Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

The Darkened Barbarian mode.

This Berserk mode was the most extreme among the various modes that could be activated with [Elemental Barbarian].

All Resistance stats were fixed at 0.

Moreover, it made you vulnerable to Holy attacks, meaning you couldn't even receive healing.

But in exchange, it came with some amazing benefits.

Immunity to all status effects, including bleeding, poisoning, stun, paralysis, and binding.

That ridiculous effect was attached to this mode.

The random penalty from [Soul Extraction] still remained because it was classified as a system effect, not a status effect...

But that wasn't a big deal right now.

「All attacks gain an unavoidable hit bonus.」

An unavoidable hit.

It was a unique option that only existed in this mode, in all of [Dungeon and Stone].

Of course, there was a price to pay for this cheat-like ability, as per the game's motto of equivalent exchange.

「All resource consumption is increased by 20 times.」

「The cooldown for all skills is increased by 5 times.」

Two lines that could instantly turn a healthy explorer into a cripple.

But those didn't apply to me.

I was already half-crippled thanks to the random penalty.

So the only thing I had to worry about was...

「Character will experience backlash proportional to the duration of the mode.」

The backlash.

I had to minimize it.

In other words, time was of the essence.

‘Alright, let’s get this over with.’

I took a step forward, and Six quickly retreated, creating distance between us.

Tadat.

She was wary of my transformation.

Good.

Let's start with a little warm-up.

Whooosh!

I swung my hammer, closing the distance between us.

I couldn't just swing it randomly.

Even if the result was the same, I had to have a clear target for the unavoidable hit bonus to activate. I had confirmed this through countless experiments.

Ttak.

Six dodged my attack with minimal movement, as she had been doing throughout the battle.

「Unavoidable hit bonus activated.」

And at the same time, the bonus activated.

Zzzzt-!

The space in the hammer's trajectory was torn apart, creating a dark rift.

"······!"

Six's eyes widened in surprise.

She didn't know what had just happened, but she focused her concentration to the limit, ready to react.

———!

But it was too late.

The hammer disappeared into the rift, its trajectory vanishing, and then...

"...!!"

It reappeared in an instant, bypassing space and time, striking Six's body.

Thud—!

A heavy thud echoed through the passage.

Unfortunately, the impact wasn't as satisfying as I had expected.

It had hit her abdomen, and...

'Damn, she's tough.'

She must have invested heavily in defense, even though she was an agility-based attacker.

Well, she did flinch when I hit her, so it wasn't completely ineffective.

'If only I could use [Swing]...'

The damage bonus from Kraul's Demon Crusher only activated when I used a blunt weapon skill.

But...

'If one hit isn't enough, I'll just hit her again.'

There's no point in regretting it now.

Whooosh!

I swung my hammer again.

Ttadat.

This time, Six retreated even further.

She was clearly wary of my attack.

But it didn't matter.

Thud-!

The hammer bypassed the distance and struck her again.

'Finally, a headshot.'

This time, the impact was much more satisfying.

But surprisingly, Six didn't even groan.

She just swayed slightly.

Swoosh.

She slowly lifted her head, her eyes fixed on me.

And...

"Ptoo."

She spat out a mouthful of blood, her voice calm and collected.

"I remember now."

"...?"

"It's the 5th-grade monster, Flora's ability [Elemental Barbarian]. And the effect of the Darkness Spirit."

What the...

'Is she memorizing all the essence effects?'

Maybe.

They were the royal family's elite, after all.

"It's my first time seeing it in person, so it took me a while to figure it out..."

She trailed off, and I immediately charged at her.

"It'll be different from now on."

Unlike before, Six didn't retreat.

Instead...

Ttadat-!

She charged towards me.

I knew from her actions.

That her words were true.

And...

'Damn it, I only got two hits in.'

This was just the beginning.

____________________________

Whooosh!

I swung my hammer, following Six's movement.

She didn't even try to dodge.

She had made a calculated decision based on the information she had.

‘If she doesn't dodge, she can choose where to get hit.’

The hammer struck first.

Thud-!

But the moment it landed on Six's shoulder...

Puk-!

A dagger coated in Aura pierced through my forearm like a hot knife through butter.

‘Damn it, this is why I was saving the Darkened Barbarian mode...’

We had both landed a blow, but it was clear who had suffered the greater loss.

Her smug expression said it all.

“You're more agile than I expected. I was aiming for your neck.”

Damn it.

If she had just cursed at me, I would have taken it as a compliment.

More agile than I expected?

That was the ultimate insult.

Throb.

My pain tolerance had also been reduced to 0, so the pain in my arm was sharp and clear.

I tried to focus on the positive.

'Well, at least it's not that bad, considering I got hit by Aura with 0 resistance. It would have been much worse if it had hit somewhere else.'

Yes, that's right.

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!!”

I used the pain as fuel, shouting my war cry.

“You're a tough one.”

This fight would be over sooner than she expected.

‘One more time.’

I swung my hammer again.

It was the same situation as before.

