Barbarian in a Failed Game

Uruz, the one who commands the storm, isn’t particularly complicated when viewed from a gamer’s perspective. Unlike other named characters, he doesn’t have any hidden techniques to pull out as traps. However, this also means he doesn’t have any clear weaknesses.

While other elf spirit summoners scatter invisible attacks and tend to be vulnerable in close combat relative to their level, Uruz prefers close combat and has a fighter’s style. Typically, in a fantasy world where both aura and magic coexist, a pure brawler using only their hands and feet would be considered a romantic but weak character, and the Midland quest is no exception.

However, at least in Uruz’s case, his combat style is incredibly close to perfect offense and defense integration. Surprisingly, the strategy to take him down is quite simple: overwhelm him with specs. The issue is that Khan’s specs aren’t up to that level right now.

Boom───!

Uruz’s punches weren’t particularly skillful, just incredibly fast. He moved like the very incarnation of lightning and storm, and every time a thunderous sound erupted, a throbbing pain pierced through Khan’s entire body. The searing heat spreading from his side belatedly informed him that he had been hit by Uruz’s attack.

Even though Khan’s Karyan’s Eyes saw the direction of the attack in advance, he still got hit. It was a completely different result compared to his battles with Leniyar in Hoarfrost Gorge or the bank manager in the Paradise Bank. Perhaps it was natural.

At that time, Leniyar hadn’t been able to utilize even half of his physical skills, and Serenil’s case involved widespread destruction using spirits.

‘Even the Karyan’s Eyes aren’t absolute, huh…?’

Once again, red streaks of light reached various parts of Khan’s body. And in a moment that could be described as an instant, Uruz, with a clenched fist, appeared right in front of him. His sheer speed stripped away the option to evade and forced him to defend. It was so fast that there wasn’t even time to leap away.

Thanks to his Karyan’s Eyes, he was at least able to extend his fist in time. Khan’s single punch possessed the monstrous strength to crush even a massive boulder. At this moment, he thought he could pierce through the thick skin and muscles of an ogre and deliver a devastating blow. Naturally, the body of an elf, whose physical toughness was no different from an ordinary human, should be shattered upon impact.

However, the elf, who appeared as a boy, had collided fists with him dozens of times without showing any sign of receiving any shock.

Khan continued to get struck with each encounter, and each time, Uruz’s lightning, enveloping his entire body, penetrated Khan’s frame.

Thanks to his stamina stat surpassing 50 and his blood art somewhat suppressing the invasion of lightning energy, he managed to hold on. If this had been the older Khan with lower stamina stats, he would have collapsed after just three or four collisions.

‘Still, I can’t keep holding out forever.’

The spirit defense enveloping Uruz’s body wasn’t absolute either. Besides, Uruz hadn’t even put his full strength into his punches. He threw them in a snap-and-retrieve manner, minimizing the impact from Khan’s counterpunches. A brief contact was enough to project the spirit’s power, leaving the attack’s strength entirely to the lightning and storm spirits.

In other words, the real battle would begin the moment Khan managed to land a solid punch on Uruz’s body.

‘In that case, even if I have to take some losses…!’

Once again, Uruz was the first to attack. As his lightning-wrapped fist blurred and rushed towards Khan, the space around Khan’s left hand started to ripple.

“Space is…?!”

Having lived for over a millennium, the elf’s senses were sharp enough to detect the faintest spatial disturbance, causing Uruz’s eyes to twitch.

Suddenly, a giant battle hammer emerged from the empty air. Uruz, wary of the sudden appearance of a weapon, stepped back, giving Khan an opening to launch his own offensive.

『Leap』

Powered by near 80 strength stat, the leap propelled Khan with such force that even his agility stat could barely control it.

Thud.

In the moment of landing, Khan had already raised the giant battle hammer—Giant Slayer—above his head. Uruz hesitated for just a split second. At his speed, he could land more than ten punches on Khan’s exposed abdomen before the hammer even reached him. However, he had to consider the possibility of allowing an attack in return.

‘No, I’ll just dodge it.’

His moment of contemplation was brief.

Boom─!

The spirit enveloping Uruz roared, turning into thunderous echoes shaking the surroundings, as his form blurred completely. Unlike before when he was cautious of Khan’s unprecedented strength for a short-lived species, Uruz now threw his punches with full force, rushing at Khan with numerous afterimages.

Even though Khan couldn’t defend against the incoming onslaught, Uruz deployed the afterimages to start a psychological warfare. A typical sneaky move fitting for his kind.

Yet, focused solely on swinging down the battle hammer, Uruz’s fists effortlessly struck Khan’s waist and solar plexus, making Uruz’s psychological tactics irrelevant.

‘It landed precisely.’

The short-lived species in front of him wasn’t even wearing armor. Considering he had taken a full-powered punch to a vital spot, it wouldn’t be strange if his internal organs had turned to mush. Uruz internally mocked the short-lived species’ foolishness and proceeded with his next move.

