The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 12



Only Krnovel

Episode 12. Black Hammer (2)

Even though they were a bunch of thieves who had never learned systematic combat, killing and fighting were daily occurrences for them. As soon as they saw the blood of their comrades, the bandits instinctively raised their weapons.

“Oh, Nigimi, shit!”

“What a crazy bastard! Do you know who you touched? “You’re behind now!”

“Hey, come on! Everyone, come at once!”

It wasn’t a very good choice.

Puck – !

“Uh, uh… … ?”

One thief’s eyes suddenly focused on the hatchet sprouting from his forehead. Why is the thing that was on the top of my head just a moment ago here? I stumbled with doubt and ended up closing my eyes.

“Hey, what is that? What just flew in… … .”

“Gavin? Why suddenly… … .”

The remaining thieves were not given time to understand the situation. The barbarian was charging at them one step ahead, his sword raised.

Kadim decided to start by taking care of the spearman at the very front. The sharp blade easily cut off the weak spear strike. Then, he immediately drew a line from the chest to the navel.

Tsk tsk –

“Ugh… … .”

The spearman tried to counterattack immediately, but his body would not listen. He felt a dreary sense of cut and his severed abdominal muscles were pulled inward. The spear tip that had been shaking erratically soon fell to the ground.

“Holy shit!”

Phew!

A club swing flying without regard for front or back. If you are too greedy and want to hit the enemy without thinking, you will end up making an attack with a large opening like this. Take a step back and evade easily. Then, like the wind, you dig in and cut deeply into the side.

Squeak –

“Ugh, ugh, ugh!”

The thief loses hold of his club and grabs his side. A lumpy spleen came out through the crack. Kadim turned to the other side this time.

Squeak –

“Eeeeeeek!!!”

As they split the other side, the screams became twice as loud. No matter how close I put my forearm to my side, I couldn’t prevent the hernia. The thief fell to the floor, writhing in pain.

Taking advantage of the gap, a swift approach came from behind. It wasn’t difficult to deal with. Kadim twisted his waist and swung his sword in a large semicircle.

Chaeng- !

“Uh, uh… … ?”

The thief couldn’t hide his bewildered expression as he watched his sword being thrown far away. How on earth did he notice, without eyes on the back of his head? No, and how strong must his sword have been to fly that far… .

Tsk-tsk!

Kadim cut off the question with a slash of his sword.

The thief didn’t seem too satisfied with the savage’s answer. Even with his head cut off in tatters, his eyes were still wide open with suspicion.

“Ge, Gavin… … ? Meden, Horsel… … . Are you, are you all behind? F*ck… … If you’re alive, answer me! Sob… … .”

All the other bandits were annihilated. The last one had completely lost his will to fight. Kadim paid no attention to him for the time being and instead focused on the state of his weapons.

A sword that swallows sticky drops of blood. Even when its owner was not injured, the ‘mosquito’ did its job. Although it had no other additional effects, it was convenient that there was no need to wipe away the blood. Kadim hung the cleanly shining sword back on his waist.

The hatchet was in bad shape. The blade was damaged and the gap between the head and the handle was loose, making it rattle. It wasn’t intended for combat, but it was used too roughly.

‘When I stop by the castle, I’ll have to look for a good axe.’

In fact, that wasn’t the only way to supply weapons. Kadim approached the last bandit he had deliberately kept alive.

“Huh, huh! Sigh, sigh… … .”

The enemy could not even breathe properly and crawled away on all fours. His face had completely forgotten that he had been laughing at that barbarian just a few minutes ago.

Kadim stepped on the guy’s waist and held him down so that he couldn’t escape. The thief writhed and screamed like a trampled cockroach.

“Kuaaaah! Kuaaaahhhhhh!”

“Stop making a fuss and answer my questions. Otherwise, I’ll break your back.”

“Keep, keep. Kkeuuuup… … .”

“Are you a gang of thieves? What is your relationship with the two guys who ran away earlier? Who does ‘Agon’s Raging Horn’ refer to?”

The answer came first from an unexpected place.

“’Agon’ is a city in the center of the Free Cities Alliance, Nauri. There is the largest arena on the continent, where countless mercenaries, gladiators, and ronin gather to seek wealth and fame. ‘Agon’s Raging Horn’ is a legendary barbarian mercenary who has won the championship several times.”

Before I knew it, the peddler next to me was explaining. Kadim glanced at Duncan.

“Did these guys mistake him for me?”

