Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 227
Reversal (3)
Tacellan Arbenon
He had no idea what he was doing.
“What am I doing?”
He swung his sword.
Using every ounce of strength left in his body, he moved his arm to kill the enemy.
And yet, he constantly asked himself.
“Why?”
His most precious wife had died.
So why did he need to live?
To that question, the barbarian had answered.
[There needs to be someone to deliver the news.]
[Yes, that’s right…]
Tacellan, who was in a state of despair, heard his words and stepped onto this perilous journey.
To deliver the news?
He knew all too well that wasn’t the real reason.
The Barbarian, who, unlike him, had protected everything.
[I’ll say it again! Everyone, stop!]
With a stubbornly honest voice, he stopped the madness of the massacre.
[Leader of the Nartel Clan, Melter Pend.]
[I am Lacey Naret of the Heindel Church.]
[I am a battle mage of Raphdonia.]
Gaining recognition from renowned explorers.
[Bethel—Raaaaaaa!!]
Leading the perilous journey from the most dangerous forefront to guide them to their destination-the great barbarian.
This man was a born leader.
Just as he had been drawn to him at first, he had the power to move people’s hearts.
But because of that…
He wanted to see this great man in despair, having lost something precious.
Then he might feel a little more at ease.
Yes, it couldn’t be helped.
Even a man like him couldn’t manage it?
It’s only natural that he couldn’t protect them.
Driven by the disgusting motive of seeking comfort through others’ misfortune, he followed this journey.
Yes, that must have been it…
Slash-!
He was swinging his sword.
To save not just himself, but others.
“Ah, thank you. Your name was Tacellan, right?”
“…”
“A quiet friend, I see.”
Despite the loss of his long-time comrades, he is fighting with all his might for someone he’s only just met.
Tacellan simply couldn’t understand it.
Slash-!
Why am I still fighting?
Because I haven’t seen that barbarian in despair?
No, then why?
“Hoo, reinforcements in this situation.”
“We’re probably going to die, right?”
“Ha, this is crazy. How did we even get this far?”
“Enough with the chatter, just fight!”
“Yeah, no way I’m dying without a fight!”
Even knowing they face death, they are fighting to the end.
“Waahhhh!”
Tacellan, scanning the explorers’ eyes, soon realized the reason.
Boom!
Beyond the constant explosions.
Where countless enemies were swarming.
A man with a massive back was fighting.
“Bethel—Raaaaaaa!!!”
Still holding on to hope.
***
The situation is dire.
But the grimmer it got, the more I thought of the positive aspects.
‘Their equipment is about two to three floors’ worth.’
They have numbers, but each one’s combat ability is significantly lacking. If they were good, they would’ve moved up to higher floors to hunt.
Indeed, Noark’s remnants attacked us, mixed in with the corpse army, but it made little difference to us at the moment.
At our level, a single corpse summoned by the Clown was more threatening.
‘The problem is… it takes more time to break through.’
This is actually the most troublesome part.
Time is not on our side.
We need to take down the clown as quickly as possible, then gang up on the wolf or the Ruin Scholar to stand a chance of winning.
But now the remnants of Noark have shown up.
‘At this rate, our rear formation will collapse too…’
We’re even more pressed for time now.
The more impatience surged, the more tightly I gripped my mace.
Crash!
This time, it was a one-hit kill again.
However, even as I take down an enemy.
“Aaah!”
The number of my allies is dwindling.
In the face of death, people are more truthful than ever.
Some cried out their love for their families, some cursed the king with all their might, and some revealed their hidden identities to the world for the first time.
“Your expression… look. Hey, I’m an evil spirit.”
“…What? What do you mean by that!”
“Sorry for deceiving you… Thanks for everything… Ugh! Now, finally, I can… Ah, Mom… I’m so late…”
Yes, among all these people, there had to be at least one player.
Thump-!
It felt unfair.
After overcoming so many hardships to get here, was it going to end so meaninglessly?
‘…No, it can’t be.’
I steadied my wavering heart.
Breaking can wait until after I’ve fallen.
As long as my arms and legs can still move.
