Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 70

[Prey] This status renders the target unable to act. It’s essentially a curse, but with a key difference… ‘Lyakis’s aggro is locked onto the [Prey], right?’ In other words, I need to create distance before that thing awakens. That’s the only way to improve our odds, even slightly. As I’m preparing to leave, McGrain asks, almost spitting the words out while looking at Misha, “Aren’t you going to abandon her?” “Of course not.” Is that even a question? I scoff, not even dignifying it with a proper response. McGrain nods, seemingly pleased. “Valuing your companions is an important virtue for an explorer. You really don’t want to join our clan?” “No.” “Even if we promise to protect that woman with you?” “…Still, I refuse.” “Hmm, that’s a shame. If you were the one designated as [Prey], you wouldn’t have had a choice.” That’s true. Misha couldn’t carry me and run for 15 minutes. I would have taken the risk of joining a clan just to survive. But still, is that what an explorer is? Saying that to my face is just so psychopathic. “Anyway, the deal ends here. We’ll be going now, so if we have the chance, let’s meet in the city.” “If you can make it back alive, that is.” “Well, I don’t know about others, but I think you’ll be fine. I have a feeling.” Ugh, please stop setting up death flags. I thought he might have a helpful suggestion, but it was just a waste of time— “I hope this helps you on your journey, even a little. What are you all doing! Let’s get going!” McGrain shouts at his clan members, and as if they’ve been waiting for it, light bursts out from everywhere. 「Daniel Carmine has cast [Blessing of the Wind].」 「Character’s movement speed greatly increased.」 「Tarotes Pian has cast [Navigation].」 「Character’s soul power regenerates faster.」 「Aaron Diflane has cast [Flames of Regeneration].」 「Character’s physical regeneration greatly increased…」 「…」 「…」 Is this what they call loyalty? They must have almost run out of MP getting out of there, and yet they’re showing me this kindness. Regardless of how firmly I refused to let them take Misha, it’s right to say thank you in this situation. “…Thanks.” “Don’t mention it, just don’t die. If you guys die, won’t that thing come after us?” McGrain, ever the efficiency-focused one, says this and then starts preparing to leave with his clan members. Well, all I have to do is carry her and make sure my backpack doesn’t fall off, but it’s not the same for them. “Then, we’ll be going first.” “Yeah, if you go first, we’ll go in the opposite direction.” That old man is so logical to the end. There’s nothing more to be upset about, so I chuckle and start running in one direction with Misha on my back. [Grooooooooaar—!] Soon, I hear that thing’s roar from far away. *** I’m being chased. Hanging on the back of the Barbarian like a piece of luggage. I’m running away from a scary monster called the Chaos Lord Lyakis or whatever. “Hoo, hoo, hoo…” My body is hot. Not just figuratively, but literally. Like pouring oil on a bonfire, I can feel the heat he’s emitting as he sprints. [Grooooooooaar—!] I can’t move my stiff body to look behind me. But I can hear it. That chilling roar is getting closer and closer. “Bjorn, son of Yandel.” So, I called his name. He didn’t hear me, or he didn’t answer. So, I called out a little louder. “Bjorn, son of Yandel!” “Speak.” “Let’s stop now.” I’m not stupid. That monster is chasing me, not Bjorn. That’s why everyone was looking at me like that. Even my own family. Because my existence is a burden. “What do you mean?” He said, as if he didn’t understand, as if I was bothering him with a pointless question, just like always. So, I tried to sound cheerful, just like always. “Isn’t this enough? You’ll die too if this keeps up. We’re not that close, are we?” There was no reply. So, I shouted a little louder. “I would have died a long time ago if it wasn’t for you! A-and, I even fulfilled my lifelong wish at the end!” The answer came after a slight pause. “That’s ridiculous.” “…What?” “You don’t want to die at all, so why are you saying things you don’t mean?” A somewhat cynical voice. I felt like I had made a mistake, so I instinctively tried to make an excuse. “It’s not that I don’t mean it, I really—!” “Aren’t you just scared of being abandoned?” I felt like I had been hit right on the mark. Is