The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 22



Only Krnovel

Episode 22. The Forest of No Return (2)

Ethan quickly raised his shield. It was a defense that was done instinctively, without thinking, thanks to his long training.

Thanks to that, I was able to block the axe.

Kwa – Ang!!

“Ugh!”

But it didn’t seem like it could be stopped at all.

A heavy shock hit my entire body. Her bone pain rang as if she had been struck by a bell, and her forearm that held her shield ached as if it had been struck in the bone.

Not only that, but the shield was completely destroyed in one blow. The sharp axe blade pierced through the thick armor like a piece of paper. Considering that this shield was a ‘consecrated shield’ that had been blessed by a priest, this was something that simply could not be accepted by common sense.

‘Oh my goodness, Elga… … . I was able to withstand the attack of an angry troll without any problems… … .’

I instinctively tried to make the sign of the cross, but I didn’t have time to do so. The barbarian was running towards me with his sword drawn from his belt. Ethan quickly stood up using only the strength of his legs.

Phew – ugh!

The tip of the sword flew sharply, aiming for the gap in the armor. Ethan shrugged his shoulders and raised his shield again. The sound of the metal clashing with the metal rang out. It seemed that even a broken shield could still be used as a defensive device.

But that was the end.

A barbarian who grabs the handle of a sword with his non-sword hand and kicks the shield violently.

Tongue – !

As a result, the ax fell off the shield and the paladin was pushed back by the recoil.

“Eww! Huh… … .”

I fell back down again, as if nothing had happened. A large shield covered my body, trapping me in a tomb of steel. I barely managed to look away and saw the savage jumping low, holding an axe.

Ethan urgently removed his hand from his shield and rolled on the floor like a grub.

Qua – Ang!

The ear-piercing sound of metal crashing. The iron armor was once again torn like a piece of paper. The thought of how my body would have turned out if I had stayed behind the shield made me feel bitter.

The barbarian cast a dry gaze at the astonished paladin. A deep, low-pitched voice rang heavily in his ears.

“It’s not a path that a knight would pass by by chance. Did you come alone?”

“… … .”

“It won’t be difficult to silence you.”

My blood ran cold. A deep fear seeped through the incomprehensible confusion.

Ethan lifted himself up from the ground like a dog. I don’t know if it was really the Great Devil or not, but it was clear that the demon had unusual weapons and powers. At this rate, he could never fight back.

Ethan raised his sword toward the shadowy sky and shouted at the top of his voice.

“Elga, guide of the divine light! Give me the strength to fight against the evil spirits… .”

Parallelrack – !

It was the barbarian’s ax that flew before Elga’s divine energy.

Kwajijijik!

“Ugh!”

An ax that misses by just one inch and only crushes a wooden beam.

The barbarian knew well the fighting methods of the paladins. He had no reason to let him download his sacred energy. With his sword drawn, he rushed forward without giving any time to rest. Ethan was left to fight without a blessing.

A blade that accelerates and swerves in a wide trajectory.

Chae – Ang!

Even though the gap was wide, the impact was overwhelming. Ethan, who barely managed to block the sword strike, almost lost the handle of his sword due to the impact. Without even a moment to catch his breath, an irregular assault followed.

The moment the blades meet, you either twist the blade sharply and aim for the neck, or you completely slash the sword away and aim for the vital point. Or you hold the sword horizontally and deflect the attack, then dig in and strike the visor with the pommel.

Chae-Ang, Chae-Ang! Thud!

I couldn’t come to my senses. Its power was terrifying and its swordsmanship was unpredictable. I felt like I was dealing with a monster wearing a sword.

Ethan responded to the attack, relying entirely on instinct. Fortunately, the trained reflexes and plate armor protected the paladin’s body from taking fatal hits.

Even that wasn’t long.

Chae-Ang, Chae-Ang!

“Ugh, tsk…” … .”

As the number of attacks reached ten, cold sweat began to drip down Ethan’s forehead. Now, each time the blades clashed, a sharp pain shot through his forearm joints.

‘Damn it, what kind of power can be so ignorantly strong… … .’

The barbarian did not miss the moment when his enemy’s mind was distracted. He struck back with his sword, then took a swift step forward and thrust the sword head into the slightly gaping joint of his armor.

Tsu – Wow!

“Ouch!”

The cartilage was torn and blood drained all the way down to the elbow. Ethan grabbed his tattered right arm and took a step backwards.

“Ugh, huh, huh… … .”

“Looking at his skills, he’s definitely not an Archpaladin. No, I think he was worse than the one-day puppy I met on the first day.”

A demon approaches, muttering softly. He had no time to resent the insult. A decision was made within the paladin.

