The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 61



Only Krnovel

Episode 61 Sons of the Wild (4)

When the tree monsters first set foot on the roots, they were as slow as snails. Then, their pace gradually quickened, and eventually they began to run much faster than humans.

Knock, click, click, click!

Angry trees immediately surrounded the area. It opened its red eye sockets and swung the branch. The woody thorn whip flew in, aiming sharply at the flesh.

Kadim planted his feet firmly. Then he twisted his waist and swung the mosquito fiercely.

Write it – oops! Kwazijic!

The twigs could not withstand the blade, and the thick branches could not withstand the force. Patter, broken branches piled up on the floor.

The tree monsters never got another chance to attack. As Khadim swung his manpower in a circle, the salmon responded by drawing a devastating arc of attack.

Kwajijijijik!!!

The scent of trees rose up earnestly, and dust flew up like sawdust. The trees whose pillars had been cut down were torn in half. Nevertheless, he did not give up and continued to crawl along the ground viciously, approaching the two people.

Knock, click, click!

Whoosh whoosh – !

Kadim threw down the hellfire dagger. The red blade was pierced, and the sulfur fire spread wildly, burning and consuming the piece of wood. Even as they burned to pitch black, the trees of Inyeong were unable to let go of their murderous intent until the end and violently twisted their branches and roots.

Knock, knock, knock, thudding, thudding!

I kicked the tree monster that was at my feet. It fell down with sparks flying out and soon turned into a lump of charcoal. He slowly retrieved the dagger and tried to throw down the ax again. But suddenly there was a hand holding his arm.

Tundal had a cold complexion.

Kadim shook his hand away.

“What are you doing?”

“… … I really want to ask. “What on earth are you doing, you?”

“They’re cutting down the fucking firewood. Don’t just stand by and watch, I wish you’d get involved.”

Crunch – !

He stepped on another lump of charcoal that had crawled up to his feet and crushed it. Tundal screamed in terror.

“Stop it! Those are no ordinary monsters! “The people who lived here have changed!”

“I know. So what do you want me to do?”

“……what?”

“They won’t be able to return to how they were before anyway. I can’t just leave them alone when they attack me like this. Cutting them to pieces and burning them in an offering is the way to help each other.”

It is extremely difficult for things contaminated with demonic energy to return to the way they were before. In particular, the harm to lives affected by the ‘disease species’ was much more severe. Even if the leper had defeated the hydra, he would never have come back unharmed.

Of course, even if Kadim could come back unharmed, he would have cut it to pieces and burned it without hesitation if it were an immediate threat.

Tundal was momentarily speechless. After clenching his fists, he forcefully released his lips.

“… … But let’s stop. We should avoid engaging this many enemies as much as possible. Besides, we still don’t know the exact identity of the demon. Right now, we should take a step back and observe the situation. When the sun rises, we’ll look for a detour, and for now, let’s retreat.”

“… … .”

“This is not a recommendation, but an order.”

A voice with great weight. Kadim thought. Is it really right to step down now?

It was a name that would be acceptable to a warrior without much experience.

But it was difficult for Kadim to accept.

‘The devil’s true identity is a disease. Now that we know there’s an intruder, we’re going to be more aggressive throughout the night. Perhaps, since they have already inhaled the demonic energy, the punitive force may also be reduced to pieces of wood before daybreak… … .’

Moreover, Kadim also had a goal: to obtain the devil’s blood faster than others. Enough time has already passed. Rather than delaying further while looking for a detour, it was better to break through these piles of firewood as quickly as possible and slaughter the disgusting demon.

Kadim decided to ignore Tundal’s orders.

“If you’re not going to help, then get out. Before I cut you down with those firewood.”

“… … !”

Tundal glared fiercely.

There was a roaring fire in the eyes beneath the scar. He looked back and forth between Kadim and the weapon in his hand. Finally, he struck the floor with the blade of his spear and turned around coldly.

“If a great warrior’s weapon meets the wrong master, it will be a long time before it meets the wrong master.”

“… … .”

“Atala said to be courageous, not reckless. I pray that you will pay the price you deserve and learn your place, brother.”

Kadim did not listen to the fleeing warrior. He just focused on dealing with the rest of his enemies.

Nod, nod, nod –

Pararaerararak, kwazizik!

They cut, split, and burned the wooden monsters without rest. Even though the curtain of night had already fallen on the world, Kadim’s side was as bright as day. The flames, which were making wild gestures and dying, breathed dark breaths toward the sky. The acrid smell of coal and magic mixed together to create a stench that made the tip of the nose tingle.

While making his way through the ashes and wood chips, Kadim suddenly realized something. There is more than one type of magic that passes through the tip of your nose.

‘Now that I think about it, the tree monsters were particularly vicious… … .’

Aside from the strong magic from a distance, he could feel a tingling magic nearby. There must be other demons besides the evil spirits. Kadeem kicked and split the trees that clung to him and tracked down the source of the nearby magic.

The place we arrived at was a house on the corner of the village.

