The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 176



Only Krnovel

Episode 176. An Unexpected Reunion (1)

The warrior and the wizard, reunited after 300 years, sat across from each other at a table made of wooden stumps.

Melissa finally calmed down after crying her eyes out like swollen bells. She felt ashamed of having cried like a child without any sense of shame, so she belatedly acted calm. But she still couldn’t shake off the anxiety inside her, so she unconsciously stretched out her vines and grabbed onto Kadim’s ankles.

There was silence around the table for quite some time.

There is so much to say that it is a deadlock. Countless pieces of words swimming in the sea of ​​thought were pushed and combined to form a large island. Neither of them could figure out which words to choose first.

After much thought, Melissa was the first to say this.

“I missed you, Kadim. really… … for a long time.”

“… … Me too, Melissa.”

A sad smile appeared on the woman’s lips. She stared at him intently, still in disbelief.

“How did you get here? It must not have been easy to get in, with the branches of the World Tree protecting it on all sides… … .”

“I cut a branch on the way here. Up until then, I was definitely having quite a headache because of it.”

“Oh, that… … After all, you did it. But why did you come from the south and not the north? Empire, alliance… … All the places where people live are north of here. “Did you come to see the records I left at the Magic Tower?”

Kadim gave a brief summary of the journey from the tower to here. Melissa nodded her head in confusion.

“I see… … . Sorry, if I had known it would be like this, I would have cleared away all the obstacles a long time ago… … . Here, when you were climbing up the World Tree, did the Guardians guide you well?”

“… … No, on the contrary, he tried to prevent me from meeting you. “I think they were planning to hold me hostage and negotiate something with you.”

“What?! What kind of kids did that!! I’ll bring them here right now and burn them all to the bone… … .”

“There is no need for that. I already killed them all when I came up. “If anything happens to you because of their deaths, I apologize in advance.”

“… … .”

Melissa, who had jumped up in excitement, sat down in silence. Her reddened eyes flashed with images of the past. Yes, Kadim always took care of everyone before anyone else could. She waved her hand and said, “Don’t worry about it. If those traitors had been left alone, she would have been severely punished.”

And another moment of silence.

This time it was Kadim who broke the silence.

“… … There are so many questions I have to ask, but I can’t help but start with this. What is happening here, Melissa? Why has the god of the elves descended to this land, and why have you, an atheist, become his agent? How have you managed to survive until now?”

“… … .”

Melissa blinked slowly, a blank expression on her face that made it difficult to read her intentions.

What she soon said was not an answer to the question, but another question.

“… …Who is that person? Why has he been hiding in that corner all this time?”

“… … .”

Shinyoung, who had been hiding in the shade, shuddered.

The identity was Duncan, who had been hiding in case Melissa was out of her mind. Kadim motioned for him to come out slowly. He hesitated, took off his cloak, and pushed the approaching vendor away, introducing him to Melissa.

“It’s Duncan. He used to be a peddler, but now he acts as a guide. “This is my new group.”

“……party?”

“Yes, even though he looks like this, he is quite a capable friend. “If it weren’t for this friend, the process of getting here would have been much more cumbersome.”

“What, friend? Friend… …?”

A strange twist appeared on the woman’s face.

The moment Duncan encountered the distortion, he felt an ominous feeling, as if he had touched the conduit of an active volcano. He instinctively took a low stance and vehemently denied Kadim’s words.

“No, no! Oh, do not misunderstand, great, mighty Archmage! I say, no, the little man is not my friend, but rather a lowly servant, Duncan Wheeled, who only serves the great warrior of the Battle of God with all his heart… … .”

“… … .”

The ominous twist slowly subsided, as if it was the right choice. Instead, Melissa smiled awkwardly and lightly lifted her chin.

“Oh, yeah, I see. You too, um, are amazing. No matter how capable you are, it’s rare for Kadim to keep someone alive and around for so long… … .”

“This is all thanks to Nauri’s grace like Hahae… … . I always engrave grace in my bones and live with gratitude… … .”

“Yes, I understand… … Could you save me a moment? I’m Kadim, I’m Kadim, really, really… … It’s been a while since we last met… … . “I have a lot to talk about, but it’s hard to talk comfortably when someone else is involved.”

“… … .”

Duncan bowed politely, asking if there was anything he could do, and then hurriedly walked away.

Kadim narrowed his eyebrows. The peddler could only vaguely guess, but he felt it clearly. Before the awkward smile came to mind, Melissa displayed extremely refined killing intent.

Just as I was about to point it out, a vine shot up and entangled my ankle. A regretful, young voice leaked out from my crimson lips.

“In the meantime, you’ve made a new friend, Kadim. He doesn’t seem very trustworthy… … .”

“… … Don’t worry, Melissa. Duncan is trustworthy. And, since I won’t leave again, I can get rid of these vines now… … .”

