Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 67

Drip, drip, drippity-drip –

A black rain that caused pain on mere contact with the skin.

I know what this is.

[Rain of Despair]

The passive aura skill of Chaos Lord Riakis.
「The character is taking continuous chaos attribute damage.」
「The character’s resistance to dark magic is greatly reduced.」
「Warning: Continuous exposure to chaos attribute damage may lead to the status ailment [Confusion].」

This skill not only inflicts area damage but also turns the terrain hit into an erosion zone, nullifying all kinds of field effects.

Which means…

‘Damn it…’

The worst I feared has actually come to pass.

“It’s him! He’s here!”

“Hey, what are you all doing! Go and stop him!”

Panic ensues among the third-floor explorers who paid the protection fee.

Their attention converges in one direction.

“They wouldn’t abandon us and flee, would they!”

“They took our equipment promising protection! They must take responsibility!”

Dozens of emotional outcries erupt.

The executive, who had previously made announcements to the crowd, sighed deeply, a bitter smile on his face.

“…So it has come to this.”

I can’t say I don’t understand his current feelings.

Having taken the protection fee, their only choice is to face the Field Boss with all their might.

But…

“This expedition is going to be a colossal loss.”

Surprisingly, the executive’s face showed only complexity, without a hint of anxiety or unease.

He then took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

“Chaos Lord Riakis is here! Everyone, take out what you’ve prepared!!”

His commanding voice echoed loudly.

The members of the Dzarwi Clan, bearing the clan’s emblem on their chests, moved in unison.

“Each team to your positions!”

Mages, Priests, and ranged attackers to the center.

Melee fighters headed to the outskirts.

They began using various types of consumables without hesitation.

「Advanced Stamina Support Scroll activated.」
「Energy Regeneration Support Scroll activated.」
「Number Item [Banner of the Sun Lord] used.」
「Light of Ersium imbues the weapon…」
「……」
「……」

All sorts of doping-type magic scrolls, consumable Number Items, and various equipment support consumables.

In less than a minute.

Consumables worth at least tens of millions of stones disappeared into light.

“Don’t hold back on supplies! We aim to bring back as many of us alive as possible!”

I realized I had underestimated them.

It wasn’t a lack of imagination.

They had prepared for the worst-case scenario, covering all their bases.

‘But still, taking the protection fee…’

It was simply betting on that possibility.

Because it seemed slightly more likely.

A chuckle escaped me, almost involuntarily.

‘Indeed, this world is full of efficiency freaks.’

I need to be a bit more humble.

These people, too, have risked their lives countless times as explorers to get where they are. It can’t have been luck that got them to where they are.

“To think they always carry this much resources…”

“Truly befitting a large clan!”

One should always be wary rather than contemptuous of them.

And it’s more efficient to learn something from them rather than being envious.

“Bjorn, what are we going to do now?”

“What else? We will watch for now.”

That was the plan all along.

Now that we’ve encountered the Field Boss, escaping this place entails a huge risk.

Well, if there’s really no other option, we might have to take the risk and run…

‘With this much preparation, we should be able to hold our ground.’

As if to prove my point, a wall of fire in the shape of a circle formed around us.

It’s not an essence skill but a regular magic spell.
「Chaos spirits destroyed.」
「The area is being eroded.」

Since the rain started.

The chaos spirits that swarmed like a tidal wave were unable to penetrate the wall of fire and were annihilated.

Whoosh-!

Additionally, a massive barrier formed overhead, blocking the pouring rain.

Of course, things like fire walls or barriers could only do so much.

“Bjorn, look over there!”

Misha pointed towards a massive shadow that was slowly emerging.

Accompanied by a heavy rumbling of the ground.

Koom-! Koom-!

Horns protruding from its head.

Thick, rough black skin.

And an ominous aura flickering around it.

[Arooooooooo—!]

A beast of a size that defied spatial perception, something you’d see in a monster movie, effortlessly leapt over the wall of fire and revealed its form.

