He Trains HARD After Reincarnating as a Barbarian And Now New Tribes Want Him! - Manhwa Recap transcript

Wherever this man goes, everyone panics. A big part of that is due to his size, and that's because he belongs to the barbarian race. The emperor himself reported after returning from the frozen lands. That place has terrifying beasts capable of causing earthquakes and even poisoning an entire river. But the worst of all is that absurdly strong race that lives there. The barbarians possess absolute strength. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, at one point the protagonist is assigned to clear a dungeon with ordinary humans.

They are strong, but they are still human. According to them, it was only possible to defeat skeletons with several blows to the back of the neck. However, he pulverizes them with just one finger as if it were nothing. The dungeon boss wasn't even supposed to be there because it was so strong. Only masters with extremely high levels would have a chance against that thing. But the barbarian pulverizes it with just one punch.

That's the level of power we're talking about. Not even human women or elves will be able to control themselves around him. Strength is something that attracts females. They want big and strong babies. A master swordsman known as a hero throughout the entire kingdom, he gets beaten up as if he were just a bandit. He is completely humiliated. So now I'm going to tell you how this man became so strong. And I'm also going to tell you a little more about this world.

Every night he dreamed about getting out of his boring life. More than anything, he wanted to wake up in a fantasy world. So he quit his job and searched everywhere for a way in. Then one day his wish finally came true. But not how he hoped. It turned into a nightmare. He was reborn as a barbarian named Kettle and dropped into a frozen hell called the white wasteland packed with absurdly strong monsters. For years he's been stuck there while a strange system repeats the same line.

Quest incomplete. And today starts like any other day in the white wasteland. Two barbarians bring down a giant scorpion and tear it apart. Then Kettle walks over, purple light flashing as he cuts the remaining monsters to bits. He sighs saying only barbarians could be proud of being this clueless. The girl blinks and asks, "What's clueless? Can you eat it?" Before he can answer, they start scarfing down the nasty stringy monster meat like it's amazing.

It's been less than a week and they're doing this again while the girl and the bald guy proudly give him a thumbs up calling it a noble challenge. Then the bald guy suddenly freezes. His body starts shaking and foam spills from his mouth. A second later he drops and vomits green bile. The girl panics and keeps smacking him, but Kettle's had enough. He turns away and mutters that he's going for a walk. Elsewhere in the wasteland, a group of mercenaries keeps moving forward.

One complains about the cold and another says crossing this place is suicide no matter the pay. Their captain shuts it down. They all knew what they signed up for even if none of them expected it to be this awful. Inside a warm carriage, an old butler listens to the arguing. After clearing his throat, he turns to his passenger and asks if she's all right, my lady. The woman, Molina Akasha, smiles and says she's fine.

As the butler grumbles about the mercs being rude, Molina tells him not to be too hard on them. They were the only ones willing to take this job. She worries they look half frozen and asks if they should be let inside, but he firmly says no and reminds her of this place's legends. Molina goes quiet. When she mentions the monsters, the butler says the real danger might be worse. He brings up the emperor, the only person said to ever return alive from this frozen hell.

That man came back raving about monsters like giant serpents and bears that could shake the earth, but his final warning was simple. The monsters weren't the worst thing here. The barbarians were. The butler brushes it off as just a legend, but Molina isn't fully convinced since many of those monsters turned out to be real. Still, he laughs and points out that no one has ever actually seen a barbarian and she can't really argue with that.

Suddenly, the mercenary captain shouts for everyone to stop. Something's out there, he says, while another man asks what he sees. They peer into the blizzard and spot a lone figure, but it's still too hard to make out. The captain goes tense and says he's got good news and bad news. When they tell him to spit it out, he says the good news is that it's small. The bad news is it's coming straight at them. At once, everyone goes on edge.

The captain draws his sword as the figure gets closer. Then he finally sees it clearly. It's not a monster. It's a person. The man keeps walking forward and they realize it's Kettle. He stops and fixes them with glowing purple eyes. The mercenaries stiffen in shock as the truth hits them. A barbarian just like the stories. Kettle only smiles. He'd gone for a walk because he was bored of his tribe and now he introduces himself as Kettle the Ash and Barbarian.

Pleased to meet them. After sizing them up, he guesses they're merchants with hired guards. He advises them to turn back already knowing they won't. His attention shifts to the carriage. The captain starts to panic but Kettle just grins and makes a wild offer. Hire him. He explains that he wants to guide them through the wasteland. The captain carefully asks whether he's an enemy. Kettle answers with a smile. If he were, they'd all be dead already.

That leaves the guards pale and speechless. The captain knocks on the carriage and asks his lady if she heard everything. Lena says she did. He leaves the final choice to her and she asks the one question that matters. What happens if they fight him? After looking Kettle over, the captain gives an honest answer. He strongly advises against it. After a brief pause, Malena agrees to accept the offer. The captain heads back to Kettle with her answer.

She agreed and Kettle's eye glows as he smiles. To him, that's excellent news. He steps forward making the mercs flinch. Now he wants to speak to the real one in charge. The captain warns him not to try anything but Kettle only answers with the same calm grin. With no better option, the captain leads him to the carriage. He ignores the others protests. His employer already agreed and fighting Kettle would be suicide.

Inside, the butler is nearly losing it but Malena tells him to stay calm. Then Kettle knocks and politely asks if he may come in. The butler lets out a shrill scream while Malena calmly answers, yes, come in. Outside, Kettle smiles to himself. His plan worked. The old butler is drenched in sweat and terrified. Across from him, Kettle sits calmly with his arms crossed. His voice is much gentler than expected as he tells the old man to relax.

He says he has no plan to hurt him though the butler clearly doesn't believe a word of it. Meanwhile, the girl can only stare. She can't believe a legendary barbarian is right in front of her. She awkwardly greets him and he smoothly answers that the pleasure is his. Kettle notes how warm the carriage feels despite the storm outside. The blue-haired woman says it's because of magic and that catches his full attention.

He's never seen real magic before. Then he warns them their odds of getting through are low which is why he'll protect their lives, but there is one catch. He says he has a single condition. Nervous, she asks what he wants. Kettle smiles and reveals his price. He doesn't want money or power, just information about the world beyond the snowfields. That completely throws her off. That's all? He nods knowing it's a great deal for her.

And really, she doesn't have much choice, so she agrees. Satisfied, he asks for her name. She formally introduces herself as Melina of House Akasha. He answers with his own name, Kettle, and the deal is set. A flashback shows Kettle's old life, just a fantasy fanatic buried in books and games. Then one day he woke up as a barbarian in this frozen wasteland. There was no time to panic. The cold could kill him, and monsters were everywhere.

So he fought, survived, and eventually became the leader of his tribe, always trying to escape the snowfield. But every time he tried to leave, a system window appeared and told him the quest was incomplete. Just when he was close to giving up, people from the outside finally appeared. That's when he realized the world beyond this snowy prison was the exact fantasy world he'd always wanted. From then on, he stopped merely surviving and started grinding.

He cleared quest after quest with one goal, getting out. That's why information from outsiders like Melina matters so much to him. The problem is every other human he's met either attacked him right away or lost their mind in the cold. So for once, he's glad to be having a normal talk, until he shifts the topic. He points out that they're carrying a lot of weapons. He can hear the steel rattling in the wagons, so he asks straight up if there's a war outside.

Melina confirms it. The Empire and the Kingdom are at war, so the world beyond the ice isn't peaceful, either. She says the Empire has more troops, but the Kingdom is still standing because of sword masters and a hero. That instantly grabs Kettle's attention. A hero, a sword master. He wants to know how strong they are. Melina realizes he doesn't understand the terms and asks if he's ever heard of mysteries. Then she explains the power system.

Everything is built around something called mystery. Only a small number of people can use it, and they're split into five ranks. At the bottom is third rate, people who can sense the power, but can barely use it. Then comes second rate, where they start using it for real. Next is first rate, the level of normal knights and mages who turn that power into mana or aura. Above that are beings who have gone beyond human limits.

Those are the transcendent ones, strong enough to split the heavens. The sword master is one of them. At the very top is the hero, a legendary figure whose power can change the world itself. She adds that even a low third rate person would be impressive in a small town. After hearing all that, Kettle gives a simple answer. He wants to meet them. Molina is stunned. He's dead serious after being trapped in this frozen hell for so long, fighting just to stay alive, he sees this fantasy world as a prison, and all he wants is to find out what's waiting beyond it.

His face turns firm with resolve. He says he really wants to leave this place. Then he changes that wearing a sure little grin. It is not just something he wants, he has to get out. As the wagon keeps moving, Molina finally asks what she has been wondering. Is he really the barbarian? He does not deny it and points out that she has clearly heard of him. She says yes, she knows him from an old legend. Now Kettle is stunned.

There is a legend about him? Molina cannot believe he does not know his own story. Kettle laughs thinking back to a wild night he met before. So that guy was the emperor, huh? Still, he acts casual and says the legend is probably true enough. Then he gets back to what matters. Why are they dragging all these weapons through the snow? She clearly does not want to say and stumbles over her words, but under Kettle's hard stare she gives in.

Her family badly needs money. They were once wealthy merchants, but their rivals ruined them and now they are buried in debt. Kettle figures it out right away. She's selling weapons to the kingdom for the war against the empire. His reasoning is simple. The empire already has a huge army, so they would not need more weapons. The kingdom would. He adds that with demand high and supply low, the profit must be huge, big enough to make her risk her life.

He goes even further, guessing her land borders the empire, which is why she had to take this crazy route. Molina is left speechless and can only admit he got it exactly right. She is badly shaken. The stories made him sound like a dumb brute, but he is anything but that. Now she wonders who he really is. Before he can answer, the carriage jerks to a halt. Then comes a horrible screech. While everyone else panics, Kettle stays calm.

He already knows they are not alone. A moment later, a giant black slime bursts out of the snow and the whole group freezes in fear. Kettle only narrows his eyes while Molina confirms the worst. This is a legendary monster from old records. She says the snow field is the graveyard of powerful warriors and the few who made it back all warned about this very creature. But Kettle just grins like he is amused, saying of course they are chewy and make decent snacks.

Molina is completely stunned. He eats them? He tells her to catch one herself if she is curious, leaving her with nothing to say. The monster does not wait for the argument to end. With another shriek, it charges straight at them. The guards start panicking and Molina shouts for Kettle to help. Kettle does not move. He folds his arms and says he will step in only if things get truly dangerous. To Molina's shock, he says her mercenaries can handle it.

He wants to see what fighters from the outside can do. The slime crashes toward them and the captain instantly calls for a shield wall. One soldier raises his shield just in time, ready to take the monster's full hit, but it is not enough. The blow is brutal and the soldier is launched backward. Another fighter rushes in with an axe, only to get thrown back, too, his attack doing nothing. The leader quickly figures something out.

The slimes only move in straight lines, so he orders everyone to spread out and attack together. This time it works. A Spearman plants his weapon, vaults over the beast, and lands a solid strike on its side. The monster screams and the fighter takes his chance, pouring energy into the spear for an even stronger blow. As the slime staggers, the captain rushes in with a glowing sword. He orders his men to keep attacking and points out its weak spot, a hidden core.

Charging up his blade, he brings down a huge slash. It lands perfectly, shattering the red crystal core, and the monster starts to melt away. They win and the mercenaries break into cheers, but Kettle just watches, totally unimpressed. Then the next threat appears, a pack of giant wolves. One merc gets a little too confident and says maybe the stories about this place were exaggerated. The captain shuts that down at once, warning him they are not even halfway through yet.

At the same time, some of the mercs start whispering. They are getting suspicious of Katerol, calling him dead weight and wanting to test him. One of them steps away from the group and go straight to Melina, saying they need to talk. He reminds her they are risking their lives on this job. She nods gratefully, saying they were the only ones brave enough to take it. But he says there is one problem. The barbarian Katerol has done nothing to help.

