Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 589

A Guardian’s essence has two main characteristics. First, their base stats are 1.5 times higher than regular entities, and they can use all the active skills of regular entities. However, the essence of the Hell Giant Herja, the Guardian of the Light Rift, one of the fifth-floor rifts, slightly deviates from that general category.

“Alright, Emily… if you’re done resting, try using it once.”

According to the original rules, she should be able to handle all three active skills of a Rank 4 monster, the ‘Cyclops,’ but… The essence of Herja has only one active skill. Moreover, that active skill isn’t even a skill that a regular ‘Cyclops’ possesses.

It’s like this.

「Amelia Rainwales has cast [Wave Connection].」

As she uses the skill, a faint line connects Amelia and my body. A connection line that can only be seen with the naked eye by those who are the targets of the skill. The effect is simple.

「Amelia Rainwales has cast [Abyssal Power].」

Those who are connected can share skills with each other, like the black light that has bloomed on my hammer right now.

‘I really researched this essence a lot.’

At first glance, it seems like an overpowered skill, but after researching it, you realize it’s not absolutely overpowered, except for a few cases.

Whoosh-!

The black light covering my hammer scatters into the air. Amelia deactivated the skill, but…

“…The soul consumption is extreme.”

“How extreme is it?”

“Even in the best condition, I can’t maintain it for a full minute.”

In a way, it’s a penalty similar to [Self-Replication]. The MP consumption is enormous.

“Then, shall we try using it in other ways?”

As I said, suggesting we move on to the next thing, Amelia closed her eyes and took some time to concentrate. There were three ways to utilize [Wave Connection]. The first was to manifest one’s own skills through a companion, as we just did. You could consider it a support type. And the second is…

‘It’s a pattern the boss uses.’

A dealer type that connects to an enemy and uses it aggressively. The Hell Giant we just defeated had a pattern where it would connect to me and use high-damage, wide-area attacks, with a significant handicap. Well, since there was no one around and I immediately targeted its eyes every time it used the connection, I was able to get through it without much difficulty.

‘Anyway, this is a pass.’

Amelia doesn’t have self-destruct or wide-area skills, so this method doesn’t apply to her at all. Therefore, the remaining method is the last one.

「Amelia Rainwales has cast [Self-Replication].」

「Amelia Rainwales has cast [Wave Connection].」

A utility type that enhances ‘summoned entities’. In fact, it’s the standard way to use [Wave Connection]. When used as an attack skill, it passes the handicap to the enemy, and being able to use the skill from the enemy’s location is a big advantage, but… That’s a usage that’s only suitable for monsters with huge MP pools. [Wave Connection] shines when used like this.

“It really… the soul consumption is the same. What kind of magic is this?”

Well, as a gamer, I naturally don’t know the principle. If I were a mage, I would have laid out some incomprehensible hypothesis about the matching of mental waves or the same frequency. I only know the results after countless experiments. That MP consumption doesn’t increase when [Wave Connection] is used on a ‘summoned entity’. Oh, and of course, clones are also considered summoned entities.

“With this… more diverse battles will be possible.”

Amelia, who is skilled in combat, seemed to have immediately recognized the value of the new ability, but…

“By the way, I haven’t heard about the embodied ability… what you call a passive skill in your world…”

“Ah, you don’t know about Cyclops?”

“They’re not common entities… it’s strange that you know the characteristics of all entities.”

Amelia, embarrassed by her lack of knowledge, tried to make me look like the strange one.

“Here, put this on. Then you’ll know what an embodied ability is.”

I chuckled and took out an item I had barely managed to find before coming in. At the same time, a question formed in Amelia’s eyes.

“This is…”

A one-eyed eyepatch. It was a so-called Gung-ye eyepatch [a reference to a Korean historical figure known for wearing an eyepatch].

***

「[One-Eyed] is activated.」

「The character’s dynamic visual acuity increases by +200.」

「You can see what is not visible.」

***

After the duo raid with Amelia ended, I continued to challenge the rifts, constantly changing members. After all, a tank can perform the role of a tank in any situation, but a dealer cannot. The core of [Dungeon & Stone] is ‘compatibility’. There are enemies that you can never defeat if the compatibility is not right, and conversely, if the compatibility is right, you can attack much more easily. And…

‘It’s a waste to just let this manpower rot.’

