The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 80



Only Krnovel

Episode 80. Followers of the Forgotten God (2)

The position of captain of the 9th gate of the Golden Road is not one that can be filled by just anyone.

Since it was the road leading directly to Galentana, he had the best footwork among the guard captains at nearby gates. As long as he did not encounter any major accidents during his service, he could easily have been promoted to the position of captain of the Galentana guard or a high-ranking officer in the cavalry army.

Moreover, Yulitan even established a major. Although there was a major crisis along the way, they were able to prevent the devil’s invasion and protect the city until the end. Now, once the aftermath of the outbreak has been resolved and the chaos subsides, all that remains is for him to be praised as a hero and continue his upward trajectory.

I said so.

Yulitan was reduced to pulling a cart, yowling like cattle.

Clunk, clunk –

“Heo-eok, heo-eok, heo-eok… … .”

The guard captain, who had been promised a brilliant future, stuck out his tongue like a dog and lamented.

It was a mistake. There were no problems until I received instructions to add additional mercenaries to the punitive force if there were suitable mercenaries, and received a budget from the council. When I first met this mercenary and lured him into a punitive force, I secretly hoped that he would perform outstandingly.

However, even though his performance was outstanding, the problem was that it was too outstanding. Who would have thought that he could kill more than fifty demons by himself? No, is this the number of people one person can kill?

In any case, if he had given that much compensation at his discretion, the council would have misunderstood it as embezzlement and would have been punished for it. Well, actually, I didn’t have any money to give in the first place… … . In times like this, it’s usually best to just clean up your mouth and kick him out, but if he did that this time, the mercenary might have collected the heads of himself and his subordinates, following the devil.

In the end, Yulitan was dragged to Galentana without any resistance, dragging a cart full of the severed heads of demons.

“Are you okay, Captain? You don’t look too well… … .”

“Ugh, I’m not okay, I’m not okay… … . Su, it’s hard to breathe, so, don’t talk to me… … .”

“… … .”

Duncan glanced back to see if he could help. Kadim shook his head resolutely.

I expected that there would not be that much money in the camp, but the response after the fact was completely disappointing. He tries to beat him up with a small amount of money, or writes him a piece of paper and tries to get him out of the way… … . Kadim, out of annoyance, planned to have this guard captain pull the cart until he reached Galentana.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh… … .”

Yulitan collapsed from exhaustion less than two hours later.

When Kadim secretly lifted the axe, it got up in a hurry a couple of times, but from the third time on, it closed its eyes and lay down, ready to kill. Kadim looked down coldly at the guard captain.

“Get up. “There is still a long way to go.”

“Ugh, ugh, s, please save me… … . This, this cart is too heavy… … . This isn’t something that can be pulled by people, it should be pulled by an ox or a horse… … .”

“Don’t make a fuss. “What is heavy?”

Kadim hooked one of his little fingers on the handle and pulled. The cart rolled lightly as if it were empty. Yulitan’s sunken eyes bulged out again.

He jumped up and tried to pull the cart with his own fingers. However, even if he pulled it with one hand instead of his fingers, it wouldn’t move at all. Only when he pulled it with both hands, the cart tilted. Kadim stabbed the captain of the guard with a single word, looking bewildered.

“You’re a weakling.”

“… … .”

Yulitan barely resisted the urge to tell you that you were a monster.

After another hour passed and the guard captain truly fainted, the person in charge of pulling the cart was eventually replaced by Duncan. Instead, Kadim woke Yulitan up and took the time to interrogate him to see if he had any useful information.

And soon I heard some absurd news.

“… … Agon’s angry horn subdued the central demon?”

“Whew, that’s right… … . Thanks to this, the outbreak ended and the demons dispersed. Well, it might be bad news for you who made a lot of money thanks to the devil… … .”

“… … “Did he say that with his own mouth?”

“No, that is not so. The band that followed him, some Atalean warriors, passed by the camp and told me that the angry horn of Agon led the rest of the warriors straight to Agon. Did you not meet the champion?”

“… … .”

Duncan, who was pulling the cart in front, twitched and trembled. Kadim narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow.

The truth of what happened was unclear.

It could be that his subordinates made their own guesses and spread false rumors, or it could be that Agon’s angry horn took the lead in spreading false rumors. Anyway, if the rumor is already spreading, many people will soon mistakenly believe that Agon’s Raging Horn killed the central demon.

But it didn’t matter. He hadn’t killed the demon to gain fame in the first place, and it wasn’t the first time the bastard had stolen something from him.

And I was going to split his skull open sooner or later anyway.

Kadim resolutely swept away the ax head and changed the topic.

“What kind of place is Galentana?”

“… … Hmm? Is this your first time visiting Galentana?”

“maybe.”