that why? My voice got louder. “Why can’t you understand me! I just don’t want to be a burden anymore!” “So, is that feeling more important than your life?” “……” I was speechless at just one sentence. I’ve felt it before, but why is this Barbarian so good with words? I don’t know, but he speaks with a hint of annoyance. “Stop beating around the bush and being annoying. If you want to live, just say you want to be saved. Then, at least you’ll have a chance to live.” Simple words, typical of a Barbarian. But I think I know what he’s trying to say. From the time we were stranded in the Witch’s Forest until now, he’s shown me how to judge and act for survival. ‘I must have looked pathetic to him…’ He always said. If you want to live, do what you have to do. So, what do I have to do now? Well, I know for sure that it’s not about giving up because my family abandoned me and complaining to someone who’s trying to help me. “Bjorn.” I called him again. I think I’m starting to understand. What I had to do. “If you save me, I’ll follow you around and help you for the rest of my life.” If I was really scared of being abandoned. The right thing to do was to try to do something to not be abandoned. However… “That sounds like something I’ve heard before.” I realized my mistake at his answer, and my mind went blank. Oh, then what should I say? The time for hesitation was short. “If I make it back alive, I’ll give you all the money I earned from this expedition! How’s that!” He chuckled and replied. “That’s much better.” *** “I-I’m glad you like it…” A sigh of relief from behind me. I let out a sigh of a different kind and spurred on my sprint. Okay, I think her mental state is taken care of. If she has any sense, she won’t bother me anymore. ‘The problem is from now on…’ I quickly turn my head to check behind me. I can see hundreds of chaotic spirits chasing after me. Of course, they’re not a big problem. They have the characteristic of following you to the end once they’re aggroed, but their movement speed is slow. Unlike that bastard. [Grooooooooaar—!] We started with at least a 3km gap, but he’s already this close. At this rate, he’ll catch up within 5 minutes. Of course, that’s assuming my current speed is maintained. 「The duration of [Blessing of the Wind] has ended.」 「The duration of [Navigation] has ended.」 「The duration of [Berserker] has ended…」 「…」 That’s the biggest problem I’m facing. The various buffs that the Dejareu Clan gave me are starting to expire one by one. The vitality in my body is slowly fading. My pace has slowed down to the point where I can feel it myself. ‘It’ll be about 3 minutes at most.’ I reassess the variables and revise my plan. Of course, nothing has changed much. In the end, there’s only one thing I have to do right now. Run as hard as I can. Thud, thud, thud-. As expected, it started raining about 2 minutes later. Proof that that thing is right on my heels. In fact, the number of chaotic spirits blocking my path has noticeably increased. But I didn’t bother to look back. I just accepted that the time had come and took out what I had been saving. 「Character has cast [Giantification].」 「Character’s physique grows larger, and threat level and physical stats increase in proportion to size.」 Muscles and bones swelled up in an instant. In proportion, my arms and legs also lengthened. Also, my overall combat power would have increased as my physical stats increased. But what’s important here is the increase in movement speed. Thump! Thump! Each step is accompanied by a heavy vibration, but the stride itself has become much wider than before. Unfortunately, I can’t maintain it for long. That’s because my soul power, or MP, was completely depleted when I escaped from the [Gap of Evil]. ‘In this state, it’ll be about 2 or 3 minutes at most.’ I use all my knowledge as a veteran to estimate the remaining time. It’s a good thing I received the [Navigation] buff, which increases soul power recovery speed, or else I wouldn’t have lasted even a minute. “Misha, what’s the time?” I muttered briefly, and Misha, who had a watch in her hand, answered urgently. “U-uh, 56 minutes!” “Exactly.” “196 seconds left!” Okay, so there’s a little over 3 minutes left. Until this damn labyrinth closes. “If you’re bored, just watch that and count the numbers.” “O-okay! One hundred ninety, one hundred eighty-nine…” While Misha counts the numbers and acts as a timer, I start my final sprint. Shouting the battle cry that’s now stuck in my mouth. “Behel—laaaaaaa!!” My body moves forward quickly, as if my ancestors are pushing me from behind. “One hundred seventy, one hundred sixty-nine…” The amount of rain falling increases as the seconds tick by. Also, the number of enemies blocking my path increases. So, what I have to do has changed. Until now, I’ve been just rushing forward, focusing only on running, whether they followed or not… From now on, I have to clear a path. “It’s going to sting a little.” Did she not hear me because she was concentrating? Or did she think that doing her job was the priority, no matter what? It’s probably the latter. That’s why Misha didn’t answer me. 「A chaotic spirit has been destroyed.」 「The area is being eroded.」 The chaotic spirit, hit by the holy water-coated mace, explodes and scatters slime. Even though some of it must have touched her skin, Misha continued to focus only on reciting the numbers. As if that was the only thing she could do. “O-one hundred sixty-five!” So, I did my best in my role as well. Smashing the chaotic spirits that were surging like a tidal wave, and sometimes leaping over their heads with my giant body. [Grooooooooaar—!] I put all my effort into creating distance from that bastard. Was it because of that? “One hundred twenty, one hundred nineteen, one hundred eighteen…” My right arm, holding the mace, is tingling, probably from being covered in slime. Damn, is this a ‘paralysis’ debuff? I quickly made a decision and switched the positions of the shield and the mace. “N-ninety!!” Suddenly, I felt a hot flame behind me. I didn’t have to look to know what it was. ‘It’s a breath attack.’ Fortunately, there was no major damage. No, rather, since that pattern fell behind me, many of the chaotic spirits that were aggroed on me would have exploded. But it’s too early to be purely happy. The fact that he used his breath means that I’ve entered his attack range. “Seventy-five…” 1 minute and 15 seconds left. Following the breath, the first direct attack was launched at me. Wham-! A giant forefoot slammed down where I had been. My Barbarian battle senses, which had been heated up, activated, and I was able to dodge to the side in time, but… “Seventy-four…” When I looked straight ahead, I saw that thing blocking my path. A huge body with a diameter of 30m. Even the Orc Hero’s ‘Fighting Spirit’ was useless against that huge form that broke one’s will just by looking at it. Well, fighting spirit is only meaningful against an opponent that you have a chance of fighting, right? Thump thump thump thump! My heart is beating like crazy. It’s definitely understandable. No matter how much I use my veteran knowledge, there’s no way to guarantee my survival against that thing in my current state. As if instinctively feeling this, Misha stopped counting the numbers. “B-Bjorn. It’s enough now.” Ugh, here we go again. I thought she was done with whining. [Grooooooooaar—!!] Looking at that thing roaring in my face, I immediately turned around and ran away. The back was still noisy. “Can’t you hear me! Just leave me and run away—” I said firmly. “Stop it.” You have to make sense. “I’m not going to let you die.” Give up now and run away? Then who’s going to pay for the Frost Spirit Ring I invested in? “What am I to you… why are you doing so much for me…?” I jumped over a group of chaotic spirits and answered briefly. “Didn’t we already make a promise?” A companion’s oath. A promise to help each other. At least, I have to make sure I use her enough to make the ring worth it, or else I’ll be at a huge loss. “A promise? Are you going to die with me just because of that!” Misha shouted as if she couldn’t understand… “Who said anything about dying?” I’m going to live. Like the efficiency-focused person I am, I’m going to take all the rewards I can get. I’m going to return to the city outside this labyrinth. Of course, it’s going to be hellishly difficult… But it’s nothing special. I’ve never gotten what I wanted without taking risks in the first place— Wham-! A giant forefoot falls from above. I dodged it, but I was a little late. “B-Bjorn! Your arm…!” The arm holding the mace was torn off. It wasn’t like it was hit by a claw, it was literally torn off. However, what I need to worry about now is something else. “What’s the time?” “L-leave me. It’s no good. You’ll die too…” A trembling voice, as if she’s in a panic. I shouted as I ran forward with all my might. “Misha Kalstein! Tell me the time!” “…60 seconds! 