The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 166



Only Krnovel

Episode 166 Guardians of the World Tree (1)

Melissa leapt from the throne like an exploding spark.

“Which one!”

“yes?”

“Which one! A place with cut branches!! “It’s the south, it’s the north!!”

“Well, that…” … .”

“It’s the South, it’s the North!! Stop talking nonsense and tell me now!!!”

Her red hair rose like a flame, and her enraged mana flared up. The leaves in the entire hall turned black and shriveled up, scorched by the volcanic heat.

The old elf was shocked. It was the first time he had seen the woman so excited. Even the most seasoned veteran had a hard time calming down. He calmed his pounding heart and hurriedly answered before he was burned alive.

“I am South, South! The ‘Branch of the World Tree’ that was exactly the second place from the south, in the center of the ‘Forest of Dreams’, has been cut off!! Gulp, gulp… .”

As soon as those words were finished, the heat that had taken over the space disappeared.

Melissa slumped back onto the throne. The excitement that had been boiling over, as if it were going to set the whole world on fire, had dissipated in vain. Only a sorrow as ash-like as a finely-chewed grain remained.

“The south direction… … is not where humans live… … . That way… … there’s no way it could come up… … . To the north, the north side should have been bent… … Why isn’t it north… … .”

“… … .”

The woman’s voice was a mixture of dry crying and faint sighing. The elf bowed down without even making a sound of her breathing. Like a bird with its head in the ground, she waited helplessly for the remnants of this upheaval to subside without much fuss.

Unfortunately, that wish did not come true.

Perfect!

――――――――――― Hwaruk- !

There was a snapping sound of fingers, and the lights flashed.

The elf jerked up in surprise. The afterimage of the fire tail extending like a meteor started from right in front of the throne and continued into the distant distance.

“M-Melissa, what did you just say…” … .”

“… … I also removed a few of the ‘World Tree branches’ that were planted in the north. Come to think of it, I think we need an entrance here too.”

“… … .”

The elf opened his mouth in bewilderment.

Burning down a place so far from where you sit? No, more than that, getting rid of the bodies (god bodies) that have been firmly protecting the invaders for hundreds of years for such a reason? Doesn’t that mean that this place will now be defenselessly exposed to invaders from outside the Great Forest?

In an instant, numerous thoughts passed through my head. But none of them were said out loud. The reason he was able to survive until now was because of his knack for swallowing his words and paying attention.

“Well, then, I will order you to dispatch guardians and patrols to strengthen the northern border for the time being. If you could just give me an order on who to dispatch… … .”

“… … Take care of that, and get out now. And don’t wake me up again until you hear from the North.”

“Yes, yes, I understand…” … . “Thank you for your mercy, and once again I sincerely apologize, Mr. World Balance Manager.”

The old elf bent down so that his forehead touched the ground, and then quickly ran away.

The silence that follows is empty.

Melissa, left alone, sat there like a broken puppet. Suddenly, I caught her gaze and looked at her. A magnificent, transparent sphere hanging from the ceiling of a lush hall like a celestial fruit.

On its surface, the figure of a giant waiting for him with his back to the golden fields loomed dreamily.

*

Kadim and his party were still in a state of lingering confusion.

Glances from this side, glances from that side. The alternating glances continued endlessly. Unable to bear it any longer, Kadim snapped.

“… … If you have something to say, say it yourself. Don’t just look at me like you little rats.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

Duncan and Ilenia looked away in disgust.

There were so many words stuck in my throat, but I couldn’t bring myself to say them. I could only reminisce about the unspeakable shock. I recalled the miraculous scene where the warrior cut off the giant branch that was said to be ‘a part of God’ with a single blow using an axe filled with sandstorm.

The Forest of Dreams has returned to an ordinary forest. Although the sandstorm swept through and devastated the vegetation… … Compared to before, it was definitely on the ordinary side.

There was no longer any need to be unfamiliar with an unfamiliar environment, no need to worry about hallucinations appearing, and no need to drink alcohol to cloud one’s sense of reality. Since Kadim did not bother to show the pain caused by the side effects of the magic, the party’s marching speed became much faster than before.

A distance that usually took two days was covered in half a day. The guide washed his face and spread out the map.

“Well, there were many twists and turns… … Anyway, we’re almost there now. At this rate, we will arrive at our destination, the ‘center of the forest,’ within two days.”

“… … .”

“My intuition said, whoa…” … “Maybe the ‘Grand Wizard’ you’re looking for is there.”

Duncan flinched, trembled, and looked at me with a puzzled look as if asking how I knew that. On the other hand, Kadim kept his mouth shut. The moment to make a decision was approaching.

