The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 315

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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 315

I obtained the Mask of Pleasure.
Though it was a Mythic-grade item, for me in my current state, it possessed utility equivalent to an Eternity-grade item.
It wasn’t something to give to those who weren’t Oath-takers, so I felt grateful toward the Lord of Pleasure.

[Mmm, I examined it thoroughly. There are no suspicious aspects, and I haven’t tampered with it. It is exactly as described.]
“Was it really given in good faith?”

Still, I had to do what needed to be done.
Kakasha and I scrutinized the Mask of Pleasure carefully. We were concerned the Lord of Pleasure might have rigged something.
Surprisingly, he hadn’t tampered with it at all.

[For now, I’ve touched up the item slightly. If anyone discovers it originated from Hwanrak, it would become troublesome. To others, it will appear as an ordinary item.]
“That makes sense. Well done.”

The fact that I was the one who orchestrated this intrusion needed to remain hidden.
That the Lord of Pleasure aided me as well. Simultaneously, I needed to ensure the Lord of Pleasure didn’t discover that I was the one behind this incident.
For that, the Mask of Pleasure required some modification.

“I think I’ve done everything that needs doing.”
[Then….]

I gazed at the enormous rift before me.
It was the passage to the Battlefield of Good and Evil.

“Shall I go meet Helud?”

* * *

God’s Trial, the Battlefield of Good and Evil.
Those who cannot tolerate the existence of Pandemonium attack, and Pandemonium’s Oath-takers must stand against them.
Should the defense fail, the enemy will invade Pandemonium—such is this trial.

“Complete the Fortress! Hurry!”
“Kill the enemies and earn Demonic Points! Convert all points into materials for the Fortress! If you don’t, we all die here!”
“Celestials and monsters are pouring in from the west again!”

The Battlefield of Good and Evil was, quite literally, a chaotic hellscape.
Enemies poured in endlessly from all directions, while demons fought desperately to hold them back.
The invaders consisted of celestials bearing radiant wings, accompanied by an endless stream of mindlessly spawning monsters that followed the celestials’ every movement.
They continued their relentless assault on the demon forces.

“If that gate falls, we’re finished! Defend it with your lives!”
“Damn these celestial bastards…!”

All the demon players participating in the Trial had gathered in the east.
A massive gate stood towering where they were positioned.
It was the Gate of Commencement. If this gate were destroyed, an invasion route to Pandemonium would open, so the enemies concentrated their attacks on it relentlessly.

“Excellent! We’ve completed the northern City Walls!”
“Pour in the Demonic Points! Get the remaining Fortress sections finished!”
“The Duke has donated Demonic Points!”

There was only one way to counter this assault.
The Demon Fortress mechanic. Each time demons defeated an enemy, they gained a certain amount of ‘Demonic Points’.
These points could be used to strengthen themselves, purchase items, or increase the Fortress’s completion rate.
To withstand the enemy onslaught, the Fortress had to be completed.
The demons, having reached this conclusion, poured all their points into the Fortress.

[The Demon Fortress has reached 80% completion.]

The fruits of their labor began to manifest.
A fortress rose from what had been barren wasteland.
Naturally, the Trial would not allow this to proceed unchallenged.

[An emergency event has occurred.]
[Magic circles have appeared at various points across the Battlefield of Good and Evil. When these circles manifest, they will deal severe damage to the Fortress’s completion rate.]
[Destroy the magic circles at once!]
[Reward: Demonic Points.]

It was an event designed to obstruct the Fortress’s construction.
However, the demons gathered here were all seasoned veterans of countless battles.
Led by the titled demons, they quickly mobilized to respond.

“This is Marquis Balak’s command! We now move to counter the emergency event. Follow me!”
“The Count marches forth! Clear the way!”

Among the demon race, those counted as the strong had marched forth, resolving the emergency events that erupted across the Battlefield.
And the result was.

[The ‘Demon Fortress’ has been completed perfectly!]
[The Fortress grants various buffs to the demon race. These buffs are deactivated if you move beyond a certain distance from the Fortress.]
[You can restore destroyed sections of the Fortress using Demonic Points, and strengthen the Fortress in various ways.]
[Stand firm against the enemy’s assault and strengthen the Fortress further!]

The Demon Fortress had been completed.
It would serve as the stronghold for the demon race in this Trial.
The demons had thus completed the Fortress, but.

“The Celestials are swarming again…!”

There was no time to catch their breath.
The moment the Fortress was completed, the enemy’s offensive grew fiercer still.
Had the Fortress not existed, they could not have withstood such a relentless assault.
No, even now they were barely holding the line.

“…At this rate, it will eventually be breached.”

Balak, the Grand Demon who had received the rank of Duke, fell into contemplation.
He held the highest rank among the demons present here, a seasoned veteran who had endured countless battles.
And so he could grasp the situation swiftly.

“This Trial cannot be won through mere defense alone.”

Then what must be done?
Simple. They need to launch a counteroffensive of their own.
Balak extended his hand and reviewed the information that had come to him.
Among it, he first examined the information sent by Count Helud.

