The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 67



Only Krnovel

Episode 67 No devil for old men (3)

A deep red needle penetrated into my forearm as strong as steel. The blood of the needle quickly flowed into the body, flowing over the skin as if it were alive, forming a pattern like the wings of a blade.

“It’s done… … . Now, if I just concentrate, I’ll be able to draw out that demon’s power. The effect won’t last long, and I’ll still have to be careful of the madness after death, though… … .”

“Good work. “Thank you.”

Kadim nodded briefly. The priestess took a deep breath. Her expression became more natural and relaxed, as if she had thrown off the burden she had been carrying for a long time. In her sunken eyes, vague questions and curiosity burned like embers.

“The shaman I met before me… … Did you say she was Beshakha?”

“Yes.”

“Keulkeul… … That’s fortunate. You were a very devout follower of the priestess of the blind eye. Now that you’ve seen her will reach you, you wouldn’t have any regrets even if you spent your whole life suffering from loneliness and waiting before you died.”

The priestess’s eyes were peeking through the thick years, peeking at the remnants of the past. Perhaps, the faces of those who had chosen to be imprisoned in these ruins together.

Kadim asked in a heavy, hushed voice.

“Do you regret following Cyril’s will?”

The shaman answered with a light smile.

“Me? Hehehehe… … You call that talking? Of course I regret it!”

“… … .”

“I thought it would come if I waited for about ten years, but I never thought it would come after hundreds of years! Moreover, after hearing what the blind-eyed shaman said, I vaguely imagined her to be majestic and wise, but I never thought the great warrior of Atala would be such a weirdo! “I can’t wait to see what other shamans will do when they meet you!”

“… … .”

“If only they were still alive, but… … .”

A remark full of bitter self-deprecation. A dark shadow fell on Kadim’s face. But the shaman soon noticed this and firmly drew her line.

“But Daejeon, don’t blame yourself. This was our choice, and it is our responsibility to bear the pain and consequences. “It’s a funny joke for someone who enters the wilderness on his own to curse at the burning thirst and blazing sun.”

“… … .”

“However, as the one who has welcomed you through these difficult years, may I ask you just one thing?”

Tell me, Kadim, nodding. The priestess’s parted lips fell solemnly as if she were giving an oracle.

“The mission that the Father of the Wilderness has entrusted to you is not relief, but struggle. Not only you, but all great warriors are born with the mission not to save the suffering, but to root out the evils of the times.”

“… … .”

“But… … Even so, if you have the time, please have the generosity to look back at even a single trampled weed every now and then. In this world, there are giants like you who don’t budge even when the storms come, but there are far more weeds that die forever with a single careless step.”

“… … .”

“Except God, no one can save everyone in the world. But extending a helping hand to someone close to you is something anyone can do. But there were not many people in this world who could do what anyone could do. At least when I was out… … .”

“… … .”

“But if you become someone who can take care of even the trampled weeds, if you become the great warrior of Atala that the priestesses of the wilderness have been waiting for so long… … I think the heart of this old man, who will soon disappear into the dust of the wilderness, will be much lighter.”

Kadim’s eyes trembled slightly. Coincidentally, the priestess’ touch was in line with the creed he had adopted to avoid becoming a demon who had lost his humanity.

In order to survive, they don’t mind crossing bloody mud and drinking sewage. However, if it is not a matter of life or death, give the piece of bread in your hand to someone who is hungrier.

However, the shaman was asking to go one step further. Even if there is no piece of bread in her hand, she finds it and gives it to the hungry. It was not easy to fight against wicked demons, kill the thwarters to avoid any regrets, and do so while having one’s mind consumed by madness over and over again.

Kadim asked if she wished to swear on Atala’s name. The priestess craned her neck and crouched like an old mule.

“Do not swear in the name of a noble warrior. No matter what anyone says, Daejeonsa’s top mission is to fight and destroy evil. “This is just a very personal request, so there’s no need to get too involved.”

