Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 83
Sewer (4)
I’m not sure exactly when it started.
But when I noticed,
“Misha? Dwalki? Hikurod?”
Everyone was frozen like statues with their eyes open.
‘What the hell?’
As soon as I asked the question, I saw something I hadn’t seen before.
Thin, long needles.
One was embedded in each of my companions’ necks.
The critical point here was…
‘I probably have one too.’
My neck muscles were stiff.
And that numb sensation was spreading downwards.
“The character has been poisoned with ‘Basilisk Paralysis Poison.'”
“The character’s physical attributes are over 300.”
“The poison’s effect is halved.”
My heart started racing, sensing the threat.
Meanwhile, my brain calmly issued commands.
What I needed to do right now.
Swoosh-
My sturdy arm raised the shield to protect my upper body.
My legs bend slightly, lowering my body’s balance so that I can react at any moment.
“……”
A suffocating silence.
I conserved my breath, focusing on any sounds.
Drip- Drip- Drip-
The sound of water dripping in the distance.
And that was all.
But I was certain.
Just like when I stepped on the Goblin’s trap.
The enemy is surely nearby.
“……”
Several seconds of chilling silence followed.
It felt like every nerve in my body was on edge.
Tat.
Then, a very faint noise.
Hardly a sound of footsteps… more like a pebble rolling in the wind.
‘…An invisibility skill?’
I quickly made a decision.
Whatever it is, the poison is spreading through my body.
Instead of waiting…
“The character has used [Wild Burst].”
It’s better to confront it.
That seemed to have a higher chance of success.
“Bethel—raaaaaaa!!!”
I shouted with all my might.
Of course, unlike monsters, ‘Threat level’ doesn’t necessarily affect humans…
But research on this had already been completed.
[Hmm… It was a strange feeling. My mind knew it wasn’t dangerous, but my body felt like it had to run away…]
When exposed to [Wild Burst], those with weak spirits may feel fear, sometimes leading them to flee instead of being provoked.
However, if the subject is aggressive…
[I felt like I had to defeat you quickly. Oh, that’s before you became huge. After you became a giant, I felt similar to how Dwalki did.]
There’s a possibility of provocation.
So, how would this unknown enemy, hidden in the dark, react?
“A curious feeling, Barbarian.”
Just as I expected.
I suppose that’s my line, though.
I couldn’t tell exactly how, but her voice seemed to come from both in front of and behind me.
Setting aside the problem of not knowing the enemy’s location,
‘Wait, that voice sounds familiar…’
I tensed up.
The voice I just heard was a woman’s.
It was a bit husky, but that was clear.
‘Who could it be?’
My brain began piecing together clues.
An assassin-like figure, using ‘paralysis poison darts’, a ‘woman’…
Then it hit me.
“It’s you.”
The psychopath bitch I met in the Land of the Dead.
It had to be her.
Maybe she didn’t intend to hide her identity?
“…I didn’t think you could tell me apart by my voice.”
Then, she appeared in front of me.
Her figure was sleek, slightly over 170 cm tall.
Fiery red hair and a half-cut right earlobe. Everything about her was the same, except that she was wearing casual clothes.
Thud.
She took a step forward, closing the gap.
Honestly, I was sweating bullets.
Though I had grown explosively and even earned the nickname ‘Little Balkan’…
“You’ve gotten much stronger, Barbarian. To still move after being hit with that.”
But still, I was nowhere near her level.
‘An adventurer from the 8th floor, even capable of using aura…’
Alone, I stood no chance.
But I had no intention of just dying.
I strengthen my hands that hold my shield and mace, steeling my frightened mind.
She asked, looking at me.
“Are you not running because of your companions?”
Typical of a psychopath, her curiosity was chilling.
“First, a question from me. I kept our deal, so why do you want to kill me now?”
I asked, swallowing hard.
I was curious about her motives. Knowing them might reveal some other way out.
But then…
“Want to kill you?”
She frowned, tilting her head.
“You’re the one who opened the door and entered first, Barbarian.”
“…Door?”
“Tell me. Who told you about this place?”
‘What is she talking about?’
The conversation was off-track from the start.
I asked directly.
“I don’t understand, so explain it simply. What do you mean by intrusion? What is this place?”
The woman frowned again.
She seemed to finally realize there was a significant misunderstanding in our conversation.
“…How did you open the door?”
“If you mean that magical thing in the sewer, I smashed it with my mace.”
“Smashed it…?”
“Is there a problem?”
The woman closed her eyes for a moment at my confident question, then shook her head in understanding.
“No, there isn’t.”
As a top explorer, it seems she doesn’t blindly believe in magic Dwalki or the Dwarf
But she was still curious about my reasons and asked.
“Why did you smash it?”
“Because this bitch fled here.”
I naturally put down Elisha, whom I had been carrying.
Truth be told, she had been a nuisance since earlier.
I would have put her down sooner, but there wasn’t a chance. She would definitely be in the way if a fight broke out.
“…The recently wanted priestess of Carui.”
“Good to know you’re aware. So, is the misunderstanding cleared?”
“The misunderstanding is cleared.”
“That’s a relief. It was nice meeting you. We’ll be on our way now. Oh, and don’t bother with the potion. I’ll take care of the rest—”
“Stop, I can’t just let you go after you found out about this place.”
“…Even if I destroy any video recordings and swear to keep everything that happened today a secret?”
“It’s a different situation than before.”
Damn… I guess it’s not going to work.
I cleared my mind of any weakness.
Now that I’ve heard her confirmation, there’s only one option left for me.
