Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 214

Discarded Pawn(3)

A Rank 4 explorer using aura.

I would have considered him a truly despairing foe.

Yes, if it were the old me.

Whoooosh-!

Of course, he hasn’t finished setting up his aura yet.

A combination of Tier 5 adamantium greatsword and aura?

My moonstone shield would surely turn to scrap in an instant.

But…

“You’ll be worth cutting.”

[Dungeons and Stones isn’t just a game of HP/MP or item levels.

Rank 4, swordsman, Rank 3 tank, none of it matters.

One misjudgment leads to a character’s death in this hardcore game.

“Cutting my ass.”

No matter how strong he is, if he takes a critical hit, he will die.

In that sense…

“Come at me.”

He’s not an opponent I can’t defeat.

The penalty is that I have to fight in a short period of time because enemies are coming from behind.

But this can also be solved by discarding something.

“These barbarian bastards never know their place.”

I just hope.

That bastard isn’t prepared.

There’s no time to safely figure out his skills and equipment through a probing battle.

Life and death will be decided in an instant.

As it always has been.

“Bethel—raaaahhh!!”

I discard fear.

Thud.

At that moment I heard the sound of feet pounding on the ground.

Whiiish-!

Through the mist filling the passageway, a figure over 190 cm tall charged.

Whoooosh!

A greatsword swung.

Tatat.

Instead of blocking with my shield, I quickly dodged to the side.

Not because I was reluctant to damage the expensive shield, but because it was meaningless.

If I discard something, I must gain something.

Like this.

Slash-!

The greatsword slashed down on my left elbow.

“Hey, Jandel…!!”

In an instant, I became one-armed.

The second time since the battle with the Chaos Lord Liakis.

I wasn’t particularly depressed.

I discarded the complacency of winning with all limbs intact the moment I faced him.

Ssssss.

I aimed the fountain of acidic blood gushing from my severed arm at him.

“Aaaaargh!!”

Luckily, it hit his eyes.

‘Lucky me.’

I sacrificed my arm to blind him.

Of course, the effect wouldn’t last long…

“Raven, use Lava Eruption!”

I immediately ordered, sticking close to him.

Since he uses a greatsword, at this range, he can’t harm me with Aura.

If I hadn’t blocked his sight, I might have had to sacrifice something bigger to get this close.

“But if I do, Jandel…!”

“Just do it!!”

“Got it…!”

I breathe hastily, and tense my muscles.

It felt similar to when I wrestled with a troll on the 4th floor.

“You fucking bastard!”

Fierce resistance.

Scales sprouted on his body.

One of the effects of [Experiment], a skill that temporarily increases physical stats.

I expected it since he used aura.

‘He’s definitely a brute force type.’

Ironically, I’m a similar type.

“Stay still.”

I used [Gigantification] again.

I figured that since I hadn’t used it in a few minutes, I should have enough MP for about 30 seconds.

“Ugh.”

He groaned under the sudden increase in weight, bending his back.

Whoosh, whoosh!

He swung his greatsword around wildly as he held me up, slicing through the corridor walls with aura.

“Is it scary not being able to see?”

“I’ll kill you!!!”

“Everyone, back off!!”

Because of his wild swinging, Misha and the others couldn’t get close to land additional hits.

But it was better for me.

His thrashing made it hard for the other enemies to come to his aid.

“Asshole.”

“Aaaaargh!!”

He leaned forward, trying to throw me off.

But so what?

Sticking to the enemy like a leech is a basic tank skill.

Thud-!

Our bodies fell, tangled together.

Not a romantic movie scene at all.

More like the final brawl in a thriller movie.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Finally, he dropped his greatsword and started pounding my ear with his fists.

Of course, it didn’t matter.

He can’t use aura with his hands.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Physical attacks can be endured with physical resistance.

Sure, his punches shook my brain because of his strength, but compared to losing an arm, this was minor.

“Sir!!”

When his mindless sword dance ended, the enemies who couldn’t approach now rushed at me.

But…

“Are you really going to cast it…?!”

They were a step too late.

“What are you asking for?!”

The spell was completed.

“…Iherno Wature Tunbar!”

