The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 255

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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 255

The battle was over.
Kakasha seized the moment as the Dead’s Paradise crumbled and transported Han Yu-sung, Chu Gyu-il, and Sung Ha-yan to a distant island.
A teleportation magic circle had been prepared in advance for escape purposes.
It had nearly become unusable when the Lord of the Dead unfurled his veil, but once the Paradise vanished, the magic circle became operational again.

[Phew! That was close. If we hadn’t destroyed the core, it would have been dangerous indeed. That undead creature would surely have interfered with us.]
“You’re right. Things went better than I expected.”
[Kufufufu! Better is an understatement!]

Kakasha hummed a cheerful tune, clearly delighted.
Han Yu-sung listened to the melody while tending to his wounds.
No matter how capable one was, facing tens of thousands of enemies alone was reckless. In reality, his body bore numerous grave injuries.

‘If the enemy hadn’t been undead, this would have been far more dangerous.’

It was only possible because I possessed skills and items specialized against the undead. And there were also the blessings Kakasha wielded.
If that hadn’t been the case, I wouldn’t have fought like this in the first place.

“Sigh, I’m growing tired of fighting the undead. I should have held back more. Fighting the Lord of the Dead isn’t really any different.”
[Still, this battle dealt him considerable damage. In the coming Lords’ War, we’ll have a significant advantage.]
“That’s true. Once the ‘protection period’ ends.”

Above all, what mattered most to Han Yu-sung now wasn’t the Lord of the Dead.
He was merely an obstacle in the path toward my true goal.
My real objective was the Lord of Justice, Achiros.

[With the power I currently possess, even if I were resurrected, I couldn’t defeat Achiros. Regrettably, the same applies to you.]
“I know that too.”

Kakasha had recovered much of her strength.
But she still couldn’t compare to the Lord of the Dead. Yet the fact that we could fight evenly was entirely due to ‘compatibility’.
Whether Kakasha harbored an extreme aversion to the undead or not, many of her blessings and sacred relics were antithetical to the dead.
Of course, the variables I continuously created also played a significant role.

‘Against Achiros, things likely won’t work out the same way.’

In the end, it means I need to accumulate more power.
In that sense, the Lord of the Dead will make excellent kindling for my flames.
Han Yu-sung exhaled softly after treating his wounds.
Right then.

“Cough, hack! Th-this explosion was way bigger than I thought!”
“…We almost got swept up in it.”

A deflating voice rang out, utterly at odds with the gravity of the moment.
Han Yu-sung’s gaze turned toward the source of the voice. Chu Gyu-il and Sung Ha-yan were approaching, their entire bodies caked in dust and debris.

[I pulled her out before she could be swept away. It was quite dangerous. Had we been even slightly slower, she would have been caught in the collapse.]
“The scale was far from ordinary.”
[Hmm, I didn’t expect it to be that powerful….]

It was likely due to the unique nature of the mana I possessed.
The scrolls Kakasha had retrieved were inscribed with S-rank magic spells.
But I suspected the true power had been greatly amplified when the scrolls activated using my mana.
It must be the effect of the Dragon Heart’s “Magic Progenitor” ability.
In any case.

“You’ve done well. You handled the task far better than I anticipated.”

Han Yu-sung welcomed the two who had returned safely.
Their reactions were starkly different.

“Ah, well. We worked hard, didn’t we? If it weren’t for my unique ability, we wouldn’t have found it in time, right? This time, I played a major role.”

Chu Gyu-il puffed out his chest with pride, while Sung Ha-yan simply nodded silently.
This time, he deserved to boast. He had accomplished something significant.

“What did you manage to bring out?”
“I grabbed what I could, but there wasn’t much.”

Chu Gyu-il set down a large backpack.
It was the backpack containing items stolen from the Black Temple.
Kakasha quickly verified the items contained within.

[Hmm, five Mythic-grade items. Twenty-four Legendary ones. Elixirs and multiple skill books… For someone who claimed they couldn’t gather much, you’ve been quite thorough.]
“It’s hard to be satisfied, though. We could have collected more from here. The Temple is so vast that we simply ran out of time to search every corner.”
“…There were also more enemies remaining inside than we anticipated.”

Despite the regret, the haul was more than satisfactory.
Especially the abundance of elixirs and skill books they’d brought back.

“Ah, we stumbled upon a Warehouse on the way out—it was absolutely brimming with goods. Thought it was perfect timing, so I swept up everything in sight.”
“Well done. If either of you wants something, take what you need.”
“…Thank you.”

Chu Gyu-il and Sung Ha-yan didn’t refuse and gathered the items without hesitation.
Both Kakasha and Han Yu-sung disliked unnecessary politeness.
They understood it was better to accept gracefully when offered.
Besides, they’d earned enough to justify taking this much.

[What of you? Perhaps some elixirs?]
“Hmm, I’m reaching the point where elixirs are becoming less effective for me.”

Consuming an elixir didn’t automatically guarantee its benefits.
If one consumed an elixir below their level, its potency would diminish significantly, or become entirely meaningless.
At my current level, I’d need at least Mythic-grade elixirs to see any effect.
Fortunately, there were several Mythic-grade elixirs available.

[Crystallized Essence of Martial Arts (Mythic)]
· A crystalline form containing tremendous power.
· Upon consumption, Martial Power increases by +10. Upgrades an S-rank skill in martial form and adds special effects to the skill.

