Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Baby Barbarian (3)

Baby Barbarian (3)

[00:51]

Around the time when Day 3 was just beginning…

We left the Glacier Cave and returned to the Crystal Cave.

Although there were many troublesome incidents, the rewards from this rift were beyond imagination.

Jensia's equipment.

The bear-like man's 5 million stones.

And the Yeti and guardian's essences.

I earned less than 2 million stones in two months on the 4th floor with a 5-person party.

'Damn it.'

I realize once again…

…that I can only get this kind of luck after going through shitty things.

Slash!

Misha cuts down a Blade Wolf that was approaching us with her newly bought sword and exclaims in admiration,

"Ooh!! What is this sword? It's amazing!"

Although it's still a one-shot kill, the feeling of hitting things seems different.

"We'll have to get it appraised to be sure, but it's highly likely a Numbered Item."

"Wh, what? A Numbered Item? Th, then isn't this super expensive?"

I can't help but laugh at Misha's flustered expression.

It's not just the 'Viper's Fang'.

The leather armor she gave me is also a high-value item.

It's made of 2nd-tier Wyvern leather.

'With these specs, we'll have no problems until the 5th floor.'

It feels like I've completed one task.

Now that our early-to-mid-game setup is complete, she'll be able to pull her weight for a while even without any further upgrades.

"So are we going to the 2nd floor now?"

"Of course."

Misha and I follow the compass and keep moving.

Although we've achieved the main goal of entering the labyrinth this time, it would be a waste to spend the remaining time doing nothing.

'We don't have a scout, but... if we're lucky, we might be able to reach the 3rd floor.'

Anyway, Misha takes care of any monsters we encounter while we're moving. Since she changed one of her swords and her stats have increased significantly, she needs to get used to the new feeling.

"Um, Bjorn? I think I'm done now..."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh... that's... no. I'll keep catching them. But just in case, I'm asking... you're not doing this because you're lazy, are you?"

"...Are you doubting me?"

"Ah, no! Absolutely not!"

Anyway, regardless of Misha's reasonable suspicion...

I just move comfortably and help Misha with her training. She needs to get used to the essence's ability, not just the new sword.

It makes me feel happy just watching her.

'I never thought the guardian's essence would actually drop...'

In terms of freezing builds, the Lycanthrope essence is as good as the Yeti's.

[Lycanthrope] 7th grade

Agility +10, Cutting Power +12, Cold Affinity +15, Cold Resistance +10, Physical Resistance +7, Fighting Spirit +10

First of all, it has Cutting Power, which is a core stat for swordsmen, in addition to the stat increases.

And the passive skill is OP.

(P) Blood of the Snowfields - Cold Affinity is increased by 1.5 times.

1.5 times increase in Cold Affinity.

It will shine even more in the later stages, and it also synergizes well with the Yeti's [Cold Condensation].

The active skills are the same.

(A) Ice Crush - Damage dealt to enemies with the 'Frostbite' status effect is slightly increased, and damage dealt to enemies with the 'Frozen' status effect is greatly increased.

I don't need to explain the usefulness of this, so let's just move on.

(A) Indomitable - Removes incapacitated status effects.

Although it has the downside of consuming a lot of Soul Power, [Indomitable] is also a good skill that significantly increases the stability of damage dealers who are vulnerable to CC.

'Most importantly, with this, there's no need to worry too much about the Magic Resistance stat.'

Originally, she should only be able to choose one of these skills, but...

...the essence Misha absorbed is none other than a guardian's essence.

She can use both skills, and the stat increases are about 1.5 times higher than regular essences.

"Try attacking areas other than vital points."

"Uh, they still die in one hit..."

"Then just use your fists."

"Okay... Huh? They still die in one hit?"

I click my tongue as I see the Blade Wolves instantly freeze and disappear into light with a single punch from Misha after she used [Cold Condensation].

Is it because they're 9th-grade monsters?

It didn't become a proper training session since they disappeared before she could even use the follow-up skill, [Ice Crush].

"We'll have to do the rest when we go up."

"...We have to do it even when we go up?"

Tsk, she's trying to take it easy again.

"I repeat—"

"I know. The easy path is the slow path, right?"

Uh, hmm... right.

Misha smiles brightly and takes the lead as I lose my words. The tip of her tail is wagging, showing that she's quite happy.

