The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 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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A Mad Swordsman Returns – Chapter 45

Facing the undead’s advance, the Shadow Oath-takers waited for their moment. They would strike when the distance had sufficiently closed, when the undead horde launched its opening assault.
The moment to block the attack and unleash a devastating counteroffensive.

‘I need to create an opening for the hunting squad to sortie.’
‘I must focus on reducing their numbers with minimal casualties….’
‘Ah, thank goodness I’m a mercenary who can’t die. If I were an Oath-taker, my head would be pounding just looking at those undead.’
‘I’d be better off doing this half-heartedly and collecting my reward.’

Thoughts of every variety swirled through the ranks.
The distance between the undead horde receiving ranged support and the tower narrowed. Rihardt signaled to his allies standing atop the mana barrier.
A signal to prepare for the attack.
Someone swallowed hard.
Finally, the distance had closed sufficiently, and just as the order was about to be given.

“Atta—… huh?”
“Wait, who is that?”

A violent gale swept across the Battlefield.
The wind unleashed from the Shadow Oath-takers’ position cut across the line and surged toward the front of the undead horde, which had assumed an offensive stance.
No one could react to this completely unexpected turn of events.
Neither the undead nor the Covenant of the Dead.
And.

“This time, let me try fighting with the sword as my main weapon.”
[Why! Why do you not wield this one’s blade!]

Han Yu-sung did not miss that opportunity.
Standing before the undead horde, I raised my sword high. Then, faster than the belatedly reacting undead could strike, I brought it down upon the earth.
The ground split asunder, and searing heat erupted from the fissure.

– CRAAAAAAASH!
– SCREEEEEEE!
– CRACK, SHRIEK, SCREEEEEEE!

With a violent explosion, 【Earth Shatter】 engulfed the undead.
Undead and minions crumbled to dust in an instant.
For a moment, silence descended upon the Battlefield.
But that silence was short-lived.

[The Mask of Chaos is laughing.]
[Additional Effect: Range Increase. The next spell’s range expands!]

Crack, crack, crack!

The shadows draped across the surroundings surged upward in unison.
The shadows transformed into countless weapons and, spreading across an even wider area, pierced through the undead and minions mercilessly.
Han Yu-sung immediately charged into the heart of the undead formation.
He stamped the ground hard, infused his blade with mana, and spun his body in a wide arc.
The blade he unleashed carved through the undead.

Slash!

A whirlwind of sword energy shot forth, splitting even the enemies beyond.
Halden-style Swordsmanship, Third Form: Full Moon.
With the relentless assault, the undead’s formation crumbled in an instant. Han Yu-sung cut down the undead still struggling to rise, hunting the minions mixed among them.
The Oath-takers, coming to their senses belatedly, began to move.

“What—what is that bastard?! How did he destroy all those undead in one blow?!”
“Summon more undead! Now! We need to replenish our forces! Our role is to delay them from escaping outside!”
“Is that one of ours?! Who the hell is he?! Tell him to come back immediately!”
“Raise the shadows! We need to support our ally!”

Chaos and shock swept across the Battlefield.
Who could have anticipated this situation? Both allies and enemies were equally bewildered.
But watching the situation unfold, Rihardt thought to himself.
This situation—it wasn’t bad for them at all!

Boom! Thud, thud, thud!

Han Yu-sung monopolized the undead’s aggression all by himself.
Arrows and spells from the undead rained down upon him. But the ice walls he created, and the shadows, blocked the attacks.
In that process, the allies attacked the undead that revealed openings.

“Now! Attack!”

– Grraaahhh…!
– Crunch crunch…!

The undead began falling in rapid succession.
With allied support on my side.
I eliminated minions and undead alike, and before long, I had accumulated all the gold I needed.

“Time to head to the shop and buy some items.”
“…What?”

As if my work here was done, I slipped away from the Battlefield with a gust of wind.
Yoon Ga-ram’s mouth fell open at the sight.
Just like before, it happened again.
But this time, something was different.

“…Rihardt. I’ll be right back.”
“What? Yoon Ga-ram, where are you going…!”

Yoon Ga-ram pursued me without hesitation.
She had a premonition that this mercenary was about to cause some kind of commotion.
And she desired to witness it with her own eyes.
And there was one more thing.

‘Maybe I can figure out how that mercenary defeated me…’

Yoon Ga-ram wrapped herself in shadow and rushed forward.

