Barbarian in a Failed Game

022. Darkin Subjugation (2)

[Intriguing, indeed. How fascinating.]

“What’s so intriguing?”

The demon… No, a dark mage’s eyes, which had possessed his disciple, rolled around, inspecting Khan’s body thoroughly.

It was a blatant act of scrutiny. It could be likened to how a hunter examines the state of its prey.

[They say all the barbarian of the Frost Gorge are heroes of the counterattack. The grand warrior of the Dark Wing gained fame, and that rumor spread even more. Of course, not everyone is at that level. But you, you’re different. You could even be compared to the grand warrior of the Dark Wing.]

He sure talks a lot. Khan frowned, immediately regretting his patient listening, wondering what exactly he was trying to say.

“What does a mage know… Besides.”

You haven’t answered my question yet. Dammit.

“So, did you make a contract with Aecharis or not?”

[Haha, hahaha! Truly, you’re an anomaly! How does a barbaric savage know the name of a demon? Only a select few within the pantheon church are privy to that name. Surely, that clumsy paladin didn’t tell you, right?]

“Who knows. Answer my question, and maybe I’ll tell you.”

Pfffhah. Darkin substituted his silence with a sneaky laugh, like an old man causing a nuisance. It was clear he had no intention of answering.

[You savage. Why haven’t you fled? After hearing about the eastern ogre slayer, did you suddenly gain unwarranted courage?]

“Does one need courage to crush an old, twisted dark mage?”

[Had we been talking about chances, that arrogant paladin woman should have been the one to come. You wouldn’t even be able to near my workshop. You belong to an inferior race that can’t sense mana.]

“Thanks for the advice, old man.”

Witnessing Darkin’s evasive dialogue, it seemed unlikely to engage in a fruitful conversation.

He was clearly trying to stall for time. Khan lifted the possessed dark mage above the ground.

Of course, Darkin didn’t cease his nonsense even then.

[You might have a slightly higher chance of survival if you just turn back now. Whether you are the warrior who hunted young ogres or whatever, you don’t have that mage by your side now…….]

“Hey.”

Listening any further would make his ears bleed. Khan, growling, smashed the dark mage’s mouth with his fist.

“Just shut up and wait. I’ll be twisting your neck soon enough.”

The dark mage. No, Darkin gave a sly smile, as if to say, “Try if you can.”

Crunch-!

Khan crushed the dark mage’s skull underfoot, ignoring Ron, who had been silently observing the conversation, and fell into thought.

‘Darkin does not know me.’

Even if he does, it would only be as ‘the barbarian who gained fame in the east for killing a young ogre.’ It was sure to be just that.

But Khan knew him.

‘Very well. Damn well, in fact.’

The fifth act boss of ‘Midland Quest’, Darkin Perayas, was a balance-disrupting starting point, and most players couldn’t surpass this wall and ended up quitting the game.

Of course, Khan did not quit and studied him instead. His patterns, algorithms, characteristics… everything.

‘You have no idea what I went through just to catch you.’

Darkin Perayas never acts without meaning.

Every action of his is foreshadowing, and failing to notice will lead one to struggle desperately until game over.

‘He attacked me and Aries in Nordic. And now, as if it were his own domain, he enticed me into entering Nechar mountain, subtly urging me to flee, claiming it was hopeless…’

It felt like delving into ‘Midland Quest’ strategies after a long time.

Various fragments of information swam through his mind, buzzing. Khan selected the useful ones from these.

After pondering for a while, enlightenment dawned upon Khan.

‘So that was it? Was that why he was indulging in such pointless antics?’

Somehow, knowing the answer drained his energy.

“Ron. I said it earlier. It seems right to keep going straight with your intuition.”

“That might be the case. But you don’t have to rely entirely on what I say… I’m not a guide, after all, just a sledgehammer…….”

“No. It appears your intuition is indeed correct.”

As previously mentioned.

Darkin does not act without meaning.

Sending his disciple and a demon worshipper to their deaths, and rambling on with unnecessary words to Khan wasn’t just for the heck of it.

If that assumption were true, there’s only one conclusion.

‘We are getting closer. To his workshop. And now he….’

