The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 78

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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 78

What kind of player was Han Yu-sung?
No one could answer this question with certainty.
He was a player who preferred to move alone, and since he had only recently come into prominence, there were few who knew anything about him.
And so.

[Player Han Yu-sung has cleared the Tower of Blood Demon that appeared in South Korea. Having fulfilled its purpose, the Tower of Blood Demon crumbles.]

When this message appeared, everyone was shocked.
The time it took to clear was approximately four hours.
That was fast—far too fast. It was the shortest time among all towers cleared to date.
He had literally set a new record.

“…W-wasn’t the tower perhaps too easy?”
“You watched the entire clear live, and you’re saying that?”
“I-I apologize.”

Lee Kang-hyuk, vice-director of the Player Alliance, rebuked his subordinate.
It was a reasonable thought. If a tower could be cleared in four hours, wasn’t the difficulty too low? Wasn’t the tower too small?
But everyone knew because they had watched the entire clear live.
Who the enemies Han Yu-sung had faced were.
And.

[KRRAAAAAAAGH!]

How powerful the enemy on the Top Floor had been.
The Blood Demon.
An enemy consumed by madness, endlessly regenerating itself and pressing forward.
Its regenerative power was horrifying, and each of its techniques was equally horrifying.
It was powerful enough to kill an ordinary player in a single strike.
In fact, Han Yu-sung himself had been driven to the brink of death.

“What a… relentless creature….”

I simply overcame it by regenerating like the Blood Demon.
It was a battle so brutal and merciless that it transcended mere despair. I regenerated my arm that had been severed by sword energy and counterattacked, advanced forward while regenerating my crushed leg.
Lee Sung-ah, who had been watching the spectacle, clicked her tongue.
The other players felt the same way.

[Where did that regeneration ability come from? Is it a unique ability?]
[Who knows. Maybe he got it from the Tower? Well, with an ability like that, even I could clear it. Just fight while regenerating, right?]
[Are you seriously saying that?]

Various opinions circulated through domestic and international Player Community forums.
Some said it outright.
With such an overwhelmingly powerful regeneration ability, wouldn’t it be easy?
But those players who had experienced real combat understood the truth.

[Regeneration isn’t invincibility. If you take damage severe enough that you can’t regenerate, that’s the end. That monster called the Blood Demon is capable of exactly that. Moreover, the terrible pain you feel with each regeneration never disappears.]
[That’s right. At least I….]

A battle where a single misstep meant death.
With each attack from the enemy, my arms were torn off, my legs flew away, my bones shattered, my organs burst open.
Regeneration would restore me, certainly.
But the horrific agony felt in that process remained unchanged.
In a battle of that intensity, nearly every player would have their spirit utterly broken.

[I have no confidence I could fight that way.]

In the live broadcast, a glimpse of Han Yu-sung’s face appeared.
What surfaced on that face was a smile brimming with competitive spirit, bordering on wild laughter.
There was no way to have confidence fighting while enjoying such brutality.
The acrobatic-like combat that followed was even more so.

“Madman….”

Lee Sung-ah, watching the battle, clicked her tongue.
Han Yu-sung was fighting by evading the Blood Demon’s absurdly powerful attacks, and deflecting those he couldn’t avoid.
At some point, the tide of battle had reversed.
Now Han Yu-sung was pushing the Blood Demon back unilaterally.

“Lee Sung-ah. Is this the sight you witnessed in God’s Trial?”
“Ugh, I’d rather not recall those memories… It’s somewhat different. Back then, there was no Destroyer capable of opposing that person.”
“So you’re saying you’ve never seen a one-on-one battle like that before.”
“That’s right. However….”

The battle had ended.
Han Yu-sung overwhelmed the Blood Demon and pierced through its heart.
With the Blood Demon’s severed neck, death came, and the live broadcast ceased.

“It’s not that surprising, really.”

Lee Sung-ah muttered softly while gazing at the darkened screen.
It was a battle difficult to believe even with her own eyes, but the one she witnessed in God’s Trial had been no different.
Perhaps that’s why the shock was lessened.
Now, rather than astonishment, doubt crept in.

‘How is a Player who only recently awakened capable of such a thing?’

It was a question anyone who witnessed the battle could not help but ponder.
And in a distant place, another harbored a different question.

[Is it a mistake? No, no. No matter how I look at it… it’s right.]

