Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

The monster raised its harpoon high in the air.

My first thought was,

'Already?'

He had taken a lot of damage.

We had pierced his shell, severed his arm, and even stabbed him in the chest with a poisoned dagger.

But 40% HP already?

'Ah...'

I looked up and understood.

Amelia was clinging to its back, her dagger embedded in its neck.

'She should have aimed for the back of its head, not the neck.'

I was a bit disappointed, but Amelia wouldn't have done that on purpose.

It must have dodged her attack.

I focused on something else.

'I've never seen that skill before.'

Black aura was swirling around the wound on its neck.

Wait, is that...?

「Amelia Rainwales has cast [Abyssal Power].」

Aura, Doppelganger essence, and now this? This woman was a monster. It was a miracle we had survived her attacks.

Anyway, I'll think about that later.

"Don't stop!"

I gave the order and approached the monster.

But maybe it was too much for my companions, who didn't know what was going on.

They froze, unable to focus on the fight.

I understood why.

「Stormgush has cast [Call of the Storm].」

[Call of the Storm].

It recovered MP by absorbing the surrounding wind, but if it was used during [Rain Dance], when the area was filled with rainwater, it also recovered a large amount of HP.

Well, that would be the end of it normally...

But there was an additional effect when raiding on this cursed island.

"The water! It's like a wall!"

"It's a tsunami...!!!"

The rising water, pulled by the wind, surged towards us like a tsunami.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

A wave of water, growing larger and larger like a snowball rolling down a hill, crashed towards us.

"Oh no!"

It was a terrifying display of nature's power.

Damn it, there's no need to be scared of this.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

The violent waves crashed over us.

But...

「A sanctuary has been created somewhere on the island.」

We were unharmed.

"Huh?"

"Wh, what just happened...?"

I didn't know the details either.

It was just a cinematic in the game.

"Raven, illuminate the area!"

The water had plunged the area into darkness, so we needed light. We could see our surroundings more clearly now.

It was a strange feeling.

Like being trapped in a fish tank.

But we didn't have time to admire the scenery.

"Everyone move! Now's our chance!"

I gave the order, and my companions snapped out of their daze and started moving.

The battle had entered a new phase, and it was even more intense than before.

「Stormgush has cast [Dragon Vein].」

Avman was hit by the air pillar that erupted from the ground.

He managed to dodge most of it, so he wasn't blown out of the sanctuary...

"Avman...!"

"I, I'm fine... Priestess, just focus on healing Yandel..."

But he was incapacitated.

He would recover thanks to [Hungry Claws], but it would take a few minutes.

[Wooong...?]

Iron Bear, who had been tanking at the front lines, was also unsummoned after Avman was injured.

And the bad news didn't end there.

The [Whirlpool] that erupted from the [Dragon Vein] hole started swirling around the limited space, harassing us.

"Don't get hit!"

We had to treat the [Whirlpool] as an instant death attack now.

If we got caught in it, we would be thrown into the sea.

Slash!

Amelia severed the monster's arm with her Aura-infused dagger.

Thud.

Its massive arm, still clutching the bone harpoon, fell to the ground.

But even without a weapon, it was still dangerous.

[Groooooooooar!]

It swung its left arm, and Partslan was knocked back, his stomach ripped open.

He couldn't dodge in time because of the [Whirlpool].

'It's not a fatal wound.'

We had lost one fighter, but I remained calm. As long as he was alive, we could heal him with potions or divine power. That was one of the few good things about this world...

Thud.

I had to retreat as the [Whirlpool] approached me.

And at that moment, Nebarche, the archer from Amelia's team, was killed.

He had used [Emergency Escape] to avoid the [Whirlpool], but he landed right in front of the monster.

'Ah, that was a random blink skill...'

Nebarche was devoured before he could even scream.

Crunch, crunch.

The first casualty of the battle.

I didn't feel any guilt.

Who told him to use a trash skill like [Emergency Escape]?

Anyway, as long as my companions were safe—

"...Ugh!"

Misha was injured.

Slash!

She dodged the downward strike, but she lost an arm.

"Misha!"

"Don't worry! I can still fight with one arm!"

She can still fight with one arm?

This girl has become tough after following me.

I couldn't tell her to retreat.

We didn't have time.

I just focused on attacking with more intensity.

「Character has cast [Swing].」

I swung my mace with all my remaining MP.

I aimed for its snout.

Thwack!

The monster flinched and swatted at me with its tail.

Kwaaang!

I blocked it with my shield, but the impact reverberated through my bones.

