The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 105



Only Krnovel

Episode 105. Atala’s Judgement (8)

Kadim recognized the drink as soon as he saw it.

‘… … He put devil’s blood in the wine.’

The blood of a low-level demon that had been caught for about two weeks. Its pungent smell was so strong that it was impossible not to notice.

If you drink the devil’s blood, you will usually suffer fatal internal injuries, so poisoning wasn’t a bad choice. The problem was that the target was himself.

Kadim put away his glass. But he didn’t really need to drink. Judging by the fact that he was relying on such tricks, the guy hiding behind that wall was a pyramid that could be dealt with without the blood of the devil.

But the moment I turn around, my consciousness becomes blurred by a heavy impulse hitting my brain.

Phew – ugh!

When I came to, I had emptied my glass of alcohol and crushed my opponent’s head on the field.

“… … .”

Because I didn’t drink at all for a while, my thirst for demon blood became too strong. After feeling the urge, he could not control himself at all.

Even the desire still remained. Because the blood he drank was the blood of a low-level demon, which was not of very good quality.

This was not enough. Every single cell in his body was desperately craving it. Blood that would heat up his nerves and squeeze his muscles, stronger and more poisonous blood, the blood of a stronger demon, the blood of a higher demon that would grant him destructive power… … .

“I’ll be fine…” … that… … Are you okay?”

Kadim looked at Duncan distantly.

Duncan’s face was different from usual. The face of the gladiator he had just killed was grotesquely overlaid. The corners of the eyes are lowered in worry, but the bones are all burst and the face is a mess.

As he rubbed his eyes, the peddler’s face returned to normal. The madness that had appeared this time was superficial.

But I couldn’t let my guard down because it might explode again.

“It might not be okay. Just step back for now.”

“… … yes?”

“The chronic disease has returned. Hurry up and step back, and don’t let anyone come near here for a while.”

Duncan opened his eyes wide. He asked several times if it was okay and if there was anything he could do to help, but eventually he ran away without looking back.

Kadim closed his eyes and waited silently for the madness and longing to completely subside.

*

The king of the arena, Ubik, was nominally Khadim’s patron.

Although it was far from a normal sponsorship relationship, with his life often threatened, Ubik did not neglect his role as a sponsor. One of them was allowing him to stay at his own mansion and use all the facilities.

The mansion was filled with luxurious facilities. A training hall that can train over 100 people at the same time, an artificial oasis comparable to a lake, a banquet hall decorated luxuriously like a theater, a rest room where slaves are always on standby to relieve fatigue, and a restaurant always ready to serve as much food as you want… … .

Kadim paid no attention to anything else. The only thing used was a large bathhouse. Because water is scarce in the area, there was no place to wash off the blood and sweat after the game. After barely calming down his madness, Kadim returned and headed straight to the bathroom again.

But as he entered, soft voices he had never heard before greeted Kadim.

“Welcome, Kadim. Thank you for your hard work today. “You pre-heated the bath water.”

“Please give me the clothes you are wearing and go into the bathroom first to relieve your fatigue. We will help you wash yourself.”

Women covering their bodies with a single thin piece of woolen cloth.

There was a mix of allies, northerners, and even Atalans. A slender Atala woman with long black hair flowing down her shiny bronze skin stood in front of her as her representative.

Kadim looked at her with blunt eyes.

“Who are you?”

“We are slaves who will help you bathe today, Master Kadim.”

“… … “Did that drunk guy order you to come here?”

“Yes, the Great Lord has commanded us to serve Mr. Khadim with the utmost respect. but… … I didn’t necessarily come for that reason. Personally, we wanted to repay Kadim’s kindness.”

Kadim frowned slightly. The woman’s eyes, looking at him, shone like polished obsidian.

“Yesterday, Lord Kadim showed mercy and spared the slaves who were forced into the ‘Black-Eyed Hunt’. All of those here are the relatives of those slaves who survived yesterday. My brother also saved his life thanks to the same mercy as Lord Kadim.”

“… … .”

“If another ruthless person had participated, we would have lost all our blood relatives. I would like to take this opportunity to express my belated gratitude. Compared to the great favor you have bestowed upon me, my body is insignificant, but I will do my best to make sure you are satisfied.”

A woman bending down with her hand on her chest. Her others followed her and bowed in unison. Her gesture clearly conveyed her sincere gratitude.

But Kadim responded with a blunt answer.

“No need. Go and help those idiots who can’t even wash their own bodies.”

“… … .”

The woman was momentarily embarrassed and her long eyelids fluttered. However, she soon brushed away her wet hair and added in a seductive voice.

