Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 229
Reversal (5)
Crack!
Once again, the [Bone Armor] was shattered, revealing the Clown’s face.
It was filled with nothing but panic.
From experience, this expression was a sure sign that this long battle was nearing its end.
However, just as I was about to strike down with my mace…
Whoosh!
A chilling breeze brushed by from the side.
[Erwin Fornachi di Tercia has received damage exceeding the permissible limit]
[[Spirit Form] is being deactivated]
Suddenly, my body felt lighter.
The skin that was like rock returned to normal.
Like an animal sensing danger, my ears sharpened with alertness.
Thud.
Something fell behind me.
“Erwin!!”
Soon, Daria’s urgent cry followed.
Just from that, I could infer the situation.
Erwin had been taken down by someone.
That’s why the Elemental Barbarian Mode ended.
But why?
Even before I turned my head to the direction of the first breeze, the answer became clear.
“Heh, Necrapheto, you look terrible.”
Lush white hair and a snow-white beard.
A kind-looking face.
An elderly mage with a typical mage’s appearance.
‘The Ruin Scholar.’
He had arrived here.
‘How already? What happened to Kyle?’
As soon as I faced that reality, countless questions arose.
But…
Swoosh.
I forced the questions aside and moved my arm.
It was an instinctive decision made in a split second.
‘If not now…’
There wouldn’t be another chance.
Elemental Barbarian Mode was over.
I could no longer block the poison attacks, so if I missed this chance, I’d have to face both the clown and the old man.
So…
“This is urgent.”
Damn it.
My left arm lost strength, and the mace I was holding fell to the ground.
Thud!
A red light had pierced through my wrist.
I was about to lose it.
‘Damn, what kind of attack…’
There was no casting time.
It meant that the spell he had just used was as basic as ‘Mana Arrow’ to the Ruin Scholar.
But to have my body pierced by a basic attack?
Elemental Barbarian Mode had ended, so my anti-magic resistance should have returned.
‘No, think about it later.’
I pushed away the questions once more.
There were more urgent matters to deal with right now.
Dropped the mace?
Then I’d just crush him with my shield.
If I don’t have teeth, I’ll chew with my gums—this is the K-Barbarian spirit.
Thwack.
As soon as I lost my mace, I slammed the clown’s face with my shield.
One strike wouldn’t kill him, so I continued.
Thwack!
Two strikes weren’t enough, so I aimed for a third.
Whoosh!
Just as I was about to strike the third time.
“What an interesting fellow.”
My body stopped.
It felt like an immense, invisible pressure was pinning me down.
“I told you, it’s urgent.”
I rolled my eyes sideways.
The Ruin Scholar was staring at me.
He was expressionless, yet he somehow looked amused.
As if he had found something intriguing.
“What is your name?”
So, he was curious about me.
“To have reduced Necrapheto to that state, you can’t be an unnamed explorer.”
His voice carried no malice.
[Could it be that he’s already there…!]
At that moment, Melter Pend’s voice came from the message stone, and the Ruin Scholar frowned in displeasure at the interruption.
Yes, it was just that.
[Hold on a bit. I’m coming—!]
The message stone at my waist exploded.
Boom!
What kind of mage is he?
He hadn’t swung a staff or wand, nor had he performed any distinctive magical gestures.
Just what rank is this old man?
I had heard he was a third-rank mage before his expulsion.
“Won’t you answer?”
“I’m Bjorn, son of Jandel.”
I decided to answer quickly.
Melter Pend would arrive with the main force soon, so I had to stall for time by talking.
“Your alias?”
“The Little Balkan.”
“Hmm, an unfamiliar name. What rank are you?”
“I was promoted to fifth rank a few months ago.”
“Fifth rank, interesting.”
The Ruin Scholar’s eyes gleamed with interest as he moved his hand like he was manipulating mana.
Whoosh!
Colors rose from the ground in vibrant hues.
Ah, I knew this spell.
Level 5 unique spell, ‘Memory of the Earth.’
A spell that replays events that occurred in a specific area.
‘He uses unique spells from completely different schools of magic so easily.’
‘Memory of the Earth’ is a unique spell of the Earthrin school.
According to my research, the Ruin Scholar belonged to a completely different school before he was expelled.
“Heh.”
Watching the replay, the Ruin Scholar let out a small laugh.
