The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 174



Only Krnovel

Episode 174. Guardians of the World Tree (9)

After hearing the detailed circumstances and briefly thinking about it.

Kadim decided to listen to the elf boy’s request ‘for now’.

Grumbling – ! Geekgiggeek – !

The gatekeepers were away because it was ‘Sabbath Week’. The thorn vine was completely burned down by the hellfire dagger. The iron bars bent easier than taffy sticks when touched. Farneo watched with a sense of emptiness as the obstacles that he had not dared to touch disappeared in an instant.

The biggest obstacle to escape was the ‘world tree’s small roots’. The roots that tightly bound the girl’s limbs were not even able to cause a scratch with a simple axe.

But that wasn’t a big deal to Kadim either.

Hoooow, kwagagagagagak – !

“Huh, oh, oh Druid!!”

Parneo screamed in horror as he saw the axe wrapped in a yellowish aura being mercilessly struck down. However, the axe’s blade exquisitely cut through only the root and did not touch the girl’s skin. Parneo was left speechless by the power control that was almost divine.

The girl, who had been liberated without warning, turned her clouded eyes towards the direction from which the voice had come.

“Lord Parneo? What is going on…? Who just cut off the roots…?”

“Lee, Lilia! This is the Grand Druid you were talking about! “I brought you here right away to free you!”

“… … .”

The girl’s expression changed completely. As if changing masks, from a dazed girl to a strong prophet.

Kadim looked straight into the pale purple face and asked sternly.

“Did you happen to call that Illenia?”

“… … .”

“… … Yes? Your Majesty the Druid? What do you mean… … .”

Farneo’s response was that he didn’t understand, but Lilia didn’t. The straw fluttered around excitedly as if there was a corner.

“No, not really…” … . I have been imprisoned here for quite some time. “If there are people outside the Great Forest who have come to me for help, it is probably my other compatriots.”

“… … Then how did you understand what I meant?”

“Even though I am a humble person, I have the talent to see the future as a dream. Thanks to that, I knew that you would follow the guidance of the servant of darkness to reach this place and free me.”

“… … .”

“However, now is not the time. If I leave here now, my sister will surely notice. If I want to prevent the great chaos that will follow, I must not leave this place yet.”

Lilia stands up, shaking, and sits back down in the spot where she was released.

Knock, click… … .

The severed roots of the World Tree were once again entangled with his limbs. Parneo was startled and ran towards the girl.

“What do you mean, Lilia? You finally have the chance, and now you won’t leave?”

“… … Farneo, I’m sorry. But for your own safety, too… … “I guess I’ll have to wait until later to leave.”

“Me, later! If not now, then when will I ever get to go out again! Let’s go see the white jade flowers and other wonderful sights together! Great, great Druid! Please help me solve this again!”

Instead of helping the boy holding on to the root, Kadim asked the girl.

“If you say your sister, who are you talking about?”

“… … You will find out naturally. “This is the person you will meet soon.”

With those words, the girl closed her eyes in silence.

The swollen lips closed tightly as if they had finished speaking. Once closed, the prophet’s mouth would not open like rusted hinges. Only the desperate voice of the boy, desperately trying to call for help, echoed in the confinement room.

“Your Majesty the Druid!! Help me with this, help me with this… … Please, help me with this!!”

“… … .”

I furrowed my brows and looked at the two people in turn for a moment.

Puddeuk, pududeuduk… … !

Kadim suddenly ripped off the root and lifted the girl up.

The girl’s eyes, which had been closed, opened. The giant’s footsteps strode outward. The boy with a blank expression hurriedly followed after him. Duncan, who had been waiting at the entrance to the asylum, looked at the three people coming out in a dazed manner.

Kadim roughly threw the girl on the floor and asked the boy.

“I saved this dark elf as you wished. So, what are we going to do now?”

“… … Uh, uh, yes?”

“Didn’t you say that dark elves are ostracized by their own kind? You, the so-called Guardian, wouldn’t want to let someone like that escape and expect them to be safe?”

“… … .”

“I’m asking if you’re ready. Are you ready to give up everything you’ve built up so far for this girl?”

Farneo’s neck trembled precariously. Kadim narrowed his eyes and glanced in Duncan’s direction.

“That peddler abandoned his own family to chase after me. The sacrifice you will have to make will be no less.”

“… … “Yep?”

“I will have to live my whole life as a fugitive. You will have to abandon the status, fame, achievements, and all other friendships and connections you have built up, and live only wandering around the gloomy abyss. No one will help you, everyone will target you. Even kindness as warm as the spring sun will always have to be met with suspicion like a harsh wind.”

