Barbarian’s Adventure in a Fantasy World
Chapter 114: High Elf (1)

Chapter 114: High Elf (1)

“What exactly... are you?” Arkemis asked Ketal.

At first, she mistook Ketal for a superior being, perhaps even a dragon. The aura and presence emanating from him were beyond anything a human could produce, closer instead to that of a predator.

That was why she initially felt fear and intended to exclude him. However, after their first conversation, she concluded that he was merely a barbarian with an unusual physique—certainly unique, but not overwhelmingly strong.

Even after closely examining his internal condition, her assessment didn’t change, simply because Ketal didn’t wield Myst.

“I assumed you were just one of those barbarians from the north. It wouldn’t have been strange if at least one of them had adapted to society,” Arkemis said.

Yet the strength Ketal displayed in battle against the demon was entirely different.

“You’re exceptionally strong,” she continued.

Ketal didn’t understand Myst, and strength without Myst understanding should have clear limits. Even hundreds like him would normally fail to leave a scratch on someone like Arkemis.

Yet, Ketal defeated a demon—not merely defeated, but utterly overwhelmed. A named demon had been tossed about like a mere toy. She realized that even if she had been his opponent, the outcome would have likely remained unchanged.

More impressive was the subsequent expansion of his senses. Closing one’s eyes to concentrate wasn’t unusual, but Ketal had extended his perception beyond the forest and into the capital.

“You’re... too powerful.” Arkemis gulped hard.

She was not weak herself. She possessed true Transcendent strength and could wield even greater power within her domain. Even the renowned Swordmaster Maximus couldn’t guarantee victory against her. Her strength was among the highest on the continent.

Yet, even she couldn’t comprehend Ketal’s power. Such immense strength without any Myst was never heard of.

He isn’t simply a barbarian from the north, Arkemis thought. No, he is beyond that. He cannot be from this continent.

Now, she was certain he was something else entirely, merely disguised as a barbarian.

“Hmm,” Ketal finally broke his silence. “I wasn’t deliberately hiding my origin. I simply saw no need to mention it. I’m just Ketal.”

To him, where he came from and what he had done didn’t matter at all.

“Though it seems you’ve already guessed my origins,” Ketal continued.

“Yes,” Arkemis admitted softly.

During the battle with Butler, the authority of severance had torn Ketal’s clothes, revealing the enormous scar across his chest. His ash-gray hair and the massive scar upon his chest only meant one thing. A certain legend was known widely across the continent, and it was one that even she was familiar with.

“You once spoke about a Hero who ventured into the White Snowfield to prove his strength,” Ketal said. Around three months ago, a Hero had willingly ventured into the White Snowfield. “I said I couldn’t understand him. Why would anyone do such a thing when this world is practically a world of fantasy?”

This continent was alive with dragons, magic, elves, and demons; it was exactly the world he had dreamed of.

“To abandon such a place and enter a world of nothing but white—I couldn’t comprehend it, as that place is truly terrible,” Ketal murmured quietly. “There’s no food, no vegetation, and water doesn’t exist in liquid form, forcing you to gnaw at glaciers. The cold is so extreme that you can’t even light a fire. Over half the children born there freeze to death within their first ten days.”

Arkemis’s eyes widened in shock, as only someone who had lived in the White Snowfield could describe it with such detail.

“I came from the place you call the White Snowfield,” Ketal declared.

***

Arkemis gulped hard. A legend known to every race on the continent from long ago came to her mind.

The emperor who once ruled the continent ventured into the White Snowfield and returned, having lost everything. According to his tale, there existed monsters there: White Serpents that devoured glaciers, White Bears that caused earthquakes, Ugly Rats that polluted the sea, and the Ashen-haired Barbarian of the White Snowfield.

Now, one of those legendary beings stood right before her.

“I didn’t exactly hide it intentionally, but wouldn’t it be strange if I openly proclaimed myself the barbarian from the White Snowfield everywhere I went?” Ketal said calmly.

He had no particular intention of hiding the truth; he’d lied to Elene solely to reassure her, not to conceal his identity. Still, he felt no need to broadcast it openly either, fearing it might interfere with the fantasy he desired.

“I’m simply Ketal. That’s all there is to it,” Ketal declared.

“That’s... true,” Arkemis replied softly, nodding slightly.

If she had discovered this truth without knowing Ketal personally, she would have likely fled in terror. However, now she knew who Ketal was—a somewhat unusual and eccentric yet fundamentally reasonable individual who understood courtesy and respected others.

Most importantly, he had saved her life. While the revelation that he was a barbarian from the White Snowfield was surprising, there was no reason for her to fear him.

“Did Milayna already know?” she asked him.

“I met her in the White Snowfield originally,” Ketal explained. “I helped her trading expedition, and our relationship continued even after leaving that place.”

“Oh, that makes sense. I recall hearing about it,” Arkemis replied thoughtfully.

