The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 84

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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 84

Time flowed swiftly.
I spent two days at the Safe House examining my body’s condition.
Finally, the day of the Selection Tournament arrived.

[The Selection Tournament of South Korea is beginning.]
[Review of registered players has been completed. Players who fail to meet the established criteria will have their participation automatically rejected.]
[Summoning players who meet the requirements.]

Messages materialized before my eyes.
Light enveloped my body, and I was transported to another space.
When I opened my eyes, I stood in an unfamiliar realm.

[This is the Waiting Room of the Colosseum (Lv.80~Lv.140).]
[In 10 minutes, ten Battlefields will open. Each Battlefield will merge with others when survivors fall below a certain number.]
[Ultimately, five players will be selected.]

The Waiting Room impressed with its medieval architectural style.
I was not alone in the Waiting Room.
Countless players filled the space—too many to count at a glance.
All appeared bewildered by the sudden summons.

“It starts in 10 minutes, right?”
“Good grief. How many people are here? How many did they cram into this Waiting Room?”
“At this rate, there must be hundreds—no, thousands of us.”

There were ten Waiting Rooms in total.
Roughly ten thousand players were participating.
It seemed small at first glance, but considering the established criteria had filtered the participants as mentioned earlier, it was certainly a substantial number.

“…What exactly is this ‘criteria’ they’re talking about?”
“I don’t know either. People who registered say it seems they reject anyone below average player level…”
“Is there some ‘average’ only the ones who created this tournament know about?”
“Then that means we’re above average. That’s not bad, is it?”

I heard the players in the Waiting Room murmuring among themselves.
I walked slowly toward the wall.

“But why only five? Aren’t ten players supposed to be selected per level?”
“Five died last time, so that’s why. They replace the dead, right? If no one dies in the National Inter-Country Tournament, the Selection Tournament gets extended without needing another round, or something like that.”
“So people can actually die. That’s terrifying….”

In the Selection Tournament, players are exempt from death.
If you die here, you simply return to reality—you don’t actually perish.
But the National Inter-Country Tournament is different. If you die there, you truly die.
Great rewards come with great risks.

“Damn it. I didn’t want to participate… but what can I do if I’m selected as a representative? Our country has never won the National Inter-Country Tournament.”
“Then don’t participate. Why did you enter in the first place?”
“Why else? Because of the Lords.”

Not every player aspires to become a national representative.
But there was no choice. If too few people participate in the Selection Tournament, the system forcibly enrolls them, just as it did in previous trials.
And besides, the Lords originally coerced their sworn followers to participate.

“Do whatever it takes to become a national representative, they say… They kept insisting I had to be selected because it would benefit them too.”
“That’s how all the minor Lords are, what can you do.”
“Be careful. They’ll have another fit if they hear that.”

Having a national representative player among one’s sworn followers.
For Lords with renown, it’s a means to display their prestige. For those without renown, it’s an opportunity to build their portfolio.
They can claim they selected and cultivated a player who became a national representative.
Minor Lords compete fiercely over player contracts, so each portfolio addition like this was invaluable.
Beyond that, the national support given to representatives was useful, and the rewards granted for victory in the National Inter-Country Tournament were excellent.

‘Most importantly, this National Inter-Country Tournament matters greatly to the Lords.’

Failure would lower the nation’s rank.
Benefits would disappear and penalties would be imposed. Lords who had invested heavily in Korea would suffer losses.
Those Lords in such a position were pushing their sworn followers.
Participate, they demanded. Return victorious.

“…Hey, look at that. Look.”
“Unless I’m seeing things, that person….”

At that moment, Han Yu-sung felt piercing gazes upon me.
They were the stares of players who had recognized who I was.
Reverence, fear, jealousy—I felt a mixture of every conceivable emotion in their eyes.

“So he’s the one who cleared that tower from the rewards this time….”
“Wasn’t his name Han Yu-sung? I saw him on the live broadcast.”
“Isn’t he a monster? The way he fought was absolutely insane.”

I could hear the players conversing among themselves.
Most of their talk revolved around me.
How I fought brutally in the Tower of Blood Demon, how I performed impossibly in God’s Trial.
The Destroyers who faced me there were still undergoing psychiatric treatment.
And apparently, I was the one who resolved the Night of Hunting as well….

[Tch, such talkative fools. Buzzing around like flies—it’s irritating.]
“Tell me about it.”

There was nothing particularly strange about it.
Those participating in the Selection Tournament harbored ambitions to compete in the National Inter-Country Tournament, desires to seize the benefits that came with it.
How would Han Yu-sung appear to such people?
Needless to say, I would be their most formidable rival.

“How should we handle that guy? In a one-on-one….”
“If we look at how he fought the Blood Demon in the tower, we probably can’t beat him.”
“Then it wouldn’t be one-on-one….”

