The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 81



Only Krnovel

Episode 81. Followers of the Forgotten God (3)

The next morning, Yulitan and Duncan woke up to see black debris.

“… … uh? “What is this?”

“Ugh! “What on earth is this?”

The semi-solid substance flowed like black rosin, and was mixed with tattered pieces of flesh, bone, and rusty blades. Judging from the bubbles still bubbling up, it seemed to be still melting.

Kadim looked away from the melting process and gave a brief account of the events of the night before. Yulitan and Duncan looked as if they were children who had heard a scary ghost story.

“… … Oh my god, so that thing was imitating someone last night? Someone you know?”

“Oh, is it the devil’s doing, or is it better? Or maybe the silver coin the archaeologist gave me… … Was it a cursed item? … .”

Kadim looked at the wreckage, then at the silver coins.

It wasn’t the devil’s doing. There was no magic at all in the wreckage. But the guess about the silver coin was somewhat reasonable.

This silver coin did not directly cause any harm. However, if people who own a certain jewel are killed one after another by robbers who covet it, other people will usually call that jewel a ‘cursed’ jewel.

In that context, this silver coin might also have been ‘cursed’. This fake human must have come to harm Kadim and take the silver coin. If it was Duncan who had been on guard instead of him, he would have been helpless and the silver coin would have been taken away.

“… … .”

Kadim thought hard and hid the silver coin deep in his arms. Then she gave a quick glance to her companions.

“Here we go again. “Let’s hurry and go to Galentana.”

“Huh? that… … “Are you just going to leave this alone, okay?”

“Shouldn’t we go and investigate some more traces? Something as strange as this happened… … .”

Kadim ignored both men’s opinions.

“There’s nothing more to see here. “I’m going to go and pull the cart.”

“… … .”

The investigation and backtracking had already been thoroughly completed before they woke up. The traces originated from the Galentana side. Since I couldn’t steal the silver anyway, it was clear that if I went there, the guys who sent this fake person would approach me again.

I don’t know who they are, but I had no intention of killing them nicely if I met them. Since they’ve touched me once, I want to clean it up cleanly without any repercussions.

Kadim took a decisive step forward. Duncan and Yulitan looked at the wreckage with grim faces, then followed suit, pulling the cart carrying the devil’s head.

*

The bushes flutter like moss-covered animal fur, and the small dirt road between them curves along the terrain that rises and falls like waves. As you climb over the hills one after another as if you were sailing on land, a large city surrounded by low mountains and tall light brown walls comes into view under the clear blue sky.

Galentana, the city of knowledge.

One of the three pillars supporting the Free Cities Alliance. A treasure trove of knowledge with a long history and a brilliant reputation.

The entrance to this prestigious metropolis is a sight that deeply impresses both fledgling scholars who have longed to reach this place all their lives and country bumpkins who have never seen a city before. But unfortunately, today seemed like the wrong time to be immersed in such sentiments.

The drawbridge and central gate leading into Galentana.

Now, so many people had gathered there that everyone was telling the market to go away, and endless lines lined up in front and back, like a swarm of ants.

“… … Don’t push! How many times did I tell you not to push… … .”

“Hey, don’t touch that! Why do you carry other people’s luggage as you please? … .”

“I already paid it! I paid it earlier, so why are you asking me to pay the toll again… ?”

The heat of the hot summer day combined with the body heat of the people made it hard to breathe even if I stood still. Meanwhile, some people wanted to get inside the gate, while others wanted to get out, so they cried and struggled endlessly. The guards at the center of the flow were sweating profusely trying to control the people who came and went as they please.

And the captain of the guard in charge of managing the central gate, who was in charge of everything, climbed up to the gate tower where there were few people and sighed.

“Haaata, what a jerk… … .”

My whole body was wet, as if it had been hit by heavy rain. When he took off his helmet, steam consisting of sweat rose from the top of his head.

He had really bad luck. He had been controlling access to the Golden Road for nearly two months because of the demons running rampant, but he had never expected them to open the gates on the day he was on duty.

There were too many people trying to come in and too many people trying to leave. Merchants trying to make a killing by buying supplies that the city was lacking, messengers leaving to deliver news to other cities, prostitutes leaving to find a safer city with better water, scholars leaving or returning to the university, nearby residents trying to return to their hometowns, refugees from Soltana who had lost their hometown… … .

It would have been fun to charge the toll fee at a time like this, but he already had a history of getting caught for doing so. If you get caught one more time, you’ll either be kicked out of the disaster group or hung on one side of the university square as a teaching aid for the rule of law. From the perspective of a manager who can’t be bothered to make a fuss, a crowd that large will look like cockroaches.

