Barbarian in a Failed Game

Chapter 092: The Purge of Elpellan (2)

According to the faith of the Many Gods Church, the gods and demons watch over Midland from the realms of Heaven and Hell, dimensions separate from Midland itself. However, this is not the truth. Khan, a possessor who has cleared the game countless times, is well aware that even Heaven and Hell are sub-dimensions within Midland.

Therefore, Khan was not particularly surprised to hear that the middle-aged man before him had not seen Heaven and Hell from beyond Midland. What truly astounded Khan was something else entirely.

‘Nothing exists?’

Beyond Midland lies only the Void, a vast emptiness. That a Grand Magus, having glimpsed into the Void and entrusted his existence to it, would utter such words was significant. There seemed no reason for him to lie to Khan, so at least the tale of seeing nothing but the Void beyond the world must be true.

And if that story is true…

‘Then what of the great demon that descends through the grand magic circle from another dimension in the final chapter? The True Dragon that birthed all dragons? The king of ancient giants? The old gods that should reside in another dimension don’t exist there, and there’s nothing but the Void?’

Where, then, does the being that possessed a middle-aged office worker into the body of a barbarian warrior exist?

Does it even exist at all?

It must, Khan has no choice but to believe.

His possession, the superhuman strength based on a game system, his limitless potential for growth, and something beyond a transcendent being, like a Goddess of Justice, protecting him… All of it must be real.

‘The entity that possessed me in this world must exist. Moreover, such a being must be beyond the level of a transcendent. There can’t be many like that.’

That’s why he pursued the traces of the ‘old gods.’

“Was there really nothing but the Void? No transcendent beings… like gods?”

After expressing his willingness to join Khan, the middle-aged man fell silent as if allowing Khan time to think, and then shook his head.

“There was nothing.”

“What about other dimensions? You mean to say that not even other dimensions exist beyond Midland? That Midland is the only dimension in this world?”

“At least to my eyes.”

No other dimensions either. Then where does Earth fit into all this?

Huh. A dry laugh escaped Khan, and he rubbed his face, the rough sensation of his unkempt beard seemingly chiding him not to escape from reality.

‘No, I don’t know yet.’

Believing everything the man said would be premature. It’s not that Khan thought the man was lying. Rather, Khan concluded it was a legitimate doubt whether the man could truly observe the Void in its entirety.

The Void.

Originally emerging as a concept towards the final parts of the story, before being possessed, Khan had thought it to be a narrative device introduced by the game developers to explain a sudden surge in power before tackling the grand magic circle.

However, even Khan, who often skipped through content, knew it was a significantly important setting in the world of ‘Midland Quest.’

Minions of the Void, a wicked dragon consumed by the Void. The monsters bearing the name ‘Void’ were terrifyingly powerful. Additionally, the legendary NPC heroes encountered in the grand magic circle often gave ominous warnings about being careful not to be swallowed by the Void or fall into it during extended stays.

‘The map that appears when you leave the outer edges of the grand magic circle is also called the Cradle of the Void.’

And precisely this Cradle of the Void was a space not fully understood even by NPCs who had reached or were close to transcending.

Thus, Khan could not hastily conclude that a Grand Magus, who hadn’t even reached transcendence, could have observed all there is to the Void.

‘Still, it’s worth remembering.’

These were issues that wouldn’t yield answers immediately. Understanding such complex concepts was, to begin with, a stretch.

“Seems like you’ve somewhat cleared your thoughts, so what’s your response? Are you ready to join me in uncovering the truths of this world?”

“Before that. Why me, specifically?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m curious about your reason for making such an offer to me.”

Well, that’s a valid question. The middle-aged man nodded several times, as if it were only natural to question. His demeanor suggested he thought Khan would naturally accept.

“Well. Was it because you broke through the illusionary space on your own? Or was it your considerable martial prowess? No, that can’t be it. The swordsman who was with you was quite capable too. So, what could it be…”

“Is he mad?”

Khan furrowed his brows in disbelief as the man before him, who had made the proposal himself, questioningly turned to him. It was as if, suddenly, he suspected the middle-aged man of losing his wits. However, the man quickly waved his hands as if to dispel any misunderstanding.

“Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I’ve suddenly gone mad. I’m genuinely curious. The moment I saw you, I thought it would be good to work together. Hm, how should I put this… Ah, this word fits. I felt a familiarity with you. One might even call it a sense of déjà vu.”

“…You’re saying there’s something in common between me and a mage consumed by the void? How ordinary is it to face such a horrendous insult?”

“Heh, don’t feel bad. I can’t explain it myself. But I truly felt it. So, what do you say? Will you join me in uncovering the truth of this world?”

The truth of the world.

To be honest, it was something I had been curious about. No, I had been desperately seeking it more than anyone. Hadn’t I gone through tremendous hardship to discover it, only to stumble into this magical boundary?

With the help of an ancient archmage who had glimpsed parts of the truth long ago, I might gain access to far more information than I could wandering aimlessly across the continent for years. I might actually reach the truth. But-

“I’d rather not be swallowed by the void, though.”

“I don’t know what you know about the void. But the void may be the only real truth in a world filled with falsehoods.”

“I couldn’t care less about that.”

The clearest reason I declined his offer was something else.

“There’s no such thing as a trustworthy mage, that’s my principle.”

Especially for a mage who would sacrifice innocent souls for their own glory, and even more so if they were consumed by the void.

Click-

With that, Khan coolly lifted his middle finger and smiled maliciously.

