The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 25

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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 25

Since God’s Trial emerged, the world had undergone countless transformations.
One of the most significant was ‘terrain alteration’. Through God’s Trial, the Lords’ tribulations, and various other cataclysms, the geography of certain regions had been permanently reshaped.
Ordinary cities became lava wastelands, tundra-like desolations, or demon realms teeming with every conceivable monster.

– Grrrraaaaahhhhh….
– Khuuuuuuuu….

“The stench of rotting corpses is vibrating through the air.”

Yeoju City was precisely such a place.
A quintessential example of a region whose terrain had been warped by God’s Trial in ages past.
The earth had festered, the city had crumbled, and undead wandered aimlessly through its ruins.
Once a thriving metropolis, it had become a demon realm.

[I wish to incinerate it all. Covenant bearer, I confess I cannot restrain my fury at the mere sight of undead. Let me spend coin this instant and….]
“Use your own coin.”
[Nnnngh, I cannot bear it. Very well, I shall expend my coin to….]
“Do not. Coins are too precious to waste.”

Upon seeing the undead, Kakasha convulsed with rage.
I stopped him before he could actually spend coin to ignite the Flames of War.
I wondered why he was having such a fit, but there was a reason.

[Undead are an insult to the fallen! To deny honorable warriors their eternal rest and subject them to such degradation is unforgivable!]
“Yes, I suppose it is.”
[Do not answer with such indifference!]

I exhaled a deep sigh.
I found myself missing our first meeting. Back then, she had been quiet, but as time passed, I realized she was remarkably talkative for a Lord.
Though considering her epithet, it was hardly surprising.
Battlefields were places where countless shouts and screams echoed endlessly.

[I smell the stench of the dead. That woman’s foul odor….]

Kakasha growled menacingly.
I knew well who this “woman” she spoke of was.

The Lord of the Dead.

Yeoju City was not the only metropolis transformed into a cursed domain.
Other cities, however, fell under the stewardship of the Player Alliance or the Lords. Neglect them too long, and the monsters would metastasize across neighboring settlements.
Typically, purification operations were launched—yet Yeoju City had been spared such intervention.
The reason was simple.

This city had captured the Lord’s fancy.

A Lord bearing the epithet of the Dead.
How could a city teeming with undead not appeal to such a being?
Beyond sentiment lay practicality. Whether Lord or Covenant-bearer, those wielding dominion over the dead possessed countless methods to harness the undead as instruments of power.
The Lord of the Dead had declared personal stewardship over Yeoju City, erecting barriers that barred interference from the Player Alliance and rival Lords alike.

[A specimen among the Lords—possessing strength that few could rival. Hmm, displeasing. Most displeasing indeed….]
“Caution shall govern my movements.”

The reward dungeon’s location left much to be desired.
I had anticipated swift resolution, yet complications seemed inevitable.
The presence of the Lord of the Dead’s Covenant-bearers scattered throughout Yeoju City only reinforced this concern.
Han Yu-sung drew upon the Shadow of Night, veiling his presence from sight.

– Grrrraaaaaahhh….
– Uuugggghhhhh….

Undead shambled through the streets, their moans piercing the darkness.
Han Yu-sung swallowed a sigh at the sight.
Distasteful as it was to admit, I had discovered a point of common ground with Kakasha this day.

Undead held no appeal for me either.

They were opponents devoid of the thrill of combat.
Han Yu-sung pressed swiftly through the undead-infested streets of Yeoju City.

* * *

The reward dungeon lay concealed beneath Yeoju City’s depths.
An Underground Parking Lot, long abandoned and neglected—within its lowest stratum, where countless undead writhed in profusion, a diminutive crystal hung suspended in the stale air.

[A crystalline form of the portal.]
[Upon contact, the Hermit’s Research Laboratory will open.]

It was a portal leading to the Hermit’s Research Laboratory.
When a portal is sealed, it manifests in this crystalline form.
There was one crucial detail to keep in mind in such situations.

‘Once I open the portal, the Lords will learn of this location.’

Since the portal remained sealed, the Lords had no knowledge of what lay here.
But opening it would change everything—the magical surge released upon activation would alert them to the dungeon’s existence.

