Chapter 135 : Berserker (Part 1)

1 year ago...

"Do you know what [Trait] is?"

"[Trait] is something you can call them as your true nature."

"from [Evil]."

"[Good]."

"[Neutral]."

"[Chaotic]."

"[Divine]."

"...and [Demonic]."

"Each represents people's personality and what power they possess. It could be both."

"And that's what [Trait] means."

"Do you understand now? Rei."

Within the training hall, a woman with such a revealing dress spoke as she sat on top of a young man doing push-ups.

The young man was Rei. During his 6 years of training, his body grew wider and taller, especially the muscle on his arms and his back.

"Uhhh...what the hell are you talking about?"

Rei asked while still doing his push ups with the woman on top of him.

"Hmm~? Did you not hear what I said?"

The woman was Ignia. She was known as the King of Dragons and the Fire Dragon King as well.

"Of course I do! but...what is the point of asking me now of all times?!" Rei shouted

"Ara~ can't take a little weight?~" Ignia giggled seeing him struggling.

Rei snickered, "Well, considering I'm being used as a chair by a lizard who weighs around 500 ton but still able to do this, of course not"

*BAM*

But she responded by punching his head straight and buried it down to the ground.

"You sure have your way to speak to your master like that, but I'll let this one slide since you are doing your best~"

Ignia spoke while swaying her red hair elegantly.

"Ughhh...so? Why are you suddenly talking about this [Trait] now after many years of training." Rei asked while lifting his head.

"Because you are finally ready now."

"Me? ready? I couldn't even scratch you or take down Doldain yet." Rei spoke while getting on his feet and stood up.

"Oh, please, just look at yourself." Ignia spoke while pointing at his body that had grown, despite his slim look his body looked muscular and filled with scars.

"Seriously, I mean, I doubt that your body belongs to 14 years old now." Ignia commented.

"Not only that, I already released your meridian even though it is around 40%, so you can easily utilize your aura now compared to other warriors."

"So you should be grateful for what you have, and be more proud." Ignia spoke.

Rei found it unbelievable while he looked at his hand, which had become rough and covered with calluses.

Then he released his red aura, surrounding his entire body.

'Indeed...after 6 years, I had grown this much and was finally able to reach what I couldn't before.' Rei thought.

'If not for them...I would probably die by the hands of the monsters.'

'Although...' Then Rei suddenly trembled, 'I don't want to feel that painful experience...ever again.' As he remembered when his meridian was released by Ignia with an unknown technique.

'Even the pain resistance skill had leveled up because of that.' Rei thought while getting up on his feet.

"So, does that mean I need to figure out what [Trait] I have?" Rei asked.

Ignia shook her head, "No need for that."

"Huh? Why?" Rei asked, a bit confused since she's the one who started this whole conversation.

"Since I already know what your trait is~"

Rei looked surprised, "Really? I mean how?"

"It is pretty simple actually, since we have been sleeping under the same roof for many years."

"Then come on! Just tell me!" Rei looked excited to hear what she was going to say.

"Heh~ don't rush it~ ahem!" Ignia looked proudly in front of him.

'Is it [Good] or probably [Neutral] or maybe [Divine]?' Rei kept trying to guess what his trait is.

Until she finally answered him.

"Your trait is...

.

.

.

.

.

.

[Chaotic]."

********

Back to the current time.

[Notice!]

[Skill "Berserker" has been activated!]

The notification showed up just right after Rei crashed against the wall above the entrance.

At the same time, his aura spiking out and increased all of sudden while blood trickled down from his head and to his mouth.

"Heh."

He was still grinning widely as his red left eye glowed bright and immediately fell down from the wall he was stuck into before landing beside them.

"Crimson-san! Are you okay?!" Alicia asked while aiming her staff at him.

"You are too reckless!"

But Rei raised his hand, "I'm fine and don't heal me yet, because..."

.

.

.

.

.

...things are just getting started."

Rei released his aura again that seems much bigger than before.

They were all surprised after seeing how massive his aura was from close.

'Does he...have this much aura from before? It is nothing...compared to mine.' Ashley thought.

Then Rei gripped his axe and lifted it up.

"Now then, I shall give you the plan." Rei spoke to them.

"Right now? In this situation?" Hiba asked.