“… … I, Your Majesty? I did not abandon my family… … .”

“Are you really ready to endure a life like that? “Didn’t he do something he couldn’t handle with just a moment’s hesitation?”

“… … So it’s true that I threw it away, but no, that’s not it, it’s not that I threw it away, in fact… … .”

“Are you prepared to fight for that girl with your own strength for the rest of your life, rather than relying on others like you are now?”

“… … Well, I’ll definitely go get it back later, but if you tell me you threw it away, there’s room for serious misunderstanding… … .”

While Duncan repeated his protests to no one’s ears.

“… … .”

Parneo lowered his head.

Until now, I thought that if I was asked a question like that, I could answer yes without hesitation.

It wasn’t. That was arrogance. The weight of the questions I actually faced was much heavier than I imagined. A teacher who will be insulted for mistaking a disciple, political opponents who will trample on his back and gain power, subordinates who will aim their bowstrings at him, compatriots who will show contempt instead of respect… … . I wasn’t strong enough to withstand all of that yet.

Objectification in these moments is a painful process. Because it is a way to see how reckless, foolish, cowardly, and weak I am. However, he should not be reckless and disguise his abilities. That’s a choice that breaks bones and forever misses the opportunity to grow.

Lilia was groping around on the ground, trying to find the entrance to return. Parneo supported her and led her into the confinement room. After returning everything back to its original state, he looked up at Kadim with a bitter smile.

“You… … are not a great druid, are you? Who are you… … ?”

Kadim willingly told the boy who went through growing pains and took a step forward, revealing his true identity.

“He is the great warrior of Atala.”

*

‘Blue Fang’ Borduel’s plan was almost perfect.

Designating this week as ‘Week of Sabbath’ and blocking access to the world’s waterways was truly an excellent idea. This was especially so in the sense that it was an impromptu response made overnight in a crisis situation, and in the sense that it was a plan that did not matter whether it was kept or broken.

If the barbarians observed the ‘Week of Sabbath’ and did not enter the World Tree, it would be all the better. A week is enough time to find a detention center. When he came to visit me a week later, all I had to do was make an excuse that I didn’t have to keep my promise, overpower him, and put him in a detention center.

If a barbarian broke the ‘week of rest’ and entered the World Tree, that would still be fine. Then, since it would have been a violation of the sacred rules of nature, there was a justification for forcing new soldiers. All they had to do was to legitimately suppress them, place them in a place of confinement, and then slowly search for a place to hold them.

Of course, there was a part of them that believed in pushing through such a reckless plan. No matter how much a warrior kills the Basilisk alone, he will never be able to defeat the numerous guardians within the World Tree alone.

Although centrists, including ‘White Turtle’ Tevio, refused to cooperate… … It didn’t matter much. Anyway, there were just old people there with no teeth. The radicals, led by the ‘Blue Fangs’, thought that by keeping the barbarians hostage, they would be able to reclaim their gods from the world’s rulers.

But ‘almost’ perfect… …in other words, it’s not a perfect plan.

Due to just one variable, Borduel’s plan went completely awry.

The savages were much stronger than expected.

“Look, Lord Borduel! The Iron Stump and the Black Moss Crocodile have been defeated! And the lesser guardians they led have all been slaughtered… … .”

“Damn it! There has been no news of ‘Lava Leather Fang’ either! “The other guardians are also being pushed helplessly!”

“… … .”

Even though they were in a place where their powers were multiplied several times, the Guardians were swept away like autumn leaves by the barbarian’s axes and swords. Was it really true that they were the comrades of ‘the one who defeated the dragon’? … The barbarian’s mad power made me dizzy.

But he could not take back the dice that had already been thrown. In the meantime, the barbarians were advancing upwards every moment. Borduel persuaded the radical defenders to gather in one place and launch a full-scale attack.

Then, finally, the barbarian reached the final battlefield.

In the center of the World Tree, a cavity too large to be a mere knothole.

– Krrrrrrrr… … .

– Kkuddeuk, kkuddeukdeuk… … .

The remaining dozen or so first-tier guardians were in a state of powerful transformation, almost on the verge of being ‘naturalized’. Only ‘Blue Fang’ Borduel remained in elven form to greet the approaching barbarian.

“Welcome, my great short-eared companion. You have had a hard time coming here, blatantly disobeying the laws of nature and slaughtering innocent defenders.”

“… … .”

Even though he was faced with giant beasts several times his size and bizarre green grasses, the barbarian remained as indifferent as if he had just seen rocks. Borduel’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“But… … How did you get here? If you hadn’t come yet, we would have gone there first… … Even if we managed to defeat the Guardians, it wouldn’t have been easy to find your way up… … .”

