The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 108



Only Krnovel

Episode 108. Atala’s Judgement (11)

A room filled with golden flower buds. The center of a lush green magic circle.

The shaman of the wilderness, who had stayed in one place for a long time, widened her eyes.

“… … !”

She watched everything that happened in the arena.

The priestess imprisoned in the ruins cannot see the outside world. However, she found a way using forbidden means.

‘Roots of the Wilderness’.

A fetish that, when implanted in a shaman’s body and activated, will drain the life force of the land and turn the surrounding area into a wasteland.

In the area of ​​its influence, the water dried up and the land became barren, so its essence was closer to a fetish that endlessly cursed. However, only for the shamans of the wilderness, the effect was reversed into a powerful blessing. Because they gain more magical powers and demonstrate powerful abilities in dry lands.

Long ago, someone entrusted her with this fetish. She was told to seal it tightly and not let anyone get their hands on it, but she eventually used it. The wasteland that spread gave her new eyes and a great deal of supernatural power.

Thus, despite being confined, he was able to see outside and perform simple magic. In addition, he was able to gather the life force that had died on the ground and cultivate the raw materials for the ‘elixir’ within the ruins.

Although Agon was devastated and forced to remain in one place for hundreds of years in return, the priestess did not regret it one bit. If she had not done so, she would never have learned of the affairs of the outside world or created the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’ on her own.

But now all that effort seems to have gone down the drain.

No matter how long I waited, the ‘real great warrior’ who I thought would never come back has returned. The Great Warrior, who predicted judgment, was using his superhuman strength to defeat the opponents who stood in his way without hesitation. Even the Atallain warrior armed with a blessed weapon was defeated, and before we knew it, the next opponent was… …

Goltarran was a ‘fake warrior’ that he had raised.

If he was judged, it would definitely be her turn next. The priestess shut her eyes tightly, unable to control her impatience.

Objectively, Goltaraan had a higher chance of winning at the moment. However, if Goltaraan were to lose or be deprived of the ‘Judgment of Atala’, there was virtually no chance of winning. His military power depended more on his devastatingly powerful new recruits than on his own strength…

Unless her magical powers returned, it was difficult to stop the Great Warrior with her power. I’m thinking about negotiating right now by offering the ‘Needle of Engraving’ and not touching Goltaran… …

Suddenly, an unfamiliar fantasy seeped into the shaman’s thoughts.

“… … Hmm?”

A dry wilderness spread out in the distance, and a warrior standing tall with his back to the sun. At first, I thought it was a common fantasy of the wilderness and tried to ignore it.

But when it came to the last part of the fantasy, the priestess couldn’t help but be terrified.

“… … Huh!”

Something red tearing through raw flesh.

An indescribably terrible disaster resided within the warrior’s body.

If I had been even a little late, my heart would have stopped. The priestess opened her bloodshot eyes and gasped for breath.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh… … .”

It took a long time for her to recover from her shock. When she finally did, her thoughts had changed considerably. The priestess clenched her shrunken fists and made a firm decision.

“… … “You have to kill him, you have to kill him, you have to kill him.”

No matter what happens, I decided to kill the ‘source of disaster’ and make Goltaran a true warrior.

*

Immediately after Perun left, Goltaran’s first feelings were betrayal and anger. However, as time passed, that feeling transformed into something else.

I thought maybe everything was wrong from the beginning.

His consciousness sank into the past. In his flashbacks, he was a rookie gladiator, nervous about his first appearance.

‘Wow ah ah ah ah … … .’

‘… … Whoop, whoop, whoop.’

Sweat dripped from my nose. My heart pounded as if it was going to burst. As I thought I might die soon, the cheers of the crowd sounded more terrifying than the screams of hell.

In the end, I couldn’t handle the pressure and jumped up from my seat. While running away from the waiting area, I accidentally ended up in a closed area. When he found a stone tablet with ancient writing on it, he approached it as if fascinated and laid his hand on it… …

Blah blah blah… … .

… … A sealed relic appeared, and a voice resonating clearly within was heard.

‘[you… … You are not the great warrior of Atala. How did we end up in a place like this?]’

At the time, I didn’t even know what that meant. I just had a hunch. If you say you’re not the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’, you’ll be kicked out of here right away.

My tongue moved faster than I expected.

‘Oh, no. I am the Great Warrior of Atala.’

‘[…] … This is ridiculous. Are you saying you know what the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’ is?]’