So he asks permission to test his strength and see if he really deserves special treatment. Melina is clearly taken aback as the mercenary captain lays it all out. He lets out a sigh, admitting he tried to stop his men, but they refused to listen. Katerol only smirks, not bothered at all. If they want to test him, fine. Just not now. The mercenary is thrown off by that. Katerol looks past them with axe in hand. They will have to wait.

There is something else coming. A cold presence falls over the group and a deep voice mocks the frail mortals who have arrived, saying it is about to enjoy a rare meal. Then a massive white serpent bursts from the snow and roars for them to bark. It taunts them saying their struggle will only make them taste better. Melina lets out a scream while the guards struggle just to endure the monster's pressure. Then a sharp voice cuts through it all.

Enough. Katerol looks truly annoyed as he says they are his guests and orders the attacker to back off. He demands to know why it is here. The snake hisses back, asking if he forgot the laws of this land. He is far beyond his tribe's territory. Katerol snaps that it is none of its business, which only makes the serpent matter. Power surges from the creature as it declares its true status, roaring, "I am the snake. How dare you order one who was promised immutability?" Katerol is done listening.

"Then you need to be taught a lesson," he says and throws a punch that sends out a huge shockwave. It slams into the giant snake, exploding in crackling blue energy and blasting the other barbarians backward. Melina is thrown off her feet and one of her men shouts her name in panic. When the blast fades, the snake's head is a bloody wreck in the snow. Katerol coldly says, "This is the kind that only learns after a beating." Melina can only stare.

"Lord Katerol," she whispers. She is still in shock from what she just saw. With his eyes glowing purple, Katerol tells her he will be there in a moment after he finishes taking out the trash. He stomps the ground, splitting it apart with dark energy, then launches himself ahead at blinding speed. Another explosion shakes the plains. A few minutes later, Milena and the butler are stunned to see the mercenaries begging Cattle to forgive them.

Back inside the battered carriage, Cattle stays calm and says he understands why they would not trust a stranger. The trip goes on and somehow the butler ends up outside the carriage. Cattle turns to Milena, suddenly serious, and says there is something he wants to know. He asks why a noble woman like her would risk her own life on a mission this dangerous. After a short pause, she admits she is the daughter of a concubine, the second wife of Lord Akasha.

Her mother, she explains, was used for politics and then cast aside, left with no real power. Clenching her fist, she says they are treated like servants, family only in name. She says she chose this trade mission herself, which catches Cattle off guard. Her reason is simple, someone has to lead by example. A faint smile touches Cattle's face. He calls her smart, ambitious, and greedy. Milena is left speechless by that, but before she can answer, the carriage jolts again.

Someone calls out that they have arrived, and when her men step out, they stare in awe. The blizzard is gone, giving way to a green valley. After thanking Cattle, Milena says the trip back should be easier once the weapons are sold. Still, she cannot stop thinking about what he said. She turns and asks what he meant by calling her ambitious. He says exactly that. He knows her once powerful family is close to financial collapse, and if she succeeds where the main house failed, she will earn everyone's loyalty.

Then he asks if her real goal is to take control of the family. She admits he is right. Cattle smirks and says the story of a cast-off heir rising to power is a classic. Milena is stunned by how sharp he is. Then thinking about his strength, she gets an idea and asks whether he has ever considered leaving the snowfields. Would he like to join her? He refuses for now, saying there are still things he must finish. Milena accepts that calmly.

Then she takes the emblem from around her neck and offers it to him as a sign of their meeting. If he ever comes to the outside world, she says, he should show it to the Akasha family. Cattle takes the gift with a wide grin. Then they part, hoping to meet again, as he watches her carriage head into the green valley and away from the snow. Five years pass and in the endless snow a long-awaited notice appears. All conditions have finally been met.

A string of system messages follows confirming the quest is complete and the rewards have been given. Then the line he has been waiting for appears at last. You may now leave the snow fields. Kaytol stands at the border of the wasteland ready to enter the fantasy world he always dreamed of. With a confident grin Kaytol looks ahead ready for a fresh start. It is time for his first real step into that world. In a green forest Kaytol takes a deep breath finally enjoying this new world for real.

He takes in the smell of grass, wild beasts and fresh river water. Nothing like the frozen wasteland he escaped. He opens his eyes with a huge smile. Nice, very nice. Then his mood changes. He turns sharply and locks onto a distant frozen peak. You cursed snow, let's never meet again. He roars finally free. This is the fantasy world he's wanted for so long. A place he once thought he'd never reach. The road here was brutal but he made it.

Now he's going to enjoy every second of it. Magic swords, dragons, elves, everything he hoped for is here. That dream of starting over is what kept him alive. Back in the snow fields surviving alone was never enough. As he walks on something shining in the distance catches his attention. A glow up ahead, maybe a village. Finally people, he's thrilled. At last a real village. He remembers trying to talk to the barbarians back home only to get blank stares.

He's missed real conversation so he starts planning what to say. Maybe a simple hello, maybe something more dramatic. In the end he decides to act normal and polite then runs toward the lights. Meanwhile in a quiet clearing an old elf speaks to his people. He tells them this will be their new home. The village bursts into cheers. After everything they finally have a place of their own. Still one young elf steps forward and asks if this place is really safe.

The elder answers without hesitation. It is but the young elf still worries. Humans may not be able to come here but the snowy plains are close and monsters live there. The elder brushes it off. Nothing has crossed those plains in thousands of years and they set up a barrier just in case. He says the barrier is ancient Elven magic. It hides the village and keeps others away. And even if someone got through, he says they still have Queen.

He's sure nothing can threaten them. He's very wrong. At that moment, Hansu steps forward and feels his hand pass through something strange, like tearing cloth. He stops, puzzled, wondering what that was, then shrugs and keeps going. But a sudden sound makes him stop. Looking through the grass, he spots a small child with pointed ears, an elf. He can hardly believe it, a real elf, and this soon, too. What luck. The little girl, though, is lost and close to tears, scared she wandered too far.

Then she hears a voice behind her. Her eyes go wide as Hansu leans over and gives her a friendly hello. The poor girl freezes in fear and faints on the spot. He just stands there, holding the passed-out child. A bead of sweat runs down his face. He didn't even get to explain, and she already passed out. After a moment, he figures he should take her back to the village. In his head, he imagines returning the lost child and getting welcomed like a hero.

So, he carries her into the Elven village with total confidence. Instead, the elves panic. They scream that a human has their child. Spears are shoved at his face, and they demand to know who he is and how he broke their barrier. So much for that plan. The girl's mother cries out in horror, terrified. The elder is stunned. No human should be able to reach this place, and the barrier was supposed to be perfect. When he notices the barrier is damaged, panic sets in.

He calls for the Queen, but she's out on patrol. Hansu tries to say he's not an enemy, but no one listens. One elf yells for him to return the child, or they'll hunt him down. The elder's thoughts race. That barrier was ancient magic. No normal trick could break it. So, he decides this had to be planned, that humans must have been tracking them for years. He is baffled. Does he really look like a kidnapper? Either way, he knows he has to fix this fast.

Then the little girl in his arms starts to wake up. He carefully sets her down and tells her to go back to her family. She looks up at his gentle face, but all her frightened mind sees as a huge dark monster. So, she lets out a shriek and runs to her parents. That hits Hansu hard. Is his face really that scary? He raises his hands and tells the elves he returned the child. So, he's clearly not their enemy. The elder doesn't care.

Now that the hostage is free, he orders everyone to attack. At once, the Elven archers draw their bows and aim at the very confused him. They fire and a volley of magic arrows rushes straight at him. He just stands there stunned. They still won't listen. So much for elves being gentle. Out here, it's survival first. The arrows pour down, but Hansu doesn't budge. They bounce off him like toys. The elves panic and keep shouting to fire, certain his defense has to break eventually.

He has had enough. He lifts one hand ready to end this. Then, in a single instant, he releases a huge shockwave. It blows apart the elves' position and sends the archers flying. Someone cries out for a barrier, but it's far too late. Trees are torn from the ground as the elves are thrown through the air screaming. When it all settles, an old elf can only stare and wonder what just happened. At the end of the trench stands Hansu calmly saying he is not their enemy.

Then, he awkwardly admits he may have used a bit too much power. Suddenly, a flaming phoenix arrow shoots straight at his head and explodes on impact. The old elf and the others are left staring in confusion. Then, an elegant Elven woman lands nearby. It's Queen, and she demands to know what's happening. The elder quickly tells her a human attacked them. Her expression turns cold. If a human got in, then this place isn't safe anymore.

But, Hansu walks out of the smoke without a scratch and asks them again to please listen. Both the elder and Queen are stunned. He took a direct hit from her and still isn't hurt. From above, Queen glares at him clearly disgusted by humans and convinced he's here for her people. She names herself as the Queen of the Leaf Clan and draws another arrow. Pointing the burning shot at him, she says he will pay for his greed.

Hansu is completely confused. They're speaking the same language, so why won't she listen? Maybe humans and elves really do hate each other that much. With a sigh, he gives up on talking. Sometimes people only listen after getting hit. Queen releases the arrow and blue energy crackles around it. This isn't a normal shot. It turns into a huge roaring spirit beast. Hansu answers by clenching his fist and gathering a crazy amount of power.

One punch and a blast of pure force smashes into the beast. Queen can only stare in total shock. His attack overwhelms her completely. Oops, he did it again. The explosion wipes out the spirit beast and slams Queen into the ground, leaving her buried in rubble. Hansoo scratches his cheek, wondering if he should have held back even more. Queen looks up, pale and terrified, unable to say a word. She realizes he's on the level of a transcendent.

Why would someone that strong be here? Sweating, she urgently tells everyone to run. The elves hesitate, but she screams again and orders them to flee for their lives. Once they start running, she turns back to face Hansoo, shouting that he will never reach his goal. He is more confused than ever. He only wanted to talk, and now everything has gone off the rails. Queen still won't listen. She closes her eyes and starts a powerful spell.

When they open again, she unleashes a huge burst of fire, and a giant bull of flame rises from a magic circle. Hansoo lights up with excitement. A summon. He remembers the ugly monsters from the frozen wasteland, but this is different. A grand bull with blazing horns. Now that's a real spirit. This is the fantasy world he wanted. Queen gives the order to destroy the enemy, but the high-rank fire spirit just grumbles that contracts are a pain.

She cuts him off with one sharp word, "Silence." She knows older, stronger spirits have bigger egos. Summoning this one is hard enough, and she only got the contract with help from another tribe. So, she firmly orders Tigo to fulfill the contract. The spirit stomps its hoof, ready to fight, asking if all it has to do is kill the human. Then it finally gets a good look at Hansoo and freezes. He's standing there with a dark aura and a terrifying grin.

The mighty spirit is shaken to the core. Is that thing even human? The giant fire bull towers over the battlefield, roaring with power. He can barely contain himself. This is straight out of a fantasy story, and now it's real. But before he can enjoy it, a voice calls out, "Human, you have entered our land." The fire bull Pigo glares at him and growls that a weak human has no right to want anything from nature's races.

It says it'll burn him to ash, but Kettle doesn't even react. If anything, he just looks confused. Pigo doesn't wait. Its eyes blaze, it digs in its hooves, and power starts building fast. Then it charges like a fireball meant to wipe him out. Kettle doesn't move, he just gets ready to take it. The impact is brutal, ripping up the ground. Even the elf queen gets blasted back by the shockwave. When she looks up, she can hardly believe it.

Kettle stopped the bull with one hand, just grabbed a horn and held it. The huge beast hangs there, its full charge canceled like it meant nothing. Kettle gives a cold grin. To him, a beast body only makes this simpler. Purple power flashes in his eyes as he pulls back his fist, thinking the easiest answer is to beat it to death. The queen can only stare in horror. Then Kettle throws one punch. A blinding burst erupts on impact, and the shockwave tears a giant trench through the forest.

