Barbarian in a Failed Game

“What? What kind of nonsense is that….”

“If you don’t know, just shut up, bastard.”

Elda, who was stuck in a hole shaped exactly like his own body, clamped his mouth shut. He seemed to think Khan was mocking him and refused to engage in conversation.

It would only hurt him. Although his limbs were weakly twitching, his condition was clear.

He was in no state to continue fighting. Even with the demonkin’s tenacious vitality and the robust physique of a Demonkin General, Elda had just enjoyed a forceful kiss with the solid ground of the Blood Domain, propelled by the Dragon Fang Cannon. There was no way he could be fine.

Even a troll would be bedridden for days with such injuries.

“Anyway, you’re going to end up as Kurtank’s minion. I have no interest in wasting time chatting with a scarecrow.”

“……!”

Despite being deeply embedded in the ground, Elda’s startled face was clearly visible. The demonkin of Fadis, who had believed Elda to be an invincible presence, hesitated as they watched his predicament.

“How amusing. It looks like you worship the Blood King as if he were a God.”

“What are you talking about….”

“Listen up. You’ll find this quite entertaining.”

Khan acted as if the others weren’t even there. He crouched in front of the hole where Elda was trapped, discussing the latter’s future with a smile. Of course, Elda’s face twisted at Khan’s words.

“I plan to make you the first to fight the Blood King. It seems that demonkin love fighting strong opponents…. How does that sound?”

It was as if Khan was offering a very tempting proposal. But to Elda, an ardent worshipper of the Blood King, this was like hearing the devil’s whisper.

“You devilish scum…!”

Khan couldn’t help but frown slightly at being called a “devilish scum” by a demonkin who was almost a devil himself.

Damn, who’s calling whom a devil here?

“Exactly. So let’s make a deal.”

“A… deal?”

“Yes.”

Patience was a virtue of modern intellects raised in the land of courtesy. How did he use to smile when he was a salesman back on Earth?

Reaching back into his now-fading memories of his corporate days, Khan lifted the corners of his mouth.

Flinch.

Elda’s body twitched instinctively at the sight of that sinister smile.

“I’ll kill you cleanly.”

“…!”

“I won’t use Kurtank’s power to control you, and I won’t keep you alive as a hostage. Instead, I’ll give you a clean, simple death. Right here.”

It was an absurd proposal. The demonkin listening to Khan’s words were furious, as if they themselves were the ones being threatened. However, Elda chose silence.

He was contemplating whether to accept Khan’s proposal.

“Lord Elda…?!”

“The forces of Fadis are still intact! Just ignore that proposal!”

Khan quelled the commotion with a polite remark and cast a firm gaze downward. It conveyed that he had said all he needed to and that the choice was now Elda’s to make. Elda remained silent for several more seconds.

Loyalty dictated that he must not betray the Blood King. Yet, the fear that rejecting Khan’s offer would lead him to raise a pitiful blade against the Blood King himself was swirling chaotically in his mind.

In truth, Elda’s decision had been made from the start.

“I understand…”

The Blood King was an invincible being. No matter what anyone did, the Blood King’s safety was never truly at risk. Even if the king acknowledged this remote king as an adversary, there was no way the king could be defeated.

Therefore, Elda accepted Khan’s proposal. The thought of personally attacking the Blood King was intolerable. It was preferable to die here rather than face such a future.

“A wise choice.”

Khan stood up with his trademark “friendly smile”.

As expected. The victory belonged to Khan and his border king’s army. However, despite hearing about Elda’s defeat and his acceptance of death at Khan’s hands, the demonkin of Fadis did not give up the fight. Instead, they fought even more fiercely.

“The experience points are amazing.”

Indomitable Will kept Khan’s near-dead body in a combat-ready state. The side effects were severe, akin to a final desperate attack pattern for a boss. Previously, once Indomitable Will deactivated, he would have immediately collapsed.

This time, it was different.

Although the injuries were severe, his stamina hadn’t completely depleted. The skill cost reduction from the Mark of Valor and his high stamina stats played a crucial role.

And in this process, Kurtank’s contributions were outstanding.

Her brainwashed Demonkin Generals were monstrous, capable of fighting against overwhelming odds. With each battle, she would enchant enemy demonkin leaders to join their forces, making it only a matter of time.

“Ha ha ha! How do you like the performance of Tulkan, Yoro?”

“I believed in you from the start. I knew if anyone could do it, it was you, Tulkan.”

“Of course!”

Surprisingly, Tulkan’s contributions were significant. His tough, rock-like skin made him particularly effective in large-scale battles.

While Tulkan single-handedly held off one of Fadis’s top demonkin warriors, Demonkin General Vess, who had joined the Four Heavenly Kings, swung his massive arms, breaking through the enemy’s formation.

Though his skin cracked like a drought-stricken land from the blows he received, Tulkan seemed satisfied with his performance, so no one commented on it.