‘Yes, that’s right. I am the great warrior of Atala. Si, try it. I will prove it somehow.’

‘[… … Then, I will give you a trial, so try your best to pass it.]’

The ordeal was extremely terrible and harsh. Much better than fighting in an arena. By the end of the battle, he was left with all the bones in his hands crushed, his cheekbones caved in, his joints twisted upside down, and his intestines sticking out of his belly button.

‘Kwaaaaaaaa! Ugh, keuhuhuhuh… … .’

Still, he didn’t die. He survived and passed the ordeal with his wit and luck. The aged shaman summoned him, who had become a living corpse, to the incantation camp, and her eyes shone brightly.

‘My eyes were wrong. You were right. You are… … the great warrior of Atala.’

‘Kwaaaaak, huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… … .’

‘Enough. Stop whining. Over there, take a dip in the golden pool. The magical elixir will heal all your wounds. And when you’re done, take this with you.’

‘Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu though … Well, what is that axe?’

‘This is the great new soldier left behind by the previous great warrior… … .’

The priestess of the wilderness gave me ‘Atala’s Judgement’ and taught me the knowledge I needed as a great warrior.

Since then, Goltaranan’s life has changed.

From a cowardly gladiator who ran away in fear of death, to the ‘Champion of Atala’ who carries out the noble will of sacrifice.

After washing his identity, he made a splendid comeback with the support of Ubik. He rose to fame as a champion in the arena and was praised as a hero for saving his fellow countrymen in difficult situations. Before he knew it, his old memories had faded away, and he himself no longer had any doubts about his identity as the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’.

But now, that confidence was shaking.

The suspicion that a certain peddler had planted grew as he brooded over praise that was not his own, and was almost covered by anger toward the madman, but it was rekindled when he heard the rebuke of his departing subordinate and recalled the past.

To make matters worse, I now realize that even my anger towards the demon slayer is not justified.

“… … The Ubik Grand Master has never handed over the Atalain slaves to anyone else?”

“Yes, that’s right, Grand Master. The evidence showing that the demon slayer took over the slaves was all fabricated. It seems that dragging them out of Agon was an arbitrary action of the Great Lord… … .”

“… … .”

As his anger cooled, he was able to look at the situation objectively. Words that he had heard in passing or that were firmly embedded in his mind swirled around in a chaotic manner.

‘That ax is mine.’

‘… … Because he is a true warrior of Atala who fought with his life on the line even though no one recognized him.’

‘I think Goltaran knows better what I’m talking about.’

‘… … There’s no way she came back, she couldn’t have come back. No, there’s no way… … .’

All the circumstances and testimonies were converging to one conclusion. Goltarran hurried to the ruins. As always, an old priestess sat in the center of the shamanic circle and welcomed him.

“Shrine maiden… … “You have already seen everything and known everything.”

“… … .”

Eyes stained with the dust of time and stained with turbidity. Although they were eyes I had always seen, today they somehow seemed even more unfamiliar. Goltarran swallowed dry saliva and spat out the words he had been mumbling.

“I will ask.”

“… … .”

“I am the ‘fake warrior’ you created after being unable to endure the long wait… … and the ‘real warrior’ that the demon slayer suddenly disappeared?”

A ripple appeared in the shaman’s bright eyes.

However, the ripples quickly disappeared, covered with a strange appearance. A heavy, sharp voice, as if it was crushing an iron plate, echoed throughout the room.

“[No, he is not a great warrior. You are the only great warrior of Atala who can carry out the will of the warrior.]”

“… … Then, why have you been so anxious for several days?”

“[That’s because he is the ‘source of disaster’ that holds the terrible disaster. Since your body, the only hope to fight against the disaster, has not yet fully recovered, it is only natural that the old man cannot help but feel anxious.]”

Goltaran’s eyes trembled. Suddenly, the memory of a demon slayer running rampant like a madman and destroying a city came to mind.

However, as the peddler previously mentioned, he did not only cause disaster.

“Indeed… … can you confirm that statement? Didn’t I say it before? I didn’t even see the face of the central demon. Given the circumstances, the one who killed the demon and saved the alliance must have been the one who arrived first… … .”

“[Didn’t you say it first?]”

“……hmm?”

“[You came to me first and clearly said that you were the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’ who would destroy the great evil and save the world. So why are you saying something different now?]”

