Surviving The Game As A Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 698

A standoff continues in the silence. And within that time, I wonder if Baekho Lee has finished organizing his thoughts.

“I was wondering if you were coming out this strong because you had something to believe in… well, whatever. I’ll find out once we start.”

“……”

“Let’s start by taking off our Baron’s clothes.”

“……?”

“That way, we can do the neutering or whatever.”

With those words, Baekho Lee’s figure disappears from sight.

“……!”

His movements are too fast for my agility to keep up. But the instincts of a warrior who has overcome countless adversities catch his attack, and I put up my shield. However….

“Is that going to work in a PVP [Player versus Player]?”

There’s no impact felt on the shield I put up, anticipating the path of his fist.

“Blocking damage is only when you hit the shield.”

An impact occurs from behind, completely unexpected.

“Right?”

Kwaaaang-! The impact is like being hit by a siege weapon. Before I can even make a sound, my body, even with [Giantification] activated, is thrown forward.

And in that state. ‘…Huh?’ When I come to my senses, a huge impact occurs on my jaw, and my body is thrown backward again.

What is it? An uppercut? I don’t know how he did it from that angle, but one thing is certain. This time, the damage went through properly.

Enough to make me want to throw up everything inside.

“Ugh……”

“Amazing, isn’t it? When I hit like this, it feels like the damage is doubled. Ah, this is an additional effect that wasn’t in the game, by the way… Oof!”

I somehow manage to regain my stance and swing the Demon Crusher, but Baekho Lee dodges it with a jump, as nimbly as ever.

“Ah, looks like you’re all ready.”

Suddenly, Baekho Lee steps back, creating distance.

“No hard feelings.”

When I come to my senses, my surroundings are red. I blankly lift my head to see a giant sphere, reminiscent of the sun, falling down.

Whoooosh-! A sphere covered in ominous, dark red magic. Unfortunately, the sphere is bigger than my shield in [Giantification] state.

By tens of times. ‘Perfectly guarding is impossible.’ Immediately after making that quick judgment, I raise my shield to cover the sky and activate Dragon Mode.

「The character has activated [Greed Scales].」

「The character’s magic resistance is over 500.」

「All magic damage taken is reduced by 50%.」

Bellarios’s active skill, which is in charge of the ‘magic resistance’ part in Invincible Barbarian (Final Version).

As soon as I use that skill. Flash-! An intense light that swallows even the noise engulfs my entire body. And… Cheeeeeeeek-!

Smoke rises from the scales covering my skin, as if I’ve opened the lid of a boiling pot. It’s hot, stinging, and painful. But….

“Wow, you’re still standing after taking that.”

The injuries aren’t fatal. After all, I was able to block all the vital parts of my body with the shield.

“Our Baron has really become a monster, hasn’t he?”

I’m standing there, perfectly fine, and he’s amazed for a moment. Then, Baekho Lee closes the distance again and attacks like a fly.

Thwack! Thwack! He throws a series of heavy jabs. Kwaaaang-! In between, he mixes in a powerful blow.

Swish-! The curse magic of the Old Man of Destruction and various debuffs from Jaina cover my body. Whoooosh-!

The Old Man of Destruction’s magic, which can’t be blocked by the shield, strikes down in between. But… Thud-! Baekho Lee, who was beating me like a dog on a hot day, tilts his head instead.

“What, my neck doesn’t even turn now?”

Well, a shield barbarian has the property of becoming tougher the more they get hit.

「Physical resistance increases in proportion to the absorbed magic damage.」How many times have I been hit by magic so far?

「The character’s physical resistance is over 750.」

「All physical damage is reduced by half.」Not only has [Evolved Outer Skin] Stage 3 been activated.

「The character has activated [Iron Fortress].」

「The effect of [Evolved Outer Skin] is increased by 1.5 times.」I’m going to turn this on now too.

Thud-! A normal attack that’s now as weak as a tickle compared to before. This is why I was able to be so bold even in a 4:1 situation.

‘I can’t use my ultimate skills here.’ Like [Star’s Demise]. Or ‘that’ thing that was used to catch Briatt in the Golden Ruins.

It’s difficult to use those recklessly when there are allies around. Well, on the other hand, it means I can use them without hesitation if there are no allies around….

“I guess there was no need to worry this much. Baron, are we going to go all out now? Hey! All of you, back off!”

In a way, it’s similar to the situation earlier when Baekho Lee fought cleverly, knowing the characteristics of my shield. ‘Hey, do you think I’m a stupid monster?’

There’s no way I’d wait for him to create distance when I know everything too.

“Behel—raaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

I let out a battle cry and sprint towards the rear guard that’s trying to retreat. It’s only natural, since I’ve been getting hit all day long.

“Aures!!”

Thud! As I start charging, Lex Aures, who was waiting in the rear, raises his shield and blocks my path.

A tank versus tank situation. Normally, it’s a structure where neither can inflict critical damage on the other, and it can only turn into a long battle, but….

