The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 43

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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 43

Clearing the Snake Ruin had netted me a considerable amount of coins.
100,000 coins. After recovering the 10,000 coins I’d lent Han Yu-sung as betting capital, I fed the remaining coins to Kakasha.
Though I despise the term “fed” when describing it.

[Mmm, mmmm… I feel the power! Still woefully weak, but!]

Kakasha exulted as his strength recovered.
How many coins had I poured into this creature thus far? With this much invested, it was finally time for proper results to manifest.
The result of an Apostle.

“Self-deprecation suits you well. So, can you appoint an Apostle now?”
[Of course, Covenant Bearer. Behold—I shall appoint one now!]

Intense heat radiated from the flames of war.
It was a heat of an entirely different magnitude from anything I’d felt before.
That heat seeped into me, and soon it wrought a transformation.

[The Lord of War, ‘Kakasha’, wishes to appoint you as an ‘Apostle’.]
[Do you accept?]

“I accept.”

There was no reason to refuse.
The heat spread throughout my body, and moments later, it converged back into my heart, settling there completely.
I exhaled a scorching breath.
I could feel a powerful bond forming between myself and Kakasha.

[You are now an ‘Apostle’ of the Lord of War.]
[The Lord of War trusts you greatly. Therefore, he has gladly transferred to you the authority he must exercise.]
[The Lord has accumulated sufficient power.]
[Choose a blessing!]

With that message, a system window materialized before my eyes.

[1. All Stats +5 (Lv.1).]
[2. Apostle-exclusive Skill, ‘Prominence’ unlocked.]
[3. Flame Attribute Damage +10% (Lv.1).]
[4. Experience Gain for Covenant Members +3% (Lv.1).]
[5. Attack Power Enhancement +5%. (Lv.1)]
[The Lord of War may currently select two blessings.]

Most games feature something like a ‘Guild System’.
And among them, some have systems where joining a Guild grants bonuses—stat increases and the like—based on the Guild’s level.
The blessings a Lord grants to their Covenant Members function similarly.
Once selected, they bestow permanent benefits upon the Covenant Members.

[Do you comprehend the magnitude of the authority I have granted you? My sincere belief that we are bound by a shared destiny….]
“Be quiet.”
[Uuuugh….]

Kakasha fell silent.
Which of the blessings should I choose?
In truth, there was little need to deliberate.
The decision was made the moment I saw them.

[Blessing selected.]
[Apostle-exclusive Skill, ‘Prominence’ has been unlocked.]
[Flame Attribute Damage for Covenant Members increased by +10%.]

Prominence, and the Flame Attribute Damage increase.
I had originally intended to choose the stat increase for the latter.
But the moment I saw the Prominence skill, my mind changed.

[Prominence]
· Classification: Active.
· Usage Condition: Apostle of War.
· The raging crimson flames of war have taken root within you.
· For a set duration, fierce flames erupt from your body and all stats increase by +15%. Additionally, your body accelerates.
· Flame Attribute Skill Damage and Casting Speed +20%.
· Buff effects strengthen up to 2x based on the intensity of war.

You could call it a type of buff skill.
Han Yu-sung currently lacked any practical buff skills he could use normally, which made the Prominence skill feel especially welcome.
The increase in flame attribute damage synergized perfectly with Prominence.
That was why he chose this instead of increasing his stats.

[Well then, Apostle? Are you satisfied? Prominence—my exclusive Apostle skill! Come now, praise me at once! Right this very moment!]
“All the Graces are level 1, and you’re saying that?”
[Ugh! Ahhh, grrrrgh….]

A sigh escaped him the moment he saw the levels of the Graces.
It probably wasn’t always like this. Before Kakasha’s defeat at Achiros’s hands, the Grace levels must have been quite respectable.
As she lost her power, the Grace levels fell as well.

[C-coins… If I just had more coins, the Grace levels could….]
“How many coins do you plan to devour like some ravenous beast?”
[I am not, some beast like that….]

Han Yu-sung clicked his tongue.
In truth, it hardly mattered. He had anticipated this from the moment he decided to contract with a fallen Lord.
He had always planned to build from the ground up.
Though he had no intention of telling Kakasha that.

‘I never thought I’d become an Apostle.’

The thought drew an involuntary laugh from him.
Being an Apostle to a Lord was perhaps the one thing most incompatible with Han Yu-sung.
In his past life, he had distrusted the Lords and refused to involve himself with them at all.
This life was no different—he didn’t particularly trust them either.
Kakasha was somewhat of an exception, since she held his leash.

‘A position coveted by any Apostle with genuine strength….’