“You said that and left. Even when you first left.”

“… … .”

There was a sharp silence like broken glass.

It didn’t last long. Melissa, who had been frozen expressionlessly, belatedly chewed on the words that had left her mouth, then shook her shoulders in surprise.

“Oh, no, what did I say…” … . I’m sorry, Khadim. I didn’t mean to blame you. You must have had something going on… … .”

“… … No, rather, it is for me to apologize. No matter how anxious I was, I shouldn’t have left without saying anything. To those of you who are left behind, I have truly committed an indelible sin… … .”

“Then, can you tell me now? Why, back then, after defeating the Great Demon… … did you leave like that… … ?”

“… … .”

Red-tinted eyes trembling mournfully.

Kadim quietly closed his eyes.

It wasn’t something that could be easily confessed. But Melissa had waited for 300 years to hear this answer. And it wasn’t a set amount of time, it was a time of suffering with no end in sight. To delay or avoid the answer any longer would be too harsh for her.

After much thought, I finally opened my eyes and told the truth.

“I am not originally from this world.”

“… … .”

“I come from a world where gods and demons, mysteries and miracles do not exist on a daily basis. It is also a place where, if you meet a rude person, you are not allowed to split their head with an axe. “My daily routine was to lie in a comfortable bed and drink beer, without killing anyone or fighting demons.”

He didn’t reveal that he had already been introduced to the first round of the journey through the game, and that he had tried to defeat the Great Demon and see the ‘true ending’. He only said that he thought he could return to the original world through the crack.

Melissa didn’t seem that shocked. She nodded as if she had expected it, and muttered to herself.

“As expected, so that’s what happened… … . So, I couldn’t find it anywhere, and that’s why the crack was… … . As expected, the direction of the conclusion I reached was not wrong… … .”

“… … .”

“Wait a minute, then maybe… … Do you still have a desire to return to the world you originally lived in?”

The horse’s tail trembles nervously. Kadim did not deny it, but added enough comments to calm his former colleague’s anxiety.

“Of course it’s still there. But as I said before, I won’t go back blindly. “This world is also my place, and I still have unfulfilled missions.”

“… … .”

“Until I uncover the cause of the resurgence of demons and stop it, find out where my remaining companions are, and find Atala in Heaven and the bastard who sent me here and put an axe in his face… … Don’t worry, I will never leave again.”

Nevertheless, Melissa could not shake off her anxiety.

No, rather, he seemed more shocked by the words he had just spoken than by the fact that he had come from another world. His expression was not much different, but the vines swaying at his feet were clear evidence of the fact.

Kadim felt a little worried. He thought that maybe she would find fault with him and say that he was going to leave in the end.

Surprisingly, what Melissa said was something completely different.

“So you, even though this isn’t your world… … went through all that trouble to defeat the Great Demon and save this world?”

“… … Then I thought I would return to the world I used to live in.”

“No, that is not an achievement that can be disparaged just because it had another purpose. Even if I were in your situation, no, even if anyone in the world was in your situation… … “I could never have done it like you did.”

“… … .”

“Besides, you are sacrificing for this world even at this moment, aren’t you? All life on the continent, including me, owes you an indelible debt. It’s too late… … For finding us, for saving our world, and for still saving it… … “I’d like to thank you on behalf of everyone, Khadim.”

“… … .”

Kadim’s eyes fluttered slightly at the unexpected story. Perhaps embarrassed by the weight of what he had said, Melissa cleared her throat and added a footnote.

“… … When a dark savage first came and asked me to come with him, I naturally thought he was a human trafficker.”

The two people burst out laughing at the same time.

Using those words as a starting point, memories were exchanged between the two for a while. This is a story about a time when the great warrior of Atala was a mediocre novice, and the archmage was a single-minded person with a hard time working at his desk.

“… … I was really shocked when you went to the village chief’s house and threw everything away… … .”

“It was better to solve your problem while giving you an excuse to leave town. It was a rational choice that had no choice.”

“Huh… … No, but still, why are you being so ignorant and barbaric… … .”

The memories continued without knowing the end. We were each other’s first colleagues, and we had a lot to talk about because we were unfamiliar with the world and were unfamiliar with it. It seemed like a few nights would not be enough to relive the eventful journey from 300 years ago.

However, Kadim eventually showed restraint and changed the topic.

There were now more pressing issues than solving the problem.

“By the way, Melissa. I think we need to go back to what we were talking about earlier. Can you explain to me what exactly is going on here?”

“… … .”

“And Cyril, and Gordon, and Gayle… … “If you find out anything about the whereabouts of other colleagues, I’d like you to tell me.”

Melissa slowly opens her eyelids. Once again, a blank expression appeared on his face.

Melissa looked away for a moment, looked at the canteen on Kadim’s waist, narrowed her gaze, then suddenly smiled brightly and clapped lightly.