“Yeah, maybe…” … . But it’s strange, Nauri. ‘Agon’s Raging Horn’ is such a famous person that even the chairman of a large city cannot easily meet him. Even if I were given hundreds of millions of dollars, I don’t think I would get wallpaper like this… … .”

The two people’s eyes simultaneously turned towards the thief on the floor. The rogue twisted his neck pitifully and looked at Kadim.

“Fuck, no! Our leader came from an arena, and we became close friends from there! He goes so far as to say that if you ask him for help, he will overcome everything and come right away! If the ‘angry horn of Agon’ really comes, you will be left behind… … “Quaaaaa!!”

Kadim put his weight on the foot that had trampled on the thief. Exquisitely, just enough to not break the spine. After going through a lot of pain, the thief eventually became a gentle sheep.

The circumstances before and after the incident that the thief revealed were nothing special.

“We… … no, damn it, it’s just me left… … . I’m from the ‘Blood Cave Clan’, and those two guys who ran away are from the ‘Black Hammer Clan’… … .”

The ‘Blood Cave Clan’ was originally the chief thief group in this area. However, a new force, the ‘Black Hammer Clan’, used their numbers to purge them. When most of the members died or fled, the leader asked his close friend, the ‘Angry Horn of Agon’, for help in driving out the ‘Black Hammer Clan’…

“Ugh, bro. “I was just fooled.”

“… … what?”

“If they were really that close to each other in the first place, would ‘Agon’s Angry Horn’ have just stood by and watched his friend act as the leader of a bandit gang in a place like this? He could have just given him a few gold bars and set up a fancy store in the big city… … .”

The peddler’s point was perfectly valid. The thief was speechless. His eyes trembled as if his last hope had vanished.

“… … .”

Meanwhile, Kadim has decided what to do from now on.

I don’t know if we weren’t involved in the first place, but since we were already involved, there was nothing we could do. The leader wouldn’t just let go after seeing six members dead.

Never leave with regrets. From the first time until now, this has been the principle of conduct that has run through Kadim’s values. It is better to strike first than to be pursued or ambushed.

‘And if the opponent is a group of thieves… … you can rob them without any guilt.’

Kadim lifted his feet from his waist. Instead, he grabbed the thief’s elbow with his large hand.

“I need to clear out the remnants. Guide them to their base.”

“Uh, what? Well, that can’t be… … .”

Wow –

The joints bend in unusual directions with surprising ease.

“… … !!!”

The thief started giving directions, screaming as if the whole world was leaving him.

*

A damp cave with shadows rippling along the walls from the torches. Now that there were no eyes to see, there was no need to save face.

“Haaaaaah… … .”

Graham, the leader of the ‘Blood Cave Group’, held his hair and sighed heavily.

‘Fuck, where on earth did it go wrong… … .’

Graham came from the prestigious Agon Arena. The reputation was a story about the Arena, not about himself. Graham ended his gladiator career with a miserable record of 1 win and 4 losses.

Still, there was something great about it. ‘One loss’ in the arena usually leads to death, but Graham held on to his life even after being defeated four times.

But Graham didn’t go around bragging about his cockroach-like vitality. Instead, he bragged about being a popular gladiator with a large following and even being close friends with the ‘Angry Horn of Agon’.

The description of the arena was so realistic that many people surprisingly believed the lie. Thanks to this, Graham was able to form a small band of thieves called the ‘Blood Cave Group’. He hoped that his bluff would not be exposed and that he could continue to rob in this remote area to barely make a living.

His little dream was shattered.

‘Black Hammer, you fucking bastards… … .’

Because of the rival thieves, the ‘Black Hammer’.

Originally, they were a notorious band of thieves in the border area. However, they have been slowly making inroads here, and now they have established a base nearby. As members are killed every time they are seen, the number of the ‘Blood Cave Group’ is rapidly decreasing.

‘Boss, do something! Are you just going to get beat up like this by those bastards every day, huh?’

‘Oh, how about singing ‘Agon’s Angry Horn’ while you’re at it? You were so close with the boss, weren’t you?’

‘that…….’

Originally, they tried to pass it off as if they didn’t want to burden their friends. Gradually, the mood became such that they couldn’t pass it off like that. Everyone had either died or fled, and there were less than twenty members left. And even they were all about to desert soon.

Graham had no choice but to make a decision.

‘Today, I sent a dispatch to ‘Agon’s Angry Horn’. ‘He is a friend who will come to help me even if it means going to hell if I call him, so everyone, just hold on a little longer and wait.’

‘Waaaaaa!’

‘Fuck! That’s cool!’

