Barbarian in a Failed Game

Chapter 089: The Dungeon (5)

“The moment we entered the demonic realm, it began to show illusions…. So, this is how it actually feels. The mental spells favored by the dark mages don’t even come close to comparing.”

Crash─!!

Khan’s axe, unleashed with a ferocity akin to a wild beast pouncing on the puppeteer, pounded against the barrier. It was the same barrier that had previously showcased its rapid deployment and unnaturally high durability, but now, it was ruthlessly shattered.

It wasn’t that Khan had become stronger since then.

“It was either that he had preemptively laid out the spell or had found a way to block the technique I used last time.”

This was not their first battle. In fact, including all the encounters in the game, they had fought dozens of times. Figuring out his opponent’s tactics was not particularly difficult.

The attacks consisted mainly of red spells, and at close range, he’d unleash shockwaves. The latter was a pattern he hadn’t seen in the game, but he could vaguely anticipate it.

The moment the puppeteer stretched out an empty palm towards him, Khan leaped to the side. Boom! The place he had just been standing was struck by a shockwave, and Khan once again aimed his axe at the puppeteer’s neck.

Bang─!

But it ended up merely demolishing an innocent throne.

“It seems a new trick pops up every time.”

With a movement utilizing the ‘Arun’s Wind Walk,’ a gray spell, the puppeteer leapt backward. His movement, though not as exceptional as that of a knight, was an aggressive evasion resembling that of a well-trained warrior.

To this, the puppeteer wore a smirk of ridicule on an indiscernible face.

“In contrast, you haven’t progressed. Aside from charging in brutally, that is. Never would I have dreamed…. that such foolishness could shatter the illusion.”

The puppeteer truly sounded incredulous.

“Normally, no one would think to outright smash through a wall. Was it a mistake not to consider an anomaly arising from ignorance? Well… if you had any common sense, you wouldn’t have stepped foot in here relying on mere brute force alone.”

“What more do I need to deal with one such as you?”

Khan’s low murmur contorted the puppeteer’s face into that of a demon, as if beams of light might actually burst forth from within.

‘No, they actually are!’

Dark, ghostly flames spewed from the puppeteer’s eye sockets. It wasn’t likely he had transformed into a lich in the meantime.

“Devoured by erosion.”

“I have achieved true evolution…!”

The one who declared so radiated a thick aura of murderous intent. This fury seemed not an act but a genuine emotion.

“Behold! This body has transcended, not as a homunculus, but into a true human!”

Khan, with a calm and restrained gaze, observed the puppeteer who had started to rant.

Beings consumed by the demonic realm’s erosion typically lose their selves and turn into puppets under its dominion.

Yet, this one was clearly displaying its own will, hostile towards Khan.

‘It appears so on the surface.’

The presence of those dark, blood-red flames was proof enough that he was indeed consumed by the demonic realm.

Without a doubt, even the anger or the murderous intent must have been feelings orchestrated by the demonic realm’s will.

Was this the so-called predetermined fate of a homunculus striving to become a real human? Ironically, while he has gained emotions, he has become a puppet, swayed by artificially induced feelings.

‘It might even be unfitting to call him a puppeteer anymore.’

“Heh. I was worried when the archduke, enraged by your gimmicks, tampered with the magic circle on his own accord. But, it turned out for the best. For now, I have achieved my wish…!”

“And what of this archduke? Wasn’t he your ally?”

“Ally? With that crude man? The thought that this being would form an alliance with him is laughable!”

The puppeteer twisted his face in genuine disgust.

“He’s only half of what he might be. That’s true both as a mage and as a ruler. Chasing after the remnants of a kingdom that perished long before he was even born, he thinks he’s some kind of true king! It’s laughable. But… I’ve shown him the appropriate respects as an ally.”

“Respects?”

“Yes. He intended to make the north a land solely for the descendants of Elpellan, considering all other humans to be of no use. He planned to turn every soul in the dukedom into lifeless husks, activating a magic circle for that very purpose.”

However, the magic circle did not engulf the people of Gondo as anticipated.

If it had, there would have been no need to hide in the dukedom like a rat.

The moment the magic circle was activated, something unexpected happened.

‘The Demonic Boundary!’

“Was the erosion caused by the magic circle’s influence?”

“Maybe…”

The Puppeteer trailed off, lifting the corners of his mouth in a smirk that made Khan internally scoff. There was more to be extracted from him.

“What’s clear is that our Duke has also achieved, or rather is in the process of achieving, his goal of making this land inhabited solely by Elpellans. Well, enough chit-chat. Your comrades seem to have regained their senses now.”

“Argh…!”

“They killed them all─!”

As Kal Elson staggered to his feet and Pashantu, having seen some terrifying hallucination, sprang up with a bloodthirsty cry, the Puppeteer, with a sneer, fed further into his crimson abyss.

“Honestly, I’m always surprised by you. Your fighting spirit, even amidst flames, your interference with the Duke’s plans, and even your ability to break the dimensional illusion on your own… And you think the three of you could possibly stand a chance against me─!”

As his speech escalated, the abyss in his eyes swelled up in an instant, soon completely engulfing his body.

And then, as his body, wrapped in dark red flames, grew to a towering height that seemed to puncture the high ceiling, it became so massive it was hard to take in at a glance.

“…What in the world is going on here?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s going on’?”

