real.
After a moment of stillness, chaos erupted.

“A, a Mythic-grade item as a reward?!”
“Insane… And it exempts you from death?”
“Wait, hold on. This is ‘Hard’ difficulty. How difficult could it possibly be?”

There were Difficult Realms that offered Mythic-grade items as rewards.
But most of them demanded you stake your life. The fact that they were so treacherous that even multiple lives couldn’t guarantee success was merely an afterthought.
Yet the Tower of Records granted exemption from death.
Despite offering Mythic-grade items as rewards.

[The records reset at regular intervals…?]
[Heh, so they’re planning to continuously offer Mythic-grade items as rewards? That makes no sense. Just how much wealth do they have?]
[Does this mean the Lord of War has recovered her power to this extent?]

Even the Lords couldn’t help but be astonished by such rewards.
Of course, the cycle wouldn’t be short. They’d likely stretch it out considerably.
But the very fact that Mythic-grade items would be consistently offered as rewards was the problem. Did they have the confidence to sustain that?
Or perhaps.

[…They have a means to obtain Mythic-grade items.]

If the situation allowed for Mythic-grade items to be offered as rewards.
If they had that confidence, it was possible.
And it made sense.

‘Players will keep challenging and competing for Mythic-grade items. Since it’s a Difficult Realm with death exempted.’
‘They’ll continuously spend coins in the process. Some will become unable to stop as their sunk costs grow. Considering the coins they’ll spend….’
‘This Difficult Realm, it’s sound logic.’

Perhaps the profits gained could far exceed the cost of using Mythic-grade items as rewards.
And the remaining rewards were quite reasonable as well.
Beyond the top record, additional rewards were given up to certain rankings, and those rewards were quite excellent.

“This….”
“…might be worth attempting?”
“Yeah. With an entry fee like this….”

The Players who had been carefully examining the rewards shifted their attention.
Excellent. No, this was a truly outstanding Difficult Realm. The entry fee wasn’t insignificant, but considering the rewards, it was entirely manageable.
However, there was one peculiar phrase.
The Players examining the rewards tilted their heads in confusion.

“Enhanced items? What does that even mean?”

An unexpected term had appeared.
What it meant became clear from the message that soon appeared.

[What are enhanced items, you ask? I have strengthened them using the furnace I possess. Quite a considerable amount of coins went into it! As such, they possess performance incomparable to ordinary items!]

Words composed of flame materialized.
Soon the text swelled up and burst with a spectacular flourish like fireworks.

[Then, I shall open my glorious Tower here!]
[All who desire rewards, come hither!]
[Conquer my Tower!]

Boom boom boom bang!

Brilliant fireworks adorned the area around the Tower.
It was a celebratory salute announcing the Tower’s opening.
And shortly after.

“Fine, it’s not like we can die here anyway.”
“I’m going in first!”
“Waaaaaaah!”

Countless Players surged toward the Tower of Records.
Like an endless tidal wave.

* * *

Han Yu-sung observed the series of events unfolding from within the Tower.
Both the crowds pouring into the Tower and Kakasha’s boisterous celebration.
He glanced sideways at the delighted Kakasha standing beside him.

“Kakasha, what’s the situation?”
[Splendid! I never imagined such a magnificent debut! Now everyone will know that I have been perfectly restored!]
“No, not you. The Tower. How many challengers?”
[Oh! C-cough!]

Kakasha cleared his throat, embarrassed.

[T-that is also splendid! Enormous numbers of Players are challenging from all over the world! Hundreds of thousands… no, soon it will be a million coins…!]
“Splendid indeed.”

I had earned an astronomical amount of coins in an instant.
Of course, those coins wouldn’t translate directly into profit. Once I deducted the operational costs of running a Tower like this with rewards, the amount would shrink considerably.
Still, an enormous sum would remain.
Especially with the special blessing, Frugality, in my possession.

“And considering the record competition that will follow…”
[Kuhuhuhuh! Now we need only rake in the coins!]

I had devised the Tower’s reward structure.
The reason for designing it this way was simple.
To keep Players coming back to the Tower.

‘Records are not eternal.’

Records are not eternal.
Even if a Player achieves the highest record, another can steal it away.
Once their record is taken, they will challenge the Tower again to reclaim the top position.
This will continue until the records reset.
And that means…

[It will return to us as coins! You cunning creature! I always feel it, but you have a sinister side to you!]
“What did you say?”
[A-ah, no. I-I merely meant it as a figure of speech….]

Kakasha turned away under my gaze.

[So, my lord. Do we have any extra Mythic-grade items to give as rewards?]
“None. But there are plenty of ways to obtain them.”

Mythic-grade items are certainly rare treasures.
But were they truly that precious to me now? Not quite. I had already equipped most of my gear with Mythic-grade items, and future Trials and Difficult Realms would yield more.

‘What matters most right now is earning coins—and spending them.’

That’s what it would take to raise the ‘rank’ of the Lords’ Shop.
If I elevated the rank high enough to purchase Mythic-grade items, I could operate the Tower flawlessly.
I’d be able to provide better for my subordinate Oath-takers as well.
The ‘Tower of Records’ would prove an excellent instrument for that purpose.

“Good. The Tower is settled then.”

I stretched languidly and rose from my seat.
I had spent considerable time in the Tower of Records.
People’s attention would remain fixed on the Tower for a while longer.

“It’s been a while. Let me visit the Arca Building.”
[Your Oath-takers have been yearning for your return, my lord.]
“I imagine so. Let’s go.”

It was time to return home.

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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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