“Now I see, you’re an even more amusing friend. To have said such things to Necropheto.”
Such things…
I’m not sure if he’s talking about my appearance or the fact that I called him ‘small.’
But does it matter which?
“What happened to Kyle?”
Since he seemed open to conversation, I asked something I was curious about.
Unexpectedly, he answered readily.
“That friend is alive. It would be a shame for him to die here.”
“……You mean you didn’t kill him on purpose?”
“That friend has achieved much through the emotion of revenge. If he can abandon even the emotions of a human, he would reach even greater heights.”
He spoke fluently and precisely like a true mage, but I couldn’t make sense of it.
How does that explain not killing him?
If the enemy has great potential, shouldn’t you be more inclined to kill him?
I didn’t say the words out loud.
But perhaps my eyes conveyed my confusion.
“Whether individual or group, whether enemy or ally, what does it matter?”
The Ruin Scholar said.
“As someone who seeks the ultimate in magic, I’m just curious. What kind of magic will that friend leave behind when he reaches the pinnacle?”
“Even if that could kill you?”
“Don’t worry. Reaching the pinnacle means discarding everything unnecessary. By then, that friend won’t have any human emotions left.”
I decided to give up on understanding him.
They say he’s a mad old man who’s lost his humanity to magic, and it seems they’re right.
His thinking is entirely different.
But precisely because of that…
“Now, let’s end the conversation here.”
A faint hope flickered in me.
Perhaps this way of thinking might save my life today.
“I’ve overexerted myself today.”
Only then did I notice the bloodstains on the Ruin Scholar’s beard.
He had tried to wipe them off, but traces remained.
‘…So, he’s not in perfect condition either.’
Regardless of the outcome, this was a positive sign.
While I was thinking that to myself…
“It’s been a while since I enjoyed myself.”
The Ruin Scholar said as if bidding farewell.
“Necrapheto is still needed, so I’ll take him now.”
The clown, half-unconscious from being hit by my shield, floated into the air. I could do nothing but watch, unable to move.
Mixed feelings welled up.
If I had just a little more time.
Was it ending like this?
No, if he’s letting us go, it might actually be a good deal—
“Now, you die.”
Yeah, of course, it wouldn’t be that easy.
Slide.
The Ruin Scholar extended his hand toward me, and ominous, blood-red mana gathered in it.
I emptied myself of regrets.
Nothing new at this point.
It’s always been like this.
“Bethel—raaaaaa!!”
I had to fight.
To survive.
「The character has cast [Gigantification].」
Squeezing out the last of my strength, my body grew once more.
Crack, crackle, snap.
As I put strength into my legs, I heard the sound of the invisible mana covering my body shattering.
I roughly anticipated this.
He’s a mage who symbolizes efficiency.
He is not in good condition, so he probably used just enough mana.
Tap.
Finally, my body was free.
I dashed forward, away from my allies.
“Jandel! I see Jandel!”
Not towards the distant allies who were running towards me.
Thud!
But towards the enemy.
“Hmm.”
The Ruin Scholar looked at me with curiosity.
He must be wondering why I wasn’t fleeing after breaking free from the CC.
But that’s only from his perspective.
How long could I last with the MP I recovered in less than ten minutes?
‘At best, 20 seconds.’
By then, [Gigantification] would also end.
Therefore, this is the best I can do now.
Thud!
I closed the distance, sticking close to the clown’s body as it was being pulled along.
It was for a simple reason.
The old man, who seemed uninterested in anything but magic, had said:
[I’ll be taking Necrapheto now because I still need him.]
He still needed the clown.
In other words, if I stuck close, he couldn’t use magic on me.
He had pulled the clown close first for that very reason.
“Wise choice.”
The red mana in the Ruin Scholar’s hand still glowed, but he didn’t aim it at me.
However…
“It’s a waste to simply discard the mana.”
He directed his palm elsewhere.
Not at me, but towards my comrades.
Flash!
With a burst of light, a red sphere shot from his palm.
At that moment.
“Varhatoon Weiar.”
A dozen stone walls rose in its path.
Raven’s magic.
She had been quietly preparing a spell.
But it was largely ineffective.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The red sphere smashed through the stone walls with ease, rapidly closing the distance.
“Get down!”
Just like I had done earlier, Mr. Bear covered the others with his body, summoning Iron Guardian on top for additional protection.
