The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 48



Only Krnovel

Episode 48 Witch of the wilderness (4)

I dipped the sharp end into the devil’s blood. The needle sucked up all the blood like a syringe. The bright, white brilliance like starlight turned reddish.

The sound of breathing slowly subsiding. The priestess felt the sensation sensitively and then stabbed the needle deep into the space between Khadim’s shoulder and chest.

The iron bar dug into the rock-hard muscles and vomited out all the blood it had been holding in. The blood that flowed out on the skin like paint soon formed a wing-like pattern made of red blades.

“It is done… … . “Now test your strength.”

Kadim concentrated.

The tattoo glowed bright red. The familiar blood flowed through his nerves and muscles. As his vision began to turn red, he pulled out his Hellfire Dagger and cut his arm without hesitation.

Grumbling –

The charred flesh and muscles were pushed out like scabs, and new flesh was glued to the wounds, regenerating them cleanly. Not only that, but even the wounds he had received from the Earth Warriors and the bloody palms where his nails had dug into them quickly recovered.

Obviously, the same effect as the regeneration buff given by ‘Hydra’s Blood’.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Kadim’s mouth.

The biggest drawback of the unique trait, ‘Blood Berserker’, was that once the demon blood ran out, he had to fight with his bare body. This tattoo was a device that almost perfectly compensated for that drawback. If this had been there when the game was in progress, Khadim would never have been treated as a lowly character, and if it had been there when he first played, he would have had much less trouble completing his journey.

Of course, this is something that was done by cruelly cutting down the life of a fellow priestess, so you can’t blame or resent anyone.

‘… … .’

However, this tattoo was not without its drawbacks.

The tattoo quickly lost its redness and turned black. His blood flowed down faster than when he had drunk the demon’s blood. The priestess added an explanation.

“The effect is the same, but the duration will be a little shorter. After using the power once, you will need a day to recharge. Above all, using the power through a tattoo does not mean you will not become mad. The effects are less than if you drink it directly, but if you use it too often and for too long, it will eventually ruin your mind.”

“… … .”

This tattoo was only a suppression of madness and was not a solution.

It was said that even for a blind-eyed shaman who was born with heavenly magical powers and made efforts to transform her bones, this was her limit. The yoke of her madness still weighed heavily on her shoulders, not letting go of Khadim.

‘… … Still, I guess I should take comfort in the fact that a little bit of weight has been lifted.’

Kadim looked away. After the tattoo, the needle of the tattoo lost its luster. It had become an ordinary piece of iron, but the priestess handled the needle carefully as if it were a precious treasure.

“Only one tattoo can be made with one needle. But don’t worry about it. “The blind-eyed shaman made a hundred needles like this and scattered them all over the continent.”

“… … .”

“If you happen to have a relic-seeking spell, you may be able to find the remaining ninety-nine in no time. Of course, you will need to overcome this ordeal and prove that you are the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’… … .”

It feels like a dungeon that gives fixed rewards. Kadim calmly agreed. Now that I had heard enough of the explanation, it was time to check the most important thing.

I barely bit down with my stiff lips trembling.

“Did Cyril imprison himself in the ruins like the shamans? Or did she fulfill her mission and choose to rest?”

The shaman quietly closed her eyes. Her head, stretched out like an old tree, slowly shook.

“I don’t know either. I entered this ruin before I saw his end. However, the last time I saw him, he was quite distressed. He had made a hundred objects and a hundred relics while losing his supernatural powers, so it couldn’t be otherwise… If he had any strength left, he would have prepared a place to await your return, but if he didn’t, he would have returned to the earth.”

“… … .”

Either way, it was a very cruel ending for her. Kadim dropped her gaze heavily and moved her stiff lips once more.

“Then, is there some connection between the resurgence of demons on the continent and Cyril’s actions?”

Hydra’s words that the person who revived him was one of his comrades.

Even if she was a priestess who devoted her life to Kadim and fell, I couldn’t help but check it out.

But the shaman seemed like she didn’t know what was going on.

“Demons are rampant on the continent? “What does that mean?”

“… … Don’t you know? Now, wherever you go on the continent, you can see demons, and even the demons that were defeated in the Demonic World are being resurrected.”

“I’ve never heard of this before. At least, it didn’t happen until I entered the ruins. During the long years we’ve spent here, something… … seems to have become deeply distorted in the world.”

A deep sigh escaped the old woman’s mouth. It was a sigh that contained the memory of a long time ago.

“… … Hoo, even so, since you have returned in such a time of tyranny, this too may be Atala’s will. Do not let go of your axe, ‘Great Warrior of Atala’. Do not doubt that your will is Atala’s will, and slaughter the rebellious challengers thoroughly, tear down the walls blocking your path, and spend the night fighting while dyeing the wilderness with the blood of demons. The blood that collects in your footsteps will soon become fertilizer for the new shoots that will sprout in the new world.”

