The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 71

—————

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 71

Han Yu-sung had made his choice.
The route with the highest difficulty level, densely populated with formidable adversaries.
Then a message materialized before his eyes.

[The Lords of the Stars wish to observe your Tower ascent. Furthermore, through the Lords, your climb will be broadcast to the players of Korea.]
[Should you succeed in your Tower ascent, you will receive the ‘price’ of viewership.]
[You may accept or refuse this request.]

Upon reading the message, Han Yu-sung’s brow furrowed.
So there would be those watching his Tower ascent with sinister intent—hardly a pleasant prospect.
However.

‘The price of viewership is probably coins.’

I was in a situation where I needed coins in multiple ways right now.

[There’s no real reason to refuse. Coins! Coins! Coins!]
“I won’t say it’s a bad idea if I think of it as a side job. I’d like to attach a condition. I want to hide the existence of my Lord—is that possible?”

[In return for permitting the broadcast, we will accept your condition.]

“I always feel this way, but we certainly understand each other well.”

Ever since my past life, the ‘System’ had proven quite flexible.
Especially when making demands of players. Often, when I fulfilled a request, it would readily grant something I asked for in return.
It was the same when I concealed my name during the ‘Night of Hunting’.

[Whenever you use abilities related to the Lord with whom you have contracted, the screens viewed by the Lord and the players will be altered.]

In that case.
There was no reason to refuse.
The fact that I had contracted with the Lord of War would eventually come to light. But I wanted to keep this hidden for as long as possible.
Kakasha needed time to accumulate strength.

“Feels more like raising a child than leading a Lord.”
[Do you even know how old this one is, you fool…?]
“Not particularly interested in knowing. More importantly….”

Han Yu-sung withdrew the Blood Soul Arena from his pocket and equipped it.

“The gloves? You said they’d be finished before entering the Tower.”
[Kufufu! The preparations are already complete, you see. Hoist!]

As Kakasha made a cheerful sound and exerted his power, a scorching aura erupted from Han Yu-sung.
The aura soon transformed into crimson flames that devoured the Dark Fire Fists from within Han Yu-sung’s pocket.
The crimson flames, which had instantly reduced the equipment to ash, naturally flowed into the Blood Soul Arena.

[The Lord’s power infuses the gloves you have equipped….]
[The Lord’s power has infused the Blood Soul Arena! Additional effects have been added!]

Hot flames flickered across the blood-stained gloves.
And I felt a strength I had never experienced before.

[Blood Soul Arena (Legendary)]
· Slot: Weapon (Gloves)
· Attack Power: 180.
· Strength +8, Combat-type Skill Damage +30%.
· Attack Power +5%, Critical Strike Chance +5%, Armor Penetration +5%. This effect strengthens each time blood is absorbed, stacking up to 6 times maximum.
· These gloves can have their attack power enhanced by infusing blood each time the owner reaches a certain level. (Maximum Level: 80.)
· The blessing of the Lord of War is imbued within. Should the Lord’s oath-sworn offer a sacrifice, these gloves shall be enhanced to Mythic grade.

A conditional enhancement effect had been added to the Blood Soul Arena.
Han Yu-sung’s expression grew suspicious.
After all, Wei Hao had offered an enormous amount of coins and life force as sacrifices.

“You’re not planning to take my life force too, are you?”
[What do you take this one for? Such things are unnecessary. Coins! And wars that are a joy merely to witness! You need only continue to entertain this one!]
“How do I activate it?”
[G-Gasp, to activate the blessing, coins are required….]

In truth, the Blood Soul Arena was an exceptional piece of equipment.
Judging by its effects alone, it possessed performance comparable to Mythic-grade gloves.
Though I wore an ambiguous expression, I was inwardly satisfied that I could now use the Blood Soul Arena far more effectively.

“Well then, since I’ve gathered everything I need, shall we begin?”

Moments later, a message appeared announcing entry into the Tower.
Below it was a timer, its numbers counting down in real time.
When that number finally reached zero.

Whoooosh!

