The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 48

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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 48

What came after was beyond words.
A one-sided battle unfolded. The rear defensive line crumbled under the assault of a single player.
They had to stop him at all costs.
The Undead Faction thought so, but they couldn’t manage it.
If they blocked Han Yu-sung, the Poison Dragon would have an easier time.

“Roooaaarrr!”
“No, we can’t! The line is… collapsing!”
“Damn it, how are we supposed to stop this!”

The breath the Poison Dragon exhaled swept across the front defensive line.
As the Shadow Faction’s monsters joined in, the assault grew fiercer.
The Shadow Faction’s players who arrived shortly after also joined the fray, attacking the rear alongside Han Yu-sung. Surrounded on all sides, attacked from both front and back.
The Undead Faction could hold out no longer.

[“Foolish and pathetic wretches.”]

It was collapsing.
Barriers shattered, towers crumbled.
The Undead Faction’s players continued to fall.
The Shadow Faction surged past them, charging toward the colossal statue.

[“To inflict such humiliation upon me.”]

The Lord of the Dead, watching the spectacle unfold, erupted in fury.
An unthinkable situation. The Covenant of the Dead itself suffering such an unthinkable rout in a war-designated Difficult Realm.
It was impossible, and it should never have happened.
What infuriated her even more was this.

[“And because of just one shadow faction player I couldn’t stop….”]

The cause of this defeat lay with a single individual.
A player from the Shadow Faction had twisted the outcome.
The Lord of the Dead glared at the enemies charging toward the colossal statue she had created in mockery of her rival.
Especially at the man leading the charge.

Whoooosh!

Fierce flames erupted skyward.
Han Yu-sung drove his feet into the ground. The mana condensed within his blade blazed brilliantly, and a devastating slash consumed the colossal statue.
Attacks from the Shadow Oath-takers followed in his wake.
The Lord’s colossal statue was crumbling.

[“Shadow, that gloomy woman… to think she possesses such a man.”]

The Lord of the Dead bit her lip, her gaze fixed upon Han Yu-sung.
A mercenary?
No, that couldn’t be. I watched him wield shadow magic with perfect clarity. High-level shadow magic at that.
One doesn’t need to be a Shadow Oath-taker to command shadow magic, but at that level of mastery, it’s only reasonable to assume he is one.

[“Then those flames are….”]

The outcome of the Difficult Realm was already decided.
The Lord of the Dead’s focus shifted from her predetermined defeat to Han Yu-sung.
Fierce crimson flames bloomed across his entire form. Somehow, it felt familiar.
She recalled where she had seen those flames before.

[“That war-obsessed little one? No, that’s impossible. If it’s a buff of that nature, any flame-related Lord could manage it.”]

A possibility had surfaced, but the Lord of the Dead rejected it.
The Lord of War had fallen completely. Hadn’t she suffered devastating defeat at Achiros’s hands in their repeated conflicts, stripped of everything she possessed?
Somehow she clung to life, but that was all.
How could that little one possibly have secured a player of such caliber?

[“Whatever you are, nameless man.”]

The Lord of the Dead studied Han Yu-sung intently.
The man who had split her colossal statue in half—from his body to his face.
As if she would commit him to memory and never forget.

[“You, I will remember. And someday….”]

The destroyed colossal statue collapsed in futility.
Then a message appeared before the eyes of the Shadow Faction’s players.

[You have destroyed the Lord’s monument in the enemy faction.]
[Congratulations! The Shadow Faction has achieved victory in this Difficult Realm!]
[Additional rewards are being calculated based on your contribution….]

The players of the Shadow Faction erupted in cheers.
The Lord of the Dead let out a scoff, withdrawing his gaze.

[“You will pay the price for this. One way or another.”]

Either by death, or by becoming part of his undead collection.
Or perhaps by being seized and enslaved to serve him instead.
The Lord of the Dead departed the Difficult Realm, reserving judgment for another day.

* * *

The war had ended in victory for the Shadow Faction.
The Covenant of the Dead who had survived until now saw the message materialize before their eyes and wailed in despair.
There was no other choice in such circumstances.