Six didn't dodge, instead she thrust her dagger forward.

And...

Thud-!

Slice.

We traded blows again.

"······."

Six had been hit in the same shoulder as before.

'Damn it.'

But this time, it was my hand that held the shield.

I had tried to use the shield to buy myself some time, but the dagger coated in Aura had pierced through it, even going through my palm.

Clank.

The strap that secured the shield to my wrist was also severed, and the shield fell to the ground.

Ah, my ring and pinky finger were still attached to the shield.

But...

‘One more time.’

I didn't care.

I swung my hammer again.

But this time, the situation was different.

Instead of charging at me, Six held both her daggers together, blocking my hammer's trajectory.

But...

Zzzzt-!

Right before the hammer collided with the daggers, it was pulled into the darkness.

And then...

Thud-!

It bypassed space and struck Six's ankle.

Even though it must have been a painful blow, considering there wasn't much flesh to cushion the impact, Six's expression remained unchanged.

"······So, this isn't going to work?"

Damn it, I feel like a boss monster being exploited.

‘One more time.’

I swung my hammer.

Thud-!

One hit landed.

Puk.

And one wound was added to my body.

Once, twice, three times, four times...

After several exchanges, I finally acknowledged her strength.

‘This woman... she's much stronger than I expected.’

Her skills were undeniable.

She could use Aura, and her swordsmanship was as sharp as the leader of Orculus'.

Thud-.

And she wasn't ignorant either.

After just a few exchanges, she had started to understand my Darkened Barbarian mode.

Slice-.

Her judgment was also sharp.

“I can't use this arm anymore.”

Six threw the dagger in her left hand to the ground.

She had decided it was useless.

Since the battle began, she had been using her left arm and shoulder to block most of my attacks.

She had focused the damage on one spot, a cold and calculated decision.

‘Over ten hits to disable one arm…’

Of course, it was nothing compared to my mangled body, covered in cuts and bruises...

But I didn't regret using the Darkened Barbarian mode.

'If I hadn't, things would have gotten really bad.'

Could I really have endured against her with just defense?

Especially when I was losing stamina while she was maintaining her peak condition?

It would have been a disaster.

I had initially planned to take her down quickly and then support my comrades, even if it meant taking some damage...

'But... I have to take care of her first.'

I changed my strategy.

I had to eliminate her before she could turn her attention to my comrades.

I'll worry about the rest later.

Like a true barbarian warrior.

Thud-!

I focused on the present.

On landing that one decisive blow.

Slice.

Slice.

Stab!

The daggers pierced my flesh, avoiding my vital points.

My forearm, my skin, my wrist, my thigh...

And then...

"······!"

It sank deep into my lower abdomen.

This is bad.

Zzzzt.

I stumbled, but managed to regain my balance using my leg strength.

I quickly assessed the situation.

‘How much longer can I last?’

Or rather, how many seconds do I have left?

I didn't know for sure, but it didn't seem like much.

But...

‘Not yet.’

I suppressed my impatience.

The moment I had been waiting for would come soon.

Thud-!

Slice-.

The relentless attacks continued.

We were both fighting to the death, ignoring defense and focusing on offense.

"That paladin who died earlier."

Six suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

What is she talking about now?

"Were you close?"

I didn't understand why she was asking.

But...

Whooosh-!

I swung my hammer again, answering her question.

"No."

We weren't close.

We hadn't known each other for long.

But one thing was certain.

"Then I don't understand. Why are you going this far?"

"He didn't deserve to die here."

I didn't know him well.

I had only seen a small part of who he was.

That's why I felt even more regret.

What would it have been like to explore with him?

It wouldn't have been bad.

He would have supported me unconditionally, even if he looked a bit annoyed by my antics sometimes.

Whooosh-!

What would he be like at a party?

Would he be a heavy drinker? I've met a lot of people who change completely when they drink.

What kind of person would he be?

Whooosh-!

I didn't know.

They had taken that opportunity away from me.

Not just Jun, but the other members as well.

Slice-!

They didn't deserve to die like this.

So...

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!"

I forced my injured arm to move.

I wouldn't let them take anything else from me.

Clench-!

I tightened my grip on the hammer, forcing my legs to support my weight.

Whiiiiik.

A dagger coated in Aura flew towards my abdomen, ignoring the air resistance.

But at that moment...

「Character's luck has intervened, blocking the attack.」

The moment I had been waiting for finally arrived.

Thud.

The dagger stopped mid-air, as if it had hit an invisible wall.

‘Yes, it finally activated!’

Gachabon's ability, [Probabilistic Retaliation].

It was a passive skill, so it worked even if my active skills were sealed.

「Reflects 15% of the received damage to the enemy.」

A skeleton appeared behind Six, wielding a dagger.

It wasn't just any dagger.

It was coated in Aura, the same color as Six's.

Ttadat.

Six immediately retreated, sensing the danger.

It was a scene I had seen before.

Even before I activated the Darkened Barbarian mode, [Probabilistic Retaliation] had triggered a few times, and Six had always managed to dodge the counterattack.