"Yeah, I mean we don't have much time since our presence has been locked on by that thing in front of us." Rei spoke while pointing at the golem approaching them.

"Then how about we scatter! Since a golem would probably target one and we take that chance to attack it!" Ashley suggested.

"Well, I hate to break this to you...but did you not see how easily I was thrown away before?" Rei asked and pointed at the golem again with its flying cables around it that was attached on its back.

"Ughhh...I didn't think of that, Alicia or Sharon cannot dodge that." Ashley began to ruffle her hair as she was panicking.

"Then do you have a better idea?" Hiba asked him.

"Of course, it is a very simple one actually."

"What? You're gonna make yourself a bait or something?" Hiba joked while chuckling.

But Rei didn't respond.

"....."

"Wait... you're actually gonna do that?!" Hiba looked at him in shock.

"No! That is too dangerous!" Alicia objected.

"Yeah!" Hiba agreed.

"It will be fine, the same trick won't work on me twice." Rei spoke.

They are of course worried about his statement, but since the only person who could manage to show such unbelievable strength among them was none other than him.

Hilbert then raised his hand, "I agreed."

Sharon then raised her hand as well, "Me too."

"Hilbert! Sharon!" Hiba called them out since he thought they were out of their minds.

"Well he's the only one who managed to stay alive after being hit by something that fast."

"And a normal person would die if they were too late." Sharon spoke.

Hiba and Alicia couldn't argue with that as they looked at Hilbert, who is their tank.

"I can't believe I'm saying this unmanly thing but Sharon is right...even I couldn't protect you all as your shield." Hilbert somehow looked more serious.

Rei only looked at them and thought that they're thinking too much. Meanwhile, the golem was approaching even closer now.

*TAP*

Rei then clapped his hand.

"Don't think too much. To you all, I'm just a stranger, except Alicia who knows me."

"But I would rather be the one who take the lead and be the vanguard." Rei spoke.

"It is better to sacrifice someone you don't know than someone you all care about, right?" Rei spoke.

They all looked at each other together.

"And don't worry, this will be a piece of cake. I promise you this, since I will be protecting you all here." Rei spoke proudly.

They all calmed down from their inner conflict, seeing him being calm in this kind of situation made them ashamed of themselves now.

They looked at him with a confident look, saying that they were ready.

Rei smiled, "Again, I'll be the vanguard and make that thing focused on me."

Then Rei pointed at Hiba and Sharon, "Both of yoh will focus on your attack and prepare for my signal."

"What does the signal look like?" Sharon asked.

"It's a simple one and you could guess it after you saw it." Rei spoke.

"How about us?" Ashley asked.

"You and Hilbert will be the one that will carve me a path." Rei spoke to them.

"And Alicia..." Rei looked at her, which was standing at the very back.

"You will support the two in the back."

Alicia nodded nervously, "Y-yes!"

"Oh, yeah...you two." Rei pointed at Ashley and Hilbert.

"Hmm?"

"Do not dodge and focus on defending it."

Ashley and Hilbert widened their eyes.

"W-what?!" Ashley shouted.

"Are you serious?! You want us to defend that kind of attack! Even though you couldn't do it yourself!" Ashley protested while pointing at the large golem that was coming even closer by the second.

"That's why I'm leading it, right? I'll make sure that thing focuses on me more while you two block that tentacle thing before it hits my back." Rei spoke to them.

Hilbert then laughed, "Hahaha! If it's a small part, I would block it all! So I'll watch your back!" After what he just said earlier, now he is back to being Muscle-head again.

Ashley sighed, "Fine, but how are you gonna make that thing focus on you?" And decided to ask that.

Rei would smile, "Of course...by doing this."

"Huh?—"

[Notice!]

[Skill "War Cry" has been activated.]

Rei took a deep breath, and after that....

.

.

.

.

.

.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

He roared with his whole lungs.

*RUMBLE* *RUMBLE*

His roar caused the whole temple to shake.

They shut their mouths in fear and widened their eyes when they heard his magnificent roar, but at the same time…

"What's this?..."

The five people at his back suddenly felt something.

"T-this is..."

Yes, their body slowly felt energized and more powerful.

"A buff?!" Sharon pointed out in surprise.

They could also feel their strength and vitality increased more than usual.

