The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 199



Only Krnovel

Episode 199. The Flame That Never Goes Out (5)

Except for the miracles outside the standard, the power of God and the breath of the dragon.

To put it bluntly, the most destructive fire among all fires in the world is ‘hell fire.’

The Flame of Gehenna, the Flame of Golgatha, the Flame of Grimoth… … . All three boasted destructive power that was incomparable to ordinary fire on earth. Even the weakest ‘Flame of Gehenna’ can easily surpass the heat of a fire lit by humans with all their might.

Let alone the deepest abyss of hellfire, the ‘Flames of Grimos’.

It was the ultimate flame, the existence of which was unclear. The deepest part of hell, ‘Grimoth’, is a place where even most demons are reluctant to enter. There was no way the living would have a chance to see the fire there.

Even the powerful demons that reside in ‘Grimos’ do not approach the black flames because they consider them dangerous. Therefore, it is nearly impossible for a human to handle the ‘Flames of Grimos’…

There was only one person, the only exception.

The ‘Great Wizard’ who directly encountered and recreated the flames in the abyss of hell.

After a long period of trial and error, the ‘Flame of Grimos’ became Melissa’s fiercest dagger. The number of demons that were destroyed in Hell with that flame alone is in the four digits. Even high-ranking demons with great power were helplessly burned once they were touched by the fire.

So, this flame was the ultimate flame that could not be blocked or destroyed, not even once, except by the dragon’s sermon.

I said so.

Kufuuu… … .

That black flame was easily eliminated once again.

―――― Kugwagwagwagwang-!!

It was not blocked, scattered, distorted, or hardened, the flame of Grimos was precisely ‘extinguished’ by the crimson flame.

It was a ridiculous thing. Flame burning in flame? Also, the hellfire that destroys existence burns in the same flame? The common sense that there is no fire in the world more destructive than hell fire was being brutally shattered.

Melissa frowned deeply. She then looked at the warrior who had turned into a living fire demon.

“What on earth… … have you done? What on earth is that fire… … .”

“[It’s no different from what you did. You lit the fire with the fuel contained in the flesh.]”

Kadim answered in a casual tone. His pronunciation was mixed with fire, making his voice booming. At first glance, his appearance looked like a dragon breathing.

“No, that’s… … not just a flame? How… … can you put out the ‘Flame of Grimos’… … .”

Ssir – Gung!

A slash that decisively cuts off the conversation, an explosion rushing in a straight line.

―――――――― Kwakwakwakwang – !!

Because it was such a sudden attack, I couldn’t avoid it. Melissa was completely covered in the gathering fire.

“[Have you forgotten the old advice? Unless you were trying to bewitch, I would have told you not to show your confusion to the enemy.]”

“… … .”

Melissa bit her lip hard. It wasn’t because of the sudden reprimand from her former colleague. It was for a much more serious reason.

Grumbling – !

That ‘blood flame’ even ignored the ‘protection of mana’ and caused injury.

Strictly speaking, it was difficult to say that it was ignored. Most of the damage was reduced by mana consumption. However, the problem was that it was unprecedented for even a small amount of ‘Mana Protection’ to be pierced, and the firepower of the fire itself was strong, so even a small amount was enough to be fatal.

‘Even that dragon’s breath was blocked with mana… … What kind of flame is that in the world… … .’

Even with the fire control magic, it was not under control. In order to put out the fire that had caught on my body, I had no choice but to separate the space itself and remove it. In the meantime, my skin shrank and peeled off, and I gritted my teeth and endured the burning pain that I had not felt in a long time.

Write – Geung! Write – Geung! Write – Geez!

It was difficult to even buy time to react. The flames were not a one-time ultimate attack, but a continuous state that could end at any time. Even if I managed to avoid them once, explosions would come flying back, so I had to constantly be tense and prepare evasion magic.

―――――― Quagwagwagwanggwang, Quagwagwagwanggwang – !

It was impossible to reproduce or analyze. The sparks were created by the spirit of the god and the blood of the dragon. No matter how much of a great wizard mastered the mysteries of flames, it was impossible to easily see through and replace such raw materials with just mana.

So, I couldn’t find a way out and just ran away.

Kwak-Ang!

Kadim suddenly jumped up like a flower and closed the distance.

Heat pressure pressing down on the ribcage. To drive it away, pure white hellfire was poured in its face, but it was easily extinguished. Khadim wields his ax with a vertical axis, devouring hellfire with the flames that surround his body. The explosion that followed the trajectory tore through Melissa’s abdomen with a numbing sensation.

――――――― Kwagwagwagwa – !!

“Ugh… … .”

Kwaruk, hoo – woof!

There was no time to catch one’s breath. The flames on the axe head controlled the inertia with reverse propulsion, and the swung axe blade returned without any delay.

