The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 87



Only Krnovel

Episode 87. Followers of the Forgotten God (9)

Kadim walks through the dark passage without hesitation.

Jerk, jerk –

The Atalan warriors chased after him with a timid pace. Those who realized that the inaction they had trained their entire life could not even reach someone’s feet had no choice but to do so.

Still, Perun did not give in and followed closely behind Khadim.

“Brother, this is truly a great skill… … . Even Father in the Wilderness must have admired it from the heavens. I don’t think I saw it during the subjugation operation. Is that weapon something you acquired recently?”

“… … .”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I never coveted it. “Such a great weapon shines brightest in the hands of a warrior like you.”

Kadim looked away sharply. I was planning on chopping off his head if he asked me to hand over a fancy weapon like the subjugation leader in the previous example. Fortunately, this warrior was a man with a strong mind.

When there was no answer, Perun began to talk to himself about why the followers of the ‘Forgotten God’ were in a place like this, and that he had no idea they could use such sorcery.

Then at one point, he lowered his voice and asked.

“Brother Khadim, I have something to ask you.”

“… … ?”

“Have you ever been to the wilderness beyond the mountains?”

“… … “Why are you suddenly asking that?”

Perun pondered. He had previously seen a vision of Khadim standing majestically in the dry wilderness. Should he ask him if he had any idea about him?

But the fantasy did not end well. The sight of Kadim’s raw flesh being torn open and something red sticking out was still vivid in my eyes. It is not advisable to discuss ominous fantasies before a battle.

So Perun mumbled something vague and changed the subject to something else.

“… … Brother Kadim, actually, the orders we received from the councilor were not just to subdue the rampaging mercenaries. “Do you know that your name, ‘Demon Slayer’, has spread widely throughout this area?”

Kadim glanced at him. Perun continued cautiously.

Rumors have spread that you have been slaughtering demons in the Golden Road, and have reached the ears of the Agonists who have joined hands with us, and they have ordered us to come find you, probably to recruit you into the Atalain army… … .

“Of course, it would be an honor to be with an outstanding warrior like you. but… … The person I saw, no matter how much I thought about it, was not the kind of person who should be subjugated to a place like this. So I was worried. It’s not that lawmakers are all bad people… … In any case, I wanted to tell you to be careful, as these are politicians who will use whatever means they can to achieve their goals.”

It was sincere advice, but Kadim heard it with one ear and passed it on with the other. It was impossible to avoid confrontation with those politicians anyway. As mentioned earlier, he planned to kill ‘Agon’s Raging Horn’, the leader of the Atalan warriors.

‘If we meet, we will have to tear off the reward for the subjugation operation and ignore it… … .’

Kadim changed the subject as he thought about it.

“Is the arm you cut off back then okay? “Unless you want to climb to your death on an iron dog, it would be better to take off that hook.”

“Oh, it’s okay. “We have taken all measures.”

Perun pulled out his hooked hand and showed his forearm. The bone was sticking out, but the cut was almost completely healed.

Kadim gave a suspicious look. No matter how good my recovery was, I couldn’t get that much better in just a month or so. This was an impossible prognosis unless she applied an elixir prepared by a wilderness shaman or was healed by an Elgar priest.

Perun said hesitantly.

“I, I’m sorry. I can’t tell you what measures I took… … because I swore to keep it a secret… … . But if you get seriously injured, please tell me. I might be able to help you at least once… … .”

Kadim waved his hand roughly. I was just curious how it got better. Since he had the bloodsucking effect of a blood demon and the tattoo of a hydra, he didn’t need any trivial healing effects.

The end of the passage appeared on the other side. Instead of a wall, a solid stone gate blocked the path ahead. Although he couldn’t clearly sense what kind of energy it was, Kadim sensed quite ominous signs beyond it.

Therefore he said to the warriors:

“You guys shouldn’t follow.”

“… … .”

The warriors’ faces hardened as if they had been doused with cold water.

If I say that it won’t help here either, he’ll probably go crazy and say, ‘Then, brother, I’ll accept Atala’s divine power and fight until my body is torn to pieces!’ Kadim added in a tired tone, sweeping his bangs away.

“Instead, build a layered siege from here to the entrance so that the enemy cannot escape. If the enemy runs away, I may not be able to catch him. “I think that would be of great help to me.”

“… … !”

As expected, the warriors quietly retreated, raising their long spears and curved swords and chattering, ‘I will gladly follow your orders, great brother’ and ‘Glory to the owner of a place where battles and banquets never end’. Kadim regretted, thinking, “I should have done this a long time ago.”

