The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 98



Only Krnovel

Episode 98. Atala’s Judgement (1)

Inside Agon’s arena.

The warm sunlight shone on the sweat-covered dirt floor. Inside the round wall, two men, bare-chested and holding swords and shields, faced each other. Sweat dripped down their eyebrows, but they stared at each other without blinking.

Today, one of the two men couldn’t see the setting sunset.

“Whaaaaaah!”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

“Kill!! “Hurry up and kill me, you cowards!!”

“Take a close look, you bastards!! “If you keep doing this, you’re going to kill me!!”

Loud jeers and shouts echoed through the air.

It was a showdown between nameless gladiators. There weren’t many people gathered. However, the sight of the crowd shouting together like bloodthirsty demons had a certain ferocious and stubborn aura that made people sick.

“Aaaah!!”

Eventually, as if he had been pushed back, the man on the left ran forward with his sword in hand. The anticipating crowd clenched their fists and cheered loudly.

““Waaa …

But their expectations were not met.

Deep – !

The man on the right suddenly took a step forward and pierced the enemy’s neck. The carotid artery must have been cut, and blood poured out in droves.

“Break.”

The man who fell down holding his neck lost his senses. He struggled for breath and desperately shoved a handful of dirt into his wound to stop the bleeding. However, his struggles were in vain as he quickly died and fell to the ground.

A conclusion that is utterly vain.

Naturally, the audience, who expected a fierce battle, booed.

“Woooo!!”

“Woooo!!”

“You call that a fight too!! “The fight between the neighborhood girls will be even more exciting!”

“Ask me for my ticket, you fucking bastards!!”

The dead have no voice, so the humiliation fell entirely upon the surviving men.

The man, who was restless with embarrassment and humiliation, began to hack the dead opponent to appease the crowd’s anger. Only after seeing the corpse’s limbs fly off and its back skin reduced to tatters did the crowd’s booing gradually subside.

A scene like no other human sacrifice by fanatics.

A shaded VIP seat with a great view away from the noisy economy class. Adonis looked at the giant sitting on his right and said.

“How is it, mercenary? Even if you meet such a weak opponent, you will receive 5,000 luden as a fee. If you meet a stronger opponent, the fee will naturally increase exponentially. With your skills, mercenary, it is almost like picking up money without paying.”

“… … .”

“Oh, of course, you’ve already received a stipend from our church, so you won’t be short on money… … But the more money you have, the better, right? Hahaha… … .”

Despite the commotion he caused yesterday, Kadim was not harmed at all. The King of the Arena did not want that to happen. Instead, he was guaranteed absolute safety and was given the best seat to watch the match with the Senator.

Needless to say, this was a ploy to lure you into becoming a gladiator. He was instructed to show you how easy it was to make money and to subtly persuade you.

After much effort, he managed to bring her to the arena. Adonis kept checking Khadim’s reaction.

But he remained silent, and his response came from an unexpected place.

“Uh… … That… … Your Majesty… … . Is it really necessary to do it like that? I don’t think it’s necessary to abuse the corpse so horribly… … .”

“… … .”

Adonis ignored the words of the porter who had come along as a bonus and continued to watch Khadim. However, there was no response or answer. In the end, he also gave up and decided to just watch the game.

Similar games followed one after another. Still, it wasn’t just a match between people. There were also matches between people and monsters, and monsters and monsters. The crowd cheered when the play bit off the gladiator’s arm, and booed when the terrified gladiator held on to the iron bars and cried out for them to be opened.

Kadim was watching the bloody skit.

I felt something extremely unpleasant.

Because the game is so cruel and barbaric? It wasn’t. He came forward creating a much more brutal mess than me. Because you don’t want to see the audience doing this? It wasn’t. Not only the spectators, but also the struggling gladiators, the isolation wall that kept the spectators safe, the blood-stained soil, the owner who was hungry for the ticket price, and everything related to this arena contributed to that feeling.

The unpleasant feeling of feeling something very fundamental and a mission that cannot be ignored… … .

Woohoo –

At that moment, a sparkling flash.

Kadim shook his shoulders and looked away.

He took off the stone tablet tied to his waist and held it in his hand. A beam of light extended from the nail-sized jewel embedded in the center. It was pointing downwards.

It meant that there were ‘ruins’ underneath the arena.

Kadim suddenly got up without saying a word.

“… … Hmm? Mercenary? The match isn’t over yet… … .”

“uh? Uh, where are you going, Nauri?”

He turned his back on the questioning question and left. He crossed the corridors filled with disappointed onlookers and sighing gamblers, and descended the spiral staircase built into the wall.

I thought it was time for new ruins to appear. It had already been decided long ago what kind of blood would be imprinted after passing the ordeal. The blood of Pevillatus, a high-ranking demon, that can bring out the power of the first round.

