Barbarian in a Failed Game

“Hmm. So this is how mortal senses work. Entirely dependent on the functions of the body… It’s more varied than I expected, but it feels incredibly stifling. It feels like I’m trapped in an egg, despite having emerged from one.”

The smooth, black, glossy head was unmistakably Yoro’s. The size and presence sensed by Karyan’s eyes were the same, and the polite speech, uncharacteristic of a demonkin, confirmed it.

“To think that those who stopped the invasion of the Hell Legion did so with such wretched senses and bodies, I must admit I have newfound respect for them.”

But something was different. Khan’s face hardened for that very reason.

“How could they be so strong, maintaining the mortal form despite such innate limitations? Do you have an answer to that question, Khan?”

“Cut the crap.”

“Ha ha… Cut the crap? To whom else would I pose such a profound question about that great mortal? I think you are…”

Bang!

His fist shot out unconsciously. However, the full-force punch intended to crush Yoro’s skull was stopped dead by a red barrier.

“You know well that you can’t kill me under the sky of the Blood Domain.”

His voice was gentle, without a hint of mockery, yet it irritated Khan all the more. Muttering a curse, Khan’s muscles tensed, and an overwhelming force emanated from his arm.

Crack!

It was a force that could likely topple boulders or even cliffs. But the red barrier flickering around the back of Yoro’s head didn’t even show a scratch.

“Why do you think it’s called a holy power? In the language of your dimension… it’s a miracle of the gods. It’s a power beyond the reach of mortals. That’s why he is such a great being. A mortal, who broke that fundamental premise.”

“Hoo.”

Khan exhaled briefly and withdrew his hand from the barrier. This guy was right. This red barrier was the power of Esperus lingering in the Blood Domain, the will of the world itself. It was impossible to shatter it with mortal strength.

“Now that you seem a bit calmer, shall we have a conversation?”

Interpreting Khan’s withdrawal as a sign of resignation, the figure, with a laugh in his voice, finally turned around. And the sight that met Khan’s eyes caused his expression to twitch.

In the middle of the smooth black surface was a crescent-shaped wrinkle, reminiscent of the ancient Esperus he had seen on the battlefield.

‘No doubt about it.’

This was indeed Esperus. Somehow, Esperus, who should have fully revived later, had awakened in Yoro’s body.

“What happened?”

“Hm… I suppose your question is about how I was resurrected? The answer is, I don’t quite know. Or rather, I do, but I’d prefer to see it with my own eyes before making any definitive statements. I dislike uncertainty.”

“Your certainty that I’m connected to that mortal, what’s your basis for that?”

“Haha. That’s an interesting question. Despite being a mortal, you, Khan, handle transcendent powers quite adeptly, just as he did. I never expected you to handle fragments of my brother’s power. But more than anything, there’s something about you that resembles him—your demeanor, your rebellious and discontented nature, your boldness.”

“This bastard…”

“Pardon?”

Esperus’s eye wrinkles quivered as if they were about to spread apart in shock. Khan quickly brushed it off, saying it was nothing, but he felt an overwhelming urge to smack the back of the demon’s head.

Resemble? Me and that narcissistic lunatic? To Khan, who prided himself on being a modern intellectual, this was a grave insult.

‘Poor judgment.’

Khan mentally added “Esperus has no sense in judging people” to his mental notepad.

To equate himself with Karyan, the narcissistic lunatic who blathered about himself for hours and casually slammed a dragon into the ground just because it annoyed him, was beyond offensive. It made Khan wonder if the early resurrection had affected Esperus’s mind.

“Aren’t there plenty of mortals who have made contracts with demons and wield their powers?”

“Hm, it seems an explanation is in order. Unlike my siblings, I haven’t created minions in other dimensions. From my observations, a transcendent granting power to a minion is possible through a reciprocal contract.”

It’s akin to how a God bestows grace upon a believer who, in turn, spreads the faith.

“This transaction is not restricted by the laws of the world. But you, Khan, are different. None of my siblings, especially the most greedy, would give a piece of true power to a mortal from another dimension without some form of compensation. That’s why I’m certain—you’re either a descendant of that great mortal or very closely related to him.”

As much as Khan hated to admit it, Esperus’s conjecture was accurate.

It was eerily precise, as if he had been watching Khan’s journey all along. Despite having fallen to resurrection in a mortal’s body, Esperus was still the Scion of the Arch Demon. This made Khan acutely aware of the overwhelming nature of transcendent beings.

