Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 419

Eye of the Storm (1)

Karyadea, the Glacier Mage.

An Elder Lich classified as a Level 3 monster—a high-level Named mutant.

Its summoning conditions are very simple.

[Special Condition – Momentary stimulus has been fulfilled]

All you had to do was cast a level 1 space-time spell between 5 and 10 days before the 7th floor closes.

As the violently shaking canyon came to a halt, monsters crawled up from the bottom of the cliffs, hands outstretched.

“What the hell! Why are monsters appearing?!”

“Wait, these aren’t the ones that showed up here before.”

“Skeletons…? There are skeletons here?”

For a moment, everyone was stunned by the sudden appearance of these monsters.

But the crew, already in battle formation, quickly swung their weapons, pushing back the monsters.

And then…

“Jandel, what have you done!”

The team leaders around me asked in desperation.

“I used space-time magic to activate one of Gabrielius’ achievements.”

“…Why would you do that?”

“Because when it comes to dealing with monsters, we’re at a greater advantage than those Noark bastards.”

The answer didn’t come from James, but from Jun.

“What you’re saying is that if we have to fight the same monsters, we’re in a relatively better position.”

“Exactly. They don’t have priests or mages. We can maintain this distance until we exit the Glacier’s eye”

No, it’s not just about maintaining distance. We might even be able to increase it. The skeletons are climbing up from below, so the Noark bastards following us from below will have to deal with the skeletons we leave behind. The only variable is Kariadea, the boss-level monster…

‘It’ll take it at least a day to climb up from below, so we don’t need to worry about it for now.’

“Does that make things clearer for you?”

“Yes.”

At my answer, Jun nodded as if it was a plausible plan, while James still seemed unhappy.

“Is this what you meant by taking the ‘hard path’? Our frontliners don’t even have proper equipment right now. The losses will be huge!”

He’s not entirely wrong. Most of our front-line fighters aren’t wearing armor anymore.

Some would inevitably fall. But…

“Still, it’s better than facing those guys head-on in this condition. Now return to your positions.”

I made it clear that I wouldn’t entertain any objections, and James finally asked me one last question.

“Even so… once we reach the summit of the Glacier Eye, what will change?”

Really, what kind of question is that?

“It will change.”

“Many things will.”

He seemed taken aback by my confident response, his expression blank.

Hmm, is he weak to strong statements?I don’t know, but instead of explaining in detail, I spoke to him with even more conviction.

“So trust me and follow.”

“…Understood.”

Alright, looks like that’s settled.

“What are you all standing around for? Go take care of your team members.”

After sending the team leaders back to their positions, I made my way to the front of the formation. After all, that’s where I belong.
“Mister, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“What? You’re not going to stop me this time?”

“But… you have the same look in your eyes as you did back in the Crystal Cave…”

Hmm, I didn’t see myself in the mirror back then, so I don’t know. I hope the outcome is similar to last time.

[Character has cast Gigantification]

Starting with my default combat mode, I increase in size while raising my shield and hammer. But since I’ve discarded my armour and am wearing only fur clothes…

‘Wow, I really look like a barbarian.’

This is the (True) Barbarian Mode.

“Jandel, we’re ready to move out!”

Just as Kaislan, who had returned to his position, reported, I stepped forward. And then…

“Ah.”

I momentarily flinched when I saw the skeleton blocking my path.

‘Right, I don’t need to hide anymore’

Good, at least that’s one positive. Let’s go.

“Betheraaaaaa!”

Believing that the blessing of our ancestors is with me,

I charge forward, shielding my entire upper body with my shield.

Thud! Thud!

My heavy footsteps rumble the ground as I run.

Oh, by the way, I’m the only one at the front.

The rest of the frontliners, including the close-range fighters, have been sent to the sides and rear to defend.

“Push them back!”

The members following behind deal with the skeletons climbing up from the sides and the cliffs.

“Ahhh!”

“Die, you bastards!”

“Ugh…!”

Amid the desperate sounds of battle, groans occasionally mix with the shouts.

Well, it’s unavoidable.

The frontline troops had all discarded their armor.

Skeuk

A skeleton’s rib pierced through someone’s skin as it passed by.

[Riard Ashid has cast a Level 5 curse magic: Regeneration Block.]

Fearing the reverse effect of natural regeneration, mages keep casting curses on our allies, but it’s like urinating on frostbitten feet.

It only temporarily prevents the wounds from worsening. The injuries themselves don’t heal.

Rip!

The torn wounds open wider with each violent movement, and the unhealed wounds cause endless bleeding.

Meanwhile, the wounds fester and rot. No matter how much curse magic is used, natural regeneration can’t be reduced to zero.

“Uwaaaaah!”

An hour, two hours, three hours.

As the time spent fighting the monsters increased, so did the number of injuries among the expedition members.

Even the smallest of wounds were catching on, causing a vicious cycle of further injuries.

Of course, if we had used mana shields, we wouldn’t have been hurt like this.

But…

‘That’s like drinking seawater when you’re thirsty.’

How could we possibly cast mana shields on this many people?

