The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 7



Only Krnovel

Episode 7. Goblins, demons, children (3)

Tonight, the forest could not close its eyes.

A shimmering light like a lamp comforting the soul of the dead. Because the lined up torches scratched the silent darkness.

But they were not the proud conquerors of the night. There was hesitation in their gait, and their faces, exposed under the flames, were rigid. Most of them, like frightened beasts, were alert and focused on scanning the dark undergrowth.

“I, that… … .”

“Ugh, surprise!”

Suddenly, five or six men were startled by the flapping wings of an unknown bird. Some people mistook the fireflies for the eye glow of goblins and made a fuss. He was so frightened by the sound of someone else’s footsteps that he swung the pitchfork and almost injured someone.

There was only one person in the group who was not shaken by fear. The tanned giant who followed the guide at the front.

Kadim’s face was impassive, as if he had forgotten all emotion. He walked so fast that he almost overtook the guide several times.

The untimely courage training finally ended when we reached the vicinity of the cave. At first glance, a fierce battle of wits broke out. When someone nudged his waist, the man who had lent him the hatchet walked out in an awkward manner.

“Hmm, we… … I will now go back and wait. Goblins might suddenly attack the village… … .”

It was a petty excuse, but Kadim didn’t care. Those who are scared by the devil won’t be of much help anyway. It was better to fight alone than to take several people and fight against them.

Still, I couldn’t not take anyone with me. Kadim looked at Duncan and gestured.

“Peddler, you come with me.”

“Yes, yes?”

“We need a torchbearer to shine the light while we fight the devil.”

Kadim had good night vision, but he couldn’t see perfectly through the darkness. He needed someone to light a fire to fight in a cave where there was absolutely no light.

“… … .”

Duncan looked out into the cave. Its black mouth was wide open. Saliva flowed down his throat without him knowing. I don’t know if it was my imagination, but I thought I could hear faint screams from inside.

‘Ahh… … I really don’t want to go… … .’

But there was no choice. The barbarian gave an indifferent look, and the villagers eagerly avoided their gaze. It seemed like there was no one who could step up on his behalf.

“… … Okay, I’ll be fine. Phew, let’s go.”

Duncan sighs as the ground sinks. The villagers gave him an extra perch and a flint and then ran away.

The two people stood in front of the cave. When I turned on the light, I could see a path sloping slightly downward. It was shaped to become wider as it went in, and a thin ditch ran along the edge. Kadim took the lead, and Duncan followed carefully, lighting the light behind him.

There were no demons or goblins popping out from the beginning. Duncan carefully looked behind the stalactites and rocks where he could hide for a while. However, he couldn’t see even the tip of a monster’s nose. The screams he had heard earlier seemed to have been an illusion.

Duncan, who was somewhat nervous, glanced at Kadim and spoke.

“I’ll be fine, but… … “Can I ask you one thing?”

“… … .”

“Why don’t you scold them, my lord, but instead help them? They are such vile men who sacrifice their children to the devil and run away without even going to rescue them?”

It wasn’t a question I was asking with any particular expectation of a proper answer. I’m just saying this because I’m embarrassed to continue silently like this.

Kadim glanced sideways at Duncan.

“Have you never faced a living devil?”

“yes? Uh, yeah… … .”

There wasn’t. Even though demons were rampant across the continent, they always made their way when rumors spread about them. So the only demons the peddler saw were the corpses on the black market.

The barbarian gave a rather lengthy explanation with a small sigh.

“A human who faces the devil directly becomes different from before. All the noble will to live is broken, and only a deep fear and a desire to survive remain. A few people overcome this and face the devil, but you can’t expect such self-denial from an ordinary person.”

“Oh, but it’s better, how can you offer up your own child as a sacrifice? Even animals know that their young are precious… … .”

“Sometimes, to survive, you have to wade through mud and breathe in sewage. Even if it’s ugly, it’s a choice they made for their own survival, so you can’t just criticize them. Haven’t you heard any excuses? “There was no other choice.”

“Ah, no, even so, from the child’s perspective, isn’t it as if the whole world has abandoned him? What is the meaning of living a life where he survives by doing such terrible things?”

“… … .”

