Meeting the Boy as a Barbarian (4)
Floor 5.
If Floor 4 is the most fucking awful place for beginner explorers, then Floor 5 is straightforward.
With the skill to push through Floor 4, it's easy. But rushing straight to Floor 5 without clearing Floor 4 is pure hell.
After growing by matching my rhythm with my companions, I'm challenging this dungeon alone now.
“I’m not alone.”
“Huh? Did you call?”
“No, nothing. What did you bring?”
El, leading in front, had something sticking out from his backpack. He pulled out whatever was poking out without much fuss.
“Ah, this? I brought it just in case!”
El pulled out a crossbow. Stronger than a bow, but takes longer to reload.
“Why did you bring that?”
“To support you, Barca-nim. You’re strong, but dungeons are places where even strong people die from a careless mistake. I heard there was one such guy back in the day, who was it again?”
“King of Dragons, Ksanikabel?”
“No! It was one of the giants, I think?”
Giants? I don't know. Not something that appears much even in games. I only have the trait.
“That aside, Barca-nim, are you prepared?”
“No need to prepare.”
Two low-grade potions, one antidote, three handaxes as backup, and my usual gear.
Excluding items for unforeseen situations, there's nothing much different from usual.
“Hehe, as expected of Barca-nim.”
“You didn't prepare anything besides the crossbow?”
“Crossbow, paralysis darts, and a rescue signal!”
“Rescue signal? What the hell is that?”
“If something bad happens, I throw this and other explorers will see it and come to save me!”
“Was there such a convenient thing?”
Completely unaware.
Thinking it seemed familiar, while rummaging through Floor 4's forest, I heard fighting sounds from afar.
“This is our hunting ground! Get the fuck out!”
“What the hell are you saying, you bastard? When did hunting grounds appear in dungeons? Aren't you the ones who should get out?”
“Krr...! You wanna fight!?”
“Come at me, you bastards!”
Wow, this is ridiculous.
Three days ago, I gave up dungeon exploration after seeing that mess, and now I'm seeing it again.
More importantly, are these guys just eating goblin squads that came out for scouting?
Instead, they should be robbing villages for more profit.
Leaving those guys behind, El and I advanced forward.
“We're here, Barca-nim. It's the portal!”
“Hoohoo...”
As expected, different.
The portal to Floor 5 had a red hue different from the usual ones.
Seeing the portal's color clearly indicating this place is different from other floors, I showed interest. El took the chance to load the crossbow.
Click. With a sound, the string was pulled.
Looking at the crossbow fully loaded, I whistled.
“How powerful is that?”
“Enough to pierce through a goblin easily! It was half-buried in a tree?”
“Haa... that's convenient.”
“Right! If not for this, I wouldn't have followed you, Barca-nim!”
“Hmm...”
This guy isn't going to shoot me, right?
While I was thinking about my past dead character, El informed me that all preparations were done.
“Then, shall we go.”
“Yes...! It's been a while since Floor 5!”
The swirling red portal.
Stepping into the portal, my vision flickered.
Regaining consciousness, a massive iron door came into view.
Seeing the thing clearly showing that there's going to be a fight ahead, I smirked.
Seeing the door I've always seen in reality, it's familiar, but having such a huge iron door now makes me feel out of place.
Feeling strange, I lifted my leg.
“Barca-nim?”
Behind El's question, I immediately put strength into my leg and kicked forward!
Crash! With a loud sound, the iron door opened wide.
Krrrl...
The guy growling like he didn't like my visit was there.
Not exactly a wolf, and the voice wasn't as vile as a goblin's.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Monsters on Floor 5 were banging on something repeatedly to show their presence, and soon they revealed themselves from the darkness.
Keraaaak...
“Hobgoblin, really ugly.”
The evolved goblin.
If a goblin was elementary school height, the Hobgoblin is youth height.
Half a head smaller than me.
Unlike the skinny goblin with a protruding belly, it has full muscles and a thick neck that looks precious for a Hobgoblin to carry.
Keraaaaak——!!!
The Hobgoblin roared in anger at waking its sleep, and charged.
“El!”
