The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 256

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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 256

The special event, the Golden War, was drawing to a close.
During this time, various wars between the Lords had erupted, and some of these conflicts had captured the attention of both players and the Lords themselves.
One of them was the war waged by Achiros, the Lord of Justice.
He had recently engaged the Lord of Hunting in a series of battles over multiple Difficult Realms, and needless to say, he had achieved a resounding victory.

[Tch! This displeases me. That bastard has grown even stronger! I should pierce through Achiros’s skull just as I do when hunting!]
“That would certainly make things easier.”

Kakasha raged upon hearing the unwelcome news.
However, according to the rumors circulating, the gains Achiros had secured were not as substantial as expected. Apparently, the value of the Difficult Realms had been rather low.
In any case, various Lords had waged wars in this manner.
Among them, the conflict that had drawn the most attention and remained the topic of discussion was the war between the Lord of War and the Lord of the Dead.

[Kuhuhuhuh… That Lord of the Dead looks pathetic. Behold, the things he did in Japan have become a major topic of conversation.]
“Well, it’s understandable. It’s the sort of thing that would displease those in Japan.”

The Okinawa Archipelago remained a source of pain for Japan.
And the Lord of the Dead had established the Dead’s Paradise in the Okinawa Archipelago to harness the vengeful spirits and the aura of death that dwelt there.
To exploit that wound was bound to provoke displeasure.

“Since the opponent is a Lord, they won’t be able to take any direct action.”

Still, things would become troublesome for a while.
The Lord of the Dead had already suffered catastrophic damage. With this situation in Japan unfolding, it would be difficult for them to regain their footing.
Moreover, the Golden War would not last much longer.

[I don’t wish to prolong the war with the Lord of the Dead. If possible, I would prefer to launch simultaneous battles between the Lords…]
“Is that possible?”
[Permission would be required, but approval should come through without significant issue. There’s no particular reason to refuse it.]

Kakasha wanted to attack multiple Difficult Realms simultaneously.
The Lord of the Dead had lost the Paradise and multiple Apostles of the Dead.
Furthermore, hadn’t the Oath-takers on Earth also suffered massive casualties?
There was no guarantee that an opportunity like this would come again.

“If there’s a problem, it’s that we don’t have enough Oath-takers to wage simultaneous Lord battles.”
[The Draken Race has agreed to join the fight. We’ve promised them massive support so they can rebuild their tribe.]
“With more coins, there’s much more we can do.”
[Do you understand why the Lords are obsessed with coins?]

Because everything requires coins, there’s no choice but to be obsessed with them.
Among the forces Han Yu-sung and Kakasha possess, the Draken Race is the largest in number.
If they join, we can handle opening multiple Lord battles simultaneously.

[Still, the fact that the Lord of the Dead reacted late continues to bother me. Even if she was delayed in perceiving it because she was doing something else….]
“Three Apostles died—that’s reason enough.”
[Unless she somehow became unable to perceive external events.]

There was one thing that nagged at me.
The Lord of the Dead hadn’t perceived what happened in the Dead’s Paradise she created at all.
She only became aware after everything was over.
By common sense, there’s no reason she wouldn’t have known.

“Is there such a case?”
[There is. Perhaps something truly urgent came up. Or she was focused on strengthening her power and missed it. Or else… she was engaged in a secret meeting that mustn’t be revealed.]

Han Yu-sung and Kakasha locked eyes.
And without either needing to speak first.

“It’s the third one.”
[Yes, it seems like the third.]

There is someone I suspect.
Though it’s only speculation for now.

“Whatever we prepare, we’ll just have to be as ready as possible.”
[That’s all we can do. In that sense….]

Kakasha suddenly extended his hand into empty space.
A Subspace made of flames appeared in the void. Kakasha rummaged through it and pulled out a stored item.
It was a Sacred Relic.

[Behold! An S-rank Sacred Relic taken from the Lord of the Dead! Out of respect for her, I’ve maintained the original’s effects to the fullest!]
“Respect, you say….”

It was irony.
He must have done it to thoroughly mock her.
Han Yu-sung examined the armor Kakasha had produced, its surface etched with the scars of war.

