Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 189

190. Item Buff (5)

No. 8667, Outlaw of the Wasteland.

It was a Numbers item worn by the beast-kin swordsman of the dwarf team. As a lower number, it didn’t have any stats attached, and its value was relatively cheap.

That’s because its usage effect was a bit ambiguous.

Increased melee physical damage against humanoid ‘monsters,’ and the increase rate goes up depending on their number?

It was bound to have low demand among explorers.

There aren’t many humanoid monsters in the labyrinth, and even then, they don’t usually swarm like this.

‘Plus, the cooldown is almost a day.’

In reality, it’s a difficult item to properly utilize unless you’re trying to take down a Doppelganger or that guy on the 5th floor.

Thanks to obtaining this item, our chances of winning skyrocketed.

Without it, it would have been about fifty-fifty, maybe?

「Seal Release Rate 70%」

At that moment, the magic circle emitted light once more, signaling that the seal was close to being broken.

Since it increases by 5% per 10, according to my calculations, there were already over 60 clones summoned.

「Current increase rate 401%.」

But, it was still far from enough.

Therefore, as planned, we stuck to the wall and formed a dense formation.

And then…

“Barhatun Wiar!”

Raven summoned a stone wall with magic.

The plan was to hold out until that moment came.

However, it wasn’t like we blocked everything with the wall. We left a gap on one side, big enough for two or three people to pass through.

It was Raven’s idea.

If it was completely blocked, they would try to break it, but if there was a path, they would try to go that way, right?

‘It actually works.’

I stood blocking the only path and held my ground.

In my current state, if I hit them with my mace, the clones that look like me would die in one or two hits, but…

I suppressed the urge.

Our goal isn’t to hunt the clones.

Thud-!

The clones pushed each other and rushed towards me as if protesting.

Of course, not all of them were like that.

“There’s a hole over there!!”

A clone broke through the stone wall and opened a path.

I turned my head for a moment to check, and it happened to be a clone that looked like me.

“Yandel, focus on that side! We’ll take care of this here!”

The melee line and the iron bear that Bear Ahjussi [Uncle] summoned quickly formed a human wall and blocked the clones, but it wasn’t easy.

Because we had a very big penalty.

“Ah! You can’t kill them!”

Blocking without attacking.

It was a condition that was difficult to fulfill unless you were a professional tank. From the back, the sounds of a difficult battle continued to be heard.

But there was nothing I could do.

If I went to help, things would only get messed up.

Thud thud thud-!

After about 2 minutes, the cave vibrated again.

「Seal Release Rate 90%」

It meant that the time to decide the outcome had finally arrived.

“Yandel!”

Since the ceiling wasn’t high, I jumped in place with just a little bit of force.

In professional terms, it’s called a ‘low jump’.

「The character’s total weight is over 500kg.」

「The special terrain effect [Rebound] is additionally applied to the damage range.」

The clones, including my companions, all floated into the air at once. Therefore, as soon as I landed, I quickly charged forward, stepping on the clones.

「Threat level is temporarily greatly increased.」

Thanks to the increased threat level, the clones hurriedly got up and rushed at me like zombies, and soon, an enormous resistance was felt from beyond the shield.

“Behel—laaaaaaaa!!”

About 10 seconds later?

I pushed everything away like a bulldozer and advanced forward, finally reaching my destination.

Bang! Bang!

The main body was constantly bursting and [Self-Replicating].

Without needing to see more, I swung my mace.

Whack!

The feeling was like hitting tofu.

However, it was enough to register that I had dealt damage.

“Kkyeeeeeeeeeeek!!”

The main body, having finished its infinite [Self-Replication], transformed into me.

As it was in berserk mode, it looked a little different from before.

There were two heads sprouting on its shoulders.

‘Me, Ainar…’

Damn it, why him of all people?

A Doppelganger that uses the essence of Ainar in addition to my skills.

「The Nameless Usurper has cast [Swing].」

「The Nameless Usurper has cast [Multi-Slash].」

The impact itself was different.

If it weren’t for the Guardian Corps’ mark, I would have definitely been knocked back.

Moreover, the clones summoned from all directions were attacking me, trying to restrain me.

But…

Whoosh-!

Ignoring them all, I swung my mace.

The two barbarians on the main body’s neck gave a sinister smile.

A smile that implied, ‘Do you think that will work?’

I just smiled back at them.

「Current increase rate 771%.」

Because you’re not the only one who got a buff.

