Surviving game as a barbarian Episode 540

Heavenly Giant Spear(2)

No.7777 Garpas’ Necklace.

To be honest, it’s not a very efficient item.

Sure, it guarantees a “Numbers” item above #35, but you have to dump 1.5 billion Stones into it just to reach that point.

‘You only profit if a single-digit Numbers item drops.’

And from numbers 10 to 19, it’s a steal.

Anything above number 20 is usually a loss.

On top of that, there’s also the risk of the necklace breaking during the reroll process, which would result in catastrophic losses.

In other words, it’s a high-risk gambling item…

“Bjorn…? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Snapping out of my thoughts, I saw Aynar looking at me with concern.

“Is it… not good?”

As if.

It’s the opposite.

“Well done, Aynar. There’s no one like you.”

I expressed my heartfelt appreciation, but Aynar didn’t even acknowledge it.

“Oh! If you’re saying that, it must be something good! So, what’s this shield?”

Aynar’s lukewarm response was a bit disappointing, but whatever.

Honestly, I nearly ended up in the depths of hell with that roll.

Frankly, I’d be willing to take a punch to the face for no reason up to three times if it meant getting something like this.

So with that in mind…

‘Let’s just pull it out quickly.’

Before something else could go wrong, I pulled out the item in the necklace.

Whoooosh—!

As soon as I hit the confirm button, multicolored lights bloomed.

The lights floated in the air and clumped together like clay, slowly forming a solid shape.

[The specified item has been generated.]

No.3 Aegis’ Wall.

In-game name: The Wall of Aegis.

The graduation shield for my Shield Barbarian build.

Honestly, I was hoping for something else.

More precisely, I had a list of things that, if they dropped, I would consider stopping.

Like graduation armor in the 10s range.

A single-digit sword for a frost dual-sword build

Or the second graduation shield, No.21.

Or the “Rift Generator” that would help with farming.

Even if not one of those, a solid weapon for Erwin or Amelia would’ve been enough to make me stop.

But…

“I can’t believe I actually got this.”

I still can’t tell if this is a dream or reality.

「Due to excessive mana condensation, the divine power of Graphas imbued in the necklace has suffered permanent damage.」

The Numbers item had now turned into an ordinary necklace,
but that didn’t matter.

I carefully lifted the gray shield.

「Character has equipped No. 3: Aegis’ Barrier.」

「Total item level has increased by +18,600.」

With this, I’ve grown stronger.

And significantly so.

***

The shield was far from flashy.

It’s gray and lacks any kind of jewel or ornate decoration.

But so what?

A shield just needs to be sturdy.

“This shield… is a single-digit Numbers item?”

“Wait… if it’s No. 3, that means there are only two above it… This is an incredible treasure!”

“Aegis’ Wall! I’ve only ever heard of it in old stories, and now I’m seeing it for real!”

My companions buzzed in awe upon learning the shield’s identity.

Surprisingly, Amelia was the most excited of all.

“Oh! Judging by everyone’s reactions, this must be an amazing treasure?”

“Tsk, it’s beyond that. Aegis’ Wall hasn’t been seen since an explorer died in the labyrinth 120 years ago.”

Actually, now that I think about it, it’s not surprising.

She’s really into this kind of stuff.

A full-on labyrinth enthusiast, you could say.

“At present, aside from the one owned by the royal family, Jandel is the only one who has it. According to the records, that shield is ‘indestructible’ by nature…”

Whether she wanted to show off her knowledge or not, Amelia took it upon herself to explain the shield’s attributes to everyone.

The explanation was technically accurate, but…

‘The information in this world always lacks precise numerical values.’

As a hardcore gamer, this is unacceptable.

So, let me properly break it down:

Top-tier indestructibility.

Complete immunity to all damage when guarding with the shield.

30% reduction in all magic damage for the wearer and bound allies within a 10m radius, and grants immunity to magic of Level 5 or lower

20% increase in all defensive stats.

Aura skills have their radius and effects doubled.

If the threat level is 500 or higher, all monsters prioritize attacking the wearer.

And lastly…

One active-use skill.

Now that’s what I call a graduation-level item.

My heart is beating so hard that I could die.

I already want to take this out and fight right now.

But I had already declared today a rest day, so I held myself back.

I need some time to adjust to it anyway.

‘It’s surprisingly light.’

Compared to the ridiculously heavy shield I used before, this one feels much lighter.

It’s still heavier than a standard steel shield, but relatively, it’s a huge improvement.

‘Now, let’s try holding the hammer.’

I checked the weight balance by holding the Demon Crusher in my other hand.

This isn’t just some game world.

Even small discrepancies in feel and weight can lead to major setbacks in real combat.

Whoosh! Whoosh—!

While I was in the cave practicing, swinging in the empty air and adjusting to the new weight, a sudden thought struck me.

Strange, I’ve already graduated in weapons first.

The Demoncrusher can still be upgraded, but given its drop difficulty compared to the payoff, it’s basically an end-game item already.

‘All that’s left is armor, boots, and a belt.’

In terms of core items for leveling up, that’s it.

The Barbarian’s Genesis Relic is also a core piece, but that’s unobtainable now.

A real shame.

After all, that relic is the reason Shield Barbarians are so broken.

