Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel 2025 - Chapter 667
Chapter 667: New World (2)
More than a dozen materials were needed for the Immortality Imprint. Most were easily obtainable in the markets, but three core materials were rare as they were the drops of rank three monsters.
All three have high essence values, not many people hunt them while using distortion magic.
It meant that if I wanted to get the drops, I would personally need to take a wizard and hunt the monsters while putting distortion on it. However, I wasn’t even able to attempt it. More than half of the seventh floor had been taken over by Noark for years now, so I hadn’t been able to make a proper sweep of the area.
“Bahaha! We finally have an opponent I can show off against!”
As soon as the rank-three monster appeared, the tank of team Baekho, Lek Aures, charged forward with a loud battle cry.
“Uraaaaah!”
His bones and muscles quickly became enlarged, just like when I used Giantization.
[Lek Aures has cast Blood of Giants.]
It was the transformation active skill of the Deep Sea Giant. The fact that it enlarged the user’s body made it very similar to Giantization. However, if the main point of Giantization was to increase one’s threat level, Blood of Giants focused more on just giving a ton of physical stats. And since it was a rank three essence, the stat increase it provided was greater as well.
It has a fatal flaw, though.
Due to the increased body size, the tank couldn’t use equipment properly. It was a weakness that Giantization had as well, of course. Unlike Giantization, however, the effect of Union from the Immortality Imprint didn’t apply to Blood of Giants.
“So this is why… The reason the man that seemed to take on the role of the protector of the team always walked around shirtless.”
Looking him over, I could see that his build was quite similar to mine, and I found a few familiar things as well. Although his body had grown quite a bit, the tights he wore as both his underwear and his pants came down to his thighs and looked fine.
Stretchy magic underwear.
I had worn a pair myself back in the day. Before I got Union, my underwear would rip every time I used Giantization, and after getting Acid Fluid, it would just end up melting.
And he grabs his equipment out of his sub-space after transforming.
Now gigantic, Aures put his hand into the air and took out an extra-large shield and extra-large mace. I couldn’t help but nod as he did.
Yeah, the shield-and-mace combo holds true.
For us muscleheads, these blunt weapons were much more effective than the bladed ones.
“Bahaha!”
Perhaps intending to pull the aggro onto him, Aures ran forward before slamming his mace into the monster’s head.
Crunch!
A meaty sound accompanied the swishing of his mace. Through that, I could tell that he was strong enough to kill a rank-five monster in just one attack.
However, his opponent was a true rank-three monster.
“Uraaah!”
Rather than be a critical strike, the monster only got angrier and howled fiercely.
Well, it was to be expected. Since Aures couldn’t wear armor, the stats he focused on for his essences needed to be Physical and Mana Resistance so that he could act as the tank of the group.
In any case, with the amount of damage he’s dealing, I could consider him a pure tank. So then, how good of a tank is he?
I would soon figure that out.
[Biterion has cast Rip and Tear.]
The monster’s teethed palm opened to a monstrous level before slamming down onto Aures’s shoulder.
“Bahaha! Little monster! This much isn’t even enough to tickle me!”
He let out a hearty laugh as if he didn’t take any damage before raising the Biterion over his head and slamming it back onto the ground in what looked like a wrestling move.
Slam!
Still, that was a rank-three monster. Aures was strong enough to lift that monster over his head while also being sturdy enough to only take a scratch when that monster bit it at its full strength.
…He’s better than I expected.
Though I was amazed, a part of me expected it. I mean, wasn’t that much from him required to be able to go around with Baekho?
Shine!
The small scratch on his shoulder was healed by the healer Jaina until it was completely gone.
[Belbev Ruingenes has cast the rank 3 attack magic Lunar Gale.]
Crescent-shaped magic was fired forward and cut one of the arms of the monster.
[Leyton Bryat has cast Arrow of Sealing.]
A translucent arrow that was fired at some point pierced itself into the body of the monster before letting out the light.
Bzzt, bzzt.
The chains of light that then flowed out wound themselves around the monster’s body and tied it down.