The blast is massive, rising like a mushroom cloud. When it ends, the land is wrecked. The elf screams as the burning aftershock races toward her. Once the dust settles, she drops to her knees and stares at the ruin. All she can whisper is that this can't be real, while looking at the huge crater he made with one hand and one punch. Then she looks up at Kettle, calmly standing by the edge. Shaking with fear, she lowers her head and begs him to spare her people.

Kettle simply tells her he isn't her enemy. Elf, she looks up stunned. What is happening? This was all one huge misunderstanding, a really bad one. Ashamed, she bows and apologizes for judging him so fast. She says they mistook him for an enemy because he just brought back a lost Elven child. Now she feels awful. Kettle understands. Other humans made them this wary, though he's still annoyed they never let him explain.

Still cautious, she asks one more time if he's really not with the humans hunting them. Kettle says no, this is his first time seeing an elf. He's from the white wasteland, where elves don't live. Her eyes widen at that. The white wasteland? Kettle says that's right. They call him the Ashen Barbarian of the Wasteland. She can barely process it. She didn't think any human could survive there. Then she asks if more people from the wasteland could come, too.

Kettle folds his arms and says maybe, but he doubts it. The place has strict laws even giant serpents can't break. He only got through because of a hidden quest that let him bypass those rules. He thinks it was a one-time exception. Relieved, the elf lets out a breath. Then Kettle asks if the spirit she called is okay. He starts sweating a bit, remembering he kind of punched that bull in half. She tells him it's fine, it was a spirit, not a normal summon.

So, forcing it out just sent it back home. Wanting to repay him, she offers whatever help she can. That gets Kettle interested. A spirit, huh? He quickly asks if non-elves can make contracts, too. Her expression drops, and she says that may be impossible. Only humans deeply tied to nature can do that. So, for someone like him, it probably won't work. Then she pauses and gets an idea. If he truly wants a spirit contract, he should go to Elfo Sagrado.

Kettle repeats the name, curious. It's the holy land of the elves, where their god resides. If it can happen anywhere, it's there. Kettle gets excited, but asks the obvious question, would a human even be allowed into an elven holy land? Normally, no. But with her introduction, it should be possible, and she'll tell him where it is. Elfo Sagrado is a dream place for anyone who studies elves. She explains that bringing a human near a place more precious than life is a huge gamble.

No elf would usually do this. Even so, she wants to trust him. So, she offers him a glowing red crystal, and Kettle accepts it as proof of their new bond. She warns that even if he reaches the place, the elven god may still test him. Still, she believes he'll pass. She wishes him luck, and Kettle thanks her. At last, she introduces herself as Marsilia Hazen Karushia, queen of the elves. That's right, the queen. Kettle just answers with a sure grin.

Kettle the barbarian. Then he stomps down, cracks the ground, and blasts into the air like a rocket. His eyes glow as he shoots over the forest. He's moving so fast, he's a blur, crossing the trees in an instant. From above, he looks like a comet tearing through the land with a huge shockwave. Meanwhile, at the edge of Varkin territory, a strong tremor shakes a fortress. The guards panic. They don't know what it is, only that something is coming fast.

A huge object drops from the sky with a trail of smoke, heading straight for them. It lands hard, and a figure drops into a superhero pose through the dust. The guards freeze right away. They know exactly who just landed on them. Kettle casually greets them and says it's nice to meet them. The guards are stunned. They're all thinking, that crash we heard, was that him? One of them takes a closer look. Gray hair and that big scar on his chest.

Then it clicks. Could this be the ashen barbarian? Kettle takes one small step and the guards instantly draw their swords. He raises both hands and tells them to relax. He's friendly. The lead guard doesn't buy it and demands to know what he wants. Kettle just points, not at them, but past them towards the castle wall. He says he'd like to visit their territory. The guards just blink, completely lost. Soon after he's in an interrogation room.

A guard asks if he only wants to pass through. Kettle says he'd like to stay a while if possible, then gives his name. The guard asks for identification and of course Kettle has none. Then he remembers the crest Mylo gave him. Back in the room, he sets it on the table and asks if this will do. He asks and the guard is shocked. Kettle explains it's from House Akasha, which is apparently a big name. The guard recognizes it right away.

A powerful merchant family from another kingdom. He's still doubtful though. It looks real, but checking it from another kingdom won't be easy. In the end he agrees, but naturally there's a catch. Kettle has to prove he isn't a threat. The test is simple. Join three strangers, make a party and clear a dungeon. Kettle thinks that sounds way too easy. So he smiles and says sure, but there's more. Afterward, he has to report everything that happened.

Kettle understands right away. It's a smart way to make the newcomers watch each other. The guard gets a little thrown off that he figured it out so fast. Are you really a barbarian? Kettle proudly says he is. That leaves the guard stunned. He thought barbarians were just dumb muscle and he wraps things up fast after that. Meanwhile, in the waiting room we meet the next member, Alessandro Turanis, a so-called paladin.

He complains that entering a dungeon with some rat who steals from people's pockets is just sad. A thief named Cassian Hark hears that and fires back, asking if the old man is mad because another thief ripped him off. Turanis snaps and calls him a bastard, while Cassian just laughs and points at his worn out armor, asking if he was ever a real paladin. He even says Turanis is just another loser like him and now the paladin is boiling.

Then Cassian goes too far when he mocks his name. That's enough. Turanis draws his sword. Cassian only grins and pulls a dagger coated with poison, asking if that armor can save him. Their weapons clash, but a third person steps between them, a nun of all people, asking them to stop. This is Hayes, a cleric, and she's already wondering how she's supposed to clear a dungeon with these two idiots. They still have one more party member coming, and she's already afraid of who it'll be.

Right then, the door opens. The guard announces the last member has arrived, and a huge figure steps in with glowing purple eyes. What an entrance. The room goes still, stunned by how massive he is. Then Kettle breaks the silence with a big smile, asking if they're his new party. They're terrified. Tyranus can only think that he's enormous. Hayes wonders if he is even human, and Cassian just feels the pressure. The guard leaves them there to get familiar.

Totally unaware of the mood, Kettle happily starts introducing himself. He says, "Hi, I'm Kettle. I'm a barbarian." Then he looks at Cassian, who's sweating as he stammers that he's a thief. Next is the armored man, proudly declaring himself the Paladin Alessandro Tyranus. Kettle jumps on that right away and asks if he uses holy power. Tyranus starts sweating and admits that normally he would, but he's a special kind of Paladin, so he can't use it.

Then the nun steps up nervously and introduces herself as Hayes, a cleric of Colossia. Kettle turns serious. A cleric, and people are still doubting who you are. Flustered, she explains her god is the god of lies and deceit, so people don't exactly trust her. Kettle just says he sees. Silence follows. A Paladin with no holy power and a cleric tied to lies. What a group. Luckily, the guard returns and asks if everyone's ready to go.

They trade looks, and nobody seems happy about this. Hayes and Cassian look the most miserable, probably wondering what they did to deserve this. After a short walk, their hooded guide stops and says they've arrived. Kettle looks ahead, clearly a little surprised. The party reaches a forest clearing and finds the dungeon entrance. Kettle looks at Cassian and asks what the plan is, making him tense up right away. Cassian awkwardly calls him sir, but Kettle laughs and tells him to relax.

They're teammates now. Trying to hide how nervous he is, Cassian explains a basic plan. The fighters go in front, the thief checks for traps, and the cleric stays back to support. Kettle agrees right away while Cassin already looks like he regrets coming. With that shaky plan in place, Kettle moves to the front and prepares to head in. The group enters the dungeon. Inside the cold dark cave, Hayes quietly admits the darkness is creeping her out.

Cassin is more worried by something else. The complete lack of traps feels wrong. Then he notices danger ahead and quickly stops Kettle, warning him that monsters are nearby. Looking down, Kettle spots bones scattered across the ground. Cassin instantly understands what's happening. This wasn't a simple trial. It was a trap meant to wipe them out. Kettle though just sounds curious. Skeletons? Cassin explains they're tough opponents.

Even if you cut them apart, they keep moving and their bones are hardened by dungeon power. The danger just shot way up, so he starts giving orders, telling Hayes to prepare her support magic. He tells the warrior to hold the front and warns Kettle to get ready. Kettle calmly says he's ready, making it sound like Cassin is some master strategist. Then Kettle steps forward and that single step wakes one of the skeletons.

He watches it with open surprise as the skeleton rises and rattles to life. The others panic and brace themselves as the skeleton warrior rushes Kettle with a huge sword raised to strike. But Kettle just swats it aside and throws one punch. That single hit completely shatters the skeleton. It drops into a sparkling pile of bone dust. The rest of the party can only stare in shock. Kettle smirks and says, "So destroying the head really works." Cassin looks crushed.

That wasn't what he meant at all. What Kettle did should have been impossible. Skeletons strengthened by dungeon mana aren't supposed to break that easily. You normally have to hack through them over and over. Cassin knew Kettle was strong, but not like this. Now everyone is silently wondering if this monster of a man is even human. Kettle just cracks his knuckles and grins, ready to keep going. The others quickly hurry after him.

He tells them they don't need to rush, but his terrified teammates immediately answer, "Yes, sir." At this point they're all thinking the same thing. They do not want to die in here. A little later, Kettle suddenly stops with a puzzled look. His foot has hit something. The whole party freezes when they see another skull on the ground and a second skeleton rises. The team watches in total horror. Round two is started, but instead of panicking, Kettle turns to them and asks for a favor.

He wants to handle all of them alone. Apparently, he wants to test something. They agree immediately. Kettle thanks them, his purple eyes glowing as he walks toward the skeleton, while the others keep their distance. They can only watch and wonder what he's planning. He walks right up to it, studying the thing like he's trying to figure out how it works. The skeleton attacks, but Kettle catches the strike with two fingers, snaps the blade, and almost seems to ask what it will do now.

That doesn't stop the creature. It lunges again for another attack, and instead of dodging, Kettle grabs its wrist. Smiling, he says, "Then how about this?" A sharp crunch follows as he crushes the skeleton's hand and lets it drop, watching with real interest. The skeleton pauses, almost confused by its own broken hand. Then it roars and swings its sword with the other arm. It even tosses the weapon and catches it in its good hand to keep fighting.

"Not bad for a pile of bones." Kettle is actually impressed and notes that it can switch hands. The skeleton charges again, but its attack gets stopped instantly when Kettle catches that wrist, too, and tears off the other hand, sending it stumbling back. Even then, it doesn't quit. This time, it lunges with its own arm like a weapon. Kettle is amazed. It can use parts of its body as weapons, which means it's smarter than he expected.

The sight is too much for the party, who looks sick watching this. All they can do is stand there and shake while Kettle tears through the monster like a true barbarian. Then with one brutal crack, he finishes it. Its skull drops and keeps moving on its own, which makes Kettle murmur that it's amusing. The thing can still move with only its head. A stomp ends it for good. Right after that, his whole mood shifts back to calm and friendly.

He apologizes for the delay, and Keisan, still scared out of his mind, quickly says it's no problem. Kettle accepts that and says it's time to move on. So, they head out again. The rest of the party nervously agrees and follows. After a while, the group stops at the foot of a huge staircase. They've reached the second floor. The mood is heavy, and everyone looks worn out from the climb. Keisan carefully asks if they can take a short break.

To his huge relief, Kettle agrees. Keisan could cry as the group drops down to rest. Kettle stays seated, quietly observing them. Then he breaks the silence, saying he has a question, and admitting he doesn't know much about this. Hayes, a little flustered, says wanting to learn is a good thing, and asks what he wants to know. Kittle asks a smart question. Why is such a dangerous dungeon allowed to exist so close to a town?

