Barbarian in a Failed Game

Demonkin General Keltor was in an incredibly foul mood.

He was one of the most influential and powerful figures within the demonkin legion. At least, Keltor himself thought so, and in reality, he wasn’t far off.

The Blood King, being the ruler of the Blood Domain, was naturally an exception. Moreover, the Blood King only occasionally summoned the Demonkin Generals to give incomprehensible commands, rarely engaging actively in governance.

Thus, excluding the Blood King, the three strongest Demonkin Generals were lined up above him. However, each of these three had reasons for not being heavily involved in the legion’s operations.

Firstly, the Blood King’s Sword.

He was the fastest being in the Blood Domain, constantly wandering about without explanation. Keltor suspected that he might be carrying out the Blood King’s secret orders.

Then, there was the Blood King’s Shield, Tenel.

Tenel was a pure martial artist focused solely on honing his strength, considering all other matters bothersome. There were even rumors that his pride and arrogance led him to serve under the Blood King just so he could challenge him again later. Clearly, such a person had no interest in managing the legion.

Lastly, there was Kurtank, whom Keltor considered the greatest threat.

‘The ability to enchant and control even other Demonkin Generals given enough time is too dangerous.’

The thought of unconsciously following Kurtank’s orders kept Keltor awake at night. Thus, he had banished her to the outskirts of the Blood Domain under the pretense of the Blood King’s command.

He had also sent Tenel to the outskirts to keep an eye on her as an added precaution.

Of course, neither the proud Tenel nor Kurtank would follow Keltor’s orders willingly, but Keltor held the authority to act in the Blood King’s stead if necessary. Having thus excluded the three Demonkin Generals he considered stronger than himself, Keltor enjoyed nearly absolute power.

But that blissful period did not last long.

“Damn it… I should have killed her when I had the chance!”

Kurtank, whom he had banished to the outskirts to monitor her power, had caused trouble after all.

“But… there’s no way she could handle Tenel and all the Demonkin Generals.”

How did she manage to deal with so many Demonkin Generals?

He wished to know the details, but communication from the Demonkin Generals who were supposed to report back from the outskirts had been completely cut off.

In the midst of this chaos, absurd rumors about a new king’s ascent centered around the outskirts reached Keltor’s ears.

‘It seems safe to assume that Kurtank has taken control of Tenel and all the other Demonkin Generals.’

This meant they had amassed a force that could no longer be underestimated.

What had once been a threatening army of demonkin strongmen and beasts had become a powerful legion, formidable enough to be labeled as such. Keltor couldn’t simply sit back and watch the situation unfold any longer.

Thus, Keltor decided to personally lead the legion’s forces to the outskirts of the Blood Domain. He mobilized six Demonkin Generals who were always on standby.

Additionally, there were three hundred martial demonkins who, while not at the level of Demonkin Generals, far outclassed other demonkins. And the legion’s forces, numbering one thousand, were armed with weapons made from the bones and hides of beasts, compensating for their comparatively weaker physical abilities.

‘This should more than suffice to crush Kurtank.’

Kurtank’s enchantment ability was a significant variable.

However, the drawback of her power was that it required time to take full effect, especially on stronger targets. With this much force, they could undoubtedly trample her before her enchantment reached its full potential.

‘Moreover….’

Keltor smirked, conscious of the ‘item’ he carried with him.

The Blood King, in anticipation of a situation where the Demonkin Generals might become uncontrollable in his absence, had left behind a relic imbued with his power and entrusted it to Keltor.

‘With this, not even Kurtank, with her army of Demonkin Generals, can thwart me.’

And so, with a force of thirteen hundred and six Demonkin Generals in tow, Keltor set out for the outskirts of the Blood Domain.

The march of the demonkin army was far beyond anything seen in Midland. Even the minor demonkins, considered weak, were formidable beasts capable of crushing a normal human with one hand. Imagine then, the might of those within the legion.

They didn’t need more than two hours of rest each night. After running continuously for an entire week, they finally arrived at the first settlement to witness the demonkin legion and Keltor discovering a fortress with one of its walls and ceiling collapsed.

‘Tenel was truly defeated by Kurtank!’

Keltor had found it hard to believe until seeing it with his own eyes.

It was more plausible to think that the other Demonkin Generals had fallen under Kurtank’s enchantment and that Tenel had fled. However, from a distance, Keltor could clearly see the towering figures of the Demonkin Generals, with Tenel standing alongside Kurtank, confirming his worst fears.

“…They all fell.”

Keltor instinctively began calculating the legion’s potential losses. Faced with Kurtank, who now commanded five Demonkin Generals and Tenel, he estimated the toll on their forces.

‘We might lose half.’

Even though Keltor and the other Demonkin Generals could launch an offensive, both he and the others had no intention of doing so.

‘The best strategy is to wear Tenel down by sacrificing the demonkins and then have the Demonkin Generals collectively subdue him,’ Keltor thought, making a decision within the blink of an eye to send hundreds of demonkins to their deaths.

“Feeling itchy, were you? You’ve moved quite quickly.”

Kurtank, the instigator of the events, emerged with the gathered demonkins for Khan’s coronation, sneering at Keltor.

“A filthy woman with filthy abilities doing filthy plots. How could I sit idly by?”

Keltor retorted, returning the jeer while discreetly scanning behind Kurtank. He was gauging her forces, and upon quick assessment, a smile widened on his lips.

