Barbarian in a Failed Game

Like a chrysalis undergoing metamorphosis. The wind spirit reborn inside the cocoon created by nature’s energy no longer had the appearance of a child spirit as it emerged.

“A wolf…?”

It wasn’t a case of having grown bigger during a growth phase or any similar kind of transformation. The spirit had simply abandoned its human form. And it was a form that seemed quite familiar.

With a silvery mane that sparkled as if imbued with ice crystals. A tail split into two. A stature that reached slightly below Khan’s chest.

‘It looks similar to the ones I saw in the Hoarfrost Gorge…?’

And unlike other spirits that were differentiated by the color of their aura, Khan could see this one quite clearly.

“The form of a spirit is usually determined by its innate attributes, or sometimes by its own desires. This one seems to have chosen the latter. Probably due to the long time spent separated from the tree. Compared to other low-level spirits, its self-identity was excessively clear.”

Despite Skadi’s additional explanation, Khan couldn’t easily accept it. He couldn’t understand why the wind spirit would want to resemble the wolves of the Hoarfrost Gorge.

“Maybe it found the form that would be most useful to you?”

“… So, does that mean its attribute has changed from wind to ice or something like that?”

“You’ll have to see for yourself through that child.”

Khan lowered his gaze slightly and made eye contact with the spirit. The spirit then let out a sound very much like a wolf’s howl, “Growl” and Khan gently flicked its nose.

“I see. Then, why can I suddenly see this spirit so clearly?”

“That’s probably because you’ve formed a proper contract. It’s my first time seeing a contract between a human without spirit sight and a spirit, so I was doubtful, but it seems it worked.”

“So, it’s a bonus. Understood.”

“Then… Could you wait up there for a moment? I need to deal with that giant first—”

“No.”

When Skadi asked innocently, “What?”

Khan smiled slyly as he stroked the wind spirit’s mane.

“I’ll go and test it right now.”

“Wait a moment…!”

Khan threw himself off the first branch.

Skadi, who had been about to stop him in surprise, wondered what kind of confidence made him leap down without wings, but Khan’s figure had already become a small dot as he fell.

“No, doesn’t he ever listen…!”

***

Who would have thought that Khan’s first skydiving experience would be from a tree piercing through the clouds?

Suppressing a laugh that seemed eager to escape, Khan ignored the wind that made it hard to even open his mouth and let out a “battle cry”.

“Tilly—!”

As if waiting for that call, hair that absorbed the night sky appeared and embraced Khan. In the blink of an eye, Tilly Ashanumos, transformed into a drake, was speeding through the air.

“You haven’t changed, being reckless then and now.”

“But you also haven’t changed, always helping me out each time.”

The irreparable rift between them remained unchanged. Khan would never forgive her. Even if Tilly Ashanumos sought atonement now, the deceased comrades could never be brought back to life.

And Tilly Ashanumos herself must be fully aware of that fact. Hence, Khan had to say it at this moment.

“The feelings you have for me are false.”

In the labyrinth of Elpellan. Alpha, the ancient archmage, had sent a thought just before dying, having turned into a minion of the Void. The feeling that the completely chaos-bound Alpha had for Khan was “delight”.

And Tilly Ashanumos, who would also become Chaos-bound and turn into a drake like Alpha in the distant future, said the reason she chose Khan out of all the people was “a sense of kinship”.

‘My identity as a possessor. To those associated with the Void, it’s considered extremely special.’

The reason why Tilly Ashanumos, who should have focused her efforts on becoming a drake, met a random human, pretended to be a human mage, and ended up annihilating his comrades with misguided kindness.

There is something about him that draws in beings belonging to chaos, even if unintentionally.

So—

All the feelings Tilly Ashanumos had for him were false.

“You don’t need to help me anymore. It might mean parting ways with the Followers of Truth because of me, but they aren’t the kind you should want to be involved with anyway, so just leave them. I’ll also tell you the way to become a God… as I promised. But—”

Khan delivered his verdict flatly.

“…If you become a monster and stand in my way, then I will have no choice but to take revenge for that day. And when that moment comes, I won’t hesitate. I will gladly avenge my comrades and dedicate your bones to their graves.”

This was not merely a threat to stay out of sight; it was his sincere intention. If that moment genuinely arrived, Khan would cut Tilly down without hesitation.

“……”

Tilly, who remained unperturbed in any situation, fell silent. Khan did not press for an answer from her, and having used his drake companion, retrieved the Giant Slayer embedded in the tree trunk and told Tilly to descend again.

Piercing through the clouds, Khan descended to the level where the giant’s arm was flailing. Rising with weapons in both hands, he spoke.

“To become a God, you have to embrace chaos and control it. That way, you can transcend the world’s rules and reach transcendence. As a side effect, you might lose your sanity, and there’s a chance tentacles could grow on your scales. But for you, it should be possible.”

Even in the original timeline, without his guidance, Tilly was able to embrace chaos and evolve into a true dragon. Perhaps it might seem like he was taking credit for something she could achieve on her own if left alone.

But Khan simply hoped. He hoped that his advice would reach her, allowing her to properly control the chaos and become a true dragon, not a chaos-bound monster.

