Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Chapter 355: Isolation (2)

Chapter 355: Isolation (2)

A corpse rose from the ground.

Its skin was mottled and stitched together, as if on the verge of bursting.

"Could it be... the Corpse Collector...?"

Amelia's words made me sigh.

She must have come to the same conclusion.

If it was a necromancer from Noark, there was only one possibility.

'If they sent a small elite force, this bastard would definitely be part of it.'

Abet Necrapheto.

The infamous Corpse Collector, a member of Orculus, specialized in large-scale battles.

If this guy was here, it meant Noark was serious this time.

'Damn, they said the rear hasn't been attacked since that one time... Why now, of all times...'

I couldn't help but complain, but there was no time for that.

Thud.

I dashed forward and smashed the corpse's skull with my hammer.

I didn't even need to use [Swing].

Crack!

The corpse's head caved in, splattering blood everywhere.

As a melee warrior, I couldn't avoid getting splattered...

Sizzle!

The stinging sensation and the smell confirmed it. It was definitely him.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

I didn't even need to activate [Elemental Barbarian (Earth)] for the poison resistance.

Vol-Herchan's +120 Poison Resistance was enough to handle skin contact.

Well, it was a bit itchy, but...

"It seems like it's starting..."

As I was feeling a strange sense of satisfaction at my accurate prediction, I noticed Erwen standing frozen in place.

"...Erwen, are you okay?"

"...Yes? W-what did you just say?"

"I asked if you're okay."

"Ah... y-yes..."

She nodded, but her voice was still dazed, and her gaze was fixed on the crushed corpse.

"Corpse... Collector..."

Ah, right...

She must be feeling a lot right now.

She had met her sister's killer.

Although Daria was killed by the Ruin Scholar, this bastard played a significant role in it.

Erwen's voice trembled as she asked,

"...Can we kill him?"

Kill him?

I thought for a moment and answered.

"Maybe."

Well, if things went well, we could kill him.

But...

"Today, our priority is to survive."

I spoke firmly.

It would be putting the cart before the horse to prioritize revenge over survival.

Erwen seemed to understand, but she just stared at me blankly for about five seconds.

Then she bit her lip and clenched her fists.

"...Okay, I'll do as you say."

Ugh, this makes me feel bad.

I patted her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

It might not mean much, but...

"Don't worry, Erwen. I'm the type who always repays his debts."

"...?"

"I haven't forgotten what those bastards did."

It was meant to be comforting, but I was being sincere.

Dragonslayer, Regal Vagos.

Corpse Collector, Abet Necrapheto.

Ruin Scholar, Belvev Ruinjenes.

I hadn't forgotten my grudge against them either.

I was just waiting for the right time.

Yes, so...

"Just wait a little longer. It won't be long."

"...Okay."

Okay, I think her mental state has recovered.

"Emily, where's Alex?"

I asked about Alex's whereabouts, wiping the blood off my arm. Amelia answered,

"He went back into the tent as soon as the corpse fell."

Hmm, did he go to report to Raven?

But why isn't he coming back?

More corpses were falling from the sky—

"You were right."

Speak of the devil.

I turned around, and Raven was emerging from the tent with Alex.

Her face had darkened considerably.

"I should have insisted when they dismissed it as nothing..."

What is she talking about? Regretting the past?

There's no point in dwelling on what's already happened.

"So what's the plan?"

"We just received orders from the command center. They told all units to gather at the lake. We'll use the ships' magic barriers to defend."

Gather, not fight back?

It seemed like they were taking a conservative approach since they didn't know the enemy's strength...

"So we're moving now?"

"No, we'll wait here. I've contacted the mages in our corps, they'll be here soon with the explorers."

So we're going to the lake after everyone gathers.

Then we'll board the ships and activate the barriers.

I didn't know if it was a good plan.

But there wasn't much else we could do.

"Report your casualties."

"Three confirmed dead, two missing!"

"Two missing... We can't wait any longer. Let's move."

We took care of the corpses and waited, and the corps mages soon arrived with their escort explorers.

It was time to head to the lake.

?Arrua Raven has cast the 7th-grade support spell [Neutralize].?

We advanced towards the lake, supported by Raven's magic.

The journey itself was uneventful.

It was just a bunch of corpses so far.

Dozens of mages supporting over a hundred melee explorers.

It would be impossible for a small group to stop us.

But as we were nearing the lake...

Kaboom!

A deafening explosion shook the ground.

And...

"It seems like the barrier has been damaged."

The fog that had been dispersed by magic started to reform, obscuring our vision.

Well, at least there was one good thing.

The alarm magic, which had been blaring like a siren, was also destroyed, so it was much quieter now.

"Keep moving! Don't stop!"

Raven used wind magic to clear the fog, and we resumed our march.

We soon reached the blood-red lake, the fog lifting enough for us to see the shoreline. The mages summoned small boats and launched them into the water.

And at that moment...

"Board the ships in an orderly fashi—"

"Aaaaargh!"

A man screamed from behind us.

____________________

A scream pierced through the air.

There hadn't been any casualties during our battles with the corpses, so the scream was especially jarring.

Perhaps that's why...

Thud.

Raven, who was already halfway onto a boat, stopped and stepped back.

And...

"...What happened?"

"We're investigating. It's probably nothing, you should go—"

"No, I need to know. Assistant Vice-Captain Hailo, you stay here and take charge."

Raven ordered the others to board first.

She didn't want to board alone without knowing what was going on.

Wow, is this what a military leader's sense of responsibility is like?

