The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 2



Only Krnovel

Episode 2. Innocent Prisoner (1)

Unknown birds flew across the sky. Cumulus clouds were chaotically tangled in the blue sky, and multi-colored mountains, rivers, and plants were in full bloom on the ground. Without a doubt, spring was in full swing.

It was a peaceful and calm afternoon, just as the sun was beginning to set in the west, but it didn’t feel that way to some people.

For example, those prisoners lined up like a swarm of ants on the plain.

Clank, clank –

Chains that bound both arms. Every time I took a step, a soft metallic sound rang out. A gloomy dark cloud hung over each of the prisoners’ faces. Rather than regretting the crime they had committed, their expressions were one of lamenting that they had been unluckily caught.

“Look, I feel wronged! “It wasn’t me who killed that woman, it was the baker’s son!”

“Damn it, are your ears blocked? “That bastard died while dancing alone?”

“I only stole one real bronze ring! I didn’t even know the silver necklace was there!”

Prisoners occasionally complained of injustice using foul language. Of course, the soldiers only scolded them to be quiet and did not even pretend to listen. It was a sore point for these damn criminals who were breathing lies throughout the convoy.

But it wasn’t really the case that everyone was innocent. There were exactly two people in this line who had been caught without having committed any crime.

One was a peddler caught near the border.

“Soldiers, soldiers! Well, I feel really wronged! I never sold the devil’s by-products! Someone put them there to frame me! For example, the person who checked my bag… … .”

“noisy! How dare you doubt the Holy Knight of Elga?”

“That, that’s not it… … .”

The soldiers were not fools. They all knew that the young knight leading them had lured the peddler into a trap. It was to increase the number of prisoners and exaggerate the achievements.

However, there was no one among the soldiers who would defend the peddler. There was nothing good about a single soldier being disliked by the paladin. In the end, the peddler was in a position where he could not help but be falsely accused and dragged to the castle.

The other one was a barbarian of unknown origin.

Clank, clank –

This person was also a victim captured for the Holy Knight’s performance. However, interest could not be treated the same as other sinners.

The savage’s body was so large that other violent criminals looked like children. The angry muscles were so swollen that they could easily tear off chains. Looking at the incomprehensible, animal-like eyes made me swallow my saliva without realizing it.

The soldiers secretly resented the paladin for this. They had no confidence that they could stop the barbarian if he started to act up and act like he was being treated unfairly. However, strangely enough, the barbarian followed them without complaining.

There were two main reasons why the savage, Kadim, followed the soldiers obediently.

One is that I don’t understand what the situation is. Another thing is that right now I don’t have enough strength to break free of the chains with my bare body.

The great warrior of Atala who killed the great evil, or the man from modern times who longed for a cold beer and a comfortable bed, ended up crossing the threshold of the exit in a dark space. With his eyes narrowed, he crossed the brilliant light, and when he came to his senses, this was what he was like.

Kadim couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. The body was familiar, but many things had changed.

The madness and guilt that had been eating away at my mind disappeared. The strength I had built up before was gone. And physical freedom disappeared.

The first and second changes were like that. According to that damn phrase that said ‘New Game +’, he was now in a position where he was starting a new game just like the first time.

However, the situation in which I was being transported as a prisoner was not easily understood.

‘… … Even in real life, there’s never been a case where a game started like this?’

Kadim frowns gently. The prisoners around him got scared and quietly left the place. Kadim grabbed a peddler who was a little away and asked.

“Hey, why am I being held prisoner?”

“Yes, yes? “Are you asking me?”

“Yeah, you.”

What the heck, this guy? Is he crazy? He doesn’t even know why he was captured?

The peddler thought about that for a moment. Because he feared for his life, he completely hid his true feelings and explained things in a stuttering manner.

“Uh, um… … This is not the land of the Free Cities Alliance, but Imperial territory. As you know, the Imperial knights and priests are extremely hostile to heretics, right? You are a barbarian who serves Atala, so even if you have not committed any particular crime, you should be arrested… … Ugh, I, I am sorry!”

As Kadim’s face hardened, the peddler apologized in embarrassment.

But he wasn’t angry. I couldn’t understand anything the peddler said.

“Imperial territory? There is an empire on this continent?”

“… … yes? “You really don’t know about the Lucaonia Empire?”

“Lucaonia? “Isn’t that a kingdom in the center of the continent?”

The peddler could no longer hide the expression on his face that said, ‘This person is crazy.’ One of the soldiers who was glancing at them shouted loudly.

“Hey, be quiet! Do you know where we are going to play now? Chatting during convoy is prohibited!”

“Yes, yes, sorry! I’ll be quiet!”

