Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 394
Captain Barbarian (4)
The reason I decided to fight all four at once is simple.
Even if I defeated all four of them one by one in a tournament, they wouldn’t accept it.
I concluded that this was the only way to convince them all.
Throwing food in front of their faces that they couldn’t refuse to eat.
“Ah, just to let you know, if I lose, I’ll cleanly give up the commander’s position.”
An opportunity to eliminate a competitor on the stage.
“So why is no one saying anything? Is it because even if the four of you attack together, you’re not confident you’ll win?”
With this provocation, the opponents began to respond.
“I agree.”
“What? No matter what, it’s too much for us to do that against one person—”
“If he’s willingly stepping down, there’s no reason to object, is there?”
“Senior Akuraba is right.”
With the dwarf lady’s words, the vice-captain also joined in, forming a consensus.
The knight also nodded reluctantly, and the paladin silently expressed agreement.
They must know as well.
While the situation might seem a bit strange to outsiders, this was an easy chance to eliminate a competitor.
“You said your name was Rihen Schuiz, right?”
“And what of it?”
“You’d better keep the promise you just made.”
“Of course. If I lose, I’ll follow any of you as the leader without a word. But—”
“You want a definite answer in case the opposite happens, right? Fine. If by any chance you defeat all of us, you’ll get the position you want.”
After that, I asked for a firm answer from the other three besides Akuraba, and with that, the verbal agreement was quickly settled.
It wasn’t in writing, but with a reliable witness, there was no need to worry.
“Alright, then. Marquis, is there an appropriate place?”
“Certainly.”
The marquis readily offered us the training grounds of his mansion, seemingly unconcerned about me.
It’s not that he trusted me 100%.
He probably judged that even if I failed, he could still gain something from it.
For example, he could use my failure as an excuse to interfere in every matter from then on.
“Well then, I’ll be waiting outside.”
Upon arriving at the training grounds, I donned my equipment.
「The character has equipped an Adamantium Large Combat Shield.」
「Total item level increases by +1,750.」
Starting with the shield I had repurchased for a fortune after returning from the past.
「The character has equipped a Steel Breastplate.」
「Total item level increases by +150.」
「The character has equipped Steel Greaves.」
「Total item level increases by +75.」
「The character has equipped War Boots.」
「Total item level increases by +45.」
These were cheap items I had to settle for back when I was broke. Phew, now that I have funds, I should replace them all with adamantium.
「The character has equipped No.87 Kraul’s Demon Crusher.」
「Total item level increases by +4,800.」
Fully equipped with my hammer, I stepped out to the training yard, where, one by one, the four opponents soon appeared, prepared for battle.
“Strangely, I find this more comfortable than regular clothes now.” the Knight spoke
“It means your body has adapted. After all, you spend more time wearing this than everyday clothes.”
Equipment that looked expensive at first glance.
But no matter how well-maintained, there were visible worn areas and cracked joints.
I observed their equipment closely.
‘Well, look at that—they even brought out all their rare accessories.’
Sure, I figured they would have packed equipment in their subspace even though they came in formal attire.
Otherwise, they couldn’t be called explorers.
“By the way, it’s quite different from what I expected over there.”
“Isn’t he the Blood Spirit Queen’s man? but didn’t she buy him armor?”
“Rihen Schuiz, are you really planning to fight wearing that equipment?”
The four looked at me with strange expressions as they saw my plain steel armor.
Their gazes were closer to unfamiliarity than contempt.
Well, they wouldn’t have expected that someone recommended by the marquis would be so under-equipped.
“No problem.”
What’s the big deal about steel armor?
It’s not a significant factor in this battle.
To be honest, getting these looks was a little embarrassing, almost triggering my PTSD…
But when I think about it, it’s not a big deal either.
“Come on, bring it.”
After all, it’s more embarrassing to have your head smashed in, isn’t it?
***
They say a battle between masters is decided in an instant.
Of course, I disagree with that statement.
That may be true in a life-or-death duel between high damage swordsmen, but I’m a true tank.
My true value shines when the battle drags on.
However…
At least the beginning wasn’t much different from the battles between masters I had imagined.
“……”
Before I knew it, silence had taken over.
Everyone stands at a distance from each other.
Eyelids blinking more frequently than usual.
As our gazes crossed, tension thickened in the air.
