Chapter 58: Delinquent and The Berserker's Way!

Sheila, a pious figure in the middle row of the party, held her wood staff with a firm grip. The staff was no ordinary one. A small white gemstone the size of a fist attached to the tip, with several branches curled around the gemstone, seeming to have a life of their own.

As her words formed into beautiful words, the tip of the gem glowed with a brilliance that illuminated the icy cavern. Her body swirled with golden beams of light that amassed at the tip before she slammed it down.

"The divine star, grant me your grace—take my enemies to their resting place! Holy Smite!"

Like a god's wrath, radiant light struck down against the enemies at the rear, her smite like a blacksmith's hammer clashing against molten iron.

"Remove them from this space!"

With a loud rumble, the magic seemed to explode, crushing the weaker monsters. The divine light, like razor blades, ripped their flesh apart and filled the corridor with their anguished cries.

"Explosive shot!" Alicia followed up, her beautiful fingers holding four arrows between the smooth joints—a rapid flick of her right hand, losing arrows with red gemstones atop them, their tips gleaming in the darkness as they flew at breakneck speed.

As they whistled through the wind, the strange monsters lifted their shields, a smug grin on their wicked faces, with crooked yellow teeth bleeding from Sheila's smite. However, the moment the gemstone approached, its red lustre was beautiful yet filled with danger as it collided with an icy shield.

Then, her arrow exploded, and five blast arrows shot from her bow in rapid succession rained upon the monsters in a delayed attack.

A series of explosions, a few accompanied by agonising screeches, erupted.

The twenty-strong monsters, those who survived the first volley of attacks, were barely a tenth of their original strength, their shields broken, and their bodies injured.

"Easy~ my arrows are so strong."

Alicia whistled at the ease with which they tore through the enemy. Her sharp, verdant eyes watched her targets with a razor-edged arrow fully drawn, ready to shoot the survivors.

***

Meanwhile, Ryuji stared at the large enemy, its strength and magic on par with those of himself and Paul. The monster's dark blue eyes mocked him, and he felt a sense of realisation.

'Limiting my rage for damage reduction and regeneration. That isn't the way a berserker fights...'

He didn't really know much about this class or style because Alan's books always treated them as stupid enemies.

"But there was one. I remember... the Lox Machino berserker. He didn't fight defensively but like a crazed orc!'"

"What are you speaking about, Ryuji?" Yumiko looked back, her face pale and lips blue from the cold slowly seeping away her body heat despite the protection.

"Ryuji?" Erika gasped, watching as Ryuji put two hands on the shard of ice-penetrating his abdomen.

"Pull back and support Paul and Simon. I'll take the front." He grunted as blood spurted from his wound before the ice melted in his hands, a red aura swirling around his body.

[Damage reduction 40%] [Rage 20/120]

'That's it, I was wrong. There is no need to fear my death.'

Ryuji grasped his blood-devouring great axe. This weapon should have taught him how to heal. He lifted the axe, a grimace of pain, "Peh!" while spitting a glob of blood on the floor. He stared down the black monsters and their leader with his demonic grin. "I only need to crush them and drink their blood with my axe!"

The monster's gaze shone with ferocity through its icy shield, preparing for Ryuji's assault.

—Demon Eyes of Battle

Before it could fully adjust, as the bloody mist swirled around Ryuji's body, his muscles tightened while he gritted his teeth.

He forced the energy to the tip of his axe while pouring only twenty rage points into the blow, which was subpar. He didn't care, as the next moment, he charged at the monsters with a brutal force, his eyes glowing bright blue, the light leaving trails of sapphire blue from their corners.

She felt the Ryuji who fought her and the one just then were too different. Her heart raced with both fear and exhilaration as he recklessly tore apart the monster that wounded him. "It was so sexy... that guy. Is he really human?"

She didn't know but, watching them, she had a thought. "I want to kiss that passionately, too."

****

A few minutes later, the party began to dismantle and prepare for further travel. The dungeon seemed to come alive the moment they killed the first enemies.

"I believe this dungeon floor is like a gauntlet. The enemies will keep spawning until we reach the exit, so let's push forward after each battle before taking a rest."

Paul gave his insight, both eyes glowing with purple arcane light as he held a book that seemed to be related to divination.

"No problem; I will make the path." Ryuji nodded while sitting on a large rock, Yumiko leaning against his side. Her eyes differed from the moment he stopped holding back. It felt almost like she worshipped him like a believer seeing their god or his apostle.

"Then let's hurry—there are two paths ahead," Sheila said, her eyes looking at the forked pathway. One seemed to enter the depths of the frozen world, and the other headed to what seemed like an open plain despite being in the dungeon.

"Let's take the one heading deeper—that way, we can find their boss and crush him." Ryuji tilted his head and offered his choice.

"Okay!" Simon nodded.

He no longer seemed afraid; even his usual dour face seemed a little brighter after seeing Ryuji's earlier fight and the fact the entire group levelled up in that battle, now recovered and a little more resistant to the cold.

The others looked at each other and nodded.

Ryuji flicked his axe across his shoulder, leaping from the rock with a smirk at the corner of his lips.

Status

Name: Ryuji Vincenzo

Title: Deathbringer (Kobold), Murderer (Human)

Class: Berserker: Lv.11 /?????????: Lv.2

Rage: 0/120 (0 Reserved) [40% damage resist]

Rank: C

Attributes

Strength: 37-> 40 (+4)

Agility: 20 (+2)

Stamina: 21

Grit: 51-> 53 (+5)

Intellect: 16

[New Skill!]

Bloodfury - Increases damage dealt by 10% for every 20 rage points the user has built up.

Bloodfury (Active) - Use all current rage to enter a frenzied combat state, lasting 1 minute for every 20 points of rage.