Barbarian in a Failed Game

A cold silence hung in Natrix’s lair after the Tree of Memory’s sweep.

‘Damn, what’s with this atmosphere….’

Ron shivered, running his hand over his goosebump-covered arm. The confusing scene where an unknown entity took over an elf’s body and spoke cryptic words was certainly startling, but not enough to rattle Ron, who had been a mercenary long before his time with Khan.

More precisely, the figure that set Ron’s senses on edge was the child-like, doll-like figure.

Sea Dragon Natrix.

“This wretched…!”

『This wretched…!』

Although only one person was speaking, two voices overlapped. One was the sound produced by human vocal cords. The other was the draconic command, projecting the dragon’s will into the world.

The meaning of these overlapping voices was clear.

Rage.

Crack. Crunch─!

Her sky-blue eyes darkened as if ink was being poured into them.

Then, dragon scales erupted over her skin, and her small, white fingers, which were once like jade, sprouted claws sharper and harder than any famed sword.

“Her body is…?!”

“She’s reverting to her true form!”

Neria shouted as she retreated far back.

Though Natrix’s lair was enormous, capable of housing her entire massive body, if she transformed so close, everyone would be crushed beneath her.

“What the hell is this crap…!”

Ron muttered through clenched teeth. He had already grabbed Elena’s hand and started to retreat even before Neria’s warning. It was an instinctual response, feeling that escaping was futile.

There is no surviving a dragon’s fury. It was as if his instincts were screaming this truth. Ron glanced sideways, realizing that if death was inevitable, Khan wouldn’t just stand idly by.

Contrary to his expectations, Khan stood calmly with his arms crossed, simply watching Natrix’s transformation.

Of course, it wasn’t because Khan felt confident about surviving her true form.

‘She’s conveniently getting angry for me.’

If Natrix directed her hostility towards the Tree of Memory, it would be advantageous for Khan. If he died in the ensuing chaos, it would be for nothing. But if Natrix could be made to correctly direct her fury, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“The Tree of Memory is an entity that, as far as I know, cannot leave Paradise.”

Just as large wings started to sprout from Natrix’s back while she continued transforming into her dragon form.

“At least, as far as I know. It’s nearly impossible for the Tree of Memory to project its influence outside Paradise. Though it is said she can peek into the memories of spirits due to her identity as their creator, that’s about it.”

Natrix paused at this revelation about the entity that had mocked her, and the ominous signs of wings tearing through her gothic dress halted as well.

“I had no idea it was possible for her to hijack an elf’s consciousness, exert her power, and induce suicide.”

Seeing that Natrix was listening attentively, Khan paused briefly before continuing.

“Still, it’s not necessarily a bad omen.”

“Not a bad omen?”

『Not a bad omen?』

The two voices created a storm of murderous intent. The world, as seen through Karyan’s eyes, was painted entirely red by the massive consciousness.

It goes to show, even if she seems naive, a dragon is still a dragon.

Moreover, as a transcendent being capable of projecting her will into the world through her words, her consciousness far exceeded that of giants or demons.

But Khan stood firm against the crimson tide.

“The elven elder is too strong a card to be used as a mere disposable pawn. Even the worst of gamblers wouldn’t make such a foolish move. Naturally, there must be some deeper scheme, right? And that scheme, as that entity mentioned, lies in facilitating contact between the elder and you.”

“Continue.”

The crimson tide, which seemed poised to swallow the entire scene, receded rapidly. The overlapping voices also returned to normal, indicating that Natrix had become so engrossed in Khan’s explanation that she momentarily forgot her anger.

Sensing it was time to bring up his main point, Khan uncrossed his arms and stepped right in front of Natrix.

“Provoking you, even after achieving its goal and revealing its presence, is clearly a bad move. And assuming the Tree of Memory isn’t foolish, what would all these actions signify?”

The answer to that question was simple.

“Natrix, this means you are also part of some plan orchestrated by the Tree of Memory.”

And that plan was likely nearing success.

The actions recently displayed by the Tree of Memory were evidence that its plans were already in motion, regardless of any variables Natrix might introduce.

“We need to act now.”

Though it might already be too late….

***

“It’s best to move as quietly as possible before we make our move.”

Khan requested Natrix to accompany them in her human form.

After all, assuming a human appearance wouldn’t significantly diminish her power, and from a strategic standpoint, it would be more effective to reveal the asymmetric power of a dragon at the heart of the enemy’s base.

“Hiding and moving like a rat is not to my liking….”

