Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 224

Like Fireworks (4)

Just a few steps away lies the darkness.

We form a tight formation, relying on the flickering torches.

Unpleasant gazes surround us.

‘Stop staring.’

Hundreds of eyes bloom in the darkness.

It felt like stepping into a grim fairy tale filled with a sinister and eerie atmosphere.

Of course, it’s just the atmosphere.

The outcome depends on us.

If we overcome this adversity, it will be a story of hope.

If we crumble, it will remain a mere tale of cruelty.

Whoosh!

The needle-like shadow that had been lodged in the shield was pulled out and retrieved into the darkness.

This had happened several times already.

This bastard, unfamiliar with us, was keeping his distance, attacking with basic moves.

‘Is it a good idea to stall for time?

With that thought, I checked my equipment.

The shield was riddled with holes.

A warrior beside me muttered.

“You’ll need a new shield when we get out of here.”

Assuming we make it out alive.

I replied with a smirk.

“Yeah, I’ll get a new one.”

We will survive.

As many of us as possible.

Sssss.

After a series of four basic attacks, we heard a noise from the darkness.

So, the testing is over, huh?

Ssss.

With an eerie wind, he appeared.

Standing about 2 meters tall.

Wearing a tattered robe like something the dead might wear, with no visible weapons.

His outline resembled that of a basic human.

But like a spirit monster, only dark blue smoke flickered where skin should be.

Also…

Shining-!

Where the head should be, a bright red eye glowed.

It was clearly different from human anatomy.

There was only one eye, not on the right or left but in the center of the face, disproportionate in size…

It was huge.

As if the entire head was one large eyeball.

“Avoid eye contact with him.”

As soon as I saw him, I fixed my gaze on his shoulders.

For a simple reason.

[Do not fear.]

Meeting his gaze can inflict the status effect “Fear” with a certain probability.

And…

[Look at me.]

If “Fear” accumulates nine times, the character permanently becomes a subordinate of the Abyssal Lord.

Just like many of the monsters in the labyrinth.

They turn into enemies and attack us.

‘What an absurd pattern.’

It’s practically a conditional instant death.

‘The monstrous transformation doesn’t even revert after defeating the boss.’

‘Well, our goal isn’t to defeat him, just to hold out for ten minutes…’

I don’t think we’ll transform into monsters within those 10 minutes.

But we can’t be complacent.

We didn’t come here fully prepared.

We have no countermeasures against “Fear.”

In simple terms, the status effect “Fear” alone is a significant threat.

“Ugh…”

A warrior beside me groaned, holding his head.

Looks like he made eye contact.

If he’s hit with “Fear,” he’ll either throw down his weapon and flee or attack us—

“Bjorn!”

“Be careful!”

While I was checking on my comrade, a shadow shot out from Berzark’s chest.

The same needle-like shadow that had struck my shield several times.

But this time, the pattern was different.

Whoosh.

The swiftly flying needle split into dozens of smaller ones, covering me like a net.

Slap.

Shadows stuck to me like an octopus’s suckers.

I felt a force pulling at my entire body.

The intention was clear.

Instead of taking forever with basic attacks, it wanted to drag me into the darkness.

Ha, we’re not that weak.

“Ekobir Iheran Aipoun.”

Kyle cast the spell he had prepared.

A Level 7 support spell, “Attribute Enhancement.”

The attribute was the sun, which opposes dark-type monsters.

Fwoosh-!

White flames, a combination of fire and holy attributes, enveloped the weapons of everyone except the knights.

The reason it wasn’t used on the knights was simple.

Slash-!

With aura, they could inflict damage without needing “Attribute Enhancement.”

“Save Bjorn!”

As soon as my body was bound by the net, the warriors rushed in, slashing or smashing the net with their flame-covered weapons.

Freed instantly.

But without time to catch my breath, dozens of shadows shot out from Berzark’s body again.

Whoosh!

This time, it was a different pattern.

The bastard was targeting everyone, not just me.

I hurriedly readjusted my grip on my shield.

‘Now it begins.’

It was time to truly start the battle.

****

The eyeball monster I killed earlier.

