Chapter 70: Barbarian Hero (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 70: Barbarian Hero (3)
I ran with all my might, dragging my giant, sixteen-foot-wide, monster-like body along.
Boom! Boom!
Every time my feet touched the ground, they made a thud similar to that of a large monster.
"Don't fall behind and follow him closely!"
Behind me were twenty-three clan members and Missha, and behind them were forty third-floor adventurers who had not been swayed by Jack Fletcher's agitation. How these two groups came to be together was simple.
"We will take you with us if you give up all your equipment." McGrain was a rationalist who wanted to make up for even the slightest loss.
[You have cast Offering Imprint. Your physical abilities are temporarily increased by the number of sacrifices located within a 100-yard radius.]
I judged that the more sacrifices, the better.
"Behelahhh!"
I was overflowing with power. And an unbearable, destructive instinct overwhelmed my body just as much.
This is probably because of the increase in Fighting Spirit.
I was glad, though, that I didn't have to hold back this desire.
"Kyaaah!"
Miniature clones of Riakis swooped in from the front. They were six feet in size, though... Still, to me, they were small.
Whooom!
I swung my mace mercilessly. Because my body had grown so large, it felt more like I was swinging a spoon. Well, the bastards getting hit would likely think differently.
Smack!
A clone I struck in the chest vanished in a puff of powder. If I were my usual self, it would have taken a few more hits. Once again, I was realizing how much my physical stats had risen. However, the problem was that every time I smashed one, an explosion occurred.
Bam!
Not where the clone died, but where I was standing.
[Wrath of Riakis is now active. You will receive continuous chaos-type damage over time.]
This was why the presence or absence of a main tank was so important when dealing with Evil Hiatus. These self-destructive corpses always inflicted damage on the ones who killed them. In other words, it didn't matter whether it was a powerful swordsman or a famous archer—their attacks would be ineffective here.
Bam!
If it had been a weak wizard bastard doing the attacking, the damage would have been enough to take them out. My whole body was numb, even with Pain Resistance. If I had been in my original body, each explosion would've made me scream.
Chzzz!
The black fluids clinging to my skin dissolved away with smoke. In places where it was really bad, my muscles had already melted down, and my bones were exposed. However, this wasn't a problem. I was a dark barbarian who had inherited a vampire's legacy.
[Thanks to the passive skill Source of Darkness, you will not die unless your heart is destroyed.]
I just needed to protect my heart as much as possible. Given the current situation, though, it just seemed like a matter of time...
Shatter!
Countless glass bottles flew at me while I was turning the clones into dust and clearing the way. The priests, working hard to catch up, were doing their best to shower me with heals.
"That was dangerous! Don't kill too many at once!"
"Behelahhh!"
"If you heard me, answer!" someone shouted at me.
You think it's that easy?
With Giantization, your threat level was proportionate to your size, which meant a greater chance of drawing monster attacks. And for a barbarian who already possessed a massive frame, this increase was exponential. It was the same as being in a perpetual state of instigation. Thanks to this, the adventurers following me could travel in relative peace—because the clones were all flocking to me.
"Hey! Can't you hear me—"
"I hear you."
However, once I adjusted my pace according to McGrain's advice, Taylon and some other melee warriors behind me blew up some nearby clones.
"Priest! What are the priests doing? I-I need treatment, quick!"
The sight of them panicking after taking down just two or three clones was not at all reassuring. I also didn't like the fact that the priests' heals were dispersed. Above all, if I slowed my pace, I couldn't unleash my passive ability to its fullest extent.
[Your HP is below 50 percent. All Resistance and Resilience stats have increased due to the passive skill Path of Heroes.]
The Orc Hero's passive skill, which activated when the user's health got lower than half their max, increased defense stats of all types. And according to my research...
When I go lower than 20 percent, the maximum effect will be applied.
That was why I had wanted the Orc Hero's essence in the first place. No matter what color the essence, the passive skill was the same.
"Okay, both of you get back," I called down.
"What? I can still—"
I didn't need a damage dealer imitating a noble tank, so I used gentle persuasion to get the two damage dealers to retreat to the back. "Something might approach from the rear."