* * *

Minions, monsters, and Oath-takers drop ‘gold’.
Each faction’s base and various points across the Battlefield have shops where this gold can be used to purchase items that enhance one’s abilities.
And the undead drop gold as well.

[Skeleton Warrior defeated. Gold +5.]
[Skeleton Archer defeated. Gold +5.]
[Melee Minion defeated. Gold +60.]

Of course, the gold they provide is overwhelmingly meager.
I need to kill twelve of them just to earn what a single minion would give.
But what matters is that the undead exist in such vast numbers.
If hundreds of players divide the spoils, quantity becomes meaningless.
But what if a single person could monopolize them all?

[Current Gold: 1,700G.]
[You have purchased the Bloodstained Machete (Rare) and Longsword (Common).]
[Bloodstained Machete (Rare): Damage +20% against monsters, Movement Speed +15% outside combat. Additionally, the machete strengthens each time you hunt a certain number of monsters.]
[Longsword (Common): Attack Power +30.]

I could accumulate a sufficiently satisfying amount of gold.
Upon arriving at the shop on the Battlefield, Han Yu-sung spent all his gold to purchase the items.
The most crucial piece here is the Bloodstained Machete.
Because it strengthens each time I hunt a certain number of monsters.

‘It’s best to have it from the moment I start hunting monsters.’

The items transformed into orbs that floated around me.
Items from the Difficult Realm’s war don’t need to be equipped. Once purchased, they transform into orbs like this and their effects activate immediately.

“Hmm, good. Then first—”
“Wait, please… give me a moment.”
“Huh?”

Someone called out to Han Yu-sung just as he was about to move.
A woman with a cold expression—Yoon Ga-ram. She rushed over urgently.
Upon reaching Han Yu-sung’s side, Yoon Ga-ram caught her breath with her head bowed.

“Did you follow me?”
“Yes. I came to confirm something, or rather, to offer my support.”
“Me? I don’t need support.”

I meant it sincerely.
She was a capable Oath-taker, so she would be helpful, but her presence wasn’t essential.
Moving alone was actually more convenient for me personally.
At that, Yoon Ga-ram bowed her head with a serious expression.

“I won’t interfere.”
“Well, if that’s the case. I won’t wait for you if you fall behind.”
“That’s fine. As for speed, I’m confident—”

The moment Yoon Ga-ram spoke those words, wind erupted around us.
Han Yu-sung, transformed into a fierce gale, burst forward in an instant.
It was a footwork technique I’d seen before.
But watching it again, it was still blindingly fast.

“…I can’t say I’m confident anymore.”

Still, I had no choice but to chase after him.
I pursued Han Yu-sung as he tore forward at an incredible pace.
Fortunately, I didn’t lose sight of him—though not because I was moving fast enough to keep up on my own.

Boom!

—Screeeech…!

It was because Han Yu-sung stopped intermittently to hunt monsters.
A monster called a Raptor—its upper body resembled a bird, its lower half a dinosaur.
From Han Yu-sung’s hand, the second form of Halden-style swordsmanship unfolded: Rupture.
Fragments torn from the ground by his violent slash scattered like buckshot, piercing through the Raptors’ bodies.

‘Fast.’

In moments, Han Yu-sung had dispatched the Raptors and kicked off the ground again.
More monsters blocked his path afterward.
Burning Wolves, Twisted Larvae, Water Elementals, Wild Boars…
But the results were no different from the Raptors.

‘And he’s strong. Speed, swordsmanship, and… ice magic too?’

Following Han Yu-sung and observing the battles, I was astounded.
Incredible speed footwork, swordsmanship, and shadow and ice magic combined.
Each element alone was formidable, yet a single player wielded them all.

‘A spellswordsman? No, this is something different. What is he?’

What class could he possibly have….
Yoon Ga-ram watched Han Yu-sung advance while slaying monsters, thinking just that.
Then, suddenly, she realized something was amiss.
There was nothing visible around her except monsters.

‘The undead… they’re gone?’

The Covenant of the Dead’s plan was to assault the Shadow faction with legions of undead, then sweep away the monsters while their enemies were pinned down.
Yet where Han Yu-sung stood, not a single undead was visible.
Had they arrived too quickly for them to appear?
That wasn’t it.
Even looking back, there was no sign of the undead approaching.

‘It’s as if they’re reluctant to come this way….’

