Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 459

Layered Monarch.

A type of field boss that appears in each layer of the labyrinth when specific summoning conditions are met.

Usually, it’s something you attempt when you have the stats to reliably clear the 7th-floor rift, so it’s classified as a higher-level raid, above the rift.

At least, that’s the case up to the 5th-floor monarch.

From the 6th-floor monarchs and above, where the difficulty of the strategy starts to jump significantly, they are classified as ‘top-tier raids,’ and from here on, you can consider it end-game content.

‘But to have the first raid be a layered monarch, really.’

Considering that the ‘Doppelganger Forest’ on the 4th floor was the highest-level raid by clear standards, this is absurd.

Moreover, there are only four people currently able to fight.

A number that doesn’t even make a full party, let alone a raid party.

But…

‘With a few 3rd-grade essences, I should be able to get the last hit.’

As soon as I confirmed Liakis in the distance, I made my decision.

This isn’t just a situation where I can afford to be greedy; it’s more like I’d be stupid not to be greedy, and…

‘There’s also the promise I made back then.’

It sounds like something a chuunibyou [a person with delusions of grandeur] would say, but it was a promise I made to myself.

If the day comes when I see it again—.

[Groooooooaaaaaa—!!!!!]

It would be different then.

“Yandel, what should we do now?”

“Ah, I’ll hold it off, so you guys hit it hard.”

“Is that… all?”

Amelia, hearing my simple and clear order, looked at me like I was crazy, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

Liakis’s 4th phase is originally like that.

There’s no clever trick to the strategy.

You just have to overpower it with a straightforward approach.

「The Chaos Monarch Liakis senses the source of life.」

As soon as we entered its radius, it stopped running on all fours and looked at us.

And…

[Groooooooaaaaaaaooo-!]

It charged at us, letting out a ferocious howl.

The sound of its footsteps was different from the 1st phase.

Tap, tap, tap-!

It was still heavy, but much lighter and faster than before.

Naturally, its running speed was also incomparable.

After all, the concept of the 4th phase is ‘agility.’

“Everyone, step back.”

I sent my companions back and linked [Transcendence] and [Giantification].

「Your physique increases in proportion to your strength.」

If it were during the 1st phase when I was showing off my obese body, it would have been impossible, but now that the skin was clinging to the bones, the size was about right.

It was one of the many advantages of [Giantification].

「The Chaos Monarch Liakis feels a great threat from the character.」

The ‘threat’ value increased significantly, ensuring that aggro was reliably drawn during the raid.

After all, when would this guy have ever met a prey that was at eye level with him?

“Behel—raaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

I charged, activating [Wild Outburst] to inflate the already high threat value even further.

It was called the Giant Shield Charge.

Kwaaang-!

The giant barbarian with a shield and the giant monster collided in the middle, and a roar erupted.

Ziiik.

Unfortunately, I was the one being pushed back in terms of strength.

It wasn’t particularly surprising.

When did the basic stats of the monarch bastards ever have any conscience?

Peok-!

I even used [Swing] to hit it with my hammer, but it didn’t even flinch.

You’d think it would have some stiffness after getting hit in the jaw.

The guy immediately retaliated by swinging its front paw.

[Kiyaaaaak!]

Since it was the 4th phase, its attack speed was terrifying, and I had no way to avoid it.

Well, there was no reason to avoid it either.

Peok-!

I was just as sturdy, so just as my hammer didn’t do any damage to you, it didn’t hurt me much either—.

‘…But why is my vision spinning?’

As soon as I finished checking the damage output, I reconsidered my judgment.

It wasn’t that my resistance was insufficient and my head was torn off or that I was turned into rags by its claws.

But…

‘…My head is not going to be okay.’

The shock was transmitted to my brain, making my body stagger.

I don’t think it was this bad when my gym teacher slapped me with all his might back in middle school…

“Bjorn!!”

I quickly threw away the memories of my childhood that flashed like a slideshow and focused on the present.

Huung-!

The guy was already swinging its front paw again.

Kwaang-!

This time, I managed to block it with my shield in time.