‘I believed in you, boss!’

‘… … .’

To postpone destruction with false promises.

However, Graham was not completely unaware of the ‘Agon’s Angry Horn’. He was not a close friend, but rather one of the countless spectators. Although he could not even say a single word, the overwhelming force of the barbarian left a deep impression on him.

‘Ha, damn it… … . If the ‘Angry Horn of Agon’ really comes to my aid, then I really wouldn’t have anything to ask for… … .’

It was a bittersweet wind. What could the legendary champion of the arena have that made him come all the way to this remote place?

Even if it was a barbarian who came to cut off Huhwan.

“Ugh, boss! Ah, ‘Agon’s Raging Horn’ is here… … .”

“… … What?”

Puck – !

The subordinate could not finish his sentence. The large barbarian retrieved his hatchet from the back of his subordinate’s head. It looks like the tattered ax head has already killed quite a few people like that.

“Oh my god… … Uh, how really… … .”

The cave was only lit by dim torches. The outline that was revealed was so large that it was hard to believe it was human. For a moment, Graham almost thought it was the real ‘Agon’s Angry Horn’.

“……hmm?”

It was only after I got closer that I realized that the author was not the champion of the arena, but someone else.

… … It was no different from the fact that it looked so vicious that it could tear a person to death with its bare hands.

Unlike his clueless subordinates, Graham was a master of survival. He was able to survive four defeats in the arena simply because of his incredible quick wit.

I knew the savage was incredibly strong the moment I saw him. His subordinates were nowhere to be seen, so it seemed they had already been cleared out. Feeling that he had no choice but to survive, he fell flat on the ground without any consideration for his dignity.

“All the money and valuables I saved are in the chest under that table. If you want other equipment or groceries, you can go to the very inside of the cave. Oh, if you have any grudges against my other subordinates, please let me know. “I will call you immediately and supervise you.”

“… … .”

“Please, just spare my life.”

The savage did not open his mouth.

A gaze that digs into my back like an awl. A damp silence that settles down.

Graham shut his eyes tightly. He had a hunch. That guy, no matter what he said, it wouldn’t work. Whether it was giving his liver or his gallbladder, he’d finish it all off without leaving any traces… … .

‘Ah, really… I’m confident that I’ll live modestly from now on without holding a grudge… … . I just rob the passersby of their little things… … .’

If only I could, I would tear out my heart and show my true feelings. The savage mercilessly raised his sword and approached me step by step.

An ordinary person would have given up on life at this point, but Graham was different. He didn’t give up until the very end and examined Khadim’s appearance in detail. He was saving his own miserable life, regardless of whether others died or not.

And finally, Graham found a way out.

From a worn-out barbarian hatchet.

“That… … mercenary?”

“… … .”

“Are you not interested in ‘treasure’? I know where the ‘treasure map’ is where I wrote down the location of a very valuable treasure… … .”

“… … .”

The blade slowly rose like a guillotine. The barbarian decided that because Graham did not want to die, he was making a fuss. Graham became impatient and poured out his information.

“The true identity of that treasure is a dwarven axe! This is a ‘throwing ax’ made with great care by dwarven craftsmen! From what I’ve heard, the blade doesn’t get damaged no matter how much you use it, if you throw it, it hits the target on its own, flies around like a bird, and it’s just amazing! “I’m sure you’ll like it if you try it.”

“… … .”

Finally, the blade stopped. Graham swallowed his saliva and studied the savage. For the first time, the lips opened and a heavy, low-pitched voice was heard.

“Where is the map?”

“… … Oh, that’s, um… … First, put away the knife… … .”

“Where is it?”

“I’m sorry… but I can’t tell you unless I can guarantee that you’ll spare my life… .”

Graham really knew where the ‘treasure map’ was. That’s because he hid it himself.

But I had no intention of saying it straight away. If I told him, he would definitely tell me to show him the way, but it was obvious that if he went that way now, he would most likely die.

The best chance of survival is to teach them the wrong thing by going as far away as possible, and then running away when you have the chance…

“How funny. You thief, you want to negotiate with me now?”

“… … yes?”

“I also have some expertise in negotiation.”

Sigh!

The tip of the knife pierced between the forearm and chest. The sword body greedily swallowed the flowing blood. Graham’s face turned as pale as her corpse.

“Uh, uh uh… … .”

A pain that spreads terribly.

“Off, off, off!”

A scream came from deep in my lungs.

“If you don’t tell me right now, I’ll rip out your heart.”

A fear worse than death invaded Graham’s mind.