[All abilities of the Biterion will be temporarily sealed.]
Whoa, he ate that essence? Even though that was an essence that was known to be difficult even among the rank two essences?
This is nuts.
Most adventures considered rank three monsters to be raid monsters. However, the team here was able to fight a rank three monster that easily.
These guys really were the most skilled among—
“Lord Baron. What do you think about finishing the monster off?”
As I was observing their battle as if to grade them, Baekho called for me with a sly undertone in his voice. To put it simply, he was asking me to contribute rather than just sit back and watch.
Well, just like how I had a lot of things I was curious about, Baekho probably had a few things he was curious about me as well.
“Sure.”
However, even while knowing his motive, I still accepted his request. Since we were working together for the time being, I wouldn’t be able to hide my abilities forever.
…And if I want a fair share of the loot, I’ll need to make a point of contributing.
[You have cast Transcendence. The skill used will be strengthened.]
“Move.”
“A-ah… S-sure.”
After chaining Transcendence and Giantization together, I stepped in front of Aures who seemed caught off guard at having to look up at someone.
Hmm, I was probably about a meter taller than him at this point.
That’s not important right now.
Unlike that ordinary mace, which was just absurdly big, I took out No. 87 Kraul’s Demon Grinder, which had become even larger due to the effect of Union.
[You have cast Swing.]
I raised it above my shoulders and used the move that was now practically my signature skill. It didn’t have a fancy light show or special effects, but it was still very effective.
I mean, wasn’t it odd?
Fwoosh!
No matter if I was a tank, no matter if this was a rank three monster…
Boom!
With this many overpowered items against a target who had its abilities sealed with a skill, I would—
“Krrk…”
What the—why didn’t it die in one hit?
Though a bit embarrassed, I used Swing a few more times to land more hits, and only then did the drooling monster stop moving.
“Oh.”
After that short and explosive scene of violence concluded, an inscrutable exclamation was heard from behind me.
“…Wow, so you can do that much damage as a tank?”
Thankfully, it was praise. And I could tell something else from the way Baekho was teasing his ally.
“Our warrior would’ve taken at least a few dozen hits to kill it. Baron, do you want to join my team? I’ll kick him out. Okay?”
“Baekho…! How could you do that? I’m even treated like a traitor by the castellan because I’ve only acted while trusting in you!” Aures shouted while making his hurt feelings known. Compared to his size, he seemed to be a little soft-hearted.
Still, every one of them has a good relationship with each other.
I looked down at the motionless Biterion, ignoring the squabbling between the two.
Something feels a little odd.
In the labyrinth, the disappearance of the corpse into a flash of light was the confirmation that the monster had died. However, since those effects didn’t apply here, it didn’t even feel like I had killed it. It felt as if the monster would get up at any moment.
It’ll take a while for me to get used to this.
And unlike in the labyrinth, I would need to confirm my kills as well. If I just let it be after thinking I had killed it, it could suddenly get up and attack me.
It was a bit more annoying than in the labyrinth for a multitude of factors.
Well, that downside is the true benefit.
“Havellion! You know how to do monster butchering, right?”
“Of course. Then hurry here and gather the materials that can sell for a lot. But take the claw off and give it to me.”
I asked the GM to extract the materials as soon as the battle was over. Also, by claw, I meant not just any of the claws it had but the tooth attached to its hand.
At that moment, Baekho stopped teasing his ally and asked, “Why do you want the claw, Baron?”
Obviously, it was because it was the material needed for stage eight of the imprint. But saying that openly to him was a little awkward, so I hesitated a little.
Baekho gave a perverted smile. “Ah, is it because it’s an imprint material? But the ones that need the claw of this guy… It’s either the Berserker or the Immortal. I don’t think you took the Berserker Imprint…”
I didn’t respond.
“So it’s the Immortality Imprint? Seeing how you still need this, you’re probably still stage seven. Ah, wait, is the reason you can use your equipment with Giantization thanks to your imprint? That Union at stage five?”