Muscles trained through countless battles tightened, ready to deliver maximum strength at any moment, and beads of sweat slowly gathered on hands gripping weapons.
And then…
Swoosh.
Senses heightened to react to even the slightest movement.
One of the reasons why fighting multiple opponents is tricky.
There’s just too much to pay attention to.
So, rather than waiting…
“How long are you going to stand there?”
I threw out a question, and at the moment they tried to answer.
Taking that brief moment as an opening, I kicked off the ground and dashed forward.
My first target was the knight who stood most aggressively at the front.
“……!”
He swallowed his breath and furrowed his brow.
He seemed quite offended that he became the first target…
Whooong-!
The aura of a seasoned knight instantly enveloped his sword as he swung it towards me.
An aura that must have sliced through countless heavily armored soldiers in the labyrinth and city alike.
[Character cast [Iron Fortress]]
「The effect of [Evolved Shell] increases by 1.5 times.」
I raised my shield to block it.
Clang!
Instead of slicing through as usual, the sword bounced off, and the knight showed a startled expression.
However, being a seasoned soldier, his surprise was brief.
Whiiing-!
Using the recoil, he spun in the air and swung his sword again.
This time the attack was aimed at my lower body, which is difficult to block with a shield.
Specifically, the shin area covered by steel greaves.
‘So, he thinks adamantium is the issue?’
It was a quick judgment based on just one exchange.
The problem is, his conclusion was incorrect.
Clang!
So what if it’s steel?
Taking advantage of his exposed opening, I kicked his jaw upward.
Crash—!
His body shot up from the impact, creating a perfect angle for hammering—
[Jun Arshen casts [Shield of Light]
Damn it.
Smaaash!
At that moment, a holy shield appeared above the knight’s head, blocking my hammer strike.
He quickly retreated to a safer distance.
“How…?”
Even after narrowly surviving, he seemed more fixated on one question.
Seriously, why are all knights the same?
‘Is it that surprising to block the aura with steel armor?’
Well, there’s a reason why people say it’s more important to become a treasure than to wear one.
“No matter how I look at it, his equipment is ordinary.”
“Then, the phenomenon must be due to the person himself.”
Correct.
Thanks to [Unity], my gear has additional physical resistance on top of [Evolved Shell] and [Iron Fortress].
Well, although there wasn’t a single scratch on the adamantium shield, the steel armor did get deeply scratched.
“Whatever essence he consumed, it’s remarkable that he blocked the aura.”
In the backline, Akuraba and the vice-captain shared their observations.
“I have some ideas. I don’t know why that applies to his equipment, but Carla, could you try attacking with arrows?”
At Akuraba’s direction, the vice-captain in dragonhide armor drew his bow.
Did he already realize I was resistant to swords?
[James Carla casts [Piercing Light]
As light gathered on the arrowhead, I hid behind my shield to defend.
Because if you try to block it after seeing it, it’s already too late.
Whizz!
The arrow flew with a brief flash.
Since I blocked it properly with the shield, there was no damage.
However…
“The arrowhead is embedded.”
The arrowhead was deeply lodged into the adamantium shield that hadn’t even been scratched by aura.
Akulaba shouted to share the information.
“Swords don’t work on that man.”
Phew, at this rate, all my secrets will be exposed—
Bang-!
As I pushed the knight away and continued to charge forward to close the distance, the paladin blocked my path.
His main weapons were a large shield and a mace.
Yeah, that’s the classic combo for a tanker.
Bang-!
Instead of attacking, the paladin created a wall with his shield to stop me.
Screech.
But perhaps his basic strength wasn’t high enough, because as soon as we collided he was pushed back, his feet dragging on the ground.
Well, unfortunately, he didn’t go far.
「Jun Arshen casts [Divine Unleashing].」
「Jun Arshen casts [Surging Power].」
「Jun Arshen casts [Blessing of the Sun].」
As befitting a paladin known for his buffs and self-healing, he cast a series of divine spells, causing pure white light to burst from his body.
And…
“What tremendous strength.”
He praised me while standing firm without being pushed back at all.
Jeez, hurting my pride.
Well, I’ve reached the distance I wanted.
「The character casts [Transcendence].」
「The character casts [Eye of the Storm].」
My own grappling skill that shows maximum efficiency in PvP.
The maximum range is 20 meters, but the reason I approached so closely is simple.
