Barbarian in a Failed Game

333. DLC (2)

“Are you really okay with this?”

“What’s there not to be okay about?”

“To fulfill your wish, you won’t have enough even if you exhaust all the included essences. Is it really necessary? Reviving those who are already dead…”

“It’s not reviving, just returning things to how they were.”

“Even if it means forgetting yourself in the process?”

“I told you. Just returning things to how they were.”

***

Ludmilla.

Once known as the Witch of the Forest of the Inverted Cross, and now called the Arh Mage or the Freak of Northland, she had been obsessed with one thing lately.

“It’s been five years since you started examining that corpse. Aren’t you getting tired of it by now?”

The place where Khan last went and vanished without a trace. Observing the Void Monster, which was sealed with might and sanctuary by Karyan in exchange for his freedom during the times of the ancient empire – the Red Wasteland.

“That thing. Whatever the descendant did, it’s completely dead now. Even if you want to find out something, can anything come out of a corpse?”

A man with a princely appearance and an expression exuding arrogance chattered beside her, but Ludmilla did not respond. She knew well that apart from one person, all barbarian were significantly regressed in terms of intellect.

‘Because he’s the ancestor of barbarian. He must be the same.’

Karyan would have frowned if he heard this, but Ludmilla had perfectly hidden her emotions from his eyes, so nothing happened. Honestly, Ludmilla regarded almost all humans as no more significant than passing stones.

An exceedingly exceptional talent naturally invites fear, and from a very young age, she had to protect herself from all kinds of contempt and hatred. The pride and arrogance formed in this way shielded Ludmilla from the world.

Then she met Khan.

『I don’t trust mages.』

『In truth, I’m still contemplating whether to split that head of yours with this axe.』

Not seeing her as the Witch of the Forest of the Inverted Cross, a noble lady abandoned by her family, or a disaster-bringing sorcerer. But purely seeing her as Ludmilla, the human.

Perhaps because he was a barbarian, looked down upon by the entire continent, he could see her without prejudice. Therefore, at first, she did not take Khan’s attitude seriously.

It wasn’t that.

『Witch, my foot… Nowadays, kids act like they are voluntary recluses. You are just someone who doesn’t fit into society. In my days, we couldn’t even imagine such a thing.』

『People are afraid of your talent? That’s some black flame dragon on your right arm kind of nonsense.』

Gordi Khan, a barbarian, seemed to shatter all the prejudices imposed on his race.

『Have you ever had someone you thought was a comrade try to rip your heart out while you slept? Or had a renowned honest merchant try to rip you off tenfold when you approached them? Been shot with arrows just for trying to enter a town for a break?』

『Those with more act worse. While some suffer the damn barbarian fate, a noble lady sorcerer complains about being well-fed and privileged?』

Later, after Ludmilla and Khan were close enough to be called ‘friends’, Khan found that conversation highly embarrassing. He said he was overly sensitive at the time.

But to Ludmilla, that conversation was a fresh and shocking experience—a moment when she first became genuinely interested in a person.

-That’s why she chased Khan’s traces.

“……”

The past five years.

She had learned that Khan won the battle against the ‘God of Magic’ and as a result, the chaos power, among other demonic forces, had completely vanished from Midland.

During that process, Khan disappeared as well.

‘He didn’t die.’

It wasn’t just a hope but a certainty. Of all Khan’s companions, who were now called ‘Heroes’, the only one still in contact with Ludmilla, Maya Eldred, had vouched for it.

『Though so faint that it seems it might vanish at any moment… the lord’s divinity still remains.』

Maya said Khan seemed to have been isolated in a very far place—somewhere outside the dimension called Midland. She couldn’t say for certain if it was true, but it felt that way.

This was the reason Ludmilla had confined herself to the red earth and why Maya Eldred remained in the desert where the Great Demonic Realm had once been. These were the only two places where Khan’s divinity still lingered.

‘It’s soon.’

Ludmilla’s efforts had finally borne fruit. She had poured all her energies over the span of five long years to pioneer the mysterious realm of dimensional magic, so it was only natural in a way.