That was what being an Apostle meant.
The Star Lords were a collective that transcended nations and even dimensions. An Apostle was a being of great trust within that collective.
Accordingly, immense power was granted, and with it, authority.

‘As an Apostle to a Lord with a title, I’d receive VIP treatment wherever I went.’

The position of an Apostle to a Lord is something that even governments with tremendous power or the heads of massive corporations cannot easily deal with.
This was also why Lee Su-ho coveted the position of Apostle to the Lord of Justice.
In my previous life, that bastard made excellent use of the Apostle position.
Whether I can become an Apostle in this life remains to be seen.

“Well, now that I’ve finished spending the coins….”

Han Yu-sung checked the Player Community on his smartphone.
There were the news articles he’d been looking for.

[Lord of the Dead Opens ‘War-Purpose Difficult Realm’.]
[The opponent is the Lord of Shadow, who allegedly invaded her territory… Regardless of who wins, both parties agreed to open the war-purpose Difficult Realm on the condition that nothing further would be investigated regarding the territorial invasion.]
[Currently, the Lord of Shadow is recruiting mercenaries.]

It was news that a war-purpose Difficult Realm had opened.
A Difficult Realm created to resolve the conflict between the Lord of Shadow and the Lord of the Dead. Below the article, I could see comments left by players.

[They’re actually fighting lol]
[From what I can tell, the Lord of Shadow seems totally uninvolved? I heard a reward Dungeon appeared in Yeoju City, but there wasn’t even an Apostle of the Dead who got that reward.]
[Yeah, the Lord of the Dead probably knows she got it wrong too.]
[She’s famous for her pride, so it’s awkward to back down now.]
[If it’s the Covenant of the Dead, they’d be insanely strong in a war-purpose Difficult Realm. They can’t lose, so isn’t she trying to win and extort compensation to sweep it under the rug?]

After reading the comments, Han Yu-sung let out a sigh.
A conflict—truth be told, calling this a conflict was even a stretch.

“It’s just one side unilaterally picking a fight.”
[Hmm. The Lord of the Dead—this woman’s temperament is far from ordinary. She wouldn’t have stopped scratching at it until the Lord of Shadow responded.]

Kakasha shook his head with genuine disgust.

[Those fools spoke truly—she probably realized later that she’d gotten it wrong, but she’s not the type to apologize and back down.]
“I suppose so. This has become troublesome.”
[Even I didn’t expect things to escalate like this.]

The Lord of the Dead attacking the Lord of Shadow.
It wasn’t really my concern, but considering the day I revealed my identity, it would be necessary to sort things out beforehand.
After all, I’d already crossed a bridge with the Lord of the Dead that couldn’t be uncrossed.

‘I don’t need to make an enemy of the Lord of Shadow as well.’

In fact, if I played this situation well, I might be able to receive the Lord of Shadow’s aid when I eventually clashed with the Lord of the Dead.
Besides, mercenaries in the Difficult Realm for war are compensated according to their performance.
If I distinguished myself, I could earn substantial rewards.

[You’re making excellent use of that unpleasant shadow magic. If you can receive rewards related to it, that would be helpful.]
“I’m thinking the same thing.”

Soon enough, another trial would open.
Until then, there wasn’t much to do anyway. Participating in the Difficult Realm for war to build strength in preparation for the trial wasn’t a bad idea.

“The Difficult Realm for war—it’s been a while.”

What exactly is the Difficult Realm for war?
There’s a simple way to explain it.

‘It’s like an AOS game.’

The difference is that there’s no concept of ‘lanes’.
It’s a Difficult Realm that unfolds across a vast Battlefield, where colossal statues called the Lord’s Colossus appear in the east and west.
Around the statues, towers that attack approaching enemies emerge, along with barriers created by those towers, all protecting the colossus.
The method to achieve victory in this Difficult Realm is simple.

‘Destroy the enemy’s colossus.’

Each Lord can deploy a fixed number of Apostles into the Difficult Realm, and they fight for the victory of the Lord they serve.
And if the Lord they serve loses the war?

‘In the worst case, they die, or they’re converted into Apostles of the opposing Lord. If even that doesn’t happen, they fall into slavery.’

Furthermore, the defeated Lord must pay the promised compensation.
They lose both their elite Apostles and their wealth.

[War is delightful. I enjoyed it plenty myself. Until I was defeated by the Lord of Justice, Achiros… that bastard!]
“Did you enjoy it even after your defeat?”
[Kahahaha! How could I have enjoyed it? Don’t talk nonsense.]

Kakasha firmly denied it.
What’s fun about constantly losing? There’s no enjoyment in that—victory is what makes it worthwhile.

“Well, anyway.”

