The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 257

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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 257

A colossal sword materialized above Seoul.
It was a greatsword of incomparable magnitude to the Heavenly Sword that Han Yu-sung summoned.
Its appearance was far too abrupt.

“What, what is that…?”
“When did such a sword appear in the sky?”

A shadow fell suddenly, and only then did people look up to notice the massive sword hanging in the heavens.

“That sword… could it possibly be targeting our building?”
“The direction… no matter how I look at it, that seems to be the case.”
“This is insane. Where’s the captain? We need to report this to the Lord immediately.”

The peaceful Arca Building erupted into chaos.
Fortunately, Han Yu-sung and Kakasha had already grasped the situation.
They arrived at the building before the War Covenant Members could summon them.

“C-Captain! You’ve arrived! We’ve been waiting!”
“Right. Do you know exactly when that sword appeared?”
“We cannot determine the exact moment, but we became aware of its existence five minutes ago. The Player Alliance is also investigating what’s happening.”
“Hmm….”

Baek Min-jun approached and hurriedly briefed him on the situation.
The greatsword floating in the sky had appeared without any warning signs.
Only beings with transcendent power could accomplish such a thing.
Was it the Trial of God?
No, that couldn’t be. The Golden War that opened in place of this trial was still ongoing.
Two trials couldn’t open simultaneously.

“Since it’s not a trial, it’s not a god.”
[Then it must be a Lord. Actually, there’s no need to ponder this.]
“Pardon? No need to ponder?”

Baek Min-jun looked puzzled at what he heard.
But as Kakasha said, determining the sword’s identity was truly unnecessary.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

“Swords! Countless swords emerging from the blade…!”
“They’re coming this way! Ahhhhh!”

As if waiting for Han Yu-sung and Kakasha to appear.
The Great Sword began to move.
Countless blades formed from true energy erupted from the Great Sword, all firing downward in unison.
Those who witnessed it screamed and scattered in all directions.
They believed the swords were targeting them.
But.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

The swords were not targeting human lives.
They were targeting the ground itself.
Countless blades pierced the earth in a pattern, forming an enormous circular barrier.
From those embedded swords, a tremendous force emerged.

“Ugh, cough?!”
“What, what is this? A wall? Something like a wall…?”
“Let me out! Let me leave!”

No one could escape.
And no one could enter—a massive domain had been created.
Then a message appeared before those trapped within the barrier.

[An Open Difficult Realm has been activated in this area.]
[Unknown Lords are targeting you…]

“So it is.”

Han Yu-sung let out a dry laugh upon seeing the message, as if he had anticipated this.
There was nothing else it could be.
It was truly an Open Difficult Realm.

“It’s been a long time since the Lord of the Dead opened one.”

The Lord of the Dead had opened an open-type Difficult Realm before, targeting Han Yu-sung.
Unlike ordinary Difficult Realms, it unfolds on Earth, and everyone within its range becomes caught in the Difficult Realm.
Countless Gates manifest within such a Difficult Realm, and the Lords’ soldiers waiting beyond those Gates cross over to attack the surrounding area.
And no one can escape the Difficult Realm until it is conquered.

“Did the Lord of the Dead open it again? She shouldn’t have the mental capacity for that.”
[Hmmmm….]

Kakasha fell into deep contemplation.
He could not make sense of this situation.

[Is she seeking revenge? No, but… having lost multiple Apostles and countless Oath-takers, attempting revenge now….]
“The odds are far too slim. The Lord of the Dead couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.”
[I share that assessment. And above all, that sword.]

Han Yu-sung gazed upward at the colossal blade floating high in the sky.
The Lord of the Dead is a Lord who commands the “Dead”—beings like the Undead. If she had opened the Difficult Realm, the area would be teeming with the Dead just as before.
A blade of such magnitude appearing in the sky is uncharacteristic of the Lord of the Dead.
Rather.

