The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 86

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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 86

When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar space came into view.
An empty Conference Room of sorts. According to the message, it should be a Conference Room within the Player Alliance.
The Selection Tournament was being broadcast on a TV mounted on the Conference Room’s wall.

[Phew! I thought I’d die from frustration not being able to say anything. It looks like the other arenas are still in the middle of the Selection Tournament.]
“That makes sense. There are so many participants.”

Han Yu-sung had been in Arena 3 and Arena 6.
The remaining arenas, excluding those two, were still conducting the Selection Tournament.
It would take several more hours, or perhaps continue until tomorrow.
With so many participants, it was inevitable that it would take a long time.
Unless there was a participant with particularly outstanding skill.

‘I thought there would be at least one, but there’s no one.’

As it happened, the Conference Room was completely empty.
Han Yu-sung sat in a nearby chair and opened the chest obtained as a reward from the Selection Tournament.

[You have been awarded 50,000 Coins as a reward!]
[You have acquired Proof of the Gladiator (Legendary)!]
[All stats have increased by +3!]

Wasn’t this reward rather underwhelming for the highest tier?
One could think that way. In fact, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
The true rewards were given at the National Inter-Country Tournament. Since the Selection Tournament was merely a preliminary stage for that, the rewards weren’t extraordinary.

‘That said, it’s not useless either.’

Han Yu-sung examined the badge that had come into his grasp.

[Proof of the Gladiator (Legendary)]
· Slot: None (Badge).
· All Stats +10, Attack Power and Defense +10%.
· Upon the conclusion of each match, restores a certain amount of Health and Mana.
· Item effects are strengthened with each victory in a match.
· All effects of this item are activated only during the National Inter-Country Tournament.

Proof of a Gladiator.
Since it was a badge-type item, I could wear it at all times.
Above all, I liked the effect that it strengthened during trials like the National Inter-Country Tournament.

“I’ll save the better rewards for the National Inter-Country Tournament.”

I gazed at the television broadcasting the Selection Tournament.
The commentators’ loud voices echoed through the room.
In inter-country tournaments like the Selection Tournament or National Inter-Country Tournament, or places like the Star Battlefield, commentators were sometimes added.

[Ah, the one who just fell is… Lee Sang-hyun! Lee Sang-hyun! He was expected to pass the Selection Tournament without issue, but he’s been eliminated!]
[My, what an upset. He’s a player with excellent skills.]
[That’s right! And the one who eliminated Lee Sang-hyun is…!]

The broadcast showed Arena 1.
As the screen zoomed in, it highlighted a single player.
A female player—her appearance seemed quite familiar.

[Ah, Yoon Ga-ram! A Shadow Oath-taker! How remarkable.]
[The Lord of Shadows is known for their elite few, isn’t that right? Her performance lived up to that reputation. Her movements are incredible.]
[Yes, speaking of shadows, it reminds me—that player Han Yu-sung who just broke through the Selection Tournament with overwhelming skill….]

Shadow Oath-taker, Yoon Ga-ram.
A player I had met before during the Giant Siege.
I had lacked the level to participate in the Difficult Realm, so I had sparred with her to prove I had the qualifications.
But there was something odd about it.

‘In my past life, Yoon Ga-ram didn’t pass.’

Or did she even participate in the first place?
She lost to me in our sparring match, but Yoon Ga-ram was quite a talented player. She wouldn’t have contracted with the Lord of Shadows for nothing.
It was likely she either failed or didn’t participate in my past life.

[Didn’t you experience a change of heart after losing to you?]
“Hmm….”

An unexpected change.
But it wasn’t bad. Or rather, it didn’t really matter.
Whoever came, there would be no opportunity for me to step forward in the ‘Grand Tournament’.

Crash!

“Gasp, huff! Oh, you’ve arrived! Han Yu-sung!”
“My apologies! I didn’t expect you to come so early!”

