Surviving game as a barbarian Episode 558
First Clear(3)
Each member of the group stood in the formation we had worked out during our long and exhausting meeting.
Ranged damage dealers were positioned alongside melee warriors, and an assault team composed entirely of knights stood in the back. This wasn’t a typical setup where ranged fighters stayed at the back and melee fighters at the front. Everyone had taken their positions strategically to maximize stability and adaptability in various situations.
I was no exception.
Crunch.
My position was right in front of the stone gate. And there wasn’t a single ally around me.
And that meant…
“…….”
From this moment on, I had to stand my ground against this monster – alone.
Not that I was complaining. After all, I had agreed this was the best plan.
[Grrrr…….]
The Legendary beast revealed itself through the stone gate, letting out a low growl, and then looked down as if to inspect me.
Well, the beast must’ve been surprised to find just one person standing beneath it with a shield.
‘Staring me down, huh?’
‘What are you staring at, huh?’
Maybe it was because this was my first time facing a Level 1 monster, but tension crept into my joints.
But the stronger the enemy, the more a Barbarian’s fighting spirit burns.
Crunch.
I tightened my grip on my shield and glared right back at the beast.
Its body was twice as large as mine, even in my [Gigantification] state. Considering it was a four-legged beast, its body stretched to more than twice that length.
But that wasn’t all—its huge body was cloaked in thick red fur, with eyes on each of its three tails, like something straight out of an ancient myth. The dark red mist swirling around it only made it look even more otherworldly.
So what?
“Never seen a Barbarian before?”
The beast tilted its head slightly, like a dog listening to its human.
It was the perfect moment to start the fight.
“BETHEL—RAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
With a battle cry, I unleashed a full-powered [Swing].
BOOM—!
The strike landed squarely on its snout, but the beast didn’t even flinch—as if the attack hadn’t even tickled.
Still, the first-hit aggro must’ve registered properly because—
“……!”
Tracking its movements with my eyes was impossible.
By the time I regained my senses, its massive maw was clamped down on my shield, threatening to crush it between its jaws.
Despite my shock, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Any ordinary shield would’ve been reduced to scrap metal the moment those jaws closed around it—but mine was different.
‘This thing’s indestructible, you bastard.’
Even if it was a level 1 monster, it couldn’t break the indestructible trait of a single number item.
Problem was, I lacked the brute strength to match it.
‘Oh? You little—!’
The next moment, the bastard lifted me into the air—shield and all—and began shaking its head violently.
I felt nauseous, but letting go of my shield would mean death, so I held on with everything I had.
Fortunately, support fire followed soon.
『 Gahyun Versillus has cast Level 1 attack spell Genesis Orb』
The expedition’s chief mage siphoned mana from dozens of mages to complete this spell.
There was a flash of light, and when I regained my senses, I was rolling across the ground.
I quickly scrambled to my feet and turned to see the wolf—it was visibly wounded.
[GROOOOOOOH—!!]
The attack must’ve hit its hind legs, because its fur was completely scorched there, and it was now limping.
As for me? I was perfectly fine.
Even though a Level 1 spell had detonated near me…
I wasn’t turned into raw meat like at the Blood Tinted Castle.
「Damage was inflicted by a bound ally.」
「Light of Trust protects the character from the damage.」
I’d already cast the bond spell with the old man.
That’s why Trust was no. 12.
Being immune to allied damage was an insane advantage in this world.
‘They’ll need about three minutes to gather mana and chant the next spell.’
Which means the rest of us would have to handle it.
Three minutes against a Level 1 is an eternity.
「Kashan has cast[Triple Eye].」
The fox’s three tails spread wide, and the eyes on the tips snapped open.
Then—
Fwoom! Fwoom! Fwooom!
Like rail‑guns from a movie, beams shot out.
‘Left tail: Magic damage + curse. Right tail: Physical damage + defense shred. Middle tail: mixed damage + summon token monsters.’
Recalling the effects of each tail, I blocked the beams as best as I could.
「Defense successful.」
「Aegis’s Barrier has absorbed all damage.」
「Defense successful.」
「Aegis’s Barrier has absorbed all damage.」
「Defense successful.」
「Aegis’s Barrier has absorbed all damage……」
Normally, this skill would’ve hit randomly, but thanks to my high threat level, every single beam was aimed at me.
But then—
「The character loses balance.」
While blocking the rays, I suddenly slipped and lost my stance.
A ray took the opening and struck me.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a critical hit, but…
「All damage taken by the character increases by 10%.」
That was… the resistance-shred tail, right?
If these stacks piled up too high, I’d be in trouble.
‘Damn Luck stat.’
A mistake I never would’ve made under normal circumstances.
But I didn’t blame myself.
Technically, it wasn’t a mistake—it was the effect of one of its skills.
