Barbarian in a Failed Game

The storm ceased.

Literally, as soon as Khan uttered “that name”, the storm that was turmoil over the sea and the waterspout that stretched across the entire Sea Dragon Archipelago vanished without a trace.

It was a moment that starkly revealed the master of Sea Dragon Archipelago had complete control over the weather in the entire archipelago, spanning hundreds of kilometers.

But more striking than the awe of the dragon’s power was the overwhelming presence of the name that had caused such a great being to stop the storm.

Karyan.

The crown prince of an ancient empire, a monstrous figure who, for arrogantly hovering in the sky, brought a dragon crashing down to the earth.

One of the only mortals in Midlands, where the birth of new transcendents is forbidden by the laws of the world, who ascended to divine status through methods akin to a Sorceress.

‘As it stands, not many beings know the name Karyan nowadays.’

It’s because the Pantheon Church—specifically the heavenly gods—erased Karyan’s name from history. And it begs the question, was Karyan the only one they manipulated out of history?

‘Certainly not.’

Take, for instance, the Sorceress Mortalia. She was an incredible figure worthy of leaving her name in history, one who shattered the world’s laws to achieve transcendence.

And what about the ancient mages belonging to the Assembly of Truth? Those madmen who captured dragons, demons, and giants as experimental subjects have left very little information in the modern era.

‘However, the elves recognized it.’

Serenil, the banker of Paradise. Having become a valuable source of experience and a kind elf for Khan, she had practically had a seizure upon hearing the name Karyan.

Surprisingly, the reaction of the master of Sea Dragon Archipelago mirrored that of Serenil at that moment.

『Karyan…?』

As the storm ceased, the master of Sea Dragon Archipelago, with a voice that somehow sounded shaken, folded his wings tightly against his body.

『Did you say Karyan?』

It was an utterly unconventional sight to see the dragon maintaining altitude without flapping his wings, but it was a dragon, after all. This was an extraordinary being who could shatter the knees of a hundred elves with one roar and conjure a storm, so it wasn’t particularly surprising.

More peculiar was how he kept repeating Karyan’s name, as if trying to process something unbelievable.

‘Looks like he knows the name….’

It was a given. To a dragon, the concept of natural death does not exist, and they have likely witnessed all historical flows from ancient times.

So, it’s no wonder the dragon recognizes the name that made an elf have a seizure and caused the heavenly gods to forgo punishing a lawbreaker by merely erasing his name.

Besides, it would be strange if a dragon didn’t know about a human who beat up a dragon just for hovering nearby.

“This mark proves that fact. With your dragon’s eyes, you can verify the truth in this.”

Therefore, Khan decided to bet on the idea that the master of Sea Dragon Archipelago “knows Karyan”, and to push forward with his original plan.

‘Use the master of Sea Dragon Archipelago to strike Paradise.’

A plan that only he, as a seasoned veteran of the Midlands quest and a possessor, could realize.

‘The guardian dragon Akardnil used his own life to open the path to the void’s cradle, the deep recesses of the Great Demonic Realm, and there employed the power of the Pact to momentarily wield the strength of his prime.’

In Act 8, he even used the power of the Pact to confront the demon dragon Tilly, who had blanketed the Imperial City. Akardnil himself revealed something about the Pact:

The subject of the Pact is limited to dragons, the emperor of the empire, and those who carry the imperial bloodline.

At first glance, this may not seem particularly extraordinary, but there was an unnecessary caveat added at the end: “those who carry the imperial bloodline”.

‘In the game, this detail was passed over without much importance….’

Thinking back now, the Pact Akardnil made has carried over from ancient times. Naturally, the “imperial bloodline” referred to here must belong to the ancient empire.

In contrast, the current era’s empire, despite proclaiming itself the rightful successor of the ancient empire, is actually no more than a completely unrelated lineage.

Thus, the “one who carries the imperial bloodline” mentioned at the end was the original content of the Pact, with the latter condition of the emperor being an addition made after the ancient imperial bloodline had perished.

‘Well, it’s not particularly crucial information.’

From the empire’s perspective or that of the dragon who forged the Pact, they never imagined that a descendant of the ancient empire would appear now. The problem is that such a descendant has indeed appeared.

『Ancient Bloodline (B)』

The skill ‘Ancient Bloodline’, which was considered a racial bonus granted to the barbarian race, had to mean the bloodline of the ancient empire.

Khan had no doubt about it, especially since Karyan himself had proclaimed Khan as his descendant, and the messages left by the Sorceress mentioned that the barbarian were “descendants of the Warrior God bearing the imperial blood.”

Therefore, Khan undoubtedly possessed the qualifications.

“I am the descendant of Karyan, the crown prince of the ancient empire and the Warrior God who ascended. I am also a warrior who bears his mark. Fulfill the Pact.”

As one who carries the bloodline of the ancient empire, Khan possessed the right to demand the fulfillment of the Pact from a dragon.

‘The emperor might faint from shock if he suddenly realizes that the Pact has been invoked, but… oh well. He’ll deal with it.’

***

The master of Sea Dragon Archipelago cast a confused gaze. It was because a human claiming to be a descendant of Karyan had appeared.

『Are you really a descendant of Karyan?』

“Do you not feel the power of the Warrior God embedded in the mark?”

『I can feel it. Indeed, I do, but….』

The master of Sea Dragon Archipelago trailed off. It could definitely sense two divine powers emanating from the mortal who claimed to be a descendant of Karyan.