Until my breath stops and blood cools, I must struggle and struggle again.
Yes, so…
Crash-!
I swung my mace and thought.
Just like the first day I came here.
What must I do to survive?
Hmm, first assess the situation.
“Kyle! How’s it over there?”
[We’re barely holding on, but it’s not looking good.]
The rear, where mages and archers are positioned, seems to be taking heavy damage too.
Of course, that was expected.
The Noark explorers were attacking them too. With most of the warriors here, it must be hard to fend them off.
‘We’re surrounded on all sides.’
But surprisingly, there is an escape route.
The portal we came up through.
Kyle, probably to boost morale, hadn’t mentioned it, but some must have fled back to the first floor.
Escape is always an attractive option.
Especially when life is on the line.
“…Jandel, what about going down to regroup!”
A warrior shouted a suggestion to me.
Did Kyle hear this through the message stone?
[Absolutely not. Eventually, we’ll have to come back up to face them, and they won’t give us time to regroup then.]
Kyle spoke firmly to prevent any foolish thoughts.
It was pointless.
I wasn’t considering it anyway.
Zero and one are different.
And if my and Kyle’s judgment is correct.
One is definitely here.
We must find a way to win here.
Therefore.
“What about Melter Pend?”
I inquired about another front that could be a variable.
But again, there was no positive response.
[He’s holding them off, but it’s unlikely to end quickly.]
Yes, that’s what I thought.
“…Bjorn!!”
Startled, I looked to my side and saw a suicide bomber within arm’s reach.
“Dertu Teiran!”
Fortunately, Raven used a ‘Gale’ spell just in time to push the bomber away.
Boom!
The suicide bomber exploded, splattering its bodily fluids. While the other corpses were mostly unaffected, the Noark explorers who had just arrived as reinforcements were not so lucky.
Sizzle-!
Those nearby simply melted away, and even those who were hit by just a single drop turned pale and staggered.
I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.
Whether it’s Raphdonia or Noark, they treat people as expendable all the same.
“Then what about the Ruin Scholar?”
Without a moment’s rest, I continued the conversation.
Perhaps the most crucial information in the current situation.
“Can we kill him?”
[Now that the magic circle is complete, I can try. But…]
Kyle trailed off.
He seemed uncertain.
[I’m sorry. I thought I caught up, but the gap has widened since then.]
I didn’t blame him.
If he had fled through the dimensional gate, we wouldn’t have come this far. Besides, the Ruin Scholar was a crazy-level mage even to my eyes.
[Still, as I said earlier, we can buy some time. I’ll manage to strike a blow somehow, even if it costs my life.]
His words suddenly reminded me of Dwalki.
“Are you talking about that awakening spell?”
[…Something similar.]
“Are you sure about this?”
[If I feared the consequences, I wouldn’t have stayed here. This is the moment I’ve longed for. Besides, I’ve refined it over time, so it doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll lose my life.]
“…I see.”
I didn’t bother to say that he didn’t need to go that far.
That would be hypocritical… and…
“Aaah!!”
Who here isn’t fighting for their lives?
Even I am doing the same.
For example, if I were to fall right now, people would grieve, but they wouldn’t be surprised.
That’s the kind of battle this is.
[So what will you do now?] Kyle’s cautious question made me smile.
This guy always asks questions like this, doesn’t he?
[It might be better to come back here and fight together—]
“Forget it.”
I cut him off firmly.
With the Noark explorers’ reinforcements, we were now outnumbered… but…
“Nothing has changed.”
Kyle Febrosk will handle the Ruin Scholar.
Melter Pend will take on that wolf.
“I will deal with the Corpse Collector.”
[I figured as much.]
I heard a faint chuckle from the message stone.
“Why are you laughing? Do you think I can’t do it?”
[No, it’s not that. I was just reminded of what you said earlier.]
What I said?
[You mentioned that warriors laugh when things get tough. Include mages in that too.]
Hmm, we warriors tend to laugh more heartily, though.
“Show me a more manly laugh next time.”
[Next time…]
Ah, was it an inappropriate to joke in this situation?
