Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 37

[Flesh Explosion]

One of the few insane skills that uses the character’s life force as a cost.

Maybe it was because the adrenaline hadn’t kicked in yet, but pain bloomed, piercing through my pain tolerance…

But the payoff was certain.

Chiiiiiiik!

The bars, half-melted by the blood that splattered from the explosion, easily bent when I pushed them aside.

“Kuhuhu…”

Despite the pain, my hands healed quickly. It wasn’t just the effect of the Undying Mark; it was also thanks to the vampire essence I’d obtained this time.

As soon as I stepped into the hallway, a guard appeared.

“Wha, what! You!”

The same guard who had asked about the special meal earlier. He must have heard the explosion and rushed over.

“Hiiik! E, escapee! It’s an escapee!”

Before he could make more noise, I immediately dashed forward and punched him in the gut.

Thwack-!

The guard collapsed powerlessly. I quickly searched his pockets for the keys, and the other prisoners, who had been watching with interest from inside their cells, began to go wild.

They had a rough idea of what I was planning.

“Hey! Barbarian! Are you really going to do it?!”

“Kihhihi! You’re even crazier than I thought!!”

“Me too! Take me too!”

Considering this place was under the Explorer’s Guild, most of them were probably looters.

But…

‘I’m in no position to be picky.’

The poor barbarian, falsely accused, didn’t care about such things.

‘They’re all going to die soon anyway.’

The only good looter is a dead looter. This belief, formed just a few days after opening my eyes in this world, would probably remain firm for the rest of my life.

“Hahaha! Freedom! Freedom!”

“Let’s get out of here!!”

I released all the prisoners on the same floor. They weren’t the type I could control, but that didn’t matter. That wasn’t what I was aiming for in the first place.

“Waaaaaaa!!”

After that, I didn’t really need to do anything. As if madness was contagious, the prisoners united on their own and headed upstairs, overpowering the guards and using the keys they obtained to release more prisoners.

Of course, quite a few didn’t join the escape even after the doors were opened. About 50%, if I had to guess.

‘They must be either still under investigation or truly innocent like me.’

As I quickly moved through the chaos, I saw prisoners gathered in front of one spot. The interrogation room I had been in and out of countless times over the past two days.

The situation was very simple.

“P, please go back to your cells!! If, if you go back now, it’ll be like nothing happened…”

The guards, trembling behind the locked door, and the prisoners trying to tear it down.

“We need the keys those guys have to go upstairs!”

“Tear it down!”

However, no matter how much they shook it, that thick iron door didn’t seem like it would budge.

Ugh, do I have to go through that shit again?

I was thinking that when…

“Do you think you’ll get away with this! You’re all going to be executed! Executed!!”

A rather familiar voice came from beyond the door. Looking through the small bars, I saw the investigator, that bastard, squeezed between two guards. I didn’t expect to meet him this early.

“Everyone, get out of the way!!”

With a joyful heart, I pushed through the prisoners and approached. And then, I detonated my left arm, which had barely recovered, repeatedly.

‘Flesh Explosion, Flesh Explosion, Flesh Explosion…’

After about five repetitions, the handle melted, and the lock was disabled. A result achieved solely with my flesh, blood, and pain.

The prisoners erupted in wild cheers.

“Waaaaaaaaa!!”

“Barbarian! Barbarian!! Barbarian!!!”

“He is the Barbarian of Freedom!!”

After entering the interrogation room, the investigator’s eyes widened.

“Y, you! H, how… h, how did you…!!”

Well, I guess it wouldn’t be easy to understand. Most of the abilities of a 9th-grade explorer are insignificant. That’s why they don’t use any restraints other than bars. How could they have known I had such an ability?

All I could say was this.

“Blame your unfortunate upbringing that left you with a lack of imagination.”

“I, I grew up in a perfectly normal family!!”

“To even lie, you’re quite the bad seed.”

“Wh, what! Keuhuk!”

I punched him in the solar plexus, releasing all the pent-up anger, and the investigator fell to the floor, writhing like a bug. His thick layer of fat must have absorbed the impact because he was still conscious.

“Y, you crazy bastard…!”

This pig, who didn’t receive proper family education, spewed all sorts of curses at me while barely breathing.

“You’re a dead man! Not only did you use your ability in prison, but you’ve also caused this! Do you think you can handle this!”

Handle?

“That’s something you should be thinking about now. If my plan succeeds, you’re screwed.”

“Y, you think you can do anything!”

For some reason, I burst out laughing.

“What can I do?”

Even that question was wrong.

“You should be asking what I can’t do.”

I’m the kind of bastard who can do any crazy thing if my life is on the line. So, it might be a bit unfortunate for this guy with a poor imagination—

“So, just sleep for now.”

When you wake up, either you or I will be in hell.

Thwack-!

Instead of his plump body, I punched him in the face, and the investigator foamed at the mouth and passed out.

It was then that a guard shouted something at me.

“The keys.”

