The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 94



Only Krnovel

Episode 94. King of the Arena (1)

The road from Galentana, the center of the alliance territory, to Agon.

The field was slowly shedding its fresh green skin.

Now, the yellowish earth color was more noticeable than the blue color. The hot kiss of midsummer that made all things on the earth grow had here been transformed into a dry bud that heated the gravel and raised yellow mist. The wind that could not quench its thirst was running on the road, kicking up dust here and there like a madman looking for a spring.

A land where the overflowing blessings of nature have died. An island in a continent alone. A place where drought and loneliness have taken hold instead of abundance and growth.

The Agon region was the only wasteland area in the Alliance Territory.

“Ugh, ugh… … .”

Duncan was panting like a dog, carrying a black bag on his back. Even though it was the same summer heat, it felt much hotter without shade. Beads of sweat slid down his jawline, soaking his goat-like beard.

On the other hand, his party, Kadim, was relatively calm. This level of heat was bearable. Compared to the heat of the ‘Wilderness’, the homeland of the Atalains beyond the mountains, which tore at the skin and made the blood boil.

As he walked along the rough dirt road, Kadim became lost in thought.

“… … .”

What happened in Galentana was completely unexpected.

The ‘Forgotten God’ and his followers were a force with little importance, only mentioned in passing in the first game. So I thought they were just buried bait… … Who would have thought that we would meet them as saboteurs and helpers 300 years later?

First, he found out why they were targeting him and why he helped them.

[… … A warrior clad in blood will come again. He will stain this land with unclean blood and bring down the halo that floats in the sky.]

A revelation from a forgotten god.

I couldn’t figure out why they, and not the priestesses of the wilderness, had received such revelations… … but I could understand the general content. I had a history of defeating great demons with a party of warriors. With my career and the title of Grand Warrior of Atala, it seemed that the Forgotten Gods had their eyes on me.

But a shadow bigger than the one that was resolved was cast inside me.

That the sun in the sky is the eye that watches over the world, and that Elgar is a fake.

The questions derived from that proposition were endless.

If that’s a fake, then where has the real Elgar gone? What on earth is he doing? Why is he just watching the demons stand by and harassing humans? And yet, why is he steadily giving power to the priests and paladins of the Elgar? Could it be that he fell into this world or is a devil? I wonder if it has something to do with the outbreak of… … .

If you had asked Gordon, your colleague from the first round, all these questions, he might have answered like this.

‘Hahaha, Brother Kadim! Never doubt God! God’s will is deeper than the deepest ocean, and it can never be fathomed by a mere minnow… … ‘

A hearty voice came to mind and I burst out laughing inwardly.

But that is an answer that can only be given when one still has faith. If one truly realizes that Elgar is a fake, and if the fundamental roots of one’s faith are shaken, how will that devout priest, who devoted his soul and body to God, react?

No, maybe Gordon had already realized that?

‘… … I do not know. This is completely new. Ugh, slaying the great evil. If such a feat had been accomplished, there would have been at least a commemorative statue in each temple… … .’

If Gordon had realized the truth after he disappeared, and had exposed it, resulting in his dismissal from the Order and his records being wiped out, then where would the priest go next?

“… … Heo-eok, heo-eok, I, I’m better… … . I’ll be better… … ?”

Suddenly, a gasping voice cut through my thoughts.

“… … “Why are you doing that?”

“Hey, wait a moment under that rock… … “Hey, how about taking a break?”

Duncan looked like he would die if he went any further. He gave Kadim permission and walked towards him.

There were many questions that I still didn’t know the answers to. Still, I couldn’t forget that I had my feet on the ground while looking at the distant sky. I need to build up my strength step by step, follow the traces of my comrades, kill demons, and do what I can right away.

Kadim, the body of this cruel barbarian warrior who knows no mercy.

Before I was consumed by bloodlust and brain-rending mania.

… … First of all, the first thing to do was to reach Agon and retrieve ‘Atala’s Judgment’.

It was still quite cool under the shadow of the rock. Duncan took out a water bottle from his inventory, drank it in gulps, and then laid down on the floor. Kadim also took a sip of water and sat down to cool off.

But as Kadim lifted his inventory to put it aside, he soon realized something was strange.

‘……hmm?’

This black bag distorts space to store a lot of items, and also reduces the weight by half. However, it does not completely eliminate the burden. Because it is filled with items, the current weight of the bag is about 60 kilograms. It is light for Kadim, but it is generally difficult to carry for a long time.