'...If she does something wrong, it seems like things will be resolved easily if I just pretend to give in during arguments...'

I add Misha's user manual number 13 to my mental notes and follow after Misha, whose mood has improved.

That's when, after about 7 hours since we left the rift...

'It should be about time for the dark zone to appear—'

...I stop walking.

Whoosh!

The ground trembles slightly, and the crystals embedded in the cave walls start to glow.

The color of the light also changes.

From a soft purple to an intense red.

'As expected, it seems like someone summoned it.'

It means that a Floor Master has been summoned on the 1st floor.

____________________

"It's nothing, just keep moving."

"Nothing? I've never seen anything like that in my life—"

"Someone just summoned the Floor Master. There won't be any repercussions, so don't worry—"

"What? Floor Master?!!"

Ouch, my eardrums.

Could it be that the Floor Master we encountered on the 3rd floor left a trauma? Misha clings to me as if she's having a seizure.

Geez, there's no need to be that surprised.

"Misha, calm down."

Unlike the 3rd-floor Floor Master, the 1st-floor one is well-behaved.

First of all, the summoning method is based on probability and only happens after Day 3 if 5 or more people are gathered in one place...

...and even if it's summoned, the portals don't close, and the monsters that appear on the floor don't change.

Moreover, while Riakis roams the entire field and causes a massacre once summoned, this guy just disappears quietly if the raid fails.

"Th, then we're okay?"

"Yes, so relax."

As I calmly explain the situation, Misha seems relieved and takes a deep breath, regaining her composure.

But as her anxiety subsides, is she becoming curious?

"But who the hell summoned it by mistake? Everyone knows that you shouldn't travel in groups of more than five people here."

"Well, maybe it wasn't a mistake."

"Not a mistake?"

I just shrug and say no more.

Judging by the circumstances, there's a high chance that the person who bought the 1st-floor Floor Master strategy from the community summoned it...

...but I can't just say that.

'He's quite impatient. There were only about 2 weeks of preparation time.'

Hmm... on the other hand, maybe it means he's not impatient but has enough power to gather all the necessary materials within that time?

'If I'm lucky, I might be able to find out who that player is.'

I make a mental note to look for rumors about clans or parties that successfully hunted the Floor Master after returning to the city and continue our journey.

It's a time when I really feel the absence of Rotmiller.

'Tsk, I can't believe it will take almost a whole day.'

We finally reach the 2nd-floor portal after wandering around, relying solely on the direction shown by the compass.

For reference, I chose the south, the Land of the Dead connected to the ghoul district.

「Entered 2nd Floor Land of the Dead.」

Black earth that squishes with moisture.

A particularly short line of sight even among the 2nd-floor areas.

And the screams of banshees echoing like background music.

"It's been a while."

I feel a sense of nostalgia as soon as I step on the ground.

I remember smashing skeletons and pounding Death Fiends with Ainar, happily exploring, and then almost dying after encountering that psychopath bitch…

‘Damn it.’

Maybe it’s because those memories came to mind…

…but my mood suddenly sours.

“Ugh, this place feels bad every time I come here. I prefer the ‘Rock Desert’.”

“It can’t be helped since Rotmiller isn’t here.”

Although we could have gone anywhere since we were in the central area, the reason I chose the Land of the Dead is simple.

It’s the easiest way to reach the 3rd floor among the 2nd-floor areas.

We’ll have to wander around a bit at the end, but we just need to head north.

‘And since it’s just the two of us, let’s summon and defeat the Death Knight too.’

Although I don’t need the essence, it’s a monster that’s difficult to defeat with five people, so I decide to gain experience points now.

It’s a monster that you can only encounter on the 6th floor, except for a few rifts.

‘Since it’s a 6th-grade monster, we can also test how much stronger Misha has become.’

Of course, we need to complete Misha’s training before summoning it.

“Let’s go.”

We head north and quickly leave the area where 9th-grade monsters like skeletons and ghouls appear.

Did it take about 5 hours?

The terrain has changed from a damp swamp to hard stone ground.

[KuoOOOOO—!!]

Soon, Death Fiends appear.

As expected of Day 3, they’re traveling in groups of four, the so-called ‘newbie slayers’.

I remember struggling to defeat just one of them with Ainar.

‘Well, now I’m at a level where I can’t die even if I want to.’

Death Fiends are monsters specialized in defense and regeneration.