[Ominous Prophecy], which fixed Luck at -200.
If you’re within the aura of this skill, things like this are bound to happen.
Like this:
「Evade failed.」
An attack I thought I’d dodged hit me.
「Critical hit.」
「The character has taken significant damage」
A blow that should’ve only numbed my arm instead dislocated my joint.
And in the midst of it all—
「Kashan has activated [Life Steal]
Translucent red threads emerged from every member of the expedition, connecting them to the beast.
Its only healing ability.
With over 200 people nearby, the beast’s wounds closed quickly, but since we had prepared for this, it wasn’t a big problem.
Coincidentally, 80% of our melee damage dealers were knights.
“Sever the threads!”
“Use Aura! Use Aura!”
The moment the threads appeared, the knights stationed throughout the area cut them down, and interrupted its healing.
Normally, it would’ve taken five or six slashes to sever each thread, but against Aura—which ignored 90% of physical and magic resistance—they were sliced apart instantly.
‘Okay, healing’s cut off.’
Since the skill had a cooldown, we had about two minutes before it could use it again.
“Charge!!”
At the commander’s order, dozens of knights drew their swords and rushed the beast.
Maybe it was because we’d spent over a week fighting side by side…
I was still nervous that they might turn against me at any moment, but I secretly hoping…
“Nia Raphdonia…!”
—that as many of them as possible would survive.
***
Aura‑charged strikes from the high‑DPS knights, plus the expedition’s crack ranged dealers, shredded Kashan’s hide in real time—a tactic impossible under normal circumstances.
The threat level required to hold a Level 1 monster’s aggro was absurdly higher than other levels.
‘If the threat value exceeds 500, all monsters prioritize attacking the holder.’
Without Aegis’s Barrier, which had this effect, knights would be getting chewed apart right now.
‘Still, with how much damage they’re dealing. They could’ve defeated it even without me here.’
Ah, of course, only after losing about a hundred people first.
How many lives have I saved by standing here? I hope the commander appreciates it—
「Kashan has activated [Flames of the End].」
Just then, red shadows began spreading across the floor.
The second most dangerous ability we’d anticipated in this battle.
“Fall back, now!!”
The deputy commander serving as support coordinator roared at the top of his lungs.
BOOOOOM—!
A second after the shadows flickered, pillars of fire erupted from the area—no, not even a second. It was an almost instantaneous AoE attack.
‘Raven’s in that direction…’
The moment I turned my head to check, I spotted Aynar dragging Raven out of danger by the scruff of her neck.
‘Whew… She’s safe.’
But it was too early to relax.
[Flames of the End] had follow-up attacks.
“Mages, deploy barriers!”
Following the deputy-commander’s order, the mages quickly activated protective barriers.
Unlike the initial blast, the follow-up attack dealt much less damage and could be blocked with a mana barrier.
Whoooosh—!
A huge barrier spread across the area where the pillars had erupted.
And then—
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
The soldiers quickly retreated into the barriers to avoid the rain of fire.
Unfortunately, not everyone made it.
“Ah, no…!”
“……AAAAAH!”
A mage and an archer who was trying to help him to safety caught in the firestorm, melting away on the spot.
A knight who witnessed their deaths gritted his teeth and shouted—
“Two casualties: Elton Fathier from Squad 2 and Quillken Betlren from Squad 3!”
No matter the situation, battlefield reports came first—that was a soldier’s duty.
‘I need to focus, too.’
Realistically, every skill from a Level 1 monster was a potential one-shot kill.
Even the rays from [Triple Eye] would’ve instantly vaporized any damage dealer if they’d been hit instead of me.
The better I did my job, the fewer people would die.
Right, so—
“BETHEL—RAAAAAAAAH!!”
I activated [Wild Burst] to raise my threat level and closed in on the wolf once again.
And before long—
“The chant is complete!”
“All strike teams, fall back!”
As the spell finished, the knights around me quickly retreated from the front lines—
And another Level-1 spell slammed into the beast’s body.
This time, it must’ve hit a more vital spot because—
「Kashan has activated [Flames of the End].」
The wolf unleashed another AoE attack—
「Kashan has activated [Death Sentence].」
—and then used a new skill.
The one we’d identified as the most dangerous during our battle simulations.
[Death Sentence].
At first glance, it sounded like an instant-death skill, but technically, it wasn’t.
It just had a similar effect.
「The damage dealt by the next attack will drastically increase based on its Luck stat」
This skill is just a damage amplifier based on the users luck stat.
‘For every 10 luck points [Death Sentence] deals a 200% page.’
That’s pretty straightforward, Level 1 stuff.
The problem, however, was Kashan’s base Luck stat.
After extensive research, I’d determined that Kashan’s Luck was around 500.
Which meant—
‘10,000%.’
Any attack after Death Sentence is instant death.
