Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 274

Defense (4)

After coming to my senses, the first thing I did was apologize.

“Mage, I’m sorry about earlier.”

Hans J, who had nearly been strangled to death by a teammate during the battle, looked displeased but accepted the apology.

He knew it too.

If discord arose in this group, his life would also be in danger.

“…Since you’ve apologized, I won’t mention this matter any further.”

With the Mage accepting the apology, Patzran stepped in to help defuse the situation.

“Bjorn Jandel, I won’t blame you. I can understand your feelings. To be honest, Sir Aulok did misspeak earlier.”

“Patzran, what did I say wrong? I only said what needed to be said.”

“…But the way you said it was inappropriate.”

Patzran surprisingly spoke up on my behalf.

Indeed, telling someone who’s desperately searching for their comrades that they’re probably dead and to just give up?

What barbarian wouldn’t be enraged by that?

“Let’s end this conversation here.”

“Yes, that would be best.”

Feeling a sudden surge of irritation, I involuntarily gritted my teeth, which concluded the discussion.

In hindsight, it was for the best.

If we had continued talking, the previous situation might have repeated itself.

“So, what’s the plan now?”

Patzran’s tone had returned to normal, but since I had been at fault earlier, I didn’t nitpick.

“As I said before, we’ll rest until the barrier ends.”

“And after that?”

“We’ll find a better spot to hold out, as Raven suggested.”

“Understood. Got it.”

With the general plan settled, everyone lay down to rest and regain their strength.

Who knows how much time had passed.

“The divine protection is about to end.”

“I see. Well done. Everyone, get up.”

Once the [Proclamation of Doom] was lifted, we scouted the vicinity and found a relatively defensible spot.

It was a flat area with a cliff behind us, meaning we only had to defend the remaining three sides.

“Bethel—raaaaaa!”

We held off the monsters there.

Contrary to my earlier concerns, there was no significant danger yet. The event had started at the highest difficulty, so I had braced for worst scenarios, but…

“Vertia Sevnu Helheivens!”

The Mage’s performance was exceptional.

To be precise, Hans J’s performance was remarkable.

Mages usually shine in large-scale battles, and Raven did her part as a Mages .

However…

「Hans Aulok casts level 4 attack magic [Chain Lightning].」

Hans J’s prowess was unmatched.

Crackle, boom-!

Every time a spell was cast, level 5 monsters would either die or fall unconscious.

At least a dozen at a time.

“…He completes the Chain Lightning incantation in 15 seconds? What is this guy?”

As I marveled at his high-level magic, I asked Patzran, who was fighting beside me, and heard something astonishing.

“Oh, didn’t you know? Aulok is a rank 4 mage of the Benoktern School.”

The Benoktern School, which focuses on elemental magic research.

A rank 4 mage holding a notable position there.

‘No wonder his equipment looks expensive.’

Realizing he was a more skilled mage than expected, I worried about potential complications later, but I decided to think about that later.

Yeah, what’s he going to do if he gets angry?

I’m a noble too.

It means I won’t back down in terms of status.

“Ersina, set up the barrier.”

“Yes.”

In any case, while Hans J’s contributions were significant, if we were to name the top contributor to this defense event, it would undoubtedly be the priestess.

「Lairyn Ersina casts [Proclamation of Doom].」

Without this, we wouldn’t have had any time to rest.

“Whew, Mister. Come here. I’ve laid out a sleeping bag.”

“Thanks.”

We’d fend off the monsters, and when we started to get tired, we’d immediately set up a barrier to recover our strength and mana.

After a bit of rest, we’d dismantle the barrier and resume hunting.

We repeated this for about four more hours.

「The wrath of the second sea begins.」

The second wave started.

****

Drip, drip.

Raindrops began to fall from the sky, soon turning into a torrential downpour.

Shaaaaaaaaaaa-!

A refreshing rain like the monsoon season.

“…Rain?”

Having never experienced such weather in the labyrinth, my team was flustered. However, Patzran’s team, who had spent considerable time on the 6th floor, was different.

“Why does it have to rain now….”

They weren’t surprised by the rain itself.

But…

“This is going to be tough.”

They clicked their tongues and frowned.

Everyone knew.

How troublesome rain could be in the labyrinth.

The rain alone narrowed our vision.

The raindrops ran down our eyelids, making it hard to focus.

Additionally, with the temperature dropping, prolonged exposure could lead to hypothermia…

And wet hands made it easy to lose grip on weapons.

Not a single advantageous aspect.

“This is a nuisance…”

While everyone sighed at this unfortunate coincidence, I was different.

For a simple reason.

I knew it wasn’t just luck.

‘He’ll be here in about 30 minutes.’

The rain marked the start of the second wave.

Soon, the mid-boss would appear.

Its characteristic is to target the largest group first.

“Everyone, stick together and fight!”

After giving instructions, I adapted to the altered environment, fighting monsters until the mid-boss arrived.

Shaaaaaaaa!

It was also my first time experiencing rain in the labyrinth.

‘Much more annoying than I expected.’

The ground was slippery, and in some places it had turned to mud, causing the ground to give way. It distracted us in many ways, and the water monsters, energised by the rain, swung their claws with vigour.

Crunch-!

To avoid dropping my mace, I gripped it with several times my usual strength.