Three hours would definitely drain all our mana—

Crash!

Damn, I really can’t take my eyes off the front. The situation at the rear is serious, but I’m not exactly in a better position.

“Betheraaaaaa!”

I’m using all my strength to push through the monsters and clear a path.

The energy drain is extreme. No, actually, it’s not just energy—if it weren’t for [Evolved Shell] and [Soul Dive], my MP would have run out long ago, and [Gigantification] would have deactivated.

‘Ugh, damn it.’

Not to mention, I’m also accumulating injuries.

Even though my physical resistance makes me practically immune to damage from these low-level mobs… skeletons don’t just deal physical damage.

The bone explosions, which count as frost damage, made me bleed even if it hit right in front of me.

“Jandel! There’s another one up ahead!”

Not long after I dealt with one, a giant skeleton appeared.

It’s four heads taller than me in [Gigantification], so it could be classified as a large type, but this one is considered medium.

There’s a separate category for large skeletons.

Thud! Thud!

With red glowing eyes, it climbed up the cliff out of the darkness.

“Mi, Mil! That thing is climbing up again!”

“Priests!!”

Once again, before it could climb all the way up, the priests continuously cast holy spells to knock it down.

[Gwoooaaaaaah—!!!]

The giant skeleton let out a deafening roar as it fell down.

I don’t feel particularly relieved.

Obviously it’ll be back in a few minutes, looking for something to eat.

Crunch!

I use [Swing] to smash the skull of a medium-sized skeleton that is blocking my path.

Then I use my shield to smash through the bone bastards and clear the way.

With no time to catch my breath, I continue to push forward, and for some reason, I start to laugh.

Not because I’m happy, but because if I don’t laugh, I feel like I’ll lose my mind.

Snap!

My muscles scream in pain.

Crunch!

My head feels numb.

“Uwaaaaah!”

My body mechanically repeats what it’s been doing.

Holding onto as many positive thoughts as I can,

‘At least the good thing is that they haven’t caught up to us yet.’

It’s been almost four hours since the monster wave started.

The distance-tracking magic is useless because of the monsters, but so far, the pursuers haven’t caught up to us.

Well, those bastards probably don’t want to get hurt either.

‘They’re probably moving as defensively as possible.’

Meanwhile, we’re burning through our bodies like coal about to turn to ash.

Even if I get more injured, the expedition must keep moving forward.

With that mindset, I keep clearing the path. It would be unfair if we got caught now.

Stumble!

At that moment, my legs give out, and I barely manage to keep my balance.

‘…Did I lose too much blood?’

Hmm, probably.

Right now, my body is like a slashed water bag.

Wounds that would normally scab over in seconds are scattered all over my body, bleeding profusely.

So…

‘If this continues, it’s going to be dangerous…’

I made a decision. Survival is about choosing the lesser of two evils.

“Marone, cauterize my wounds.”

“…What, what did you say?”

“I think we need to stop the bleeding now.”

“St, stop the bleeding? What kind of absurd… No, how can you say something like that without even changing your expression!”

The mage was horrified by my request.

Aside from the pain, there’s the risk of the burned areas rotting and becoming irreparable. But that’s nothing new. The wounds are already rotting anyway…

“We’ll heal completely once we reach the top.”

Reaching our destination is the priority.

“At worst, even divine power might not be able to fix it. You could end up with permanent damage…”

Marone, realizing she couldn’t change my mind, started making excuses.

Tch, she sounds like a doctor telling me to quit drinking and smoking. Like a true barbarian, I let it go in one ear and out the other.

“Still better than dying here.”

“I’ll do it. Fine. But I don’t get it. Why are you going this far…”

She clenched her fists, clearly not understanding.

Tch, is her memory bad even though she’s a mage?

Why doesn’t she get it?

“We made a promise before we set out.”

“I’ll handle the hardest parts, so just follow me.”

“Ah…”

Marone stood there with her mouth open, then, as if she had made up her mind, summoned flame magic into her hand.

And then…

I laughed almost like a sob, trying to focus on the positive.

Well, at least I’m not cold anymore.

One hour, two hours, three hours…

As the grueling journey continued, I got to see another side of the team members.

Huh, I thought they were just a bunch of sunfish. Turns out, they’re more like tough little chicks.

“Can you cauterize my wounds too?”

“I’d like to use ice magic, please. It’ll probably hurt less.”

After seeing me stop the bleeding without potions, the frontline, who had called me a madman earlier, started following my lead. Some even went further than I did.

“Just cut off this arm.”

At Puta Rickerburn’s words, the priest paused before asking again.

“…What?”

‘I’m not an idiot. If it’s this rotten, even divine power won’t fix it, right? I’ve lost all feeling in it anyway.”

“Uh… well, even so, maybe you should think about it again…”

“Don’t make that face. There’s no one-armed man in this world without a story. I’ve seen plenty of one-armed guys, and losing an arm for this kind of story is a bargain.”

Even the barbarian next to him was stunned by this cost-benefit analysis.