The ‘Watcher of the Abyss’ is a summoning skill Berzak uses to select the next sacrifice after a battle.

Upon casting, it summons watchers throughout the cave to find offerings.

Once it spots someone, it’s over.

That’s why I didn’t hesitate to crush the eyeball.

Without someone to draw the main aggro, it’s impossible to lure him out.

For example, just like now, until my comrades attacked to save me, he recognized only me as the enemy.

[But wouldn’t it be better for someone to step up and sacrifice themselves?]

When planning, someone suggested this, but it wasn’t practical.

Setting aside who would take on that role, Berzark’s field of vision was about 2 km.

If we couldn’t endure until the exploration team was completely out of its sight, it was meaningless.

‘Ten minutes.’

Kyle estimated it would take about ten minutes.

If we fell before that, he would chase the exploration and slaughter indiscriminately.

Therefore…

Boom-!

We endure.

Not alone.

But with the mages and warriors who followed me.

“Bethel—laaaaaaa!!”

Swinging a burning weapon, resisting the darkness.

It wasn’t easy.

Whoosh-!

Needle-like basic attacks with high penetration power.

Normally, it would be easy to react.

As long as I could block with my shield, I wouldn’t be severely injured.

But…

‘Damn game.’

Not being able to see properly was the problem.

Lowering my gaze to avoid eye contact meant I couldn’t react in time.

This happened often in the game too.

[Do not look directly at Berzark’s eyes.]

When this command was applied to the character, evasion and defense success rates plummeted, no matter how high the agility stats were.

Just like now.

Stab-!

A shadow pierced deep into my shoulder.

「Due to the ‘Healing (Advanced)’ effect, the Character’s body regenerates rapidly.」

No matter how many potions I consumed, it wasn’t enough.

Even though the aggro was somewhat dispersed, the main aggro was still on me.

And in the midst of it all…

“Ah, ahhh!!”

Not just piercing, but net-like shadows flew in, dragging comrades into the darkness.

We had been diligently cutting down the shadows, but…

‘Damn it.’

We couldn’t stop it forever.

Finally, the first casualty occurred.

“Sillian!!”

Sillian Nerf.

He joined us, thinking it would make a great story over drinks later.

“Ahhh! Aah! Aaah!!”

Terrifying screams echoed from the darkness where he was dragged.

It felt surreal.

In the game, it was just an atmospheric effect.

“…”

Rage simmered within me.

But the angrier I got, the more I needed to stay focused.

Someone had to keep their head cool.

“Stop.”

“But—”

“If you go, you’ll die too.”

Once someone was sucked in, rescuing them was impossible.

Not at our current rank.

“Damn it!”

A warrior spat out his anger.

I couldn’t blame him.

Watching a comrade who fought beside us all day die without being able to do anything was hard to bear.

We only heard the sounds beyond the darkness.

Helplessness.

It was a feeling I had experienced countless times today.

But whether we felt helpless or not, the battle continued.

「Due to the ‘Healing (Advanced)’ effect, the Character’s body regenerates rapidly.」

Berzark used a skill too.

[Abyssal Call].

A skill that gathers all mobs within his sight radius.

“Grrk! Grrrk!”

An abyss goblin, summoned by the call, unleashed a pack of monsters and set traps from afar.

This caused another death.

Fwoosh.

A trap activated, and monsters from the pack ran rampant.

Needle-like shadows pierced comrades’ bodies.

Even the mages, who had been using mana shields to prevent fatal injuries, couldn’t react.

Thud.

Another one fell.

“Kyle! How much time left?”

“Four minutes.”

What, three minutes?

“It’s been four minutes.”

Ugh, I almost got my hopes up—

Crunch-!

Then the first major variable appeared.

“A troll! Push it back!!”

Another one died.

The cause: a troll summoned right in front of us.

The problem wasn’t the troll, but the fact that the victim was a mage.

 

‘Damn it.’

I had expected the death of a warrior, but not a mage.

I had positioned them in the center to protect them at all costs.

‘Now we’ll run out of mana quickly…’

This is the worst.

Even with these thoughts, I kept moving.

Time continued to pass.

“Five minutes left.”

