Barbarian in a Failed Game

311. Heaven (7)

“Here… is the eastern part of the continent….”

Everywhere one looked, it defied common sense. The sky, dyed in a purple hue, was devoid of stars. There was neither a sun nor a moon. Yet, it was strangely bright.

“It’s hard to believe this place was once called the continent’s largest granary.”

“You’re talking about the ancient empire, right? The one that waged war against the dragons.”

“Yes. Ah, speaking of the ancient empire….”

“Well, I don’t really know. I don’t want to recall old memories….”

“My apologies.”

Ron apologized to the heightened senses of the Beast God, who was as alert as a beast in an unfamiliar environment, and looked around with an incredulous expression.

The east of Midland was a demonic land composed entirely of deserts. There was no vegetation, and the environment was so harsh it seemed designed to kill humans. With no vegetation, it was impossible to find simple food, and the climate changed drastically between day and night.

In the time of the ancient empire, it had been the continent’s largest granary. Even during the modern empire, it produced enough food to feed the entire population and then some, earning it the name ‘Golden Land.’

However, everything changed after the Great Demonic Realm engulfed the east.

“The Great Demonic Realm…. I never thought I’d see it with my own eyes. Miss Ludmilla must feel the same, no?”

“Indeed.”

Originally, there would have been no reason to venture outside the Forest of the Inverted Cross. Ludmilla admitted this matter-of-factly. If it weren’t for Khan, a barbarian, and her interest in the relics of the sorceress, she would have ended her life in exile in the frontier Argon, branded with the derogatory title of Witch.

She would never have come to the Great Demonic Realm, known as the ‘end’ of the continent.

“Anyway. It’s an amazing place. What’s even more surprising is that this isn’t the true start of the Great Demonic Realm.”

“If what the warrior told us is true… we’re still at the first level. This is just the entrance to the demonic land.”

Listening to the familiar conversation between Ron and Jan, who now seemed as close as father and son, Ludmilla recalled the information about the Great Demonic Realm that Khan had shared.

First level, the Boundary.

Second level, the Realm of Chaos.

Third level, the Cradle of Void.

Currently, Ludmilla and her party were at the first level, the ‘Boundary’.

Specifically, it referred to the land in the eastern part of the continent that had been eroded by the influence of the Great Demonic Realm. As one approached the second level, the ‘Realm of Chaos’, they would encounter monsters tainted by the void.

“Even at the entrance of the first level, it’s like this…. I can’t imagine how terrible it must be deeper inside. Moreover, it’s hard to imagine anyone living in such a place.”

The rest of the party agreed with Ron’s words. Though they did not doubt the information given by Khan, the Great Demonic Realm they saw with their own eyes was a place where it seemed impossible for anyone to live.

At that moment, the strange creatures following the group at a distance….

“Miss Ludmilla.”

“… Yoro, right?”

“Yes. You remember.”

Among the ‘demonkin’ sent by Esperus to help Khan, the most unsettling one approached Ludmilla.

“Well, the thing is, I smell blood. There are two types: one is human, the other seems to be a beast.”

“… I don’t smell anything.”

“Haha. Of course, the Beast God has extraordinarily acute senses, but my original, Esperus, also has an exceptional sense of ‘blood’.”

“Blood…. Human and beast?”

“Yes. Judging by the length of the trail, it seems they brought the beast in from outside.”

It was unlikely that someone deliberately left a trail as a trap only Yoro, akin to a Scion of the Arch Demon, could recognize. Bringing in a beast likely meant they were using it for food.

“How do you feel about this direction? As our guide.”

“Hmm, it seems fine. I don’t sense any particular danger, although it does feel a bit sharp…. Anyway, it’s not too dangerous.”

Ludmilla nodded, and the party decided to follow the blood trail. After all, their primary destination was the ‘Lake of Winter’.

The only oasis in this Great Demonic Realm.

And the place where a woman known as a witch, like Ludmilla once was called the Witch of the Forest of the Inverted Cross, resided.

No, it was the place where the true witch stayed.

‘The Winter Witch…. I wonder what kind of person she is.’

If she was someone called a witch, she must be an exceptional sorceress. Gaining the cooperation of the Winter Witch would make their journey through the Great Demonic Realm much easier, fulfilling Khan’s advice with simplicity.

Great talent often brought loneliness. Just as Ludmilla had experienced in the past. A faint smile appeared on Ludmilla’s lips. She had no doubt that Khan, heading towards the pantheon, would successfully enter the heavens and achieve his desired goal.

***

‘Did I lose…. Damn it.’

His body… honestly, was in perfect condition.

Considering he was on the brink of losing consciousness, it was an unbelievable situation. After all, he had been hit and swept away by the mysterious attack launched by Executor E-Urel, making him pass out.

He had been a bit arrogant. Even though he was bound by the law, he had captured the Beast God, who was once a God of his race, and in Hell, he had destroyed the true form of a demon.

‘I thought by now, I wouldn’t get beaten up by a transcendent being.’

He truly believed that. No, he even thought that no one but a God could stand against him.

But….

‘Shit.’

What the hell was that? It wasn’t holy power, nor was it aura. Although it was a technique displayed by a clone made of aura, Khan judged it to be closer to the ash-gray power he wielded. Using willpower to exert physical force.

However, E-Urel’s final strike was beyond merely forging willpower. What kind of human will shines like a star in the night sky?

“… Damn it.”

