Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 225

The worst was avoided.

Although a veteran, whose name everyone knows, remained, it wasn’t like a huge army was waiting for us.

The enemies we had to face were only three.

Moreover, whether it was out of confidence or not, they didn’t even focus fire on us while we were coming through the portal and getting into formation.

But….

「Abet Necrapeto has cast [Puppet].」

That doesn’t mean the situation is good.

Even if we’re not being pushed back right now, this battle will become more disadvantageous for us the longer it drags on.

Because that’s what necromancers are like.

[Ggrrrroooooaaaaar!]

A large-scale battle where casualties are occurring in real-time.

Flesh is torn by the hands of the corpse legion, and the corpses of our comrades, whose necks have been severed, rise up and attack us.

Crack-!

Even at this very moment, I’m diligently smashing the heads of the corpses, but if we continue like this, we’ll eventually be overwhelmed.

‘Ha, what a combination.’

I can’t help but groan, even if I don’t want to.

There are only three of them, but is it that the balance of those three is too perfect?

The Corpse Collector’s quantity.

The Blue Mane’s one-on-one combat prowess.

And the Ruin Scholar, a top-tier mage with area-of-effect attacks and overwhelming ability to create variables [referring to his ability to alter the battlefield with magic].

If it were just three veterans who were good at fighting, we could have had a much higher chance of winning.

‘No, it’s because of this combination that they left only three behind and went up.’

I shake off the brief regret.

Just as there is no one without flaws in the world.

It’s not like every aspect is disadvantageous.

Rather, because the opponent is the Corpse Collector, there are some aspects that have become advantageous for me.

「The character has used [Wild West Outlaw].」

I never thought I’d use this again here, after getting it in the Doppelganger Forest.

“Behel—raaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

At the very front of the line, I do once again what I’ve done countless times today.

Breaking through.

Crackling-! Kwaaang!

Every time I swing my mace, corpses equipped with various gear are swept away like fallen leaves.

It’s a simple reason.

Wild West Outlaw is an extremely effective counter item against Necromancy.

「The amount of melee physical damage is temporarily increased in proportion to the number of humanoid monsters.」

Increased melee physical damage proportional to the number.

I don’t know for sure, but the increase rate must have already reached its maximum.

Um, so the maximum is….

「Current increase rate 1,000%.」

It was 10 times, right?

Crack-!

Was this how Lu Bu of the Three Kingdoms felt? [Lu Bu was a legendary warrior known for his unmatched strength].

They explode with a casual swing of my mace, so there’s no need to even use [Swing].

Well, it would be more helpful if I used it….

It would be the right decision to save my limited MP and invest it in [Giant Form].

“Huh, what kind of 5th-grade explorer is that….”

“He’s a great warrior!!”

“Follow him!”

Explorers follow behind me as I start my mindless charge, and a breakthrough formation is naturally formed.

Okay, this way I won’t get stabbed in the back.

“Suicide bombers!”

[Corpse Explosion], which caused countless damage in the beginning, is now starting to be dealt with.

Well, aren’t they veteran explorers who are used to strategies?

Even without my instructions, they’ve naturally learned how to deal with them.

“Mage!”

“Deltu Teiran!”

8th-grade support magic, ‘Gust’.

Kwaaang-!

As soon as the suicide bomber’s body swells, they are pushed far away with magic or skills that have a knockback effect.

Of course, even then, they occasionally explode within the formation, causing damage, and the one who took the most hits was none other than me.

Chiiiiiiiiik-!

The poison of the suicide bombers sticks all over my body.

However, it’s not that painful.

I didn’t raise my poison resistance that much, but….

Isn’t [Dungeon & Stone] a team game?

「Arua Raven has cast 7th-grade support magic [Neutralize].」

A buff magic that reduces poison damage by half.

「Rebecca Eisel has cast [Share].」

An active skill that takes one-third of the damage the target receives.

「Khan Argon has cast [Group Immunity].」

An aura-type skill that shares half of his resistance stats with everyone within a 15m radius, regardless of ally or foe.

「Poulton Cassel has cast [Blood Spring].」

「When the character takes damage, a regeneration orb is created.」

Even when I take damage, healing tokens burst out of my body, and my companions who pick them up are healed.

When hundreds of average 5th-grade explorers gather, there’s literally no skill missing—

Whooong-!

At that moment, the dozens of light orbs that had been filling the sky above the goblin forest disappeared all at once, and the surroundings darkened.

I could tell instinctively.

[Be careful, he’ll be moving soon.]

The Ruin Scholar.

Yeah, he wouldn’t just watch forever.

