The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 29

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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 29


[Player Han Yu-sung.]
[You are one who has already proven your worth.]
[Therefore, I grant you the qualification to advance to the class ‘Soulless Warrior’.]

I had prepared for combat, expecting a grueling trial to follow, yet here I was being told I had proven myself. What exactly had I demonstrated in this place?
What could I possibly have proven?

[Will you advance to the class ‘Soulless Warrior’?]

[I reject it! I speak on behalf of the Covenant-bearer!]
“Why are you rejecting it and making such a fuss?”

Kakasha growled and rejected it on my behalf instead.
Naturally, the voice offered no response to him.
There was no reason for it to answer when it was not I myself who had rejected the offer.

[A trial! Give me a harsh trial! War and combat! A trial where blood and flesh are shed! I wish to witness trials! Eeeeek!]
“….”

I closed my eyes.
Watching Kakasha thrash about somehow calmed my mind.
In many ways, he was a Lord of considerable and varied value.

“I want to ask. What exactly have I proven?”

[That, even I cannot know.]

“You cannot know?”

A cryptic answer came in return.

[We have our criteria. Future potential, upright character, and various other standards… You have satisfied them all.]

“How can you know that I have satisfied them?”

[I can see it. Though you would not understand.]

I wasn’t sure what he meant by “see,” but apparently that was the case.
If “future possibilities” were among his criteria, then it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
Hadn’t the Balance’s scales already assessed my possibilities?
There was one thing that puzzled me.

“Upright character? That’s a word far too distant from me.”
[Our thoughts align, Sworn One. Character, you say? Hmm. You are not a wicked person, but to call it an upright character would be….]

I didn’t take pleasure in committing misdeeds, nor did I possess such inclinations.
Yet that didn’t make Han Yu-sung a purely virtuous person either.
Had I been, I wouldn’t have been called a madman obsessed with combat in my past life—the “Sword Demon.”
It was I who had wrought countless upheavals in pursuit of vengeance.

“I don’t know what you’ve seen, but if that’s what you say, there’s nothing more to discuss.”

[Then, shall you advance to “Soulless”?]

“I shall.”

I nodded.
A peculiar sensation washed over me.
Part of me was relieved that matters would become easier, yet another part found it tedious that it would end without combat.
Of course, that was no reason to refuse. Not unless I’d lost my mind.

[We are an amalgamation of countless spirits.]
[The foundation of experience and knowledge we accumulated in life shall settle within you. It may seem insignificant now, but….]

Formless power converged from all directions.
That power drew near to me.

[One day, we shall grant you “infinite” power.]

Ssssshhhhh—

It was absorbed into my body.
I felt the unfamiliar power circulating within me.
And when that power had fully settled, a transformation occurred.

[I’m changing my class to ‘Soulless Warrior’.]
[I’ve acquired the passive skills ‘Soulless Warrior (S)’ and ‘Successor (S)’.]

A message appeared confirming I’d learned two new skills.
Soulless Warrior and Successor.
They were skills with deceptively simple names, but their effects were anything but.

[Soulless Warrior (S)]
· Classification: Passive.
· Grants the foundation of experience and knowledge accumulated by countless spirits.
· Allows you to learn skills from all classes, ignoring prerequisites.
· Additionally, you can learn skills that are normally ‘unlearnable’ due to various restrictions.

[Successor (S)]
· Classification: Passive.
· Grants proficiency with all types of weapons and magic.
· All skill damage +20%, mana consumption –15%.
· Once per day, using the experience and knowledge inherited from countless spirits, dramatically reduce the casting speed of your next skill.

Both skills possessed formidable effects.
The ‘Soulless Warrior’ at the core of this class was undeniably powerful, and with the damage amplification from all skills, reduced mana consumption, and the ‘Successor’ ability to drastically accelerate casting speed, the synergy was devastating.

‘So that’s why Weslor was so formidable.’

He wielded skills from diverse classes, each retaining considerable potency. And on top of that, he could deploy massive abilities at incredible speed.
Now that this class was mine, I could finally use the skill books I’d been saving.
Han Yu-sung immediately retrieved a skill book.

[You’ve acquired ‘Earth Shatter (S)’.]
[You’ve acquired ‘Nox Arcana (S)’.]

[Earth Shatter (S)]
· Classification: Active.
· A technique of the beast stripped of freedom.
· After focusing your mind for an extended period, strike the ground with a blade infused with savage power, shattering the earth across a wide radius.

[Nox Arcana (S, Lv.1)]
· Classification: Active.
· Shadow magic founded by the madman known as The Hermit. An incomplete spell. With exceptional fortune, it could be perfected, but….
· Effect: Magic Power +5, Speed of enemies hit by this spell –20%.
* Shadow Bind: Summons shadows to restrain the opponent. The binding force is not particularly strong, but the casting speed is extremely fast.
* Decoy: Swaps the shadow at a desired location with yourself. Casting speed is fast, but cooldown is lengthy.
* Distortion: Warps shadows into any desired form. Can be utilized for various purposes—attacking, defending, and more.
* Nox Frenzy: Summons shadows in the surrounding area, transforms them into various weapons, then indiscriminately attacks all enemies within a certain radius.

Earth Shatter and Nox Arcana.
These were the area-of-effect skills I had been seeking.
Nox Arcana was certainly an area-of-effect skill, but Shadow Bind and Decoy appeared exceptionally useful.