“Understand, I had no other choice. But at least I left your body intact, right? And… if you had resisted fiercely, it wouldn’t have been this easy.”

Of course. Khan twisted his mouth and stood up, looking around with his intact body.

“Is this the heavens? It’s desolately bleak.”

“That’s pretty much the case. Well, wouldn’t hell be similar?”

“No. Honestly, hell is quite livable. It’s even better than Midland.”

“… I see. You returned from hell, didn’t you? You got that absurd dark magic there too?”

“It was given to me by a brother I didn’t even know I had.”

Khan responded tersely to the man who interrupted his monologue—E-Urel, the one responsible for knocking him out—while being aware of the feel of the Unyielding and Draupnir in his hands.

“Where is this? I know it’s the heavens, but where exactly?”

“There are various zones in the heavens. The gods are fundamentally arrogant and do not leave their territories. This is a sanctuary of one of the lesser-known gods. When a God’s concept is obscure or lacks faith, they end up in the outskirts of the heavens. It’s perfect for a situation like this.”

“And what happened to this unknown God?”

“Take a guess.”

Khan shrugged at E-Urel’s playful retort. He didn’t particularly care. It didn’t matter to him whether a divinity in the heavens was dead or not.

‘At least there was some point in getting captured quietly.’

Indeed.

E-Urel’s transcendent swordsmanship was undoubtedly something that even Khan and his group would have struggled to resist. But if Khan had fiercely resisted using the ash-gray power, he could have easily freed himself.

The ash-gray power was the force that repelled everything constituting the world. The reason he didn’t was due to the psychic wave he heard just before the attack struck.

“Don’t resist, let yourself be captured. This might be the only chance to bring you to the heavens.”

The message was conveyed through the will embedded in E-Urel’s sword strike, mixed with mental waves or thoughts, deceiving even the eyes of the gods. Whether to trust it was a gamble, but for Khan, who had Karyan’s eyes, it was a very high-stakes gamble.

And having succeeded in that gamble, he found himself in the heavens.

“So? There must be a reason you brought me here.”

“Hmm… Does it matter? In any case, you’ve achieved your purpose. And I have also fulfilled mine.”

“It does matter. In a place like this, I can’t afford to cooperate with someone whose motives are unknown.”

At those words, E-Urel smiled.

“Wise. But let me point out an error: you weren’t my true objective. You were just a bonus. The one who entrusted me with this dangerous task is very merciful and made sure you wouldn’t get caught up in it.”

“… A task?”

An ominous statement.

If E-Urel, an apostle of the Knight God, had done this under a God’s command, then from the context, it didn’t seem like that God was the Knight God…. But before that.

“Then who was your actual target?”

“Well, it’s the child lying at your feet.”

Only after hearing E-Urel’s words did Khan notice the platinum-haired girl curled up on the ground. It was strange that he hadn’t noticed her until now, given his keen senses, but E-Urel explained that it wasn’t unusual.

“This is a sanctuary, after all. The concept of the God here applies quite strongly. This is the sanctuary left by the ‘God of Solitude’, making it difficult to perceive others. Unless someone can manipulate their will like me, it’s hard for even other gods to notice us.”

Aries lay there, unconscious as if her soul had left her body. Khan reached out to touch her, but E-Urel warned against it.

“She’s just now connecting with a God, so give her a bit more time. If you wake her up now, my mission will be ruined.”

“Connecting with a God…? Don’t tell me…!”

“Yes. The God who asked me to bring her to the heavens is the Goddess of Justice.”

Khan’s eyes twitched. The Goddess of Justice?

“Wasn’t the Goddess of Justice stripped of their divinity?”

“How could that be? She’s one of the highest-ranking gods in the heavens. No one can punish her. After all, the Goddess of Justice is the one who oversees justice and delivers punishment.”

“Why didn’t she answer prayers? Was there a specific reason?”

“Well… things have been chaotic. She probably had no choice but to use a desperate measure to prevent things from getting worse. I don’t know the details either. I haven’t been out of the Great Demonic Realm for long. What I do know is that she sought out this girl last. The key to resolving the situation lies with her.”

In essence, they had to wait until Aries woke up.

“So, for now, just wait. If you have any questions, I’ll answer them as best I can. After all, I brought you here.”

“…”

There was no reason to refuse such an offer.

Moreover, there were numerous matters Khan wanted to clarify. Did the Knight God know about this? Why was he brought along as a bonus? Why did E-Urel obey the orders despite knowing the situation of the Goddess of Justice?

Questions that could help him understand the current situation and formulate future plans swirled in his mind.

But when Khan finally spoke, his question was different from what he had initially intended.

“… That sword strike. How did you do it?”

“Hmm.”

Was it because he didn’t expect the question, or had he been anticipating it? E-Urel smiled faintly.

“Getting an answer from me would be a detour, not a shortcut. You know that, don’t you? It wasn’t some grand technique or power that did it.”

Indeed.

What was contained in that sword strike was purely E-Urel’s life and will. But could it really be done just by instilling willpower?

“That’s the answer. Continuously questioning and reflecting on why the power that transcendent beings and transcendental species, who are granted endless life, cannot wield, is given to mere humans who can’t even live a hundred years. Keep reflecting on it.”

Khan couldn’t respond to E-Urel’s profound words.

At that moment, Aries opened her eyes.

“Let’s stop the chit-chat. Let’s hear what our prospective apostle has to say.”