Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 281

Adrift (1)

[Priest of the Storm]

This skill has three main effects.

1.Temporary Invincibility

The caster becomes immune to damage until the skill gauge is fully charged.

In some aspects, it’s a high-value skill.

Even though movement is impossible during this state, invincibility is still invincibility. In the game, it could be used to perform super plays.

2. Increased Defense Stats

Once casting is complete, the caster gains a substantial amount of defense stats evenly. Combining this with temporary invincibility makes it an excellent survival skill.

However, that’s not all.

3. Area of Effect

This is an area-of-effect attack that lasts until the [Priest of the Storm] mode ends.

The damage output is extremely high, making it more than just a simple survival skill.

The best defense is a good offense.

“It’s coming.”

As I raised my shield to eye level and crouched down, the storm barrier surrounding the monster slowly expanded, engulfing the entire sanctuary.

「100%」

This effect change signaled that the skill charging was complete.

Whoooosh!

A fierce wind enveloped my body. 

It wasn’t as disorienting as being in the eye of a storm, but…

「The character is taking damage.」

「The character is taking damage.」

「The character is taking damag…」

「…….」

It felt as if invisible blades, glowing white, were hidden in the swirling wind, striking my armor and body.

This is why I sent my comrades ahead. 

Such AoE attacks can’t be blocked with a shield.

Thwack, thwack, thwack! Boom!

Arms, back, shoulders, waist, thighs, calves. 

It felt like dozens of people were constantly throwing snowballs filled with rocks at me from all directions.

‘Yes, that’s about it.’

Considering my physical resistance and magic resistance.

These cumulative tick damage attacks hardly affect me.

But what about Amelia?

She probably doesn’t have as high physical resistance as I do…

‘What the hell, she’s dodging everything.’

Surprisingly, she was evading each attack. 

What kind of agility stat does one need to have such reflexes and dynamic vision?

‘I asked her to come because she said she could do it, but this is really something.’

Not that I was envious, of course. Why would I be?

“You seem busy.”

Amelia didn’t respond to my remark. 

Does she want me to focus instead of making small talk?

[Roar!]

The maimed monster, with one arm cut off, roared more menacingly than ever and charged at me.

It’s the effect of my ‘Threat Level.’

If it were a human using that skill, it would’ve targeted Amelia first.

Boom!

As I braced the monstrous body with my shield, I was pushed back. 

But such large moves always create openings.

Stab!

Amelia stabbed a dagger from behind. 

The increased defense stats prevented the blade from sinking in as deeply as before.

And…

‘It doesn’t even flinch anymore.’

Even after being stabbed, the creature swung its front paw at me without hesitation.

Whoosh!

That’s the tricky part of the [Storm Priest] mode. 

Proving that the best defense is a good offense.

Increasing defense stats is almost like increasing in attack power.

It allows you to focus solely on offense instead of defense.

Quickly, I dodged to the side, creating some distance. 

Earlier, the monster would have used [Dragon Vein] or [Eye of the Storm].

But now, there was no need to worry about follow-up attacks.

This world is harsh; to gain something, you must give up something.

[Storm Priest] also has penalties.

[Roar!]

Sure, scream all you want.

‘You can’t use any skills right now anyway.’

In this phase, the stormgush can only rely on physical attacks and that area-of-effect skill.

In-game, the duration is about 10 minutes.

‘If we can’t kill it within that time, we retreat immediately.’

The raid will fail the moment it can use skills again.

It’ll start using all sorts of troublesome skills, and its wounds will slowly heal after this mode ends.

With just one main damage dealer, Amelia, its recovery will outpace our damage.

Therefore…

「The character has cast [Swing].」

I used my skills liberally without worrying about the remaining MP. Regular attacks wouldn’t even distract it.

“Amelia!”

Whether we can kill it or not depends on how well the main damage dealer performs.

“…Tch.”

Amelia clicked her tongue and swung her dagger again. Her expression clearly showed she wanted to just get it over with.

‘Tch, that’s the problem with those who have everything.’

I couldn’t understand. 

Why just endure for 10 minutes when there’s a huge reward for defeating it?