“I see… … . Let me explain it briefly.”

The major cities of the Free Cities Alliance each had nicknames based on their characteristics. Delutana, which enjoyed the greatest wealth, was called the ‘City of Gold’, Vestana, where the Magic Tower was located, was called the ‘City of Miracles’… and Galentana was called the ‘City of Knowledge’.

When I heard that story, something I heard from someone suddenly came to mind.

“Is it possible that the advancement of scholarship was due to a place called ‘Galentana University’?”

“That’s right. The University of Galentana is unparalleled in history and fame. Many scholars from all over the continent have flocked here to cultivate their knowledge. Thanks to that, Galentana has been able to prosper for a long time as a treasure trove of knowledge and the leader of the alliance. Well, the damage caused by this outbreak is quite significant, so it will be slowed down for the time being… … .”

Kadim listened with one ear, passed it on, and was lost in thought.

The archaeologist who was looking for the ruins clearly introduced himself as a ‘bachelor from the University of Galentana.’ Well, actually, I doubted whether he was a real archaeologist… … .

If the University of Galentana was truly a ‘treasure trove of knowledge’, then it would have all sorts of information. Even if they couldn’t find the woman, they might have information about the silver coins she left behind, or other useful information.

‘When I have time, I’ll have to stop by that university… … .’

With that decision, Kadim suddenly cut off the soldier who was lamenting the reality of Galentana.

“… … The demonic infestation has highlighted the importance of defense, but there are still serious concerns about a security vacuum, given the reliance on external forces with strongholds in other cities… … .”

“Okay, then take turns carrying the cart again with Duncan.”

“… … yes?”

“Have you not rested enough? If you have anything left to say, say it while pulling the cart.”

Yulitan’s eyes suddenly went dark.

*

A night where the full moon rises dimly. Since the two had a hard time during the day, Kadim decided to stand watch.

Although Yulitan was exhausted, he could not fall asleep easily. Because he felt uneasy about entrusting his safety to a barbarian. Kadim calmly reassured Yulitan.

“Don’t worry and rest comfortably. “If I decide to kill you, it won’t make much of a difference whether you’re sleeping or awake anyway.”

“… … .”

It was counterproductive. Yuli Tan was using his skills and was even more reluctant to sleep. But he was so exhausted that he finally lost consciousness and fell asleep.

Kadim slowly turned his gaze and looked around.

The long spring is over and summer has arrived.

The wind was lukewarm because the heat had not yet fully set in. The lush grass and bushes formed dark green waves, and the kingfisher sitting on the branch flew up in surprise at the sound of the grasshoppers. The moonlight was breaking through the dense leaves, and the starlight and the Milky Way flowed in a sliver as if trying to escape the halo of the moon. If you exclude the flies that were swarming around, it was a very romantic summer night.

Kadim lifted a stone at his feet. I placed it between her thumb and index finger and applied force. Before long, the stone was crushed and crushed as if a lump of dirt had been pressed down.

The flesh has once again undergone radical growth, thanks to hunting powerful upper-level demons and high-ranking demons.

The physical limits that ordinary humans can reach have long since been surpassed. Now, it seemed like he could deal with Jeongjeong, a mid-level demon of Wonjong, even without a weapon. If the physical ability in the first round was 100, it would be around 30 now.

“… … .”

But this wasn’t enough.

Just like the first journey, increasingly difficult enemies were appearing.

He thought that if he cultivated external strength, his dependence on the devil’s blood would decrease. He was wrong. The stronger he became, the more powerful enemies he encountered. The journey was always pushing him harshly. He was told that the strength he had now was not enough, that he had to become stronger, stronger, stronger, and that he had to drink the ‘devil’s blood’ first to escape the crisis…

Kadim clutched the canteen of blood. A tingling impulse prickled one side of his brain.

He was slowly developing a thirst for blood. If the urge became stronger, he would try to drink blood even when it was not necessary. Then, the madness would worsen even faster. The symptoms would get worse, the time would get longer, and the aftereffects would last longer… … .

And then eventually… …

“… … .”

… … Kadim quickly broke off his thoughts and sharply raised his eyes.

The sense that has grown one step further also applies to the senses. So it was. The reason why Kadim was able to notice the abnormality even though the presence was so vague that it was almost like a ghost.

Pararararararak, sorararak – !

“Eek!”

When I threw the ax into the bushes, a startled sound came out. Kadim reached out his hand to retrieve the salmon and placed it on his knee.

“If you don’t reveal your identity before I wake up, I’ll kill you.”

“It’s me, it’s me, mercenary! Do you remember me? An archaeologist who explores the priestesses of the wilderness! It was back then when we explored the ruins together… .”