I regretted it slightly, but soon a much lighter voice came through.
[Well, having a ‘next time’ isn’t so bad. You know, if I get out of this, I’m going to write a book. A book about my life. It’s been my dream since I was young.]
“I’ll read it if I get the chance.”
[What an honor. If I do write it, can I include what you said as a quote?]
“A quote?”
[The thing about warriors laughing when it’s tough. It keeps echoing in my head.]
Uh, that was just something I said offhand.
Hearing him take it so seriously makes me feel somewhat embarrassed.
But if we can just make it back, I’d allow anything.
“Do whatever you want.”
Kyle laughed aloud at my answer.
[Ha ha, is that so? Then there’s no problem.]
His laughter was much heartier than before.
***
The current battle situation is quite complex.
First, the long-range dealers of the exploration are concentrated around the portal.
And the warriors are blocking around them.
Originally, we only needed to block the corpse army in front, but Noark’s explorers attacking from behind changed that.
‘It must be tough for them too.’
While reorganizing our lines, Melter Pend and his clan members were left in the middle of the battlefield, still fighting that wolf.
They must be struggling as much as we are.
We were also separated from the main force to hunt down the Corpse Collector.
We could be considered a kind of special detached force.
In that sense, it’s time for a mid-battle check.
“Raven! What’s our headcount?”
“Huh? Oh, it looks like about 40!”
Phew, a lot of us have died.
It seemed like we had well over a hundred at the start—
Whoosh-!
Suddenly, light erupted from the ground.
A massive red magic circle covered the entire battlefield in an instant.
“…It’s a spatial magic formula!”
Raven was the first to read the spell.
But that’s as far as she got.
Kyle’s calm voice flowed through the message stone.
[Don’t be alarmed. It’s just the timing.]
“So, is there no problem with the plan?”
[Yes, I expected the old man to use this magic.]
Hearing that, I felt relieved.
If the Ruin Scholar uses a spatial magic formula, he planned to counter with another spell using the enemy’s own mana?
That was roughly the plan, though I didn’t know the detailed mechanics as I’m not a mage.
This kind of thing wasn’t implemented in the game.
It must have been a limitation of the 2D game format.
But…
‘I should get ready too.’
I have to move, trusting that it will work.
If not, there is no other answer.
Whoosh-!
Soon, the light from the magic circle reached its peak, and my vision turned completely white.
And at that moment.
[I’ll be back.]
Kyle’s voice echoed once more.
Flash-!
A blinding light engulfed the battlefield.
[Kyle Febrosk has cast Level 2 Temporal Magic [Parallel Realm]
A ringing sound filled my ears.
When I opened my eyes, the battlefield looked unchanged, though my vision was blurry.
I muttered softly, “Kyle, did it work?”
No response. That must mean the spell succeeded.
By now, Kyle would be engaging the Ruin Scholar in a one-on-one battle in a virtual space based on the Goblin Forest.
I hope he wins and returns… but…
‘I must also prepare for the possibility that he doesn’t.’
Kyle believed he could at least buy us some time.
We need to accomplish something within that time.
“What are you doing? Charge!”
After briefly pausing due to the white flash, we resumed our breakthrough with the detached force.
How much time passed, I wasn’t sure.
‘This should be it.’
We reached our target distance.
No more life-risking breakthroughs were needed.
I entrusted the detached force to Teterud, who had been breaking through alongside me.
“Teterud, take the remaining people and go back.”
“Then I’ll leave the rest to you.”
We had already communicated our intentions while breaking through.
“Alright, you heard him! We stop here and head back!”
“But even that doesn’t look easy!”
“Well, Jandel will handle this side!”
“Let’s go!!”
Teterud led the remaining group back toward Melter Pend.
Even if they couldn’t reach the main force, they could at least assist in taking down the wolf.
“Everyone, get on.”
As soon as I spoke, Misha quickly jumped up to sit on my [Gigantified] shoulder.
“Are we really going alone?”
Next was Aynar.
“Oh! Now I understand why Aruru always rides you!”
She was too big for my shoulder, so I held her around the waist with my left arm.
“Pardon me.”