Crack, crack. I twisted my neck left and right.
Kakasha needed time to absorb the coins, so I’d rested for two days.
My body had felt sluggish the whole time, but now a perfect opportunity had presented itself.

“Let’s go wage that war you love so much.”
[War! A war of victory is always delightful!]

I left my rooming house.

* * *

Portals appeared in cities across multiple nations.
Portals manifested in buildings dedicated to serving the Lord of the Dead—recruitment portals for mercenaries to participate in her war.
Her Apostles were screening the mercenaries.
A considerable number of mercenaries had gathered at the portal that appeared in Korea.

[Difficult Realm: Colossal Advance War (Dead and Shadow)]
[A Difficult Realm designed for warfare to resolve disputes. It is impartial to neither side, and this fact has been notarized by a third Lord. The Lord who destroys the other side’s Colossus positioned in their camp wins.]
[Additionally, random mechanics are applied to the Battlefield upon entry into this Difficult Realm.]
[Rule: Apostles do not die in this Difficult Realm. However, upon death, they are transferred to a separate space and wait until the Difficult Realm concludes.]
[Entry Restriction: Apostles of the Dead or Shadow, or mercenaries.]
[Level Limit: Maximum 80. Those exceeding this have their power adjusted.]
[Maximum Participants: 700 Apostles and 500 mercenaries per faction.]

Among them, I stared at the system window.
It contained information about the war Difficult Realm that would soon open.

[Hmm, 700 Apostles? That’s quite modest. They could have filled 1,200 slots with Apostles alone without needing mercenaries….]
“It must be a condition the Lord of Shadow imposed.”
[Right. The Lord of the Dead—that woman—would never propose such terms. It seems the Lord of Shadow set this as a condition for accepting the Difficult Realm.]

This Difficult Realm wasn’t meant to expand the war, but to end the dispute.
Whoever wins here settles it here and there are no further questions—it ends.
The Lords often coordinate conditions for Difficult Realms of this kind.

[If there were 1,200 Covenant of the Dead alone, it would be terribly troublesome.]

So we’ll cap the Apostles at 700 and fill the rest with mercenaries.
This must be the condition the Lord of Shadow has set.
As the Lord of the Dead, there’s no particular reason to refuse.
After all, they likely believe they’ll win anyway.

‘In a Difficult Realm designed for war, the Lord of the Dead is that formidable.’

The reason is simple enough.

[Because they can deploy rotting undead at full strength.]

The minions summoned by the Lords aren’t particularly strong.
The number of Apostles who can participate in a war-type Difficult Realm is limited.
Available forces are restricted.
But the Covenant of the Dead can summon undead and deploy them as active combat strength.
They can even wage massive numerical warfare with them.

‘If someone can even summon higher-tier undead, it becomes even more troublesome.’

Even the elite few Shadow Lord’s Apostles wouldn’t have an easy time.
That’s why the Lord of Shadow imposed a cap on Apostle numbers, and the Lord of the Dead saw no issue with it, so they readily agreed.
Thanks to that, mercenary positions opened up—a windfall for Han Yu-sung.
Now, only one problem remains.

‘How do I get them to accept me as a mercenary when I’m only level 45?’

This Difficult Realm has a level cap of 80.
They’ll likely try to recruit mercenaries who match that standard.
No matter what, Han Yu-sung’s level of 45 gave them no reason to accept him.
Still, it’s not as though there’s no way.

[We recruit mercenaries to participate in the Battlefield alongside us.]
[We are Shadow Lord’s Apostles. We seek 500 mercenaries. Those confident in their abilities and possessing bold courage need apply. Compensation will be generous, based on achievements earned in the Battlefield.]
[For further details….]

It was a mercenary recruitment notice posted by the Shadow Lord’s Apostle.
They sought those confident in their abilities and possessed of bold courage.
This was the opening I needed to exploit.

“Next.”

I stepped before the Shadow Lord’s Apostle.
She was a woman with sharp, angular features. Her cold gaze swept across me from head to toe, as if attempting to take my measure.

“Name and level.”
“Han Yu-sung. Level 45.”
“…Level 45?”

Her expression grew even colder.
Level 45 barely exceeded half the level requirement. For a recruitment drive seeking competent mercenaries, it was far too low.
One might think I’d come here as a jest.

“Your level is far too low. You cannot participate in the Battlefield at that level.”
“Did you not say you were recruiting mercenaries confident in their abilities?”
“Yes, but at level 45…”

There was nothing to see here.
The woman’s movements froze as she began to sigh.
It could not have been otherwise.
For right before her, a formidable aura was rising.

“Then perhaps a test would be appropriate. To determine whether I possess the qualifications to participate.”

An aura that made it utterly impossible to believe I was level 45.

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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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