“If you were offended by our unauthorized visit, we apologize. However, we will not only help you wash. While you were active in the arena, you must have accumulated a lot of fatigue and unfulfilled energy. We will do our best to relieve you of that impure energy… … .”

“Did you just say it was unclean energy?”

“… … yes?”

“You won’t be able to stand it. If you touch it, you’ll all die quietly.”

The woman thought it was just men’s typical bravado, and tried to respond with a light smile.

But soon, looking at Kadim’s expression, I realized that it wasn’t that kind of talk.

“… … Did that sound like a joke?”

A terrible fear gripped my stomach. The woman lost strength in her legs and sat down. She waved her hand as Kadim coldly looked away from her.

“Go away. Before you do something useless and get hurt.”

“S-sorry. Okay, I’ll take a step back. Thank you so much again… … If you change your mind, uh, call me back anytime.”

The Atalaine woman retreated with the other women as if running away. A bathroom left alone. With his face still stiff, Kadim took off her clothes and washed away the bloody sweat.

It was clear what Ubik’s intention was. He felt his life was in danger after what happened last time, so he must have been thinking of finding some kind of shackles to bind himself.

But even if his intentions were impure, holding a woman in his arms was like poison to Kadim’s mind. When satisfying instinctive desires, reason becomes shallow, and it is very easy for madness to run wild. He had no desire to threaten the lives of innocent women like he did the first time.

It wasn’t just women who were mentally affected.

Juicy meat, alcohol with a sweet flavor, soft silk clothes, and a bed as soft as a cloud… … . Everything the wealthy man had done to win Kadim’s favor had a negative impact.

Things that are sweet to the mouth and comfortable to the body always reminded me of old memories. If I were to take such things indiscriminately, my mind, sharpened like a knife to cut, stab, slash, cut, and dismember my enemies, would quickly rot and rust. It wasn’t for nothing that Kadim had been seeking out rough food and lodging all this time.

However, my heart was shaken violently the moment I saw what was placed in the bedroom.

“… … .”

Dew forming on the silver-white surface, water vapor flowing down like clouds, and fluffy white bubbles rising at the entrance.

Canned beer.

A cool and refreshing can of beer was placed on the table, as if it were a replica of an old memory.

There was no way such an object could even be an Easter egg. It was clearly an illusion. Still, he grabbed his glass like he was possessed. The cold sensation made my palms numb. It’s so cold that you can’t even suspect it’s an illusion.

He stared at the beer can with trembling eyes.

My mind was sinking into the dark depths, and my buried self was awakened.

The man was not actually Kadim, but a modern man. But before his heart grew dull and broken in this world, he hid himself. He always tried to think, act and talk like Khadim. He went through the first and second rounds, and thought he had succeeded in burying his modern self to some extent.

But at the base of the mind, there has always been this kind of defense mechanism.

Thinking about killing someone when he sees them, cutting up countless people like pieces of meat, swallowing demon blood and going crazy with madness, none of this was his doing.

He says he is not Kadim.

But when I observed the spirit that yearned for such a cold can of beer and the body that responded with its dry tongue, I inevitably realized that it was not easy to separate myself from Khadim.

I gently tilted the can to the side. The bubbling golden liquid dissipated, and even the cold can disappeared like a mirage. Judging by the appearance of these visions, it seems that the aftereffects of the mania still remain.

The man let his thoughts flow along with his beer. It was not the time to escape reality and indulge in sentimentality. An important duel was just around the corner. Now was the time to be faithful to Khadim, and especially Khadim as a great warrior.

To judge the false Great Warrior, the Witch of the Waste, and the Hall of Corruption who insult the struggle.

The man buried himself again and woke up Khadim.

The place was not good. I jumped out of the window and left the luxurious mansion. The day was already getting dark, but the city, excited by the festival, was not asleep and was brightly lit everywhere. I was worried that there might be a group of people who recognized me and bothered me, so I secretly left for the outskirts.

And so, they arrived at a quiet wasteland. Kadim leaned against a large rock, contemplating his thoughts, and then suddenly looked up at the sky.

Elgar’s eyes had long since disappeared, the moon was buried in darkness, and only the stars scattered like shards of glass were shining brightly.

The heart of the Daejeon Temple was beating dully like a war drum.

*

After the death of the ‘Dirty Hunter’, strange rumors spread from Agon’s black market.

Rumor has it that the demon slayer made a pact with a demon and gained superhuman powers.

People’s reactions to him were extremely mixed.

About half of them strongly distrusted the rumors.

“Stop talking nonsense! “How can a mercenary who killed a mountain of demons make a contract with a demon?”

“Demon Slayer!! Demon Slayer!! Demon Slayer!!”