“D, do you even know what you’ve done!”

I know.

But so what?

If I had stayed there, I would have died. I just said one thing.

“The keys.”

“I, it’s not too late to—”

“The keys.”

“H, here you go…”

I took the keys and turned around, and the prisoners parted like in a movie.

Thud, thud.

I walked through them, and standing in front of the stairs leading to the ground, I took a deep breath.

Is it really okay to escalate things this much?

That worry suddenly surfaced, but…

‘They were the ones who didn’t give me a choice.’

I turned the key and shouted.

“Let’s gooooo!!!!”

Everything that happens from now on is self-defense. To protect my most precious life.

***

The Explorer’s Branch prison was built deep underground. Even the double doors connecting to the surface were incredibly thick, so the people above had no idea what was happening until things reached this point.

‘That’s a good thing for me.’

Click.

After climbing the long stairs and opening the door, I saw a peaceful interior, unlike the underground prison. Staff members doing administrative work and explorers crowded in front of the counter.

“Uh, how did you get in here?”

A staff member, seeing me appear inside the building where ordinary explorers aren’t allowed, asked. Of course, no answer was needed. The staff member understood the situation instantly after seeing the door open behind me.

“E, escapee!!”

At the same time as the staff member’s shout, everyone’s gaze in the room turned to me. A heavy silence descended in an instant. However, among the explorers who live by their wits, there was one who was particularly quick to judge.

“Miss staff! If I catch that guy, will you have tea with me after work?”

The man standing next to the female staff member jumped over the counter in an instant and rushed towards me. And then.

“Waaaaaaaaa!!”

“The smell of freedom!!”

The prisoners began to pour out from the bottom of the stairs.

“Wh, wh, what…?”

“S, stop them!”

“The guild will pay the reward! Explorers, please lend us your strength!”

“Aaaaaaak!!”

The prisoners, fearlessly charging with their bare bodies, and the explorers, taking out their weapons to fight back.

“Kill them!!”

An unexpected bloodbath began in the peaceful Explorer’s Branch. I, the instigator of all this, stepped back from the front lines and quickly headed towards my destination.

‘There’s no time.’

The time the prisoners can buy me is probably less than five minutes. They have nothing to call weapons except for a few batons I took from the guards. I went up to the second floor and checked the window.

‘It’s impossible to go outside.’

The commotion had already reached the outside, and the explorers on the main street were also paying attention to this place. If I go out in this state, I’ll be beaten to a pulp and dragged back down. The answer is above.

“Wh, who are you!”

I knocked out all the staff members I encountered in the hallway with my fists and checked the first floor through the railing. Dozens of people were engaged in a brawl. I reached my hand over their heads. And…

‘Flesh Explosion.’

At the same time as my hand exploded, acidic blood poured down like a sprinkler.

“Aaaaaaak!”

Explorers, prisoners, and everyone else who got my blood on them screamed in unison. I felt a pang of guilt, but… It can’t be helped. To increase the success rate of the next plan.

「The character has cast [Sacrifice Mark].」

As I activated the linked skill, tattoos appeared on the foreheads of those who had my blood on them, scattering red light.

「The character’s physical abilities temporarily increase by the number of sacrifices within a 100m radius.」

The number of sacrifices was easily in the dozens.

‘So that’s why athletes take so many drugs.’

Power surged through my entire body. The railing I grabbed casually was even dented with a cracking sound. Even the anxiety I had been feeling disappeared completely. With this, I can definitely do it.

“Uwaaaaaaak!!”

Leaving the commotion on the first floor behind, I went up the stairs to the third floor again.

‘Fortunately, he hasn’t left his post.’

The third floor, which I checked by slightly opening the door, was completely different from the floors below. The entire floor was a space made for offices. Wooden furniture, medals, and plaques on the walls created a rather classic atmosphere.

“What is all this commotion! Go down and check it out!”

“Yes! Branch Manager!”

‘That’s the branch manager.’

After confirming my target, I hid behind the door. And the moment the man, who had received the branch manager’s order, opened the door, I punched him in the jaw with all my might.

Crack.

Oh, I didn’t mean to break his bone… Thud. I thought he would be good since he was the branch manager’s aide, but he fell to the floor powerlessly. At the same time, the branch manager jumped up.

“Wh, who are you!”

Me?

“A wronged barbarian.”

To add a little more, I came to prove my innocence. In a barbarian way, physically.

“You must be the one who caused the commotion below!”

The man, as expected of a branch manager, quickly assessed the situation and immediately took out a sword that was displayed on the wall. He must have been an explorer because his stance was unusual. The staff below were just ink-slingers. Well, I expected this case and came here after doping, so it doesn’t matter.

“Miss, please come behind me quickly.”

“Y, yes!”

Finally, the woman who had been sitting across from the branch manager hid behind him, and both sides were ready to fight.

‘If this were a game, it would be a kind of boss fight?’

I took one last breath. To make my plan succeed, I have to subdue this guy. Preferably before the commotion on the first floor ends.