[While resolving an emergency event, we discovered a portal from which ‘Monsters’ emerge. We estimate there are multiple portals, not just one. The portals are protected by both Celestials and Monsters….]

“…There is no choice but to destroy these portals.”

Helud’s intelligence gave Balak certainty.
This trial required completing the Fortress to guard the ‘Gate of Opening’, while deploying forces to destroy the ‘Portals’ where enemies emerged.
It was a trial that demanded accomplishing both objectives simultaneously.
So, what needed to be done from this moment forward was simple.

[By my name, Balak, I command this. From this moment, all Counts and Viscounts shall mobilize forces and prepare for offensive operations.]
[The objective is the ‘Portal’. Helud shall provide its location.]

The Marquis Balak’s command had been issued.
Pandemonium operated entirely by the logic of strength. The demons had no choice but to obey the command of the powerful Balak.
However.

“…This troubles me.”

What transpired during the destruction of the Portal lay beyond Balak’s control.
Demons in competitive relationships would inevitably clash and kill one another.
It meant Balak could not regulate even that.
Especially considering the current state of Pandemonium….

“I can only hope those greedy mad dogs retain some semblance of reason.”

Balak observed the demons preparing for their expedition.
Among them, the Count mobilizing forces—Helud—and another Count watching him with emotionless eyes.
A sigh escaped his lips unbidden.

* * *

The demons who received Balak’s expedition order mobilized their necessary forces and began advancing toward the location of the ‘Portal’.
Among them was Count Helud.

“Follow me. As we approach the Portal, the number of monsters will increase. Prepare yourselves to engage at any moment.”
“Yes, Count.”

Helud led his forces up the hillside.
Having attained the rank of Count, Helud commanded a considerable force even within Pandemonium.
A significant portion of them participated in this trial.
He had mobilized them to form an assault unit for destroying the Portal.

“….”
“….”

Helud and the demon forces advanced through the silence.
The demons were preoccupied with vigilance against enemies who might appear at any moment, and Helud, who commanded them, had much on his mind as well.
What occupied my thoughts was how to leverage this Trial.
How to use it for my ‘revenge’.

‘I must accumulate power. Even greater strength….’

The battle with Han Yu-sung remained vividly etched in my memory.
I had to repay the humiliation and defeat I suffered then. To do so, I needed to use this Trial to build my strength.
What method could achieve that?

‘I will enhance myself using Demonic Points.’

There were three primary uses for Demonic Points.
Purchasing Trial-exclusive items, user enhancement, and fortress reinforcement and maintenance.
First, I would allocate points toward enhancing myself.
And.

‘I should absorb demons bearing titles.’

Helud’s unique ability, 【Heart of Wrath】, possessed the function of absorbing the power of a target when killing them with hellfire.
With that power, I could strengthen the flames even further.
Absorbing demons bearing titles would result in significant enhancement.
And naturally.

‘There will be others harboring the same thoughts as me.’

The current situation in Pandemonium was complex.
Demons were a warlike and greedy race.
The demons who succeeded in trampling the foreign races and dominating Pandemonium had begun fighting each other for their own interests.
With the interests of the Lords entangled, the conflict had grown even more intense.

‘The only one who would attack me first is that bastard.’

Helud recalled the face of a demon noble.
A demon who had been a count since ancient times. One who had lost his territory to Helud and fought several battles recently to reclaim it.
That creature would certainly be watching for an opportunity, and would strike.

‘I’ll turn that to my advantage.’

Helud lifted his gaze.
Beyond, he could see the portal from which monsters were pouring forth. Around it swarmed countless creatures.

“Prepare for battle. And listen well.”

An enemy attack you don’t anticipate is lethal.
But an enemy attack you’ve already foreseen becomes a useful opportunity instead.
Helud ignited his dark flames, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

* * *

Just as Helud had anticipated.
There were those watching him as he took his battle stance.

“So you were here, Helud.”

Berias, a demon noble.
A count among the demon race and the forces that served him.
They remained concealed in shadow, observing the clash between Helud and the monsters guarding the portal.
A cruel smile played at the corners of his mouth.

“You dare steal what was once in my grasp….”

Territory, the demon servants who once served Berias, and his assets as well.
Helud had inflicted considerable damage upon him in Pandemonium.
Berias—no, demons as a race never forget their grudges.

“I shall repay every last bit of it here.”

Balak’s orders mattered little. Once he killed Helud, he could simply destroy the portal himself that the creature had intended to destroy.
Darkness flowed from him, settling into his subordinates around him.

“Prepare yourselves. When their battle reaches its peak….”

Berias’s eyes gleamed with rage and greed.

“We strike Helud.”

The demons bowed their heads in silence, their fighting spirit ablaze.
Some burned for glory, others for vengeance.
Each demon, driven by their own purpose, began preparing for battle against Helud.
And among them, there was only one.

“….”

A figure observing the situation with indifferent eyes.
A demon with a disturbingly ordinary appearance—so forgettable that one would forget their face the moment they looked away.

‘This is getting interesting.’
[You there…. What in the world are you doing?]

Han Yu-sung, who had ‘transformed’ into a demon.
A smile he could not hide bloomed at the corner of my lips.

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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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