Barbarian in a Failed Game

322. The Great Demonic Realm (5)

The scar left in the sky by the sword did not dissipate over time. It remained like a wound, etched into the chaotic, purple sky, with the black sun noticeably distant beyond it.

“Click… Despite everything, even though it hasn’t fully descended, it’s still this overwhelming.”

The old man who had scarred the sky spoke. He was Valken Leichtahp, the Sword Master, Leniyar’s mentor, and the master of Sword Mountain, who had been trapped in the Great Demonic Realm by the Oath of Purification. He patted his back unnecessarily as he spoke.

“I can’t hold on for long. The pillar of light inflicted some damage, but alone, it was impossible. But… why did you return here? You’re not the type to come back in the middle of such chaos.”

“Such a cheeky way of speaking… Do you think I could just stay put? If I did nothing, the entire continent would be annihilated.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“There’s no time to explain here.”

E-Urel, suppressing the explosion of the Night Sky within him, descended to the ground.

“You all… You must be Khan’s companions, the ones he sent ahead to observe the Great Demonic Realm’s movements.”

Leaving Valken, with whom he had roamed the Great Demonic Realm, behind, E-Urel spoke to the group that had appeared with him.

“That’s correct. I am Ron, the guide. And you are…? Did Hyungnim send you?”

“We’ll correct that insolent way of speaking later. For now, we must first escape the influence of that black sun. Valken, how long can you maintain that sword mark?”

“Well… This is the first time I’ve ever cut something like that. But it should last at least three or four hours. But, with such an army… what is this?”

“The emperor sent them. He said the continent would be destroyed if we stayed put. Honestly, they’re not much help… but we need to save as many as we can. So, where did you come from?”

“Where did we come from… That’s the question we’d like to ask. We’ve been staying in one place since the black sun appeared. Suddenly, the army appeared and caused havoc, so the Sword Master insisted on coming out….”

“Hey, Ron, why are you putting it that way? You were the first to ask if we should go out. Even though we could have stayed hidden.”

“Safe place? Are you saying there is a safe place under that black sun, Valken?”

“It’s not completely safe, but it’s at least enough to catch our breath. However…”

Valken Leichtahp clicked his tongue as he looked at the massive army behind E-Urel.

“That number might be too large to fit inside. E-Urel, I’ll go inside and check first. Is that alright?”

E-Urel was about to agree when the blond man, the guardian dragon Arkadnil, interrupted and stopped Valken.

“Sword Master Valken Leichtahp. When you say ‘inside’, do you mean the Witch’s Domain?”

“Yes, that’s correct…”

Valken Leichtahp could not immediately discern the identity of the young man, Arkadnil. After all, he had never seen a dragon before. However, he sensed that this was no ordinary being, prompting him to adopt a cautious attitude similar to how he treated E-Urel.

Yet, Arkadnil’s next words shattered his composure.

“That domain won’t hold for long. It will inevitably collapse under the strain of wielding transcendent power with a mortal body and mind.”

“Transcendent power… you say?”

“Yes. The being you call the Witch is a byproduct of the mad experiments conducted by the Council of Truth in the distant past to harness transcendent elements. That Winter Witch is a rare case where these inherited elements manifested.”

Arkadnil pointed towards the area behind Valken, where the Witch’s Domain was located.

“The price of recklessly expanding a domain, a power reserved for gods, is the eventual destruction of the body. That’s why we are short on time. Most importantly…”

It seems that dreadful entity has no intention of idly watching. Valken lifted his head in response to Arkadnil’s grim words.

He flinched.

“No, this can’t be…”

The sword scar was fading. It was evidence that the unparalleled sword strike by the continent’s greatest swordsman, Valken Leichtahp, could not withstand the pressure of the Arch Demon, who hadn’t even fully descended yet.

Valken’s face turned pale with anxiety.

“Even so… this soon?!”

“Don’t try to understand it with common sense. That entity is practically a part of this world. With that black sun in the sky, time is not on our side. We must reach the Cradle of the Void as quickly as possible.”

Arkadnil unilaterally ended the conversation, as he had no choice.

Crackle-

An ominous sound echoed from the sky where the black sun hung.

“First, we must lead all the troops into the Witch’s Domain. I can buy us some time by preventing the element from going berserk.”

***

The Winter Witch was a woman who exuded the very essence of being a “witch” at first glance.

Firstly, she was tall enough to look down on most grown men. Her limbs were long and slender, with skin so pale it seemed almost translucent, creating a striking impression.

Most notably, her hair and eyebrows were entirely white, like snow. She truly embodied the Winter Witch.

‘That woman… is protecting the entire imperial army?’

Senior knight Regin observed the Winter Witch while also taking in the drastically changed surroundings.

Instead of the nauseating purple sky, there was now a white sky filled with swirling snowstorms. The Great Demonic Realm, which was entirely a desert, now resembled the northern snowfields where Regin stood.

“Captain, are you sure this is alright…?”

“What do you mean?”

“The, the rumors about the witch…”

“Useless chatter. Take the time to get some rest.”

Regin dismissed his anxious lieutenant with a sigh, then took another deep breath.

‘A witch… In the past, I would have tried to kill her on sight.’

That was no longer the case. He knew it couldn’t be. How could he kill the one who had created a snowfield in the middle of the desert to house the imperial army?

