Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 98

Barbarian Trophy (5)

Regrettably, my quarter-final opponent was not the last of the Knight Trio.

Well, he lost in the second round.

I had the feeling that he lost on purpose.

‘I guess I couldn’t provide physical therapy to that one.’

Anyway, since there was no need to aim for the head this time, I smashed the opponent’s sword with my double-bladed axe as soon as the duel began.

But perhaps he didn’t want to lose to a barbarian?

“Ah, not yet!”

Even after losing his sword, he showed the will to continue the duel with his bare hands. So, I also ditched my axe and simply snapped his spine.

“The winner is Bjorn Jandel of Baron Martoin!”

It was a bloodless victory, yet the audience’s reaction was not bad.

“Wowww!”

“Knight Crusher, Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Jandel”

Apparently the sight of a person being folded in half was quite stimulating to them.

The Baron shared similar sentiments.

Upon returning to the tent, his eyes widened, and he asked eagerly.

“Do you know? It was chilling! Throwing a man in the air and then catching him with your knee, where did you learn that move?”

Well, if I had to answer, I saw it in a comic once.

Although I didn’t realize it was physically possible until today.

I guess nothing is impossible for a Barbarian.

“I’ll take a little rest before the next match.”

“Huh? Oh, of course.”

I excused myself and took a brief nap, not because I was sleepy…

‘Only one match left now.’

As the final goal was in sight, my heart began to beat faster.

****

The long-awaited final match was about to begin.

“Sir Albatross of Count Ferdehilt and Bjorn Jandel of Baron Martoin, please take your seats!”

My opponent was an apprentice knight under Count Ferdehilt, the host of the feast who had encouraged me to enter the tournament.

As for the aftermath, that was uncertain.

But I wasn’t too worried about the duel itself.

After watching previous matches, I had a good understanding of my opponent.

“Pleased to meet you.”

The large knight, holding a massive greatsword, greeted me briefly.

Looking at him, I smirked.

‘I think I can guess what kind of person the Count is.’

Knights are different from explorers.

For them, essence is just a means to enhance their swordsmanship. Therefore, they usually choose essences related to physical attributes, but the combination varies from family to family.

Although systematic research has established several efficient combinations as standards…
Characters often have a ‘concept’.

‘Orc Warlord, Giant Golem, and Cyclops, huh…’

The opponent is a typical power knight.

Perhaps because they had the priest in mind, he seemed to have prioritized physical resistance over regenerative abilities and used his high strength to equip a full set of Litinium armor, a second-tier material.

He was essentially a walking tank.

‘The Count really spared no expense for his apprentice knight.’

While marveling at the Count’s taste, I was also astonished by his wealth.

One essence of grade 7 and two of grade 6.

The count must have bought essences in test tubes and fed them to him, but how much did that cost?

‘Including the gear he’s wearing, he’s probably beyond the level of a third-floor adventurer.’

It suddenly struck me that the Count might not have even considered my chances of winning.

His level was indeed exceptional among the participants, most of whom were only level 2 and possessed grade 7 essences at best.

“Why have you come unarmed?”

Anyway, just before the duel started, when we were facing each other’s weapons, my opponent asked me a question.

He seemed curious about me appearing with only a single axe, unlike in previous duels.

I answered briefly.

“It’s just more comfortable.”

It wasn’t a statement meant to insult; it was simply true.

Clunky plate boots, an overly designed helmet, belts, shoulder guards, etc. – Not only do they offer questionable defensive capabilities, but they also impede movement.

“That makes sense. Wearing all that, it would be difficult to fight as usual.”

Luckily, my opponent listened to me without taking offense.

But that was about it.

“I was worried it might end too easily, but it seems you’re taking this seriously, which is reassuring.”

His relaxed expression and tone suggested confidence that no matter what I did, he would be the winner.

I felt no need to prolong the conversation.

“That’s good then.”

It was better if he underestimated me.

Swoosh.

We separated our weapons and created some distance.

The referee then raised the flag, signaling that we could begin attacking each other.

“Come at me.”

My opponent assumed a knightly stance and unsheathed his sword.

Watching him, it seemed like he was playing out a scenario in his mind:

A barbarian who has shown such overwhelming force that he has earned the title of ‘Knight Crusher’.

A real knight winning a graceful, noble victory over such a barbarian.

The cheers of the crowd and the recognition of his lord.

A rosy future stretched out before him like a boulevard.

I couldn’t help but smirk.

It was evident how easy this guy’s life had been.

Whether or not my guess was accurate didn’t matter.

The more you yearn for something, the more desperate you should be.

When things go well, we should not focus on how good they can get, but always consider the possibility of the opposite happening.

But his overconfidence is a good thing. I did well to keep my trump card hidden until the very end.

This tournament, hosted by the Count.

“Bethel—raaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

I used that combo for the first time.

****
「Character has cast [Gigantification].」

「The character’s size increases, along with a proportional increase in threat level and physical attributes.」

「Character has used [Wild Burst].」

「Temporarily, the character’s threat level triples, and physical attributes increase correspondingly.」
****
[Gigantification] and [Wild Burst].

Using these two skills together resulted in an astronomical increase in threat level, and correspondingly, my physical attributes skyrocketed. Though [Wild Burst] only lasted for 30 seconds, that was more than enough.

‘I didn’t expect it to end this anticlimactically.’

Was it the side effect of my excessively high threat level?

Regardless of courage or anything else, the threat level affects the target’s psyche regardless of their personality.

“Uh, uh, uh…”

The overwhelming terror I inflicted on my opponent.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The knight froze, unable to move despite the sound of a large monster dashing towards him.

Just as I was about to bring down my axe,

“Yi, yikes!”

He rolled on the ground to evade and began frantically running away.

