The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 183



Only Krnovel

Episode 183. The Last Dragon (2)

In hell, can humans survive?

It is a paradoxical topic that has no proposition in the first place. Because hell is not a place where living humans go.

But there are exceptions to everything.

A certain great wizard who connected the world of this world and hell took on the role of jumping into hell alive to find the answer to that question. After breathing magic instead of air for decades, wandering through pits boiling with hellfire, and creating a mountain ridge with the corpses of demons, the great wizard’s conclusion upon returning was ‘yes.’

But the return of the Archmage gave rise to another topic.

Can a human being whose soul has died truly be said to be completely ‘alive’?

Melissa, who returned after wandering through hell for nearly half a century, had become a being with absolute power, but had lost something important as a human being.

*

“I see… … . So… … she crossed the threshold of ‘transcendence’ and gained that much power… … .”

Ilenia’s self-talk. She bobbed her head as if realizing what she was saying, then made eye contact with Kadim and began speaking seriously.

“Kadim, do you remember what I told you last time? The three elements that make up the celestial gods?”

“… … It was called divinity, body, and godhead, I guess.”

“Yes, that’s right. If there’s something I didn’t explain to you then, it’s about ‘level.’ In fact, the level of a divine being is called ‘divine level,’ but all living things in this world possess this ‘level.’”

Like ‘Godhead’, ‘personality’ is a measure of the absoluteness of existence. Beings of higher rank exert greater power and authority, and are usually not greatly harmed by threats from beings of lower rank.

At the time, Kadim interpreted ‘Godhood’ as ‘God’s level’ in a game-like sense. Likewise, it seemed like ‘level’ could be interpreted as ‘level of existence’.

No, as I continued to listen to the story… … I thought that it might really be the same concept as the ‘level’ in the game.

“Humans, elves, demons, and monsters, they are all born with a certain level of rank, and can increase their level through certain conditions. As you know, the condition for demons to increase their level is to collect ‘pain and despair.’ As a sign of their level, they grow horns and gain greater strength and abilities.”

“… … .”

“Likewise, humans can also raise their ‘level’. In this world, there are superhumans who clearly surpass human levels, such as Kadim, the knights of Elga, and the magicians of the Magic Tower. And according to the conclusion our sect has deduced after a long investigation… …the conditions for humans to raise their level are precisely these.”

To fight and kill something stronger than yourself and win.

Just as demons gain ‘level’ by taking on pain and despair, humans gain ‘level’ by killing beings of higher level. However, it is never easy to confront beings of higher level than oneself, so among humans, beings of higher level than demons do not often appear.

… … Except for the very few humans who, for their own reasons, hunted ‘demons’ like they were breathing.

“And as the rank continues to rise, at some point, the ‘rank’ of the being leaps to ‘divine’ status, a phenomenon called ‘transcendence’ occurs. From this point on, the being gains a name as a being, and begins to wield a part of power that is comparable to that of a god. For example, a high-ranking demon with three horns… … .”

“… … .”

“So, the reason why the current Archmage has become an absolute powerhouse is… … because he has spent a long time in hell, killed countless demons, and raised his level to cross the threshold of ‘transcendence.’”

There was a deep furrow between Kadim’s eyebrows.

That ‘level’ thing was strangely similar to the game’s ‘level’ system.

All beings can level up, low level ones can barely do any damage to high level ones, if a character kills a low level demon or monster they will gain less experience, but if they kill a high level one they will gain a lot of experience, as they level up they will gain a lot of experience. There is a moment when your abilities take a huge leap forward… … .

Come to think of it, in both the first and second rounds, my body gained superhuman strength while fighting against demons and powerful enemies. It seems that the idea that levels and status points did not exist in this world was a mistake.

Whether the game was somehow recreating the logic of this world, or whether this world was somehow imitating the system of the game… … The context was unclear. However, the reason for Melissa’s defeat this time and the method of victory became clear.

The reason he lost was because his ‘level’ was low.

The way to win is to raise your own ‘level’.

… … Or, collaborating with someone, such as when killing the Great Evil.

After Illenia’s explanation, Lilia also agreed that it was right. However, Kadim could not shake off the feeling of unease. There were still serious doubts about Melissa’s abilities.

“But how did Melissa survive hell, and is she still using ‘magic’? “I heard that ancient mana was completely depleted after casting a great spell.”

Lilia sighed softly and resumed her story.

“It is known in the world that the entire continent has been depleted of mana. The truth is different. To be precise, half of the people disappeared when the crack opened, and one person monopolized the other half… … .”

*

Melissa’s unique characteristic, ‘Vessel of Mana’.

It is a trait that concentrates a large amount of mana floating in the air and stores it in the heart. In the game, maximum mana and mana recovery increase exponentially as the level increases. However, the use of reality far exceeded the effectiveness of the game.

Melissa concentrated all the mana in the world into her heart.

A great achievement made possible by reaching the level of an archmage and developing characteristics after a long period of training and research. The reason I collected that much mana was to cast great magic. However, even though half of her cast was completed, she did not return the mana to the world.

It was a simple reason.

