Chapter 34 - 32: The Berserker Pill
Elena watched her brother fight like a beast beneath the dim, flickering light of the dungeon. The clash of steel echoed through the chamber, each impact sending vibrations through the ancient stone beneath her feet. Kael fought the Tier 4 mercenary with a ferocity she had never seen from him before. His movements were rough, aggressive, and almost reckless, yet somehow every swing carried an overwhelming amount of power. When they had entered this dungeon, Elena had imagined a simple expedition kill monsters, search for treasures, collect whatever rewards they could find, and return to the academy with something worth bragging about. She had never imagined fighting people. She had certainly never imagined watching her brother fight for his life against a mercenary. How had everything turned into this? Her eyes remained fixed on Kael as he continued pushing the Tier 4 warrior backward. His sword carved through the air again and again, forcing the mercenary to retreat beneath the relentless assault. Elena couldn’t help but feel shocked by his strength. Was Kael really this powerful? Had he always been holding back because of his Berserker Trait? She had heard about the trait once, buried inside an old book in the public library at the center of the city. Most people considered the Berserker Trait nothing more than a myth. Elena had spent countless hours researching it, desperately searching for anything that could help her brother control it. She had read obscure medical records, old adventurer reports, historical accounts, even damaged manuscripts whose authors had probably been dead for centuries. She had never found a cure. But there had been one particular record she could never forget. An ancient text had referred to the Berserker Trait as a Killing Trait,a trait capable of turning its bearer into something resembling a living weapon. A killing golem. Elena’s fingers tightened around her staff. Was this what Kael had been suppressing all this time?
Her thoughts were interrupted by another violent clash. Kael’s sword collided with the mercenary’s weapon, and the force of the impact pushed the Tier 4 warrior several steps backward. The mercenary’s expression had changed. He had started the fight confidently, clearly believing that his superior core would allow him to crush Kael quickly. Now, he was struggling. Elena’s gaze shifted toward Victor and Lyra. The two were fighting the Tier 6 warrior together, their movements perfectly coordinated as they attempted to suppress an opponent vastly stronger than themselves. Lyra’s frost repeatedly covered the warrior’s legs and arms, while Victor darted around him, striking at vital points whenever an opening appeared. A thought slowly formed in Elena’s mind. What exactly did Victor want from her brother? Victor had never demanded anything from her. He had never shown particular interest in her abilities or asked her for anything. But Kael was different. Victor had repeatedly placed Kael in situations where his strength could prove useful. He had noticed Kael’s abilities. He had seen the changes in him during combat. Elena’s expression tightened. He wants my brother. The realization made her uneasy. She didn’t know why, but something about Victor’s interest in Kael made her deeply uncomfortable. Was Victor trying to recruit him? Was he trying to use his Berserker Trait for something? Or was there something else she hadn’t understood yet? What was she supposed to do? Before she could reach a conclusion, something behind her moved. Elena’s instincts suddenly screamed. She turned. Too late. A blade flashed through the dimness. Elena twisted her body at the last possible moment, causing the weapon to miss her vital organs, but the blade still plunged deeply into the side of her belly. "Ah-!" Pain exploded through her body. Elena staggered sideways, one hand immediately clamping over the wound. Blood began pouring between her fingers. She forced herself to breathe and activated her healing magic. Warm light gathered around her palm as she desperately attempted to close the wound. Kael’s head snapped toward her. Even while consumed by rage, his eyes briefly returned to something resembling human awareness when he saw his sister bleeding. The Tier 4 warrior fighting him noticed the distraction. He immediately took advantage of it. His sword slashed across Kael’s back. Blood sprayed across the stone floor. Kael didn’t react. He didn’t even turn around. His eyes remained locked onto the mercenary who was advancing toward Elena. The warrior raised his sword. Elena’s pupils contracted. "Kael..." Something inside Kael broke. The final fragment of reason disappeared from his eyes.