The peddler left the place, thinking, “That’s right.” Kadim, left alone, was lost in thought.

Something was definitely off. I thought it was just the second episode where a high-difficulty event occurred, but it seemed like something much more challenging happened than that.

‘Could it be that I fell into a parallel world with a slightly different worldview setting…?’

It didn’t seem like a completely different world view. That prisoner called himself a barbarian who served Atala, and there was a country called ‘Lucaonia’. To get a clear picture of the world view, we need to collect more information.

There was something else that had to come first: understanding the current situation and what was going to happen next.

Kadim asked the soldier standing next to him in a casual manner.

“Hey, where is this procession going? Is it going to jail? Or is it going to be sold into slavery?”

The soldier flinched. He had been deliberately ignoring the savage. He was afraid to be controlled like the other prisoners, and it would hurt his pride to show it again.

However, since the barbarian side spoke first, there was no way. The soldier swallowed his saliva and tried to look solemn.

“Be careful what you say, heretic. You are under arrest as a prisoner. “Please don’t talk to us without permission.”

To Kadim, the trembling voice only seemed pitiful.

“I’m sorry. My apologies, soldier. If you just answer this, I’ll shut up again. “Could you kindly tell me for once where I am going?”

“… … You are now being escorted to the capital of the Lucaonia Empire, the Holy City of Lucaon. Once you arrive in Lucaon, the other prisoners will be judged by the Elgar Judge and receive their appropriate punishment. However, since you are a heretic, you will probably be sent to see the Inquisitor.”

“I see? That’s fortunate.”

Kadim was somewhat relieved. The priests of the Elgar Order were usually strict, but fair and just. If they knew that he had been brought here unjustly, they would surely release him.

To others, it seemed an absurd sight. One of the prisoners standing nearby interrupted with a laugh.

“Hey, what’s the good news? Heretic Questioner, those bastards are all perverts who are crazy about torture! “If I saw a heretic like you, I would drive a spike through his gums and pour boiling molten metal up his nostrils.”

“Can’t you be quiet? How dare you slander the priest who carries out Elgar’s will!”

“What, did I say something wrong? Honestly, what I said was right, right? Has anyone ever met those guys and come out alive? Even three-year-olds in our neighborhood know that! If you’re taken to the Inquisitor, you’ll be tortured all day long until you become a wreck and die a dog… .”

The prisoner was unable to argue with vigor until the end. Suddenly, the sharp tip of a spear was aimed at Mokuldae.

“What a profligate tongue you have. Why should you keep using your mouth like that?”

“… … Uh, uh.”

“Oh, what a terrible stench. It smells like an unbeliever. The stench of an unbeliever… … .”

It wasn’t the soldier who aimed the spear. It was a young man with a boyish look who appeared at some point.

The young man looked younger than the youngest soldier, but the prisoner did not move. The other prisoners, who had been arguing excitedly with the soldiers, all remained silent.

A cobalt plate armor with a ten-pointed star pattern. It was a heavy armor that was clearly different from the other soldiers. The spear he held in his hand was also unusual. The metal spear shaft was engraved with a subtle wave pattern, and a strangely cold aura rose from the blue blade.

Kadim immediately recognized the young man’s identity.

‘A knight of Elga. He is still a greenhorn, but… … .’

The hand holding the spear was strangely stiff. Moreover, his face was completely intoxicated by taking control of the atmosphere. It was an appearance that a seasoned paladin would never have seen.

Pook –

That wasn’t all. The paladin didn’t just threaten the prisoner with the blade, he actually stabbed the prisoner in the neck.

“… … !”

Even the soldiers couldn’t help but be embarrassed. Only the judges of Elgar had the authority to execute prisoners who had already been arrested. It was a clear violation of authority.

The knight who actually committed the crime was calm.

“Whoever insults the agent of Elgar will have to wash away his sin with death.”

“Ouch, oh my gosh… … .”

The prisoner fell to the ground, clutching his throat and foaming at the mouth. He never got up again.

The knight made the sign of the cross with a sinister smile. He quickly put away his spear. Then he turned his arrows of criticism towards the soldiers.

“What on earth are they doing? Why did you stand by and watch the prisoners play with their dirty tongues? After escorting him for a few days, have you developed feelings for him?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Linton. I didn’t mean to… … .”

“I don’t want to hear any excuses. Just tell me who is the source of this trouble. Is it that big heretic?”

The soldiers glanced at Kadim. The Holy Knight took that gaze as an affirmation. Without anyone having time to stop him, he stretched out his spear again.

