The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 322

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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 322

Whoooosh—

Dok-go Cheon watched the endless rain fall with an emotionless gaze.

“They said it wouldn’t stop for a while, and here it is, falling without end.”

It felt like an eternity since I’d last seen a clear sky.
Dok-go Cheon clicked his tongue lightly and sank deeper into his chair.
Perhaps because of the rain, recent events surfaced in my mind.

“…Pathetic scheming.”

Dok-go Cheon had endured difficult days of late.
Those who viewed him unfavorably had launched relentless assaults.
The Current Alliance Leader, the generals who followed him, the elders.
What was the root cause of this crisis?

‘The defeat I suffered at the Star of Struggle….’

An unexpected and devastating defeat it had been.
The Star of Struggle was a battlefield where masters from countless worlds converged.
According to the original plan, I was meant to claim victory there and prove my strength.
But an unforeseen variable caused me to be eliminated far too quickly.

“Han Yu-sung.”

Dok-go Cheon recalled the source of this calamity.
Han Yu-sung, a player from Earth.
The one who had humiliated Geomson, bound to me by contract.
Not once, but multiple times had he brought shame upon him.
Simultaneously, the one who had dealt me a crushing defeat.

‘That monster…’

The battle at the Star of Struggle came to mind.
It had been a one-sided affair.
Of course, the disparity in the quality of items between his opponent and himself had been significant.
But would I have been able to win without that advantage?

“….”

Dok-go Cheon could not produce an answer to that question.
He knew it himself—even if he were fully armed and exerted his maximum power, victory would not come easily.
Because his opponent would likewise unleash their full strength.
Even fighting at peak condition, the odds of victory seemed slim.

“Power… I need more power.”

Dok-go Cheon’s eyes gleamed with hunger.
Greed.
The word that had guided his entire existence.
It was also why The Wanderer, Geomson, had chosen Dok-go Cheon over anyone else.
Power, authority—Dok-go Cheon coveted it all.
What he desired most above all else now was the position of Alliance Leader.

‘I must seize everything the Alliance Leader possesses.’

The first thing that came to mind was the sword the Alliance Leader wielded.
A blade left behind by a formidable transcendent being in the distant past—a sword that accumulated the knowledge of successive Alliance Leaders and grew stronger through the generations, or so he had heard.
What Dok-go Cheon desired was the knowledge contained within it.
It would surely grant him tremendous power.
Geomson, with whom he had made a contract, had said as much.

‘But becoming the Alliance Leader is not an easy task.’

For now, there was no way.
To create possibility, I must sow chaos—chaos so vast it would shake not merely the Martial Arts Alliance, but the entire Murim itself.
Dok-go Cheon kept his eyes closed, contemplating what he must do.

[Dok-go Cheon.]
“…You have arrived.”

At that moment, a familiar voice reached my ears.
It was Geomson’s voice.
He delivered the shocking news in a coldly detached tone.

[Helud is dead.]
“Helud, you say….”

Dok-go Cheon’s brow furrowed.
The name wasn’t from the Murim, yet it felt strangely familiar.
His eyes widened in the next instant.

“You’re referring to that Demon Force we fought on the Star of Struggle.”
[Yes. That Demon Force died in God’s Trial, along with another of its kind. The culprit remains unknown.]
“No one knows who killed it…?”
[Despite numerous Demon Forces being present in the vicinity, that is correct.]

It was a peculiar matter.
What Geomson said next was even more peculiar.

[For reasons unknown, a massive barrier appeared between Helud and the other Demon Force. Because of this barrier, no one could observe what was happening inside, nor could they enter. The problem is that this barrier lasted only a brief moment.]
“How brief are we talking about?”
[Roughly five minutes.]
“…!”

It was astonishing news.
I knew because I had faced him before.
Helud was somewhat lacking compared to me, yet he was a formidable powerhouse with exceptional strength.
That such a being died in such a short span of time.
What was even more astounding was.

“That it happened while a Demon Force of comparable power was present.”
[Indeed. The Demon Realm has been thrown into chaos by this incident. Things will be turbulent for a while. Not that it’s particularly our concern.]
“Yet you seem concerned about something.”
[The one who killed Helud troubles me.]

Two powerful Demon Forces were eliminated simultaneously.
The perpetrator left the scene without being detected by anyone.
How many Players could possibly accomplish such a feat?
Even across the entire universe, there wouldn’t be many.

“Is there anyone in particular who stands out to you?”
[No. Though if I had to mention someone….]
“Han Yu-sung.”

Who was the player who had recently clashed with Helud?
Han Yu-sung. If he possessed such power, it would certainly be possible.
But it lacked plausibility.

[It’s impossible for a human to participate in the Demon Realm’s Trial. Considering that, the probability of it being Han Yu-sung is virtually nonexistent.]
“Then why does it trouble you?”
[Because I find myself wanting to deny that probability.]

Han Yu-sung couldn’t have been involved.
Yet the thought that he might be capable of it crossed my mind.
Especially if he were someone who possessed a ‘Fragment’.

[Regardless, it’s better to remain cautious. And Helud’s death has only solidified my conviction.]
“That conviction is….”
[As I mentioned before, the Trial will become a stage of opportunity.]

What opportunity did Dok-go Cheon and Geomson desire?
It went without saying.

[This Trial is the Great Righteous Confrontation. The exact nature of the Battlefield and its form remain undisclosed, but there is ample room to exploit it.]
“What would you have me do there?”
[Kill the Alliance Leader.]

A dark aura enveloped Dok-go Cheon’s entire body.
It was Geomson’s aura.
His aura was far from serene—a darkness so oppressive it seemed to devour everything in its path.

