The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 165



Only Krnovel

Episode 165. The Forest of Dreams (8)

Kadim found his companions first and joined them.

Both of them looked pale, as if they had had a lot of drinks last night. He was also quite uneasy, with blood all over his mouth and clothes.

The two people asked together what on earth had happened. I vaguely assumed that I had been looking into the forest from afar. Even after Duncan finished asking the question, he hesitated for a while longer, observing the archaeologist’s gaze. It looks like he has carried out his orders. They decided to check the results later and ordered him to join immediately.

If there was any bad news, it was that I had to drink again after drinking so much yesterday. After seeing the two people gulping down their drinks with their faces rotting away.

Kadim led the group to what he had found.

―――― Woof, woof, woof… … .

“Huh… … ? What is this… … .”

“This… … .”

The two people were absentmindedly admiring each other, forgetting even their hangovers. Kadim nodded toward Ilenia.

“It seems to me that that is the source that made this forest like this. “Am I right, archaeologist?”

“uh… … yes… … . As I see it… … It seems like that, but… … .”

Ilenia swallowed her saliva. Bright yellow eyes were fixed as if nails were nailed into them. The eyes of the other party members were similarly fixed on one spot.

A huge ‘tree’ growing ahead.

Even if you just look at it without thinking much about it, it was an extraordinary appearance. A height dozens of times the height of a human being, a circumference that would have thousands of tree rings, blue-green smoke flowing like sea fog, and a regularly resonating sound… … . There was a supernatural atmosphere that impressed even those who were accustomed to strange trees that were as flabby as seaweed.

However, if you have good observation skills, you will be able to find other strange things.

Duncan realized these facts too late and shouted in embarrassment.

“Oh, will I get better? But isn’t this tree’s leaves too big? And the bottom part also looks like something is at stake… … .”

It was exactly as he said.

Each and every leaf of that ‘tree’ was so large that at first glance it looked like flags hung in layers. Also, in order to support such a large body, the roots must be thick and the base should stand out, but the ‘tree’ had a bare base as if it were just a pillar.

Even with the clues, it was difficult to draw a conclusion using common sense. Duncan, who had brought up the subject, simply looked puzzled. On the other hand, Ilenia and Kadim nodded their heads, noticing something.

“Yes, that’s… … not a ‘tree’, it’s a ‘branch’.”

“……yes?”

“Perhaps, there is a tree so enormous that you can’t even imagine… … That would have been cut off a ‘branch’ of that tree and planted.”

“Huh?!”

Duncan was startled and fell asleep.

He said that that ‘tree’ was one of the largest trees he had ever seen in his life. But is that just a ‘tree branch’? I wondered if the archaeologist had not yet sobered up from the alcohol he drank yesterday.

On the other hand, Kadim twisted his lips as if he knew what was going on.

There was no information I knew for sure. I just did it because I thought that a typical element that is never missing when talking about ‘elf’ in the outside world has finally appeared.

‘World Tree’.

A giant tree of overwhelming size whose leaves cover the firmament, whose roots reach into the underworld, and whose pillars support the world. A sacred tree that all elves living in Mother Nature respect and worship more than their own lives.

As soon as I saw it, I felt an ominous energy and had a gut feeling. That must be a branch of the World Tree, the Bismurian tree.

However, if you think about it, it was questionable.

If we confine ourselves to the world of this game, I have never heard of any legends about elves or the World Tree. It may be because the setting states that they disappeared after the Age of Myths, and because elves had little presence in the first place… … .

‘… … Isn’t there also a legend that says that humans made the elves kneel and swore that the World Tree was just a relatively large tree?’

Also, all of this is just an inference based on stereotypes from the outside world, and the meaning of the ‘World Tree’ in this world may be different. And among the group, there is probably only one person who knows its true meaning.

Kadim stared at Ilenia.

Her fingers were twitching nervously. Her bright yellow eyes scanned the sun in the sky. Ilenia tightly closed her eyelids and barely opened her lips.

“And this branch is probably…” … It would be ‘part of God.’”

“… … .”

―――― Woof, woof, woof… … .

A dull resonance was overlaid on top of the silence.

Ilenia took a breath after realizing that nothing special had happened, and then continued talking, pointing to the tree.

“Look, that green mist-like thing flowing down from there… … That must be Hesilia’s divine energy. Most relics are used to store and utilize divine power or divine energy, but that one is constantly emitting it from within. That can’t be explained unless that branch is a ‘part of the god.’”

“… … Then is that a piece of the elven god, ‘Hesilia’?”

Kadim’s question. Ilenia paused for a moment and then agreed.

“Yes, that would be so. Dreams and illusions are Hesilia’s domain. Someone must have broken off a part of her and planted it here… … and used that divine power to activate the sacred law that makes nightmares come true.”

