The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 57

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

A Mad Swordsman Returns – Chapter 57

Epic Quest.
Rarely, but it happens—special Quests occasionally emerge during God’s Trial.
Completing such a Quest doesn’t merely alter the Trial’s narrative; it reshapes the very trials that follow.
The newly opened 【King’s Path】 was precisely such a case.

“Our prediction was spot on. Though I must admit…”
[Hmm, an Epic Quest. Even I did not foresee this. Such Quests are exceedingly rare.]

I had merely speculated that if Hatchling reached S-rank, a path to becoming a Dragon Lord might open.
I never imagined a Quest capable of overturning the Trial itself would appear.

[What will you do? For now, you may refuse this Quest. Should you accept, would you not forfeit your advantage?]

The advantage of my previous life’s experience.
In my past life, Han Yu-sung had endured God’s Trial as part of the Destroyer Faction, accumulating knowledge and intelligence from that journey.
If the Trial were to change, much of that knowledge would become useless—perhaps refusal was the wiser choice.
But.

“There’s no reason to refuse. If anything, I’m intrigued.”
[I expected as much from you.]

Han Yu-sung was not the type to decline for such trivial reasons.
Certainly, the Trial could become far more difficult, or spiral in unforeseen directions and unravel.
Even so.

“I want to witness an F-rank Dragon Soul become a Dragon Lord.”
[Kuhuhuh, I share your sentiment. Is it not fascinating?]
“On matters like this, we understand each other perfectly.”

Han Yu-sung and Kakasha broke into sinister smiles simultaneously.
The Protector Faction had never suited my nature, yet with each passing moment, only things that pleased me continued to unfold.
And so, I decided.

“I accept the Quest.”

[You have accepted an Epic Quest. From this moment forward, you must guide Red Hatchling to the destined location as fate demands.]
[The seal on the Dragon Lord’s Lair is now being released.]

A deep, resonant rumble echoed through the air.

The ground trembled violently, as though seized by an earthquake.
And through my vision, I saw a landscape not of this place, but of another.
A colossal gate rising from an otherwise unremarkable mountain.
The gate swung open, revealing a vast cavern beyond.

[Throughout the ages, there has existed a Lair prepared for those destined to become Dragon Lords. When no such successor emerged, it fell into disuse. But now, fate has twisted anew.]
[Special arrangements have been made within for the Hatchling.]
[Beware. Within dwell monsters drawn by some unknown force, and dragon-kin soldiers who guard against intruders.]
[You must break through them and reach the Deep Layer.]

I closed my eyes, then opened them.
I did not know the location of the Dragon Lord’s Lair.
Yet for reasons I could not explain, I seemed to know roughly where it was.
My senses were telling me, so to speak.

[Evolution will be suspended for the duration of this Quest.]

The shell cracked with a sharp sound.

The Red Hatchling emerged once more from the fragments.
It gazed about with a bewildered expression.

– Kyuu…?

“Tch, they’ll complete the evolution eventually. It’s still S-rank, after all.”
[Looking at the message, if I had rejected the Epic Quest, it would have evolved into a proper S-rank dragon soul instead. Though I wouldn’t have become a Lord.]

The Red Hatchling’s rank was S-grade.
But that was merely nominal—its stats and skills remained unchanged. Perhaps once I cleared the Quest, it would evolve properly.

“Well then, before I go…”

I checked the message floating at the edge of my vision.
It was something like a roster that occasionally appeared during trials.

[You can check the names of up to five Guardians and Destroyers who achieved outstanding results in this task. Would you like to confirm?]

“I should check this before moving on.”

A roster that had been buried beneath the Epic Quest.
The task I had given the Guardians: accumulate 6,000 growth points within six hours.
The Destroyers had likely received a similar assignment.
This was a chance to identify who had distinguished themselves in this task.
An opportunity to discern who might become a formidable adversary.

[Guardians.]
[1. Han Yu-sung (40,800).]
[2. Leo Edelman (12,500).]
[3. Yamamoto Yuki (11,900).]
[4. Lee Shue-man (10,300).]
[5. Park Yong-ho (9,800).]