“Four minutes!”

Kyle announced the time every minute, perhaps to boost our morale.

“Just three more minutes!”

Since the mage died, there were no more casualties.

True to their veteran status, the explorers were becoming more adept at the battle.

However, at the eight-minute mark.

“We can no longer use magic. Just maintaining the enchantments is all we can manage.” Kyle announced as if giving notice.

‘Holding out for two more minutes without the mages’ support…’

It was sooner than expected, but it couldn’t be helped.

One mage had already died.

To save enough mana to activate the magic circle, we had no other choice.

“Screeeech!!”

As the mages’ area spells stopped, the monsters from the pack began to pile up.

Reduced numbers.

The absence of magic.

With the increased burden, Berzark continued shooting shadow arrows from a distance.

Thwack-!

Another one died.

‘I couldn’t keep my promise.’

In such intense battles, there’s no time for last words.

Whether the enemy is a monster or a human.

They aren’t kind enough to give you time for that.

So, we discussed it in advance.

[If you can, take their gear and pass it on to their comrades.]

It was the last will of the fallen.

But, as I thought back then, we wouldn’t have the luxury to do so.

“Ahh! Help me!”

The one beside me was dragged into the darkness by a shadow.

“Ahhh! Aaaaah!!”

Hearing the continuous screams, I bit my lip.

[Inform my son if you can. You’ll probably be famous when you get out. He’ll be happy to hear from you.]

That, I could keep.

If I managed to survive.

“I’m activating the magic circle now!”

With one minute left to our ten-minute goal.

The mages activated the pre-drawn magic circle.

I swung my mace frantically.

My shield was nowhere to be seen.

Oh, I threw it away earlier, thinking it was useless.

It wasn’t a waste since it couldn’t be repaired anyway.

“Jandel, get over here!”

Oh, is it done already?

A brilliant light burst forth from the ground.

Berzark, sensing danger, stopped his attack and looked at us.

The same went for the other monsters.

“……”

For a moment, the battle paused.

I quickly scanned the area.

Not all the bodies were visible.

Naturally.

Some had been dragged into the darkness.

‘They should be nearby… Ah!’

I found the body at the edge of the light.

I swiftly approached and retrieved the sword and shield.

I had to use a bit of force.

Even in death, the comrade had held onto his weapon with his eyes open.

“Bjorn!”

Someone shouted, and I rolled into the magic circle.

The warriors didn’t ask why I retrieved the weapons.

“That’s… right, we had such a promise.”

“The comrades will be grateful.”

As I stood up quickly, I saw the monsters approaching us.

Momentarily disoriented by the light, they judged it wasn’t a real threat.

“Still a nuisance until the end!”

“Hey, mage! We need to go now!”

“Just a bit more!”

I looked straight ahead.

I saw Berzark.

[I have seen you.]

See me, my ass.

I fixed my gaze on him and recalled the names of the dead.

Sillian Nerf.

Neil Fames.

Paul Agmus.

Garfen Gulan.

Matt Elbans.

Refri Siaverus.

Six in total.

‘Yes, one day I’ll see you again.’

The Lord of Chaos Liakis.

Dragon Slayer Legal Vagos.

And Berzark.

「Kyle Fevrosk has cast Level 4 Spatial Magic [Multi-Teleportation].」

I hope these bastards understand.

I won’t be running away forever.

***

When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by people.

Yes, we made it.

“How much distance have we put between us and him?”

“Well, about 3 km, I’d say. We’re completely out of his sight, so he won’t be able to follow us. Unless we encounter another Abyssal Overseer, of course.”

I instinctively checked behind me.

In the darkness, there wasn’t a single one of those damn eyeballs. We really had managed to teleport that far.

“Amazing.”

“It’s not that impressive. If I hadn’t left the coordinate-setting medium here, even I wouldn’t have been able to teleport such a long distance. Plus, I shared mana with the other mages.”

Kyle spoke modestly, but it wasn’t something just anyone could do.

No matter how much help he received, using such magic in a place where mana efficiency is reduced to a quarter isn’t easy.

“Well, let’s get moving.”

“Without resting?”

