Surviving as a Barbarian in a Fantasy World

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Chapter 325: Necronovix (2)

BOOOOM!

An explosion erupted.

Hellfire, dark magic, and meteoric stars of the abyss defiled the ground.

The landscape churned and quaked.

The mirrored world conjured by the Tower Master trembled as if it would shatter any moment.

Cough, cough.

The Tower Master coughed.

The opponent was Necronovix—a being akin to a god.

A being who could perfectly wield their own powers.

Naturally, Necronovix's attacks were aimed precisely at Ketal.

The impact on his barrier was just a fragment of their strength.

But even that was hard to endure.

"If I were inside, I'd definitely be dead. All those puppets we fought until now were mere child's play."

This was the true power of Necronovix.

"I truly hope you can win. Otherwise, this world will meet its end."

The Tower Master murmured with heartfelt sincerity.

Rumble! Crash!

The most terrifying corners of hell unfolded upon the earth.

And amidst it all, Ketal advanced.

He narrowly created gaps to move through, dodging with miraculous precision.

But he couldn’t avoid everything.

Necronovix twisted and shook the trajectories of their attacks.

Shards from an exploding blade grazed Ketal's thigh.

Slash!

A long gash appeared on his thigh.

Ketal pressed forward, unfazed.

He finally reached the point right before Necronovix.

CLANG!

A pitch-black veil clashed with Ketal's axe.

And it was the axe that was deflected.

Necronovix spoke quickly.

[A burst of power before me.]

An explosion followed.

Even Ketal would be in grave danger if hit directly.

He swiftly retreated to maintain some distance, clicking his tongue as he examined the veil.

"It’s certainly durable."

Even though it had clashed with an aura-infused axe, the veil hadn’t shattered.

It bore some cracks, but those too were slowly regenerating.

Dodging the cascade of power, Ketal muttered to himself.

"Your authority isn’t as absolute as I thought."

[My power brings death to all things.]

The power of the Abomination—

It was death itself.

A power that bestowed ordinary death upon everything.

[But you cannot kill what is already dead.]

"Ah, so that’s the nature of your defense."

[Of course, in my prime, I could even destroy the already dead. But you can’t wield my authority properly.]

Ketal could only draw out the Abomination’s power as a form of aura.

Considering the true essence of that authority, he was barely scratching the surface.

[As you are now, you cannot breach that defense.]

"Hmm."

Ketal stroked his chin.

The Abomination murmured.

[Then let me cooperate.]

"Are you offering to help me?"

[Watching the one who wields me struggle against such a juvenile foe is not to my liking. I’d love to tear that smug expression apart.]

The mystical force within Ketal stirred, slithering up the nape of his neck.

[Accept me.]

The Abomination whispered.

If Ketal accepted, the creature within him would immediately go berserk, unleashing its power to annihilate everything.

The tide would turn in his favor in an instant.

There was no real downside to accepting.

The Abomination was ultimately part of his own power.

However—

"No, I’m good."

Ketal smiled faintly and declined.

The Abomination paused, seemingly surprised by the unexpected answer.

[...You’re refusing? Is it pride?]

"No, not that."

BOOM!

Ketal dodged the erupting forces, responding as he moved.

"It’s just, that wouldn’t be much fun."

[...What?]

It was simple.

Relying on someone else to solve the problem?

How utterly boring.

The Abomination spoke, incredulous.

[Even in this situation, you’re prioritizing enjoyment? You really are insane.]

"Well, I won’t deny that, but I’m not doing this thoughtlessly either."

Even Ketal wasn’t stubborn enough to insist on his own way to the detriment of everyone else.

Losing this fight wasn’t just his problem—it was a threat to the entire continent.

His dream of a grand fantasy would crumble, and that wasn’t something he desired.

Yet, he refused for one simple reason:

He was confident he could win without the Abomination’s help.

"I’ve roughly figured it out."

Necronovix, standing within the pitch-black veil, hadn’t moved a single step.

Likely, they couldn’t move while maintaining that shield.

This was probably Necronovix’s ultimate defense.

If so, breaking it meant victory.

