The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 5



Only Krnovel

Episode 5. Goblins, demons, children (1)

Duncan was in a desperate situation in many ways.

It was good to have a traveling companion. I already felt that it was dangerous to leave the Imperial territory alone. Now, I was not afraid of even the slightest monster or highway robber as much as a truck.

The problem was the ‘companion’ who had to accompany him.

The reason I wasn’t afraid of monsters or highwaymen was because I was much more afraid of barbarians. As a human being, how could you not be afraid of someone who ate the corpse of a demon and single-handedly slaughtered dozens of people?

Duncan was anxious every moment, lest he should offend the savage. He kept his nerves sharp all day long, asking questions with tact.

“Sir, would you like to eat, Nauri? “We have beef jerky and dried potatoes.”

“Would you like to lie down here, sir? I will light a fire to keep you warm.”

“I, but how did your Majesty end up in Imperial territory… … Oh, I understand. I will keep quiet.”

It wasn’t easy. No matter how hard I looked, I could never see into the savage’s true intentions. Moreover, he did not allow questions other than those that were absolutely necessary. He had no time to relax and seek favors.

He didn’t speak much and he secretly exuded a sense of murder, so it was easy to see that he was not a human being but a wild beast. Every day, he felt like he was performing acrobatics with his head in the lion’s mouth. Duncan’s eyes grew more and more swollen as the days passed due to his nervous breakdown.

But if that were the only problem, I think I could have endured it somehow.

The bigger problem was the absurd marching speed of the barbarians.

Duncan’s occupation was a peddler. In other words, his feet are agile and he does not get tired, so he is easily able to keep up with others. But compared to this savage, he was like a toddler who had just started walking.

When I told him which way to go, the savage would quickly go far ahead. When I finally caught up with him, he would leave a few nonchalant words and then leave again.

“egg plant.”

“let’s go.”

“You’re slow.”

“Heh, gasp, ugh, ugh… … .”

The savage then glared at Duncan until he arrived, as if threatening to burst his head open if he came late.

It was fortunate that he was the guide. If the savage had been the guide, the distance between the two might have been dozens of kilometers. The peddler stuck out his tongue as he looked at the tireless savage.

‘Oh my gosh, I’m dying…’ … . No, does that person have legs made of steel?’

He did not have the courage to ask for a slowdown in his march. The harsh journey, with its sharp eyes and surprising synergy, had reduced Duncan to a wreck in a matter of days.

Duncan made up his mind. If he didn’t want to die, he had to run away soon. He had to find a way to escape.

And the opportunity came sooner than expected.

On a night when thick clouds swallowed up the moonlight and the only light left was the fading embers of a fire. The savage was lying on his back against a tree stump. Before he went to sleep, I had crushed some herbs and put them in the wound he had received from the spear, but he didn’t seem to hurt and was still sleeping soundly.

Duncan watched the savage’s movements for half an hour, holding his breath. He must have been fast asleep, as he didn’t stir. If he was going to escape, now was the perfect opportunity.

‘hmm…….’

The peddler’s gaze rested for a moment on a large bag placed next to a tree stump.

It was no exaggeration to say that all of his assets were inside. Oil candles, wool blankets, flint, soap, dry rations, silver mirrors, antique rings… … . All together, these are items worth enough to own a street vendor in the city.

But it wasn’t more precious than life. If he went to the tree stump without thinking, he might wake up the sleeping beast. Duncan neatly gave up the bag.

Duncan lowers his posture and crawls, gently sweeping away the leaves piled up on the floor. When the grass appeared, it was only then that I stood up hesitantly. I picked up my pace little by little and moved forward at a brisk pace, but as soon as I reached the outside of the forest, I hurried on.

Under the hazy sky, there was only darkness all around. Whether I closed my eyes or opened them, only the same scenery unfolded. A rush where I couldn’t see anything. Duncan ran forward without knowing where he was going.

A thick bead of sweat brushed the back of my neck, my lungs swelled as if they were going to burst. My heart pounded against my chest like an angry visitor, my joints creaked and screamed in pain. I didn’t have the strength to close my mouth, so drool dripped down my chin.

“Heo-eok, heo-eok, heo-eok… … . Kek, kehek, uheook… … .”

