Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 325

Uroboros (1)

Binding.

A support magic that allows you to be recognized as a companion, enabling you to move together when using dungeon portals and share experience points after defeating monsters.

I learned that this magic was the counter to [Unspoken Command] during the height of my rebellion route.

After consuming the Essence of Silence and about 300 attempts, I finally reached the royal family’s inner sanctum. It was a time when I had hope that I could finally see the king’s face.

[The character has been ‘Bound’ with a Royal Guard member.]

The royal NPCs used this method on me, dumping crap on my long efforts.

Well, I did find a way to counter this counter soon enough, but…

‘Still, I never got to see the king’s face.’

In the end, I gave up on the rebellion route.

I think this might be the first time I’ve ever given up while playing this game…

I don’t think it was a meaningless time.

Sometimes, you can gain something from the process of failure.

Just like this.

“Kuhuk… !”

A giant body slam combo following the Binding.

Ryuen Praha’s body was sent flying into the air and crashed backward.

However, watching this was something only a novice would do.

Isn’t it the same in fighting games?

If you’ve launched an enemy into the air, making them unable to resist, you have to land a combo somehow.

‘Transcendence.’

I chant the command.

Before his body goes outside the 20-meter range.

‘Eye of the Storm.’

A grab skill I obtained after consuming the essence of [Storm Gush].

‘Somehow, I ended up with a PVP-optimized setup.’

A strong gust of wind blew through the long sewer, changing the direction of the flying body towards me.

So, I took a smashing stance.

And…

One, two, three.

‘Now.’

At the right timing, I swung [Swing] with all my might.

Crack-!

The sound of flesh and bone being crushed echoed from where the hammer’s head landed.

However, I wasn’t fully satisfied.

Because the sound didn’t come from where I was aiming.

‘Tch.’

My target was his smooth temple, but unfortunately, he raised his arm. Even while being pulled by the gust of wind, he managed to regain his senses and protect his vital point.

‘Still, I managed to take one of his arms.’

It wasn’t a critical hit, but I decided to look at it positively.

The arm was dangling at an unnatural angle.

Just looking at it, it was undeniable that I had inflicted significant damage—

Tap.

The guy, who was flying towards the side wall due to the impact, regained his balance in mid-air and kicked off the wall with one leg.

And…

‘He really does have a lot of combat experience.’

Instead of creating distance, he charged at me and swung his sword.

Whoosh-!

The ominous aura was so sharp that I could feel it just by looking at it.

Since he had a much higher agility stat than me, it would be difficult to block with my hammer in my current stance.

Therefore…

Tap.

This time, I just backed away.

Ha, if I had jumped back, I would have continued the chase and kept up the momentum.

Thud.

About 10 meters of distance was created, and a brief lull occurred. He asked me, taking a stance with the sword in his remaining arm.

“How did you know?”

Judging by his shortness of breath, it seemed like the damage from the body slam and arm fracture was still lingering.

Hmm, so he’s trying to buy time to recover by talking?

While analyzing the enemy’s condition, I chuckled at his next words.

“There shouldn’t be anyone who knows about this essence…”

A voice seeking the answer to the contradiction he faced.

Right, he was just curious.

Well, he must have tried hard to hide this weakness.

That’s probably why he always traveled alone. Even if he traveled with others, he would never ‘Bind’ with them.

Because the weakness of [Unspoken Command] would be revealed at that moment.

‘Now that I think about it, the reason he was so clingy to the Ruin Scholar in the community must have been because of [Unspoken Command].’

To overthrow the royal family, he needed a companion who wouldn’t lose power even without ‘Binding’.

For example, a mage or a priest.

However, since a priest wouldn’t cooperate in killing the king, the value of the Ruin Scholar would have been relatively higher.

He was a top-tier mage and also an ‘Evil Spirit’.

“So, you were an Evil Spirit…”

He muttered, looking at me.

I didn’t say a word, but he seemed to have come to a conclusion on his own.

Well, it wasn’t a wrong conclusion, but…

‘He doesn’t know the counter-counter method.’

Through the conversation, I was able to confirm that he didn’t know the counter-counter method. If he did, there would be no reason for him to insist on being alone.

I put strength into the hand holding the hammer.

‘It’s a good thing it’s 20 years ago.’

Of course, I don’t know what it will be like in the future.

Maybe when we meet again, this part will be reinforced.

He might have changed a few essences as well.

His swordsmanship might reach the stage of completion.

What’s certain is that considering his notoriety 20 years later, there’s a high possibility that he will grow into an enemy that I can’t defeat in my current state.

But…

‘That’s not today.’

I chanted the command.

After all, there was a reason why I had been standing still until now.

‘Transcendence.’

‘Eye of the Storm.’

While we were talking, the cooldown had reset.

