The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 58



Only Krnovel

Episode 58 Sons of the Wilderness (1)

The 9th gate defense line of the Golden Road.

The wind blew harshly. Due to the endless battle with the monsters, the fences and earthen walls collapsed and dust flowed into the noses and mouths of the guards.

They gasped and covered their mouths with one of their sleeves. However, he did not let go of the shield with his other hand. Because I now know very well that you never know when and where a threat may come. The past month has taught them much more than years of training.

But I couldn’t help but feel increasingly tired.

It was unknown how many rampant demons remained. The number of victims has already become so numerous that it cannot be concealed. There was also an ominous story that numerous demons had gathered nearby. In fact, more than the immediate pain, the fact that there was no guarantee of when it would end made the soldiers more exhausted.

But even so, it wasn’t like there was no hope.

Around that time, a strange rumor began to circulate among the soldiers.

“Hey, did you hear that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You mean ‘demon slayer’? They are killing every demon they see. “I heard that thanks to that mercenary, the west side of the road has been almost completely devoid of devils.”

“… … “What kind of nonsense is that?”

At first, it was just a rumor delivered by a messenger. However, messengers from other defense lines continued to give similar testimony, and the rumor grew and grew. However, since no one witnessed the fight exactly, the details, from appearance to story, were varied.

A short but nimble ally. No, an Atalin of enormous stature. A northerner with a bushy beard and pale face. A wandering mercenary who lost his parents to the devil and is seeking revenge. A high-ranking knight who was dismissed and was commissioned by the council to subdue him. A slave who escaped from the arena and happened to obtain an ancient relic.

“I heard it directly from the soldier from Gate 5, he threw an axe the size of a house and split the demon’s skull! Judging by that, he must be a northern relic soldier who has obtained a lot of dwarven relics!”

“Ha, stop talking nonsense! How does a person throw an ax the size of a house? Who knows if his true identity is a high-ranking paladin… … .”

“I heard that a lightning bolt fell from the dry sky. Without even looking at it, it is clear that he is a soldier secretly trained at the Magic Tower. “I think he probably escaped by stealing the magic tower’s treasure.”

During mealtimes, breaks, or even just a short break, the soldiers would inevitably spit and argue about the ‘Demon Slayer’. Opinions were divided because there was no basis for their claims, but everyone agreed on one thing.

He is coming here, slaughtering the demons of the Golden Road in a cruel manner.

This was of great comfort to the soldiers. The soldiers were thirsty for a hero who could sweep away all the powerful demons. The Magic Tower reinforcements, who were originally thought to take on that role, were actually hunting cats who were only interested in ash. Subjugating demons was a priority and only focused on taking care of the corpse and its parts.

Years of waiting for the ‘demon slayer’ who was truly passionate about subjugating demons to arrive. When the sentry from the west returned, it became the soldiers’ routine to ask if they had seen anyone coming. The sentries always shook their heads. Although there were several mercenary groups or scouting parties leaving to hunt monsters, no one came here.

Still, as if the sadness had reached the heavens, several days passed and finally someone came.

But it wasn’t what they were waiting for.

“Is this the 9th gate? I was sent here by the Galentana Council. If you call the captain of the guard, he will tell you who is here.”

Unidentified warriors carrying a lot of demonic supplies on a rope. Each and every one of them was overflowing with a strange sense of intimidation. While the sentries were standing there in a daze, the guard captain came out and ushered them into the camp.

Even after the unidentified group passed by, someone else came.

This time, it is difficult to easily judge whether or not it should be allowed to pass.

“I’m trying to pass through here. If you need a pass, here it is.”

“… … .”

An impression that exudes a vicious murderous aura, a build closer to that of a beast or monster than a human, skin and clothes stained red with blood, a red-hot knife, and an axe whose blood has not yet dried.

Seeing the vicious appearance of the visitors one after another, the sentries began to seriously worry whether demons were coming in disguise.

*

Kadim and Duncan did not pass through the defense line right away. Instead he was ushered into a tent inside the camp.

“I’m sorry, but please wait here for a moment!”

Even after seeing the soldier politely apologizing, my bad mood did not go away. Kadim furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why do you think they captured us, Duncan?”

“yes? Um, that, that… … I think it might be because this is under the jurisdiction of the Council of Galentana… … . The pass we received only had the emblem of Delutana Council stamped on it, so maybe it needs to be renewed… … .”

“… … .”

