Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Item Power (3)

Item Power (3)

I'm walking through the dark forest.

Endlessly following the direction where the Doppelganger disappeared from the Shadow Altar.

“…….”

I move my feet in the tense atmosphere.

For reference, I'm at the forefront, and the others are following a few meters behind.

It's a bit of a distance for a typical formation...

But what can I do?

"Battle stations!"

The moment I sense a presence ahead...

...dozens of Doppelgangers appear from the darkness beyond the reach of the light orb spell.

It's a change that occurs when you enter the fourth chapter.

Once the Doppelganger's seal is released, the number of clones in the field increases exponentially.

And...

"Enemies of the, the Empire...!"

"Kill... them!!"

...they no longer transform into our appearances.

At least not until we meet the main body.

I don't know why.

I just accepted it when I played the game.

Well, I guess there must be some hidden background to this phenomenon...

But that's not what I should be thinking about right now.

「Character has cast [Leap].」

I jump and land in the middle of them before they get any closer.

Kwaaang!

The ground shakes as soon as I land, and the special terrain effect [Recoil] follows. Dozens of Doppelgangers are thrown into the air simultaneously.

Kwagic!

I swing at one of them like I'm swinging a baseball bat and cast [Wild Release].

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"

My threat level is tripled.

The Doppelgangers, disguised as soldiers, charge towards me like beasts with their eyes rolled back.

They can't ignore the taunt since they're classified as monsters.

"For... the Empire..."

Although the Doppelgangers disguised as soldiers don't have any skills, they're still formidable opponents.

Because their base stats are incredibly high.

Just by looking at the shield warriors enduring my mace swings, I can tell that each of them is at least as strong as Ainar.

And the fact that they're composed of various classes like archers, spearmen, swordsmen, mages, crossbowmen, and shield warriors also contributes to the increased difficulty.

But...

Kwagic! Kwagic!

Although they block what they need to block...

...they never dodge.

In the first place, dodging is pointless.

We're surrounded.

I have no choice but to tank the hits and wait for my companions' support.

「Arrua Raven has cast the 5th-grade attack spell [Lightning Bolt].」

The long-awaited magic is finally completed.

Lightning bolts rain down from the sky.

「Kyleman Parteian has cast the 5th-grade support spell [Spell Enhancement].」

The power is about twice as strong as usual, thanks to Parteian's support.

Therefore, I pause for a moment to avoid getting hit by the magic.

Kwaaang!

The 'Lightning Bolts', which resemble a natural disaster, strike for about 5 seconds, but it's enough to cripple half of the Doppelganger army.

'As expected, hunting is all about mob farming.'

We take care of the remaining stragglers with the help of my companions, who were waiting in the distance.

And so, one battle ends.

The mace warrior wipes the blood off his weapon and mutters,

"...Mr. Parteian, Miss Sarman will be alright, right? I'm worried."

"Didn't you see? The Doppelgangers couldn't even get close to the altar. She'll be fine as long as she doesn't go outside."

"Still, wouldn't it have been better to bring her with us...?"

It seems like the mace warrior is still worried about Guide Girl, whom we left in the safe zone.

But it was an unavoidable choice.

Although there might be a way to utilize Guide Girl considering the Doppelganger's characteristics...

...that's only if we use her as a disposable pawn.

If we bring her along as someone we need to protect, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.

"Stop it. Miss Sarman also agreed. We'll all die if we fail anyway."

Parteian, observing my expression, ends the conversation, and I resume exploration without saying anything.

There's no point in wasting time.

Rumble!

As we continue fighting and moving through the dark forest, I feel a slight tremor beneath my feet.

It means the unsealing rate has reached 20%.

Well, it increases by about 1% every 10 minutes, so it was about time.

"Mr. Yandel, can we go a little faster?"

"Alright."

We increase our speed as if being chased by time.

And...

"We're here."

...we finally reach our destination.

It's a sinkhole that we didn't see when we were searching the forest for the mid-bosses.

If we go down here, the boss battle will begin.

But first...

"Let's search the vicinity before we go down."

We follow Raven's instructions and search the area around the sinkhole.

It doesn't take long.

"As expected, the book was right. There's always one hidden near the entrance."

A white stele emitting an eerie sound.

In the game, it was called a 'Sealing Stone'.

But it's not really a hidden piece on its own.

They appear all over the forest once the fourth chapter begins...

"The book was right?"

...and you can naturally learn about the Sealing Stone through the [Record of Offerings] that's generated at the Shadow Altar after the third chapter ends.

Well, even so, it just tells you to find and activate it.

"The record didn't mention anything like that."

"It's a different book, not the record."

Raven doesn't answer Parteian's question in detail and places her hand on the Sealing Stone.

Swaaaaaaaaa!

A black light shoots up into the sky like a pillar.

「The Sealing Stone has been activated.」

「Unsealing rate decreased by 10%.」

With this, the Doppelganger's unsealing rate has decreased by 10%.

Of course, it doesn't really matter in our strategy...

...but there's no reason to skip it since it's on our way.

"Then we've finished all the preparations we can do here."

We then return to the sinkhole.

"Everyone ready?"

It's time for the boss battle.

___________________

「Character has entered the Marauder's Hideout.」

___________________

The boss battle, the flower of a rift.

However, the boss battle in the 'Doppelganger Forest' is a bit unique.

First of all, the expedition party has to be split into two.

One team fights the boss...

