The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 56

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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 56

I felt it.
The gaze of transcendent beings fixed upon me.

[The Lords respond to your prayer.]
[The Lords’ eyes turn toward you. They have agreed to bestow their blessing upon your dragon soul, for your sake.]
[Lord of Training, Lord of Shadow, Lord of Pleasure, Lord of War.]
[Their blessings descend upon your dragon soul!]

Not one, but four.
Four lights of different hues fell from the heights above, settling into Hatchling’s body.

[Hatchling has been granted the Lords’ Blessing (SSS)!]
[Lords’ Blessing (SSS)]
· All stats of the dragon soul increased by 1 rank. Experience acquisition +200%.
· Contractor’s strength +25%. Enhanced twofold during combat situations.
· Greatly enhanced when the dragon soul uses ‘Manifestation’. Additionally, as shadows spread, allied defense and magic defense are enhanced by 30%, while enemy defense and magic defense are reduced by 30%.
· During combat, random buffs are granted to both dragon soul and contractor. (Dragon soul skills, stats, attack power, speed, magic-related effects.)

I had received the Lords’ Blessing.
And it was of SSS-rank, no less.
The original rank wasn’t this high. I remembered it being S-rank, but with four Lords bestowing their blessing, the rank had been substantially elevated.

“I never thought they’d actually give it.”
[This, this profit! That night fox, again to another’s contractor!]

I had only thought it would be nice if they gave it, but it wouldn’t matter if they didn’t.
I never expected three Lords I hadn’t even contracted to bestow their blessing.
Shadow and Pleasure I could understand—they both favored me. But I never thought the Lord of Training would grant it as well.

‘Training, Kakasha, Shadow, and Pleasure in that order, perhaps.’

Judging by the details of the skill effects, I suspected the Lords had bestowed their blessings in that sequence.
I nodded with satisfaction.
True to its SSS-rank dragon soul skill, the effects were extraordinarily powerful.

“Hey, wait. That….”
“Could it be that four Lords bestowed their blessing?”
“Looking at the message that just appeared, isn’t that what it seems like?”
“But why does the dragon soul look like that? Do you know?”

Meanwhile, the players who had witnessed the series of events were astounded.
The dragon soul received the blessing of the Lords?
That wasn’t particularly surprising.
For a Dungeon of this difficulty level, such a reward was a natural outcome.
The problem wasn’t that.

‘Four Lords bestowed their blessing?’
‘The message doesn’t specify which Lords, so I don’t know. One of them must be the contracted Lord. The others….’
‘Does it even make sense for Lords without a contract to grant their blessing?’

What had the Star Lords originally been?
Beings obsessed with Coins. Indifferent to those who weren’t their sworn servants. Sometimes indifferent even to their own sworn servants.
Such beings taking interest in a single player.
Moreover, spending Coins to grant their blessing?

‘It’s impossible….’

Events were unfolding in succession.
From Galleon’s warrior to the blessing of the Lords.
Hadn’t everything transcended the bounds of imagination?
And it was still happening.

Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!

At that very moment, the ground shook violently.
No, it wasn’t just the ground. The ceiling too, the walls as well.
Everything that comprised the Temple trembled precariously.

“What, what is this? Why is it so ominous!”
“Could it be…!”

The players recalled a single possibility.
And that possibility struck true.

Crrraaaaaash!

“Damn it! The Temple is collapsing!”
“Get out of the way! Do you want to be crushed to death?!”

The Temple’s collapse.
Han Yu-sung had exhausted every ounce of power remaining within the Temple.
Deeming its purpose fulfilled, the Temple began to crumble.

“Aaaahhhhh!”
“P-please, save me!”

This was no time for conflict.
Guardians and Destroyers alike—every player, regardless of faction—fled the Temple in panic.
Soon after, the Temple collapsed entirely.
The resulting dust and debris engulfed everything around it.
So thick that one couldn’t see even an inch ahead.
And when that dust finally settled.

“Huh? Wait.”
“Where did that man go…?”

The players who had successfully escaped now realized the truth.
Their target, Han Yu-sung, had vanished without a trace.
As if he had never existed from the start.

* * *

Wei Hao let out an involuntary chuckle.

“Ha! I didn’t expect this kind of development….”

While Han Yu-sung and Galleon clashed within the Temple, Wei Hao and his subordinates hunted Guardians outside.
As a result, he had absorbed numerous dragon souls and strengthened his Destroyer buff considerably.
Now all that remained was to kill whoever emerged from within.
That was what he had been thinking.

“Cough, hack! Wei Hao sir! The Temple has completely collapsed!”

Who could have imagined that the Temple would collapse once its purpose was fulfilled?
That’s what made me suspicious.

‘Did that mysterious target know about this fact?’

That the Temple would crumble upon being conquered.
But was such a thing even possible?
It meant he had precisely identified the hidden dungeon’s mechanics in the first God’s Trial and exploited them.
By any rational standard, it was incomprehensible.
The problem was that it had actually happened.