How long did it run like that?

Duncan thought as he bent down and pressed his knees. I think it will be okay at this point. I don’t know which direction he went, so it will take a while to find him. Now he says he is free.

It was a hasty misunderstanding.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?”

A low-pitched voice that grabs your stomach. Duncan stumbled wildly, as if his leg had been broken. A chilling sensation ran down his spine.

As I turned my head, a sinister outline appeared in the darkness.

‘No, that doesn’t make sense…’ … . how?’

It didn’t make sense. They ran so fast, how on earth did they catch up? And in this darkness where you can’t even see an inch ahead? Did he pierce the darkness and fly in like an owl?

In fact, it was a pointless question since he had already been caught up. Duncan barely managed to open his mouth, suppressing the feeling of nausea.

“Huh, huh, ah, no, that, that… … I… … .”

“Are you running away? Why are you running away?”

“Huh, huh, I’m better, it’s not that… … .”

“Isn’t the promised compensation necessary?”

The clouds cleared and moonlight poured in like translucent cloth. The blade hanging from the barbarian’s waist gave off a bright light. It was a light that reminded Duncan that his life was not yet entirely his.

Duncan suppressed a violent urge to urinate and fell face down on the dirt floor.

“S-sorry, get better! I have committed a mortal sin! I shouldn’t have forgotten the grace that saved my life, but foolishly I was careless… … .”

Kadim squatted down, brought them to eye level, and interrupted the peddler.

“No, what I want is not an apology, but a reason. If you don’t fix that reason, won’t you run away again? Explain. Why did you run away?”

Duncan hesitated, but eventually told the truth.

“That, that’s… … Your Majesty’s footsteps are too fast for me to keep up with… … . If I keep following him, I feel like I’ll fall over soon… … .”

“… … .”

Kadim remained silent for a moment. Duncan squeezed his eyes shut. Now, he felt helpless even if that blade were to strike his neck.

Surprisingly, Kadim did not criticize Duncan. He simply thought silently for a moment and then said:

“Let’s go back. Let’s walk a little slower from now on.”

“… … !”

That was the end of the conversation.

Kadim turned his back to the moonlight and went back the way he had come. Duncan stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses and stood up as the clouds swallowed the moon again, chasing the back of the wide savage.

*

The default emotion is impatience. Slow walking was a habit I acquired in the first round.

In a barren and hostile world, food and water were never abundant. On top of that, he gradually lost his mind by drinking the blood of the devil.

Rest and leisure were distant words. Any delay in time meant imminent destruction. Not knowing when the savages would be consumed by madness, Kadim and his companions would hasten their steps, even saving time for eating and sleeping.

But now there was no need for that.

‘… … Phew.’

Kadim took a deep breath and calmed his mind and body.

The surroundings weren’t that dangerous. There was enough food and water. The mania might come back someday, but at least not now.

There was also a reason to slow down. The peddler was a pretty useful guide.

Kadim had a fairly detailed map of the continent in his head, but it was a map from three hundred years ago. The mountains and rivers had changed nearly thirty times over the years. Without a competent guide, it would have been impossible to find one’s way around properly.

Kadim walked slowly, matching the pace of the peddler. The peddler was finally able to breathe. After a while, I even had time to look at the map and occasionally offer opinions to Kadim.

“Right now, there is quite a bit of friction on the border between the empire and the alliance, so if you’re not careful, there’s a risk of running into paladins. Because I don’t want to be caught unfairly again… … “Wouldn’t it be better to go back a little bit and go to a place where the boundaries are a bit more lax?”

Most paladins said they would capture heretics whenever they saw them. It is only when barbarians reach the territory of the Free Cities Alliance that they can sleep with their feet stretched out.

‘The Elgar Church 300 years ago was not like this… … .’

I felt once again that I had fallen behind the times. I wanted to go as fast as possible, but I had no choice. Kadim clicked his tongue slightly and nodded.

Kadim and Duncan headed south. They were pretty lucky. Even though I went there, I didn’t have to take out a weapon for several days.

No friction means that there are few soldiers stationed there, and fewer soldiers means that public security is not good. Duncan smiled with relief and said it was a miracle that no fight broke out here.