Did its physical stats increase because of [Rain Dance]?

It wasn't this strong before...

'Damn it.'

My arm was broken, and my ribs ached.

But I was immediately healed.

「Lyrine Ersina has cast [Heal].」

A warm and mystical power reconnected my tendons and pieced my bones back together.

It was telling me.

Don't rest, keep fighting and protect your companions.

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!"

A grueling battle.

It was beyond words.

The monster was strong and tenacious, as expected of a 3rd-grade monster.

Thud.

Its flesh was torn by Aura.

Dozens of arrows were embedded in its shell, draining its life force.

Curse magic was stacked on it, preventing regeneration and making it bleed green fluid. And Misha's sword was embedded in its eye.

[...]

But it kept fighting.

As if we were the villains and it was the hero.

It didn't tire, and every time it moved, someone was injured.

Mostly me.

Crack, crack.

Its sharp claws tore through my shield and armor...

Thud!

And sometimes pierced my flesh.

The priestess was out of divine power, so I couldn't even be healed in time.

But what could I do?

Did it think I would fall first?

I endured.

I swung my mace, dodged the whirlpools, and endured.

And after about a minute...

[Groooooooooar!!]

The monster roared and stared at me.

It was asking why I wasn't falling.

Yeah, you feel the same way, don't you?

You're praising me, you monster.

'Just use your next pattern, damn it!'

I smashed its neck with my mace, putting all my frustration into the attack.

Thwack!

It flinched, but it wasn't a significant blow.

But...

Thud.

Amelia took the opportunity and stabbed its temple with her dagger.

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!]

The monster screamed in pain.

And at the same time...

Whooosh!

A thick barrier of wind enveloped it.

「Stormgush has cast [Priest of the Storm].」

Its last resort, activated when its HP dropped to 10%.

I had been waiting for this moment.

"Raven!!!"

I shouted the mage's name.

But she was already casting a spell.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

A bright magic circle appeared on the ground.

Thud.

I retreated, not just to the edge of the barrier, but much further. And so did Misha and Amelia.

We knew what was coming.

"Pelz Askar Bier."

One of the military spells Raven had learned, designed to kill a single powerful target, not a group of enemies...

'...Well, it has a pretty wide range.'

I gulped and stared ahead.

「Arrua Raven has cast the 4th-grade attack spell [Divine Retribution].」

A thunderous roar came from the water-covered ceiling.

And a second later...

Flash!

The world turned white.

It wasn't blindingly bright.

The white light, refracted countless times on its way down, enveloped us softly.

And...

Kaboom!

[Divine Retribution], in the form of a lightning bolt, struck the monster's head.

___________________

Stormgush had high Physical and Magic Resistance.

It had strength comparable to an Ogre and was surprisingly agile.

That's why it was called the Ogre of the Sea, but its HP was actually much lower than an Ogre's.

And its skills were designed for a quick victory. The longer the fight dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for us.

That's why I aimed for a quick victory.

We conserved our resources and only used normal attacks until its HP reached 70%.

Then we increased the tempo and started dealing damage, going all out at 40% when it used [Call of the Storm].

And at 10%, we would finish it off with a burst of damage.

It was a classic strategy.

The only problems were that we didn't have any counter skills for its patterns, which increased the risk...

And we had used most of our resources to get its HP down to 10%, so the final blow was up to Raven alone.

Well, it was a decent plan.

Then what about the result?

Kaboom!

[Divine Retribution], in the form of a lightning bolt, struck the monster's head, and I saw the result with my own eyes.

'We failed.'

It was a crushing defeat.

Sizzle.

The monster's shell was steaming, like a well-cooked lobster, but it was still alive.

And the whirlpool protecting it was still there.

The reason was clear.

It wasn't because we missed the timing and hit it while it was invincible.

'We didn't have enough damage.'

Raven's final attack wasn't strong enough.

Not even close.

'I thought that spell would be enough...'

Maybe it was my fault for not considering the terrain.

It would have been different in a normal environment.

But the lightning bolt had lost some of its power passing through the water.

"It, it's still alive! What do we do?"

What do we do?

We go to Plan B.

"Partslan! Get the boat!"

Partslan, clutching his ripped stomach, asked,

"...The boat?"

Hmm, did I not tell them about Plan B?

No, I definitely did.

Maybe he forgot because he was in pain?

I didn't like repeating myself, but I told them the key part of Plan B again.

"We're running!"

We'll all die if we stay here.

