Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 591

5th floor Unique Rift, the Fortress of Souls.

Here, the labyrinth-type boss monster ‘Soul Keeper Hausiel’ appears as a guardian.

Actually, this guy’s 2nd phase isn’t that dangerous.

There’s some variance depending on your character’s luck stat, but usually, you can find the magic stone and move on after opening about five hundred boxes.

But…

‘There’s no guarantee that will happen for me.’

That’s why I brought Sven Parav.

What’s needed to clear [攻略] this rift isn’t the ability to find gold, but the ability to avoid getting splashed with crap.

In my view, this guy was specialized in avoiding misfortune.

‘So I wasn’t even expecting this…’

But what is this? Is this some kind of hilarious hidden camera prank?

Looking at the box with the brilliant golden light pouring out, my mind goes blank.

“Sven Parav…”

“Yes? Ah, yes. Baron.”

“Did you feel anything strange before opening the box?”

“No…? It felt the same as usual…”

So, does that mean I just got really lucky?

It still doesn’t make sense, no matter how I think about it.

A character with the ability to sense misfortune and also possessing innate luck.

At this point, I feel like a new item should be added to this world.

Something like…

Parav’s Golden Goblin Statue.

The 부여 [bestowed] number is 7777.

Or maybe a single number under 10.

Yeah, that’s about right for balance.

“Um… but what is this?”

At his question, I slowly came back to my senses.

The guy, who had taken a few steps back from the box as if wary, was looking at me with an innocent expression.

I’d like to give him a kiss if I could, but that would only reignite the misunderstanding I’d barely calmed down, so I’ll pass.

“It’s a box that can be found with a very low probability when clearing [攻略ing] Hausiel.”

“Is it good?”

Like a true explorer.

“It’s good. Very good.”

At my firm answer, his eyes change.

And he shifts his gaze into the box with a look of curiosity and greed.

He seems to be wondering what’s inside that would make me say such things.

‘But it wouldn’t be that appealing to him.’

The value of the items inside the box varies depending on the person.

For some, it might be worth more than a single number, but for others, it might be a completely useless item.

Parav, being a paladin, falls into the latter category.

Swoosh.

I reach into the still-glowing box, and my fingertips grasp something round.

“…What is this used for?”

I smiled and explained the use of this item.

I had to pretend to be a local, so I had to use words like ‘contribution points,’ which made my explanation longer…

But in reality, it can be explained in five words.

‘Experience potion.’

Level 11 is now possible.

***

「The character has consumed ‘Dreaming Soul’.」

「Upon reaching level 10, 10,000 EXP is acquired.」

***

Dreaming Soul.

A super rare item that can only be obtained during the boss fight with Soul Keeper Hausiel.

In fact, it’s an essential item to reach level 11, which was the max level in the original mode.

Even if you kill all kinds of monsters, you need an additional 14,000 experience points to reach level 11.

Even if you could catch all the monsters, it’s nearly impossible to fill that amount by portal runs or rift runs…

‘He… just ate it like that.’

Honestly, I’m dumbfounded.

That’s how rare it was to obtain this.

In fact, even the last player who opened the Abyss Gate was level 10.

Instead, they had a smooth start and were able to fully set up their equipment and essences in the end.

Anyway.

“…”

I took a shot of it and checked next to me, and I could see Parav drooping his shoulders with a gloomy look.

Well, it’s understandable.

If you thought you won the lottery, but it turned out to be the winning numbers from a previous draw, anyone would feel a sense of deprivation.

That’s why his reaction afterward was surprising.

“Still, it’s a good thing. It means you can climb even higher, Baron.”

It’s clear that he’s saying it sincerely, not just out of courtesy. There’s a hint of regret, but no feelings of envy or jealousy at all.

“Haha, don’t look at it that way. It’s a useless item for me anyway, and didn’t you say it’s impossible to take it out even with distortion magic?”