The blood, which was meant to be used only in desperate times, was slowly decomposing. It’s okay so far, but if I tattooed it in advance, I wouldn’t have to worry about it rotting away and throwing it away.

However, the purpose was not simply to bleed blood. Kadim’s intuition spoke. It can’t be a coincidence that there are ruins in this arena.

He hurried his steps. The underground passage smelled of damp sweat. There were no spectators to be seen, only gladiators panting and slaves carrying their equipment. Kadim followed the increasingly clear beam of light toward the center of the underground.

However, before reaching the destination, people appeared blocking the path.

“Hmm… … ? What is it? I’ve never seen that face before.”

“Hey, how did you get in here? Are you also a warrior belonging to the ‘Unstoppable Force’?”

Gladiators armed with spears and swords. Kadim shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

“I came there because I had something to look at briefly. “I’ll leave as soon as I finish my business, so I’d like you to get out of the way.”

“what? Heh, heh… … No, that’s trouble, my friend. This is a place where only gladiators can go. “What on earth is that business?”

“Wait a minute… … Isn’t that guy the mercenary who caused a ruckus at the training ground yesterday? The one who grabbed the lord by the collar and lifted him up… … .”

“What… … ? This kid is that kid… … .”

The gladiators were frightened and took a step back. Then, with a nervous expression on his face, he quietly raised his spear knife. Kadim gave a nonchalant look, but eventually confronted him and brought down the blood demon. Even though we didn’t want to cause friction, the situation was urgent right now.

An imminent situation that feels like a fight is about to break out.

The situation was mediated by the appearance of a member of the National Assembly who hurriedly followed.

“Hey, guys… … What are you doing? Heo-eok, heo-eok, to the great lord’s precious guest?”

“……yes?”

“That… … who are you?”

“Ugh, ugh, Council Member of the Galentana Council, Adonis. I have been asked by the Great Lord Ubik to… …ugh, I am accompanying a guest. Didn’t you hear the order from the Great Lord yesterday to not be rude to the guest?”

When Adonis held out a ring with the emblem of the council engraved on it, the gladiators’ attitudes changed. After putting down their spears, they calmly began to explain.

“However, sir… … . This is where gladiators waiting to compete are waiting. The great lord has previously ordered that entry by unrelated persons is absolutely prohibited, as it may affect the outcome of the match… … .”

“… … .”

Adonis took a breath and glanced at Kadim. He had a feeling that he had to go in there. An idea flashed through his mind.

“Whoa… … “Then, wouldn’t it be okay to become a relevant person?”

“yes? What does that mean… … .”

Adonis stepped back and spoke to Kadim in a secret voice.

“Mercenary, could you please do me a favor? “If that’s the case, I’ll do my best to get in and out of there.”

“… … .”

“It’s not a difficult request. Please consider competing as a gladiator just once, just one more time, and meet and talk with Great Lord Uvik just one more time. He is no ordinary person. He is the actual owner who controls this arena with one hand! You promised to help me as much as possible in finding Agon’s angry horn… … .”

The earnest persuasion continued. Kadim still looked reluctant. It was clear that if they met, they would not just talk and end it.

However, it was not advisable to recklessly defeat gladiators. Agon’s angry horn was now in seclusion and no trace of it could be found anywhere. We need the help of that fat rich man, but if we cause more trouble here, it won’t be easy to get his cooperation.

A moment passes as I overwrite my consciousness and ponder.

In the end, Kadim clicked his tongue and nodded.

Adonis rejoiced in his heart and approached the gladiators and gave them an order.

“This person is also planning to compete as a gladiator soon. Since I am no longer an outsider, please do not block my entry. “If you continue to block entry, I will report this matter to the Great Lord!”

“… … .”

The gladiators hesitated for a moment and then left without a second thought.

Kadim walked forward along the beam of light without further interruption.

*

A cramped room with a soft golden glow.

Rusty metal decorations cling to the walls, and vines and leaves once again cover them. The ground was lush and green, like the fur of an animal that died after waiting for its owner for a long time. In an enclosed space where there wasn’t even a breeze, plants and trees sprouted bright golden flower buds and stood in an awkward manner like candles in a lamp.

The incantation line drawn on the flagstone was obscured by flowers and bushes. Still, the center of the incantation camp was not covered in green. Instead, there was a piece of thigh leather that had slowly melted away over a long period of time and was stuck to it.

The priestess of the wilderness who had not left the place for hundreds of years opened her eyes vaguely.

“… … I hear voices.”

A feeble voice rang out like a worn-out iron bell.

“Voices are heard. Voices praising you… … . Crowds as vast as clouds praise your deeds, and the land, free from the taint of demons, sings of your accomplishments.”

“… … .”