“… … .”

“Oh, I guess you got help from that stray cat that was in and out of the prison on a random day? Well, if you struggle so much to live in a place of confinement… … “I guess I’ll have to put that guy next to the dark elf girl as I wish sooner or later.”

Kadim didn’t care whether that was true or not. He just counted the number of Guardians and muttered absentmindedly.

“Thank you. For gathering all the heads that need to be recovered in one place. Now all I have to do is break it all up and go see Melissa.”

“… … .”

– Krrrrrr… … .

– Shuri-ri-rik, shururur… … .

The guardians, enraged by the unexpected provocation, made threatening noises all at once. Borduel raised his hand to control them and made a mocking mockery.

“You are arrogant. This is truly arrogant. But, that’s why… … “You could say it’s an extremely short-eared attitude.”

“… … .”

“I’m just telling you now, but I really hate short ears. “Not just guests and world officials, but all short ears on this continent.”

“… … .”

“They are like a child who holds a large loaf of bread in both hands and wants more bread. No, rather… … Much more… … The quality is bad. Because short ears have the power to take bread from others.”

The tone of speech suddenly changed. The angry pupils were torn vertically. Furious lament poured out from the forked tongue.

“I just can’t understand. Weren’t you satisfied with driving out all the other races in the mythical era and taking over the yolk of the continent? Why on earth do you short-ears, who are eyeing the depths of this great forest, stealing our gods, stealing our lifespans, stealing our dreams, and now even slaughtering our guardians and causing trouble? How much more do you have to take from us elves before you are satisfied and stop all this evil? Huh?”

Borduel denounced the evil deeds of humans as if spitting out venom. The more he spoke, the more his suppressed anger surged up like a dragon. He omitted their mistakes, and it was not important that he was passing on even the mistakes of individuals to the entire race. Before he knew it, the flames of emotion had spread, and even the guardians who had been pretending to be were staring at the savages with bloodshot eyes.

After listening to the story in silence, Kadim answered dryly.

“The only thing I did there was kill those who broke their promises… … .”

“… … .”

“… … sorry. Instead, apologize. “I don’t know the exact circumstances, but it seems like my colleague did something pretty bad to you guys.”

“… … ?!”

“When I go up and meet Melissa, I will have a good talk with her. If it is possible to restore your god and lifespan, I will try to convince her to do so.”

I poured cold water on my anger, which was boiling with embarrassment.

It was a completely unexpected reaction for the Guardians. How could he say something like that after killing so many elves? Was he just trying to pass through here? Despite such behavior, the barbarian’s eyes held an indescribable sincerity. Even Borduel looked confused and absent-minded for a moment.

“Is that true… … ? “You really want to convince the world balance manager?”

“If it’s what an old colleague says, no matter how stubborn the world balance manager is, he won’t just ignore it… … .”

“Tongue, do not be deceived, my lords! It cannot be! It is a trick to deceive us!”

But you have to listen to what people say until the end.

“of course.”

“… … .”

“After I kill you all by blowing your heads off.”

A berserker who focuses his mind and swings his sword, dripping with blood.

Ugh, coo, coo, coo… … .

A chilling murderous blast pierced their chests. The Guardians froze in their pride, then a few beats later, they prepared for battle. The turquoise mists swarmed in thickly, fortifying their teeth and claws.

– Coo, coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

– Krrrrrrrr!

“Damn, I knew it… … . Sirs! Hurry up and kill that guy… … .”

But Khadim was faster.

As I activated ‘Tattoo of Aculanos’, a monster with the head of a goat and a lion grafted onto it rose from the ground.

Kookookookookookookook… … .

A vast new spirit that reached the ceiling gaped open and rushed in. It penetrated the entire space, swallowing it up and collapsing downwards like a mist.

Ter – Huh! Kuuuuuuuuuu… … .

The ‘unknowable predator’ completely erases not only the mysteries but also the miracles of God. Hesilia’s dense divine energy dispersed like dawn fog, and all the guardians immediately took off their mimicry and returned to the bodies of ordinary elves.

“W-what is it?”

“What is it? Why are you suddenly acting like this… .”

There was no time to look back at the cause of the change, because another wide-area attack was coming right away.

――――Kwagwagwagwagwagagagaga-!

A torrent of blood from the red blade. The Iron Blood Demon vomited out all the blood of the elves that he had collected through ‘blood accumulation’.

““… … !!!””

“Guys!! Everyone, please dodge… … .”

Crackle, crackle, crackle – !

The incredibly fishy slash cut a red-hot line through dozens of heads.