“What of those who escaped the Temple?”
“We’re pursuing them. However, the Temple’s collapse created such chaos that it won’t be easy.”
“Among them, was there anyone who stood out? What about Galleon?”
“No, Galleon wasn’t spotted either.”

Wei Hao’s subordinate shook his head.
Those who escaped—whether Guardians or Destroyers—were simply stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
Though it was possible they were all acting.

“Further pursuit would be impossible, then.”
“Yes. Time is running short.”
“Then let’s kill those who must be killed and capture those who must be captured. We need to extract information. It seems the target likely killed Galleon inside.”

Wei Hao’s expression turned cold and rigid.
Had the target killed Galleon? If so, matters had become complicated.
It meant the target had absorbed Galleon’s dragon soul.
A Guardian who was already formidable had become even stronger.

‘I must make contact with the other Destroyers.’

I needed to expand my forces and build my power as a Destroyer.
To defeat this unknown Guardian and claim victory in the Trial, it was absolutely necessary.
Wei Hao left the collapsed Temple with a hardened expression.

* * *

Three hours passed swiftly.
I utilized my abilities to shake off my pursuers, and when that proved impossible, I ambushed and eliminated them entirely.
It had been a better experience than I’d anticipated.
And so the allotted time expired.

[You have successfully survived for three hours!]
[Congratulations. You are granted the opportunity to select rewards proportional to your growth value. Additionally, your contracted dragon soul receives experience points!]

The message I had been waiting for appeared.
In the Dragon’s Tomb, upon a certain mountain, I rested deep within the forest and gazed upon the message that materialized before my eyes.

[Growth Value: 31,546.]

This was my current growth value.
Thanks to the Red Hatchling’s 【Growth Desire】 effect, I had achieved an absurd growth value.
In return, multiple rewards appeared before me.

[Mythic Grade (Limited): Dragon Soul’s Covenant Bearer.]
[Legendary Grade: Magic Tower’s Subspace Pouch, Swordmaster’s Proof, Manual of Mastery, Speedster, Eye of the Typhoon, Map: Dragon’s Tomb…]
[You may select a total of four items.]

Legendary grade items, and even a Mythic grade item among them.
My eyes widened at the sight of the Mythic grade item.
But that was only momentary.

[Dragon Soul’s Covenant Bearer (Mythic)]
· Slot: Necklace.
· Various stats increase according to the contracted dragon soul’s attributes. This item can only exist within the Dragon’s Tomb.
· Each special effect has a cooldown period.
· Strength A+: Attack Power +400, momentarily grants ‘Overwhelming Force’.
· Agility A+: Resistance to fatigue increases, reaction speed accelerates.
· Endurance A+: Defense +200, grants the wearer a ‘Protective Barrier’.
· Magic Power A+: Magic Attack Power +300, instantly activates magic.

My expression became complicated as I reviewed the item’s description.
Needless to say, it was an item difficult to obtain anywhere else.
The problem was that it was a limited-duration item.

“An item that becomes unusable once the trial ends….”
[Overly good items always come with a catch, they do.]

Regardless, it was an item that would provide immediate benefit, so there was no reason not to select it.
Han Yu-sung chose the Dragon Soul Oath-Keeper, then meticulously examined the remaining items.
And selected the items he would obtain as rewards.

[Speedster (Legendary)]
· Slot: Feet.
· Defense: 80.
· Agility +8, Movement Speed +15%.
· When using movement-type skills, you can ‘accelerate’.
· The effects of terrain or debuffs that slow movement are reduced.

[Book of Mastery (Legendary)]
· A tome containing the experience and memories of a master.
· Upon use, all stats increase by +5.
· Upon use, the level of two skills rises. Alternatively, you can focus on a single skill to raise its level significantly.

[Magic Tower’s Subspace Pouch (Legendary)]
· A subspace pouch capable of holding vast quantities of items. Remarkably compact, yet inscribed with the Magic Tower’s signature intricate magical runes.
· Items are automatically ejected if the permitted capacity is exceeded.

Speedster boots, the Book of Mastery, and the subspace pouch.

‘A subspace pouch…. What a windfall.’

Subspace items become rarer the greater their internal capacity and the smaller their physical size.
Since this pouch was small enough to fasten at the waist, its value was beyond question.

“And the Book of Mastery. This one requires some thought.”
[Hmm, which skill will you use it on?]
“I’m not sure.”

Han Yu-sung fell into contemplation.
Windcloud Steps, Crimson Wind Fist, Shadow of Night, Nox Arcana.
And God’s Judgment. These were the leveled skills I possessed.
Should I select two skills here, or just one?
I reached a decision quickly.

[Using the Tome of Mastery.]
[All stats increased by +5. And….]
[Divine Judgment (S) has accumulated experience and reached level 8!]

I had chosen the latter.
Windcloud Steps, Crimson Wind Fist, Shadow of Night, Nox Arcana. These were skills I would use frequently in the days ahead.
Their levels were already rising steadily, and they would continue to do so.

‘But Divine Judgment is a skill too burdensome to use often.’

