The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 70

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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 70

I had lost my home.
It sounds absurd, but that’s what happened.
Staying any longer would yield nothing but trouble, and lingering would only invite unnecessary complications—so I decided it was better to find a new place to settle.

‘In hindsight, I should have left long ago.’

The space was cramped, noisy, and offered no real security.
I should have found a new residence ages ago, but the familiar comfort and nostalgia I felt after so long kept me rooted here—and that became my undoing.
Now the question was how to find a new place.

“Maybe I’ll put in a request with the Black Market.”
[They handle real estate too? They really do everything.]
“Well, criminals use the place anyway.”

The Black Market.
It was primarily frequented by criminals because it specialized in disposing of stolen goods that couldn’t be listed on the Dimensional Auction House.
As a result, the Black Market also arranged hideouts for those who needed them.
The prices were steep, of course, but they guaranteed a certain level of security.

[Not a bad idea. Hmm, wait… I’m remembering something. Real estate, hideouts, homes…]

Kakasha grabbed Han Yu-sung just as he was about to head to the Black Market.
The Lord of War whined like a hungry dog before something clicked in her mind.

[Aha! I remember now! I possess hideouts! Though I can’t be certain they’re still intact…]
“Hideouts? Now that you mention it, you were a Lord with considerable power.”
[Ahem, the epithet ‘War’ isn’t given to just anyone. In my prime, I had buildings serving me across the world! I owned properties everywhere!]
“And now?”
[…]

Kakasha fell silent at my question.

[That… I’d rather not talk about it.]
“I imagine so.”

There would be nothing left.
The pathetic fate of a fallen Lord. The building that once served Kakasha would have been seized, and the same applied to all her real estate holdings.
However, there was a possibility that hideouts like these might remain.

[I have hidden places stashed away. They’re well-secured and kept clean inside. I suspect at least one of them might have survived…]
“We can search for them. At least one should be intact.”
[Mm, I shall guide you there myself!]

After that, Han Yu-sung searched for hideouts following Kakasha’s guidance.
Several of them were destroyed. The Sworn Servants of War must have been discovered while hiding there and destroyed them.
Fortunately, there were some hideouts that remained intact, and among them was a decent one.

[This one is in perfect condition. Kuhehe, what do you think?]
“Not bad. What about security?”
[The blessings I commissioned from another Lord are still holding up. The barriers and magic as well… Hmm, this is quite excellent.]

Since it was a hideout, it wasn’t particularly large, but it was a two-story countryside house suitable enough for living alone.

“I can stay here for a while. No one would come looking, right?”
[Who would come looking? My sworn servants? Hmm…]
“You said there were no surviving sworn servants?”
[It’s not that there are none at all. However, all those who could be of real strength are dead. As for those who remain… well, they’ll likely break their contracts soon enough.]

What could sworn servants do when their Lord had fallen?
It seemed there weren’t absolutely no remaining sworn servants. Since they didn’t particularly want to maintain the contract anyway, it would break soon as she said.
Han Yu-sung brushed the dust off the chair.

“In essence, I’m the only Sworn Servant of War left.”
[You may think of it that way.]

Han Yu-sung sat in the chair, lost in thought.
I had made a covenant with Kakasha, the Lord of War.
A covenant with the terms that in exchange for taking revenge on Achiros and making Kakasha into an even stronger Lord, she would obey me absolutely.

‘It wouldn’t be bad to increase the number of Sworn Servants of War.’

A Lord exerts absolute influence over their sworn servants.
However, Kakasha was in a situation where she obeyed Han Yu-sung because of the covenant.
This meant I could wield that absolute influence instead.

‘The Sworn Servants of Justice obey their Lord absolutely, but among themselves they constantly scheme for power and favor.’

I could nip such troublesome matters in the bud beforehand.
Once I established a solid foundation, expanding the Sworn Servants of War wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Of course, I had no intention of accepting just anyone.

“I’ll only take those who can truly become assets to my strength.”
[Huh? What are you muttering about by yourself?]
“You don’t need to know. You’ll find out eventually anyway.”
[Uh… okay?]

What good would it do to tell a Lord obsessed with coins beforehand?
Han Yu-sung leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply.
Whatever it was, it could wait. Recruiting Sworn Servants was something to consider only after establishing a proper foundation.
For now, my priority was conquering the Tower.

“For now, let me rest a bit.”
[Rest in this dusty pit? Wouldn’t it be better to clean up and sleep? Sworn Servant, are you listening to me?]

Han Yu-sung ignored the chattering Kakasha and closed his eyes.