Kadim’s thoughts were a little different. He looked down at the hardening lumps of blood inside the leather water bottle, his gaze complicated.

‘This blood will soon become useless. I need to secure some fresh demon blood just in case… … .’

Considering that demons were rampant across the continent, it wasn’t easy to face them. When asked why, Duncan said: Paladins who are crazy about performance are exorcising nearby demons with their eyes lit. Kadim savored it bitterly and briefly.

The journey continued. As we crossed the green plains and lush forests, the sun was already setting. A small stream appeared between the meadows covered with violets. At the end of the stream, there were small huts huddled together.

It was the first town he had seen since he had set out. Duncan unfolded the crumpled map and stroked his beard.

“Hmm, it’s not on the map… … It looks like a place where slash-and-burn farmers live… … “I think it would be a good idea to ask for food and a place to stay there today.”

Even an old house infested with bugs was better than sleeping out in the cold dew. The peddler smiled at the thought of sleeping without worrying about getting his clothes wet for the first time in a while.

But the savage’s intuition sensed something was off. Kadim narrowed his eyes without the slightest hint of excitement.

“There is nowhere to make a fire.”

“……yes?”

“It’s dinner time, but no house has a fire burning.”

It was just as he said.

There were a dozen or so chimneys between the rough roofs, but not a single puff of smoke was rising. This would have been impossible if people were living there normally.

The corners of Duncan’s mouth gradually drooped.

“… … Is this an abandoned village, Your Majesty?”

“I don’t know. Until I go and check.”

“Are you going to go and see? What if a monster or a demon appears and everyone runs away…?”

Hearing those words, the barbarian bared his teeth fiercely.

“That’s good news.”

A smile that thrills the hearts of those who see it. There was no time to stop it. Kadim turned away from the astonished peddler and walked toward the deserted village.

*

As I got closer, I could see more clearly that something was strange.

An eerie silence. Not a single human figure was visible. But the hoe and the pickaxe in the front yard of the cabin were not rusty. There were busy footsteps on the path where the weeds had been cut. It was clear evidence that people lived here, and had been there just a moment ago.

‘There aren’t any bodies. They probably weren’t killed by monsters… … Did they sense the attack in advance and run away?’

Maybe there were periodic attacks. If you are a slash-and-burn farmer, you will definitely move your residence every few years. It was quite possible to intrude on a monster’s territory without knowing it.

At that time, a faint sound was heard from inside the cabin.

– Kiek… … Kiiii… … .

It wasn’t a very unfamiliar crying sound. Her large palm went to the handle of her knife. Kadim takes out the sword from his waist and enters the cabin without hesitation.

A low body that barely reached his waist covered him.

– Kieeee!!

A clumsy cut of the knife flew out. Kadim was not embarrassed. I had expected a raid from the moment I opened the door. He lightly raised his knife under her waist and struck her, causing the rusty blade to bounce away.

Chaeng – !

– Kik!?

It was a light counterattack for the savage, but not for the monster. The monster, unable to overcome the recoil, stumbled backwards. Kadim took advantage of the gap and swung his sword down in a vertical direction.

Kwasik –

Not even a final scream was left behind. The sword wielded by the barbarian cut the monster’s head in two at once. Because too much force was applied, the cross section was strangely distorted, as if it had been pressed down from above.

The green dwarf slumped to the ground, his limbs flailing. His halved facial muscles twitched and twitched. Blood and brain fluid seeped through the gaps in the planks.

Kadim let out a short laugh. A goblin, what a timely monster. Yes, no matter what kind of journey you take, the first monster you encounter should always be a goblin.

But… … If you think about it, it was a strange thing.

The goblins of this world were not that violent, unlike the numerous media we encountered in reality. She was more timid and wary than most birds. Is it true that a goblin runs away at the mere sound of her newborn child crying?

Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to attack and preempt civilian homes in this way.

And when something impossible happens in this world, it usually means that ‘some being’ intervened.

The goblin’s eyes are dyed red. That unpleasant color was also another evidence. Monsters’ eyes usually turn that color when influenced by that entity.

The hand holding the sword slowly gained strength.

‘… … Ha, you’ve come to the right place.’

The corners of the barbarian’s mouth drew a gentle line at the thought of being able to obtain fresh devil’s blood.