“You’re done here. You’re going to die.”

“…So it seems. I have no choice but to make you give up by force.”

Boom──!!

Signaling the start of the battle, Khan stomped down fiercely and shouted.

[War Cry]

“Shut up─ and bring it─ on─!”

*
*
*

Alpha’s words about the illusion trapping Pashantu and Kal Elson, breaking from external interference, were true. Swinging their fists at the empty air and holding conversations with no one, the pair snapped to attention as a shout, like a shockwave directly to their eardrums, reverberated around them.

“Damn it… not again…!”

“Uh? Did he kill someone?”

“It’s just the beginning! Kill that bastard first!”

Khan’s resounding roar rapidly brought the barbarian warrior and the swordsman up to speed, who hesitated not even for a moment before charging towards Alpha, inadvertently forming a triangular encirclement with Alpha at its center.

“There’s one left to kill!”

Pashantu’s punch, utilizing the ‘Sky Holder’s Essence,’ surged towards Alpha first—an attack powerful enough to bend the knees of an ogre-sized puppeteer in one strike. But Alpha simply extended a hand with composure.

Ting!

An invisible barrier unfolded around Alpha’s hand, colliding with and nullifying the ash-gray fist. The barrier remained unscratched, unfathomably durable despite the lack of any spellcasting gestures. It was as if it was the work of the puppeteer from his days pretending to be a fake sage!

“Just dealing with this one and it’s over…!”

“Is that possible?”

While Alpha was focused on Pashantu’s attack, Kal Elson, like an assassin without a trace, moved to the rear and launched five slashing attacks simultaneously with a drawn sword.

The sword slashes, capable of cleanly slicing through even the tough scales of a dragon, seemed unlikely to leave the barrier unscathed. Yet, Alpha’s response was the same. He expanded the barrier in the direction of the incoming slashes.

With a resounding clash, not one, but five barriers simultaneously unfolded, altering the trajectory of the oncoming sword strike in an unexpected manner.

Within that moment, as the eyes of Kal Elson widened in disbelief, never having anticipated his sword blow could be blocked, Alpha swung his hand in a chopping motion towards him.

The sound of metal colliding echoed dozens of times in an instant. The barriers that had obstructed Kal Elson’s sword morphed into scores of blades, rushing towards him.

Amidst the chaos, he managed to see and counter each one, a feat that compelled him to exclaim, “What kind of monster…!”

“Quite the swordsman, I must say. It’s a rare breed I have not encountered before. Unlike mages, swordfighters do not seem to be lacking in skill. What a pity,” remarked Alpha, tinged with a hint of regret.

Taken aback by the unforeseen opposition, Kal Elson stumbled backward. Then, with a flash, Khan’s axe came down like thunder from the heavens, the resulting roar shaking the very ground and shattering the multilayered barriers into pieces, all under Alpha’s narrowed gaze.

“Truly, a remarkable divine power. Perhaps a lineage from the ancient giants?” Alpha mused, only to be met with a curt, “Shut up!”

Boom.

The clash and tumultuous roar that followed would have spelled destruction for the surroundings if it weren’t for the magical barriers in place. The axe and magic sword flowed in a deadly dance towards Alpha’s skull, with Khan’s axe ultimately embedding itself into Alpha’s chest.

“Hmm, this is beyond imagination,” Alpha thought, as he witnessed the illusion created to deceive him. He smirked, noticing strands of hair being sliced off by the axe.

“It seems there’s something unique about your lineage indeed, to dispel an illusion that strikes directly at the psyche so effortlessly. I almost suffered a fatal blow right from the start,” Alpha said, before starting to chant a spell for the first time. However, it was his spell that unleashed flames before the magic sword could penetrate him.

A tremendous burst of heat swept over Khan and his companions from three directions, reminiscent, yet surpassing, the breath of a wyvern.

Khan considered countering with his magic sword but opted to leap back instead, realizing the intensity of the flames could cause severe injury even without direct contact. The others also retreated in their own ways to avoid the onslaught of flames.

Pashantu created a reactive force by projecting the power of the sky holder’s essence in all directions to retreat, while Kal Elson had already moved back even before the flames had fully manifested.

“Hmm, they fight better than I anticipated,” Alpha openly admired. Despite not having regained his full power, a Grand Magus’s might was undeniable. Even without his past strength, consuming collected souls to replenish his energy made him a formidable foe, capable of single-handedly annihilating legions.

And with the support of the demonic realm, defeat seemed an impossible concept for him. Yet, the combat abilities of his opponents were impressively higher than he had expected, especially the warrior he had previously suggested joining forces with, deserving genuine praise.

“This is bad,” Alpha realized, not alone in his astonishment. The dismay felt by Khan and his party was arguably greater.

“That barrier… It’s not just a simple protective spell. Every time it deflects a strike, the recoil feels like it’s pushing the sword away,” Kal Elson noted, bewildered.

Even a mere defensive spell had deflected his sword blows, shattering the pride of the swordsman who thought he could slice through any magic conjured by even the strongest mages.

“…So, this is the final boss,” Khan mused with a bitter smile, taking in Alpha’s relaxed demeanor.

“As bad as it gets,” Khan thought, lamenting over his consistently outdone misfortunes, as he gripped his axe and magic sword tighter.

“Looks like there’s no other choice…”

“Let’s see how well you flounder,” Alpha said, setting the stage.

Thus, the worst boss battle commenced.