And how to dispose of that formidable rival.
In truth, there was nothing to deliberate about.
It was far too predictable.

[Those fools are scheming something. Will you be alright?]
“I know. Well, it’s obvious anyway.”

Han Yu-sung leaned against the wall with an indifferent expression.
I glanced around, but there were no worthy opponents in this Waiting Room.
Whatever these players were scheming was far too transparent.
But without some scheme like that, the Selection Tournament wouldn’t be entertaining, would it?

“Let him do as he wishes.”
[Confidence or arrogance—it was hard to say which.]

Han Yu-sung closed his eyes, ignoring Kakasha’s grumbling.
The sounds around him faded into distance. I focused my mind in preparation for the Selection Tournament to come, sharpening my nerves to the edge of a blade.
And not long after.

[Ten minutes have elapsed.]
[You are being summoned to Battlefield 6. Prepare for combat.]

That voice echoed, and I was transported to an unfamiliar space once more.
Han Yu-sung opened his eyes.
Before me stretched a vast Circular Arena.
In the countless spectator seats, the eyes of the Lords gleamed with intensity.

[I didn’t notice this when I was sitting in the audience, but… seeing it from here is quite terrifying. Why do they open their eyes so wide like that?]

Han Yu-sung shared the same thought.
The sight of disembodied eyes floating in the spectator seats was profoundly eerie.
Moreover, their numbers were multiplying in real time.

[This Selection Tournament is being broadcast to the Lords and throughout Korea.]
[Remember this: the greater the attention drawn to your Battlefield, the stronger your rewards will be upon the Selection Tournament’s conclusion.]

Han Yu-sung gazed at the message with an indifferent expression.
Every time I saw something like this, I felt like a circus performer—and I didn’t much care for it.

‘Still, considering the rewards, it’s not bad.’

[The Lords’ attention is converging on Battlefield 6.]
[The fervor of Battlefield 6 intensifies…]

Such a message appeared.
Why did the Lords keep gathering at this Battlefield?
The answer was obvious.

[They’ve come to see you, haven’t they?]
‘Probably. You stay hidden. We can’t let you be discovered.’
[It seems I’ve become an existence that cannot be revealed…]

Anything related to Kakasha shouldn’t be used.
It was a kind of restriction, but honestly, it didn’t matter much.

‘I didn’t need to use it anyway.’

I surveyed Battlefield 6.
Players were checking each other’s movements. But not all of them were doing so. Rather, I could see groups of players banding together.
They were probably players who knew each other.
And such groups existed around me as well.

[The match will begin in 10 seconds.]
[10, 9, 8, 7….]

The countdown started.
And when the count reached one.

“Uaaaaaaah!”
“Damn it, there’s no death anyway, so let’s fight as we please!”
“The National Inter-Country Tournament will be mine… Kugh, hack!”

The match began.
Battle cries echoed across the vast arena.
Soon after, the clash of weapons, the surge of magic, and the agonized screams of players caught in the onslaught filled the air from every direction.
And defeated players vanished as light.

“So, why aren’t you all fighting?”
“….”

Battles were breaking out everywhere.
But the players around me weren’t fighting.
Instead, they clustered together, formed a formation, and surrounded me.

“Isn’t this a battlefield where only the last survivor becomes the victor?”
“…Yes. And with high probability, that will be you, Han Yu-sung.”
“But we can’t just stand by and watch that happen.”

It’s a simple matter.
As long as Han Yu-sung remains as a formidable rival, achieving ultimate victory is impossible.
I have no confidence in winning a one-on-one duel against him.
So then.

“I’ll dispose of you first, and then we’ll determine the winner among ourselves.”
“Rational.”

Han Yu-sung nodded calmly in acknowledgment.
It was an utterly rational judgment. Had Han Yu-sung found himself in their position, he would have reached the same conclusion.

“I like it. In fact….”

Han Yu-sung gripped his blade.
The rusted sword greedily absorbed its master’s blood. As the rust caking the blade flaked away, a crimson blade refined in blood was revealed beneath.
Blood essence shimmered like heat haze, dizzying the enemies’ vision.

“I was beginning to find this tedious.”

Boom!

Han Yu-sung planted his right foot forward with tremendous force. The players, seized by instinctive dread, roared and charged toward him.
Then came the Thousand Blood Swords technique unfolding from the blade’s edge.

Crackle!

‘Might as well put on a proper show.’

Sword energy erupted, cleaving through the void.

* * *

Fierce battles erupted across multiple battlefields.
Countless players fought fiercely to participate in the National Inter-Country Tournament, their struggles broadcast in real time.
Those watching from the closest vantage point were the Lords of the Stars.

[Hmm….]
[Sigh….]

The Lords watched over their sworn ones participating in the Selection Tournament, while simultaneously observing the battles unfolding across other battlefields.
Though in truth, they focused far more intently on the other battlefields than on their sworn ones.
There was no need to say which battlefield that was.

