The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 347

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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 347

Jain, the Faction Leader of the Player Alliance, found herself consumed by an endless stream of tasks.

“Sigh… there’s no time to breathe.”

And it was true.
Of late, inquiries about Korea had multiplied from every corner. More precisely, inquiries about Han Yu-sung had become increasingly frequent.
The Korean government sought him, and so did those from abroad.

‘He’s such a busy man—there’s no need to burden him with trivial meetings.’

I handled such minor encounters myself.
Given how occupied Han Yu-sung was as a player, there seemed little point in arranging meetings to request favors or make appeals. Besides, I sensed that was how he preferred it.
That was what he wanted.

“You’ve worked hard, Faction Leader.”
“Mm, Park Yu-ha. I believe today’s schedule is nearly complete.”
“The external appointments are finished. What remains concerns the Arca Building, but we can discuss that once we return to Alliance headquarters.”
“The Arca Building, you say…”

The structure I had essentially given away at a pittance to maintain goodwill with Han Yu-sung.
Though it had been substantially reinforced through various improvements.

“There are some concerns about its stability. I spoke with a man named Baek Min-jun among the War Covenant Users, and he also suggested that upgrading the building would be prudent.”
“It’s about time, then.”

Nothing unusual about it.
The other Lords possessed strongholds similar to the Arca Building.
And they continuously reinforced their strongholds as well. A stronghold is the easiest target for enemies to strike when they emerge.

“I should reach out to the Lords again. If there’s one who specializes in reinforcing such strongholds, they’ll handle it competently.”
“Understood. I’ll arrange the necessary funds on our end.”
“Mm. We’ve gained much thanks to Han Yu-sung, so we can cover the stronghold reinforcement from the Alliance budget.”

Han Yu-sung could be called the greatest player at present.
This had been true since the moment he defeated Lee Su-ho, but now even that seemed trivial.
For he was now fighting against the Lords themselves.
Of course, he fought alongside the Lord of War.
Even so, engaging in battle with a Lord was something impossible for a player—the very fact that it was possible marked him as beyond standard measure.
Any nation possessing a player like Han Yu-sung could reap tremendous advantages from various quarters.
Especially in matters of diplomacy.

“Hmm, perhaps we should use this opportunity to construct an even grander building….”
“Like the Hall of Justice, sir?”

Jain and Park Yu-ha gazed upon the same structure simultaneously.
A towering ultra-high-rise building standing proud in Seoul, resembling a fusion of courthouse and temple.
The Hall of Justice—erected to honor the Lord of Justice.

“The Lord of Justice. She is certainly a Lord for whom Korea has reason to be grateful, yet of late she seems to devote more effort to Japan than to Korea, does she not?”
“So I have heard. It appears that….”
“Her adversarial relationship with the Lord of War is the primary factor.”

I had heard that she was rapidly expanding her influence in Japan recently.
While she had not entirely withdrawn her attention from Korea—even establishing new Apostle candidates—it was nothing compared to when Lee Su-ho was present.
For this reason, I harbored a strong desire to lend greater support to the Lord of War.
After all, that was where Han Yu-sung was.

“Well, for now we should return….”

The rest of the conversation could wait until we returned to the Alliance.
The moment I thought this.

A deafening boom erupted from all directions.

The sound reverberated across the entire area.
Its source was the towering Hall of Justice.
Jain and Park Yu-ha looked up at the building once more, sensing an immense power emanating from within.
And they perceived that this power was beginning to spread outward in all directions.

A tremendous roar tore through the sky!

“Ugh, what…!”
“It’s dangerous, Faction Leader!”

Moments later, overwhelming destruction erupted.
The Hall of Justice fractured, and from within, a brilliant light exploded outward.
A tremendous blast would sweep across the surroundings.
Jain and Park Yu-ha, making that assessment, hastily activated skills to shield the area around them.

“No, this is…”
“What…?”

There was no need.
The explosion had occurred—that much was true. Overwhelming destruction had ravaged the Hall of Justice, and that power had been unleashed. Yet that power did not spread outward.
It consumed only the Hall of Justice itself.
Nothing beyond it.

Whoooooosh!

The Hall of Justice crumbled.
Its fragments touched the brilliant light, and in that instant, they vanished. The building was the same, as were the Oath Keepers of Justice within it.
Jain and Park Yu-ha stared at the structure, rendered speechless.
When all the chaos finally subsided.

“…”
“…”

The Hall of Justice was gone.
From the middle levels to the upper floors.
As if someone had erased that precise section, it had vanished completely.
What remained was only the clear sky visible beyond where the building had stood.
And people left stunned by the unexpected turn of events.

“…Park Yu-ha.”
“Yes, Faction Leader…”

Jain stared blankly at where the Hall of Justice had been.

“What on earth…just happened?”
“That is…I’m not entirely sure either…”

No one could answer that question.

* * *

The Hall of Justice had been destroyed.
Needless to say, it was an extraordinarily precise destruction. The surrounding buildings remained untouched while only the Hall of Justice was obliterated.
Such precision was only possible because the building’s central core had been targeted.

[….]

For the one who had orchestrated this situation, it was an ideal outcome.
For the Lord caught off guard by this unforeseen turn of events, it was an unbelievable result.
Achiros, the Lord of Justice, watched the vanished building in silence.