“I never imagined meeting someone related to him in this Blood Domain, nor that my progeny would form such a deep connection with you. But perhaps that’s one of life’s ironies.”

“Do you want to kill me?”

“Of course not. That’s far from my intentions.”

Esperus, seemingly sincere, waved his hands in denial of Khan’s accusations.

“I understand the misunderstanding. Since you saw the past with my fragment, you probably think I hold a grudge against you due to your association with him.”

It was a natural conclusion.

Demons were inherently cunning and cruel, with an arrogance befitting transcendent beings. For Esperus, one of the most powerful demons, to have been bested by a mere mortal, having his body and soul shattered, and forced to await resurrection, was a severe humiliation.

“I bear no grudge against you, Khan, nor against him.”

For the first time, Khan found himself doubting Karyan’s perception.

“Far from it, I feel a hint of gratitude. I owe him a debt, and as a result, I owe you one as well.”

Truth.

Karyan’s eyes confirmed the sincerity in Esperus’s words. There wasn’t a flicker of deceit in his presence. Khan considered whether a being as powerful as Esperus could control his aura to this extent, but given that Esperus was currently inhabiting Yoro’s mortal body, it seemed unlikely.

“…Then what is your goal? Is your purpose to fully resurrect in your original state? Why have you taken over Yoro’s body now?”

“Hm. As I mentioned, I’m not entirely sure why I awakened. It seems you don’t trust me. Ah! How about this? If you wish, I can alleviate some of your worries.”

“What?”

“Children bearing the banners of my siblings have set foot in the Blood Domain.”

He was referring to Augrabes and Kereaktu.

“Although those children are inferior, they can still be quite burdensome. So, I propose to take care of them for you. In return, I ask for a small favor.”

At that moment, the wrinkles on the black egg-like head began to part. Revealing the hidden ‘something’ inside.

“My half bearing my power… Kill the Blood King for me?”

What was revealed was neither demon, demonkin, nor beast.

It was a human.

***

『What an unpleasant place.』

『The influence of a dead monarch lingers heavily here. Is he truly dead…?』

『If he were alive, we would have been annihilated already.』

『Heh, that’s true.』

Two distinctly alien entities set foot on the red soil of the Blood Domain. Feral beasts, sensing new prey, raised their heads. Those of a more impatient or dominant nature drooled and appeared ready to pounce at any moment.

『How fascinating.』

『Without a master, all sorts of vermin have sprung up. Just like Midland.』

『They need to be cleaned up.』

It was then that a creature with a reptilian head, sharp horns like spikes, and stubby limbs disproportionate to its massive body opened its mouth wide.

The beasts sensed the ominous aura emanating from the creature and began to back away. But in the next instant, a loud sucking sound echoed, and the beasts were suddenly consumed, disappearing as if the very space they occupied had been torn away.

『The use of authority is seamless. Indeed, this is an abandoned land. Heh… It’s almost laughable that it hasn’t been conquered yet.』

The other being, who had watched the beasts’ demise without a hint of concern, chuckled like an old man. This being’s body was composed entirely of frost-covered bones, and in its hands were frost swords forged from the eternal ice of hell itself.

Any intelligent being outside the Blood Domain who saw these two would fall to their knees and beg for mercy. They were such fearsome entities that the thought of escape wouldn’t even cross their minds.

They were Augrabes and Kereaktu, minions of Aecharis.

Feared even among their own kind, they had come to the Blood Domain to hunt down a single mortal.

Augrabes and Kereaktu had long competed for the second rank among the minions, and whenever they met, they fought like bitter enemies. It was only their mutual enmity for one mortal from Midland that had made them temporary allies.

They were not concerned about failure.

In Midland, the laws of the world had prevented them from utilizing their full power. But in this hellish realm, those laws didn’t apply. Unless Esperus, the Monarch of Blood Domain and the progeny of a great demon, resurrected to suppress them, there was no one here who could challenge them.

『Let’s go. Let’s find that vermin…』

『This time, I will extract that wretched mortal’s soul! He must experience the eternal torment of being devoured by hellish jaws!』

『Heh. Will that be enough? I shall grant him a piece of the eternal frozen land. There’s no place more suited for torturing a mortal’s soul. You know that well.』

But what they didn’t know, not even in their wildest dreams, was that the Monarch of Blood Domain, Esperus, had resurrected prematurely for some reason and had allied with their nemesis, Gordi Khan.