If true, it was a troubling guess. Kadim had no connection to this council. Even if you somehow get permission to renew by selling the name of the counselor, you will have to go through a cumbersome process.

‘… … It would be difficult if the magicians find the devil first. Should I just break through with force?’

While I was pondering, a man with sunken eyes and a haggard look entered the tent. He had the same wooden pattern engraved on his chest armor, but his armor was much more sturdy than that of the soldiers. He seemed to be the commander of this place.

“It’s nice to meet you. I am Yulitan Germani, captain of the ninth gate of the Golden Road. And you are… … mercenaries and their companions who have been granted passage by the Delutana Council.”

“Yes.”

“… … Before we talk, let me ask you one thing. If you don’t know, just listen with one ear. Have you ever heard a rumor about a man called the ‘Demon Slayer’?”

Squirming, Kadim trembled his eyebrows. The security chief waved his arm and dynamically added an explanation.

“Well, he is a paladin who dropped fire from the dry sky, summoned an ax the size of a house, tore apart a demon with his bare hands, and escaped from the magic tower with an ancient relic. He is now working as a mercenary, and his parents In order to avenge their enemies, they are killing all the demons they see… … “Are you sure you haven’t heard of it?”

Kadim looked at the guard captain as if he were crazy. Duncan also blinked and gave a puzzled look. The guard captain, Yulitan, seemed to feel a sense of self-destruction and let out a deep sigh.

“Whoa… … No, if you don’t know, that’s okay. It’s just a rumor floating around among the soldiers… … . “Anyway, you said you were thinking of passing through here and continuing along the road?”

“But that’s true.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you permission to do that.”

Ah, yes, I thought so.

It was a good thing, he thought. If he could take the commander hostage, it would be much easier to break through the soldiers. Kadim slowly pulled his arm back and grabbed the axe handle.

Yulitan felt a chill running down his spine. Reflexively, he grabbed the hilt of his sword with one hand and waved his other hand as if to dissuade Kadim.

“No, wait a minute! What I mean is, it’s not just you guys who can’t pass through, we’re also restricted from entering!”

“… … .”

For now, Kadim lets go of the sack. Yulitan was so nervous that he could not easily let go of the hilt of his sword. When Kadim crossed his arms as if waiting for an explanation, he finally let go of his hand and took out a map from his arms and unfolded it.

“Since you have passed through the Golden Road yourself, I will assume that you know the general situation. To give you an additional explanation of the situation here, as you can see, the western side has been roughly cleared of demons and monsters. “But to the east, all the cities and villages between here and the 10th Gate defense line have been taken over by demons.”

The guard captain’s finger pointed out the names lined up one after another. Kadim looked at the map calmly, and Duncan swallowed his saliva.

“Borden, Rodum, Silmont, and even Soltana… … . For a while, it seemed like the disaster forces were holding up well, but at some point, they started falling like dominoes one after another. It seems like a very powerful demon was at the center, and other demons were gathered together to launch an all-out attack. And… … There’s no telling when that demon army will come this way.”

“… … .”

“I didn’t tell the soldiers, but our defense line is in a very precarious situation. And if this last bastion falls, Galentana will be devastated next.”

To some extent, the story was within the expected range. But as I listened, I couldn’t help but wonder. Kadim frowned low.

“Isn’t everything I’ve said so far military secret? “What do you believe and why are you telling me all this?”

“… … Because I can’t give you a job without explaining the background. And, he is a mercenary who has been guaranteed entry into this situation by Delutana Council.”

“… … ?”

“The situation on our side is so urgent that quite a few mercenaries have been permitted to enter the road. But this is my first time seeing a mercenary approved by the strict Delutana Council. “I think they gave me a pass because they had some special beliefs there. Am I wrong?”

Yulitan stared at Kadim with his sunken eyes sharply opened. His eyes must have become heavy, so he quickly looked away and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.

It was a statement close to a misunderstanding. It was something he had obtained thanks to the councilor’s connections, and Kadim didn’t even know what kind of place the Delutana council was. Still, he didn’t bother to correct the misunderstanding. He just asked what the matter was.

“So, what kind of job are you going to give me? Right now, I’m not interested in anything other than splitting the heads of those demons.”

“Thank goodness. That’s exactly what I was asking you to do. Join the punitive force that splits the heads of demons. Isn’t that all demon blood on your clothes and weapons? You seem to have some expertise in demon hunting, so I think it would be a great help if you joined the punitive force.”

