Surviving as a Barbarian in a Fantasy World-Chapter 388

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 388: The Story After (20). [Side Story 20]

[Kaaargh!]

The serpent let out a scream.

Its crushed head lifted violently.

Whoooosh!

The gust it raised hurled Ketal’s body away.

He barely held on, slamming his axe into the ground.

[Imp…!]

The serpent roared in fury.

[Wretched! A mere barbarian dares charge at me!]

“Shut up!”

Ketal burst into mad laughter and lunged again, gripping his axe with all his might.

“In my domain! Begone at once!”

[A mere barbarian claiming a domain! I’ll tear you to pieces!]

Rumbleee!

The serpent thrashed its body, and storms raged.

Just by approaching, flesh would be torn and entrails twisted.

Yet Ketal did not retreat.

Instead, baring his teeth, he hurled himself into the storm.

Clang-clang-crash!

The monster of the snowfield and the barbarian of the snowfield collided.

The barbarians who had fled stopped in their tracks.

“Wh…what…?”

“The chieftain… is fighting it?”

The massive, horrific beast—they, barbarians themselves, had chosen to flee rather than fight.

And yet their chieftain was facing it head-on. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI~Fire.net

They stood frozen, watching the battle.

Naturally, Ketal could not match the serpent.

In the future he would subdue the White Snowfield and even defeat the Old Man, but that was still far away.

At this time, he was not strong enough to confront the White Serpent of the Snowfield.

Crack!

His limbs tore apart, bones snapped, his head split open and bled.

Fingers dangled, nearly falling off.

And still, he did not retreat.

“Ha! Ha! Ha!”

With wild laughter, Ketal stomped forward, punching through the storm with his battered body, striking the serpent with his broken arm.

Boom!

The impact made the serpent’s body shudder.

[Kaaaah!]

It staggered, barely regaining its posture.

It spat breath to knock away the incoming axe.

Clutch.

Ketal seized the axe.

At that moment, the serpent’s tail lashed out, smashing into him.

Crunch!

With a sound of shattering, Ketal’s body slammed into the ground.

Crack-crack-crash!

The glacier split, and his body was buried deep.

His limbs should have been crushed to dust.

Rumble…

But Ketal emerged from the shattered ice, his whole body bloodied, teeth bared, axe still in hand.

The quest had said: drive the serpent from the domain.

He did not know its purpose, but it was the only possible way out.

So he would clear it, staking his very life.

“Begone! Serpent! Or kill me where I stand!”

Ketal roared, his voice booming.

The serpent faltered.

[Kaa…]

This barbarian was weak.

If the fight dragged on, it would surely win.

But at the same time, it realized Ketal’s obsession and stubbornness over his domain.

He would not back down, even in death.

Ordinarily, the serpent would have relished crushing such prey and devouring it.

But.

[…]

Its instincts screamed.

This barbarian was dangerous.

The chance was slim, but there was a possibility—

That it could suffer grievous harm.

The serpent’s primordial instincts were never wrong.

And it was true: by now Ketal had begun to grasp the strangeness within himself.

[…This once, I shall let you be!]

After long hesitation, the serpent decided.

To withdraw.

[Too pitiful to crush with my own might. Cross my path again, and I shall not forgive you!]

With a roar, the serpent left. The barbarians crept back.

The serpent had shouted, but its retreat was the act of one fleeing—a loser’s stance.

So then, who was the victor?

“O…Ooooooh!”

The barbarians unleashed the cheers they had held back.

Their chieftain had triumphed over a mighty monster.

Their roars shook the snowy fields for minutes on end.

[132nd Quest Cleared.]

[Reward will be granted later.]

* * *

“…So that’s how it was.”

Arkamis let out a murmur.

The Ketal she knew was only ever mighty and absolute—none could oppose him.

Yet even he had once lived as prey.

His power was not gained without price.

It was won through endless struggle.

“Well… after that, there were many more events. I met the rat, the bear. Other beasts, even the Old Men. I kept clearing quests and expanded my domain. In the end, we became a force no one in the White Snowfield could ignore. In that process, I saw a madman. He could not be reasoned with, so I cared for him briefly and sent him out.”

“…You mean the Emperor?”

“Likely so.”

The legend that in the White Snowfield, the most terrifying being was not the serpent, nor the rat, nor the bear—but the barbarian Emperor—that was how it began.

