The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 27

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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 27


As Han Yu-sung had anticipated, the battle did not drag on.

– Ugh, gahhh….

The Hermit’s magic was undeniably vicious.
He wielded a diverse array of shadow-based spells, their power formidable enough to threaten Han Yu-sung’s life.
But his heart was already pierced.

– Ino, om… cough hack!

The Hermit, who had been unleashing magic with violent intensity, collapsed to both knees.
Black blood gushed from his mouth—the consequence of his pierced heart. It was a miracle he had endured this long at all.
His transformed monstrous body had allowed him to move despite the fatal wound, but even that resilience had reached its limit.

– My staff, if only, I had my staff!
“Yes, quite an impressive staff it was.”
– Kaaahhh!

Han Yu-sung’s seizure of the staff had been decisive.
The staff The Hermit wielded possessed extraordinarily intricate properties; had he retained it, the situation would have grown far more complicated.
Seizing it in that ambush had produced a cascading effect.
It had been his intention all along.

– Ugh, guh….
“I shall make good use of your research findings.”

Han Yu-sung stood before The Hermit, who knelt before him.
Wind gathered in his fist.
And in the next instant.

Crack!

With the sound of flesh being crushed, The Hermit collapsed.
The fallen creature convulsed a few times before falling completely still.
It was the moment I put an end to research that seemed endless.
A message materialized before my eyes.

[Level increased by 3 stages.]
[Strength +3, Agility +3, Stamina +3.]
[Due to Divine Descent, Agility +1, Stamina +2!]
[Wind Cloud Footwork leveled up by 2, Blood Wind Fist Technique leveled up by 1.]
[Predation activated. Predation Stack: 1/15.]

Crunch, crunch!

A translucent mouth that appeared from nowhere began devouring a portion of The Hermit.
The effect of Fangs of Predation.

[Covenant member, it is an item. An item. Check it at once.]
“I know without you telling me.”

I rummaged through The Hermit’s belongings.
From within, a book woven from shadow burst forth.

[The Hermit’s Research Tome (S)]
· A tome containing ‘Nox Arcana,’ composed of four spells.
· These spells remain incomplete. With extraordinary fortune, completion may be possible, yet that opportunity is shrouded in obscurity and distant….
· Usage Requirement: Mage.

Nox Arcana.
A skill book containing shadow-based magic.
The drawback is that because it is magic, usage conditions are attached.
In my current state, it is an item I cannot use.
But it matters not. Once I advance to Soulless, I will be able to learn it.
And there was one more thing.

[Shadow Bane (Legendary)]
· Slot: Staff.
· Magic Attack Power: 110.
· Mana +6, Shadow-type Magic Damage +20%.
· Once per day, you can use Abyss Boundary. While within this domain, shadow-related skills are enhanced.

Fortunately, the staff came with no usage restrictions.
This meant even I could wield it now. The problem was that a staff brimming with magic-related options would be largely meaningless in my hands.
However, the technique embedded within this staff held genuine value.

‘Abyss Boundary.’

I had seen a Japanese player use it before.
A technique that enveloped the surroundings in shadowy darkness.
I recalled it being extraordinarily useful when facing multiple enemies.
It would prove invaluable to me.
Especially considering I would soon clash with the Covenant of the Dead.

“Is this everything?”
[No. Look over there, Covenant member. There’s something.]
“Hmm, this is…”

When I first arrived, The Hermit had been muttering before a desk.
Upon that desk lay something.
A pitch-black sphere, unnervingly viscous to behold.

[Essence of Shadow (Epic)]
· A convergence of madness born from The Hermit’s research.
· Imbued with formidable malice. Only those possessing unwavering resolve can overcome it, and upon doing so, a random effect activates.

It was an item called Essence of Shadow.
The description was ominous. It seemed to carry a kind of side effect—an item whose benefits could only be realized by overcoming that burden.
And in that very moment.

[You have successfully defeated a powerful adversary.]
[You have satisfied the activation condition for the unique ability ‘Godly Descent’.]
[Additional rewards are granted.]
[The effect of 【Essence of Shadow】 becomes clarified.]
[Additionally, your Fighting Spirit increases by +5.]

The effect of Godly Descent activated.
The item’s effect had become clear. I understood immediately what that meant. The item’s description had changed.

[Essence of Shadow (Epic)]
· A manifestation of madness born from The Hermit’s research.
· Harbors formidable malice. Only those with unwavering resolve can overcome it, and upon doing so, 【Shadow of Night】 advances to the next tier.

The description that had listed random effects had changed.
Kakasha, who had been observing, was considerably taken aback.

[Your ability is… you can actually alter an item’s effects in such a manner?]

It was a situation that could only inspire astonishment.
Legendary-grade items granted the potential to ascend to Mythic rank, and random effects were locked into specific ones.
It was a unique ability that even Kakasha, who had lived for ages, had never witnessed.
Han Yu-sung glanced at the essence for a moment.

[You’re going to consume it without hesitation?]

I swallowed the essence without delay.
My composure was so complete that it startled Kakasha.
There was no reason to hesitate, after all.
This wasn’t my first encounter with items of this nature.
I had consumed countless such items in my previous life, and if it was something that could be overcome through sheer ‘will,’ there was nothing to fear.

– Uuuuuugh…
– Aaaaaahhhhh…

The item’s effects began to take hold.
Darkness enveloped everything around me. Horrific hallucinations flooded my mind, and twisted phantoms materialized from every direction.
They unleashed curses upon Han Yu-sung in unison.
With singular intent to shatter my will, they assailed me relentlessly.

