Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 482

When faced with an unexpected situation,

the first thing to do is ‘wait’.

Instead of panicking and moving impulsively, you should calmly assess the situation as much as possible.

This approach helps you avoid the worst outcomes.

Of course, in hindsight, there might be better options depending on the situation, but at the very least,

it prevents you from making irreversible mistakes.

Yeah, so….

“Whew….”

I close my eyes and take a long, deep breath.

And when I feel I’ve regained some composure,

slowly,

I open my eyes again and take in my surroundings.

“…….”

The place is the entrance of a cave.

At the cave entrance, where light filters in, numerous soldiers are blocked by a transparent barrier, shouting something.

“——— ——, ————!!”

Like a muted TV, I can’t hear the sound, but their expressions look very urgent… and angry.

But the real problem is something else.

‘Damn it.’

My companions are nowhere to be seen.

No, is it just my companions?

‘What the hell is going on?’

My equipment is also gone.

Demon Smasher, the shield I paid a high price for, various Numbers items including the Guardian Corps insignia, etc.

Everything I was wearing has disappeared.

And instead,

I’m wearing ragged and worn-out cloth clothes, no different from rags.

And in my hand, I’m tightly gripping a pointed weapon made of monster bone.

Only then do I realize.

Ah, the real problem was something else entirely.

‘……Are you kidding me?’

My body feels heavy.

“——, — ———— —!”

Even though the heavy equipment I was wearing has completely disappeared,

far from feeling lighter, I feel incredibly heavy.

However, rather than questioning that feeling, I first process it as information.

「All of the character’s stats are fixed at 15.」

Information 1: my stats have dropped.

And to the level of an ordinary person, not an explorer.

The vigorous body that seemed capable of lifting a carriage has vanished, and only a tired and exhausted body that makes it difficult to even walk remains.

Also…….

「All of the character’s essences are sealed.」

Information 2: my skills are sealed.

Ogre, Vol-Helchan, Bayon, etc.

All skills, including the core high-level essences that allowed me to play as a shield-baba [a character build focused on defense], cannot be activated.

‘……The subspace isn’t opening either.’

The subspace I acquired after defeating the Rose Knights is also inaccessible.

“Whew…….”

My vision seems to spin, but I try my best not to panic and focus my mind.

Even now, new information is being updated.

“Uh… out… the Empire’s law… receive…!”

The translucent barrier that had been completely blocking the sound is gradually thinning, and the voices of the soldiers begin to be heard.

‘The Empire……?’

Upon closer inspection, the soldiers’ uniforms look familiar.

They’re similar to the Imperial soldiers I saw in the Doppelganger Forest before.

Anyway, to summarize this……

“For the Empire……!”

Information 3: those guys are Imperial soldiers.

“Captain, the power of the barrier is weakening!”

Information 4: the barrier at the entrance is weakening.

“Prepare! It’s time to judge the evil pilgrim!”

Information 5: I am a pilgrim.

The term ‘pilgrim’ refers to the traitors of humanity who fought on the side of the witches during the war with the witches.

“…….”

As this information piles up in my head and is organized, I can immediately judge what I should do.

‘If I get caught, I’ll die.’

In other words, I have to run right now.

***

When attacking with 5 or fewer people,

Dreadfear, the Lord of Terror who has reached Phase 4, drags the characters to a new field.

The Abyss of Solitude.

A secret room-type field covered in darkness.

The player must fight the boss who unleashes new patterns there, and at this time, Dreadfear uses powerful skills indiscriminately, even more so than when dozens of people try.

The body has grown larger as the constraints of the cave have disappeared.

Token-type monsters swarm from all directions.

High-risk floor patterns, area-of-effect attacks, and various unavoidable skills.

However, I wasn’t too worried about the raid itself.

Because the attack patterns for each skill are clear, and…….

There is also an escape method that can only be used right before the labyrinth closes. It was as if a minimum safety device had been prepared.

But…….

‘Is this a… sudden situation?’

In fact, this is the kind of situation you experience countless times while playing [Dungeon & Stone].

There are many hidden pieces in this game.

‘Hidden piece.’

Yeah, maybe that’s why this situation happened.

Information 6: a hidden piece I didn’t know about has been activated.

So, I move a little faster.

Thump, thump.

As the number of steps increases, sweat droplets form and roll down the floor like beads.

Plop-

A frail body that seems slightly better than Lee Han-soo, who lived in the hospital.