But...

Smirk.

This was a positive sign.

‘So she didn't know everything about the Darkened Barbarian mode?’

If she had, she wouldn't have made that decision.

The unavoidable hit bonus also applied to passive skills.

Like this.

Zzzzt.

The moment the skeleton's dagger sliced through the air,

A dark rift appeared, swallowing the dagger.

And then...

Puk-!

It bypassed space and pierced Six's body.

"Ugh."

For the first time, I heard a groan from that steel-like woman.

But...

'Damn it.'

It wasn't satisfying.

'Why did it hit her thigh?'

If it had hit her neck, her heart, or her forehead, the fight would have been over.

I was disappointed, but I quickly dismissed the feeling.

'Well, I didn't expect it to be that easy anyway.'

I had fought countless enemies since that day in the Crystal Cave, from Hans A to the countless nameless explorers.

And...

'This is more like me.'

I always had a backup plan.

So...

Ttadat.

It was time for my trump card.

Ptoo-!

I charged forward, spitting the blood that had pooled in my mouth from biting my tongue at Six's face.

I didn't have the Corpse Golem's [Acidic Fluid] anymore, but...

It was enough to obscure her vision.

Whooosh-!

I swung my hammer at the same time, aiming for her blind spot.

But Six reacted instantly, turning her shoulder towards me.

It was the same shoulder she had used to block my previous attacks, the one that was already mangled.

She was going to take all the damage with one arm.

Thud-!

The hammer struck her shoulder.

Whiiiik-!

But at the same time, she thrust her dagger forward.

I didn't dodge.

Puk-!

The dagger sank deep into my lower abdomen.

Swoosh.

Ignoring the pain, I extended my arm.

It was the arm that had been holding the shield, the one that was now useless after being pierced by her dagger.

Six's eyes narrowed.

"······!"

Oh, so she didn't expect this.

It was worth saving this move.

Thud.

My hand reached her neck.

Clench-.

I used my index, thumb, and middle fingers to grab her neck tightly.

And...

Crack-!

I headbutted her emotionless face.

And...

Thud-!

I fell on top of her, pinning her down.

Puk-!

A sharp pain shot through my side.

I was speechless.

She had stabbed me again while falling?

Whooosh-!

I adjusted my grip on the hammer and swung it down.

But then something unbelievable happened.

'Holy shit, she's insane!'

Even though her upper body was pinned down, she had somehow managed to move her head and dodge the hammer.

It was impressive, but ultimately meaningless.

Even at close range, the unavoidable hit bonus still applied.

Crack-!

The hammer bypassed her head and crushed her foot.

Puk-!

Another dagger pierced my side.

I felt a wave of dizziness, my vision blurring.

But I ignored it and swung my hammer again.

Crack-!

This time, it was a clean hit.

The hammer struck her wrist, and the dagger she had been holding flew through the air before landing on the ground.

‘Good, she’s disarmed.’

I swung my hammer again, aiming for her head.

Crack-! Crack-! Crack-!

She somehow managed to twist her neck and protect her head three times, but the fourth hit was different.

It landed squarely on her skull.

Crack-!

Her body convulsed, her muscles spasming.

But I didn't stop.

I kept swinging my hammer.

The unavoidable hit bonus didn't activate anymore.

Even this monster couldn't dodge with just her neck after suffering a concussion.

Crack, crack, crack-!

Three more hits to the head.

‘One more.’

I raised my hammer for the fourth blow.

And as I did, I saw her eyes.

It was a strange experience.

I had crushed countless skulls, but I had never seen anything like this.

"······."

Her eyes were calm and serene, not filled with fear or despair.

She looked up at me and spoke.

"...I lost."

Wow, she's admitting defeat?

She didn't seem like the type to beg for her life, but I didn't expect her to give up so easily.

Well, it didn't matter.

"Nia... Raf... donia..."

I swung my hammer with all my might.

Crack-!

A sickening thud echoed through the passage, and Six's body went limp.

"Huff... Huff... Huff..."

My breath came in ragged gasps.

‘Is she... really dead?’

I couldn't believe it.

She had been a formidable opponent.

But I couldn't just stand there and catch my breath.

Swoosh.

I slowly got to my feet.

And...

"Erwen... you can deactivate [Elemental Barbarian] now—"

I tried to tell her to deactivate it.

But at that moment...

[Mister—!!!!]

My vision blurred, and I stumbled.

'Damn it...'

I had to get up.

There were still enemies to fight.

Swoosh.

My eyelids felt heavy.

____________________________

「Character has entered a [Stunned] state.」

「[Elemental Barbarian] has been deactivated.」

「Abyssal Remnants.」

「Character will experience backlash proportional to the duration of the mode.」

「Mode duration: 318 seconds.」

「For 3,180 seconds, all Resistance stats are reduced by 50%.」

「For 3,180 seconds, all healing and regeneration effects are reduced by 90%.」

「For 3,180 seconds, character...」

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