Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 488

Regret washes over me.

‘I shouldn’t have done something like a Layer Lord raid.’

If not that, we should have just divided the rewards according to contribution. Or not touched the Chaos Lord at all.

No, in the first place…

‘I shouldn’t have played that game.’

If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have come here.

‘This wouldn’t have happened.’

I clenched my fist so hard that blood drew, and stood up.

There was something I had to do before regretting.

No, to be precise…

‘It’s not time to regret yet.’

After realizing how stats increase, one possibility came to mind.

Therefore.

Swish.

I stared beyond the passage filled with corpses.

Thud, thud.

He was slowly revealing himself.

“Good. I was wondering how to find you.”

The moment he appeared.

I dashed forward with a battle cry.

Tap-!

Unimaginably fast movement for me, who was a character focused on strength and resistance.

It was almost simultaneous that I kicked off the ground and reached in front of him.

Also.

Thwack-!

I didn’t need a weapon anymore.

This body itself was already a weapon.

So hard that no mere metal weapon could match it.

Thwack-!

I swung my fist and slammed it into his face.

Whoosh-!

He responded by swinging a sword wrapped in aura, but it looked as slow as a boiled slug to my eyes.

Swish.

I dodged, then closed the distance again with a punch, one-two-three.

It felt like I had used a cheat code.

There were no skills, but just looking at the base stats, it felt several times stronger than using [Giantification] at full condition.

‘In this state, I don’t think I’d get hurt much even if I got hit by an aura…’

But there was no reason to get hit by a sword that was clearly visible, so I adjusted the distance and unilaterally beat him up.

Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack-!

I didn’t even need to hit him that many times.

Maybe I hit him about ten times in total?

He was lying on the floor, unable to put up any proper resistance.

Thwack, thwack-!

He was in a much more miserable state than when I cornered him earlier.

However, he didn’t recover like before.

This further increased the probability that my hypothesis was correct.

‘There’s also the possibility that his recovery skill can only be used once, but…’

As I expected, if this guy was a boss monster that could only be killed when he was alone.

‘Maybe.’

It might not be too late after all.

With that thought in mind, I punched him one more time.

Crack-!

His head was crushed like a watermelon.

And at the same time.

「You have defeated Dreadfear, the Lord of Terror. EXP +100」

「Layer Lord kill bonus. EXP +15」

Along with the sensation of experience points coming in, his crushed body turned into a stream of light and scattered.

‘…Is it over?’

Was it all just a vain hope?

As I was stiffening with that thought.

「You have passed the test more perfectly than anyone else.」

「The Nameless Pilgrim acknowledges defeat.」

The cave began to collapse.

「Fragments of distorted memories begin to align.」

I was inwardly flustered, but I watched the situation unfold.

Strictly speaking, there was nothing else I could do. Even if I ran away from the collapsing cave, nothing would change.

Drrrrrrrrr-!

Everything visible was collapsing, from the inside of the cave to the sky outside, which was emitting a dazzling light, and even the green foliage.

Just like when a monster died.

Shwaaaaaaaaaa-.

The world shattered into small pieces of various colors and scattered.

Eventually, after everything collapsed, what greeted me was a darkness like an abyss.

Not just the concept of not being able to see, but a space that felt like nothing existed.

Whoosh-!

The surroundings brightened with the sound of fire igniting.

“……”

The place was inside a dark cave.

Dozens of torches hanging on the wall flickered, and in the middle, a book was placed on a stone altar.

‘What is this supposed to be?’

I didn’t know, but I approached and opened the first page of the book.

It was written in ancient language, but for some reason, I could read it without any problems.

[If I had to depict the emotion of fear, I would not hesitate to put his face on a blank sheet. Centurion Dreadfear. The being who showed me what true fear is…]

As I was concentrating on reading the text, my vision flickered and the letters blurred.

It was an experience I had never had before.

[I met him at the moment when the completion of the great task was imminent.]

The memories of someone unknown began to pour in like a flood.

***

I am not afraid of dying.