‘This will be incredibly effective for surprise attacks.’

The fact that it was a growth-type spell capable of becoming stronger here was significant as well.
Once mastered, it would prove useful time and again.
Everything hinged on whether that special fortune would favor me or not.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

At that very moment, the ground trembled.
The temple, having fulfilled its purpose, began to collapse.
Simultaneously, brilliant light enveloped my entire body.
As my vision blurred, a clear voice resonated.

[This temple has fulfilled its role.]
[However, Han Yu-sung. Someday… an opportunity to meet again shall arise. We await your growth.]

I closed my eyes.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, I stood in the Forest.
I had escaped the trial and returned to my original location.

“So they said we’d meet again someday.”
[Hmm, they must be referring to something like a second advancement, no?]
“Likely so.”

Class advancement isn’t a one-time affair.
Once I reached a certain level, I could advance to a higher class.

“I wish I could coast through that too.”
[One day, your gluttony for easy gains shall leave you choking on your own excess.]

Kakasha offered his rebuke.
Han Yu-sung ignored the words and opened his status window.

[Han Yu-sung (Affiliation: Earth, South Korea (B-Rank))]
· Level: 31
· Class: Soulless Warrior
· Unique Ability: Incarnation (EX)
· Strength: 64 (+16) · Agility: 74 (+9) · Endurance: 60 (+6)
· Mana: 15 (+15) · Willpower: 25

Observing the status window, I nodded with satisfaction.
Yet one task remained incomplete.

‘My mana is falling considerably behind.’

The level-up stat gains didn’t include mana—there was nothing to be done about that.
Advancing to Soulless Warrior wouldn’t change things dramatically. Each level granted three stat points, and mana wasn’t among them.
I would need to supplement it through other means.

‘There’s so much I need to do ahead…’

I sifted through memories of my past life.
Soon, a new event would arrive on the Star Battlefield.
It offered excellent rewards and was tied to Achiros—I couldn’t afford to miss it.
After that, another trial would open.

‘I should replenish my mana while I have the chance. What was there again?’

I pulled out my phone.
The Player Community hosted all manner of information, including details about the Lords’ trials.
Where trials existed, when they would open.
Reviewing such posts sometimes stirred forgotten memories.

“The Playground of Pleasure. Did it open at this time?”
[Do you know of this trial? By its name, it seems the Lord of Pleasure opened it. I despise that one, Sworn One.]
“I’m not particularly fond of him either.”

There exists a Lord bearing the epithet of Pleasure.
True to his name, he is a Lord obsessed with indulgence.
Since the principle behind all his actions stems from gratification and amusement, he was a Lord many avoided.
Yet, in a deeply ironic twist.

“Still, the rewards he offers are guaranteed to be substantial.”
[Mmm… I would prefer not to agree, but you speak truth. He lavishes anything upon those who entertain him alone….]

A Lord who opens trials solely for his own amusement, he delights in observing how players clear his challenges.
Satisfy that desire, and he becomes known for bestowing generous rewards.
Indeed, the Playground of Pleasure boasted higher player satisfaction than expected, and even earned favorable evaluations from the gods, frequently receiving ‘evaluation rewards.’

“Moreover, the Playground of Pleasure—this trial in particular….”
[Why? Did something happen in your past life?]
“It did. Something quite significant.”

A faint memory surfaced.
A major incident had occurred at the Playground of Pleasure when it opened during this period, and the Lord of Pleasure had suffered greatly because of it.
The Lord of Pleasure, uncharacteristically, had been quite enraged.

[So, what was this incident you speak of?]
“Other Lords formed an alliance and attacked the trial, if I recall correctly.”
[Hmm? The Lord of Pleasure earned the hatred of… I think I understand now. Being a Lord mad with pleasure, he must have caused some incident elsewhere.]
“You know well. Precisely accurate.”

There was no excuse—the Lord of Pleasure had brought it upon himself.
I don’t know the exact circumstances. Whether it was God’s Trial or a trial, the Lord of Pleasure had once run amok in his pursuit of enjoyment.
Other Lords were caught up in that rampage and suffered tremendous losses.

[So this time they intend to take revenge. If they destroy a trial that frequently receives evaluation rewards, hmm! That would certainly sting.]

In fact, the Playground of Pleasure had been destroyed in my past life. In that process, the Lord of Pleasure lost numerous cherished Sworn Ones and sustained grave damage.

‘If only I could exploit the other Lords’ terrorism.’

I could reap tremendous gains from this.
I know the Playground of Pleasure offers rewards related to magical power.
If I could obtain rewards from the Lord of Pleasure as well?
A single challenge could yield extraordinary benefits.

“There’s no reason not to go.”
[There’s no point asking if you’re comfortable with this… You’re the type who’ll venture anywhere if you see profit in it.]
“You’ve come to know me well already?”

An opportunity for growth—I couldn’t refuse it.
But.

“Let’s rest for now. We have time to spare.”

The timing isn’t right yet.
The Playground of Pleasure still has some time before it opens.
Han Yu-sung lay down on the floor of the Campsite.

‘A brief respite wouldn’t hurt.’

I would need to stay in this Forest for a while longer.
Han Yu-sung slowly closed his eyes.

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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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