Also, the damage dealers had finished setting up their formation just in time.

「Amelia Rainweils has cast [Self-Replication].」

Amelia, along with her clones, rushed in from the left and right.

Seogeok-

She didn’t seem to care about saving resources, activating [Abyssal Power] from the start and focusing her attacks on Liakis’s lower body, such as its ankles and thighs.

At the same time.

「Ainar Pnelin has cast [Repeated Slash].」

Ainar, who had jumped high, brought his greatsword down on the monster’s shoulder.

However, there was no explosion sound like usual.

That’s because he wasn’t slaughtering mobs right now.

「Ainar Pnelin has cast [Wild Control].」

[Wild Control].

The very essence I had recommended to Ainar when he was wondering what royal reward to receive.

The effect of this skill is very simple.

「All conditional activation effects of the next attack are converted into cutting power.」

[Explosive Scar], [Slick Oil], [Residual Heat].

The damage of a total of three conditional skills is converted into cutting power.

In other words…

Seogeok-!

It means that the raid mode and hunting mode can be freely swapped.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it led to a critical hit.

It was just enough to cut through the thick hide, and a few drops of pitch-black blood flowed out.

[Groooooooaaaaaa-!]

I expected Amelia, an aura user, to do well, but Ainar’s damage was also hitting harder than I thought.

So now, all that’s left is Erwen, but…

「Erwen Fornachi di Tersia has cast [Concentrated Fire].」

「Erwen Fornachi di Tersia has cast [Elemental Synthesis].」

「Erwen Fornachi di Tersia has cast [Rupture].」

There’s no need to even mention her.

“Mister, get out of the way!”

Since I’ve worked with Erwen more than once or twice, I immediately stepped aside as soon as I heard her words, giving her the angle.

And at that moment.

Flash.

A streak of light in the form of a beam was fired.

Zwoong-!

The sound of compressed air came next.

Kwaaaaaaaaang-!

Beyond the scattering light.

[Kkeooooooo-!!!]

I grinned as I watched the monster howl in pain.

Erwen’s attack was also far from being a critical hit.

‘Wow, the skin on its forehead is cracked in one shot.’

The damage is sufficient.

So, in other words…

「The Chaos Monarch Liakis has cast [Contaminated Horn].」

The raid starts now.

***

The Chaos Monarch Liakis.

This guy’s 1st phase is simple.

It inflicts continuous damage with the passive aura [Rain of Despair] and field erosion caused by the chaos spirits, and orbs periodically appear in the eroded land, restoring Liakis’s health.

The only thing to be careful about at this time is.

[Gap of Evil]

A one-shot kill skill that is used when a certain amount of orbs are eaten.

The solution is easy.

Just run out of the area of effect.

The problem is that if you leave the area of effect, the designated ‘prey’ becomes incapacitated.

At this time, Liakis’s aggro is drawn to the ‘prey,’ and if it succeeds in killing the ‘prey,’ its basic stats increase, and the difficulty of the next phase increases.

‘Well, it’s still easy since it’s just melee combat except for that.’

The real raid starts from the 2nd phase.

When its health drops below a certain level, Liakis feels threatened and opens the [Gate of Chaos], sucking everyone inside.

Permanent erosion of all tiles.

High level of mental contamination.

The player must track down and find Liakis in such a terrible field and face a monster that is covered in numerous combat buffs.

In fact, this is the most difficult point in terms of phases alone.

However, if you have the ‘Torch of Purification,’ things change.

You can just turn on the torch and hold out.

After two days in game time, the [Gate of Chaos] opens again, and you return to the original field.

‘It’s a bit tricky to get as many Torches of Purification as there are people, but that’s the easier way.’

Of course, there are disadvantages to this strategy.

If you go to the 3rd phase by cheesing, Liakis not only refills all its health but also becomes much stronger.

Well, it’s still much more advantageous to use the torch, so I used the torch almost every time too.

Anyway.

In the 3rd phase, chaos spirits no longer appear on the 3rd floor.

Instead, [Rain of Despair] is strengthened.