In the final moment, I will die more gloriously than anyone else.

I always made that resolution, but delusion and reality were clearly different.

“I, Dreadfear, promise. Those who kill the filthy pilgrims and prove their purity will be forgiven of all sins.”

To us, who had failed with the task at hand, he offered a cunning proposal.

Of course, no one believed the proposal.

All five of us closed our eyes with one mind and waited for the great end, and a noble silence filled the cave.

Thump, thump, thump, thump-!

In the silence, my heart was beating madly as if longing for life.

Is this really how I’m going to die?

Even so, I don’t want to die.

But betraying my comrades is…

“Believe.”

It’s a strange thing.

Why doesn’t that short word sound like a lie?

“……”

I slowly opened my eyes.

The woman who had been with me on this long journey after receiving the mission was also looking around with frightened eyes like me.

“……”

The moment our eyes met, I felt it instinctively.

Thump-!

That woman was on the verge of succumbing to temptation.

There was no proper basis, but it was certain. How long have I known her?

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Blood began to rush to my head.

I couldn’t breathe properly, and my vision was blurry.

Smirk.

At that moment, the woman smiled awkwardly at me.

It felt ominous for no reason.

Once a doubt had taken root, it was gnawing at the fear and growing bigger and bigger.

[After all… if I were to kill someone, it would be that guy…]

Then, suddenly, I heard the woman’s inner thoughts.

I couldn’t simply dismiss it as a hallucination.

Come to think of it, that woman and I didn’t get along well. We even had a slight argument at the last drinking party.

Besides, where is this place?

A space where the spirit of the Great Mother dwells.

A revelation… this is definitely a revelation from the Great Mother.

She revealed the woman’s evil intentions to me in order to save her young child.

Before I knew it, I had accepted as a given fact that the woman was planning a betrayal and was going to offer me as a sacrifice.

Is that why?

“Huff, huff, huff…”

When I came to my senses, I was breathing heavily and holding a dagger.

The woman, whose eyes met mine, widened her eyes at me.

“Y-you, you… just now, you were, hesitating…? Whether to kill me or not…”

“N-no, that’s not it!”

“D-don’t lie! I, I can tell everything…! I definitely heard it…!”

With those words, I stabbed her with the dagger.

My comrades scattered words of hatred, but I couldn’t help it.

If I didn’t do it, this woman would have done it first.

“Puhahaha, puhahahahahat!”

Centurion Dreadfear.

He laughed heartily as if he was truly happy to see me like that. And he said playfully.

“Well done. So, who are you going to stab next?”

I trembled with my excited body and asked back.

“I-if I stab… just one… will you… let me live…?”

“Of course, I will not kill you. But… are you really okay with that? If you put down your dagger, I’m thinking of just letting them go too?”

I felt like my vision was going dark.

It was too late to realize that I had been tricked, but now there was no turning back.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

My heart was beating more violently than ever. My comrades shouted at me.

Don’t fall for his tricks.

Even now, come to your senses and embrace the grace of the Lord with honor.

Of course, I couldn’t hear them.

Despite their persuasion, I kept imagining an ominous future.

It started as a delusion, but it didn’t take long for me to believe that delusion as the truth.

Clench.

In the end, I couldn’t put down the dagger.

Stab-!

When I came to my senses, all my comrades except me were dead. In a half-crazed state, I asked him if he was going to let me live now, and he answered.

Go.

I will let you live.

With that gaze as if he was looking at an interesting toy, I ran without looking back. When I arrived at the cave entrance after running for hours without rest, I realized what I had done.

“N-no… I, I’m… not…”

A new fear surged.

And there was only one way to escape that fear.

Stab-!

I stabbed myself with the same dagger that had harmed my comrades. As my consciousness faded, I saw the centurion’s face in the distance.

“I knew it from the first time I saw you. You’d be a good material.”

He looked at me with a serious expression and called a mage. The mage scattered an unknown drug on my dying body.

Sizzle-!

The pain was like a corrupted soul being torn apart.

