Barbarian in a Failed Game

It was a paradise befitting its name, an idyllic environment tailored for elves. Rare plants unseen in the outside world thrived, and ancient magical materials over a thousand years old were abundant.

But such beauty would last only until today. For at least the next few centuries, Paradise would no longer live up to its name.

“Tree of Memories…!”

“The ritual…! We must complete the ritual!”

“This is… a disaster. The disaster foretold by the First Branch is upon us—!”

『No—!』

The screams of countless elves, the omnipresent will of the transcendent entity, were all drowned out by the colossal crash of the sea fortress colliding with the island.

CRAAACK—!!

Gigantus was a metallic mass the size of a city. Crafted with the utmost dedication by the finest Dwarven artisans, it was the pinnacle of Dwarf magic engineering, made from only the highest quality materials.

In a scenario akin to two islands crashing at tremendous speed, Gigantus maintained its form, bulldozing through the coastal perimeter of Paradise with its immense durability.

RUMBLE…

Having landed in Paradise, Gigantus didn’t lose its momentum and continued its advance. Towering trees taller than most buildings were snapped in half, and invaluable magical materials, which had soaked in mana for centuries, were trampled and crushed.

As if the devastation of part of Paradise wasn’t enough, a barrier appeared before the advancing Gigantus.

CRACKLE!

The barrier was made of tree roots. Roots of the long-standing great trees that had quietly spread below the surface of Paradise for centuries rose to form a wall, as if to block Gigantus.

The reason the Tree of Memories prided itself as a God in this land became evident to all. Everything that grew on this land was nurtured by her, all were her children. The Tree of Memories could manipulate these children as freely as her own limbs.

And so, the relentless assault of Gigantus clashed with the root-formed bulwark.

CRASH—!!

Gigantus demonstrated the terrifying force of sheer mass. The roots of the great tree, which had stood resolute for a thousand years, struggled to endure, on the verge of snapping.

『This is my domain—!』

The Tree of Memories roared. More roots surged forward, reinforcing the struggling barrier.

RUMBLE…

And thus, Gigantus’ advance was halted.

The ship, the size of a city, had charged at full speed and was brought to a stop. This astounding display of divine power seemed nothing short of a miracle, and the elves sighed in relief as Gigantus stopped just short of Paradise’s core.

However, the Tree of Memories, having exerted immense power to halt Gigantus, let out a continuous roar.

『How dare you, you half-wit without a proper self—!』

Whether it was the resonating anger or the stimulant crafted by the alchemist, the giant’s hand, as massive as the Tree of Memories, began to move.

It was as if in Khan’s strategy – the Hammer and Anvil operation – Gigantus was merely a means to transport the hammer. The entity that changed the landscape with its steps and gestures clenched its fist.

“Ah…! Ugh!”

Astonishingly, immense power was exerted beneath the giant’s fist, causing elves to exhibit symptoms of breathlessness and trembling shoulders as they fell to their knees.

『This…!』

Faced with the giant’s power, which seemed capable of manipulating local gravity, the Tree of Memories displayed a hint of bewilderment. No matter how mighty the giant, there must be limits. Was it really possible for it to wield such power with barely a tenth of its original strength?

‘Something’s not right…!’

The Tree of Memories recalled the abilities of the giant from the “host’s” memory. The giant’s power was indeed formidable, capable of shattering mountain ranges and turning vast plains into depressions.

However, it had never interfered with the forces acting upon the world itself to this extent. Yet, it was too late for doubts. The giant’s fist, having gathered tremendous power, pierced through the clouds and plummeted towards Paradise.

BOOM!

RUMBLE—

***

“Kyaa…!”

Elena let out a small gasp. The impact of the giant’s fist crashing into Paradise sent a shockwave that threatened to shatter the pristine white shield she had erected.

“Elena!”

Neria reached out as if to check on her, but Elena quickly wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her nun’s habit, as if it was nothing. The black sleeve was stained red.

“I’m fine. More importantly… How is it? Did Ron successfully transfer the item?”

Despite likely experiencing significant pain, Elena brushed it off and posed a question to Tilly, who was now a black Drake carrying the party.

“Yes. I can smell that sweet scent properly. The scent of chaos…”

Tilly responded in the same voice she used in her human form while still in her Drake form.

“Stay focused, Tilly. The real part starts now.”

“Haa… Don’t worry too much. To be honest, I’ve encountered even stronger scents than this.”

Khan frowned, sensing a peculiar inebriation and discord in her voice. Yet, before he could delve deeper into the source of this discord, the dust cloud created by the giant’s action began to clear.

“… Incredible.”

Everyone silently agreed with Khan’s understated observation as they took in the sight before them. A hole had been punched into the giant island that was Paradise.

Not metaphorically, but literally, the center of the island had been blown apart.

“Are you saying monsters like that were rampant in the past…?”

William gulped, swallowing hard as he let out a troubled sigh.

“The worst part is, the monster that just blocked that monstrous attack is our enemy.”

The Dwarf King, a mortal enemy of William, interjected. Yet, William quietly nodded in agreement. That battle had been so shocking and awe-inspiring.

‘A giant almost as big as the giant itself. How can that possibly be called a tree?’

The sight of the Tree of Memories revealing its true form was equally shocking to everyone. A colossal tree reaching above the clouds, with branches and roots rapidly extending to ensnare the giant’s hand.

