The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 129



Only Krnovel

Episode 129. Five Pillars (6)

“[Eldra, Freor, Yukorn, Kulamad… … .]”

‘Frozen Heart’ Coltran murmured the spell and waved his hand across the table. Following the wrinkled touch, a column of ice grew from the table like a stalagmite.

Tsuzuzuzuzu… … .

Just then, Coltran snapped his fingers and shards of ice flew out.

Green onion – Spear!

The ice pillar was carved out like a piece, forming a detailed shape. A statue resembling a large barbarian.

“Phehheh… … What a funny friend. What a very funny friend. Mr. Asilus, you brought a very funny friend.”

“… … .”

Acting Battle Mage Commander, Asilus twisted his lips ambiguously.

Elder Coltran was famous for his personality of always maintaining a relaxed attitude, controlling his emotions, and drawing clear boundaries. However, after meeting the barbarian, the old man’s attitude was very pleasant and gentle. Asillus was feeling quite a sense of disconnect from the unexpected side of the elder.

“Ha, haha, I’m so glad you liked it… … . But Elder, his attitude seemed a bit rude… … May I ask why you liked it so much? … ?”

“… … .”

The warmth that had spread across Coltran’s face had cooled again.

“… … What did we talk about yesterday, Asilus?”

“… … .”

“You are the kind of person who can’t even eat if you don’t feed yourself.”

“… … !”

It was a mistake. In order to prove my ‘qualification for promotion,’ I should have figured this out myself without asking… … . Asilus blamed himself for his foolishness, but at the same time, he thought of him as an old man with a very twisted personality.

Fortunately, Coltran added an explanation this time.

“Can you be brave in front of a dragon as big as Mt. Tai?”

“… … .”

“There are not many people who can do that. Even if the dragon had retreated to its nest and was in a deep sleep. Moreover, wouldn’t a person who can guess the dream of a sleeping dragon as soon as he sees it be a talent that is difficult to encounter even once in the long life of a dragon?”

When I heard it, it seemed like a metaphor comparing himself to a ‘sleeping dragon’. It basically meant that he liked the fact that the savage was not intimidated by him and that he quickly figured out the purpose of the ‘Matapju’ from the moment they first met.

Asillus smiled awkwardly and tried to put a spoon on it.

“Ha, haha, it was good to cooperate with that barbarian. I’m glad that my judgment was right. If you like the elder, how about entrusting him with the work often from now on? … .”

“No, he’s not the right person to keep close to for so long.”

“… … yes?”

“He didn’t hesitate to take another elder by surprise. He must have dealt with high-ranking magicians before. I don’t know about the decapitated Lamacren, but maybe Delpharus, who had the ‘Pillar of Steel’… … may have died by his hand.”

Asilus was struck by a falling rock on the head of Jeongsu-ri.

“yes?! Well, does that make sense? No, if he is that dangerous… … “Isn’t there a way to dispose of it right away, Elder?”

There was deep disappointment in the eyes of the battle mage. Coltran swoops and fires.

“Look, a capable hunting dog has crawled under us, so why are you trying to take his throat right away? You should at least wait until he brings back all his prey.”

“… … .”

“Well, but… … you have a point. After hunting, you can’t have a meal with a dog. When the savage gathers all of the ‘five pillars’, then… … .”

The moment you clench your fist, a violent explosion of cold air occurs.

Pachachachachang – !

The ice spikes mercilessly pierced the statue. The frozen savage was shattered beyond recognition. Looking at the pale battlemage, Coltran muttered in a bleak voice.

“… … We have to keep our mouths shut like this. If you show us your teeth or talk carelessly about the records of the first Magic Tower, it will be a problem.”

“… … .”

A silence that falls like frost in the north in midwinter.

While the Battle Mage, dreaming of ascending to the throne, swallowed dry saliva again and again, the eyes of the elder who called himself a sleeping dragon flashed with a cool spirit.

*

Inn on the main street of Vestana, ‘The Whale That Swallowed Gold’.

In the guest room there, the savage and the peddler were having an untimely reading session.

“… … Phew.”

