Chapter 127

In the Soul World, there are sometimes monsters or demons with ‘Berserk.’

To start with, having bright red eyes like mine is a given, and the Berserk state triggers when physical strength drops below a certain threshold.

The types that possess Berserk are usually quite challenging to defeat because of their ‘stun immunity.’

No matter how seasoned a warrior may be, they still feel pain. Thus, allowing them to attack will inevitably leave a small opening.

But monsters or demons in Berserk don’t experience that. They charge forward without flinching, as if they feel absolutely nothing.

Because of this trait, they adopt a mutual destruction mindset, so you need to be extra cautious. One misstep could lead to deadly injuries.

Additionally, they are categorized by size. Small ones are quick but weak, while large ones are somewhat clumsy but have high endurance.

Although the strategies differ, there’s one commonality: avoid direct hits and focus on dodging.

It’s the same in games, and you can only imagine how much more critical it is in reality. It’s no wonder Hector nearly got himself killed against my Berserk state.

[Berserk is解除!]

It was at that moment, realizing my theory was correct, I paused briefly.

Whether it was due to mental suppression or simply time passing, my Berserk state was automatically解除.

As the Berserk state faded, my senses gradually returned, and my face stung from a solid punch delivered by Rize.

It seems that my senses only dull if the Berserk state is activated. I felt my previously heated heart slowly cooling down.

“Hmph.”

Blowing my nose hard, I expelled the congealed blood that had accumulated inside.

Thanks to my excellent regeneration, the nosebleed quickly stopped. Given Rize’s punch, I probably broke a bone in my nose.

But thanks to Berserk, I didn’t feel any pain during the process, and all was healed. A little sting was something I could definitely endure.

‘Is there a limited time in which it can be controlled?’

Maybe it was because I stopped the attacks that it might be affected.

Even in the Soul World, if you keep your distance from a monster in Berserk, that monster will解除 from the state.

There were tricks using that, although it takes some time. Even after解除, their health would only recover slightly; it wouldn’t be complete.

In other words, to maintain the Berserk state, you have to keep attacking until your energy is completely drained.

“I was a bit surprised. You kept charging in after getting hit by my punch.”

As I was lost in thought, Rize chimed in. By her tone, it was clear she was genuinely surprised.

Honestly, it would be strange if anyone wasn’t startled upon seeing someone charge without flinching as if they were on drugs.

Even though I’ve faced plenty of Berserk monsters and demons, this was the first time encountering a human.

‘This isn’t enough.’

I roughly wiped my nose and gripped my axe tightly. There were still things left to confirm.

Do I need to keep attacking to maintain Berserk like in the Soul World, and can I make Berserk my own?

If I can control Berserk at my leisure, it would be a monumental advantage. Even the strongest beings in the world feel pain and flinch.

If I could cleverly exploit that fleeting moment, I could turn the tables in an instant. Besides, I have my excellent regeneration, after all.

“Let’s go again.”

“Alright, but I’ll set a condition.”

“Condition?”

I tilted my head at Rize’s mention of setting conditions. Why can’t we just do it casually?

While I thought that internally, Rize explained her condition.

“I’ll counter while we’re engaged in the duel. From the looks of it, your combat style hasn’t quite solidified yet.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Moreover, getting familiar with the threat of death is crucial. People tend to freeze up when facing death.”

In reality, people do freeze when confronted with imminent death. I’ve experienced it myself.

Imagine a huge truck barreling towards you. Most likely, you wouldn’t be able to react and would get hit.

The more seasoned a warrior, the less fazed they are by death. It’s nearly routine at that point.

‘This is a significant mental issue, but I’ll let it slide.’

Having survived in the wilderness, I’m accustomed to the idea of death. At least, my Wilderness Instinct helped me endure consistently.

But Rize’s genuine punch? I couldn’t dodge that. It was a curious point.

Clearly, my Wilderness Instinct yelled that it was dangerous, yet her fist soon reached my face.

“But Brother Sivar, the time you take to transition into Berserk is quite substantial. If you’re slowly losing stamina, that’s one thing, but a powerful blow can be lethal.”

“Ah.”

I nodded at Rize’s feedback, realizing that’s why I couldn’t dodge.

Thanks to my Wilderness Instinct, I had overcome numerous obstacles, but I’m still not perfect.

With every impending danger, anxiety would pulse through my entire body, making it mentally exhausting.

“So, we need to significantly raise the hurdles for the Berserk state to manifest automatically. Otherwise, you need to gain full control over it.”

“I understand. I’ll try hard.”

“That’s a good attitude. Then now…”

Tap!

Rize trailed off as she instantly dashed in front of me. It was an incredible speed, almost like teleportation.

“Let’s do this again.”

With that, Rize finished her sentence and threw a punch towards my face.

I widened my eyes in shock and quickly turned my head. At the same time, the punch narrowly grazed past me.

She was simply throwing a punch, but my hair flew in all directions. If I got hit by that, it would be a serious problem.

Wham!

As I avoided the punch, I swung my Ragnarok that I had in my right hand against her side.

