[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian":3,"chapter-surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-23":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Surviving the Game as a Barbarian",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1327616,1764,"Chapter 23","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-23",23,"\u003Cp>Level Up (3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slot the torch into the groove carved onto my helmet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And tie it tightly with a string.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let's call this, Barbarian: Candle Mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's a bit bizarre, but this is a practical setup popular among the adventurers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar puts her hand into the roaring flames, and exclaims in wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, amazing! There's really no heat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, this torch is also a magic tool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is only an arm span in length, so it doesn't interfere with bodily movements, and can run for three days straight a very useful item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's an expeditionary item I got from the crossbow party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The average price is, hmm, about 10,000 stones?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suddenly miss Erwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But whereisthis?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surroundings slowly come into view, and Ainar looks around before asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There's a huge gap between what you actually see and the 2D pixel graphics of the game, but it's still easy to recognize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black earth squelching with every step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruins of stone buildings scattered about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even the mournful cries coming faintly from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Deadlands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, thats where the ghouls and deathfiends come from!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She's right, for once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To elaborate, elder ghouls, skeletons, banshees and even mid-level bosses like dullahans may appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll take point.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The average combat power of the monsters is much higher in the Deadlands compared to the Goblin Forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to say which place is trickier, should be the Goblin Forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's a lot darker here, but\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least there are no traps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is much more comfortable for two barbarians working together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Theres a ghoul.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, we encounter some monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They're few in number, a mere three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this number will increase to thrice from the third day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that's just one more reason for us to move quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn, I found a mana stone!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You dont have to report every single thing, just take what you find. We can distribute the loot later. Let's speed up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the Goblin Forest, we speedily leave the entrance and continue heading north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, we hear a scream nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"B-, B-, Bjorn?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Its just a banshee howling. Ignore it. They rarely attack others first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see But is it really fine to let it go? It might be dangerous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don't know about Erwen, who's an elementalist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for us two with pure physical builds, no matter what we do, we can't hunt a banshee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I managed it somehow, it'd only become a bigger problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you attack a banshee pre-emptively, youll get cursed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Curse?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a curse called the mark of grief'. Banshees will focus on you until you leave the labyrinth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless you're prepared to weather their attentions for ten whole days, it's best to not touch the banshees at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If experience is the goal, the common practice is to just hunt one or two on the last day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are a truly wise warrior. I'm lucky to be following you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you for your praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don't want to expose it, but I understand well enough that you're more afraid of this kind of thing than I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that's that and this is this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kyaaaaaaah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please stop clinging to me every time there's a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only is it burdensome\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the arm that you're clutching feels like it's about to break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let, let go It's just skeletons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of skeletons appear, bones rattling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten in number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even on the first day, there are quite a few monsters that come in higher numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, even if we catch them all, only three to four mana stones would drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Khm! I'll get rid of them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe because she's ashamed of having been so afraid of the banshee's howls, Ainar jumps ahead first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tch,I click my tongue quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ainar! Look between the ribs, you'll see the nucleus. To hunt a skeleton with a blade, you have to aim for\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? You say something?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" No, no. Don't worry about it, just keep fighting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who cares about weakpoints anymore?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time Ainar swings her enormous greatsword, a skeleton gets mercilessly smashed to pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never to get back up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You killed an elder ghoul. EXP +1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You killed a skeleton. EXP +1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You killed a skeleton warrior. EXP +1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You killed a skeleton archer. EXP +1\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, we continued our northward journey for about eight more hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And naturally, we encountered various new monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An elder ghoul, twice as large as a normal ghoul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skeleton warriors and archers, classified as mutants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to make a final conclusion because we hadn't met any mage types yet, but the difficulty level hadn't been much to speak of so far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first day, so the enemies were small in number, and my combat power had also risen significantly compared to the last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just consider my equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could only use uncle's two-handed hammer with a short grip due to its centre of gravity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now my mace, about 70cm in length, made it possible to strike from a distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Much safer, and much more powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than anything\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Claaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I now also had armour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it was just a vest made of sheet metal, my forearms were bare, but that still meant I had a significantly smaller area to defend with my shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, I could adopt a much more drastic fighting style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if my shackles had been lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn, be careful! We've got some skeleton archers!