“That’s true, but…”

He said that first, so I feel like I owe him even more. I should take care of this guy first if something comes up later.

“Then let’s move again.”

The longer we dawdle, the harder the boss fight will be, so we packed up and resumed our search.

And we continued to open boxes while talking.

“Baron, I have a question…”

“Go ahead.”

“What happens if you open that box you’re worried about?”

Ah, that one.

“It’s simple.”

The moment you open the box, 5,000 experience points disappear.

Of course, it’s common for your level to drop, and then the essence slots are randomly locked according to the level you dropped.

“That’s a crazy curse… To lose all the contribution points you’ve gathered so far…”

Parav didn’t doubt the truth of my information. He just tilted his head with a look that said, ‘Why didn’t I know there was such a thing?’

“But the curse is a secondary problem, the real problem is the rift guardian.”

“The guardian, you say…?”

“Yeah.”

If you open that box, the guardian absorbs my experience and becomes even stronger.

And you want me to catch that guy with one essence slot locked?

Even I can’t guarantee that I’ll get out of there alive.

“That must be another reason why you brought me. The curse is meaningless to a paladin.”

“Well, that wasn’t the only reason. But don’t worry. Conversely, when you find the ‘Dreaming Soul’ in the box, it becomes much weaker than usual.”

As we talked and diligently opened boxes, I got a clearer understanding of Sven Parav’s intuition.

‘It doesn’t activate when opening boxes with weak curses or monsters… It seems to only activate when it’s really dangerous.’

But even that alone is a near-miraculous ability… or maybe it’s a real miracle.

He did receive a divine revelation not too long ago, after all?

“Ah, I think we’ve finally found it.”

After searching for quite a while, we found the box containing the magic stone and were able to move on to the next phase.

Crack-!

The place we moved to after breaking the magic stone was a space that seemed to materialize the inside of a giant worm’s body.

Thump-!

The floor was slippery and squishy, and it pulsed periodically like a living creature.

Also…

「Soul Keeper Hausiel’s [Defense System] becomes more robust.」

Sticky liquid began to seep from the ceiling, floor, and walls.

“We need to move quickly before it fills up.”

We moved faster than ever and continued to clear [攻略] the 3rd phase.

Even the best tank needs to breathe.

In the game, if that liquid filled up, it was game over.

Of course, after completing the map, I had never been wiped out here even once.

‘Go straight, then turn left at the three-way intersection, then go straight twice more, and then turn right…’

I don’t have the entire map memorized, but I know the way to the magic stone perfectly.

Squish, squish.

We smashed the monsters that blocked our path every now and then, and we reached our destination quickly as we ran through the acidic liquid that reached our calves.

Thump-!

A heart-shaped magic stone that emitted waves as if it were alive. Without a second thought, I swung my hammer with all my might and destroyed it.

And…

Whoosh…!

The long-awaited final phase.

The space that greeted us when we closed and opened our eyes was reminiscent of the universe.

In the center, there was a pyramid-shaped staircase made of transparent glass, and at the top, a giant eye-shaped magic stone was floating.

The main body of Soul Keeper Hausiel.

‘There’s no dialogue this time either.’

The moment we arrived, its eyes flashed open, and monsters began to pour out like the basement floor during the rainy season.

Hundreds of monsters, a horde that could be called a legion.

「Soul Keeper Hausiel’s [Defense System] becomes more robust.」

Still, we arrived relatively early, and we even opened the golden box in the middle, so the monsters’ grades aren’t that high.

‘Is it up to grade 4…’

Ah, for reference, if you arrive at the maximum level with your experience points depleted, even grade 2 monsters appear.

The main body’s power also becomes much stronger.

“Move quickly!”

We hurried up the stairs before the monsters came down, and from the moment we came into contact with the monsters, we fought fiercely to clear a path.

As it was a 5th-floor rift, it wasn’t easy for just the two of us.

If we had a mage with area-of-effect skills, we could have cleared the path much more easily.