But it was precisely because of that kind of calculation that we finally managed to reach the summit of the Glacier Eye.

[Field Effect – Eye of the Glacier has been lifted]

The moment we had been desperately hoping for.

Thud!

The warriors, on the verge of exhaustion, collapsed as they crossed the final hill.

Though their conditions were indescribably horrific, they wore the brightest smiles they had ever shown.

“We made it…”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck… We really made it, we’re here…”

“What are you all doing! Mages, quickly dispel the curse magic! We need to start healing right away!”

The priests, who had been forced to helplessly watch their desperate struggle, summoned all their remaining divine power, looking like they might collapse at any moment.

“You’ve worked hard. Really.”

“Your arm… it’s going to be tough. I’m sorry.”

The priest looked at the frontliners with a guilty look on his face.

“Sigh, I thought as much. It’s all right, don’t worry about it.”

Kaislan then cautiously made a request to the priest.

“Hey, I know it’s tough, but there’s one thing I’d like to ask…”

“Go ahead.”

“Even if it’s just once, could you pray for them with all your heart?”

“Pray… you mean?”

“Yeah, for those who didn’t make it here.”

“…Of course.”

The priests knelt, clasped their hands together, and began to pray devoutly.

The other members, who had been lying down to rest, also got up and made the sign of the cross. Even the dwarves, beast tribe, fairies, and I, who don’t believe in human gods, did the same.

Though I didn’t cross my chest like they did.

I closed my eyes, offered a moment of silence, and prayed sincerely.

Whether it’s the ancestors, the guardian god, or the World Tree.

Whoever is listening, please…

“…May they rest in peace.”

Guide them to the resting place they desire.

The current surviving members of the expedition: twenty-two.

While breaking through the Glacier Eye aside from the summoner Milburn Naria, two more died.

The environment was too harsh to overcome with just the will to burn flesh and cut off limbs.

‘Matt Hybrid.’

A paladin from the 4th team.

‘Pasible Eric Colson.’

The other was a knight from the 5th team. He was a friend and subordinate who had served with Kaislan for over ten years.

“Kaislan…”

“Haha, don’t make that face. He fulfilled his duty as a soldier. He probably doesn’t feel too wronged.”

“…Too wronged? How can that be?”

“At least you were there. So, he kept moving forward to survive until the very end, right? That’s… not a meaningless death.”

“He didn’t die following the royal family that abandoned us. He died following me… and you.”

“Is that so…”

“I’m fine, so you should do what you need to do.”

After the brief prayer, we returned to our tasks.

The priests continued healing the warriors. The mages drew magic circles on the ground. And I…

“Wait! You can’t move yet!”

“I’m fine now, so focus on healing the others first.”

“What are you talking about! You’re in the worst condition!”

What are they saying? If I were really that bad, I wouldn’t be able to move.

Ignoring the priest’s shouts, I checked the condition of the expedition. I hadn’t had time to worry about the rear while frantically clearing the path.

“Akuraba.”

After glancing around, I headed to where Akuraba was.

“How much food do we have left?”

“None.”
.
“Looks like you managed to eat jerky even while fighting.”

“…Wasn’t it you who forced us to eat it no matter what?”

“You all did well.”

I changed the subject.

“Where do you think they are now?”

“Hmm… I’m curious about that too. Seeing how stubbornly they followed, I doubt they’ll give up easily.”

“Is that so…”

“I’ll keep an eye on the Eye of the Glacier.

So, rest. If you collapse, this expedition is over…”

After talking with Akuraba, I finally received treatment from the priest and then lay down near the entrance of the Eye of the Glacier.

“You’ve worked hard… Mister.”

The peace felt almost unreal compared to the hellish time we had just endured.

Even the cold snow beneath my back felt warm.

But as always, the sweet moments passed quickly.

“Jandel! They’re here!”

At Akuraba’s shout, the resting members quickly got up and formed their battle lines.

Whoosh! Boom!

A flare shot into the air, illuminating the dark cliff below.

Twelve pursuers climbing the hill came into view.

Contrary to my expectations, they were in perfect condition.

They had maintained their formation while fighting the skeletons and showed no signs of injury.

They didn’t even look emaciated, as they had eaten well.

Unlike us, who had arrived with rotting legs and could barely move.

Well, it’s understandable.

‘Right, they took it easy, so they’re only arriving now.’

I gritted my teeth and looked down.

They were looking up at us too.

With a look of confusion, it was obvious what they were thinking.

They must have found it strange that the vanguard blocking their path wasn’t wearing armor.

Sneer.

The dragon slayer whispered something to his companions and then smirked at me.

What, are they mocking me?

That’s a bit funny.

‘Do they still not realize their situation?’

Why do you think I was willing to discard my equipment and run?

It was a decision made after carefully considering the future. Here, the field advantage outweighs equipment.

[Character has entered a special area.]
[Field Effect – Eye of the Glacier has been applied]

Okay, so the field effect starts here.

Step.

I took one step back and stopped at the boundary line, then grinned and shouted.

“Prepare for battle!!”

Now, it’s your turn to suffer a bit.