Run away. You have no choice but to run away. You’re injured, so there’s no shame in running away. You should go and get that damn Arch Paladin…

Ethan turns around and runs through the bushes. The inside of the helmet gradually heated up with excited breath. I felt like my life was in danger, so I walked quite quickly.

However, it was not enough to shake off the pursuer. The barbarian, wearing only leather clothes, was much faster than the heavily armed paladin. In a moment, the pursuer found himself being chased in reverse.

The gap between the two was shrinking by the minute. The paladin’s eyes trembled dangerously as he glanced behind him. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they caught up. Her mind was racing as she searched for a way to survive.

“Ugh, ugh… … .”

“… … .”

The conclusion I reached at the end of the chapter was this: Throw away the armor to gain a little more speed.

I couldn’t think of a better idea. The heat built up inside the helmet, making my head so hot. Ethan immediately implemented his plan. He was the first to throw away his helmet, then unfastened his straps and hastily threw off his breastplate and pauldrons. Among his bushes, discarded armor lined up like husks.

By the time I realized it was a fatal mistake, it was already too late.

‘… … ah.’

The enemy had the means to attack without having to catch up.

Parallel rack, crunch!

The blade of the ax flew like an angry claw, ripping through the bare, armor-less skin.

*

“Ugh, ugh, ugh… … .”

A paladin groaning with both arms hanging down helplessly.

“T, t, really, the Elga knights are pursuing… … .”

The peddler sighed with a look of disappointment on his face. The barbarian narrowed his eyes and glared at the paladin.

The left shoulder, which had been hit directly by the axe blade, had its flesh torn off like the hem of a rag. The collarbone was crushed and the shoulder blade was twisted inward. It was only to the extent that the force was controlled so as not to die.

The reason why Kadim did not kill the paladin right away was simple. I need to check if it’s really true that I came alone.

It wasn’t difficult to figure it out. First, start by putting your hand into the wound on your shoulder.

A rough hand penetrated between the tattered leather and flesh.

Tsk tsk –

“Hey, let me ask you one question.”

Ethan’s face turned an earthy color. They say that if a person is in so much pain, they can’t even scream, and that was exactly what Ethan was in right now.

“Are there any other knights that came with you?”

“Ahhh… … Uh, uh… … .”

“Answer me.”

“Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh.”

“… … .”

If there was no answer, it was enough to tighten my grip. A suppressed scream burst from the paladin’s muzzle.

“AAAAAHHHH!! Kkaaaaaaaaaah!! Kkaaaaaaah!”

“Ugh, wow… … .”

Duncan, disgusted, looked away. Kadim said he remained aloof and continued his interrogation.

“If you don’t tell me, I will open your wounds again. “If you want to end the suffering, speak quickly.”

“Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Ma… … I can’t speak. Just kill me, you wicked demon!”

“Kill me? Why should I kill you?”

“… … .”

“It would be much more painful to be alive.”

To prove that it wasn’t an empty promise, Kadim stealthily lifted the axe.

Goosebumps ran down my spine. Ethan started convulsing and urinated. It was a fear that even a mind trained through countless training and combat could not overcome.

“Stop!”

The knight used his last desperate effort to bite his tongue hard.

It wasn’t a plan to kill. People don’t die just because their tongues are cut off. It was just an intention to keep his mouth shut so that he wouldn’t be able to answer before he was too scared to confess everything.

It was just a pointless struggle. A strong hand grabbed Ethan’s cheek fiercely.

“You are doing something useless, paladin. Even if you only have the strength to blink an eye, interrogation is possible.”

“… … Okay, okay.”

“If what I say is true, close your left eye. If not, close your right eye. If there is no response, I will strike your shoulder with an axe once each.”

“… … Geez, geogeok, keuhuh… … .”

After a multiple-choice questioning session, Ethan ended up confessing almost all of the information.

That the paladin that Kadim killed was related to the Archbishop, that he had been tracking him down with Archpaladin until now, and that he had gone ahead and left him alone.

As the interrogation ended, the paladin met his end.

Ugh – Ugh!

The axe was deeply embedded in his forehead, but his face showed no great regret over the fact. Only then was he able to go to Elgar’s side, free from shame and pain.

Kadim pushed the paladin’s body into the bushes. It was better to take one more step than to bury it carelessly. Now that the Arch Paladin’s existence, which he had been suspicious of, had been confirmed, he could not waste even a moment.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Kadim swept through the bushes. Duncan followed after him in a panic. Having turned his eyes away from the brutal interrogation and fled, he was completely unaware of what the savage had found out.

“Well, I… … Better? Why are you in such a hurry? “Are there any other paladins left?”

“… … .”

“Well, isn’t it too harsh to torture someone like that, right? The author probably didn’t chase us because he wanted to, and he didn’t commit a major crime… … .”

Kadim still had his back turned. However, Duncan could see the anger that made his stomach tingle in his harsher ax strokes and stiff backside.