The exploration team, made up of the royal family’s elite, had all the talents I needed. When I needed a priest, a high-ranking archbishop would join me and follow my instructions, and if I said I needed a Rank 2 fire mage, there was always a mage who could do it.

‘I see why there’s no limit on the number of people.’

A labyrinth where clearing 1-person and 2-person rifts is the main goal. However, it doesn’t seem like it was designed to be cleared by two people. It must have been a place where hundreds of people would come in, be divided into the right places, and gradually attack.

‘Still, it’s a bit of a shame. We caught the fifth-floor Guardian like this, but there are too many essences being thrown away.’

When it was okay to bring a mage, I could put the essence in a test tube and take it out, but otherwise, I had to throw them all away.

‘Even the cheapest one would be worth hundreds of millions of stones if I put it up for auction…’

Of course, the most disappointing thing was Ainar. Even if it wasn’t a graduation essence, there was one essence among the fifth-floor Guardians that was good for a spear user. Unfortunately, he wasn’t easy enough for me to carry him alone, so I had to give up on bringing him.

Well, still, thanks to this exploration, I fed Amelia one essence that was difficult to loot, so I’m satisfied.

‘The clone thief is as good as having a graduation essence, so I don’t need to feed him a replacement essence…’

I’m realizing it again, but the first basement floor is an unbelievable place. It’s on a different level from any other part of the labyrinth. I don’t even know how many things I’ve seen for the first time here, and how much I’ve gained.

“…”

What is this place really? After meeting the vampire uncle, when I’m alone, that thought fills my head. The silver sea, the rainy season, the dimensional collapse, the village chief, Hamsik… I try to remember the things that come to mind, and I review what I might have missed.

‘Sigh, what’s the point of thinking about it.’

As always, I ended my thoughts, feeling frustrated. And to clear my head, I finished resting and got up from my seat.

“No matter how much you say that, the fourth floor is not okay. It’s too dangerous.”

In front of the statue of Calphion, the fourth-floor rift Guardian, I saw an explorer pleading with Raven.

‘His name is…’

What was it? Everyone just calls him by the nickname ‘Big Hammer,’ so I don’t know. Anyway, he was a famous Rank 3 explorer in the city.

“Can’t you reconsider? It’s an essence that I really need.”

He doesn’t look like someone who’s just after experience or obsessed with time attacks. However, as he said, he really needs that essence.

“No, no matter how much you say that…”

“If I may be so bold, the Golden Mage doesn’t know my skills properly, does he?”

“Are you saying my judgment is wrong?”

“Haha… that’s not what I mean… I just mean, please give me a test. To see if I’m qualified or not.”

Even when Raven spoke sternly, the man still didn’t give up, and Raven sighed as if she was having a headache. So, I, who had been watching, stepped in. Actually, when you think about it, I was the one who assigned him that annoying task.

“If you want to take a test that badly, I’ll help you.”

“Baron Yandel…?”

When I joined the conversation, the man seemed to be momentarily flustered, but then nodded as if it was a good thing.

“Then, I’ll ask for your help.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his ‘Big Hammer’ with a combative look in his eyes.

‘He didn’t even say how he was going to test me.’

It’s not particularly surprising. When have explorers not been macho? I’m much more comfortable with this too.

“Um… Mr. Yandel? You don’t have to waste your energy because of me…”

What is she saying again?

“I’m not wasting energy.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m saving time.”

I then activated [Giantification] and looked down at him. And…

“Small.”

As soon as I uttered that one word, the sparring began. However, as expected of a guy with the nickname ‘Big Hammer,’ his body was quite sturdy, and the sparring turned into a rather long battle. Did it take about 15 minutes?

“I lost…”

He couldn’t inflict any damage on me, but every time I hit his jaw with my hammer, he would fall down, and he finally accepted defeat.

“I seem to have been greedy. It’s a shame, but I’ll give up on the fourth floor.”

A clean attitude that contrasted with how he had been nagging Raven. It may seem strange, but the more macho they are, the more readily they accept the laws of power.

“Waaaaaaah-!”

“The Baron has won!”

The spectators who had gathered around cheered as the match ended, but I didn’t feel particularly elated.

‘At this point, it’s clear that my damage isn’t working.’

