The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 23

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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 23

The players were fleeing in desperation.

“P-please, save me!”
“Aaaahhhhh! D-don’t chase me! Stop, I’m begging you!”
“Leave me alone and get out of here!”

I didn’t want to be hunted. I didn’t want to die.
Terrified players scattered to escape the Hunter and those who had once been players but were now enslaved.
Some fled underground, others into alleys, still others into buildings.
The players dispersed throughout the Ruined City.

“Gasp, wheeze!”
“I-is it chasing us? Is someone coming after us…?”
“B-be quiet…! I think someone’s passing by. Shut your mouth…!”

The players who had found hiding spots held their breath.
Their bodies trembled pitifully.
God’s Trial. Dragged into a trial where it’s known that more than half the participants die unconditionally!
I didn’t come here by choice. I want to escape right now.
But there’s no way to escape.

“Sob, sob….”
“Shut up! What if the Hunter hears and comes over!”

Is this what it feels like to be hunted prey?
I had no desire to fight and win. I had just witnessed players being swept away in a single strike.
The grotesquely twisted forms of those who had become enslaved.
I didn’t want to end up like that.

“Hey, but… did you see that? When we were running away. It looked like someone was fighting that monster….”

The players recalled the situation from their escape.
Players scattering in all directions. The Hunter pursuing them.
A mysterious player charging toward that creature.

“A dog’s death. An enemy that can’t be damaged? What’s the point of fighting? Well, thanks to that guy buying us time, we managed to escape.”
“That person must be dead too….”

What meaning could fighting possibly have?
Fighting a monster is a fool’s errand. Thanks to that man drawing its attention, we could flee, but my conviction remained unchanged.
The players who succeeded in hiding crouched low.
Each thinking they had no desire to die like that.

“Idiots.”
“Do they think hiding solves everything?”
“Hey, let’s search for that Quest first.”

While some players remained hidden.
Others set out to find a way to overcome God’s Trial.
They knew from experience that hiding was meaningless.
They had to venture out and discover how to break through the trial.
Otherwise, they would all perish.

“Hey! Over here! This looks like a Quest!”
“Good. Everyone gather….”

The players who discovered the Quest assembled.
They had to move quickly. The players immediately began the Quest, and a message appeared before their eyes.
But.

[Hunter, 【Nocturnal Predator】 has been defeated.]

“…What?”

A message different from what the players expected.
A Quest-related message should have appeared, yet a message announcing the end of God’s Trial appeared instead.
The trial ended? How long had it been open?
It couldn’t have been even an hour.

[The Night of Hunting has ended. Korea has successfully cleared God’s Trial. Calculating contributions now….]

“Wait, hold on. Is this real?”
“God’s Trial is over? How?”

The players were all left speechless.
Was something wrong? Were they seeing things?
Of course not—nothing was amiss, and they weren’t hallucinating.

[Congratulations, Player XXX!]
[You have achieved 100% contribution!]

The message proved that all of this was reality.
Upon seeing the contribution percentage, the players’ jaws dropped.
Whether they were searching for quests or cowering in hiding somewhere—every player in the Ruined City reacted the same way.

“1, 100%? What does this even…?”
“Does that number even make sense? If it’s 100%, then that means…”
“They cleared God’s Trial alone…?”

Impossible. It couldn’t be.
Countless thoughts swirled through their minds.
And those thoughts inevitably converged on a single question.

‘Who on earth?’
‘Which player cleared this trial alone?’

An inescapable question that naturally arose.

* * *

My vision was hazy.
Through the murky haze, I perceived the message that appeared before me.

[Hunter, Nocturnal Predator has fallen.]
[The Hunt has ended. Korea has successfully cleared God’s Trial. Now calculating contribution…]

[Hmm, how satisfying. Truly satisfying! I am pleased!]

A message announcing the end of God’s Trial.
And I heard Kakasha’s boisterous voice.
I exhaled heavily and stood before the Hunter.