His fingers tightened around his sword. Then he swung. The blade tore through the air with terrifying force. The mercenary barely had time to widen his eyes before the sword passed through his neck. A clean strike. His head separated from his body. The man’s body remained standing for a brief moment before collapsing, while his severed head struck the stone floor with a dull thud. Silence. Elena froze. Horror filled her eyes as she stared at the scene while still pressing one hand against her wounded stomach. Blood continued to seep between her fingers despite the healing magic she poured into the injury. Kael slowly turned toward her. There was no recognition in his eyes. No guilt. No fear. Nothing. His gaze moved from Elena to the remaining mercenary. The other warrior wasn’t bothered by the death of his comrade. He simply tightened his grip around his weapon and charged toward Kael. Victor noticed the scene from across the chamber. His eyes briefly moved toward Elena’s injury before settling on the warrior who had attacked her. How did that warrior wake up so quickly? His gaze shifted toward Lyra. Did Lyra make a mistake? The thought lasted only a moment. Regardless, Victor found himself pleased by the development. This solved a problem. He no longer needed to worry about explaining why the mercenaries had died. Kael had already killed one of them. If necessary, Victor could make it appear as though the remaining mercenaries had attacked Elena and forced him to intervene. And if he eliminated everyone, the Vesper siblings would have another reason to become indebted to him. He could protect Kael. He could eliminate the witnesses. And he could make himself look like the person who saved them. A convenient development. But that moment of distraction nearly cost him everything. The Tier 6 warrior suddenly lunged. His spear shot toward Victor’s chest. Victor’s eyes widened slightly. Lyra reacted instantly. A wall of frost erupted between them. BOOM! The spear struck the frozen barrier with tremendous force, cracking the ice from top to bottom. The warrior tore his weapon free and glared at Victor. "You dare become distracted while fighting me?" Victor stepped backward, dark mana coating his fists. Then he smiled. "You’re getting slower." The warrior’s expression changed. Victor’s eyes traveled over his body. "Is fighting while half-frozen really that difficult?" Victor mocked. "The mighty spearmaster is about to collapse?"
The warrior’s breathing had indeed become heavier. His legs were partially frozen by Lyra’s frost, and every movement required additional effort. Even though his overwhelming strength allowed him to break through the ice, Lyra’s interference was slowing him down. The warrior suddenly released a tremendous roar. "RAAAAGH!" A terrifying aura erupted from his body. Victor and Lyra instinctively stepped back. The pressure rolled across the chamber like a wave. Victor’s eyes narrowed. "Is that your final war cry?" The warrior stared directly at him. "You may not tell me your name," the warrior said through heavy breaths, "but you’ve pushed me to the brink." His fingers tightened around his spear. "You may be suppressing your aura to Tier 4, but your actual core strength..." His eyes sharpened. "...is Tier 5." Victor’s smile disappeared. So he noticed. The warrior wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "My name is Garrick." He reached into his belongings. A small red pill appeared between his fingers. Victor’s gaze immediately locked onto it. Something about the object felt wrong. The pill radiated an unstable aura, one that seemed almost alive. Victor’s Fate-Shattering Perception activated instinctively. The world around him transformed into streams of energy. His pupils contracted. No. He knew that structure. His mind raced through everything he had read and everything he knew about the world’s original storyline. A Berserker Pill. A forbidden alchemical creation designed to imitate the legendary power of true Berserkers by forcibly driving the body and mana core beyond their natural limits. It wasn’t supposed to be here. Not in the hands of a random mercenary. "Lyra!" She immediately turned toward him. "STOP HIM!" But it was already too late. Garrick swallowed the pill.
For one second, nothing happened. Then BOOM!
A violent aura exploded from his body. The dungeon shook violently. Dust rained from the ceiling as cracks spread across the stone beneath Garrick’s feet. His muscles tightened, veins bulging across his arms and neck as crimson energy flooded through his body. The pressure continued rising. Victor’s pupils contracted. Tier 6. Higher. Higher. The aura continued climbing. The air itself seemed to distort around Garrick. The surviving mercenaries stared in terror. Even Lyra’s expression changed. Victor’s mind raced through calculations, but every one of them collapsed almost immediately. His previous assumptions were useless. The difference between tiers wasn’t something that could simply be ignored. Yet Garrick was forcibly crossing that boundary through sheer external enhancement. His aura finally stabilized. It was terrifying. Borderline Tier 7. Victor’s fists slowly tightened. This wasn’t what he had calculated. This wasn’t part of the plan. He had entered this dungeon expecting danger. He had expected traps, guardians, an unknown expedition, and even a Tier 6 warrior. But he had never expected the Tier 6 warrior to possess something capable of pushing him into the realm of Tier 7. Garrick slowly raised his spear. The weapon trembled beneath the pressure surrounding him. Victor took one step backward. For the first time since entering the dungeon, uncertainty appeared in his eyes. He had always been calculating. Always planning. Always several steps ahead. Yet now, every calculation led to the same conclusion. This enemy was too strong. His heart began beating faster. Not from excitement. Not from anticipation. Fear. A genuine, cold fear.
Victor stared at Garrick. This wasn’t what I had in mind... when I came to this dungeon. Garrick’s crimson aura erupted once more. The stone beneath his feet cracked. Victor’s expression became grim. For the first time since arriving in this world, he faced a situation where his intelligence alone might not be enough to guarantee survival. His grip tightened. We might actually die.