“Whew, damn it… … . I wish the devil would suddenly appear and wipe everything out… … .”

Those words were not sincere. He wasn’t that evil. Moreover, if a real devil were to appear, the most dangerous person would be the person responsible for this place. Because the work was so hard, it was just a complaint that came out without my knowledge.

But words have the power to change actions, so we must always be careful when speaking.

‘Aaaaaaaaa!!’

‘Eww! E …

Startled by the sudden scream, the security guard suddenly looked outside. And then he let out a questioning exclamation.

“… … uh?”

Outside the window, his wish was coming true.

As if the wick was burning, the people lined up rushed out of the way. As if a bomb had exploded, the crowd in front of the castle gate was scattered. The culprit that made them run away like that was… …

devil.

A demon with countless heads all bundled together was riding a cart and rushing towards the castle gate.

“Oh, shit! What, what is that?”

The guard captain jumped in fright. It was a devil that looked like something out of a dream. He was not an honest man, but he was a soldier who had at least a minimal sense of responsibility. He pulled down his helmet, raised his spear, and rushed out of the gate.

When I came out, a confrontation had already occurred. The outline of a demon is vaguely visible through a cloud of dust. The guards were in panic and were screaming hard.

“Hey hey, hey hey? Hey hey?”

“Stop! “If you come any closer, I’ll stab you.”

“Hey, Chief Security Officer? Uh, what should we do? Should we call for reinforcements?”

Because the security chief had just come down, he was able to observe everything with a more calm perspective. He soon realized that there was a familiar person standing in front of the devil.

“… … Huh?”

Captain of the 9th Gate of the Golden Road, Yulitan Germani.

Although his appearance became much gaunter, it was unrecognizable. He was a highly regarded member of the Galentana cavalry, several ranks above him.

“9, Captain of Gate 9? What the heck is going on? Th, what is that thing in front of me… .”

“How are you, Captain Dokran? Why not tell your men to put down their spears? “Unless you want to fight already dead demons.”

A taste that stings your nose. The security chief belatedly realized that the pile was not a demon, but a supply of dead demons.

Then, several pieces of information flashed through my mind. The Golden Road was overrun by demons, the Nine Gate defense line was a fierce battleground, and yet Yulitan did not give in and held off the demons’ invasion until the very end…

As a result, there was only one appropriate conclusion to be drawn.

“Uh, Guard Captain? if… … “Have you brought back all of the demons you have defeated at the 9th Gate defense line?”

“… … .”

“Huh, huh! This is truly outrageous! I thought there were a ton of demons flocking to Gate 9, but I never thought it would be to this extent! “Even if the Imperial Paladins combined all the demons they caught in their lifetime, it wouldn’t be this much!”

“… … .”

“But why, why did you come alone? Why didn’t you come with the soldiers… … .”

The security chief asked in confusion. Yuli Tan smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“… … No, these weren’t caught by the disaster force. This mercenary caught them all by himself. He brought them as evidence to the disaster society to settle his compensation.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

“… … yes?”

A reflexive question. The security leader’s eyes followed Yulitan’s fingers and turned stiffly.

There stood an Atalain with a menacing appearance, the kind that would make even a demon tremble if he came face to face with him.

*

Thanks to Yulitan, Kadim and his party were able to pass through the gate without much hindrance. However, there were still matters to discuss with the guard leader.

The security leader politely folded his hands and asked Kadim.

“Well, that cart… … “If you take it to the city, the same thing could happen again, so why not store it in a warehouse and release it only when evidence is checked?”

“… … Don’t do that.”

“And that mercenary… … ? And I’m really sorry, but you can’t bring that many weapons into the city… … . Well, I’ll keep it safe and return it to you when you leave, so I’d like you to give me the rest except for one… … .”

“… … .”

Kadim stared blankly without saying a word. The security chief flinched, stepped back, and swallowed.

Kadim was lost in thought.

It wasn’t that hard to suppress the interest and leave the scene. However, the process of collecting compensation would have been very troublesome. However, I couldn’t just leave these important weapons to the disaster force. I didn’t know what would happen as soon as I entered the city…

Eventually, Kadim decided to solve the problem with mysterious and amazing magic.

“Do these look like weapons? They’re just little pokers used to light a campfire.”

Clang.

The security chief’s eyes widened.

The bag the mercenary had placed was filled with gold and silver coins. It was roughly equivalent to several months’ wages. However, he desperately resisted the temptation, knowing that if he got caught again, he would lose his balls.

