Chapter 144
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Intervention
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Queen of the Barbarian Warriors, Charhela.
Her title was quite fitting at its core, but in the game, she occupied a rather ambiguous position.
Her attack power was exceptionally high, but the Barbarian Warrior class had severe restrictions on equippable gear, and she had paper-thin defense.
She did have high agility and evasion... but Origin World wasn't the kind of game where you could rely on that alone.
In other words, picking Charhela was tantamount to voluntarily cranking up the difficulty.
She was a character for veterans brimming with confidence in their skills or those so jaded they'd run out of things to do.
Her appearance was polarizing, and she didn't have some heart-wrenching backstory either, so her pick rate wasn't all that high.
"What the hell is this, a bomb?"
But when it became reality, it turned out a bit grotesque.
Kwarrrung! Pajijijik!
Lightning skimmed across the ground, splitting like roots in the blink of an eye and leaving afterimages behind.
It wasn't mere lightning—that was all the trail Charhela had left in her wake.
The root-like afterimages formed and vanished countless times in that split second, making it no exaggeration to call her speed beyond common sense.
"Kuhp!?"
"What...!"
"Ugh...!"
Nemes, Wendy, and Lira were getting unilaterally pummeled by that terrifying speed, at a complete loss for what to do.
It wasn't just that they were being pushed back.
Nor was it that Charhela was stronger than the three Masters or had the upper hand.
In fact, the three were focusing solely on defense without even a chance to counter, but they weren't sustaining any critical wounds or even scratches.
However, Charhela always held the initiative, so despite the three Masters ganging up on her, they couldn't mount any proper response.
"...Ha, good grief, this is ridiculous."
I leisurely puffed on my cigarillo, watching the thunderous roars shaking heaven and earth and the blinding flashes of lightning.
Charhela could probably pull off that speed thanks to the ritual tattoos etched into her body.
By lore, they were the core of Barbarian Warriors' strength, allowing them to fully absorb the abilities of their first prey after getting inked.
"Hmm..."
And Charhela's first hunt after getting her tattoos was a mighty magical beast—no, a field boss—known as the Thunderstrike Dragon.
A creature only found in the Demon Realm, its power surpassed even mid-tier greater demons, as befitting a field boss.
In the game, it was just reflected as her stats being higher than other Master-level characters... but seeing the lore become reality exceeded all expectations.
"Ha—hahahahaha!! What's wrong!? You're just cowering like worms slithering on the ground! If you're Masters, come at me harder! Make my blood boil more!!"
I shook my head at Charhela's voice booming alongside the thunder.
Right. Unlike her looks, she was a battle maniac beyond reason.
Her mindset and behavior carried a raw, untamed wildness.
Well, what else from someone who'd stormed out of Starnassila to become a barbarian.
"Kuhk...!"
At that moment, Lira gritted her teeth and stepped forward, extending her Aura Blade even longer and wider.
Frustrated with pure defense, she seemed about to launch an attack.
—Stand down. Don't rush in recklessly. Lira.
—...!! Lord Alzen?
Using the communication method from the World Tree—what I'd dubbed Flame Whisper—I issued the order, and Lira froze in surprise.
—Keep focusing on defense. Charhela's speed won't last. Attack once her ritual tattoo power runs out. Stick to defense for now.
—...Understood. Thank you.
Lira regained her composure and resumed her defensive focus with Starnassila's secret sword forms.
Nemes and Wendy, having heard me too, did the same.
With them wrapping themselves in writhing shadows and faint holy light, fully concentrating in perfect defense, Charhela's laughter gradually faded.
"...What is this? No fun."
Finally revealing herself after rampaging freely, Charhela shook her fist in dissatisfaction, sparks crackling around it.
"How the hell did you even reach Master level? Is all you know how to do defense? What, are you 'Masters of the Shield' or something? Huh?"
Mocking them with clear annoyance, she raised a vein on her temple and grinned ferociously.
"Let's rampage more! Splattering blood! Rending flesh and guts! Sharing life and death in split seconds! With all our might! Clash with full power!!"
Her shout was infused with such dense, intense battle lust it made even my blood boil—and I'm no warrior.
"Oh, ooooh...!"
"Oooooh...!"
"Kuh, aaaaaah...!"
The three women facing her showed no reaction, but the barbarians watching from afar couldn't help it—they clenched their fists and ground their teeth.
"That's it!! Answer her!! You're warriors too!!"
"Fiiiight! Glory only in battle!! Stand tall between life and death!!"
"Fight!! Fight!! Fight!!"
"Stake everything! Pride and honor, strength and experience!!"
The barbarians' cries echoing across the wasteland were like war drums, exhilarating the mind and pounding the heart.
"Ha!"
It even made me chuckle unwittingly and down my drink.
"Sister Charhela. Hasn't your goal changed?"
"Huh!? What'd you say!?"
Her eyes gleamed beast-like in extreme excitement, brimming with feral charm.
Her petite frame contrasted with the mountain-like beast looming behind her, amplifying the intimidating aura.
"Wasn't the point to subdue us and make us pay for our crimes?"
"Shut uuuup! That crap! Doesn't matter right now! Doesn't matter at aaaaall!!"
