Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

The Submerged Island, Atlante.

In fact, this was the most difficult part of raising a Shield Barbarian.

It wasn't called the second core essence for nothing.

Usually, by the time you reached this point, you would only have 4th-grade or lower essences.

It was impossible to obtain Stormgush's [Origin], Bion's [Transcendence], and Gachabon's [Risk] beforehand.

So, it was impossible to solo this area, even after dying and being reborn. You had to gather suitable companions and prepare thoroughly before entering.

Only after absorbing the essence from this area would your combat power increase dramatically, allowing you to start looting 3rd-grade essences.

'But somehow, the order has been reversed.'

Looking back, it all started with the Ogre essence.

I was lucky enough to obtain a high-grade essence early on, and that accelerated my growth like a snowball.

Like this.

「Mermal Priest defeated. EXP +6」

「Ravitor defeated. EXP +5」

「Underwater Guardian defeated. EXP +4」

「Nagakullos defeated...」

「...」

I just had to run and attract the monsters' aggro, and the experience points flowed in. It felt like I was practically speedrunning the area.

Of course, I had to take breaks in between.

Even I couldn't have infinite MP.

Especially not in this area with the [Hyperventilation] status effect, which doubled resource consumption.

"Mister!"

After a short break, my companions caught up to me, having gathered the magic stones.

"There's an essence here. What do you want to do with it?"

"Leave it."

The Mermal Priest was a 4th-grade monster, so it would be valuable if it dropped an essence... but I had already confirmed that it didn't.

There was no reason to waste our two test tubes on an unknown essence. It would be a slight gain if it was 5th-grade, but a loss if it was 6th-grade.

"Schuitz, how far have we come?"

"We're over halfway there."

"We've been moving in a straight line since entering this area. Is there a reason for that?"

"We can take care of the outer monsters later."

While I was talking to Amelia, Erwen chimed in.

"Ah, you're doing this because of the competitor you mentioned, right?"

It was a bit ambiguous.

Usually, I prioritized solving the most important tasks first.

But...

"Yeah, it's a possibility."

I couldn't deny that it had influenced my decision.

Atlante wasn't a rift.

Once the portal was opened, it remained open until the labyrinth closed, allowing explorers to freely enter and exit.

"What will you do if you encounter them?"

"Well..."

I answered instinctively and then continued,

"If they attack, we fight. If not, we just pass by."

"I see..."

Amelia nodded with a dubious expression.

I was about to move on, but I couldn't help but ask,

"You seem to have something to say."

"I was just thinking about what you would prefer."

"Prefer?"

"It's exactly what it sounds like."

"...?"

I stared at her, demanding a clearer explanation, and Amelia cautiously asked,

"Schuitz, aren't you hoping that they'll attack first?"

As soon as she said that, I felt a strange sense of recognition. And countless reasons to defend myself came to mind.

But I held back and asked again,

"Why would you think that?"

"It's not sudden. I've been thinking about it for a while, seeing how you act."

Amelia shrugged and glanced at the navigator and the mage.

I followed her gaze, and they quickly looked away, pretending not to have heard.

I couldn't understand.

"Why would you say that? Are you saying I should have let those guys who attacked me go?"

Amelia shook her head frantically at my slightly offended tone.

"That's not what I meant. It's just..."

"Just?"

"...Never mind. It was a silly thought."

Amelia dismissed the conversation and stepped back, and I didn't press her further.

Of course, I wasn't completely uninterested.

What was the unspoken thought hidden behind her words?

I couldn't know since she didn't answer.

But...

[Have you ever thought about it? You kill anyone who gets in your way, you kill anyone you suspect, and whenever you meet someone new, you're worried they might attack you. Human lives... they feel like game characters to you. You're a complete psychopath.]

I suddenly remembered a conversation I had with Lee Baekho.

It was a relatable statement back then, but it felt different now.

Especially the part about human lives feeling like game characters.

[Crack!]

One swing of my hammer, and a person dies.

Of course, the targets were always those I deemed worthy of death.

But...

[I-I'm sorry! Please spare me!]

The man I first killed.

When I killed Hans A, it wasn't like this.

Back then, I felt a psychological resistance. I had to constantly convince myself that it was something I had to do.

It was the same for a while after that.

I no longer hesitated, but I still felt a lingering unease.

It was the same even after returning to the city.

The expressions and gazes of those I killed would come to mind, forcing me to take cold showers and deliberately clear my head.

Yes, that was me back then.

But now?

'What did the captain of that ship look like?'

I couldn't even remember the face of the man I had killed just a few days ago.

The only things that came to mind were his equipment, the valuables he had, and the thrill I felt when I obtained them.

Was I getting used to it?

Or was I slowly changing?

"Mister, what are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing. We'll move again in about 30 minutes, so you should rest too."

I lay down on the muddy ground without hesitation and looked up.

The endless darkness of the labyrinth, stretching beyond the reach of the Light Gem's glow.

It was strange.

7th floor, 8th floor, 9th floor, 10th floor.

Only four floors remained.

If I just passed through them, I could return to the modern world through the Gate of the Abyss.

But...

Even though I had climbed much higher than when I was struggling to survive on the 1st and 2nd floors...

That place felt even further away.

_______________________

After a 30-minute break to replenish our MP, we continued our exploration of Atlante.

I would go first and clear the area, and then the others would follow behind and gather the magic stones.

'If we kill all the outer monsters, we'll make a fortune just from the magic stones.'

