Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 418

The Glacier Mage Cariadea.

Its individual name is Elder Lich, a 3rd-class being, a superior variant species known as a Named [a unique, powerful monster].

The summoning condition for this guy is very simple.

「Special condition – momentary stimulation is satisfied.」

Between 10 to 5 days before the 7th floor is closed.

Within that period, a 1st-grade space-time magic must be used in the ‘Eye of the Glacier’ area.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

As the violently shaking canyon stopped, monsters crawled up from below the cliff, reaching out their hands.

“What! Why are monsters appearing?!”

“Wait, these aren’t the ones we saw before?”

“Skeletons…? Did skeletons appear here too?”

They were momentarily flustered by the sudden appearance of the monsters.

However, the team members, already in battle formation, quickly began to wield their weapons and push back the monsters.

And then…

“Yandel, what on earth did you do?!”

The team leaders, who had been waiting near me, asked urgently.

“I used space-time magic to activate one of Gavrilius’s arrangements.”

“…Why would you do that?”

“If we’re fighting monsters, we’re in a better position than those Noark guys.”

The answer came from Jun, not James.

“You mean, if we’re both fighting monsters, we’re relatively better off?”

“Yes, they don’t have priests or mages. We can maintain this distance until we leave the Eye of the Glacier.”

No, is it just maintaining?

Maybe we can increase the distance even more.

Skeletons are structured to come up from below.

The Noark guys, who are following us from below, will have to deal with the skeletons we left behind.

The only variable is Cariadea, the boss…

‘It’ll take a day for it to come up from down there, so I don’t need to worry about it right now.’

“So, do you understand now?”

“Yes.”

At my answer, Jun nodded, saying it was a plausible plan, while James still looked dissatisfied.

“Is this what you meant by taking a difficult path? If the vanguards don’t even have proper equipment, there will be significant casualties!”

He certainly had a point.

Most of the warriors were without their equipment.

Some who couldn’t endure would surely be sacrificed.

But…

“Even so, it’s better than facing them directly in this state, so return to your positions.”

I made it clear that I wouldn’t accept any objections, and then James Kalar asked me one last question.

“Even if we go that far… when we reach the top of the Eye of the Glacier, what will change then?”

Seriously, is that even a question?

“It will change.”

“……?”

“Many things will.”

He asked, but he didn’t expect such a confident answer, so he looked dazed.

Hmm, is he weak against strong words?

I don’t know, but instead of explaining in detail, I spoke to him in a more confident tone.

“So, trust me and follow me.”

“……Understood.”

Okay, is that all done now?

“What are you guys just looking at? Go and take care of your team members.”

After sending the team leaders who had gathered around me back to their positions, I headed to the very front of the formation.

Because that’s my place.

“Mister, don’t push yourself too hard.”

“What? Aren’t you stopping me this time?”

“But… you have the same look in your eyes as you did in the crystal cave…”

Hmm, I’ve never seen myself in a mirror then, so I don’t know.

I hope the result will be similar to that time.

「The character has activated [Giantification].」

I activated the battle mode, which has now become the default, and then lifted my shield and hammer. But since I threw away my armor, I’m just wearing a fur coat on my bare body?

‘Wow, I really look like a barbarian.’

It’s called the (True) Barbarian Mode.

“Yandel, we can start right away!”

As soon as I received a report from Kaislan, who had returned to his position, I moved forward.

And…

“Ah.”

I was momentarily startled when I saw the skeleton blocking my path.

‘Right, I don’t need to hold back anymore, do I?’

Okay, at least this one thing is positive.

Then let’s go.

“Behel—raaaaaaaa!!!!”

I believe the blessing of my ancestral god is with me.

***

Thump-! Thump-!

I run forward with heavy footsteps.

Covering my entire upper body with my shield, as if doing a shield charge.

Kwaaaang-!

I push away the bone bastards, putting my weight on the shield with my shoulder.

Ah, for reference, I’m the only one at the very front.

The rest of the vanguards, including the melee fighters, were sent to the back to defend the flanks and rear.

“Push them back!”

The team members follow behind, dealing with the skeletons that are catching up from behind and crawling up the side of the cliff.