The Realm of the Dead—a place the living dare not approach.
Its master, the Star Lord, was reviewing the broadcast that had gone dark.
What she saw was Han Yu-sung fighting the Blood Demon.
Familiar. I’ve seen this before somewhere.
The Star Lord remembering a mere human?
It was inevitable.

[That human from the Colossus Advance—that shadow….]

The Lord of the Dead.
The human who had inflicted great humiliation upon her.
One cannot forget a human who wounded such lofty pride.
After all, had she not sworn to remember him herself?
She replayed the broadcast countless times, and soon her certainty solidified.

[I found him.]

The Lord of the Dead laughed aloud.
A horrifying laugh that sent chills down the spine merely from hearing it.

* * *

Han Yu-sung rested in the Safe House for some time.
Kakasha’s Safe House was located in the Seoul Outskirts. There was a mountain nearby, and monsters occasionally emerged from it, so it was a place people avoided.
Thanks to this, I could spend my days in peace and quiet.

“Continuously regenerating while fighting isn’t exactly a sustainable approach.”

My body had sustained severe damage.
I had slept for two straight days without being able to move an inch.
Even so, my condition hadn’t fully recovered, but continuing to lie in bed was reaching its limit.

[Mmm, ugh… Grrrrgh….]

Above all, Kakasha’s groaning in my head was becoming a distraction.
I let out a sigh.

“Kakasha? Did you find anything unusual?”
[Grgh, nothing at all. I’m frustrated there’s nothing….]
“Frustrated there’s nothing? You….”
[If there had been something, I would have burned it to ash with my power!]

Before going to sleep, I had given Kakasha a task.
It was to investigate the Rusty Sword.
Since it was a gift from the Blood Demon, I was concerned whether there might be some hidden trick involved.
I couldn’t simply accept a gift from the Wanderer without caution.

[Sigh, what a shame. It’s similar to the Crimson Flame Blood Soul Arena that I created for you. It’s a sword that grows stronger and increases in rank once it absorbs sufficient blood.]
“So it becomes a Mythic-grade sword.”
[Well, it’s merely speculation. But I suspect that the Wanderer gave you the sword he once wielded in the past.]
“He’s being remarkably generous. Uncomfortably so, even.”

Whether the Wanderer truly took a liking to me, or if there was another reason behind it.
Of course, it could be the former.

[When a tower is chosen by its architect, great rewards befall that lord. The Wanderer is hardly an exception to this rule….]
“You must have lined your pockets well. Did you give it out of generosity?”
[Well, it’s not entirely impossible.]

I grasped the rusted blade in my hand.
In any case, I had obtained a Mythic-grade sword with conditions attached.
I didn’t know what scheme lay behind it, but since I’d gained something valuable, I’d have to put it to good use.
I’d acquired much from this Tower of Blood Demon.
Items aside, my level had grown most of all.

[Han Yu-sung (Affiliation: Earth, South Korea (B-Rank))]
· Level: 90
· Class: Soulless Warrior
· Unique Ability: Divine Descent (EX)
· Strength: 209(+22) · Agility: 209(+35) · Endurance: 200(+13)
· Mana: 77(+37) · Will: 107

My status window displayed growth that defied reason in such a short span.
It was the fruit of relentless battles against formidable foes throughout the Tower of Blood Demon.
As I studied my status window, I noticed something peculiar.

“Why is the Agility bonus unusually high?”

My Agility bonus had reached 35.
Did I possess an item that granted such a boost?
As I pondered, I suddenly realized I had forgotten about one item.

[Radiant Fang of Predation (Legendary)]
· Slot: None.
· Attack Power +150, Agility +20, Physical Skill Cast Speed +20%.
· 【Predation】 can be used. Each time a powerful enemy is devoured, Attack Power increases by +5, Agility by +1, and Physical Skill Cast Speed by 1%.
· Predation Stacks: 15/15.
· When all stacks are filled, the item is enhanced to ‘Mythic’ grade.

The Radiant Fang of Predation.
Somehow, I had filled all the stacks.
It must have been completed within the Tower of Blood Demon. I’d fought relentlessly against powerful enemies throughout.
I hadn’t even noticed I’d filled all the stacks while sleeping for two days straight.
I gazed upon the Fang of Predation, and as if the item had finally noticed me, it began to emit an intense radiance.

[You have filled all stacks of 【Brilliant Fangs of Predation】.]
[Conditions met. The item has been enhanced to Mythic grade.]