Whirr-!

The sky, which had become dark as if an eclipse had come, was filled with a crimson orb that rapidly increased in size.

[It’s the Orb of Ruin.]

Orb of Ruin.

An attack magic I’ve never heard of in the game.

Well, it’s understandable.

That summoning magic is the Ruin Scholar’s signature magic, which he created from scratch, including the formula.

‘It was a 2nd-grade magic, right?’

My heart tightens.

I know how unrealistic the power of top-tier attack magic is.

Of course, it doesn’t matter much.

Even if I didn’t know, I would have guessed roughly.

How dangerous that magic is.

“This crazy old man!! Is he trying to kill me too!”

The wolf bastard, who was shuddering and trying to leave this place as soon as he saw that thing in the sky.

The clown in the distance is no different.

He’s shouting something with a flustered face.

I can’t hear the sound, but it wasn’t hard to guess the content. The corpse legion on the outskirts was retreating.

‘Damn it.’

They, the Ruin Scholar’s companions, judged.

That if that magic fell, everything, friend or foe, would disappear without a trace.

But, so what?

[I’ll block it, so you guys go forward!]

Overcoming my anxiety, I focus on breaking through for now.

“What are you doing! Don’t freeze up, keep moving!”

“Ha, but if that falls…!”

“Where are you going to run if you run away? Fight!”

Now, even if I don’t do anything first, the explorers encourage each other and regain their fighting spirit.

“It’s coming…!”

I raised my head at someone’s murmur.

The ominous orb, which had grown so large that it filled the entire sky, was finally seen falling vertically towards the ground.

And….

「Kyle Febrosk has cast 3rd-grade attack magic [Piercing Steel].」

At that moment, Kyle’s magic, which was supposed to mark the Ruin Scholar, was completed.

Swishhhhh-!

As if he had drawn the magic circle in advance for this moment, a strong gray light bloomed from the rear.

Flash-!

When the light that had flashed for a moment faded, a huge arrow pierced through the huge meteor.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaang-!

A deafening impact sound.

Swishhhhhhhh-!

A fierce wind blows, sweeping across the ground.

And with this as a starting point.

“Da, damage!!”

Hundreds of large and small pieces, engulfed in crimson flames, rained down like rain.

The explorers scattered in panic, but in reality, not many reached the ground.

This was also Kyle’s work.

Bang! Kwang! Kwakwakwang!

The hundreds of pieces that were pouring down were blocked by a semi-transparent barrier, exploding and disappearing in mid-air.

No matter how much of a 3rd-grade mage he is, there’s no way he could spread a shield over such a wide area….

‘…Did he control them all?’

He read the paths of the pieces and blocked them one by one, using only the minimum amount of magic power.

That would be a reasonable guess.

In fact, Raven was watching the scene with his mouth wide open.

“That’s, is that possible…?”

As a mage, he feels it even more clearly.

How high-level the technique he just performed was.

However, unfortunately, the opposing mage was not an ordinary human either.

No, rather, the Ruin Scholar is a great mage of the Orculist, who is considered to be above Kyle.

[Damn old man.]

The meteors that were pouring down changed their trajectory like curveballs, avoiding the barrier and striking the ground.

Kooong-!

The meteors did not distinguish between friend and foe.

They fell in the center of the corpse legion that the clown had released, behind or next to me, crushing my companions.

And they rose up, transforming into the form of golems.

‘5th-grade summoning magic, Fire Giant.’

Raven shouted as if it was unbelievable.

“Mr. Febrosk! How did this happen? There was definitely no summoning formula…!”

[He used the remaining magic power to create new formulas on the remaining pieces.]

“In that short moment, 5th-grade magic… and dozens of them…?”

Raven’s exclamation mixed with astonishment.

However, it seemed that Kyle didn’t have time to answer kindly.

[Yandel! I need to prepare for the next attack, so I’ll leave the rear to you!]

The call was cut off abruptly.

Sigh, he said he’d take care of the Ruin Scholar.

In the end, the cleanup is my job.

‘Well, even if it’s this old man, it’s impossible to handle those monsters alone.’

Moreover, Kyle is also low on magic power because he used mass teleportation on the first floor.

I feel anew that we are still at a disadvantage.

Melter Pend, who is in charge of the Blue Mane.

Kyle, who decided to take charge of the Ruin Scholar.

And me, who decided to take hundreds of explorers and take down the Corpse Collector.

The moment any one of us loses, it’s game over.

The precarious balance will collapse, and everyone will be swept away in an instant.

But, to put it another way, the same goes for the opponent.

That’s why….