“Agh!”

“Get lost, you bastard!”

“Ugh, ugh…!”

Amidst the sounds of a desperate battle, groans, not battle cries, are occasionally heard.

It can’t be helped.

The vanguards had all discarded their armor.

Swish-!

A skeleton’s rib that was thrust out grazed someone’s skin.

「Rierd Ashde has cast the 5th-grade curse magic [Regeneration Block].」

The mages were constantly casting curse magic on their allies, fearing that natural regeneration would work in reverse, but it was like peeing on a hot stove [a futile effort].

It only temporarily stopped the wounds from worsening.

It didn’t heal the injuries themselves.

Screech-!

The torn wounds grew larger with every intense movement, and the unhealed wounds led to endless bleeding.

In the meantime, the wounds festered and rotted.

It was because they couldn’t completely reduce natural regeneration to 0, no matter how much curse magic they used.

“Uwaaaaaaaa!”

One hour, two hours, three hours.

As the time spent moving through the monsters increased, the number of casualties within the expedition grew.

A small wound would grab their ankles, creating a vicious cycle that led to more injuries.

Of course, if they had put up mana shields, they wouldn’t have been injured like this.

But…

‘That’s like drinking seawater because you’re thirsty [a solution that makes the problem worse].’

That’s because, how could they put mana shields on this many people?

In three hours, their mana would definitely be depleted—.

Kwaaaang-!

Damn it, I really can’t afford to look away.

The situation was serious in the back, but it wasn’t like my situation was any better.

“Behel—raaaaaaaa!”

I’m pushing back the monsters with all my might, clearing a path.

The energy consumption from that was extreme.

No, it wasn’t just about energy; if it weren’t for [Primordial Cells] and [Soul Dive], my MP would have run out long ago, and [Giantification] would have been canceled.

‘Agh, damn it.’

Not only that, but injuries were also accumulating on my body.

Against these mobs, my physical resistance was practically immunity, but…

Skeletons don’t just do physical attacks.

If I get hit by a bone explosion that applies cold damage right in front of me, even I can’t help but shed a drop of blood.

“Yandel! There’s another one of those in front!”

How long has it been since I defeated one, and another giant skeleton appeared.

It’s four heads taller than me in [Giantification] state, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to classify it as large, but this one belongs to the medium category.

There are separate large skeletons.

Thump-! Thump-!

A super-large skeleton, emitting red light in the darkness, climbs up the cliff.

“B-below! That thing is coming up again!”

“Priests!!”

This time again, before it could reach the top, the priests cast divine spells in succession, knocking it down.

[Groooooooo-!!!!]

The super-large skeleton, letting out a ferocious roar that echoed everywhere, fled.

It didn’t feel particularly refreshing.

Because I knew that after a few minutes, it would come crawling back up again, looking for something to eat.

Crack-!

I used [Swing] to smash the skull of the medium-sized skeleton that was blocking my path. And then, I pushed back the bone bastards with my shield again, clearing a path.

“Kuhuhuhuhu.”

As I cleared the path without a moment to catch my breath, I kept laughing for some reason.

Not because I was happy, but because I felt like I would go insane if I didn’t laugh.

Squeeze-!

My muscles screamed.

Crack-!

My head was dizzy.

“Uwaaaaaaaa!”

In that state, my body stubbornly repeated what it had been doing.

Keeping the most positive thoughts in my head.

‘Well, at least it’s a good thing that they haven’t shown any signs of catching up to us yet.’

It’s been almost 4 hours since the monster wave started.

It was impossible to estimate the distance through detection magic because of the monsters, but so far, the pursuers haven’t caught up to us.

Well, those bastards wouldn’t want to get hurt either, right?

‘They’re probably moving as defensively as possible.’

On the other hand, we’re burning our bodies like charcoal that’s about to turn to ash.

Even if I get hurt a little more, the expedition moving forward comes first.

It would be unfair to get caught if I’m clearing the path with that mindset.

Wobble-!

Then, without realizing it, my legs gave out, and I barely regained my balance.

‘…Did I lose too much blood?’

