Chapter 16: Berserker

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Berserker

[Three weeks ago]

Weiss experienced repeated blunt force as he was attacked by the Draconian.

Although this was the vision that Raven witnessed in the Bloodline Trial, it was the present reality for Weiss.

Most of his bones were broken and even his breathing appeared unstable, as if his body couldn't get any oxygen. He was suffocating, struggling to even breathe. His mouth was filled with blood.

The sword slipped from his grasp, as if his fingers had gone numb. His hands shook, yet he was unable to sense any sensation within them.

Weiss' vision started getting darker as he was unable to breathe. At the moment, he really regretted his decision... His decision to trust others in this place... He only blamed himself for being so naive... It was only now that he realized how wrong he had been.

If he could start again, he would've done everything differently. He never would've trusted the people that he did! He never would've...

Blood dripped down his forehead, obscuring his vision with crimson. His eyes were saturated with the red liquid, rendering him unable to see beyond the veil of blood.

As his heartbeat slowed down to a dangerous extent, his eyelids began to shut.

As he neared the end of his life, he suddenly heard his brother's voice. Despite realizing that he was likely experiencing a hallucination, he weakly lifted his head towards the sound.

Thud~

"Urgh."

Weiss let out a painful groan as he lifted his head, feeling sharp claws pierce through his body. The Draconian had grabbed hold of his heart, causing excruciating agony. With a swift movement, Arze ripped out Weiss's heart using only his claws.

****

[Present Time]

Raven experienced a disorienting sensation. He felt like a flood of emotions overtook him, making his thoughts hazy. His focus was fixed solely on his brother, who lay wounded on the ground, bleeding.

He struggled to restrain his impulses, feeling like he had transformed into a wild and uncontrollable force, moving swiftly like a fleeting shadow. He also felt stronger for some reason.

He was uncertain if it was his misperception, but he had a distinct feeling that Weiss lifted his head and gazed in his direction. It seemed as though he could perceive him through his eyes, which were now covered with blood.

Raven only saw Weiss' lips moving, but no words came out. However, from the movement of lips, it was clear that he was apologizing.

Raven raced towards them with great speed, yet it was too late - Arze viciously pierced Weiss' back with his sharp claws.

"Argh!"

Raven exerted great force as he swung the Nameless Sword, which in turn summoned a form of obscure, devilish energy that surged forth and aimed towards the Draconian.

Raven's intense desire to annihilate everyone was embodied in the Dark Energy which had the ability to distort the space around it, forming numerous spatial cracks.

The ruthless Draconian extracted Weiss' heart from his chest, causing Raven to witness the horrid sight. As Weiss faced towards him, Raven observed tears of blood streaming down his face, with his entire being stained with the crimson fluid.

As life slipped away, his head bowed towards the earth and his eyes dimmed, losing their luster.

The human mage sported a broad grin on her face, almost as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders upon seeing Weiss's demise. Her expression lacked any semblance of sympathy, and in fact, gave off a vibe that suggested she had a desire to plunge a weapon into Weiss as well.

The Archangel, on the other hand, didn't reveal much emotion. It was as if it was only a matter of time before the guy died.

The dark energy reached the Draconian, as if willing to rip him apart from his core until not even a single drop of his blood was left.

It was disappointing to see that the dark energy had no effect on him. The Draconian appeared to be like an illusion or a hologram, as the dark energy simply passed through his figure without any impact.

{Warning: You have intervened in the Second Trial}

{Hidden Achievement accomplished}

{You've finished the second trial with Perfection} n0VelUSb.c0M

{You've received extra Achievement Points}

{You've used a new skill}

{New skill has been registered}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Skill Name: Berserker

• Skill Grade: Epic

• Description: Once used, all your Stats will increase by fifty percent.

• Consumption: Five Percent Stamina is consumed for every second the skill is active

• Reminder: Once activated, the skill can't be stopped until all your Stamina runs out.

• Reminder: While in use, Bloodlust of the Player will also increase.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raven was surrounded by multiple screens, but he paid them no attention. His focus was solely on his motionless brother, as the world around him shattered.

Raven didn't have the chance to approach his brother, as the scene abruptly disintegrated and he found himself back in the second cave.

The second trial was finished.

However, it was also when all his stamina was exhausted thanks to the skill that he only used for twenty seconds without even realizing.

As his stamina was exhausted completely, leaving only a tiny fraction, his body started feeling heavy.

He lost all control as his body staggered uncontrollably, ultimately collapsing to the ground.

He didn't even know how he learned this skill on his own, but while he was using the skill, he indeed felt that his strength and his speed had increased. Moreover, at that time, he didn't feel exhausted. It was only after the skill ended that he felt the brunt of it all at once.

As he lay on the ground, his gaze fixed on the cave roof, his eyes seemed to be wandering aimlessly. It was as if he was reliving the haunting memory of his brother's final moments. But the grim reality of it was hard for him to comprehend at times.

Despite the Guardian announcing his brother's death, he held onto a glimmer of hope that perhaps they were mistaken and his brother was still alive. Nevertheless, upon witnessing these events, even his last shred of optimism was depleted.

"Arze..." With his feeble body and intense expressions, he uttered a lone name. It was a far cry from his demeanor when he arrived in Hellfire initially. He felt much scarier... There was something about the strange aura about him.

It was as if he had lost a part of his soul in the second trial, trading it for vengeance...