Srrrruk.

I rush towards the Fire Giant, which has already fully risen and is looking down at me.

Holding the giant mace tightly in my hand.

Tadat.

I [Leap] high.

‘Swing.’

I slam the mace down, even using MP.

One hit was enough.

To smash the core of the 5th-grade summon, the Fire Giant.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaang-!

The Fire Giant, turning into magic particles and scattering.

I stared at the front that was visible beyond it.

The clown was visible in the distance.

‘He’s still laughing.’

If I can kill him, it will be advantageous.

***

I’m moving forward slowly, step by step.

Smashing, trampling, and sometimes pushing corpses with my shield and throwing them.

Crack-!

I’m opening a path for life.

Swishhhhh-!

In the sky, the rain of fire that the Ruin Scholar shot is falling incessantly.

Kwakwakwang!

Kyle was diligently deploying defensive magic and responding fiercely, but it was not enough to block everything.

“Aaaaaaack-!”

Screams are rampant everywhere.

The bodies of those who have desperately sought life and reached this point fall to the damp ground, charred black by the fire.

And….

「Abet Necrapeto has cast [Puppet].」

They rise up in that state and swing their weapons at us.

Looking at that scene, I can’t help but think.

If there is a hell on earth, this must be it.

Kwang-!

In the distance, a pile of corpses flew like a cannonball, breaking the formation.

It’s a change that has been happening for a few minutes.

The Corpse Collector has started to summon more summons from the subspace.

Damn it, I thought we were almost there.

‘How much did he stockpile?’

I curse.

But, even so, my feet don’t stop.

I’m already far from the main force and surrounded by the corpse legion, but I run forward.

I don’t know how many are left.

Many must have died.

But even so.

“Behel—raaaaaaaaaaa!”

When Ainar shouts while cutting down a corpse, the chorus continues from behind and beside him.

“Yeah, Behelraaaaaaaa!!!”

It’s not the Barbarian’s.

Humans, dwarves, or beastmen.

Yeah, it’s kind of addictive.

Kung-!

A pile of corpses flew and rose up in front of me.

A form made up of five combined corpses.

I frowned at the grotesque sight, but for a moment, I found a familiar face in that pile of corpses.

‘Hansen Kelders.’

I met him on the first day while wandering through the passage.

It was before I even knew what was going on, and before I met the clown.

At that time, he offered to join us, but I refused.

Because I couldn’t trust him.

[The cautious ones survive longer. I hope we can see each other again later.]

He smiled and left even after being rejected.

And….

[Ggrrrrooooooo….]

We have reunited like this.

‘…He was really one of our people.’

A gruesome sight that Lee Han-soo would have vomited at just by looking at it.

I swing my mace at it and think.

If I had trusted him back then.

If we had decided to move together….

Would he have been fighting on our side instead of as an enemy?

Crack-!

Well, maybe so.

The only thing that’s certain is this.

That I was wrong back then.

It wasn’t even the best choice.

I didn’t try because he was a stranger.

If I had tried a little harder, I might have been able to find evidence that I could trust.

“I’m sorry.”

I dash forward, stepping on the pile of corpses.

And I think briefly.

What kind of person was this guy?

What could he have done if he had been alive?

“…….”

I can’t know now.

Maybe he had great potential and could have been a great help to me.

In fact, Dwarki’s first impression was just so-so.

At first, I just thought he was a weird guy.

But what was he actually like?

He was the kindest among us, and a greater mage than anyone I’ve ever seen.

[Yandel, are you still far?]

I shake off my thoughts at Kyle’s voice.

“Not much left.”

It really wasn’t much further now.

If I go a little further, I can reach the clown, where he is.

Even though he’s a dexterity poison necromancer, so close combat won’t be easy.

But still, the necromancer’s weakness is obvious.

Moreover, if he summoned such a large army, even he must have used a lot of MP.

If Kyle can keep the Ruin Scholar in check, and Melter Pend can hold that wolf bastard, there shouldn’t be any variables—

[Hurry up a bit more.]

Huh?

[I have a bad feeling.]

A bad feeling?

Is this also a mage’s sense?

I was thinking that as I swung my mace once again.

[Ggrrrrooooooo…!]

Among the corpses that were reeking of bad breath, a group of explorers I had never seen before appeared.

One team, two teams, three teams….

So many that it was meaningless to count them one by one.

“I wondered what the commotion was, but what is this….”

“We will help you now!”

“They are the remnants of Lapdonia! Kill them!!”

“Waaaaaaaah!!”

They were explorers from Noah Arc who were hunting on the second floor.