It’s called extreme-damage barbarian mode.

Kwaaaaaaang-!!

When I used [Swing] with all my might, the Doppelganger’s body, which had blocked it with its shield as usual, staggered.

The gap that was revealed because of that.

Without giving it time, I swung my mace again.

Crack-!

In just one hit, Ainar’s head was crushed.

Since there were two heads, it didn’t fall with just this.

It wasn’t a problem.

I just had to hit it one more time.

Crack-!

The Doppelganger, having lost both heads, immediately returned to its gelatinous form.

And then, it hardened.

「The Doppelganger has cast [Crystallization].」

It was the last struggle they put up when they were about to die.

Well, it was a rather tricky pattern to call a struggle.

「Magic damage is reduced by 99%.」

「Physical damage is reduced by 90%.」

Magic damage was practically immune.

Physical damage was a cheat skill that took away 90%.

But if you can’t break it within the time limit, you have to repeat this whole thing from the beginning.

It’s ridiculous, but that’s the original strategy.

Mass summon, transform, crystallize.

The way to clear it was to repeat this sequence and accumulate damage on the ‘crystal’ to shatter it.

Kwaaaaaaang-!

However, we had to bet everything on this one time.

That’s why we didn’t catch the clones and left them alone.

“Raven!!”

When I shouted, Raven and Parteian immediately used magic.

It wasn’t attack magic.

It was the ‘Mana Shield’ that they had used when they were PK-ing [Player Killing] with the dwarf team earlier.

Raven shouted urgently.

“It won’t last long!”

I knew that without being told.

How many clones were around me right now?

Since it was a magic that consumed a lot of mana, the two mages’ mana would run out in less than a minute.

That’s why…

Kwaaaaaaang-!

Trusting in the mana that was thickly layered on my skin, I focused only on shattering the crystallized Doppelganger.

Kwaaaaaaang-!

It was a tactic that I would never have used if I didn’t have the ‘Outlaw of the Wasteland’.

I probably would have cleared the clones beforehand and then dealt damage together.

While worrying if the damage would be enough.

Kajijik!

On the fourth [Swing], a crack appeared on the crystal for the first time.

It was strangely amazing.

It was a [Crystallization] pattern that I had experienced several times, but it was already at this level.

How much damage am I dealing right now?

I couldn’t know the exact numbers, but it was truly amazing.

I still had something left that I hadn’t used.

「The character has cast [Leap].」

Once again, a ‘low jump’.

「Threat level is temporarily greatly increased.」

And…

“Behel—laaaaaaaa!!”

Immediately, [Wild Outburst].

「The character’s threat level is temporarily increased by 3 times, and physical stats are increased in proportion to that value.」

Immense power erupted from my whole body.

Of course, the period during which this power-up was maintained was only very brief.

However, I made a decision.

That was enough.

「The destructive power of blunt weapons is greatly increased in proportion to strength.」

A miraculous exchange law where threat level turns into strength, and strength turns into the destructive power of blunt weapons.

「Current increase rate 771%.」

But what if ‘Outlaw of the Wasteland’ is added to this?

90% physical immunity or whatever, it was at a level where I didn’t have to worry about it.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang-!!!

Because my damage was being multiplied.

***

「The Doppelganger has been defeated. EXP +6」

「Guardian kill bonus. EXP +3」

***

How many times did I repeat hitting the crystal with my mace like a possessed person?

I didn’t know exactly, but around the time the ‘Mana Shield’ ended and injuries started to accumulate on my body quickly.

Kwajijijik-!

The crystal, which had cracked like a broken mirror, finally shattered like a grenade.

It was a bit much to say it was close.

‘About 1 minute…’

It broke much faster than I had expected.

I had even considered a scenario where I would put everything aside and gather everyone to deal damage.

But in the end, a variable occurred, and there was no need to use Plan B.

‘Well, there should be days like this too.’

I was happy, but at the same time, I felt a strange sense of bitterness.

No one would say that it was good luck if an unexpected incident didn’t happen.

‘No, it’s too early to relax.’

I shook off my thoughts and came to my senses.

Right after the boss fight started, four HansG appeared, breaking through the impossible odds.

There was a possibility that it was a variant rift like the ‘Crimson Citadel’—

Swaaaaaaa-!

At that moment, the fragments of the shattered main body turned into a cluster of light and scattered in the air. And the same was true for the clones that had filled the cave.

Whoooosh-!