A familiar figure emerged from the bushes. Slightly tanned skin, dark brown braided hair, and a graceful body line that was not even covered by a tunic that was a size too large. Her yellow eyes swayed precariously like a candle in the wind.

Kadim frowned. It was a completely unexpected appearance.

“Why are you here, you little punk?”

“Just a moment, phew… … . Calm down… … Calm down… … .”

Archaeologist Ilenia took a breath and stretched out her hands as if soothing an angry animal. Then she thought about putting down her axe, and she nodded thoughtfully.

Kadim just kept shooting silently and never put down the axe. Didn’t we confirm last time that this archaeologist also had a hidden weapon? In the end, Ilenia gave up and Ododo poured out his words.

“First of all, that… … It’s really nice to see you after a long time, mercenary… … . I never thought we would meet again like this. It looks like the thread of coincidence that connects our relationship has not yet been cut… … .”

“Cut off the four limbs and speak.”

“Yes, yes, I understand! To cut to the chase, the reason I’m here right now is because of the demon infestation on the Golden Road, and I’ve been stuck in Galentana for a long time. Oh, by the way, I told you that I’m a graduate of Galentana University, right? Anyway, I heard that the demon infestation ended yesterday, I think. So I went outside Galentana for the first time in a while, and I saw someone who looked like a mercenary… … .”

“How did you get out of the city in the middle of the night? “Why did you sneak up on me like a rat?”

“Oh, of course I came out of the city during the day! And the reason I approached you secretly is because if I saw you wrong, if you weren’t a mercenary but someone else dangerous, you might be harmed. After all, I’m a delicate woman, hehe… … .”

“… … .”

It was quite questionable, but roughly what he said was correct. Kadim lowered the ax blade slowly, very slowly. Ilenia stroked her chest and sighed in relief.

“Whew, thank you for trusting me… … But I didn’t come here just to say hello. Actually, I have some business to attend to. I really wanted to meet you anyway, so this is perfect, really!”

“… … .”

“Hmm, let’s talk about it. Last time, I gave you a silver coin to give to that little guy, right? Oh, you’re sleeping over there. But actually, I gave the wrong silver coin at that time. I should have just given you 100 Luden silver coins, but I gave you a very important item by mistake… … .”

“… … Is this what you mean?”

Kadim held up a silver coin with a strange pattern on it. Ilenia smiled happily and came closer.

“Yes, yes! That’s it! Oh, thank goodness you didn’t lose it! That’s it, it’s not just any ordinary silver coin, it’s the coin of a fallen ancient kingdom… … .”

A frosty axe blade blocked their approach. Kadim spoke sternly to Ilenia, who was looking at him in bewilderment.

“I can’t just give it back.”

“… … yes?”

“I can’t give it back to you until you confess everything: what your true identity is, what your purpose is, and whether there are people with you.”

Ilenia’s eyes and mouth moved so slightly that they were barely noticeable. Kadim could clearly sense even the faintest agitation.

“Um, about that… … “Didn’t we end our conversation last time when I gave you a stone tablet to chase the ruins?”

“You’re the only one who ended the conversation. “You ran away before you could hear my answer.”

“Whew, it’s true… … . I’m a real student at Galentana University, and an archaeologist researching the Priestess of the Wilderness. If you find it hard to believe, you can come to the university with me and check it out… … .”

A slight sense of discomfort.

The way he spoke, his appearance, the content of his conversation, everything was almost exactly the same as last time. It was hard to believe that he was a different person than before. However, just now, Kadim read a faint, but clearly existing sense of inhuman discomfort in his eyes.

So I set a trap.

“Still, it’s hard to believe. Didn’t you cut down three tree-like monsters in those ruins by yourself? “How could an ordinary archaeologist do that?”

“Ah, that’s it! It wasn’t my power, it was the relic! Without the relic, I would never have been able to do that… … .”

Kadim brought his axe down with confidence.

Pur – Wow!

“……uh?”

The head was split exactly in half using the ax blade as a standard. Fresh blood and brain fluid flowed down the cracked forehead. Due to the terrible impact, the skull sank in, the skin was pushed away, and the facial features were distorted into strange shapes like sedimentary rock faults.

Kadim coldly recited to the woman with the distorted face.

“There were no ‘tree-like monsters’ in the ruins. There were only ‘warriors carved from stone.’”

“… … .”

“who are you.”

The eyeball protruding from the eye socket rotated. A blade suddenly shot out from under the woman’s sleeve. Kadim stepped behind her, pulled out the blade of her ax, and slammed it into her head again.

Tsk – Tsk!

“Don’t be foolish and answer me.”

“… … Ugh.”

Illenia, or whatever was wearing that shell, never answered the question.

The flowing blood turned black, and the struggling figure gradually melted away, boiling up bubbles mixed with flesh.