The only problem was how to break it—but Ketal had already solved that puzzle.

"Your authority doesn’t work on that veil."

However, physical impact did.

Every strike caused cracks to appear—that was evidence enough.

The regeneration wasn’t particularly fast, either.

Continuous attacks could break through.

He had also discerned weaknesses in Necronovix’s onslaught of power.

"Well then, shall we begin?"

Ketal withdrew his aura.

Mystery coursed through his body, strengthening it.

Necronovix narrowed their eyes.

[A wise decision. Was that the Abomination’s suggestion?]

The authority of death couldn’t pierce the pitch-black veil.

If Ketal was going to wield it as aura, strengthening and protecting his body was the optimal approach.

[Even so, you cannot defeat me.]

Necronovix spoke softly.

[You are not the Abomination.]

A being that had killed more than any other.

A name that made gods and demons alike recoil in fear and hatred.

Such a monster was Necronovix.

[You are strong—I’ll give you that. But even so, you cannot reach me.]

"We’ll see."

Ketal grinned.

"Shall we test that?"

With those words, Ketal charged forward.

Necronovix swung his arm, summoning hellfire and meteoric stars to engulf the space.

Ketal moved swiftly, though he couldn’t avoid everything.

Hellfire clung to his skin, leaving burns both large and small.

At last, Ketal closed the distance to Necronovix.

He swung his axe with all his might.

Cracks spread across the veil.

[As the light of darkness pierces forward!]

Necronovix countered, unleashing a beam of annihilation from their fingertips, erasing everything in its path.

Crunch.

Ketal planted his foot and moved again, shifting behind Necronovix.

[As malice erupts upon the foe at my back!]

Necronovix instantly responded.

Demonic energy exploded behind them.

But—

Thud.

Ketal leapt, moving once more to Necronovix’s front.

[What?]

Necronovix’s dark magic faltered, misfiring.

Ketal raised his arm.

CRASH!

The axe struck the cracks in the veil, spreading them further.

[Thorns shall rise, piercing every direction!]

Necronovix retaliated, conjuring a dense wave of thorns to impale the space.

But none of them touched Ketal.

By the time the words were spoken, he had already moved to Necronovix’s back again.

CRASH!

The veil cracked even further.

Necronovix’s gaze wavered.

[You.]

Ketal’s movements had changed.

As he zipped around, he murmured:

"So, everything you say defines the outcome, huh?"

Necronovix’s power dictated reality through their spoken word, producing desired results.

In other words, the outcomes were predetermined.

If one could grasp the meaning behind those words, they could predict the direction of the force.

[…A vortex shook everything around.]

A storm erupted, pulling everything high into the sky.

But it didn’t touch Ketal.

The moment he heard those words, Ketal had already moved above Necronovix’s head.

“So, when you said ‘every direction,’ you didn’t mean above, huh?”

Crash!

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Once again, the axe came crashing down.

Cracks spread across the entire barrier.

[The enemy targeting me has been flung far away!]

This time, Ketal quickly widened the distance, deliberately moving farther from Necronovix.

“You said ‘the enemy targeting me.’ Then what happens if I retreat? What’s the meaning behind that?”

The situation twisted.

Naturally, the intended outcome was nullified.

Necronovix's power dissipated into nothingness.

The Abomination let out a groan.

[This is…]

[…You!]

It was certain.

Ketal had perfectly understood the essence of Necronovix’s power.

This realization sent a chill down Necronovix’s spine.

‘To think…’

To think that, after just a few battles, this barbarian had discerned a countermeasure.

And not just discerned — mastered it almost completely.

Something about this was unsettling.

Necronovix hastily turned his gaze toward Ketal.

His eyes glimmered with childlike curiosity.

Seeing those eyes, Necronovix finally understood.

The one standing before him didn’t see him as anything more than a challenge to conquer.

Ketal was analyzing, understanding, and systematically dismantling him.

This truth made Necronovix shudder.

[You are...]

Ketal was no Abomination.

He wielded the power of death only in a shallow sense.

But Ketal had something that Abominations lacked.

He muttered under his breath:

“I’ve never been a monstrous being with overwhelming power.”