60 seconds left!!” Okay, so I just have to hold out for 1 minute. ‘The free ride ends here.’ I stopped walking. And I turned around to look at that huge bastard. My instincts were still telling me. I had to run away right now. But I made a decision. It was impossible to run away now that the distance had closed this much. “Y-you made the right choice. If I die, that thing will…” Even if I ran away, I would still be within his attack range. Just like before. If I hadn’t turned my back to run away, I might have been able to dodge without losing my arm. That’s why I ran forward. “Kyaa! W-what are you doing!” “If you have time to whine, count the time.” I dismissed Misha’s grumbling. Hoping that my ancestors’ blessing would be with my fate, even a little. “Behel—laaaaaaa!!” I ran not in the opposite direction of that huge bastard, but in the direction where he was. And in that instant. “F-fifty-five…” As if there was a change of heart, Misha started counting the numbers again. Also, that huge bastard opened his ferocious jaws and spewed flames. It was the moment when my judgment was proven correct. “Fifty-four…” If I had been led by my instincts and ran away. Then, I would have had no future but to be roasted with Misha. But I didn’t run away. That’s why… “F-fifty-three!!!” I was able to slide between his legs in time and get out of the radius. “Fifty-two!!!” Before I could even get up from the slide, that thing slammed down its hind leg, which was the axis of its center of gravity. Thump-! I rolled to the side to dodge. But immediately, that thing stepped back and used its forefoot to slash at me. “F-f-f-fifty…” I ducked my head to dodge. Well, I had carefully observed the Dejareu Clan’s actions and learned his attack patterns. “Forty-nine.” Slamming down. I jumped to the side like a grasshopper to dodge. “Thirty.” Slashing. I either lay flat on the ground like a bug or rolled between his legs to dodge. “Twenty-six…” The tail that was being swung was jumped over with all my might. I was just repeating what the warriors of the Dejareu Clan had done against that thing for hours. In fact, other than breath and dark spheres, those three were all the physical attack methods that thing had. Well, he’ll use new patterns after taking care of the [Prey]… “Twenty.” No way. [Grooooooooaar—!] That thing lets out a fierce roar. As if he was angry, his attacks became a little more ferocious. “Seventeen.” That thing swung its tail in succession one more time, as if it wanted to do a variable attack. “Sixteen.” I jumped up as if I was doing jump rope. But was the height a little short? Thwack-! My ankle hit the tail, and my body lost its balance. “Fifteen… Kyaa!” My body rotated in the air and fell. I managed to get up quickly by rolling on the ground, but one of my ankles was completely wrecked. In the meantime, that thing slammed down its forefoot. “…” I rolled to the side once more. And I felt it. I was too late. If I’m not careful, I might die— Wham-! Damn, what the hell? Surprisingly, for the first time in a long time, my ominous premonition was wrong. 「Character’s soul power is insufficient.」 「[Giantification] has ended.」 My body, which had been reduced to half its size, was in time. When I turned my head to the side, I could see a huge footprint right in front of me. If I had been just a little late, my head would have been a smashed watermelon and scattered there. Tap. Feeling dizzy, I quickly got up from my spot. I could feel the pain in my wrecked left ankle, but I could just ignore it. ‘Is it 10 seconds now?’ I counted the numbers in my head instead of Misha, who seemed to have fainted after hitting the tail and falling. ‘9.’ The situation was not good. ‘8.’ The chaotic spirit bastards, who had gathered this much, were narrowing my range of movement. On top of that, my body had become sluggish because my ankle was completely wrecked. So— ‘7.’ I climbed onto the forefoot that that thing had slammed down. ‘6.’ However, since that thing was sure to go crazy trying to shake me off… ‘5.’ I grabbed onto that thing’s skin tightly with my one remaining arm and my Barbarian’s strong teeth. There was no way it would work. Wham-! When that thing slammed the ground once more, my body was thrown off by the recoil. Surprisingly, that thing nimbly snatched me out of the air with its other foot. Fwooshhhhh—. That thing, as if happy to have finally succeeded in hunting, puffed out its breath. The open jaws were quickly approaching. If I was chewed up by those ferocious teeth, my Lytanium armor would be nothing more than a snack. But… “You’re too late, you bastard.” This is a world with labyrinths, monsters, and dead monsters that leave behind drop items, right? 「The labyrinth has been closed.」 My vision blurs and scatters. Darkness rushes in in an instant. Looking at that thing faintly visible in the center, I thought. ‘Chaos Lord Lyakis.’ He was definitely as much of a bastard as the force he showed in the game. Even though I didn’t even get to the second phase, all I could do in my current state was to be chased and beaten up. But… If the day comes when I see him again— [Grooooooooaar—!!!!!] It will be different then. *** 「Character is moving to Lapdonia.」 *** When I opened my eyes, I saw light. It was a cloudy day, but it was still a brilliant light that couldn’t be compared to the labyrinth. ‘I’m alive…’ Misha, as if enjoying the warmth of the light, closed her eyes for a moment and then hurriedly raised her upper body. ‘Bjorn! What happened to Bjorn?’ She quickly came to her senses and looked at the dimensional plaza, where a different atmosphere than usual was present. “Priest! Call a priest!!” “J-just hold on! We’re back in the city!!” Injured people were popping up everywhere. The requests for help that they were shouting. “What the hell happened?” “I don’t know, even when I asked the guild staff, they were too busy to answer.” Those who didn’t know about this situation were buzzing and raising questions. That’s understandable. It’s not uncommon for people to survive dramatically when a labyrinth closes, but it’s rare for so many injured people to appear at once. “Did you hear? It seems that a floor lord appeared on the 3rd floor.” “What? A floor lord?” “…Then, all of those people must be explorers who were on the 3rd floor.” Misha dragged her aching body and slowly took a step forward. “Hey! You seem to have come from the 3rd floor too, just sit down and rest—” A male explorer approached, but Misha pushed him away without answering and walked on. “Get out of my way.” Resting? Getting treatment? Those are all good, but there’s something I have to do first. So, she walked through the crowded dimensional plaza. It was then. “That guy is going to die soon.” “Even if he’s a Barbarian, he won’t survive in that state…” Barbarian. At that word that suddenly came from nearby, Misha headed there as if she was possessed. Pushing through the crowd that had gathered to watch, she headed to the center, and as they said, there was a Barbarian. “Bjorn…” Misha slowly approached him. One arm torn off, a left ankle bent in a deformed shape. And black slime covering his entire body. I didn’t have to see what happened after I fainted to know. He must have fought desperately. To survive, as he always had. “Don’t get close! The priest is coming, so it’s better to just leave him alone—” I think I know why everyone is just watching from a distance. Misha didn’t answer and quietly approached him, putting her ear close to him. The slime touched her cheek and stung, but… Misha let out a sigh of relief without realizing it. Wheeze- Wheeze-. Breathing regularly, like a baby in a deep sleep. “Haa, he was just sleeping. You scared me…” Her arms and legs lost their strength. But Misha mustered her strength and wiped off the slime on his body one by one with her hands. So that he could rest a little more comfortably. “The priest is coming, so don’t worry and rest.” When she wiped off the slime that was all over his face, Bjorn’s expression was clearly visible. It was an expression that looked very comfortable. As if he had finished everything he had to do. Suddenly, a mage’s words came to mind. [If Balkan, who was called the hero of the Barbarian tribe, were to come back alive, he would look just like that…] It was what the mage who was admiring Bjorn when he was clearing the path had said. Of course, Misha didn’t know who Balkan was. But… “I think I know what that mage meant when he said that.” If there was a hero, he would definitely look like this.