[Destroyers.]
[1. Wei Hao (22,450).]
[2. Suzuki Haruto (15,850).]
[3. Inoue Seigo (14,600).]
[4. Ludwig Schmidt (10,100).]
[5. Lee Sung-ah (8,800).]

I examined each name on the list carefully.
Some were familiar, others entirely new to me.

‘I’ll encounter many of them at the Dragon Lord’s Lair.’

Some would become allies, others adversaries.
It mattered little either way. If they became enemies, I would simply eliminate them.
I closed the roster.

“Alright, let’s move. Time to see what awaits at the Dragon Lord’s Lair.”
[How thrilling! My curiosity is piqued!]
– Kyuuuk…?

Hatchling still wore an expression of utter bewilderment.
I set off down the path with the creature in tow.

* * *

Six hours had passed—long if you counted every second, short if you blinked.
The surviving players erupted in jubilation at the mere fact of their survival.
Yet this joy was hollow, utterly devoid of meaning.

[Someone has unlocked an 【Epic Quest】.]
[The Trial’s conditions will change accordingly.]

An unforeseen message materialized before everyone’s eyes.
The players gasped in shock.
What was an Epic Quest? And why would the Trial transform?

[The 【Dragon Lord’s Lair】 opens to the west of Dragon’s Tomb.]
[Vast treasures lie buried within, including items that will strengthen both the Guardians and the Destroyers.]
[A certain Guardian is currently undertaking an Epic Quest within this place. Should the Epic Quest be completed, the Trial will undergo complete metamorphosis.]
[Aid them, or stop them.]
[And claim the countless treasures within the Lair!]

Dragon Lord’s Lair.
A name that ignited the desires of countless souls.
Not merely a dragon, but a Dragon Lord—surely such a name promised treasures as rare and magnificent as the title itself.
Greed kindled in the players’ eyes.
The rankers were no exception.

“…Dragon Lord’s Lair? An Epic Quest?”
“Just hearing about it makes it sound like treasure will overflow. I’m interested. Why don’t we just ignore everything else and grab the treasures inside before leaving?”
“I wonder which Guardian opened it. Perhaps one of the other rankers.”

Guardian rankers across different locations reacted to the news.
Lee Shue-man, Park Yong-ho, Yamamoto Yuki.
And finally, Leo Edelman, who had just concluded a massive battle.

“…Aid the Guardian, or stop them.”

Leo watched the fading message with a hardened expression.
There was no way to determine whether this unknown Guardian’s completion of the Epic Quest would benefit him or harm him.
One thing was certain: countless players would converge on that location.
He had no choice but to head to the Lair and assess the situation himself.

“Everyone, check your equipment. We’re moving toward the Dragon Lord’s Lair.”
“Yes!”

The Guardians began heading westward, each preparing themselves.
And the Destroyers were doing the same.

“Ha! I’m curious what kind of buff we’ll get if we absorb a Guardian who opened an Epic Quest. We’re heading west too!”
“What? There are three Koreans in the rankings…?”

The 4th and 5th ranked Destroyers: Ludwig Schmidt and Lee Sung-ah.
And the Japanese duo players ranked 2nd and 3rd.

“Hey, Haruto. Did you see?”
“I’m looking. The Dragon Lord’s Lair? We can’t miss this.”
“Think that Han Yu-sung guy will show up? That’d be interesting.”

Suzuki Haruto and Inoue Seigo also headed westward.
Only one remained: Wei Hao, ranked 1st.
He sat perched atop a small mound of corpses in the Snowy Plain, where fierce blizzards raged, lost in thought.

“Wei Hao, what should we do?”
“I never expected to witness an Epic Quest with my own eyes.”

Epic Quests were extraordinarily rare—discovered only through complex processes or by meeting specific conditions. Some Trials didn’t even have Epic Quests at all.
Yet someone had managed to find and unlock one.

“Could it be the same Guardian from the Temple…?”
“The Korean ranked 1st among Guardians? The name was definitely…”
“Han Yu-sung.”

Wei Hao had only learned the name after seeing the roster.
A Guardian who had achieved growth stats no one else could touch.
Wei Hao was certain Han Yu-sung had been the target of the emergency Quest.
And likely this Epic Quest as well.

