Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 139

Episode 139 Awakening (2)

[The essence of the [Ogre] permeates the soul of the character]

[Strength increases by +140]

[Magic resistance increases by +80]

[Physical resistance increases by +40]

[All resistances increase by +10]

[Natural regeneration decreases by -40]

[Intelligence decreases by -20]

As soon as I opened my eyes, I immediately checked the time.

Fortunately, hardly any time had passed.

Sigh, I rushed out just in case.

“……”

After briefly watching my comrades sleep, I took out a knife.

Then, I sawed back and forth across the back of my hand.

Scratch scratch scratch.

After pressing hard and going back and forth about ten times, a single drop of blood slowly emerged.

Looking at the wound that wouldn’t heal, I finally realized it.

The concept of my character had changed in an instant.

Squeeze.

I clenched my fist in the air.

The change in my physique was clearly perceptible, though not as stark as when I had absorbed the essence of an Orc Hero.

But that’s understandable.

The Vampire Essence was gone, and “Guardian of Balance” was still in effect.

“I’ll only truly feel how much my strength has increased once I go outside.”

While illuminating the passage ahead with a torch, I took a moment to weigh the pros and cons.

“Ogre, huh…”

Ogre.

A level 3 monster with stats and skills that would make any tank ecstatic. However, its essence wasn’t part of my final combination.

It was a matter of practicality rather than unsuitability.

Level 3 monsters are difficult enough to catch.

And to get the desired active skill out of seven possible ones?

The difficulty of acquisition was just too high.

If it were just for ‘defense’, there exists a level 4 monster, ‘Steel Giant’, which is more efficient than this one.

“However, the downside of the Steel Giant is that it can’t use weapons.”

At this point, it was a matter of preference.

Whether to focus a little more on tanking or to take care of the damage as well.

Since the performance stats difference between the two essences was minimal, most of the time I chose extreme tanking.

I had decided that, given the effort involved in obtaining ogre essence, it would be more rational to focus on developing a damage dealer instead.

The judgment was correct.

As a result, I was able to open the original version of ‘Abyss Gate’ that no one else could reach.

But……

‘Technically speaking, the ogre essence is a bit better’

The joy of this game is in flexibly changing the way characters are developed, a testament to a player’s skill.

It’s not like the final combinations are set in stone, like this combination is this and this is that.

Aside from the core essence, everything was up for grabs.

‘It’s a bit disappointing that it’s not a yellow essence, but it won’t change my cultivating strategy

It felt a bit surreal.

I had hoped for an “Steel Giant” as the best case scenario when I replaced the vampire essence, but the result was something even better.

‘What exactly are the conditions? Does having the Vampire Guardian essence mean I get a Guardian essence with the possibility of a promotion that is 2 ranks higher?’

Pure curiosity.

As a gamer, my curiosity was piqued, but I forcefully suppressed my thoughts.

“Is it 30% now? No, maybe 40%?”

I recalculated the survival rate according to the changed situation and meticulously envisioned a new combat style in my head.

To increase the chances even by a little.

What I could do at this moment.

“…It might be better to go without armor. There’s no way he’ll wait until I’m ready.”

Like a knight sharpening his sword the night before the decisive battle.

I refined my plans, searching for better options.

‘The decrease in intelligence isn’t as penalizing as I thought. With this much strength, I won’t be overpowered.’

The detailed pieces of the plan interlock, forming a complete shape.

Yet, as they do, my heart beats more fiercely.

Thump-!

The future is like broken glass.

No one can perfectly predict the outcome.

Just like when the Layer Lord was summoned.

But, perhaps because of that…

Thump-!

I wondered if there was more preparation I could do.

Whether there was something I had thought about incorrectly.

As if my life depended on it, I kept thinking about it without compromise.

How much time had passed?

“Bjorn.”

Rotmiller woke up and quietly called my name.

It was time.

I hurriedly woke up my comrades and then checked the clock.

[09:47]

About 4 hours had passed since we took the rest.

In other words, there were about 38 hours left until the labyrinth closed.

“We’re moving faster than expected. Surely, they must have a way to track us.”

I let Rotmiller’s advice go in one ear and out the other.

It was information I already knew…

If there was information I needed to engrave in my head right now, it wouldn’t be that.

‘Yes, it takes 4 hours from there to here.’

All the prerequisites for New Plan A were satisfied.

So…

Step.

It was time to roll the dice now.

Step, step.

Footsteps bloom in the darkness at regular intervals.

Something is coming towards us, breathing down our necks.

Slowly, unhurriedly.

Step-

Soon, Vagos entered into our visible range.

For the record, his companion was the poor crippled guy.

Maybe he was used as a sacrifice again, as evident by the blood dripping from one squinted eye.

“Too cruel.”

“Why would someone do such a thing to their companion…”

While everyone frowned at the bizarre scene, I quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Phew, so he did leave the priest in front of the portal.

If he had come with us, it would have been hopeless.

I was thinking just that when…

Step-

Vagos stops walking, maintaining a decent distance.

And then came a heavy silence.

“What, you’re all still alive?”

He casually laughed and spoke.

It was far from the reaction I had internally anticipated.

I wouldn’t have been surprised if he started by stabbing us in the belly with his sword.

What now?

“I suddenly got my strength back, so I thought for sure one of you had died.”

With that statement, all the discomfort dissipated.

So that was it.

‘He’s strangely docile.’

Vagos hasn’t realized yet.

He is thinking that ‘Restrained Desire’ is still in my stomach.

Well, from his point of view, it makes sense to think that way.

Until he continued.