So—
Click.
I started taking off my armor.
“…What are you doing all of a sudden?”
Regardless of her confusion.
I unbuckled my bracers, took off my helmet and boots, and threw them aside carelessly.
And then…
“Listen.”
I addressed her.
Thankfully, she was willing to engage in conversation.
“…?”
Her eyes seemed to say, “Speak if you have something to say.
I quickly continued.
“Do you know the two ways to really piss someone off?”
“…What?”
“The first is to start saying something and not finish. And the other one is…”
“The other one is…?”
I don’t know.
No one ever told me the second one.
“Bethel—raaaaaaa!!!”
I dashed forward with all my might.
Hoping to distract her even slightly.
I drew my mace-wielding arm back over my shoulder.
After a moment’s hesitation, the woman smirks as if she’s caught on to my trick.
“You’re a funny one.”
Of course, a dash from this distance wouldn’t faze someone like her.
But what about this?
Whack-!
I swung my arm forward and hurled the mace at her.
Swoosh!
As expected, she dodged it.
She quickly maneuvered her body to avoid the mace and looked at me as if wondering what I was going to do.
“…?”
Clearly, she hadn’t expected a barbarian to start by throwing his weapon…
Without hesitation, I threw my remaining shield as well.
Whish!!
The shield spun like a discus, flying through the air with a speed incomparable to the mace.
However…
“…!”
She effortlessly dodged the shield too, bending her waist backward in a display of unnecessary agility.
I wasn’t disappointed; it was all part of the plan.
Dash!
Taking advantage of the momentary gap created by the thrown mace and shield, I dashed forward again.
My physical attributes, now surpassing those of an ordinary human, quickly closed the distance.
‘Now.’
I reached out my hand, just like I did when sliding towards Elisha.
Her expression remained relaxed.
Just a look of ‘are you seeing this?’
Dash-
She easily stepped back three steps, perfectly avoiding my grasp.
Again, I wasn’t disappointed.
I had expected as much, extending my hand so obviously.
‘As I thought.’
The corridor, being narrow and linear, didn’t give her much room.
A large barbarian charging at her only left her the option to retreat.
Naturally, she moved just enough to dodge, a characteristic of someone who pursued efficiency at a high level.
‘Time for Plan A.’
So, I timed it right and cast [Giant Growth].
A combination inspired by my dramatic survival against Liakis.
“The character casts [Giant Growth].”
As my body expanded, my arms lengthened accordingly.
The distance that was once three steps away was now within immediate reach.
“…!”
For the first time, a hint of panic flickered across her face.
Without hesitation, I grabbed her shoulder and yanked her towards me.
She resisted, but…
“You.”
The strength that once overwhelmed me was no longer a match.
Back then, I was just a level 1 barbarian with no essence.
“You should work on your strength.”
Powered by the strength from the corpse golem, vampire, and orc hero, she was helplessly dragged closer.
“Gah!”
I firmly gripped her neck to prevent escape and punched her in the face.
Thump!
The heavy sound and feeling of the punch were satisfying.
Of course, one punch wasn’t enough to subdue her.
So…
‘One more time.’
I quickly recoiled my fist for another strike.
But at that moment…
My heightened reflexes caught her movement. She had regained her senses and was swinging a dagger at me.
‘Is she trying to cut off my entire forearm?’
I quickly made a decision.
She’s an aura user.
So physical resistance, bone density, magic resistance – none of it matters. That dagger will definitely cut through my arm before it can reach her.
So…
‘Time for Plan B.’
I stopped my extended punch.
It wasn’t about preserving myself at this point; it just wasn’t rational to take unnecessary damage.
I’m not afraid of getting hurt.
If it’s necessary for survival.
‘Flesh Explosion.’
As I finished visualizing the plan in my mind.
A powerful explosion erupted from the hand gripping her.
Boom!
The exploding flesh.
And the acidic blood.
Hiss!
The woman grimaced in pain but didn’t utter a sound.
Did she lack pain resistance?
She might withstand the pain, but for a brief moment, her movements stiffened.
‘Good, back to Plan A.’
Dodging the swung dagger, I punched her in the abdomen.
It was a now-or-never opportunity, and I continued relentlessly.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
True to her glass-cannon nature, she soon reacted.
“…!”
Blood spilled from her mouth, possibly indicating internal injuries.
Seeing this, a rush of excitement surged through me.
Damn, could I really beat her—
“Amelia Rainweilz casts [Self-Replication].”
Just as my brain registered hope.
My instincts sounded an alarm, warning me.
The reason was simple.
“Barbarian.”
…Why am I hearing her voice from behind?
She’s right here in my grasp.
Dash!
Unwittingly, I stopped my assault and turned around. A woman, identical to the one in my hold, was rushing towards me.
‘Damn it.’
I wasn’t concerned about how this was possible.
[Self-Replication].
A super-rare essence obtainable only from the ‘Doppelganger Forest’ guardian on the 4th floor.
“Since you consumed the vampire essence, this should be fine.”
The woman in my grip muttered.
Then, at that moment.
“Amelia Rainweilz casts [Asura’s Rage].”
Her double leaped up, spinning in mid-air and planting a kick right in my face.
Boom!
It felt like my head was blasted off.
Wait, did it actually fly off?
Thud.
A heavy impact near my ear.
My vision blacked out.
Like a phone shutting off when the battery dies, my consciousness faded.
“Damn it…”
***
“Passive skill [Source of Darkness] prevents character death until the heart is destroyed.”
“Character’s regeneration massively increases due to the [Immortal] effect.”
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