***

The battle unfolded quite simply.

Clang, clang-!

The aura and the double-numbered Demon Smasher clashed incessantly, exchanging blows.

And…

‘Damn, how can he fight so well?’

I felt a wall for the first time.

I’ve faced many enemies who were superior in stats, but this was the first time I’ve felt this way in terms of martial arts.

Slice-!

In a moment of carelessness, my skin was cut.

His sword moved as flexibly as a snake, and at times, it was as hard as steel.

No, it wasn’t just that.

Even to my untrained eyes, his sword had a clear form and style.

In short, he was an enemy of a type I had never encountered before.

Even if they were knights, when it came to a brawl, the outcome was usually decided by split-second decisions to kill each other.

Slice-!

The number of wounds on my body was increasing.

The rate at which the wounds were increasing was faster than the rate at which they were healing through natural regeneration.

But even so, there were no critical injuries yet.

It wasn’t because I was dodging well, but because I was periodically using potions.

Fzzzz-!

Bubbles boiled from the deeply cut wound, and flesh filled in.

After briefly checking my condition, I took a step back.

And…

‘Transcendence.’

‘Eye of the Storm.’

I used the grab skill that had just reset to pull him towards me.

However, the situation was similar this time as well.

As if proving that he was only caught off guard the first time because he didn’t know, he wasn’t flustered at all and swung his sword, using the speed at which he was being pulled.

Whoosh-!

Ha, his timing is like a ghost now.

I should just seal the grab skill from now on.

Tap.

I stepped back again to avoid the sword.

He stepped on the ceiling, closing the distance in an instant, and spoke to me.

“Who are you?”

Clang-!

“Seeing that you’re a companion of that woman.”

Clang-!

“Are you also someone sent by the royal family?”

Geez, he’s so distracting.

While I was annoyed by his constant talking during the battle, I also had this question.

‘Sent by the royal family? Why is the royal family suddenly coming up?’

Of course, it was a question that briefly flashed through my mind.

Wasn’t the situation that the allied forces of the royal family and the lord were invading the eastern region that Orculius was occupying?

It wasn’t strange that such a misunderstanding had occurred.

However, the only thing I was really curious about was this.

‘But what’s going to happen now?’

I didn’t even think about killing him here.

In the original history, he would appear before Amelia not long from now.

But…

‘Even if it’s hard to win, it doesn’t seem like I’m going to lose either.’

If I wanted to, I could probably keep him here for hours.

Although I can’t be sure.

As long as there aren’t any unexpected variables, I could probably do this all day—

‘Huh?’

That’s when it happened.

As if my words had come true.

Thud.

I heard a presence from afar.

And at the same time.

Both he and I quickly created distance and checked the direction of the presence.

It wasn’t a mishearing; there really was someone there.

‘Damn it.’

That someone was a person in my memory.

And judging by his reaction, it seemed like Ryuen Praha also had information about that man.

“…Jerome Saintred.”

As soon as Ryuen Praha muttered, the silver-haired knight on the other side of the passage opened his mouth.

“Ricardo Ryuen Praha.”

It was far from a heartwarming introduction.

Their voices and eyes were filled with hatred and murderous intent towards each other.

Well, it was a natural result since a ‘rebel’ who wanted to kill the king and a guardian of the royal family had met.

I quickly finished assessing the situation.

‘Okay, I’ll make them fight each other and then I’ll run.’

The reason why the Knight of Light followed me into the sewer was probably because of me, but considering that the two were enemies, it might be possible to turn this crisis into an opportunity.

I was about to make a run for it with that thought in mind.

Unfortunately, there was someone who was faster at making decisions than me.

“Two.”

Ryuen Praha uttered an unknown syllable.

And…

“…Huh?”

He started to flee through the side path next to me.

Only after seeing that did I realize what ‘two’ meant.

‘…Damn it, is this how it’s going to be?’

He misunderstood that I was on the same side as that bastard.

***

It was a mistake that occurred because I didn’t properly clear up Ryuen Praha’s misunderstanding that I was from the royal family.

Well, if I were him, I would have been hesitant to fight one-on-two in this situation.

I can understand his psychology.

Well, what I need to do now isn’t to sympathize with him.

‘Ah… I should run too for now.’

I was briefly flustered by Ryuen Praha’s escape, but I quickly regained my senses and started moving my feet.

At the same time, I desperately wished.

‘Please, please, please…’

Please, follow him, not me.

Right? You’re a crazy guy who wants to kill the king.

Tap.

As I started running, I heard a sound from behind after a slight pause.

It seemed like he had finished deciding who to follow…

Swish.

Ha, of course, it wouldn’t be that easy.

Thud, thud-!

The sound of him following me continued from behind.

