CH422 Berserk II

***

"So, I was right." Alex's brows furrowed solemnly.

"Are you thinking the Navi have something to do with this Berserk property?" Zora asked.

"It is a possibility," Alex replied. "But even if they aren't responsible for it, they are certainly taking full advantage of it. The fact that they can block it off in select areas means they understand what it is and possess a way to control it—perhaps even remove it entirely."

"But knowing the Navi," Zora added, her eyes narrowing in realisation, "if it brings them an advantage, they won't be removing it completely anytime soon."

"Exactly." Alex nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if they make a grand spectacle out of suppressing the Berserk property. Maybe they even offer 'treatment' for those contaminated by it—in exchange for faith… or at the very least, a significant amount of Berserk stones."

Alex paused mid-thought as a sense of irony struck him.

'Paying with Berserk stones to remove the effects of the Berserk property…'

'That's a special kind of twisted irony,' he thought.

At the side, Kron Belloc was once again silently questioning the reality he had grown up believing.

What Alex had casually deduced was, in fact, the true relationship between the Navi and ordinary people.

Kron let out a quiet sigh. "In addition to that, priests must periodically cleanse individuals. Otherwise, we risk being contaminated by the Berserk property we passively absorb simply by breathing. Most of the time, a priest will perform a general cleansing miracle after every weekly worship session."

"Meaning only those who show faith are allowed to be cleansed," Alex remarked.

Kron confirmed with a nod.

"In that case," Alex sighed, "it would be more shocking if the Navi didn't dominate this realm."

Then something clicked.

"Wait," Alex said sharply. "You just said everyone passively absorbs the Berserk property?"

"Yes," Kron replied. "We absorb minute amounts over time simply by existing here. But it is far worse for Professionals. We absorb far more energy—sometimes even passively—and that energy is always accompanied by the Berserk property."

Spirit Sight — Level 2.

Alex pushed his Truth-Seeker's ability to a higher level.

Instantly, the world changed.

Within his vision, every mote of mana in the surroundings was accompanied by a strange distortion—something his brain interpreted as a nauseating, purplish haze.

The glow made up only a small portion of each mana mote, yet it was present in every single one as far as Alex could see.

More disturbingly, whenever a mana mote made contact with any entity—living or otherwise—the purplish tint replicated itself. A trace of it was left behind on the entity, while the main mote continued on its path as if nothing had happened.

It didn't make much sense.

The purplish glow seemed to replicate without drawing from any obvious energy source. The mana mote it travelled with was not consumed to fuel this replication, nor was the mana of the host entity it attached to.

'I see…' Alex thought.

'That's why it's unclear whether this thing is an energy or a law.'

'If it were purely energy, it should obey the law of conservation. Each time it spreads to a new entity, the glow on the original mana mote should weaken. But it doesn't.'

'New glows form without any change to the original one—its supposed forebear.'

'Yet it also cannot be a law,' he continued analysing, 'because it has a discernible form and binds itself to mana motes like a parasite.'

Alex's eyes narrowed.

'Could it possess an energy–law duality?'

A moment later, his lips twitched.

'Ah… that explains it. That's why they call it the Berserk property.'

'Verdantian academia must have reached the same conclusion.'

That realisation, however, brought with it a far more troubling problem.

Almost every member of the expedition party had cultivated the night before.

Which meant they had actively drawn in mana—along with the Berserk property—during training and tempering.

And it wasn't as if they could simply walk into a temple and ask a priest for cleansing.

At that moment, Eleanor and Udara approached, each carrying a bundle of books in their arms. Behind them were two civilians struggling under even larger stacks.

"These are all the unique books we found in other parts of the fortress, aside from the main library and studies," Eleanor said.

She carefully placed the books beside Alex before gesturing for the others to do the same.

However, both women quickly noticed something off about his expression.

"Is something wrong?" Udara asked, turning to Zora.

"He's doing that thing again," Zora replied flatly. "You know—when he realises something important and falls into deep thought, completely forgetting that he's in the middle of a conversation."

Her words were both an answer to Udara and a not-so-subtle chiding of Alex.

Alex smiled wryly.

"Sorry," he said. "I was checking whether we're affected by the Berserk property the same way the natives are."

He continued, "Most of us cultivated last night, so I wanted to confirm whether we've already been contaminated."

"Contaminated?" Eleanor raised an eyebrow.

Zora began explaining while Alex continued observing the group with Spirit Sight Lv 2.

"So?" Udara asked quietly. "What did you notice, Master?"

"Well, the four of us are not affected," Alex said.

He reasoned calmly, "Something feeds on—or outright erases—the Berserk property the moment it enters our bodies. If I had to guess, I'd say it's due to our bloodlines. Each of us possesses an extremely pure and powerful bloodline. In my case, there's also the Primal Origin Flame, which detests all forms of contamination."

His gaze shifted towards the rest of the expedition party, his expression turning solemn.

"The rest of our people are not so lucky," Alex continued. "The Berserk property has already entered their bodies. The contamination is minute for now, but it is present nonetheless."

A heavy silence settled.

Alex, his wives, and Kron Belloc all wore grim expressions.

"Cleansing spells from priests can remove the Berserk property, right?" Eleanor suddenly asked.

"Yes," Kron nodded without hesitation.

"Okay."

Without another word, Eleanor walked up to a resting Fury soldier and raised her hand.

[Cleanse]!

A soft glow washed over the man.

She turned back to Alex with an askance glance.

"It worked." Alex confirmed.

His expression brightening immediately.

The Fury soldier—and those nearby—looked between Alex and Eleanor in confusion, not fully understanding what had just happened.

"In that case," Eleanor continued, "we can use the cleansing scrolls we crafted back then whenever we set camp outside human settlements."

"I see…" Alex nodded slowly. "That could work."

The idea became increasingly viable the more he thought about it.

He quickly finished the rest of his meal, then called the expedition party together.

"There's something you all need to know," Alex began.

He explained the Berserk property, its dangers, and their current situation.

"We'll have a countermeasure ready by the time we set up camp later tonight, after leaving Barnsil," he said. "But even then, you must take responsibility for mitigating the contamination yourselves."

"The natives' cultivation methods appear to focus heavily on refining absorbed mana. I doubt their techniques are superior to ours, so the fact that you were contaminated likely means you didn't prioritise refinement enough."

He looked around the group.

"Until my magic platform is fully repaired and a permanent solution is available, I advise everyone to strictly follow the Peak Purity Rule. Only circulate mana into your bodies after refining it to the limits of your training or tempering method."

"I know this slows down cultivation," Alex admitted. "But while we're on Verdantis, it could very well be the difference between life and death. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The group responded in unison.

"Good." Alex nodded. "Prepare to move out."

Only then did he notice someone was missing.

"Where's Havel?" Alex asked.

"He's still with the House ladies, Boss," Kavakan replied.

Alex frowned. "What is he still doing with them?"

Kavakan flashed a knowing grin—one every man present immediately understood.

"He's greasing a rusted wheel."

***

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