“Where is he! Where did he go!”

Imperial soldiers are chasing after me.

But I don’t feel despair.

It was a belief.

No matter how unreasonable it may seem, there is no hidden piece in [Dungeon & Stone] that cannot be solved.

And as proof of that.

“To move as if you can see clearly in the dark cave.”

“It must be one of the powers you gained by offering your soul to the evil witch.”

The cave seems dark to the soldiers.

The crystal is shining so brightly that there is no need for torches.

Information 7: there are some advantages for pilgrims.

Not only the radius of vision, but the most important benefit is this.

“Grrr, grrr!”

The monsters that exist inside the cave.

These monsters not only don’t attack me first, but they even seem to be protecting me from the soldiers.

Swoosh-!

Well, it just ended up buying time, but.

If it weren’t for these guys, I would have been captured by the soldiers and had my head chopped off a long time ago.

“Grrr—!”

…It feels very strange.

I never thought the day would come when I would be saved by goblins.

Thump, thump.

Of course, having a guide skill was also a big reason why I managed to escape safely.

And in that sense,

‘I wonder what happened to the others…….’

While continuing to flee, I organize various inferences.

The most likely scenario is that the other companions also started alone like me.

Well, this place is similar to a crystal cave.

Of course, there is no entrance in the crystal cave.

‘……If it follows that format, there will be cave entrances in the east, west, south, and north.’

The basis for this hypothesis was the location where I started.

Beyond the translucent barrier where the soldiers were swarming, there was a thicket of bushes.

Like a goblin forest.

“This way!”

Ha, I thought I could rest for a while.

Thump, thump.

I crouch down and catch my breath for a moment.

I quickly get up and move through the passage, continuing my thoughts. I can’t just keep running away like this forever.

Survival is a series of decisions.

Since I’m successfully escaping for now, I need to quickly make the next decision.

So, what should I do now?

‘Join up.’

That was the first option that came to mind.

There are quite a few events that scatter the party. Most of those events could only proceed normally after joining up.

Looking at how we started separately, it is highly likely that the big picture of this situation I am in will follow the same pattern.

‘The problem is… we could be annihilated before we even join up…….’

I think Erwen will be okay.

She has a basic guide ability.

The problem is Ainar, who is bad at directions, and Bersil Gowland, who is only good at magic.

‘……This part later.’

However, I stopped thinking about this part.

It was because I decided that I shouldn’t think about it right now.

How can I join up in this vast cave anyway?

I need to focus on a more important question first.

‘What is the clear condition?’

If the situation I am in now is one of Dreadfear’s Phase 4 patterns, what is the condition for completing the attack?

Massacre of the Imperial soldiers?

Will something happen if I go to the monument in the center?

Well, maybe going out of the cave is the right direction to go next.

I pondered based on my experience of attacking over a hundred rifts and several times more bizarre hidden pieces, but there was nothing that felt like the right answer.

There was still a lack of information.

‘Clue… there must be more clues.’

Soon, I finished my assessment.

From now on, I needed to act more proactively.

Therefore…….

Thud.

I stop walking and hide behind a crystal that emits a bright light.

It was a terrain that didn’t seem good for hiding because it was too bright, but I tried to ease my anxiety.

The soldiers who were chasing me seemed to think it was darker the brighter the crystal shone.

If I want to ambush, this is the perfect place.

“…….”

After making that decision and hiding, how much time had passed?

Thump, thump.

A soldier appeared, holding a torch and entering the passage where I was hiding.

The number is three.

‘Three, huh…….’

Even when my body was in good condition, it was a number that was quite burdensome with my current body.

Thump, thump, thump, thump-!

My heart starts beating like crazy.

Should I do it?

Or should I wait longer?

In a fleeting moment, countless thoughts arise.

But the time for decision was rapidly approaching even at that moment.

‘…Three people is doable.’

Soon, I made a decision.

I figured that I didn’t know how long it would take for fewer soldiers to leave the main force and come out to search.

Besides, the Imperial soldiers weren’t that strong.

Looking at how they were catching goblins, they were probably around the 2nd floor explorer level?

In the end, it means they are ordinary people who die when stabbed with a knife.

Clench.

Hiding my figure in the light emitted by the crystal, I put strength into the hand holding the bone knife.

And…….

Thump.

The moment the three soldiers were passing by the place where I was hiding,

I approached, suppressing my presence as much as possible, and stabbed the tip of the knife into the neck of the soldier in the rear.