I swung it hard, but it only got slightly lodged in. My weapon’s durability is frightening as usual.

How on earth can I break through that? Should I just stick to the Usuk axe?

As I contemplated that for a moment, Rize’s low kick soared toward my leg. Her leg was like a thick log.

‘How on earth do I break through?’

Barely dodging the low kick, I glared at Rize. My goal was to land some sort of effective hit.

However, even that wasn’t easy. Narrowing my eyes in thought, I suddenly noticed something odd.

‘Wait a minute. Didn’t my axe get lodged earlier?’

Last time, even using all my strength, I barely managed to get the axe to stick, but just earlier, it felt oddly soft.

Of course, it’s relative to Rize; compared to other creatures, she’s clearly tough.

I should think of it as being tougher than the Usuk’s hide. But it was still a curious situation.

‘Do I have to concentrate to make it hard like last time?’

That could be the case. I attacked outright then.

Since it was a counter hit now, I likely didn’t have enough time to react.

“You seem deep in thought.”

“··· ···”

As soon as she said that, I hurled Ragnarok. It was meant for deterrence but flew quite fast.

Rize didn’t dodge Ragnarok and simply clapped her hand against it. Immediately, I grabbed my Usuk axe and charged at her.

‘Somehow, I have to coax out an opening.’

The spot where my axe had stuck was now perfectly fine. It likely recovered not due to regeneration but was covered by divine power instead.

The only way to land an effective hit on Rize was one thing:

‘Avoid all her attacks and force in my damage.’

I could understand how those who fought against me felt. To be relentless with their attacks but also pack a punch.

Now that I was in their position, I understood just how terrifying that was. But I would still try my best.

Wham!

Avoiding Rize’s attack, I swung my Usuk axe at her side. The blade dug deeper than Ragnarok.

Indeed, the axe made from Usuk’s tusks has impressive cutting power. Rize likely didn’t expect this.

“That’s a dangerous weapon.”

See? She spoke calmly but had an unexpected reaction. She’d probably be wary of it from now on.

Before Rize could counterattack, I retrieved my axe. Then, I internally summoned Ragnarok.

The moment I called for Ragnarok, she seemed to instinctively sense it and swiped her arm behind her without looking back.

Thud!

The Ragnarok flying from behind Rize was deflected. It seemed she noticed the action of my hand opening.

I quickly recovered Ragnarok and charged in like a berserker again.

“Huff!”

Clang!

I perfectly timed my counterattack, but it didn’t work this time. After infusing power into her muscles, she blasted it away as I swung.

It felt as if I was hitting a solid metal mass. It seems you do need to apply strength to muscles for it to harden like before.

Now that I’ve learned something new, all that’s left is to gradually chip away at her. It might take a while, but it can’t be helped.

‘One hit and I’m done for.’

My only option now is to avoid all of Rize’s attacks. Rize and I are remarkably similar.

We both rely on our regeneration and durability while focusing on our attacks. Well, more accurately, Rize is my superior version.

While I lack technique entirely, Rize is a martial artist of considerable prowess. The limits of my skills are glaringly evident.

“Normally, wielding two weapons isn’t efficient. It’s because each hand has different levels of proficiency. Yet Brother Sivar, it’s impressive how you manage both hands so well.”

“I’m ambidextrous.”

I used to be left-handed, but that changed out of necessity. I couldn’t use my left after being bitten by a wolf the moment I fell into the forest.

With that, I had to adapt to using my right hand. As a result, I naturally became ambidextrous. A silver lining, I suppose.

“I see, but…”

Rize nodded and took a step forward. It was a seemingly mere step, yet somehow she reached right in front of me.

At that moment, I had also charged forward, which caught me slightly off-guard. But I quickly regained my composure.

Whack!

“Ugh!?”

Just as I was about to stop, Rize’s punch hit my face with all its might. I turned my head, but it was too late.

Fortunately, she threw a light jab with no real weight behind it, so I didn’t end up flying back. Still, it was no less shocking.

As I staggered back, Rize grinned and offered a bone-deep piece of advice.

“You have a glaring weakness. It’s great that you’re ambidextrous, but you always step with your left foot.”

“Ah…”

That was advice I didn’t even know I needed. Rize revealed something I hadn’t realized at all.

The stepping foot is akin to a ‘preparation’ move. Isn’t it said the basics of martial arts revolve around foot movement?

Being a martial artist hardened to the extreme, Rize could likely predict my next move simply based on my foot movement.

“Alright. Step back in.”

After receiving her advice, I made an effort to work evenly with both my hands and feet.

Rize seemed to recognize my effort, being a bit lenient even when I stumbled. I think I made a good choice in selecting her as my sparring partner.

As everyone knows, though, my goal for sparring with her is singular: to learn how to manage my Berserk state myself.

“Alright, it’s about time I unleash some stronger attacks. Give it your all.”

With that, Rize increased the difficulty from before. That meant a boost in overall speed and power.

It had been manageable until now, but I was starting to feel the pressure. I could only follow her with my magic power.

Fortunately, I wasn’t completely unable to retaliate, so I managed to fend for myself. I took a few hits to my face, but I also struck back with my axe.