He was originally nothing more than an ordinary barbarian.

He had come close to death fighting a mere beast like Whitefang.

But he had survived.

He analyzed and exploited the weaknesses of powerful, exalted beings wielding overwhelming might.

And by defeating them, he grew stronger.

He only gained true power later.

Thud.

Ketal pushed off the ground, charging Necronovix in an instant.

Necronovix’s mind raced.

He couldn’t rely on an area-based force anymore.

He had to target directly.

[Shred my enemies apart!]

[[ᚾᚱ ᛒᛋ ᚺᛚ]]

My double.

Ketal activated a spell he had been holding in reserve.

Before him, a clone of himself materialized.

“You specified an ‘enemy.’ So, is that me? Or my summoned clone?”

The answer became clear immediately.

Necronovix’s attack tore through the clone, leaving Ketal free to close the distance unimpeded.

He tightened his grip on his axe, channeling all his strength.

Crash!

The cracks on the barrier spread further, and now pieces of it began to fall away.

Ketal let out a whistle.

“Sturdy bastard, aren’t you?”

[…My power shall overturn the land!]

Necronovix shifted strategies, abandoning precise targets.

Instead, he unleashed a broad, indiscriminate wave of destruction.

The earth itself rippled and trembled, sweeping across all in its reach.

Ketal braced himself, driving his feet into the ground and meeting the force head-on.

“Unfocused power isn’t impossible to withstand!”

With a toothy grin, Ketal swung his axe.

The cracks spread even further, leaving the barrier teetering on the verge of collapse.

Necronovix’s expression twisted in frustration.

[Kill him!]

A pure manifestation of murderous intent enveloped Ketal.

He didn’t dodge.

Instead, he raised his axe to meet it head-on.

Boom!

An explosion of power erupted.

The protective wards cast by the Tower Master could no longer withstand the strain and shattered completely.

BOOM!

The aftermath reverberated, shaking the world.

Everything in the vicinity was destroyed.

It was fortunate this occurred in a remote mountain range — otherwise, the death toll would have been catastrophic.

“Cough.”

Ketal spat out blood, staggering as he struggled to stand.

The final attack from Necronovix had been immensely powerful.

It had ravaged Ketal’s body, tearing through his insides.

Yet, Ketal let out a laugh.

“It’s been ages since I’ve been hurt this badly. Not since that last guy in there.”

But it wasn’t enough to render him unable to fight.

Ketal tightened his grip on his axe.

As the dust settled, Necronovix came into view.

[…Hm.]

His body swayed unsteadily.

The black aura enveloping him was half-dispersed.

The pitch-black barrier had shattered and vanished.

Ketal whistled again.

“Now that’s a more respectable look.”

[…You...]

Necronovix stared at Ketal.

[What are you?]

“You ask meaningless questions.”

[…True. I suppose so.]

What mattered was that one of them had to kill the other.

Necronovix gathered his remaining power.

His near-infinite reserves were almost depleted.

He activated his final spell.

[Armor clads me, and a sword rests in my hand.]

Pitch-black armor encased Necronovix, and a sword appeared in his grasp.

“A melee fight, huh?”

[I have no room left for tactics. This will be the end.]

Ketal grinned, planting his feet before charging forward.

The ground cracked beneath him as he rushed at Necronovix.

Crash!

Axe and black sword collided.

Necronovix did not retreat.

Using his armor as a shield, he absorbed Ketal’s blows and aimed for his heart with swift sword strikes.

But ultimately, he was still a dark magician.

His every move was evaded, and his armor steadily fell apart.

Necronovix’s eyes dulled, despair creeping in.

With the last of his strength, he lunged forward, unleashing a desperate strike.

BOOM!

The attack sliced through the air, tearing a hole in the sky.

But it missed.

Ketal dodged it, grabbing Necronovix by the head and slamming him down.

Raising his axe high, he grinned.

“Well then! It was fun!”

[…Indeed. Not bad at all.]

BOOM!

The axe smashed through the armor and buried itself in Necronovix’s chest.

Demonic energy erupted in all directions.

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