The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 39



Only Krnovel

Episode 39 Wizard Hunt (5)

Ymir was a master of mental magic recognized even in the Magic Tower.

His research on the large-scale mind control of monsters and human mind control magic, despite the great ethical controversy, was recognized by many magicians as being of outstanding academic and value. Based on his achievements, Ymir was promoted to the rank of Conjurer and received full support to carry out his plans.

That’s why Ymir’s pride in mental magic was great. I am confident enough to say that even across the entire continent, there are only a handful of magicians who have reached the same level as me.

Of course, human mind control magic was still only in its infancy. Even the slightest impact from hitting a wall can cause it to break. However, just because it was less stable, it did not mean that the effect was weak. He could swear that it was absolutely impossible for humans to be completely unaffected by this magic.

“[… … Rondone, Olticiaren!]”

That assertion was shattered this time again without fail.

Slurp, grunt, huuuu… … .

The afterimage for mental control disappeared once again.

The barbarian was steadily approaching, ignoring magic and killing the bear owl. Ymir became desperate and used mental magic other than mind control magic indiscriminately. Stun magic, confusion magic, sleep magic, fear magic… … .

None of that worked.

If digging into another person’s mind felt like piercing meat with a knife, this one felt like piercing a stone with a needle.

‘What on earth… … have you done to my mind… … ?’

The answer was an empty bottle rolling on the floor in the distance, but Ymir couldn’t notice it. He just watched in bewilderment as the barbarian shouted and caused bloodshed.

“Uuuuuuup!”

Tsk – Tsk! Blah blah blah!

– Guwok!

– Bake, bake, bake!

Before I knew it, the savage had torn the monsters apart and was right in front of me. If I didn’t run away, there was only death.

Grumbling – !

But the moment he tried to run away, a dagger was stuck in his ankle and flames rose up to block his way. He tried to send out his chain to attack, but the barbarian was faster.

Wedge!

Ymir took a deep breath when he saw the blade that appeared on his face in an instant. If he was to survive, he had to quickly get his mind together.

“… … Wow, this is amazing. I never would have thought that Delutana Council’s abilities were this high. “If I could train this level of warriors, it wouldn’t be a dream to destroy the demons of the entire continent and devour the empire.”

“… … ?”

“From his monstrous power and resistance to magic, to his courage and loyalty in boldly charging into enemy territory alone… … . He is truly flawless. If he worked as a mercenary, he would reap gold, and if he fought in the arena, he would gain the glory of a champion. But… … What were you promised in return for this mission?”

“… … .”

“Hehehe, it looks like there’s nothing special. Put down your sword, barbarian. We can be comrades. The Magic Tower can treat you much better than you are receiving now… … “Huh!”

Tsk tsk!

A sharp blade struck the corner of my mouth. My mouth was torn, my teeth were broken, and my tongue was split. The wizard’s mouth, which had been spitting out spells and coaxing, was now spitting out only hot blood.

Kadim said, aiming his sword indifferently.

“I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about. From now on, just answer the questions I ask you. You can write with your blood on your finger.”

“Ugh, wow, hehehe… … Eek, eeeeeek!!!”

“Let me ask you this first. Why is the wizard using magic in the ‘devil’s’ way? “Sacrificing humans as living sacrifices, using demonic energy instead of mana, and forcing thoughts into the mind are all methods of demons, not spirits.”

Ymir did not have the strength to answer. The pungent taste of blood that filled her mouth and the pain of her raw flesh being torn apart made her lose consciousness. Her tears and snot poured out, and animal-like moans kept coming out of her vocal cords.

“Eheek, geek, ehek, keek, keek… … .”

Can I survive if I answer all the questions honestly?

Ymir looked up at the savage with a pitiful expression. Her eyes looked like those of an executioner looking down at a condemned man. There was no hope. Perhaps he could delay death just long enough to answer a question.

So Ymir decided to give up this body and use her last resort to fight the barbarians.

I gripped the chain tightly. He squeezed her heart with all his might until it felt like it was being crushed. The intense energy rising from her chest flowed completely into the chain.

Chirrrrrrrr – !

“… … !”

The chain shook alone, binding Ymir. Kadim noticed that she was doing something and struck the chain with his mosquito.

Chae – Ah!

But the chain did not break. Like a snake that has captured its prey, it stubbornly wrapped around Ymir’s body and crushed it.

Crackle, quack, quack, quack –

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Her limbs folded, her skull twisted, and Ymir turned into a soggy lump of flesh. Even though her breathing had stopped, the chains’ grip showed no sign of weakening. Blood and bodily fluids gushed down.

Srrrrrr –

Soon, the pool of blood on the flagstone turned black, vaporized into a dark residue, and flew off somewhere.

‘Damn it, what did this bastard do…’ … .’

Kadim retrieved his axe and dagger and hurriedly followed the shadow. He had a bad feeling. That guy couldn’t have killed himself for no reason. He must have sacrificed himself to play a trick on the annoying people.