It had forcibly twisted the giant’s fist to avoid a direct hit. Such power seemed almost godlike. Unlike divine gods or demons, however, these beings were extraordinarily uninhibited.

The group’s thoughts began to spiral into dreadful scenarios – imagining such monsters rampaging across the continent.

“Enough with the chatter,” Khan said, rising from his position with his toes anchored between the scales on Tilly’s body.

“We’re diving into the middle of that now.”

At his signal, the expressions on the faces of the party riding on Tilly changed.

“Our target is the top of the tree.”

***

The giant’s hand, connected to Gigantus at the elbow, was busy swinging fists and clawing at the Tree of Memories. The giant’s nature, influenced by the transcendent essence, compelled it to seek out new energy sources.

However, the Tree of Memories did not falter, maintaining its dominant position ever since it revealed its true power. The giant’s gravitational abilities were powerful indeed, yet the Tree of Memories, with its stature rivaling or even surpassing the giant’s arm, matched its strength.

Moreover, it was as if Khan had forcibly dragged the giant into the territory of the Tree of Memories.

Roots sprouted from everywhere, covering the entirety of Gigantus and beginning to bind the giant’s arm. These roots had grown over centuries, even millennia, nourished by the Tree of Memories. While they could momentarily hinder the giant’s movements, Paradise was abundant with such plants.

『Given that it has come to this, I will devour you, make you my host, and then consume the Sea Dragon Archipelago as well!』

As the Tree of Memories seemed to gain the upper hand, it roared and extended a part of its main body towards the giant.

SWISH—

The giant’s skin was tough enough to deter a swordsman’s blade, yet the Tree of Memories smoothly pierced through and embedded its roots.

『──────!』

The giant, devoid of a mouth, let out a silent scream. Clearly, it was in a dire situation, and at this rate, the Tree of Memories appeared poised to subdue the giant.

However, the Tree of Memories must never forget the presence of another transcendent being present in this place.

“Just do something, anything!”

Right after the voice of the dumbfounded human was heard, the dragon’s breath struck the immobilized giant directly.

At first glance, it seemed as though Natrix was unleashing an all-out attack on the helpless giant, using it as a punching bag. But the reality was quite the opposite.

SCREEEAAAAACH—!!

The Tree of Memories let out an excruciating scream. The dragon’s breath that had been flowing over the giant’s skin transferred directly to the roots embedded in the giant’s body.

『You…! Insolent hatchling—!』

『A parasite dares to speak of class.』

Natrix retorted lightly against the insult directed at it and gathered its breath once again.

『I will consume you as my nourishment!』

The Tree of Memories, severing the roots tainted by the breath, swung the branches growing from its body like whips. At least a dozen branches carved strange trajectories through the air. The pattern resembled a massive net, from which escape seemed impossible when considering Natrix’s true size.

‘There’s just one path. The way to survive is open…!’

At this moment, Ron, who was tightly clutching Natrix’s scales, rose up and shouted.

“Ignore it! Go straight through ahhh…!”

Before he could finish his sentence, as if reading his intentions, Natrix rapidly accelerated and charged toward the net woven by the Tree of Memories.

RIIP—!!

The net spread across the entire sky was torn apart. It wasn’t Natrix who did it. Freed from the branches and roots that had pierced and bound its skin, the giant, shaking its fingertips like swatting a fly, ripped apart the net.

Without any loss in speed, Natrix broke through the net at maximum velocity, exhibiting the dragon’s power. Through a vertical ascent that defied the laws of physics, she soared into the sky. The dragon’s eyes gleamed with a fierce light as a shadow loomed over her.

『Don’t. Get. Arrogant—!』

Before the rage-filled will could even knock around inside their minds, intertwined branches grew, shading the sky. It was as if the Tree of Memories had grown its own body to create a new ceiling beneath the clouds.

Immediately after.

Natrix hesitated momentarily, processing the information through her dragon’s eyes.

If she were in perfect condition, it might have been a different story. But she had already overused her breath several times. In her current state, she couldn’t single-handedly burn through or break the faux ceiling made of intertwined branches with her breath or physical force.

‘Should I give up and stop for a moment?’

A tempting thought swirled in her mind. She knew all too well.

‘The dragon’s eyes do not lie.’

And the answer given by her dragon’s eyes was despairing. If she collided with that ceiling as is, she would helplessly fall back down. But Natrix gritted her teeth instead, taking control of the mana in the area as if to confront it head-on.

Moreover, as ridiculous and pride-wounding as it was…

“Help is on the way…!”

With the exclamation from the human with that foolish-looking yet sharp instinct, a path began to clear. And as Natrix invoked her power simultaneously,

『Dragon Fang Cannon (A)』

KA-BOOOOM—!!

A war hammer, flown from below, became the dragon’s fangs as it tore through the faux ceiling, revealing the scenery beyond the clouds. It uncovered the sight of the Tree of Memories, which had stretched its branches through the ceiling of the sky, as if extending to the edges of the world.

“What is that, an elf…?”

An elf whose entire body was swallowed by the tree trunk, with only her face exposed.

She was the host of the Tree of Memories, the First Branch of Paradise who had never revealed herself until now, the one the Tree of Memories had parasitized.