Hmm, I think so.

My body is like a water bag that’s been cut to pieces.

Wounds that would have scabbed over in a few seconds in normal times were all over my body, pouring out blood.

Therefore…

‘If this keeps up, it’s going to be dangerous…’

I made a decision.

Because survival is like that.

Choosing the second-worst option instead of the worst.

“Marone, burn my wounds with fire.”

“…W-what did you say?”

“I think I need to stop the bleeding now.”

“S-stop the bleeding? What kind of bizarre… No, how can you say that without changing your expression!”

The mage was horrified by my request.

Not to mention the pain, the burned area might rot and become irreversible?

It was nothing new.

After all, the wounds were already rotting…

“Anyway, it’ll all heal once we get to the top, right?”

Getting to the destination is the priority.

“If we’re not careful, we might end up in a situation that even divine power can’t fix. You could have permanent physical defects…”

Marone, realizing that she couldn’t break my stubbornness, gave a disclaimer.

It’s like a doctor telling you not to drink or smoke for three days.

I ignored it like a true barbarian.

“But it’s better than dying here, isn’t it?”

“I’ll do it. I’ll do it. But I don’t understand. Why do you go so far…!?”

She clenched her fist tightly, as if she couldn’t understand.

Seriously, is she a mage with a bad memory?

Why doesn’t she understand?

“Didn’t we promise before we left?”

“……”

“I’ll do the hardest work, so just follow me.”

“Ah…”

Marone opened her mouth blankly, then closed it tightly as if she had made up her mind, and pulled up a flame magic on her hand.

And…

“Kuhuhuhuhuhu…”

I laughed, sobbing, and tried to think of the positive aspects.

Well, at least it’s not cold anymore.

***

One hour, two hours, three hours…

As the desperate journey continued, I was able to see another side of the team members with my own eyes.

Huh, I thought they were just glass cannons [fragile but powerful].

Now that I see it, they were baby birds.

A bit tough.

“Can you burn my wounds with fire too?”

“I’d like ice magic, please. I think that would hurt less.”

When they saw me stopping the bleeding without potions, they called me a crazy bastard, but soon, the vanguards started to follow my actions.

Among them, there was even a bigger bastard than me.

“Just tear off this arm.”

At Puta Ricaben’s words, the priest paused for a moment and asked back.

“…Excuse me?”

“I’m not an idiot either. If it’s this rotten, you can’t fix it with divine power, right? I haven’t felt anything since a while ago.”

“Well… even so, you should reconsider…”

“Hey, don’t make that face. How many one-armed people without a story are there in this world? I’ve seen a lot of people with one arm, and with this kind of story, one arm is a bargain.”

A cost-benefit calculation that even a barbarian would be dumbfounded by.

But one thing is clear, it must have been because of that calculation.

That we were finally able to reach the top of the Eye of the Glacier.

「Field effect – The Eye of the Glacier is deactivated.」

The moment we had been desperately hoping for.

Thud-!

The warriors, on the verge of exhaustion, collapsed all at once after crossing the last hill.

They were in a state that couldn’t be described as anything less than horrific, but their faces were filled with a deeper smile than ever before.

“We made it…”

“Damn it, damn it, damn it… We really made it, we made it…”

“What are you doing! Mages! Quickly release the curse magic! We need to start treatment right away!”

The priests, who had been forced to helplessly watch their desperate struggle to get here, mustered all their divine power, looking as if they were about to collapse.

“…You’ve worked hard. Really.”

“The arm… I don’t think it’ll be easy. I’m sorry.”

The priest looked apologetic towards the vanguards.

“Tsk, is that so? It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

One of the vanguards who received that gaze.

Kaislan just carefully asked the priest for one thing.

“Hey, I know it’s hard, but I’d like to ask you for one favor…”

“Please, tell me.”

“Just once, even if it’s just once, would you pray sincerely?”

“Pray… you mean?”

“Yes, for those who died without making it here.”

“…Of course.”

The priests knelt down and reverently clasped their hands together.

In response, the other team members, who had been busy resting, also stood up for a moment and made the sign of the cross. Dwarves, beastmen, elves, and even I, who did not believe in the gods of humans, did the same.

