Barbarian’s Adventure in a Fantasy World
Chapter 78: The Mage of Domains (2)

Chapter 78: The Mage of Domains (2)

“Surely, you’re not thinking of handling this yourself, are you?” Milayna asked hesitantly, as if to confirm her suspicion.

“Is there a problem if I do?” Ketal replied.

“Well, not exactly, but...”

“If I take care of the mage, I can obtain the materials needed to wield Myst. Some of those materials may already be in the mage’s possession. Wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone?” Although that’s not my main reason, Ketal thought. He had been learning alchemy. He had gained the ability to handle a small part of this world’s Myst. Naturally, with newfound power came the urge to test it.

At his current level, Ketal believed he could handle Myst. He wanted to confirm that for himself.

“Hm...” Milayna, who had been planning to dissuade him, hesitated. Do I really need to stop Ketal?

Ketal was strong—far beyond what most would consider Transcendent. If anyone could deal with the mage, it was him. That would solve one of her biggest problems.

Wait a minute, is this actually a good thing? Milayna wondered.

“Oh... Well, then, I’ll leave it to you,” she said, feeling relieved.

Ketal nodded.

***

The next day, Ketal approached Arkemis to ask if she knew anything about the mage.

“Isn’t that the one causing trouble for Milayna? Yeah, I know about him,” Arkemis replied.

“Can you share what you know?” Ketal asked.

“He is from the School of the Deep-Rooted Tree,” Arkemis said casually. She began to explain, “It’s a school that uses alchemy to create domains. Inside their domains, their power becomes significantly stronger.”

The School of the Deep-Rooted Tree was one of the prominent schools of alchemy-based magic. It placed great importance on the concept of a mage’s domain.

At a certain level, apprentices would leave their masters and set out to create their own domain. Only by doing so could they be recognized as true mages.

“The mage attacking Milayna is probably one of them. He’s become independent but doesn’t have the funds to establish a domain, so he’s taken on mercenary work to make money,” Arkemis continued.

The materials required for alchemy weren’t cheap, especially for a newly graduated mage. Many mages earned money by taking on assignments like this.

“And that assignment is attacking the Akasha family?” Ketal asked.

“Probably. It’s likely a noble who hired him. Nobles tend to have deep pockets,” Arkemis said.

Ketal pondered for a moment before asking, “If he creates a domain with alchemy, it should be possible to counter them using alchemy as well, right?”

“Of course.”

“Can you tell me the characteristics of the School of the Deep-Rooted Tree and how to counter them?”

“I can, but why? Their methods require Myst, which you can’t use.” Arkemis tilted her head in confusion but suddenly stopped. “Wait a second. Are you planning to fight the mage?”

“There’s a lot of gain. Besides, I owe Milayna, so it’s only right to repay her,” Ketal replied matter-of-factly.

“What?” Arkemis was taken aback.

Being independent in the School of the Deep-Rooted Tree meant the mage was at least Advanced. Even if Ketal was strong, he was still a beginner when it came to alchemy. There was no way he could handle such a mage. It was arrogant, to say the least.

Arkemis had been about to argue when she stopped herself. Has his confidence grown too much?

Thinking about it, it wasn’t surprising. Ketal had achieved remarkable results in a short time. As a barbarian unfamiliar with Myst, it was natural for him to feel proud.

He’s reached the pinnacle of overconfidence! Arkemis thought. It was a common stage for beginners—becoming overconfident after early success. Even she had experienced it once. Realizing this, Arkemis suddenly found Ketal endearing.

After deliberating for a moment, She spoke. “Alright, I will tell you. Ask me anything you’re curious about.”

“Really? Thank you!” Ketal said, his face lighting up.

Arkemis explained the traits and weaknesses of the School of the Deep-Rooted Tree in detail.

A few hours later, Ketal left to face the mage.

He won’t die... probably, Arkemis thought.

While no mercenary who had gone up against the mage had died, they had all returned in rough shape.

Ketal would likely suffer as well—maybe even end up trapped in the domain for a full day before escaping.

Still, letting an overconfident student face reality was part of a teacher’s duty. At some point, Ketal had become her cherished pupil

What should I do when he comes back? Should I console him if he returns dejected? Or scold him sternly? Arkemis thought.

She thought about stepping in and dealing with the mage herself. Though it was outside the scope of her contract with Milayna, she didn’t mind enduring a little hardship for her pupil’s sake.

If she did, Ketal would likely look at her with admiration. Just imagining that gaze filled her with satisfaction.

Humming a cheerful tune, she went back to her work.

***

“This must be the place,” Ketal muttered. He stood up at the edge of the forest where the mage was rumored to reside.

The location was quite a distance from the capital. For an average person, it would have taken several hours to reach. Ketal, however, had arrived within minutes.

He gazed into the forest. The atmosphere was different. Though he could not sense Myst, he instinctively knew something was off. The scent wafting from the woods wasn’t that of an ordinary forest.

“Well then...” With an eager expression, he stepped into the forest.

***

Within the forest, a crude wooden house stood. Inside, Dragosar, the mage, admired the catalysts hanging on the wall. His gaze was full of affection.

“My lovely little treasures... I wonder how much they’re worth,” Dragosar muttered.

The catalysts were items that would have taken years to collect under normal circumstances. Yet, in just a few months, Dragosar had amassed them all.

Thanks to the enormous sum he had been paid to harass a single noble family, this feat was possible.

“Bless the generous nobles!’

With such wealth, he could finally move out of this temporary hideout and establish his own domain.