“… … .”

“Whew, this is something I didn’t expect. I thought the source would be a moderately powerful relic, but I never thought such an enormous divine artifact would appear… … .”

The explanation continued that the fact that the ‘branch’ was in front of us meant that we were in the middle of the forest, and that we had to go further than we had come this far.

Everyone was speechless. There wasn’t enough alcohol left, and neither was the health of the liver. Duncan hiccupped and looked as if he was about to vomit.

Kadim also frowned seriously. Many thoughts crossed his mind.

That branch is a part of God, so does that mean the World Tree is ‘Hesilia’? Why is a god who should be in heaven turned into a huge tree and is on earth? Even considering what I heard before, it could be either a dragon or Melissa that cut and planted that… … .

Questions without answers came one after another. At that point, Kadim resolutely cut off his distracting thoughts.

Now is the time for action to take precedence over thought.

“Oh, mercenary… …? Why are you going that way?”

“So, anyway, isn’t that something that needs to be removed for the forest to return to its original state?”

“Yes? Well, that’s true, but… … .”

“Then let’s cut it off quickly. Before those damned illusions pop up again.”

A warrior who aloofly lifts up the judgment of Atala. Ilenia raised her eyes in horror.

“Hey, mercenary! That’s impossible! That’s not just a holy relic, it’s a ‘part of God’? Human power will never be able to even make a scratch! Plus, you don’t know what kind of repercussions will occur the moment you cut it… … .”

“… … .”

Desperately, contradictory persuasion continued, worrying that it would be cut off, saying that it wouldn’t even leave a scratch. Fortunately, it worked, and the axe head that had been raised as if it would swing at any moment gradually lowered. Ilenia sighed and showed that she had endured ten years.

But it was not Kadim who laid the sack.

“… … Did you say it was impossible to cut that off?”

“Yes, yes! Not only is the strength of the divine water overwhelmingly strong, but it also greatly reduces the damage inflicted by beings of lower ‘level’… … .”

“Then how did it get here in the first place?”

“…Yes? Uh, that’s….”

“The fact that it’s planted here means that someone has already plucked it once.”

Illenia was speechless. The branch had certainly already been broken off and separated from the main body. It was absolutely absurd for a being living on earth to dare to damage the body (body) of a god.

There is no problem in the world that cannot be solved through force.

If someone else did it, there was no way he couldn’t say it was him. Kadim resolutely memorized the prayer.

“[Atala, god of struggle and wilderness. Look upon your great warriors, lift up the torch and lead them to the battlefield, give them strength to fight against unholy enemies, and give them a will that will not break even when the storm rages… … .]”

He held the axe handle tightly and devoted himself more earnestly to prayer.

He felt his mission keenly and affirmed his warrior self. Looking back on the past, I pledged not to give in to hardships. In the hope of overwhelming power, he released divine energy endlessly. In order to recreate the vast explosive power of the moment when the ‘new energy’ was regained for the first time in the second round.

Shinki Type 1, ‘Sand Storm’.

Hwioooooooo – !!

Amid the fluttering yellow mist, Kadim smiled. Yes, damn Atala. I don’t mind if her whole body breaks, so please give me the strength to take down that giant tree.

―――― Woof, woof, woof… … .

And so, the ‘branch’ created by breaking off a part of God performs a miracle that turns nightmares into reality.

―――― Kuhooooooooooooooooooo – !

The ‘Shinbyung’, a destructive condensation of the divine blessings, was swung around, carrying a majestic sandstorm that shook large trees like weeds and scattered Mt. Tai like a burial mound.

*

A golden field warmly bathed in sunlight.

A large fireball like a cannonball streaked across the air.

―――― Boom!

Grumble, growl, growl – !

The fireball exploded and split into three branches, each hitting three scarecrows standing in different places. The incredible firepower reduced the scarecrow to ashes in the blink of an eye.

The girl wizard, Melissa, smiled brightly and jumped up and down in place.

“Whoa! I did it! Did you see it? Did you see it? Did you see me get all three right?”

Her red hair, braided to her waist, flowed like a carpet. The way she expressed her joy was quite appropriate for such a great achievement. The giant, who had been watching her with his arms crossed, snickered.

“Yes, I saw it. That was some pretty good workmanship. “Now, if I put my mind to it, I can light several neighbors’ furnaces at the same time.”

“Huh, what is it? Can you only praise in that way? How difficult and amazing magic is this! “Praise more sincerely!”

“Rather than that, shouldn’t we put out the fire first? “If I leave it alone, it looks like the lawn will burn up.”

“Ah! That’s right, that’s right! Oh my, look at my mind… … .”