After swimming in the sea of ​​thoughts for a long time, Kadim finally nodded. That was the proper treatment for someone who had fought through the years of confinement and achieved his goal. I may not always be able to listen, but I will watch over you when I can.

“What is your name?”

“… … .”

“Even if your body becomes fleeting dust, I will not forget your name and your request.”

A warm joy appeared on her aged face. A smile of relief that she had finally reached the end of her life. The priestess carefully dragged the name that had been left unattended for hundreds of years into the storehouse of her memories.

“My name is Keturah.”

“… … .”

“It was nice to meet you, Daejeonsa. “I just hope that we can meet again in the distant future, in a place where war and banquets never end.”

Knock it down… … .

The scenery peeled off like old wallpaper. The image of the old shaman was also folded in and disappeared. When I came to my senses, the cramped room had disappeared and only a dry hill with a gentle breeze appeared. As if I had just had a fleeting daydream.

However, the tattoo clearly engraved on his forearm proved that it was not a dream.

Kadim looked at the tattoo and then at the stone plaque that had lost its luster. Then he turned his eyes to the distance and hurriedly took his steps. A lot of time has already been delayed. Now is the time to go to the east, to the place where the source of the demonic energy that persistently digs into flesh like a metal object lurks.

But after walking a few dozen steps, Kadim’s steps suddenly slowed down.

“… … .”

Keturah’s request that held her ankle so she couldn’t leave, and a face flashed through her mind.

His feet became heavy. His strides became shorter. Then he stopped completely, turned around, and started walking back the way he came. He walked lightly, as if he was trotting, but at some point he spurred on. The wind brushed his skin, and the village that had been far away came right before his eyes.

– Kehehe, keheeeee!

– Kehehehehehe!

When I returned to the house I had left, I saw hobgoblins beating on the dented door with spear knives. Without slowing down his pace, Kadim accelerated and threw the axe.

Pararararararararaek, peogeogeokeok!!

– Kekeke!!

– Hehe!!

The whirling disk of metal pulverized the bones and hair branches horizontally. The hobgoblins were crushed by the force and collapsed, gushing out brain fluid and fresh blood. Those who survived were caught up in the ensuing attacks of mosquitoes and died like those who died first.

Kwa-Ang!

Kadim immediately pushed open the door with his shoulder and entered the house. In her corner, an old woman was seen, covering her ears and looking like her daughter-in-law. When he touched her head, she let out a dying sound and her whole body trembled as if she was having a seizure.

“Eueeeeek, euheueek… … Keluk, keluk, euh, euheuuk… … .”

After being hit a dozen times, she finally managed to raise her face, which was stained with tears and snot. The old woman’s eyes, which recognized the savage, sparkled brightly.

“… … Uh, uh, ah, Abba?”

“… … .”

Kadim sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“Sorry for late. Instead, let’s do what you want today. “Is there somewhere you want to go?”

*

The old woman wanted to play in the nearby fields.

After wandering for a while, Kadim finally found a field without corpses and monsters. Of course, it was impossible for an old woman with weak joints to play there.

Instead, the old woman picked wild flowers to make crude rings and flower crowns, and dug the dirt with her bare hands to make dumplings and play house. Kadim left it at that, thinking that the old woman would even put a wreath of marigolds on his head. He frowned and threw away his touch when he tried to feed himself a real dumpling.

To comfort the old woman who was wailing, Kadim cut down some nearby trees and built a hut for her. The old woman seemed to like the shabby house much more than her real home. She tirelessly stroked the walls and roof until they were worn down, and she was busy planning the interior, thinking about where to put things. In contrast to the gloomy weather, a bright smile never left the old woman’s lips all day long.

After the sun had set, a bonfire was lit in the field. The moon had completely disappeared behind the thick blanket of clouds, and the stars were just a faint glow, so the flames rising from the ground seemed to shine even brighter and warmer.