“Ah, sorry, sorry, Kadim! How did I forget this? There was one happy news that I decided to tell you when we meet again… … .”

“… … .”

Kadim gave a shadowy look.

At first it was vague, but this time I definitely noticed. Melissa was deliberately changing the subject. What she had just said was clearly a bait to avoid the topic and divert attention.

But even though I knew it, it was a bait I couldn’t help but bite.

“I found it, the solution.”

“… … what?”

“It eats away at your spirit, makes you lose your temper and run wild… … “The perfect solution to ‘mania.’”

The empty pupils dilated uncontrollably.

*

Duncan was ascending to the sky following the roots of the World Tree.

There was still quite a bit of space to step on, but the climb was still not easy. The altitude was higher than the clouds, the wind was blowing precariously, the visibility was hazy, and the width was getting narrower, which was enough to be a nightmare for someone with a fear of heights.

Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… … .

He didn’t set his sights on a climber who conquered the World Tree out of nowhere. This situation arose because I sensed a certain energy while climbing the World Tree before meeting the Archmage.

‘Huh, Your Majesty? This energy… … .’

‘… … .’

Magi. The energy of demons that possess and pollute all things.

Up until the middle level, it was faint due to Hesilia’s divine power, but when it reached the upper level, it became clear enough for Duncan to notice. However, the devil’s figure was nowhere to be seen, and the higher I went, the closer I got to the roots that touched the sky, the more the energy continued to grow thicker.

Even after reaching the root neck where the ‘Scepter of Eternal Dreams’ was located, it was impossible to inspect the source with the naked eye. Divine energy and demonic energy were densely mixed, blocking vision like sea fog. However, I didn’t know how long it would take to go up and return… … .

After much thought, Kadim decided to prioritize meeting his old colleagues. Instead, he ordered Duncan to check the tip of the root when he had the chance to act covertly.

That was how Duncan came to be rooted like this. He had been forcibly removed from the hall, and the Archmage was preoccupied with the reunion, so now was the perfect time to carry out the order.

Although it was quite dangerous when I arrived, I actually felt more at ease than before. Just thinking about the archmage’s disturbing spirit sent a shiver down his spine. If I stayed and went against my will… … I thought that perhaps I would have suffered a more terrible disaster than falling from this top.

‘however… … ‘I was that archmage’s former colleague?’

I heard that the great wizard founded the Magic Tower and lived in seclusion about 200 years ago. Then, he must have been a colleague even before that… … .

During their first meeting, it suddenly occurred to me that Kadim was completely blind to the situation on the continent, to the point where he called the Lucaonia Empire a kingdom.

‘No, no way…’ … ? Oh my, at the time I thought it came from an isolated wilderness beyond the mountains… … .’

Duncan had a gut feeling. He had come close to a secret that Kadim had been hiding, a secret so great that it touched the essence of this world. He felt an inexplicable excitement, but at the same time, he was also filled with a considerable amount of fear. Somehow, he felt as if he was too far away from his normal daily life with his family to return… … .

‘It’s not like I abandoned my family… … Once this trip is over, I’ll definitely go back to see my family… … .’

It wasn’t a good time to be lost in idle thoughts.

Fighting – !

“Oh, oh my!”

My left foot got caught on a loose tree bark. I jumped on one leg, then quickly lowered myself to barely regain my balance.

Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… … .

The harsh wind blowing past, the cliff of a thousand miles missed by just a single inch. Sweat ran down my back. I almost wouldn’t be able to see her family forever.

“Whoop, whoop, whoop…” … .”

His thoughts changed immediately. After all, it was better to hide in the hall… … But now that he had come this far, he could no longer turn back. Duncan took a deep breath, steeled himself, and walked more cautiously than before.

After overcoming a few more close calls like that, time passed, my mouth starting to feel parched.

Duncan finally reached the tip of the root and faced it.

The mastermind behind the magic that was buried in the World Tree.

A crack in the sky that vibrated as if it would shatter at any moment.

――――――――― Gugugugugugugugugugugu… … .

I couldn’t breathe at the scale that couldn’t be captured at a glance. The center alone was as big as a decent city, and the balance extended all the way to the vanishing point of the world. Black energy pouring down like a torrent of water and a loud explosion sound struck my eardrums and heart.

The good news is that the roots of the world tree were forked, preventing the center from collapsing. But even that didn’t seem like it would last long. More than half of the strands had already fallen off, and the remaining strands were also shaking precariously.

The moment I peered through the gap with trembling eyes, wondering what on earth was out there that was causing such a strong aftereffect.

“… … !!!”

Duncan lost all feeling in his body and collapsed to the ground.

“… … Ah, ah, Remillion, Atala, Elgassi… … . I, my lord… … . Yu, Julia, Dunsen… … .”

From the mouth of a person with a broken heart, the names of things to believe and rely on and things to protect poured out indiscriminately.