The cooldown was long and the mana consumption was substantial.
Leveling it up would not be easy.
Using this opportunity to raise its level all at once was not a bad choice at all.
Since it was an area skill, it would provide immediate practical benefit.

[You’ve obtained quite a lot in such a short time. Are you satisfied?]
“Not bad. But it’s too early to be satisfied.”

I gazed at the Hatchling drifting about nearby.
It was still A-rank. But with the substantial experience gained this time, it would quickly reach S-rank once I cleared more Quests and Dungeons.
Once it reached S-rank.

‘I’ll finally understand what destiny this creature truly possesses.’

Whether it was destined to become a ‘King’ as Kakasha and I had speculated, or something else entirely.
I equipped the items and moved forward.

“Let’s raise its level.”

I would cultivate the dragon soul without waste during the remaining time.

* * *

[Quest, ‘Twisted Dragon Soul Hunt’ has been completed.]
[Dungeon, ‘Abandoned Cave’ has been conquered.]
[Quest, ‘Destroyer Subjugation’ has been completed.]
[Dungeon….]

Time flowed swiftly once again.
Han Yu-sung relentlessly cleared Quest after Quest and Dungeon after Dungeon to raise Hatchling’s level.
Since it was evolving into S-rank, Hatchling demanded considerable experience this time around.
Still, filling the requirement proved far from difficult.

‘With this much accumulated, I need only wait now.’

Han Yu-sung had elevated Hatchling’s level to the desired threshold.
Then, after a brief respite, I awaited the message.
The notification that this trial had concluded.
Fortunately, the wait was not long.

[Six hours have elapsed.]
[Current survivors: 312,899. Among them, 32,554 Guardians and 25,112 Destroyers have failed to achieve their objectives.]
[As previously warned, they will perish.]

Once again, countless lives were lost regardless of faction.
Accumulating 6,000 growth points within six hours was no trivial task.
Multitudes competed fiercely against one another to fill their quotas.
The Guardians faced particular hardship, as the Destroyers launched relentless assaults upon them.

“So roughly 250,000 remain.”

Considering the initial recruitment had numbered 700,000 participants, the death toll was staggering.
Nearly an entire city had been obliterated.
What was terrifying was that this ordeal had not yet concluded.
But what mattered now was something else entirely.

[As announced beforehand, the Guardian who achieves the highest growth points shall receive a special reward.]
[Congratulations, Han Yu-sung. You have achieved the highest growth points.]
[Growth Points: 40,800.]

The moment had arrived for the reward Han Yu-sung sought.
A brilliantly adorned message materialized before my eyes.
Moments later, radiant light burst forth from the void, descending upon Han Yu-sung and Hatchling.

[As your reward, you and Hatchling receive vast experience points.]
[Furthermore, Hatchling has learned the skill: Manifestation (SS)!]

[Manifestation (SS)]
· Manifests a dragon soul for a set duration. The manifested dragon soul gains a physical form and strength corresponding to its stats.
· If the manifested form sustains a fatal wound, it reverts to dragon soul state.

First, the skill reward.
Manifestation was an exclusive skill for dragon souls.
A skill that granted dragon souls a physical form for a set duration.
Duration and effects varied depending on the rank.
High-rank Manifestation was extraordinarily difficult to obtain, but low-rank versions came in various forms, making it an essential skill that any Guardian had to acquire by any means necessary.

[Your level has increased by 10 stages.]
[Strength +10, Agility +10, Stamina +10.]
[Through the effect of Godly Form, Strength +5, Agility +3, and Stamina +2 increase further!]

An SS-rank dragon soul skill and an enormous amount of experience reward.
Han Yu-sung’s level rose by ten stages at once.
Naturally, the dragon soul’s level also skyrocketed in an instant.

[Red Hatchling has reached the maximum level of its current rank.]
[Hatchling (A) is attempting to evolve into an S-rank dragon soul….]
[The 【Destiny】 possessed by Hatchling is being revealed….]

Enough to evolve into S-rank and beyond.
Han Yu-sung had already grown it considerably from the start. With the experience reward added to that, it reached maximum level in one go.
Then.

Shwiiiiish!

Transparent threads appeared and wrapped around Hatchling.
It resembled a cocoon, or perhaps an egg.

‘Different from that membrane-tearing effect.’

Evolving to S-rank would bring significant physical changes.
Han Yu-sung watched the egg without particular concern.

[Congratulations!]
[Player Han Yu-sung has discovered an 【Epic Quest】!]
[Completing this Quest will alter the content of future trials!]

That remained true until an entirely unexpected message appeared.
Han Yu-sung’s eyes widened as he read the message that materialized before him.

[Epic Quest: The King’s Path.]
[This Hatchling was born destined to become a Dragon Lord. Yet before the Hatchling could even be born, the world fell to ruin, and the being meant for lordship never awakened from its egg—meeting only death within the shell.]
[Guide the Hatchling toward the path of destiny.]
[Should you wish, you may refuse this Quest.]

A Hatchling that had become an egg.
And an Epic Quest that had suddenly appeared.

“This is… something I never anticipated.”

Han Yu-sung furrowed his brow.

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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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