The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 109



Only Krnovel

Episode 109 Judgment of Atala (12)

The finals were the highlight of the regular season, and it was only natural that countless people would flock to the stadium.

But today was a little more special.

No, it was not special, but unprecedented.

“No, why are there so many people swarming like a pack of dogs… … .”

“Ahhhhhhh! Don’t push! Don’t push!!”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get in today… … .”

“Oh my god, what kind of mess is this… … .”

From the entrance of the stadium to the outskirts of the city center, the crowd was packed so tightly that there was no space to breathe. The crowd was so overwhelming that it made a normal final game seem deserted. It would not be an exaggeration to say that everyone who could walk on two feet in this large city came out.

“Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for has come! The best match in arena history! The greatest match in history begins in just a moment! The area is very crowded, so please be careful… … .”

The reason is that, as the promoter puts it, it is expected to be ‘the greatest match in the history of the arena’.

‘Agon’s Raging Horn’ vs. ‘Demon Slayer’.

A match that would surely become legendary in the future. The dream match that all of Agon had been waiting for had arrived. Now that everyone knew that these two were strong enough to compete in a close match, people’s expectations were higher than ever.

There was another reason not to miss this game.

“I heard that Agon’s angry horn will retire after this match, regardless of win or loss?”

“Well, there is no reason to continue to be a gladiator even though I became the head of the unit directly under the council… … .”

“Win or lose, I’m going to set the arena on fire in a grand manner… … .”

It was the last match of the legendary champion who reigned as a loser for nearly 20 years.

To the Silk followers and their opponents alike, the wrathful horn of Agon was more than just special. It was a living, breathing symbol of the arena itself. If they missed this fight, they would never see it again, so they absolutely could not miss it.

There were a large number of people who wanted to see the show, but seats were limited. Naturally, ticket prices had no choice but to skyrocket. Even the most remote third-class seats started at the price of three ponies, and VIP seats were impossible to get even if you offered a chest of jewels. Ticket seekers and scalpers gathered in one corner and engaged in fierce negotiations.

“Nine thousand! “Is there anyone willing to sell just one ticket for 9,000 Luden?”

“No, you… … They say you will never be able to get 10,000 Luden, but how do you get the money? … .”

“I sold the house! Hurry up, hurry up and give me the tickets!”

“One last third-class ticket! One last ticket! I’ve got 11,000 Luden, is there anyone else who wants to call?”

“12,000 Luden! “I’ll buy it for 12,000!”

“Thirteen thousand! Here, here is the gold coin. Give it to me!”

“Hey, what are you? Th, thief! A thief! That bastard stole my ticket!”

Even those who were unable to get tickets did not give up on going.

Someone took advantage of the confusion and entered with the previous person, someone dug into the ground to make a hole, and someone barely managed to climb up the outer wall of the arena. If you were caught, you wouldn’t have anything to say even if you were stabbed by a guard, but it seemed like everyone was willing to risk their lives to watch this game.

It was like that outside, but there was no need to say what the inside of the arena was like. The audience was so crowded that it was oversaturated, with two or three people sitting next to each other. The game hadn’t even started yet, but there were already enthusiastic cheers coming from all over the place.

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

““Agon’s angry horn!! Agon’s angry horn!! Agon’s angry horn!!

And the basement of the arena, the waiting area for the gladiators.

Kadim sat silently, like the eye of the storm, away from all the noise. Like a beast hiding its teeth, the refined frost settled down markedly nearby.

There was someone who approached him without fear.

“ha ha ha! Are you ready for the match, Demon Slayer? “It seems like only yesterday that we played the first game for free, and it’s already the finals!”

It was Ubik, the king of the arena. A bright smile appeared on the face of the rich man who made astronomical profits.

“What did I say when I first saw you? You said you could see a prize for great success as a gladiator, right? Well, my eyes weren’t wrong after all! “How do you feel about being a key player in the most successful match in the arena’s 100-year history?”

“… … What is the business? “Just get to the point.”

“ha ha ha! This guy is still stiff! Okay… … “Let’s just tell our prospective champion what he wants and leave immediately.”

The corners of his lips that had been pushing up his plump cheeks drooped. Yubik immediately became serious and spoke.

“I tell you once again out of anger, never kill Agon’s angry horn. You haven’t forgotten the oath you swore in Atala’s name, right? If he dies, you and I will have a lot of trouble dealing with it… … .”

“… … .”

Kadim, who was listening to the story in silence, remembered a strange smile.

“I never made such an oath not to kill Agon’s Raging Horn.”

Ubik’s yellow eyes widened.

“What do you mean? “Didn’t you clearly swear in front of me back then?”

“It was the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’ that I said I would not kill, not Agon’s angry horn.”

“No, for heaven’s sake… … Is this the time for such wordplay? Isn’t that what it is! Then who else but the angry horn of Agon would be the Grand Warrior of Atalaaaaa… … .”