Due to his roar, the golem's eye is now more focused on Rei who's standing in front of them.

Rei raised his axe then, "Now then! What are you waiting for! Run!"

Then the first signal of the battle had started.

*SWOOSH*

Rei ran straight without hesitation while being at the front all by himself.

"D-dammit!—I am an S-class Swordsman! [Red Lightning]!!" Ashley shouted.

"You guys! Show him that we are not the ones who back down from a challenge!" Ashley shouted to them.

They responded with a smile, "Yes!"

Rei could hear them cry out, so he decided to be pumped up by releasing more of his aura.

'Come on! Get me!' Rei knew that the golem in front of him quietly reacted to the aura and magic power around it.

And since he's the one who has the most power among them, he becomes a [Threat] to it...

*ZWONG...INTRUDER!*

The golem shouted out, and the cables that were attached on its back began to spread out, they flew away and moved right in front of Rei.

*SWOOSH*

*BOOM*

Rei took a direct hit by those cables, creating an explosion large enough to cover the whole area with dust.

But when the dust cleared up, he managed to stand on his ground with his shield on his left arm which he lifted up to block those cables.

'[Fortress], [Reflection].' Rei used two skills by increasing his defense based on his vitality and absorbing the impact while he's at it along with his new skill

[Notice!]

[Skill "Berserker" has been activated].

At the same time...

*SWOOSH*

His aura spiked up more and became bigger.

*DANGER...ALERT*

The golem suddenly noticed that something strange happened to this person in front of it.

*DANGER...DANGER*

His aura increased all of a sudden which made the golem take another action by throwing another cable to his side.

But then, Rei was smiling.

"Heh."

*THUNG*

The approaching attack was blocked by Hilbert on the right side and deflected by Ashley on the left side.

"Took you long enough." Rei spoke.

"Ughh—!!" Ashley gritted her teeth, 'So heavy!'

'And so strong!' Hilbert thought the same as their gaze went towards Rei.

Who deliberately blocked and received such an attack by himself.

"Thanks." Then Rei gripped his axe that was on his right hand the whole time and swung it towards the cables in front of him.

*BAM* *SHATTERS*

In just one strike, the cables in front of him were crushed down.

"Now it's my turn."

Then he took this chance to run through the cables to approach the golem.

*INTRUDER...*

The golem immediately noticed his presence and didn't stay quiet, instead...the golem used more of its remaining cables to stop Rei from approaching him.

Rei raised his shield. '[Rush].'

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

Barrage of the cable struck his shield as he kept running, he crashed again and again.

*BAM*

He started to receive some damage from the cables that struck some parts of his body, starting with his shoulder.

*BAM*

His sides.

*BAM*

His arms.

*BAM*

Yet he remained still.

*DANGER...*

While doing so, his aura became stronger and larger again and again while the notification kept ringing inside his head.

[Notice!]

[Skill "Berserker" has been activated!]

"Come on! Come on!" Rei shouted out like a madman, as his helmet looked more twisted as he continued to charge at the golem without fear until...

*SWOOSH*

He finally reached the highest spot where he jumped high from the cables and after that...

"Huff—" He took a deep breath and...

*SWOOSH*

Released a large amount of his aura that was enough to light up the whole room.

=======================================

[Berserker]

Passive skill

A skill that was bestowed by [the God of War, Odin] from his bravery and madness, facing death with a smile which not even the God himself could do such a thing.

Whenever the user got damaged, for each 100 HP the user loses, it will increase user's Strength by +1

=======================================

"Thanks again."

=======================================

[STATUS]

NAME: Kiritsuka Rei / Ray Houston

JOB : Blacksmith

[Level: 140]

[HP: 10600/20450]

[MP: 5025/6425]

[FATIGUE: 0]

EXP: 0/100500

STATUS POINT : 0

____

STRENGTH : 606 (+10) (+98)

AGILITY : 330(+5)

VITALITY : 335 (+98)

INTELLIGENCE : 430(+15)

SENSE : 315(+5)

=======================================

Then he focused his aura on his axe again and created a massive axe made out by his red aura.

"[Reflection], release." Then all the impact that he received…

Was released into a single point.

*SWOOSH*

which increased the size of his axe's aura.