McGrain, watching from behind them, didn't say anything this time, either. He just shouted, "There are ten minutes left. This stretch is critical, so we'll need your help getting through it."
Yeah, just cheer me on from back there.
***
As the rank-five adventurer Taylon Karlstein stepped back from the front lines, a middle-aged man started speaking to him. "Oh, are you back here now?"
"Yes, sir."
When Taylon nodded, Anton Hernesion, a wizard belonging to Team Seven, brightened. "Yes, the vice captain made the right call. Since we don't know what might show up behind us, we have to focus our attention here too. Don't you think so?"
"Yes... that's right." Taylon replied weakly, swallowing down the bitter feeling in his throat. He looked away to avoid conversation. At the end of his gaze was the barbarian.
"Behelahhh!"
Countless monsters flocked in from the dark. The barbarian screamed and wielded his mace, looking more monster-like than the actual monsters.
Bam!
Taylon chewed on his lip as another explosion rang out; he had lost count of how many times he'd heard that sound already.
Crunch!
The vice captain made the right call? We don't know what might show up behind us? He was disgusted with himself for nodding like he didn't know what had really happened.
"That was dangerous! Don't kill too many at once!"
"Behelahhh!"
"If you heard me, answer!" someone shouted at me.
You think it's that easy?
With Giantization, your threat level was proportionate to your size, which meant a greater chance of drawing monster attacks. And for a barbarian who already possessed a massive frame, this increase was exponential. It was the same as being in a perpetual state of instigation. Thanks to this, the adventurers following me could travel in relative peace—because the clones were all flocking to me.
"Hey! Can't you hear me—"
"I hear you."
However, once I adjusted my pace according to McGrain's advice, Taylon and some other melee warriors behind me blew up some nearby clones.
"Priest! What are the priests doing? I-I need treatment, quick!"
The sight of them panicking after taking down just two or three clones was not at all reassuring. I also didn't like the fact that the priests' heals were dispersed. Above all, if I slowed my pace, I couldn't unleash my passive ability to its fullest extent.
[Your HP is below 50 percent. All Resistance and Resilience stats have increased due to the passive skill Path of Heroes.]
The Orc Hero's passive skill, which activated when the user's health got lower than half their max, increased defense stats of all types. And according to my research...
When I go lower than 20 percent, the maximum effect will be applied.
That was why I had wanted the Orc Hero's essence in the first place. No matter what color the essence, the passive skill was the same.
"Okay, both of you get back," I called down.
"What? I can still—"
I didn't need a damage dealer imitating a noble tank, so I used gentle persuasion to get the two damage dealers to retreat to the back. "Something might approach from the rear."
McGrain, watching from behind them, didn't say anything this time, either. He just shouted, "There are ten minutes left. This stretch is critical, so we'll need your help getting through it."
Yeah, just cheer me on from back there.
***
As the rank-five adventurer Taylon Karlstein stepped back from the front lines, a middle-aged man started speaking to him. "Oh, are you back here now?"
"Yes, sir."
When Taylon nodded, Anton Hernesion, a wizard belonging to Team Seven, brightened. "Yes, the vice captain made the right call. Since we don't know what might show up behind us, we have to focus our attention here too. Don't you think so?"
"Yes... that's right." Taylon replied weakly, swallowing down the bitter feeling in his throat. He looked away to avoid conversation. At the end of his gaze was the barbarian.
"Behelahhh!"
Countless monsters flocked in from the dark. The barbarian screamed and wielded his mace, looking more monster-like than the actual monsters.
Bam!
Taylon chewed on his lip as another explosion rang out; he had lost count of how many times he'd heard that sound already.
Crunch!
The vice captain made the right call? We don't know what might show up behind us? He was disgusted with himself for nodding like he didn't know what had really happened.
God damn it.
The truth was simple. It hadn't even been the vice captain who told him to step back in the first place. It had been the barbarian, whom he had considered just a mere warrior that happened to be a member of his sister's team. A team that also included a half-wizard who couldn't even be called a wizard, and who hadn't even been able to argue with them when told to get lost.
"Something might approach from the rear."