If we succeed, we’d…

‘Ah, she has nothing to gain from the essence.’

I realized Amelia’s lack of enthusiasm. 

She probably had all her slots filled with essences already.

And with the mage gone, even if the essence dropped, we couldn’t contain it, nor sell it to share the proceeds.

She’s from Noark. After today.

She probably hopes we never meet again after today.

“If we succeed in defeating this creature, I won’t claim ownership of Belverson‘s equipment!”

I provided new motivation.

But then, what’s this?

“…Were you planning to claim ownership?”

Amelia’s innocent question baffled me. 

So, she intended to keep it all for herself?

Despite only coming in at the end and dealing the final blow?

“…Carmilla agreed that you guys would take it, and I would get the rest, right?”

Yes, I heard about that arrangement. 

But you didn’t make that deal with me, did you?

“I don’t know anything about that!”

I shouted as I dodged Stormgush’s claws, making Amelia mutter quietly.

“…I see.”

I think I understood her meaning this time.

She could probably already see my barbarian-style stubbornness coming into play later.

Thanks to that, her eyes showed a slight spark of determination.

As an employer, this was a highly desirable situation.

Thud-!

Thus, the battle continued more aggressively.

Even though I had already started talking about loot and counting my chickens before they hatched, the odds were still fifty-fifty.

Either we would defeat it within the time limit, or we would fail and have to flee, enduring all the hardship and losses.

It’s still hard to predict the outcome.

All I can do is hope for the former and move my body diligently.

“Bethel—raaaaahhh!!”

Sweat and blood trickled down my skin. 

But there is no time to rest. 

The more I annoyed the monster, the more I could help Amelia, who was putting in all her efforts in this tightrope battle.

Thud-!

The monster’s claws struck my shoulder.

Crack.

My chest plate, losing its seams, shattered and fell to the ground.

‘Damn repair costs.’

My hands shook, but I tried to think positively. 

Wasn’t the armor already damaged beyond repair?

Avoiding that hit wouldn’t have significantly reduced the repair costs…

“Amelia!”

Ignoring me after knocking me away, the monster swung its tail at Amelia.

Thud.

Luckily, she jumped up just in time to avoid it…

Stab!

But one of the hidden daggers in the storm struck her body.

It wasn’t surprising. 

Initially, she dodged every attack, but as the battle dragged on, injuries accumulated.

However…

“Ugh.”

This one hit her thigh in a bad spot. Blood gushed out, indicating it might have hit an artery.

But the real problem was elsewhere.

Thud.

Amelia’s mobility was compromised.

‘Damn it.’

As expected, her injuries prevented her from attacking as aggressively as before, reducing our DPS (damage per second).

‘At this rate, we won’t be able to kill it.’

My mind raced. Should we change our strategy? Should we just hold out and run? What about my repair costs? Who would compensate for our efforts?

‘…Let’s push a bit more.’

I quickly ended my contemplation and made a decision. 

Just as our condition had worsened, it was clear that the monster was also cornered.

[Human.]

Then, for the first time, the monster spoke, its eyes filled with anger.

[Humannnn—!!!]

The strange spirit of it made my body freeze.

‘This kind of dialogue… Wait, was this monster supposed to talk?’

I couldn’t recall any such memory. Maybe it was a change with the recent patch?

Anyway, I’ll think about it later. It’s not important now.

「Character has deactivated [Gigantification].」

「Character has activated [Gigantification].」

I swiftly switched modes to normal Gigantification. 

I can’t use [Transcendence] during Gigantification (Transcendent).

「Character has activated [Transcend].」

A crucial difference.

To close this gap, what we need now is not a tank but damage.

「The next skill used will be enhanced.」

I didn’t have many skills to choose from. So, which one to use?

‘Leap.’

Not this one. It might be useful against ranged enemies with fragile bodies, but it wouldn’t significantly deplete the monster’s health.

‘Swing.’

This one isn’t right either. 

Even with [Transcendence], it only increases the range, not the damage itself.

It’s meaningless.

An essence that had never existed in my growth plan.

Yet, I accidentally acquired it, and it has provided countless benefits throughout my journey.

