The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 175



Only Krnovel

Episode 175. Guardians of the World Tree (10)

A bloody mess with corpses with their heads cut off.

Only one Guardian survived. Borduel, the ‘Blue Fang’, ducked down quickly to avoid the attack.

“Heh, heh heh, heh heh… … .”

The first-tier guardians were by no means weak. They were strong enough to easily crush even high-level demons, one by one, within this world tree. It’s just that the power of a high-ranking devil stripped him of his most powerful weapon, and he was stabbed by ‘Yeoklin’ before he knew it and was annihilated in vain.

“Hehe, hehe, I let my guard down… … . I looked down on the fact that I was a colleague of that monster-like woman… … Of course, I should have expected him to pull off one or two unusual tricks… … .”

“… … .”

“By any chance… … was it you who broke the branch of the World Tree in the south?”

The eyes wandering over the pile of corpses trembled pitifully. Kadim hung the Iron Demon, which gave off a refreshing sound, on his waist and opened his mouth softly.

“Just think what you like, and ask a few questions, you idiot.”

“… … .”

“From what you said earlier, it seems like Melissa took the elves’ lives and Hesilia’s power… … How did that happen? Explain the details.”

“… … .”

“And I would like you to tell me why Hesilia came to this land, and why she came in an upside-down form.”

Borneo laughed again with the sound of the wind falling.

“Heh, heh… … I have a lot of curiosity… … . So, if you tell me those things, will you really convince her not to do that in the future? … ?”

“Of course.”

“Hehehe, hehe… … . however… … I… … “How can you believe that?”

“I swear by the name of Atala. Unlike others, you do not have to worry about breaking your oath in the name of God. I have a special need to see the face of that author.”

“… … .”

The guardian of the World Tree frowns as if he has been stabbed in a painful spot.

Those words could never have been true. If so, wouldn’t he have been using his own petty tricks to slaughter innocent people? The expression of innocence disappeared from his face, leaving only a venomous look.

“No, no, no… … . I don’t believe in short-eared words. Your tongues are covered with honey-coated thorns, and your heads are infested with insatiable locusts… … . I don’t know what trick you’re planning, but I almost fooled you again… … .”

Chirruruk, the skin was covered with smooth scales. ‘Blue Fang’ pretended to be a two-armed, blue snake and quickly crawled to a corner. Then, he took out a copper-colored wooden key from his bosom.

-Srrrrrrrrr… … Do you know what this is, you stupid short ear?”

“… … .”

– This is the key to the residence of the World Keeper, the ‘Hall of Eternal Dreams’. Without this, the passage to that place will never open. The spare that the ‘White Turtle’ had was stolen and disposed of a long time ago, so this is the only key left in the world… … .

“… … .”

– I’m telling you, I’m a little hungry right now… … I feel like I might swallow this… … ? Slurp… … .

Borduel drew up the concentrated poison and spat it out on the floor. As the bubbles bubbled up, the bark of the World Tree melted piece by piece.

Pusheeeek… … .

– But my body was so full of this poison that just thinking about cancer made me think the key would melt right away. Oh, my God, the only key to the ‘Hall of Eternal Dreams’ has disappeared… … . Anyone who wants to see a world balance balance would be very sorry… … ? Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh… … .

The corners of the blue snake’s mouth were torn apart. Instead of struggling for the last time, I used self-hypnosis to take control of the situation. I slowly move my tongue and think about how to cook the other person.

The barbarian did not show the desired reaction at all.

Instead of showing his frustration and nervousness, Kadim watched with his arms crossed indifferently, opened his eyes carefully, rubbed his chin once, chuckled, and then answered leisurely.

“Swallow it.”

– … … What?

“Go ahead and swallow it. I’m curious too. “The key is how quickly your major joints will melt.”

– Hiss, hiss, stupid short ears… … ! Did you think I was lying again? Unfortunately, this time the truth is as clear as a scale… … .

“No, I don’t think it’s a lie. But, you know what?”

– … … ?

“I cannot swallow a key that is not in my hand.”

– What the heck is that… … Huh.

The vertically split pupils were bulging and dilated.

The key that had been in my hand just moments ago had disappeared.

I felt as if I was possessed by a ghost. I hurriedly looked around with my tongue out, and suddenly an eerie feeling came over my neck. Then, an incomparably awkward aura pierced my inner ear.

“Look behind you, damn it!”

Tzuzuzu – !

– Shrek – !

A slash that scraped the scrotum. The timing of the surprise attack and the location of the attack were extremely clean, but unfortunately, the power was lacking. The invisible blade merely left a long scratch on the blue scales.