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My T-shaped steel helmet exposed only the eyes, the nose and the mouth; and protected the most important vital area, my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, a direct hit with something like a crossbow would still be dangerous, but deflecting the arrows shot from some shabby bows was no problem at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I had another barbarian, with combat power similar to mine, by my side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Behel-raaaaaaaaaaa!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We cried out together the name of the ancestor of the barbarians, and continued the one-sided battle that was nothing more than a massacre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh! Whoosh! Crunch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what kind of monsters appeared, ten seconds was enough for us to destroy an entire group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every battle left me with a refreshed feeling that I'd never tasted while with Erwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ohh, was this the true taste of a barbarian?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn, you're injured.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Ainar mention it, I checked, and there indeed was a slight scratch on my forearm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry. It'll get better soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need to apply any herbs, let alone a potion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ooh! It's already healing! Is this the effect of the spirit imprint?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The efficacy of the first stage imprint of the undying pathway is that your natural regeneration increases significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was nothing compared to a potion\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd checked the other day, and a 0.5cm deep gash took about a minute to heal to some extent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this alone was a sea change in the stability of my playstyle. My stamina now recovered faster, and total stamina had also increased tremendously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's slow down a bit and get ready. Looks like we're almost there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calming Ainar down, I lowered our speed of movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the terrain changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floor turned hard instead of soggy, and flat ground gave way to hills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The banshees' howls got louder and louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kiyhihihihihihihi!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kehehehe, uaaaaaghh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the biggest change was something different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the starting point for the upper-ranked species.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, eighth grade monsters might appear from here on out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" Bjorn, you really won't attack first?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because she was afraid of the banshee's cry, Ainar had been gritting her teeth for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was a barbarian habit to clench their jaws when they were afraid\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't know for certain, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I'd never been that scared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cooooooooo!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we kept moving, we heard a strange roar in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh, hearing it actually even made me shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ainar, prepare for battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"B-, but didn't you say that we shouldn't attack the banshees first, Bjorn?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she have a problem with her ears?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's not a banshee.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deathfiend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the many eighth grade monsters that'd made the game so unwelcoming for newbies, it was undoubtedly the worst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distant sound of heavy footsteps grows louder and louder, and finally it appears before us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" Are we going to fight?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar asks a question, but continues before I get the chance to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It looks fun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don't know what goes on inside her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She herself told me last time how she's afraid of dying, so how can she smile with such childish joy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is she only scared of banshees or something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coo!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because he's bothered by the torchlight, the deathfiend halts at the edge of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dont be nervous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dont worry, I'm not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why are you answering? It's not you I'm talking to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had it all planned in advance, but now that I see it in person, I'm getting goosebumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deathfiend is a humanoid undead monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps, it's closer to a chimera?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's over 3m tall, equipped with a sword and a shield on its arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not actually holding them, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hand stretches out into a long, curved blade in the shape of a crescent half-moon, and the other arm fans out wide from the elbow onward in the shape of a shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They're called protean sword and shield'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cooooooooo!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck, don't shout like that, it's scary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's not easy to shake off the fear seeping into my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep calm and follow the plan, and you can win.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, I trust you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you, but again, it's not you I'm talking to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let's calm down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although this is the first attempt, there should be no danger as long as I don't let my guard down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If things take a turn for the worse, just scarper and don't look back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As I said before, always aim for the head. Because anywhere else would be useless. Understand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I get it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, that wasn't a sign to attack immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Behel-raaaaaaaaaa!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar runs out, her two-handed greatsword swinging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's already too late to stop her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the roar helps her draw the aggro properly, because the enemy also rushes forward with its sword and shield instead of staying at the edge of the torchlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cooooooooo!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Claaaaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar's greatsword and the deathfiend's protean blade collide with a clangouring roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn, be careful! This monster's power is no joke!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wouldn't that usually be obvious from just seeing it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Behel-raaaaaaaaaa!