[According to the rules previously agreed upon by both Lords, the defeated Covenant of the Dead shall serve as slaves to the Lord of Shadow.]
[The Lord of the Dead shall provide power to the slaves as promised.]

“Ah, ah… slaves….”
“Please, convert us to Shadow Oath-takers instead!”

The Covenant of the Dead cried out in such fashion.
A Lord who triumphed in a Difficult Realm typically seized the defeated Lord’s Oath-takers and made them their own.
But the Lord of Shadow had exacting standards when selecting Oath-takers.
Being a Lord who only accepted those who met his discerning eye, he had made the Covenant of the Dead into slaves rather than claiming them as his own Oath-takers.

‘From the perspective of the Covenant of the Dead, this is the worst possible outcome.’

It would have been better to become Shadow Oath-takers instead.
Regardless, it was no concern of Han Yu-sung’s.
He was not a Shadow Oath-taker, so why would he concern himself with such matters?
Han Yu-sung sheathed his blade.

“….”
“….”

I felt the weight of countless gazes converging from all directions.
They came from the Shadow Oath-takers and the mercenaries.
Reverence and admiration mingled with shock and the bewildered stares one reserves for incomprehensible beings.

‘Had the Colossus Assault been such a brief Difficult Realm?’

The question bloomed in everyone’s mind simultaneously.
The Colossus Assault was a Difficult Realm that demanded considerable time.
The orthodox strategy involved hunting minions, monsters, and players to accumulate as much gold as possible.
Then using that gold to purchase items, hunt Epic Monsters, and strike the enemy faction’s Main Base.

‘That man defeated the Poison Dragon without any particular items.’
‘And without hunting additional Epic Monsters, he went straight for the Main Base….’
‘Is that even possible?’

By the standards of conventional wisdom they knew, it was impossible.
Yet it was the reality unfolding before their very eyes.
As the players rejoiced in victory while wrestling with confusion, Yoon Ga-ram approached.

“You’ve done well, mercenary. Or rather… Han Yu-sung.”
“You as well. You brought our allies at precisely the right moment. It made all the difference.”
“Then I’m relieved.”

Before heading to the Main Base, I had made a request of her.
To convince Rihardt’s forces to attack the Main Base, and to inform them that I would destroy the Rear towers, so they should target that opportunity.

“Did the persuasion go smoothly?”
“No, it wasn’t easy. I could only manage to lead them near the Main Base by leveraging the fact that you’d defeated an Epic Monster.”

Yoon Ga-ram bowed her head lightly.

“They decided to strike the Main Base after witnessing you destroy the towers. I’d say you persuaded them more than I did.”
“They wouldn’t have come without you.”
“Is that so? Then I’m grateful.”

At my words, Yoon Ga-ram offered a faint smile.
Any commander who witnessed a single man demolish a tower yet failed to recognize the opportunity would be hopelessly foolish.

‘Though it was possible because multiple factors aligned….’

The Poison Dragon’s gold hoarded entirely for myself.
Stat enhancement from the Ten Thousand Poisons Sea ability, triggered by the lingering toxin.
Armor penetration from the Halden-style swordsmanship. Damage amplification and defense reduction from item effects, plus additional physical damage to structures.
And finally, stat enhancement from Prominence.
The result of every element converging at once.

[Additional rewards will be calculated based on contribution….]
[The player with the highest contribution will now be announced.]

A message appeared at that moment. The reward calculation was complete.
Who had achieved the highest contribution?
There was no question. Everyone’s gaze fell on one person.

[Congratulations, Han Yu-sung. You have achieved the highest contribution.]

“Of course. Who else would it be if not him?”
“Well, we didn’t really do anything separate anyway….”

From start to finish, he had done everything, so it was a natural result.
Now only the rewards remained.
But then something unexpected occurred.

[The Lord of Shadow wishes to meet with you separately and grant you a reward.]
[Will you accept?]