‘… The preparations are complete. It’s a pity there’s no opportunity to test it, but since we’re dealing with moving between dimensions, it can’t be helped.’

What Ludmilla had discovered was none other than the traces of the battle between Khan and the Enforcer. The battle had occurred inside a space where sanctuary and power had combined. Uncovering those traces later was virtually impossible.

However, mages were a breed who produced miracles with human wisdom, and Ludmilla stood at the pinnacle of such magic.

‘We just need to follow those traces across the dimension.’

Moving to a dimension completely separate from both heaven and hell, which were connected to Midland, was something even Ludmilla couldn’t predict with a 30% success rate. Opening a door to a distant dimension could take decades.

She couldn’t even estimate how long it would take to move between dimensions. Nevertheless, Ludmilla was willing to do it.

“… Because I haven’t heard the answer yet.”

* * *

“He’s dead.”

Aries merely nodded at the report from Leonir von Istantil. Who could have imagined a young girl naturally ordering around Leo, who held titles of the youngest Paladin Commander and the hero of the continent, and even possessed the power of an apostle?

However, the concerned parties accepted it as a matter of course, so there was little sense of incongruity. It wasn’t just because they had once been bound as knight and squire. They had built a bond that went beyond mere comradeship, and at the center of it was a barbarian.

“The Hell Monarch. Is he likely to descend?”

“It seems so. It’s been only five years since the knights of the continent were annihilated by the aftermath of the Reretala Incident. They won’t just watch idly while the continent remains in such chaos and weakness.”

“Got it.”

As Aries pulled her sword out of the giant demon’s corpse, her silver hair swayed gently. Although Aries now had the full appearance of a grown woman, her attire hadn’t changed from the days when she roamed the continent with Khan.

Her limbs were just a bit longer, and her usually expressionless face now bore a hint of maturity.

‘… It can’t be helped.’

Leo had long since guessed the reason why Aries stubbornly clung to her ponytail, simple everyday clothes, and pure white sword.

‘So that when the Silver Hero returns, he can recognize her….’

Aries had grown remarkably over the past five years, but Khan would undoubtedly recognize her. Aries knew this herself. Nevertheless, her imitating her past self likely stemmed from her inability to escape Khan’s shadow.

‘She always said she avenged her father with the Khan’s help.’

Leo couldn’t begin to grasp how much that meant to someone like Aries. His family was alive and basking in his glory, and it wasn’t merely the act of revenge that tethered Aries to Khan.

“In any case, you should rest at the headquarters for the time being, lady Aries.”

“Why?”

“Well….”

Leo found himself at a loss for words at her short retort. Why, indeed?

Because it was unsettling to see her charging recklessly at any sign of a demon, shouting ‘Demon! Die!’ out of spite?

That wasn’t true. Unless it was a Scion of the Arch Demon, the time when Aries could be overpowered by chained demons has long passed.

“Because I’m anxious.”

Leo decided on an answer to give her in his heart. However, he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.

Although he couldn’t fully comprehend her feelings, he empathized with her as a longtime comrade. He also understood how strongly someone like Khan had impacted his fellow companions.

“Haven’t you been wandering for too long? Elena, the future pope, is already complaining about being overworked. Maybe you should at least make an appearance…”

In the end, the poor thought he came up with was to use Elena’s name, who had become the next pope.

“Elena is fine. She’s stronger than I am.”

“Your Hon—”

A deep sigh escaped Leo as the firm refusal left no room for argument. At that moment, a welcomed visit from a fellow companion saved him.

“Hey, kid.”

Not even Leo, who had become an Apostle representing the gods of heaven, noticed her approach. A flaming head of red hair that fluttered like a blaze, scars covering her body presumptively from cuts of a sword, and now emblematic of her throughout the continent, an old sword broken from the hilt down.

“Leniyar, Your Highness…?!”

She had once been called a Sword Demon, but now Leniyar exuded a complete air of a Sword Master. The madness of her past seemed to have vanished completely.

“Why are you here?”