“…Geomson? If it’s him, it wouldn’t be particularly strange.”
[You mean that Wanderer you clashed with before? There’s merit to that. The Heavenly Sword you wield originated from him, after all. But for the Wanderer to meddle in a world where the Trial has opened…?]
“To be precise, there’s also the possibility that the two of them are cooperating.”

Han Yu-sung recalled the message he had seen moments ago.
A message stating that unknown Lords were targeting him.
Unlike when the Lord of the Dead had targeted Han Yu-sung before, this was plural.
What if Geomson and the Lord of the Dead were cooperating?

[It’s possible. No, it actually makes sense. Do you remember? During the battle in Paradise, the Lord of the Dead responded with unusual delay. If she had been conversing with Geomson at that time….]
“Everything falls into place.”
[Ha! Has the Lord of the Dead abandoned all pride as well!]

Kakasha let out a hollow laugh, as if bewildered.
The Wanderer is an existence that transcends the system of Lords.
For such beings to directly intervene in a world where the Trial has become the target is not easy, and generally demands an enormous price.

[The Lord of the Dead eased those conditions by joining hands with Geomson. She would create the open-ended Difficult Realm herself, while Geomson would construct its structure. He served as a ‘detour’ of sorts.]
“You really wanted me dead, didn’t you?”
[Hmm. Otherwise, that prideful one wouldn’t have…]

Generally speaking, the Lords despise beings known as Wanderers.
Why would they welcome transcendents who operate independently, outside their systems?
Beyond that, though the details weren’t precise, there had been certain incidents that left the Lords with no choice but to fear Wanderers.
In any case.

[A Lord who cooperates with a Wanderer incurs a form of penalty. That she was willing to bear such a penalty speaks volumes.]

Kakasha tilted his head at that point.

[What puzzles me is… it’s remarkably fast. The Lord of the Dead suffered a crushing defeat not long ago, and yet…]

An attack when she should be recovering from her wounds.
Of course, there was the saying that the best defense is offense. Just as I had struck the Dead’s Paradise, perhaps the Lord of the Dead was aiming for the same. Once the Golden War ended, a war between Lords would unfold. Before that came, she must have decided to inflict damage on me and Kakasha by any means necessary.
That had to be her reasoning.

[Or perhaps it was a war she didn’t want… No, hmm.]
“Either way, it’s not something we need to worry about.”
[True enough. Resolving this Difficult Realm takes priority.]

I gazed at the system window that materialized before me.
It displayed the description of this ‘open-ended Difficult Realm’.

[Difficult Realm: Sword Tomb.]
[An ‘open-ended Difficult Realm’ created by the Wanderer, Geomson. A tomb where countless swords are embedded. The former masters of these blades have received the blessing of the ‘Dead’ and been resurrected as specters, awaiting you.]
[You must locate and destroy the ‘core’ that constitutes this Tomb. Should you fail, Geomson will wield the colossal sword of the heavens and destroy everything. However, the path to the core is barred by countless ‘trials’…]
[Due to the Difficult Realm’s effect, all magical effects installed in the vicinity are nullified.]
[Special Mechanic: Defeating enemies grants you a sword. Defeating other ‘Sword Masters’ allows you to absorb their blades and strengthen your own.]
[Victory Condition: Destroy the core.]
[Defeat Condition: Failure to destroy the core within 8 hours.]

This was a Difficult Realm that bore the mark of two transcendents working in concert.
A structure where ‘swords’ and ‘the dead’ were seamlessly interwoven.
Upon reviewing the victory condition, I clicked my tongue.

“So if I can’t destroy the core, I lose.”

The open-ended Difficult Realm that the Lord of the Dead had previously created considered victory to be either destroying the Gate or surviving for twenty-four hours.
But this Difficult Realm had no such conditions.
Destroy the core, or everyone dies.

‘A sword of that magnitude falling would be no different from death.’

Han Yu-sung gazed up at the colossal blade suspended in the sky.
I could feel the power of Geomson—an overwhelming vital force contained within it.
If a sword of that magnitude struck the ground, it would cause catastrophic damage.