The face of a barbarian hardens. There was no answer to the last question. Duncan thought he had made a mistake. He became thoughtful and covered his mouth with his hand.

But Kadim wasn’t angry. He just thought silently. It seems like the position has changed somehow.

Duncan’s sense of ethics was much closer to reality. Rather than his own notions being completely twisted as he chased after his warrior and crossed the bloody sura.

‘… … Even if I return to reality like this, will I be able to live properly?’

It was an empty question floating on a cloud. Rather, the question Duncan asked to divert his words was much more meaningful.

“Well, that’s right, it’s better. “Are the kidnapped children still alive?”

Kadim closed his eyes. She looked back at the habits of the demons she had encountered in the past.

The reminiscence was not long.

“If the devil were less cunning and evil, I would kill him. But if he was a cunning and evil bastard, he would definitely have been left alive.”

“yes? What is that… … .”

Just as I was about to question whether the words were spoken backwards, I heard a strange crying sound that scratched my vocal cords.

– Kiik, kiek!

– Kick, kick… … !

Red eyes lurking in the gaps between the stalagmites caught the light and sparkled. The blind killing intent touched my skin. Duncan forgot all about his doubts and began to walk backwards.

“Hee, heek!”

It was almost at the same time that the peddler stumbled on a stone and the barbarian fired his hatchet. The hatchet, which stretched out a false shadow following the flickering gesture of the torch, hit the lead goblin right between the eyes.

Puck – !

– Phew!

The goblins didn’t even notice because it happened so unconsciously. They just looked at their fellow tribesmen as they collapsed helplessly, as if they were wondering.

Meanwhile, Kadim drew his sword from his waist and rushed forward.

“Huhuhuhuh!!”

Pook –

– Grrr, hehe… … .

The blade pierced a pea-sized uvula. The goblin stumbled, making a deflated sound. Kadim kicks his body and pulls out his sword, then bends down to retrieve his hatchet.

Puck –

One more animal fell after being hit on the forehead by an ax blade. Kadim smiled coolly. The goblins belatedly came to their senses and rushed towards the large barbarian.

– Kieeeee!!

A goblin swinging a club the size of my thigh,

Kadim struck away the club with a brief swing of his sword. Then he pulled his blade inward and quickly drew a straight line that split his side. His peritoneum split open as if it had been torn apart by a hacksaw, and his guttural intestines spilled out.

– Kihihihi, kihihihihi!

– Kieeeeeeeee!!

Two goblins rushing forward, jumping like frogs.

There were a lot of stalagmites around, so I couldn’t swing my sword widely. Kadim held the sword upside down. The side of the blade was placed in the palm of the hand and the blade was held only with the tips of the fingers. Then he swung it vigorously like a short pickaxe.

WHEEK – bang, bang!

– Phew!

A narrow fan-shaped trajectory. The cross bar with tremendous power shattered the bone. The goblins couldn’t overcome the shock and fell down, rolling around on the floor.

Kadim held the knife again before cutting his hand. As expected, it was not appropriate to use a knife in a space with so many obstacles. The remaining goblins decided to slaughter them with hatchets.

I pulled out the hatchet stuck in his frowning forehead and struck him again in the forehead. I crushed the hand holding the rusty poker and split his head starting from the crown. I kicked his waist and struck his neck as he fell. After cutting his torso, I cut off his bulging spine.

Under the bloody slaughter of the barbarians, the goblin population was rapidly reduced. More than twenty corpses were mass-produced, and now only three or four remained.

– Kieeeh, kiek!

– Ki hee hee, hee hee, hee hee!

Although his aggression increased significantly, he did not lose his fear. The surviving goblins groaned in fear and ran away. The dark green images of the dwarves disappeared into the darkness.

Duncan raised his torch and surveyed the bloody scene with a bewildered look on his face.

“Huh, huh, oh my god… … .”

“We’ll go after them right away. Most of the group is dead, so they’ll definitely return to the devil.”

Kadim’s attitude was dry, as if nothing had happened. Duncan followed the savage, wondering who the hell the devil was.

The wide road suddenly narrowed at a certain point. The width that used to be wide enough for three or four people to pass through has narrowed to barely enough for one person to pass through. Kadim turned his body sideways and chased the goblin, smashing stalactites and stalagmites with the back of his axe.