An unexpected harvest had materialized.
Or rather, a harvest I had stashed away and forgotten about.
The Fangs of Predation, engulfed in radiant light, transformed, and soon the result appeared before me.

[Mark of the Predator (Mythic)]
· Slot: None.
· Attack Power +200, Agility +30, Physical Skill Cast Speed +20%.
· Can activate 【Night of the Hunt】. When this option is used, marks are left on nearby enemies. Enemies bearing the mark have their defense reduced by 15%, and take additional damage with each attack.
· When marked enemies are defeated, minor wounds regenerate, and Attack Power, Agility, and Speed increase by up to +30%.

This was the moment I obtained my third Mythic-grade item.
If I counted conditional Mythic grades, it was the fifth.
Considering that even ordinary players struggle to obtain a single Mythic-grade item, the number was absurd.
And the effects were exceptional.

“Area-wide defense penetration. My favorite option by far.”

Activating the Night of the Hunt effect granted unconditional area-wide defense penetration. On top of that, additional damage.
The effects generated when dealing with marked enemies were merely a bonus.
I felt that I had gained much from this Tower.

‘Level 100 isn’t far off now.’

I closed my status window and reflected.
Only ten levels remained until I reached level 100.
Yet the path ahead was still long.

‘At this point, Lee Su-ho should be around level 200.’

It was around this time that he had made grand announcements about surpassing level 200.
Currently, judging purely by stats, I was comparable to players in the 130s and 140s. But when compared to rankers like Lee Su-ho, the story was different.
Since rankers like myself boosted their stats through diverse methods, the actual gap was likely far greater.

‘Still, at this rate… it shouldn’t take long.’

The gap between me and Lee Su-ho could be closed far faster than expected.
Above all, Lee Su-ho was merely a stepping stone for me.
My true target lay beyond him—the Lord of Justice, Achiros.

[Well then, my lord. What will you do with the remaining time?]
“I’ve rested enough. Time to move.”
[Move, you say. Hmm, I think I understand your reasoning.]

Kakasha chuckled knowingly.
The time was drawing near.
There was a trial that opened during this period.
More precisely, it was a preliminary round to participate in ‘that trial’.

[The National Championship Preliminaries will be held in the near future.]
[The Korean Player Alliance is currently accepting registrations. Players wishing to participate in the preliminaries must not forget to register.]

The National Championship.
Those participating for the first time had to pass through the preliminaries.
For me as I am now, it shouldn’t be that difficult.

[Hmm, the National Championship. Has patriotism stirred within you?]
“Don’t be ridiculous. You know better than that.”

The National Championship wasn’t about patriotism.
It was about ‘National Rank’—and as I understood it, if Korea lost in this National Championship, the nation’s rank would drop by one tier.
Considering the penalties that would result, I had to prevent it regardless of patriotic sentiment.
I hadn’t managed to do so in my previous life.

“It’s daytime. Good conditions to move. Shall I go?”
[If you’re heading to the Alliance, won’t those lackeys bother you again? The ones who came by last time.]
“Probably. But I don’t care. I have no intention of joining anyway.”
[An organization that doesn’t suit you at all, it seems.]

The Korean Player Alliance and its leader, Jain, would desperately want to recruit me into their ranks.
An unaffiliated player suddenly rising to prominence.
There was no more appetizing target than that.

“It’s better to use the Alliance than to join it.”
[Hmm! How cunning of you.]

The Korean Player Alliance offers decent benefits to those who join, especially talented players with proven track records.
But for me, such benefits held little meaning.
Rather than formally joining, it was better to extract concessions through cooperation agreements.
There was a certain freedom in remaining unbound.

“Beautiful weather today.”

I murmured this to myself while gazing at the sky as I walked through the streets.
Without a single cloud in sight, the heavens were remarkably clear.
In my past life, such a sight had become increasingly rare as time wore on.
As the world crumbled toward ruin, the natural environment was destroyed alongside it.
I continued walking while admiring the celestial vista.

Sssssssss….

And then it happened.
The clear sky suddenly began to darken.
Black miasma rose ceaselessly from the earth, and everything it touched withered and decayed.
Plants, animals, everything.
Witnessing this spectacle, I clicked my tongue.

[An open Difficult Realm has manifested in this area.]
[An unknown Lord has set their sights upon you….]

I understood perfectly what this phenomenon signified.
And I knew exactly who this “unknown Lord” was.

“You caught on faster than I expected, Lord of the Dead.”

An ominous laugh echoed through the empty air.
A one-sided curse had finally found me.

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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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