Time passed, and just as we were getting used to fighting in the rain…

“Hey, Jandel! Over there! Over there!”

A massive lizard appeared at the front.

[Groooar-!!]

Guano Sea Serpent.

A four-legged monster covered in brown mossy scales with a thick tail, rated at Level 4.

Its most notable feature is [Stench].

「Character is exposed to [Stench].」

「All ongoing damage effects are doubled, and ‘Purification’ is rendered ineffective while exposed to [Stench].」

A passive skill that became a core essence when playing as a curse sorcerer.

“Ugh! Urgh…!”

As befitting as its nickname ‘Dung Lizard,’ everyone retched as soon as it appeared.

‘What a stench…’

Even my barbarian body, usually strong against foul smells, felt dizzy from the intense [Stench].

I held my breath and focused.

Though it was a level 4 monster like the Siren Queen, the situation was very different.

‘…Just don’t make any mistakes.’

Surrounded by monsters.

Unlike the Queen, who needed minions to exert her power, this one was strong on its own.

We would also need to divide our forces.

I quickly split the group into two.

“Patzran, Aynar, don’t worry about this side. Hold your positions!”

First, the close-range fighters took charge of the left and right flanks to handle the minor enemies.

Just in case, I also instructed Hans J and Mr. Bear to focus more on dealing with the minor enemies rather than the boss fight.

And the rest…

“Everyone, fall back behind me!”

We formed an assault team.

Our goal was to take down the enemy while the minor enemy team held the line.

[Grooooar-!!]

Soon, the monster that had been lurking in the distance charged at us, leading with its horned forehead. I blocked its head with my shield, and the battle commenced.

The battle itself was straightforward.

「Guano Sea Serpent casts [Plague of the Sea].」

The self-destructing summoned spirits were intercepted by Erwin and Raven.

Bang-!

Well, the explosion caused some status ailments due to the splattered blood…

「Character is infected with [Scurvy].」

「All healing effects are halved, and continuous poison damage is inflicted.」

This was manageable with the priestess’s healing spells.

「Guano Sea Serpent casts [Origin of the Abyss].」

「Guano Sea Serpent casts [Sinking].」

「Guano Sea Serpent casts [Rain Prayer]…」

The rest of its attack patterns weren’t much different.

Some were magical, some divine.

And some were just…

“Bethel—raaaa!!”

Endured with the barbarian’s brute strength.

We continued the fight while withstanding its attack patterns.

Of course, it wasn’t easy just because nothing major went wrong.

“Hey, Jandel! You need to dodge that!”

The Guano Sea Serpent was infamous for its large health pool. Naturally, the battle dragged on, with several close calls.

「Erwin Fornachi di Tercia has taken excessive damage.」

「[Spirit Form] is deactivated.」

Toward the end, Erwin was incapacitated, and the priestess’s divine power was nearly exhausted from constantly casting halved healing spells.

But it wasn’t something to worry about now.

We had managed to defeat it.

「Guano Sea Serpent defeated. EXP +6.」

Finally, Hans J joined the assault team, casting a lightning spell that marked the end of the serpent. Its massive body toppled and disintegrated into light.

And then…

“We… did it… huh?”

Everyone tilted their heads in unison.

“Hey, Jandel! It’s an essence!”

An essence had dropped.

***

A level 4 monster is rare even on the 6th floor.

They appear only when sailing far out, and even then, the numbers are low, making it impossible to hunt dozens of them a day like the level 5 monsters.

In other words, essences are hard to come by.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a level 4 essence.”

Patzran, who had been rolling around on the 6th floor, looked intrigued.

Jeez, it’s not like you’re the one who’s going to consume it.

‘Sigh, why did it have to be this…’

I clicked my tongue briefly, erasing my regret.

None of our team could really use this essence, but its value wasn’t bad.

We could get a decent price if we sold it.

“Raven, put the essence in a vial.”

“Oh, yes!”

At my command, Raven swiftly took out a vial from her subspace pocket.

As she moved to store the essence.

“Wait, shouldn’t we first see if anyone wants to use it?”

Patzran intervened, stopping Raven.

This was unexpected.

Since the other side only had priests and mages. Even if they were to bid for it, only Patzran would be interested…

“Just to be clear, you don’t think we have no claim to it, do you?”

Ah, so this is what he wanted to say.

Well, it’s not like a swordsman would want to use this essence.

“Don’t worry. We’ll sell the essence and split the proceeds equally.”

“Hmph, if that’s the case.”

Once I said what he wanted to hear, he didn’t press the issue further.

With that, the distribution matter was settled.

“Shall I store it now?”

Raven asked for final confirmation while holding the vial, and everyone nodded.

At that moment.

“The rain has stopped?”

“That’s interesting. It might be related to the Guano Sea Serpent.”

Hearing Patzran and Hans J’s conversation, I absentmindedly looked up at the sky and froze.

The rain had stopped after defeating the Guano Sea Serpent.

So far, so good…

“Wait… what is that? It feels like it’s getting closer…”

Through the dissipating clouds, a black flying object was falling vertically, spewing flames.

“It’s… it’s a Drake!!”

Damn it.

Cursing inwardly, I shouted.

“Prepare for battle!!”

The predator had arrived.