Barbarian in a Failed Game

312. Heaven (8)

Aries remained silent for a long time after regaining consciousness. It was as if she were dazed or under the influence of a mental spell from a dark mage, making Khan wonder if something had gone wrong.

The truth was revealed when she slowly raised her upper body and, in her usual manner, made an astonishing statement.

“… A false God has taken control of the heavens.”

“What did you just say-! Uh, ahem….”

E-Urel, embarrassed by his raised voice, cleared his throat.

Of course, Aries paid no attention to E-Urel’s reaction, and Khan was too focused on the “false God” she mentioned to think about pointing it out.

“Taken control? Are you saying all the gods in the heavens have fallen under the control of this false God?”

“No.”

Aries denied this first, then paused to catch her breath. Though she was usually quiet and brief, it wasn’t because she lacked speaking skills. She just preferred to be as concise and to the point as possible.

That made her words even more shocking.

“Manipulation… Hypnosis… It’s something like that. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.”

“… Are you telling me the Goddess of Justice said this?”

“Yes.”

E-Urel’s eyebrows twitched violently. He felt a bit strange being spoken to so casually by someone who had lived less than a tenth of his life.

A barbarian being rude was one thing, but Aries was an apostle of the same God. Even the Sword Master Valken Leichtahp, who was famous across the continent, treated E-Urel with utmost respect….

“If this is true, it is indeed a significant problem.”

But this wasn’t the time to be petty about an old man’s pride. The gods of the heavens being controlled by a “false God”? Who could possibly have the power to manipulate divine beings? If such a being existed, could it truly be called a “false God”…?

E-Urel, who had lived for centuries as an apostle, knew well how ridiculously powerful the divine beings were. It was hard to accept such an idea easily.

Nevertheless—

“Given the nature of the Goddess of Justice, she wouldn’t speak falsehoods. If she believes this to be the true state of the heavens, then it must be so.”

“I knew the laws of the world had influenced the heavens.”

“A mortal knowing about the laws…? How did you… No, then your reason for trying to enter the heavens was…!”

“Well… There’s nothing more certain than seeing it with my own eyes.”

Although his mistrust of the so-called God of the Void played a part, he couldn’t explain that.

‘I still can’t fully trust him.’

Despite the possibility of cooperating to restore order in the heavens, E-Urel ultimately remained an apostle of the Knight God. Furthermore, it was undeniable that he had other objectives, something even he did not deny.

“More importantly, old man, you’re connected to the Knight God. If the gods in the heavens are truly being manipulated….”

“No. I can say with absolute certainty. That stubborn brat is fine. At least for now.”

“Stubborn brat…?”

Putting aside the disrespect of calling the God he serves a “stubborn brat”, his confidence was strangely firm.

“How long do you think I’ve served that brat? It spanned multiple changes of emperors. Even up until the moment I left the Great Demonic Realm to kidnap you, there was no reaction from him. To begin with… that brat, who’s been around for thousands of years, is a God of a much higher rank than you can imagine. If the Goddess of Justice is fine, the Knight God will be fine too.”

“If that’s the case….”

“The problem lies with the lower gods. If the standard for not being controlled by that false God is the Goddess of Justice, then the heavens are essentially under the false God’s control. Even the highest-ranking gods who actively participate are only four in total.”

The highest-ranking gods—those who oversee concepts revered or worshipped by many.

The Knight God.

The Goddess of Justice.

The God of Light.

The God of Death.

These are the four gods who actively involve themselves in the affairs of the heavens.

“Assuming the Gods of Light and Death are also fine, can we seek their cooperation?”

“… I’m not sure. Given the nature of their concepts, they are unpredictable beings. Especially the God of Light… he’s quite enigmatic. You never know what he might do.”

“And the God of Death?”

“He’s the most reasonable, but personally, I don’t want to encounter him. He gives me… an extremely unpleasant feeling.”

“What does that even….”

“If you ever meet the God of Death, which I hope you don’t, you’ll remember my words and deeply regret it. Anyway… did the Goddess of Justice leave any other messages?”

Aries frowned slightly at the question.

“The false God’s divine name.”

“Divine name…? Are you referring to the concept? Ah, right! There were rumors about the birth of a new God. Initially, it seemed like nonsense… but is this new God the ‘false God’?”

“Yes.”

“What is the divine name!”

E-Urel was evidently excited.

A divine name is the most direct representation of the concept or domain a God governs. Knowing the divine name could make things significantly easier.

“The God of Magic.”

“Magic… you say?”

Aries nodded.

Despite getting the answer he wanted, E-Urel’s face hardened.

What defines the rank of a God?

The scope of their domain and the number of their followers. The Knight God is a Supreme God because knights have long been symbols of might, faith, and protection.

The Goddess of Justice is similar. Good people naturally wish for a just world, and evil people fear the retribution of justice. That’s why the Goddess of Justice has a sword and scales as symbols.

What about the God of Light? Most people work during the day and stay in safe places at night because they recognize the dangers of darkness. People don’t doubt the existence of light because it’s such an inherent part of their lives.

The God of Death? Fear of death fuels his power. Hence, he remains a Supreme God even with fewer followers.

‘The God of Magic…?’

Magic.

How do people perceive magic? To ordinary people, a mage is an incomprehensible madman, and magic is an unknown force. To those who understand it, magic symbolizes destruction and an unavoidable disaster.

The biggest problem is the mages themselves—those mad individuals. As much as one might wish otherwise, those obsessed with the study of magic could very well be sending their faith to the God of Magic.

In the end, E-Urel sighed as he reached his conclusion.

“… A Supreme God.”

There was no doubt about it. A concept like magic, even without explicit faith, would easily elevate to the rank of a Supreme God. This posed a significant threat to the three who aimed to restore the heavens to their original state.

