The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 51

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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 51

[The special effect of 【Blessing of Trials】 activates.]
[Hidden Piece discovered: ‘Seed of Evolution’.]
[Guiding you toward the location of the Hidden Piece.]

An entirely unexpected situation unfolded before me.
What appeared in Han Yu-sung’s vision was a long arrow.
As the message indicated, it was a marker guiding toward the location of the Hidden Piece.
The blessing’s effects didn’t end there.

[Through the effect of 【Blessing of Trials】, all stats increase by 15%, attack power increases by 15%, and mana consumption for all skills decreases by 20%.]
[Additionally, quest rewards are enhanced upon completion.]

I had obtained the blessing but forgotten about it since I’d never seen its effects in action.
Now, I found myself thinking it was an absurdly powerful blessing.

[Hmm, so you’ll head out immediately to find this Hidden Piece?]
“No, I should stick to the original plan and find the Dragon Soul first.”
[Eh? The Dragon Soul?]

Han Yu-sung nodded.
The reason was simple yet clear.

“The name of the Hidden Piece bothers me.”
[Seed of Evolution… Hmm, I see. It does feel like something that would evolve the Dragon Soul, or perhaps strengthen it—that sort of sensation, wouldn’t you say?]
“Exactly. Which is why I have a particular Dragon Soul in mind.”

In my previous life, I belonged to the Destroyer Faction, so I didn’t know the exact locations of all Dragon Souls.
At best, I only knew the approximate locations of S-rank Dragon Souls or those called ‘special specimens’.
And.
There was one Dragon Soul so special that even I, a Destroyer, remembered it.

“Generally speaking, it’s a Dragon Soul with no acquisition value…”
[If it has no value, then it must be a low-rank Dragon Soul. Why would you want to obtain such a thing?]
“It’s simple.”

Kakasha tilted his head in confusion.
Han Yu-sung changed direction and began walking.

“It’s a dragon soul that would pair exceptionally well with this seed.”

Ordinarily, it was a useless specimen, but when combined with the ‘Seed of Evolution,’ it might gain special value.
It was certainly worth testing once.

* * *

Quests lay hidden throughout the Dragon’s Tomb.
The conditions to trigger them varied—find something, kill someone, or simply enter a region.

“C-rank! It’s a C-rank dragon soul!”
“If you don’t want to die by my hand, get out of here now! That’s mine!”
“Wait, wait—we’re from the same faction…!”

The Protectors all scrambled to obtain dragon souls.
Within the limited timeframe, they had to secure the best ones possible.
To do so, players from the Protector Faction even killed one another in desperate struggles.
And there were those who exploited that very situation.

“Now! Attack! Kill all the Protectors!”
“We can’t miss this chance. I’m going in!”
“The… the Destroyers…! Aaaahhhhh!”

The Destroyers, precisely.
Protectors and Destroyers clashed fiercely over the dragon souls.
A battle devoid of all order—a true melee.
Yet not everyone fought that way.

“Galleon! Enemies are closing in!”
“Everyone, regroup around me, Galleon! Do not falter!”

Those who had earned renown for their outstanding exploits outside quickly recruited allies and formed factions.
The most prominent figure in the Protector Faction was a holy knight clad entirely in golden armor.

‘As expected—Galleon. In my past life, he was one who survived until the very end in the Protector Faction.’

A promising player who garnered significant attention even in the United States—one who had long since transcended the title of “prospect” and earned renown across the realm.
And a member of the Protector Faction who had obtained a special entity: the Noble Golden Dragon.
He was drawing Protectors to his side, building a faction of his own.

“Leave none alive. Kill them all!”
“Yes, sir! Slay the Protectors!”

Similarly, the Destroyer Faction had its own standout player.
A man clad in crimson robes ambushed the Protectors alongside his subordinates. Flames erupting from his legs consumed the earth and engulfed his enemies.
The man trampled those who stood in his path, absorbing dragon souls as he advanced.

“Those who wish to survive this trial! Those who desire victory beyond him—come to me, Wei Hao! I shall lead you to triumph!”

The man’s name was Wei Hao.
Like Galleon, he had been a Destroyer of great renown in his past life.
He had cooperated with other celebrated Destroyers, exploited them when necessary, and eliminated them when expedient—all while guiding the Destroyer Faction toward victory.

‘There are many I must watch carefully.’

Galleon. Wei Hao.
Of course, beyond these two, all players who had achieved prominence in their past lives warranted careful scrutiny.
But that was not the priority now.

“I’ve arrived.”

Han Yu-sung surveyed the landscape before me.
A Quest unfolded amidst countless tombstones standing in solemn rows.

[Quest: Grant Peace to Those Who Have Departed.]
[Monsters are disturbing the rest of dragon souls. Defeat the relentless waves of enemies and save the dragon souls in the Resting Place.]
[Reward: Additional skills upon contracting with rescued dragon souls.]