Like Khan, Kal Elson had been devoured by the illusion and then awakened, mumbling at the sight of the fire giant.

“It’s like a mid-boss battle.”

Pashantu, not fully understanding the meaning but getting the gist, snorted through her nose and gripped her axe. Maybe she just wanted to fight.

“Karyan, be with us─!”

Pashantu’s charge, calling upon the name of a god that likely had no interest in this place, resembled the warriors who fought against ancient giants, risking their lives in battle.

“This. Is. Fun!”

The Puppeteer, now a fire giant and seemingly with diminished intellect, roared not with a spell but with a punch. His posture was unstable, and the punch itself was clumsy, but the sheer size, reminiscent of an ogre, and the dark red flames enveloping his entire body were menace enough.

Even Pashantu had no choice but to retreat.

Fortunately, the space they found themselves in after breaking free from the illusion was quite vast. Given there was something like a throne, it was probably an audience chamber.

‘Wonder what the Duke’s up to, let alone him being stuck in the audience chamber.’

This was no time for idle thoughts.

While the Puppeteer pummeled the innocent floor, a barbarian warrior with a magic sword and the empire’s swordsman split to either side.

With a leap, Khan quickly closed the distance, and his axe dug into the arm of the giant. The body made of flames seemed ethereal at first, but the sensation as the axe bit in was not so different from that of a human’s—just a bit more resistant and fiery.

Crack!

The fire giant roared in what could have been anger or pain. Apparently, physical bodies felt pain all the same. The other arm swung spasmodically, trying to drive Khan away, but Khan, as if he had been expecting it, had already stepped back.

[Combat Foresight (B) – 01%]

─Activated only in combat situations.

Thanks to his most recently acquired skill, Combat Foresight.As if awakening his skill for the first time, glimpsing at countless futures and picking the optimal choice after simulations was no longer possible. It seemed like only a preview bonus was shown, yet regardless, its effectiveness in combat was undeniably high.

Following his instinctual warning, Khan took a moment to breathe in place, understanding well there was no need for him to rush in at this moment.

[Gr… aa…aagh!]

A long cut was etched into the side of the retreating giant, screaming in pain—a wound deep enough to puncture a lung if it were a human. Then, Kal Elson’s sword flashed again, disappearing in a burst of light.

Another scream erupted from the giant. With precise duplication of the initial strike over the existing wound, Kal Elson looked towards Khan.

“Pashantu!”

“Uha haha…! My blood is boiling!”

The two barbarian rushed towards the giant without hesitation.

Their builds were as immense as orcs, yet their movements boasted agility and lightness, reminiscent of razor-sharp wolves. Pashantu reached the giant’s feet in an instant, unleashing a series of cuts with his dual axes.

Neither Khan, who had obtained superhuman strength through stats, nor Kal Elson, known for his lethal strikes, could deliver such critical hits. However, Pashantu, with her superior physical condition and combat sense far beyond a normal being, could toy with the giant.

Dancing around the giant’s limbs, avoiding them with nimble movements and accumulating shallow wounds, Pashantu’s method was hardly a dire threat to the puppeteer giant, yet annoying like a fly.

Assessing the situation, the giant aimed a punch at Khan, a grave misjudgment.

“Quite warm, but not as painful as the harsh cold of the icy peaks─!”

Barbarian warriors might not wield mana, but they could compensate for their shortcomings by employing magic tools through the use of magic stones. Though most barbarian warriors preferred not to rely on them…

Pashantu, favored by the Black Wing Duke, was an exception. Having lost to the duke and agreeing to stay under the condition of learning to use magical artifacts in combat, she became adept in their use.

The Black Wing Duke generously supported his favored warrior, equipping her with axes made from rare metal from the Western Great Mountains and even bequeathing powerful relics for her journey to the north.

‘Sky Holder’s Essence’

While it appeared as a mere beautiful jewel, it was actually an artifact into which ancient mages had infused the essence of gray magic.

Pashantu leaped towards the giant’s knee, her punch wreathed in ashen energy.

Thunk…!

A force capable of withstanding a strike from an ancient giant. The puppeteer screamed in agony, kneeling, as Khan stepped forward, pulling the axe back for a throw.

[Throwing (B) – 98.9%]

The axe, imbued with the divinity of the goddess, shattered the giant’s skull, piercing through and embedding itself in the throne room wall. The burning red flames that made up the giant’s head dispersed in all directions.

Thump… Thump…

The headless giant crumbled slowly.

As Pashantu’s strike brought one knee down, the other knee hit the ground, and the upper body spilled sticky blood like lava in all directions before becoming motionless. Though it looked dead, it was too early to conclude definitively. This was the Demonic Realm, where anything could happen.

“……”

Kal Elson, understanding this, remained silent, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, vigilantly observing the situation.

However, one among them was born devoid of such caution or circumspection.

“We killed it─!”

As expected.

At the sight of Pashantu’s triumphant roar, Khan couldn’t help but let out a resigned laugh.

The mass that should’ve been the puppeteer’s corpse, made of burning red flames and lava, began shifting, eventually forming into a multitude of smaller fire giants filling the spacious throne room.

As their numbers exceeded dozens, reaching into the hundreds, the voice of the presumed dead foe echoed once again.

“I have become… complete!”

“Phase 2 is just minion patterns, huh?”