Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 139

[Swing]. It’s a skill that simply involves swinging hard, so unlike other skills, there’s no need for intense visualization. Whoosh-! This skill didn’t even have common effects like light shimmering over the weapon or gusts of wind being emitted. When playing the game, this part was a bit dissatisfying. Skills tend to become more flashy and have cooler names as they go up in grade, so why was this skill like this? Today, I realized the answer. ‘So, Ogres were efficiency freaks.’ In reality, effects are useless. They just make you stand out and expose your information to enemies with wide knowledge. This is more practical. And as if to prove it. 「Legal Bagos has cast [Dark Curtain].」 He uses a defensive skill. I don’t know exactly what basis he made this decision on. He might have just thought this was enough. So, he might have judged that it was more rational to maintain distance and stab his sword into a vital point rather than retreat. But… Crack! The 4th grade skill [Dark Curtain] shatters without lasting even a second upon contact with my mace. It was only natural. Even though it doesn’t have grandiose names like [Earthshaking] or [Incarnation’s Rage], [Swing] is an attack skill that belongs to the upper tier even in the 3rd grade. “……!” Only then does the guy realize the situation and twist his body. Well, if you were going to do that, you should have dodged from the start. Thwack-! It wasn’t the targeted crown, but my mace succeeded in striking the top of his shoulder. The guy lets out a short groan, indicating a hit, and quickly increases the distance. Thud. The dislocated shoulder is drooping in a deformed way. The guy quickly bites his sword and moves his remaining hand into his pocket. It’s probably a subspace [a pocket dimension for storage]. He’s probably trying to take out a potion. ‘Does he think I’m an idiot?’ I have no intention of giving him time to recover. “Dwarki! Use voice control.” First, I turned on team voice since I was dealing with a person, and then I rushed towards him. And I quickly gave orders. “Hikurod, Rotmiler! You two protect Dwarki. Misha, stick close behind me!” Of course, there wasn’t time to say much right away, so after re-establishing the basic formation. I instructed the details step by step. Fortunately, my companions accepted their respective missions without any complaints. It started with Dwarki. Whoosh-! The moment the guy dodged my mace with movements befitting a nimble character. A curse magic seeps into his body. 「Riol Worb Dwarki has cast the 9th grade curse magic [Slow].」 In fact, Dwarki is doing his part with just this. If I had to point it out, that guy is a dexterity-specialized type. “You bug-like things……!” The guy doesn’t hide his anger and begins to exert his full power. With the 5th grade essence [Superior Acceleration] and even [Afterimage]. His agility stat must have increased several times in an instant. Thud-! Perhaps due to the decreased perception, just following his movements is enough to make my eyes ache. ‘He’s this good even with the stat correction and slow applied.’ I’m reminded again that he’s a monster, but I calmly do what I have to do. ‘It seems like he doesn’t have a regeneration-type essence or numbers item, seeing as his arm isn’t healing.’ I narrow down the possibilities with the newly acquired information. And I focus on the role assigned to me. Ah, of course, my role is simple. Slash-! Clang, Thud! Standing right in the middle of the passage and getting beaten up like crazy. “Forget about dying peacefully.” The guy throws a cold sneer at me. Certainly, now that he’s exerting his full power, it was impossible for me to dodge or anything with my agility stat. Blocking the Arc-grade longsword with my shield was also practically meaningless. So, as a result of just using my body to take the hits. Fzzzz-! My whole body is instantly riddled with wounds, and acidic blood flows from the torn skin. Because the vampire essence is gone, it wasn’t like before where I would heal even if I just left it alone. But, this isn’t a problem either. Was there ever a time when my teeth were intact and I chewed up enemies? Clang! Rotmiler, who was checking the enemy with a crossbow from behind, confirms my condition in real-time and throws a potion taken from the [Treasure Vault]. 「Your body is regenerating due to the recovery (medium) effect.」 It’s the so-called Barbarian beginner mode. ‘It’s been a while since I’ve done this.’ Unlike me, who is filled with strange emotions, the emotion in his eyes was disbelief. However, after checking my expression, did he realize that I wasn’t completely unable to feel pain? The guy mutters as if dumbfounded. “……You crazy bastard.” He must have been in and out of the labyrinth for a long time, but it seems like he hasn’t encountered a bastard like me yet. ‘I somehow received high praise.’ Of course, the reward is a mace. Whoosh! The moment the guy nimbly dodges, the dwarf’s support follows. 「Hikurod Murad has cast [Lightning].」 「Hikurod Murad has cast [Discharge].」 The electric sphere was shot precisely when he was floating in the air. The guy steps on the wall and re-jumps, avoiding it. However, I wasn’t too disappointed. Because that wasn’t the dwarf’s real role in the first place. There were only three things I asked the dwarf to do. “Do you think anything will change just because a bunch of bugs gathered?” To assist from a distance using ‘Lightning Discharge’. To protect Dwarki in case of an emergency. And… 「Legal Bagos has cast [Fear Imprint].」 To use the item at the right timing. 「Hikurod Murad has used the [Guardian’s Wrist Guard].」 The 4th grade monster Nightmare’s ability [Fear Imprint]. A skill that temporarily instills a strong sense of fear in the enemy and returns it as a physical stat. 「Strongly pushes back enemies and temporarily grants immunity to all harmful effects applied to allies.」 Before the skill could be properly utilized, a gust of wind blows and my head feels clear. As expected, the ‘Guardian of Balance’ didn’t get canceled. Because it’s not a harmful effect. “Behel—raaaaaaa!” I rush towards the guy who was pushed back, even using [Wild Outburst]. And I slam down the mace. Whoosh-! I didn’t use [Swing]. Because he would obviously dodge it anyway. Thud-! The guy twists his body to the side and swings his sword at me. But then, Misha, who was sticking close behind me, aims for the guy’s side. Thud! A shallow but definite penetration of the blade into the skin. The guy flinches and immediately glares at Misha, but Misha quickly moves and hides behind me. ‘Nice.’ Exactly the movement I expected. The guy clenches his teeth and mutters. “You dare to crawl up without knowing your place.” It’s a relief to see another compliment, so it seems like there were no other problems with my tactics. Therefore, I maintained the current state. 「Your body is regenerating due to the recovery (medium) effect.」 I take on the role of a meat shield. Dwarki, Rotmiler, and the dwarf provide ranged support. And Misha jumps out and stabs her sword whenever there’s an opening, such as when the guy gets electrocuted or dodges my attacks. Clang, Slash, Thud! The damage steadily accumulates as the battle drags on. “You guys, don’t even think about going back alive.” In the end, the guy also used essences and other numbers items that were not known in the city. But nothing changed. The frequency of using potions only increased, but it wasn’t enough to reverse the tide. Well, he’s all talk. ‘……Anyway, he was level 9 after all.’ The nine essences the guy possessed were revealed. The 3rd grade essence I was hoping for was just one that was already known. Well, if it’s around the 3rd grade, it’s not something you can easily get even at the 8th floor level, so is it natural? “Bjorn! That shiny blade is coming again!!” I sensed that it was time to settle the score. After about 30 minutes of battle, all the cards the guy had were revealed. If we continue like this, it’s possible that the guy might retreat for a while and come back with a priest. That’s why… ‘Now.’ Now that the battle has dragged on and I’ve become accustomed to the current situation. “……!” I dash with all my might and reach out my hand. Thud. The guy slightly steps back to create distance. He wasn’t much different from that psycho bitch. Moving just as much as needed when you think you’ve gotten used to it. Is this some kind of habit only strong people have? How thankful of him. 「The character has cast [Giantification].」 My body swells, and my arms lengthen accordingly. I didn’t miss the chance and grabbed the guy’s neck. “……!” There was a look of urgency on the guy’s face that I had never seen before. Well, he wouldn’t have known I had [Giantification], since I deliberately didn’t use it until now. It feels like all the hardships I’ve endured so far are being rewarded. ‘It’s red.’ When I casually checked, the red gem on the guy’s traffic light ring was emitting light. Therefore, I raised the mace and shouted without holding back. “Behel—raaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!” For the sake of a single opportunity. A decisive move that I had been silently waiting for. That which will become my ultimate move from today. It’s called, swinging with all my might in a giantified state with stats boosted by Wild Outburst— ‘Swing.’ I swung the mace towards the guy’s head with all my might. I was certain that if I hit him with this one blow, it would all be over. That’s why, I could see it. “Naundez Aunjou.” All the changes that occurred the moment his lips opened. 「The character’s soul power is insufficient.」 「[Giantification] has ended.」 