[Ugh, haa… freedom… is… not… far…]

The fallen Hunter desperately tried to push himself upright, but he had reached his limit—his body refused to obey.
Han Yu-sung clenched his fist.

“Isn’t it said that the harder the hunt, the more rewarding it becomes?”
[Yes, you bastard….]

Eyes stained crimson glared at Han Yu-sung.
His face twisted with a deep, contemptuous sneer.
The Hunter, unable to contain his rage, attempted to hurl a curse—but he was a fraction too slow.
Crack! Han Yu-sung’s fist crushed the Hunter’s face.

“Your words ring true. It was quite a rewarding hunt indeed.”
[….]

That was the end.
The Hunter’s body convulsed violently before falling still.
And it never moved again.

[Your level has increased by 10 stages.]
[Strength +10, Agility +10, Stamina +10.]
[Through the effect of Godly Body, Agility +5 and Stamina +5 have been granted!]

Level-up messages flooded Han Yu-sung’s vision.
Ten stages at once. It seemed substantial, but considering he had just defeated a level 80 boss monster, it was hardly exceptional.
When the level gap between player and monster became too severe, experience gain was subject to reverse correction—a penalty that reduced rewards. It was unavoidable.
Still, this was respectable.
More importantly.

[You have successfully defeated an absolute powerhouse that could never be broken.]
[The activation condition for your unique ability, ‘Godly Body,’ has been satisfied.]
[Additional rewards are being granted.]
[You have acquired the skill, 【Predator’s Instinct (S)】.]
[Additionally, your Will increases by +10!]

There were rewards from Godly Body as well.
Han Yu-sung’s eyes widened slightly as he reviewed the rewards.
An S-rank skill, no less. And judging by its name, it was clearly related to the Hunter.
He immediately examined the skill details.

[Predator’s Senses (S)]
· Classification: Passive.
· You have acquired the keen senses once possessed by the Nocturnal Predator.
· Agility +10, Reflex Enhancement (Moderate).
· You can detect the presence of all beings within a certain radius.
· In specific situations, the movement of all things slows down.

An S-rank passive skill.
Needless to say, it was an invaluable skill. With the reflex enhancement and the effect of slowing all movement in specific situations, I could create unexpected advantages in combat.
Against formidable opponents, I could introduce unpredictability.
I could create variables.

“Haah….”

Han Yu-sung staggered as he examined the skill.
Overwhelming pain flooded his entire body. The effect of Unyielding Will had worn off.
He exhaled and activated the skill.
The blood spilled by the Hunter was absorbed into him, transforming into vitality and mana. His critical wounds began to heal.
But the recovery was incomplete.

“This… I’ll need to rest for a day or two.”

The wounds were too severe for Spirit of Blood Ghost to fully restore.
Once I returned, I would need to rest for a day or two while consuming potions.
I found myself missing the Troll Lord’s Blood.

[Sworn one, are you listening to my words?]
“I’m not listening.”
[Why! How much I have praised you!]
“Be quiet. I think dawn is breaking soon.”
[What nonsense is this!]

As my body recovered, Kakasha’s chatter reached my ears.
It seemed he had been continuously praising Han Yu-sung.
Unfortunately, what mattered to me now was not praise.

[Congratulations! Player Han Yu-sung!]
[You have achieved 100% contribution! Maximum-tier rewards are being granted. Savor the rewards of overcoming the trial!]
[Furthermore, a portal to return to Earth has opened!]

A reward.
A message appeared accompanied by the brilliant burst of celebratory fireworks.
And soon after, the rewards materialized.

[You have obtained ‘God’s Box (Legendary)’!]
[Player Han Yu-sung receives 30,000 Coins, and your contracted ‘Lord of War’ receives 100,000 Coins as rewards!]
[You have achieved 100% contribution for the first time!]
[As a reward, you have acquired ‘Blessing of Trials (Mythic)’!]