She remembered hearing how the Akasha family had been on the verge of collapse until Milayna successfully revitalized it through her trading ventures. Only now did Arkemis realize the connection to the White Snowfield.

“So, that’s what she was referring to,” Arkemis murmured.

“Yes,” Ketal replied.

Arkemis exhaled deeply, finally beginning to grasp the magnitude of the situation. Standing before her was a being straight out of a legend.

***

Ketal was a barbarian from the White Snowfield, but that realization brought no fear or anxiety to Arkemis. Instead, she felt intense curiosity toward him.

A legendary figure from the tales was right before her, and as an alchemist deeply intrigued by the unknown, she naturally had many questions. Her attitude toward Ketal remained unchanged, signifying she had accepted him fully.

Being acknowledged by someone from a fantasy world was deeply satisfying to Ketal, and he answered her questions willingly.

“Then, is your peculiar physique because you’re a barbarian from the White Snowfield?” Arkemis asked him.

Ketal’s body was certainly unique, so deep and impenetrable that even Arkemis, who attempted to sense it, momentarily felt overwhelmed. She had even resorted to using special materials like the iridescent particles since ordinary Myst-enhancing remedies had failed completely.

Initially, she couldn’t comprehend what sort of body it was, but being from the White Snowfield explained everything.

However, Ketal shook his head. “Even if you say so, I wouldn’t know. There was no Myst in the White Snowfield.”

“Do you mean not just you, but all barbarians there don’t know about Myst?”

“That’s right.”

“Yet, you still managed to survive there?” Arkemis asked him, astonished.

Myst was practically miraculous; there was an immense gap between those who wielded it and those who couldn’t. The idea of surviving without Myst in such a harsh place seemed unbelievable.

However, after a brief confusion, Arkemis nodded thoughtfully. “Considering how strong you are, I suppose that’s plausible.”

Ketal had shattered the authority of severance using only his physical strength. Butler’s severance ability was an authority that could cut apart anything, a demonic power. For Ketal’s body to overcome that by itself, it had to be a form of Myst in its own right.

“How did you come to possess such a body?” Arkemis asked him with genuine curiosity.

“I don’t know either. From the start, my goal was never strength; it was purely about survival.”

Power itself held no particular interest for Ketal; it had always been a mere byproduct of his efforts to survive.

Arkemis quickly realized something else—barbarians weren’t the only inhabitants of the White Snowfield. There were legendary beasts mentioned in tales: White Serpents that devoured glaciers, White Bears that caused earthquakes, and Ugly Rats that polluted the sea. Ketal lived alongside these legendary creatures.

“Have you ever encountered those monsters?” Arkemis asked him cautiously.

“I’ve run into them a few times, though the memories aren’t pleasant,” Ketal replied with a sour expression.

Generally, they consumed his kin and ruined the environment, making encounters unpleasant.

Though I beat them up whenever I could, Ketal thought. Those monsters didn’t die easily, stubbornly clinging to life without the conventional concept of death, making them incredibly troublesome.

Hearing his response, Arkemis’s expression softened in sympathy. “That must have been tough.”

Ketal was undoubtedly powerful, with strength undeniably special. Still, it didn’t seem possible for him to have fought against legendary monsters whose mere presence could trigger natural disasters. Naturally, Arkemis assumed Ketal had managed to survive by avoiding these monsters.

The legends claimed that the Ash-haired Barbarian of the White Snowfield was even more dangerous than those legendary beasts, but now she believed this had to be false. Historians had long debated whether a mere human could realistically overcome such monsters, comparing this to Heroes slaying dragons.

Listening to Ketal’s accounts, Arkemis felt confident the emperor had simply spouted nonsense in a delirium. Common sense dictated that a human who couldn’t even wield Myst couldn’t stand against such beings. She felt excited, thinking she had discovered the truth behind a legendary misunderstanding. Yet, she was unaware that this truth itself was another misunderstanding, feeling only exhilaration at discovering something previously unknown.

“But then, how did you manage to leave the White Snowfield?” Arkemis asked him curiously.

It was a common belief that beings from the White Snowfield couldn’t leave. If escape were possible, surely those legendary monsters would have already left, driven by their harsh environment. Therefore, it was widely believed that some force prevented them from leaving.

“I managed to get out somehow, though I don’t know exactly how,” Ketal replied.

He had a rough idea but no exact details. By completing Quests and defeating certain monsters, he’d eventually found himself outside the White Snowfield. Yet, now, even with significant events like the demon invasion unfolding, the Quest window had ceased to appear.

Why isn't that damned Quest window showing up anymore? Ketal thought.

The demon invasion wasn’t a trivial event. Considering his conversation with Barbosa, it seemed clear that this marked the beginning of major world changes. Yet, despite these significant events, the Quest window remained inactive.

Does the Quest window only respond to events related to Demon Realms? Ketal thought.

From past experience, this seemed plausible, but something about that explanation still didn’t sit right with Ketal.