The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 297

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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 297

In truth, I had sensed it vaguely even before arriving at this place.
A premonition that something extraordinarily troublesome was about to unfold.

“I never imagined it would be a request to become the Cult Master.”
[A development beyond your premonition. How does it feel?]

Han Yu-sung exhaled a weary sigh at Kakasha’s seemingly delighted voice.
How could I feel good about this? I already have mountains of tasks demanding my attention, and now they want me to be a Cult Master.
And not just any organization—one that was crumbling from decay and decline.
I had absolutely no desire for this.

“…We need you to rebuild the Blood Cult!”
“Please, extend your hand of salvation to us…!”
[Kufufu! What an amusing situation. They stand before their future Lord, yet they beseech you for salvation instead.]

Any other Lord would have found this deeply offensive.
But Kakasha was not like that. She wasn’t the type to take offense at such things, and besides, she found Han Yu-sung’s expression utterly delightful.
He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Cult Master? I refuse.”
“That won’t do! We need you!”
“Need or not, I’m not a player operating in your world. Even if I became your Cult Master, there’s nothing I could actually accomplish. Besides, I never intended to become one in the first place. You already know this, don’t you?”

Red Blood Ming and Seven Evils fell silent.
Just as he said, it was a fact they already knew. Yet the reason they still asked Han Yu-sung to become the Blood Cult’s master was simple.

[To maintain the Blood Cult, perhaps? Is that not so?]
“…That is correct.”

The Blood Cult revered the Blood Demon as a god.
He was their spiritual anchor. When they became certain that their god had abandoned them, the Blood Cult lost that anchor.
An organization without a center cannot endure.

“The Blood Cult needs…time. Time to abandon their faith in the Blood Demon and rise again as an independent organization. That is something I cannot do. If it were possible, we would have done so long ago.”

This was also why Red Blood Ming remained a “Vice-Master” to this day.
To begin with, he had never intended to ascend to the position, but even if he set that aside, no one would acknowledge him as Master.
Red Blood Ming’s strength fell short of the previous Master’s.
That was why he had sought to meet the Blood Demon and gain legitimacy.

“But with you, it is possible. You possess tremendous power, have mastered the Blood Demon’s martial arts, and are an existence capable of meeting him….”

Red Blood Ming and Seven Evils gazed upon Han Yu-sung.
Their stares burned with an intensity that was almost unbearable.

“If you become the Master and transmit the Blood Demon’s martial arts, the cult members will believe that the Blood Demon has not abandoned them. Faith will be preserved, and the Blood Cult will endure.”
[Hmm, but that is a lie. The Blood Demon has abandoned you all. He harbors not the slightest interest, so what meaning could this possibly hold?]
“…Therefore, we intend to redirect the object of our faith.”
[Oho?]

Kakasha smiled with intrigue. But the words that followed from Red Blood Ming held no intrigue whatsoever for Han Yu-sung.

“We will direct our faith toward Han Yu-sung and the Lord of War. Seven Evils and I are fully capable of accomplishing this.”
[Faith passed down through ages is not easily swayed, is it?]
“Please trust us.”

Red Blood Ming and Seven Evils prostrated themselves.
Witnessing this, Han Yu-sung clicked his tongue, while Kakasha’s smile deepened.

“We do not ask that you actually lead us as Master. We would never presume such a thing. Simply exist as a symbol, and we shall handle the rest ourselves.”
“Please aid us!”
“Master!”

Boom!

Red Blood Ming and Seven Evils struck their foreheads against the ground.
They struck with such force that a thunderous sound echoed through the chamber. Blood visibly streamed from their foreheads in clear rivulets.
Han Yu-sung squeezed his eyes shut.

“This is madness. Who said anything about being a Master?”
[It seems those wretches have already decided to serve you as Master. An Apostle and a Master! Even ten bodies would not suffice!]
“What exactly are you so delighted about?”
[It is a rare sight indeed. Kuhuhuh!]

For Han Yu-sung, it was nothing but a tedious affair.
And yet.

‘The more irritating part is that it’s not an offer I can simply refuse.’

In reality, those standing before me would be the ones to actually lead the Blood Cult.
I would exist merely as the nominal Cult Master, appearing occasionally in places like the Sanctuary and passing down the Blood Demon’s martial techniques—that would suffice.
In exchange, I would gain the Blood Cult as a force in my grasp.

“…How many members does the Blood Cult currently have?”
“Slightly over ten thousand. If we select only those capable of combat, around six thousand. However, if you were to ascend as Cult Master, we could call back the scattered members.”
“Then we might reach about ten thousand…”

Among them, there were quite a few skilled in combat, they said.
After hearing this, I exhaled a deep sigh once more.

“As you said, I have no intention of acting as Cult Master. I’m not even certain whether the Blood Demon will grant me a skill. Does that still work for you?”
“Then the plan will differ somewhat… but I can accept it.”
“There’s no helping it then.”

Cult Master, Cult Master.
I muttered the disagreeable word and nodded my head.

“Do as you wish.”
“Th-thank you so much!”

Truly reluctant.
As if accepting conditions I did not desire.
In any case.

[The Blood Cult’s followers have newly contracted with the Lord of War.]
[Live up to the name of ‘War’ by leading the charge across countless battlefields!]

The moment the Blood Cult fell into my hands.
Of course.

“How exhausting.”

Not that I had wanted any of this.

* * *

‘The Blood Cult wishes to follow the Lord of War.’

Days after the Blood Cult’s sudden public declaration.

[Blood Cult of Murim Signs Contract with Lord of War.]
[Why did the Blood Cult contract with the Lord of War? How much help could a declining organization like the Blood Cult possibly offer to a Lord?]
[Why did the Lord of War take in the Blood Cult?]

