Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel - Chapter 749
Chapter 749: Guide (6)
I once saw a news video about a war. It was from a country embroiled in civil war, showing footage of a missile strike.
The video shown as reference material was very short. There was a building that looked sturdily built, and the weather was clear. The laundry hanging on the building’s balcony gave a peaceful vibe.
And……
Just one second was enough.
It took no more than a second for a missile to come flying from afar and blow up the building. Exactly one second was all it took, and after watching that short video, I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Even for a superior athlete, a powerful figure surrounded by bodyguards, or a soldier with decades of battlefield experience. There was no way to deal with it. How could anyone handle something that flies at that speed and crashes into a building?
Should we dodge it? Or try to block it?
The people inside that building probably didn’t even realize the missile existed until it exploded. Maybe they heard some kind of bombing alert, but… Anyway, that’s not important right now.
“What the fuck……”
A missile was flying towards us from afar. The missile was approaching so quickly that it seems to defy perspective, and the sight of it felt almost unreal.
But…..
‘Get it together.’
I don’t feel that same sense of helplessness as when I watched that video. This is a world full of explorers who surpass human limits instead of just physically superior athletes. Well, that doesn’t mean that ‘Thunder’ is easy to deal with.
“Everyone, gather around me!”
I call my comrades around me.
Of course, with an army of over a thousand, I can’t cover everyone by myself, but…
For some reason, I can just feel it.
Whoooosh……!
That missile was aimed directly at me.
“Haa……”
From now, there are two choices. The first is to combine [Transcendence] with [Giantization] to maximize my size. Thanks to the ‘Unity’ effect, the Wall of Aegis also scales with my size, so if I can manage to ‘guard’, I might be able to block it without any damage.
But……
‘…That’s not going to work.’
Watching ‘Thunder’ rapidly approaching, I quickly reconsider my decision.
‘It’s not like it’s a nuclear bomb or something.’
Why is it so big? Even if I stacked [Giantization] on [Giantization], it wouldn’t be large enough to ‘guard’ against it.
So……
There is only one option left.
[You have cast Transcendence. The skill used next will be strengthened.]
First, I cast [Transcendence]. Then I cast the next skill to receive the effect.
[You have cast Iron Fortress. The ability inherent in the skill is unlocked by the power of Transcendence.]
Normally, the effect of [Evolving Shell] would only increase by 1.5 times from [Iron Fortress]. However, I’ve hardly ever applied [Transcendence] to this skill in actual combat. To be honest, I only used it a few times out of boredom in non-combat situations. Because once activated, it has a critical drawback of making it impossible to deactivate until all your soul power is drained……
[Temporarily, Evolving Shell changes to Adaptive Shell.]
Even the resulting outcome has to be left to chance.
[Physical resistance exceeds 750. You gain three special effects.]
As soon as the skill activates, a whirlwind envelops my entire body.
[Blessing of the Storm. Damage received increases by 70%, but you gain absolute immunity to all wind attributes.]
The first one was a dud. There’s no way that missile is wind-attribute. Not just a dud, it’s practically the worst outcome, as the damage I take increases massively…
Sssss-!
Thickened skin that goes beyond calluses rose sharply above my knuckles.
[Fighter’s Blood. Damage inflicted with fists increases by 15x.]
This was an effect that held good memories. Throwing away my hammer and shield to beat monsters barehanded was fun, and my comrades enjoyed watching it.
But…..
‘Ugh, this is driving me nuts……’
What good is this in the current situation? Still, it’s a hundred, no, a thousand times better than the first one that only brought a negative effect. Anyway, time to check the last effect.
“Yandel… Is that a horn on your head…?!”
As soon as I heard Rotmiller’s words, I cursed internally. No further confirmation was needed.
[Demon Devourer. When defeating evil-attribute monsters, you temporarily absorb their abilities.]
So, it’s another dud. In a city without demons, what am I supposed to do with this?
‘Haa……’
This is exactly why I haven’t used [Adaptive Shell] before. Each ability is significant enough that if it appears in the right situation, it can demonstrate tremendous power…… But how often does that happen?
‘We’re fucked.’
My mind went blank beyond feeling just frustrated. The second and third effects were manageable, but the first one is problematic.
Increased damage received by 70%.
I had a vague hope that I might somehow survive if the missile hit, but now even that hope is gone. But it was an unavoidable gamble. The only way to save the many people around me was [Adaptive Shell]. Of course, it was a gamble I wouldn’t have taken under normal circumstances……
‘Damn fate-obsessed bastards.’
The record stating that three comrades would die. Interpreted optimistically, it could mean that no more than three would die. That’s why I hoped that ‘it’ would appear as if it were destined. Considering the destructive power of that thing which devastated the palace, if it explodes, there’s no way only three will die.
Clench-
Still, what choice did I have? If I can’t run away, I have to face it.
Swoooosh.
With a last check on the incoming ‘Thunder,’ I raised my shield like an umbrella to cover above. Beneath it, comrades including Rotmiller were huddled, and a few others who were in the rear still hadn’t reached my side.
‘Please’
With a final prayer, I brace myself for the imminent impact, gathering all my strength.
‘Huh……?’
Suddenly, a bright white light emerged from somewhere. When I checked, it was coming from the armor I was wearing. At first, I thought one of my comrades had used magic or a special ability, but……
Whooooosh—!
It didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t due to magic or any special ability.