‘Avenging my comrades might become more difficult, though.’

Even that rash man managed to beat up and pin down an ancient dragon, so why can’t I, as the possessor, achieve it?

“Then, be on your way.”

With those words as his final farewell, Khan leaped off Tilly’s back and looked up briefly. Tilly had already long disappeared.

***

The sheer power of a pure strength stat of 82 was astonishing even to Khan. Landing on the giant’s palm, he channeled the acceleration from his fall directly into his strike with the Giant Slayer.

Crack—!!

Blood, enough for three or four people, gushed out like a fountain. The sudden blow had mutilated the palm’s skin, creating a small crater. The giant tried to clench its fist in a silent roar.

However, Khan had already long leaped off.

Slash—

A long bloody streak traced the giant’s body along the path of Khan’s descent.

『It’s been a while since I last bit into a giant’s flesh. Still tastes awful.』

Draupnir, embedded in the giant’s wrist, chuckled and made a joke.

‘I’ll let you eat more.’

Khan descended almost tens of meters, halted only when he had run out of strength to cut through the giant’s hide.

Dangling as if he had plunged his sword into a cliffside, Khan attempted to pull himself upwards with one hand.

Grr.

But soon, there was no need for that. A large wolf, appearing with a howl, crawled as if inviting him to climb on its back. In the middle of empty air, no less.

It was then Khan realized what kind of “power” the spirit had desired.

“Incredible.”

The power to overcome the restriction of air mobility. He climbed onto the wind spirit who was standing on empty space with wind-formed claws. And as if mimicking Khan, the spirit slightly bent its forelegs before leaping.

His vision blurred. The spirit faced no wind resistance. No, it moved as if it had become one with the wind. Khan became one with such a spirit.

As a result of their fierce battle in the domain of the Tree of Memories, the colossal body of the giant, already battered, accumulated more wounds.

Slashing, striking, stabbing, exploding. It was as if a storm of blades was tearing it apart. In front of Khan, who moved as the wind, the giant’s arm was nothing more than a massive punching bag.

Moreover, the Gigantis, which should have been used for body restoration, instead crashed into paradise under Khan’s influence. The two monsters’ fight resulted in catastrophic destruction.

Amidst this, just when they thought the Tree of Memories was dead, it started moving again under Skadi’s control. The transcendent entity controlling the giant decided.

‘I need to reclaim my power.’

Instinctively, the transcendent entity moved towards ‘completion’.

The freshly revived giant was pursuing the ‘chaos’ contained in the red gemstone for the same reason. It was convinced that instinctively it would aid in the recovery of its body, and it intended to engulf even the chaos harbored by the Tree of Memories.

And in the midst of the fierce battle, the giant had already recovered some of the chaos dispersed by the red gemstone. Raw, unrefined chaos.

‘Absorb it.’

The transcendent entity decided to accept it as it was. As it became part of the chaos, things that were once invisible began to come into view. Things that were unseen even with the senses of a transcendent being—.

‘Found it…!’

The sweet essence of chaos emanating from a small mortal. The transcendent entity moved the giant. It had to swallow that mortal, even if it meant squeezing out every ounce of power it had left!

Rumble…!!

The giant’s power pressed heavily on the entire area. The already unrecognizable land of Paradise began to collapse as though crushed under the giant’s feet, and even the roots that tormented the giant started to loosen.

Khan could not entirely escape either.

Creak.

The rush of wind was caught in the grip of the giant’s hand, stopping it in its tracks. It felt as though the gravity of Midland was focusing intensely on him.

Even with strength surpassing 80, he couldn’t shake off the force that pressed down on his shoulders and bound his feet.

Yet, Khan smiled. Even if it was the power of a being displaying less than a tenth of its true strength.

‘This is manageable…!’

It was different from the time when he couldn’t even resist a single blow from the giant and had to rely on Natrix’s help to stay alive. He resisted the giant’s strength with his own power.

And—

‘I can catch him!’

『Surging Strength』

The A-grade skill, Surging Strength, had proven itself as Khan’s most powerful skill, showcasing unparalleled when his strength stat was only 70.

And now, with strength surpassing 80.

Khan realized. Surging Strength had become a completely different skill from before. Khan drew his left arm back.

The Giant Slayer, soaked in the giant’s blood, gleamed, and in that state, Khan, charging a new skill, used the platform created by the wind spirit to advance.

Bang-!!!

With the shockwave generated from the tip of his toes, Khan shook off the giant’s pressure and appeared directly in the giant’s grasp. Sensing the presence of Khan who had willingly entered its grasp, the giant began to clench its fist.

As if to punish Khan, who was thrashing like a thunder-naked creature, much like the clutches of Buddha in a certain proverb.

“Perish.”

But before that—

『Surging Strength』

Reproducing the strike he used in the decisive battle against the Golden Dragon, Khan shattered the Buddha’s palm.

Crack-k-k-k-k–!!

***

『Act 4, Turning Point』 – Clear!

─Clear rewards: Giant’s Strength (S), evolution of the Wind Spirit,

─Surging Strength (A)-rank increase. Acquired Giant’s Strength (S).