My vision transformed.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself summoned into an arena of unknown location.
Like the Lobby, it was an arena drenched in blood on all sides.
And there, waiting for me, was someone.

“A challenger has arrived.”

It was a middle-aged man clad in a crimson long robe.
A man whose wild, unkempt hair left a striking impression. He leaned against a long blade planted in the ground, his eyes closed.
Soon the man slowly opened his eyes.
Blood-shot pupils fixed their gaze upon me.

“I am Jeok Il-san. I won’t waste words.”

Shing!
The man, Jeok Il-san, rose to his feet.
From the blade he drew forth, a crimson aura rippled like blood itself.

“I will test whether you are worthy to ascend this Tower.”

Jeok Il-san twisted his body and unleashed a tremendous sword strike.
A crimson sword aura erupted from the blade’s edge.
Tearing through the empty air, the aura split into two in an instant, each tracing a different trajectory as they descended upon me.

Boom!

The moment the strikes connected with my body, a cloud of dust erupted, obscuring my vision.

Shhhhh…!

Jeok Il-san readied himself to unleash another blade strike.
There was no way he’d died from a single blow. He would immediately follow up with successive strikes to shred him into pieces, then close in for the kill.
The moment he prepared to fire the blade energy—

Whoooosh!

A violent gale swept through the space.
The thick dust that had billowed up scattered in an instant, and through it came Han Yu-sung, transformed into a fierce wind, charging forward.
Jeok Il-san fired his blade strike as if he’d anticipated this.
But it never reached Han Yu-sung.

Whoosh— Crash!

‘Fast.’

Han Yu-sung had accelerated even further.
It was the effect of the item, Speedster.
Han Yu-sung evaded the incoming blade strike with movements like drifting clouds while accelerating forward.
A crimson gale descended upon Jeok Il-san in an instant.

‘No weapon. A martial artist, then. If so….’

Jeok Il-san remained unflustered, tracking Han Yu-sung’s movements.
A long saber infused with blade energy shot forth along that trajectory. The blade flew at a distance where Han Yu-sung would struggle to evade, aimed with precision at his heart.
Han Yu-sung clenched his fist.

‘It doesn’t matter what I do. My range is overwhelmingly superior.’

The blade would pierce his heart before the fist could reach Jeok Il-san.
But Han Yu-sung’s target was never Jeok Il-san to begin with.
Without hesitation, he drove his fist toward the incoming blade.
The moment Jeok Il-san’s brow furrowed at this incomprehensible action—

Crack!

“…!”

Crimson flames bloomed from Han Yu-sung’s fist.
More precisely, they erupted from the Blood Soul Arena he wore.
The flames consumed the Blood Soul Arena, transforming the gauntlet in an instant.

A deep, resonant boom echoed out!

‘So heavy.’

Fist and blade collided.
Jeok Il-san’s eyes widened at the weighty sensation transmitted through his sword.
His blade, wreathed in sword energy that could cleave anything asunder, was merely stopped by a fist!
More precisely, the gauntlet enveloped in flames was blocking his blade.
And in the very next instant.

A sharp, cutting sound tore through the air!

The blood wind compressed within the fist was released.

Blood Wind Chain Shatter.

But its form and power differed from his usual technique.
The inferno clinging to the Blood Soul Arena began to coil around the released blood wind.
Scorching flames and blood wind that tore flesh merged together.

A roaring inferno erupted!

“Ugh, gahhhhh…!”

It engulfed Jeok Il-san’s entire body in an instant.
The blood wind shredded his flesh, and the flames seared his skin.
Blood scattered in all directions, boiling under the intense heat.
A flash of blood light—Blood Flash—struck his chest with devastating force.
Blood poured from his mouth, and his movements froze momentarily.

A sharp cracking sound!

Successive Flame Consecutive followed immediately.
A leg wreathed in blade-like flames relentlessly drove him back before a long saber came crashing down.

‘I blocked the sword’s movement. What comes next….’