Should I continue to date that woman, or should I just shake her off?

There was something I wanted to check before making that decision.

The evening arrived early, and I made a suitable excuse and left with Duncan alone. Duncan glanced to see that the archaeologist was not there and began to report what he had discovered.

“… … The mission entrusted to you has been carried out successfully, Nauri. “I finished checking the bag safely without being caught by that woman.”

“Yeah, did you find anything suspicious inside?”

“Yes, yes… … I found it, but… … How should I explain this… … .”

Duncan takes off his Night Shadow Cloak right away.

“Well, similar to this cloak… … fabric… … .”

“… … ?”

“Yes, there was nothing special about it… … Underneath the documents, there was a whole ‘black cloth’ like a cloak. There was so much of it, no matter how much I pulled it out of the bag, there was no end in sight… … .”

The warrior’s nose twitched.

When I asked if that was all, the answer was that it was all. When I asked if they had taken everything out, the answer was that it was too big. Kadim pondered silently and then pressed him to tell me the exact circumstances of that day.

“Huh? Oh, that’s… After the master leaves, that woman suddenly starts pouring alcohol down her throat like water. Then she gets really drunk and starts talking nonsense… … .”

“… … .”

After hearing the whole story, Kadim took Duncan with him and returned straight to the camp.

Illenia was waiting with a simple dish prepared. A simple stew made by boiling dried meat and vegetables in wine. The garnish tasted like stale dust, but since the alcohol was good, it was edible.

After the meal, there was a sharp silence, and Ilenia spoke in passing.

“Oh, mercenary? You know, the ‘Silver Coin of the Fallen Kingdom’ that you took with you a while ago. Can you borrow that for a moment later? I have something to research… … .”

“… … .”

A relic containing the sacred power of a forgotten god, the ‘Silver Coin of the Fallen Kingdom’.

It is said that this relic not only allows one to use the holy magic of darkness, but also provides resistance to it just by possessing it. Ilenia’s intention in requesting that right now was probably one of two things.

Either they are trying to use the sacred magic of darkness in vain, or they are trying to create a hiding place like last time.

However, since there was ‘Aculanos’ Tattoo’ and ‘Atala’s Sacred Relic’, it was now possible to counterattack even the sacred laws of darkness. Rather, it was a good opportunity to reflect on one’s intentions. Kadim held the sack tightly with one hand, took out a silver coin, and handed it to Ilenia.

Thinking that perhaps everything will be resolved tonight.

*

“[O the darkness of the beginning, whose name has been forgotten, buried in the light that deceives all things, do not forget your servants who wander this land with the pain of returning home… … .]”

The priest of the Forgotten God used the ‘Silver Coin of Ruin’ to open a passage leading to another location.

Wooooow –

A hiding place filled with impenetrable darkness.

Still looking at this space, I felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding. As if to show that it wasn’t a trap, Illenia took the first step. As I followed her in, she lit a faint flame like a candle and bowed slightly.

“Please forgive me for the rudeness I have caused you, Kadim. It was inevitable to avoid the gaze of ‘watchful eyes’. “We wanted to set up a hiding place and deliver a message as soon as possible, but we had to come urgently due to circumstances, so we are only now able to complete our preparations.”

“… … .”

At least it was proven that this woman wasn’t trying to make a fool of herself with the silver she had lent her.

However, another trick had already been performed. Kadim took off his mask of frivolity and stared at the woman, revealing her bare, emotionless face.

“You fooled Duncan so well.”

“… … .”

“Isn’t this your true self? Not a brainless archaeologist. If you were really drunk that day and lost your senses, you wouldn’t be acting drunk, but would be standing there with a serious expression like a stone.”

After talking to Duncan, Kadim came to this conclusion.

Interest already knew that the bag was being targeted. He stabbed it in the back, hid the real contents of the bag tightly, and covered it with a black cloth. And that day, he pretended to be drunk on purpose to give Duncan a chance. Surely he wouldn’t suspect the things he personally checked and confirmed.

The corners of her thin lips trembled. Whether it was happiness or disappointment, Illenia smiled with an ambiguous meaning.

“You noticed. But it’s not like I wasn’t drunk at all. At least I was so out of it that I didn’t feel real. So I almost missed it.”

“… … “What do you mean?”

“Duncan’s presence. But I was a little puzzled. Even though I was drunk and missed the sign, it’s strange that I, his servant, also missed the sign of the holy relic, the ‘Night Shadow Cloak’… … .”