When the barbarian spoke those words without even looking back, Taylon couldn't respond. No, he didn't respond. It had only been a brief moment, but he had realized in that moment that this was not something anyone should do.
Bam!
One swing of a weapon immediately brought terrible pain. No matter how agile you were, you couldn't avoid it. And the problem was that this fact made the body falter. Even in a situation where he had to swing his weapon nonstop, his hands were stiff and refused to move. How pathetic.
"Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. Anyone could do it if they couldn't feel pain."
Perhaps his face was too readable. Another man spoke up in an attempt to comfort him—one of the two remaining warriors who had also withdrawn from the front lines. "I've heard that most of the essences with Pain Resistance are not well-researched, but if they make this type of tactic possible, that will need to be reconsidered."
Despite the man's comfort, Taylon kept his mouth shut. He had thought that at first, too. Guzzling down potions like that was only possible with Pain Resistance, and in the first place, he and that barbarian had different roles. As a warrior, he may also be fighting on the front lines, but it wasn't his job to take the hits with his body and buy time. Rather, he was supposed to wait for an opening and get the enemy in the back of the neck.
Bam!
So this was only natural. He didn't need to feel any shame. Yes, that was what he had thought.
But...
"Behelahhh!"
The more he watched that huge figure from behind, the more he doubted that conviction.
How can he not hesitate even in a state like that?
The parts of his flesh caught up in the explosions melted off of him like water. The incoming monsters bit down on his exposed bones with their teeth. But despite all that, that barbarian was wielding his weapon with accuracy and without hesitation, unlike Taylon's own frozen-stiff muscles. He continued to do what he had to do without stopping.
But this is somehow something anyone can do?
Of course not. He'd heard that even with Pain Resistance, that didn't mean you felt no pain at all. If that was true, having potions, priests, and the Essence of a Vampire did not make him invincible.
"They say that no one can match a barbarian in bravery," said Anton. "I guess that's true."
"It's almost like he doesn't even know what death is."
As one famous adventurer said, there was nothing in the labyrinth that couldn't die there. The same went for that barbarian.
There's no point in denying it anymore.
Ironically, after admitting it, his heart felt more at peace with the idea of wordlessly doing what one had to do in a situation where their life was at stake. How many people couldn't even do that one simple thing? What that barbarian was doing was not something anyone could do. That much was obvious even from the shifting opinions of the people around him.
God damn it.
The truth was simple. It hadn't even been the vice captain who told him to step back in the first place. It had been the barbarian, whom he had considered just a mere warrior that happened to be a member of his sister's team. A team that also included a half-wizard who couldn't even be called a wizard, and who hadn't even been able to argue with them when told to get lost.
"Something might approach from the rear."
When the barbarian spoke those words without even looking back, Taylon couldn't respond. No, he didn't respond. It had only been a brief moment, but he had realized in that moment that this was not something anyone should do.
Bam!
One swing of a weapon immediately brought terrible pain. No matter how agile you were, you couldn't avoid it. And the problem was that this fact made the body falter. Even in a situation where he had to swing his weapon nonstop, his hands were stiff and refused to move. How pathetic.
"Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. Anyone could do it if they couldn't feel pain."
Perhaps his face was too readable. Another man spoke up in an attempt to comfort him—one of the two remaining warriors who had also withdrawn from the front lines. "I've heard that most of the essences with Pain Resistance are not well-researched, but if they make this type of tactic possible, that will need to be reconsidered."
Despite the man's comfort, Taylon kept his mouth shut. He had thought that at first, too. Guzzling down potions like that was only possible with Pain Resistance, and in the first place, he and that barbarian had different roles. As a warrior, he may also be fighting on the front lines, but it wasn't his job to take the hits with his body and buy time. Rather, he was supposed to wait for an opening and get the enemy in the back of the neck.
Bam!
So this was only natural. He didn't need to feel any shame. Yes, that was what he had thought.
But...
"Behelahhh!"
The more he watched that huge figure from behind, the more he doubted that conviction.
How can he not hesitate even in a state like that?
The parts of his flesh caught up in the explosions melted off of him like water. The incoming monsters bit down on his exposed bones with their teeth. But despite all that, that barbarian was wielding his weapon with accuracy and without hesitation, unlike Taylon's own frozen-stiff muscles. He continued to do what he had to do without stopping.