“I’ll have to clear it as quickly as possible.”
[Undead… they’re everywhere. Grrrrr….]
“Sigh….”

The Underground Parking Lot was teeming with undead.
Han Yu-sung shook his head wearily upon hearing Kakasha’s words.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he opened the portal.

[The Hermit’s Research Laboratory has opened.]
[While conquering this dungeon, all stats increase by 50%, and experience and skill experience gains are substantially amplified.]

As dense magical energy rippled outward in all directions, the undead sensed the disturbance and turned their heads toward the portal.
Han Yu-sung threw himself through the portal before they could react.

‘No point in holding back now.’

This was not the time to waste effort on mere undead.
His vision was consumed by brilliant light in an instant. Han Yu-sung closed his eyes.
When he opened them again.

Whoooooosh—

A space shrouded in absolute darkness greeted me.
Truly a space where nothing could be seen.
I retrieved the lantern I had brought along from my backpack.

Click!

The lantern’s flame ignited, driving back the darkness that surrounded it….

Sssssssss—

Or so it appeared.
The darkness that had been pushed back by the light stirred, then swallowed the flame whole, and the lantern’s illuminated radius shrank steadily.
Eventually, it narrowed to barely light the space around Han Yu-sung.

[Hmm, this doesn’t seem to be an ordinary dungeon.]
“I’ve heard tales of a dungeon where darkness devours light.”
[So those stories were true, then.]

A Japanese player who had conquered this dungeon in my past life had said as much.
A dungeon where light cannot shine.
Because the darkness swallows the light, one must conquer it unable to see even an inch ahead.

‘In an environment like this, I can’t even use Shadow of Night.’

To use Shadow of Night, shadows must exist, so in a space devoid of even a glimmer of light like this, it was impossible to employ.
Using concealment would have made things easier, but there was no helping it.
Just as I swallowed my regret—

[Ah, and Covenant Bearer. I have a gift for you.]
“A gift? From you? For me?”
[What is with that tone of disbelief?]

Moments later, glowing embers materialized in the empty air.
Those embers seeped into Han Yu-sung’s body and into the Flames of War.

[The Lord of War, Kakasha, has recovered some of her power.]
[【Flames of War】 has been partially restored.]
[【Blessing of War】 rises one rank.]

Examining the Flames of War, the rust that had covered the entire blade faded somewhat, revealing the hidden form beneath.
Subtle heat radiated from it as well.

[Flames of War (Grade F Sacred Relic)]
· Attack Power: 65.
· A sacred relic of the Lord of War, Kakasha. Once it possessed power rivaling that of a Lord itself, but now the flames have nearly extinguished.
· Imbued with flame attribute.

[Blessing of War (Uncommon)]
· All stats +4.
· Attack Power +4%, Skill Damage +4%.
· Flame Attribute Enhancement +4%.

The sacred relic had recovered to a certain degree, and the blessing had grown stronger.
Yet Han Yu-sung’s expression remained ambiguous.

“Still such a vague blessing. Is this the best you can do? Think carefully about how many coins I’ve poured into you, Kakasha.”
[Screech! You stingy human! I’m still absorbing the coins! Just wait a little longer…!]
“Be quiet.”

Both Han Yu-sung and Kakasha fell silent at once.
The Hermit’s Research Laboratory is a dungeon shrouded in absolute darkness.
Players must navigate through this lightless dungeon relying solely on their senses.
But the difficulty of this dungeon extended far beyond that.

“….”

Entities lurking in the darkness, hunting intruders.
No sound reached my ears—not the shuffle of movement, not the breath of lungs, nothing at all.
Yet I could sense them.
In this pitch-black darkness, someone was targeting me.

“Amusing creatures. Are you trying to hunt me?”

Not just one or two, but many.
They had formed something like a formation in the darkness.
A formation designed to kill unsuspecting intruders who advanced blindly forward.
Japanese players had reported that the monsters lurking within the Hermit’s Research Laboratory posed far greater difficulty than the darkness itself that consumed it.

‘A hellish labyrinth from which most players would not escape alive.’

That was the Hermit’s Research Laboratory.
Under normal circumstances, I would have prepared a separate strategy to deal with those monsters.
But this time, there was no need.
The reason was simple.