Stab-!

A clear sound of blood.

Before I could even pull out the knife stuck in his neck, the soldiers walking in front turned around to check behind them.

“……You!”

Eyes filled with panic.

I pull out the knife, pushing the body of the soldier with the knife stuck in him towards them as if throwing it.

And before the advantage of the surprise attack completely disappears,

Stab-!

I thrust the sword forward again.

“…Ugh!”

I aimed for the neck, but the sword was stuck near the collarbone.

Because he was wearing leather armor, I couldn’t stab it deeply, and the knife was stuck and wouldn’t come out.

Therefore…….

‘Give up on the knife.’

After letting go of the handle, I close the distance by dashing.

You don’t necessarily need a weapon to kill someone.

Swoosh.

I grab the wrist of the soldier who was flustered by the stab and restrain his limbs as if hugging him from behind.

And after twisting his neck to expose his bare skin,

Crunch.

I bit down with all my might.

Usually, if this area is torn off along with the blood vessels, they die with a thud.

“T, Troan!”

Okay, that’s the second one.

Now that it’s a one-on-one situation, the burden has definitely lessened.

Well, of course, their specs and equipment level are much more advantageous, but.

Is combat only about specs?

“Come on, you piece of trash.”

My experience in real combat is different from that of a soldier who lost his mind after being ambushed once in a dark cave.

“…Y, you!”

The moment the last remaining soldier thrust his spear with a very nervous movement, I turned my body to the side to evade.

Then, I pulled on the spear shaft to break his balance.

That was the end of this battle.

Crack, crack, crack-!

I got on top of the guy who fell to the floor, grabbed his head, and slammed it on the floor several times.

Soon, the soldier’s body stopped moving.

“……Tch.”

I spat out the flesh and blood that filled my mouth and got up.

Is it because it’s been so long since I’ve had a brawl like this?

Somehow, it feels more mentally exhausting than fighting a 3rd-grade monster.

“Whew… whew…….”

My vision is spinning, probably because too much adrenaline was released, even though I’m not particularly injured.

However, there was no time to rest comfortably.

‘Let’s finish looting quickly.’

There are always spoils after a hard fight.

***

The Imperial soldier’s armor set is fixed.

They wear a vest-type leather armor, and then cover it with a piece of cloth with the Empire’s emblem on it.

‘Even though I’m wearing the one from the biggest guy, it’s a bit tight.’

But the weapons were better.

Even if the size doesn’t fit, they can be used, and they respect their own tastes, so the weapons are all different, so there are several options.

A mace and shield.

A spear.

A two-handed hammer.

Of course, the weapon I would choose was decided.

‘Yeah, the starting weapon is a mace and shield.’

The two-handed hammer was also quite tempting, but I boldly gave it up.

It’s impossible to wield that hammer with one hand with my current strength.

‘I’ll take the bone knife with me just in case…….’

After finishing the weapon selection, I also searched the soldiers’ remaining belongings and packed necessary items such as bread and drinking water into my backpack.

Okay, I think that’s all the looting done.

After hiding the soldiers’ bodies well behind the crystal, I quickly left the place.

Thump, thump.

Even though they are a bit small, it was much easier to walk with shoes.

Whew, yeah, this is the power of civilization.

After using a bone knife and becoming a proper Imperial soldier, my heart is filled with pride.

‘Now that I have equipment, next time I’ll capture one person and try to get some information.’

As I was searching for the next target with that thought in mind, I was able to find it soon.

‘Four, huh…….’

One more than before.

But there was no big problem.

Whoosh.

I approached them, illuminating my vision with a torch that I didn’t even need.

Because the Imperial soldier set has a hidden effect.

“Hey! I got separated from my group because I got lost, can you help me?”

When all the Imperial soldier sets are worn, you won’t be attacked first by Imperial soldiers—.

‘……Huh?’

Huh… it should have been like that…….

“Be, be on guard!”

Contrary to expectations, the soldiers aimed their weapons as soon as they spotted me from afar.

How did they know right away?

I don’t know the reason, but I recorded it in my head.

“Pilgrim! It’s a pilgrim……!”

Information 8: Imperial soldiers can distinguish pilgrims.

And…….

Crack-! Crack, crack!

「The character has defeated five Imperial soldiers.」

「All stats increase by +1.」

Information 9: you get stronger by catching Imperial soldiers.

‘Okay, I roughly know what it feels like.’

Now I get the feeling.