“Hmph.”

Spitting out blood that had pooled in my mouth, I glared at Rize. Unlike me, who was feeling sore, Rize looked completely unfazed.

Is there truly anyone who can defeat her? I doubt I could win even if I went all out.

“I’m going now.”

Here it comes. A punch that could lead me to my demise.

The moment Rize got into her stance, I loosened mine. Time to turn into a character known for his bad luck.

‘But what if I just wield one weapon instead of both?’

Was it just because I momentarily lost focus? Or was I gradually becoming accustomed to the situation?

Chaaaaaaa!

In an instant, Rize’s fist filled my vision. At the same time, the word ‘death’ was engrained in my mind.

Normally, I would have stayed still, unable to do anything, but my body reacted instinctively. Perhaps it was due to my Wilderness Instinct.

Yet, without a moment to think, I instinctively raised both hands. The axes in each hand block my face.

‘Oh? Wait a minute…’

Bang!!

By the time I realized I’d messed up, Rize’s fist struck the two axes that were doubled up blocking my face.

Whatever strength she packed behind that punch, it transcended through the axes. My ears buzzed, and I felt ringing.

But more pressing was the state of my axes now.

Crash!

They shattered into pieces completely. The Usuk axe, freshly made today, along with Ragnarok.

One punch could obliterate my weapons? Maybe, but I rushed it without using my magic power.

At least I was lucky that it didn’t shatter like glass; it broke into chunks. None of the fragments hit my face.

“What the…”

Rize seemed caught off guard by this as well. Before the imprint of death could fade from my mind, I looked down.

Below were my beautifully shattered Usuk axe and Ragnarok, scattered all over.

All I held were empty axe handles in my hands.

“Uh…?”

Staring blankly, I slowly knelt down. I set aside the Usuk axe and focused on Ragnarok first.

The weapon that’s practically considered ‘divine.’ In the original story, Hector was supposed to hand it to Kara.

But now, that weapon lay destroyed before my eyes. It wasn’t because I was showing off either.

This damn instinct moved on its own. I didn’t even have the words to express my frustration.

“Sivar. Are you alright?”

Having seen the axe break, Kara approached me. She was concerned about my well-being before the axe itself.

The moment I saw her face, my mind became even more chaotic. I just wanted to fix it, but I didn’t know how.

It’s common for weapons to get damaged in the Soul World, but I never experienced Ragnarok being destroyed.

“Kara, um… this… I’m so, so sorry…”

With death stamped in my mind and confusion still lingering, I stammered between glimpsing Kara and the axes.

I didn’t blame Rize. This situation was entirely due to my own error.

My heart raced uncontrollably. I couldn’t calm down enough to say anything or act.

Cuddle!

“It’s alright. It’s alright. Don’t cry and calm down. You can just ask Lord Gulrak to fix it later.”

Sensing my turmoil, Kara tightly hugged me. Then she gently patted my back to soothe me.

Thanks to her, the pounding of my heart began to slowly settle. Yet the sense of guilt brewed inside me didn’t dissolve.

Rather, perhaps because of the brush with death, that emotion felt amplified. Fixing the injustice felt secondary.

“Sivar, in times like this, you can either get angry or cry, or do both.”

“What do you mean by that? He’s been so shocked.”

“It’s about learning to process emotions. They are incredibly crucial for mastering Berserk.”

Even with Rize fanning the flames from behind, it made no difference. I bit my lip and held my ground.

Even when I lived in the wilderness, I shed tears often. Then, I would feel an urge to scream in frustration.

But at some point, I stopped showing much emotion. I became numb to everything.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

“My heart…”

My heart began to race and told me it was okay to release the pent-up feelings.

I held back that temptation, but soon reached my breaking point. It certainly didn’t help that Kara was hugging me.

This was similar yet different from how I used to act like a child with Eli. She was comforting, yet I felt weakened being held like this.

‘If I cry, they’ll treat me like a kid…’

That could never happen. That must never happen…

[Faith is increasing!]

It absolutely mustn’t…

[Faith is increasing!]

[Faith is increasing!]

[Faith is increasing!]

Damn it. Don’t push me to cry, or I genuinely might.

As I bit my lip tight, tears began to pool in my eyes.

Even without Berserk activated, my emotions felt like they were bursting. Chaos was definitely mocking me.

“Uh, uh? Sivar, don’t cry. I’m fine, really! We can fix it again.”

Seeing my face, Kara was taken aback, patting my back even more. She seemed to be trying her best to calm me down.

But did she realize how such kindness was a poison to me?

Drip-

Eventually, the moisture in my eyes reached its limit. The first time is always difficult, but the next is always easy.

“Urgh…”

I clenched my lips and quietly sobbed. Each time Kara patted my back, I felt comfort from her words.

For all her assurances that it was okay, that this was nothing, her kindness overwhelmed me.

[Trait: Berserk is removed!]

[Trait: Rampage acquired…]

I didn’t even register the system notifications.

“Don’t cry. Stop it, and I’ll give you candy later, okay?”

I merely clung to Kara without saying anything.

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