[Your senses sharpen.]
[You detect the presence of beings within a certain radius.]

I had just acquired a new S-rank passive skill.
Predator’s Senses.
My senses had become so acute that I could detect even the presence of enemies lurking in the darkness.
I moved forward as if I hadn’t detected their presence at all.

‘I’ll give you an opening to ambush me. Come.’

With utter composure.
Revealing an opening that those seeking an ambush couldn’t possibly ignore.
Even knowing the enemies’ positions, my approach was reckless.
It was bold to the point of being suicidal.
But I had my reasons for acting this way.

– Gyaaaaa… cough?!
– Crack!

At that moment.
A monster hidden in the darkness lunged at me.
The ambush was sharp and swift.
Even knowing it was coming, reacting in time would be nearly impossible.
But for me, it was meaningless.
Because I had enhanced reflexes.

– Hwaaa!
– Grrk, hack!
– Kyiiiiii…!

Predator’s Senses granted enhanced reflexes as an additional effect.
I had already detected the enemies’ presence.
I could predict their positions and approach routes. From that point on, it was all reflexes.

‘Four. Five additional reinforcements approaching from the right. The left side….’

The enemies drew closer.
Han Yu-sung advanced, methodically dispatching the surging monsters.
His lantern illuminated the grotesque form of a creature bearing down upon him.

[Truly hideous abominations!]
“Agreed. And they’re not even entertaining.”

A bizarrely shaped creature stood before him.
Its form vaguely resembled a human, yet its body was twisted and contorted, covered in shadowy armor plating that seemed sculpted from darkness itself.
And hands transformed into mantis-like sickles, sharp and menacing.
Han Yu-sung had encountered these monsters before.

“Shadow Stalkers. Rare monsters, these.”

The shadow-like armor of the slain creature lost its luster.
Shadow Stalkers.
Their defining trait was simple: they became one with darkness.
They concealed their forms and presence alike within the shadows.
The effect of the shadowy carapace that enveloped their bodies.
Monsters perfectly optimized for assassination, one might say.

– Kee-eee, kee-aaaaaah!

“Silence.”

The Stalker exposed to light shrieked in anguish.
Han Yu-sung, without hesitation, obliterated its skull. The resulting torrent of blood swept through the nearby Stalkers, annihilating them all.
Shadow Stalkers ranged between levels 40 and 50.
Godly Descent was not even necessary.

‘I am stronger than these creatures now.’

The fifty percent enhancement to my attributes made all the difference.
There was no need to invoke Godly Descent. Even in this state, I surpassed them.
Han Yu-sung pressed forward, dispatching enemies as he felt the surging power coursing through him.

[You have advanced 2 levels.]
[Strength +2, Agility +2, Vitality +2.]
[Due to the effect of Divine Body, Strength and Agility increase by an additional +1!]

At some point, a message announcing my level increase appeared.
I hadn’t thought I’d defeated that many, yet I’d climbed two levels.
It was thanks to the increased experience gain granted as a reward for my contribution points.

‘Perfect timing. I was thinking it was about time to advance my class.’

Class advancement becomes possible starting at exactly level 30.
I’d been wondering if I should head to a hunting ground to raise my level, but at this rate, I could reach level 30 right here.

‘I don’t have time to hunt leisurely.’

I had no idea when the Oath-sworn of the Lord of the Dead would arrive.
Instead, I would eliminate every Shadow Stalker I encountered on the way. As quickly and efficiently as possible, in a manner that wouldn’t waste time.
But what method could accomplish that?
I stood still and surveyed my surroundings.

‘Shadow Stalkers have degenerated eyes.’

Instead, their hearing was extraordinarily developed.
These monsters lived their entire lives in darkness, so their useless vision had atrophied while their ability to detect sound had evolved.
To put it differently.

‘If I could eliminate all sound when I move.’

The Shadow Stalkers wouldn’t detect me either.
And I possessed the means to do exactly that.
The Cloud Step technique—a footwork method that concealed all sound and presence.

“It won’t be entertaining, but at least the work will become easier.”

I extinguished the flame and began to move.
My form, walking without sound, dissolved into the darkness as if melting away.
Just as the Shadow Stalkers had.

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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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