Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 594

Most rifts are divided into chapters. Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4… They usually end around Chapter 4 or 5, but sometimes there are rifts that go up to Chapter 7 or more. Anyway, that’s not the important part.

‘So, the city defense a little while ago was Chapter 1, huh.’ Me waking up as the mercenary Bjorn Yandel and fighting monsters can also be seen as Chapter 1. However, the important point here is…

‘Could it be similar to the Doppelganger Forest?’ The 4th floor rift, the Doppelganger Forest. Back then, we were trapped in iron cages as soon as we entered, and we could only start Chapter 1 after two other teams entered the rift. It was a method where three teams progressed through Chapter 1 from their respective starting points and then joined in Chapter 2… The labyrinth we’ve entered now seems to be exactly that type.

“I started in a place like a rural village. The army was invading,” Erwen said. Erwen’s Chapter 1 was different from mine. It was the same in that it was a battlefield from the start, but it wasn’t a chapter where she could go on a rampage and clear it like I did.

“One-tenth of my usual state… no, maybe even weaker than that.” Erwen, who had a crazy debuff [a negative status effect] from the start, barely managed to escape the village with the help of nearby NPCs [Non-Player Characters]. And…

“I was just climbing the mountain behind the village when monsters kept appearing. The strange thing was that the soldiers following me were attacked, but I wasn’t.” Fortunately, it seems she wasn’t just hit with debuffs.

“Anyway, while wandering through the mountains while being chased, I arrived at this cave. I hid inside, but… eventually, a knight found me not long after.” “Wait a minute, did the knights or soldiers have this kind of mark on their chests?” Before continuing the conversation, I drew the Imperial crest and showed it to Erwen, who nodded.

“Yes! It was this!” Ha, those damn Imperials are everywhere. “Okay, then keep talking. The knight found you, and then what?” “I thought I was going to die, but he told me not to worry because he wasn’t there to harm me?” The knight introduced himself as my brother’s friend. He gave her a compass and said that if she went through the cave with it, she would be able to meet her brother.

“He said he wanted to come with me, but he couldn’t, so he told me to wait a few days and he would find someone to help me.” That was the entirety of Erwen’s Chapter 1. The moment the knight finished speaking, everything went dark before she could even answer.

“But suddenly, I felt someone next to me… I, I’m sorry.” “No, if you don’t know what it is, it’s right to stab it with a sword first.” “Oh… is, is that so?” “You did well.” I said that and patted her head, and Erwen smiled. It was an unconscious action, but maybe because of her young appearance, I felt uncomfortable. It felt like I was a barbarian uncle teaching a bad thing to a child.

“…Anyway, can you show me the compass you received from that knight?” “Here you go.” After that, I received the compass from Erwen. ‘Do I just have to keep going in this direction…’ It’s highly likely that’s the case, but before starting, I checked Erwen’s condition first. ‘First of all, all her equipment is gone…’ Unlike me, who brought all my original items like the Demon Crusher and Aegis Barrier, Erwen was empty-handed. Also…

“I can still use essence and spirits… but it’s hard to exert the same power as usual.” Her MP [Mana Points] is severely lacking, and the result is only one-tenth of her normal state. The only thing to look forward to was [Chaos Circuit], but Erwen hadn’t been able to check it yet.

“I was worried that if there was a backlash in that situation, it would be a disaster. So I tried to control it while running away.” [Chaos Circuit], which is activated when all resources are consumed. When this is activated, it changes to an infinite MP state for 1 minute. And in this state, if you use [Concentrated Fire] and summon the Spirit King to deal damage, you can create tremendous firepower for 1 minute.