“It’s extremely difficult to resolve this on our own. While I am undeniably a very powerful force….”

The unspoken words were clear. I might be able to manage, but you might have a harder time. Khan subtly grimaced, waiting for E-Urel to continue.

“You are an exceptionally skilled warrior. Honestly, even a high-ranking God would struggle to defeat you in pure combat. But with a Supreme God, the situation is different. Their battles aren’t just ‘fights’.”

“If it’s not a fight, then what?”

“Think about it. Can you hold or stop light? Can you kill death? Can you overpower the Knight God, the symbol of might, with brute force? Can you strike a blow against the being that punishes all evil?”

It’s impossible. Even the last two seem challenging, but light and death are completely beyond comprehension.

“It’s about concepts. If a demon’s authority gives them absolute control over a specific domain, a God’s concept is their very essence. To resist them, you need an equivalent ‘something’. For example—”

The night sky unfolded in E-Urel’s grasp once again.

“It’s something only allowed to humans who live fleeting, mortal lives. Willpower, determination, or perhaps resolve. There are many similar terms, but none fit perfectly. However, what is certain is that while this is different from a God’s concept, it’s a power that can stand against them.”

“Willpower….”

Khan found that expression quite fitting.

Why not? It’s a common concept in martial arts or fantasy genres, something akin to the heart’s sword or other such ideas.

“You also have something similar. Just for a moment… I saw you use it to block my sword strike. It was very different, and I’m unsure if it’s really the same power as mine, but without more examples, let’s set that aside for now.”

“You said earlier that telling me wouldn’t help, that it would just send me in circles.”

“… The situation has changed.”

E-Urel sounded somewhat displeased. From his perspective, he was about to pass on the distilled essence of hundreds of years of enlightenment to a youngster who hadn’t even lived half a century. No wonder he was reluctant.

‘But… this is necessary.’

Dealing with a Supreme God wasn’t something E-Urel could do alone. The assistance of Khan and Aries…

‘It will be helpful.’

It wouldn’t be decisive. Especially when the other gods, aside from the supreme gods, were being controlled. The Knight God. If that defiant brat offered his aid, the odds would improve, but even he might not be enough against a monster with “Magic” as its divine name, controlling other gods.

So.

“The Goddess of Justice summoned this young apostle, so she must have a plan. That leaves you. A self-made man. I don’t know if you’ll fully grasp my teachings and achieve what I have. On the contrary… in the worst case, you might close off your own potential.”

“The second worst case?”

“You could become a cripple. Your soul could break.”

That seemed more like the worst case. Khan grumbled inwardly but didn’t argue with E-Urel. He was right given the current situation.

“So? How do you plan to teach me? Meditation or something?”

“I can’t teach you how to run before you know how to walk. First, I’ll explain. In the most vague and roundabout way, so you can find the answers yourself.”

Usually, teachings should be intuitive and easy to understand, right? That thought crossed Khan’s mind, but he quietly nodded. There must be a reason.

E-Urel’s lesson began immediately.

“Have you ever wondered about the existence of Sword Masters?”

“Sword Masters…?”

Yes, he had questions. In the game, they were beings who unleashed bizarre attacks that completely ignored defense, and who achieved superhuman movements with bodies trained to the extreme limits of humanity.

In the game, one might just accept it as possible, but in reality, it’s not so simple.

‘Just look at Leniyar.’

Her physique was so exceptional it was hard to believe she was human—especially a woman. But that was it. She couldn’t split rocks barehanded or leap over tens of meters in a single bound like Khan or a knight or paladin might.

But Leniyar accomplished more than that.

Despite the harsh conditions of the Hoarfrost Gorge and with one of her ankles shattered, she displayed incredible movements that escaped Khan’s sight, executing dozens of sword strikes in a single breath.

“It’s strange. Simply mastering swordsmanship to the extreme doesn’t grant you the ability to cut through anything. Unless you wield a legendary or magic sword, it’s hard to understand.”

E-Urel’s words were spot on.

‘Recently, she’s been carrying a broken sword around.’

It was a phenomenon difficult to comprehend, both physically and in terms of fantasy. However, E-Urel explained that it was entirely natural.

“Sword Masters each go through different environments, talents, and training, but they all have one desire.”

To cut.

“That obsession enables those impossible feats. It’s as if their will to ‘cut’ becomes a concept embedded in their swordsmanship. Valken described it as achieving the ultimate essence of the sword, but I’d explain it a bit differently.”

“How?”

“By constantly asserting and imposing one’s life and will upon the world. Making the world accept the insane notion that my sword can cut through anything. In my case….”

E-Urel condensed the night sky in his hand into the shape of a sword.

“It’s freedom. Serving that insufferable brat, continuing the knightly duties that don’t suit my nature, and fighting the endless monsters of the Great Demonic Realm for centuries… At the end of this tedious life, I wished for freedom.”

Therefore, E-Urel could surpass the limits of aura.

He created clones almost as powerful as his true self, fashioned wings that rivaled a dragon’s flight capabilities, and entered the heavens faster than anyone, opening the divine gates. He completely made the aura, a power given by the gods, his own.

“And what about you?”

E-Urel’s question tangled Khan’s thoughts. What about him? What did he truly desire? Returning to Earth? Punishing the brats who kidnapped him? Or something else…?

“From now on, you must realize it yourself. Due to the lack of time… we’ll have to use a rather rough method.”

Those tangled thoughts vanished instantly. Suddenly, E-Urel, holding the Sword of the Night Sky, created a clone, and now two Eurells surrounded Khan from front and back.

“If you don’t want to die, you’d better realize it quickly. For both your sake and mine.”