Must be in a situation where he needs to buy time for some reason.

“The connection of consciousness has been severed, has it?”

“It’s unfortunate. I would have liked to see that barbarian in action if possible… It can’t be helped that consciousness sharing occurs from the moment the prohibition is initiated.”

A young boy’s voice filled the large hall.

Though it was a soft voice, it carried a certain presence. Reacting to him, a black knight made a clanking noise.

“No. It’s nothing.”

“……”

There was no hint of life from the black knight, fully clad in black armor and a helm, only silence.

Yet, it seemed to possess a self, understanding its master’s words and nodding slightly.

“To think a barbarian like that would rampage in my domain, and I must leave it be. It’s regrettable. Truly. Don’t you think?”

At the boy’s seemingly innocent question, those around the hall, preparing black magic, bowed their heads.

Among them were old men much older than the boy and sturdy young men, but all were unsettled by a mere sentence from the young boy, a rather curious scene.

“Even if I share my knowledge, spells, and strength, it’s futile if the vessel is lacking. Such pitiful beings.”

The boy chuckled softly, waving his hand, and as if responding, the hall’s outer walls seemed to quiver slightly, almost as if they were alive.

“Eliyah’s death now seems regrettable. If it were her talent, receiving my knowledge wouldn’t have been impossible. Ah… and to think that it was also that insolent barbarian who killed Eliyah.”

“Master.”

A dark mage stepped forward in response to the boy’s murmur, an old man with completely white hair.

“Do you have something to say, Liam? My first disciple.”

“…If it’s difficult for you to personally intervene, Master, I will bring the insolent barbarian’s corpse myself.”

“You?”

As if questioning whether he was capable of such a feat, Liam, the one addressed, bowed his head to hide his expression.

Of course, the boy seemed to know this, merely smiling smoothly.

“Ah, Liam, my old disciple. I know you’ve been jealous of Eliyah’s talent.”

“I, I have never harbored such thoughts.”

“Is that so? Then it must have been my mistake. Nevertheless, I cannot entrust this to you. Even though a dark mage of Loren region aided him, he still is a warrior who can stand against an ogre. I don’t want to lose you now.”

“…Didn’t you choose that barbarian as a hunting target for Eliyah?”

“That’s not because I believed she could do it. It was rather to make her realize her inadequacies. I hoped she would return alive, miserable and pathetic, to sign a contract of the soul.”

Perhaps persuaded by the boy’s gentle persuasion, Liam asked more softly to be sent.

“…I won’t say I’ll defeat that barbarian. However, considering Master’s imminent secrets, I’ll try to buy some time.”

“Are you thinking of a way to handle that warrior directly if luck is on your side?”

Liam remained silent, and the boy, after a moment’s contemplation with a complex expression, finally agreed.

“If that’s what makes you feel satisfied. But never reveal the entrance to the armory.”

“I’d rather die.”

With those final words, Liam turned his back, and the boy’s gaze upon his departing figure was utterly impassive.

All the warm words exchanged just before seemed nothing but pretense.

‘Ah. My foolish but adorable disciple, Liam.’

The boy sensed.

Today, Liam would finally mark the end of his long life. It was a common fate for dark mages who despaired of their lack of talent and handed over their souls to demons. And yet, it was more bittersweet and…ridiculous.

“Prepare yourselves quickly.”

“Yes.”

The boy, urging his few remaining disciples and the ever-multiplying devil worshippers to hurry with the preparations for the ritual, sat in a chair made of bones and quietly closed his eyes.

Yet, instead of darkness, other visions began to appear in his sight.

Liam. It was Liam, with a rigid face, leaving the workshop with a heavy heart.

‘He’s determined to die.’

To think that he’s heading to battle without managing to calm his emotional turmoil, even though he stands no chance even if he gives his all.

The boy clicked his tongue at his old disciple’s folly.

The place Liam chose for the battle was right above the workshop’s corpse disposal site.

He probably thought to stress the barbarian by summoning the corpses to the surface and reviving them as undead.

‘Not a bad idea…’

That’s the problem with dark mages who primarily practice necromancy. They believe there’s nothing they can’t overcome as long as they push with numbers.