It seemed like he had decided that recovering the fragment of the record that I had was more important than the ‘rebel’.

Well, or maybe he was still holding a grudge from earlier.

Flash-!

As Ryuen Praha fled, [Unspoken Command] was lifted, and he used [Gate of Light] to block my path.

I didn’t notice it earlier because of the distance, but his impression was different.

‘What’s with him, why are his eyes like that…’

The naive impression he had when we met before was gone, and I could see a knight glaring at me with the eyes of an unforgiving executioner.

“Did you think you could get away with mocking me?”

Maybe it was my own fault.

There’s that saying, isn’t there? When you only choose the easy and fast path and run, you end up with only enemies around you.

Ah, of course, that doesn’t mean I regret it.

It’s the fault of the one who was deceived in the first place.

“Before I punish you, I’ll ask you one thing.”

He pointed his aura-filled sword at me and continued.

“Ryuen Praha, what is your relationship with him? Did he also order you to bring the fragment of the record?”

It was a bit of an ironic situation.

Ryuen Praha thought I was on the same side as this guy, and this guy thought I was on the same side as him.

I felt like a shrimp caught between two whales, but… so what?

I have to struggle somehow.

So, in that sense…

“Yeah, you noticed.”

Instead of clearing up the misunderstanding, I just affirmed it.

I judged that this would be more helpful for the time being.

In fact, when I nodded, his pupils trembled.

“Could it be that you’ve already handed that item over to him?”

“Who knows?”

I learned while wearing the lion mask.

The basics of lying are to make yourself believe it.

“What do you think?”

I shrugged as if telling him to imagine it himself, and he started to flap around.

“…So, that’s why you split up and ran away.”

“It seems like you didn’t get the reputation of the Knight of Light for nothing, you’re quite sharp.”

When I even praised him at the right timing, he pressed his lips together.

I desperately hardened my expression.

And I sprinkled the last seasoning on the almost finished meal.

“I won’t let you go to the commander. Come at me.”

An expression of my will to buy time for the great cause.

However, it was a meaningless resolution in front of Jerome.

No matter how much I tried to buy time, he could just use [Gate of Light] to pass me by.

In fact, that’s what I was hoping for—

“Kuhuhuhu…”

What’s with this guy? Why is he laughing all of a sudden?

Did he go crazy?

When I frowned, he wiped away his laughter in an instant and stared at me.

“I almost fell for it again.”

“…What?”

“It doesn’t matter whether your words are true or not. It’s a problem that can be solved by killing you first and then checking.”

“But if you do that, you’ll be late—”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m late. It’s about reaching the destination step by step without being greedy.”

He then said grandly, looking at me.

“That is the way of the knight.”

It seemed like he had realized his own way of surviving in a world full of swindlers.

‘…So, I have no choice but to fight after all.’

I quietly raised my hammer.

It didn’t seem like he would waver even if I continued to talk.

“…”

“…”

Silence followed.

The moment of the match where breaths crossed, right before they swung their weapons.

Suddenly, an old man’s laughter was heard from behind.

“Hehehe…”

I couldn’t turn my head to check because Jerome was in front of me.

However, it wasn’t difficult to recognize who it was.

“You’re very skilled at deceiving people.”

Aurell Gabis.

However, in Jerome’s case, was it his first time meeting him?

“…Reveal your identity, old man.”

The silver-haired knight opened his mouth with a haughty tone.

That was the moment.

“You’re a rude friend.”

At the same time as Aurell Gabis’s voice echoed through the sewer.

“…Cough!”

The man called the Knight of Light covered his neck with the hand that wasn’t holding the sword.

His expression looked as if he was having trouble breathing.

His gaze was directed behind me, and the emotion in his pupils was shock.

“Y-you… who the hell…”

“I don’t see any value in you.”

“Cough, cough… !”

“Disappear now.”

The moment Aurell Gabis finished speaking in a dry voice, Jerome’s body stretched out in the air.

Goosebumps ran down my spine.

…Could he be dead?

To kill the strongest knight of the royal family so easily, as if he was just killing a fly?

As if to answer my question, a voice came from behind.

“He’s not dead. He’ll probably wake up in the royal palace.”

Ah, is he talking about that essence?

I tried to shake off the thoughts that flashed through my mind and slowly turned around.

“You’re finally looking at me.”

The old man’s smiling face was very out of place. Because his lips were clearly curved, but his eyes weren’t.

‘…How much does he know?’

I swallowed hard without realizing it, and Aurell Gabis opened his mouth.

“The barbarian you were talking about. Bjorn, the son of Thor.”

“…”

“When I went to the city and asked, a kind young man told me something? He said that he always wears a thick helmet that covers his face, so he’s called the Iron Mask.”

“…”

“Just like you.”

Right, he knew everything.