Hayes explains that monsters usually stay inside, and if any come out, they're dealt with fast. Cassian adds that dungeons are a natural part of the world. They can appear as caves or giant towers, and for some reason, they tend to show up near crowded places. Hayes goes on, saying that when one appears, the local lord hires mercenaries like them to clear it. Kittle asks if that means dungeons never form inside towns, only some distance away, and Alessandro confirms it.

That makes Kittle's eyes brighten. Then he asks the big question. Is there a reward for clearing one? Hayes says yes, and for a dungeon this size, the boss should drop a pretty valuable reward. A dark smile crosses Kittle's face as he thinks it's just like a game. Hayes hears him, but he brushes it off as talking to himself, and moves on. Then he asks something that stuns everyone. Who made the dungeons? Hayes says they're simply natural, but Kittle doesn't accept that so easily.

He points out how they appear near towns, almost like they're meant to lure people in with danger and treasure. For something called natural, it all feels too planned. That thought hits Hayes hard. She's stunned, and admits she never questioned it before. Cassian is shaken, too. He always thought barbarians were dumb brutes, but Kittle's questions prove otherwise, and now he's starting to wonder if Kittle is anything like a normal barbarian.

That train of thought ends when Kittle cheerfully asks if everyone is rested. Snapped out of their thoughts, the party quickly says they're ready to move. So they head deeper into the dungeon. Then Kittle suddenly stops, and looks genuinely surprised. He's found a large treasure chest. Cassian tells him it's a dungeon reward, if someone can open it, but a chest like this should need a skilled rogue. Then Kittle turns to Cassian, and simply asks if he can unlock it.

Cassian is speechless. Kittle's logic is simple. It's a treasure chest, and Cassian is the rogue. He says this is exactly the rogue's job, but Cassian starts sweating in panic. Inside, he's screaming if he really had the skill to open a chest like this, he wouldn't be stuck in some low-ranked dungeon. Cassian is falling apart. He can't bring himself to tell Kittle the truth, not with that hopeful look on the big guy's face.

His mind jumps to the worst case. Kittle's happy expression turns into a cold stare as he calls him useless and crushes his skull. So, Cassian forces out a shaky laugh and says he'll try, even though he's panicking inside. As he kneels at the chest, Kittle leans in to watch with intense curiosity. Cassian feels sure he's dead if he fails, so he desperately tries to remember the lock-picking tricks he saw real adventurers use back when he was just carrying their gear.

With trembling hands, he starts working the lock. Kittle looms behind him and Cassian realizes this is it. His life depends on getting this one chance right. Cassian is on the verge of breaking when click, the chest opens. Kittle looks over confused by how hard Cassian is shaking. Then Cassian totally loses it and starts bawling. Through the tears, he chokes out that it opened. Hayes is stunned. She says only skilled thieves can do that and calls him amazing.

Even Kittle looks impressed and praises Cassian. Cassian can barely believe it himself. He always thought he was trying his hardest, but now he starts wondering if he never really gave it everything before. The guy is having a full crisis. Kittle skips ahead and asks how much the treasure is worth. Hayes says it could let a family live like royalty for a month. Hearing that, Kittle grins and puts Cassian in charge of the loot.

Cassian answers right away and reaches into the chest. He pulls out a gem-covered goblet worth more than anything he's ever touched. Then Kittle suddenly calls his name. Cassian lets out a scream of pure shock and panic. Kittle has no clue what's wrong and asks if he needs help or got hurt. Cassian frantically denies everything and the rest of the party is completely lost. After that awkward moment, the group heads deeper into the cave.

Then Cassian suddenly tells everyone to stop. There are skeletons ahead. Kittle counts four skeletons and calmly says he'll take three. The whole party freezes. He really said that. Then he tells them to handle the last one. Clearly excited, clutching the loot bag, Cassian realizes this is an actual fight. Belessern simply nods and says she understands. As soon as Kittle steps forward, the bones on the ground begin to move.

With loud rattling, the skeletons piece themselves together. Cassian watches in horror as all four rise, their eyes glowing with blue light before they let out a silent shriek. Kettle gives the signal. Battle starts now. Cassian moves first, charging in with his blade ready. One skeleton is caught off guard, but before Cassian can hit it, Kettle cuts in. He grabs three skeletons at once in a crushing bear hug and tells the others not to interfere.

Those three are his. Left alone, the fourth skeleton brings its sword down, but Alessandro is waiting. He catches the strike on his shield with a loud clang. Cassian jumps in right after. He vaults over it, daggers out and ready to hit, while Hayes's eyes light up as she casts shadow of confusion. Alessandro takes the opening and brings down his glowing sword in a heavy slash. The skeleton falls apart, but they still haven't destroyed its core.

So, it pulls itself back together and attacks again. Watching the teamwork, Kettle smiles. He says seeing a party use its core skills up close is impressive and pretty rare. Then crushes the three skeletons in his arms with his bare hands. Once the bones dissolve, he says the obstacles are gone, so now he can enjoy the show. As the three of them get ready for round two, they all realize the same thing. This barbarian is testing them.

The last skeleton looks almost confused by how fired up they are. Hayes hardens her resolve. Show weakness and you die. Alessandro rushes in with a fierce look, overwhelming the last enemy as the whole team attacks at once. At last, the skull hits the floor and with the fight over, the party drops down, breathing hard. Kettle studies his worn-out teammates and thinks back to the adventurers from the white snowfield. They must have been strong after all, because this party struggled with even one skeleton.

Then they move on to the next floor. There are more monsters, but with Kettle leading, they barely matter. Eventually, they reach the final floor. At the end of the hall sits a figure in black armor on a stone throne. It's a skeleton knight, and Hayes instantly starts shaking with fear. Kettle calmly asks if this skeleton is different from the others they fought. The answer is grim. Yes, it's powerful, skilled with sword and shield, and on the level of a knight.

They have no chance of winning. Terrified, Hayes can't imagine beating it. Kettle then asks what happens if they fail and retreat. Hayes says they'd need the territories approval, but if the retreat is judged reasonable, it won't be a problem. Kettle gives a slight smile and says that sounds reasonable. Meanwhile, the skeleton knight stays seated, giving off a heavy dangerous presence. At the deepest part of the dungeon, the final boss waits, a skeleton knight with a purple aura.

It rises, ready to fight Kettle. He only smirks, amused that a skeleton can keep its shape like this. The knight doesn't hesitate. It lifts its huge sword to crush him. In the next instant, it leaps up and fires a massive energy wave. Hayes throws up a golden barrier, but it can't hold. It shatters, and Alessandro steps in with his shield to protect the party. Even so, the whole group is blasted back. They're completely outmatched.

For a brief moment, even Kettle looks surprised. Alessandro can hardly believe how much power was packed into that one attack. Seeing them as nothing, the knight charges in to finish the fight. This time, Kettle moves. He meets the attack with one brutal punch, sending a shockwave through the dungeon. The knight is blasted away and wiped out in one hit. The others can only stare, their minds going blank. Kettle casually brushes off his hands and asks if that was all, after that single punch ended everything.

The party spots the real reward, a large treasure chest. Kettle turns to Castron and tells him to open it. Castron panics at once. The lock is far beyond his level. When Castron says they'll have to leave it, Kettle simply punches the chest open. Castron and the others are left speechless all over again. Kettle just smiles, says this way is better, and tells Castron to collect the loot. Castron is too stunned to even process why Kettle asked first if he could have smashed it all along.

With the dungeon cleared, the party comes back out of the cave, and then the entrance behind them collapses. Castron explains that a perfect clear makes the dungeon vanish, which means there was no secret room after all. That only makes Kettle grin. He says that would have been fun, too. At the city gate, the guard is shocked to see them back so soon. Expecting the worst, he asks how it went. Kettle gives him a bright thumbs up and says it was satisfying.

The guard starts the normal entry check, interviewing each party member alone. He asks Hayes whether the barbarian should be allowed to stay, and after a pause, she says yes. This is the guard's real job, to screen out dangerous people, but both Castor and Alessandro back Kittle up. They say that despite his insane strength, he never harmed them. The guard realizes Kittle isn't some ordinary barbarian. When Kittle is questioned, he only praises his teammates and calls them dependable.

That's unusual for the guard since forcing strangers into a party almost never ends this well. Convinced, he lets Kittle into the city, though he warns him not to cause trouble. Then he gives them the dungeon reward, a heavy bag of gold. Normally, the guards would keep the loot, but this time he hands it to them. Kittle gladly takes it and says they'll split it evenly four ways. The others try to refuse because they know they barely helped, but Kittle insists it has to be shared.

With that settled, he happily suggests they celebrate with a drink. The other three force awkward smiles and agree to go with him. The second he's out of earshot, they're nearly crying and begging to be freed from this nightmare. Watching them leave, the guard thinks over what he saw. A barbarian who dropped a skeleton knight in one hit. He's absurdly strong, at least knight level, maybe beyond. This isn't just some barbarian.

He's a legendary one, something outside the norm. After deciding that, the guard knows this is far above him and needs to report it to his lord. Later that night at a grand estate, a powerful man writes by candlelight. A knock breaks the silence and a voice from the throne tells the visitor to enter. The city guard steps inside, approaches the throne, and addresses the man as his lord. Luke Barkin, ruler of the domain, looks up from his work and asks what this is about.

The captain of the guard stands straight and gets to the point. A barbarian has entered the domain. Luke Barkin answers sharply, "Did you permit him to stay?" Sweating, the captain explains that he judged it wouldn't cause a major problem. Luke Barkin isn't satisfied and demands to know what the real issue is. The captain finally admits it. The man is incredibly strong, strong enough to threaten the kingdom. Now Barkin is interested.

He leans forward and asks how strong. The answer is wild. This barbarian killed a skeleton knight in one hit. That shocks Barkin because a skeleton knight is no small threat. It normally takes a full team of pros to bring one down, and this man ended it instantly. Still, hearing it's a barbarian, Barkin clearly struggles to believe it. So he presses the captain, "Was this brute really a top-class warrior? The captain says probably yes, maybe even higher.

Still drenched in sweat. Now, this is a ruler's worst case. An unknown powerhouse is roaming his land. Barken decides to face it head-on and says, "Bring him in." The captain nearly panics asking if he's really sure. Still, Barken has a point. Letting someone that dangerous walk around unchecked is asking for trouble. So, he wants to judge him himself. The captain warns it's risky, but Barken only smiles and motions behind his throne.

No need to worry, he has insurance. He turns to his shadow knight and asks what he thinks. The knight balls up his fist full of pride. To him, Hansoo is just a barbarian, an uneducated brute who got lucky. After training under great sword masters, he sees him as nothing but an insect. That answer is enough for Barken. He gives the order to bring him to him and says he'll deal with it. Meanwhile, the so-called brute is him and he's busy tearing through an all-you-can-eat feast.

His new party can only watch in silent horror. Hansoo, totally unaware, slams down his mug and happily says the food is amazing, his treat, so they should eat up. They answer with painfully fake laughter. Then he puts Alessandro on the spot asking if he's a holy knight. If so, where was that holy power in the dungeon? Alessandro starts sweating again and explains he was still training, so his holy power hasn't awakened yet.

Hansoo bluntly says that's a shame. Subtlety is not his thing. Then he turns to Hayes and asks if she worships Colossia and whether there's a temple nearby. Hayes awkwardly explains that her goddess rules over lies and deceit, so there aren't exactly many temples. She quickly changes the topic and asks the real question, just how strong is he? The other two perk up at once and Hansoo only stares back with a chicken bone hanging from his mouth.