Of course, in most situations, overwhelming numbers do translate to overwhelming force…

‘But that’s only until a certain level of strong opponents.’

Empire knights, mages of the mage tower, swords masters of the empire, individuals whose personal might substitutes an army, are everywhere.

And failing to realize that usually ends similarly for necromancers.

‘Liam will end up the same.’

Thud – Thud -The boy couldn’t help but let out a faint smile at the sudden footsteps approaching. It seemed that someone had come to teach Liam a lesson.

“Is the mountain vast, or does it feel vast because you can’t find your way?”

“What are you talking about? I’m just going straight ahead. It’s just that the Necar Mountain are vast! And I’m not a guide…!”

“Shut up before I take your hammer.”

A barbarian engaging in a relaxed conversation and a mercenary with a dopey expression came into the boy’s sight. Finally, they had reached the boy’s front yard.

“Remarkable. There’s no guessing how they managed to find their way here.”

Barbarians from the Frost Gorge naturally cannot sense mana.

It’s impossible for him to find his way through the Necar Mountain where space is distorted due to the flowing energy of dragons.

“Could it be that this dim-witted mercenary possesses something special?”

The boy felt curious but decided to focus on the situation unfolding before him.

“What are you then?”

“Ah, you’ve arrived. You insolent barbarian. I am Liam Wellus, a dark mage who has been taught in the spells and knowledge of the great master, Darkin Perayas. To you, I represent the myriad condemned souls…”

Liam’s defeat was inevitable.

Even so, it didn’t mean Liam would be completely obliterated. At the very least, he could manage to cling onto the warrior’s ankle and inflict some damage.

The boy intended to use his aging apprentice to observe the barbarian’s fighting style, preparing for any potential battle.

“…And soon, to stand by the side of the master who will demolish this pitiful kingdom and become the new king!”

“Fuck. You talk way too much.”

“What.”

Pssshh─!

“Uh.”

The boy groaned at the sudden shock.

The surrounding dark mages rushed over, expressing concern, but the boy didn’t respond, instead focusing on the scene unfolding before him.

Thump- Thump- Thump- Crunch.

“What the hell is this guy? Really.”

“A dark mage, isn’t he? With such a sinister look, he fits the bill.”

“Do you think I asked because I didn’t know? All that posture, and then what? Just one hit.”

Liam was killed by what seemed like a casually thrown hand axe. That much they understood.

But how could that be? To kill a mage who had activated defensive spells in anticipation with such a brute force method?

“Could it be the strength…? No, even with the formidable physique of the Frost Gorge barbarian, that wouldn’t be sufficient.”

Darkin speculated.

There had to be a secret to the barbarian’s axe. Otherwise, it made no sense. Perhaps an enchantment designed to maximize impact was etched into it.

“Hmm. So what now? I’m honestly at a loss.”

The boy regained his composure at the clueless mercenary’s statement.

There was no immediate conflict with the barbarian. Even if a battle ensued, the boy was certain of his victory.

Even if a paladin from the Nordic joined, the result would not change.

“From the start. Finding the entrance is impossible.”

Discovering the entrance hidden by sophisticated dark magic was one thing, but breaking through would require the strength of a mage from the mage tower…

“Hand over the hammer.”

“Rather kill me! If you take the hammer, I’m just a Ron!”

Then,

“I guess being a Ron isn’t so bad after all. Here it is.”

That’s when it happened.

“Seems like it’s around here… Or not? Maybe a bit more to the side… should upgrade my search rank… Ah, here it is.”

The barbarian, using the heavy hammer as a staff, prodded the nearby ground, then with a mighty grunt, he lifted his arm.

Whooosh─! Boom──! Boom──! Boom──! Crunch!

The sound of stones hurled by a catapult crashing down seemed to reach all the way to the underground hall where the boy was, so loud that the homunculus sharing his sight passed out from the aftershock, slowly disconnecting their shared vision.

And then,

“Found it. The entrance.”

The sight of the barbarian proudly shouting as he broke through the ceiling of the morgue that Liam wanted to use for battle faintly appeared.

“That’s not the entrance, you uncivilized barbarian──!”

In the fading sight, the boy let out a bitter scream.