Snorting like a wild horse after a sprint, she whipped her pinpoint pupils and bared her sharp fangs.
"It's been ages since a worthy opponent appeared right in front of me!! A warrior to trade blood and flesh with!! You think I can hold back!?"
"Hmm, even so, this setup isn't satisfying for either side, right? Even if there's a winner, it won't be easy to accept... Alright, how about this?"
I beckoned Murel, who emerged from the shadows carrying the 'Kubel's Soul Totem'.
"...Ah! Wha—!?"
Baigelmann gaped in shock at having his relic snatched in broad daylight, but I ignored him and planted it in the ground.
Guuuuung!
The totem instantly swelled, scattering sacred energy across the area.
"Let's settle it clean with a one-on-one. That way it's neat for both sides, yeah?"
Duels using Kubel's Soul Totem held special, profound meaning for Barbarian Warriors—including acting as a form of 'trial by combat'.
Meaning the winner takes all.
"If you win, I pay for the crimes. If we win, you let us go. How's that?"
Something this forceful should fly.
"Our fighter will be... yeah, Rebecca..."
Rebecca seemed like a good match for Charhela, but the moment I pointed her out, I sensed the mood shift oddly.
"Y-You, you, you... What the hell did you just...?"
Wide eyes, trembling lips, flailing hands in bewilderment.
Charhela was utterly flustered.
Enough to quell the battle aura surging sky-high.
"What? Why are you like that?"
Sensing something off, I voiced my doubt to dispel the unease—when the barbarians erupted in frenzied cheers.
"U, uwoooooh!! 'Duel of Honor'!!"
"That outsider challenged the Great Chieftain to a 'Duel of Honor'!!"
"Thought you were a weakling, but I was wrong! You're a real man!!"
"Willing to pay that dearly for your crimes—you're a true warrior!!"
"...What?"
I gaped in absurdity at the deafening roars rattling my eardrums.
"No, wait—what? Why would I fight? I'm not fighting. Our fighter is Rebecca..."
"Glorious battle!! Proud battle!! Battle of life and death!!"
"Respect the warrior! May his path be filled with countless battles and struggles!!"
My attempts to redirect fell on deaf ears.
The Barbarian Warriors drew axes and shields, pounding them in rhythmic drumbeats, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.
"......"
How did it come to this?
I just wanted a clean exit via unavoidable duel, not to end up fighting that monster myself.
"Haa, aaa... I'm going insane. Alzen. Do you even know what you've done?"
Charhela rushed up, rubbing her temple and grinding her teeth.
"...What did I do?"
"Planting that totem means you're the one challenging! You're the principal! If you meant Rebecca, she should've planted it herself!"
"There was a... rule like that?"
The lore book only said: 'Duels using Kubel's Soul Totem are the Barbarian Warriors' most sacred rite. The winner takes all.'
Did the lore book screw me over again?
"...You can't back out now. You have to fight me."
"Sister. Are you nuts? Why would I fight you."
"If you don't... every warrior here will charge to kill you."
"Ha. And? They'd all die instead. Might as well wipe them out now."
"...Don't underestimate Barbarian Warriors. We have a trump or two up our sleeves."
Irked by my dismissive tone, she glared through slitted eyes. I smiled back.
"I know. I said it knowing full well."
"...Sigh, let's not escalate. I don't want to slaughter you all. So... how about you lose an arm and surrender? That'd satisfy the others. We'd handle the crimes separately... I could minimize those."
"......"
I pondered her earnest, almost pleading tone.
"We can't do that."
Murel stepped forward, blocking me.
"And who are you?"
Charhela growled like a beast, but Murel impassively looked down at her.
She shot me a reproachful glance too.
It was like a scolding: 'What are you even considering? I told you to value your body.'
I gave a wry smile.
"I'm Lord Alzen's attendant."
"Attendant? Ha, what era is this where Master-levels serve as attendants? Ridiculous. And that aura... Shadow Knight?"
True to her roots as Starnassila's Duke's eldest daughter, Charhela pierced Murel's identity at a glance.
"Yes."
"...Even you stepping up won't resolve this. Alzen planted the totem—he has to fight."
"Impossible. Even if my life burns to ash, I won't let Lord Alzen face danger."
"Touching loyalty... Argh!!"
Scratching her head furiously, Charhela raised her voice in frustration.
"That's why! If you act like that, we fight to the death! I'll patch it up somehow, so just pretend to fiiiight...!!"
—Proceed with the duel.
"...Huh?"
"What?"
That voice burrowed into everyone's minds at an utterly unexpected moment.
By the time we snapped to, everyone—including me—was staring up at the unidentified beast statue atop the 'Kubel's Soul Totem'.
—The duel must proceed.
"Ku, Kubel...?"
As Charhela's disbelieving voice leaked out, an invisible barrier unfurled, shoving everyone away from me.
"Eut!?"
"What!?"
It was an authority no Master could resist or react to—a force akin to law, absolute within its domain.
In the blink of an eye, only Charhela and I remained inside the invisible barrier.
"......"
"......"
What... what the fuck is this now.
I'd never heard of the totem having a function like that.
Goddess? No way... did a goddess intervene?