He says he has no idea since he just got here, then asks how strong a skeleton knight even is. Hayes explains that a second-rate warrior can barely handle one, while a first-rate fighter could maybe win like he did. He casually asks if that only counts as second-rate. Then a shaky voice cuts in. "Excuse me." It's the owner nervously saying they're closing. He clearly wants this monster out of his shop. Hansoo cheerfully agrees and asks if anyone wants to meet up again later.

The other three in perfect sync blurt out excuses and practically run for it. Hansoo waves them off with a friendly, "See you next time." Meanwhile, all three are probably praying they never see him again. Once he's finally alone, he gets a room and drops onto the bed. To him, this feels luxurious. He's just glad the dungeon reward was enough to pay for it. After surviving in the snow, even a rough bed feels amazing.

Then he starts thinking about what comes next. He's out of the wild now and wants to enjoy the world. His goals are simple adventurer dreams. Visit the elf kingdom, see the magic tower, and check out the capital. All the famous places. He falls asleep thinking about them. Then wakes the next morning to pounding on his door. He drags himself up, opens it, and finds the same nervous guard captain from the castle. Hansoo opens the door shirtless and just grunts, "What?" The poor captain nearly jumps out of his skin, then forces himself to deliver the message.

The lord wants to see him. So, the ruler of the whole territory wants a private talk with him. Naturally, he grins and agrees right away. He just wants to grab a shirt while the guard keeps sweating. Sure, this has to mean trouble. As they walk through town, Hansoo takes everything in with excitement. He only saw the place at night before, so this is his first real look in daylight. He flashes the uneasy guard a big grin and thumbs up, clearly loving the fantasy city vibe.

The captain looks like he wants to vanish. He decides to just finish the trip and avoid looking at him any more than he has to. At last, they reach the hall. The captain announces that he's brought the barbarian and the doors open as Barken calls them in. Hansoo steps forward like he's getting the full VIP treatment. Barken reaches out his hand introducing himself as Luke Barken, lord of this land. And he actually shakes it, then gives a slight bow before properly introducing himself.

That nearly breaks Barken's brain. A barbarian bowing makes no sense to him. In his mind, barbarians never lower their heads. He expected a savage, not someone polite. Trying not to show it, Barken comments that Hansoo has some manners after all, then invites him to sit. He looks around impressed by the fancy room, but then notices something else. A knight in full armor is standing there. That instantly grabs Hansoo's attention.

He's thrilled to see a real fantasy knight up close. The knight notices his stare and mistakes it for bloodlust. He can't believe he would show that much hostility in front of his lord. Furious, the knight reaches for his sword at once. Before it turns ugly, Barken cuts in and says he only has a few questions. Hansoo calmly sips his tea and tells him to ask whatever he wants. Barken starts with the biggest one, where did he come from?

He smiles and answers in a roundabout way, the coldest place, a world buried in white. That shocks both Barken and the knight. He's talking about the legendary white snowfield. Now Barken is sure he's sitting across from the barbarian of legend. He admits it's hard to believe, but Hansoo just tells him to believe it or not, that's his choice. So Barken changes direction. Instead, he asks how strong he is, really trying to figure out whether he'll become a threat.

Hansoo says that's the wrong question because he doesn't even know this world's power scale. Barken and the knight exchange a look, then Barken offers a simple test, a spar with his knight with a reward for taking part. He lights up at that. Barken quickly adds that it won't be to the death. He grins and agrees. The quick answer surprises Barken, but Hansoo is genuinely excited. He gets to fight a real knight with special powers.

Barken tightens his fist thinking that a barbarian really is simple. Offer a fight and he'll bite. Soon they're in a huge arena with Barken watching from above. Below, Hansoo and the knight face each other. The knight is all business, while he looks thrilled. Barken gives the signal to begin and tells them not to kill each other. At the bell, the knight draws his sword and declares that Hansoo should be honored to witness his technique.

He says he'd like that too, which only makes the knight angrier. He takes it as disrespect and decides to crush him with a clear show of their difference. A huge green aura bursts from him. Then he asks what he will do, swings hard and sends three giant blades of energy flying straight at him. Hansoo stares up confused. There are three of them. At first he thinks it might be a trick, but all three glowing swords are real.

So this is what they call swordsmanship, Hansoo thinks. The knight grows even more smug and mocks him saying all he can do is dodge. But just before the finishing blow, he casually flicks a finger and the sword shatters on the spot. The knight freezes. Before he can react, he raises a hand and breaks the attack in an instant. Then he closes the gap in a flash and grabs the knight by the chestplate, crushing the armor like paper.

With one brutal throw, he sends the fully armored knight flying across the arena. Watching from above, Luke Barkin is completely stunned. The knight crashes down in a huge crater after taking just one hit. Barkin can hardly understand that kind of strength. Hansu smiles like it was nothing and asks if they're finished. Barkin needs a second to gather himself before quietly saying yes. In his head, he's already calculating.

One shotting a first-class knight is beyond abnormal. A barbarian this strong could shake the whole world. So, Barkin decides to contact one person in particular, the sword master. He wonders whether that man has arrived yet and if this news would interest him. Right then, a voice answers from nowhere asking if he means his interest. A window opens and an old man in a green robe appears. Barkin eyes him and says his habits are still strange as ever.

The old man just laughs it off saying everyone needs some entertainment. This is sword master Cain and he wants to hear about the matter himself. Barkin immediately stands and bows. That alone shows how important the man is. After that, we cut to the knight recovering in bed. He's clearly not feeling great about what happened. Then the door opens and Barkin comes in to check on him. The knight jerks awake and starts apologizing again and again for how badly he failed.

Cain cuts him off, "Don't apologize to him, apologize to me." Then the twist hits. He's the knight's master. Cain points out the strange part. The armor was crushed but the man inside wasn't hurt at all. That tells him the barbarian wasn't some wild brute. He held back with crazy control just to spare the knight. That kind of precision puts him far beyond an ordinary knight, at least superhuman. Hearing that, both Barkin and the knight look like they've seen a ghost.

Barkin asks how that barbarian stacks up against Cain and he just snorts. He's a sword master. Raw muscle alone means nothing to him. But Barkin brings up one odd thing. Kettle had all that strength, yet not even a hint of aura. Barkin says that's why he thinks Kettle came from the feared white snowfield. That makes Cain pause. He's heard stories about what lives there or maybe who lives there. Could Kettle be a heteromorph, something not fully human?

A creature moving through the world in plain sight? Cain soon rejects that idea. If he were a real monster, the knight would have been turned into red mist in an instant. Still, one question remains. Why would someone from the edge of the world come here now? Cain brushes it off and mutters something vague about the emperor and his strange requests. He tells Barkin not to worry about it. Then his attention shifts. So is this barbarian still here?

Barkin says yes. Cain decides to see this mystery man himself. Meanwhile, Kettle is outside talking with a guard totally unaware. The guard asks what he'll do next. He already got the reward money, and Barkin said he's free to act as he wants here. Kettle figures getting an official ID should come first, since it would make travel easier. The guard gives him two choices. Find an important sponsor to back him or join the mercenaries.

If he builds up enough merit there, the guild can officially confirm who he is. Still, most beginner mercs just run errands. For someone as strong as Kettle, the guard thinks getting a sponsor makes way more sense. Did Kettle care? Not at all. The second he hears about mercenaries taking quests and hunting monsters, he's sold. Grinning ear to ear, he asks where to sign up. The guard freezes for a second, then says there's a guild hall nearby.

"Take me there." Kettle says, flashing a huge bright smile. The guard folds instantly. But mercenary life isn't some heroic dream. It's the bottom of the ladder. Even strong adventurers die in dungeons or end up doing nobles' dirty jobs. So the lowest rank of mercenary life is rough, dirty, and loud. At the guild hall, a brawl is already breaking out. The other mercs aren't stopping it. They're just standing around and betting on it.

At the front desk, a pink-haired receptionist asks her coworker how today's new recruits are looking. Rosa, the blonde one, lets out a tired sigh. "They're all freaks. This batch includes a fallen holy knight, a suspicious thief, and a nun devoted to some shady god." Her friend looks disappointed, and Rosa complains that no normal people ever come in. The mercs they already have only wreck the place. She starts wishing some prince would show up and save her.

Then the door opens. Rosa looks up and sees a giant figure towering over the desk. So much for the prince. It's Kato, smiling as he takes in the mess. "So this is the guild hall." The fight stops at once, and the room goes silent. Everyone just stares in shock. A barbarian? Kettle, not noticing the panic at all, plants his hands on the desk and says he's here to become a mercenary. Rosa can barely get her words out as she asks why he'd even want that.

He says he needs official status. She tells him that's possible, but it'll take a lot of work to earn it. Registration costs five silver. He gives his name, then admits he doesn't know his age. Rosa just picks one and writes it down. A moment later, she finishes the process and hands over his mercenary badge. Kettle takes it and immediately says to sign him up. He wants a job right now, so she shows him a few quests a beginner can take.

He stares at the list confused. That's it? The F-rank jobs are all chores, gathering herbs, cleaning basements, cleaning sewers, not exactly monster hunting. Rosa gets nervous. Barbarians are supposed to be proud, so these jobs might set him off. While she starts explaining how ranking works, Kettle taps the list. He wants this one. Rosa blinks, he chose herb gathering, the most basic job possible. She asks if he's sure.

Kettle folds his arms and says if it needs doing, then there's no issue. Then he asks where to find the herbs. Rosa says they're outside the village and gives him a sketch of the plant. He smiles, takes the card, and says he'll be back soon. After he leaves, Rosa just sits there stunned. What was that? He's way too calm. Her pink-haired friend has to shake her out of it. Out in the forest, Kettle finds the plants and checks them against the drawing.

Looks right. He wonders if they're used for healing since they look a little odd. Then he gets to work, joking that with his UV gear on, he's ready for his first mission. About an hour later, he's back. Thumping oversized sack of herbs lands on the desk, making Rosa jump. Cheerfully, he asks if this will be enough. Rosa starts wondering if he cleared out the whole field, but when she checks them, she's stunned. Every herb is in perfect shape.

She says most merks just yank them out carelessly. Kettle smirks, despite how he looks, he's got a very gentle hand. So, she pays him for the job, one silver coin. That's barely enough for the cheapest meal in town. Even so, Kettle feels proud. It's the first money he's ever made through honest work. That alone means a lot to him. He tells Rosa he's happy with it and asks for another quest right away, leaving her baffled.

She can't figure it out. This huge, scary barbarian is thrilled to pick flowers. Rosa is completely thrown off. At this point, she's sure the new mercenary is weird, too. After gathering herbs, cleaning a basement, and crawling through the sewers, Kettle keeps going. His next F-rank pick is warehouse cleaning. Rosa is on the verge of losing it. After the herb job, this makes three cleaning quests in a row. Watching this giant man grin over chores, she starts to wonder if he actually enjoys cleaning.

Forcing a stiff customer service smile, she stamps the request and sends him off. Soon, Kettle reaches the warehouse, ready to start. The owner is waiting for him, likely expecting some skinny kid after a few coins. Instead, Kettle shows up smiling and says he's here to clean the warehouse. The poor woman nearly faints. Her face says pure panic. He asks if she's the owner, and she barely manages a yes. All she can think is barbarian, but he turns out to be perfect for the work.

Heavy crates are nothing to him. Next comes street sweeping. At first, handling that much strength was tricky, but he gets used to it. What Kettle doesn't know is that someone is watching. From a window, sword master Cain stares through binoculars, completely confused. Cain can't believe it. Kettle has enough power to shake a kingdom. Any country would want him, and he's using that power to sweep trash off the road. Worse, he's taking it completely seriously.

Cain has no words. Meanwhile, Kettle wipes his brow, fully enjoying the reward of a hard day's work. The next day, he wakes up sore, but he feels great. He gets up and notices a small pouch by the table, remembering Rosa handing him his pay after day one and praising him for finishing all 15 requests. 15 silver coins in one pouch. To him, it feels like a fortune. He thanked her with a huge grin and promised to come back tomorrow.