And Kadim’s prediction was exactly right.

―――――― Kwa-Ang!

As you turn the corner, following the afterimage, a giant hand suddenly appears, breaking through the wall.

I barely escaped the grasping grip and raised my head. A majestic Shinyoung, whose size could not be fully contained by a hole in the wall, stood beyond it.

Distorted eyes, a blunt nose, and sharp tusks were scattered across the skin as yellow as brass. His arms and legs had bulging, ferocious muscles like strangely shaped rocks, and the outline of his abs as hard as cast iron was revealed beyond the bulging belly skin. The monster, said to have the power to uproot Mount Tai, had its dark-stained eyes shining.

An ogre, a violent monster with overwhelming strength.

– Struggle as much as you want, savage. Everything will be meaningless from now on.

A strangely resonant voice echoed through the ogre’s vocal cords.

――――― Crrrrr!

An ogre possessed by the spirit of a wizard rushed forward, breaking down the wall.

*

Kadim gritted his teeth.

When the afterimage took hold of her body, she felt it clearly. A magic that was filled with thoughts, something that was mixed and diluted. Judging from the way it was used and the ingredients, what Ymir was using was not magic, but rather a demonic spell, and among them, it was closer to the demonic spell of the Possession type.

But Ymir never made a contract with the devil. If that were the case, he would have used much more pure magical energy and the monsters would have turned into monsters long ago.

In the end, the absurd conclusion was reached that the principles of ‘magic’ had changed so much over the past 300 years.

“… … .”

There were more than one or two questions that arose. In what way did they use diluted magic? Why did they use magic with magic and not mana? Why did the Elgar Church condone such acts?

But there was no time to lose himself in thought. The answer would only be known after defeating the ogre.

– Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

―――――――――― Kwagwagwagwagwa – !

A fist as big as a battering ram swept across the wall. The bricks shattered, dust and debris flew up, leaving deep dents in the wall. After drawing a catastrophic trajectory, the place where the fist landed was where Khadim was. The flagstone shattered, the floor caved in, and a heavy vibration shook the entire passage.

―――――― Quan! Coo coo coo… … .

He quickly took a step back to avoid being stabbed. Kadim swung his mosquito and counterattacked. However, the blade that touched his fist bounced back as if it had been struck by iron. The ogre shook off the blade with a sharp stroke and sneered.

– It’s no use. I didn’t think I could pierce this thick leather with that pocket knife…

Kwa – Jik!

– … … Ugh!

Kadim changed his weapon and swung his throwing axe. This time, it pierced the hide. The bleak blade dug into the flesh in one breath and cut off the ogre’s middle finger.

But as soon as it was cut off, the wound healed. A new finger even grew from the wound.

‘What, ogres don’t have regenerative abilities?’

Seeing Kadim with his eyebrows furrowed, the ogre let out a sinister laugh as if he was going to die of joy.

– Kuk-kuk, you reckless brat! Did you think cutting it would be the end? This body is no ordinary ogre. It has received the troll’s factor, so it can easily regenerate from any wound.

“… … .”

For a moment, Kadim almost burst out laughing. To explain such things so kindly, has your intelligence degenerated to that of an ogre?

But soon his mouth hardened.

Ogres are not easy opponents with their immense strength and tough hide alone. If you add the regenerative power of a troll to that, they become a monster more dangerous than any mid-level demon. To make matters worse, the ‘agility boost’ buff has almost run out of effect, and all that’s left is the useless ‘mental attack immunity’ buff.

‘Do I have to drink the blood of the hydra? Damn it, but if you drink three types of blood in one day, you will definitely get a serious case of mania… … .’

――――――― Kwadadadadadak!

At the moment of my contemplation, a dull kick came flying. The foot of an ogre the size of a pillar crunched the ground and aimed for Kadim. I threw myself to the right, but I couldn’t avoid all the debris. The hail of stones tore my skin and bruised me.

Whoosh, whoosh – !

Kadim quickly stepped back and threw four daggers in succession. The three pieces bounced off like moths to a fire and fell, but one stuck deep in his right forearm.

Crunch.

However, the ogre tore off the entire flesh where the dagger was embedded. The hellfire only burned a small piece of flesh and could not spread any further. Even in the area where the flesh was torn off, the bleeding stopped quickly and the flesh filled up again.

– So what’s next? What’s next, savage?

“… … .”

He ran at full speed, holding an axe. He tried to dig between its legs, but the ogre noticed it in advance and lowered his stance. The ogre lifted the slab of stone that had been raised by the successive impacts and completely overturned it.

――――――― Kugwagwagwagwagwang – !

The ceiling and floor flipped. Waves of flagstones rise and rush in like a wall. Kadim powerfully pushed against the current with his shoulder and broke through to avoid being swept away. However, before he had time to come to his senses, the ogre’s fist flew out.

I couldn’t avoid it this time.

Boom – oh, bang!

“Cough!”