‘…Even then, it would only be 10% of the usual damage based on full charge.’ If the stats are low, the coefficient is also lowered, so even if you charge for the same amount of time, there will be a difference in damage. Of course, even so, it would be much better than most ranged dealers. ‘It’s better to save this for a contingency…’

After several experiments, I was able to discover another unique feature besides the ‘not being attacked by monsters’ characteristic. “Ugh, ugh…!” The wound isn’t healing. It wasn’t just because her stats dropped and her natural regeneration also dropped. Because potions are applied completely differently from stats. Chiiiiiiik-! The skin was regenerating so slowly that it was hard to believe she had used a potion. ‘This is a bit of a problem…’

What would happen if she got stabbed in a bad spot in this state? Just imagining it is terrible. “Erwen, you are absolutely forbidden from fighting from now on. Do you understand?” “…Yes?” “It means I’ll protect you no matter what, so just trust me and follow me quietly.” “Ah…! Yes!” Alright, shall we start Chapter 2?

***

Step, step. I leave the cave entrance blocked by a barrier and follow the direction indicated by the compass deeper into the cave. As I do, I realize something new. I’ve been thinking about it since the cave entrance…

“Mister, this place is probably…” “Are you saying it’s similar to the first floor Crystal Cave?” “Yes.” Of course, there are differences. There were no monsters at all in this cave. Thanks to that, we were moving much more comfortably than expected. Of course, that’s just physically, my mind was still endlessly uneasy at this moment. ‘I’m going crazy with anxiety because nothing is coming out…’ Even though I try not to let my guard down, my senses naturally become dull as the uneventful time continues. I’m actually still thinking about other things while walking. ‘It’s strange…’

I took a scout class from Rotmiller. It goes without saying that the place he researched the most was the first floor Crystal Cave, and thanks to the knowledge I received, I’m also very familiar with the Crystal Cave. To exaggerate a little, I can tell where I am just by touching the wall and noticing subtle differences. That’s why I have one question. ‘Is the terrain a bit different from the labyrinth?’ It’s estimated that we are currently near the Land of the Dead. But Erwen said that she started in a normal village, not the Land of the Dead. So, where did this change come from? ‘Later, as time passes… will that village turn into the Land of the Dead?’ Well, it doesn’t seem like a completely absurd hypothesis. One of the characteristics of the Land of the Dead was the remains of stone buildings buried in the muddy black earth.

“…It’s a dilemma.” “Yes?” “The place the compass is pointing to is west of the Crystal Cave, where the Rocky Desert is.” “Yes, so?” Erwen makes a face as if to ask what the problem is. This is probably the normal reaction. But…

“I’m just a little curious. What other places are like.” I have a feeling that the moment we find the exit, we’ll move on to the next chapter, just like in Chapter 1. If that happens, we’ll never be able to check the structure of Chapter 2. “Um… other places?” “I have a feeling that something might be hidden in the center. I’m also curious about what the other exits are like.” “Well… you’ve always had a strong sense of curiosity, haven’t you?” It’s more like greed than curiosity. Who knows what kind of reward might be hidden there? If it wasn’t for the purpose of gathering information in Chapter 1, I would have searched every place.

“Um, then can’t we just go and see?” “But if there’s nothing there, it’ll just be a waste of time.” “Isn’t that what exploration is all about…?” “Oh… that’s true.” I had already made up my mind, so I immediately changed direction. And headed towards the center of the cave. “Is this the place? Where the monument is supposed to be…” The very center of the cave. The place where Gabriel’s monument was supposed to be, and where the witch’s altar was located in the Pilgrim’s Cave.

“Looking at the terrain, it seems like we’ve come to the right place, but there’s nothing here.” Well, was it a bust? “It’s a shame we came all this way, so let’s just search a little—.” “Um… Mister?” Then, suddenly, Erwen flinched and stopped me. “I feel… something strange.” “You feel it?” “It’s coming…! From over there!” Erwen pointed towards the wall. However, I didn’t doubt the truth of the information. “Move back. Now!” I sent Erwen behind me, took a battle stance, and stared at the wall. And how much time had passed? Unlike my expectation that something would appear like a storm. Pop- A translucent creature poked its face out of the wall and looked around demurely. I made eye contact with it and was speechless. “…Hamsik?” Why are you there?

