The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 65



Only Krnovel

Episode 65. There is no devil for old people (1)

It was a desolate sight.

The neatly laid stone slabs were cracked and broken, turning into jagged stones. Here and there, the stone walls collapsed and the broken trees blocked the road like monsters. Every few hundred steps, a corpse, either human or monster, or both, would appear. Around them, large crows and flies tangled together, feasting on rotten entrails and flesh.

A decaying road that does not fit the brilliant name ‘Golden Road’. Even the sky was stained with the ruins of the earth, taking on a dull color. Moreover, the condition of the road was not the only thing that was bad. The further I went, the more an indescribably unpleasant and dark energy slid along my skin.

In fact, the only passerby on this road was calm. He walked firmly like a pilgrim heading to a holy place, not caring about the corpses littering the road or the demon coiling around his neck.

“… … .”

Kadim sent out a punitive force and went out alone.

He was deep in thought.

A rebellious demon that has returned from an old tree to a sapling. From that, I could guess what kind of power the ‘Central Devil’ had. However, only a vague outline was still drawn, and more concrete information had to be obtained.

The punitive force could have helped in the process. They could just put the guys out as bait in front of the devil or his minions and observe them. But Kadim didn’t feel like it. It wasn’t a matter of conscience. It was more of a matter of cost-effectiveness.

‘Even if you sacrifice many lives, you’ll only end up gathering a few clues. And along the way, there’ll be someone possessed by a demon… … .’

Above all, the biggest problem was that while everyone was dying, they would express ‘pain and despair’ in abundance. Even if there aren’t many of them, it’s actually like putting food into the devil’s mouth. As with his journey so far, Kadim decided that it would be right to obtain information alone and slaughter the demon alone.

‘But in the end, I never really figured it out. How can those guys use the ‘Atala’s Divine Weapon’? … .’

A guess came to mind belatedly about this part.

A devastating weapon that bestows divine energy. If someone got hold of it and distributed it to others, it would not be impossible for anyone to summon divine energy like that.

And that devastating weapon was one of the things Khadim needed most desperately right now.

‘The Judgement of Atala.’

A war ax that brings death and destruction that struck the Great Devil’s neck in the first round.

However, just before moving on to the second round, the unfortunate weapon was abandoned by its owner.

There was no way the warrior’s party would have just abandoned that weapon in the devil’s land. Someone must have picked it up and kept it or stored it somewhere.

However, since 300 years had passed in the meantime, it would not have been strange if it had not been properly maintained and had fallen into disrepair. If the leader of those warriors had happened to get his hands on it and distributed the divine power to his followers, it would have made sense.

It was still just a guess. It was possible that he had obtained the ‘new energy’ through a new route that he was unaware of. However, if by any chance the guess was true…

“… … .”

… … After completing the subjugation, Kadim thought that he might have to have a conversation with the leader of the warriors according to the ‘Wilderness’ Precepts.’

How long had it been since he had been lost in thought? Suddenly, Kadim felt something strange.

Wow –

He blinked in surprise and took out the item in his arms. A soft light was emanating from the stone tablet that traced the remains and the casting that had previously been handed over by the archaeologist.

The jewel’s beam of light wasn’t strong yet. Still, it was clearly pointing in one direction like an arrow. It must mean that there were ruins not far away. It was good news that I hadn’t heard in a long time.

However, Kadim had an expression that seemed somewhat inappropriate.

‘I hoped to find it after obtaining the blood of the ‘Central Demon’ if possible… … .’

I’ve still managed to collect quite a bit of usable blood. Blood from the top-tier demons of the Repulsive Species, blood from the top-tier demons of the Charm Species, blood from various intermediate-tier demons… … However, since I can only tattoo one on each relic, the opportunity cost was regrettable.

‘… … Should we go after saving the blood of the ‘center demon’ instead of now?’

After a brief moment of thought, I shook my head.

Anyway, there were 98 more ruins left across the continent. I didn’t know what would happen in the future. It is foolish to neglect immediate preparations while aiming for greater gains.

Kadim decided to stop by the ruins, get a new tattoo, and set out to subdue the demons.

Coincidentally, the direction the beam of light was pointing coincided with the direction we were going. As we proceeded along the desolate road, the beam of light gradually became more intense, and before we knew it, it began to point clearly beyond the village in the distance.

Kadim seemed to know where that village was. It was Silmont, the third target of the punitive force.

“… … .”