[Quintessence of the Magic Tower (Mythic)]
· The core that formed the Magic Tower. Imbued with formidable magical power.
· Upon consumption, Magic Power increases by +30. Additionally upgrades two magic-type skills up to SS-rank maximum.

These were the elixirs I could use.
Excellent elixirs. The remaining ones could be distributed to the Oath-takers or used as rewards for the Tower of Records to generate interest.

“…Ah, and regarding this matter.”

As Sung Ha-yan gathered the necessary items, she suddenly remembered something and pulled an object from her pocket.
It was the shattered remains of the ‘Core’.
Chu Gyu-il’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight.

“Wow, when did you pick that up? You had time for that?”
“It fell right beside me, so I was able to grab it. I almost left it behind, but I felt a strong power emanating from the fragments, so….”
[Hmmmm, let me see that.]

Kakasha examined the fragment Sung Ha-yan had brought, turning it over in his hands.
Then he let out a sinister smile.

[Well retrieved indeed. This fragment is brimming with the power of the Dead. I suspect it might be something like the core of the Core itself… Kufufufu!]
“Why are you smiling so unpleasantly?”
[Because I’m delighted! If I absorb this, my power will increase tremendously—how could I not be overjoyed? This is a blessing for you as well!]

It was an argument I couldn’t refute.
Kakasha growing stronger meant I grew stronger as well.
The reverse was equally true.

[Sung Ha-yan, and Chu Gyu-il. You have achieved remarkable results. Fear not. I am a Lord who repays accomplishments generously!]

Kakasha laughed boisterously with delight, and Chu Gyu-il and Sung Ha-yan bowed their heads in gratitude.
I shook my head and checked my Subspace pouch.
Come to think of it, there were things I’d obtained this time.

‘Three grade-A sacred artifacts, five grade-B sacred artifacts, I think. Good haul.’

These were ‘sacred artifacts’ I’d collected from the dead Apostles of the Dead.
The ones obtained this time were related to the Dead, so they weren’t immediately useful. I would need to absorb them and create something new.
I closed my Subspace pouch.

“Well then. It seems we’ve finished what we needed to do here.”

Beyond, the horizon of the sea was visible.
It was merely speculation, but I suspected the continuous emergence of monsters in this region was because the ‘Dead’s Paradise’ existed here.
Now that it’s gone, these seas should become more peaceful than before.

“Let’s head back. I could use some rest.”

Yet at the same time, a thought crossed my mind.
A premonition that something would soon arise to deny me rest.

* * *

Japan, Okinawa Archipelago.
In a region utterly devastated by the aftermath of the Trial of God that had occurred in the past, now teeming with monsters, an anomaly erupted.
Japan detected it first.

“The Okinawa Archipelago! Look at the Okinawa Archipelago!”
“A—a pillar! An ominous pillar has risen! Immense power emanates from it!”

The Okinawa Archipelago was a region where monsters spawned.
Thus, Japan maintained constant surveillance over it.
An unbelievable sight unfolded before their watchful eyes.

Kwaaaaaaaaaah!

Countless spectral forms surged upward like pillars.
Not merely one, but countless columns of spirits.
These ascending phantoms reached the heavens, then scattered and vanished in all directions.
The black mist that had choked the seas dispersed, and a colossal Trial Island hidden within it revealed itself.

“An island? That’s impossible. All the islands in this region….”
“Should have been annihilated.”
“Wait! The island—it’s collapsing!”

But only briefly.
The revealed island shattered into fragments, then vanished entirely. Simultaneously, anguished screams pierced the entire sea.
The cries of those who had inhabited the island.
Soon after, the people and the island alike disappeared without a trace.
As though they had never existed from the beginning.

“What in the world is happening…?”

There was no way around it—the situation demanded such a response.
What in the world had transpired in the Okinawa Archipelago?
Why had an island suddenly materialized in a region where everything had been obliterated?
Japan, in cooperation with the Lords, had hastily launched an investigation into the area.
And they had found their answer swiftly.

“Th-this is….”
“Undead, sir. According to the Lords who assisted us, these were likely Oath-takers of the Undead Faction.”
“Wait, you mean to say. So that would mean….”

Corpses lay strewn across the Okinawa Archipelago.
Those who had not been consumed by annihilation, yet had failed to survive.
Countless undead and the Oath-takers of the Dead who had commanded them.

“…Are you suggesting the Undead Lord was involved in this incident?”
“It certainly appears so. There are traces of large-scale teleportation as well—perhaps the Oath-takers here were evacuated?”
“This is unbelievable. What on earth were they doing here?”

The Japanese officials gazed blankly across the sea.
The Okinawa Archipelago, unlike its usual state, was not stained pitch-black, and scarcely a monster could be seen.
What scheme had the Undead Lord been orchestrating in this place?
And.

“What happened that caused everything here to be annihilated? And why did the Undead Lord evacuate the Oath-takers?”
“That is….”

It was a question that naturally demanded to be asked.
Yet no one possessed the answer.
Only one course of action remained.

“Send word to the Oath-takers of the Dead! They must reveal everything that occurred here without concealment from Japan!”

To interrogate the Undead Faction.
Japan had begun to stir at this sudden upheaval.

[Delicious. How exquisite! Knowing this fragment’s power belongs to that corpse-thing makes it taste like the finest delicacy!]
“I should either plug my ears or seal that mouth shut.”

Far from the Okinawa Archipelago lay Korea.
In the Safe House of Seoul, Han Yu-sung took an uneasy rest.
As though everything unfolding in Japan had nothing whatsoever to do with him.

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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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