The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 177



Only Krnovel

Episode 177. An Unexpected Reunion (2)

Illenia, a priestess of a forgotten god with no name or many names, traversed the forest as a shadow floating in the darkness.

Reminiscing about the conversation I had with the person who entrusted me with the mission before coming to the Great Forest.

‘Little nameless darkness…’ … This mission will not be easy. He must persuade the ‘Warriors of Revelation’ with a cause as cloudy as a shadow, connect with brothers who are more heterogeneous than any other sect, and even risk being burned by the ‘world-destroying terror’. But really… … ‘Do you wish to take on this mission?’

‘My body and soul came from the darkness of the beginning, so I have no fear of returning to its embrace. Please, entrust me with your mission, Patriarch.’

‘… … I’m sorry. I neglected to start a fire, and now I’m leaving you with the responsibility of putting it out.’

‘… … .’

‘Take these items. It will be helpful when confronting the ‘cowardice that is destroying the world.’ However, if this item catches the eye of the ‘Warrior of Revelation’, it will cause great misunderstanding, so be careful not to get caught… … .’

Ilenia bites her lip as she remembers the warning she failed to keep.

It was a dilemma. If I had kept the gift from the Patriarch hidden until the end, I would never have been able to persuade Khadim. Even now that his identity had been revealed, I had failed to persuade him and was sent off alone to the Archmage…

‘When we first met, it was a mistake to open my bag in front of Kadim. I should have hidden it more secretly and not even made a sound… … .’

At least the worst was avoided. The most feared situation was that Kadim would become so enraged that he would kill himself without even being able to make excuses. Given the nature of the gift, it wouldn’t have been so strange if it had actually happened.

‘… … No matter how much I help you, the weight of our old relationship won’t be able to be lifted even by a little bit.’

A part of my heart felt bitter when I thought about how the relationship I had built up was ruined.

This was not the time to just sit down and lament. With her life on the line, she had to continue her mission, even if it was on her own.

“Phew… … .”

Ilenia entered the cave that appeared at the edge of the forest.

Darkness passes over your skin like the exhaled breath of a predator. I could sense signs of ambush beyond the irregularly grown stone pillars. As I took a step further, blurry remnants flew in. Ilenia evades by twisting her upper body.

Shhh! Tidididik – !

The pitch-black dark machines crashed into the cliff and fell like a flock of blind crows. Illenia grabbed the ‘Silver Coin of the Ruined Nation’ and activated the dark magic to counterattack.

Grumbling – !

“Sigh!”

“Huh!”

The silence that erupted from everywhere and the shadows rising from the road restrained the limbs of those who had sneakily attacked.

It was the middle of the night and in a secret shady place, so there was no need to worry about being detected by the ‘watchful eyes’ even if she used the dark magic. Illenia swallowed a leaf of the blue tongue and opened her mouth.

“Even if you wander into the abyss with your eyes closed, I hope you will never doubt that He has prepared a way out. Nameless brethren, put aside your hostility. “I am not your enemy.”

““… … .””

As the shadows cleared, the spirits behind the stone pillars slowly began to appear. They were dressed in old, ancient-style clothing made of patched leather, had pale faces, bleached hair, and had eyes that glowed a gloomy, blue-gray light.

They were the ‘Dark Elves’, a traitorous race that abandoned the World Tree and chose darkness.

“Even if you spend an endless night, I hope you can prepare for the coming dawn without falling asleep. Maybe you… … “Are you the one who received our communication from outside the Great Forest?”

“Yes that’s right. To be precise, our leader received the call and sent me.”

“I see. I apologize for my rudeness in ambush-ing you without recognizing you. But I heard you were coming with the ‘Warrior of Revelation’… … Where is he?”

“… … .”

About 20 years ago, the Dark Elves also received a revelation about a ‘warrior covered in blood’ from a forgotten god. He believed that the warrior would be the solution to the crisis in the forest, and had been eagerly waiting for him to come here and lend his strength.

Therefore, when they heard the news from Ilenia, they couldn’t help but distort their faces.

“What? You said you left to meet the Archmage first?”

“Oh my God, primordial darkness… … . I failed to save the person who was in captivity… … .”

“No matter how powerful the ‘Warrior of Revelation’ is, he will never be able to defeat that wicked wizard alone! Why didn’t you stop him from leaving alone?”

“… … .”

Part of the reason for this was that they did not convey the information clearly. If they had known specifically why Hesilia had descended and what kind of crisis the Archmage was bringing… … they might have been able to persuade them somehow.

Rather than placing blame, Ilenia sought ways to resolve the situation.

“Before the Archmage became a world-threatening calamity, he was a former comrade who had been through thick and thin with him. So, the information you gave me was not enough to convince him. However, it is not too late.”

“What do you mean?”

“He might somehow figure out the truth and persuade the Archmage in the right direction. Then wouldn’t all problems be solved without the need for blood?”

“What, that’s nonsense!”

There was a fierce outcry from the dark elves.

The reaction was that the great wizard was so crazy that no matter who came, he would never understand what he said. On the contrary, there were predictions that the ‘Warrior of Revelation’ would be late in confronting him and would be overwhelmed and captured. Illenia was not flustered and added this.

“Then we can do it like this. “We need to go to where the Archmage is right now and help him before he gets captured.”

“… … .”

“Of course, what is really important is the assistance of the dragon called ‘Supreme Being’, Rhaphuh-Stran, rather than our limited strength. I think I should quickly tell you that the ‘Warrior of Revelation’ has arrived… … “Where is the dragon now?”

However, the dark elves’ expressions did not brighten. No, on the contrary, it became even more gloomy.