* * *

Three days passed as promised.
The moment those three days elapsed, a Tower erupted across South Korea.
In Seocho District, Seoul. The mountain teeming with monsters trembled violently. Then the earth split open, and through the fissure, a colossal Tower rose skyward.
The monsters stared blankly at the Tower that had suddenly emerged.

– Kiii, kiiiiii?
– Kkirik, krrrgh…?

It was a grotesque structure.
A Tower that appeared to be woven from the flesh and skin of living creatures.
Blood continuously streamed down its exterior, defiling the surrounding earth.
A crimson aura flowed endlessly from the Tower. Monsters touched by this energy either fled in terror or descended into madness, thrashing wildly.

[A Tower of Blood Demon rises in South Korea.]
[This tower was conceived by the wanderer, Blood Demon.]
[Only Korean players may challenge this tower. Furthermore, the enemies within will have their levels adjusted to match the challenger’s level. However, they will not fall below level 100.]
[Players who successfully complete the challenge will receive substantial rewards.]

The tower’s name was the Tower of Blood Demon.
A name befitting its grotesque appearance.
As the tower materialized, countless people converged upon the site.
Journalists, government and guild officials, and players alike.

“We can enter too, right?”
“Well, we might as well give it a try…?”

The hesitant players began cautiously attempting to enter the tower.
But then.

[Entry to the tower is not permitted.]
[Han Yu-sung, the player who unlocked this tower as a reward from the trial, has been granted the exclusive right to clear it first.]
[Other players may enter after 6 hours have passed.]

The system barred the players from entering.
It was a privilege granted only to Han Yu-sung, who had brought the Tower of Blood Demon to Korea.
The players cursed under their breath as they gazed up at the tower.

“Damn it, what kind of privilege is this…?”
“How many floors does it have? From the outside, it looks like quite a lot of levels.”
“Has there ever been a case of clearing a tower within 6 hours? When you think about it that way, it doesn’t seem like such a severe penalty.”
“No, there hasn’t. Towers generally have high difficulty.”

There were players whose lives had changed after successfully clearing a tower.
One didn’t need to reach the very top. Towers had intermediate floors where one could exit.
Even reaching those floors granted tremendous rewards.
It was only natural that players were eager to enter the tower.

“Tch, a tower appears after so long!”
“Once 6 hours pass, we enter immediately. Everyone prepare!”
“Can we reach Han Yu-sung? What is he doing right now?”
“We’re looking into it now.”

It had been a long time since a Tower appeared in Korea.
Naturally, the eyes of all Players turned toward it.
From high-level Players to low-level ones, everyone.
And among them.

“Han Yu-sung….”

Lee Su-ho, a Sworn Servant of Justice, was included as well.
He was examining a screen floating in the air. The screen was densely filled with information related to Han Yu-sung.
It was what the other Sworn Servants of Justice had discovered.

“Based on the information, it seems he’s a newcomer who awakened not long ago.”
“Yes. While not certain, considering the timing of his appearance, it’s reasonable to conclude he awakened relatively recently.”
“How intriguing.”

The subordinates at Lee Su-ho’s side reported what they had discovered.
The information he was viewing now was also what they had uncovered.

“Have you determined which Lord he contracted with?”
“My apologies, sir. We haven’t been able to ascertain that yet. The variety of abilities he uses makes it difficult to identify.”
“It appears he wields swords, martial arts, magic, and flames as well.”
“Flames, flames you say….”

He wielded flames.
The moment I heard that, a certain Lord came to mind.
A Lord who had been completely ruined after her defeat to the Lord of Justice.

“Surely, that can’t be the case.”

The Lord of War came to mind, but the possibility was virtually nonexistent.
There was no way a Lord who had completely lost her power would have raised such a Player.
Even from a Player’s perspective, there was no reason to contract with her.
There would be many Lords offering better terms, making it nothing but a loss.
The Player might even have to nurture the Lord in return.

“Investigate all Lords with potential contracts. If it’s a Lord without a title, we could even seize the contract ourselves.”
“Understood. The Lord of Justice will be delighted to hear this.”

And it would also help Lee Su-ho’s position.
Lee Su-ho’s current standing isn’t bad. It’s unfortunate that he missed the Lord of War, but things have gone smoothly since then, solidifying his position.
Moreover, the God’s Trials that have opened recently aren’t ones he needs to participate in, so he’s even had room to grow.

“I’m not far from level 200, so I should tackle a tower for once. Recruit personnel to clear the Tower of Blood Demon.”
“Yes, Lee Su-ho.”