But in such a confined stage, there was no way he could keep running forever.

Like playing a boxing game, I skillfully cornered him and reached out to grab him.

That’s when it happened.

“He, he’s out of bounds!”

He fled the arena, ending the final match without a proper fight.

‘I mean, it’s convenient for me, but…’

The audience’s reaction was cold.

Fortunately, there was no blame on me, but the knight who showed such dishonorable behavior was met with sharp jeers.

“No, I didn’t mean to… Let’s do it again… I can do it!”

He regained his senses too late, coming back to the arena, but it was in vain.

“What are you trying to do, embarrass me further?”

The knight’s plea for a rematch was cut short by a cold remark from the Count.

“The winner is Bjorn Jandel of the Baron Martoin!”

Maybe I shouldn’t have used [Gigantification].

It came to me a bit late.

Though I won easily, it felt awkward, like I’d exploited an unfair advantage.

‘I think I’ve inadvertently pissed off the Count……….’

This was bad news for me, as I was more worried about the aftermath than actually winning the tournament.

I never thought that my actions of hiding my full potential until the very end, in order to eliminate even the slightest variable, would lead to such a variable.

‘Damn, didn’t expect him to run out of the arena.’

Hopefully, this wouldn’t lead to any trouble.

Though I was worried, the Count, while awarding me the necklace and trophy on stage, was all smiles.

“Ha ha! Today’s event was quite memorable.”

The Count, unable to reach my shoulder, patted my forearm in encouragement. Whether he was genuinely not holding a grudge or just acting, I couldn’t tell.

As I was trying to figure it out, the Count whispered something only I could hear.

“I’ll call you when you’re more prepared.”

“Call me for what?”

“No need to know the details. Just ignore any other nobles who approach you. Understand?”

I didn’t quite grasp his meaning, but I nodded.

Better to be cautious.

‘His eyes were quite menacing…’

Refusing him seemed like it would bring trouble.

With the award ceremony over, so too ended the lengthy banquet. Many stayed to enjoy the night further, but not Baron Martoin.

“I’m tired. Let’s head back.”

Returning to the estate with the same group I came with, I got back all my equipment and received the promised compensation.

“You’ve really outdone yourself today. Your and my family’s names will be the talk of the social circles for months. If you ever find yourself in a tough spot, don’t hesitate to seek me out.”

The baron seemed quite pleased with me, even if they were just pleasantries.

‘Well, considering what I’ve done, it’s reasonable for him to be happy.’

“Well, then, you better get going. I’m tired, too. I’ve had a carriage prepared for you, so you can take that to return.”

“Thanks!”

After leaving Carnon and returning to my accommodation in Lavigion, it was past 2 AM.

I was physically and mentally tired from the day’s events, but …….

‘Let’s get started.’

Instead of heading to bed, I sat down at the table to finalize my accounts.

The agreed-upon compensation was 1 million Stones.

The tournament participation fee, 2 million Stones.

An additional 1 million Stones for winning.

And 300,000 Stones for transferring the winning trophy to the Baron.

‘A total cash sum of 4.3 million Stones.’

Was it because the client was a wealthy noble?

I had earned an astonishing amount for just a day’s work.

And that wasn’t even the end of it.

Regardless of the new nickname ‘Knight Crusher’.

‘I didn’t expect to get it so early…’

No.7777 Garphas’ necklace.

I actually got something that I wouldn’t even get until the second half of the game if I was unlucky.

Of course, awakening the hidden piece would require a considerable amount of resources, but…

It was an undeniable stroke of luck.

So, I made a renewed vow to myself.

‘How many luck stacks have I accumulated now?’

From now on, I need to be extra cautious, even with the simplest things.

****

The morning after the banquet, one of my questions was partially answered.

‘What’s with this letter?’

As soon as I woke up, the mail started arriving non-stop. All from nobles.

Invitations to other banquets, with promises of ‘modest compensation’ for attending.

It was labeled as modest, but the amounts suggested I could live comfortably just by attending these events.

‘This must be what the Count was talking about.’

His statement about calling me when I’m ready still made no sense. But ignoring other nobles’ calls must refer to these invitations.

‘How much gold is being wasted here?’

So, I politely declined each one.

Ignoring them outright might provoke the proud nobles to retaliate.

Yet attending might anger the Count.

‘What exactly is the Count thinking?’

Honestly, he scares me the most.

Though he has been friendly so far, these types of people can turn hostile in an instant.

His unclear intentions were also troubling.

Why would a Count take interest in an explorer of barbarian origin?

‘I’ll investigate more about the Count when the community reopens.’

With this new quest in mind, I quickly got ready and headed to the Mage Tower.

‘This is the last month of regular research with Raven.’

Three months had flown by since my agreement with Raven.

My visit today, however, was unrelated to that.

“Ah, you’re here?”

Upon reaching Raven’s personal lab, surprisingly, she greeted me bright and early.

“So, where is this ‘senior’ I’m supposed to help today?”

“That’s, umm…”

Raven hesitated.

Just from that, I had a bad premonition.

Then, suddenly,

“It’s been a while.”

An old man appeared from behind the door.

The master of the Artemion School, ‘the Old Man’.

“Hmm…”

No explanation was needed; I instantly understood the situation.

“You said it would be a ‘senior’.”

“I’m sorry. My master insisted so much…”

So, they forcibly changed it.

The Old Man chuckled warmly as I glanced at him.

“Ho ho, don’t be too tense. It’s not a grand experiment or anything.”

I would only know for sure after hearing it out.

As I urged him to continue, the Old Man spoke in a meaningful tone.

“We’re testing whether you can distinguish the souls of evil spirits using a magical device I created!”

Wait, what?

What’s this about now?

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