– Krraaaaaagh!
– Gasp, cough… Insane, absolutely impossible….
– Gather! I said gather more! We have to kill that bastard first!

Battlefield 6.
The battle unfolding there presented a starkly different spectacle from the other battlefields.
On the other battlefields, players clashed in chaotic melee. Yet on Battlefield 6, countless players focused their assault on a single target.
And that one player being targeted was.

– Crack-crunch!
– Uaaaaaaagh!

slaughtering the multitude of players who sought to kill him in return.
There was no need to say who that was either.
It was Han Yu-sung.

[Is that the man who conquered the Tower of Blood Demon?]
[How many is he fighting alone? Remarkable—the man has no fear.]
[Hm, this battlefield is far more entertaining to watch than the others.]

Countless Lords observed Han Yu-sung with eyes brimming with curiosity.
Even the Lords who had been watching the other battlefields began to gather their attention toward Battlefield 6.

[Why, are the other battlefields not worth watching?]
[No, well. I’m not quite sure how to describe it. It’s a matter of… yes, the ‘genre’ is simply different.]
[Ah, I believe I understand what you mean.]

And that assessment was accurate.
On the other battlefields, players tangled together in disarray, fighting desperately. It felt like witnessing a brutal survival drama.
Meanwhile, Battlefield 6, where Han Yu-sung stood.

[It’s exhilarating to watch, isn’t it? Fast-paced too.]

There was a certain thrill to it.
The Lords had witnessed countless spectacles. The National Inter-Country Tournament, the Selection Tournament—they were all the same. They had seen so much that they were already bored to the point of exhaustion.
The outcome was predictable, the pattern obvious.
But what Han Yu-sung displayed shattered that predictability.

[Overwhelming, absolutely overwhelming! This man fights brilliantly!]
[Gahahaha! That’s it! Yes! Blood Wind Palm Technique! The Spirit of Blood Ghost raised his successor well! His mastery of Blood Wind has grown even sharper!]

While countless Lords watched Han Yu-sung with keen interest, one among them observed the Battlefield with particular delight.
A Lord who had dealings with Han Yu-sung.

[Ugh! I really should have made a contract with him then! No, wait—he had no intention of contracting with me anyway… Tch! But still, somehow!]
[…Why is that Lord being so loud?]
[Just leave him be. He’s always been eccentric.]

It was the Lord of Training.
In the past, he was the Lord who had opened the Difficult Realm called “Blood Ghost Tomb” to honor a cherished Contractor. It was there he had first met Han Yu-sung.

[The way he fought against the Spirit of Blood Ghost was truly magnificent! I thought he showed promise, but to think he would grow to this extent!]

And so quickly at that.
As Han Yu-sung sheathed his sword and unleashed Blood Wind Chain Slash against the enemies closing in, fierce winds of blood scattered in all directions, tearing through his foes.
Following in its wake came the newly mastered spells.
Infernal flames and fire storms swept across the surroundings like hellfire itself.

– This crazy…!
– How is he fighting so many alone!
– Kyaaaagh!

Countless players focused their assault on a single target.
It would not be strange to crumble before such numerical superiority.
But for Han Yu-sung, it was irrelevant. Rather, he revealed his true power when facing multiple enemies alone in chaotic melee.
His experience, his strength—they made it possible.

[That woman obtained an opportunity. An opportunity she walked toward with her own feet!]

The Lord of Training recalled the Lord whom Han Yu-sung had contracted with.
In the past, at the Blood Ghost Tomb, Han Yu-sung had refused his contract and told him that he intended to save a fallen Lord—a hunted prey.
It appeared he had succeeded in saving and contracting with the Lord of War.
And judging by how they fought now, Han Yu-sung seemed unwilling to reveal to the world who his contracted Lord was.
The reason was obvious.

[It was the Lord of Justice who conquered those ten thousand tails back then. Kehehehe, no matter what happens, I’ll inevitably clash with that one eventually….]

The Lord of Training grinned wickedly.
There was no reason for him to indulge Han Yu-sung’s intentions. There was no reason to hide that the Lord contracted with him was the Lord of War.
But this time, he decided to play along.

[I’m curious how he’ll face the Lord of Justice!]

This man was the successor chosen by the Oath-bearer he had cherished.
He wanted to see how he would confront the Lord of Justice. And he wanted to see what kind of performance the Lord of War, who had contracted with him, would display this time.
Above all, the Lord of Justice was a formidable rival to him as well.
It would be delightful if a rival were to weaken.

[Gahahaha! This will be entertaining, truly entertaining!]
[My ears are about to fall off! Would someone please trade places with me!]
[Ugh, don’t come near me!]

The Lord of Training laughed loudly as he watched Han Yu-sung clean up the Battlefield.
So loudly that the surrounding Lords retreated away from him.

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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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