Normally, the reward would have been given right here and that would be the end of it.
But the Lord of Shadow did not do so. Instead, an unexpected proposal came—to meet in a separate location and grant the reward privately.
It would be one thing if I were a fellow Oath-taker, but this was not a proposal to make to a mercenary.
Yet the fact that such a proposal was made meant something.

‘It seems there’s something they want to discuss privately.’
[Hmm, it does seem that way. Uh, this….]
‘They’ve probably caught on to something.’

There was no need to wonder what they wanted to discuss.
I would find out soon enough when we met.
In fact, I had some idea of what it might be.

“I accept.”

Han Yu-sung accepted the proposal.
The remaining players’ bodies began to vanish.
As the Difficult Realm closed, they were returned to their original locations.

[You have accepted the invitation of the Lord of Shadow.]
[Transferring to the Cradle of Shadow in Seoul.]

All except one—Han Yu-sung.
Han Yu-sung closed his eyes.
And when he opened them again.

“Darkness.”

A dark space shrouded in shadow greeted him.
It was so dark that only the faintest outlines of objects could be discerned.
And there, eyes appeared.

Ssssshhhhh—

Eyes sculpted from shadow itself.
Those desolate, emotionless eyes observed Han Yu-sung with unwavering intensity.
Without a word, for a long time.

[“Fascinating.”]

That was what emerged after an extended silence.
As the words materialized, a voice sounded—different from usual.
Despite the word “fascinating,” the voice remained utterly devoid of emotion. It was coldly mechanical and detached.

[“I have observed you. Sparring with my Apostle, and afterward, slaughtering your enemies with shadow itself.”]
“Did it please you?”
[“Magnificent. Impressive enough that I would wish you to be my Apostle. Yes.”]

A sudden silence fell, accompanied by an overwhelming pressure.
A pressure so intense that an ordinary player would crumble beneath it.

[“Your performance was remarkable enough that it would not be strange to mistake you for the Lord of the Dead himself, mysterious mercenary.”]
“….”

Han Yu-sung fell silent.
It was a situation he had anticipated before coming here.
As he suspected, the Lord of Shadow had apparently noticed.

[“That is why I summoned you to this place. I wished to observe you more closely, to confirm what manner of human you truly are.”]
“Confirm what, exactly?”
[“Whether you….”]

Shadow writhed and coiled.
It moved as though alive, creeping toward Han Yu-sung.
The shadow that reached his feet began to undulate around his legs.

[“Whether you were the instigator of the incident in Yeoju City, or not….”]

The shadow began to climb up Han Yu-sung’s legs.
Han Yu-sung smiled darkly and asked.

“So, did you confirm it?”
[“Half of it. The remaining half, I wish to hear directly from you.”]

The shadow had by now reached Han Yu-sung’s throat.
The shadow, transformed into a blade’s edge, hung poised at his neck.
There was a chilling sense that at any moment, depending on his answer, it would sever his throat.

[“The massacre in Yeoju City. That night when someone presumed to be a Shadow Oath-taker killed numerous members of the Covenant of the Dead and vanished without a trace.”]
[“Were you the instigator of that incident?”]

Yet the smile on Han Yu-sung’s face did not fade.
He nodded slowly and calmly.

“Yes, as you suspected. It was me.”
[“Then I must ask again. What was your purpose in coming here? Surely you did not fail to anticipate this situation. It might have been better for you to turn a blind eye and ignore this matter entirely.”]
“First, I cannot hide it forever. And second.”

Han Yu-sung met the shadow’s gaze directly.

“I came to take responsibility for this situation.”
[“Responsibility, you say….”]

Upon hearing that response, the Lord of Shadow’s eyes underwent a transformation.
Eyes that had remained utterly devoid of emotion and perfectly still until now widened—as though she had received an answer she had never anticipated.
She fell silent for a long time. How much time had passed in that stillness?

The shadow that had draped across Han Yu-sung’s neck dissipated with a whisper.

Her gaze, softened in a way that might have been mere illusion, settled upon him.
Was it just her imagination? His gaze had grown noticeably gentler as he looked at her.

“Tell me. What happened that night in Yeoju City?”

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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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