Raven was known for her reputation in the corps. I was starting to understand why.

She was a responsible and reliable leader.

But...

"What are you doing? Come on."

Our mission was to protect her.

If she didn't board, we couldn't either.

"...Where are you going?"

Raven answered curtly.

"To the rear. I have a bad feeling."

Wait, shouldn't we just run if you have a bad feeling?

As I was thinking that...

"Aaaaargh!"

Another scream echoed from the rear.

And...

"Vice-Captain! We've identified the enemy!"

We finally received a report about the situation.

Surprisingly, it was just one person.

But no one took it lightly.

His description was infamous in this city.

"...A knight in crimson armor?"

"Yes, he's confirmed to be using Aura."

The Blood Knight.

A native of Bifron who rose from the ranks of a soldier to become a knight, then gained notoriety for murdering the previous captain of the Royal Knight Order. A member of Orculus.

"Emily, do you know anything about him?"

I discreetly moved away from Raven and asked Amelia, but she didn't seem to know much about him.

He rarely left the labyrinth, so they hadn't crossed paths.

She had seen him a few times at the Lord's Castle, but they had never spoken.

"Vice-Captain...! We'll hold him off, so please escape!"

"No, if it's really the Blood Knight, the casualties will be catastrophic."

"But...!"

"There's no time for 'buts'. Someone has to stop him, and I'm the most qualified. Board the ship."

"..."

"That's an order."

"...Yes!"

The mage saluted, his face a mixture of worry and admiration.

It was a heartwarming scene.

If we weren't involved, that is.

"Erwen, can you help me hold them off until the corps members board the ship?"

Raven turned to Erwen and pleaded.

"We just need to buy some time. Then we'll use the Multiple Teleportation spell to escape."

"Multiple Teleportation...?"

Her school doesn't teach that spell.

I mumbled, and Raven answered, her gaze fixed on Erwen.

"I learned it by chance. If I had known this spell... there might have been another way back then. Of course... it's too late now."

"..."

"Please."

Erwen glanced at me at Raven's repeated pleas.

She was asking me to decide.

"Why are you looking at him...?"

Raven noticed Erwen's gesture and looked at me with a questioning gaze.

"Is that part of your act too...?"

She seemed to have come to her own conclusion, sighing sadly. There wasn't time for explanations.

"What will you do if we don't follow you?"

"I'll be court-martialed. I won't be able to participate in any royal events."

Uh, is that a threat?

That wasn't what I asked.

"I asked what you would do. If we don't follow you, even if you're punished, would you still go alone?"

"Ah..."

Raven thought for a moment and answered.

"I can't do it alone. I'll probably go with other explorers."

So she wouldn't stay behind.

She was surprisingly stubborn in that aspect. Well, she always had a bit of a selfless streak.

"Alright, then let's go together."

Once the decision was made, there was no time to waste.

The rear wasn't that far.

We soon arrived at the scene, and the first thing we saw was a mage cowering before a menacing aura.

?Arrua Raven has cast the 4th-grade support spell [Trajectory Interference].?

Instead of trying to block the Aura with a defensive spell, Raven used a utility spell to alter the sword's trajectory.

Whoosh!

The greatsword grazed the mage's head instead of cleaving it in two.

"Ugh...!"

I dashed forward and pulled the panicked mage out of harm's way.

"Th-thank you... V-Vice-Captain?!"

"Raymond, you did well. You can leave the rest to us, go lead the explorers back to the main force. That's an order."

"...Yes!"

The mage quickly obeyed Raven's order and left with the explorers, and the enemy just watched us from afar.

His gaze was chilling.

'That's the Blood Knight...'

I stood at the front, my upper body shielded by my shield. I met his gaze and scanned him from head to toe.

My first impression was that he was shorter than I expected.

He barely reached 160 centimeters...

But he didn't seem weak at all.

'What's with that aura?'

His stocky build suggested a powerful physique.

And his natural aura, combined with his physique, exuded a powerful presence despite his small stature.

But the most intimidating thing was his voice.

"Golden Mage, Arrua Raven."

His voice was raspy, as if something was wrong with his vocal cords.

And he spoke in a chilling tone.

"One of my targets."

He casually raised his greatsword, as if it was just another task.

He wasn't even acknowledging us?

I looked at the crimson Aura emanating from his sword and said,

"Erwen, [Elemental Barbarian]."

"Which one?"

Which one? There's only one option against a knight.

"Earth."

As soon as I answered, Erwen's body turned translucent.

And as we held hands...

?Earth Spirit has been imbued into the character's body.?

I could feel the power of the earth coursing through my veins.

?Fire Resistance increased by 50%.?

?Water Resistance decreased by 50%.?

?Poison Immunity bonus.?

?Increased bonus to destructive actions with blunt weapons.?

?Physical Resistance greatly increased...?

?...?

It had been a while since I last used [Elemental Barbarian (Earth)].

?Character's Physical Resistance is 350 or higher.?

?Piercing damage reduced by 50%.?

With this, the 2nd stage of [Evolved Hide] was active, even without [Gigantification]...

"You're wasting your time."

He's acting cocky just because he can use Aura.

Who does he think he's dealing with?

"Die."

The old knight charged towards us, closing the distance in an instant.

I chuckled, watching him approach.

Who's going to die?

Why do you think I came all the way here?

?Character has cast [Iron Fortress].?

?[Evolved Hide]'s effect is increased by 1.5 times.?

'Knight Crusher', my former nickname.

It was finally time to show its true power.