“Please be careful, Brother Kadim. May Atala look upon your blade.”

All the warriors left, including Perun. Left alone, Khadim took a deep breath and pushed open the stone gate.

Coo coo coo coo… … .

What lies beyond the stone gate is darkness.

It was a soggy, sticky, dense, seething darkness.

There was only a stone gate difference, but a completely different scenery unfolded from the outside. A space plastered with pitch-black slime instead of bricks and flagstones. The sound of boiling bubbles and a sticky noise echoed, making it seem as if I had entered the stomach of a putrid behemoth.

Gulp, gurgle, gurgle… … .

There was not even a single grain of salt in the light, yet Kadim could see through the darkness.

Bodies with only their upper bodies exposed were stuck together on the walls and floor like mushrooms in the shadows. It was impossible to recognize their faces as they were all wearing black masks. However, some of them were clearly Ilenia’s clones, judging by their body shapes. Perhaps, this was a workshop where self-immolations were taken.

In the center of the space was an altar that looked like a black tumor. In front of it stood a single person, his upper and lower body completely exposed.

A man wearing a crow mask and a black hood.

“Welcome, demon slayer. We have arrived at the sanctuary that will become the new cornerstone of the forgotten new church.”

The mastermind of all evil, the bishop of the ‘Night Raven Sect’.

A thick vein bulged out on Kadim’s forehead. The bishop clasped his hands together and spoke leisurely.

“Honestly, I was surprised… … . When he said he would ‘kill all the people in this city’ to find us, I thought he was just bluffing to scare us. But to think he would actually come after killing everyone he came across… … . I couldn’t help but be astonished at his tenacity and malice.”

“… … .”

“But thanks to you, I was able to gain confidence again. Your guy… … It is clear that he will cause more harm than the devil to this world in the future. Fortunately, I was able to kill him before it caused a full-blown disaster… … .”

“What on earth is the basis for such confidence?”

Kadim finally asked the question he had been wondering all day. The bishop slowly covered the eyes of his mask with both hands. He took on an appearance similar to a pattern drawn on a silver coin and spoke solemnly.

“‘timing’.”

“… … .”

“Twenty years ago, the forgotten God gave us a ‘revelation.’ However, the bishops of other sects all interpreted the revelation in the wrong direction. Only I, only I can see the darkness of truth even in the midst of the chaotic light! I was able to gain insight into God’s true intentions. “The Forgotten God definitely said that you are the ‘source of disaster’ that will bring about great disaster!”

“… … .”

There was a coldness in Kadim’s gaze.

Ah, that’s what it was. As expected, he was just a fanatic whose brain was fried. It was because of that guy’s delusions that I was suffering like this. The Arch Paladin I met before said something similar, and why do all the fanatics say such nonsense whenever they see me?

Fortunately, Kadim knew very well how to cure the disease of fanaticism.

Pararaeraeraeraerarack, tsk – tsk!

The wave-shaped ax split the hand and mask and opened the face vertically. Black mucus splattered out, and the bishop stuck out his forked tongue and melted away.

Hung, Hung, Hung, Hung, Chin – !

As expected, it was a self-immolation. Kadim wasn’t that surprised because it was expected. At the moment of retrieving the axe, another bishop’s clone, which had been stuck on the sticky floor, hurriedly jumped out. At the same time, a body appeared lying on the altar.

He was the guard captain of Gate 9 who was kidnapped in the morning.

“You’d better not be rash, demon slayer! The lives of your group are still in our hands! I don’t want to see this guy’s head cut off, so throw away your weapon and hand over the silver coin of the ruined country… … .”

“Didn’t they tell you to cut off the head and feed the remaining body to the dogs? “Why hasn’t it been done before?”

“… … .”

A look of confusion appeared on the clone’s face that even a mask could not hide.

“… … Didn’t you come to save the group? That wasn’t just a passing remark? Then why did you come all the way here… … .”

Parararararararack, tsk – tsk!

“This is what I came for.”

Another bishop’s clone also had his mask and skull shattered by the axe blade. It was enough of an experience to learn that barbarians are no match for the intimidation they receive.

Gulp, gurgle… … .

The altar of black flesh wriggled and swallowed up the body of the guard captain. The clones stuck on the walls and floor all jumped out of the slime and roared.

““Damn it, everyone, come running! Take the relics, take their lives! We must bring judgment upon that arrogant source of calamity!””

It’s like he’s giving himself orders. It was a rare and rare sight. Kadim curled one corner of her mouth and willingly raised the hilt of her sword.

