The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 35

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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 35

Brilliant light materialized in the empty air.
Before long, that luminescence took form—a black mask of utter simplicity, devoid of any ornamental flourish.

[Mask of Chaos (Mythic)]
· Slot: Face.
· Mana +15, Magic Damage +50% when Chaos is activated.
· Grants a powerful cognitive obstruction effect.
· The wearer can temporarily 【Convert】 one stat of their choosing to a random stat. Stats added by items cannot be converted.
· Chaos: Adds a random effect to the next spell you cast.

The Mask of Chaos was a Mythic-grade item.
Its major options numbered three.
The cognitive obstruction effect, stat conversion, and the ability to add a random effect to the next spell cast.
The third one was slightly ambiguous.

‘A beneficial effect might manifest, or a detrimental one.’

Truly random.
It suited the Lord of Pleasure perfectly.
An item bearing the name ‘Chaos’ that fit so well was rare indeed.
Still, the effects proved useful to me.
Especially the stat conversion ability.

‘With this, I won’t need to invest as heavily in Mana.’

I could simply convert Strength to Mana whenever necessary.
My future growth plan became considerably simpler. Developing all four stats was an entirely different matter from developing only three.
An unexpected windfall.

‘I didn’t come here specifically hunting for this reward, but…’

Originally, I had intended to acquire an item related to Mana.
I never anticipated obtaining an item with such effects.

“Apart from having to wear a mask, this is quite acceptable.”

At least the mask’s appearance was ordinary.
But wearing the mask itself didn’t sit well with me.
I clenched the mask in my hand.
Then, in that very moment.

Ssshhhhh!

[Hm? The mask is disappearing, it is.]

The Mask of Pleasure melted away, dissolving into my body.
Before my eyes, words sent by the Lord of Pleasure danced across my vision.

[“That mask will always be with you. I’ve taken quite a liking to you! I’ll let you summon the mask whenever you desire!”]
[“Hahahaha!”]
[“And one more thing!”]

Kakasha let out another cat-like cackle.
The Lord of Pleasure seemed to be on guard quite a bit.

[“I’m in an exceptionally good mood right now. I could end your rewards with a Mythic-grade item, but just one more! I’ll give you an Epic-grade item as well.”]
[“Tell me what reward you desire!”]
“…That’s quite generous, isn’t it?”

Truly, this was the Lord of Pleasure.
Capricious perhaps, but when it came to rewards, there was no doubt in their generosity.

[Is there an item you require?]
“Well, let me think….”

I fell into thought for a moment.
I needed to choose something that would serve me well in what lay ahead.
Once this Difficult Realm was cleared, I planned to head to the Star Battlefield and complete the event there.
And for that, I would need.

“I’d like an item related to resistance against abnormal conditions.”
[“Of course, there’s nothing I don’t have in my vault. Excellent!”]

And so another gift was bestowed upon me.
As the vault opened, a small necklace appeared.

[Adaptive Necklace (Epic)]
· Slot: Necklace.
· Resistance to all status ailments +20%.
· Status ailment resistance can be specialized to match the surrounding environment. In this case, status ailment resistance increases up to 40%.

A decent item, as expected.
Han Yu-sung pocketed the necklace.

‘My income improves whenever I get entangled with the Lords.’

The Lord of Knowledge was like that, and so was the Lord of Pleasure.
They were like generous trees that gave freely to Han Yu-sung.

“And separate from this, I’d prefer if you didn’t reveal my name. Is that possible? I don’t want to become famous just yet.”
[“How humble of you! Of course! I actually love it! I want to keep fascinating beings hidden away like treasures in a drawer!”]
[What an unpleasant madman!]

I had no intention of hiding my identity forever.
Fame could become shackles, but it could also become strength when the time was right.
But not yet. I needed to accumulate more power first.
Power enough not to be swayed by fame.

[“I hope you’re satisfied with my reward, human! I won’t forget what you showed me today. I’ll carve it into my memory.”]
[“And don’t forget that I’ll be watching you!”]
[Like a stalker! Stop watching, you creep!]

The Lord of Pleasure wouldn’t hear Kakasha’s complaints.
The Lord’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.

[“Well then, take care. I’ll be busy for a while, so I won’t be able to see you off. We can meet again if the opportunity arises, right?”]

With those words, the Lord’s overwhelming presence scattered.
And at the same moment, a portal materialized right before Han Yu-sung.
An exit that would return me to my original location.

[Sworn one, ignore that madman’s words. Contracting with the Lord of Pleasure will be exhausting. Isn’t it less taxing to contract with me?]
“It’s not less taxing. I’m starting from scratch, so there’s plenty of work to do.”
[W-well….]

Kakasha found himself at a loss for words.
I’d known from the start that it would require considerable effort, so it wasn’t particularly concerning, but since Kakasha’s silence was rather pleasant, I refrained from adding anything further.
I moved slowly toward the portal.

‘The Star Lords. And….’

Before stepping into the portal, I turned to survey the Playground of Pleasure once more.
Destruction was visible in scattered patches across the landscape.

‘They mentioned being occupied for a while, didn’t they.’