‘Coming to the Great Demonic Realm was a mistake from the start.’

Of course, as a knight, he had no choice. The noble he served had sent him off to the Great Demonic Realm to save his own skin, leaving Regin to face the unknown terror of the Arch Demon.

In truth, Regin doubted the usefulness of the imperial army itself.

What good was giving fine equipment to common soldiers? They struggled even against a single chaotic creature. Additionally, many had died meaninglessly, exposed to the power of the black sun up close.

‘A small elite force would have been better…’

Regin was starting to question the emperor’s judgment as he estimated the drastically reduced numbers of the imperial army.

“What?”

The agitated voice of Arkadnil echoed throughout the snowfield.

While Arkadnil’s voice was quickly drowned out by the noise of tens of thousands of people, it was enough to catch the attention of the keenly perceptive senior knight, Regin.

“What is it about the Cradle of the Void…?”

“Could you not see this coming? Thinking that the absence of those chaos minions in the second layer was a coincidence is too naive.”

“You’re a mage. You must understand how different the monster you saw in the Cradle of the Void is from the creatures outside!”

“So what? Does it change what we have to do? Ultimately, we need to go to the Cradle of the Void to deal a fundamental blow to that ‘black sun’. Even if the opponent is the fully descended Scion of the Arch Demon, our task remains the same.”

The Scion of the Arch Demon?

The mysterious mage woman, who introduced herself as Ludmilla, engaged in a conversation with Arkadnil that Regin secretly eavesdropped on, his expression hardening.

Ludmilla, in a tone that seemed to mock the harsh reality, continued speaking, seemingly unfazed by Regin’s reaction.

“Opening the path to the Cradle of the Void will be just the beginning. The Arch Demon, who cannot yet harm us directly, will do everything to defend the Cradle of the Void. That’s when the real war will begin. Not only will we face the minions of the Monarchs of Hell, but also waves of chaos minions. And we need to open a ‘path’ we don’t even know how to open?”

Impossible.

Even if it were possible—during the process of handling so many monsters and opening the path, the key forces, including the apostles of the gods, would be exhausted.

“That’s what the army is for. To support so that a small elite force can drive a sword into the heart of the Arch Demon. The imperial legions will assist.”

“Do you think stopping one Arch Demon will be the end of it?”

“What do you mean, mage?”

“Nothing. If you don’t know, that’s fine. It doesn’t change what we have to do. By the way, where is he? Seeing the forces from the Pantheon here means things must have been resolved on that end, right?”

“He?”

“Gordi Khan. The Dragon Marquis of the Empire.”

Hearing the mention of the Dragon Marquis, Regin found himself momentarily forgetting the gravity of the situation and listening intently.

This was because he had witnessed the awe-inspiring display of power by the barbarian warriors earlier.

‘The army of those brutes was also dispatched by the Dragon Marquis. Moreover… the most famous and strongest barbarian on the continent must be the Dragon Marquis himself. If the Dragon Marquis is helping, it would be an incredible boost—’

However.

The hopeful vision unfolding in Regin’s mind was shattered by Aries’ cold, emotionless words.

“Khan will not be coming.”

“He’s not coming?”

“He said he had something he had to deal with personally.”

Grit.

Aries clenched her teeth, recalling the conversation she had with Khan just before parting in the heavens.

‘In case you don’t see me after all this is over, don’t bother looking for me or seeking revenge.’

‘Whether I succeed or fail, revenge will be impossible.’

‘Understood, little one?’

***

“The air feels different.”

『Isn’t it just your imagination?』

Khan responded to the grumbling voice with a bitter smile, slowly raising his gaze. The sky, both familiar and strange, greeted him.

Hoarfrost Gorge.

The homeland of his physical body and the place where, in ancient times, Karyan had to seal a void monster by sacrificing his mortal freedom.

-The reason Khan had returned to Hoarfrost Gorge was simple.

Vroom—

『It’s inside there. Karyan, beyond his sanctuary, the God of Death resides.』

The Unyielding, gripped in his left hand, vibrated slightly. Having given all her power to Aries and Elena, the Goddess of Justice, now residing within the weapon like a lingering spirit, spoke again.

『Be careful. Not only light and magic, but… the Warrior God, the master of that sanctuary, was formidable even in his mortal days.』

“I know.”

That annoying fellow was exceptionally strong. Khan couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

The powers of the Goddess of Justice wouldn’t suddenly malfunction. This left only questions. Why on earth had Karyan invited the God of Death, the God of Light, and the Sorceress who became the God of Magic into his sanctuary?

『With three of the highest gods, including the God of Magic, the Warrior God might have begrudgingly accepted them into his sanctuary.』

The Goddess of Justice added, trying to be helpful, but Khan knew better. Karyan wasn’t the type to be intimidated by threats.

‘Could it be that from the beginning, he and the Sorceress…’

It’s a pointless thought.

The ancient connection between Karyan and the Sorceress, the void monster sealed within the sanctuary, and the Sorceress’s intent to recreate the world….

Khan crushed these tangled thoughts in his mind and started walking towards the sanctuary entrance. If Karyan had indeed accepted the God of Magic out of necessity, Khan would mock him for a while and then help him.

But if—if Karyan had sided with the Sorceress’s ideology from the beginning….

‘Then my long-held wish to smash that smug face will finally come true.’