Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 540

The Rift Guardian spits out Guardian Essence.

It also drops Rift Stones and Numbers items. [Items with unique properties and often tied to specific bosses or events.]

Moreover, you can also get experience points as a bonus for defeating the Guardian, making it more rewarding than any other monster.

The problem is that the fight is very difficult….

‘Usually, the difficulty of the Rift Guardian increases due to the influence of the ‘field’.’ [The environment or area where the fight takes place.]

Just look at the Glacial Cave, the first floor rift.

We had to fight with the field effect [Hypothermia], and the same was true for the White Temple, the third floor rift.

The combat difficulty was much higher due to effects such as debuffs during the fight.

However, this is not the City of Light, Calheum.

‘Milayel without the Sky Magic Circle or the Guardian Angel by her side?’

It was a better situation than ever, so I was a little disappointed that I had to run away back then.

To think she followed me all the way here.

“Behel—raaaaaaaaaa!!”

I rush forward, pushing my shield as if to welcome her.

Kwaang-!

He tried to test me by thrusting his spear, but there was no way such an attempt would work. The guy who was bounced off somersaulted and landed in the water.

Okay, I think the battle formation is set.

Swoosh.

I don’t bother to follow up and swing my hammer, and lower my shield. If I combine the Demon Crusher with [Swing], it would do quite a bit of damage, but….

A damage dealer isn’t a damage dealer for nothing.

「Muhl Armin has cast [Hypersensitive Skin].」

「Muhl Armin has cast [Eternal Weakness].」

「Muhl Armin has cast [Revenant Suicide Bomber]…」

Starting with Muhl Armin’s curse skills, the ranged damage dealers’ barrage begins.

「Jackson Janville has cast [Moving Target].」

「Charlotte Amblet has cast 4th grade attack magic [Spiral Drill].」

「Nua Merbochi has cast [Precision Shot].」

「Garton Cultner has cast [Catapult]…」

Mages, priests, psychics, archers, and so on.

Various projectiles poured out from various classes.

As expected of someone with natural toughness, he stubbornly swung and stabbed his spear even while being hit, and I kept pushing him back so that the ranged damage dealers could attack comfortably.

Has it been about a minute?

「Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder, has cast [Blessing of Light].」

Light bursts from the body of the guy who was being hit like crazy.

This means that the first phase, where he only uses [Recursion], is over.

‘It’s so easy without the Guardian Angel.’

Of course, there are a few more things to worry about from the second phase.

Even if we ignore [Blessing of Light], which greatly restores health and greatly increases durability and physical stats until the cooldown returns.

Because he uses this combo from the second phase.

「Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder, has cast [Recursion].」

Finally, this broken skill is here.

「Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder, has cast [Comet Split].」

「All projectiles are duplicated.」

A single spear shot into the sky splits into dozens and pours down like rain.

A very good throwing skill with an unavoidable hit and increased damage has instantly turned into an area-of-effect skill….

If the aggro is well managed, the skill unfolds in a slightly unusual way.

Just like this.

Whiooooooong-!

Dozens of spears concentrate on me as if they were guided missiles.

I didn’t need to be nervous at all.

Clang, clang, clang, claang-!

The spears bounce off like bullets just by covering my head with my shield.

「Defense successful.」

「Aegis’s Barrier absorbs all damage.」

That’s why ‘Unification’ and [Giantification] are important.

First of all, if the shield gets bigger, the ‘guard’ range also increases.

The only weakness of this shield is that it can’t block projectiles or area damage that are larger than the shield.

‘Anyway, I blocked the first skill well….’

After that, the same pattern as the first phase was repeated.

When he picks up a spear stuck in the ground and rushes at me, I push him away.

And when he gets far away….

Kwakwakwakwang-!

The ranged damage dealers’ concentrated fire is applied at the right timing.

Originally, this kind of focused attack would be impossible due to various monsters and Guardian Angels, but….

In other words, this is a normal field.

Swaaaaaa-!

While we were attacking him together, dozens of spears scattered on the beach floor disappeared.

That’s why [Comet Split] is a tricky skill.

Because it’s a ‘duplicate’ effect, there are endless ways to exploit it.

Something like this.

「Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder, has recovered the Verdant Spear.」

「The power of [Recursion] is slightly increased until the end of the battle.」

「Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder, has recovered the Verdant Spear.」

「The power of [Recursion] is slightly increased until the end of the battle…」

「…….」

「…….」

Dozens of stacks built up in an instant with one skill.

Soon, he threw the spear into the sky again.

A skill combo that is at least twice as strong as before.

However, I didn’t feel anything with my current self.

It got stronger, so what?

「Defense successful.」

「Aegis’s Barrier absorbs all damage.」

In front of the supreme shield, skills of that kind are meaningless no matter how strong they become.

‘Certainly… the gear is good.’

I can withstand a pattern that I should have shared after lowering the threat level.

It’s practically the same as sealing the main skill combo in the second phase….

「Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder, has cast [Comet Split].」

「All projectiles are duplicated.」

Around the time he used the combo exactly three more times, we were able to enter the third phase.

‘The time it took to get here is 4 minutes….’

If I do well, I might be able to cut it down to 6 minutes?

***

Milayel’s pattern in the third phase is simple.

「Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder, has cast [Descent].」

A so-called ‘berserk’ pattern.

Swaaaaaaaaaa-!

Light bursts from the back of the guy who was crouching, and wings of light sprout.

It’s similar to Ainar’s [Wings of Greed], but there is a crucial difference.

Putting aside the minor difference that the wings are much more colorful.

Whoong-!

That one can actually fly.

“Whoa! Wings!”

While Ainar looks up as if looking at an object of admiration, the guy flies into the sky.

But is it because the field is an island?

‘There’s no spirit force.’

Originally, the outer wall would collapse here, and a legion of light spirits would rush in from all directions—

「Light spirits, sensing the divine energy, gather.」

Oh, what?

Even if the field changes, this is still the same?

When a normal Titanus uses [Descent], there is no such effect, so I thought it was just a field correction….

‘Is there something special about the Rift Guardian?’

I don’t know, but I’m glad I put the melee damage dealers in the back.

Actually, it’s not that I expected this, but rather that I had to concentrate my firepower, so I put them aside.

“Everyone, stand in formation!”

“Don’t overdo it, just hold on!”

Anyway, it seems like Bersil is taking good command of the rear, so I don’t have to worry about it.

I looked up at the guy who had soared high into the sky.

[…The time of judgment has come.]

It doesn’t seem like something he should say after being in that state for 4 minutes, but what can he do?

It seems like he’s just saying the given lines.

‘What are these guys really?’

A fundamental question arises again.

What is this world?

Numerous people living in the city have their own lives, but why do all the monsters in the labyrinth act like artificial intelligence in a game—

‘Ugh, annoying.’

While I was thinking for a moment, Milayel, who had soared into the sky, threw his spear down.

So, let’s stop spacing out here.

“Erwen, how much is left?”

I called Erwen because I decided it was time to finish it.

There’s a reason why I saved him until the end.

“Erwen, prepare!”

“Yes!”

As soon as I entered the third phase, I took out Erwen’s ultimate combo. After flying into the air, this guy’s evasion rate increases tremendously.

So….

「Erwen Fornacci di Tersia summons [Diclore, the King of Dark Spirits].」

It’s best to beat him up so that there’s no room to dodge.

Kwakwakwakwang-!

The dark orbs shot into the sky explode like fireworks in the sky.

A scene that is both destructive and somehow beautiful.

Even while creating such a scene, Erwen cast [Concentrated Fire] while drawing his bow.

And how much time has passed?

「All accumulated energy has been consumed.」

「Unknown energy dwells in the empty vessel.」

I was wondering if [Chaos Circuit] would be activated soon.

「Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder, has cast [Shell Break].」

The guy’s skin, which was cracked and broken in various places, breaks, revealing his pure white flesh.

Well, is it right to call it flesh?

A body that shines pure white as if looking up at a fluorescent light.

Swaaaaaa.

With a dazzling light wrapped around his body, the guy holding a large spear in one hand slowly descends while flapping his wings.

Looking down from above in that state, it’s as if I’m facing something absolute.

Well, he’s about to die anyway.

[Mortals.]

Whether he knows it or not, he looked down at me and continued to speak leisurely.

[Your greed has sown the seeds of destruction.]

