Barbarian in a Failed Game

Known colloquially as “Elder”, he was the ruler of one of the many Demonkin settlements in the Blood Domain, and he was extremely displeased with the situation.

Not only had this lowly Demonkin, whose only task was to handle meat for the vermin, dare to be late for their scheduled transaction, but then had the audacity to come back and demand the carcasses of the Infernal Beasts.

“You are nothing but slaves! Mere vermin to be used as fertilizer for this Blood Domain! And yet, you dare waste the time of the Elder?”

Of course, simply being late was not the sole reason for his outburst. This was a mere outlet for his anger.

“I’ll crush you right here, you wretched worm…!”

Yoro was just an unfortunate scapegoat.

But what could be done? Only Yoro could blame himself for being born as a weak Demonkin. The Elder genuinely believed this and raised his heavy foot to stomp down on Yoro’s head, lying on the ground.

“That’s not going to work for me.”

Just then, another worm – the one who had come with the insolent weakling – caught his attention. Although he couldn’t understand the language being spoken, the tone and expression were enough to infer the meaning.

“What did you say?”

The Elder lowered his raised foot to just in front of Yoro’s nose and turned around.

“Do you also wish to die alongside this worm?”

“What did you say?”

The Elder frowned with his rocky face, not understanding what the gray-skinned Demonkin had said. Although he didn’t understand, he was sure the words were disrespectful.

“Worm. Use your ability to make the conversation understandable.”

“Ugh… Ugh…”

Still struggling from the earlier blows, Yoro groaned, but the Elder paid no heed. Instead, he exuded an aura that suggested he would crush Yoro’s head immediately if he didn’t comply, prompting Yoro to use his ability with a resigned sigh.

“Speak again, gray worm.”

“Oh, simultaneous translation too. That’s handy…”

“Stop talking nonsense─!”

Boom!

The Elder stomped his foot, and the ground around them shook as if in response.

“Indeed… As expected of Lord Tulkan. Such incredible strength!”

“It’s no wonder he was entrusted with the settlement. Perhaps Lord Tulkan could soon become a general in the demon army.”

“Compared to that, look at that gray Demonkin. He looks so weak. He’s so tiny!”

Khuhuhu.

The Elder—Tulkan—let out a pleased laugh at the praise from the surrounding Demonkin. This was it. The only speech permitted to these worm-like weaklings was praise for him.

“Did you hear that, worm? If you understand your situation, you’d better kneel and bow your head immediately. If not…”

Boom─!!

Tulkan stomped heavily once again, wearing a sinister smile.

“I’ll crush your skull just like that worm crawling over there.”

He spoke with absolute certainty, not even considering the possibility of defeat.

Of course, why would he?

‘The strength of a Demonkin comes from this sturdy body.’

The gray Demonkin before him was barely half his size. And as with most lesser demonkin, his physical appearance was utterly unimpressive.

Just like the worm groveling at his feet.

‘Above all, my rock-hard skin is a trait even acknowledged by the general of the legion!’

This rock skin was the primary reason he ruled this settlement and behaved as a tyrant. Few could penetrate his rock-hard skin. Moreover, raw brute strength was his real weapon.

“I’ll count to five. If you don’t bow your head by then, you’ll end up like that worm.”

Tulkan expected the gray Demonkin to kneel and beg for his life.

And without a doubt—

“No, thanks.”

Khan had no intention of bowing or begging for his life.

“What—”

Tulkan was about to ask something in confusion when a scream and the sound of something breaking filled the air. It took a moment for Tulkan to realize that the noise came from his own body. The event was too surreal, and he had been struck so quickly that he couldn’t react.

‘What is this?’

The excruciating pain in his face soon made him realize the reality.

“Kaaah! You—!”

Tulkan thought he had been struck by a blunt weapon. But seeing Khan brush rock fragments from his fist made him realize it wasn’t a weapon. It was a fist so heavy it felt like being struck by a blunt object.

“Impressive durability.”

Tulkan couldn’t believe his ears. The very being who had granted him this position had assured him that few could break his skin. Yet, here was someone who did it with his bare hands, speaking as if it were nothing.

“Worm—you—!”

Unable to contain his rage, Tulkan spread his arms wide and charged. With the same brutal attack that had shattered many who dared to challenge him, he intended to crush Khan completely.

Grab!

“I don’t know what trick you used, but now you’re finished—!”

Tulkan succeeded in grabbing Khan, applying all his strength to crush him in a bear hug.

But.

“No way…!”

No matter how much force Tulkan applied, Khan didn’t budge. Instead, Khan’s arms slowly began to break free from Tulkan’s grasp, reversing the situation and making it seem as though Tulkan was the one struggling.

‘This is impossible!’