‘Dragon Plate of Aegis’
The passive ability that had yet to be revealed since acquiring the armor.
[A noble guardian has judged that the wearer’s life is in danger.]
I still don’t know the exact conditions.
[For 10 seconds, all resistances increase by 10x.]
Also, I still don’t know what this effect is.
But……
Whoosh—!
Black wings sprout from my back and spread wide. One of the hundreds of abilities that can emerge from [Adaptive Shell]……
[Physical resistance exceeds 1,500. You gain a new special effect.]
Exactly what I hoped for.
[The Hanged One.]
The effect is simple.
[Soul Power consumption increases by 25x.]
[All damage received is accumulated and distributed over time.]
[Your health will not drop below 1%.]
With this special effect, I won’t die no matter the injury.
And……
[You have cast Domain Declaration.]
An active skill that can be used only once while maintaining this state. Of course, I cast it immediately.
‘Domain Declaration’
As soon as I silently command it, black waves rippled out from me like disturbances on a lake.
Whoooooosh—!
The area the waves pass through loses all color, transforming into a world like an old black-and-white film.
[The authority of the Great Sacrifice permeates this area. The character absorbs all damage within their line of sight.]
Feeling a sense of relief, I gripped my shield tightly.
And……
ーーーーーーーーーー!
Finally, the ‘Thunder’ struck the ground.
***
I couldn’t see anything. The world was just filled with light. There was no sound either.
A white universe.
In that universe, I didn’t exist either. There was no pain, no suffering, no sorrow. There was no sense of time, so time itself didn’t exist.
[The soul of the noble guardian loses its power.]
The white universe, seemingly both long and short, gradually faded.
The pure white space slowly darkened, and faint sounds began to filter through.
“……! ……!”
“……!”
Someone was shouting. Although the voice was too faint to understand, the emotions conveyed were vividly clear.
Blink.
I closed and opened my eyes. Whether I actually did, I don’t know.
Anyway……
“……”
“……!”
Sensation slowly returned. A feeling of someone shaking me. A sensation of being carried swiftly somewhere.
And……
[You have taken damage.]
[Damage is accumulating.]
[You have taken damage.]
[Damage is accumulating…]
It didn’t feel like pain.
Crack—!
It was just the ‘sensation’ of my heart bursting, my lungs tearing, my bones shattering, and my muscles twisting.
You know that feeling? When you go to the dentist and have a tooth pulled, there’s no pain, but a clear sense of discomfort. It was exactly that kind of feeling.
[You have taken damage.]
[Damage is accumulating.]
[You have taken damage.]
[Damage is accumulating…]
Of course, I wasn’t just breaking down.
[Your body is regenerating rapidly due to the effect Recovery (high-grade).]
[Your body is regenerating rapidly due to the effect Recovery (high-grade).]
[Your body is regenerating rapidly due to the effect Recovery (high-grade)…]
Despite my body being rapidly destroyed inside and out, I simultaneously felt it healing. Shattered bones were aligning, the torn pieces of my heart were rejoining, and the blood that had been expelled from my body was being quickly regenerated.
[You have taken damage.]
[Damage is accumulating.]
[Your body is regenerating rapidly due to the effect Recovery (high-grade).]
It felt like I was plunging into hot and cold water thousands of times per second.
[Your Soul Power is below 10%.]
Still, as time passed, my consciousness became clearer. Who I was, what I had done, and what my current state was. Things that required intense concentration to recognize now came to me effortlessly. This applied to ‘external’ information as well.
“…Come here!!”
A desperate voice called out. Whose voice was that? I couldn’t quite tell.
Booooom-!
I heard an explosion. I felt my body lift into the air.
Thud.
I rolled across the ground. I could sense these things, but, like a drunken person, I couldn’t control my body.
“…Shit!!”
“The wounds aren’t closing!”
“Pour more potions! It doesn’t matter if they aren’t top-grade!”
Everyone was working hard. Well, it’s not just hard work. I ended up in this state for a reason.
‘Amelia…’
I wondered how she would react if she found out what I did later. I doubted she’d praise me.
‘…Better not tell her.’
Yes, that seemed like the best course. She wouldn’t understand that this was the only way to save everyone.
“…Yandel! Yandel! Yandel! Are you awake?”
……Huh?
‘What’s going on, everything is spinning.’
I opened my eyes. I had no idea how much time had passed, but when I did, I saw only one person.
“Thank goodness.”
It was Brown Rotmiller. He was a scout from my first team and a former comrade from those precious times.
“How do you feel? Can you stand? We need to get out of here quickly!”
He spoke urgently as he looked at me, and I slowly stood up. Whatever the situation, it seemed dire. Besides, my body had recovered enough to move without much issue.
Okay, so……
“Don’t worry. I can move just fine—.”
But before I could finish my sentence…
[Your Soul Power is insufficient. Adaptive Shell deactivates.]
All the temporary changes to my body disappeared.
The swirling wind. The horns protruding from my forehead. The grotesquely protruding knuckle. The black wings on my back.
The external changes didn’t matter much. The problem now was just one thing.
[The Hanged One effect has been removed. Accumulated damage is being calculated.]
The ‘debt’ I had been paying off in installments was now due in full.
“Ah……”
Fuck, this is bad.
Hiss—!
I felt something violently burst from every pore in my body.
Thud.
I collapsed to the ground in the same position I was trying to stand up from.
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