It was a perfect sign to stand out, but there were no troublemakers. The monsters that had been wandering around the area all disappeared like dew on the axe blade in the evening.

Kadim placed the pot he had prepared in advance on the fire. He poured water into it and mixed in the finely crushed dried grains and salt to boil a simple soup.

Boggle, boggle, boggle… … .

To be honest, it was a tasteless dish. Even Kadim spat it out after tasting it once. However, the old woman ate it up as if it were the best delicacy in the world. Even after finishing it, she kept asking for another bowl, and it was hard to believe where all that food went in her tiny body.

The night had already become dark and gloomy. I forced myself to stay with the old woman who was insisting on spending the night in the hut and returned home. When I finally got back, she fell into a deep sleep as if she had never been stubborn. However, since I had been playing all day without resting with my old body that was not used to it, I couldn’t help but feel tired.

Kadim collected furniture and other items from other abandoned houses and used them to build a wall around the old woman’s house. It would be safer than just breaking down the doorposts to block the door. It would also be easier to catch the eye of the rescuers.

Lastly, he placed a dagger he had picked up on the street next to the old woman. Anyway, we can’t help but think of the worst case. When an unavoidable situation arises, this old woman will eventually have to fight on her own to survive.

I finished my errand. Now it’s really time to leave.

But the moment I stepped on the threshold, I heard a voice from behind me.

“… … Are you going?”

“… … .”

“Where are you going?”

Kadim looked at the old woman who had just woken up from her slumber. Her gruff voice seeped into the darkness of the night.

“… …I’m going to kill the demon that made you like that.”

“… … .”

“Take care of that dagger. “While I am gone, that dagger will protect you.”

The old woman stopped whining.

He simply held the dagger tightly to his chest like a precious treasure and bowed his head politely.

“Thank you, uncle… … .”

Kadim’s eyes twitched.

For a very brief moment, I felt as if the curse the devil had placed on me had been lifted.

Wrinkles and freckles disappeared, revealing a cheek that had not lost its baby fat. Her hair, which was like a pile of ashes, had become a glossy brown, and her irises had regained their original color. In the pitch-black silence, devoid of even a sliver of light, Kadim could catch a glimpse of the young girl’s smile, holding back her tears and raising the corners of her lips with difficulty.

The fantasy didn’t last long. The face in front of her suddenly returned to that of an old woman. However, I was no longer naive, and I intuitively realized and realized all the sad things.

Kadim gritted his teeth and turned around. He forced the dented door shut and climbed over the furniture barrier. The heavy weight of emotions gripped his leather shoes. Nevertheless, he walked forward without looking back. He melted into the darkness like a shadow along the night road that spread out like a black swamp.

Perhaps there is nothing more tragic in a person’s life than learning how to endure sadness at a young age.

*

The morning sun did not rise, as the sky was blocked by cumulonimbus clouds forming strange torrents.

Kurrururur… … .

Its range and concentration could not be compared to the magical energy of a high-level devil, which only spread like fog. Everything the eye could see was stained with a dark color, and the magic energy dissolved in the air was pouring down like a rain of arrows. It was a land where all positive emotions faded away and only pain and despair bloomed.

Soltana.

The city of the alliance connecting Galentana and Vestana, the final point of attack for the punitive force, and a ruin occupied by demons and monsters.

And… … the place where the ‘Central Demon’s’ stronghold is clearly located.

Kadim looked up at the high walls. Then, I faced the demons and monsters standing guard at the castle gate.

– Kehehehehehe!

– Here we go again, food! Food, food has arrived again!

– Kihihihi, this time, I won’t miss it! Hurry up, hurry up and eat it up!

The sword was sharpened more powerfully on the way here, the axe is still sharp enough, the three daggers are sturdy enough, the power of the tattoos is buffered, and the demon’s blood… … is spread out there in abundance.

Kadim took a deep breath of magic and twisted his lips.

I’m ready to hunt.