The spreading fire was immediately extinguished with a single stirring. Melissa sighed and wiped away the sweat.

After finishing cleaning up, I quickly fell down on the dirt floor and opened the book. Information about her magic, ‘multi-segmented giant flame sphere’, has been added to her scribbled notes and the records she carries around. Geohan shrugged his shoulders after looking at the twisted and tangled mysterious letters.

“I can’t tell what those earthworm-like letters mean just by looking at them. “It almost seems like ancient script is easier.”

“huh? The letters themselves are easier to learn than you think! It’s difficult to use it to manifest magical power. Would you like to learn it too?”

“… … Just because it’s easy by your standards doesn’t mean it’s easy for others. And I can’t feel mana anyway, so I can’t use magic, so why… … .”

“why! If you learn it, it might come in handy later, right? And hehe, I can teach you magic properly? “Do you think it’s common to have the opportunity to learn from a wizard like me?”

“… … .”

“Come here, Khadim! Let’s start again with our ‘magic sphere’!”

Melissa jumped up and grabbed his thick forearms. The big man, Kadim, pretended to be disgusted and waved his arms. The wizard’s slender body shook like a paper doll.

This time, he convinced her that he would definitely succeed in magic, and she replied that she did not want to waste any more time, so he asked her to teach him how to throw an axe, and she replied that he should quit if he did not want to break his ankle… … The usual bickering between the two of them repeated itself again.

however.

This time, the scuffle ended due to an unexpected twist.

Doo-woong… … .

A calm, undulating void, like waves spreading across the water.

“… … .”

Melissa’s face hardened like a stone. She asked Kadim in a concerned tone.

“Why do you do that, Melissa? “What’s going on?”

“… … Ah, no, Kadeem… … . That… … That’s… … .”

“Did that magic earlier cause you any discomfort? If so, get some deep sleep. I will stay by your side and not leave.”

“No, no. That’s not it… … . T, wait a minute. I’ll be back soon, Kadim. Just wait a minute, I’ll be right back… … .”

Melissa backed away with an ambiguous smile. Kadim narrowed his eyes slightly, but eventually nodded in agreement. Melissa bit her lips and stepped forward toward the waves in the air.

When I laid my hand on it, the world changed.

Whoa… … .

The golden fields disappeared like a fleeting dream, and a gloomy hall appeared, covered with grass and vines like a jungle.

The sturdy barbarian figure disappeared like an illusion. Instead, only an old elf was visible, standing restlessly in the center of the hall.

“That, World Keeper… … . I, I’m truly sorry. Something urgent suddenly came up, so I had to call you in unavoidably… … .”

“… … .”

Melissa ignored the elf and walked forward.

Guuuuung –

I climbed the tall wooden stairs in one step, distorting the space. He climbed onto the throne entwined with vines and sat down diagonally with his legs crossed. The elf hurriedly followed and crouched down underneath him. Melissa gave her inorganic gaze.

“… … Don’t you understand what I mean when I say, ‘don’t disturb me while I’m in a ‘dream’?”

“… … .”

“If I burn the skin of their backs and carve a warning on them, I wonder if they will understand in the future.”

The young-looking girl wizard was not there.

There is only a woman who has been burned to ashes.

But the razor blade was still fierce. The reason people are afraid of volcanoes is because of the clastic flow that comes afterward, rather than the eruption itself. The elf, who was pale all the way to her pointy ears, spoke urgently in a pathetic, trembling voice.

“I’m, I’m sorry, World Treasurer. But, this is a very serious matter, so I, I feel I must report to you immediately… … .”

“Okay, let’s talk.”

“……yes?”

“Please tell me what was important enough to wake me up.”

“Ah, ah, yes. That, that’s not it… … One of the ‘branches of the World Tree’ that you had planted was damaged. As a result, that area is now defenseless and exposed to intruders.”

His split fingernails scratched the armrest. The old elf shivered as if his heart had been scratched.

“… … Is that important enough to wake me up midway through my ‘dream’? “I think just telling the Guardians was enough.”

“that is… … The way the damage is done is very different from the normal case… … .”

“How could it have been damaged like that? No matter what you did, you couldn’t have broken the branch off completely.”

The old elf hesitated, as if he was at a loss as to what to explain. He couldn’t take too long. It was like he was walking on a tightrope from above in a fire pit.

In the end, I honestly told him what I had heard.

“that… … “It was broken.”

“……hmm?”

“The whole branch that was planted was broken off… … . It looks like someone forcibly cut it off using enormous physical force… … “Currently, an investigation team has been dispatched under the leadership of Lord Rushador to determine the exact cause and protect the area.”

“… … !”

A fierce fire burned in the eyes of the woman who was like a pile of ash.