The voice of Yubik, who had been indignant and trembling, stopped. The indifferent gaze of the giant, the chilly air on the back of his neck. Although he could not know the exact circumstances, his intuition, which had been forged while rolling around the bloody gold battlefield, was telling him.

I was fooled.

Agon’s Angry Horn is not ‘Atala’s Great Warrior’.

“Now, wait a minute… … .”

vs – Ang!

At that moment, a gong rang. Kadim immediately stood up and walked down the aisle. I heard Ubik’s scream from behind me, but I ignored it. Now is the time to judge without any restrictions and without hesitation.

The finals had no weapon restrictions. Kadim’s weapons were almost the same as last time, except for the iron water bottle hanging from his waist. As he emerged through the iron bars, a roar that shook the earth poured down like a torrential downpour.

““Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!””

““Demon Slayer!!!””

Whiik – ! Whiik – ! Whiik – !

““Waaa …

““Die, demon slayer!! Die, demon slayer!!””

The crowd was still reacting in a very contrasting way. However, the cheering was less intense than in the previous game, and the boos were louder. This was because many people were upset about the axe-throwing and the provocation of the crowd.

Kadim didn’t care at all. Even if all those spectators tried to kill him, he wouldn’t have even batted an eye. No, on the contrary, he would have been happy to do so. This would be an opportunity to kill those cowards who consumed struggle and death as entertainment.

The excitement in the arena reached its peak, as the fierce gladiator’s imagination could not be known. Now that the challenger has appeared, it is time for the champion to appear. The eager eyes were firmly fixed in front of the entrance on the right.

““Come out! Come out! Come out! Come out! Come out!””

““Agon’s angry horn!! Agon’s angry horn!! Agon’s angry horn!!

However, even after a minute.

““Come out! Come out! Come out! Come out! Come out!””

Even after 2 minutes.

““Come out! Come out! Come out! Come out! Come out!””

3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes… … No matter how much time passed, the champion did not appear.

““Come out. Come out. Come out. Come out… … .””

The deafening cheers gradually faded away. Instead, a questioning murmur spread like a wind blowing through the bushes. The audience tilted their heads, looked at each other, and shrugged their shoulders.

Kadim was also suspicious at first, along with them. There was no way a champion would run away before the finals… … Where did this kid go?

But at some point.

… … Doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo doo… … .

I felt a presence slowly approaching along with a faint vibration.

A feeling of unusually fast approaching, felt not from the entrance but beyond the isolation wall.

“… … !”

The moment I turned my head to the side in a hurry.

―――――――――― Kwa – Ang!!!

The right isolation wall exploded with a loud noise.

“Uh uh… … .”

“Kya… … .”

The seats next to each other also exploded, sending spectators floating into the air. Shinyoung, who appeared through the wall, ran like a flower before the audience even reached the floor and reached Kadim’s face.

Whoop – !

Kadim swung his fist half-reflexively. But the assailant was faster. He quickly twisted his body to dodge and kicked Kadim in the stomach without mercy.

Wow – 100 million!

“… … !”

A shock that made my stomach sink and my internal organs turn to mush.

――――――――― Kwa-Ang!!

The body flew to the opposite wall and crashed down. The entire audience trembled and the wall cracked into a huge crack. Everything happened so quickly that the audience couldn’t even react immediately.

Only one person responded immediately to the sudden death.

“… … “Whoosh, whoosh.”

Wedge – Liquid!

Kadim suppressed the pain and counterattacked by throwing a ‘thunderbolt’.

――――――― Kwarreung, kwargwargwargwargwang – !!

The sharp trajectory of the thunderbolt rushed through the dust. At a speed so fast that it could not be avoided, a flash of light exploded at the same time as a blue light appeared in the monster’s eyes.

Flash – !

The force of the wall pushed the assailant away. In a very short moment, it was powerful enough to stagger even the gunman. However, it was only a moment, and the gunman quickly took care of the damage and charged again with an axe.

――――――――― Quagwagwa, Quagwagwagwang – !!!

The sound of the battle axe slamming down overlapped with the delayed thunder. Kadim dodged by sliding, but the wall was hit again and shattered. The aftermath caused the stands to collapse like a burst dam, and the crowd poured out in a heap, forming a layer of twisted bones and torn flesh.

“Ugh, uhhh… … .”

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

“AAAAAHHHH!! EWAAAAAHHH!!”

“Uh huh, huh, huh… … .”

Screams and moans filled with pain rang out. From the scene of the disaster to the surroundings, and from the surroundings to the outskirts, shock and screams spread like a plague throughout the audience. Everyone rushed to the exit at the same time, and the overcrowded audience quickly became a chaotic mess.

Meanwhile, Kadim frantically fought against the rampaging enemy.

Wedge – squeak, whoosh – ugh! Kwakwakwang, bang – !