“That, that is…”

“Th-the Chaos Lord Riakis!!”

While the crowd recoiled in terror, the clan members remained calm.

“Hold your positions! Do not let it turn its back on us!”

The warriors, as if battling large monsters was their daily routine, stoically held their ground.

Perhaps displeased by this?

Bang-!!

Riakis slammed its front paw down, marking the start of a fierce battle.

***

What would a real raid be like?

The answer to my long-standing question was actually quite simple.

“Never try to block it, always dodge! Got it?”

Both the damage dealers and the tanks meticulously avoided direct confrontations, skillfully dodging the swinging tail and crashing claws.

It’s obvious they knew best.

No matter how tough or strong they were, they couldn’t match the power of such a monster.

‘Is this what real combat against a Lord-class creature is like? Intriguing.’

Perhaps because this is a role I will have to play someday.

I naturally found myself more drawn to the combat of the close-range explorers than the mages or other damage dealers.

There was much to observe and learn.

There were several hair-raising moments.

Boom-!!

No matter how focused they were on evading.

In a battle with such a high-level monster, injuries were inevitable.

Normally, a hit like that would mean instant death…

“That they survived that…”

“…Truly remarkable.”

Pumped up with numerous essences, doping with scrolls, and supported by priests and support-type explorers, they were like a single war machine.

“Aaaaaaah!!”

“Damn, almost died there!”

Warriors, even in a battered state, received healing and returned to the front lines immediately.
Of course, not everyone was so lucky.

“Damn, I wasn’t supposed to die like this…”

“Stay focused on the battle, don’t get distracted!”

As the battle dragged on, there were casualties.

One melee warrior was crushed and killed instantly, while three ranged attackers were melted
away by Riakis’ breath attack.

But coldly analyzing the situation…

‘It’s still stable.’

“Four already dead… Isn’t this dangerous?”

Regardless of the reactions of the third-floor explorers.

The warriors were still holding the front lines effectively.

The mages’ combined magic was powerful enough to push back Riakis as it approached the center.

‘They seem to be well aware of the dark orb pattern too.’

“Let’s just watch for now! It’s the renowned Dzarwi Clan, after all! They’ll surely handle it.”
Black orbs rising from the eroded ground, headed towards Riakis.

「Chaos Lord Riakis is drawing power from the origin.」

The orbs I was most concerned about were burst in mid-air by the ranged attackers before they could be absorbed by Riakis.

“Cease fire!!”

“Don’t let it feel any more threatened!”

Pausing the offensive at intervals to manage Riakis’ health made it clear.

They knew the strategy.

‘So they’re just trying to hold on. Without that item, entering phase two would be disastrous.’

“Why are they stopping the attack now? Are they all fools? Shouldn’t they capitalize on the momentum…”

In a way, it was a natural outcome.

A veteran of ‘Dungeon and Stone’ for ten years?

Someone who claims to know everything about the game?

What does that even mean?

Thinking I’m the only one who knows everything in this world is just arrogance.
Labyrinths have existed for thousands of years.

It’s not just a game world’s lore; for these people, it’s reality.

They had to enter them to survive, and there would have been countless trials and errors.

And this knowledge would have been passed down through generations.

And such experiences were likely passed down as records.

‘But only a few hold truly valuable knowledge.’

I’m not too worried, though.

Even in the game, ‘hidden elements’ that were hard to find seemed almost unknown to these people.

My knowledge as a veteran will still be my greatest weapon here.

Click.

I opened my watch to check the time.

[22:37]

Over three hours had passed since the battle began.

Despite the prolonged fight, the clan members remained focused, each fulfilling their roles.

But…

‘With such use of consumables, the protection fees hardly matter now.’

Suddenly, I understood why large clans, even knowing how to defeat the Field Boss, choose not to hunt them.

The rewards are substantial, but…

The vast resources invested.

The risk of losing elite members.

And the immense risks if they fail.