Hwareuk, Hwareuk, Hwareuk, Hwareuk – !!

Melissa hastily tied hundreds of fire strands to the sack. Next, he summoned a tidal wave of lava, erected a wall of black flame, and tried his best to block the slash… …

――――――― Blah blah blah, kwagwagwagwagwanggwang – !

… … It was no use. This time, Kadim erased all fire checks with a single stroke.

Write – Geung! Write – Geung! Write – Geez!

Then came a brutal chain of attacks. The blazing flames of the axe blade tore and burned the flesh of the limbs. Melissa barely managed to escape by teleportation just before her forehead was split open.

“Ugh, ugh… … .”

I desperately realized that ‘fire’ could never defeat that ‘flame of blood’. The next best option was to use magic of other attributes.

But that also didn’t work.

Gulp – !

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― !!

The water evaporated, the ice sublimated, the wind dispersed, and the distortion broke. The bloody glow flame equally erased whatever the target was. Melissa finally realized that this was not a matter of ‘compatibility’.

It was a question of ‘power’.

That ‘blood flame’ did not have a special effect to suppress fire, but was simply burning everything with ‘transcendent fire power’. Even unique characteristics such as fire or mysterious miracles. Kadim’s assertion that he would burn to death like a moth to fire was not even remotely false.

A feeling of helplessness, an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, took over my mind.

That was an ‘extra-standard transfer’ like Heavenly Punishment or Dragon’s Breath. Other than the gods of heaven, no one has a way to deal with it head-on. Even the great wizard who had just crossed the threshold of transcendence could not be an exception.

Nevertheless… … This archmage who survived even in hell was no ordinary person.

Melissa soon found a way out behind the scenes, just as she had done a few hours ago when she brought down a dragon with the same out-of-spec transfer.

“Hehehehehehe… … . That’s funny, Kadim. “I never knew you were hiding such a cute fire, did I?”

“[… … .]”

“But, we… … weren’t fighting to see whose flame was hotter?”

Melissa gestures with a blank expression.

Kkwuduk, kkwuduk, kkwuduk – !!

Ceiling, floor, walls, air… … The hand of the lava giant soared from fifty thousand places. All those touches greedily stretched out to one place, dripping lava like fresh blood.

Towards the ‘Dream of the World Tree’ that narrowly escaped the flames.

Gurruruk, kwadddddddddd – !!

Kadim frowned.

Of course, their purpose in fighting wasn’t to see who was stronger. Melissa didn’t care if she lost as long as she could destroy the sphere, and he didn’t care if he won as long as the sphere was destroyed.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― !!

Even if I split it with an explosion of a slash or exploded it with a thunderbolt, new hands quickly grew in all directions. As Melissa continued to cast additional magic, the number of lava hands increased. If this continues, the sphere will inevitably be destroyed someday.

Kadim decided to take a more radical solution.

Towards removing the source of magic.

Kwa – Ah!

As we charged forward, kicking the pavement, Melissa, as if she had expected it, tried to teleport immediately. However, she only saw the warrior rushing forward and did not look behind him.

――――― Bunch – Blink! Kwagwagwagwang-!!

“… … “Huh!”

A throwing ax that sparked lightning struck the wizard’s back.

To write this, Kadim just threw a lightning strike and deliberately did not retrieve it. There was no damage as it was blocked by ‘Mana’s Protection’, but it was enough of a surprise attack to break concentration. Taking advantage of the target’s hesitation, Kadim easily reaches him.

After that, magic was never cast again.

Wow – 100 million! Wow – 100 million!

“Ugh!”

A heavy fist struck Melissa’s face without mercy.

As an archmage, Melissa has reached the point where she can cast all kinds of great magic using only concentration and thought, without chanting or magic circles. However, even the greatest wizard cannot use magic in situations where concentration and thinking are difficult.

Wow – 100 million! Wow – 100 million! Wow – 100 million!

It was almost like being beaten with a flaming iron hammer. Every blow caused an explosion of flames, making even the ‘protection of mana’ meaningless. The strong impact burst the lips, tore the skin on the cheeks, and shook the skull. Soon, all the hands of the lava giants disappeared as if they were closing their eyes.

Kuddeuddeuk, kuddeuddeuk… … .

“Ugh, ugh, ugh… … .”

Melissa groaned in pain. Kadim asked fiercely.

“[… … does it hurt?]”

“Hehehehe, hehehehe… … Hehe… … no.”

Wow – 100 million! Wow – 100 million!

“[… … does it hurt?]”

“Ugh, no… … It doesn’t hurt at all… … . It feels like I got hit with a cotton bat… … .”

“… … .”