My body loses strength. Also, my eye level drops instantly, and my vision narrows. Thud! The mace was swung normally and slammed into the floor. “Keheheck.” The guy, who had somehow escaped from my grasp, coughed up blood. And as I watched this, I only thought of one thing. What the hell did this bastard just do? The answer came quickly. ‘Damn it.’ A unique skill that all Dragonkin are born with. That which was known to be impossible for the guy to use due to receiving the ‘Dragon’s Curse’. 「Legal Bagos has cast [Dragon Word: Soul Silence].」 It was a Dragon Word. *** ‘Guardian of Balance’. This field effect makes the total of the basic stats equal. But in the meantime, you have to fight one against many. One 4th grade essence was also sealed. Thanks to the Ogre essence, I found a way to deal with the most difficult Arc-grade longsword, and I also used various consumable items obtained from the hidden room without hesitation. And even a finishing move aimed at a crucial timing. Even an 8th floor explorer would have been able to take him down with this much, I thought. How pathetic. Despair can come to anyone, at any time. In short, it’s like getting a rare disease at a young age when you should be playing around. Or having a precious person leave your side due to an accident while going on a trip. Or a big fire breaking out at the relative’s house where you’re staying. Or your mother, who said she would be with you tomorrow, suddenly disappearing. All of these things can happen in reality. Without any warning. Whether it’s raining or a sunny day. Unknowingly. It had a nature of going to someone. Just like this moment. “Tch.” The guy spits out blood-mixed saliva on the floor. And picks up the Arc-grade longsword that fell on the ground. However… Crackling-! Sparks fly from the sword as if rejecting his touch. The guy frowns and forcibly grabs the sword, then puts it into the subspace. And… Thud. He slowly takes a step towards us. I struggled to lift the mace. The mace, which felt as light as a feather just a moment ago, was as heavy as a steel bar. Thud. Without even needing to rack my brain, information about this phenomenon came to mind. 「The character has fallen into a soul exhaustion state.」 Soul exhaustion. A status ailment that occurs when soul power reaches 0%. Even in the game, I’ve only experienced this a handful of times. No matter how much I spammed skills, my soul power never dropped to 0%. 「All stats are temporarily reduced by 70%.」 I realized. “Suddenly, everyone’s gotten quiet, haven’t they?” New Plan A has failed. And the price for that is… Well, I’ll find out from now on. Thwack-! My body is pushed back greatly by the guy’s kick. I managed to block it with both arms, but the shock reverberated through my bones. “Bjorn……!” Misha hurriedly swung her sword and rushed in, but she was too lacking to reach the guy. “Agh!” Like a master of martial arts, the guy wrapped his arm around Misha’s wrist and snatched her sword. And… “You trashy bitch.” He kicked Misha in the abdomen and sent her flying far away. Rotmiler’s crossbow shot that was fired at the right time? It was cut in half by the sword before it could even reach him. “Just because of, things like you……” The guy looks at us and coldly mutters. That one word sent shivers down my spine, and my heart beat wildly as if it was broken. However, even in the midst of this, my head, as if by habit, combined the given clues. “You probably don’t know.” The guy isn’t in perfect condition either. Regardless of the fact that he spat out blood earlier, if the guy was at 100%, my arm would have already been broken. It seems like he can’t use his sword either. “How much time I’ve wasted on the ground because of you.” There are several positive aspects. But, even so, it wouldn’t compare to us. “M-Miss Misha! Please come to your senses!” A sobbing voice was heard from behind, and the guy took another step towards me. “Barbarian, don’t even wish for eternal rest. Even death won’t be able to save you.” It’s not just a scare tactic. I know what the only 3rd grade essence that guy has is. Thud- The situation is truly desperate. What should I do? At this rate, it will be difficult to even escape. That was the moment when my head was filled with such thoughts. 「Riol Worb Dwarki has cast the 8th grade attack magic [Ice Spear].」 An ice spear with the same power as before is fired. Two of them. In a state where even ‘trajectory adjustment’ was completed. Fwoosh-! The guy desperately twisted his body. And he barely managed to push away the other one with his sword and avoid it. A guy who would have normally blocked it with [Dark Curtain] or easily shattered it with his sword. He blocked the magic with such difficulty. “……!” And then I realized. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this right away, but… A mage doesn’t use soul power. In other words, the debuff caused by soul exhaustion didn’t occur. Which means. “Okay, I’ll have to kill you first.” I have to protect Dwarki. “Everyone, get a grip!!!” If you want to live.