Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 209
Leader (2)
It’s a coincidence.
They just have similar laughs.
In such a vast world, wouldn’t there be at least one person with similar habits?
I hadn’t even considered that possibility.
The moment I felt déjà vu, I accepted the reality.
“The clown.”
One of the Watchers of the Round Table, and among them, the one who seemed to know the most and had the best skills.
That’s who he was.
“I had guessed he was from Noark, but to meet him like this…”
I met the clown I had been wondering about.
However, I don’t feel happy at all.
On the contrary…
“This is bad.”
What should I do?
He looks incredibly strong at a glance.
If I reveal I’m the Lion mask, would he let me go?
“No way.”
I discarded that fleeting weak thought.
Doing so would be admitting that I am an evil spirit…
The clown respects the Lion mask.
Not some worthless barbarian like me.
The moment my identity is revealed, the clown would lose interest and become angry.
So, I shouted.
“Prepare for battle!”
A frontal assault.
If I can just overcome fear, it could always be the best solution at any moment.
“Now that’s more like a barbarian!”
He seemed to enjoy this change in me.
Maybe this snapped her back to reality?
Raven immediately began chanting a spell.
“Derba Timunes.”
It’s team voice magic.
Since we’re facing a human, not a monster, she thought to activate this right after hearing the call for battle.
“Tsk, how boring.”
The Clown, deprived of his entertaining content, seemed displeased.
Not that it’s my concern.
“Everyone, fall back!”
With that swift order, I used [Gigantification] to block the passage.
That’s the advantage of the first-floor crystal cave.
Although each passage differs…
Click.
Most are narrow.
Narrow enough to be blocked by a single gigantic barbarian.
“Behel—raaaaaaaaaa!!!”
Shaking off the fear, I call upon the name of our ancestral spirit.
Then, raising my shield just enough not to obstruct my view, I focus all my attention on his movements.
Thump-thump!
My warrior heart begins to beat at just the right pace.
Hot blood surges through, infusing my body with vitality.
At least I won’t die a bland death.
“Mr. Jandel, we can’t attack if you do this!”
I firmly dismiss the mage’s concern.
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“He’s an unknown. We need to find out what abilities he has first. Don’t act until then.”
In battle, information is key.
How various abilities and items are combined, and the concept around which the character’s class is built.
Without knowing that, it’s hard to respond correctly.
But…! He’s a monster who killed a knight. And you want to figure this out alone?
What else is there to do?
“This is the most efficient way.”
I am a tank.
That means I can take unknown hits and still hold up.
But he can’t.
A hit he isn’t prepared for could mean instant game over.
“It’s no fun if I can’t understand what you’re saying.”
Before we could further strategize, the clown with a cold voice stretched out his hand.
Somehow, a weapon was already in his grip.
“Mithrilgene”
A dagger emitting a pale blue light.
“Die.”
As his soft voice echoed, the Clown’s figure disappeared from view.
I didn’t miss him for long.
After all, it’s just a straight passage.
‘Trying to play with visibility.’
Lowering my shield slightly, I saw the clown make his move from the now-visible angle. My extensive combat experience allowed me to quickly locate the target.
‘The thigh…’
In battle, everything leads to information.
The days of swinging a weapon without thought are long gone; every movement has a basis and intent.
So, why aim for the thigh?
‘Perhaps he’s an assassin class.’
Given the compatibility issue, he must have found it a pain to penetrate the shield. After all, the first thing I upgraded with the money I saved after paying off my debts for six months was the shield.
‘If he had any brains, he’d have realized as soon as he saw it.’
A large shield made from tier-four lunar metal.
It’s strong enough to withstand an arc steel sword a few times.
That means…
Click!
It’s impossible to pierce with a Tier 5 Mithril weapon.
Not content with just blocking it with my shield, I thrust my arm with power.
“…!”
Without much resistance, the opponent’s body was pushed back.
I registered another piece of information in my mind.
Well, it’s obvious…
‘His strength is below mine.’
The idea that this might actually work begins to take hold.
Maybe not six months ago.
Since then, I’ve made significant improvements, starting with my equipment.
It seems he’s not dragon-slayer level.
“Well, I guess he hasn’t shown all his cards yet.”
I kept my guard up, watching the Clown as he stepped back.
Though I blocked the first attack, allowing even one hit could be dangerous.
After all, he boldly said, ‘Die.’
That’s not something you say while targeting the thigh.
‘So, it must be poison then.’
It’s highly likely that his weapon is coated with poison.
His abilities might also be related to poison.
However, since nothing has been confirmed yet, I kept all possibilities open.
“It seems like it’s about time to use it.”
So far, we’ve only exchanged physical blows once.
And since that was blocked, maybe it was time to use a skill?
“Ah, really! I wanted to save my MP if possible!”
He let out a wry laugh, regardless of his usual exaggerated way of speaking.
“…Mr. Jandel! That person is an evil spirit!”
MP, huh.
This crazy guy isn’t even trying to hide that he’s a player.
‘Is this typical of those from Noark?’
Well, having already made enemies with the royal family, there’s no need to hide being an evil spirit…
“No, wait. If he’s an evil spirit, then maybe…”
At that, my body involuntarily flinched.
I realized what Raven must be thinking.
A native of Noark.
With the skills to kill a knight alone.
The most infamous player in this city.
“The Corpse Collector…?”
Raven muttered the name in a daze.
“Kyah!”
I quickly turned to check behind me.
「Abet Necrapheto has cast [Puppeteer].」
The bodies of a knight and soldiers that had been sprawled out behind suddenly rose, lunging toward Raven.
‘Fuck, it’s real.’
There was no more denying it.
The character concept of the Corpse Collector is well-known.
It was a job I had played a few times myself.