I dodged axes, took out blood demons, swung thunderbolts, punched, and blocked kicks. My movements gradually slowed down due to the aftereffects of being hit by the preemptive strike. I had no choice but to activate Hydra’s Tattoo to recover from my injuries, and fought on with the additional buffs.

Wooooow –

Nevertheless, it was Kadim who lost.

It had to be that way. A momentary lull between fierce battles. Kadim exhaled harshly and finally glanced at his enemy.

“Whoop, whoop, whoop…” … .”

“… … .”

Deeply pressed horned helmets, bulging muscles, pitch-black battle axes engraved with ancient script, and… … a yellowish aura that blew in waves like a dust storm.

Agon’s angry horn.

He had already accepted the ‘Holy Spirit of Atala’.

‘Atala’s Divine Weapon’ still presented overwhelming power befitting its reputation as a warrior. It would have been difficult for an ordinary person to handle, but it was only natural that a trained warrior would be pushed back. It was good to see that it had not been turned into minced meat so far.

“Kuhuhuk…” … .”

A cloud of steam flowed from the mouth of Agon’s angry horn. The eyes that were visible were dark and had no whites.

It wasn’t because he was a god that he became like that. A god destroys the body, not the mind. There was only one reason why he would run wild like that and blindly target only himself.

‘The shaman of the wilderness cast a spell. There’s something that makes me unable to think of anything but killing my enemies… … .’

Perhaps a spell that casts a buff of the ‘berserk’ series.

The price is close to a curse, but if you only look at the purpose of killing, it is an infinitely excellent buff. ‘Berserk’ increases combat ability explosively in exchange for losing sanity. The sorcery has an amazing synergistic effect with Atala’s divine power and the destructive new weapon, making him an invincible killer who no one can stand against.

‘Are you using a desperate measure to kill me for sure? But I would already be strong enough with just the divine power… … .’

It was unknown why he had prepared for battle so vigorously. However, for now, it was more important to dodge and subdue his attacks than to guess at it.

The invincible killer began to strike in earnest.

―――――――― Kwa-Ang!!!

The ground split with a single stroke of the axe. Even though he didn’t even touch the blade, the shock wave sent Kadim flying a long way away. I quickly got up again and tried to close the distance, but I immediately changed my mind.

The first blow was just a warm-up, but the real excitement was the subsequent attacks.

――――――――― Boo – Ugh! Kwa-Ang!! Kwa-Ang!!

The frost cutting through the wind, the scars engraved like scars, the earth trembling dangerously.

It was a random attack without any hint of weaponry, but its power and speed were transcendental. The sky split open and a gust of wind blew, and the earth shook every time it hit the ground. Even if he was Khadim, he didn’t have the talent to get through that level of assault.

――――――― Kwarreung, kwargwargwargwargwang – !!

Flash, flash – ah!

Even the ‘thunderbolt’, which contained lightning, bounced off helplessly. It was no longer possible to exchange attacks or defense. After avoiding the situation for a while and keeping the distance between them, Kadim came to a conclusion. There is only one of two solutions to overcome this situation.

Just wait for the bastard’s body to collapse as a side effect of ‘Shinki’.

Or, you could bring out the ‘destructive power’ to fight against him.

“Kuhuk, kuhup… … .”

The former was a distant option. When his body showed signs of collapsing, he took out an iron canteen and drank it down in one go. Then, my forearm, which had been hanging as if it had been dislocated, quickly returned to normal.

Knock knock, knock –

The collapse of the body was postponed with the ‘elixir’. It seemed like the shaman still had the presence of mind to take that action.

“… … .”

There were four more bottles of the same iron canteen left at his waist. It’s impossible to hold out until it’s all used up.

There was no choice now. He, too, has no choice but to draw on his ‘destructive power’ and confront that monster.

Once the decision was made, there was no hesitation.

Kadim also pulled out the iron water bottle he had brought. The moment he opened the lid, a terrible scent of blood spread out, numbing the five senses.

I didn’t feel any resistance. Despite the obviously terrible stench, I felt a strange sense of elation. I wanted to drink it all in one gulp, but I suppressed the urge and just took a few sips.

Thick blood, like rotten pus, slides down the esophagus, and when the dry craving that has not been relieved is satisfied, it finally appears like a fantasy before my eyes.

Click, click, click… … .

A small blue pocket watch with a ticking second hand.

Kadim grabbed it and shook it vigorously in the opposite direction.

Then, pingrrrr, the clock hands turned backwards… …

Crunch, crunch, crunch –

… … As the retrograde reaches its tipping point, the skeleton, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, and nerves change dramatically.

And, the power that fills my whole body, as if I can tear anything to pieces.

Kadim glared at the ‘fake warrior’ with empty eyes.

“Kuhook, kuhook!”

“… … .”

By borrowing the blood of a high-ranking demon, the first-time berserker opened his eyes again.