But was there such a line?

[Your arrogance has finally brought about the end of this world.]

I will just judge you—

[I will judge you.]

Yeah, he only said this one line and it was over.

‘…Well, there are more than one or two things that are different from the game.’

I didn’t think deeply about the lines that Milayel said.

Rather, I focused on his change.

More precisely, the red spear he was holding.

「The Verdant Spear, called by Milayel, the Last Spear Wielder, regains its original form.」

Just as the guy shed his shell as he entered the last phase, the spear also sheds its shell, revealing its hidden appearance.

A huge spear made of intense cyan light.

Chijijit, chijijit-

The spear, which flickers as if sparks are flying, exudes an overwhelming force that seems impossible to withstand with any weapon.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a wrong impression.

1,200% increase in piercing damage using a spear.

Natural regeneration increases in proportion to the duration of the battle.

Immunity to divine damage and top-tier indestructibility.

When using a skill, 50% of the consumed resources are returned over 1 minute, and when hit by a mental skill, it not only becomes immune but also reflects it….

If you turn on the active use effect, three more options are added here.

Triple the damage of all attacks using a spear.

Triple all recovery effects.

And finally….

‘Top-tier penetration correction.’

A spear that pierces everything.

If such a thing exists in this world, the Verdant Spear would be the first weapon to be mentioned.

But here’s the problem.

Tsu-tsu-jijit-! Jjik-!

What happens when a spear that pierces everything and a shield that blocks everything collide?

[……Disappear!]

In fact, I already know the answer.

「Defense successful.」

「Aegis’s Barrier absorbs all damage.」

The shield wins.

In that sense, I asked Milayel, whose decisive blow had turned to nothing.

“Do you know what the most creative weapon in the world is?”

As expected, he didn’t respond, but it wasn’t a big problem. So what?

I just kept talking.

“The answer is….”

[…….]

“A shield.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t explain the reason.

“Ah, this is.”

Because the casting was over.

—————————!

The moment I felt something pass by my ear, which was hard to call a sound.

Flash-!

A pure white flash dyed my eyes.

‘Let’s see, the time is….’

6 minutes and 17 seconds.

Ah, I failed to cut it down to 6 minutes.

***

「You have defeated Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder. EXP +8」

「Upper Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +5」

***

Swaaaaaaaaaa-!

A light flurry that signals the defeat of a monster.

Dozens of explorers watch the scene of the light flurry scattering, swallowing their saliva.

Thanks to me telling them in advance, everyone knows.

That he is not a normal monster, but a Guardian monster that originally appears in the 8th floor rift.

‘Indeed.’

What will come out?

While everyone watches with one mind, the view is secured.

Thud.

First of all, the Rift Stone, one of the Guardian’s spoils, did not appear.

And….

“Tsk…….”

The rainbow essence is the same.

I wanted [Comet Split] to come out, as it’s a very good essence for Erwen, but it didn’t.

There’s even beginner’s luck, but this didn’t come out.

It’s a shame, but it’s not like no spoils came out at all.

Honestly, I can’t believe it even while looking at it, but,

“…Oh, that’s!”

Milayel, the Celestial Spear Wielder, disappeared into light, leaving behind a Numbers item.

And the important point here is….

‘The probability of a Guardian dropping a Numbers item is 33%.’

Assuming that a Numbers item came out, an item with a probability of about 3% was dropped.

“That’s the spear that guy was holding earlier…!”

No.7 Milayel’s Verdant Spear.

However, as soon as I saw it, I felt a sullen feeling rather than joy.

No, to be precise, it was anxiety.

Isn’t that right? I just ate Aegis’s Barrier. To get another single Numbers here?

‘…Is my luck really this good?’

I had some expectations, but when it actually happened, I felt an unknown fear.

You could say it was the intuition of a well-trained unfortunate.

However, a person is a creature made up of the left and right brain.

While my heart was pounding with ominousness, my head immediately began to worry happily.

‘The Verdant Spear….’

There is no class that uses a spear in our party right now.

However, the charm of [Dungeon & Stone] is to optimize the settings as the items come out. [A game or system mechanic where players adapt their strategies based on the items they acquire.]

“Hmm…….”

Who should I give this to so that it will be known that I gave it well?