Kwajijijijik – !

When the wall that had turned into a wooden plank was broken down, a figure similar to a crouching human was revealed, a wooden demon with horns sprouting from its temples and covered in bark.

Perhaps this mid-level demon is also imbued with the unique characteristics of the evil species. An intense light was shining through the gaping hole in its face, and I could see it breaking into faint rays of light and heading towards the tree monsters.

Kadim immediately threw down his dagger and set the demon on fire.

Kwajijijijik!!!

Hurrrurr –

As it was engulfed in flames, the light coming from the hole in its face faded away. The demon looked blankly at Kadim and was reduced to ashes.

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… … .

Then the trees in the seal no longer gave off their eyes. There was wide darkness in the knothole, and his body movements became noticeably sluggish. As expected, it seems that this demon acted like a totem that gave buffs.

Knock, knock… … .

It wasn’t hard at all to kill the slowed down and hostile trees. Kadim simply chopped the remaining enemies like he was chopping firewood. He stacked the cut pieces of wood and set them on fire, and the other nearby trees were also engulfed in flames, unable to escape.

Whoosh, whoosh, thudding, thudding!

Fierce flames soared like a firebird flapping its wings. A dizzying heat swept everywhere, and the black sky became hazy. The movement of the blackened roots and branches gradually stopped.

Noud, nood, nood… … .

Black, fluttering ash and smoke. There was no one left here anymore. Now it’s time to go kill the disgusting demon.

But just as I was about to leave, I felt a presence.

“My goodness, Atala… … . You really took care of them all by yourself…?”

Tundal opened his mouth in shock, and the rest of the punitive force had expressions that were not much different from him.

Kadim rubbed his ash-stained face and looked at them indifferently.

*

A night when the thick magic energy is rampant. The charred earth. A sharp sense of tension, as if standing with the soles of your feet on the blade of a knife.

The soldiers of the Chassa Army swallowed their saliva and held their breath. The Atalan warriors had solemn faces and clenched fists. In front of them, a warrior leading a punitive force and a mercenary with a hundred men per man were facing off.

Tundal asked in a frosty voice.

“Why on earth is that happening?”

“… … .”

“You have done a great thing, but I cannot praise you. Our enemies are demons and monsters, not innocent victims. Even if they cannot be the same as before, they should not have been torn apart and burned like this. And even more so… … with sacred weapons.”

“… … .”

“Moreover, you disobeyed my orders. Even though you swore on the name of the noble warrior that you would follow them. I cannot let this go unpunished… … .”

“I said I would follow ‘proper orders’, I never said I would follow nonsense like a dog.”

Kadim cut off his words monotonously. Tundal gritted his molars. He squeezed his fist hard enough to crush his spear.

“Tell me what was wrong with my orders, before this spearhead is pointed at your neck.”

It was a bright moonlit night. The crescent moonlight shone on the blade of the window, which resembled him, creating a clean and refreshing glow.

There was nothing I couldn’t do to explain why. But Kadim’s patience has now reached its limit. I didn’t want to waste any more time with that rude, stubborn, inexperienced warrior.

Therefore, we presented the most ‘Atalaine’-like solution.

“Raise your spears. According to the ‘Laws of the Wilderness,’ let us judge right from wrong with our swords, not our tongues.”

“… … .”

The law of those who have spent their entire lives forging steel on the dry land, the precepts of the wilderness.

The core spirit of the precepts, which formed the spiritual foundation of all Atallain, was foolishly simple.

Every struggle is sacred. But the winner is right and the loser is wrong. The winner takes all and the loser loses.

“The sea I hoped for. I didn’t want to cause infighting, but I’ll make an exception this time. We can’t continue to allow ruthless people to arbitrarily break military discipline and contaminate the weapons of the Daejeon Temple… … .”

Tundal did not refuse either. This time, there was a cause and a practical reason to fight. The will to fight burned fiercely in the eyes between the scars. He raised his spear high into the sky and shouted loudly.

“Here, I, the son of the wilderness, Tundal of the Crescent Spear, declare the duel begin! The lord of the heavens, the place of endless war and feasting, and his champions, and the valiant warriors of the earth, will be witnesses to this duel! To the victor shall be justice, honor, and all that he desires; to the vanquished shall be all that he has, including his life!”

The Atalain warriors’ faces were filled with anxiety. Their leader was a great warrior, but wasn’t their opponent an even greater one? A peerless superhuman who had single-handedly slaughtered so many monsters?

However, declaring a duel and surrendering before the fight is more humiliating than death. In the end, they solemnly agreed and sat down in a circle around them. The sound of war drums congratulating warriors engaged in a duel was replaced by the sound of weapons being struck on the ground.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Everyone’s heartbeats resonated along with the beat. The warriors’ eyes flashed like burning flames. The acrid mid-night air slowly flowed into my lungs.

Kadim indifferently raised the hilt of his sword.

The duel finally began.

For a moment, Tundal closed the distance and attacked first, hiding his teeth like an animal.