“Don’t worry! I will protect Ruinjenes!”

What is he saying? Does he think I’m a pure tank like him? No.87 Crawl’s Demon Crusher. No. 687 Siege Slaughterer. And the ogre’s [Swing].

These attack skills are actually close to normal attacks now. It’s because I got an ultimate skill recently. 「The character has used [Aegis’s Dragon Armor].」

The amount of damage I’ve diligently accumulated by getting hit by Baekho Lee’s normal attacks and scorched by the Old Man of Destruction’s magic. 「Reflects accumulated damage.」Yeah, this is enough.

No. ???? Aegis’s Dragon Armor. The active effect of this item is quite flashy. No, to be precise….

‘This makes my heart swell every time I see it.’ It shows an ‘overwhelming’ effect that surpasses any ability or equipment I have.

Just like this. Swish-! A soul warrior summoned from behind me swings a huge greatsword that seems like it could break down a fortress wall in one strike.

The target is the Scholar of Destruction, Ruinjenes. Well, aside from the priest Jaina, if this old man disappears, it seems like it would be a much more manageable fight.

However, the problem is Lex Aures, the gatekeeper who’s guarding in front of him… ‘Hmm, is it even a problem?’

In fact, the situation that followed didn’t deviate from my expectations.

Above Lex Aures, who is standing in front of the Old Man of Destruction with a huge shield, a thick magic barrier of dozens of layers is formed.

‘A tank protecting a mage and a mage using magic to protect that tank…….’

It sounds somewhat romantic if you just hear it. But… ‘What a load of crap.’ No matter how much they do, nothing changes.

Isn’t that right? How can they block it even if they combine their strength? Something they couldn’t even properly block during the experiment. Crackle-!!

The magic barrier formed by the top-tier mage is torn apart like paper. One layer, two layers, three layers, four layers… No matter how many layers they stack, it’s meaningless.

The warrior’s merciless greatsword didn’t seem to care about that at all. Crackle-!

The greatsword, swung without hesitation, eventually shatters the last magic barrier and sends Lex Aures, who was acting as the final wall, flying away.

“Cough!”

Okay, so the tank is down now. Thud-! Baekho Lee is diligently putting in normal attacks from behind, but I can just ignore that.

‘The GM [Game Master] is just spectating…….’

As long as they can’t offer sacrifices outside the fortress wall, it doesn’t seem like the priest has a way to stop me either.

Therefore, all I have to do now is take down the Scholar of Destruction, who has used up all his ‘defense-type spells’….

“……Huh?”

At that moment, an unexpected variable, which I hadn’t anticipated at all, erupted. Surprisingly, it was a ‘positive’ variable for me. At first, I didn’t even know what was going on.

“Why… isn’t it disappearing?”

The soul warrior summoned by Aegis’s Dragon Armor doesn’t disappear even after landing one blow. No, far from disappearing.

Swish. It retrieves the greatsword it swung once and takes a stance to strike again. But for some reason, those short moments feel as clear as slow motion.

“Uh oh……?”

Baekho Lee, forgetting to check me, makes a blank expression.

“……!”

Jaina with a worried expression. The GM, just watching with wide eyes. And….

“This is going to be troublesome.”

The Old Man of Destruction, who has urgently started chanting magic. While all the information I can obtain using my senses is being poured into my brain in real-time.

I intuitively knew what was going on. [A mechanism where stacks accumulate when you get hit, and physical damage is inflicted in stages proportional to those stacks.]

Due to the limitations of the experiment, we only saw the 4th stage effect of Aegis’s Dragon Armor. Therefore, I don’t know what stage effect this is.

But….

「The accumulated damage has exceeded a certain value.」

「The usage effect is activated one more time.」A combo attack.

‘Is there another additional effect in the higher stages?’ It was a reasonable guess, but I decided not to have too high of expectations.

Because this alone is enough. To evaluate ‘Aegis’s Dragon Armor’ as a single-digit number level.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaang-!! Eventually, the slowed time accelerates, and the soul warrior’s greatsword heads towards the Old Man of Destruction. And at that moment.

“……La Evies Tuka Bieran.”

Just in time, the chanting ends, and a dark red barrier envelops the Old Man of Destruction in the form of a sphere.

A barrier that flickers with an ominous feeling, too much to be called ‘protection’.

‘This is the first time I’ve seen this?’ Just by looking at it, it seems like this is one of the hidden cards the Old Man of Destruction has been keeping… Well, I’ll find out what its performance is soon—.

“……Huh?”

While watching the situation with anticipation, my eyes widened without me realizing it. It’s because I hadn’t expected this situation at all.

If the barrier was broken, or if the greatsword I struck was bounced back, it wouldn’t have been a big surprise. However… Whoosh-!

The greatsword disappears as soon as it touches the barrier. No, to be precise, it felt like it was being sucked in whole.