...and the other team searches for Sealing Stones in the forest filled with Doppelganger soldiers and manages the unsealing rate.

It's the standard strategy written in the [Record of Offerings].

'What an annoying concept.'

You can only clear this place if you trust each other and fulfill your roles.

We would have also split into two teams, each with two or three members from each team, and fought the boss.

If that landmine hadn't exploded.

[We can't use that method anymore. There are only seven of us.]

Things went wrong as the expedition party was halved.

We don't have enough people to split into teams.

Then what should we do?

I came up with an answer after checking the loot left behind by the dwarf and Hans G's teams, and I subtly hinted it to Raven so that she would reach the same conclusion.

All-in.

Instead of splitting our already small number into two and achieving nothing...

...we'll focus all our strength in one place and aim for a quick victory.

In short, it's the veteran player strategy.

[It might be a bit risky, but is everyone okay with this?]

[There's no other choice, is there?]

And so, the foundation for the strategy is laid.

I estimate the success rate to be 90%.

Of course, probability is just a number, so we have no choice but to try it and see.

Life isn't something that always goes according to Plan A.

Thud!

I jump down the hole first, like a barbarian, to check if it's safe. And when I give the signal, the others follow one by one.

"The air is chilly."

It's a cold cave.

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaak—!!]

It seems like he also sensed our presence, as he lets out a grotesque howl from inside.

I chuckle.

This is one of a barbarian's roles.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go get him."

To encourage my companions.

I take the lead without hesitation and enter the straight passage, and the others, who were hesitant, regain their composure and follow.

Thud, thud.

After walking for about forty steps...

...the fog that was scattered throughout the cave clears, revealing the boss room.

A cavern with a giant magic circle drawn on the floor.

Stones of Truth are scattered around like toys, and something in the shape of a person is crouching in the center, its back to us.

And a sniffling sound.

"You, you too... came to kill me...?"

Something turns its head and looks at us.

The face that's revealed isn't any of us.

It's just an ordinary child.

If it weren't for the fact that his eyes, nose, and mouth are upside down.

"I, I didn't do anything wrong..."

The child glares at us with resentment.

And then the emotion in his eyes turns to anger.

It's a common intro to a boss battle.

"I'm the same as you—!"

Therefore, I skip it before he can finish his line.

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"

Since it's not a good environment to use 'Leap', I just dash forward and swing my mace.

Thwack!

The child's head is crushed while he's still sitting.

But it doesn't feel like the usual impact.

It's like hitting a sandbag filled with water.

[Kyaaaaaaaaak!!]

A scream echoes throughout the cave, and the child turns into a black slime.

Bubble, bubble, bubble!

It expands and contracts like sea urchin spines.

'I'm the first one, huh.'

When the process is over, another me is standing there.

Mimicry.

It's a unique skill possessed only by Doppelgangers, something you can't obtain even by absorbing an essence.

But it's a bit different from the field.

"Kyaaaaaaaaak!!"

He no longer imitates my words and actions.

And...

「The nameless marauder has cast [Swing].」

...he's not just mimicking, he's stronger than the original.

It's like a 5th-grade monster's stats are added to the stats and skills of the mimicked target.

He's not a 4th-grade monster for nothing.

Whoosh!

I first dodge to the side as a test.

His mace crashes into the ground...

Kwaaang!

...and creates a crater, shaking the entire cave.

It's a level of power that I wouldn't be able to achieve until my Strength stat increases by at least 200. I feel a sense of pride, thinking that this is my future self.

However...

'I can definitely block this.'

I can just make up for my lacking stats with items.

I block him with my shield, preventing him from reaching my companions.

Kwaaang!

I don't hear the clear sound of impact I was expecting.

And the weight I feel through the shield is beyond imagination.

This is 50% reduced impact?

"Raven!!"

I call for support, like a cunning explorer.

Magic flies towards me immediately.

It's mostly curse magic with short casting times since our opponent is a high-grade monster.

Kwaaang!

His attacks are a bit easier to handle now.

But it just means the first prerequisite for the strategy has been met.

The real first phase starts now.

「The nameless marauder has cast [Flesh Explosion].」

Black slime splatters from the Doppelganger's body, which is mimicking me, and falls to the ground. They're small particles, too many to count.

"Iherno Haindar!"

Raven's staff spews flames and melts the particles, but it's impossible to eliminate them all.

The particles that stubbornly crawl on the ground start to mimic our appearances after going through a transformation process.

"There are four of them!"

Raven calmly informs me, and…

…I make a quick judgment.

Since they’re clones, they won’t be as strong as the original.

Therefore, the plan continues.

“Ignore me and defeat them!”

I decide to focus on the main body and leave the clones to my companions.

That’s when…

“They’re all Hans Krisen!”

…I freeze at Raven’s additional briefing.

‘What?’

I check my surroundings, even though we’re in the middle of a battle. Of course, Raven didn’t give me the wrong information.

‘…Damn it.’

How can they all be Hans G?

They should transform into one of the fifteen people, whether dead or alive.

Then what the hell are the chances of this?

Raven shouts, oblivious to my thoughts,

“It’s a good thing there’s no Mr. Yandel among the clones! Let’s hurry up and take care of them!”

Her voice is as if she’s delivering good news.

I can understand her feelings.

Hans G’s combat power is relatively low among us, and having four summoners would be a bad combination.

It’s definitely a good thing for us.

But…

Thump.

…my heart starts pounding like crazy.

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