“Ah, right. You must have consumed a Baikundus essence or something?”

Even in this situation, Vagos suggested a new possibility.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘I didn’t expect this guy to also make presumptive conclusions.’

Even if the power was divided among the eight of us because of the Guardian of Balance, the increase from a Baikundus essence was nowhere near powerful enough to explain the increase we’d experienced.

He must have clearly felt it too.

But…

He had already decided on the answer he wanted and was looking for evidence to support it, but there’s no way he could reach the correct conclusion..

‘Dragon Slayer, Regal Vagos.’

I added another note about the figure in my mind.

Surprisingly, he was a positive character.

But, perhaps my laughter made him uneasy?

“……Barbarian, you kept your promise, right?”

The figure drops his casual demeanor and asks me.

I just stared at him without responding.

A gesture that meant there was no need to speak.

But apparently that wasn’t enough for him.

“Where is it, that item?”

He asked me again, this time irritation evident in his voice.

Despite trying to deny it due to the sunk cost fallacy, he was slowly realizing the truth.

That he might have been fooled.

“……Could it be, you’ve already used it?”

He finally asked, and I responded.

“Ah, it wasn’t intentional.”

“…What?”

“Sorry. Just fiddling with it out of boredom, and then it broke, you know?”

Despite my sincere apology, he trembled like a leaf.

He had begun to accept the truth.

The warrior’s oath.

The one thing barbarians, who consider their life as no more than a trifle, have kept with dedication.

That he had been deceived about it.

“You never intended to keep the oath in the first place.”

A tingling killing intent reached my skin.

But, like a true K-Barbarian from Korea, I stood my ground boldly.

“Ah, that’s why I’m saying sorry, didn’t I—”

“Die.”

By the time I heard his voice, his sword was already close.

He had closed the distance in such a short moment.

I was able to react in time because, even as I provoked him, I closely watched his every move.

Swoosh.

I lifted my shield.

But instead of blocking…

Boom-!

I struck with all my might against the blade.

A countermeasure I created during the rest time by simulating a battle with him.

It was an Arc steel sword, after all.

Blocking would only result in my shield being pierced through.

“Dwalki!”

As I push Vagos back with overflowing strength.

The pre-briefed magic with Dwalki is fired.

[Leor Wuerv Dwalki casts Level 7 attack magic [Froststorm].」

Fortunately, it seems he had finished the magic spell while we were talking.

Whoosh-!

Sharp ice shards whirl through the passage, filling it completely.

Even pressed against the wall to escape the range, the chill was enough to cause goosebumps.

Ironically, at the end of the blizzard, I felt a strange warmth.

It was clear without looking.

「Regal Vagos casts [Furnace].」

[Furnace].

A special ability of the Level 4 monster, the Lava Giant.

When activated, it grants immunity to cold and fire damage and significantly increases physical stats with a buff-type skill.

I was a bit worried since it was information from 10 years ago.

But of course, he still had that.

Sizzle-!

Without hesitation, I tore the scroll.

It was obtained after defeating one of the mid-bosses, ‘Argos,’ and, normally, should have been used to defeat the Minotaur.

「Target confirmed.」

「Regal Vagos’s ‘Essence of the Lava Giant’ is sealed for 48 hours.」

As the scroll burned away, the heat at the end of the corridor ceased.

Okay, one Level 4 essence down.

But what about him?

Whoosh-!

Soon, the blizzard that had frozen the entire corridor subsided.

He was standing there, unscathed.

Behind a translucent black veil, like a windowpane, without any damage.

“Is this all you were relying on?”

He smirked bitterly at us.

It wouldn’t be surprising if he thought this ambush was our trump card.

But what now?

‘I never expected things to go this smoothly.’

The skill he just used was [Dark Veil].

And this skill wasn’t on the list of essences Regal Vagos was known to have, according to Rotmiller.

Thus, one of the variables we were wary of was confirmed.

‘Only one or two unidentified essences remain.’

Of course, he could still possess other Numbered items, so we must remain vigilant—

Whizz-!

Without a moment to organize my thoughts, he lunged at me again.

I tried to strike his blade with my shield as before, but he, too, was a learning entity.

Whoosh-!

The shield cut through thin air.

By the time I realized, a slight pain and the sensation of something foreign were transmitted from my shoulder area.

Screech!

Upon checking, the arc blade that could slice through a Lytianium shield like tofu had burrowed into my forearm.

About 3 cm deep.

“……?”

In the moment our gazes crossed, I could see the perplexity in his eyes.

He intended to slice off my arm entirely, but why had it only penetrated this far?

The answer was simple.

‘Right now, what’s my physical resistance stat?’

The Ogre’s passive skill [Iron Skin].

Physical resistance is doubled, and against slashing attacks, it’s doubled yet again—an insane boost.

With the ‘Guardian of Balance’ evening out stats, it was only natural that even an arc blade could be resisted.

But…

‘Sigh, I didn’t plan on showing this so soon.’

Until the perfect opportunity arose.

I wanted to keep it hidden, blocking swords with my shield if possible.

However, at his level, it would be possible for him to deduce what kind of essence’s power this was from this alone.

‘Head.’

Looking at his burnt scalp, I made my decision.

The first proper attack skill I acquired that wasn’t just an offensive move like the [Flesh Explosion].

I’m not sure why the skill name of someone nicknamed the Tyrant of the Forest is like this but…

「The character casts [Swing].」

「The destructive power of blunt weapons increases significantly in proportion to strength.」

Well, as long as the effect is good, that’s all that matters.

Whoosh!

I swung the mace with all my might.