The scenery near the village was even more bleak than on the road.

A pile of rotten corpses strewn across the trampled lawn, arrows stuck in them, broken spears and footprints filled with rotten blood. Traces of a fierce fight for survival.

It was clear that the battle did not end in human victory. It was much easier to find a human corpse than a monster corpse. The fields that had once been the home of life had become gardens of bones and internal organs, and only withered smoke was rising from private houses with collapsed roofs and walls, like a cigarette smoker from a sick person.

But when I looked at it, I noticed something strange.

‘… …Why are there only old people’s corpses?’

The growth rings of time are clearly engraved on the bluish skin. All of the corpses, without exception, were elderly people.

It didn’t seem like the residents, who were pushed to the limit, were using the elderly as a barrier. Not only were there so many people, but sometimes even heavily armed old men could be seen, like an army of soldiers. This is a strange thing that cannot be explained unless ‘Silmont’ was a village where only elderly people lived.

For some reason, I had a bad feeling. To find out more details, you will have to look for survivors. However, I can’t feel anyone around me, so I think I’ll just follow the beam of light first… … .

It wasn’t. There was a sign of a person. The entrance to the village, a shadow hiding behind Burinake Rock.

“… … .”

Kadim raised his axe. If I had survived alone in a place like this, my sanity might not have been intact. I slowly approached the rock, preparing for any possible attack.

It was a pointless worry.

Hiding behind the rock was an old woman so thin that she couldn’t even lift a poker. He was wearing small, tattered clothes, and when he looked at the barbarian, his eyes immediately became bright. He Khadim lowered the ax and tried to ask about what had happened to the village.

But the old woman opened her lips first.

The first words she spoke were, without a doubt, the most absurd thing Khadim had ever heard since he came into this world.

“……dad?”

“… … .”

An old woman wiping away tears and pulling up the corners of her cracked mouth.

Kadim looked at the old woman in confusion. It stayed like that for a long time, as if it were a sculpture carved from a block of stone.

*

There were still quite a few annoying monsters left in the village.

– KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

– Keeeeeeeeek!!

A group of hobgoblins roaming the streets with glowing red eyes. Unlike goblins, they are aggressive and quick-witted, so even experienced mercenaries are reluctant to deal with them.

However, he was no match for Khadim.

Pararaeraeraeraera –

– KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!

Crackle crackle – !

– Kehehe… … .

The axe blade smashed the skull into pieces. Pink-colored fragments of skull stuck to the scalp flew out, and red blood gushed out from the crushed eyes, nose, and mouth.

No matter how fast they moved, they could not avoid the axe blade. They barely managed to get close enough to be struck by the blade that split flesh and bone. The hobgoblins could not even scratch Khadim’s skin. They rushed towards Khadim without knowing what was happening and were slaughtered in an instant.

Hung, Hung, Hung, Tak!

– Kehehe… … .

Kadim wiped the brain residue stuck to the axe blade with his sleeve. It wasn’t a big deal to wipe out the remaining monsters. There was a more troublesome problem.

“Wow, Dad, that’s really amazing…” … .”

“… … .”

“Keluk, dad, dad, you know, I, I, I was so scared…” … . Still, I listened to my dad carefully and hid well so as not to be caught… … . “Keluk, kelkeluk, ah, dad is here, so you don’t have to hide anymore, right?”

An old woman who persistently follows you around even when you try to shake her off and leave.

Kadim frowned deeply.

“… … What happened in the village? Why are there only old people’s corpses everywhere?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know… … . Keluk, Keluk… … . My legs hurt, I’m exhausted and hungry… … . Let’s go home, I miss mom… … .”

No matter how many times I asked her, I couldn’t get a proper answer. The old woman just kept whining like a child. Was she regressing to a childlike state due to the shock, or was she suffering from dementia, or… .

“… … .”

Suddenly, Kadim’s gaze turned to the corpses of the hobgoblins.

Now that I think about it, it was my first time seeing hobgoblins walking around in a group like that.

Hobgoblins are, by definition, higher-level goblins that have survived and evolved for a long time. However, the average lifespan of a goblin is not very long. It is virtually impossible for that many goblins to survive for a long time and evolve at the same time.

“… … .”

Several clues were pointing to one conclusion. There were still many unknowns, such as the scope and conditions under which the demon exerted its power… … Kadim decided to stop by the ruins, get a tattoo, and then look for more clues.