Well, what can we do if we don’t have one?

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

We climbed the stairs while continuing the fierce fight.

Actually, what was more annoying than the monsters was the existence of the main body.

Boom-!

Not to mention the magic cannon that was aimed directly at me.

「Soul Keeper Hausiel casts [Target Designation].」

Because the aggro is periodically released, the companions who follow must also have the ability to withstand the waves.

Also, in the midst of all that…

Whoooosh-!

Every time it emits a periodic wave, my body, which is in [Giant] mode, is pushed back.

“What are you standing there for! I’ll clear a path somehow, so follow me! Don’t act like an idiot!”

“Yes, yes…!”

I spoke more strongly than usual, but it couldn’t be helped.

The moment you get knocked back or pushed by a monster and fall down, it’s an instant death.

Even if I can catch the boss monster alone, I need to hold on and climb the stairs until then.

Whack! Whack! Whack-!

I swung my hammer haphazardly and knocked the monsters aside.

Most of them just lost their balance and rolled down the stairs, but some unlucky ones rolled for a long time and fell into the darkness where the end could not be seen.

But there were even more new ones being created.

‘…Damn it.’

As I was fighting in the chaos and climbing, the distance between me and Sven Parav, who was following behind, widened. And by now, there were monsters filling the space between me and him.

‘It seems faster to catch the main body than to go save him…’

For now, my brain, which had been marinated in the game, made the most rational decision, devoid of emotion.

In the first place, the monster legion is tricky, but if you can get close, it’s not difficult to defeat the main body.

But still, he’s my companion, so shouldn’t I go save him?

‘…What should I do?’

I was deeply troubled when.

“I’ll hold on! Go ahead first…!”

He shouted that first, and thanks to that, I was able to move forward without any regrets.

And…

「The character has cast [Swing].」

「The character has cast [Swing].」

「The character has cast [Swing]…」

Finally reaching the main body, I swung my hammer like crazy.

Even if it was a weak main body, I would have had to hit it hundreds of times more with a tank barbarian’s damage…

Crack-!

Finally, the giant magic stone shattered into tens of thousands of pieces and scattered.

And…

「You have defeated Soul Keeper Hausiel. EXP +6」

「Guardian kill bonus. EXP +3」

The monster legion, which numbered well over a thousand, also turned into light and scattered, filling the entire space with light.

In the midst of that, I quickly looked for him.

“Haa…”

The guy, who had rolled down to the middle of the stairs, was panting with a body that was nothing short of a wreck.

“I, I’m alive…”

Whew, I really need to take good care of him from now on.

***

The portal opened after the boss fight ended.

Also, a rainbow-colored essence was dropped.

‘Ha… to have to throw this away.’

It’s an understatement to say I’m dying of regret.

That’s how valuable the essence was.

All because of one passive skill.

[Soul Contract].

The effect of this passive skill is simple.

You immediately become level 8, but you can no longer gain experience.

An essence you should never eat if you want to go higher.

However, this essence sells for a very, very high price.

In fact, there’s a famous story about a marquis family buying it for billions of stones a few years ago.

‘His wife ate it and filled all 7 slots with beauty-related essences…’

It’s a ridiculous story, but such things happen every day in reality.

‘I’ve already made enough money coming down here anyway. Let’s prioritize getting out…’

I gave up my greed and went out through the portal with Parav. It was usually the time when they would rush to greet me, asking if I was hurt.

But this time, it was different.

“…”

“…”

In the quiet silence, everyone around the stone statue was staring at one place.

I quickly turned my head and checked where they were looking.

‘The door is already open…’

Is it because I took too long after catching the boss?

The stone door, which had been tightly closed, was already wide open, revealing what was hidden inside.

“A portal…?”

A red portal that felt ominous just by looking at it.

A familiar mage muttered while looking at it.

“It’s not a normal portal. This magic power is…”

“…?”

“A rift… it’s a rift!”

The rift on the 1st basement floor has opened.