Even if they didn’t make the sign of the cross over their chests like them.

“……”

“……”

They closed their eyes and prayed sincerely.

Whether it was the ancestral god, the guardian god, or the world tree.

It didn’t matter who heard their voices…

“…May they rest in peace.”

To lead them to the resting place they each desired.

***

The current number of survivors in the expedition is twenty-two.

While breaking through the Eye of the Glacier, two more people died, excluding the summoner Milburn Naria.

It was a harsh environment that couldn’t be overcome just with the determination to burn flesh and cut off arms.

‘Matt Hybrigham.’

One was a paladin from Team 4.

‘Pasible Eric Colson.’

The other was a knight from Team 5.

Kaislan’s friend and subordinate who had been in the same unit for over 10 years, was it?

“Kaislan…”

“Haha, don’t make that face. He fulfilled his duty as a soldier. He wouldn’t be too resentful either.”

“…Not resentful? How can you say that?”

“At least you were there. So, didn’t he take steps to live until the end? That… is not a meaningless death.”

“……”

“He died following me, and you, not the royal family who abandoned us.”

“Is that so…”

“I’m fine, so you do what you have to do.”

After the short prayer ended.

We returned to what we had to do.

The priests continued to treat the warriors.

The mages drew magic circles on the ground.

And I…

“Wait a minute! You can’t move yet!”

“I’m fine, so treat the others first.”

“What are you talking about! You’re the most serious right now!”

What, if I was really serious, I wouldn’t even be able to move.

Ignoring the priest’s cry, I checked the condition of the expedition first. Until now, I had been too busy clearing the path to pay attention to the back.

“Akuraba.”

The place I headed to after looking around was where Akuraba was.

“How much food is left?”

“There’s none left.”

“It seems you were eating jerky well even while fighting.”

“…It was you who forced us to eat it, saying we had to?”

Seriously, giving me a hard time.

“It means everyone did well.”

I changed the subject.

“Where do you think they are now?”

“Well… I’m curious about that too. Judging by how they were following us so desperately, I don’t think they’ll give up easily.”

“Is that so…”

“I’ll keep an eye on the Eye of the Glacier. So, rest. If you collapse, this expedition is over…”

“Okay…”

After talking with Akuraba, I received treatment from the priest and then lay down near the entrance of the Eye of the Glacier.

“You’ve worked hard… Mister.”

The peacefulness made the hellish time just a moment ago feel like a lie.

Even the cold snow that touched my back felt cozy.

However, as always, the sweet time passed in an instant.

“Yandel! They’re here!”

At Akuraba’s cry, all the team members who were resting stood up and took their positions.

Phew-! Boom!

Flares were fired towards the bottom of the Eye of the Glacier.

The dark space below the cliff was brightly lit, revealing twelve pursuers climbing the hill.

Unlike what I thought, they looked fine.

They were moving while maintaining their formation without being impatient, even while fighting the skeletons.

There were no noticeable injuries.

They didn’t look emaciated either, as if they had eaten well.

Unlike us, who had arrived here by forcing our rotten legs to move.

Well, it’s not like I can’t understand.

‘Right, they arrived here now because they came so comfortably.’

I gritted my teeth and looked down.

They were already looking up at us from the other side.

With a look of question.

“……?”

It was obvious what they were thinking.

They must have thought it was strange that I was blocking the path in front as a vanguard, but I wasn’t wearing armor.

Smirk.

The dragonslayer, who was among the pursuers, seemed to be whispering something to his companions, then slightly raised the corners of his mouth and looked at me.

What, is he mocking me?

If so, it’s a bit funny.

‘Do they still not know their situation?’

Why did I try to escape, even throwing away my equipment in the first place?

It was a decision made with a thorough look at the future.

Because the field effect is more important than equipment here.

「The character has entered a special area.」

「Field effect – The Eye of the Glacier is granted.」

Okay, the field effect starts right from here.

Thud.

I took just one step back and stopped at the boundary line, then smiled and shouted.

“Prepare for battle!!”

Now, it’s time for you guys to suffer a little too.