‘It’s just not profitable.’

That’s when it happened.

Boom-!

For some reason, Riakis ignored the warriors and charged into the center, crushing five ranged attackers instantly.

A situation that could happen during any raid.

Fortunately, the warriors managed to reposition Riakis, but…

In the process, two melee dealers were killed instantly.

‘Still, there’s enough time to hold out.’

I reassessed the situation.

Eleven dead so far.

It’s 20% of the total force, but the remaining are still doing their jobs.

A gap has formed, but it’s not critical.

The real problem was the idiots around, unable to make simple decisions.

“You’re wrong! These incompetents!!”

“Do you know how many have died!!”

Despite not stepping on the eroded ground or being in a [Confused] state, panic erupted among the crowd.

Understanding their psychology wasn’t impossible.

Eleven dead.

That’s just counting the clan’s actual combat force. Many explorers who paid the protection fee had also died every time Riakis went berserk.

‘Is it a blurred judgment due to the threat to their lives?’

From my point of view, they were wrong for just standing idly by during the raid.

But saying so wouldn’t make them listen.

“Bjorn, the situation doesn’t look good.”

“I know.”

“We should do something—”

“Wait. I’m thinking.”

I scanned the surroundings.

The clan, focused solely on Riakis, seemed unaware of the brewing unrest.

Amidst this, a man raised his voice, fueling the chaos.

“We can’t just watch! If we want to survive, we must unite!”

It was Jack Fletcher, the first to strip his gear for protection fees.

“Do you know how many have died? They can’t protect us. We must protect ourselves!”

“Right!”

“But without our gear, how can we…”

“We must get it back! They failed to keep their promise, didn’t they?”

His incitement caused the previously ignored dissenters to join in, growing the unrest.
I muttered quietly.

“Misha, get ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“We’re leaving this place right now.”

This place was beyond saving.
***

As soon as I grabbed my backpack,

It was like a riot, numerous explorers were charging toward the central supply area.

“Calm down, everyone! This will only put us all in danger—”

But by then, the clan had realized the situation…

It was too late.

“Stop joking!!”

“Give me back my equipment!”

Explorers began grabbing supplies, pushing past the clan’s mages and archers, their eyes filled with greed.

“Give that back! That’s mine!!”

“There’s no time for this!”

“Back off! Or we’ll attack!”

“It’s do or die now!”

“What are you hesitating for! These people are now looters! Take them down!”

Watching the scene turn into utter chaos and madness, I let go of any remaining hope.

“Bjorn……”

“Enough watching, let’s go.”

“Okay!”

I led Misha away, towards the opposite side of Riakis.

Soon, a wall of fire, about 5 meters thick, blocked our way.

“What do we do now?”

What else but to break through.

“Let’s go through it.”

Like a true Barbarian, brute force it is.

I’ll endure the burns; they’ll heal quickly enough.

“Seriously?!”

Not her, though.

“Ah! Aaah—!”

I lifted Misha high above my head, then charged, leaping over the fiery barrier.

Sizzle-!

The smell of burning flesh.

The pain breaks through my high tolerance.

“Misha, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, thanks to you. But look ahead!”

I set Misha down and looked forward. Chaos spirits swarmed everywhere.

But we had no time to fight each.

“Run.”

“Through them?”

“What other choice do we have?”

They were slowly moving towards us.

We had to break through before attracting more attention.

Hoping to escape before knowing more—

“Damn.”

After running for about 5 minutes, darkness enveloped us.

A blackness so deep, we couldn’t see anything.

“Bjorn, are you there?!”

“Here.”

At least we could hear each other.

“What’s going on?”

Instead of answering, I sighed deeply.

No need for analysis; the situation was clear.

「Chaos Lord Riakis has successfully absorbed the power of the origin.」

「Field effect [Abyss of Malice] is applied within a 5km radius.」

Riakis’ instant-death and total-annihilation move [Abyss of Malice].

That bastard managed to consume all the orbs.

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