Lee Su-ho and his subordinates weren’t considering the possibility that Han Yu-sung would clear the tower in six hours.
It couldn’t be helped. The timeframe was simply too short.
Still, he would be quite far ahead.
But I could certainly catch up to him.

“Blood Demon… I’m curious what rewards it will offer.”

Lee Su-ho smiled faintly, anticipating the tower’s rewards.

* * *

The eyes of every player in Korea turned toward the Tower of Blood Demon.
The Lords of the Stars were no exception. Who was this player Han Yu-sung, and could he truly clear the tower in six hours?
If he failed, who would they send to clear the tower?
Countless thoughts crossed their minds.

“Did he really need to make such a spectacle of being the Blood Demon?”

The man himself, Han Yu-sung, stood in the Lobby of the tower’s first floor.
It was a grotesque sight, with blood cascading from the ceiling like a waterfall.
Sticky fragments of flesh scattered across the walls and floor.

[Truly, a tower brimming with poor taste.]
“It seems the tower is desperate to flaunt that it’s the Blood Demon.”
[I share that sentiment.]

Han Yu-sung sighed and walked forward.
In the center of the blood-stained Lobby stood a massive map.
As I approached it, a lengthy message appeared.

[This tower was conceived by the Wanderer, the Blood Demon.]
[It is a tower composed of the Blood Demon and the devotees who once followed him, and they possess a nature that pursues combat in the most extreme manner.]
[According to their nature, the Tower of Blood Demon is also structured around combat. There are no mazes filled with traps.]
[Reach the highest floor by enduring brutal and merciless battles. The highest floor boasts tremendous difficulty, so consider carefully.]
[Whether to challenge the highest floor, or to give up and retreat.]
[Good luck.]

It was a message that briefly explained what kind of tower this was.
On the surface it seemed like the worst, but the tower’s structure itself was arranged exactly as Han Yu-sung had hoped.

‘Still, the Blood Demon…’

There was only one thing that bothered me—the Wanderer, the Blood Demon.
I had never directly encountered him in my past life. But I knew just how eccentric this transcendent being called the Blood Demon truly was.
A tower conceived by him would not be ordinary.

[A simple tower indeed. All I need to do is win the battles on each floor and reach the highest level, is that not so?]
“That would be the case. I quite like that there are no mazes.”

Han Yu-sung had conquered several towers in his past life.
The worst of them had been a tower where every floor consisted of complex mazes. Mazes filled with all manner of traps and gimmicks.
It was a tower I never wished to conquer again.
In comparison, the Tower of Blood Demon was manageable.

[Please select your ascent route.]

The map displayed the routes leading to the highest floor.
However, the area near the highest floor was obscured by something like mist, so I could not determine exactly how many floors this tower had or where the highest floor was located.
Still, each floor had a keyword written on it.

‘Normal, Formidable, Reward, Trade, Incident, Maintenance, Boss.’

Words that briefly described what kind of floor each one was.
Floors marked as Normal would spawn relatively ordinary monsters, while floors marked as Formidable would spawn powerful adversaries.
Naturally, Formidable floors would offer superior rewards compared to Normal ones.

[The Tower of Blood Demon contains 【Blood Relics】. These items can be obtained as rewards for conquering each floor.]
[Each 【Blood Relic】 possesses different effects and will strengthen you while you remain in the tower.]
[The higher the floor’s difficulty, the stronger and more special the effects of the 【Blood Relics】 you can obtain.]
[Remember this well. Only by collecting sufficient 【Blood Relics】 and discovering the optimal combination can you defeat the enemy on the highest floor.]

Should I ascend by choosing relatively safer floors?
Or should I ascend by choosing difficult floors? It’s one or the other.
The former offers easier difficulty but fewer 【Blood Relics】 and weaker effects. The latter would be precisely the opposite.

[Which route will you choose?]
“I already know.”

The map displayed several routes.
Among them were easy routes and moderately difficult ones.
And exactly one.

“There’s no other choice.”

There was a route with an unusually high concentration of 【Formidable Foe】 floors.
It was as if 【Formidable Foe】 floors had replaced where 【Normal】 floors should have been. Of all the routes, this one had the most 【Formidable Foe】 floors.
Han Yu-sung selected that route without the slightest hesitation.
The risk was substantial, but the returns would match it.
And above all.

“This will be exhilarating.”
[This one pleases me as well!]

It was the route that most appealed to my tastes.
I clenched my fists, awaiting the battles to come.
Savoring the quickening rhythm of my heartbeat.

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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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