“Behel—raaaaaa!!”

Perhaps it was thanks to the [Sacrifice Mark] on dozens of people. The moment I kicked off the ground, my body shot forward with explosive acceleration. To be honest, even I couldn’t get used to the speed, but… The branch manager was no pushover either.

“Futile attempt!”

He accurately read my movements, and his sword pierced my wrist with a precise trajectory. However, it wasn’t enough to cut through my bones in my super-barbarian mode.

Clack!

A dull sound as if something was caught. Then, the blood that sprayed from the cut wound soaked the branch manager’s shoulder.

Chiiiiiiik!

“Ack! Aaaack!”

The branch manager, unable to come to his senses from the unexpected pain. After that, it was surprisingly simple. I took the opportunity to punch him in the throat, and that was the end of it.

“Keu, keuhuk!”

The branch manager knelt down, gagging. Unlike how tense I was, the boss fight ended too quickly, but… Well, he wouldn’t have expected something like this to come out of my blood. It seems like the Explorer’s Guild members have a tradition of lacking imagination. But I’m not like that.

“Y, you…!!”

I always imagine the worst. I didn’t know what kind of essence this former explorer might have, so I knocked him out by hitting him in the back of the head. Okay, so the first preparation is done.

“P, please save me!”

But what about this lady? Judging by how the branch manager was bowing, her status didn’t seem ordinary.

“Ah, the lady is the daughter of the regional manager! If you touch her, you will never be safe…”

What, how did this guy wake up already?

Thwack!

I knocked the branch manager out with more force than before and calmly continued my thoughts.

‘The regional manager’s daughter…’ It seems like things will get a little easier. Or, they could get out of control.

***

“Branch Manager! Are you alright!”

It seemed like the commotion on the first floor was all settled, and a staff member came up to check on the situation here. Of course, there was no problem. The branch manager had already finished his transformation into my pet parrot.

“Say you’re okay.”

“…I’m fine. More importantly, what happened downstairs?”

“Everything is settled for now! Some of the escapees have hidden in the city, but we’ll find them soon.”

“That’s… a relief.”

“Ah! But where is Assistant Robert? I thought he would be with you…”

Assistant?

He’s resting in the closet with his jaw broken. Of course, there was no way the branch manager could answer that honestly.

“Make something up.”

“…He went out for some work. He has something urgent to do, so don’t let anyone come up here until I call for them.”

“Yes!”

The staff member left, and I immediately came out from under the desk. The regional manager’s daughter was nestled in my arms. The branch manager glared at me, his mustache twitching.

“I’m giving you sincere advice, it would be better for you to stop now for your own sake.”

“I see.”

I just let the branch manager’s advice go in one ear and out the other. Better for my own sake, my ass. If I stop here, I’ll just die, what else?

“Think about it, I don’t know what your goal is, but I can help—”

“I see.”

As I picked my ear with my pinky finger while answering, the branch manager couldn’t hold back his shout.

“You crazy bastard! Do you even know what you’re doing!”

I know. No, to be honest, I’ve heard it so many times since I came here that I’m sick of it. So what am I supposed to do? Either do something crazy or die. It was a situation where I had to choose one of the two.

“I see.”

As I nodded vaguely once again, the branch manager was about to shout something as if he couldn’t believe it, but…

“What do you mean, I see—”

“If you don’t shut up, I’ll kill this woman.”

As I pretended to tighten my arm around the regional manager’s daughter’s neck, the branch manager shut his mouth as if nothing had happened. Looking closely, his face was pale. Well, it’s not something I can’t understand. An escape happened in his branch, and the regional manager’s daughter was taken hostage… He must be feeling incredibly helpless. No matter how this ends, this guy won’t be okay.

‘It’s his own fault though.’

While I was thinking that, the woman who was being held hostage suddenly opened her mouth.

“My name is Julian Urbans. Not ‘this woman’.”

Unlike before when she was terrified, her voice was calm. I checked the sound of her heartbeat coming from her close body, and it was quite stable.

“Tell me what you want. There must be a reason why someone like you is doing this crazy thing, right?”

“Someone like me?”

Have I ever seen this woman before? As I tilted my head, she continued.

“Even though you’ve caused this, you don’t look scared at all. Your breathing is steady, and your eyes aren’t shaking.”

“Get to the point.”

“You planned everything, right? From a long time ago.”

Planned? Well, I did. About 30 minutes ago.

‘I listened to what she had to say, but it was a waste of time.’

“Maybe you even knew that I would be here today—”

“Be quiet.”

“Ugh, ugh!”

After roughly covering the woman’s mouth, who seemed to have an overactive sense of self-importance, with my hand, I demanded the necessary preparations from the branch manager.

“Bring the investigator who was in charge of me, a guy named Hatz Young from the ‘Crystal Union’ clan who works on the first floor, a mage from the Magic Tower, and a formal priest from the temple.”

The stage is set. So, it’s time to turn the tables.