[We will construct a stage there. The finest stage for killing the Alliance Leader. The price of that sin will be paid by the Demonic Faction.]

Shhhhhhh….

The void tore open, and a small sphere materialized.
It was a sphere containing Geomson’s tremendous power.

[I will create the stage for you. The rest is up to you.]
“….”

Dok-go Cheon grasped the sphere without a word.
Then, with a face full of resolve, he nodded.

“I will not disappoint you.”

A flame of greed ignited in Dok-go Cheon’s eyes.
Burning fiercely, as if it would never be extinguished.

* * *

The War Covenant Members found themselves consumed by busy days ahead.
The Blood Cult especially so.
Kakasha spent vast quantities of coins to arm the Blood Cult, reinforcing them further with blessings and grace.
Given the trials that would unfold in the Murim, it was necessary.

“Your role is crucial. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes, we do.”
“By any means necessary—even if it costs your lives….”

Seven Evils answered with a resolute expression upon hearing Han Yu-sung’s words.
A war between the Righteous Faction and the Demonic Faction would erupt in this trial.
The problem was that the Righteous Faction held such overwhelming superiority that victory could not be guaranteed.
I had to draw out as much of the Blood Cult’s strength as possible.

“What of Red Blood Ming?”
“She entered the Hall of Training. Since there is still time before the trial opens, she said she would train until then.”
“A commendable attitude.”

Han Yu-sung nodded with satisfaction.
[When I first heard the name ‘Blood Cult,’ I thought they would be heretics, utterly sinister—but they’re far more sincere than expected.]
Red Blood Ming especially so.

[Our first meeting was hardly favorable, after all.]
“It certainly wasn’t.”

I first met Red Blood Ming in the Difficult Realm that the Blood Demon had opened.
When I encountered him there, I could only think that he was arrogant.
It seemed he had been provoked in various ways after hearing what the Blood Demon had to say.

“Well, it’s not bad for us. Kakasha, are the preparations complete?”
[I’ve done what I could. I’ve been watching Red Blood Ming’s movements through the Blood Cult, but they say it’s been quiet.]
“The quiet is what bothers me.”

These weren’t the type to stay still.
It would be wise to assume they were preparing something.

“Hmm, Dok-go Cheon….”

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.
I had already defeated this enemy once at the Star of Struggle. Even if I fought him again, the outcome wouldn’t differ much.
The only concern I had was Geomson.
I needed to see what tricks he would pull.

“I’m getting tired of this. I wish the Trial would open soon.”
[You speak so casually about a Trial opening not on Earth.]
“No, I would’ve said the same thing even if it were a Trial opening on Earth.”
[Hmm, that’s… undeniable.]

Even Kakasha couldn’t help but agree with that.
After all, I was the kind of Apostle who deserved to say such things.
In any case, the preparations I could make were largely complete.
Now all that remained was to wait for the Trial to open.

Rummmmmble!

At that very moment, a tremendous vibration shook the Sanctuary.
It was a vibration I knew all too well.

[Well, speak of the devil.]
“Master! Master! It’s begun! The Trial! A proclamation has appeared! The participants will be summoned in order…!”
“Explain the details first.”

It was a signal that the Trial had begun.
Since this was a Trial involving the Blood Cult, one of the War Covenant Users, the vibrations had apparently reached all the way to the Realm of War.
Seven Evils, who had received Han Yu-sung’s command, recited the message that had appeared.

[God’s Trial, 【The Great Righteous-Demonic War】 has opened.]
[This is a Battlefield for the Righteous Faction and Demonic Faction—the two forces that have ruled the Martial Arts World and fought each other for ages. The two factions will engage in fierce combat here and continue their struggle for dominion.]
[Martial artists will proceed through the Trial by belonging to either the Righteous Faction or the Demonic Faction. Your faction will be determined by your original affiliation, and those without affiliation will have their faction determined by their own choice.]
[This Trial contains various elements to strengthen each faction. Defeat monsters and resolve various events to reinforce your faction.]

It was a message containing a general overview of the Trial.
There was only one way to achieve victory in this war.

[Victory can be achieved by destroying the ‘Symbol’ that exists in the opposing faction’s Base.]
[The victorious faction will receive ‘tremendous rewards’.]

It wasn’t a particularly complicated Trial.
Resolve monsters and events scattered throughout the Battlefield while strengthening my own faction, then eliminate the opposing faction—that was the Trial.
Of course, it wouldn’t unfold so easily.

[Won’t special monsters and events appear? The two factions will wage fierce battles over those.]
“Well, it’s predictable enough.”

The important thing was to secure the benefits that emerged from such encounters.
To be honest, it wasn’t bad.
In fact, it was rather good.

“Considering the Demonic Faction is overwhelmingly at a disadvantage, this could work. If we secure those things well, we’ll gain the power to crush the Righteous Faction.”
[Indeed, if you intervene, it shall be possible.]

Han Yu-sung turned to look at Seven Evils, who was watching me.
Beyond, I could see Red Blood Ming hurriedly rushing out of the Hall of Training.
The other Blood Cult members were the same.
Their gazes were fixed upon Han Yu-sung.

“Red Blood Ming. You understand what needs to be done, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes! Cult Master! Just as you instructed….”
“Good.”

Han Yu-sung reached out his hand.
The demonic energy flowing from him tore through space, carving a path forward.

[Tracked the location of the Fragment possessed by Dok-go Cheon.]
[Current location of the Fragment: God’s Trial, the Righteous-Demonic Great War.]
[Opening a passage to the location where the Fragment resides.]

“I will deal with Dok-go Cheon myself.”

A dark smile played across Han Yu-sung’s lips.
It was the smile of one anticipating the battle to come.

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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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