That memory still makes him smile. Time for day two in civilization. The next morning, Kettle walks through town, ignoring the nervous looks from the villagers. He's moving like a man proud of his first paycheck when he suddenly stops. His eyes lift with interest. Is that a library? He heads inside, and the librarian turns to greet him. Then, she lets out a scream. The huge barbarian is politely asking if he can read some books.

Later, once things calm down, Kettle sits quietly absorbed in a book. The librarian just stares from her desk, unable to process it. Outside, Cain is spying again and he's just as shocked. The barbarian is reading in a library. He starts wondering if snowfield barbarians are secretly refined or if this one is simply very strange. Kettle finishes a history book and sums it up simply. The empire won. He remembers Myelena saying she was heading to the kingdom that fought that empire.

So now he knows what became of it. The book says the empire is now a major power and has basically turned the kingdom of Barken into a puppet. It has already taken over half the human world and is still pushing farther. Kettle sits for a bit thinking about how crazy world domination even is. Then he drops the human history stuff and opens the book he really wanted, non-human races. Right away, he's thrilled to learn those legendary fantasy beings are actually real here.

It talks about amazing places like a dwarven cavern packed with rare minerals and treasure. There's also a fairy village, a city of celestials in the sky, and the hidden elven sanctuary, Elfo Sagrada. The book says Elfo Sagrada is a sacred land no one has ever found. Kettle just smirks and figures maybe he's special enough to visit it. But when he turns the page, his mood shifts fast. Wait, are there more places like the white snowfield?

He's reached the section on demon realms, lands humans can't enter, full of twisted monsters. There are five of them. The list includes the forest of silence, the fiery abyss, the deep sea, and the deep hole. Sounds lovely. Then comes the fifth one, the white snowfield, his own home. According to the book, these realms have terrifying creatures, but they still can't spread their power into human lands. Kettle is stunned.

Just how huge is this world? The white snowfield already felt endless and there are other places just like it. Once he's learned enough, he stacks the books neatly and stands, making the librarian jump again. On the way out, he gives her a kind smile and thanks her for the helpful books. With one last polite smile, Kettle leaves as the bell rings behind him. He heads straight to the mercenary guild and asks a startled Rosa if she has more work.

The second she hands him a new quest form, his face lights up. He really loves grinding jobs. From the shadows, sword master Cain is still watching. After two days of this, he's decided one thing, this guy is seriously weird. Now it's time to meet him. That night, Kettle walks through town feeling good about the day's work. He checks his coin pouch. Even the small jobs are starting to pay pretty well. At this rate, he figures he'll be a known mercenary before long.

At the same time, someone watches him from a dark alley. The figure steps out and blocks his path. Kettle stops and turns with a puzzled look. It's the old man from before, sword master Cain, looking grim beneath his hood. Kettle stays calm and points out that he's been following him all day. Cain freezes. The master of stealth just got exposed. Kettle folds his arms and asks what he wants while Cain is stuck on one thought.

You noticed me? He's sure he hid his presence perfectly with aura. No one should have sensed him. Seeing the cloaked stranger stay quiet, Kettle jumps to a conclusion. He cracks his knuckles and asks if he's a bandit. Cain can only stare, completely baffled. Since he doesn't answer, Kettle takes that as proof. Guess even nice towns have bandits. Cain starts to deny it, then hesitates. Would this kid even believe he's a famous sword master?

Instead, Kettle looks at him with pity and asks if things are so bad he had to start robbing people in his old age. Then Kettle gets a great idea. Catching a bandit would look amazing on his mercenary record. Cain just stares, wondering how this conversation got so far off track. Then he has an idea of his own. If Kettle thinks he's a bandit, this is the perfect chance to test him. But the moment he decides, Kettle disappears right in front of him.

Just gone. Cain whips around in shock and in the next instant, Kettle appears behind him. His eyes glow as he reaches for Cain. Realizing he's about to get grabbed, Cain blasts out green energy to block the attack. Kettle stops then grins wide. Not bad, old man. You're pretty quick. Cain lands a short distance away, his mind spinning. He can't believe it. Kettle almost caught him and he moved that fast with raw physical power alone.

Cain didn't sense any aura at all. Meanwhile, Kettle just stands there smiling like none of this is a big deal. Cain clenches his teeth. This isn't a test anymore. He's going all out. But again, in an instant, Kettle vanishes. He's way too fast. Before Cain can react, Kettle has already grabbed his arm. The sword master is stunned. Even with all his senses sharpened, he couldn't respond in time. The grip is crushing, like his arm is stuck in solid rock, and his whole body gets dragged along.

As he struggles, Cain realizes he can't even match Kettle in strength. The gap is absurd, so he decides to unleash his full power. Kettle notices light gathering in Cain's hand just before the swordmaster releases a huge wave of energy. The blast erupts in a blinding flash that forces even Cain backward. He lands breathing hard, his hand still sparking. Kettle is totally fine and says, "Bandits these days have all kinds of tricks." Cain is furious.

Why does this idiot keep calling him a bandit? He's seething. That was mana materialization, a technique for elite fighters, and Kettle treats it like some cheap move. But Kettle only stares back with a huge impressed grin. That leaves Cain speechless. His attack could tear through steel, yet Kettle doesn't have a scratch. Cain stares at his ridiculous body trying to understand how bare skin took that hit. Kettle steps forward and says it's time to finish this.

At that, Cain finally reaches for his sword. But before he can grab the hilt, Kettle's finger stops the draw. Cain's eyes nearly burst from shock. This should be impossible. He pushes with everything he has, but he can't beat the pressure of one finger. Then he looks up and sees Kettle's eyes glowing purple again. A tear of despair runs down Cain's face. He thinks this is the end, and one clean chop knocks him out. Holding the unconscious swordmaster up, Kettle figures this must be what a fantasy world bandit looks like.

A few minutes later, he arrives at the guardhouse dragging Cain along. The guard stammers asking what this is supposed to mean. He can barely process it. Did this random barbarian really beat a superhuman by himself? Kettle simply announces that he caught a thief. The guard is too shocked to hide it, and Kettle asks if turning him in counts toward his mercenary quest. The guard's brain basically stops working. That's swordmaster Cain, a living legend, and Kettle is carrying him around like dirty laundry.

At last, the guard blurts out that he's not a thief. Kettle's mind jumps right away. So, you know him? If he's not the thief, then you must be helping him. Panicking, the guard straightens up and bows to the unconscious man. "Greetings, swordmaster Cain of the Gehenna Kingdom." You can almost hear the one gear in Kettle's head start turning. He looks down at Cain confused. A guy called sword master is a normal thief?

No way. He doesn't buy it. Kettle insists Cain attacked him for his silver. The guard practically begs him to believe it saying he'd never mistake that face. While the guard tries to explain, Kettle reaches his own wild conclusion. Maybe sword master is just a cool title for thieves. The guard can only stare wondering what nonsense he's hearing. After a long awkward pause, he decides this is way above his pay grade. So, he reports it to the lord.

Sometime later, Lord Luke Barkin is losing his mind. What? Lord Cain was defeated? Then comes a painfully awkward apology session. It's a back and forth of my mistake and no, it was mine. After that, both of them sit in silence so awkward it hurts. From the doorway, Lord Barkin tries to make sense of everything. He expected a clash, sure, but not Cain getting completely crushed. The answer is simple and scary. This barbarian is stronger than a sword master.

Even if Cain is the newest one, that title still means a lot. Beating him makes Kettle a dangerous unknown and Lord Barkin wants no part of this headache. He says there's been a misunderstanding and leaves them to talk in private. Once the door closes, the room falls right back into awkward silence. The second-hand embarrassment is brutal as Cain takes a shaky sip of tea, his pride completely crushed after that beating.

Trying to recover, he formally introduces himself again as Cain the sword master. Kettle being Kettle asks if sword master is his last name. Cain explains that when someone reaches that level, they don't need a surname. Kettle nods then asks about the strange energy attack from earlier. He wants to know if it's a special skill. Cain casually shows the green energy in his hand and asks if he means this. Right away, Kettle's eyes shine.

He admits he first thought it was a dumb little trick, but now that he knows it's a sword master move, he thinks it's awesome. Cain explains that it's called aura, a form of basic energy known as mystic. Now, Kettle finally realizes that thing before was aura. Like a kid on Christmas, he immediately asks how he can learn it, too. Cain explains that mystic is the raw source of power. Swordsmen turn it into aura while mages use it as mana.

Kettle gives a sly grin, so anyone can learn Mystic? Can you teach me? Cain goes silent and Kettle leans in with a smile asking him to please teach him. In the end, Cain agrees. Still, he doesn't get it. Why ask for his help when Kettle is clearly stronger? Kettle admits he really knows nothing. He's just been fighting on instinct this whole time. That answer brings Cain's spirit right back. This is his chance. He can train the barbarian and win back some of his lost pride.

He straightens up and declares, "Very well. A sword master will teach him. A sword master is nothing without his blade. Without it, I'm only half a man." KT nods and goes, "That makes sense. No wonder you seemed weak. You didn't have your sword." Cain dies inside all over again. And KT keeps making it worse saying he did think it was strange. If Cain had used his sword, maybe he would have won. KT smiles like he's being nice, completely unaware.

Meanwhile, Cain is falling apart inside as his pride gets crushed again. Still trying to hold himself together, sword master Cain starts the lesson. He explains that real swordsmanship isn't just swinging a blade. It's using aura with it. According to Cain, his style can turn illusion into reality. To test him, Cain asks what KT saw when he fought his disciple. KT immediately brings up the sword splitting into three real attacks.

"So, that's materialization?" KT says catching on right away. Even figures out it's a style built on skill and precision, not raw force. Cain confirms it through gritted teeth. Cain straightens up and says a true sword master must combine the sword with aura. Then he shows it pouring energy into his blade until it glows bright green. KT lights up. "Oh, so that's aura?" Flustered, Cain can only answer, "Yes." Cain still can't believe he's teaching this to a barbarian.

So, he decides showing it will work better than explaining. "I'll demonstrate," he says taking a stance. He focuses completely ready to prove himself. Then he swings down with all his power sending out a spread of green slashes across the hall ripping up the floor. KT watches closely without flinching. He notices the strike split into five parts. When the dust settles, Cain explains that many people can make illusions with aura, but only his swordsmanship can give them real form.

Looking proud, he asks what KT thinks. KT answers with the most brutal simple line possible. I think I can do that, too. Cain instantly calls that nonsense. Inside, he's losing his mind over how long it took him to master this art. Kaito cuts him off and says it'll be faster to just show him. Then he picks up a huge battle axe, leaving Cain staring in confusion. An axe? Kaito plants his feet and swings, moving the giant weapon so fast it leaves several clear afterimages.

Cain goes silent. Then the awful truth hits him. Kaito did it with speed and brute force alone. Kaito brings the axe down and a huge shockwave carves through the hall in a blazing blast. Cain can only stare in pure shock while smoke rises from Kaito's axe. With a smug little smile, Kaito asks, "What do you think?" He knows exactly what he just did. Cain tries to make sense of it. It looked like illusion turned real, but it was only insane speed and strength.

Even he was almost fooled. He says it was just a basic swing, but Kaito fires back, "If the result is the same in a real fight, does the technique really matter?" That leaves Cain speechless. He knows Kaito has a point and it hits his pride hard. Not willing to accept that, Cain snaps, "Then what about this?" In a flash of green aura, he creates several solid clones of himself. This time, Kaito is truly surprised. It looks like Cain split his own body apart.