Level 4 fire elemental attack magic, ‘Lava Eruption’.

Fwoooosh!!

The black-red lava from Raven’s staff rushed towards us.

I immediately shifted my position.

From choking him from above, I moved so I was on the ground and he was on top.

“Let go, you barbarian…!”

He shouted, regaining his sight.

He must have seen the lava approaching us.

“What’s the matter, don’t like the heat?”

Then you should have boosted your fire resistance, you bastard.

“No!!”

I tightly closed my eyes.

At that moment.

Fwoooosh-!

I felt a heat that seemed to melt everything.

“Aaaaaargh!”

At the same time, something poured over my skin.

The flowing substance quickly cooled and hardened.

「Your character’s HP is below 50%.」

「Due to the passive skill [Hero’s Path], all resistance and endurance stats have increased.」

Fire resistance from the third stage of the Immortal Engraving.

The magic resistance of the Manticore.

The Fire Orb.

‘Even with all that, it’s still this bad…’

My whole body felt hot and itchy.

It’s like drinking a potion.

Pain seeping through pain resistance.

So what?

You think I want to avoid pain?

I discard such thoughts like a passive skill.

Once again, this isn’t a kind world.

‘…Should I have asked for ‘Cold Blood’ from Raven?’

I discarded the sudden surge of weakness.

Especially since Raven’s mana was already running low.

Resources must be conserved.

“Keuh.”

I pushed aside the charcoal-like enemy and stood up.

It felt like my insides were cooked like sausage.

Meanwhile, something crispy flaked off my body as I moved.

Is this what they call crispy on the outside, tender on the inside?

“Hey, Mr. Jandel? Are, are you okay?”

“…Just a bit singed.”

“J-just a bit singed…?”

I managed to take down an aura user in a short time, so this much is tolerable.

Besides, the bleeding from my elbow has stopped.

The flame magic had cauterized the wound.

A win-win in more ways than one.

“Grrr.”

How the fuck is this guy alive?

Did he also have fire resistance?

Watching him stand up like me, I quickly turned and reached out with my remaining hand for the shield I had thrown earlier.

At that moment.

「Your character lacks Soul Power.」

「[Gigantification] has ended.」

As [Gigantification] wore off, I lost my balance and staggered.

Simultaneously, my hand, which was close to the shield, moved away.

Thump-!

Despite the heat radiating from my body, a chill ran down my spine.

If he draws his greatsword now.

No, even a dagger to my neck would be game over.

The worst-case scenario played in my mind.

But…

“Keuh, keuh.”

Twisting my falling body, I urgently checked behind me.

The guy was moving away, showing his back.

Staggering away, but at a fast pace.

“…”

My body stiffened at the unexpected sight.

Then I let out a sigh of relief.

‘Lucky me.’

He was arrogant.

That’s why he faced me alone despite having comrades.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

He held out hope that he would get another chance.

So, even when he had the chance to kill me, he chose to flee to save himself.

I could understand his mindset.

“Fucking barbarian bastard…”

For him, the fight with me wasn’t about survival.

There was no reason to fight to the death.

And that’s why.

Our positions were reversed now.

“Where are you going?”

Instead of the shield, I grabbed the greatsword he had left behind. The strength I had gained from the ogre was enough to handle the adamantium greatsword with one hand.

“…S-stop that Barbarian!”

I quickly pursued him.

The distance closed in an instant.

His steps were unsteady, likely from the severe damage he had taken.

Soon, I was within striking distance.

“You should leave your neck behind.”

Being a swordsman isn’t bad.

Slash-!

Feeling the satisfying sensation at the tip of the sword, I shouted with a smile.

“Bethel—raaaaahhh!!!”

I survived.

For now, at least.

***

The time it took to encounter and decapitate the rank 4 aura user was about 2 minutes.

That’s the nature of battles.

It doesn’t take long to determine the winner and the loser.

A knight trained for a lifetime.

An elite explorer who has ventured into countless labyrinths.

Anyone can lose their life in an instant in this world.

“Aynar!!”

Without a moment to enjoy the afterglow of victory, I threw the greatsword I was holding to Aynar.

“Huh? Huh?”