Although they summon ghouls, there’s no way they would deal any damage to 9th-grade monsters.

In short, they’re the perfect opponents for Misha to test her new skills.

“I’ll distract them, so just focus on using your new abilities without worrying.”

“Got it.”

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”

As soon as I cast [Wild Release], the Death Fiends, who were watching us from the edge of the torchlight, roar and charge towards us.

[KuoOOOOO—!!]

I first block the charge of two of them with my shield, and I dodge to the side to avoid the third one. And the last one…

Kwaaang!

…I just take the hit because I’m lazy.

I feel a strange sense of nostalgia, perhaps because it’s the first 8th-grade monster I successfully hunted.

Back then, I was even overpowered by just one of these guys.

[Kuo?!]

I push back with my shield, and the Death Fiends are helplessly pushed away.

“Are you done yet?”

“All done!”

Misha, who has finished ‘Enhance-Cold Condensation’, swings Viper’s Fang.

Clang!

Although it’s blocked by the Death Fiend’s shield-hand, which is made of bone and muscle, it’s not a significant defense.

The shield-hand is frozen up to the elbow with a single normal attack.

「Misha Kaltstein has cast [Ice Crush].」

Misha swings her other sword at the frozen part, and it shatters into pieces, scattering on the ground.

[Kuo… ?!]

It’s a wound that doesn’t regenerate with [Physical Preservation] because of the ice attribute.

The Death Fiend just looks confused, as if it doesn’t even feel pain.

Well, it seems to instinctively sense that it’s in danger.

「Death Fiend has cast [Call of the Dead].」

With all four of them using the summoning skill at the same time, a whopping forty ghouls emerge from the ground.

Of course, this also doesn’t mean much.

My body, which used to be easily torn apart by their claws, is now covered in Laetium armor…

[Grrr…?]

…and my bare skin has become quite tough due to increased Physical Resistance. Honestly, even if I just let them hit me, I would barely even bleed.

And even if I did bleed, the ghouls’ hands would melt away because they’re weak to acid. And since the wounds were healing quickly in the meantime…

“Bjorn… what kind of… monster are you?”

Calling me a monster after seeing a human…

I hide my smugness and answer grumpily,

“Stop watching and finish them off.”

Geez, she’s going to treat me like nothing once her build is complete, huh?

__________________

Afterwards, we continue north and continue training.

Thanks to that, Misha also gets a sense of how much she needs to freeze something to trigger ‘Frostbite’ or ‘Frozen’.

And she also perfectly masters the usage of [Indomitable] after encountering a Chimera Wolf with an incapacitating skill.

“Hmm, well? It just worked when I put in a lot of effort?”

After she learns how to use it, I advise her to only use it when absolutely necessary because it consumes a lot of Soul Power.

If her Soul Power is depleted, she won’t be able to use [Enhance], [Poison Infliction], [Ice Crush], or anything else.

“Do I look like a child to you?”

…She’s not wrong.

Because she only had two skills until she reached level 4. She wouldn’t have had to worry about MP management since there was no way for it to run out.

‘…This is something she won’t understand no matter how much I tell her. She’ll have to experience it herself.’

Therefore, I continue to hunt relentlessly. And as a result of her using her skills without holding back, her Soul Power is finally depleted.

“…It’s a strange feeling. It’s not that my body is tired, but it feels empty, I guess?”

“That’s why I told you to manage it properly.”

“…I thought this much would be enough.”

Since Misha’s MP is also depleted, and it’s about time for us to rest anyway, we decide to camp.

We find a building remnant with a wall and build a bonfire, taking turns sleeping.

And after some time…

“Hahaha, is that true?”

“I’m telling you.”

We hear chatter from about 20 or 30 meters away.

At first, I thought they were just explorers passing by, but it seems like they’ve settled down without realizing that we’re camping nearby, as the conversation continues.

‘Well, it’s about time to wake Misha up anyway. There’s no need to go and tell them to get lost.’

Just as I’m quietly passing the remaining time with a somewhat generous heart…

“Anyway, that barbarian is sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world?”

“Quiet down, you might wake him up.”

“Let him sleep. He’s a valuable body, isn’t he? He needs to rest now.”

I hear something I can’t just ignore.

Snore, snore!

Now that I see it, a baby barbarian must be sleeping among those hyena-like explorers.

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