“Do you think I came just because I was glad to see your face?”

“You didn’t have to come.”

“Well, I was thinking maybe I’d suddenly put a knife in that pretty face of yours.”

Gasp—

For a moment, Leo felt as if the air ceased to flow. No, it wasn’t just a feeling; it truly happened.

One was a transcendent who had wholly embraced the divinity of the highest God, while the other was a monstrous entity akin to a God among swordsmen. Just having these two release their fierce aura caused the mana in the area to tear apart.

“Well, I want to do that, but unfortunately, I have some business to attend to. So could you ease up before I really draw my sword?”

Surprisingly, it was Leniyar, who was little more than a mad dog, that backed down first. In the past, this would have been a remarkable incident. But for Leo, who had recently been troubled by issues among his comrades, it was a familiar scene.

“Leniyar, Your Highness. Did you perhaps make some progress?”

“Yes, whether it’s progress or not, it’s something worth watching. Others will probably come too.”

“Others? Do you mean…”

It was undoubtedly referring to Ludmilla and Maya Eldred.

The two who had declared with fierce determination, more so than the word extreme could describe, that they would find Khan. The divide in opinion had led to a somewhat cold war among the remaining comrades, which was Leo’s fundamental headache.

“If those two are interested, it’s big.”

“Indeed it is. Apparently, a dimension gate has popped open. The witch will have to come to know where it leads, though.”

“A dimension gate!”

Leo straightened his back instantly, even while purifying a demon’s corpse. It was indeed a serious matter—a dimension gate?

“Could it be the benefactor again—?”

“We don’t know yet. The gate just opened. I’m here to find out. Are you coming?”

Nod.

It wasn’t Leo but Aries, who had been silently sulking, who answered Leniyar’s question.

“You should. It’s been a while since I saw those irritating faces.”

***

When Maya Eldred opened her eyes, a sleek black egg filled her sight.

“What is this?”

Even a man of considerable courage might have been startled by the situation, but Maya asked without any sign of movement. It was as if her voice had been stripped of all emotion, sounding utterly indifferent.

Anyone could see how unusual this scene was. However, her opponent was no ordinary entity either. He was none other than Esperus, the Scion of the Arch Demon.

“Hmm. It seems you were too deeply immersed in the traces. I didn’t think you would still not notice.”

“……”

“Open your senses again, Maya. You might feel something.”

Having completed her original task, Maya pulled Reletalrasa, now a crude and solid spear, from the ground and nodded.

Then, quite literally, her senses opened.

Her consciousness extended beyond the desert where she was located, spreading across the entire dimension known as Midland, cramming her mind with a flood of information.

And what she felt was that so much had changed.

She had been so deeply immersed in the remnants of the divine presence of Khan, and in the traces left at the moment he descended into the Arch Demon world’s realm, that she had forgotten the passage of time.

“How many years have passed?”

“Five years. You must remember when the Beast God followed the Great Warrior to Hoarfrost Gorge three years ago…”

“What about the other demons?”

“Well. It’s a similar pattern. Rather than staying idle, they insisted on going to Khan’s territory to help with the work. They have endured for quite some time, given their warlike nature. Ah, Kurtank stayed behind. She seems to be trying something centered around this desert…”

“Why did you stay? It’s not of any benefit to you.”

Haha—

Esperus burst into laughter as if she had asked the most obvious thing.

“Because I’m curious. I want to know if my brother—Khan—has really disappeared like this. If not, did he really abandon all his comrades to return to his original homeland?”

“Our lord did not abandon us.”

“Don’t take it too unpleasantly. I’m just discussing possibilities. I, too, hope that my brother remains with us.”

Even Maya could tell that this wish was not purely born out of brotherly affection. It was merely curiosity. Curiosity about the process in which Khan had conquered the heavens and seized the laws of the world. Curiosity about what Khan had become after his disappearance.

‘Unfortunately, even Karyan doesn’t know what happened inside his sanctuary…. We can only ask him directly.’

However, she did not outwardly express this emotion. Instead, she informed him of the anomaly that occurred in the distant western mountains.