That impression struck her in an instant.
The reason became clear soon enough.
As Han Yu-sung pressed eastward, the monsters blocking his path gradually vanished.
And the surrounding terrain began to shift.

Ssssshhhhh!

“Ugh…!”

The ground was pooled with a sickly green liquid.
Yoon Ga-ram held her breath. She had instinctively recognized what this liquid was.
Poison. A virulent toxin potent enough to dissolve anything it touched!
And what this signified was simple.

“This is… the territory of an Epic Monster.”

The domain of an Epic Monster, in other words.
Epic Monsters that appear on the Battlefield transform their surrounding environment.
Judging by the noxious poison permeating the air, it was likely the Poison Dragon Luicarus.
Players tend to avoid confronting poisonous monsters.
A toxin potent enough to dissolve anything it touches would be no simple matter even for a Necromancer.

“A virulent poison indeed. Are you certain you wish to proceed?”
“Yes. You need not follow. If you cannot continue, wait here.”
“Are you certain? It seems this is where the Poison Dragon Luicurs dwells, and poison of this potency will not be easy to endure.”

Han Yu-sung did not answer, simply moving forward.
It appeared he had hidden cards to play. There was no point pressing further then.
Having reached that conclusion, Yoon Ga-ram silently followed in his wake.

“I take no responsibility if you become poisoned.”
“If it becomes too dangerous, I will withdraw.”
“Then so be it.”

The toxic miasma grew increasingly dense around them.
Swamps of pure poison began appearing in scattered patches, and from no great distance away, I sensed the presence of a creature of formidable power.

‘The Poison Dragon Luicurs. Should I call this fortune?’

Han Yu-sung let out a soft chuckle.
Using the ‘Predator’s Sense’, I detected the presence of monsters and pursued the aura of the one possessing the greatest power.
I had been certain that monster would be an Epic-tier creature.
Indeed it was Epic-tier. Though I had not known it was a poison dragon.

‘A poison dragon will make this somewhat easier.’

From the start, any Epic-tier monster would have sufficed.
Most players would dread facing a poison dragon above all else. But for Han Yu-sung as he stood now, it was paradoxically the easiest opponent.

‘I upgraded the Machete and filled the damage gap.’

Han Yu-sung examined the orb drifting nearby.
The Blood-stained Machete had changed in appearance since I first purchased it.

[By hunting sufficient monsters, the Blood-stained Machete is reinforced.]
[Blood-stained Machete (Unique): When facing monsters, Damage +40%, Attack Speed +20%, Movement Speed +20% outside of combat. Additionally, the Machete is strengthened when hunting powerful monsters.]

Increased damage and increased attack speed.
This was sufficient. Combined with the skills at my disposal, the Epic-tier monster, the Poison Dragon Luicurs, was no formidable foe.
Han Yu-sung pushed through the toxic haze and advanced forward.

– Shiiiiick….

In that instant, I felt a chilling gaze upon me.
Eyes that regarded me as prey. And an intense, palpable hostility.
I summoned a crimson wind to sweep away the toxic miasma that choked the air around me.
And beyond the dissipating haze, the source of that gaze revealed itself.

– Shiiiiiii….

“So this is the Poison Dragon. Hideous thing, isn’t it.”

A creature shaped like a great serpent.
Its entire body was encased in armor of pure venom, and from the exposed flesh between each plate, a noxious miasma continuously poured forth.
A grotesque mane adorned its face. Violet eyes gleamed with the recognition of prey.

– Shaaaaaaaa!

As the Poison Dragon roared, toxic miasma engulfed everything around it.
Unable to withstand the overwhelming poison, Yoon Ga-ram retreated.
While she fell back, I pressed forward, drawing in a deep breath.
As if I were absorbing the very poison itself.

[Omnipoisonous Dissolution activates.]
[Automatically neutralizes poison that has penetrated your body. Furthermore, reverses the poison to strengthen the user’s physique….]
[Virulent deadly toxin detected. All stats increase by +25%!]

And indeed, that was precisely my intention.
To activate the skill known as ‘Omnipoisonous Dissolution’.
I felt the poison accumulate within my body, and as it was neutralized, it spread throughout my entire frame. I could sense my physique being strengthened.
I gripped my blade tightly.

“I have much to do. Let’s finish this quickly.”

– Kiiiiiiack!

The Poison Dragon roared and lunged toward me.
I charged forward to meet it, unleashing a torrent of sword energy.

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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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