‘If the top-ranked player completes an Epic Quest…’

There was no way to handle this.
I had to stop it somehow before that happened.
Wei Hao bit his lip anxiously.

“The other Destroyer rankers must be moving as well. If we’re talking about the west, the Japanese duo should be closest. Contact them. We’re going to hunt down the Guardian who opened the Epic Quest.”
“Yes, Wei Hao.”

After the incident at the Temple, Wei Hao had made contact with capable Destroyers and formed a sort of alliance.
Suzuki Haruto and Inoue Seigo were included in that alliance.
I had to find Han Yu-sung through cooperation with them.

‘And kill him.’

Wei Hao stamped the ground.
I had to head urgently to the Dragon Lord’s Lair.
And so, Guardians and Destroyers began converging on a single location.

* * *

It was scorching.
Han Yu-sung felt a heat that seemed to burn through his entire body.
And it was real.

Whoooosh!
Boom!

Embers fell beside Han Yu-sung as he evaded the massive halberd.
I condensed mana into my blade and spun my body in a wide arc.
Sword energy spiraled outward from my center, engulfing my enemies.

Crunch, crunch, crunch!
Crack, crack, crack…!

The skeletons’ bodies were cleaved apart by the sword energy.
But unlike ordinary skeletons, they were covered entirely in sharp, tooth-like protrusions.
They were called “Dragon Fang Soldiers”—constructs forged from the teeth of dragons.
They must have been stationed to block unauthorized intruders, but as the ages passed and they fell into disrepair, they even tried to stop the Hatchling, born of the Dragon Lord’s fate.

“Monsters and Dragon Fang Soldiers. A lair burning on all sides. How spectacular.”

Han Yu-sung was currently in the Dragon Lord’s Lair.
The Lair was a vast cavern riddled with countless corridors.
One peculiarity stood out: lava flowed through the cavern.
The tremendous heat radiating from the lava surged forward like a living force, threatening to consume any intruder.

[Whimpering at mere heat? How disappointing! You are my sworn covenant-bearer. Just as you command the scorching flames of war….]
“Then grant me a blessing related to flame resistance before you lecture me.”
[U-ugh….]

Han Yu-sung wiped the sweat from his brow and surveyed his surroundings.
The monsters and dragon soldiers he had slain lay scattered in all directions.
The interior of the Dragon Lord’s Lair was so densely packed with monsters and dragon soldiers that he had lost count of how many battles he had endured.

“A tedious dungeon. Though I suppose there is one saving grace….”

Han Yu-sung glanced at the Hatchling hovering before him.
Its eyes were glazed over, as if drawn by something, advancing deeper into the Lair of its own accord.

“At least this creature knows the way.”
[Whether it truly knows or merely stumbles forward blindly….]
“I choose to believe the former.”

The Red Hatchling was born to the destiny of becoming a Dragon Lord.
And this Lair was a place prepared for such beings. Perhaps even on a first visit, it instinctively knew where to go.
That would make things considerably easier.
If not, I would deal with it when the time came.

[The Hatchling is moving.]
“Yes, it seems we’ve reached the midpoint at least.”
[We must have descended quite far by now. That much is certain.]
“Likely so. The pace is slower than I’d prefer, though.”

Han Yu-sung followed the Hatchling deeper.
He expanded his predator’s senses and glanced behind him.
He detected the presence of players not far behind—closer than expected.
And their auras were quite formidable.

“So pursuers have caught my trail after all….”

Whether they’re Guardians or Destroyers, I can’t tell.
Given the distance, a collision inside the Dragon Lord’s Lair is highly probable.
Even if they are Guardians, that doesn’t mean they’re friendly to us—I should assume both are enemies.
A smile crossed Han Yu-sung’s lips as he considered this.
It doesn’t matter who comes or when we clash.

[What will you do?]
“Simple. Kill them and move on. I need to find a suitable place to fight.”

Han Yu-sung kicked off the ground.
He and Hatchling vanished into the seething depths of the Dragon Lord’s Lair.
Like heat shimmer.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————