News spread that the entire Blood Cult had contracted with the Lord of War.
Reactions from those who heard the news varied widely.

“The Blood Cult? Isn’t that a dead organization? How many members do they even have?”
“They say they have some numbers… but I’m not sure how helpful they’d be.”
“Huh, those recluses finally came out of hiding?”

The players’ reactions ranged from curious to indifferent.
But the Lords’ reactions were quite different.

[…Those fanatics contracted with a Lord? Not the Blood Demon?]
[This is incomprehensible. When I proposed a contract, they rejected it as worthless, yet now they’ve sworn an oath?]
[And not even with a Lord active in Murim!]

The Lords were bewildered, or enraged.
Those operating in Murim leaned toward the latter, since more than one Lord had proposed contracts to the Blood Cult.
Of course, it was already widely known that the Blood Cult had declined.
Yet they still possessed considerable military strength, and many talented players remained among their ranks.
A contract with them would be a significant asset. The Lords in Murim had thought so and proposed oaths, only to be rejected by all.

[This is ridiculous. They spoke as though they’d die without the Blood Demon, yet suddenly they contract with a Lord who isn’t the Blood Demon.]
[Hah! That Red Blood Ming fellow must have finally come to his senses as the sect crumbled. There’s no other explanation…]
[But surely Red Blood Ming alone couldn’t make such a decision? I heard the majority of the Blood Cult’s believers contracted with them.]

That was precisely what seemed strange.
If only a portion of the Blood Cult, including Red Blood Ming, had contracted, one might assume they were seeking a way to survive.
But the Blood Cult’s majority had contracted with the Lord of War.
Only a tiny handful had defected, and even the vacancies they left were quickly filled by those who had abandoned the Blood Cult and returned.

[Why on earth…?]

It was a situation I simply couldn’t comprehend.
But one thing was certain.

[…Lord of War. So that warmonger’s military strength has increased again.]
[Yes. Though the Blood Cult’s power has waned, if a contracted Lord emerges… and if that Lord is the Lord of War, they could recover quickly. Especially since the Lord of War is famous for being wealthy.]
[Hehe! A wealthy Lord, now that’s quite an amusing tale.]

Not long ago, I heard that this Lord was collapsing and would soon disappear, yet now they were becoming famous for their wealth.
The Lords felt conflicted emotions about this fact.
And on the other hand.

“What a mess.”
[Hmm, certainly….]

Han Yu-sung and Kakasha, the subjects of this discussion, were letting out sighs of exasperation.
The reason was none other than the Blood Cult.

“I already knew the situation wouldn’t be good.”
[This is practically no different from ruins.]
“…I apologize.”

Red Blood Ming, who had become a War Oath Sworn, lowered his head apologetically.
Before Han Yu-sung were multiple screens displaying the Blood Cult.
Screens that Kakasha had projected using the Blood Cult’s Oath-takers.
What was visible there were buildings that were practically indistinguishable from ruins.

“Aside from the fact that it’s in ruins, it’s surprisingly ordinary….”
[What were you thinking? That since it’s related to blood, they’d be performing human sacrifices or conducting ominous sorcery? Or perhaps gathering corpses to create something like a hopping vampire?]
“That kind of image does exist.”

Fortunately, the Blood Cult was far removed from such things.
It would be more accurate to call them a group that excessively revered strength.
It seemed the Blood Demon, their founder, had never preferred such practices.
Though a preference for bloodshed and carnage was unavoidable.

“Have you been living in a place like this all this time?”
“Yes. Without the patronage of a Lord, maintaining the sect has been… difficult. And with a name like Blood Cult, which so many people shun…”
“You couldn’t find anyone willing to help rebuild it?”
[There probably wasn’t enough money to hire those who only come for coin.]

Red Blood Ming lowered his head deeply.
It was a pitiful situation. Red Blood Ming and his followers had earned money and coins, but it fell far short of what was needed to sustain the Blood Cult.
So it seemed they occasionally made temporary contracts with other Lords and worked as mercenaries for set periods in exchange for compensation.

‘Hmm, considering that…’
[These ones seem more capable than I initially thought. Don’t you agree?]
‘Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.’

The battle at the Blood Dragon Throne came to mind.
Red Blood Ming had displayed quite impressive skill back then. Considering he hadn’t contracted with a Lord, it was remarkable.
That had been possible thanks to Red Blood Ming’s unique ability.

“S+ rank?”
“Yes. A unique ability called Blood Dragon. It grants and enhances talents related to blood techniques.”

It was a similar category of unique ability to Sword Saint.
What was remarkable was that its potential hadn’t been fully awakened yet.

“According to the records, the unique ability strengthens when certain conditions are met. The previous sect leader believed it might be connected to the Blood Demon…”
“Well, we’ll find out once we try. In any case, not bad at all.”
[The unique abilities of the others are impressive too. All S rank.]

The unique abilities of those called the Seven Evils were also excellent.
Seeing this, Han Yu-sung felt his mind grow considerably more at ease.
The position of Blood Cult leader was still bothersome beyond measure. But the Blood Cult was a group with enough merit to justify that burden.

‘I suppose I should count my blessings.’

If there had been no such merit, I would have been furious.
Han Yu-sung, watching the Blood Cult reflected on the screen, nodded.

“Kakasha, I can leave that to you, right?”
[I was already planning to. Since it’s essentially ruins, it would be better to tear it all down and rebuild from scratch.]
“That works too. In the meantime, I’ll…”

I stretched languidly, my body extending in a long, satisfying arc.

“I need to meet the founder who abandoned the Blood Cult.”

The Blood Demon.
The time to face him was drawing near.

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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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