“The hero who defeated the demons and saved the Golden Road!! The incarnation of the fight that knows no defeat!!”

“The era of Agon’s Raging Horn is over!!! Everyone support the new champion!!!”

They were completely captivated by the gladiator’s overwhelming power and his unwavering demeanor when facing any opponent. Heedless of the rumors, they eagerly awaited his arrival in the final and defeating the champion.

About half of the other people absolutely believed the rumors.

“Damn it, I knew that! “For some reason, he fights like a monster instead of a human!”

“He made a contract with the devil! “He sold his soul to the devil!!”

“Stop being so arrogant, demon slayer! Everyone knows that without the power of the devil, you are no better than a goblin!!”

“This is rigged! All matches should be voided! Give me my money back!!”

They had no doubt that this gladiator was using the devil’s power to muddy the waters of the arena. They helped spread the rumor and prayed fervently for his quick defeat and death.

Almost the entire Agon was split in half over the rumor. The onlookers were somewhat mildly snarling, but the gamblers who had won and lost money even went as far as wielding swords. If you were to carelessly praise or curse the demon slayer in the marketplace, you would most likely be hit in the back of the head with a rock by the opposition the moment you turned your head.

Anyway, in the meantime, the finals continued steadily.

Bone Crusher, Net Predator, Red Butcher… … . Under Kadim’s sword and axe, the heads of famous gladiators fell one after another. The finals have come to an end, and there is only one game left.

It is time for the final showdown to determine who will challenge the champion.

The sport of the game is ‘Armed Battle’. The rule is that each person equips the equipment they want and fights one-on-one. Relics left behind by ancient dwarves, axes and new soldiers with God’s blessing, and even magic tools made by wizards. Because any equipment could be used without restrictions, it was a sport in which many unexpected events took place where talented players were defeated.

Still, Kadim wasn’t nervous.

A red sword, a grayish-blue axe, and even a dagger burning with hellfire. There was no need to worry about being defeated because Ilsin had not only great military power but also excellent weapons. Unless the opponent borrows ‘Atala’s Judgment’ from the champion… … .

But just before the game started, an unexpected guest showed up.

“See you soon, mercenary. Congratulations, you’re already on the verge of the finals. Are your preparations for the game going well?”

“… … .”

Adonis, a member of the Agonist faction who accompanied us from the wasteland.

Kadim furrowed his eyebrows. He had not seen him for a while, so he wondered why he had come to see him out of the blue. Adonis smiled and began to speak politely.

“I came to tell you that the opposing gladiator has been replaced. The original opponent, ‘Untana’s Ogre’, gave up yesterday. I think he was afraid that he would lose his life to the mercenary, hahaha! Anyway, because of that, I have come to an agreement with the other guild leaders that the special gladiator I invited will act as a substitute.”

It was a ridiculous story. How dare you tell me this now. A distinct wrinkle appeared between Kadim’s eyebrows.

“… … “Are Agon’s angry horns about to come out?”

“Huh? Ha, haha… … Unfortunately, that’s not the case. However, I’m sure he’s someone you like, too. Not to mention his skills, he’s someone you have a deep connection with in many ways.”

“… … .”

“My original nickname was ‘Indomitable Fighter,’ but now I feel like I need a new nickname. I think it would be a good idea for the mercenary to try it out and make it for himself. Well then, enjoy the rest of the game, and I have to go to the stands, so I guess I’ll end this… … .”

The departing congressman clearly had a sly smile on his face. He thought that Kadim would chase after him, grab him, and accuse him of what kind of trick he had done.

At that moment, the sound of a gong was heard announcing the start of the game.

Big – ah!

“… … .”

I decided to wait until later. After we finish this pointless fight. It didn’t really matter what trick he did or who came out anyway. It won’t change the fact that if you cut off his head and slit his stomach, he’ll die.

As Kadim crossed the entrance and reached the stadium, he clearly realized why the congressman had said such a thing.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

“Demon Slayer!! Demon Slayer! Demon Slayer!!”

“Uuuuuu!! Woooooo!!”

I couldn’t see the spectators cheering with their necks raised or the spectators booing and sticking their thumbs in the floor. Kadim’s gaze was solely focused on the opponent standing on the other side.

A sturdy body covered in tattoos, a sword and axe engraved with ancient script, dark eyes that glow serenely, and a thick hook where his right hand should be.

The gladiator licked his split lips. A quiet hum, as quiet as his breathing, faintly brushed past his ears, carried by the wind.

“It’s been a while, Brother Kadim. I never thought we’d meet again like this… … I never thought.”

“… … .”

Kadim frowned slightly.

Then he silently glared at the one-armed warrior, Perun.