It was a lie. It will be the most painful pain experienced in hundreds of years. There was no way it wouldn’t hurt. Kadim frowned grimly and glared at Melissa.

He grabbed me by the collar and lifted me up.

Then he ran out of the hall, ran to the edge of the cliff, and threw himself under the World Tree.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh – !!!

Gravity weighing heavily on the body, a strong wind that tingles my ears, a tail of fire following me like a meteor… … .

A blood trail painted with flame paint was left in the air along the falling trajectory. Even though he couldn’t escape through teleportation or space distortion, Kadim didn’t stop punching.

The two clashed in a clearing outside the elven city of Hesiliad.

――――――――― Qua – Ang!!!

The impact of the fall was overlaid with the impact of the fireworks exploding. The ground sank, and the burned-out stump buildings collapsed. Melissa fell to the ground and coughed violently. Kadim asked, pressing down without letting go of the hand he was holding by the collar.

“[… … does it hurt?]”

“Cluck, clack…” … . Hmm, no, it doesn’t hurt… … .”

“Ppeu-eok! Ppeu-eok!”

“[… … does it hurt?]”

“Sob, sob… … It doesn’t hurt, I said it doesn’t hurt… … .”

Kadim clenched his teeth. His eyes turned bloodshot and he struck his face with a murderous expression as if he was going to crush him to death.

“[If it hurts, say it hurts!! If it was a mistake, say it was a mistake!! Why, why, are you beating yourself up by carving unnecessary wounds, and even wielding a blade at others?! “What makes you think the situation will get even slightly better just because you do that?”

Wow – 100 million! Wow – 100 million! Wow – 100 million!

Melissa’s face once again became expressionless and blank.

it hurts.

“It doesn’t hurt… … .”

it hurts.

“It doesn’t hurt… … .”

it hurts.

“Oh, it doesn’t hurt… … .”

it hurts.

“Ah, it hurts… … .”

it hurts.

“It hurts, it hurts… … . Yes, it hurts… … .”

An expressionless blank space that disappears, covered in blood and tear stains.

The expression on the face of the wooden doll that disappears at the woodcutter’s reprimanding ax blow, and that the flame it had lit had burned the whole world and that it had burned me too, not knowing what to do.

Kadim’s lungs exploded and he took a deep breath. I finally broke the pretense of wickedness that had been destroying me. He stood up and pointed to a crack in the distant sky and asked.

“[… … That crack, was it really something you didn’t want to open?]”

Melissa’s eyes were filled with bloody tears. She let out a sob, a messy mixture of laughter and crying.

“Yeah, that’s right… … . Me too, I didn’t want to do that either… … .”

“[… … .]”

“I just, just wanted to find the world you left behind… … . I naturally thought that crack would lead to that world… … .”

“[… … .]”

“If I had known that was a rift leading to a hell overrun by demons… … If I had known that the entire continent would be overrun by demons because of it… … If I had known in advance that all the dedication and effort I had put in would lead to such a disaster… … I would have never, never, never, never, never opened that rift… … . Sob, I would have just, just waited for you in the magic tower, while researching magic at least… … .”

The internal scars that had rotted away were revealed. Kadim listened to the truth with gritted teeth, feeling as if poison had been poured into his eardrums.

“You know, you know, Kadim… … ? I, opened that, and for over a hundred years, without missing a single day, even in hell, I dreamed with my mind… … ? It was a dream where I went back to just before the moment I opened the crack? But, no matter how much I shouted, struggled, writhed, and screamed inside that body, trying to stop myself, I just couldn’t stop myself?”

“[… … .]”

“Then, then in my dream I gather mana again, cast magic, a rift opens, demons pour in… … In the end, in the end, just like that irreversible day, I just sit there dumbly, staring at it, like a wooden doll abandoned in a shack that no one cares about… … .”

For a long time, rambling, incoherent confessions, lamentations, sighs, grief, sobs, and regrets continued. Melissa, who had vomited out all of her sincerity as if she were excreting her own waste, eventually returned to being like a pile of ash, meaninglessly burned.

“… … “Kadim.”

“[… … .]”

“What I saw in hell… you saw it too, right?”

Melissa fixed her gaze. With dark eyes, I look towards that fissure in hell that is gradually being blocked by the revived roots.

“Gail… … How are you doing? still… … Are you suffering as your whole body is torn apart by demons?”

“[… … .]”

The record left by the girl still remained in her arms. From a gap in the record, which was now almost completely burned and seemed to crumble even when touched, a small piece of paper fell out.

Kadim only extinguished the flame in his hand. He silently bent down, picked up the piece of paper, and read the contents one by one.

And his face became so dark that even the flames faded.

*

After the Great Evil died, Khadim disappeared through an unidentified rift.

And then.

Our warrior, Gale, has disappeared.