I sighed. This was why I hated the brats who came from the game.
***
Unfortunately for me, Baekho’s interference didn’t end there.
“Wow… So that’s what you did. Interesting… I know most of the essences you have as well. Should I go look for a barbarian in the future and try to grow him in the same way you did?”
“Baekho…? Well… I can hear everything from over here…”
“Hmm? Then block your ears.”
Although he wasn’t genuine when he said he would make a replica of me, it was very insulting to hear him say that as an aside.
The synergies between certain essences and items were fiercely guarded secrets in this world. Everything was worth something.
“Haha, I was joking, Baron. Ah, and about that claw? You can take them, as many as you need.”
Well, I was still going to take what I needed to, permission or not.
In any case, if I get two more things, I’ll have everything I need for stage eight.
It wouldn’t be too late to punish Baekho later. The opportunity would present itself if I continued to wait. And a day would come when he wouldn’t dare to joke like that in front of me ever again.
“Right, what are you all doing? If you’re done looting it, let’s keep moving!”
After leaving the former Noarkan camp, we continued to move northwest, encountering a monster once every hour or two.
I can now feel the difference in the number of monsters here compared to the labyrinth.
As we continued to fight the monsters, I understood what Baekho meant by the monsters here having more intelligence than those in the labyrinth.
Each one of them had a hunting strategy. They didn’t just charge us mindlessly. Most used the terrain to their advantage, while others aimed for us when we were resting, or ambushing us after tailing us for a while. There were even some who gave up and turned around to leave.
For the monsters who lived in packs, the leader monster would sometimes command them throughout the battle.
…It feels like I’m really in the wilderness.
It felt like each one was a named elite boss monster. Even the monsters who were similar in size each had their differences, while there was another monster who had sustained serious wounds and was limping around.
It was wholly different from the labyrinth, where all the monsters were standardized.
“Then let’s rest here for today! Everyone can do whatever they want to, but be here before seven in the morning! Okay?”
With that, the schedule for the day ended. We camped a little further away from Baekho Lee’s team. As we began our nightly routine, we could hear a loud noise coming from their side.
“Bahaha! Jaina! Bahaha! Hahaha!”
“…Please stop, Aures.”
“What do you mean stop? You burnt all these precious meals! Bahaha!”
From what I could tell after traveling with them for a while, Baekho’s team was much closer and friendlier with each other than I expected. However, their warrior Aures probably played the biggest part in creating that atmosphere.
Baekho, that guy. He’s laughing and smiling as well. Even though he said he wouldn’t be affectionate to his allies.
“…Hmm? Where are you going?”
“I mean, there’s nothing to do…”
As we nearly finished our routine, the GM got up and went toward Baekho’s team, which he joined relatively naturally.
“I’ve prepared a lot of food, so we have these left. Do you want to eat at least this?”
“Oh? Really? Thanks! I nearly had to starve tonight due to our cook! Hahaha!”
For a second, I wondered if the GM with his hermit tendencies had a more outgoing side, but as I listened to the conversation that followed, I realized that he was just gathering information.
“Aha, I see. I never knew that you were from Noark.”
“Haha, is that so?”
“Ah, but I do think I remember hearing about you. I at least know that there was a fearsome warrior who guarded the gate of Noark.”
“Bahaha! It’s not that grand.”
Even while maintaining the mood, the GM diligently picked up every piece of information given to him.
However, that didn’t last long.
“I have something I’m curious about. Could I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything!”
“Why is this team a five-man group? Not six?”
As soon as that question was asked, the mood suddenly went cold as silence filled the air.
What the? Was it a question that warranted that response?
I had no idea why they reacted like that, so I paid closer attention to what they were saying. Even Baekho’s teammate Lek Aures seemed to not understand the situation.
“Hmm? What’s with everyone’s expressions?” Aures tilted his head.
“Right?”
“Yes. I do think so.”
Baekho Lee and the archer shared a short conversation.
“It’s not a monster. It’s a person.”
What the hell was going on now?