At the same time, the golem noticed how much of a threat he had become and decided to take action.

*DANGER...ELIMINATE*

By preparing to attack him and charging a large amount of magic power from its one red eye added with the cables being pulled back then aimed it at Rei.

But...

"Now!" Alicia shouted from the entrance where they walked into the room.

Hiba and Sharon were preparing their combined attack.

Alicia providing them magical power from behind them, Sharon added her fire magic on Hiba's arrow that was imbued with his wind aura.

*SWOOSH*

A flaming arrow had been created, swirling around like gale.

"Seriously, your friend there...is such a slave driver!" Hiba spoke out then...

"Combined skill..."

*TRUTT*

"[Gale Flame Arrow]."

*SWOOSH*

They released a flaming arrow at the golem that was about to shoot out its magic laser at Rei.

*DANGER...*

The golem noticed the approaching flaming arrow.

So the golem raised its right hand and blocked their flaming arrow with its palm.

*BOOM*

The golem didn't expect the attack coming from them, since it was more focused on the large threat that was in front of it which notified the golem that there was another threat.

Including...

"HAAAAA!!!"

The two underneath it...

Ashley swung her red lightning sword aura at the left knee of the golem.

While Hilbert swung his hammer clad with brown aura at the right knee of the golem.

*BOOM*

*ZWONG*

The golem screamed as it was about to fall on its knees because of their attack.

"Fall back!!"

Then the two retreated after doing the deed and the golem fell down.

*BOOM*

It canceled its attack before it could release it.

When the golem got on its knees and lifted its head, it was greeted by Rei who's right in front of its head.

"Hey."

*SWOOSH*

Then he swung his axe like he was swinging a bat at the ball,

*THUNG*

And hit the golem directly.

*SWOOSH*

Causing the golem to be sent flying away by his strike.

*BOOM*

Then crashed against the throne where the golem previously sat on.

*TAP*

At the same time, Rei landed on the ground and the giant axe made out of his aura dissipated.

The adventurers ran at him then.

"You did it Crimson-san!" Alicia exclaimed with a bright smile.

As they were about to greet him with a smile and celebrate their victory...

"Not yet!" Rei shouted at them and told them that it wasn't over yet.

They all stopped immediately and got in their position again, while Rei remained focused.

'Dammit, just right at that moment...that thing blocked my attack.' Rei immediately noticed something was strange.

By reenacting what just happened, when Rei's axe was about to reach the golem's head.

In that short moment, the golem managed to lift its right hand and blocked his strike and reduced the impact.

And the result...

Caused the golem to be sent flying away. It lost its right hand due to that strike while also...

'It gains some distance away from me by sacrificing its own hand to reduce the damage.'

'I was planning to bash its head in one go, but that thing's reaction is much faster than I thought, as if...'

Rei concluded his deduction as he gulped, 'Hahaha...This is not something a simple golem could do, but a veteran fighter who used his instinct in just the right moment.'

Rei couldn't help but smile in this situation, but before he could take action…

They heard something.

*HUMAN...*

A voice, and it was from where the golem sat on the throne after being sent flying by Rei.

*WHO ARE YOU...*

The golem spoke.

It surprised them all, seeing the golem that they just fought, suddenly talking to them.

Even Rei was surprised, "So you can talk." Rei replied back.

*I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THIS TEMPLE*

*WHO DARE TO TRESPASS THIS PLACE*

The golem spoke fluently like a human, its robotic voice had completely changed.

Despite that, Rei remained calm…too calm. "Why do I need to answer you, Arrangias."

*YOU RECOGNIZE ME?*

"Well how can I not know? Since the first and the last Paladin of the Goddess of Preservation is right here in front of me." Rei spoke to him as if he knew him.

The others who heard it were surprised.

*ZWONG*

The golem raised its head as its red eye glowed bright in the darkness.

*YES, I AM THE PALADIN...THE PALADIN OF THE GODDESS OF PRESERVATION*

*BUT...SO WHAT IF I AM THAT PALADIN*

The tone of the golem became twisted...

*THE WORLD HAD BETRAYED US*

Into anger...

*IF THE GODDESS HAD ANSWERED MY PRAYERS, HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF*

'He?' Rei thought, "What nonsense are you talking about."