‘Is this because it’s Epic-grade? This is nothing.’

Yet it fell far short of causing me genuine harm.
I had endured far worse tribulations. I had been ensnared in traps and subjected to brutal torture, and I had spent entire stretches imprisoned within nightmares of unspeakable horror.
These mere hallucinations and phantom voices were insignificant.
They were woefully insufficient to break Han Yu-sung’s resolve.

Shhhhhhh…

How much time had passed like this?
The hallucinations and auditory illusions that had been consuming Han Yu-sung vanished.
Moments later, a change arrived.

[You have overcome the essence of shadow.]
[The rank of 【Shadow of Night】 has risen by one tier!]

A message confirming the skill’s enhancement.
Shadow of Night, which had been A-rank, was promoted to S-rank.

[Shadow of Night (S, Lv.1)]
· Classification: Active.
· You can conceal your existence within shadow.
· When the skill is activated, if you are within shadow, movement speed increases by 25% and the damage of your next attack increases by 50%.
· When terrain conditions are met, the skill reactivates upon defeating an enemy.

This skill was the reason Jung Seo-hyun had earned such infamy in her past life.
By actively utilizing the reactivation effect, she had eliminated countless allies and then vanished by hiding in shadow—the memory remained vivid even now.

‘Lurking and ambushing doesn’t suit my temperament, but.’

I resolved to master anything that could prove useful.
Shadow of Night was a skill that would offer tremendous value once learned. Combined with the staff I had just acquired, it would be even more formidable.

[You have gained much. Hmm, the exit has opened.]

A deafening roar echoed.

At that very moment, a portal materialized before Han Yu-sung.
Sometimes when you clear a Dungeon, an exit appears like this.
With poor luck, you’d have to walk all the way back to the entrance, but this time fortune seemed to favor me.

‘Or should I call this good luck?’

Word that the Dungeon had opened would have spread by now.
The Covenant of the Dead would be waiting for Han Yu-sung outside the Dungeon.
They would attempt to strike the moment I emerged.
I needed to deal with them and find a way to escape Yeoju City.
Fortunately.

“This should be sufficient.”
[An opportunity to utilize the new item.]

I didn’t need to search long.
The staff in Han Yu-sung’s grip was the answer.

* * *

The Underground Parking Lot where the Dungeon had appeared.
A multitude gathered before its portal—countless undead and the Covenant of the Dead who bound them in servitude.
All eyes fixed upon the gateway.

“…Is it acceptable that we don’t enter the interior?”
“There’s no need to force our way in. If they succeed in clearing the Dungeon, they’ll return here. If they fail, that’s the end of it.”
“Should they fail, then we shall undertake the Dungeon ourselves.”
“That’s how it must be. The Lord desires it.”

Kang Jung-in, the player leading the Covenant of the Dead here, answered thus.
The Lord of the Dead had taken interest in the reward Dungeon.
When the Lord desired something, his servants obeyed.
And there was one more thing.

“I do hope they succeed. Whoever clears that Dungeon is likely the one who resolved the last trial alone.”
“The one who achieved the highest contribution, then.”
“Precisely. The one who placed Korea first, surpassing all other nations—no ordinary player. If we could capture that one….”

A bloodthirsty smile crept across Kang Jung-in’s lips.

“The Lord would be most pleased.”

A player whose identity remained unknown.
The one Korea—indeed, the entire world’s alliance—sought to identify. Every Lord scrambled to uncover who he truly was.
If such a person could be found and captured?
The Lord of the Dead would be overjoyed.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

“Magical surge detected from the portal!”
“Stand ready. It appears they’ve succeeded.”

The Covenant of the Dead and the undead took their battle stances.
The portal, which had been emitting a violent surge of magical energy, swung wide open.
And then, from within it, a figure emerged.

“Someone’s coming out…!”

A deafening roar tore through the air!

“W-what?!”

Before anyone could even identify who it was, shadow crashed down upon them.
Darkness poured forth from beyond the portal.
The inky shadow devoured every surface of the surrounding terrain—floor, ceiling, walls, everything within the Underground Parking Lot.
The Covenant of the Dead’s vision was consumed by the darkness.
They could barely make out the figures standing beside them.

“W-what is this…!”
“I can’t see anything! Light! Someone cast light!”
“Wait! I’ll have the undead mages cast fire magic!”

The Covenant of the Dead scrambled in panic.
The skeleton mages obeyed their commands and unleashed their spells.
Flames erupted, illuminating the surrounding darkness….

Crack! Crunch!

“Gahhhhh?!”
“S-something’s moving in the darkness…!”

But something had already begun to move.
A presence stirred within the shadow. Completely concealed, it wove through the darkness, hunting down the Covenant of the Dead one by one.
Screams echoed from all directions.

“P-protect me! Gather around me, now!”

– A long, drawn-out sound….

“W-wait, that should be enough… kghack?!”

The Covenant of the Dead members hastily used the undead as shields.
But it was futile. If anything, it only invited greater danger.

[Enemy defeated.]
[Shadow of the Night activates again.]

Among the undead, there were those with fragile defenses.
They were the perfect targets to trigger the reactivation effect.
Han Yu-sung continued forward, wreathed in shadow, cutting down the Covenant members one after another.

[Deployed 【Abyss Barrier】.]
[Shadow-related skills are enhanced, and the usage condition requiring shadow presence is removed.]
[Remaining duration: 4 minutes.]

Given its potency, the duration was not long.
But it didn’t matter.

‘I’ll kill everyone who needs killing before time runs out, then escape.’

A wind stained with blood swept through the shadow.

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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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