“My master made it sound like creating a domain was so difficult. But it’s nothing at all!” Dragosar’s cheerful expression darkened slightly. “Still... I might be pushing my luck.”

The family he was targeting was none other than the Akasha family, the most influential in the Denian Kingdom. At the moment, they were only retaliating lightly. However, Dragosar knew it was only a matter of time before they escalated.

Well, I’ll just run away when things get serious, Dragosar thought. Mages were not exactly known for their careful planning. They were the type to become reckless when it came to magic.

As Dragosar entertained these thoughts, a pulse of mana spread through the air. It was a boundary signal he had set to alert him when someone entered his territory.

“Another mercenary, huh?”

The Akasha family had sent mercenaries after him before. Dragosar thought this was just another weak mercenary trying to fight him. He lazily snapped his fingers.

“Eye of the Perimeter, open,” he said. His vision expanded to the outer edges of the forest, revealing the intruder. However, when he saw the intruder, his voice trembled in confusion. “What? A barbarian?”

A massive barbarian was walking through the forest.

“Are they so desperate they’ve resorted to hiring barbarians now?” Dragosar sneered. The man’s physique was undeniably impressive, with muscles that bulged even through his clothing. His towering frame made him look almost inhuman.

Actually, he looks quite strong..., Dragosar thought. He gulped reflexively but then scoffed.

Still, he was just a barbarian. Against the power of magic, physical strength was meaningless. Dragosar waved his hand, and his domain responded to his will.

***

Ketal noticed the change immediately. A dense fog rolled in, shrouding his vision. But it wasn’t just visual obstruction; the fog seemed to disrupt his senses, making his perception unsteady.

“This is exactly like what Arkemis told me,” Ketal remarked. He had prepared for this. He reached into his pocket and began mixing alchemical materials.

Dragosar, observing through his magical vision, widened his eyes. “What? Is that alchemy? A barbarian practicing alchemy?”

Though rudimentary, it was unmistakably alchemy.

How absurd..., Dragosar thought. It was as absurd as seeing a lion grazing on grass. However, none of this mattered to Dragosar.

The small amount of materials Ketal had wouldn’t be enough. Dragosar’s fog wasn’t just a matter of effect–-it was a matter of scale.

The catalysts Ketal carried could fit in the palm of his hand, while the fog spanned the entire forest.

He’ll wander aimlessly and eventually give up, Dragosar thought, losing interest.

Just as he was about to dismiss him, Ketal raised his arm, clutching the catalyst. Muscles tensed as power flowed through his body.

Then, he swung his arm.

Boom!

A violent shockwave tore through the forest. Dragosar’s house trembled violently. He clung to the table, his legs buckling as he fell to the floor.

“What the hell?!” Dragosar quickly checked his magical vision. The fog that filled his domain was gone.

Trees and grass bent low, as if bowing in submission to the force of the wind.

“Oh, wow. I can’t believe it worked,” Ketal muttered, swinging his arm with satisfaction. “Alchemy really can counter this fog. How amazing!”

That’s nonsense! Dragosar thought. He wanted to scream. It was impossible for his fog spell to be dispelled with minor alchemy. He had already implemented other spells so that any minor spells or attacks couldn’t affect his fog.

The fog had been blown away by the sheer force of the wind generated by Ketal’s swing.

What kind of lunatic clears an entire forest’s fog with their bare hands? Dragosar thought.

Absurd and simple as it was, it had worked. The School of Deep-Rooted Tree specialized in creating domains. However, a domain’s power could be neutralized if its influence was physically dispersed. It just required a tremendous amount of force.

Ketal began walking leisurely toward Dragosar’s location. Panicked, Dragosar waved his hand again.

Whoosh!

A dark shadow spread through the forest, distorting perception and blocking sight.

“This time, it’s shadow magic. Arkemis mentioned how to counter this too,” Ketal remarked. He calmly mixed another catalyst and raised his arm.

Once again, he swung his arm.

Boom!

The forest shook, and the shadows vanished. Dragosar unleashed spell after spell, but each one was destroyed in the same way.

Ketal muttered to himself in awe, “So, this is the power of alchemy... the power of Myst.”

No, it’s not! It’s just brute force! Dragosar yelled internally. He was on the verge of tears. Meanwhile, Ketal continued to approach, his movements steady and deliberate.

Dragosar’s face turned pale. I’m going to die.

His mind raced, panicking. Ketal soon arrived at the doorstep of the house.

“This is the place,” Ketal said, stepping closer.

Terrified, Dragosar flailed his arms and shouted a final spell. “Bind him! Drag him under! Bottomless swamp, swallow the earth!”

“Oh?”

The ground surrounding the house transformed into a vast swamp, pulling everything down. It was his last resort. Dragosar would have to use up all his catalysts and expend his entire domain, but he valued his life more than anything.

As Dragosar scrambled to escape, Ketal stomped the ground.

Crack.

The earth quaked violently. The swamp exploded outward, sending mud flying in all directions. Cracks spread across the ground like spiderwebs, and Dragosar’s house collapsed.

Dragosar, reduced to a cowering mess, clutched his head amidst the rubble. “Ahh!”

As the tremors subsided, Ketal stood tall amidst the ruins, unscathed and unwavering.

“Oops, I should have handled that with alchemy, but I defaulted to brute force again,” he said, scratching his head regretfully.

Lifting his gaze, Ketal addressed the trembling mage. “So, you’re the mage, I take it? Nice to meet you. That was entertaining—it’s the first time I’ve seen magic like yours.”

Ketal’s tone was genuine, almost admiring.

Dragosar, staring at the barbarian in disbelief, finally managed to speak. “P-please spare me!”

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