Areas exposed to the rain quickly turn into eroded zones, and all equipment becomes unusable.

Number items completely lose their effect until the labyrinth closes, and adamantite armor’s defense power drops to the level of ordinary iron equipment.

‘Maybe… the Sawtooths started to fail from here.’

You can no longer use mental immunity using the torch.

You have to fight a stronger Liakis in that situation.

According to my prediction, the strategy the Sawtooth Clan chose here was a rotation battle. They would have steadily chipped away at its health while managing aggro.

‘Otherwise, there’s no way it would have started wandering around 6 hours after the 3rd phase started.’

However, I’m not particularly curious about exactly how the raid failed.

There must have been an accident somewhere.

[Dungeon & Stone] is that kind of game.

A game where a single small mistake leads to irreversible consequences.

‘Still, seeing that they managed to drag it to the 4th phase, it seems like they prepared quite diligently…’

As a result, it only became a good thing for me.

The most difficult thing about the 4th phase is that you can’t rely on equipment, but we don’t have such a penalty, do we?

‘How can I just pass this by?’

This is almost like they’re handing it to me on a silver platter.

Even if I get a stomach ache later, I have to eat it first.

I don’t know if an essence will drop or not.

But if it does, it will make things incredibly easier in the future.

Kwaaaang-!

The fierce battle that had lasted for over 30 minutes.

Erwen’s arrow pierced deep into Liakis’s left eyeball.

「The Chaos Monarch Liakis has cast [Contaminated Left Eyeball].」

Okay, so does that mean both eyeballs are gone now?

Huuuung-!

Ominous black smoke flowed from the eye sockets.

And a sinister glint shone from beyond it.

[…….]

The monster no longer let out a groan, even when its flesh was pierced and its eyeballs were blown out.

As if it was becoming less and less of a living creature.

‘It was when its claws grew back… around when about seven of its body parts were contaminated, right?’

The concept of the 4th phase is simple.

If you keep hitting it, Liakis will take out contaminated body parts, recover, and become slightly stronger than before.

And…

‘Now eleven.’

Just one more hit and it’s over.

The raid ends when 12 out of the 36 contaminable body parts are contaminated.

“Everyone, step back!”

No sooner had I hurriedly sent my teammates back than the guy began its final struggle.

「The contaminated power begins to go berserk.」

A berserk pattern that every boss should have.

From now on, it’s a race against time.

「Blessing for the pilgrim.」

「The unknown energy hidden in the chaos begins to purify the contaminated power.」

The time it takes for Liakis to purify its contaminated body parts and return to its original state is about 5 minutes.

We must contaminate one more part within that time—.

“Ah, Mister!”

At that moment, Erwen urgently called out to me.

What is it? There shouldn’t be anything urgent happening behind us at this point…

“T-There are dozens of people heading this way! And they’re moving very fast!”

“What?”

Dozens of people, who could they be?

Could it be that our barbarians from the shelter were worried about me and came here on their own?

That was the first possibility that came to mind.

But…

“…I think it’s the Sawtooth Clan!”

Ah, the world can’t be that warm.

“What?! Weren’t those guys supposed to have failed?”

Ainar shouted, unable to hide his bewildered emotions.

I felt the same way.

‘What… what’s going on?’

I couldn’t understand it at all.

That’s because, dozens of people?

If they had that many people, why was Liakis wandering around alone? Could it be that the raid hadn’t failed after all?

All sorts of questions swirled around in my head, unresolved.

However, even amidst all that, one thing was clear.

‘They’re coming here…’

This is a very negative variable for us.

It’s easy to understand if you put yourself in their shoes.

‘Of all times, it’s when only the last hit is left…’

They would never just stand by and watch us get the last hit.

Yeah, so…

‘…Nothing changes.’

「Purification rate 1%.」

About 10 minutes left until Liakis’s full recovery.

Let’s think of it as being reduced even more.

Like a simple and brave barbarian.

“Be—helraaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Ah, Mister?”

“What are you doing! Finish it off quickly!!”

We can think about the aftermath later.