*HE IS MORE WORTHY TO BECOME THE GOD ITSELF, and...*

The golem didn't listen to what he asked, but then his voice suddenly lowered down...

*He needed to be protected.*

Until the ground suddenly trembled and their surroundings became shaky.

"What happened?!" Ashley shouted.

*SO I SHALL PROTECT HIM, AS THE FORMER PALADIN OF THE GODDESS OF PRESERVATION.*

*LEAVE HUMAN...OR YOU SHALL FACE THE WRATH OF MY STRENGTH!*

The golem stood up again but there was something different. Its right hand that was destroyed began to grow, along with all the damage that was done by them.

'[Regeneration]?' Rei thought when he saw it.

"It could regenerate?! How is that possible!?" Sharon spoke, "Is there a caster around?!"

"Why caster?" Hiba asked.

"Because a golem needs a magic supply to regenerate some parts that have been destroyed, since it is an artificial monster so I am certain that there's a caster around here." Sharon spoke.

"But...I didn't see or sense anyone." Hiba said.

Then Rei pointed at the golem which caught their attention, "I think the caster is inside that golem." Rei spoke.

"I mean do you remember what I said before?" Rei asked them.

Of course they were confused, but only Alicia raised her hand.

"I think you said there was a mage that helped him...so, that mage is probably nearby?" Alicia asked.

"Correct, but also wrong." Rei replied while shaking his head.

"The answer is simple actually, it's not the mage who gave him magic supply, but instead...it was himself who supplied his body with magic."

"With unimaginable magic power." Rei spoke.

"That is impossible, a human cannot have that much magic power! That would be the existence of divine beings or demons." Sharon argued.

"Correct~" Rei spoke to her.

"He is definitely a human, a former human to be exact who had become a being that was closer to a god." Rei explained.

"How..." Sharon asked.

"Of course, with the help of a certain God." Rei answered her.

Alicia gulped, "Who…is that God."

"It is—" But before he could answer her, the golem released a strange dark aura around it.

*GRRRAAAAA!!!*

Then a dark force field was created throughout its body, large enough to surround the whole room along with them inside it.

They were confused at first from the sudden roar coming from the golem—Arrangias.

Until...

"Kyaaa!"

Someone screamed among them, it was Sharon.

"I-i cannot use magic..." Sharon spoke in fear.

"Me too...!" Alicia agreed.

Both of them reached out their hand.

"[Fire]!"

"[Heal]!"

But nothing happened.

"What is happening?" Hiba asked.

While they all were confused, only Rei remained calm.

"I see..." he noticed something.

"What is happening, Crimson-san?" Alicia spoke.

"I can only guess...Ashley, Hiba, Hilbert, release your aura." Rei spoke to them.

"H-huh?? Yes." Then the three of them released their aura but then they felt something.

"This is..." Ashley spoke.

"Our skills have been locked!" Hiba realized it.

Since the moment they released their aura, they couldn't release their affinity aura.

Ashley couldn't even use her Red Flash which used her red lightning aura, Hiba's Whirlwind was the same.

"I am guessing...the only skill that was locked required mana." Rei spoke to them.

"Skill that requires mana...then!"

"Yes, the only one who uses pure strength with no mana skill, probably would be me and Hilbert." Rei replied to them.

*HAHAHAHA! CORRECT*

Arrangias decided to get up from its throne.

*THIS IS SKILL THAT WAS BESTOWED TO ME*

*[Domain of Faith]*

"Faith you say? Doesn't sound faithful when you use [Anti-magic] field." Rei snickered and also provoked it.

But Arrangias didn't respond to that and instead it approached them.

*YOU ARE SO ARROGANT, FOR A HUMAN*

"Am I? Well I learned over the past few years that I need to change."

"And that is..."

*THUNG*

Rei then put down his axe beside him and stuck it to the ground.

After that...

*SWOOSH*

The air around him slowly became hot.

*TSSSSS*

"To be more proud of my strength."

As his body clad in black flame, it surrounded his neck, creating this scarf—no, cape made out of this black flame.

"[Agni]."

Rei stomped his feet on the ground as his axe flung up.

*THUNG*

*CLINK*

Then Rei grabbed his axe that was in the air.

"Shall I show you...how [Chaotic] I am to a [Divine] being as you?"

To be continued...