Pook –

Kadim opened his eyes wide. The blade of a spear dug halfway under her shoulder. A bitter chill seeped into me along with the feeling of piercing my bones. The blood froze and I was able to stop the bleeding, but it was followed by a poison-like pain.

“… … .”

Kadim didn’t scream. I just suppressed the pain inside and silently glared at the paladin.

“… … “Ugh.”

The knight trembled without realizing it.

Even though he was a rookie, a knight was a knight. He read in Kadim’s eyes the cleanly refined murderous intent of a butcher looking at meat.

I quickly took up the spear. A paladin hides his fear and retreats. To others, it was a natural gesture, as if all errands had been completed.

“Hmm, clean up the body and keep a close eye on this heretic. If you see any sign of misbehavior, punish him immediately.”

The soldiers nodded reluctantly, though hesitantly.

Meanwhile, the barbarian warrior made up his mind. He would escape from this damned procession immediately.

The spear blade inserted by that fledgling paladin made me realize this. The Elgar Church is no longer the same as the old memories. It was obvious what would happen if he was taken away by the Heretic Questioner like this.

The situation was not easy at all. He didn’t have the strength to break free of the chains, but he was injured. Although it was already not easy to escape, the unfavorable conditions were stacked against each other.

‘If the power from the first time had been inherited, the chains would have been easily removed… … .’

It was a waste of time to feel sorry. She quickly shook off her regrets and calmly looked around. To find something that could help us escape.

At that time, Kadim’s eyes caught sight of a large chest at the end of the convoy.

A breeze was blowing from back to front. A faint sense of heterogeneity mixed with the wind. Kadim could smell a very familiar, disgusting fishy smell inside.

It was the smell of the devil.

His eyes were distorted fiercely. Kadim hurriedly advanced, his chains rattling. He grabbed the peddler again and asked him.

“Hey, what’s in that chest over there?”

“The devil’s corpse. That paladin bought it with money from a village we passed by before. But are you okay? The wound looks quite deep… … .”

Kadim did not hear the peddler’s last words. He bought the devil’s corpse with money? It was a story that was simply unbelievable.

‘… … In previous episodes, demons were rarely seen outside of the Demon Realm? Are demons so common in this world that you can buy them with money?’

Kadim couldn’t tell if this was good news or bad news.

Kadim’s unique characteristic, ‘Blood Berserker’, is an ability to drink demon blood and gain a special buff for a certain period of time. In other words, the more common the demon, the easier it is to obtain powerful buffs.

But that also had side effects.

It was clear that if he took the devil’s blood frequently, the mania that had tormented him so much in the first episode would recur. Moreover, if blood is easily obtained, it will be consumed more easily, so the madness will eat away at the mind more quickly.

Still, there was no choice now.

The power of the devil was desperately needed to break free of the chains and escape with his wounded body.

‘… … Whatever it is, it’s better than being dragged away by the Inquisitor.’

The barbarian made a decision. He slowed his steps noticeably and slowly approached the chest.

“… … .”

“… … .”

A fierce battle of wits took place among the soldiers.

The paladin gave orders to execute the heretics if they did anything foolish. It was clearly ‘foolish’ to leave the procession and retreat. However, none of the soldiers dared to step forward.

While hissing, the barbarian approached the chest. The ten seals guarding the rear decided that they could no longer wait and see. He extended his spear towards the barbarian and issued a stern warning.

“Stop, infidel! Go back to your original position… … .”

Kadim lightly ignored the words of the Ten Commanders.

He kicked the ground and jumped, striking the crate with both his chained fists.

Kwajijijik – !

The wooden shards were torn and flying. The sturdy wooden chest made of logs was torn to pieces like a rag box. The soldiers and prisoners nearby were terrified and stepped back.

“Ahh!”

“Ughhhhh!!”

“Huh? Huh, huh… … ?”

It was truly an absurd force. An ordinary person would have difficulty breaking even a single plank? And to smash that sturdy chest with his bare hands, and while bound by iron chains? Everyone’s mouths were wide open.

It was still too early to be shocked.

Kadim looked down at the demon’s corpse with a dry gaze. As expected of a warrior who slaughtered demons as easily as eating rice, he quickly analyzed the information about the demon.

‘It’s been about three days since it died… … It has no horns on its head, so it’s a low-ranking demon… … . Is it a ‘original’ type? I don’t know exactly what kind of buff it will have… … .’

If I had a dagger, I would have cut open an artery and drank only the blood, but now there was no other choice. Kadim bared his teeth fiercely.

Kkuddeok, sseotseujeok –

A bright red carnival unfolds on an idyllic plain on a calm afternoon.

The soldiers felt indescribable fear as they saw the barbarian biting the devil’s corpse like a wild animal.