Whoosh – whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh – whoosh!

Aiming at the neck, swinging, then changing course to draw a diagonal line, and stabbing fiercely through the darkness. The iron object covered in moonlight struggled like a butterfly with wings of steel. However, knowing that they were no match for each other in a fight, whenever there was a sign of clashing, he expertly thrust out the spearhead.

Kadim raised his eyebrows slightly. It wasn’t a bad spearmanship. It was more than enough to lead the other warriors. If Kadim had just started his second round, or if he had wanted to hang out with them to some extent, it would have been a close match.

But he wanted to end this duel as quickly as possible.

Whoo – wow, chin!

I dodged the downward blow and held on to the spear pole with one hand. Tundal panicked and tried to pull out the spear, but it wouldn’t budge. He dug into Kadim and swung the mosquito like a flash of light.

Ugh – Ugh!

A sharp beam of light split my shoulder. Tundal wrenched away his spear and tried to fight back. However, his arms were weak and he had no strength. He glanced sideways with a puzzled expression and soon realized something. That his own right arm was rolling around on the floor like a piece of meat.

Kadim did not even give the enemy time to be shocked.

Phew-!

“… … “Inhale!”

The blade pierced through his stomach and swallowed his blood greedily. His pierced abdominal muscles contracted and held onto the sword. The strike was so sudden that he didn’t even feel pain right away. Instead, he felt an indescribably unpleasant sensation of suction, a contradictory feeling of heat as if a cold fire had been thrust into his stomach.

Kadim twisted the hilt of his sword. The knife was pulled out roughly, tearing at her muscles and internal organs and widening the wound. Then the pain and bleeding that had been postponed came all at once. Tundal could not bear the intense pain and collapsed.

“Ugh… … .”

The clothes were sticky and wet. Blood spurted like a geyser from the cut in her shoulder. The bark of the trees on the ground turned a fishy dark red.

A normal duel would have already been decided here.

But Tundal did not give up. While contorting his messed up face, he took out a hidden dagger with his left hand and swung it.

“Hehehe, die, die!!!”

Kadim slowly took a step back and adjusted the distance. Far enough not to touch the dagger, close enough to touch the mosquito. Far from the flames of excitement, close to the waves of coldness.

Phew! hook!

Seo – keuk, keuk – keuk!

Because of that, the dagger only cut through the air, and the mosquito repeatedly pierced through skin and muscles to suck blood. It was more like a slaughter than a duel. One by one, wounds much deeper than the scars on Tundal’s face began to appear all over his body.

“Now that we’ve done this, how about surrendering? “I think it would be a waste of time to fight any more.”

“Khuuuhuk, I refuse… … Atala is watching over me… … I can still fight more… … .”

“Atala told me to be brave, not reckless.”

“Eeeeek, SHUT UP!!!”

He rushed forward with evil intent, but it was a meaningless charge. Kadim dodged easily and stabbed him deep in the abdomen once more. Tundal dropped his dagger and fell miserably to the wooden floor.

“… … Ugh.”

The game is over.

Thump thump! Thump thump! Thump thump!

The Atalan warriors looked gloomy, but they still did not forget to show respect to the victor by beating their chests. The precepts of the wilderness are absolute. No matter how unwanted the result was, I had no choice but to admit it.

Kadim approached the bloody warrior with an expressionless face. In fact, there were dozens of opportunities to kill Tundal. Nevertheless, the reason he was not killed right away was to make it clear to other warriors.

The duel was fair, ample opportunity was given, the gap was overwhelming, and therefore you could never be my match. So that no one can bother you anymore.

He lifted the loser’s chin with the back of his sword and thrust the blade into his neck. Tundal took in the blood-stained gossip.

“I don’t even know what the great wilderness father’s intentions are. Why should a ruthless person like you… … He must have given such overwhelming power… … . Hehehe… … .”

“… … .”

“But I can’t break the rules… … . I will admit my defeat. But… … Can I ask you one last thing?”

“… … .”

“Give up those weapons, the weapons of the previous great warriors. For someone who is not worthy of his rank to hold it is to pollute the will of its owner… … . You are also a son born from the soil of the wilderness… … Isn’t there a sense of respect for one’s ancestors? … ? Please do not regret reaching that place where wars and banquets never end… … .”

Kadim quietly closed his eyes. She declared, slowly lifting her eyelids.

“No, it seems clear that Atala wouldn’t mind me using this weapon either.”

“… … .”

Tundal raised his head sadly, like a fighter against irrationality. To Kadim, he just looked like a dullard who had his eyes and ears closed and was sinking into the well of the net. He looked down indifferently for a moment and then slowly raised the handle of his sword.

Just before he brought his blade down, Kadim cleared Iza’s narrow field of vision one last time.

“… … Because I am the ‘Great Warrior.’”

Pupils dilating uncontrollably, as if the back of the head had been hit with a mace.

Wedge – Awesome!

A merciless blade flew towards Tundal’s throat.