[Geomson said he would wield the colossal blade in the sky. Which means, perhaps, he himself will descend.]
“That would be even more dangerous.”

Could I block it using Reverse Heaven?
Han Yu-sung, who had been pondering for a moment, shook his head.
The power contained in that colossal blade was no ordinary thing. And if Geomson himself descended to wield it…

‘The probability of withstanding it is extremely low. Even if I’m fortunate enough to survive, everyone except me would perish.’

Trying to endure with Reverse Heaven was close to gambling.
In any case, it meant the situation was extraordinarily perilous.
But, looking at it differently…

[If I could only achieve victory in this Difficult Realm…]
“I could extract rewards from both Geomson and the Lord of the Dead.”
[Perhaps I could even extract ‘compensation’ from them.]

An open-ended Difficult Realm is still a ‘Difficult Realm’ regardless.
It meant rewards had to be given to those who cleared it. Since this Difficult Realm was a collaboration between Geomson and the Lord of the Dead, I could extract rewards from both of them.
Moreover, this Difficult Realm had many aspects worth exploiting.
‘By entrusting it to the Scale, I could obtain additional compensation.’

“C-Captain!”
“Countless blades have appeared all around us!”

This Difficult Realm seems worth conquering.
The moment Han Yu-sung thought this, the area underwent a transformation.
Countless swords began to manifest on the barren ground.
They were masterless blades, each bearing a distinct form.
And then, a wind blew in from somewhere.

Saaaaaaaa…!

The masters of the swords revealed themselves.
In the form of spectral entities stripped of flesh. The swordsmen who manifested this way grasped the blades that had once been theirs, assuming the stances they had displayed in life.
From the tips of their swords, ominous sword energy rippled and bloomed forth.

“This… there are far too many of them?”
“Thousands… or perhaps even more, considering the range where this Difficult Realm appeared. There are simply too many.”
“…Could it just be my imagination?”

The War Covenant Members exchanged words with evident tension.
At that moment, Sung Ha-yan, standing with an expressionless face, pointed toward the enemies.
All the swordsmen wielding blades were gazing in the same direction.

“Those swordsmen don’t seem to be looking at us, do they?”
“Right. I was about to say the same thing. Those bastards—they show no interest in anyone else, only watching us?”
“No, to be precise…”

The War Covenant Members followed the direction of the enemies’ gaze.
At the end of that gaze stood.

“…It seems they’re looking at our captain?”

Han Yu-sung.
Every enemy glared at him with murderous intent gleaming in their eyes.
Han Yu-sung, sensing their gaze in turn, let out a low chuckle.

“So they only need to kill me. Since the enemies seem to target only me, I suppose that works out well. Baek Min-jun, you’re on defense. Establish a defensive formation at the Arca Building. Guide the evacuation of civilians in the surrounding area.”
“Yes, captain.”

The Arca Building was under the protection of a Lord, with multiple barriers installed throughout.
The problem was that those protections had been rendered ineffective by this Difficult Realm. Still, the building itself was sturdy enough to serve well in blocking attacks.

“Sung Ha-yan, Chu Gyu-il, Yang Han-byul, Lee Ye-eun. The remaining ninety-six form the assault unit. You’ll move with me while we search for the ‘core’ of this place.”
“Me? Again this time? No, couldn’t someone else—”
“Save your complaints for later. We need to move quickly. Time is running short.”

The War Covenant Members began moving with urgent purpose.
Han Yu-sung felt the hostile gazes of enemies fixed upon him and expanded his senses widely, attempting to pinpoint the location of the ‘core’.
In that moment, a smile naturally bloomed across his lips.

‘So Geomson’s Oath-takers have arrived as well.’

Formidable auras emanated from various corners of the Difficult Realm.
They carried the same presence as the Oath-taker of Geomson he had encountered before.
It seemed Geomson was determined to kill him by any means necessary.
Of course.

“Perfect. Since you mentioned an elite force, reducing their numbers here will make things easier ahead. I’ll take the lead. Everyone, move!”

Han Yu-sung had no intention whatsoever of dying.

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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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