“The dragon… … I can’t meet you now… … .”

“No, it’s not that we can’t meet… … .”

“I guess it’s the same as not being able to meet… … .”

At that moment, a violent vibration occurred.

―――― Grumbling – !

Ilenia was startled and trembled. She was a tremor rising from a deep underground cavity. Unless she had a root bug growing in her home, there was only one cause for concern.

“This vibration… … Isn’t that the dragon’s behavior? It seems to be right below here, so why do you say you can’t see it?”

““… … .””

“Brothers, may I tell you something? You said that the ‘Supreme Being’ would help us fight the Archmage, but what are you hiding… ?”

“Let me explain why.”

The person who said those words was not the dark elves who had become mute, but a man who suddenly barged in.

Cheolgun, Cheolgun, Cheolgun –

A heavy metallic sound rang out. Shinyoung walked out from the other side, his whole body covered in iron armor. Even though the light source was sparse, it was impossible not to notice the figure. The man’s armor was not made of ordinary plate, but of self-luminous golden steel plates.

A strangely inhuman presence.

Iza was neither a dark elf nor a follower of a forgotten god. For the first time, Illenia’s composure wavered. She asked in a slightly trembling voice.

“Who are you… …?”

On the other hand, the answer coming from beyond the flashy faceplate was profound and calm.

“A close friend of the dragon. “Once upon a time, I almost became a dragon’s prey.”

“… … .”

“And he is also the one who sent the message to you.”

As the man removed his helmet, golden scales were revealed, covering his back cheeks and neckline.

*

Kadim took a deep breath.

“Huh… … .”

And then I took a deep breath.

“Phuhuuuuu… … .”

It was just one breath, nothing special, but it was a moment that felt extremely special to him.

The air flowing into my nostrils and permeating every nook and cranny of my brain. My body and mind feel light and airy, as if they’re floating into the air. How long has it been since I’ve enjoyed the refreshing feeling of fresh air without even a single particle of worry?

My mind was clearer and more alert than ever. There was no anxiety that squeezed my heart like a bomb, no urge to drink blood greedily. There was no need to awaken consciousness through self-harm or to call upon divine powers that would destroy my bones and muscles. It had been so long since I had regained such a peaceful and normal state that it was almost strange.

What Melissa said was true.

The ‘madness’ that had been tormenting him so terribly disappeared as if it had been washed away.

“… … How is this possible?”

A field filled with dazzling vegetation. The gentle wind blew away her red hair and revealed her smiling lips. Melissa responded in an excited tone, as if she had succeeded in giving her lover a surprise gift.

“This is a place where anything you wish for can come true. It can take away your madness, cleanse your body and mind, and even turn you into a wizard! Just tell me what you want, Kadim. From now on, I will make anything come true!”

“… … .”

Wriggled, Kadim’s cheek twitched.

They moved here through a large, transparent sphere in the center of the hall. I had been wondering for a while, but now I realized it clearly through those words. This is the afterlife the elves mentioned, the ‘World Tree Dream’.

The joy that had been building up disappeared like a bubble. Doesn’t that mean that this current state is nothing more than an illusion?

Melissa angrily denied it.

“No, it’s completely different from illusions or dreams! Those things can easily be distorted or destroyed, but this is a ‘world’ that will never be destroyed! It is not damaged by means of destroying mystery, events and the flow of time are continuous, and all things have a clear entity. Except for the fact that anything can be manipulated according to the Administrator’s will, it’s no different from the outside world… … .”

“… … But, it seems like it wouldn’t be possible to maintain this state outside. It seems like a stretch to call it a ‘perfect solution’ to madness.”

“… … .”

Melissa bit her lip. It seemed as if she was going to say something in rebuttal, but she eventually lowered her head gloomily. I had hoped, and it was as expected… …. Kadim swept his bangs back and let out a sharp sigh.

Still, I quickly made up my mind.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but it wasn’t a bad experience. This is the first time I have experienced complete freedom from mania since finishing the first round and moving on to the second. I have deliberately avoided things that are comfortable for my body out of fear of my mind getting rusty… … If it’s a great break like this, it’s worth taking it at least once.

When I thanked her for thinking of her and told her that it was the first time in a long time that I could rest comfortably, Melissa immediately perked up. She was chattering about how much she had looked forward to this moment and what a wonderful place this was, when she suddenly got a soft look in her eyes and said:

“Kadim, do you remember that? Whenever things got too hard in the Demon Realm, we always said… ‘Let’s all meet up someday, smiling like the moon, in a field where the sun never sets.’”

“… … It did.”

“I think maybe this could be the place. Those words came to mind, so I made it up like this on purpose. This beautiful field… … The sun doesn’t set all day long. “You don’t have to worry about suffering from mania or encountering the devil.”

“… … .”

“And then, like this… … I got you back, smiling like the moon and promising to meet me.”

Melissa recalled her smile, curved like a crescent moon.

Kadim had a twisted, bitter smile on his lips.

That was impossible. Because there’s no Cyril, no Gordon, no Gayle here. If they were alive, they would be somewhere on a distant continent, and if they were dead, they would have gone to another afterlife. Either way, making this a utopia for reunion was an impossible dream.

however.

There was one more person here than me.

“… …Melissa? Who is that?”

“… … .”

Kadim stared blankly at the giant who looked exactly like himself from the first round.

The giant also looked at himself blankly, as if reflected in a mirror.

A silence where even the wind stops and even the sound of breathing stops.

“… … .”

“… … .”

“……ah.”

The moment Melissa lifted her fingertips in disgust.

Crackle crackle crackle – !!!

An invisible pressure was exerted, crushing the giant who suddenly appeared.