Cain and the clones attack at once. Their combined strike blasting a huge smoking crater into the floor. Cain proudly says this move comes from perfect control of aura. Then he challenges Kaito to copy it. Kaito doesn't answer. He just braces himself and lifts the giant axe again. He starts spinning faster and faster, turning into a whirlwind of pure destruction. This is bad for Cain. The spin keeps building, making a tornado inside the hall that rips stone from the walls.

When it finally stops, Kaito stands calmly in the middle of the wreckage and asks, "What do you think?" That breaks Cain for good. He drops down shaking and crying that his life's work means nothing. He's done. The great sword master is reduced to a sobbing mess on the floor. Kaito looks down and says his mental toughness is weaker than expected. Then switching gears, he gives Cain a real compliment, "Your swordsmanship is amazing." Kaito admits all he did was swing his axe fast.

That isn't true swordsmanship, just brute force. Cain's technique was different. Those weren't fake afterimages, they were real. And Katel says he could never reach that kind of mystery. That tiny bit of praise is enough to revive Cain. His swordsmanship still has value. He declares that making illusion and reality one is a special art only he can use. Just like that, his ego is back. With fire in his eyes, he realizes this isn't a flaw in his style.

Katel is simply abnormal. After all, no normal person could move fast enough to fake that effect without aura. Once Cain settles down, Katel asks again if he can teach him real sword techniques. Cain quickly regains his composure and apologizes for getting emotional. With most of his pride restored, he finally starts the lesson for real. He says that to control aura, you first have to awaken to mystery. No swordsman or mage can reach the top without it unless they're a cleric borrowing power straight from the gods.

Katel asks if divine power is different from this. Cain says yes. A cleric's power is granted by the gods, not drawn from their own ability. Katel listens with real interest. Cain goes on to explain that mystery is the hidden power every person. How you use it shapes everything, whether it becomes aura, mana, or spirit power. Awakening it is the first big step. Then he reveals there are five stages to mastering mystery, and the first is called sensing mystery.

Katel asks if anyone can do it, but Cain says no. Without talent, you can't even feel it. He adds that people who can barely sense it are only considered third rate. Based on how well someone controls mystery, everyone is placed into one of five ranks. Those ranks are third rate, second rate, first rate, superhuman, and finally hero class. Hearing that, Katel seems to remember something from his past. Cain brushes it off saying the ranks are only rough guides and not to worry about them yet.

After the explanation, Katel says he understands, and Cain declares it's time for practice. He watches closely, ready to guide Katel through the first step, sensing mystery. Cain tells him to awaken a sense he's never used before. The instructions are simple. Feel the wind, feel the earth. Katel focuses as hard as he can, then opens his eyes and admits he feels nothing. Cain is stunned. He thought someone that strong would pick it up easily.

He mutters that powerful people are usually better at this, but Cale seems to be the exception. Cale says, "No one from his snowy homeland has ever sensed this kind of power." So, Cain moves to plan B and decides to jump-start it by sending his own energy into Cale's body. Cale lights up. "You're transferring aura?" Cain gives him a vague, "Something like that." Looking amazed, Cale agrees he's only read about this in books.

Cain puts a hand on his back and tells him to relax and feel the flow. But, the moment he touches him, Cain gets hit by a huge shock. "What kind of body is this? It feels like touching solid stone." And Cain starts wondering if Cale is even human. Cale calls out to him and Cain awkwardly apologizes for zoning out. Then, he gets serious and starts pouring aura in, hoping to awaken Cale's hidden power. Green energy flows into him and Cain is sure this should work, but something is wrong.

Cain stops, completely confused. He can't find the path. He can't even get far enough to search for it. To him, it's like trying to find anything inside a huge empty void. In the end, he has to give up. This is a dead end. So, Cain pulls back. Cale immediately panics. "What do you mean it won't work? Do I have no talent?" Cain tells him it isn't about talent. Cale has to find the path on his own to awaken his power. Cale understands, but he's still worried.

"So, are you saying I can't sense mystery at all?" Cain struggles to answer. He couldn't even check Cale's potential because his body is too unusual. It's so unbelievably dense that it acts like armor, blocking the aura from getting in. Cain admits he's never seen anything like it. His raw physical power is basically shutting out magic. Cale slumps disappointed. "So, he can't gain mystical power?" Cain says he doesn't know for sure.

He suggests asking other sword masters or maybe the mages at the magic tower. Cain apologizes, but Cale brushes it off and says it's fine. There may still be a chance. Then, he breaks into a big grin, thanking Cain sincerely for all his Cain watches him and thinks about the other barbarians he's known, violent beasts who only cared about fighting. But, Cale is different. So, Cain asks if he'd stay in the kingdom. He offers loyalty, a title, and a high position.

Cale answers plainly, "I refuse. I don't plan to belong to anyone. Cain had hoped that winning this barbarian's loyalty might help free them from the Empire, so he tries once more by offering him nobility. Kettle just smiles, unmoved by the deal. He'll live his own way. Cain is surprised, but then he seems to understand. He understands. Kettle gives him one last sincere thanks and says he won't forget this. Then Kettle heads off.

Watching him leave, Cain realizes trying to make him submit was foolish. No one is going to own a man like that. He moves only by his own choice, and that mystery may make him more dangerous than any barbarian Cain has known. With a sigh, Cain's mind turns to the emperor and his obsession with reaching the demon realm. Not long after, Lord Barkin sits at his desk already aware of the emperor's goal. Cain reports that lives are being wasted and guesses the emperor wants to become like some ruler from the past.

Still, he sets that thought aside for now. He goes on to say the Empire hasn't even taken all human lands yet, so this plan is reckless. Barkin understands right away the emperor will eventually turn his eyes on them, too. Cain agrees. Their territory is still counted as part of the Empire, so an order could arrive at any moment. Leaning back, Cain grumbles about the state of the world and the emperor's madness. Then Barkin's tone changes.

He leans in and asks about a rumor. Cain says it's true. Demon activity is getting easier to spot. Dungeons are showing up more often, and rumors say something is leaking out of the demon realm. Whatever it is, it won't end well for anyone. Then Cain adds that Kettle being here at the same time feels strange, too. Barkin agrees that is a fair point. Cain asks what he thinks, but Barkin can only admit he doesn't know.

At least Kettle hasn't shown any hostility toward them. Other than that, he's a complete mystery. Meanwhile, that mystery himself is out walking around town when he starts feeling that something's off. People keep moving out of his path, even pulling their children away from him. And Kettle's big guess? It must be his clothes. Yep, he decides his beast hide vest probably looks too uncivilized, so he makes up his mind.

It's time for new clothes. After a while, he finds a very upscale tailor shop. Nothing bad could come from this, right? The tailor turns around and nearly faints. A barbarian is standing in his fancy shop. Fighting back tears the man says they don't carry anything Kettle size. But when he sees Kettle's let down he quickly offers to make something custom. That instantly cheers Kettle up and he happily tells him to do it.

The tailor agrees but inside he's imagining every possible way this giant could kill him if the outfit goes wrong. Later on the way to the guild something on the ground catches Kettle's eye. It's a small blue orb with a faint glow. So yes, side quest time. He studies it more closely drawn in by the strange pattern moving inside. Figuring the guild might know something he picks up the odd item and takes it with him. At the guild he shows the orb to Rosa and asks if she knows what it is.

He sets it in her hand and says he found it in the street. Rosa checks it over. It looks man-made and maybe valuable but there's no maker's mark. Then her eyes go blank. A second later, snap. Kettle jolts her out of it. For a moment she just stares ahead like her mind went somewhere else. Kettle asks if she's all right. It looked to him like the orb was pulling her in. Rosa doesn't remember that happening but she does feel a strange power from it.

She offers to get it appraised. Kettle just laughs. He says figuring it out himself is part of the fun then asks for today's jobs. She gives him the usual F rank work, cleaning and gathering, and Kettle lights up. Afterward, once another full day of labor is done, he returns to his room completely happy. He takes out the strange orb again still thinking about what it did to Rosa. Then a soft voice suddenly whispers from inside it.

Come to me. The message repeats pushing directions straight into his head. Kettle figures it must be domination magic. The orb keeps pulsing with that eerie call. So of course he decides to follow it. The voice leads him to a cave and he announces that he's here. I've arrived. Who called me? A dark voice answers that another sacrifice has entered mocking him as a stupid barbarian but an acceptable offering. The speaker is a skeletal mage with blue fire in its eyes.

From a throne inside a huge ritual circle it declares that its resurrection is finally near. So who is this pile of bones? Long ago he was an evil sorcerer who worked from the shadows. He stirred up wars until heroes finally came for him. When defeat closed in he abandoned his body and sealed his soul in a vessel turning himself into a lich. That made him nearly impossible to kill as long as that soul vessel stays safe.

To reclaim a body, he hid near this small town and spread those blue orbs to lure sacrifices. The orbs served as power sources for his return and of course, the usual dreams of ruling everything. The plan was going smoothly until one huge problem showed up. Why is a barbarian here? He chose this remote place to avoid strong people, so Kettle's arrival makes no sense. Watching through magic, the lich decides Kettle's size makes him a perfect sacrifice.

His orb only charms people who have an awakened magical power. So, he assumes Kettle is just some magicless fool. That's why he sends the call. Come in, barbarian. Be the last piece I need. And Kettle walks right up to the cave's giant wooden door. He pushes it open and steps inside. At once, he spots the one behind it all, a skeletal mage in robes with glowing blue eyes. Kettle is instantly amazed. It's a real lich, like the final boss from a fantasy story.

Now, the lich is the confused one. He demands to know what Kettle is, realizing the mind control failed. Kettle looks at the bones on the floor and figures out how people were being lured in. But, the lich still can't sense any magic from him. So, his only guess is that Kettle has some rare item protecting his mind. Kettle bluntly says he has nothing like that. The lich stops talking and raises his glowing staff. If Kettle won't obey, then force will do.

He summons undead servants and sends them out. The armed skeletons rush straight at him, but Kettle only smirks. So, this really is an evil lich in a dungeon. He smacks the first skeleton with one bare-handed hit and it explodes apart. The lich is stunned. Kettle shakes out his hand and says the lich is a lot less impressive than he expected. That makes the lich snap. He threatens to tear off Kettle's arms and legs and sends in all the rest.

Cut him down. Kettle snorts and cracks his knuckles. One punch turns the first skeleton to dust. Then, a hard kick destroys another. Furious, the lich says the game is over. His staff shines brighter as he calls out his strongest summon. Kettle's eyes widen. A giant armored skeleton knight rises with a huge sword and shield. And instead of panicking, Kettle gets excited. This one might actually be different. The lich orders it to to him and the knight charges like a battering ram.

Kettle grins and cracks his knuckles again. The The knight swings its huge glowing sword, but Kettle just watches. A skeleton knight made by a lich really is unusual, but one punch still caves in its skull. The giant undead falls apart in a blast of bone and debris. The lich can only stare speechless after that effortless destruction. As things settle, Kettle stomps on the knight's still moving hand and crushes it completely.

Then he glances back already bored and asks if that was all. The lich desperately tries to understand what Kettle is, but his magic finds nothing. No mana, no hidden power, no artifact. It makes no sense. Did this barbarian really beat a top-class undead with only his fists? Realizing Kettle is far too unusual to leave alone, the lich decides to fight him personally. He calls it an honor and floats down like some grand final boss.

Suddenly, Kettle cries out and staggers back as thick black fog wraps around him. The lich's voice rolls through the cave telling the barbarian to fear him. He says Kettle will pay for entering his sanctuary. But Kettle only looks puzzled. He says he came because the orb called him. Wasn't the lich the one who left it out there? So, yes, the lich basically sent bait into town and Kettle took it. That sets the lich off.