“My king! We’ve completed the occupation of the city!”

“Then, as before, requisition all supplies. Leave nothing behind.”

“Yes, sir! We will sort out the treasures accordingly!”

“Good.”

Vess, who had become the most loyal of subordinates since Khan had torn off his arm, bowed deeply and marched off confidently.

“Well then, it’s time to finish our conversation.”

Kurtank, who acted as a sort of advisor and was also the top combatant of the border forces, was busy overseeing the newly occupied settlement. Tulkan was likely somewhere, regaling Yoro with tales of his exploits, with the ever-patient Yoro listening attentively.

Now was the perfect moment to make the captured informant talk.

“…What do you want to know?”

“First, let’s start with a simple question. You usually roam the Blood Domain following the Blood King’s orders, right? What were those orders?”

“It’s simple.”

Though his limbs were torn off, Elda, seemingly unfazed by his condition, wiggled his remaining stumps as he answered.

“To search for those with the qualities of a Demonkin General. That was his command.”

“…So, you were like a scout? Never mind. Do you know why? Why is the Blood King gathering Demonkin Generals and maintaining an army that he seems uninterested in?”

“Of course, it’s to protect the Blood Domain from the Monarchs of Hell.”

“…Hmm.”

To protect the Blood Domain from the offspring of other great demons?

On the surface, it was a plausible justification, leaving little to criticize. However, it revealed a glaring contradiction.

The idea that gathering multiple Demonkin Generals could stand against demons was somewhat plausible, especially if the demons’ strength was comparable to those who descended upon Midland.

‘Gathering demonkin to oppose demons? That’s bullshit.’

This was hell.

It’s a place swarming with demons who can unleash their full power without restriction, unlike in Midland, where the use of their authority was limited.

While it was true that Elda and Tenel were quite powerful, if asked whether they could stand against demons wielding authority, anyone would shake their head. A few might manage, but if a great demon’s offspring led their army in an invasion, the Blood Domain’s army would be swept away like leaves in the wind.

‘There’s another purpose. It’s certain.’

By this point, Khan was convinced that the Blood King had a hidden agenda, one that even his loyal servant Elda didn’t know.

“What are the qualities for a Demonkin General? Are there any specific criteria? Conditions set by the Blood King?”

“Of course, it’s strength. Only demonkin with something fundamentally different from ordinary demonkin can become Demonkin Generals. Like Tenel’s carapace, Kurtank’s brainwashing ability, and my scythe and wings…”

“Or perhaps, a trace of power similar to that of the Monarchs of Hell?”

“How…! How do you know that?!”

When his hidden secret was revealed, Elda was visibly shaken and soon trembled as if realizing something.

“Wait! This aura… Could it be you also…?!”

Khan never expected to read the expression of an insect, but it seemed Elda, like Kurtank, had belatedly noticed the fragment of Aecharis lodged in Khan’s right chest.

“Ha…. So that’s how it is.”

Regardless, Khan, who had roughly deduced the Blood King’s intention, smirked coldly.

‘Was he searching for Yoro from the beginning? The army was just a ruse?’

The Blood King, having somehow recognized himself as a ‘half’, was searching for the other half, seeking those who carried a fragment of the Hell Lords. The demon army and the Demonkin Generals were mere facades to conceal his true intent.

Though not entirely certain, it was highly plausible. And now, the Blood King had found Yoro.

‘He must be very eager.’

The problem was that the ‘will of the world’ opposed him. Thus, he probably intended to use Elda, who was involved in searching for the other half, to bring Yoro here. Unfortunately for him, Khan’s presence disrupted his plan.

‘This changes things a bit.’

Initially, Khan intended to buy time for Yoro by invading the central lands and causing delays. But knowing the Blood King was desperate enough to fabricate an entire demon army for a false pretext meant Khan couldn’t just keep watching.

He didn’t know when the Blood King’s patience might run out.

‘I’d rather not be ambushed suddenly.’

Although Khan was only a half, he possessed Aesperus’s authority fragment. While not as powerful as a great demon’s offspring, he still surpassed a typical transcendent. If a battle was to occur, it needed to be on his terms.

“Ha ha…! Now I understand. You are allied with those demons invading the Blood Domain!”

It was then. While Khan was deep in thought, Elda made an outrageous statement.

“What?”

“The aura of that authority! I’ve felt it recently! Those demons, who have been eyeing the outskirts of the Blood Domain and finally crossed the border…!”

“Demons? Demons came? With an aura similar to mine—”

“Don’t play dumb! Now I see. You are their vanguard! You dirty minion of Aecharis—!”

Crack.

“Ugh.”

Khan’s face twisted as he forcefully silenced Elda. Aecharis’s pursuers had finally entered the Blood Domain.

“Demons… plural?”

Not just one, but multiple demons. And for some reason, Khan felt an eerie familiarity with the demons invading the Blood Domain.