Surviving as a Barbarian in a Fantasy World

Chapter 311: Monstrosity (3)

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w

Chapter 311: Monstrosity (3)

“...What exactly does that mean?”

Ketal explained what Hephaestus had done.

But even with the explanation, Grombir looked bewildered.

“How is that even...”

A weapon had taken on human form.

Not just an imitation like a simple doll, but a real human.

Grombir himself was also a blacksmith, and not just any blacksmith, but one of the hero class.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was the greatest blacksmith in the world.

But even he couldn’t comprehend how this could have happened.

“...May I touch your arm?”

“Ah, yes.”

The Holy Sword obediently offered her arm.

Grombir took hold of it and let out a small sigh.

The arm was incredibly soft.

It was hard to believe that this was the body of a holy sword.

Grombir focused his mind and invoked his mystical powers, examining the Holy Sword’s physical form.

As a result, he understood.

The Holy Sword’s body was not ordinary.

The minerals that made up the Holy Sword had been transformed by divine power into a form resembling organic matter.

It appeared like ordinary skin, but the tissues were made up of metal refined to its utmost limit.

The girl before him was indeed a Holy Sword that had taken human form.

Grombir was astonished.

This was an ability far beyond his comprehension.

“...I see. Hephaestus, you’ve truly done something remarkable.”

Releasing her arm, Grombir looked at the Holy Sword with a renewed gaze.

The girl was a Holy Sword in human form.

And because of that, she was powerful.

Even if Grombir attacked this defenseless girl, he’d have difficulty leaving a scratch on her skin.

Her skin was made up of metals that had taken the form of human flesh, so it was only natural.

She was a hero class.

And one at a level Grombir would have difficulty defeating.

He explained this part to Ketal.

“As expected.”

Since he had anticipated it, he wasn’t surprised.

Those who wield the Holy Sword possess the power of a hero.

Naturally, a Holy Sword that had become human would also possess the strength of a hero.

“As expected of Hephaestus.”

Grombir murmured with reverence.

Embedding a consciousness into a weapon he’d crafted and enabling it to move with its own will—this was every blacksmith’s dream.

Hephaestus had gone even further to achieve complete humanization.

Until Grombir had checked it himself, he too had assumed she was just an ordinary girl.

Calming his initial shock, Grombir spoke up.

“For now... it seems like you’re as surprised as we are. It looks like Hephaestus didn’t explain things thoroughly.”

“Uh, yes, yes.”

The Holy Sword was still reeling from all that had happened to her.

Grombir said,

“Go back, get a sense of the situation, and we’ll talk again later. I need to calm my own heart as well.”

“Ah, understood.”

Ketal led the Holy Sword outside.

As they walked back to their quarters, dwarves they passed stared wide-eyed at the girl they had never seen before.

Back at the quarters, the Holy Sword murmured blankly.

“I can... feel the wind.”

“Couldn’t you feel it before?”

“No. The ground feels hard. I can feel the texture of the fabric. I feel the movement of the air... It’s truly amazing.”

“Well, congratulations. You’ve gained your freedom.”

Ketal spoke calmly.

The Holy Sword, lost in the sensations, snapped out of her reverie.

“Oh, th-thank you.”

“So, what do you plan to do now?”

“...I’m not sure.”

Hephaestus had granted freedom to the Holy Sword.

After a moment of silence, Ketal spoke again.

“If you want, you’re free to roam the world.”

“R-Really? Is that okay?”

The Holy Sword’s eyes widened in surprise.

After all, she was technically Ketal’s possession.

She never imagined he would release her so easily.

“I don’t mind.”

Losing the information she provided was a pity, but it wasn’t a significant loss.

He had no interest in holding onto a being that had gained its freedom.

“Oh, uh...”

It was complete freedom.

Yet, because of that, the Holy Sword was bewildered.

“To live as a human... what does one need to do?”

The information she had was only about confronting evil.

The Monstrosity couldn’t sense the quest.

Without Ketal’s reaction, it would have remained clueless.

[If anything, I want to ask you. What on earth is that? Even though I’m inside you, I can’t grasp it at all.]

“Hmm.”

The Monstrosity knew nothing about the quest, indicating it had no connection to it.