「Character has activated [Flesh Explosion].」

Yes, this one might work.

[Due to the power of the Transcendent, the inherent ability of the skill is unlocked]

I cast the skill and leaped forward.

This is no longer an instant skill.

「Explodes after 3 seconds…」

A 3-second delay. But in return…

「Explosion damage is significantly increased.」

The damage is drastically increased. Ridiculously so.

‘It was around 35 times more, if I recall correctly?’

I’ve only calculated it once or twice while researching [Transcendence], but if my memory is correct, there aren’t many skills in [Dungeon & Stone] that increase damage this much.

Of course, the pure damage is still low. 

It’s originally a skill designed to spread [Acidic Fluid], so its explosion power is low. Even a 35x increase wouldn’t deplete 3% of a tier 3 monster’s health.

But right now, that’s enough.

Thud.

I dashed forward once more, grabbing the monster’s neck with both arms, entering what I called the Barbarian Suicide Bomber mode.

[Humannnn-!!]

The monster roared, struggling to shake me off.

Oh, did it just open its mouth willingly?

I dropped my mace and quickly thrust my hand into its maw.

Crunch-!

The monster immediately bit down on my hand with its thick teeth, as if asking if I was insane.

But it made a mistake. I’m a barbarian, not a human.

‘Anyway, the time’s up.’

As I counted the seconds internally, the hand bitten by the monster exploded.

Even Though…

There were no accompanying flames with the explosion.

Boom-!

If this isn’t an explosion, what is?

****

The moment the explosion erupted, my body was flung into the air. It was that powerful.

Thud-!

My heavy body crashed to the ground, and I hurriedly lifted my head to look at the monster’s location. The winds had died down, suggesting…

Whoosh.

Stormgush’s body was disintegrating into a glowing mist and scattering.

「You have defeated Stormgush +EXP 7」

So, we killed it.

「Achievement Unlocked」

Condition: First tier 3 monster defeated.

Reward: Permanent +1 increase to Mental Stat.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been living as a barbarian for so long?

I felt a deep sense of mental satisfaction from the victory.

But unfortunately.

“……!!!”

That satisfaction didn’t last long.

An indescribable pain engulfed my entire body.

The cause was clear.

「All defense stats are temporarily sealed.」

A side effect of Flesh Explosion (Transcendence).

Damn, I hadn’t considered that my pain resistance would vanish as well.

‘Damn it, fu…’

The vivid pain I felt for the first time in ages left me unable to even scream, my mouth just opening and closing silently.

“Barbarian, are you okay?”

Through my blurred vision, Amelia’s face came into view.

And…

“Lucky you.”

She said something meaningful.

It didn’t seem like she was just referring to our survival or the success of defeating the monster.

Ah, could it be…

“An essence…?”

“Yes, it appeared.”

Really?

I lifted my head a bit more to check.

Floating in the air was a deep navy essence. I hadn’t noticed it before due to my unfocused eyes…

‘…Hallelujah.’

I immediately crawled towards the essence.

The overwhelming pain surging through my body?

Who cares about that?

Humans are creatures that can be blinded by greed in any situation.

“…Shouldn’t you get treated first?”

Treatment can wait.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had a limb smashed.

“Essennceeee…”

“You’re a funny guy.”

Ignoring Amelia’s words, I crawled towards the essence as if possessed.

「Stormgush’s essence has permeated your soul.」

「Strength increased by +90.」

「Agility increased by +55.」

「Physical resistance increased by +75.」

「Natural regeneration increased by +50.」

「Lung capacity increased by +40.」

「Lightning resistance decreased by -30.」

「…….」

A powerful strength that seemed to surge from within my body.

I was basking in that pleasant fullness.

“Now, drink a potion.”

Amelia opened her subspace bracelet.

It was at that moment.

Whoooosh!

Brilliant light streamed out from the entrance of the subspace.

Even I, who knows little about magic, found it strange.

Putting a glowing item into a subspace wouldn’t cause this kind of phenomenon.

So… what is it?

“……”

Amelia seemed just as puzzled, quickly reaching inside to search.

She pulled out an object.

“Why is this happening now…?”

It was a stone, radiating pure white light.