Because it’s harder to react when the distance is short, right?
Whooosh-!
A fierce gust rose in the previously calm air.
“Ugh…!”
I designated the vice-captain at the rear as my target.
Because in battles against multiple opponents, it’s standard to take out the rear first, and…
‘Besides, seeing that armor makes me want to tear it apart.’
Dragon-hide armor has high magic resistance but is weak against physical force.
In other words, one hit would leave him in critical condition.
「The character has cast[Gigantification].」
「The character’s physique increases, and physical stats increase proportionally to size.」
Using the skill I had been saving, I pushed the paladin away with my increased strength.
And…….
Tap.
I leaped toward the archer flying toward me on the gust.
With the extended reach from [Gigantification], before the archer could react, I swung the hammer down.
「Jun Arshen casts [Shield of Light].」
The paladin cast the same protective spell he’d used to save the knight before, but…
[Character has activated Transformation-type Ability.]
「Due to the effect of [Primordial Cells], soul power consumption for the skill is reduced by half, and the highest stat increases by 1.5 times.」
The result was bound to be different from before.
Because earlier, it was just a normal attack, wasn’t it?
「The character has cast[Swing].」
「The destructive power of blunt weapons greatly increases proportionally to strength.」
My only attack skill, [Swing].
Crash-!
As soon as the hammer connected, the barrier shattered like glass.
Crack-!
The vice-captain spurted a fountain of blood from his smashed forehead and collapsed limply on the ground.
One knight, one tanker.
And even with Akuraba, a 9th floor explorer, they couldn’t prevent the vice-captain from falling.
“…”
In the uneasy silence, I quietly counted.
“That’s one.”
Only three left.
***
Four high-ranking explorers.
Hmm, should I exclude the knight?
‘Now the real fight begins.’
Even though I easily took down one among the four skilled opponents, I didn’t let my guard down but steeled myself.
Because I know it’s purely an early advantage.
I had heard various things about them from the marquis, but they knew very little about me.
“……”
In that sense, the situation is somewhat ironic.
A competitor who earlier preached at the banquet that ‘information’ is most important was the first to be taken out due to lack of information.
‘Well, it’s a bit much to say I completely took him out.’
In Dungeon and Stone, as long as you don’t die, you can be revived.
「Jun Arshen casts [Healing Touch].」
A pure white light emanating from the paladin flowed into the unconscious vice-captain
Since my shield barbarian character doesn’t have any skills to cancel spells, it’s already predetermined that he will recover and regain consciousness eventually.
But…
‘A quick battle won’t do.’
I abandoned the thought of hastily pouring everything in to finish the fight before he recovers.
I wasn’t hoping for such an overwhelming victory from the start.
Besides, does it even make sense for a single person to take down four top-tier explorers, no matter how well-prepared they are?
Everything requires a price.
That’s the only truth in this harsh world.
Therefore…
“Uwaaaaaa—!!!”
I charged forward, swinging my hammer.
Bang.
The paladin blocked me.
Whooong-!
At that moment, someone flew in from behind and swung their weapon at me.
It was the knight who had been pushed away earlier.
I don’t know when he swapped weapons, but he was holding a blunt weapon instead of a sword.
It’s a bit amusing for a knight to use a blunt weapon instead of an aura sword, but…
This must be a trait of top-tier skilled individuals.
Adapting appropriately according to the situation.
Bang-!
The weapon struck my shoulder.
But the moment it struck, a burning sensation shot through my bones.
I knew exactly why.
‘Who carries a weapon like that just for backup?’
No. 761 Roam’s Furnace Hammer.
It was a triple-digit numbered item.
Its effect was to add piercing fire damage proportional to the wielder’s physical strength.
Thanks to my fire resistance, I could still manage.
“Uwaaaaaa—!”
I shouted and activated [Wild Burst].
Using the temporary strength boost, I aimed to kick the paladin away again—
‘What? Why isn’t he budging?’
My brain, seasoned by 20 years of Dungeon and Stone, found the answer along with the question.
「Jun Arshen casts [Descent of the Holy Body].」
So, he’s activated it already.
‘This won’t be easy, then.’
It seems that after one of them was taken down, they completely abandoned any carelessness.