A chilling voice came into the peddler’s ear.

“Have you ever had your tongue pulled out, peddler?”

“… … .”

“Or have you ever been burned and the skin all over your body peeled off like a snake’s skin, or the bones in your limbs were shattered and your joints were twisted, and you opened your eyes and waited for death?”

Little by little, a chill crept into Duncan’s skin. The cute voice echoed repeatedly beneath my feet.

“I guess that’s never happened. That’s why you can say that.”

“… … .”

“When I encountered a high-ranking paladin before, my colleagues and I were in the same situation. They say there’s a high-ranking paladin among those chasing us this time. “If I hadn’t tortured the guy I met today, I wouldn’t have found out about it, so something similar would probably have happened again.”

“… … .”

“Listen carefully, peddler. I have no intention of leaving regrets or tolerating slander due to unnecessary mercy and morality. That kind of leisure can only be exercised in places where you don’t have to worry about getting stabbed even if you sleep on the street. “In this land overflowing with all kinds of foul malice, I will not hesitate to do anything cruel to achieve my goal.”

“… … .”

“As it has been and always will be.”

A decisive declaration that leaves no room for error.

This was the end of silently enduring anxiety and fear. Duncan squeezed his eyes shut and screamed.

“Yeah, but it’ll get better… … ! Doesn’t what you said mean that I too can end up like that at any time?”

Suddenly, Kadim stopped.

He turned his head and gave an inorganic look. For a moment it felt like his blood froze, but Duncan clenched his fists and continued his speech.

“If I were to become useless or in a situation where there was nothing I could do about it, wouldn’t you abandon me or kill me without hesitation? I, I, I, I really don’t want to be abandoned among monsters or suffer such terrible torture to die… … .”

“… … .”

“Until now, I went back to my hometown at least once every three months. My wife, daughter, and eight-year-old son will be waiting anxiously. I would prepare my share of food and wait, wondering why I was so late, but then, well, dying horribly without even seeing my face for the last time… … .”

“… … .”

“… … Please, please teach me, Your Majesty. How can I avoid being treated like a piece of meat? How can I be respected by You, Baron Molden, enough to share His blood with You… … ?”

“… … .”

An appeal that is almost like a desperate prayer.

The answer that came back was concise.

“If you don’t want to die, you have to prove that your life is worth living.”

Kadim indifferently withdraws his gaze.

There was no reason for him to answer any further. As usual, he bravely swung the ax and cleared the way ahead.

Duncan looks at his back in bewilderment.

I had no talent for forcing him to answer any further. In the end, he just lowered his eyes and walked away again.

*

An evening that paints the blue sky with dark colors. The road back to where I came from.

“Hey! “Can’t you run faster, faster!”

– Hoooooow… … .

The light body that made up the body of the light horse was messily disheveled due to the arduous march. Helia paid no attention and repeatedly kicked the stirrup to urge him on.

It was fine when I first left. When I left Ethan alone, the speed of the chase doubled. I regretted not leaving that incompetent paladin and his horse that looked exactly like his master.

It took less than two hours for my mind to change.

As she raced madly down the road, Helia suddenly realized something.

‘What, there are no traces of anyone passing by…’ … ?’

At some point, the faint footprints that had remained were no longer visible.

I checked the map belatedly. If I kept going, I could see that there was a road adjacent to the border post. The probability that the person who killed the paladin would confidently pass by the guard post and go to the alliance territory did not seem very high.

If Ethan had been brought in, he would have been advised of this in advance. Helia was not unaware of this. She just thought of it this way instead of feeling the need for an experienced adjutant.

‘Then shouldn’t you have told me in advance when you said you were going this way? Anyway, he seems like an incompetent guy… … .’

I immediately turned the reins. It was not easy for her to guess where her demons might have gone. She was planning on rejoining Ethan to get some advice or ask him if there was any sign he had found her.

But all Helia could find was a dirty horse.

– Purruk, purruruk… … .

It was clearly Ethan’s horse, with sunken cheeks and swollen eyes. The bridle was tied tightly to a wooden post. It didn’t look like they were camping nearby. All of the luggage was still intact, except for a knife and a slingshot.

There was only one conclusion.

Something happened after he got off his horse and went somewhere for a while.

“… … .”

Silently burning green jade eyes scanned the surrounding area.

A gaze that pierces the evening dusk and moves busily, footprints stretching along the dirt road and the side road, the last trace left by the Paladin, the direction in which the traces stretched… … .

… … Crushed bushes and a side road between them.

Helia dismounted from her shining horse and drew her weapon from its scabbard.

Whoosh whoosh – !

Arch Paladin’s divine soldier, ‘Gehenna’s Flame’, revealed its bloodshot teeth as if it was about to burn the entire forest.