Still, that was enough. The key had already been stolen before the surprise attack. Kadim mercilessly threw his throwing axe at the snake, which had lost its means of intimidation.

Parararararararararararararararararararaak, fur – oops!!

– Hiss – !!

The ribcage sank and the body was pushed backwards. It hit the wall violently and was immediately out of shape.

Boom – !

The peddler then took off his cloak and revealed himself. The Guardian, who was battered and wounded, belatedly realized the situation. He vomited blood and glared at the key Duncan had stolen with bloodshot eyes.

“Wow, short ears… … They’re such mean, short-eared bastards… … . When did you come on like a rat and steal something? … . Damn, short-eared bastards who are no better than moth-eating bugs on an old tree, and wouldn’t mind piling them on firewood and burning them all together… … .”

“… … .”

Kadim approached Borduel.

When they swore to keep their promises, others put their heads on the line. But this guy clearly bet something different. As I grabbed both of his long ears, his normally relaxed face suddenly became pale.

As expected, it seems that the earlobes are a very important part for the nobles.

Thinking so, Kadim spread his arms wide.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

The cartilage tissue was torn into tatters, and the entire outer ear was ripped out. Looking at the bare side of his head, which did not even have a trace of his ear roots, Kadim parted the corners of his mouth in disgust.

“So… who has short ears now?”

“AAAAAHHHH! Kkaaaaaaaaaahh …

I returned it as requested. However, not in the original location, but toward the bridge of the nose.

Pur – Wow!

The sunken face became a slump with a pointed ear protruding from the center. ‘Blue Fang’ Borduel stopped screaming as if it were a lie and collapsed. Bodily fluids poured out from under his sunken face, forming a sloppy puddle.

The end of a cruel and deceiver.

Even Duncan, who had tried to assassinate Iza earlier, was terrified and frozen. Kadim spoke calmly to the peddler.

“Duncan, now try to surprise me.”

“……yes?”

“I will stay still for just 5 seconds. “I won’t let my guard down from now on, so it won’t be easy to pull off a surprise attack.”

“Huh, up, yeah?”

“5, 4, 3… … .”

Tsukkeuk –

The sudden outstretched sword cut his forearm. Kadim wiped away the dripping blood and took the wooden key from Duncan’s hand.

“Well done. You retrieved the key with aplomb, checked the woman’s bag, and successfully ambushed me… … You have successfully proven your worth for a while. As promised, when the moonless night comes again, then I will engrave your name on your weapon.”

“… … .”

Duncan was speechless.

I’m happy, but… … No, well, I’m happy, but… … Is it okay to show such emotions in this time of need… … . I looked around at the corpses strewn everywhere, my eyes shaking in confusion. Even though I’d gotten blood on my hands many times, I still couldn’t get used to such a brutal slaughter scene.

On the other hand, after Kadim finished speaking, he trampled the corpses as if they were stepping stones and headed toward the exit.

Now all obstacles were cleared. All the troublemakers were killed, and the key to the dwelling was obtained. There were no complicated forks in the road up here. There was no reason to delay any longer.

It’s time to go see Melissa.

*

A golden field with a pleasant breeze blowing.

The giant, who was crouching down with his hands together, asked the girl bluntly.

“… … How long do I have to keep doing this useless work?”

“Oh, I guess I just need to do a little more?”

“… … Do you know I’ve said that dozens of times already? Phew, if you keep lying like this and saying I can’t feel mana… … .”

“Oh, no, no! It’s real this time! “Give me your hand for a moment!”

Melissa came closer and placed her hand on the back of his hand. Then, a small light appeared in the giant’s palm, and soon a bright blue, translucent sphere was created.

“Tada! Look, the ‘magic ball’ is complete! Clap, clap, congratulations, Kadim! Wow, you finally succeeded in magic for the first time? You’re now a proper magician!”

“… … .”

The giant made a sullen expression.

No fool could have not known that he had made it for him instead. He hurled a magic ball at the magic teacher who was committing such a fraud. Bang, the mana exploded and his red hair became tangled. The magic teacher, who had taken offense at his student’s insubordination, responded with dozens of magic balls, and a childish commotion ensued between the two for a while.

However, the same surprise as before occurred again.

Doo-woong… … .

Ripples spreading gently in the air.

The playfulness on Melissa’s face disappeared as if it had been washed away, and a vicious, murderous look took its place. Kadim flinched and his eyes widened.