But this is somehow something anyone can do?
Of course not. He'd heard that even with Pain Resistance, that didn't mean you felt no pain at all. If that was true, having potions, priests, and the Essence of a Vampire did not make him invincible.
"They say that no one can match a barbarian in bravery," said Anton. "I guess that's true."
"It's almost like he doesn't even know what death is."
As one famous adventurer said, there was nothing in the labyrinth that couldn't die there. The same went for that barbarian.
There's no point in denying it anymore.
Ironically, after admitting it, his heart felt more at peace with the idea of wordlessly doing what one had to do in a situation where their life was at stake. How many people couldn't even do that one simple thing? What that barbarian was doing was not something anyone could do. That much was obvious even from the shifting opinions of the people around him.
"The vice captain's insight is truly remarkable. I didn't expect that fellow to do his job so well."
"Does anyone know what his name was? Someone like that must be somewhat well known..."
"How did his conversation with the vice captain go earlier? It would be very reassuring if a person like him joined the clan!"
Even if they didn't know the details of Pain Resistance, they couldn't help but feel that the barbarian had saved their lives.
"It is terrifying to think of what would have happened if that man hadn't been here."
Someone turned to Taylon's half-wit sister. "Did you say your name is Missha? Who is that man?"
"Uh, I don't know..."
They didn't receive a proper answer, but something the wizard, Anton, whispered beside him a moment later made Taylon think. "If the legendary hero of the barbarian tribe, Balkan, came back to life today," Anton mumbled, "he would probably look like him."
There was no need to wonder what that barbarian's name was right now.
"The end! The end is in sight!"
"Speed up!"
Soon, everyone would know.
***
[Field effect Evil Hiatus has deactivated.]
The moment I stepped out of the darkness, there was a storm-like roar.
Whooom!
At the exact same moment, dark red rays shot out from the ceiling and toward the center of the darkness.
Booom!
It was like watching an apocalypse in action. "That was a close one," McGrain mumbled.
"I agree."
Beyond the darkness, which dissipated like mist, absolutely nothing remained. All that was left in the place where the orc colony had once been were the ruins of a ravaged land. My head, which had heated up thanks to the battle, was cooling. If we had been just a little late getting out...
Source of Darkness or not, we would've died on the spot.
In fact, it was ridiculous to call it "a close one." My soul power at the end... To put it simply, I had run out of MP, and the Giantization had been shut off. Animated corpses began to flood in like a tidal wave, most likely because all the adventurers who had set off together earlier had been annihilated. It was a miracle we had even escaped in time.
Still, it wasn't over yet.
Now is when we should really start praying.
I quickly checked the number of survivors. There were exactly thirty. This was because, at the last minute, many of the adventurers who had tagged along in return for their gear had died.
In other words, the odds are one in thirty. No, if I include Missha, they're more like one in fifteen.
They were low, still not odds to feel optimistic about. Instead of relaxing, I studied the others for any changes.
"B-Bjorn...?" It was then that I heard Missha's voice next to me. She sounded flustered. "I-I can't move my body for some rrreason..." When I turned my head to look at Missha, I could see she had gone rigid.
[Missha Karlstein has been designated as Prey. Missha Karlstein will now fall into a state of Incapacitation.]
Fuck, are you serious?
McGrain let out a wordless exclamation. "Amazing. I didn't know it would come out on your side."
"Why... why is everrryone looking at me like that?"
I didn't have time to explain it to her. I stared directly into Missha's brother's eyes. "Would you be able to take her with you?" I asked just in case.
"Th-that's..."
On behalf of the older brother who was having a hard time answering, McGrain decisively put his foot down. "I think that would be difficult. We can't afford to take on any more burdens."
But I asked again anyway. "Do you feel the same way? You're still her brother, regardless of your relationship. Are you going to let her die this way?"
"B-Bjorrrn... Whatever this is about, it's okay..."
What's okay? Your life is at stake here.
"So, what's your answer?" I demanded.
Taylon glanced at McGrain and then gave me a brief response. "To me... This is more important than family."
Bullshit, it's because you don't think of her as family.