“Pathetic. I wondered what kind of foolish reason you’d have to defy the legion….”

Pathetic indeed.

That was Keltor’s evaluation of the demonkins gathered behind Kurtank.

The demonkins who had come to praise the new king’s ascension bristled momentarily but quickly bowed their heads under Keltor’s stern gaze.

“Did you really think you could pull this off with such pitiful creatures? It’s laughable. Even someone as cautious as me feels foolish for having been wary of you up to now.”

“I would call that a hasty judgment.”

“Hasty…? Ha! If you’re relying on that ridiculous enchantment ability of yours….”

“If my ability were truly ridiculous, then weren’t you more ridiculous for sending me to the outskirts out of sheer fear? Well, in any case, I do have something different to rely on. To begin with….”

Kurtank, who had been engaging in a tense standoff with Keltor, smiled faintly and stepped back, as if her role was over.

‘What is she doing?’

Keltor wondered, having always thought of Kurtank as the ringleader.

“Oh, Your Majesty. Given the circumstances, wouldn’t it be fitting to declare your position before the central legion?”

“Majesty…?”

The demonkin who pushed through the crowd and caught Keltor’s attention wore an annoyed expression. With gray skin, a small stature, and lean muscles, this lesser demonkin had weapons that looked as flimsy as twigs strapped to his waist.

If Keltor had encountered him in the central regions, he would have assumed the demonkin was a slave assigned to menial tasks, making his appearance both laughable and confusing to Keltor.

Are they trying to joke with me?

Such thoughts crossed his mind before his doubts were eased by the crowd parting in deference to him.

“This is bothersome… Weren’t you all doing fine on your own?”

“Oh dear, this is an important occasion. I can’t outshine you, can I?”

“Outshine? I threw my face into the garbage can the day I sought employment.”

“Oh, come on. This is your moment to step up as king.”

“…Damn it.”

These audacious bastards—

Keltor ground his teeth.

How dare they casually chatter in front of him, the powerhouse of the legion? Though Keltor had distanced himself from battles due to his obsession with power, he was still a demonkin at heart—a strong one who had earned his position through his strength.

“I’ll kill you both right here and now—!”

Boom!

As Keltor slammed his feet onto the ground, debris from the shattered earth shot up behind him. Such formidable leg strength. But Keltor’s true prowess wasn’t just in his raw power.

Crunch!

Sharp claws sprouted from his wolf-like fingertips. Though they paled in comparison to the “cut through anything” claws of the Blood King’s Sword, they were still sharp enough to easily slice through the tough hide of a Blood Worm.

Slash!

Keltor’s claws sliced through the air and charged forward. With explosive acceleration and a swift, fluid attack, Keltor aimed his strike right above Khan’s head, confident that the weak gray skin of Khan would be shredded in an instant.

Flinch.

‘He met my eyes…?!’

In this seemingly slowed-down time, Keltor was momentarily stunned as Khan met his gaze directly. So, you’re not merely boasting about being king!

But even this only served to fuel Keltor’s rage, not to instill caution within him. Khan’s appearance, pitiful by demonkin standards and the blunt sword he drew from his waist, seemed laughable to Keltor.

“I’ll cut you in two along with that sword!”

Crunch-crunch-crunch—!!

The strike had made contact. As his claws scratched against the blunt blade, Keltor was confident of his victory. He intended to cut through the sword and then slice Khan into pieces.

Then, he realized something was wrong.

Criiing…!

It didn’t cut. In fact, it didn’t even make a scratch!

With a delayed realization, Keltor’s arm recoiled violently. The immense rebound force pushed his arm back, and the bewildered Keltor staggered backward in retreat.

Thud.

As he moved back, pain shot from his fingertips. His once indestructible claws had snapped in the middle, broken and nowhere to be seen.

“What… what just happened…!”

With a confused mind, he tried to grasp the situation, but his brain couldn’t comprehend the reality. Instinctively, he rejected it. Could this feeble gray demonkin really be stronger than me?!

“Hey, where do you think you’re going after starting a fight yourself?”

“……!”

But reality was harsh.

To Keltor, who had retreated to his original position, it seemed as if Khan was about to return the favor of the initial ambush. Khan appeared right in front of him, ready to swing his blunt sword at any moment, eyes glaring fiercely.

“You brat, running after attacking…”

“Die—!”

Before Keltor could finish his sentence, he swung his remaining claws. However, this time, a sleek axe suddenly appeared, diverting his attack, causing it to strike the ground harmlessly. In response, a ruthless stomp pressed down on his trapped hand.

“Aargh…!”

The sound of tearing leather and Keltor’s scream overlapped. Of course, the scream didn’t last long.

Crunch—!

A hand covered in thick, red fur grabbed Keltor by the scruff of his neck and slammed him forcefully into the ground—

Squelch……

The handle of the axe growing from Keltor’s head served as a grim warning to the now petrified demonkin legion. It seemed to say, ‘If you challenge me, you’ll end up as an axe rest just like him.’

As an eerie silence spread out from Khan at the center, he retrieved his axe from the makeshift stand and looked around.

“So, anyone else got a problem with me being king? If so, raise your hand.”

Naturally, there were no replies.

TL’s Corner:
I just realized, the demonkins easily accepted that Khan was a demonkin like them. Is it because Khan’s face is too hideous? Or is it because of his size?