One was a heavenly power familiar to the dragon, and the other resembled the fragment of power the guardian dragon Akardnil had once shown as a warning. However, he could not be certain it was the power of the Warrior God.

The master of Sea Dragon Archipelago had never witnessed the Warrior God firsthand.

『…You speak of a pact.』

“You are correct. It is the Pact of Protection made by the guardian dragon Akardnil, the very pact formed with the imperial bloodline that survived the war with the ancient empire.”

In the end, since it could not confirm the Warrior God’s power solely by the stigmas, the dragon shifted the subject to the Pact. Upon hearing the descendant of Karyan’s response, it couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

‘He knows it precisely.’

As if he had heard it directly from someone who made the pact.

‘After waking from his slumber, Akardnil provided me with knowledge and then focused on recovering from his wounds. So who…?’

Even the dragon couldn’t fathom that Khan might have heard it from the future Akardnil.

‘Then was it Karyan?’

No, it couldn’t be. Karyan had long disappeared by the time the ancient empire and the dragons forged the Pact.

‘Akardnil himself told me that there were differing opinions among the dragons concerning Karyan’s fate.’

Some said that even such a monstrous human, being mortal, couldn’t overcome his lifespan. Others argued that his disappearance was proof that he ascended to divine status, given his power surpassed even that of transcendent beings while he remained mortal.

Some speculated he was consumed by chaos during his fight with the void monsters.

The fact that such great ancestors debated over the death of a mere mortal and were ready to nullify the Pact they had made with the ancient empire if he had truly perished was almost unbelievable.

This only underscored how outlandishly extraordinary Karyan was.

‘But… truly became a God?’

It was astonishing enough on its own, but Karyan’s ascension could indeed explain the current situation. If he had indeed ascended to divinity, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to know about the Pact.

And if the bloodline of the now-extinct ancient empire was preserved by the divine Karyan….

『I acknowledge it.』

With the utterance of these words, the storm over Sea Dragon Archipelago, as if it had never been, completely ceased.

The clear sky replaced the dark clouds that had cast a pall over the entire archipelago, and the sea, once churning violently and producing tidal waves, now lay calm.

The elves, who had been forced to kneel with shattered knees due to the draconic command, regained their freedom.

『You are worthy of speaking with me.』

The master of Sea Dragon Archipelago briefly gazed at the descendant of Karyan and the other mortals who withstood his command, and then gently lowered his eyelids.

『I invite you to my nest.』

And in the next moment,

“Where are we…?”

“Ugh…! My stomach is turning upside down…!”

Before they realized it, Khan and his companions found themselves in a completely different place, no longer on the sea.

“Spatial transference…”

With a voice of bewilderment, the Sixth Branch of Paradise swallowed the blood rising in her throat.

“You came along too, elf.”

“Mortal…!”

The Sixth Branch ground her teeth upon spotting Khan. Her body was already in shambles from resisting the draconic command, but she seemed ready to charge at him.

“Don’t bother. What do you think you can do without your spirit?”

“What…?!”

Khan’s casual shrug and remark made the Sixth Branch’s eyes widen.

Indeed, the fullness of her spirit manifestation had vanished without her noticing. Even when she had resisted the draconic command, she had maintained her spirit manifestation, but now…?

“It seems that unauthorized beings aren’t allowed in the dragon’s nest.”

“…!”

Shock rippled through the Sixth Branch’s eyes. The dragon’s nest? Had she really been transferred to a dragon’s lair?

Her shaking eyes scanned the surroundings, and she sighed upon seeing the ceiling, so high that even a standing ogre would look tiny.

Even disregarding the palace-like grandeur that would make dwarven artisans proud, the sheer vastness of the space was overwhelming for any ordinary creature.

‘Wait, before that….’

“How did you know that I don’t have my spirit?”

“I don’t think there’s any reason to tell you.”

“You insolent mortal…!”

In her fury, the Sixth Branch instinctively tried to cast ancient magic, but her face soon fell in despair.

‘I can’t manipulate mana…?!’

Without her spirit, she couldn’t cast ancient magic. And her body was already in shambles. She would have to fight barehanded. At this critical juncture, a strange yet familiar voice reached her ears.

“How noisy. It seems that grotesque thing has stripped your race of manners as well.”

The voice, reminiscent of the pure and clear tones of the bards of Paradise, was youthful but carried the mannerisms of an elderly mortal nearing the end of their life—strangely fitting.

The Sixth Branch could not quite place where she had heard this voice before.

“Down here. You ill-mannered being.”

As the voice came from below eye level, the confused Sixth Branch lowered her gaze and visibly wavered.

“A child…?”

“At least a being twice as old as you, and you call me a child. Anyway, it wasn’t reasonable to expect manners from those out of their minds.”

The child, who was looking up at the Sixth Branch with a raised chin, snorted. Of course, no matter how cocky the child acted with their height barely reaching the waist, they didn’t appear intimidating in the slightest.

But something atop the child’s blue hair, exuding exceptional presence, made the Sixth Branch press her lips tight.

‘Horns…?’

Yes.

Horns.

The child, dressed as splendidly as the palace itself, had a pair of large horns growing from their head.

At that moment, Khan, who had casually stepped up behind the child, spoke calmly.

“It seems it’s not the master of Sea Dragon Archipelago, but rather the princess.”