[Heart of War (S-Rank Sacred Object)]
· A breastplate-type sacred object created by the Lord of War. Fuses with the wearer’s chest plate. The roaring cries of the battlefield echo forth….
· Defense and Magic Defense: 600.
· All Stats +50, Attack Power +50%.
· The longer intense combat continues, the more ‘War’s Heat’ accumulates. As War’s Heat builds, the sacred object strengthens and additional effects activate (Attack Power and Skill Damage up to +100%).
· Heat 30%: Summons the ‘Ash Legion’ that serves the Lord of War. This legion grows stronger as War’s Heat accumulates.
· Heat 50%: Can use 【War’s Command】. (Allied Strength +60%, Enemy Defense and Magic Defense -30%, Inflicts Fear.)
· Heat 100%: Expends all heat to grant power to fight a Lord or their incarnation, and automatically incinerates incoming attacks.

It was the result of the S-Rank sacred object, 【Heart of Phantom】, being transformed.
It felt like the Heart of Phantom had been preserved while only its effects were changed.
One could sense Kakasha’s malice in this.

“A fine sacred object. I’m pleased with it.”
[Wear it right in front of the Lord of the Dead. I want to see with my own eyes how furious that bastard becomes when he sees this sacred object!]

In any case, it was a good sacred object, so I had no complaints.
Han Yu-sung nodded and placed the sacred object into the Subspace.
Now that I thought about it, there were other rewards I had yet to receive.

[You have eliminated players destined to walk a special fate.]
[You have satisfied the activation condition for the unique ability ‘Godly Descent’.]
[Additional rewards are granted.]

Naturally, among the Covenant of the Dead, there were those who would have walked a special fate in the future.
The Apostles of the Dead should not have died so pathetically in a place like this either.
Fate had been twisted, and the one who orchestrated it received a reward.

[Your level has increased by 10 stages.]
[Martial Prowess increased by +15, Unyielding increased by +15.]
[Due to the effect of Godly Descent, Martial Prowess and Unyielding each increased by +5.]
[Additionally, Sword Annihilation increased by +70.]
[The ranks of 【Shadow of Night】 and 【Sword Saint】 have each increased by one stage.]

They were decent rewards.
Level, Investiture, and even skill advancement.
‘Veil of Night’ and ‘Sword Saint’ were skills obtained through the effects of Investiture.
That’s why they were selected for enhancement.

[Veil of Night (SS)]
· Classification: Active.
· Can conceal the existence of oneself and surrounding areas with shadow.
· The movement speed of those targeted by this skill increases by 70%, and the damage of the next attack increases by 2.5 times.
· Mana consumption increases as the number of skill targets expands.

[Sword Saint (SS)]
· Classification: Passive.
· All damage dealt with a sword +60%.
· Sword-type skill enhancement. Sword energy grows and becomes significantly stronger.
· With innate talent, can wield all types of swords with mastery.
· Can predict the opponent’s sword path.
· When reaching extreme concentration, ‘weaknesses’ become visible. When attacking weaknesses, the opponent’s defense and magical defense decrease.

Sword Saint was merely an enhancement of the existing skill.
Veil of Night had transformed into a sort of area-effect skill. Now I could conceal not just myself but everyone in the surrounding area with shadow.
It would prove useful for ambushing enemies.

‘Perhaps because I’ve slain so many Apostles, the rewards are quite generous.’

I was pleased.
And there were the elixirs I obtained this time. Since they weren’t worth hoarding, Han Yu-sung used them immediately.

[You have consumed the Crystallized Essence of Martial Arts and the Quintessence of the Magic Tower.]
[Martial Arts increased by +100,000, and Mana increased by +30!]
[The grade of ‘Blood Burst (S)’ has risen. A special effect is added to the skill from the ‘Crystallized Essence of Martial Arts’.]
[The grades of ‘Flame Storm (S)’ and ‘Inferno (S)’ have risen.]

[Blood Sea (SS)]
· Classification: Active.
· Raises scattered blood in the surroundings like a massive wave and detonates it. The greater the amount of blood, the stronger and wider the explosion’s power and range.
· The exploded blood corrodes enemies and decreases their defense.
· Additional Effect: The skill is enhanced when Blood Lineage or Spirit of Blood Ghost is used.