A gaze that burned like a thousand fires. Goltarran was silent. He chewed his lips in agony, and at the moment when he was finally about to utter the old truth.

“That wasn’t true. I had no choice but to lie in order to survive… … .”

The shaman stopped talking with a straight face.

“[Shut up.]”

“… … What?”

“[Stop, stop your whining. I’m so sick of seeing this little brat whose name is Daejeonsa being hatched… … . How many more times do I have to tell you to be sure? You are the great warrior of Atala. You are the great warrior of Atala. This is the great warrior of Atala! It’s Atala’s great warrior!! It’s Atala’s great warrior!!! You are the great warrior of Atala!!!]”

The voice, overcome by evil, was torn into a thousand pieces. A yellowish glow appeared in the cloudy pupils, and the wrinkled face was distorted like a vicious corpse. Goltaran froze in shock.

“Sorceress… … You… … Are you out of your mind… …? What are you doing now… … .”

“[You are the only great warrior of Atala. You are the only agent who can put into practice the will of your commitment. Even if you are not a great warrior, I will make you a real warrior. Just wait, I will eradicate the ‘source of disaster’ and give you the strength to be reborn as a true warrior… … .]”

Kookookookookook… … .

The stone slab shook violently. A dull flash of light burst out from the shamanic circle. Feeling an ominous intuition, Goltarahn hurriedly raised his axe, but the shaman finished casting the spell faster.

Gooooo, gooooooo –

A turbid beam of light surrounded Goltarran, writhing like a poisonous snake and digging into his entire body.

*

A night in the wasteland, somewhat far from Agon. The day of leaving the city is almost here. The two, the barbarian and the peddler, came out for the first time in a while to have a meal together.

Kadim took a sip of wine and asked.

“In your opinion, what kind of person was Agon’s angry horn?”

Duncan shook his shoulders and opened his mouth.

“Ah, what… … Rice, it was just some insignificant rascal… … . Pretending to be a great warrior of Atala… … . And getting defeated by a peddler like me… … .”

“I won’t criticize you no matter what you say, so just be honest.”

Duncan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking frankly.

“That… … Phew… … In my opinion, he was no ordinary person. Somehow, even for an ordinary person like me, he had an overwhelming sense of dignity just by talking to me… … . He helped his compatriots in difficult situations, saved slaves, and was so popular that if I didn’t know anything, I think I would have thought he was a great hero… … .”

“… … .”

“Their strength was closer to that of demons or monsters than to humans. When they first entered Soltana, they split the gates with a single swing of their axes. I have never seen a human as strong as you, except for you… … .”

“… … .”

“The reason I won against him was… … No, actually, I didn’t even win. That was purely because he was so devastated and let his guard down, he was able to pretend to fight. If he had wanted to, he would have crushed me right away… … .”

If you had been wearing the ‘Sacred Atala’, it would have been enough. Kadim nodded silently. Duncan glanced at him and quickly added flattery.

“Oh, of course I’m much better! Ugh, I don’t know why the rumor spread that Agon’s angry horn killed the devil. If he had met the central demon, he would have been less than a fist away… … . “I’m sure we’ll win tomorrow’s game, so don’t worry!”

A change of attitude that quietly canceled out the previous words. The desire for gold sparkled in his gravel eyes. Kadim let out a faint laugh, then hardened his lips and asked.

“… … “Didn’t he tell you how he got his hands on ‘Atala’s Judgment’?”

“Atala’s Judgment… … ? Oh, you mean that black axe? Yeah, you didn’t say how you got it, but… … What do you mean, it is a new soldier imbued with the will of the father of the wilderness and the great warrior of the past… … I remember that he didn’t even let me touch him… … .”

“… … .”

If I had picked it up by chance, I wouldn’t have known of such a precedent.

‘As expected, was that also handed over by the shaman of the wilderness…? … .’

The puzzle regarding Agon’s angry horn has been roughly pieced together. Now all that remains is to defeat him, retrieve the new soldier, collate the truth, and pass judgment.

It wasn’t going to be an easy fight. Because ‘Judgment of Atala’ presents absurdly destructive power. However, if I was only going to have an easy fight, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place. Kadim cleared his throat and strengthened his resolve.

“… … I think it’s time to head back. Clean up the place, Duncan.”

“Yep, I understand, I’ll be better!”

The two returned to Ubik’s mansion and rested.

And the next morning.

The day has finally arrived for the finals, a showdown with the champion.