“Can you feel it now? The ‘passage’ that leads somewhere unknown? It seems that my brother’s comrades are also catching the scent and moving…”

It was a question asking if she would not go, and Maya responded by slowly moving her feet. Nonetheless, the resulting phenomenon was extravagantly chaotic, quite the opposite.

Swoooosh.

The holy power left by the God of Victory still sustained her as an transcendent being, and the aura of knights absorbed through Reletalrasa remained undiminished, even after the battle with the Arch Demon.

Maya was, in every sense, an undisputed contender for the strongest being on the continent.

The world warped, seemingly recoiling from her presence.

With every step she took through the void, the background changed, and in an instant, she crossed the empire’s border, entering the lands of the frontier kingdom. There, her senses detected an intrusion.

‘A barrier… Emperor Orion.’

It was then that Maya realized she had crossed into the territory of the Argon Kingdom.

The grand scale of the barrier magic that enveloped the kingdom’s border. Who else but Orion, now one of the three Arch Mages, could have cast such a spell?

And just as Maya noticed crossing the barrier, the barrier’s master, too, sensed the walking catastrophe’s intrusion.

『Maya. You’ve arrived.』

In the Argon Kingdom, there were numerous knight families. Among them was one that hadn’t even inherited a proper title or manor, yet was now receiving respect from the kingdom’s ruler.

If it had been the old Maya, she would have felt a sense of dissonance and shrugged at the thought.

“I’ll come right away.”

Just as Orion’s position had dramatically shifted from the crown prince of a frontier kingdom to being recognized next after Emperor Friedrick, Maya had become an undisputed strongest entity on the continent, known by those in the know.

Of course, her social status held no value for her now.

Thud.

For a crossing that took mere tens of minutes across the continent, her landing was modest. This underscored Maya’s incredible strength, and instantly, she drew everyone’s attention.

“Oh! Lady Maya has also arrived!”

Naturally, it was Ron who welcomed her first and with the greatest joy.

“Sir Ron.”

“It’s been so long since I last saw you! We barely had a chance to greet each other properly when you were exploring beyond the demonic lands last time…”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t have the capacity to.”

“I know, I know! I’m not blaming you or anything.”

Ron waved his hand dismissively, and Maya responded with a faint smile before her face returned to its neutral expression as she looked around.

Aries and Leo, who traveled across the continent slicing through demons, caught her attention first, alongside Leniyar who had been focusing intently on training in the mountains.

“A rare face has graced us.”

Ignoring the sarcastic Leniyar, Maya nodded her head humbly.

“Lady Elena.”

“Maya, it’s so good to see you like this.”

Among her comrades, Elena had become the busiest with her duties. Yet, Elena had left the papal headquarters and traveled all the way to the remote Western Great Mountains.

And finally.

‘Is that it?’

Maya’s eyes fell on the portal that had opened in the Western Great Mountains. Something mysterious, unknowable even to her senses, lay beyond it.

Since the divinity within her did not react, it seemed to be a random dimensional gate that had appeared by chance, rather than anything related to Khan.

“I thought you would arrive with Lady Ludmilla, but you’ve surprised me by coming with someone else instead”, Maya said, feeling a bit disappointed.

At that moment, the very person who had summoned everyone here appeared. He possessed the transcendental dragon’s power and, having overcome it, had unlocked his potential as an Arch Mage. It was Orion.

“I’ve only heard about you in stories, but this is our first meeting. How should I address you? Yoro? Esperus?”

“Either is fine. Strictly speaking, I am both.”

Somehow, Esperus had appeared right behind Maya and spoke nonchalantly.

“And as for Lady Ludmilla, it seems she is on her way.”

“…?”

Just as Esperus’ cryptic words ended, the mana around the mountains surged energetically.

Bayle, the swordsman who had been crouching in a corner, was startled, and Leo, who had been keenly observing the situation, grew tense, worried about potential conflicts among his comrades.

Aries stared into the void with an unchanging expression, and Ludmilla chuckled as she brought her hand near the hilt of her sword.