“what. “Why are you doing this, Melissa?”

“… … Kadeem, I’m sorry. I think I have to go out again for a bit.”

“What’s going on? Is there something wrong? Tell me why. I’ll help you… … .”

“No, don’t worry too much… … . From now on, this will never happen again. The guy who interrupted me this time… … Because I will burn it down without leaving even a single bone dust behind… … .”

“… … !”

Without a moment to speak, Melissa stepped forward with agitated steps. She roughly touched the ripples and escaped from the ‘World Tree Dream’.

Whoa… … .

The moment I wake up from a dream is always extremely bitter.

Because you must realize that all the things you so desperately desire are nothing more than illusions. Because you must realize that you are a vain sleepwalker in a dream that cannot come true. Because you must stare blankly at the golden fields disappearing with a feeling of peeling your skin.

A wide and gloomy hall appears beyond it.

The stench of grass, as strong as mud, and the damp air surged in. It was the air that reminded me that this was the only correct truth, and that there was no escape from it. It was the air that pierced a hole in my chest that I could not fill, and gave me a terrible sense of emptiness.

However, this time, I did not immediately sink into a sense of dejection like usual. The wrath against the disrupter who awakened the dream was many times greater than that.

Melissa stubbornly concentrated her mana and created a flame hotter than hellfire.

――――― Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr her-!!

However, there was no choice but to put out the flames quickly.

Grrrrrrrrr… … .

In the middle of the hall, for some reason, I saw a giant standing in my dreams.

For a moment, my heart fluttered. A bitter smile crept onto my lips. Even though I knew it had to be an illusion, I couldn’t bear to treat it as such.

“… … You followed me all the way out of my dream because you were worried, Kadim?”

“… … .”

“are you okay. Are you coming back soon? After quickly dealing with the saboteurs… … .”

But no matter how much I looked around, there was no sign of anyone else.

There was only the giant spirit in the hall, and even if I washed my eyes and looked again, I couldn’t see any troublemakers.

Melissa slowly narrowed her eyes. It was impossible for a dream to wake up. She wondered if the Guardians had woken her up and then hid for fear of the consequences.

It was a very plausible guess. The story of the White Turtle’s last trouble had probably already spread. However, it was really a shallow trick. I was going to use detection magic to find the culprit hiding nearby…

A voice was heard.

“… … Long time no see, Melissa.”

A voice I couldn’t forget even in my dreams.

Time stopped for a moment.

Melissa stopped without moving anything.

“… … .”

My body stiffened and I couldn’t move. I couldn’t lift a single finger from her. After unconsciously distorting space, I was finally able to reach the giant.

My face felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. With her head down, she could barely breathe. She took a deep breath. Her familiar scent flowed in. The smell of blood that never goes away as we fight enemies all the time. My heart was pounding like it was going to explode. I forced my stiff neck muscles to move and barely raised my trembling gaze.

Then, I drew it thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions of times.

The face of a warrior caught my eye.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah… … .”

I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it. She stretched out her hand as if possessed. She touched her tanned face with an urgent hand. A rough jawline, a stocky bridge of the nose, and rough skin speckled with scars. Like a person opening her eyes for the first time, like drawing a picture of a lover she would never meet again, as if all these sensations would be engraved on her fingertips forever, only after touching her endlessly, she became convinced.

It was definitely true.

It wasn’t in vain. This time, it wasn’t in vain.

“Ah, huah, ah, huah, ah, huahhh… … .”

My eyes turned red. Her eyes sparkled with distant tears. Suppressed words, cries, screams, and sorrow boiled beyond my throat. The emotions that had been suppressed and piled up like a stratum over an endless period of time suddenly surged to the surface and flooded like a huge tsunami.

Melissa finally collapsed to the floor. She clutched the man’s trousers, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear again, and cried sadly.

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… … . Why, why did you come now… … . Hmm, huh, huh, huh… … . Why, why now, why are you here now… … . Ugh, huh, why did you come now… … . Why now, why now, why, why, so late, why… … . Wow, huuuuuuuuuuuuuu… … .”

“… … .”

“Huh, huh, why did you leave, you idiot… … . You promised to be by my side… … . Hmm… … . Why why… … I promised to always be by your side… … Without saying a word, just like that, I left… … Hmm… … .”

“… … sorry. Now, I won’t go back again. “I am here.”

While Kadim promised not to leave and patted his back like he was soothing a crying child.

The woman, burned like a heap of ashes, reverted to the appearance of a young girl wizard who had first met a barbarian, and wept endlessly.