Also, a portal connected to the 4th floor opened in the center.

It meant that the rift was truly cleared.

“Huh! What is it! Did we beat it?!”

“Ugh, I thought I was going to die. Aruru, can you give me some potion?”

“That’s later. It’s not a big injury, is it? First, we need to check that! Essence? Numbers item? Rift stone? What came out—”

Ah, right, I need to check that too.

I hadn’t been able to see properly because I was on guard, wondering if something else might happen.

Then, it was time to collect the guardian’s reward, which was like the flower of the rift.

I swallowed hard and turned my gaze to where the Doppelganger had been.

“…”

“…”

There was nothing there.

‘Could it be, is this the Hans effect?’

I suddenly had that thought, but it wasn’t good to blame everything on Hans. The drop rate for essence or Numbers items was only 33%.

Well, it was a bit heartbreaking that even the rift stone, which had a 66% chance, didn’t come out…

‘…It’s a common occurrence.’

It was often like this in the original game.

I broke the rift with all my might, but I didn’t get any rewards.

“…Yandel, snap out of it. It can happen.”

“Y-yeah! We’ve already gotten a lot of things, haven’t we?”

Seeing me standing still, my companions threw words of comfort, as if they were reading my mind.

Well, I wasn’t angry or anything.

‘…In the end, the rewards from PK are all we got?’

It was a bit anticlimactic, but when I thought about it, it was ridiculous to feel disappointed.

I couldn’t even imagine how much it would be if I sold all the equipment.

It was already a given that I would break the record for the highest income ever, and I even got the Manticore’s essence.

‘…Yeah, this alone is practically the same as getting the Doppelganger’s essence.’

Um, is this the effect of positive thinking?

I suddenly feel like I’m getting stronger.

“Misha, are you okay?”

“Huh? Uh-huh. It was just a graze. Just a graze!”

“Eat a potion first.”

I put my disappointment aside and started cleaning up after the battle while taking care of my companions.

Raven chuckled as he watched me.

“You definitely look like a leader when you do things like this.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“No, I was serious this time?”

“…”

“Aruru, don’t be like that. Bjorn will be embarrassed.”

Whatever.

“Then, we should go back up now.”

After the cleanup was mostly done, we led the group back to the forest. The Doppelgangers above had already disappeared.

“You’re safe! I’m so glad!!”

“Sorry for making you wait. Ms. Sarman.”

I picked up the guide woman we had left at the altar and handed her over to the blunt weapon warrior.

For reference, the archer from the dwarf team who had been sacrificed at the altar was already dead.

“But how did this man… ?”

“Oh, well… I was worried he might wake up…”

It seemed they had killed him before the guy who was unconscious woke up.

It was a bit impressive.

No matter what, he was an explorer too.

Just in case, I checked the archer’s equipment and backpack, but it didn’t seem like the guide woman had secretly taken anything.

Then, that was the end of our business.

“Ah, you should take this. Thank you for using it well.”

“You can have it.”

“Really?”

Parteian gave the ‘Misaligned Trust’ that he had lent to Raven as a gift. Although all the uses had been used up, it wasn’t a worthless gift.

Because there was a way to recharge the uses.

Even if he just sold it, it would be worth hundreds of thousands of stones.

“Thank you for saving us. If you ever need my help, please come find me.”

On the other hand, I was wondering if his words were just empty flattery.

Parteian gave me a visitor’s pass with the Narman School’s emblem on it.

Well, it seems he wasn’t just saying empty words.

I should keep it and go find him when I need to.

‘Being like this makes me feel like I’ve cleared a side quest.’

After that, I briefly said goodbye to the blunt weapon warrior and the guide woman, and then escorted them to the portal.

“But aren’t you guys going out?”

“It’s a rift that we entered after a long time, right? We’re going to look around a bit more and do some research.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Parteian nodded meaningfully as if he understood, and Raven also smiled awkwardly.

“Then, we’ll be going.”

Soon, they went through the portal and returned to where they had been.

“Those people… are they going to be okay?”

“What are you worrying about, unlike you?”

“Mages usually worry about each other and take care of each other, you know?”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant you’re worrying for no reason. It’s the 4th floor, not some other place.”

HansG and the fairy archer had died, but the Sky Tower was a floor where you could camp if you wanted to.

Maybe those three would just kill time like we used to and then return to the city.

“I guess… that’s true.”

We turned our backs on the portal and went back up to the forest.

Because there was still something left to collect.