The vast Resting Place was already filled with numerous Protectors.
Monsters poured in from all directions, and the Protectors fought desperately while protecting the dragon souls.
And there was one more thing.

“Hey, isn’t this our chance? They’re busy fighting the monsters.”
“Wait. We strike when their strength is depleted.”
“Tch, by any measure, this looks like the perfect opportunity…”

The Destroyers waited in the vicinity, watching for their chance.
They too had received a Quest.

[Quest: Grant eternal rest to those who have already departed.]
[The Protectors are attempting to save the dragon souls. Eliminate the interfering Protectors and absorb the dragon souls.]
[Reward: Additional stat bonuses upon absorbing dragon souls from the Resting Place.]

In this manner, the Quest orchestrated a collision between the two factions.
Battles were surely erupting across the Dragon’s Tomb beyond this location. In the process, countless players were losing their lives.
But before a matter of survival, there was nothing to be done about it.

“Huh? Wait a moment, that one over there…”
“There’s someone moving separately on their own.”

The Destroyers watching the Resting Place witnessed a peculiar sight.
Protectors and monsters locked in fierce combat.
Far removed from them, a player who appeared to be a Protector wandered alone.
And one equipped with rather fine gear at that.

“Hey, keep an eye on that one. Could be decent prey.”
“You go call the other Destroyers. The ones we can work with.”
“Yes, boss.”

The Destroyers kept watch on the solitary Protector.
The Protector looked around cautiously as he walked, then stopped at a corner of the Resting Place.
There lay a massive pit—dug by someone unknown.
Inside were countless eggshells.

[Dragon eggs, I see. Hmm, I suspect these are unhatched dragons buried here after their deaths.]
“Yes. And here, likely…”

The Protector, Han Yu-sung, sifted through the shells.
Among the countless eggshells, one stood out distinctly.
A shell gleaming with a brilliant crimson light—like witnessing Kakasha’s Crimson Flame.

“Found it.”
[What have you found…… Ho, this creature?]

Han Yu-sung lifted the shell.
Beneath the crimson husk lay an impossibly tiny soul.
A ‘dragon soul’ so small it was difficult to discern whether it existed at all.

[Dragon soul detected.]
[As a Protector, you may form a contract with this dragon soul. To contract, press your palm to its forehead and concentrate your will.]

The dragon soul was smaller than the palm of a hand.
Tiny wings attached to an equally diminutive body. Even its head was minuscule.
Yet this smallness was not the ordinary fragility of a newborn.
It was an Immature Hatchling, born without fully absorbing the egg’s nourishment.

[Immature Hatchling (F-rank).]
[Congratulations! This dragon soul is a ‘special specimen’!]

The sole special specimen among F-rank dragon souls—the Immature Hatchling.
In my past life, some Protector had discovered this very creature. They said he’d leaped into a pit to survive certain death, and found this dragon soul waiting there.
Time was running short. Since it was a special specimen, perhaps it held some hidden potential. The man chose to form the contract.

“I later realized it meant nothing.”
[Hmph, that man. Whoever he was, he didn’t last long.]
“He died by the Destroyers’ hands. Thanks to that, I learned the truth.”

I’d learned this by listening to the Destroyers’ conversation.
Han Yu-sung gazed at the dragon soul, its eyes still unopened, lost in thought.

[So, will you choose this dragon soul? It seems rather ill-suited to you. Something larger and more ferocious would be more….]
“Hmm, this is far more pitiful than I anticipated.”
[Do not dismiss the words of the Seed of Evolution!]

If the ‘Seed of Evolution’ disagreed with my choice, complications would arise.
But it was a manageable risk. If things went wrong, I could simply attack a Protector with an S-rank dragon soul and seize theirs.

“It’s a gamble, but one worth taking.”
– Kyuuuu….

Whoooosh—

I pressed my hand against the forehead of the Dragon Soul, whose eyes remained shut.
Light erupted, and a connection formed between the Dragon Soul and me.
A bond only the two of us could perceive.

[You have selected the Dragon Soul.]
[Immature Hatchling (F) has become your Dragon Soul.]

Simultaneously, a status window materialized before my eyes.
The status window of the Immature Hatchling.

[Immature Hatchling (F)]
· Level: 1/10.
· Strength: F · Agility: F · Vitality: F · Mana: F.
· Growth Points: 0.
· Possessed Skills
(1) Destiny (?): This hatchling was born under a special fate. Yet, born in such an immature state, that destiny holds no meaning.
(2) Growth Hunger (S): Experience gain for this Dragon Soul +300%. When level reaches its cap, accumulated experience is stored thereafter.

