The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 186



Only Krnovel

Episode 186. The Last Dragon (5)

A dragon’s nest littered with melted treasures.

“Hahaha, that’s… … . Really, really… … wasn’t it a problem?”

Remillion said with a face that still hadn’t shaken off the lingering emotions. After the rest of the group had all gone back upstairs, only he, the dragon, and Lafustra remained.

Again, Kadim won the bet with the dragon.

It wasn’t that he had blocked the breath for 10 seconds with a broken shield. Just before the breath reached him, Khadim threw his shield with all his might. As the fierce wind pressure split the sparks, he slid down through the gap and charged at the dragon. Then, he struck the lower jaw with Atala’s judgment and blocked the breath that was being released.

It was a superhuman feat that no one with a strong heart could ever imitate. The problem was that the bet was to hold one’s breath for 10 seconds.

When Lapustran became furious and pointed this out, Kadim replied:

’10 seconds have passed.’

– … … what?

‘I only told you to hold your breath for 10 seconds, I never said I’d just hold it still like before. It’s been 10 seconds and you’re still alive, so I guess I won the bet.’

– … … .

Looking back, it wasn’t a wrong statement. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had fallen for some cheap trick.

Nevertheless, Lapustran decided to admit defeat.

It was nice to avoid the breath, but Kadim was completely exposed to the residual heat of nearly a thousand degrees. Seeing him calmly say that he won while his skin was all torn and peeled off, I couldn’t help but accept it.

And in the first place… … I didn’t even know what the real purpose of this bet was.

It gives you an excuse to take a step forward with courage.

“Haha, of course he was a great man 300 years ago, but now he seems to be a completely different person. Even I sometimes tremble in front of you, but how can you be so bold… … . I think the author would probably charge without even blinking if he had to face the gods of heaven, hahaha… … .”

Remillion continues to praise Kadim’s distribution and laughs heartily. Meanwhile, Lapustran remained silent. She cautiously asked Remillion, who belatedly read her mood, if her chin was okay after being hit by her earlier.

The dragon didn’t care about you. He said, spilling the treasures that had melted into his breath.

– … … Do you remember, Remillion?

“Huh? What do you mean?”

– This is why the main dragon gathered so many treasures in its nest. I think I mentioned it in passing once before.

Remillion nodded coolly.

Dragons have different vision than humans. Their eyes see ‘value’ and ‘danger’. Noble and valuable beings are seen as golden, while ominous and dangerous beings are seen as red. I once heard that the golden color gives dragons an instinctive sense of satisfaction, which is why they have so many treasures.

– If there was something I couldn’t say back then… … it was that the main dragon was filling the empty space of the ‘compatriots’ who disappeared with those things.

“… … !”

– The compatriots of the original dragon, with noble natures and fierce courage… … shone brighter than any being in the world. When I was among that halo of light, I felt as if a deep emptiness in my soul was being filled. However, after the ‘Night of Heavenly Punishment,’ I was never able to see that light again. I swept up the treasures left behind by my compatriots and barely managed to replace that light, but the emptiness I was feeling was not satisfied… … .

The rough voice had a faint lingering sound. Remillion cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I, I’m sorry… I didn’t know your treasure had such a meaning. I, I sincerely apologize for trying to steal your treasure when I was young… .”

– No, it doesn’t matter anymore. Your light is much better than those treasures.

“……hmm?”

– That was the reason why I didn’t kill you right away when you came to visit the main dragon again. When I first saw him, he was no better than a stone, but when we met again, he was shining with a brilliance comparable to that of the main dragon’s kin. I couldn’t watch a guy like that die, so I kept him by my side and even gave him his blood… … .

If dragon blood is consumed for a long period of time, humans become dragon people. Dragons possess some of the power of dragons, and their bodies become stronger in comparison to humans.

However, his absolute lifespan itself was not dramatically increased, only his immunity was strengthened and he was less affected by aging. The reason Remillion survived until now was purely thanks to the ‘dark elf blood’.

Remillion also knew very well that 150 years ago, the biggest reason this dragon had risked his life to help the dark elves was to save himself from death.

Lafustra vehemently denied it, but it was clear that there had been such backroom negotiations with the dark elves. Otherwise, the dark elves would not have volunteered their blood for him, a complete stranger. Their blood also had the same effect as an elf’s, and the dragon who was nearing death had extended his life to this day.

For a long time, I wondered why the dragon treated me so specially… … Just now, that age-old question has been resolved. He, the hero who established the alliance, was the last ray of light left next to the last dragon.

Remillion looked up at the dragon with a seemingly sad look in his eyes.

“Look at you, Lapustran.”

-Why are you doing that?

“If this job goes well, let’s go to the ‘Mountains’ together.”