Why is she so flustered?

We need to take what we can.

I thought of her the moment I saw it.

‘What a waste.’

With my now empty hand, I picked up the shield and turned my gaze away from the corpse.

Sigh, I bet there’s more useful loot on him.

‘But there’s no time for that.’

I discarded my greed and looked ahead.

“Sir Keshial has been taken down!!”

“Kill him!!”

The enemies, who had paused because of the ‘Lava Eruption,’ were now regaining their composure and charging at us.

Dragging my battered body, I moved forward.

Because that’s my role.

Shield Charge.

With my remaining arm holding the shield, I ran forward, putting my weight on my shoulder.

As we near our destination, the explorers are much stronger than those on the outer edges.

Like the aura-using bastard from earlier.

This must be the front line.

Clang.

A potion flew towards me and shattered.

A soft pain, more like fire burning through flesh than an awl stabbing into a wound.

“Mr Jandel’s favorite high-grade potion!”

Well, no wonder.

‘I do feel a bit more energized.’

Let’s muster some strength and push through once more.

There’s not much left now, right?

The end is in sight.

“From now on, I’ll help too!”

Aynar stood beside me.

“What about Raven?”

“I left him with Urakbrak!”

A good decision.

Raven probably suggested it.

“Bethel—raaaaahhh!!!”

I stopped trying to check how far we’d come using the terrain.

I focused solely on this moment.

“Misha! Stick right behind me!”

Just a little further.

“Erwin! Now! Use it!”

Yes, just a little further.

“Kehk! No, not now…”

“Jandel! Raven’s mana is depleted!”

At that moment, the magic support from Raven, who was on Mr. Bear’s back, ended.

It meant that breaking through obstacles with [Oxygen Explosion] when the path was blocked or slowed was no longer possible.

“N-no! Lena…!”

As our pace slowed, another one died.

It was the sorcerer from Tacellan ‘s team.

A support-type sorcerer specializing in defense and support, she had been guarding our rear.

“We’re almost there…!”

It will be tougher from now on.

I grit my teeth and push my conscience away.

“Damn it!!!”

There was no time to cover my ears.

Even if I could, I shouldn’t.

It was my decision.

Selection and concentration.

What to discard.

And what cannot be discarded.

What I wanted to protect.

“…Misha!”

“Don’t worry! I can still fight…!”

In the midst of a fierce battle, where it wouldn’t be surprising if one more person died, everyone fought their way through together.

How long had it been?

“This way!”

Finally, a dark passageway appeared.

As soon as it was visible, we turned and entered the passage beyond.

“Erwin, provide visibility!”

“Y-yes!”

Instead of Raven, who was out of mana, Erwin summoned a fire spirit to illuminate the surroundings.

The passage was dotted with monochrome crystals.

There were no city explorers coming out to greet us.

But…

“Bjorn! They’re not following us!!”

It seemed the pursuit stopped here, marking a boundary.

So, this was the dividing line between the zones.

“Don’t let your guard down and keep moving.”

It was still too early to relax.

I continued forward without slowing down. Resting, drinking potions, and re-equipping could wait until safety was secured.

About three minutes later,

We finally met the group we’d been longing to see.

“Stop.”

A group of ten knights.

Surrounded by striped corpses.

The corpses were probably from the Noark side.

Coming here at the risk of our lives was definitely the right choice.

Thinking these guys were on our side was already reassuring—

‘Huh?’

One knight, meeting my gaze, slowly drew his sword and started walking towards us.

Aura shimmered on the blade.

I hurriedly shouted.

“We’re not enemies! Here’s our identification tags—”

Oh, my arm… I left it back there.

“I don’t have mine, but the others all do!”

I quickly added, but their reaction was cold.

“Now they’re even trying lame tricks. This path is occupied by the Noark scum. And you appear from there claiming to have identification tags?”

Huh, it’s no wonder they don’t believe us.

Looking like this, they probably thought we were spies disguised to infiltrate.

So, what should I do?

Would they believe me if I mentioned my alias, Little Balkan?

As I pondered for a moment, I realized there was a better way.

“Misha, show them the ring.”

Coincidentally, we had something given for situations like this.