As if that sphere was a passage to another world. ‘If it’s that strong, isn’t it just an invincibility skill……?’

Considering that the casting time was also very short, it can only be thought of as an absurd skill.

However, I decided not to be resentful. Just like I cheated with an item like Aegis’s Dragon Armor, it’s not strange for this old man to have a hidden card like this.

‘Besides, it doesn’t seem to be no-cost either.’ The idea that great power comes with responsibility is a story from movies.

In this world we live in, great power requires a great price. Just like how the Old Man of Destruction is panting right now.

“Huff… Huff……”

The Old Man of Destruction is breathing heavily, as if he’s used up all his future power. Looking at his white hair, soaked with sweat and sticking to his skin, it seems like he could pass out at any moment.

‘Come to think of it, have I ever seen this old man pushed to this point?’ That thought suddenly came to mind, and it felt like a very strange scene, but it wasn’t the time to just watch.

Because the barrier has just disappeared. Thud-! I spur on my running pace and close the distance with the Old Man of Destruction.

And just as I was about to swing my hammer. At this moment, another unexpected situation unfolds. Whoosh-! The hammer cuts through the air in vain.

It was so absurd that it took me some time to understand the situation. ‘…He dodged it?’

The Old Man of Destruction dodged my blow. No matter how low my agility stat is, there’s no way a mage could ever dodge it.

It wasn’t even luck. Whoosh-! The old man’s movements, dodging the continuous attacks, were as smooth as a subtle movement of some martial art, and it was enough to confuse me.

“Looks like you didn’t know.”

“……”

“Magic is a discipline that developed in war. Therefore, all ancient mages trained in close combat martial arts. So they could protect themselves even in the midst of chaos.”

Son of a bitch. If mages can do martial arts too, what are we supposed to live on? While thinking that, I tried to get closer and narrow the distance.

Thud. The Old Man of Destruction, who I expected to create distance, instead approaches me and reaches out his hand. And… Thud. The moment his hand gently rests on my stomach. Boom-!

An impact as if something exploded from the inside is transmitted. Even though there was no chanting or a large flow of magic felt.

“Cough!”

What the hell is this? It’s piercing through my magic resistance, even with Dragon Mode activated? ‘…This easily?’ My mind went blank for a moment, but it wasn’t difficult to grasp the situation.

I had just forgotten about it for a while because too much time had passed, but it was definitely a ‘technique’ I knew.

[You should know this trick, right? Didn’t your body temporarily become untouchable? At that time, I connected the circuits and completed the magic using your body as a medium.]

[Ah, so that’s why my magic resistance didn’t work.] Even if he says that, I don’t really understand the principle. But one thing is certain, the Old Man of Destruction was able to deal damage while ignoring ‘magic resistance’ in the battle with Baekho Lee….

‘Okay, so even though he’s a mage, close combat isn’t easy, huh?’ Blood is flowing down my throat, but it’s not that big of a deal.

However, I decided to create some distance, judging that I needed some time to recover.

‘It’s a bit of a shame that I couldn’t catch him after using up all my stacks…….’ But there was no need to rush. At least I had made Lex Aures unable to fight, right?

“Mr. Aures……!”

Well, he seems to be alive, so he’ll probably be back soon after getting healed.

‘I should have caught one of them in the first turn.’ The situation isn’t good. And knowing that, Baekho Lee also stops his normal attacks for a moment and speaks to me.

“See? No matter how much you struggle, it’s no use.”

He’s so cocky. It’s not even over yet.

“So, let’s just stop here. Huh? You just have to tell me. What did you talk about with that old man? It’s not like it’s anyone else, just tell me, and I’ll end it here. Huh?”

Looking at Baekho Lee, who’s acting like he’s already won, I smirked.

“The longer you talk……”

“……?”

“Looks like you’re getting tired?”

I’m not yet. 「The character has activated [Soul Dive].」

「Soul power is regenerated in proportion to the soul power consumed.」

Whether it’s a street fight, a fight in the ring. Whether it’s the jungle, the sea, or another world, there’s one unchanging truth.

“Behel—raaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

In the end, the one who’s still standing wins. ***1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes… The battle continues even after that. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes… Rolling on the floor, spitting blood. 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours….

I even briefly fainted and woke up feeling a burning pain. 4 hours. No, maybe even more time than that.

It flows by slowly, yet too quickly, like the past days of my teens.

“Huff… Huff… Huff……”

Not just me, but hot breaths can be heard from everywhere.

“B-Baron… shouldn’t we stop now……?”

Lex Aures, who has left the battle and returned several times, pleads with me earnestly while protecting the Scholar of Destruction.

“The Baron is also at his limit…….”

Well, usually the one who says those words is the one who’s most pushed to their limit. Jaina also adds a word, looking at me from afar.

“………Monster.”

A short murmur, as if she’s completely fed up.

“Aha… ha……”

Baekho Lee, who was facing me, wipes away the beads of sweat and opens his mouth.