– ……what are you talking about.

“Why, you probably haven’t been there for a long time. “I wanted to get some fresh air outside for the first time in a while and pay tribute to your noble and great compatriots.”

– … … done. I said something pointless. The true dragon’s will is not weak enough to receive pitiful sympathy from mortals.

“Haha, no need to decline. I’ll ask the priest of the forgotten god to lend me some blackout curtains in advance. While I’m at it, I’ll also take a look around to see how the alliance is going… .”

Despite repeatedly expressing his intention to refuse, Laputusran seemed to not be so opposed to the proposal. Looking at the lingering anticipation in his once hazy eyes, the human and dragon, who had become close friends through a strange fate, laid out the outlines of their first companionship journey under the human’s leadership and the dragon’s tacit permission.

Then, Remillion suddenly changed the subject as a question occurred to him.

“Oh, by the way, what did that guy, Lord Khadim, look like to you? I’m sure he must have shone even more brilliantly than me.”

– … … .

Lapustran gently covered his eyes with a nictitating membrane.

It was a difficult question to answer readily. Well, it was almost impossible for him to look properly.

If you only glance at the surface, it was quite manageable. But to look inside, he had to deliberately lower his eyesight and blur his focus.

In all the thousands of years he had lived, he had never seen such a strange light. Not even when he had seen his lost kin, or the archmage who had returned from Hell, or the elven god who had descended to Earth, or even the false Elgar who had brought down the punishment of the heavens.

A golden light so brilliant that it drives away the darkness of the pupil, and a red light so intense that it burns the cornea.

Within it, transcendent ‘value’ and ‘danger’ coexisted.

– … … .

The last dragon remained in confused silence and glanced upwards, where the unidentified human was.

*

“… … That was too reckless.”

A voice that falls like a lament.

In the dark room, only the red light illuminated by ‘Hydra’s Tattoo’ prevailed. Kadim silently removed the hangnails that were sticking out as the burns replayed. Ilenia spoke again in a worried tone.

“If you had been late in avoiding the dragon’s breath, you might have been seriously injured beyond help. Even if all of your injuries are healed, the scars on your worn-out psyche will not go away. Kadim, you need to be more considerate of yourself… … .”

“Do you believe in a forgotten god?”

“yes?”

“Do you believe what the forgotten god says?”

“… … Yes, I believe it without the slightest doubt. But why did you suddenly say that? … .”

“Then what are you worried about? Didn’t God say I would destroy the demons and the false Elgar? So that means he won’t die before then.”

“… … .”

Although Kadim did not have much confidence in the revelation, it was something that Ilenia could not refute.

Illenia bit her lip hard and let out a long sigh. In the end, she swallowed all her worries and expressed her sincere gratitude to Kadim for having been able to persuade the dragon.

Kadim waved his hand excitedly.

“I forgot to apologize.”

“……yes?”

“You were right. I shouldn’t have met Melissa so unprepared. I should have found out the truth first and then prepared thoroughly before going. It was definitely my fault for going there without a plan. But I also appreciate you coming to save me.”

“… … .”

A mysterious color mingled with his yellow eyes like topaz.

It was a similar light to when Duncan first received recognition for his worth. A color of emotion that erased the past days stained with hardship. Even though he tried not to show it, the corners of his lips twitched involuntarily, drawing a curve soaked in ecstasy. The words of the warrior he had heard in the nest echoed in his ears.

‘That woman, like you, has been punished by heaven, but she is not afraid of the sun and is helping me.’

However, it was too early to feel relieved and happy about being recognized. In order to gain full trust like this, one more big mountain had to be overcome.

Ilenia speaks after making a decision at the end of the long story.

“If you don’t want it, I’ll discard it.”

“… …What do you mean?”

“The ‘gift’ I showed you before, if you do not wish to use it, I will discard it immediately. It is a significant gift from the one who leads the religious order… … But more important is the will of Khadim, the warrior of revelation.”

“… … .”

Kadim silently looked down at the floor.

I slowly shook my head.

A bitter smile appeared on Illenia’s lips. Yes, in fact, it wouldn’t matter whether it was used or not. The fact that something like that was created would have been outrageous to Kadim.

However, Kadim, who had relieved some of the emotional pent-up emotions, was thinking differently.

“I have something to ask you more than that.”

“… … “Yes, you say so.”

“How on earth was that made? “Is that similar to the ‘alter ego’ I saw in Galentana before?”

“Yes, that’s right. but… … I would say it is a much more evolved form than that. “This gift replicates not only the appearance but also the target’s abilities.”

“… … Then couldn’t we just make a few dozen of them and attack Melissa?”