In the Demonkin world, physical traits were synonymous with strength. There was no way a small Demonkin with no distinctive traits could possess more strength than him.

Yet, this was precisely what was happening.

“What’s going on? Tulkan’s expression looks a bit strange…”

“Usually, he’d crush anyone instantly. Why is he taking so long?”

Even the crowd, who had initially watched the spectacle for amusement, began sensing that something was off, making Tulkan increasingly impatient. What unsettled Tulkan the most was Khan’s tranquil expression.

His face and calm eyes seemed to say that this level of attack was nothing, adding to Tulkan’s anxiety.

“Damn you—”

Realizing his current approach was futile, Tulkan released Khan and clenched his fists.

But he didn’t know.

“Not even Alejandro would put up with a punch like that.”

In close combat, no one could surpass the barbarian warriors of Hoarfrost Gorge. Moreover, from Khan’s perspective, Tulkan’s punches were utterly amateurish.

His stance was terrible, and his movements were so slow that even trying to get hit intentionally would be difficult.

Crunch!

Tulkan swung first, but it was Khan’s delayed punch that hit home first. The impact shook Tulkan, making him stagger.

‘This can’t be…’

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

Khan’s relentless attacks landed on Tulkan’s face, disorienting him further, before Khan delivered a powerful kick.

Boom──!!

The sound reverberated through the entire Demonkin settlement like a bomb going off. Tulkan’s rocky skin, which even ogres couldn’t withstand, was peeled away, revealing the tender flesh beneath.

“Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, huh?”

Khan, who had subdued Tulkan—who had ruled as a tyrant over the Demonkin settlement for an inordinate length of time—handled him as if twisting a child’s arm, maintaining a nonchalant demeanor throughout.

“…….”

“…….”

A heavy silence filled the air. No one had anticipated Tulkan being defeated so easily.

“L-Lord Khan…?”

Even Yoro was taken aback by the turn of events. Who could have guessed that Khan, whom Yoro had thought of as a “frail Demonkin”, would effortlessly dispatch Tulkan, who had reigned like a king over the settlement?

『How disappointing. The armies of Hell I’ve seen weren’t this weak.』

Shut up.

Khan silenced the unnecessary muttering of the Spirit of Resentment voice and furrowed his brows.

‘Why are they so weak?’

Yoro had warned him about the true strength of the Demonkin, so he had expected a more challenging fight. Instead, even the Greenskin warriors posed a greater threat.

Sure, Tulkan’s body was incredibly tough, and his strength could easily crush most Greenskins.

But that was all.

‘This isn’t even a proper fight; it’s so amateurish.’

Tulkan relied solely on brute force, swinging his fists wildly. If Khan were still in his weaker days, this might have been challenging.

-But not now. He had overwhelming stats, battle experience from life-and-death encounters, and honed techniques.

‘There’s nothing to gain from this…’

Khan wasn’t displeased just because the fight was too easy. Winning easily was fine. The real issue was that extracting useful information from such a weakling seemed unlikely.

As Khan pondered for a moment, his eyes sparkled as he noticed the diverse crowd of Demonkin around him.

“Is there an issue with who takes this guy’s place?”

“Y-yes…?! That’s right, but…”

Surprised by the sudden question, Yoro provided Khan with the information he needed.

“Since it’s a position taken by strength, it shouldn’t be a problem. But what are you planning to do with that information…?”

“What do you think?”

Satisfied with the answer, Khan grinned and nudged Tulkan’s exposed soft flesh with his foot.

“From now on, I’m the Elder here. Spread the word.”

***

The Empire’s vanguard force conquered the Potsral Mountains and advanced into the Land of Warriors with overwhelming momentum.

The efforts of the Sword Demon Leniyar and Ludmilla, the Witch of the Forest of Inverted Cross, were particularly notable.

Leniyar wielded her broken sword, decapitating Greenskin warriors. Ludmilla unleashed her space spells, causing widespread slaughter without any means of defense.

With both of them fighting fervently, the Greenskin army, which had brought down numerous frontier kingdoms, had to retreat their front lines back to their base.

And finally.

“Guuaaah….”

At the location where Khan had disappeared, where the dimensional collapse occurred, the two reached the spot where Natrix had said they were too late.

“What on earth happened here…?”

In the area swept by the pressure from the dimensional collapse, nothing remained. No signs of battle, no Greenskin corpses, no demon altar—nothing.

“That bastard…”

With unsettling thoughts rising, Leniyar bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly.

‘Did he really die here…? So pointlessly?’

***

“Kheh heh heh. This is the renowned Infernal Beast meat from this area! How is it?”

“Not bad. Bring more. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.”

“Yes, sir! You heard him! Sir Khan demands more meat!”