The martial arts technique I’d glimpsed moments before.
Crimson energy surged from Jeok Il-san’s hands as he made his rapid assessment.
Though I favored the blade, I was hardly unskilled in hand-to-hand combat.
I needed to deflect the incoming attack and seize an opportunity for a counteroffensive.
That was my calculation.

Then came a soft rustling sound….

“….”

It didn’t take long before I realized my judgment had been catastrophically wrong.
Shadows erupted from all directions.
In an instant, those shadows transformed into countless blades, all converging on me from every angle.
I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“Magic. I didn’t anticipate that.”

Thwack—!

The shadow blades pierced through me in unison.

“Does this qualify?”
“…Heh.”

Han Yu-sung stood before me, asking the question.
His answer to whether I had the qualifications to ascend the Tower.
A bitter smile played at the corners of my mouth.

“Magnificent.”

Slice—!

A shadow blade severed my neck.
My body dissolved into droplets of blood and vanished, as did my blade.
Han Yu-sung brushed the blood from his hand and gazed into the void.

[Your level has increased by 2 stages.]
[You have successfully defeated an exceptional powerhouse.]
[You have satisfied the activation condition for your unique ability, ‘Divine Descent’.]
[As an additional reward, your Strength increases by +2 and your Fighting Spirit increases by +2!]

A formidable opponent, certainly, but ultimately just an enemy from the first floor.
Yet they possessed strength enough to satisfy the conditions for Divine Descent.
I should be able to continue earning additional rewards as I climb higher.

‘It feels like I’ve struck gold.’

And there was something else.

[You have cleared the ‘Formidable Foe’ floor.]
[You receive ‘Blood Relic’ as a reward!]

A reward exclusive to the Tower of Blood Demon materialized before me.
A Blood Relic.
A blade stained crimson materialized in the empty air.

[Bloodthirsty Blade (Unique)]
· A 【Blood Relic】 that can only be used within the Tower of Blood Demon.
· Attack Power +50, Attack Speed +10%.
· Attack Power increases by +10 for each floor climbed. Exceptionally, when clearing a ‘Formidable Foe’ floor, Attack Power increases by +20.

It was a growth-type item whose effects activated even without equipping it.
In towers, such special items occasionally appear depending on the mechanics. And these items prove invaluable when conquering the tower.
Han Yu-sung placed the Bloodthirsty Blade into his pocket.

“I have even more reason to clear the Formidable Foe floors now.”
[Choose the next floor quickly, Covenant Bearer. Do you not see the flames dwelling in your gauntlets growing dim?]

Han Yu-sung glanced down at his gauntlets at Kakasha’s rebuke.
Just as she said, the flames that had been blazing from the gauntlets had grown weaker than before.

[Crimson Flame Blood Soul Arena (Mythic)]
· Slot: Weapon (Gauntlets)
· Attack Power: 300.
· Strength +15, Martial Arts Skill Damage +40%.
· Attack Power +10%, Critical Strike Chance +5%, Armor Penetration +5%. This effect strengthens with each blood absorption, stacking up to 6 times maximum.
· When using Fist Technique skills, grants ‘Flame’ attribute and reinforces the gauntlets. Additionally, worsens wounds inflicted by the flames on enemies.
· 【Prominence】 Enhancement, Flame Attribute Enhancement +30%.
· The blessing of the 【Lord of War】 has activated, strengthening the item. While conditions are met, the blessing’s duration continuously increases.

This was the result of absorbing and reinforcing the blessing dwelling within the Dark Flame Fist.
When the flames extinguish, the blessing vanishes as well.
The condition for maintenance was simple: endless combat.
And that was far too easy for me.

[You may advance to the next floor.]
[Another ‘formidable opponent’ awaits you.]
[Will you proceed?]

The route Han Yu-sung had chosen was one brimming with combat.
He nodded without hesitation.

“Six hours, was it?”

After six hours passed, other players would gain the authority to enter the Tower.
Naturally, Han Yu-sung had no intention of sharing the Tower’s rewards.

“I must finish quickly.”

So I would end it before then.
Han Yu-sung’s form transformed into light and vanished as he advanced to the next floor.

—————

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

—————