In that agony that felt like an eternity, a warm energy caressed my soul. But that energy only comforted me, it could not piece together my shattered soul.

“Hoo… it’s all over.”

Thus, I abandoned my wretched human body and was transformed into a new being.

A being with infinite power and authority that transcended humans, but was like an empty shell with only desires and emotions left.

“…It’s a peculiar case. It seems like there’s still some reason left.”

“That can’t be.”

At the mage’s words, he approached me, trying to hide his fear, and asked.

“Now, tell me. What is your name?”

I answered.

“Dreadfear.”

“…What? That’s my name–”

Crunch-.

There was no more fear now.

***

「The character has received a fragment of memory from the Nameless Pilgrim.」

「You can freely read and write ancient languages.」

***

A brief memory, like a dream.

But the emotions and sensations of that moment remained so vivid.

Whoosh-!

The book, which had reached the last page, was engulfed in flames and then scattered into ashes.

Swish.

As I turned around at the sudden feeling of a presence, I saw a guy glaring at me about ten steps away.

“Dreadfear.”

No, should I call him the Nameless Pilgrim now?

He devoured that guy as soon as he gained power at the end, and stole his name.

‘…What the hell is going on?’

I was a little… no, honestly, very confused.

The raid was already over.

I clearly felt the sensation of experience points coming in earlier.

Then, what the hell is this guy in front of me?

“I have something to ask.”

While I was cautiously observing him, his mouth opened.

“Why… why weren’t you afraid?”

I think I knew what he wanted to ask.

Now I know how he was born.

From his point of view, he must be dying of curiosity.

We didn’t just hear hallucinations or see illusions due to fear like him, did we?

[The Harbinger of Misfortune] who can see an ominous future.

On top of that, he created an environment that encouraged betrayal by giving us a skill to read other people’s emotions.

But this is not the end.

The centurion used a skill that made us unconditionally believe his words, and when we barely managed to win, he recovered to full health with an absurd ability.

But…

“Because none of us are weaklings like you.”

At my blunt answer, he nodded quietly.

“I see…”

It was very unfamiliar to have a conversation like this with a boss monster, both in the game and in reality.

But putting everything aside, there was something I needed to confirm.

“Okay, now tell me.”

One possibility that came to mind after everyone died.

“Actually, everyone is still alive, right?”

“Before I answer, I will ask first. Why do you think so?”

“Because the design itself was made so that it could only be cleared if one person was left alone.”

This was too different.

I’ve been playing [Dungeon & Stone] for almost 10 years, but there hasn’t been a single boss where it was theoretically impossible for everyone to survive.

In addition, this guy’s concept was also one of the clues.

He talks about fear and hatred, but in the end, the phrase that appears when he appears is ‘tests faith,’ isn’t it?

“…Truly amazing.”

After hearing my explanation, he let out a strange exclamation.

“To understand the laws of the world, even vaguely.”

What laws?

It’s just big data based on experience.

“Anyway, so what’s the answer?”

When I asked again, he finally gave me an answer.

“It depends on your choice.”

It wasn’t the answer I expected, but even so, I felt a thrill all over my body the moment I heard it.

Yes, it wasn’t that everyone had really died like that.

“…Tell me. What do you mean by choice?”

“It’s as it sounds.”

He stretched out his thin hand and opened it.

Immediately, the surroundings brightened and two stone doors appeared.

「The Nameless Pilgrim offers you a proposal.」

The choices he presented were two.

“If you go out through that door, you will be able to regain everything you lost here. As if waking up from a long nightmare.”

“What about going out through that door?”

“Everything will become reality. However, you will gain something new beyond what you have lost.”

Sigh, isn’t he tired?

I get the concept, but he’s still doing this until the end.

I stared at him and asked.

“Then what if I smash your head here?”

It was a question that any player of a game full of hidden pieces would naturally be curious about.

He stared at me for a moment and then answered.

“You will gain even more.”

“……”

“Because that is also the rule of this world.”

Okay, that’s what it is.

It didn’t take long to make a decision.