Even a basic attack from a Level 1 monster could take down a high-ranking knight in just one or two hits.
Even with my high physical resistance, taking a direct hit without a proper shield block would break my bones..
Of course, if I can guard it successfully, I could block all the damage.
「Defense successful.」
「Aegis’s Wall .has absorbed all damage.」
The problem was that it all came down to luck.
‘Hah…’
Thankfully, I blocked the first [Death Sentence].
But blocking this one didn’t guarantee I’d be able to block the next.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
My heart was pounding hard and my legs suddenly felt weak.
I somehow forced strength back into my legs and calculated how many more times I might need to take that hit.
‘Three or four times.’
If we can take it down quickly, three.
If we’re a little slower, four.
That’s the number of [death sentences] I had to take.
‘Can I block them all?’
The thought made me smirk.
Whether I could or couldn’t didn’t matter.
Even if I failed, I’d endure.
Even if my limbs were torn apart, even if my organs ruptured, I’d keep standing and fighting.
Wouldn’t that solve everything?
「Kashan has activated [Life Steal]」
And so, my first large scale raid continued.
Everyone fought their hardest in their assigned roles.
「Kashan has activated [Flames of the End].」
But even so, pillars of fire erupted, reports of casualties came in, and the only consolation I took was that none of my comrades’ names were among them.
「Gahyun Versilius has cast Level 1 attack spell [Primordial Sphere].」
By the time the third spell crashed into the wolf’s head—
True to its Level 1 nature, it stubbornly refused to fall, relentlessly targeting me.
「Defense successful.」
「Aegis Wall absorbs all damage.」
I successfully blocked the second [Death Sentence] with sheer luck.
「Kashan has cast[Crossroads of Fate].」
The wolf unleashed a skill that it only used when its health dropped below 50%.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh—!
Even now, beams from its tails kept flying toward me, occasionally slipping past my guard and landing clean hits.
The damage I took increased, and the curses began to pile up.
「Plague Wolves rush toward the area of highest enemy density.」
It summoned a wave of token monsters.
That’s when I noticed a red shadow beneath my feet—right before [Fire of the End] exploded at my location.
[Character’s HP has fallen below 20%]
[Due to passive skill [Hero’s Path], all resistance and defense stats have increased]
It felt like my entire body was melting—though, in reality, it wasn’t.
My flesh seared, peeling away. My organs cooked, making it hard to breathe. But thanks to my magic resistance, I avoided instant death.
And as long as that was the case, I wouldn’t fall.
Whoooosh—!
Receiving a priest’s heal, I gripped my shield and limped forward.
And at that moment—
「Kashan has cast[Death Sentence].」
The third [Death Sentence], fired at a perfect moment.
“……”
For some reason, time seemed to slow down and my mind accelerated.
Only one question filled my thoughts:
‘In my current state…’
If I take that hit, can I really survive?
The answer I arrived at was painfully simple.
No.
Like how one plus one equals two, the outcome was inevitable.
The moment I realized this, my vision turned white.
But time never slows.
[Defense successful]
[Aegis’s Barrier has absorbed all damage]
The wolfs massive paw slammed down onto my shield.
Somehow, impossibly, I had blocked it—no sudden slips, no misfortunes.
“…….”
It didn’t feel real.
Had I… really survived?
“Ghk—!”
My lungs gasped for air.
I must’ve forgotten to breathe without realizing it.
One deep breath, and my damaged lungs burned like hell.
Badump-Badump-Badump-Badump!
Even now, my heart pounded like mad.
And then—
「Erwin Fornaci di Tercia has summoned[Dark Spirit King, Dichloe].」
The familiar dark sphere began bombarding the monster relentlessly.
It was the perfect time for a concentrated all-out bombardment.
‘Yeah, at this rate, we’ll finish it before the fourth [Death Sentence]’
But variables come at unexpected times.
“Wha—?”
“Huh…?”
In an instant, my leg slipped on something slick, sending me sliding forward.
[The character trips over an obstacle]
By the time I regained my senses, only one thing filled my vision.
Not the impossibly high ceiling of the library—but the gaping maw of the beast that had been waiting for this chance.
Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of its massive jaws closing around my head.\
The grating of its fangs against my skull.
As I listened to those sounds, a thought crossed my mind:
‘That’s… unexpected.’
My senses were clear. But I felt no pain.
[Severe damage inflicted to the character’s brain]
[The character has been knocked unconscious]
That was my last memory.
***
[Erwin Fornaci di Tercia has cast [Focused Shot]
[Kashan has been slain. EXP +9]
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Condition: First Level 1 monster kill]
[Reward: Soul Power permanently increased by +10]
[The highest contributor has been granted access to records.]
[The hidden First Records Archive has revealed itself.]
[The character is being healed]
[The character is being healed]
[The character is being healed]
[The character…
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