[Inferno Storm (SS)]
· Classification: Active.
· Summons multiple fiery tempests that sweep across enemies simultaneously.
· This skill requires a lengthy casting time and consumes vast amounts of mana.

[Inferno (SS)]
· Classification: Active.
· Summons and fires multiple fireballs composed of hellfire. The fireballs incinerate enemies and consume those in proximity.
· The more mana consumed, the greater the number of fireballs generated. These fireballs can be compressed into a ‘meteor’ form.

After reviewing the results, Han Yu-sung casually channeled his mana.
Countless fireballs of hellfire materialized in the empty air. With a moment of concentration, the fireballs compressed into a single mass.
It soon transformed into a colossal meteor-like form.

“It feels like a meteor spell? Though it seems weaker than that.”

Han Yu-sung flicked his finger, dispersing the compressed Inferno.
The firepower seemed quite formidable—this could prove useful.
And finally.

I hadn’t anticipated this reward.

Should I call it an unexpected reward?
Or perhaps a forgotten one?
In any case, a surprising reward had arrived.

[You have grown sufficiently familiar with the Abyss. ‘Shadow Bane (Legendary)’ has awakened its power and been strengthened into a ‘Mythic’ grade item.]
>[The grade of ‘Nox Arcana (S)’ has risen by one tier. The skill has reclaimed its true power and been reborn anew.]

Shadow Bane and Nox Arcana.
These were items I favored not long after my return.
They possessed an effect that strengthened themselves through use, but since I hadn’t used them recently, there had been no opportunity for enhancement.

“It seems they were strengthened from frequent use on the island this time.”

It was welcome news in its own way.
The unfortunate part was that even with Shadow Bane’s upgrade to Mythic grade, the original weapon was weak, so the enhancement wasn’t particularly significant.
Since I rarely used the staff anymore, there was no reason to examine it.
But Nox Arcana was different.

[Nox Arcana (SS)]
· Classification: Active.
· An incomplete shadow magic founded by the madman known as The Hermit. After sufficient enlightenment, it has finally been perfected.
· Effect: Magic Power +50, Speed of enemies hit by this magic –40%.
· Additional Effect: Damage of this skill +70%, increased range.
* Shade: Dissolve into shadow and vanish, then surge forth again from any shadow of your choosing in the surrounding area.
* Void: Compress shadow into a spherical form and launch it. This sphere absorbs all incoming attacks before detonating.
* Nightfall: Countless shadows erupt from the ground while countless shadows pour down from the sky, piercing through enemies in the vicinity.
* Eclipse: The surrounding area becomes consumed by shadow, and for a certain duration, the user gains the power to manipulate shadow freely. While using this magic, the damage of shadow-type skills is enhanced.

A smile crossed Han Yu-sung’s lips as I examined the skill.

“I should thank the Lord of Shadow for this.”

It was the Lord of Shadow who had granted potential to Nox Arcana.
Perhaps because it was magic infused with the Lord’s teachings, it was magnificent.
It would prove quite useful.

[Huh? This is….]

Han Yu-sung stretched languidly after finishing the reward confirmation.
At that moment, Kakasha, who had been examining something, spoke in a bewildered voice.
It was a reaction as if something momentous had occurred.

“What’s wrong?”
[No, well… I think it’s faster if you see this directly.]

Kakasha furrowed his brow and snapped his fingers.
Then a massive screen materialized in the air.
On that screen appeared a familiar sight—the area surrounding the Arca Building.

“Huh?”

But among it, something stood out as distinctly out of place.
Something so glaringly incongruous that anyone with eyes couldn’t help but notice it.

“What is that above the Arca Building?”
[Yes. And it’s something very large at that.]

The Arca Building stood towering above the landscape.
Suspended in the sky above that area was something possessing overwhelming mass.
It was.

“…A sword?”

A colossal sword.
A blade that boasted an overwhelming size, incomparable to the Heavenly Sword that Han Yu-sung wielded.
Han Yu-sung and Kakasha locked eyes with one another.

“What is that thing?”
[I should be asking you that question.]

It was a question that could not be answered.

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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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