“T, you shouldn’t do this, mercenary. I got in big trouble once before because of this, so I decided not to do it again… … .”

Clang.

“Haaaa, that’s a problem… … . It’s not a matter of amount, it’s a question of amount! This is a matter of my pride and belief as a soldier… … .”

Sigh!

“Oh no! It’s the kindling used to light a campfire! Oh no, I’m sorry! My eyesight is so bad, I almost made a big mistake!”

The security chief gave in to temptation.

Anyway, I didn’t want to do anything that would upset this monstrous barbarian. I thought that I would let whatever happened happen, whether it was being kicked out of the military or being hung up in the university square. If I ate this much and died, I would at least be able to die with dignity.

The security leader kindly guided Kadim and his group to an exit where there were no crowds. Yulitan immediately realized what had happened when he saw the subordinate’s smiling face and Kadim holding his weapon.

“Hey, Captain Dokran. Let me see you for a moment.”

“Uh, uh, yeah… … .”

Before leaving, Yulitan went to the back of the alley and had a one-on-one meeting with his successor. When he came out again, the security chief had an expression that said he had endured ten years of punishment, and Yuli Tan had a very determined expression.

Kadim secretly asked Yulitan, who had returned.

“What did you say, Captain?”

“… … I told them that I would turn a blind eye just this once, but that if something like this happens again, they should be prepared. And I also told them to be thorough in their search in case something impersonating a human could enter.”

“… … .”

For some reason, Kadim took a step back, thinking that both commands would not be followed.

*

The group passed through an alley and entered the outskirts of the city. Galentana, like a large city, was neatly organized from the outskirts.

The tightly-knit cobblestone streets were wide enough for two carriages to pass, and were not stained with excrement or anything like the roads of small towns tend to be. The streets, lined with brick buildings with vermilion gable roofs on both sides, were filled with people. If you looked far away to the vanishing point, you could see tall buildings with spires that seemed to pierce the sun and covered with ivy. Perhaps that was the ‘University of Galentana’.

For a moment, Kadim was filled with strange sentiments.

It was an alien landscape, very different from the small towns I had seen so far. No, it was my first time seeing a city this bustling since I entered the game world. Because 300 years ago, the capital of the kingdom was not like this. Suddenly, I realized that those long years had not passed by in vain.

It wasn’t the time to be absentmindedly sightseeing in the city. There was a lot to do, and there were people I had to find and kill quickly.

Kadim decided to first decide on a place to live and then move.

“Security captain. Are there any good inns nearby? “It doesn’t matter what the room is like, just go somewhere where the drinks taste good and you won’t be noticed.”

“If you keep going straight from here and turn to the end, you’ll find an inn called the ‘Elm Barley Field.’ It’s a place I always visit when I come to Galentana. It’s in a remote area, so there aren’t many people, but the beer here is really great.”

“Then I’ll stay there and take care of business. You take the lead and guide us.”

Yulitan nodded and continued on without hesitation. After entering the fork in the road and going down the alley for a while, he finally reached his destination.

A shaded area without a trace of the scorching sun due to the shadow of the castle wall, a signboard depicting a barley field and a tree, and a brick building exuding an old atmosphere. As if saying that there were few people was not a lie, the inside was as quiet as death. Still, the old door at the top of the stairs creaked open.

Squeak, squeak –

At first glance, it only appeared to be moving in the wind. Yulitan casually climbed the stairs and tried to enter the inn.

But Kadim sensed it.

Faint traces like ghosts hidden within.

“… … “Come down from there, guard captain.”

“… … ?”

Yulitan looked back with a puzzled expression. He stiffened his face and held the sack of loot in his hand.

“Don’t ask any questions, just come down and run away with Duncan. And hide without being seen… .”

Kwa-Ang!

Before I could finish speaking, the door was kicked down and something jumped out.

Wedge-!

It extended its blade as fast as a ray of light, but failed to draw blood as intended. It was because Khadim threw his axe ahead of it and stopped it.

Parararararak, fur – oops!

“What!”

“Ugh!”

Duncan and Yulitan screamed in horror. Black blood splattered on the door, and Shinyoung, who suddenly jumped out, was shaken. Once the staggering movement was finally fixed, everyone in the group was able to clearly see its identity.

A woman with eyes as yellow as topaz, with an ax blade embedded in her chest.

“You’re really quick-witted, Mercenary. Was it a coincidence or fate that you noticed my presence this time?”

“… … .”

Illenia, or something wearing that shell, smiled wryly.

Tsk – Tsk!

Kadim cut off its head with a flurry of sword strikes.

“It seems inevitable that you guys will die.”