[Who in the world would dare defy me….]

Those were the only words that escaped his lips.
The Hall of Justice was a structure built to honor the Lord.
While it served as a residence for the Oath-takers, it was ultimately a symbol of the Lord’s authority.
And that building had been destroyed.
The fact filled Achiros with unbearable humiliation.

“…My Lord. The majority of the Oath-takers stationed in the Hall of Justice have perished. Those in the lower levels remain unharmed, but they are merely those handling minor duties, so their capabilities are not particularly high.”
[….]

That was not all.
Many Oath-takers had been residing within the Hall of Justice.
Ahn Byung-un, an Apostle candidate who was scheduled for imminent promotion to full Apostle status.
And the Oath Keepers of Justice who had been preparing for war.
Countless personnel had lost their lives in a single stroke.
And the treasures stored within the Hall of Justice as well.

Crunch!

Achiros ground his teeth, unable to contain his rage.
Humiliation and fury at his shattered plans surged within him.
Considering the conversation from not long ago, this situation was far too catastrophic.

– You possess information that I require.
– That alone seems sufficient reason.

The Arbiter, the god who presides over the Battlefield of Stars.
He provided me with the intelligence I needed—information concerning Han Yu-sung and the Lord of War, as well as details about Geomson.
Moreover, a general account of what had transpired during their battle.
Even speculation regarding what manner of power Han Yu-sung possessed.
But that was not all.

– The Lord of War and Han Yu-sung stand in opposition to you, I hear. You have already toppled the Lord of the Dead and eliminated Geomson. If my assessment is correct, you would be their next target, would you not?
– I cannot deny it.

Given the opportunity, I would wish to slay both the Lord of War and Han Yu-sung.
Such was my conviction.
Yet circumstances had grown tangled, and with their true strength unknown, I had merely postponed action.
They likely harbored identical intentions.
And now, possessed of sufficient power, they would move to execute their design.
The likelihood of imminent conflict was considerable.

– Then it seems you too shall require assistance.

But there was more.
The Arbiter, having provided this intelligence, pledged his support to me.
First among his offerings were military forces—soldiers who served the gods themselves—along with armaments suitable for my forces.
Furthermore, he promised benefits in the Holy War Battlefield and the Lords’ War itself.

– Remarkable. You possess the capacity to bear such involvement?
– Nothing is impossible, given the adversary in question.
– I see.

The gods do not involve themselves in Trials or Difficult Realms without reason.
They too labor under certain constraints.
Being divine, they may disregard them to some degree, yet they cannot dismiss them entirely.
To phrase it differently:
It signifies that Han Yu-sung is regarded as a threat grave enough to warrant bearing such constraints.

– There is no reason to refuse.
– Excellent. The promised support shall arrive forthwith, I assure you.

Achiros readily accepted the Arbiter’s proposal.
As he had said, there was no reason to refuse.
Whatever circumstances the Arbiter faced, the Lord of War and Han Yu-sung were thorns in Achiros’s side as well.
If the opportunity arose, they had to be eliminated without fail.
That was precisely why he had been preparing for war.

[The problem is, I don’t know who created this situation.]

It was a matter that gnawed at Achiros’s mind.
Someone had destroyed the Hall of Justice. At its center lay a core imbued with a Lord’s authority—no player could destroy it.
It was impossible unless another Lord intervened.
That was why I had tried to find traces of a Lord’s involvement.

[But no traces connected to the Lord of War appeared.]

That was the problem.
I had assumed the Lord of War must have been involved, yet there were no traces of her whatsoever.
Only traces completely unrelated to her remained.

[A sword wound….]

Where the core had been, a deep sword wound was carved.
A slash imbued with formidable power had split the core asunder, leaving an indelible mark even in the space where it had rested.
A Lord wielding authority related to the sword did come to mind.
But among them, there was no Lord who stood in opposition to me.

[And that veil….]

That veil which had obscured my vision.
It carried the faintest traces of Hwanrak’s essence.
Because of this, I had tried to confront the Lord of Pleasure.
But he had vanished as if sensing something.

[The Lord of Pleasure targeting me? That madman would never do such a thing.]

He possessed considerable power, but it paled in comparison to mine.
Besides, we had no particular connection.
Then, who on earth.

Kuuuuuung!

In that instant, space itself tore open.
And from beyond the rift, a letter materialized, wreathed in flames.
The words inscribed upon it were nothing short of provocative.

– I have been waiting for this moment alone.
– As I once fell, are you prepared to meet the same fate?

There was no question as to who had sent those words.
The Lord of War. Moments later, a message materialized.

[The Lord of War has declared a ‘Duel of Lords’ against the Lord of Justice.]
[If you do not wish for war, you may refuse the Duel of Lords.]

A declaration of war.
Achiros’s brow furrowed as he read the message.
How could it be otherwise? The Lord he had once toppled and dismissed had now declared a Duel of Lords against him.
And what made it even more humiliating was this:

[The Lord of War has paid 10 million Coins as the cost of this declaration. Furthermore, she has wagered the Tower of Records and several Difficult Realms as the stakes of this Duel of Lords.]
[Refusing this Duel of Lords will require an immense price!]

“The Lord of War…!”

Stakes that could not be wagered without absolute certainty of victory.
Achiros’s face twisted with humiliation.

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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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