“It’s amazing, Daejeonsa. Killing a high-ranking demon who already has a name… … . Indeed, it was worth it for this old man to persevere for so many years. Surely you will become the greatest savior, surpassing even the great warriors of previous generations… … !”

The priestess’s eyes were drawn to a deep pool on one side of the room. At the mouth of the pool lay a battle axe with a pitch-black blade and a horned helmet, and inside the pool was a glistening golden liquid.

A man was immersed in the liquid. He was a large man with scars all over his body, as if he had been patched up from rags. He cast a sidelong glance at the priestess and made a fierce expression.

“… … How many times do I have to say this? That is not my achievement, shaman. “I didn’t even see the face of the central devil.”

“Humility is a virtue that everyone needs. However, what is more important to a great warrior is the conviction and determination to believe that he is right. If not you, chosen by Atala, who could have slain such a demon?”

“… … .”

Known to the world as the ‘Angry Horn of Agon’, Goltarran clenched his teeth.

He was still conflicted. Whether it was right to say that the madman had defeated the central demon.

Although there was a mental illness, there was no physical evidence. All he saw was the merciless destruction of the city. He was afraid of being criticized if he said he saved that person’s life, so he couldn’t tell anyone what had happened. Meanwhile, his subordinates were spreading false rumors, and before he knew it, he had become a hero who killed the central demon.

The praise he received for things he did not accomplish caused him great guilt and a sense of indebtedness. The situation, which he could not clearly explain, only deepened his feelings as the days went by.

More than anything, what put Goltaran in deep despair were the few words uttered by the peddler who was guarding the madman.

‘He is the great warrior of Atala.’

‘… … .’

‘Because he is not a fake warrior who fights for wealth and fame, but a real warrior of Atala who fights with his life on the line even though no one recognizes him.’

I still can’t forget that expression, so confident as if it were telling an unchanging truth.

The words the peddler spoke and the fighting spirit he showed were so impressive that I unconsciously told him to come to Agon. He even gave up the last remaining ‘elixir’. As a result, her body completely collapsed and she became a rag, and she is still recovering by soaking her body in the ‘elixir’ prepared by the shaman.

Goltarran looked into his own face reflected in the golden water. He saw not the face of a hero who had saved his allies, but that of a haggard man who had lost his confidence.

“The last priestess… … Am I a fake warrior fighting for wealth and fame?”

The shaman raised her eyebrows and scolded in anger.

“What are you talking about! What nonsense can anyone say like that! Even though you fought in a profane battlefield for quite a long time, wasn’t it all for the comfort of your compatriots, not for your own wealth and fame? Think about how many of your compatriots you saved by becoming an arena hero!”

“… … However, didn’t you say before that the true mission of Daejeon Temple is not relief but struggle? You didn’t call me Daejeonsa from the first time you saw me… … .”

“At that time… … The old man’s mind had become clouded by the long years of confinement. Please do not doubt yourself because of that, great warrior… … ! Believe firmly that your will is Atala’s will, and tear to pieces all who deny you! Dye the wilderness of strife deep red with the blood of demons and enemies! Then, soon, the whole world will praise the glory of Atala, and the lost supernatural powers of the priestesses will return… … .”

The shaman who was speaking passionately until her voice was torn apart suddenly stopped with her mouth open. Goltaran’s gaze slowly returned to that direction.

“… … Why are you doing this, shaman? Is something happening?”

“… … .”

The priestess sensed an unfamiliar presence outside that should not have been there.

Like a bush struck by lightning, I stared at the ceiling for a long time, engulfed in flames of astonishment.

The priestess quickly gathered her supernatural powers. She drew a line in the air to form a magic circle, and placed her palm on it. Then, a vibration resonated from far away, as if something was bouncing off.

Too – Woah!

Then, an eerie silence settles down.

At the sudden change, Goltaraan looked at her with a look of incomprehension. However, the priestess had no time to even pay attention to her gaze. After finishing her spell, she could only mumble incoherently while her shrunken body trembled.

“No, it’s nothing. It couldn’t have come back, it couldn’t have come back. No, it couldn’t have been… … .”

“… … .”

A magical space created by the greatest priestess of the wilderness to await the return of the great warrior.

Because the shocked priestess refused to confess, Goltarran never realized that a visitor who had just entered the place had been banished.

*

Following the guidance of the beam of light, Kadim arrived in front of a stone tablet engraved with ancient writing.

When I put my hand on it, the surrounding scenery changed as if old wallpaper was being peeled off.

Tsk tsk tsk tsk… … .

However, as soon as I entered the ruins, my body was pushed back to its original place.

Tu – Ugh!

As if someone had refused him entry and kicked him out.

He put his hand on the stone slab again, but he could not enter the ruins. Kadim paused for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed… …

“… … .”

… … Then, as if he had finally realized something, he looked at the stone tablet with fierce eyes.