***

Black eyes, twitching ears. A moderately protruding chin and front teeth. Shiny beige fur and plump pink belly. And even adorable front paws. Its appearance is undoubtedly Hamsik. But… [Ham… sik?] The oppressive aura emanating from its tone and voice makes it confusing. [Yes, have mortals dared to give me such a lowly name….] A murderous intent that made my spine tingle. As soon as I sensed it, I acknowledged it. The creature in front of me was completely different from Hamsik.

“…Who are you?” [You are not allowed to ask questions.] Hamsik coldly rejected my question and fixed his gaze on Erwen. [Human girl, do you know the fate you possess?] “Um… who are you?” Unlike my question, Hamsik answered Erwen’s question more kindly. [I am an existence that can either help you or harm you.] “…?” [Poor thing.] Hamsik, who was looking down at Erwen, completely came out of the wall and walked over. He was exuding a heavy atmosphere with a dignified gaze, but his gait was unmistakably Hamsik. Is it a limitation of the biological structure? While I was unknowingly pondering, Hamsik uttered important information in a solemn voice.

[Human girl, the moment you are caught by the pursuers, a terrible disaster will come. But….] “…But?” [If you die here by my hand, the world will be maintained.] He spoke as if there were two choices, but anyone who saw Hamsik’s eyes now would know. What decision this guy has made. ‘Damn it.’ I came here hoping to get something, but a hidden boss suddenly popped out. [You are not guilty. You may resent me—.] Hamsik’s muttering was cut off in the middle. There was no reason to listen any further. It doesn’t matter whether that guy is Hamsik before he lost his memory, or one of Hamsik’s parents. Whoosh-! I swung my hammer around and blocked the way. “Hey, stop posing with that cute face?” [Cu, cute… me?] Hamsik trembled as if he felt insulted. [Beee-! You lowly mortal! How dare you—!] And so, the hidden boss battle began.

***

To sum it up, Hamsik was strong. About a 3rd-grade monster. I thought he would be in the mid-tier range of 3rd-grade. But… [Beee—! Let go! I said let go…!] Hamsik had a fatal flaw. His durability and regeneration were high, but his casting time was long, and each skill had a wide range but low single damage. He had a skill set specialized for so-called ‘bullying’… ‘If I were a shield barbarian, my damage might have been lacking.’ Thanks to becoming a hammer barbarian after changing my job to a mercenary, I was able to break through all of his defenses and subdue him. Ah, of course, Erwen’s performance was the biggest reason for this result. Even in that crazy debuffed state, she could do her part if she used [Chaos Circuit]. ‘How is it that she’s dealing more damage than me even in that state…’

“…Mister! Are you okay!” After the successful subjugation, Erwen rushed to me. My body was a mess because my defense stats were lowered. But thanks to fighting so desperately, I was able to find out something. “I’m okay. I don’t have any serious injuries.” To be precise, the serious injuries had already healed to some extent. It’s strange that the recovery speed dropped sharply as soon as it healed to some extent. ‘Is it a mechanism where the regeneration stat increases the more you get hurt?’ It seems that the status abnormality I have is not just about increasing attack power and decreasing defense power. ‘With this kind of mechanism, it goes well with [Path of the Hero].’ Anyway, what I need to focus on right now is not self-feedback.

“Hamsik.” [My name is not Hamsik—!] “Hamsik.” […What do you want from me, mortal!] “What is this?” Hamsik’s eyes widened when I took out a small bead. [Ho, how did you get that—!] How did I get it? I just looked through his pouch when he was briefly unconscious, and it came right out. “Okay, just answer my question. What is this?” […….] Well, I never gave him a Miranda warning. “If you’re not going to keep talking, I’ll just take this?” I politely asked for his consent, but Hamsik didn’t say anything this time either. Was it a precious item? “Answer.” […….] “Won’t you?” He muttered softly in a resentful voice. [I was going to give it to you anyway….] I couldn’t say anything at that voice that sounded so resentful. [After testing you, I thought you wouldn’t die in vain… I was going to give it to you then…!] What is this. As a gamer who has experienced all kinds of hardships, I was quite embarrassed. [Why am I suffering such humiliation…!] …Was I not supposed to just beat him up?