‘Anyway, I think I’ve gotten used to it now…’

Once I felt I’d gotten comfortable with the new gear, I tested out various other details: the active skill, the shield’s magic-immunity aura, and so forth. And…

‘A 10m radius…’

I made sure to internalize the exact distance.

This will definitely come in handy later.

Once I was done with all that, I spent the remaining time resting and discussing future exploration plans with the group.

Well, it was more of an announcement than a discussion.

“Baron, so we continue exploring Giant Island tomorrow?”

“No, we’re putting this island on hold for now.”

“Huh?”

“We’ve scoured this place, but we still haven’t found anything, right?”

I’m certain there’s a secret to Giant Island, but it appears to be tied to that colossal giant we saw back then.

The problem is…

‘It hasn’t shown itself since, and even if we find it, I’m not confident we can win.’

“Then… where are we heading next?”

“Our next destination is the Library Island.”

“Huh? Ah… you mean the island you told us about before.”

“Yeah.”

First, I plan to power up there.

Last time, due to our small party size, we were only able to hunt monsters up to level 3, but things are different now.

Besides, I’m a little curious about how things might have changed in the meantime.

‘Back then, I had already cleared most of the books on the lower floors. I wonder if they’ve respawned?’

Well, I’ll find out when I get there.

As the meeting was winding down, Amelia suddenly questioned me.

“Jandel, So you’re giving up on Hipramagent?”

“Not giving up, just postponing it for now.”

“Why? I thought you were after its essence.”

Well, that’s true.

But we have to succeed in casting the distortion magic, get the essence to drop, and hope it’s the [Gigantification] essence—basically a triple-layered luck check. I’m not confident I can pull it off.

More importantly, even if I do, the immediate payoff is low.

‘No matter how I look at it, the skill probably won’t stack twice.’

The Hipramagent’s essence is a superior version of the Orc Hero’s essence.

And right now, I only have two essence slots left.

Filling those slots with other essences would be far more beneficial for immediate power growth.

Even if the Hipramagent’s essence drops, I can’t immediately replace the Orc Hero’s essence.

But…

“Hmm, I see. Understood.”

Actually, there’s a bigger reason: Erwin and Aynar already got some power ups.

Now it’s time to strengthen the rest of my allies. Everyone has at least one essence slot left. If we farm in the library, I can fill those slots. Amelia included.

‘She’s been stuck up for way too long.’

“…What’s with that look?”

“Nothing.”

Just thinking.

I don’t know when we’ll be able to leave this floor.

But when that time comes…

‘It’ll be fun.’

Just how strong will we be?
***

After sharing the exploration plan, I spent the remaining time alone, thinking about my future progression.

What do I need to do to become an even stronger Shield Barbarian? I sorted out the priorities and made a step-by-step list.

For now, there’s only one thing I can do on the Basement Floor One:

Get essences in the Library.

Specifically, I’m only targeting one essence:

The Level 3 monster, Bellarios.

Once I get that, the next stage of growth will only be possible after I escape.

Replace the Orc Hero’s essence with the Hipramagent’s essence.

Raise Soul Engraving to level 9.

Grind the 8th-floor Rifts for Level 2 Guardian essences and Numbers items.

All of that would have to wait until I was back in the city.

So, once the rest day ended…

We left the cave at dawn and headed to the coast to travel to Library Island.

And just as I was about to summon the boat

Whoooosh—!

Suddenly, something shot out of the sea at high speed.

「Defense successful.」

「Aegis’ Wall has absorbed all damage.」

Thankfully, my instincts kicked in and I blocked it with the shield.

But what the hell was that?

“An ambush…!”

As the startled crew scrambled back, I looked down.

On the sand—glistening as the silver tide washed in and out—lay a crimson spear.

“Milayel’s Divine Spear…?”

What the hell?

Why is this here?

The question didn’t last long.

[The Celestial Spear Guardian, Milayel, has activated [Recall]

Far in the distance, beyond the receding silver waves, something slowly emerged from the water.

And then…

「The Celestial Spear Guardian, Milayel, has retrieved the Divine Spear.」

「The power of [Recall] will slightly increase until the battle ends.」

Picking up the spear, the creature spoke to me.

[I will not let you escape, mortal.]

It was the same line I’d heard countless times while fleeing last time, but now, it felt different.

‘…Is this guy insane?’

Did he really cross the ocean to chase me here?

***

***

Celestial Spear Guardian, Milayel,

A rift guardian from the City of Light, Kalheim.

The first emotion I felt upon encountering him again was shock.

But as soon as I gathered myself, I felt something else

Relief.

And…

“Perfect.”

Joy.

“I thought I’d never see you again.”

[I will not let you escape, mortal.]

Milayel replied with the same unwavering line, and I smirked.

‘What’s he talking about? I have no intention of running now.’

Back then, Erwin was out of commission.

Plus, the area was swarming with monsters.

It was a situation where a Level 2 or higher monster could appear at any moment.

So, we had no choice but to charge toward the shore at full speed.

But now, things are different.

I don’t know if this idiot realizes it, but…

The fight was over before it even began.

And to top it off, I even have a new shield now.

Yeah, so…

‘Not a bad way to test my combat strength.’

Turning to the crew, who were waiting for orders, I shouted with all my might.

“Prepare for battle! We’re killing him here!”

After all, it’s only polite to kick a pumpkin that rolls right to your feet.

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