The road soon became wide again. This didn’t seem to be a wide road to begin with. The passage was made of moist limestone on the wall, and the traces of rough carving were clearly visible. The goblins probably expanded here to use it as a base.

At that moment, Kadim flinched and shook his head.

A pungent smell tickled my nose.

“Go away. “The devil is around.”

“Yes, yes? “Huh!”

Duncan hesitated and took a step back. Kadim gave instructions in a low voice.

“Stay far enough away, but never run away. Goblins may hunt you down in droves and kill you. If one or two approach, just light the torch and chase them away.”

“Uh, uh, uh… … .”

Kadim quickly scanned the area. The smell was quite distinct, so he was sure it was close. The blood-soaked axe blade trembled.

However, it was a strange thing. There was no sight of the devil or any sound. There was no sense of presence either. Khadim concentrates and narrows his eyes.

It was through the light-filled wall that I discovered the devil’s location.

Between the thick stalactite shadows, a strange outline with sharp protrusions.

Creak –

I felt a presence and hurriedly stepped back, but I was a beat too late.

By covering his face, he was able to avoid having his eyes gouged out. However, he was unable to prevent three diagonal lines from being drawn on his forearm.

Kadim’s expression hardened as he suppressed the stinging pain.

– Ah, human… … . You are a human I have never seen before.

The devil licked the drops of blood from his fingernails and muttered darkly.

It was exactly as the locals had described it. It had two strangely protruding eyes, sharp teeth, red skin, gaunt forearms, and large claws and hands. At first glance, it looked like a goblin, but it had a much more deformed and creepy vibe.

However, not all of the residents’ explanations were correct.

‘… … Damn it, it has horns.’

A single horn the size of a finger protrudes from the temple. Those horns were evidence that this demon was evolving into a mid-level demon. Kadim looked frustrated and chewed his lips.

The devil seemed to like that expression very much and gave a strange smile.

– I like humans. Because they are weak and obedient. They tremble at the sight of mere goblins… … Even if you ask them to offer up their young, they offer them up straight away… … . Ki, kik, kikhihihihi… … .

The combat power of low-level devils and mid-level devils is completely different.

If you don’t get too scared, you can usually defeat a low-level demon with just a dozen or so untrained men. However, even with a unit of elite soldiers, you can’t guarantee victory against a mid-level demon. The fact that Khadim couldn’t avoid the surprise attack was also because the demon’s agility was far beyond ordinary levels.

– But you killed too many of my goblins. I’m starting to hate humans. I need to ask for forgiveness.

“… … .”

– I’ll give you a chance. Don’t use that arm anymore. Cut it with an axe. Cut off the arm, chew up all the bones and meat, and then get out. I can’t leave until then.

Still, it was fortunate that the horns were still that big. It had probably just begun to evolve after kidnapping the children. If it had been a mid-level demon with fully grown horns, it would have been difficult for the current Kadim to deal with.

The demon approached Kadim, his neck twisted in a grotesque manner. His voice, much rougher than before, came out, like the rough scraping of metal.

– Why don’t you listen to me?

“… … .”

– Oh, are you listening now? Now, are you going to listen to me?

Kadim frowned. He must have been talking for quite some time, but he was so lost in thought that he couldn’t hear a single word. It was obvious that it wasn’t worth listening to anyway.

So Kadim answered and stretched out his hands to his waist.

“No, I don’t listen to anything the blood bag says.”

Boo-wook –

Then he tore open the leather canteen and drank the sticky blood.

A thick, foul stench spread. The scent of rotten blood spread. The eyes of the demon who smelled the blood of his own kind shook violently for a moment.

– what… … Why would you, a human, do that… … .

Even though it was old blood, it was not ineffective. Starting from the nerves at the extremities, the blood energy of the entire body began to boil. My vision trembled and I felt dizzy. My muscles swelled and hot breath came out.

It wouldn’t last long. The berserker threw the leather canteen, vowing to make a quick decision. Kadim raised his hatchet, his bloodshot eyes flashing.

The moment he faced that bright day, the devil felt an unfamiliar fear creep up his spine.