It’s the sorrow of a tank that I’ve been feeling often lately. I’ve become several times stronger than before by eating the Bellarios essence and the Aegis Barrier, but the damage was the same as before—.

“Mr. Yandel, can we talk for a moment?”

“Hehehe, if it’s to say thank you, it’s okay—.”

“Ah, is it because you wasted 15 minutes on something that could have been done in 5 minutes with words?”

“Uh…”

My head goes blank for a moment. And seeing me like that, Raven chuckled as if it was a joke.

“Okay, follow me. I had something to tell Mr. Yandel anyway.”

After taking a few steps, Raven activated voice control magic, and I also changed my expression to a serious one.

“Is it a story that needs to be kept secret?”

“Huh? No, it’s not that… I don’t know. It’s better for Mr. Yandel to make the judgment.”

“Tell me.”

As I bent my waist to match her small height and took a listening posture, Raven slowly opened her mouth.

“As you know, since I’m acting as a kind of examiner, I’ve had many opportunities to hear about the things that have happened inside, right? And I found out that…”

Just the main point, briefly. Before I could even say that, Raven summarized the key points briefly.

“Duke Cambormier doesn’t say anything anymore.”

“Doesn’t say anything?”

Wasn’t he always like that? That question was about to come out of my mouth.

“No, I mean, he really doesn’t say anything. Not even things like ‘my murderous intent is rising.'”

“Ah…”

“Now, they say he just rushes in with his eyes bloodshot… I think it’s strange no matter how I look at it. After Mr. Yandel came out, he was still ‘talking,’ right?”

A hand, lost in deep thought, naturally went to my chin.

“Certainly…”

It’s suspicious. It also felt a bit strange that the old man, who was fine, suddenly started having a psychotic episode. He was sane for a whole three hours.

“There are no changes in the world without a cause.”

Raven looked up at me, uttering a mage-like line.

“Then, what could be the reason why the Duke suddenly changed?”

As a barbarian, I couldn’t answer that question no matter how hard I racked my brain. However, it’s different from a gamer’s perspective. In fact, as soon as I heard that story, the first hypothesis that came to mind was.

[Actually… the psychosis has been recurring since earlier.]

If the fact that the old man spoke to me in a sane state was an ‘error’ from the labyrinth’s point of view…

‘Hotfix…’

The error might have been patched in real-time. By someone who governs the labyrinth.

***

27 types of rift Guardians from the first to the fifth floor. And 14 unidentified Guardians that are grouped in the same category as Duke Cambormier. A total of 41 types. At first, the boss run felt daunting, but as I steadily continued the attack, the end was approaching.

‘Is there only one left…’

Now, there is only one statue left, the statue of the fifth-floor rift. For reference, the rift where that guy appears is a ‘unique rift’ that opens with a very low probability, and it’s not compatible with me. That’s why I put it off until the end.

“Haa…”

I sighed as I looked at the stone door that was still motionless, even though dozens of lights had already been lit.

‘It seems like something will only happen if I clear the last one…’

In the end, it means I have no choice but to catch that guy too.

‘Still, it seems doable since two people can enter…’

I even considered whether it would be better for me to skip this attack, but there was no suitable alternative. Due to the nature of boss battles, one tank is essential, but there is no one who can replace my spot, or should I say? No, if I look for it, there isn’t no one… ‘They’re just not reliable enough.’ It’s better for me to go in. Therefore, what I need to think about now is who to take with me.

‘Erwen again this time?’

It was a safe choice. After all, she’s like a cheat code. In fact, Erwen hunted Guardians with me the most after Raven. I went into easy rifts with a mage to collect essences, and I brought Erwen to all the difficult rifts except for a few situations, but… ‘…No.’ I shook my head. The target of this attack is not a guy that can be caught with just force. Then, how about Amelia? ‘She’s not bad either, but…’ Ainar seems better than Amelia. His fighting spirit has decreased and his presence has faded, but you can’t deny his unique luck. However…

Thud.

If I’m hoping for luck, there’s a better option. And he’s right here in front of me.

“Prepare yourself. We’re going into the rift.”

As soon as my notice was given, he asked back with a dumbfounded expression.

“Huh? Me? Why, why me…?”

It was Sven Parav, a paladin of the Leatlass Church.