Specialized in curses and summoning, with a significant emphasis on agility stats to compensate for its weakness in close combat…
[Agile Poison Necromancer]
That was the class of my opponent now.
***
I thought he was an assassin, given his awl-like weapon.
‘A necromancer…’
That was a clear miscalculation.
He was just sizing me up with a basic attack.
His real specialty was something else.
‘He didn’t just happen to be nearby, he came looking for us.’
Knowing his identity, everything around me began to look different.
He likely left the bodies deliberately.
The reason is simple.
If he leaves them like discarded bodies, he can use them like CCTV cameras.
At this point, what does it matter?
‘I don’t need to gather information by fighting anymore’
I decided to focus on the positive.
Having gathered information about the Dragon Slayer and the Corpse Collector after our battle in Orcules, I knew quite a bit about him.
‘There are a total of 6 known essences.’
Of course, there could be three unknown essences, and considering his infamy, they could spell disaster for us.
But at least I’ve confirmed his class.
“Everyone, don’t fight, fall back!”
I quickly issued the order.
Normally, in a fight against a summoner, the standard tactic is to take out the summons first…
“Don’t fight?” Raved asked, confused.
“Yes, Creating distance is the priority!”
Each of the poison necromancer’s summons is akin to a suicide bomb.
Creating distance is a basic strategy.
“Aruru, come here!”
“Yes!”
That was the moment when Aynar was preparing to retreat with Raven.
Flash!
A gray light burst from the cracks of his mask.
「Abet Necrapheto has cast [Stone’s Curse].」
I immediately felt the numbness spreading from my feet.
I knew instantly what skill it was.
The essence of a Grade 4 monster, Medusa.
Thud.
Was he aiming to kill me first as he rushed at me again with his dagger drawn?
It was certainly a devious skill.
‘The absence of combat traces around here must be because of this skill.’
Even for a knight, resisting a Level 4 essence would have been tough.
A typical knight is usually around rank 5.
Magic resistance would be hard to come by.
‘Well, not for me.’
Manticore’s passive skill [Inheritance].
Over the past six months, I’ve filled all 200 of this passive’s stats with magical resistance. Normally, other stats would increase as well, but there’s a trick to increasing magic resistance alone.
Anyway, as a result.
“Bethel—raaaaaaaah!!”
My battle cry has evolved to replace the ‘Indomitable’ skill.
「The character’s magic resistance score is over 400.」
Immortal engraving stage 2 gives +20.
From Ogre essence, +80.
From Manticore passive skill [Inheritance] +200.
With the increase in magical resistance from [Gigantification] and [Wild Burst] being about 40, plus a 20% additional boost from Earth Dragon’s blessing…
「A suppression immunity effect is granted to the character.」
Temporarily exceeding 400 in magic resistance, I became immune to suppression-type skills!
「The status ailment [Stone’s Curse] has been dispelled.」
As the paralysis that began at my feet dissipated instantly, I charged forward with my shield.
The opponent seemed flustered.
Well, should I say he was confused?
“Ha! Immune to suppression? How much have you invested in magic resistance?”
Extreme praise.
After all, the only reason I spent the money on the Manticore essence was for the magical resistance.
Forget about other remaining stats.
The +200 to magic resistance alone could carry me through the end game.
‘But damn, he’s really fast.’
I charged like a tank, but true to his agile poison necromancer nature, he easily widened the distance.
That’s the tricky part about these guys.
Summoners are vulnerable in their physical form, but catching them is seriously tough.
At least he’s not an assassin.
“Raven!! Freeze the corpses!”
“What? Oh, yes!!”
“And Abman, when I give the signal, hit him hard with something big! Create a chance to escape!”
“…Escape? Is that even possible?”
Well, it’s a fifty-fifty chance.
But we have to try.
The chances are much higher than winning by fighting.
“I’ll need to pour everything into one shot. Understood!”
Fortunately, Mr. Bear readily complied with the order.
He must have sensed the gravity of facing the Corpse Collector.
The odds of winning were slim, and even then, it would likely require sacrifices.
‘Of all things, the Corpse Collector.’
He’s among the top ranks in Orcules.
Definitely ranked higher than the dragon slayer.
But…
‘Now might be our chance.’
Necromancers are not particularly good at pursuit due to their job characteristics. Moreover, he seemed to be conserving resources.
‘He’ll want to minimize waste until the labyrinth closes.’
With these thoughts, I backstepped quickly.
Swoosh!
I felt the chill from behind.
It seemed Raven used a freezing spell on the corpses.
“It’s frozen!”
Okay, confirmation done.
“Abman!”
“Ah, just say when!”
Mr. Bear was ready too.
I quietly signaled the ambush, then made a request to Raven.
“Raven, turn off the voice control magic.”
“What?”
“Do it now.”
“It’s off.”
As soon as the team voice magic was deactivated, I called out to him.
“Hey.”
“Hmm?”
He looked at me with a curious gaze.
“Do you know the two ways to make someone angry?”
“Well? I’ve never heard of them?”
Typical of foreigners.
I knew he wouldn’t know.
“The first is to start talking and then stop.”
“Interesting. And the second?”
The clown nodded as if he understood.
“That is…”
I trailed off as I deactivated [Gigantification].
And at that moment.
「Abman Urickfreit has cast [Strengthen].」
「Abman Urickfreit has cast [Hazard].」
TL/n- Abman Urichfried is changed to Abman Urickfreit for translation accuracy
Mr. Bear’s skills concentrated into one explosive shot that flew across the widened passage.
Boom!
The cave shook as if from an earthquake.
Flames rose swiftly, blocking the other side.
As flames shot up and blocked the other side, I yelled more passionately than ever.
“What are you doing? Run now!”