And then.

“Hmm. I didn’t expect such a gathering. I thought there was little interest when various conditions were added to the proposal to find him…”

Ludmilla appeared, and her presence alone made the area fall into silence.

“Isn’t that right?”

Although Ludmilla wore a bright smile, there was a darkness in her eyes as if facing a deep abyss.

This darkness wasn’t due to stepping into the realm of unknown magic but rather from the festering dark emotions accumulated over the past five years.

“Lady Ludmilla. But first, the dimensional gate”, Maya intervened.

“Ah, right.”

They hadn’t come prepared for a fight. Maya considered unraveling the mystery of the dimensional gate more pressing than petty power struggles. Ludmilla agreed, accepting Maya’s offer for a truce.

“Fascinating. It certainly appears to be a dimensional gate at first glance… but upon closer inspection, it’s completely different”, Ludmilla said, demonstrating her mastery over dimensional magic by easily analyzing the gate.

“Rather than a passageway, it would be more accurate to call it a ‘door’ that leads to an entirely different dimension. We can only learn more by venturing inside.”

Ludmilla’s conclusion was completely contrary to what had initially been expected. It was not merely a passageway or a portal of sorts; it was a dimensional gate in the truest sense of the word. Crossing it would not lead one to drift through some dimensional corridor but would directly drop them into another dimension.

“Perhaps… there might be only one opportunity. You go in, and then you come out. It seems to have been designed that way from the start. I wonder who created such a thing….”

Ludmilla speculated, her voice tinged with curiosity and frustration.

This was a dimensional magic that not even Ludmilla could replicate with her powers. If so, who was the hand behind the creation of this dimensional gate?

“If, indeed, this dimensional gate was made by someone’s will, wouldn’t that be a divine miracle?” someone suggested.

“Divinity? You mean the now defunct beings of the heavens?”

Esperus commented dismissively, to which Leniyar snorted, and the eyes of Elena, the Pope of the Divine Pantheon Church, twitched. However, the conversation did not escalate into a debate.

After all, everyone in this group had transcended the limits of mere mortals. Esperus himself, who had made the initial comment, was considered a divine existence in his own right.

“Haha… that’s not the point. I mean, a true God. If there was indeed an omnipotent Creator, then such a miracle wouldn’t be a difficult feat for them.”

Esperus clarified.

“A Creator… It’s a possibility.”

Ludmilla responded without much interest, quickly shifting the focus back to the subject at hand. Regardless of whether a God or a creator was involved, what mattered was if this dimensional gate could aid them in their objective.

“Who wants to go?” she asked.

A heavy silence descended upon the group. With the uncertainty of what lay beyond the gate, whether the person they were searching for was truly on the other side, making a decision was understandably tough.

“No one is being forced. Whoever wishes to go can go, those who don’t wish to, don’t have to.”

Ludmilla assured.

“Ludmilla is right. It’s unreasonable for all of us to go in.” one of the leaders agreed.

Indeed, the sheer stature of those gathered here spoke volumes. The Pope and Paladin Commander of the continent’s greatest religion, the sovereign of a nation, the master of the Sword Mountain, a crucial part of the empire—all of them disappearing at once could throw the already chaotic continent into complete disarray.

“I have already spoken to Jan. I told him not to interfere, even if something related to his brother is discovered. He understood and agreed. After all, he’s the Grandmaster of the Multicolored Tower.”

Ludmilla added.

“I-I can’t….”

Veil stammered.

“That’s okay, Veil. To be honest, I felt a bit guilty for dragging you along anyway.”

Ludmilla reassured.

“You knew that, yet…!”

“I will go. No matter where one goes, a guide is always needed.”

Ron declared decisively. Aries stepped forward naturally after Ron, and Leo bowed his head in a gesture of farewell.

“Don’t worry, go and come back safely.” he said.

“Yes.” she responded.

Watching this unfold, lenia scratched her head in frustration.

“Well, damn…”

In truth, she had no particular reason to take the risk. She and Khan had a complicated relationship; he wasn’t exactly her benefactor, but neither was he an enemy. However, her hesitation was brief.