However, Duncan has already been carrying this bag alone for three days.

“Ugh, ugh… … .”

“… … .”

Looking back, there was something else strange.

The cart was loaded with so much demonic supplies that even a relatively strong guard captain would get exhausted after dragging it for a while. However, Duncan, who was shorter than him, dragged the cart alone for nearly a week.

At that time, I just passed it off without even thinking about it, thinking that I was so crazy about money that I used all my might… … Now that I see it, it was absolutely impossible with just my mental strength. When he first entered the Golden Road, didn’t he just run a little and the peddler became nauseous and made a fuss about death?

I’m thinking back and wondering if there was something that could have significantly improved my physical strength…

It occurred to me.

There was a reason.

After fighting Agon’s Raging Horn, Duncan absorbed a large amount of Khadim’s blood through ‘Blood Demon’.

“… … .”

It was ridiculous. It was just an emergency measure taken because I felt like I was going to die. My blood wasn’t that of a demon or a dragon, so how could my physical strength miraculously increase?

But other than that, there was no special reason. Kadim looked into the bearded face.

“Are you okay, Duncan? “What is the situation now?”

“I’m dying, sir… … Please, just let me rest a little longer… … .”

“… … .”

It looks like you still have some strength left to answer, so it looks like you still have some life left.

In any case, it wasn’t a bad thing. Even though they weren’t as close as the first-time companions, Kadim already recognized this merchant as a companion. He was someone he couldn’t just throw away, so it was a welcome thing that his usefulness had increased.

“Let’s rest a little longer. “I’ll wake you up when the time comes, so just close your eyes.”

“Phew… … Thank you, Nauri… … .”

Also, if your stamina has increased, it would be good to train you to avoid being kidnapped again.

“And I’ve prepared a new weapon, so I’ll teach you how to fight before I leave. I’ll go on a journey again after I finish my training.”

“… … !”

Duncan smiled happily as he polished his newly acquired steel sword and dagger. But he soon became thoughtful as he remembered how he had been trained so far.

The barbarian’s method of education was to give advice by beating the child until the skin splits.

*

A night in the wasteland, cooling the ground scorched by the scorching sun with cool moonlight, like pickling the dry land.

A bonfire was sufficient for lighting on the ground. Kadim sparred with Duncan, giving advice as before. The reflected light from the blade and the remnants of the pole collided again and again. Of course, Duncan, who had a steel sword, was on the defensive, but Kadim felt surprised inside.

Duncan’s skills have definitely improved a lot. He doesn’t get tired easily anymore, and his reflexes have improved to the point where he can dodge three attacks out of ten. Above all, he has become very good at hiding his presence and attempting surprise attacks during battle.

One wonders why he was kidnapped because he couldn’t overcome even his poor followers.

Huh – !

Duncan, who instinctively avoided the attack and was dazed, soon smiled triumphantly.

“Hehehe, I was careless back then, Your Majesty… … . However, if I show my true colors, I, Duncan, who has faced and won against the angry horn of Agon, will no longer be the same as before… … .”

Puck –

“… … Ugh!”

Kadim began to attack a little more seriously. As a result, Duncan went back to the days when he could only avoid one or two out of a hundred attempts.

When the matchmaking under the pretense of sparring was over, Duncan became a mop. He lay down on the dirt floor, groaning.

“Ahh, wow, wow… … .”

The aftereffects of the forced march during the day had not even fully healed, and with all the bruises on top, it felt like death. He desperately wanted to collapse like this and sleep soundly, but he didn’t know that it was mercy.

“Get up, Duncan.”

“……yes?”

“Didn’t you tell me? “I will leave again after training.”

“… … .”

The urge to die grows rapidly.

Duncan fantasized about taking down Khadim by surprise and resting for a day, but the fantasy ended the next day with Khadim smashing his skull. Somehow, even in his fantasies, he couldn’t defeat Khadim. At least he could rub Agon’s angry horns…

“Ugh, ugh, ugh… … .”

Duncan had no choice but to raise his emaciated body. The only consolation was that this time, Kadim had carried the inventory for him.

The night road in the wasteland was quiet with no travelers strolling by. The only sound that followed was the sound of two people pacing. Kadim looked out at the horizon, between the empty plains and the black sky, where dusty winds rose like clouds of fog.

Then, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him, he asked.

“Why did this place become a wasteland?”