____________________

「The spirit of the storm is starting to dwell in Stormgush's body.」

「Stormgush is temporarily immune to all damage.」

「10%.」

「20%.」

「3...」

「...」

____________________

We had to use Plan B, but there were a few positive aspects.

No one had died.

Well, the archer from Noark was dead...

And Misha had lost an arm, Ainar was unconscious, and Avman was seriously injured.

But everyone else had survived.

Yeah, that's enough.

"Ah, the boat...!"

Partslan seemed to have remembered Plan B and hurriedly reached for his subspace ring.

But then he had a thought.

"B, but... how can we even launch a boat in this situation...? Ugh!"

He coughed up blood.

But Raven continued his question.

"Partslan is right. The whole place is flooded, how are we going to launch a boat?"

How?

"Don't you remember? His boat is made of 'Artene wood'."

Artene wood is the best material for shipbuilding.

It was incredibly durable and buoyant. The boat would float even if we just threw it in the water.

"Partslan! Hurry up and get the boat!"

Raven urged him, and Partslan, clutching his stomach, summoned the boat.

It was large enough to comfortably fit ten people.

I carried the unconscious Ainar and the injured Avman onto the boat and tied them to the mast with ropes.

"Tie yourselves down! You might fall off."

"Ah, yes!"

Those who could move tied themselves to the boat.

Misha, clutching her severed arm, asked me, "Bjorn, I have something to tell you." She didn't have to hold it so tightly, I had already tied it securely with a rope...

"We'll talk later."

"But..."

"Don't you trust me?"

Misha hesitated and then shook her head.

"I trust you."

Okay, then we were ready to set sail.

"...But how are we going to get there?"

Raven looked at me, panicked, after everyone had boarded the boat.

'Oh, right.'

How do we launch a boat that's on land?

I hadn't considered this when I made the plan.

But...

'If I didn't think about it, it must be because I didn't have to.'

Yeah, that must be it.

My body was already moving.

"Wh, what are you doing? You're not going to carry the whole boat...?"

Hey, just be quiet.

You're making me tired.

"Ughhhhhhh!"

I groaned and lifted the boat with both arms. And I walked towards the water.

I couldn't hold it for long.

"Everyone hold your breath."

I gave them one last piece of advice and threw the boat into the sea.

"Go."

The boat, made of buoyant wood, quickly rose to the surface.

It would be fine once it was in the water.

[Priest of the Storm] was activated, so there wouldn't be any whirlpools.

The game didn't block escaping by boat at this stage either.

'...It's gone.'

I turned around after the boat disappeared from sight.

Amelia was staring at me with a strange look in her eyes.

"You really care about your companions."

"They're small and precious."

"...I see."

She had a habit of answering most questions with "I see." It was annoying because I could never tell what she really meant.

I just said what I wanted to say.

"You surprised me. I didn't expect you to agree to this."

Our mission was to be bait.

The monster would unleash a powerful AoE attack after charging up, and I couldn't block it with my shield.

The squishy mages, priestess, and injured warriors wouldn't last a few seconds.

So we had agreed to retreat with Plan B.

But we couldn't all leave.

Someone had to hold it off, or it would chase us with its tail.

We couldn't defeat it while on the boat.

"This role..."

Amelia chuckled.

"It's not something I would normally do."

She seemed to think it was strange herself.

Then why did she stay?

"I can't stand being in debt."

Wow, she was serious.

I was truly impressed.

She was risking her life because I saved her once?

'I should remind her about this debt later.'

"What? What's with that look?"

"Ah, did I get caught? I was just thinking how highly I value you because you keep your promises."

"...Spare me the flattery."

Amelia frowned.

"Just don't look at me like that. I wouldn't have stayed if I didn't think your plan would work."

"Hmm, I see."

"Barbarian, what does that 'I see' mean?"

"It means... ah, it seems like it's almost over."

Amelia also stopped talking and looked ahead.

「90%.」

The whirlpool surrounding the monster was subsiding.

The final phase was about to begin.

I gripped my mace tightly.

And as if sensing my intention...

"Wait, the original plan was to just hold out and escape, right?"

Amelia questioned my aggressive stance.

So I also tilted my head.

"...We're trying to endure...?"

"...Then wouldn't it be more efficient to put away your mace and just use your shield?"

Huh? What is she talking about?

What does that have to do with anything?

I said firmly.

"My mace is a great defensive weapon!"

The best defense is a good offense.

Especially when the enemy is almost dead.

"So you should also use your weapon! Don't just dodge and waste time!"

"..."

"You owe me your life!"

"......I see."

She couldn't refuse.