Surviving as a Barbarian in a Fantasy World

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Chapter 327: The Tide Turns (1)

[The damage on the surface is not insignificant.]

The sanctuary of the fairies has burned.

A pure mystical spring has vanished from the earth.

Three heroes of renowned stature have died, along with dozens of superhumans.

The casualties below that level are countless.

Five religious churches were wiped out, and three kingdoms have collapsed.

[To be honest, the damage is catastrophic.]

It was impossible to predict how long it would take to recover from the devastation caused by Necronovix.

In fact, it might never be possible to fully recover.

Such was the magnitude of the damage.

Necronovix's rampage lasted only ten days.

In that short time, it inflicted an indelible wound upon the surface.

[But in the end, Necronovix was slain.]

One of the Four Lords of Hell, who had once opposed the gods, was defeated.

[When you think about its significance, the price was cheap. Practically free, even. It’s hard to believe they summoned Necronovix to cause just this much damage.]

The purpose of summoning Necronovix must have been to devastate the continent.

At the very least, they likely intended to destroy half of it—to burn the World Tree, collapse Mantamia, and annihilate numerous kingdoms and religious churches.

And realistically, it wasn’t impossible.

Considering the irreparable damage inflicted in just ten days, with a few months, it truly could have destroyed half the continent.

But before that could happen, Ketal killed Necronovix.

[Summoning Necronovix must have been a trump card for Hell. They must have expended an enormous amount of sacrifices to bring it forth. And on top of that, they must have used considerable resources to prevent Heaven’s intervention. It was a gamble of sorts.]

But that gamble failed.

[They can’t block Heaven’s intervention forever. Soon, even the gods will be able to aid the surface. What you’ve done is change the course of this war.]

The Tower Master continued.

[Honestly, I dare say the tide has turned in our favor.]

The flow of the war against Hell had shifted.

Now it was time to counterattack.

The Tower Master spoke with delight.

[It’s all thanks to you. You did exceptionally well. If I could, I’d even give you a kiss.]

"That’s... not really..."

Ketal hesitated to refuse.

A kiss from a lich?

Now that was fantasy.

Even he, who had seen countless works of fiction, had rarely come across a scene of a lich kissing.

What would it actually feel like?

The thought momentarily intrigued him.

[...Just joking. Don’t make that face. It’s unsettling.]

The Tower Master replied awkwardly.

[Anyway, you’ve done well. I can’t give you a kiss, but I should at least reward you properly. I’ll make arrangements.]

“That wouldn’t be bad,”

Ketal said with a faint smile.

* * *

The Tower Master had said that Hell suffered a great blow and that the tide had shifted.

And those words were true.

Proof of this lay in the somber atmosphere of the Hell Lords' meeting.

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“…Necronovix is dead,”

Materia broke the silence.

No response came.

She continued in a subdued voice.

“…Dead. Completely.”

It wasn’t a banishment or a seal.

The entity itself had ceased to exist.

A mighty evil that had existed since the days of demons had met eternal death.

The Demon of the Sword, Caliste, asked quietly.

“Who killed him?”

[The Barbarian of the White Snowfield, Ketal.]

The Abyss, the First Tool of the Demon King, answered.

Caliste’s gaze darkened.

“Of course, it’s him.”

“There was no one else who could have killed Necronovix in the first place.”

As Necronovix invaded the surface, it relayed vast amounts of information to Hell in real time.

Through this, they had come to understand Ketal’s power.

“Abomination’s Authority.”

“How does someone even acquire such a thing? This is insane. This must be a nightmare,”

Materia muttered, letting out a bitter laugh as she ruffled her hair.

It was the first time since the Gods and Demons War that she had shown such vulnerability.

And the situation justified it.

Caliste asked,

“What’s the damage on the surface?”

“It’s not small. But… it’s not large either.”

[Difficult to gauge. Without Necronovix, it’s unclear.]

Necronovix wasn’t just a being of raw power.

As the master of all dark magicians, it also served as Hell’s central source of intelligence, gathering and relaying critical information.

Hell’s ability to exploit vulnerabilities on the surface relied heavily on Necronovix’s insights.

But now, with Necronovix dead, Hell was like a human without eyes or ears.

Coordinated attacks were no longer feasible.

“At the very least, the damage doesn’t compare to Necronovix’s worth. And it’s no longer possible to block Heaven’s intervention. The gods will soon return to the surface.”

“Do we have a countermeasure?”

“……”

Materia remained silent.

Caliste’s expression darkened.

“We don’t.”

Hell’s leadership had gone from four lords to three.

And they had no answer.

Hell fell into silence.

* * *

[Here it is.]

Two days later, the Tower Master handed Ketal a core.

“What’s this?”

[It’s your reward for what you’ve done.]

Ketal examined the core.

It glowed blue, with something shimmering inside it.

He immediately recognized what it was.

“Arcane Energy.”