Raven, having dismissed her summon, climbed onto Misha’s lap.
“…This feels quite strange.”
Then Mr. Bear man clung to my neck from behind.
And then…
“It really feels like we’re a team now!”
Lastly, Erwin sat on my right shoulder.
Heh, it truly felt like I had become a mode of transportation.
Just as we were about to set off.
“Wait a moment.”
Daria grabbed me.
I preemptively addressed what I suspected she was going to say.
“As I said before, I can’t let Erwin go.”
No matter what she said using her authority as her sister, I wouldn’t give in. Erwin was crucial to this plan—
“That’s not it. I’m coming with you.”
“What?”
So, she does have some decency.
“…What’s that look for?”
“It’s nothing. Come here.”
I quickly extended my remaining arm to wrap around Daria’s waist.
[Grrrr!]
“Kill him! Kill that bastard, and it’ll be over!”
The clown’s summoned corpses and Noark’s second-floor explorers were closing in in real time.
I bent my knees slightly, assessing the situation ahead.
Between the clown and me were over a hundred Noark explorers and even more of the corpse army…
‘About 60 meters.’
After one more distance check, I bent my knees further, ready to spring like a coiled spring.
And then…
“Hold on tight.”
This time, I jumped with all my might.
[The character has cast [Leap]
My body soared, giving me a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield.
“I’m flying! I’m flying!”
I could see Melter Pend engaged in a raid on the wolf, Teterud rushing towards them, the main force in the center, and the clown cackling in the distance, thinking he was safe.
“Oh, oh…”
As I reached the peak of my jump, someone yanked on my hair with all their strength.
Maybe I should add a handle to my armor next time?
“Ahhhhhh!!!”
Our bodies arced through the air and began to fall rapidly. The clown, perched on a corpse monster, saw me and commanded his minions to retreat.
No, you really think that will work now?
If he wanted to kite, he should have done it more aggressively from the start.
Boom!
My body slammed into the ground like a cannonball.
[The character’s total weight exceeds 500kg]
[The special terrain effect [Recoil] is additionally applied to the damage area]
Due to the [Recoil] effect, the Noark remnants and the corpse army around the clown were thrown into the air.
Ah, the corpse monster the clown was riding was an exception.
It must have weighed over 500kg, as it didn’t budge.
Of course, that was a minor issue.
“I didn’t expect you to consume Manticore essence. Heh!”
The clown looked at me with still casual eyes.
He seemed amused.
As much as I’d love to exchange a few words, I hurriedly canceled [Gigantification].
My body quickly shrank back to normal size.
“Eek!!”
My companions who were hanging on also fell off, and the clown, seeing me, spoke in an exaggerated tone.
“Oh dear! Did you use up all your MP? You came all this way, what a pity.”
Using up MP? What a joke.
Well, once he gets a taste of it directly, he’ll drop that idiotic tone eventually.
“Erwin.”
“Yes!”
As soon as I called her name, Erwin used her ability.
[Erwin fornacci de tersia has cast [Spirit Form]
[Spirit Form].
It’s the ability of a Level 5 monster, Evan, and a very unique concept in [Dungeon and Stone].
The effect is simple.
The caster becomes a spirit, gaining immunity to physical damage.
And…
[Erwin fornacci de tersia proposes a ‘Contract’ to the character]
It allows her to share various powers temporarily with one person.
[Mister, hold my hand.]
A voice that sounded otherworldly.
I grasped Erwin’s outstretched hand as if entranced.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
A fierce flame erupted, engulfing and protecting my entire body.
This was the Elemental Barbarian mode(Fire).
“Erwin, put out the fire.”
[…What? Oh, right!]
Did she finally remember what I had said earlier?
Erwin quickly changed the element.
Crackle.
My already thick skin cracked like dry earth, becoming even tougher.
[The spirit of the earth resides in the character’s body]
[Fire attribute damage received is halved]
[Water attribute damage received is doubled]
[Immunity to poison granted]
[Enhanced resistance to destruction when using blunt weapons]
[Physical resistance significantly increased..]
“……”
Yes, a man should be like a rock.