In that split second.
Boom!
The sphere exploded mid-air, spewing flames in thousands of directions.
Right in the middle of where my comrades were.
Or more precisely.
“No!”
Where Erwin lay after her [Spirit Form] was canceled.
As if she had been the target all along.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted like CG fireworks, flames bursting repeatedly.
Whoosh!
A hot wind seared my skin.
Despite the chaos, the Ruin Scholar remained calm, muttering in a serene voice.
“That young lady has quite the fate, almost as much as you.”
I couldn’t understand what he meant.
But one thing was clear.
He had truly targeted Erwin.
Grit.
My jaw clenched.
It felt like someone had struck the back of my head with a massive club.
Was Erwin really dead?
Thump!
Blood surged to my heart, dulling my senses.
But in moments like this, I focused on one thing.
What I must do to protect those still standing.
‘I must kill this bastard.’
I reached for the clown’s head.
Trusting that my comrades, arriving soon, would handle the Scholar.
At least this one.
Thwack!
The shield struck the clown’s face once more.
But did he still have consciousness left?
“Ptooey!”
The clown spat blood onto my face.
Sizzle!
I heard it burning.
I felt no pain, but I could tell something was melting on my face.
Even with blurred vision, I forced my eyes open.
‘Venom Hydra.’
His passive skill.
Similar to [Acidic Fluid], but far more potent. He had likely modified the suicide bombers with his own blood.
It didn’t matter.
With vision darkening, I reached out.
Grab.
By luck, I caught his hair.
Okay, I wouldn’t lose him now.
Crack.
Using my teeth like an animal, I bit into him since my pierced left arm had no strength.
“Aaaargh!!”
Cartilage crunched in my mouth.
Was it an ear?
“Ptooey.”
Spitting it out, I lowered my jaw.
My target was the neck.
If I severed the blood vessels to the brain, even this bastard—
“You’re truly like a beast.”
A voice filled with displeasure.
Slice!
Something sharp slashed through my right arm.
It had been a long time since I felt such pain.
Oddly, it made me smile.
“I understand why Barbarians are called savages. You’re all thoroughly broken in some way.”
The Ruin Scholar asked.
“Are you not afraid of death?”
He knew nothing of Barbarians.
They are not beings who know no fear.
They simply learn to overcome it.
Because there was no choice.
With a grin, I chose the only option.
People called them savages.
But they called themselves warriors.
[Your character lacks soul power.]
[Gigantification has ended.]
At that moment, [Gigantification] ended.
“Ugh!”
My body, now without support, was pushed back.
Rolling on the ground.
Having been in countless brawls, standing up even without vision was no issue.
The problem was losing my sense of direction.
“Impressive.”
Yes, there it was.
Tap, tap.
I dashed towards the source of the voice.
Thud!
Something pierced my abdomen.
But at that moment.
Whoosh!
A warm energy enveloped me.
Holy power.
“Jandel! Save Jandel!”
The voice of the Dwarf Teterud, whom I had sent to aid Melter Pend, came through.
He was quite close.
[Belbev Ruinzenes!!]
Kyle’s voice, amplified by magic, also reached my ears.
Filled with rage, he shouted the true name of the Ruin Mage.
Boom!
Something exploded in front of me.
Did the Ruin Scholar retreat to avoid the attack?
“In the end, even that friend came. If I had known, I wouldn’t have wasted time talking.”
The Ruin Scholar’s voice grew fainter.
“Did you know? I wasn’t being complacent. It’s just that my calculations were off for the first time in a while. I thought time would be sufficient.”
His tone remained calm.
“After all, from the very beginning, I believed no one could make it up here.”
His voice grew fainter.
“Congratulations. You are the sole victor.”
After that, his voice disappeared completely. My hazy vision turned black.
No light reached my retinas.
Like being alone in the universe.
Thud.
At that moment, I sensed someone approaching me, and I instinctively swung my severed arm to attack.
Clink.
It was blocked mid-swing.
But the feared counterattack did not come.
“It’s me.”
Dwarf Teterud’s voice.
“It’s over… all of it, my friend…”
Ah.
“So… rest now.”
Ah…
‘What happened to Erwin…?’
I had something to ask, but no voice came out.
Thud.
That was the last memory I had of that long day.