Rewards cascaded one after another.
An enormous sum of Coins had been granted. I could hear Kakasha’s jubilant cry upon confirming the influx of Coins.
These were all rewards I had already anticipated.
With just one exception.

“Blessing of Trials? I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

It was a blessing I was encountering for the first time.
Upon reviewing the description, my eyes widened considerably.

[Blessing of Trials (Mythic)]
· This blessing activates only when participating in God’s Trial.
· All stats +15%.
· Attack Power +15%, Mana consumption of all skills –20%.
· When completing Quests within Trials, Quest rewards are enhanced.
· Occasionally, you can discover ‘Hidden Pieces’ within Trials.

I blinked repeatedly.
First, because this blessing was entirely unexpected, and second, because the blessing possessed effects that defied all reason.

‘Enhanced Trial Quest rewards and Hidden Pieces, huh….’

Within God’s Trial, there exist things called ‘Hidden Pieces’.
Literally, intentionally concealed elements.
Sometimes they are Quests, sometimes they are items, and they take on remarkably diverse forms.
Yet there is one shared commonality among them all.

‘They provide substantial assistance in clearing Trials.’

Han Yu-sung let out a hollow laugh.
Was there a reward like this?
This was a reward that never appeared in my past life. When I think about it, it makes sense that it wouldn’t appear.
No player had ever achieved 100% contribution.
It was an absurd blessing, in other words.

[Sworn one, what are you staring at so intently? I am curious about this box. Open it quickly and show me its contents.]
“…You’re killing the mood.”

Kakasha urged Han Yu-sung forward.
But there was no reason not to comply with his words.
Han Yu-sung opened the pure white 【Divine Box】. Light flooded in all directions, and three items revealed themselves within.

[Earth Shattering (S)]
· A tome containing the skill ‘Earth Shattering’.
· Usage Requirement: Swordsman-type class.

[Fangs of Predation (Legendary)]
· Slot: None.
· Attack Power +75, Physical Skill Cast Speed +5%.
· 【Predation】 can be used. Each time you devour a powerful enemy, Attack Power increases by +5 and Physical Skill Cast Speed increases by 1%.
· Predation Stack: 0/15.

An S-rank skill and the Fangs of Predation.
The latter was an item type similar to the Covenant Quill.
Its effects activate constantly without needing to be equipped.
Like the Covenant Quill, it would be absorbed into my body and provide permanent benefits.
Since it applied at all times, it was incredibly useful.

‘It’s time for another bonus from the God’s Descent to trigger.’

What was astonishing was that the rewards hadn’t ended yet.
As I expected, another message appeared.

[You have overcome a trial that was absolutely impossible to overcome at your current level.]
[You have satisfied the activation condition for the unique ability ‘God’s Descent’.]
[An additional reward is granted.]
[The item 【Fangs of Predation】 is granted potential.]

Light materialized in the void.
The radiance enveloped the Fangs of Predation, then seeped into them.
The potential of an item.
Han Yu-sung understood perfectly what that signified.

[Radiant Fangs of Predation (Legendary)]
· Slot: None.
· Attack Power +75, Agility +5, Physical Skill Cast Speed +5%.
· 【Predation】 can be used. Each time a powerful enemy is devoured, Attack Power increases by +5, Agility by +1, and Physical Skill Cast Speed by 1%.
· Predation Stacks: 0/15.
· Upon filling all stacks, the item evolves into ‘Mythic’ grade.

The possibility of ascending to a higher rarity tier.
A smile played across my lips as I beheld the transformed Fangs of Predation.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

“I’ve gained quite a lot.”

I absorbed the Fangs of Predation.
Power surged through my body, dense and overwhelming.
This was my first trial since returning, and the rewards were extraordinary.

[Mortal, humans are converging upon this place.]
“It’s time to leave.”

I sensed players approaching from all directions.
This wasn’t the moment to gain notoriety.
With that judgment made, I hurled myself toward the return portal.

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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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