“no… … That’s impossible. In order to create this gift, you must spend a huge amount of holy power to cast the ‘Great Holy Art’, but as you know, the Forgotten God does not have the conditions to generously provide holy power to his followers. There is also a strong restriction that the target must be extracted from the caster’s ‘memory’… … .”

At that moment, a spark flew in Kadim’s mind.

The vaguely scattered clues were put together. The vague footprints of an old colleague led to the outline of the person behind the curtain. Above all, if what I just heard was true, there was only one person in the world who could make something like that.

A priest who realized that the light he was looking at was a false light and turned his back on the light.

“Is Gordon in the Forgotten God Church?”

“… … .”

Ilenia made no reply.

His face was covered with a dark shadow, he covered his face with his hands, made a gesture like a sign of the sign of the cross, and quietly bowed and retreated, disappearing into the darkness.

Kadim stared at the back of the woman who was moving away with eyes that were darker than the darkness.

*

When I opened my eyes, I saw a bumpy cave ceiling.

And the faces of the dark elves surrounding them in a circle.

“It’s a strange thing… … .”

“Oh, that’s right. How strange… … .”

“Hmm, this is truly bizarre, truly… … .”

Duncan couldn’t figure out what was going on, so he just fluttered his eyelids. He barely remembered that he had gone to meet a dragon and had killed it.

“I… … Teachers? W, where is this place? Where is the dragon… … .”

“Huh, you talk the same way as us… … .”

“It’s strange, it’s strange… … .”

“I swear to the darkness of the beginning, this cannot be anything but truly strange… … .”

“… … .”

No matter how many times I asked, the dark elves would only admire it and say it was strange, and they would not answer any of my questions. Just lie there blankly like a sack of barley for a moment. Eventually, Duncan got up and tried to find his companions.

A dark elf asked as he laid him back down.

“Look, are you also… … one of our brothers who serve darkness?”

“……yes?”

“Why, like the yellow-eyed human sisters from outside the great forest. “Are you from the same sect as her?”

“Yeah? Oh, no. I’m just an ordinary peddler… … .”

“Then what are these cloaks and swords? “These certainly appear to be relics imbued with the blessings of a forgotten god.”

“Ah, ah, that’s… … .”

Duncan stammered about how he had acquired the Night Shadow Cloak and the Invisible Sword.

After that, it was a repeat of what had happened just before.

“Huh, how strange… … . Really, really strange… … .”

“He brings the holy relics to an unbeliever… … .”

“Besides, I’m not even his servant, so how can I be so quiet… … .”

“It’s strange, it’s strange… … . What amazing truth is hidden at the end of this deep darkness… … .”

… … No, somehow the atmosphere seemed to become more intense as time went by.

It’s a difficult situation to just ignore and leave. Duncan desperately looked for someone to help. He found an elf boy in the bed next to him who could transform into a black panther, but unfortunately he was unconscious and couldn’t call for help.

Fortunately, a savior soon appeared at the entrance.

A dark elf girl with a haggard but strong appearance, wearing black priestly clothing.

“Guys, may I come in for a moment?”

“Lee, Lady Lilia!”

“Apostle Lilia! What brings you here… … .”

Everyone in the room paid attention to her and smiled. Duncan, too, finally found someone to ask for her help. Suddenly, the enormous identity of that woman came to mind, and her mouth froze… … .

Taking advantage of that hesitation, a dark elf struck the player.

“Apostle Lilia? Well, I have something urgent to tell you… … .”

“Yes, what’s going on?”

The dark elf and Lilia went to a corner and had a secret conversation. Sometimes they would have serious expressions or glance at Duncan with an ominous look in their eyes.

After that conversation, Lilia approached Duncan and reacted the same way as the others.

“Well, this is… … definitely strange. I didn’t really notice it while we were in the asylum together… … .”

“Yes, it is indeed strange, Apostle.”

“That’s right. It can’t be anything but strange, Apostle.”

“… … .”

Duncan has a relieved expression on his face, thinking that things will be as they are.

Lilia studied the scene closely, then suddenly held out her bare hand.

“Mr. Peddler, could you please give me a hand for a moment?”

“yes… … ? Why are your hands suddenly… … .”

“Wait, it just takes a moment. yes… … That’s Okay. Now, would you like to spread your hand out on the wall over there?”

“… … .”

It was truly a foolish instruction… … Duncan had already relaxed. He obediently followed his words and Lilia spread her clenched hands on the wall.

Then a hole appeared in the wall.

Woof –

“… … uh?”

A black shimmering hole.

It was very similar to the space-distorting hole that Illenia had opened in the World Tree. The dark elves all let out a gasp of amazement, and Lilia furtively pursed her lips. Duncan swallowed hard and made a blank expression.

“Uh, that… … “Did I make this?”

It couldn’t have been more bizarre.