From now on, it would be hard to have a strength advantage against the paladin for a while…
「Titana Akurabahas used [No. 1911 Pavel’s Broken Pocket Watch].」
The Dwarf lady, who had been watching the situation, also joined the fight in earnest.
For reference, this lady was essentially an offensive type.
For the Dwarves who use Numbered items as must-haves, it’s a position as effective as a warrior.
「Cooldown times are removed for five minutes.」
For example, that watch reduces the cooldown period by 70% for non-dwarves.
And considering she’s from the 9th floor, she’s likely carrying core items for an optimal build beyond just this one.
Now, what was her primary skill again?
[Titana Akuraba has cast Vampire Drill.]
Ah, right, it was this.
It’s a tier 2 skill with low MP consumption, decent damage, and MP drain on the target, but it loses points due to its cooldown.
Whoooosh—!
A massive drill flew toward me.
Normally, dodging it would be best, but I was blocked by the paladin and the knight on either side.
Boom—!
So I just blocked it with my shield.
Even though she was functionally a mage, this kind of skill is considered physical damage.
My arm is a bit numb, but it wasn’t unbearable.
The problem is that while blocking this, my sides were exposed.
As soon as they saw an opening, the paladin and the knight struck me with blunt weapons.
Bang-!
One made my whole body feel like it was burning as soon as I was hit.
Bang—!
The other pierced through my physical resistance, and the damage reached my bones. Well, with [Descent of the Holy Body], the Paladin’s strength would be twice mine now.
‘Yeah, let’s just give up on defense.’
I quickly made up my mind.
If I’m going to get hit twice when I block once,
It’d be better to take three hits and at least land one of my own.
Besides, thanks to the Level 7 immortal engraving, my natural regeneration is pretty decent now.
I blocked only the big attacks with the shield and swung my hammer.
Perhaps thinking I’m a threat, the remaining three start unleashing skills they hadn’t used before to press me.
And during that—
“If you’re awake, grab your bow quickly!”
The vice-captain, who had received healing, returned to the battle.
Bang-!
My shield was holding up, but my steel armor with low basic durability was damaged in various places.
Whizz-!
Thunk!
Arrows penetrated those parts, and my injuries increased.
Fwoosh-!
After being hit so much by the Roam’s Furnace Hammer, what was bearable at first now felt like I was going to burn to death.
Bang-!
Every time I was hit by the paladin’s mace, it felt like my bones were shattering.
Oh, maybe they were actually shattering and regenerating in real time?
Well, that must be it.
But…
“You’re laughing?”
I laughed all the more.
Because I expected it to be this tough.
Puhhhh-!
Having bitten my tongue when I got hit by the hammer earlier, I spat out the pooled blood in my mouth like a fountain.
It’s a shame that acidic blood doesn’t come out anymore.
But it still obscures their vision, right?
“…Monster.”
“I must admit, you are definitely stronger than I am.”
After fighting like mad for a long time, the knight said something.
“But no matter how strong you are, it’s impossible to face four at once. Give up now.”
What nonsense.
I could see they’re panting and exhausted too.
But I still have plenty of MP left, you know?
「The character casts [Soul Dive]」
「Soul energy is restored proportionally to the consumed soul energy.」
My MP, which was almost depleted, fills up completely.
The battle continued in that state, and how much more time passed?
“Why… won’t he fall?”
The knight, who had arrogantly suggested I give up, voiced his question.
“You seem to have drunk from the Fountain of Origin mentioned in the scriptures.”
In response, the paladin also muttered something.
“Please stop. Don’t you realize you can’t win?”
The dwarf lady said, seeming tired of my stubbornness.
“We’ll pretend the agreement never existed, so how about stopping here?”
The vice-captain seemed eager for this tiresome battle to end.
However…
“All of you… suddenly have a lot to say.”
The more they tried to persuade me, the more I focused on only one thing.
“Are you getting nervous because you think you’ll lose?”
What I can do.
What I have to do now.
And…
[Please, just fall down!]
[Titana Akuraba casts [Vampire Drill].]
[James Carla casts [Piercing Light].]
[Jun Arshen casts [Hand of Regeneration]
I kept enduring and enduring, and finally, the moment I was waiting for arrived.
[The skill is canceled due to lack of user’s soul energy.]
[The skill is canceled due to lack of user’s soul energy.]
[The skill is canceled due to lack of user’s divine power]
In the end, the last one standing is the strongest.