But before that, let’s get rid of this old woman.

“Where is your home? I’ll take you there.”

“Keluk, Keluk, huh? Well, you can go home… … ? Hey, hey, it’s over there at my house. “Let’s go quickly, Dad!”

The old woman smiled brightly and ran out. Her worn-out joints could not support her motivation, and she immediately collapsed. Kadim sighed, and she picked up one of the hobgoblin’s spears and made her own staff. Even while going over it, the smile did not leave the old woman’s wrinkled face.

As he reached the threshold of the house, Kadim had a feeling that that smile would soon disappear.

A glimpse of dark red blood, a terrible stink that stings your nose.

Kadim’s mouth was set in a firm line. He stopped the old woman in front of the house and went inside first. As expected, the sight he saw was as expected.

One corpse of an elderly man with his upper and lower body separated and rotting, and another corpse of an elderly woman with her skull smashed and her brain fluid spilling all over the board. Those who were probably once that old woman’s family.

“… … .”

It was none of his business.

But no matter how many times I thought about it, something still felt off. The old woman’s wrinkled smile, that innocent expression that made it seem like she couldn’t even imagine that her family was dead.

Tsk, he clicked his tongue and quickly started to clean up the body. Fortunately, there was a single room attached so it wasn’t difficult to hide. Kadim moved all the bodies, dragged tables and jars, and tightly blocked the entrance to the room.

The old woman was brought into the house only after sweeping away the rotten brain matter and roughly cleaning up after herself. With a puzzled look on her face, she asked where her mother was. She shot back resolutely as Kadim held on to the older man’s hunched shoulders.

“Listen to me carefully. The job isn’t over yet, so we need to stay hidden a little longer. I’ll leave some food behind, so eat sparingly. If you hear the monster’s cries, crouch down without making a sound. “If you hear people talking, look through the window and ask for help.”

“… … .”

“I have somewhere to go, so I’ll go now.”

The old woman’s smile faded.

The swollen pupils shook. The emaciated body trembled like an aspen tree. I tried to say something, but fear and sorrow welled up inside me, and only an uncontrollable groan came out.

“… … Ah, Abba, Abba, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah… … .”

“… … .”

“Eggplant, eggplant m…” … .”

Kadim went out without looking back and smashed the door frame to prevent the monsters from entering.

Kwadeuk, kureuk –

He was not a peddler who was good at soothing and comforting children. There was only so much I could do. If you’re lucky, you’ll be saved by the disaster army or mercenaries.

It was no longer… …a matter of concern to him.

*

Following the guidance of the ray of light, we reached a low hill.

Yeah, yeah, yeah –

A stone slab with ancient writing buried in the middle of the lawn. When I placed my hand on it, just like last time, the surrounding scenery peeled off like tattered wallpaper and I was transported to the magic space.

Tsk tsk tsk tsk… … .

The air was murky and sealed for 300 years. The torches lit at once revealed a passageway that was smooth and seamless. This time, Kadim walked inside without hesitation. He passed the red ancient letters and pictures that filled the walls, ceiling, and floor and reached the end of the passageway.

The place I reached after passing through the door was a circular room. It didn’t look particularly unfamiliar. The room was about forty steps in diameter, the torches that circled the ceiling, and the room where I had fought the earth warriors before were almost identical.

But there was one big difference.

A deep, large hole was dug in the center of the room, and it was filled with a clear, glowing liquid.

“… … .”

‘Of course, you will have to overcome trials like this and prove that you are the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’… … .’

Kadim did not forget the advice of Beshaka, the wilderness shaman he first met. She held up a salmon in one hand and a mosquito in the other. Then she slowly approached the center. I thought that perhaps this ordeal had a lot to do with that pit.

The prediction was not wrong.

Bubbling, bubbling, gurgling – !

The liquid in the pit boiled, and something roared out. At the same time, a metal object that brings destruction extended from Kadim’s hand.

Parararararara, thud!

“… … .”

The axe blade hit the target squarely, but the enemy suffered not even the slightest damage.

Shinyoung slowly raises her body and looks down at Kadim. The enemy that appeared this time was not one that was susceptible to that type of attack. I heard a voice echoing clearly inside me.

[Great warrior of Atala… … . If you are right, overcome the trials and prove your strength.]

Kadim clenched his teeth. He had tried not to swear this time, but he couldn’t help it.

‘The damn shamans, they’re doing another shitty trick… … .’