The moment I fell and my back hit the wall, my breath caught in my throat and something inside me surged. My top was soaked with moisture, as if the bottle I was holding in my arms had broken. I didn’t have time to check which bottle was broken. The ogre was swinging his fists again and rushing at me.

Kwa-Ang!

After that, the battle continued to go against Khadim.

The enemy was too strong. It was difficult to injure it, but even if it did, it regenerated quickly. The buffs were depleted, so it was almost no different from fighting bare-chested. Gradually, the number of counterattacks decreased and I became obsessed with avoiding incoming attacks.

– What next? What do we do next, barbarian?

“Whew, whoosh… … .”

– Isn’t this the end already? You wouldn’t be so arrogant when this is all you’ve got. Hurry up and show me what kind of weapon you have.

Blood was running down my forehead and my muscles were tattered. I must have broken my ribs, so I felt a numb chest pain every time I took a breath. Kadim gritted his teeth and glared at the ogre. The huge monster was still alive and well without a single wound.

Still, there was one way to take that guy down.

‘If you accepted the troll’s arguments… … It won’t be able to regenerate even the vital parts. Anyway, just pop the heart or the head.’

He gripped the axe handle firmly as if his palm had suction cups. He held his breath and carefully aimed the axe blade. The power accumulated from his wrist to his forearm and biceps. From the tips of his fingers, which he pushed with all his might, flashy metal wings bloomed.

Parararararararack – !

Tsk – Tsk!

– Kook!

But I missed it.

The ogre quickly twisted his upper body and the ax blade only managed to rip off his shoulder.

The only weapon that could inflict damage was completely out of his hand. The ogre seemed to have noticed that, too. He ran after wiping his hot shoulder. The feeble resistance was easily blocked. The ogre snatched Khadim’s sword and threw it away, then struck him with a heavy fist.

―――――Bam!

“Cough!”

Kadim was thrown into the wall again. A triumphant smile appeared on the ogre’s face.

– Is this the end? Is this the end? Did you think it would end like this and then act so recklessly?

“… … .”

– That’s boring. So you should have accepted my offer a long time ago. You dug your own grave, you foolish barbarian. Is there anything you want to say before you die?

His whole body was in so much pain that it felt like it was going to fall apart. However, Kadim’s mind was as calm as a calm lake.

It went as planned. He was badly injured, but he survived without dying. He had stalled for time without drinking the demon’s blood. He was in a fortress where the night sky was not visible, but the beating of his heart like the sound of a drum told him that it was the right time.

Kadim did not make a will. Instead, he asked a question.

“if… … “Do you know that?”

– … … .

“Tonight is a night without the moon.”

– … … ?

“And it was just midnight.”

The ogre couldn’t understand. What Kadim said.

And the following prayer.

“[O Lord Atala, the master of all diseases who knows no defeat. Place your ax in my hand, bless the great warrior thirsty for struggle, and let me quench my thirst with the red blood of my enemy. “I forge this weapon in your name, shining with unwavering fighting spirit, on a night when the eyes that look closely at the earth have disappeared.”

Wooooow –

A blue light that stings the eyes spread out. A wave of brilliance flooded in like a flood, driving away the darkness and cooling the devastated mess. Overwhelmed by the unknown flash, the ogre forgot all his thoughts and stared at him with dull eyes like an idiot.

It was natural that I couldn’t understand. The miracle of God was to escape even the wit of a wizard who devoted his life to exploring mysteries.

Kadim’s second unique trait, ‘Name-Turner’, has been activated.

[What ‘name’ would you give to that axe?]

This time, the inner sound echoed only with clear will, not voice.

Kadim did not hesitate. I had already decided a long time ago what name to give that axe and what effect it would have.

“salmon.”

[…] … .]

“From now on, the name of that ax will be ‘salmon.’”

Woof woof woof – !

I could tell even without holding it in my hand. The weapon that had accepted the new name was resonating.

The surging light flowed like a torrent and was sucked into the axe that flew behind the ogre. The light compressed into a line was engraved on the axe blade, emitting a blue glow so vivid that it could be seen even from here.

Kadim stretched out his hand.

Although nothing was being held, I could clearly feel it. Like a fish swimming against the river’s current to the place where it was born, a force that wriggles and pulsates as if alive and wants to return to its original place.

“… … Come back, ‘Salmon.’”

As Kadim chanted, the axe rose into the air and spread its metal wings once again.

Parararararararack – !

In the middle of the return trajectory was the ogre’s back. The blizzard-like wave-shaped ax blade cuts through thick leather without hesitation… …

―――― Sigh!!

… … After tearing apart the ogre’s half heart and lungs, it burst out in a massive explosion.

– Kwaaa …

‘return.’

A special effect that returns to the owner’s hand no matter where it is.

The returned ax landed in its owner’s hand. The mortally wounded ogre fell to his knees, vomiting blood violently. With a creepy smile on his face, Kadim slowly swept away the blood-stained ax blade with his sleeve.