‘Lilia, I will go to hell. There, I will reduce the number of demons as much as possible and find a way to close the rift. Don’t worry, just use all your remaining mana… … I’m sure we can do it somehow.’

To go directly to ‘hell’ and deal with the disaster.

Since there is no mana in hell, it was an inevitable choice. Although, as a result, the spirits of the entire continent perished, wizards lost their mystique, and an unfortunate incident occurred in which the magic tower lord used magic energy as a substitute for ‘mana’… … It wasn’t just that the intentions were impure.

Anyway, the biggest piece of good news after the rift appeared was that Hesilia had descended to Earth.

Lilia’s wish, which she sacrificed everything except her life, finally reached heaven. The god of the elves, who appeared in the form of the world tree, sealed the center of the most dangerous crack with its roots and postponed the destruction of the world until a later date.

And the biggest tragedy after the crack appeared was that Melissa returned from hell.

She killed countless demons, but was unable to find a way to close the rift. Not only that… … She was a completely different person than before she entered hell.

‘The Flame Whore is back! The Flame Whore who caused disaster, stole the mana of the entire world, and ran away with all her might, saying she would save herself, is back!’

‘Tear that bitch to pieces! Tear that bitch to pieces and kill her, and offer her body as fertilizer to the Mother World Tree!’

‘… … .’

When some of the elves criticized her for returning and demanding that she be torn to pieces, Melissa turned them all upside down and tore them to pieces. She drank their blood as if it were spring water, and in an instant she ascended to the top of the World Tree, reigning over all the elves.

The fierce resistance of the elves did not even make a single dent in Melissa. The overwhelming force built up in hell, the enormous amount of mana left after slaughtering countless demons, and this.

‘Well, what is it, I clearly hit the heart…’ … ‘Wow!’

‘… … .’

Another unique trait of Melissa’s, ‘Blessing of Mana’.

This is a characteristic that consumes the mana stored in the heart when receiving damage instead of receiving trauma. This trait had an absurd synergistic effect with her monopolization of the entire world’s mana, turning Melissa into an immortal tyrant who was virtually impossible to kill.

It was as obvious as fire that the elves who resisted were unilaterally massacred. In the end, most of the elves surrendered to the archmage.

At that time, Lilia, who had been chosen by the World Tree and became the World Tree Keeper, was greatly shocked. She went to see Melissa every day with her incompetent body, trying to talk and persuade her. She asked why she was doing this, why the elves shouldn’t be massacred like this, what on earth happened in Hell…

Thanks to the old sister’s connection and the fact that she had control of the World Tree, the conversation was able to get through at first. However, the situation changed after the existence of the ‘World Tree Dream’ was revealed.

‘… … ‘In this world, you can achieve whatever you want?’

‘Yes, but… … Melissa, the dream of the World Tree is not a refuge for the living, but a resting place for the dead. Now is the time to do everything in our power to seal the rift, rather than wasting the power of the World Tree… … .’

‘… … .’

Melissa ignored those words. She tried to somehow forcefully obtain the ‘World Tree Dream’ and turn it into a utopia to her liking. Unable to endure the tyranny of her twisted old sister, the World Tree Keeper eventually led the elves who shared her views and left the embrace of the World Tree.

Even though Lilia was born with a miserable fate, it was clear that she was loved by the gods. She had to step down from her role as the world tree keeper, but this time, the ‘forgotten god’ chose her and made her an apostle. The group that followed her also accepted the dark faith and took on a different appearance from ordinary elves.

This was the birth of the ‘Dark Elf’.

Their former compatriots pointed the finger at them, calling them apostates, but they had no choice. If it weren’t for the guidance of the forgotten god, I would never have been able to escape the archmage’s pursuit. The dark elves continued their secluded life for some time, hiding in the hem of their dark clothes.

Unfortunately, it was a peace that inevitably could not last long.

Melissa claimed to be the World Tree Keeper, but Lilia still had the authority to control the World Tree and its dreams. She searched helplessly for her departed sister with a twinkle in her eye. She planted branches of the World Tree here and there to block the escape route, launched a bodyguard called the Guardians of the World Tree, and released them throughout the great forest to search everywhere… … .

The hands of the false worldkeeper eventually reached the dark elves’ hideout. They narrowly prevented Lilia from being kidnapped, but there were many casualties and they had to abandon their home. The dark elves spent a long time wandering and suffering without a destination.

But even if you close your eyes and wander through the abyss, the darkness will always have an exit somewhere.

The dark elves, wandering in search of a new home, came across a cave deep in the Great Forest and encountered an unimaginable being.

-Some other tiny creatures… … Do you dare step into the main dragon’s nest?

A voice that rips out your soul just by hearing it.

Fate, swirling like a flame, awakened the reclusive Supreme Being from its long rapture.

*

“… … So the dark elves and the dragons met and joined hands to overthrow Melissa?”

“Yes, there were many twists and turns along the way… … “That’s what happened in the end.”

“I heard that you lost in the end, that dragon.”

Kadim’s indifferent remark. Lillia and Remillion nodded their heads bitterly at the same time.