A rough and fierce blessing, as befitting a priest of the god of strife and wilderness. Instead of expressing gratitude, Khadim tilted his chin slightly.

“Hey, wasn’t ‘Champion of Atala’ a title given to only one person?”

“Yes. “It is an honorable title that can only be received by the most outstanding warrior who has taken on the mission of defeating the great evil on behalf of Atala.”

“But it turns out that in this era, there was already a guy who called himself ‘The Great Warrior of Atala.’ “Is it possible that the number of ‘Great Warriors’ can increase to two?”

The shaman shook her head resolutely.

“No, it is impossible. If it were possible, we would not have chosen such a long imprisonment. The ‘Great Warrior’ is the sole oath that forms the basis of all divinities. Until you fulfill your command or forsake Atala, Atala can never forsake you. Perhaps he is falsely claiming what is yours.”

“… … .”

Kadim’s brow twisted viciously. I expected that to be the case, but I was convinced once more. After all, it would be right to kill him, that ‘Agon’s Raging Horn’ guy or something.

Anyway, the business is over. Now it was time to leave.

The shaman was barely able to survive due to the ruin’s spell, so she could not go outside. She revealed that after sending Khadim away, she will destroy this ruin and end her reign herself.

“Now that I have fulfilled my mission, this is where this wretched old man’s story ends. It would be a lie to say that I have no regrets in life, but it was by no means a worthless life. I have seen the will of that person who has wandered in the darkness all his life reach the dawn… … .”

The face of the priestess who spoke like that seemed relieved, as if she had thrown away all her burdens. However, Kadim could not accept it. Was it really okay to live a life where I was just used as a tool for hundreds of years and then forgotten?

So I asked.

“What is your name?”

The priestess answered calmly.

“… … name? The dust floating in the wind is my name, and the dust curled up in the shade and sleeping deeply is my name. “In front of the vast wilderness, the name of each speck of dust is of little importance.”

Daejeonsa denied that statement.

“No, I swear on Atala’s name. His great warrior will remember the name of that wandering dust. And the fact that beneath the shaman who lost her light, there was a life that waited, enduring hundreds of years of solitude and silence to convey her will.”

The wrinkled eyes and mouth twitched.

A gust of wind blew through the still air.

In an instant, as if a heavy rain had fallen, the dust of the years that had accumulated on the old woman’s face was completely washed away, revealing the expression that had been hidden within her for hundreds of years.

The wilderness shaman smiled brightly and answered, as if spring flowers were in full bloom in a rich field.

“Beshaka.”

“… … .”

“Thank you, Great Knight of Atala. For not forgetting us… … and the Priestess of the Blind Eyes, and for coming back again.”

As soon as the shaman finished speaking, the space collapsed and the scenery began to peel away.

Knock it down… … .

The cramped enchantment space and the old woman disappeared, and slowly the plains of Messen were revealed. Illenia appeared beyond the flowing curtain. She was lying face down, absorbed in writing something, when she found Kadim and ran over to him in a hurry.

“Hey, mercenary! Are you okay? I was surprised to come back alone, but what on earth is going on inside… .”

“… … .”

The sky had cleared up, and dazzling sunlight was streaming through the clouds. His pupils, which had been locked in the darkness, quickly contracted when they saw the blazing light. Kadim did not answer Ilenia’s questions one by one, asking where he had been, what had happened, and who he had met.

I just raised my head and spoke briefly.

“I heard about an old friend from someone and received a gift.”

“A gift? You received a gift, but why does your expression look so… ?”

Ilenia looked at Kadim’s thoughts and quietly closed her mouth.

Eyes that seemed to be filled with lead. Kadim slowly lowered his gaze. The coincidence that came unexpectedly and the unforgettable connection were dragging his mind back 300 years.

It was an inevitable choice. I couldn’t help but enter the crack that appeared after defeating the Great Demon. Hadn’t I endured that harsh journey with only the thought of returning to reality and home? No matter how much I looked back, choosing to ignore the crack and remain with my comrades in a body tainted by madness was an impossible choice.

However, if I had known things would turn out like this.

If only I had known that the blind priestess would search for herself so desperately.

If only I had known that I would stain someone’s life with endless waiting.

I wish I had left a proper goodbye to everyone, but I still have quite a bit of regret.

*

Just before I could ask what it was, the archaeologist struck out.

“I have a suggestion, mercenary.”

Kadim gestured as if he wanted to talk. Ilenia cleared her throat loudly, looking somewhat nervous.

“I think the mercenary is trying to find out everything, whether I really am an archaeologist, how I survived in this wilderness, why I requested an escort, what my real purpose is, even if it means using a somewhat rough method. Am I right? ?”

“… … .”

Kadim stared, neither affirming nor denying. Ilenia frowned slightly at Ami and licked her lips.

“Sweet, I don’t have anything to hide… … But no matter what I say, you won’t believe me anyway, right?”