Anyway, he was an asshole through and through. "I've wasted precious time," I muttered. Then I picked up Missha, who had turned into a log, and tied her to me with a cloth. I quickly checked the time. It was 23:45. The remaining time until the labyrinth closed was about fifteen minutes, a time frame most would consider neither too long nor too short.
[Lord of Chaos Riakis has awakened.]
However, this would probably be the longest fifteen minutes of my life.
"The vice captain's insight is truly remarkable. I didn't expect that fellow to do his job so well."
"Does anyone know what his name was? Someone like that must be somewhat well known..."
"How did his conversation with the vice captain go earlier? It would be very reassuring if a person like him joined the clan!"
Even if they didn't know the details of Pain Resistance, they couldn't help but feel that the barbarian had saved their lives.
"It is terrifying to think of what would have happened if that man hadn't been here."
Someone turned to Taylon's half-wit sister. "Did you say your name is Missha? Who is that man?"
"Uh, I don't know..."
They didn't receive a proper answer, but something the wizard, Anton, whispered beside him a moment later made Taylon think. "If the legendary hero of the barbarian tribe, Balkan, came back to life today," Anton mumbled, "he would probably look like him."
There was no need to wonder what that barbarian's name was right now.
"The end! The end is in sight!"
"Speed up!"
Soon, everyone would know.
***
[Field effect Evil Hiatus has deactivated.]
The moment I stepped out of the darkness, there was a storm-like roar.
Whooom!
At the exact same moment, dark red rays shot out from the ceiling and toward the center of the darkness.
Booom!
It was like watching an apocalypse in action. "That was a close one," McGrain mumbled.
"I agree."
Beyond the darkness, which dissipated like mist, absolutely nothing remained. All that was left in the place where the orc colony had once been were the ruins of a ravaged land. My head, which had heated up thanks to the battle, was cooling. If we had been just a little late getting out...
Source of Darkness or not, we would've died on the spot.
In fact, it was ridiculous to call it "a close one." My soul power at the end... To put it simply, I had run out of MP, and the Giantization had been shut off. Animated corpses began to flood in like a tidal wave, most likely because all the adventurers who had set off together earlier had been annihilated. It was a miracle we had even escaped in time.
Still, it wasn't over yet.
Now is when we should really start praying.
I quickly checked the number of survivors. There were exactly thirty. This was because, at the last minute, many of the adventurers who had tagged along in return for their gear had died.
In other words, the odds are one in thirty. No, if I include Missha, they're more like one in fifteen.
They were low, still not odds to feel optimistic about. Instead of relaxing, I studied the others for any changes.
"B-Bjorn...?" It was then that I heard Missha's voice next to me. She sounded flustered. "I-I can't move my body for some rrreason..." When I turned my head to look at Missha, I could see she had gone rigid.
[Missha Karlstein has been designated as Prey. Missha Karlstein will now fall into a state of Incapacitation.]
Fuck, are you serious?
McGrain let out a wordless exclamation. "Amazing. I didn't know it would come out on your side."
"Why... why is everrryone looking at me like that?"
I didn't have time to explain it to her. I stared directly into Missha's brother's eyes. "Would you be able to take her with you?" I asked just in case.
"Th-that's..."
On behalf of the older brother who was having a hard time answering, McGrain decisively put his foot down. "I think that would be difficult. We can't afford to take on any more burdens."
But I asked again anyway. "Do you feel the same way? You're still her brother, regardless of your relationship. Are you going to let her die this way?"
"B-Bjorrrn... Whatever this is about, it's okay..."
What's okay? Your life is at stake here.
"So, what's your answer?" I demanded.
Taylon glanced at McGrain and then gave me a brief response. "To me... This is more important than family."
Bullshit, it's because you don't think of her as family.
Anyway, he was an asshole through and through. "I've wasted precious time," I muttered. Then I picked up Missha, who had turned into a log, and tied her to me with a cloth. I quickly checked the time. It was 23:45. The remaining time until the labyrinth closed was about fifteen minutes, a time frame most would consider neither too long nor too short.
[Lord of Chaos Riakis has awakened.]
However, this would probably be the longest fifteen minutes of my life.