As soon as he heard that, Kadim’s face hardened.

“If it means working with the magicians of the Magic Tower, I will decline. I don’t want to hand over the demon I just caught to those bastards.”

However, upon hearing those words, Yulitan also had an equally stern expression.

“Don’t worry, there isn’t a single magician from the Magic Tower in the punitive force. Those damned magicians make me shiver… … If they had just helped properly, the situation wouldn’t have gotten this bad. I think that from this outbreak on, we, Galentana, will go down the path of complete hostility with Vestana and the Magic Tower.”

“… … .”

Kadim’s lips trembled.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, isn’t it? In this situation that I was not feeling well, I found something I really liked. He raised the corners of his mouth and asked the captain of the guard.

“Okay, then what kind of people is that punitive force made up of? “I hope they aren’t just hostile people.”

“They are warriors sent by our council. Don’t worry, they have already proven their skills by bringing back many demon heads. If you are someone who has received the guarantee of the Delutana council, then this side can be said to have received the guarantee of the Galentana council.”

Yulitan said that and added a meaningful smile.

“Probably, it won’t be difficult for you to get along with them.”

*

The reward for participating in the punitive expedition was 50,000 ludens, and an additional reward was promised based on the number of demons killed.

It was an extremely unusual amount of money for just participating. It was dangerous and the chances of survival were low. But for Kadim, who was trying to catch the devil anyway, it was like free money rolling in.

The defense line positions became busy with preparations for the dispatch of the punitive force. The soldiers were sweating profusely and frantically carrying military supplies. But in the meantime, he didn’t stop glancing sideways at Kadim.

“… … .”

“… … “Is this the author?”

“Yeah, who else would it be! As expected, the ‘demonic massacre’… … .”

“Hey, what are you doing! The dispatch of troops is just around the corner! “Aren’t you moving fast?”

Only after the commander gave the order did the soldiers stop looking sideways and focus on carrying their luggage. Kadim glanced at them indifferently and headed towards the tent where the punitive force was waiting.

The devil could be captured somehow with the help of tattoos and blood. There was only one thing that was bothersome in this expedition. That was the type of people the rest of the expedition force was. At least it was fortunate that they weren’t magicians, but it would be difficult if they were inexperienced and stopped.

‘If you’re being rude, I guess I’ll just throw it away and go alone.’

Kadim decided to do so and lifted the curtain of the tent.

And then I realized why the captain of the guard was smiling like that.

“… … .”

Dark eyes shining in the thick, floating dust. The beams of light pouring in from the hole in the ceiling illuminated the scars and tattoos scattered on the copper-colored skin.

Although it looked as if it had collapsed casually, its strong muscles were tightly stretched so that it could grab a weapon and jump out at any time. Because of this, there was a lot of tension in the tent, as if hungry fighting dogs had been locked in a cage, or a sense of danger as if nervous prisoners had been gathered together in one place.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Kadim and a dozen men stared at each other.

As the sharp silence continued, a man with a long scar on his face stood up, clutching a crescent-shaped spear.

He kicked his feet violently and then suddenly swung his spear.

Chae – Ang!!!

Kadim pulled out the mosquito and caught it like a flash.

Even though the trajectory of the spear blade was much longer, the difference in power resulted in a greater impact. The man almost fell due to repulsion, but barely managed to hold on by supporting the end of the spear on the ground. As soon as she adjusted her posture, she swung the spear again.

Chae – ah! Chae – ah!! Chaeng!

The successive blows were the same. Kadim easily took the blows as if he was dealing with a child’s spear. On the other hand, the man who swung the spear lost his balance and staggered every time. The eyes of the others sitting around were filled with a hint of curiosity and surprise.

After a while, they pounded their chests with their fists as a sign of respect. The man with the scar on his face also put down his spear and pounded his chest with a smile.

“Glory to Atala, the vanguard of an indomitable army! Nice to meet you, brother. “It seems that the Father of the Wilderness is also filled with the will to fight and stop the seeds of demons, as he is sending one more outstanding warrior to the punitive force at the right time!”

“Glory to Atala!”

“Glory to the Father of the Wild!”

“… … .”

Kadim frowned. Was that spearing really a greeting? Even when the other warriors stood up and welcomed him, his wrinkled expression showed no signs of improving.

‘… … You crazy savage bastards.’

He had a brief and unexpected encounter with his compatriots, who he met unexpectedly.