Everything was abysmal, befitting a Dragon Soul of the lowest rank, F-grade.
Dragon Souls varied in their starting level and maximum growth potential depending on their grade.
An S-grade Dragon Soul, for instance, began at level 70 and could grow up to level 100.
With high initial stats and diverse skills, they possessed considerable advantages.

‘Starting at level 1, with a maximum level of merely 10….’

The stats were pathetic, and there were only two skills to speak of.
To make matters worse, one skill was utterly useless in this situation.
Yet, the true value of this unique specimen….

‘Growth Hunger.’

A skill that tripled experience gain.
In truth, it was a meaningless skill.
What good was it when the maximum level was 10? There would be no growth beyond that.
What could be accomplished by storing experience gained afterward?
However.

‘If the Evolution Seed is a hidden piece with the effect I envision.’

That changes things.
This seemed worth the gamble.

“Did the contract conclude successfully?”

Just as Han Yu-sung was about to leave with the Dragon Soul, a group of players blocked his path.
There was no need to guess who they were.
Destroyers. I’d sensed their gaze before entering this place, so these must be the ones who’d been watching.
The destroyers. I felt their gaze even before coming here, so the ones who were watching must have arrived.

“Sneaking peeks? We were simply observing the situation.”
“So you’re the one who contracted with the Dragon Soul. Huh? But wait….”
“So you’ve made a contract with a soul. Huh? But…”

A contracted Dragon Soul either merges into the Protector’s body or hovers nearby in spectral form.
Just like the Immature Hatchling drifting and circling around Han Yu-sung at this very moment.
The Destroyers who had assessed the Dragon Soul’s rank furrowed their brows.
The Destroyers frowned as they checked the grade of the soul stone.

“Damn it, will capturing this even be worth anything?”
“I can’t believe someone would be foolish enough to choose an F-rank Dragon Soul.”
“I never thought there would be a fool who would choose an F-rank soul.”

I’d thought he must be carrying a superior Dragon Soul to wander so fearlessly alone, but an F-rank? There was no hiding the disappointment.
Still, they had no intention of backing down.
That didn’t mean he had any intention of backing down.

“Surround him! Kill him and take his gear!”
“Surround them! Kill them and take their equipment!”

Greed gleamed in the Destroyers’ eyes as they beheld Han Yu-sung’s gear.
Up close, it appeared to be even finer than they’d thought.
Perhaps this was fortunate after all. With an F-rank Dragon Soul contracted, he wouldn’t have received any significant bonus.
Eliminating him should be easy….
It’s actually easier to deal with that bastard…

Crack!

“Ugh, huh…?!”

Before I could finish that thought, shadows surged upward.
The shadows rising from the ground transformed into razor-sharp thorns, piercing through the bodies of the Destroyers.
Successive waves of shadows morphed into countless weapons, assailing the panicked Destroyers without mercy.
And through their ranks swept a ferocious blood wind.

“I needed experience points anyway. This works out perfectly.”

The anguished screams of the Destroyers echoed from all directions.
They were so pathetic that the Godly Descent buff didn’t even activate.
I tore through the Destroyers as I had done countless times before, and the dead became experience points, absorbed by the Immature Hatchling.

“Th-this monster… Run!”
“Aaaahhhhh!”

I pierced the fleeing enemy who had lost their will to fight with a shadow.
While evading the convulsive attacks of another Destroyer charging at me, I seized its throat in a vice grip.

“And whether this one stays F-rank until the end…”

Crack!

I snapped the Destroyer’s neck, meeting its terrified gaze.
Coincidentally, it was the same Destroyer who had called me a fool just moments before.

“We’ll see soon enough.”

I hurled the limp Destroyer aside.
The shadows I summoned finished off the rest of them.
They weren’t strong, so it didn’t take long to clean up.

[Dragon Soul has gained experience and risen 10 levels!]
[Immature Hatchling has reached maximum level!]
[All experience gained from now on will be ‘stored’.]

A message appeared before my eyes stating that the Dragon Soul had reached maximum level, but there was no need to check its status window.
Nothing had changed.
This was why people avoided choosing an F-rank Dragon Soul.
Unless you were on the brink of death without one.

[Hmm, I’m not entirely certain what effects the Seed of Evolution possesses, but I hope it works as we’ve theorized.]
“I agree.”

Han Yu-sung took a step forward.
If the Seed of Evolution didn’t work as expected, I’d need to adjust my plans.
But I hoped it would function exactly as I’d envisioned.

“Raising this creature should prove quite entertaining.”
– Kyuruuk….

Han Yu-sung faced the dazed Immature Hatchling.
The Protector Faction, which raised dragon souls, had a more passive approach compared to the Destroyer Faction. It had never suited my tastes or sparked my interest before.
But the thought of raising an F-rank dragon soul ignited something within me.
It felt like challenging something with slim odds of success.

‘This will be fun.’

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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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