Then, he asked how Duncan obtained the ‘transparent sword’ he was using now. Kadim answered that he obtained it by killing a mercenary with ties to the underworld in Duncan’s hometown.

“Then I guess we have to assume that the sword used by a follower of the ‘Night Raven Sect’ who made a secret pact with the underworld got into the hands of that mercenary through some kind of route and ended up in Duncan’s hands. Something so unusual couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. “It seems like there wasn’t a single person in our group that the Forgotten God didn’t pay attention to.”

Kadim stirred slightly.

That means that not only he and Ilenia, but also Duncan was influenced by some forgotten god. For an ordinary peddler, he was strangely obscurantist. Originally, a peddler’s job was to make a living by gathering people and attracting attention wherever he went… … .

But what was important now wasn’t about Duncan. Kadim glanced at him. He nodded slightly and called for attention.

“Anyway, I apologize for touching your luggage without permission. But now that we’re out of Elgar’s sight, I think it’s time to start revealing what we’ve been hiding.”

What did you bring in that bag? Who cut off the ‘part of God’ to create the Forest of Dreams? Why did you say you had to go see the dragon?

The Forgotten God Church sees Melissa as the culprit behind the outbreak and is trying to punish her.

Illenia’s story began with a story about dragons.

“Laphustran… … So, ‘Laphustran’ is, in fact, the last dragon left in this world. All the other dragons were annihilated during the ‘Night of Heavenly Punishment,’ which could be said to be the event that brought an end to the mythical era.”

… … ‘Night of Heaven’?

From the very beginning, an unfamiliar incident occurred. Ilenia asked a question without explanation.

“Have you already met that dragon, Lapustran, Kadim? “300 years ago, during the first journey.”

“… … It did.”

It’s because of the quest to save the reckless young master who was captured by the dragon.

“Then, at that time… … the ‘Great Demon’ would soon run rampant and destroy this world, so didn’t you ask the dragon to lend you its strength?”

“… … .”

“… … But I was flatly rejected.”

It certainly was.

After winning a bet with a dragon and saving his life, Khadim desperately begged for help. Dragons are the strongest creatures on earth, and if you can borrow their power, defeating the ‘Great Devil’ won’t be that difficult. Although it was a request that was impossible in the game system, there were no restrictions on actions in the realistic game world.

But the dragon firmly refused to listen.

It wasn’t because I didn’t believe what I was saying. I believed it to be true.

“Yes, as you can guess… … Lapustran is extremely reluctant to intervene in world affairs. Even if it is a crisis that could lead to the destruction of the world, I would not get involved unless destruction was really imminent. Maybe that’s… … “It may be because of the memory of his compatriots being helplessly massacred during the ‘Night of Heavenly Punishment.’”

So, just as I was about to ask what the ‘Night of Heavenly Punishment’ was, shocking words came out of Ilenia’s mouth.

“But about 100 years ago, in this forest, Lapustran fought for his life with ‘someone.’”

“… … !”

“And then he was defeated… … and suffered severe injuries.”

A ripple appeared in the warrior’s eyes.

Although he was still a young chick, Kadim almost lost his life just by encountering the smallest fragment of that power. But you defeated that dragon? No, you made the dragon feel such a threat that it risked its life in the first place?

There was only one being in this forest that could possibly make such a thing possible.

“For some reason, the dragon couldn’t give it his all… … but in any case, defeat was defeat. The dragon went into seclusion for a long time to heal its injuries. And during that time, the opponent who defeated the Supreme Being ascended to an omnipotent position and manipulated everything as he pleased.”

“… … .”

“But perhaps… … this time the result will be different. If Lord Kadim goes alone, it will be difficult for the opponent… … but if the dragon helps, the result will be different.”

It would have been impossible if I had done it alone, but I had stronger reinforcements than anyone else.

It would have been impossible alone, but I have a stronger helper than anyone else.

“… … “If the ‘Supreme Being’ and the ‘Warrior of Revelation’ join forces, no matter how great the ‘Grand Wizard’ is who has crossed the threshold of transcendence, they will not be able to resist him.”

Ilenia’s eyes shone with determination. She knelt down with her sincerity and spoke with such earnestness that her intestines were cut open.

“So, you are the blood-covered ‘warrior of revelation’ who will stain this land with unclean blood and one day bring down the halo floating in the sky… … .”

“… … .”

“Please join forces with the dragon… … The Great Wizard was a flame that saved the world a long time ago, but has now become a demon that burns the world on his own… … “Please stop ‘Melissa’.”

A complete darkness fell over the warrior’s face, even the afterimage of the candlelight fading away.