Sseu – ugh kwaddeuk – !

A red trajectory rushed forward and struck the clone. The sword blade crushed his forearm, tore through his rib cage, and dug in, finally tearing his entire upper body apart like a rag. The clone fell, spilling black blood and internal organs, and rolled around in a miserable state.

““Garrrrrrrrr!””

Phew – ! Phew, phw – ugh!

With his right hand he thrust his sword and pierced the eye, and with his left hand he retrieved the axe and burst the skull. From the burst eyeballs like bruised grapes, pitch-black vitreous body poured out, and the shattered skull scattered black and sticky dregs like mud everywhere. The two clones with their heads smashed together melted, boiling with bubbles.

““Judgment on the demon slayer!””

Illenia’s clones rushed forward all at once, holding their daggers in reverse. Kadim twisted his waist slightly and concentrated his strength into his limbs. When the sharp blade reached his nose, he released his twisted waist and extended his sword far away, drawing a wide swordsmanship.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

““Grrrrrr!!””

The bodies were cut into pieces like overlapping pieces of meat and thrown out all at once. Black blood drops flew like whiplash, and the clones whose abdominal membranes and chest muscles were torn apart collapsed helplessly. Without hesitation, Kadim raised the knife again and calmly cut through the clones.

No matter how many there were, they were nothing more than scarecrows in front of the warriors. Pouring blood, spilling internal organs, tossing limbs… … The mutilated corpses piled up one after another and returned to the slimy floor, like waves crashing against rocks and breaking into pieces.

Kadim narrowed his brows. Even the bishop didn’t know that this was nonsense. It was clear that the intention was to waste time. Before I do anything, I have to quickly find the location of the body and cut it down… … .

At that moment, a pitch-black hole appeared in the ceiling, cutting through the space.

Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… … .

A huge shadow fell from the other side of the darkness.

―――― Qua-Ang!

“Garrrrrrrrrrr!!”

The slimy floor caved in, and the clones at the feet were trampled and crushed. The fallen monsters raised their sharp claws without paying any attention.

– Caw! Gaaaaaaaaa!

The shape was exactly like that of a crow, but it was far from an ordinary crow.

A black, shiny beak like a wedge. A huge body that could cover the entire wall when the wings were spread. The flesh was made of slimy mucus, and the feathers were made of stiff, hardened crumbs. From under the chin to the chest, the ‘Silver Coins of a Ruined Country’ were visible, lined up like iron nails.

What’s most bizarre is that the upper body of a man wearing a crow mask sticks out from behind the nape of his neck.

I could tell intuitively that this was the bishop’s true nature.

“At last… … the loyal claw of the forgotten god, the ‘Monster of Darkness’ has descended here. Bow your head beneath the claw and humbly accept death, demon slayer!”

As he spoke, the bishop stamped the crow monster’s foot.

Boom! Guuuuung… … .

Then, a large hole opened at the bottom, and everything in the space fell down at once.

Kwarrrrrr… … .

Slime and clones pouring down like a waterfall of flesh. The hole was so deep that I couldn’t even see the bottom. The room, which was sealed from top to bottom, suddenly turned into a cave falling into the abyss.

The mucus flowed down, revealing a hard wall. Kadim stuck his sword in it and hung on, barely avoiding the fall. Suddenly, the words he had heard from Ilenia before he came flashed through his mind.

‘… … If a priest of the Forgotten God obtains the silver coin, he can use the dark magic. … … Whether it’s summoning a powerful monster or strangely distorting space… … .”

… … Was this what it was?

The power of the holy law was much stronger than expected. You have to be at least a ‘mysterious species’ high-level demon to summon monsters and large-scale miracles. That silver coin was not called a holy relic for nothing.

And then this thought came to mind. Ironically, it was almost similar to what the bishop said a few minutes ago.

‘I’m glad I was able to collect more relics and kill them before they caused a full-blown disaster… … .’

– Kaaaah, kaaaah!

The crow monster spread its claws and flew in. The claws, sharpened like obsidian, radiated a chilling force. No matter how much I thought about it, it was impossible to face that monster with my bare body.

So Kadim concentrated his mind.

Wooooow –

On a cliff filled with only darkness, a bright red light burns.

There was a spark in his dark eyes.

Blood flowed from the tattoo on his rib cage to his entire body. The berserker leaped up from the wall, letting out a roar.

“Waaa …

– Caw! Caw!

―――――― Sigh!

The shadows of the red warrior and the black monster clashed fiercely in the air.