After looking at the tiny letters for a long time, my eyes got tired. The rigid content, and the grammar and vocabulary that were quite different from 300 years ago, also hindered smooth reading. In the end, I changed my reading method to just memorizing key words and skimming.

Kadim rubbed his eyelids and looked to the side. He saw Duncan stammering out a book.

“Circulation is manifestation… … Manifestation is also circulation… … . All things tend to circulate in various forms, and the essence of the ‘Arden’ technique is to skillfully control this wheel of change… … No, what the heck is this… … .”

“… … Feel free to skip that kind of content. All you have to do is look up information about the history of the Magic Tower or ancient mana.”

“Ah, yep! Oh, I understand, I’ll be better… … .”

“I think I’m losing focus after reading for so long. Let’s take a short break.”

As soon as those words came out, Duncan stretched out on the bed. His brain was overloaded and he looked half-fazed. After reading for almost half a day something that even wizards struggle with, it was only natural for him to do so.

However, Kadim was not satisfied. Perhaps because the materials were obtained from areas that were not difficult to access, it was difficult to find the information that was really needed.

‘To obtain secrets about ancient mana or the devil’s infestation, I have to go into the depths of the magic tower, where access is also restricted… … .’

Still, it wasn’t like there was no income at all. One of the books Duncan brought was a biography of the first Matapju, Melissa.

At least the elder didn’t lie. The story written in the biography was almost identical to what I had heard. Melissa was a great archmage and founder of the Magic Tower, but she wasn’t a great leader. She didn’t monopolize magical knowledge and didn’t share it, and in her later years, she wandered outside the Magic Tower and returned, quietly dying.

But no matter how much I thought about it, this didn’t seem to be true. If that was the case, why did Melissa build the Magic Tower in the first place? She must have founded it with the sole purpose of teaching wizards…

Additionally, many parts were omitted from the biography. What did Melissa do in her later years? Did she have any interactions with the warriors? How did she deal with the depletion of ancient mana? … . In order to fill this gap, it seemed like there was no other way than to look at my own records.

Kadim sat up, his body slumped over. Duncan also reflexively got up from the bed.

“Oh, where are you going, Your Majesty?”

“I’m going down to have a drink. Do you want to come with me?”

“Oh, no. I’ll just rest here for a little longer… … .”

Kadim nodded his head and stepped outside with only a throwing axe slung at his waist.

As I went down to the inn’s hall, the innkeeper, who looked like a beach man, greeted me energetically.

“Oh, did you have a good rest, sir? Is there anything inconvenient about the room or is there anything you need?”

He was a savage, so he acted shyly at first, but after receiving a large bag of gold coins as a deposit from Khadim, he became even more friendly. The common sense that if you don’t have money, you’re a savage, but if you have money, you’re an Atalain still holds true even after 300 years.

Kadim sits down at a table in the corner and asks a question vaguely.

“What kind of alcohol sells best here?”

“It’s rum, of course! It’s made from sugarcane that has been exposed to the sea breeze, so it tastes amazing! It’s also the most sought-after drink among sailors here before they set sail!”

“Then let’s have a bottle of that first.”

“Yes, I’ll bring it right over to you along with some sweet snacks to enjoy!”

The innkeeper threw down the brick and hammer he was holding and headed towards the kitchen. Seeing this, Kadim raised his eyebrows slightly.

“What’s that? Is there anything broken in the inn?”

“Oh, that’s not it! Haha, the time is right! Typhoons always hit Vestana between late summer and early fall. “If you don’t want to wake up in the morning and find all your guests gone, shouldn’t you prepare in advance?”

Even as a joke, it wasn’t a funny thing to say. Ha, I laughed and quietly waited for the drinks and snacks to come out.

But after about a minute of waiting.

A foul smell suddenly brushes the tip of your nose.

“… … !”

The smell of ‘Mana’ was wafting from upstairs.

My body reacted faster than I expected. Kadim bounced like a spring and ran towards the stairs. The innkeeper, who was bringing out rum and dates, hesitated in embarrassment.

“Uh, why are you doing this, sir? Do you have any problem… … .”