Having decided to move with Khan, Natrix seemed willing to respect his opinion, perhaps because the name Karyan carried weight with her. She accepted Khan’s suggestion without complaint.

However, she couldn’t hide her discomfort as she mentioned it was her first time leaving her nest in a human form.

“How do you plan to travel?”

“We have the dwarf pirate ship we came on. That should be sufficient. And….”

Khan explained to Natrix as much as possible about what she should know while traveling with the group. From a dragon’s perspective, it wouldn’t matter what specialties mortals had.

‘Even so, since we’ll be moving together, it’s better to know these things.’

Basically, Neria, Ron, and the rest of the group were there primarily to protect Elena, who could freely wield blessings beyond that of a high priest.

Abilities like seeing spirits or having exceptional instincts to detect danger were not enough to make them key players on such a significant stage.

However, knowing these things wouldn’t hurt. And that applied to Natrix as well.

“Well, anyway, the main roles are for the two of us. So, I need to ask…. How much will your power weaken once we leave Sea Dragon Archipelago?”

“…….”

She visibly frowned at the sudden question. As a transcendent being, her pride was undoubtedly sky-high. Admitting that her power would diminish outside Sea Dragon Archipelago would be uncomfortable.

But it was already a fact revealed through the Tree of Memory.

“Sigh…. What a series of ridiculous events. I now understand why many of the elder sea dragons avoided Karyan’s name, through you, his descendant.”

After a brief lament, Natrix answered Khan’s question with displeasure. The moment she left Sea Dragon Archipelago, her power would be reduced to less than a quarter of its original strength.

“It’s not unusual. The nest is designed to enhance a dragon’s powers. Isn’t it said that mages’ workshops are imitations of our nests?”

“Normally, the reduction isn’t more than half. That’s significant.”

“……It’s unavoidable. This is the reason I, as the last survivor, managed to live until this era.”

Natrix said this with a small gesture. She had set up a barrier to prevent any sound from escaping.

“I don’t know how much Akardnil has told you, but I won’t reveal anything further about my circumstances. Just know that I’m not as easily targeted by mortals as you might think.”

From that, Khan could roughly gauge her level. In essence, she was saying she would be reduced to the point where mortal attacks could reach her.

‘So, she’ll be at a hatchling’s level.’

As in many fantasy works, the Midlands Quest also has distinctions like hatchlings.

However, unlike the typical setting where hatchlings and adult dragons are distinguished by their growth stages, the hatchlings in the Midlands Quest refer to “inherently weak, immature dragons”.

While they can grow stronger by learning to handle their powers, a hatchling will never become an ancient dragon, no matter how much time passes.

‘She probably doesn’t realize how much I know about this.’

Unfortunately for Natrix, Khan was a veteran of this world.

Although he tended to skip through stories, he diligently searched for and collected any plausible information that might be helpful for strategy, making his knowledge so extensive he could almost be called a connoisseur of the game.

‘So, it’s going just as expected.’

Holding back a sigh that was rising in his throat, Khan scratched the back of his head. Though the common trope of having the strongest boss join as a weakened ally seemed like a disappointment,

‘A hatchling is still a dragon. Essentially, it remains one of the strongest forces.’

The problem was that the enemies they were about to face would also be on an entirely different level compared to those they had faced before.

But Khan didn’t mind at all.

‘It was never easy to begin with.’

***

A ship carrying a diverse group of individuals—an ordinary human, a barbarian from Seoritgol, a girl destined to be an apostle of the gods, the last survivor of the dwarf dynasty, a half-elf born outside of Paradise, and even a dragon in human form—was cutting through the water.

“The dwarf pirates must be aware that the elf fleet is on the move. They must be keeping an eye on their movements.”

Even with William, pinpointing the constantly drifting Gigantus in this vast sea wasn’t an easy task. Especially when such extraordinary events were unfolding beneath the surface.

“There’s no need to search for that massive monstrosity.”

Surprisingly, Natrix took the initiative.

“It’s impossible to evade the sea dragon’s eyes in the ocean. Especially for something exuding such ominous energy.”

Natrix’s sky-blue eyes seemed to shimmer with light as she spoke.

『This way. Let’s hurry.』

Khan couldn’t help but chuckle seeing Natrix, who was not only locating Gigantus effortlessly but also propelling the dwarf pirate ship with her draconic command.

‘It seems the Tree of Memory has truly ruffled her feathers.’

Thanks to Natrix’s efforts, they found Gigantus faster than expected. Upon seeing the familiar shape of Gigantus, which was like his homeland, William let out a sigh, almost like a groan.

“Gigantus is… burning…?”