Ketal narrowed his eyes.

‘What could this possibly be?’

Why was it by his side?

What did it want?

Time had passed, yet he still couldn’t understand.

‘Someday, the answer will come.’

Even the Monstrosity within him had come to understand over time.

The quest would likely be no different; one day, he would find out.

After sorting out his thoughts, Ketal asked something else he was curious about.

“I’ve heard that some still worship you in this world.”

[You think I remember every single one of those weaklings?]

The Monstrosity replied dismissively, its tone uninterested.

[But sure, some may still remain. There were many who worshiped me in the distant past. A nostalgic time, indeed.]

It didn’t seem to know much.

The door burst open as their conversation wound down, and Serena returned with a cheerful expression.

“I’m back!”

“You’ve returned. Looks like you had a good time.”

“The dwarves offered me so much to eat! I didn’t know this world had such delicious food! It was wonderful!”

“That’s good to hear.”

Ketal smiled warmly, listening to her chattering and responding appropriately.

“By the way.”

He spoke, as if recalling something.

“They said the demons’ latest invasion was a failure.”

A demon with the rank of a count—Raphael.

He was the most powerful being from Hell to descend to the earthly realm, and a significant investment had been made to summon him from the depths.

However, due to Ketal’s presence, he was sent back to Hell in vain.

Although valuable minerals were sent to Hell, they likely didn’t cover the cost of the sacrifices needed to bring him down.

“So, how do you think the demons will react now?”

“Hmm... Hell must have suffered quite a loss as well. Summoning a demon of that level probably required a substantial portion of the tributes they’d plundered from the surface until now.”

“And?”

“At this rate, it’s likely impossible for them to conquer the earth by continuing with these gradual advances. While they may gain locally, they’d lose globally. So... the demons will have to make a choice.”

Serena spoke quietly.

A choice that could shift the course of the war.

Ketal stroked his chin.

“Something big is coming.”

“Most likely, yes.”

* * *

Meanwhile, in Hell, a council of the four demon lords was taking place.

The Mother of Ten Thousand Demons, Materia, leaned back in her chair and asked,

“So, what are we going to do?”

“It’s truly annoying.”

The Sword Demon, Calliste, narrowed his eyes.

“Really annoying. I want to handle it somehow.”

[It’s not easy. Judging from the battle with Raphael, he was even stronger than when facing Materia. His power is enough to definitely kill us.]

“Oh, come on. What exactly is that thing? It injured my true form beyond my avatar, and it can kill a demon summoned to earth? What even is it?”

Materia muttered in disbelief.

They hadn’t witnessed the battle with Raphael firsthand, so they hadn’t realized there was the Monstrosity within him.

But they were certain the situation wasn’t in their favor.

“So, what’s the plan? At this rate, conquering the earth seems impossible.”

Their resources were not limitless.

Each time a demon was summoned, Hell’s resources were significantly depleted.

They had made substantial sacrifices to send Raphael to replenish those resources, hoping he could secure resources by occupying Mantamia’s mines long-term.

However, Ketal’s interference had ruined that plan completely.

They had to make a choice.

Would they continue this slow attrition, or would they risk everything in a bold attempt?

Yet, it was a difficult decision, as even that bold attempt could fail, leaving them vulnerable.

A heavy silence filled the air.

A writhing figure, Necronovix, finally broke the silence.

[...I’ve made my decision. I will go down myself.]

“You’ll send an avatar? It’s not a bad idea, but the cost is substantial.”

[No, not an avatar. I’ll go personally.]

“...What?”

Materia’s eyes widened.

Necronovix spoke calmly.

[If we gather the minerals Raphael brought and the artifacts collected from the world, there should just barely be enough for me to descend.]

“Oh, uh, yes, it’s technically possible.”

[With that barbarian from the White Wasteland around, there’s no point in sending weaklings.]

At the very least, an entity capable of confronting him and killing him needed to be sent.

[However, since Raphael lost to him so easily, it’s impossible for other demons.]

Someone who could confront and kill Ketal—a demon lord of Hell.

The founder of all dark magic, Necronovix.

[I will descend to earth myself and kill him.]

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w