The archmage who returned from hell vs. the last dragon.

It was truly a thrilling battle of the century, as it was said, but the winner or loser was very vague.

The result was a crushing defeat for the dragon, which could not even inflict any significant damage. The dragon was seriously injured and spent a long time in hiding, its assistant Lilia was locked up in a prison, and Melissa became an unrivaled and omnipotent being. Of course, I heard that the dragon was not able to use its full power for some reason…

Kadim gently rubbed his chin. Although he was doubtful about the outcome of the match itself, there was an even more troubling question.

“By the way, how did you convince the dragon to confront Melissa? Wasn’t that damn dragon extremely indifferent to the world’s affairs?”

The answer came not from Lilia, but from Remillion, who had become friends with the dragon.

“Strictly speaking, well, it was almost all my job to persuade Lafustraan. Before that, Lilia and the dark elves did persuade me.”

“… … Then how did you convince the dragon? It’s not like you can prevent the destruction of the world by defeating Melissa.”

“No, you can stop it.”

The heavily settled air took on the reverse current.

Remillion said with a confident tone, his pupils slit open.

“If we defeat your old comrade, the ‘World-Changing Calamity’, we will surely be able to avoid destruction. That was one of the decisive reasons why my heavy-assed friend took action.”

“… … .”

A silence filled with subtle conflict, anticipation, and tension.

Kadim lowered his hand and pulled at his arm muscle. If that statement was based on an uncertain guess, then even if they saved him, he might not be able to agree with them.

But Remillion’s words were not nonsense. Lilia added her testimony.

“Yes, what the Dragon’s Friend said is true. Strictly speaking, it does not prevent destruction, but rather postpones it to a later date.”

“… … Tell me, how is that possible? “I heard that the power of the World Tree has reached its limit.”

“No, the World Tree’s power still remains to some extent. only… … “The problem was that it was diverted by my sister.”

Melissa imprisoned Lilia in a dungeon for a full 150 years, forcing her to pour all of the World Tree’s power into manipulating the ‘World Tree’s Dream’. Thanks to this, Melissa was able to enjoy god-like omnipotence in that world… … but the roots that had blocked the cracks lost their vitality, dried up, and fell off.

“In other words, if I subdue my sister and knock her off the World Tree, I can redistribute the power used to manipulate the ‘World Tree Dream’ and revive the roots. Then, we will be able to prevent the collapse of the rift and postpone destruction until Hesilia’s strength is exhausted.”

“… … .”

“But there isn’t much time left… … . This collision caused significant damage to the root tree of the World Tree. “We must quickly restore the power of the World Tree before the remaining roots cannot withstand it and fall off.”

Lilia speaks resolutely without the slightest wavering.

It didn’t seem like he was telling a lie. A heavy feeling of regret appeared in Kadim’s pupils.

The ugly truth that was revealed over and over again weighed heavily on my shoulders. The title of ‘the scoundrel who is destroying the world’ was not an illusion. Melissa was truly using the lifespan of this world as firewood to satisfy her twisted desires.

If you point this out, Melissa might argue that destruction is inevitable anyway… …

“If you revive the roots like that, how long can you delay destruction?”

“Under the assumption that the power of the World Tree will be used as efficiently as possible, 30 years… … No, it will probably last until 40 years. “In the meantime, we’ll have to find a way to completely close the rift.”

… … That was enough of a reprieve to prevent destruction.

300 years ago, didn’t he and his band of warriors save the world in just one-tenth of that time?

Kadim made a decision.

“In that case, I will follow your wishes and do my best to subdue Melissa.”

“… … !”

“I should make it worth it for all the trouble I put into saving her. It would have been impossible for me to take down Melissa by myself anyway.”

The group members each expressed surprise and delight. No matter how much of a conflict there was with the Archmage, I expected that persuading him would not be easy, but since the maximum force joined so readily, it was only natural.

However, Kadim gave a clue.

“However, I will not allow anyone to kill Melissa.”

“… … .”

“I still have something to say to her. I don’t care if you make me a cripple or a corpse, but if you try to take my life, I will stop you with all my might. Even if I have to kill you, I will definitely take that role. If you accept this condition, I will gladly join forces with you.”

After much thought, the group slowly agreed.

It was an acceptable condition, even if there were some parts that were not acceptable. Even if she had committed an unforgivable sin, to Kadim, Melissa was a former colleague who had truly waited for him her entire life…

Anyway, now that we have one of the two wings to extinguish the ‘fear that is destroying the world’, it is now time to get cooperation from the other wing.

The strongest creature on earth, the dragon.

But the dragon’s friend expressed his displeasure.

“uh… … That’s it. Um, this is something I didn’t realize I was talking about… … Currently, Lapustran is… … It won’t be easy to meet and persuade him. Well, that’s why… … .”

Remillion, who had been muttering incessantly, finally confessed the situation after being urged to remain silent.

“Huh… … Don’t tell anyone that I said that. I can only say this because I am truly close friends with that dragon… … .”

“… … .”

“Lapustran is now… … “They are so scared and scared.”