“… … .”

“Then I will give you this in addition to the promised compensation, so can you just not ask those questions?”

The item she held out for negotiation.

It was a stone tablet used to track ‘relics’.

Kadim frowned. If anything, his suspicions could only deepen.

“I heard you are exploring the shaman and ruins of the wilderness. “If you don’t have this, how are you going to find the ruins in the future?”

“That’s true, but no matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to enter the ruins anyway, but this time I was able to enter thanks to you, mercenary. So I thought it would be better to give it to someone who deserves it.”

“… … .”

“Oh, of course, that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on my quest for the priestesses! I’ll leave the exploration of the ruins to you, Mercenary, and I’ll find out in other ways. In exchange for giving them to you, you must visit the other ruins, and when you come back to Galentana University, you must tell me what you found out!”

At first glance, it sounded like a legitimate reason. Besides, he really needed that trophy. But when I thought about it carefully, it felt too awkward to hand it over like this.

‘By chance you stop by Messen, by chance you meet that woman, by chance the councilor is sick, by chance you stop by the ruins, by chance you get a tattoo, and by chance you are even handed a fetish chasing the ruins?’

I frowned. Coincidences couldn’t have overlapped like this. The situation was overly contrived, as if someone had planned it in advance. It’s like a linked quest that leads to other quests multiple times… … .

‘… … !’

Kadim suddenly realized that he had thought this before.

But before I could even think back on when that time was, I had no choice but to come to my senses in a hurry.

Before I knew it, a purse, a stone tablet, and a silver coin were placed on the table. Illenia’s spirit was far away. Was it an act that I pretended not to be able to keep up with her when we first met? He was a person who had no honest side.

He considered throwing the axe and breaking its leg, but stopped. With his movements being that fast, he might miss it or crush it somewhere else. Instead, Kadim grabbed the silver coin that was placed separately next to his purse and shouted.

“What is this silver coin?”

“Ah! That! That’s that little bearded old man’s! He listened to my story for half the price of a mercenary!”

“… … .”

“Anyway, it was fun being together! “I’ll definitely see you again later, mercenary!”

With those words, Ilenia disappeared, becoming a speck in the bushes.

Kadim looked at the silver coins. A strange pattern in which a person’s hand covers a person’s eyes, and an eye is drawn on the back of the hand. It was not an ordinary 100 Luden silver coin. I thought it was a special currency used only in alliance territories.

But that wasn’t it either. When he returned to Messen’s inn and handed Duncan the silver coin, he too was embarrassed.

“Your Majesty! Where have you been all day… … Oh, what is this?”

“That archaeologist woman gave it to you. She said it was her reward for listening to me.”

“Ah, that woman back then. I thought she was joking but she really gave me the money… … . Umm… … But why do we buy silver coins with such strange patterns on them… … .”

“Isn’t this the currency used in the alliance territory?”

“Yes, this is the first time I’ve seen money like this. It really looks like it’s made of silver… … .”

If a peddler who had touched all kinds of money could not recognize it, it meant that it was not really an ordinary currency. I thought that if it were not a souvenir minted by an individual, it would be the currency of a small kingdom or principality that collapsed and disappeared.

But at some point, Duncan’s eyes widened as if he had been struck by lightning.

“Oh, I’ll be better! “This, this, this, is the pattern drawn on this coin!”

“……what?”

“Didn’t you say that at that time, in the basement of Malden Castle, there was a certain pattern drawn on the chest containing Nauri’s throwing axe? “This is the pattern drawn on the chest!!”

“… … !”

Kadim took the silver from Duncan and looked at it again. Two eyes stared at Kadim beyond the back of his hand. He stared intently and then gently grabbed the handle of the ‘salmon’.

As expected, this wasn’t the only time he pulled an unknown trick.

‘… … I think I’ll have a lot to talk about when I see that woman again.’

I decided to tie him up with chains so he couldn’t escape and then talk calmly.

*

Ilenia, or the woman with many other names, went forward, melting into the deep darkness. The balanced body lines were blurred, and only the bright yellow eyes shone as clearly as topaz hidden in a jewel case. After a long run, she stopped at the entrance to a dark cave.

A one-eyed man sitting on a wooden box guarding the entrance spoke.

“Did you finish your work well? “There were no mistakes?”

“… … .”

The woman raised her eyes haughtily. She didn’t say a word, only gesturing for him to step aside. The man spat as if he was unlucky and held out his hand.

“Look, even you have to show it. I can’t let someone in without ID.”

Ting-!

The woman flipped out a silver coin half-heartedly. Instead of moving out of the way, the man who handed it to me had a frown on his face.

“No, what are you asking for? Who wants a bribe? Instead of real money, give me a sacred relic with a sign, the ‘Silver Coin of the Ruined Nation’!”

A woman who felt her own chest in confusion. Soon, she let out a single exclamation of genuine embarrassment.

“… … uh?”