I chuckled to myself.

It was a bit funny.

No matter how much we earned from the magic stones, it wouldn't compare to the loot from the previous battle.

Three ships, albeit damaged, and over ten sets of high-grade equipment. It was a level of profit that could never be achieved by just hunting monsters.

「Powerful Luck.」

「Reflects 150% of the received damage to the enemy.」

The last monster that had been persistently following me finally disappeared into particles of light after a critical hit.

And...

'We're already at the boss room?'

We had reached the heart of Atlante.

A vast open space with dozens of massive pillars arranged in a circle.

And in the center of those pillars lay a giant egg.

A blue egg, several times larger than my [Gigantification] form.

'It looks exactly like the egg in the game.'

I chuckled at the thought.

「Character has witnessed a part of the myth.」

Suddenly, my heart pounded, and a sense of fulfillment filled me.

「Achievement Unlocked」

Condition: Mythical Discovery (1/5)

Reward: Soul Power permanently increased by +10.

What? My MP increased?

If this was real, it meant the 'achievement' system was also active...

'Then I must have unlocked quite a few mental achievements by now.'

I wasn't sure because mental stats didn't show any noticeable changes, but I would have to start achievement hunting next time.

There were some useful achievements from the 7th floor onwards.

'...I should have brought the others.'

I briefly regretted it, but I decided to confirm it next time.

The essence drop rate was low on the first try anyway.

I could do it next time.

Besides, I didn't even know if the achievement system applied to the natives.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

As I stepped inside the circle of pillars, a giant whirlpool appeared, blocking the exit.

It was a pointless effect, in my opinion.

With the [Challenger] status effect, I couldn't even think about escaping.

Thud.

As I walked towards the egg in the center, the whirlpool outside the pillars raged even more fiercely, as if the sea itself was angry.

And...

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground shook with deafening roars at regular intervals.

The roars were getting closer...

Boom!

As soon as the tremors stopped, I looked up.

Two piercing blue eyes glared down at me from the darkness.

A 3rd-grade monster, the Deep Sea Giant.

You could only encounter this monster on the 9th floor, except for Atlante. Of course, by then, they would be roaming in packs, their weaknesses hidden, making them much more difficult to hunt.

[Serkima Dio Merder.]

Just like in the game, the giant spoke in an incomprehensible language.

I couldn't tell what it meant when I just read the text...

But I could feel the disdain in its voice.

Therefore...

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"

I activated [Gigantification] and charged forward, shouting my ancestor god's name.

There was no one else here anyway.

Tadat.

Ah, of course, I wasn't charging towards the giant.

I was heading for the egg in the center.

That was the key to defeating this monster.

Thump!

The egg pulsed, as if it were alive.

Or rather, was it a heart that looked like an egg?

Boom!

I swung my Demon Crusher at the heart with all my might.

The giant roared and slammed its hand down, but I quickly dodged.

[Risk] only reflected damage from skills that consumed resources.

There was no reason to tank a normal attack.

「Deep Sea Giant has cast [Blade Torrent].」

As soon as its attack missed, the giant cast a skill.

Hundreds of water jets, sharp like bullets, shot towards me in a straight line.

I had to tank this...

「Powerful Luck.」

「Reflects 150% of the received damage to the enemy.」

What? A critical hit from the start?

[Gachaaat!]

I shielded my vital points and took the hit, and a skeleton appeared behind me, shouting triumphantly.

And...

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

A torrent of water, much thicker than the one the giant had unleashed, shot back at the giant.

[Groaaaaar!]

The giant staggered, as if it had taken significant damage.

It then swung its hand again.

Normally, I would have dodged...

Boom!

But I had already absorbed several 3rd-grade essences.

'I can tank this.'

I blocked the attack with my shield.

The damage transferred to my bones was quickly healed by [Origin].

「Deep Sea Giant has cast [Life Spring].」

The giant then used one of its signature skills to heal itself.

It drew life force from the heart to replenish its HP.

On the 9th floor, the Deep Sea Giants didn't have their hearts exposed like this.

This allowed them to boast incredible regeneration, making them worthy of their 3rd-grade status.

Well, it was meaningless here.

There was a reason why I always chose this monster as my first 3rd-grade essence.

Thump.

The heart pulsed weakly, much smaller than before.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

I didn't even bother dodging its attacks anymore and just hammered away at the heart.

The giant retaliated with various skills, but they were all reflected back at it, dealing even more damage.

And...

「Deep Sea Giant has cast [Life Spring].」

The cycle repeated.

The heart transferred life force to the body, and its defenses weakened.

After several repetitions...

Thump.

I swung my hammer at the heart, now several times smaller than before.

And right after...

Crack!

I experienced both good and bad news simultaneously.

「Deep Sea Giant defeated. EXP +7」

The good news was that I had easily defeated a 3rd-grade monster.

And the second good news was...

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

The essence had dropped on the first try.

But this is where the bad news started.

'Damn it.'

The essence had dropped, but it wasn't the color I wanted.

Well, it didn't really matter in this situation.

I looked past the disappearing whirlpool and saw a figure standing there.

"...?"

Impeccably dressed in casual clothes, a stark contrast to the usual labyrinth attire.

Pale skin and a slender build, exuding an air of sophistication.

And platinum blonde hair, neatly styled in a pompadour.

"Wow, you really killed it alone?"

An unexpected encounter awaited me.

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