It wasn’t just the atmosphere that swayed her decision, but also the knowledge that Sword Mountain would certainly fare well without her.

“The old man will handle it….”

Leniyar muttered, as she stood before the dimensional gate, offloading the responsibility to her master who could barely grip a sword.

More importantly, she didn’t believe that something going wrong would result in her death. Just a glance at those present reassured her. If anything, they were likely to decimate another dimension rather than succumb to it.

In such a sudden and spontaneous manner, the group to enter the dimensional gate was determined.

Ron and Aries, Ludmilla and Leniyar, and lastly, Esperus, who had possessed Yoro’s body.

“Aren’t you curious? About what lies beyond?”

Esperus mused. Regardless of his true intentions, it was clear he knew much. Even if he couldn’t wield his demonic powers, Yoro’s communication abilities would be highly useful in a dimension with different languages.

“I don’t know how long it will take, but I will guard this dimensional gate. Getting support from the Empire might also be a good idea.” someone suggested as they prepared for the uncertain journey ahead.

“Maybe Natrix is the most available person right now. Calling him would slightly improve the situation.”

At Ron’s words, Orion started to spread his protective barrier with a smile. As an Arch Mage, if he was directly guarding it, hardly any significant figure would be able to interfere with the dimensional gate.

“Uuuuunng!”

There was no grand farewell. Maya was the first to step through the dimensional gate, and at that moment, Khan’s divinity, which was intrinsic to her, reacted.

“We’re being drawn in.”

The appearance of the suddenly formed dimensional gate proved it was related to Khan, and before she could inform her companions, the gate sucked everyone standing before it.

Then, just as an awkward silence was about to settle among the remaining four, Orion’s expression suddenly changed, and a gigantic being emerged in the sky above the Great Mountain Range.

“Drake… Roswell?!”

Sensing familiarity from its form, Orion attempted to reinforce his barrier.

However, that being entered the dimensional gate quicker, as if it had swallowed everyone predetermined, and looking at the now-quiet gate, Orion let out a hollow laugh.

* * *

He had dreamed.

‘Sniff. It smells like a lonely old man…’

‘What’s that smell? It’s perfectly clean.’

‘You wouldn’t understand. There’s that peculiar something? Gloomy and musty.’

‘Nonsense.’

‘I’m serious!’

The voice of the only blood relative left in the world, heard for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, his memory of the last time almost hazy. At that moment, what came to mind was that the dream he was having was a nightmare.

‘I sometimes feel like I’m raising two kids.’

‘Hyungnim-in-law and niece?’

‘You and your brother-in-law.’

‘… Are you saying I’m worse than that rebellious teenager?’

‘Come on. Her rebellious phase didn’t even last half a year.’

The reason why a dream featuring his sister was a nightmare was straightforward. When deceased family members appear in dreams, that itself is the nightmare, what else could it be?

“Damn it…”

He muttered a curse out of habit, and his mind instantly became clear. The smell of the delivered food from last night’s mishap pierced his nose as soon as he got up, bringing back memories.

‘Is this depression?’

Like usual, he went to work, came back, browsed the internet, and opened a game. The problem arose when he started the game. The sudden overwhelming sadness was so intense that it felt like his mind was broken.

Even though he had downed several times more alcohol than usual, his body felt oddly fine except for having a nightmare. In fact, he felt more energetic than before, which was peculiar in a way equivalent to the intense sadness he had suddenly experienced.

Losing all enthusiasm, he gave up his regular exercises and fell into a rut of repetitive work and gaming.

“Guess I need to clean.”

He got up feebly, tidied up his room a bit, and prepared for work. As usual, he stood before the mirror to check his appearance.

“…?”

Again, a strange feeling surged within him. He wasn’t sure why but…

‘Something feels… awkward?’

His reflection felt unfamiliar, as though he was wearing someone else’s skin.

I had a powerful premonition that this wasn’t me, and this wasn’t where I was supposed to be. Entranced by some unseen force, I sat in front of the computer and turned it on.