“We’ll rest while we move.”

I opened a potion and poured it over my head.

And while the other warriors received treatment, I moved forward.

Soon, I saw the people I was looking for.

Garpen Gullen’s comrades.

They had such a good relationship that they’d come to the front lines to take him back, even if it meant extra effort.

“You’re…”

They recognized me too.

And they stiffened.

Their eyes were on the sword and shield I was holding.

“Take this.”

“…Is he dead?”

A female explorer asked, her voice trembling, and I just remained silent. Her mouth opened again after a moment.

“I’ll take it… But you should keep this.”

After picking up the sword, she handed me the shield.

“You might need it.”

“…I’ll gratefully accept.”

I decided not to refuse the shield.

I had lost my shield earlier, after all.

Rejecting it here would only hurt them more.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

I continued forward.

As I moved on, I eventually reached my comrades.

“Did anyone get hurt while I was gone?”

“…”

No one answered my question.

They just stared at me blankly.

Misha was trembling.

Oh, are they angry because I got hurt?

I should run away quickly.

“If no one’s hurt, I’ll go ahead—”

“Stop right there.”

“…”

“Please, stop and rest. Isn’t this enough? Hm?”

“Yes, Mr. Jandel. Listen to Karlstein. Going ahead now won’t help. We might face a big fight later.”

I finally let go of my stubbornness.

Raven was right.

Despite everything we’ve been through, we still have mountains to climb.

It would be wise to conserve my strength.

Step by step.

While the other warriors cleared the way at the front, I followed the procession and recovered my strength alongside my comrades.

Time passed as we moved forward.

[Stop!]

A command came through the message stone, instructing us to halt.

I instinctively felt it.

We had arrived at our destination.

[Is the portal to the Goblin Forest open?]

Kyle’s voice came through, followed by the dwarf clan leader, Teterrud.

[It’s open.]

Yes, we found it.

My legs almost gave out.

If this portal had been destroyed too, I might have lost it.

“Raven, take care of things here.”

“Yes, go ahead. You’d go even if I tried to stop you, right?”

“…”

I made my way to the front, pushing past the explorers.

As soon as I arrived, Teterud greeted me.

“So, what now? Are you going in right away?”

“Once everyone’s ready.”

“You’re leading the way again?”

“Does it matter? You’re all coming right behind me anyway.”

“Haha, true enough.”

I stood before the portal.

About ten minutes later, Kyle contacted me through the message stone.

[We’re ready. You can go in now.]

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Even I could feel how rough my breathing had become.

But I focused on the positives.

‘There might be no one there.’

Noark probably thought that even if someone survived, it would only be a few.

‘They’d rather have us return to the city and cause trouble by testifying against the royal family.’

Of course, it’s just a possibility.

They might have stationed troops to thoroughly finish off any survivors.

However…

‘They likely didn’t leave many behind.’

No matter how much equipment they had collected on the first floor, it wouldn’t be enough. Their core forces would be mining mana stones up above.

‘Damn it.’

Even thinking this, I wasn’t sure.

But I stepped forward.

‘It’s not the first time.’

How often have I been certain?

We have no other choice.

If we wait, we’ll just lose strength fighting Abyssal Goblins.

So…

Step.

I took another step and entered the portal.

「You have entered the Goblin Forest on the 2nd floor.」

For a moment, my vision went black.

Soon, I felt the sensation of floating.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a green forest.

“Damn it.”

There was one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.

The good news was that there weren’t many troops nearby.

The bad news was…

‘Damn, these bastards stayed behind.’

My prediction that the core forces would be mining mana stones above was wrong.

Thud.

I landed and observed the three figures in the forest.

I could identify at least two of them just by their appearance.

“The first survivor.”

The one who had destroyed all the portals.

‘The Ruin Scholar’

“Haha, didn’t I say that if we waited, at least one would come? Hey, barbarian! Congratulations. You had a tough time getting here, didn’t you?”

An unknown beast-man.

And…

“Oh, we meet again here!!”

Theman still wearing that white mask from before.

“It seems we’re destined to cross paths, aren’t we?”

‘The Corpse Collector.’

He smiled at me.