Assuming the lightning energy had already paralyzed his body, Uruz intended to ensure he would never rise again. However, the moment he felt the pressure on his shoulders and heard a sharp inhaling sound from above, even the great elf warrior couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Withstood it…?!”

His surprise didn’t last long—Uruz tried to step back quickly as he spotted the descending battle hammer aiming for his crown.

『Don’t run away──!』

Flinch.

Uruz’s steps faltered for a brief moment due to the ‘War Cry’ that erupted at close range. Even so, it seemed almost impossible for the battle hammer to reach Uruz due to the significant speed difference.

However, Uruz didn’t retreat.

“A mere short-lived species dares!”

It was as if Khan’s War Cry had provoked a state of rage in Uruz. Glaring fiercely at Khan, Uruz drew his fist back.

Boom…!

The power of the spirit surged within Uruz’s grip. Despite not being in his complete form outside of paradise, the aura emanating from Uruz was enough to chill the spine of Khan, who had faced many powerful adversaries. It was the concentrated result of merging the destructive properties of lightning and the storm.

This power, which couldn’t simply be overcome by brute strength or physical resilience alone, proved that elves were indeed superior beings.

“Feel your inferiority! With your own body!”

Feel it──!

Uruz’s voice, wrapped in a storm, echoed in all directions as he unleashed his punch towards the incoming battle hammer. At that moment, Uruz truly became the embodiment of lightning.

Khan’s vision dimmed black as he soaked in the sight of the imminent strike from the lightning incarnate, tattooed with white lightning streaks. It was a natural consequence of facing lightning head-on, exactly as Uruz had intended.

‘Doesn’t matter!’

The lightning, rising from the ground rather than descending from the sky, rushed towards the battle hammer faster than the thunderclap.

And then.

BOOOM! BOOM!

A delayed explosion of thunderclap resounded. White lightning illuminated the whole world. It was the aftershock created by the clash of two superhumans.

Khan, having lost his sight due to the lightning and his hearing due to the thunderclap, slowly turned his head.

“……!”

Turning his head, he saw Uruz, shrouded in the form of a giant ox, readying himself to attack as he awaited the right moment. Uruz appeared confused.

Uruz had pretended to respond to the provocation, engaging head-on, only to release a burst of lightning to deprive Khan of his sight and hearing. It was a cunning, deceitful trick befitting an elf, and indeed, Khan’s senses showed no sign of recovery. Uruz likely planned to end it with a surprise attack from the side in that state.

However, he didn’t know.

‘I can see.’

Even if his normal vision was paralyzed, the Karyan’s Eyes still allowed him to see the world.

“How… how can you…?!”

Uruz’s voice filled with bewilderment obviously couldn’t be heard.

『Leap』

Uruz was waiting within a distance where a punch could reach. It was a close range, and even with his leap, Uruz couldn’t avoid the charge of Khan’s body.

Boom─!

Khan’s body was now a weapon in itself. The leap added to the acceleration.

Uruz’s face was horribly crushed as he was struck by Khan’s shoulder. The pressure pierced through the spirit defense enveloping Uruz’s body, crushing his skull. The impact might not have been severe as it appeared. The psychological shock was more significant.

“Kehoeok…!”

Momentarily stunned by the fact that the bare-handed attack had pierced the ‘Spirit Manifestation’ defense, Uruz quickly regained his composure and spun his body mid-air with the elf’s characteristic lightness.

With Uruz at the center, lightning radiated outward. He intended to block further approach and regroup.

But.

“Got you.”

Khan’s hand grasped Uruz’s small head, breaking through the lightning. Despite the red burn marks covering his whole body and the blood gushing from every possible orifice on his face,

“Let’s see if you can still be this cocky.”

Once Khan captured his prey, he wasn’t going to let go.

Bang─!

The Giant Slayer struck Uruz’s side directly. Khan felt the head in his grip twitch, and at the moment when Khan was about to retrieve the hammer and strike again, Uruz raised a foot and scratched Khan’s chin with his toes. That alone couldn’t harm the body of a barbarian warrior, but due to the power of the spirit, it made Khan stagger.

Still, he endured.

“Stop squirming!”

Bang──!

A suppressed groan escaped between Khan’s fingers. Despite blood pouring profusely, Khan managed to swing the hammer again, hitting Uruz’s side once more.

Khan could tell.

He could see the cracks forming on the physical manifestation of Uruz’s spirit, whom he had so confidently relied on. The thunder and storm spirit, in the form of a giant ox, was screaming.

No one knew this better than Uruz himself.

Khan witnessed a red storm swirling around Uruz. He instinctively felt that getting caught in that storm wouldn’t leave him unscathed. This was a form of threat.

“If you let me go, you’ll be safe, but if you attack me again, you won’t come out unscathed either.”

Khan’s decision was unwavering.

“No negotiations with elves.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the Giant Slayer hit Uruz’s side again. At that moment, the hammer’s item option ‘Impact Stacking’ activated, the amplified force completely shattering the spirit’s physical form.

Without any time to react, Uruz’s body emitted lightning, engulfing Khan completely.

──────!