What exactly would keep them busy hardly needed explanation.
The aftermath of this incident, naturally.

[A storm of blood will descend. It’s a shame I won’t witness it directly.]
“It would be strange not to retaliate, frankly.”

The Lords had launched a massive assault.
My suspicion was that the Lord of Pleasure had brought this upon himself, but regardless, having suffered an attack from the Lord Alliance, retaliation was necessary.
These would be Lords without Titles, so the outcome was predictable.
What intrigued me was one thing.

“As you said, it seems like there’s someone pulling strings behind this. Don’t you think?”
[Hmm. The scale is far too grand for Lords without Titles to orchestrate alone. There must be some entity providing support….]
“But we have no way of knowing who.”
[I’m not particularly inclined to find out, either.]

That’s what Kakasha said.
I agreed. There was no need to know, nor any desire to.
As long as this incident didn’t create unnecessary complications from unforeseen consequences.

“Let’s hope the Lord of Pleasure handles it well.”
[Yes, that seems to be the best we can do.]

Conflicts between Lords were commonplace.
Underhanded schemes were equally frequent. The Lord of Pleasure had surely experienced this countless times, so they would know well how to respond.
I stretched languidly.

“Shall we head back.”

Han Yu-sung threw himself through the portal.

* * *

News that the Playground of Pleasure had been attacked by the Lord Alliance spread among the players before long.
The fortunate part was that the Lord of Pleasure had successfully repelled the assault. And surprisingly, the damage was minimal.

“Minimal damage? Isn’t the Playground of Pleasure a Difficult Realm opened by the Lord of Pleasure?”
“Was the Lord of Pleasure such a well-prepared lord that they could defend against an attack from another lord…?”
“…I doubt it.”

All the players who heard the news were equally bewildered.
They didn’t know exactly what had happened. But they had heard rumors that the Lord Alliance’s offensive was fierce and that the Lord of Pleasure couldn’t even lift a finger.
Were the rumors wrong?
Or had the Lord of Pleasure repelled it with remarkable skill?

‘That Lord of Pleasure…?’
‘Isn’t that the lord who meticulously designs and constructs Difficult Realms?’
‘That’s the lord who changes their Difficult Realm on a whim.’

Meticulous lords would sometimes place various mechanisms and devices in their Difficult Realms to prepare for external attacks.
But the Lord of Pleasure was not the type of lord to make such preparations.
It was puzzling in many ways.

“Regardless, it’s surprising.”
“Right? Wait, hold on—the lord expressed gratitude to an unknown player who made a great contribution to stopping the Lord Alliance in this Difficult Realm….”
“What’s this now? An unknown player?”
“It’s rare for a lord to express gratitude to a player.”

The bewildering news didn’t end there.
A lord—no one else—had publicly expressed gratitude to a player.
The fact that they hadn’t revealed the player’s name was also surprising.
It meant the lord was being considerate of that player.

‘Whoever they are, the lord wouldn’t show this much consideration unless….’
‘If a lord would go this far….’

It meant that I had greatly satisfied the Lord of Pleasure.
After all, that Lord valued entertainment above all else.
Soon, everyone’s thoughts converged on a single question.

“Who on earth could it be?”

It was an inevitable question.
And yet, some found this question peculiar.

“Park Yu-ha. Doesn’t this situation feel familiar? Didn’t we experience something like this not long ago?”
“…Are you referring to the Player who resolved God’s Trial?”

It was Jain, the leader of the Player Alliance, and her trusted subordinate, Park Yu-ha.
Jain nodded with a serious expression.

“They wished to keep their identity hidden. Yet an unprecedented anomaly occurred—the Lord publicly expressed gratitude. The damage was remarkably minimal….”
“Now that you mention it, there are certainly many parallels.”
“What are the odds that this is the same Player who resolved the Trial?”

It might be mere speculation.
But there was no choice. We couldn’t identify who resolved the Night of Hunting, nor could we grasp even the slightest clue in this situation.
Speculation or not, we had to pursue it.

“It’s not impossible. The problem is….”
“The Lord of Pleasure would never reveal their identity.”
“Yes. Though unpredictable, the Lord is honorable in a peculiar way. They’re generous toward Players who satisfy them.”
“Ugh, this is frustrating. My head aches.”

Jain pressed her temples firmly.
Of all Lords, it had to be the Lord of Pleasure. As a Lord who defied common sense, extracting even fragmented information—let alone negotiating—would prove nearly impossible.

“…For now, let’s at least try.”
“Yes, Leader.”

Park Yu-ha bowed and departed.
Left alone, Jain exhaled a deep sigh.

“They’re keeping their identity so carefully hidden… What could the reason be?”

Players with power desire to reveal themselves.
Fame becomes currency, becomes social influence.
Since God’s Trial appeared, the world has become a place where power matters most.
Yet this player conceals their identity.
Despite the opportunity to gain tremendous renown.

‘Do they fear recruitment? Or is there a special circumstance? Or perhaps… are they a criminal?’

It defied understanding.
What troubled me more was this:

“Finding them won’t be easy, it seems….”

The day this mystery would be solved seemed distant.

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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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