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I join the battle with my own roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My shield guarding the front like a wall, I pound at the flank of the enemy, interrupting its attack on Ainar who's just been knocked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But is it possible for mere flesh to be this tough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It feels like I'm striking stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creeeeeeeak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as I apply force, it's me who gets pushed back, shield and all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There's no reason to keep at it apart from my injured pride, that is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lift my toes up high, my heels digging on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I slam my entire weight forward, with not a roar but a scream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aaaaaaaahhh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck! I feel like my muscles are about to be torn apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there's an indescribable sense of joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looks like I managed to resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Ainar isn't green enough to let this gap go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her greatsword lodges itself at the side of the deathfiend's head with a heavy, dull sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not severing it, but literally lodged in it'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She cut with such a heavy sword, and yet it only pierced about 1cm into the enemy's flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blunt sound was probably the blade striking the skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the game, the deathfiend boasted a notorious level of defence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although, it was its regeneration rather than physical defence that drove the newbies away from the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cooooooooo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take distance, now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Avoiding the frantic struggles of the deathfiend, I widen the gap between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark red blood is dripping from the where the sword was pulled out, but the bleeding stops in less than three seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to its passive skill, preservation of the flesh'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ainar! Make a gap. It's my turn to attack!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I quickly shout an order out and try to rush in\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump, thump, thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth suddenly begins to shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is my first time seeing such an effect, but I understand at a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An active skill possessed by deathfiends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Call of the dead'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep away, there're ghouls coming!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the shaking stops, ghouls dig their way out from beneath the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exactly ten in number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get rid of these guys first!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Got it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Ainar gets rid of the ghouls with her greatsword\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Coooooooooooooooooooooo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I keep the deathfiend's attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although since I keep drawing aggro, the ghoul bastards keep attacking me instead, their nails scratching me up until my skin looks like a tattered rag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it's no big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have regeneration, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although not as good as the other guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn! Now I'll take on this guy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghouls are wiped out in about two minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's kind of funny, to be honest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To think you can survive the deathfiend's summoning pattern by just beating them up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never did this well even in the game.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Ainar takes over the baton and starts marking him one-on-one, I take my mace out and move behind his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And smash him good on the back of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound and the feel are pretty good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trickle of putrid blood leaks out from the wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I keep hitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff! Puff! Puff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With enough power to convert a goblin into motes of light in every shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, fuck, why is it still like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, the skull is sturdy beyond imagination. Even as I keep hitting it, the flesh keeps healing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I do now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attack power is lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I'd known this beforehand, I'd have bought the weapon the merchant had recommended at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I just give up and go hunt level nine monsters instead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack! Crack! Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I continue attacking with my mace as I keep thinking, but it's not enough to destroy the brain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, I have no choice but to step back to avoid the protean blade that comes swinging in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Coootttt!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the deathfiend's body loses its balance and tilts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can see Ainar digging her heels, grabbing one of the legs of this 3m tall bastard and lifting it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's a common technique in the UFC.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don't they call this\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single leg tackle?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Behel-raaaaaaaaaaa!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All those muscles swelling up and those veins bulging out, the scene really makesherlook like the monster\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The goal is clear, and even seems feasible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I immediately join in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I hit the ankle he still has on the ground as hard I can with my mace, the massive body completely loses its balance and hovers in the air for an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coo!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crashes down on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is what you call, In technical terms, a takedown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although I'd never even thought that applying such a technique against a medium or large class monster might be possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anything's possible if you're a barbarian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cooooooooooooooo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deathfiend flounders on the ground like a worm turned on its back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For us, who were about to rush in again, it's a startling sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, it can't right itself back up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We read each other's thoughts in our eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar and I run to its fallen form and smash it with our weapons like crazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like when you make mochi, putting the rice on a mortar and take turns hitting it with a mallet, we also decide on an amicable turn-based arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, this reminds me of making rice cakes in that folk village I'd visited during elementary school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So fun!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe because I remember the buddy I'd paired up with crying and asking for their turn?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Ainar having fun somehow heals the wounds in my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if my spirit is sublimating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You killed a deathfiend. EXP +2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We smile brightly, watching the deathfiend dissolve into motes of light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without any help from a wizard's powerful spells, a priest's divine power, or a fairy's elemental magic\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn! Look at this! The mana stone is huge!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We've succeeded in hunting an eighth level monster.\u003C\u002Fp>",2767,"2026-06-05T19:32:48.785Z",1,"novelbin.me","3cae6a465948dcc10e5345c6fde7b67d9b1539245f6fc30a7c7d1f5855da39fb","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-274","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-273",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]