[It’s one of the cores that sustains the Tower. With just this, all the Tower’s magicians could conduct research without worrying about funding for a month.]

The core radiated an intense mystical energy, surpassing even a dragon’s heart.

“Are you sure it’s okay to give me something like this?”

[Considering what you’ve accomplished, this is cheap. I’d give more if I could, but the Tower was also attacked and resources are tight. My apologies.]

“No, this is more than enough.”

Ketal responded lightly as he accepted the core.

But the Tower Master, still regretful, continued.

[If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask. If it’s within my power, I’ll provide it.]

"Then."

Ketal’s eyes lit up.

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"Can you teach me magic?"

[Magic? It’s not particularly difficult,]

The Tower Master said, looking slightly puzzled.

[But you don’t really need magic, do you? You have Dragon Words.]

Dragons are a magical race.

The Dragon Words they wielded was immensely powerful.

Human magic was essentially a diluted version of it.

It was hard to understand why someone with Dragon Words would seek human magic.

Ketal answered the question lightly.

"Because I want to learn it."

[...I see, that’s your purpose,]

The Tower Master mused.

Learning magic itself was Ketal’s desire.

It was a little perplexing, but knowing how peculiar Ketal was, the Tower Master didn’t press further.

[Very well. But right now, it’s difficult. There’s still much to be done in this war. I’ll teach you after it’s over.]

"Ooh, thank you."

Ketal beamed.

After the conversation ended, Ketal headed to the clearing with the core in hand.

He already knew exactly how to absorb it.

Ketal shattered the core.

Crash!

The mystical energy within burst forth, surging into Ketal’s body.

Normally, this method was impossible.

A regular body would have been unable to withstand the overwhelming energy and would have exploded.

But Ketal was no ordinary being.

The Abomination within him stirred, ravenously consuming the rebellious energy.

As a result, Ketal gained the ability to wield even more mystery.

"Ooh, ooh! Finally, I can use both simultaneously."

Now, he could strengthen his body with mystery while wielding aura.

The duration of his aura usage also increased.

Previously, it lasted only a few dozen minutes, but now, he could sustain it for over two hours.

Ketal grinned in satisfaction.

The Abomination muttered begrudgingly.

[...Come to think of it, getting stronger isn’t entirely good for me.]

The stronger Ketal became, the greater his control over the Abomination.

For the Abomination, being under Ketal’s command was far from enjoyable.

Ketal replied lightly,

"Oh well. We might have to spend our whole lives together. Might as well make the best of it."

[...How dreadful.]

The Abomination shuddered.

Afterward, the situation on the surface rapidly improved.

Necronovix’s demons, now blind, could no longer exploit weaknesses in their attacks.

The same was true for the dark magicians.

Many of the dark magician elites had been consumed as puppets by the Necronovix, making it impossible for them to operate effectively on the frontlines.

With more breathing room, Ketal and the Tower Master began traveling the battlefield, eliminating demons.

Boom!

Power erupted, obliterating the demon strongholds that had tormented humanity.

"That’s the end of it."

From the ruins, Ketal emerged, and the people erupted in cheers.

"Waah!"

"Ketal!"

"Lord Ketal!"

Now, everyone on the surface knew Ketal’s name.

He was, without a doubt, the most famous figure of the time.

The Tower Master had spread the word across the continent: Ketal was the one who had slain the Necronovix.

People’s eyes gleamed with reverence and awe as they gazed upon him.

They shouted in unison,

"O Great Hero!"

"A hero, huh,"

Ketal mused.

"It’s not exactly wrong, is it? I chose you, after all. In fact, it’s quite accurate. This feels nice!"

Standing next to him, Serena glowed with excitement, as if the praise was meant for her.

Ketal chuckled.

Time passed.

The surface steadily gained the upper hand.

In the once-hopeless eyes of the people, hope began to bloom.

One day,

Shadrenes, the Saintess of Kalosia, visited Ketal.

"It’s been a while, Ketal.”

"O-Oh, it has,"

Stammered Heize, standing beside her.

She seemed unsure of how to address him.

"You can treat me the same as before, Heize. You’re my friend,"

Ketal said lightly.

"…That’s easy for you to say, considering what you’ve become,"

Heize murmured under her breath, glancing at him with a peculiar expression.

When they first met, Ketal had seemed like a strange, terrifying barbarian.

Over time, she realized he wasn’t as frightening as she initially thought.

But as it turned out, he was even more fearsome than she had imagined.

Ketal wasn’t widely known back then—perhaps only in a small village.

But after saving her sanctuary from demons, his fame had spread across the continent, and now he was hailed as a hero.

It was an astonishing transformation.

"Anyway, it’s good to see you again. What brings you here?"

"Ah, yes,"

Shadrenes said, her face calm as she began to speak.

"My lord, Kalosia, wishes to see you. He has a message for you."

"Let’s meet him immediately,"

Ketal said without hesitation.

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