“Midland Quest.”

A familiar title greeted me. The level-1 barbarian character I had created last night glared intensely at me, and instinctively, I reached out for the mouse.

Click. Click.

『Prologue, Warrior’s Trial』

─ Tradition of the Northern Frostvale. Pass the Warrior’s Trial.

─ Failure results in game over.

A notification for the prologue quest, which served as the tutorial, appeared. The rugged and muscular barbarian character, rendered in familiar graphics, slowly rose to his feet.

『From now on, the Warrior’s Trial begins───!』

『Roarrrrr!』

『Roar! Roar! Roar!』

“The Warrior’s Trial…?”

I shuddered just at seeing the words “Warrior’s Trial”, but what was even more unnerving was the sense of familiarity with a DLC quest I was supposedly playing for the first time.

I wondered if I might be dreaming, but decided to proceed with the game anyway. I had a strong premonition that this was what I needed to do, work be damned.

“Damn it. The balance is off.”

Swearing after just an hour of gameplay, I noted that while the barbarian had high base stats, the enemies in the tutorial had even higher stats. Worse yet, they usually appeared in groups. The lone enemies that did appear were orcs, formidable adversaries for my current level.

“This is fucked….”

After a chaotic struggle, I managed to kill a lone goblin. Though my stats were generally sufficient to handle a single goblin, those in the Frostvale, the setting of the DLC, were exceptionally tough.

To make matters worse, my character’s hunger meter dropped alarmingly fast. The only food in sight was the mashed remains of the goblin I had just defeated.

“Well, it’s not like I’m the one who has to eat it….”

Whether it was drinking goblin blood and risking bursting from the inside out, or eating raw goblin meat that was disgusting even to imagine, it didn’t matter since it was just a game character. After dealing with my hunger, I leveraged my experience to clear the tutorial.

However, no new quests appeared afterward.

“Do I need to leave the area?”

I wondered if the lack of quests was due to the DLC’s open-ended nature or because I hadn’t met certain conditions. Deciding to leave Frostvale, I figured staying among the crazed barbarian wouldn’t end well; I’d likely have to create a new character soon. Thus, I set out for Midland, leaving the Northlands behind.

Along the way, I encountered numerous vile and unsavory events, but the rule of “10,000 hours” applied even to a DLC I was playing for the first time. I thus journeyed through Midland as a barbarian named Gordi Khan.

Vvvv- Vvvv-

In retaliation for my unannounced absence from work, my merciless phone alarm interrupted my concentration. I simply turned it off.

“Damn mages.”

Life as a barbarian was harsh. Everyone was essentially an enemy, and hard-won comrades often had to be assumed traitors. What troubled me the most were the mages. While elite mages affiliated with the Mage Tower didn’t bother me, rumors spread among the unaffiliated ones that barbarian bodies were useful magical ingredients.

The moment rumors like “There’s a barbarian in some town?” spread, I had to deal with hordes of ravenous mages, facing multiple game-over threats.

“It’s going to be a bit tough without my NPC comrades…”

Even without any magic, or even mana, trying to solo-play in with just a tank character wasn’t an easy feat.

Around the time when I started feeling the limits of solo play—

I made some truly trustworthy friends.

“My name is Tilly.”

***

I was betrayed by the comrade I trusted. Getting backstabbed by a mere game NPC?

In any other situation, it would have been absurd enough to blame myself, and naturally, I should have turned that traitor into experience points.

“…… Damn it.”

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to kill the woman who had murdered my comrade.

‘Why can’t I do it, when it’s just an NPC?’

I didn’t know. So I ran away.

-As I kept retreating further and further down, I eventually reached a somewhat familiar area.

『Argon Kingdom』

Obviously, just because I was in a familiar place didn’t mean things were suddenly going my way. Hatred and disdain for barbarian were rampant no matter where I went on the continent, and through a single betrayal, I became even more insistent on solo play.

『Are you the notorious Executioner causing havoc recently?!』

Along the way, I encountered a female NPC who, for some reason, made me laugh just by looking at her. A mercenary NPC with the surname ‘Eldred’ attached to her name, wielding a spear.