Just then, the door burst open and Alliance staff members entered.
One of them was a man familiar to Han Yu-sung—Lee Kang-hyuk, who had handled the aftermath when Han Yu-sung clashed with the Hunting Dogs of the Under World.
He exhaled urgently, his face flustered.

“Are you, are you injured anywhere… no, wait. If it’s the Selection Tournament, you wouldn’t be injured, so, um, ah! Food! Have you eaten? At least let me get you something to eat….”
“How long do I need to stay here?”
“Yes! Well, until the other successful candidates arrive….”

Lee Kang-hyuk laughed awkwardly.

“We’re planning to hold a meeting with those who passed this Selection Tournament and the existing participants. We’ll discuss how to conduct the National Inter-Country Tournament and such matters. Participants from other level brackets will be attending as well. Probably.”
“I’ll have quite a wait then. Would it be alright if I rested in the Rest Room for a bit?”
“Ah, of course. I’ll be happy to show you the way.”

Han Yu-sung nodded.
He wasn’t particularly fond of waiting around for someone to arrive.
But this time, there was a face he wanted to see.

‘I should see how much Lee Su-ho has grown.’

Han Yu-sung rose from his seat.
In this life, he had never directly met Lee Su-ho, so it was time to see him face to face.
Lee Kang-hyuk led the way, guiding Han Yu-sung to a place to rest.
The location he showed was a decent rest room.

“Please rest here. Our staff will stand guard….”
“That’s fine. I prefer to be alone.”
“Ah, yes. Understood. If that’s what you wish.”

There was no need to insist on protection. The Alliance headquarters was secure, and with Han Yu-sung’s level of skill, he could handle any danger before it even arose.
Lee Kang-hyuk nodded and departed with his staff.

[Finally, some peace and quiet.]
“It would be perfect if you’d shut up too.”
[What!]

At last, the Rest Room fell silent.
Han Yu-sung sat in a plush chair, eyes closed.
Waiting for time to pass quickly.

* * *

Han Yu-sung’s eyes opened.
Or rather, they were opened for him.
He sensed someone approaching—not one person, but several.
Were they Player Alliance staff?

‘No, it’s too quiet around here.’

An unsettling silence hung in the air.
It wasn’t the quiet of an empty space, but rather the quiet that came when someone had deliberately ‘driven people away.’
There was something distinctly off about it.
Han Yu-sung clenched his fists.

Knock, knock.

Someone rapped on the Rest Room door.
Without waiting for a response, they pushed it open.
A group filed in swiftly from beyond the threshold.
From their presence and the power radiating from them, they were no ordinary people.
Players, most likely.

“Apologies for disturbing your rest. You are Han Yu-sung, correct?”

The man at the front of the group smiled and bowed his head.
He had a gentle impression about him—the type suited for sales work.
Yet beneath that face lurked an undeniable sharpness.
Han Yu-sung did not answer the man’s question.

“Allow me to introduce myself.”

The man paid it no mind and handed Han Yu-sung his business card.
It bore a familiar emblem.

[Lawful Guild, Master. ‘Jung Ye-hun’.]
“We are a guild that serves the Lord of Justice. The guild members, myself included, are all Sworn Servants of Justice. Though we may be lacking, I serve as the master of this guild.”

They were Sworn Servants of the Lord of Justice—Achiros.
A mighty lord like Achiros commanded an enormous faction composed of allied lords and their subordinate guilds.
Such guilds were typically composed of Sworn Servants of Justice, or formed through alliances with the oath-takers of lords who cooperated with Achiros.

“Our Lawful Guild specializes in recruitment. We seek out talented players without a contracted lord, or….”

Jung Ye-hun chuckled quietly.

“We provide new opportunities to those with exceptional talent who unfortunately encountered the wrong lord and failed to receive proper treatment.”
[T-This bastard! What the hell is he saying!]
“I believe my introduction suffices. I’ve heard much about you, Han Yu-sung. The reason I sought you out is….”