He yells for silence and declares himself the great mage who destroyed five kingdoms. I am Cardos Brenulas Kessis. Kettle suddenly thinks of the elf queen and starts wondering if absurdly long names are just normal here. Done talking, Cardos fires off a huge vortex, a wave of dark magic. He calls Kettle the base for his return. The spell wraps around Kettle and his eyes go dull spinning like he's under a trance. Cardos starts bragging.

This is his special spell. It traps people in dark emotions until their minds snap. He sure a plain barbarian with no magic defense is finished. Easy win. But then something feels wrong. Thinking Kettle may be different, Cardos chooses to capture him instead and sends his minions in. Another skeleton warrior pulls itself from the ground with its sword ready and moves toward the dazed Kettle. But right before it reaches him, a sharp purple glow flashes in Kettle's eyes.

He spins in an instant and kicks the skeleton so hard its whole torso turns to dust. So much for being helpless. Then he looks back at the lich like nothing happened and once again Kartos is left speechless. He can't understand it. How is this possible? That spell should have worked. Kettle barely reacts. He asks if the lich is just going to keep staring because it clearly isn't working. Ignoring that, Kartos pours in the rest of his power and starts chanting a dramatic spell.

He launches his strongest attack, a giant sphere of dark energy that looks ready to devour everything. And how does Kettle answer a spell like that? His eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning. Kartos laughs, sure he's won, but a second later he starts coughing hard and collapses. He burned through all his mana, but he still sure no barbarian could survive something that big. He looks up expecting a crater, then freezes in terror because Kettle is still standing there without a single scratch.

Kettle even says it was impressive and asks if that's really all he's got. Kartos completely loses it. He just used his strongest spell, one powerful enough to break a great hero's mind, and it did nothing. He demands to know what Kettle is, but Kettle is more curious than scared. The attack looked amazing, yet he felt nothing. The lich freezes in fear as Kettle picks up his axe with a cold smile and says it's his turn now.

Just before Kettle can smash him to pieces, the lich suddenly has a realization. A dark grin spreads across his skull as he thinks he's figured it out. Now he's convinced Kettle knows his true identity. He says Kettle came because he knew who he was and that proves it. Kettle just stands there wondering what this pile of bones is talking about. Then Kartos breaks into a huge villain laugh claiming the empire must fear him if it found him this fast.

His ego is out of control. He shouts that he will rise again and destroy the world once more. He's heard stories about a secret empire project that creates human weapons and he's sure Kettle is one of them, made for the sole purpose of killing him. Even so, he refuses to go down without a fight. He declares his full name, "I am Kartos Branulus Kessis and I will destroy the empire." Kettle's only thought is simple, this guy has to be crazy.

Finally done talking, the lich summons a glowing ghostly urn. This is his phylactery, his soul vessel. He grabs it ready to use his last move, then boom, a huge beam of magic blast from the urn and slams into Kettle's chest. Kettle's eyes turn white. Did it finally work? The lich's plan is to force his soul into Kettle's body and take it over, but it's a one-way move. Once inside, he's stuck unless he becomes a lich again.

Still, it's his only option. He takes control and declares that this body is now his. But the second he enters Kettle's mind, he knows he made a terrible mistake. He looks around in shock, asking what this place is. Is this really the barbarian's mind? Just seeing that nightmare world is enough to shake him. Something is deeply wrong here. He even starts doubting whether the empire sent Kettle at all. As his soul begins getting torn apart, he realizes no, the empire couldn't have made something this terrifying.

It's literally breaking his mind. With one last confused sound, the great lich Kratos is erased for good. Back in the real world, Kettle just scratches his head wondering what that was. He only felt a tiny tickle, and that's it. In front of him, the lich's body drops to the floor empty. You think he'd be happy, but Kettle is actually disappointed. He thought the attack looked cool and wanted to know what kind of magic it was.

He walks over to the bones, thinking liches in this world are pretty weak. He has no clue what happened inside his own head. Still, a win is a win. So now it's time to collect the loot. He picks up the lich's staff, remembering it glowed when magic was used. That gives him an idea. Maybe this magic stick will finally let him use magic, too. So he stores it away, or as Kettle puts it, in his pocket. Then he notices another item, the urn.

He picks it up and guesses it's a life vessel, so he plans to take it to Rosa for appraisal. After gathering everything, he looks around and suddenly his gamer instincts kick in. He notices a strange pattern on the wall that he missed before. A secret room? He wonders, then does exactly what you'd expect. He presses the button. Sure enough, the wall slides open and reveals a hidden chamber. He steps inside and finds a room packed with people just standing there like statues.

His first reaction isn't concern, it's amazement that secret rooms are actually real. Then comes the second thought, who are these people? He waves a hand in front of one man's face and calls out to him. He tries another person, too, asking if anyone is still in there, but gets nothing. Now he's stuck wondering what to do with a room full of living statues. In the end, he decides the best move is to leave it alone. For once, his logic makes sense.

The guild can handle it. So, back at the mercenary guild, Kettle walks in with his new loot. Rosa greets him with a smile, surprised he's back so soon. Kettle just says he had a few things to handle. Nothing major, just wiping out an ancient evil. Rosa looks confused, and Kettle explains the orb and who sent it. She laughs it off, telling him not to joke about something that's serious. After all, a lich, one of only five in the whole world, hiding in a small town sounds ridiculous.

So, Kettle drops the giant purple urn on her desk. That gets her attention fast. He calmly says it's the lich's life vessel and asks if she can appraise it. Rosa's mind basically shuts down. She goes still as she realizes he's telling the truth. Then Kettle casually mentions there are people inside, too. He says he could have brought them out, but they looked half gone, so he left that to the guild. And then it hits Rosa.

She finally links the lich to the recent missing people. She jumps up and says she'll call someone right away. A few minutes later, a city guard rushes in asking if someone said lich. Kettle gives a small wave and greets him. Then he says, "It's already taken care of." The guard nervously says the lich's long fantasy name. And when Kettle confirms it, the man nearly shuts down. This Kratos was a legendary dark mage. A century ago, he drove kings mad and erased five kingdoms from the map.

The guard can't believe something like that was hiding near their village. Kettle shrugs and says the lich wasn't that amazing. He did some weird stuff and pretty much beat himself. The guard has no response. Sweating hard, the guard asks for more details, but Kettle's one working brain cell is done for the day. That's all he's got. Realizing this is far above his rank, the guard leaves to report it straight to the lord.

When the news reaches Lord Barkon, he is not pleased. "A lich this close to my land," he roars. The guard confirms everything. He has testimony from the rescued victims, and the lich's phylactery as proof. Barkon immediately sees the problem. A lich of this level will draw the empire's attention, and his best fighter is away. This is bad. He slams a fist on the desk and gives the order to send a message to the capital at once.

Barkon admits they were incredibly lucky. If Kettle hadn't found Kratos right after his return, they would have been the first to die. He knows the timing was perfect, but the feat is still unbelievable. This barbarian deserves a real reward. He wonders what you even give a man who can beat a legendary lich alone. The next morning, urgent shouts echo through the castle. Barkin, already awake, calmly tells them to let the person in.

The doors fly open and a panicked maid rushes in. "My lord, the sun god's inquisitor, Lord Aquas, has arrived." Barkin's eyes widen in shock. Why would someone that important come all the way to his small territory? And there she is, the sun god's inquisitor has arrived. Later, Barkin sits across from her and gives his formal greeting as the lord of this land. She introduces herself as Aquas, inquisitor of the sun god, a judge who punishes the lost.

Barkin already knows exactly who she is, the youngest and strongest inquisitor on the continent. She's famous for hunting warlocks and her authority is absolute. Aquas gets straight to the point saying his territory is a bit of a mess. Barkin tries to play it down hoping she isn't here because of the lich. So, he finally asks why she came. She looks at him and says she's here because of a divine revelation. Barkin is stunned, but before Aquas shares the divine message, she asks for something first.

She wants to hear about the recent incident. As he explains what happened, she grows more and more shocked. A barbarian beat the lich? Barkin says yes and adds that the lich was the infamous Kartos. That name hits Aquas hard. "What? That monster was here?" To prove it, Barkin shows her the phylactery. The moment she sees the urn, her calm facade breaks. "What happened in this place?" she whispers. Gripping her holy symbol, her thoughts race around one question, "Is the barbarian still in town?" Barkin confirms it.

"Yes, the absurdly strong barbarian is still in his territory." He adds that this man keeps doing the impossible and casually mentions Kettle also beat swordmaster Cain. That leaves Aquas speechless. Now she knows a new powerhouse has appeared and quickly asks what tribe he comes from. Barkin says Kettle claimed he was from the white wasteland. That answer hits Aquas like a blow. The white wasteland, the snowy desert, is demon land and she does not like hearing that.

Then a thought suddenly clicks. The pieces start coming together. An unknown force from a demon filled land. She wonders if this barbarian might be the very reason she was sent here. Arcan is left completely confused. Aqua has now fully decided says she has to meet this barbarian in person immediately. Meanwhile, Kettle is back in his room looking over the gem he took from the lich's staff. He figures it probably boost magic then decides he can ask a mage about it later.

That thought ends fast when he realizes morning has already come. Time to start the day. Right then, a guard arrives with a message. The Sun God's Inquisitor wants to meet him at the church. The guard gives him a quick warning. Show proper respect when he meets her. Kettle just smiles and says not to worry. The guard, a bit thrown off, asks if he's ready to go. Now dressed in his barbarian gear, Kettle grins. Let's go.

Quick world note, the gods here are completely real. They give people power and the church is the center of that whole system. The guard leads Kettle through the city and stops before the huge church. Kettle looks up and immediately gets excited. He's clearly impressed by the Sun God's church. The guard tells him someone will meet him inside so Kettle thanks him and walks in. He opens the doors and steps into the holy building.

Inside, three nuns greet him at once. "Welcome, Sir Kettle." One of them adds that Inquisitor Aqua is waiting and offers to lead the way. They bring him to a flower-filled room where a woman stands waiting. She turns and introduces herself as Aqua, Inquisitor of the Sun God, clearly here for business. Kettle smiles and introduces himself as Kettle the Barbarian. To him, she looks pretty young for an Inquisitor. That only makes him think she must be very capable to rise that high so fast.

Aqua, meanwhile, is already suspicious wondering why this giant is smiling. Kettle gets right to the point and asks why he was called here. She says it's about the dungeon incident. The lich he killed was Kartos, a famous monster responsible for countless deaths. According to her, Kartos was so powerful that only true heroes could normally face him. Kettle says he's heard the legends but the lich he met fought like an idiot and basically took himself down.

When she clearly doesn't believe him, he closes his eyes and says that's simply what he saw. So, Aqua makes a bold proposal. Let her god witness their talk directly. It works like a holy lie detector. If he lies, the god reacts. She expects him to refuse and even tells him he's free to say no. Instead, Kettle looks thrilled. Why would I refuse? To him, this is a chance to feel real divine power. His childlike excitement completely throws Aqua off.

She can't understand why he seems so happy. Carefully, she asks if this makes him uneasy. Kettle just blinks and asks what she means. He has no reason to be bothered. He's been telling the truth the whole time. So, what is there to worry about? Seeing how sure he is, Aqua agrees and begins the ritual. She folds her hands and starts to pray. "Oh god who guards the sun, let your gaze expose every lie here." The instant she finishes, a huge beam of golden light bursts from the church and shoots into the sky.

Kettle is standing right in the middle of it, staring up in amazement. He can feel it, a presence far above, vast and overwhelming beyond words. And somehow, he can even sense what that god is feeling, confusion. Even the deity has no clue what to make of him. Then the light disappears and the room returns to normal. Aqua quietly relaxes. No holy reaction, so he didn't lie. After studying herself, she declares that from this moment on, no one in this room can lie.

Kettle meets her gaze with an easy confident smile. "Okay." With the sun god's lie test active, the questioning can begin. Kettle goes through the whole dungeon