“I'll dodge on my own!”
Hearing El's dodging, I also charged at the Hobgoblin.
Me, bigger than the giant Hobgoblin, closed the distance in an instant.
Woaah——!!!
Keraaaak——!!!
Both roaring face to face clashed weapons.
Clang!!!
Collision of shield and axe.
No doubt, the winner.
Keraaaak......!!!!
The axe-wielding Hobgoblin was pushed back badly by the greatsword facing it, exposing its chest.
Yeah, of course.
Body 50 is no joke.
Reaching towards the empty chest, the Hobgoblin flinched and backed away.
Its goblin-era agility still alive, my hand barely missed grabbing its neck.
“Pity. I could have ended it right away.”
Was the Hobgoblin angry at fleeing?
Keraaaak——!!!!
Roaring in anger, the Hobgoblin charged at me again.
The Hobgoblin swinging a shield as tall as a person with both hands. I ducked slightly to avoid it and swung the axe.
Crack—!
K, raaak...!
“Haha! I didn't break the axe! I think axes are less convenient for me!”
Despite the intense blow to my side, the Hobgoblin didn't hesitate.
Keraaaak!
The guy let go of one hand from the shield and reached at me.
I grabbed his hand and locked it.
“Haa, from today, we're 1:1?”
Keraaaak!!!
Wow, it worked.
Don't say nonsense and try to crush my hand with fingers, but of course.
I ignored the nails digging into my hand back and put strength into my hand.
Then...
Crack...! Crack...!
K, ke raaak!?
“Haa, didn't think you'd push with strength? Your shield was also pushed back badly?”
Krak...! Keraaak...!
It's breaking.
Barca's strength was so intense that the Hobgoblin felt it.
Seeing his fingers screaming and twisting slightly, the Hobgoblin raised his hand.
Keraaaak!!!
I'll cut off your arm.
With that resolve, the Hobgoblin skillfully stabbed the greatsword with one hand to cut Barca's arm.
What Barca did was simple.
“Hoit.”
Pulled the hand.
The Hobgoblin, distracted by the hand holding the shield, panicked as his body was lightly pulled like paper.
Crack—!
Keraaaak!!!
The greatsword that was swinging down became a stabbing weapon without time to dodge, piercing his arm.
With the greatsword buried more than half, exposing the bone in the arm, the Hobgoblin screamed, and Barca lifted the corner of his mouth.
And then.
Crash!
While holding the hand, he threw the Hobgoblin.
Krak...! Keraaaak...!
“Wow, that's heavy.”
The arm was torn off.
With this unbelievable act, the Hobgoblin, for the first time since opening his eyes in the dungeon, was scared.
Keraaaak...!
That's strong.
There were always guys who challenged alone, and the Hobgoblin thought he would win this time too.
But it was a miscalculation.
That guy has destructive power of more than four people alone.
Actually, even the owner of this floor and the boss monster, the Hobgoblin, isn't becoming a proper opponent.
How to beat this with one arm torn off?
While not thinking about hemostasis and looking scared at Barca.
“Getting to the end soon? I should have come faster. It was easier than I thought.”
Barca moved.
Blood dripping from the axe soaked in Hobgoblin's blood.
How to deal with this?
The Hobgoblin rolled his brain capacity, nearly four times more than usual.
Kriririk...!
His gaze reached a human aiming a crossbow from afar.
Keraaaak...?
And when he noticed it, it was too late.
In an instant, a bolt tore through the space and rushed. Sensing his last moment, the Hobgoblin closed his eyes.
Thud—!
Soon after, a sound of impact, but no pain.
Opening his eyes slowly, what he saw was... Barca with a bolt stuck in his shoulder.
Keraaaak?
Why suddenly attacking a companion?
While the Hobgoblin, rolling four times the brain capacity, was dumbfounded by the scene he couldn't understand.
Barca, with the bolt pierced through his shoulder, turned his body casually from the Hobgoblin.
“I was curious when you would betray, El.”
“...Haha, you barbarian bastard. If you're this suspicious, what's the point.”
El.
He had a sly smile different from usual.
Click—.
Loading the second bolt.