“……yes?”

A question asked as if it were not originally a wasteland.

Duncan couldn’t help but wonder. Having lived for less than 30 years, he had always thought that the Agon area had been a wasteland from the beginning.

However, Kadim knew. Originally, there was no such thing as a wasteland in the eastern part of the continent. He had not passed by this area during the first playthrough, but he had looked around thoroughly during the game, so he was certain of it.

As Kadim stared blankly, Duncan somehow managed to squeeze his head and move his mouth as he pleased.

“That, that’s right… … . It’s a bit of a strange place. Most of the Allied Territory is fertile grassland, but this place is so barren… … . The climate isn’t all that different, but the reason this place is different is, um… … Long ago, a dragon got angry and burned all the plants or something… … .”

“… … .”

Kadim ignored Duncan’s nonsense and fell into deep thought.

300 years is not a short time. However, it was not enough time for the natural environment to completely change. It is impossible for a grassland to change into a wilderness without something special happening in the meantime.

And the occurrence of something that could not have happened in this world usually meant the intervention of ‘some being.’

however… … .

“… … When the world was created, Atala accidentally dropped a piece of ‘wilderness’ here… … .”

Speculation about the intervention of the ‘Devil’ took a new turn due to the nonsense that Duncan brought out.

“… … What did you just say?”

“yes?”

“Try again what you just said.”

“yes? Oh that… … Atala accidentally left a piece of wilderness… … .”

Duncan, who was chewing over what he had said, was horrified when he belatedly remembered Khadim’s identity.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty! There’s no way Atala would make a mistake! I was just going crazy for a moment and spoke out of turn! Atala is a perfect devotee who never makes mistakes!”

“… … .”

It was a misjudgment. The Great Warrior of Atala had no particular regrets about insulting his god. He simply asked back because he had noticed something.

‘The shamans of the wilderness clearly displayed greater abilities in the dry wilderness… … . And Agon’s angry horn apparently carries a strange liquid that regenerates the body… … .’

He frowned. He was beginning to get a vague idea of ​​why the guy had impersonated the ‘Great Warrior of Atala’. In order to uncover the truth, he had to meet the guy as soon as possible.

Therefore, Kadim hastens his steps towards Agon.

Duncan was surprised by the sudden increase in pace and followed in a hurry. With his calves bruised and his thighs bruised, the gap between them was not easily narrowed. After struggling to catch up for a while, he cried out in desperation when he could not.

“I, Nauri, I, I was wrong…” … . So, please wait a moment… … .”

The moment he heard those words, Kadim literally stopped.

It wasn’t out of consideration for the group.

There was a faint lingering scent mixed with the rushing wind. A fishy smell passes my nose for the first time in a while. He grabbed the sack and turned his eyes toward the wind.

In the distance, the outlines of the creatures were squirming. Their red eyes flickered like a swarm of sick fireflies. Among the bipedal monsters with hyena heads, a grotesque creature with a single horn protruding from its head stood.

– … … Hey, it’s been a while since I tasted it… … .

– … … Kehehehe… … .

Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a group of Nol and a primitive intermediate-level demon leading them.

Kadim furrowed his brow. They might have been a difficult opponent for ordinary mercenaries or soldiers, but to him, they were just small fry that he could easily deal with with his bare hands.

However, there was another problem.

– … … Kehehehe! Kehehe!

– … … Aaaah! Aaaah… … .

– … … That’s it! Avoid it first… … .

Blurry screams and speaking sounds mixed with the cries of monsters. It seemed like they had already surrounded their prey. Since the distance was still quite far away, if I just ran barefoot, the human hunt might have already ended by the time I got there.

Duncan, who caught up a little late, looked bewildered. To him, who had no special senses, the scene before his eyes seemed like nothing more than a dark world.

“Why, why are you doing this, Nauri? “What’s over there?”

Of course, it wasn’t just blindly trying to save people. Kadim slightly raised his eyebrows. Among the monsters, I saw familiar hair and a face. The author has clearly met me before… … .

Finally, Kadim raised one corner of his mouth awkwardly. She activated Hydra’s Tattoo and left Duncan with the inventory again.

“Take that and follow me slowly, Duncan. There’s a demon over there.”

“Huh? Are you sure?”

“Yes, and we have a welcome guest with us.”

“… … ?”

There was no time to ask what he meant.

As if the paper was burning in flames, the red light began to advance without stopping, cutting through the desolate darkness.