“And in time, I met Milena.”

A merchant party from outside, who had entered the White Snowfield.

From that meeting, ties with the outside began.

“From there, you know the story.”

He defeated the guardian at the boundary and stepped out.

Met elves, then entered human lands.

Defeated a lich, met the Sun God’s inquisitor, fought evil.

In the outer demon realms, battled Nano, reunited with Milena, and met Arkamis.

“This is my journey.”

Ketal’s life itself.

Ketal spoke softly.

“My all, Arkamis.”

“…Hearing it in your own words is astonishing. But nothing has changed.”

Calmly, Arkamis came to him and laid her hand on his shoulder.

“I am your family, and your wife, Ketal.”

“…Thank you.”

Ketal smiled gently and embraced her.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

* * *

Afterward, the world advanced rapidly.

With the Tower Master’s full support, the discipline of magitech was born.

Those who had talent but could not grasp mysteries flocked to it.

The train was invented within five years.

It spread across the world in just ten.

With powerful transport, the world advanced ever more swiftly.

New forms of communication connected every corner.

Under magic and machines, the world flourished dazzlingly.

Ketal joined in.

He helped people, enjoyed the changing world, and aided the Tower Master in advancing technology.

Years passed.

One day, Arkamis came to him with a joy greater than ever before.

Hearing her words, Ketal wore his brightest smile yet, unable to hold back his joy as he embraced her.

Here, he would live.

As Ketal.

With Arkamis.

With his bloodline.

For as long as he wished—forever.

* * *

The queen of the Leaf Clan, Marsilia, lived peacefully.

With Ketal’s first appearance tied to her village, it was made sacred ground.

Free from slavers, she lived happily with her tribe.

The thief Kasan Hawk rebuilt the destroyed thieves’ guild.

At first mere ruffians, but with effort, it regained its form as a guild.

Lord Luke Barkan of Barkan territory lived a busy life.

As lord of the city where Ketal first appeared, even kings treated him with honor.

He never grew used to it, but his land flourished fivefold by his deathbed.

Swordmaster Cain, who first taught Ketal swordplay, was revered by all.

He flailed at such treatment, but in his old age, he gave up resisting.

King Barbosa and Maximus of Denian Kingdom expanded their nation’s might.

After their passing, Denian grew stronger still, hailed as a second empire.

The High Elf Queen Karin, using her ties with Ketal, gained immense influence.

She erased prejudice and slavery against elves, annihilating slavers.

She became eternally revered by all elves.

Queen Elene of Lutein, replaced by Nano, lived immortally, ruling her kingdom.

Though revolts arose against the undying queen, she calmly resolved them.

The kingdom endured under her for millennia.

The church of Kalosia, god of lies and deceit, long shunned, gained acceptance with Ketal’s help.

Decades later, when Priest Heize became high clergy, Kalosia was no longer despised.

Saint Helia of the Sun God continued following the divine will.

The church endured strong as ever.

Chief Inquisitor Aquaz lost purpose with the demons gone.

With Ketal’s aid, she rose to high clergy of the Sun God, keeping faith lifelong.

The Northern King, Bayern, kept challenging the bear.

At first bothered, the bear grew intrigued as Bayern grew stronger.

They sparred for many years.

Serena, the saint turned human, journeyed the world, gathering knowledge.

At last, she rejected the gods’ call, choosing to remain of the earth.

The Tower Master lived joyfully, advancing and applying technology.

The Tower grew mightier.

As a lich, he watched over the world for ages.

And Ketal and Arkamis lived peacefully.

With children, Ketal shifted from wanting to wander the world to wanting to raise them.

With help from others, they raised their children.

Though the children caused mischief, they grew strong and healthy.

Arkamis smiled through it all.

They did not stop at one child.

After their troubles were past, they had a second, a third.

Arkamis’s passionate advances sometimes left Ketal reluctant.

Yet still, they lived happily.

Ketal’s blood spread across the world, each descendant living their own lives, founding homes, falling in love, marrying, bearing fruit, rooting themselves in the world.

Not Ketal alone, but his very lineage took root in the world.

The world could no longer be told without him.

Ketal looked upon it, deeply satisfied.

He would live on, here.

With Arkamis.

With his bloodline.

A man who once longed only for fantasy—

Now became not just part of the fantasy world,

But fantasy itself.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]