“Get out of the way. There will be some commotion for a moment. “Maybe the damage will be greater than a typhoon.”

“yes? What does that mean… … “Huh!”

There was no time to explain further than that. The warrior raised the sack and headed toward the guest room.

Qua – Ang!

As I kicked in the door, a scene unfolded as expected.

Whoosh whoosh – !

Duncan, trembling with the Hellfire Dagger in his hand, and three villains standing in front of him.

“Oh, my lord! Th, help me! Th, these guys suddenly climbed through the window and… … .”

““… … !””

“… … [Keruna, Grun, Mol, Bagdus… … ].”

The other two froze in confusion, but the last one started reciting the spell without hesitation. So Kadim also threw the throwing axe without any questions.

Parararararararararaarak, wow!

The gunman’s head did not explode. Instead, a shock wave erupted and the air split apart. Kadim tsk, clicked his tongue. Damn it, did they deploy a protective shield in advance?

The gunman finally completed the order.

“[… … Rumor, Scarik!]”

Hurrrurr –

Black flames bloom in concentric circles from below. Kadim ran like a wild animal towards the peddler. She turned her back to the fire and spread her arms out to act as a meat shield.

―――― Crumbling – !

The magical fire suddenly intensified and swept in like a whirlwind. A whirlwind of heat that heated the air, a flame like ink that filled the space. The entire floor and ceiling were blackened, but Duncan barely escaped the fire thanks to Kadim’s protection.

“Huh! “Gwae, are you okay, are you okay?”

“… … It’s okay. It’s not that hot compared to the fires of hell.”

The gangsters who heard that burst into ridicule.

“Hehehe, is there any way it’s going to be okay? My back is as dry as coal… … .”

“It’s not even hot compared to the fires of hell? Ha, there’s a limit to bragging… … .”

But Kadim was never one to bluff.

The charred flesh was pushed away and new flesh grew. Even the charred flesh fell away, and the back skin regained its normal appearance in an instant. The eyes of the villains bulged out in an instant.

The source of that miracle is the ‘Hydra’s tattoo’ that glows red on the chest.

“Shit! Um, that’s some kind of monster… … .”

“Attack again quickly! [Keruna! Grun! Agrippa! En… … .]”

“[Keruna! Grun! Volcaris! Radum… … .]”

The wizards were hurriedly preparing their second attack spell. However, what had just happened was their first and last chance.

The berserker with shining red eyes pulls the manpower and retrieves the ‘thunderbolt’… …

Hoo, hoo, hoo, teo – ugh!

… … without delay, he unleashed the lightning bolt of destruction.

――――――――――――――――――――――― !!

The villain who caught the blue sparks was startled and cast a spell. From a magic that summoned fire arrows to a magic that strengthened the protective shield.

“[… … Encanto, Beltusium!]”

But it was a futile effort.

It was like trying to block a mace by adding a piece of paper. The power of the ax, which was strengthened by the power of tattoos and even loaded with lightning, could not be stopped by just adding a little more durability.

Pachachachachachang, pyeop-keop!

The thunderbolt, which flew wildly, easily destroyed the protective shield and landed deep in the exact center of the gunman’s forehead. Immediately afterwards, a flash of light flickered, turning the entire world into pure white for a split second.

Flash, bang – !

When the light faded, the villain’s head was nowhere to be found. Only clumps of blackened gray matter and flesh lay strewn about.

Pusheeeee… … .

As futile smoke rose from the throat of the gunman whose head exploded, a loud roar that seemed to represent the shock of the surviving gunmen belatedly rang out.

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

A tense silence, a tragedy that shakes the soul.

“……to.”

“… … Uh, uh.”

While the villains were frozen in shock, the light warrior gave them no time to rest and delivered a second lightning strike.

Flash, bang – !

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

Again there was a flash of light and a loud noise.

The aftertaste that tingled my cornea and made my eardrums ache. I couldn’t come to my senses at all. The strange man in the middle rubbed away the dazzling afterimage and looked to the sides.

“… … Uh, uh, uh.”

For some reason, instead of the comrades who came with me, there were only two corpses with their heads exploded into pieces.