Kakasha convulsed within my mind.
It was inevitable.
It was known that Han Yu-sung had a lord. The problem was simply that no one knew who that lord was.
Jung Ye-hun surely knew this as well. Yet he came anyway, which meant.

“He’s going to propose recruiting me, isn’t he.”
“You seem to understand. Yes, that’s correct. However, it’s not a guild recruitment proposal. What we wish to propose is….”

A faint smile played at the corners of Jung Ye-hun’s mouth.

“Would you consider changing the lord you serve?”
[Kyaaaagh! This damned bastard must be burned to ash this instant!]

Han Yu-sung fell silent.
Jung Ye-hun did not press him or rush for an answer. He simply maintained his faint smile, waiting for Han Yu-sung to respond.
Before coming here, Jung Ye-hun had investigated Han Yu-sung thoroughly.
What kind of life he had lived, what kind of character he possessed. How to persuade him, and why he concealed his contracted lord.

‘Why does he hide the lord he contracted with?’

Jung Ye-hun made a swift assessment.
Was there any benefit to keeping it hidden?
Not particularly. A powerful Lord could simply invoke their name to prevent situations like this from occurring in the first place.
Yet Han Yu-sung was meticulously concealing the Lord’s identity.
Based on his actions thus far, even the Lord’s true nature.

‘If there had to be a reason for that.’

There was only one possibility.
Jung Ye-hun’s eyes gleamed with a chilling clarity.

‘A minor Lord with no renown.’

There was no other explanation.
It happened occasionally—a lesser Lord would snatch up a talented player and use that as a foundation for growth.
The Lord would naturally attempt to silence their Oath-taker to prevent them from being poached.
Could Han Yu-sung be in such a situation?

‘If there isn’t a deep bond between them, the probability that he harbors dissatisfaction with his current circumstances is high. If I could just touch upon that….’

Jung Ye-hun exhaled softly.
An imperceptible aura emanated from him, spreading throughout the entire Rest Room.
The unique ability that had made him the master of the Lawful Guild.

[Ethereal Harmony].

A unique ability with diverse effects.
Most notably, it dispersed an intangible aura to guide the target’s emotions—and more profoundly, their thoughts—in a desired direction.
Jung Ye-hun had leveraged this ability to adjust others’ emotions and thoughts in his favor, steering negotiations to his advantage.

‘And this time will be no different.’

Han Yu-sung was certainly an exceptional player.
But his unique ability, Ethereal Harmony, was a power that influenced the mind itself.
There was no way he could resist such a force.
Especially if his contracted Lord was a minor one!

“If you’re concerned about retaliation from your current Lord, our Lord will handle everything. Any disadvantages incurred during the contract transfer will be similarly resolved.”

Jung Ye-hun spread both arms wide.

“Han Yu-sung is a player worthy of such consideration.”

He praised his counterpart.
He emphasized that Han Yu-sung possessed value worthy of a Lord’s recognition.
Through this ‘appeasement,’ he bolstered his persuasiveness. Now came the final piece—explaining what benefits awaited Han Yu-sung upon contracting with the Lord of Justice.
Jung Ye-hun slowly extended his hand.

“The Lord of Justice offers….”
“Something stinks.”
“Pardon?”

Han Yu-sung abruptly cut him off.
He, who had remained silent until now, lifted his head.
Eyes devoid of all emotion fixed directly upon Jung Ye-hun.

“A revolting stench.”

Han Yu-sung seized Jung Ye-hun’s hand.
And in the very next instant.

Crunch!

“Ugh…?!”

As though crushed beneath a hydraulic press, Jung Ye-hun’s hand was mangled beyond recognition.
Jung Ye-hun stared blankly at his own hand, as if unable to comprehend what had transpired.

“Krraaaaaaagh?!”

A harrowing scream tore from his throat.
A cry so thunderous it reverberated throughout the entire Player Alliance building.

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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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