『Are you the meat shield sent by Kal Elson?』

Perhaps still caught up in a teenage phase, she claimed to push everyone in the world aside with her twisted logic, as she called herself the ‘Witch of the Forest of Inverted Cross’, hunting down ogres.

『The most honored side has been promised to the anointed one. Aries.』

Fleeing from her, I headed west of the Argon Kingdom and came across a small paladin.

Later, I took down Darkin Perayas early, who would have otherwise emerged as the worst boss. This caused a quest clear alert to pop up, something I hadn’t seen for a while.

『Act 1, the Beginning of the Journey』 – Clear!

─Clear Reward: Blood Vessel, Darkin Perayas’ Research Journal, survival Instinct (B).

─The effect of the Ancient Bloodline raises the Survival Instinct (B) rank. Acquired Unyielding Will (A).

And then—

『Act 5, the Horn of War』

─Failure will result in the empire completely losing influence over the southwestern continent.

─Difficulty will change based on clearing Act 4, the main quest.

─The quest was cleared through unauthorized intervention, the reward is changed.

─Current Difficulty: Nightmare

─Difficulty change to Hell.

─The difficulty is impossible to clear. The reward is enhanced.

─A new ending is unlocked.

“What the hell is this.”

Days of playing the game without eating or sleeping.

A bizarre quest alert popped up.

“A new ending?”

Is this the hidden ending that was added as DLC?

Though I wasn’t sure what it meant, the idea of an impossible-to-clear difficulty felt extremely ominous.

The difficulty level of Paradise was already insane, and now something even higher…?

***

I had lost track of how much time had passed.

After Act 5, even the quests had stopped updating. It felt like it was a punishment for deviating from the preset path.

Doubt crept into my mind.

Was I really playing a game? Was this actually a game? Was I still trapped in a nightmare…?

A gnawing sense of unease tormented my mind. But my fingers continued to move, and the character on the monitor gripped an axe.

She was an overwhelmingly powerful final boss.

I knew I was running towards my own death.

Fear made my hand, which held the mouse, tremble, but I tried hard to conceal it.

And finally.

『And I… don’t trust mages’s words.』

When I succeeded in splitting the final boss’s skull, my entire body felt drained of energy, leaving me exhausted.

It was the ending.

And then, a message appeared before my eyes.

『Do you really want to reset everything?』

『Y/N』

There was a choice.

I already knew what consequences this choice would bring.

I would live through the cycle again like a machine, without any purpose or meaning.

Knowing this, I made my selection.

I chose, fully aware that all my past journeys would dissipate like dreams.

But too many had died. The destruction accelerated by the Executor had nearly scraped the world’s origin to the bottom.

The origin’s remnants were insufficient to fulfill my wish.

And then I remembered.

If it wasn’t enough, I could fill it up.

The origin—there was more than enough within me.

Click—

『Y/N』

Even as I clicked the mouse, there was no hesitation.

Would I now forget everything and return as a chubby office worker on Earth—a non-savage?

Static.

That was when it happened.

The screen before me distorted like a mosaic and then transformed into a black hole-like void.

Startled by the supernatural phenomenon, I instinctively adopted a stance as if gripping the axe.

Just like my in-game character.

And then, I burst into laughter.

“Doing something so pointless….”

I didn’t know why I laughed.

Maybe it was because I realized the game I just played wasn’t fake, but a bizarre stage-play acted out by them.

They didn’t even know how ridiculous they looked, awkwardly pretending to be NPCs, replaying the same scenes tens, hundreds of times beyond the black hole.

Maybe I laughed at myself for getting drunk on the cheap sentiment, thinking I had become a hero who saved and sacrificed for the world. Or perhaps, I was relieved that it wasn’t all a dream.

I wasn’t sure, but one thing was clear.

I was no longer a pot-bellied middle-aged office worker.

I am a Barbarian in a Failed Game.

-The End-

TL’s Corner:

I don’t know what to feel. It feels bittersweet.