Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

A Last Stand.

It means fighting with your back to the water—metaphorically signifying a situation where you can no longer retreat if you want to achieve something.

And I really like this saying.

Because it contains a certain truth.

People give their all when they’re desperate.

Beyond just the spirit, if you have water at your back, you don’t worry about what’s behind and can focus all your energy on the enemy ahead.

There’s a practical side to it.

Just like right now.

Crunch—!

In front of us are enemies to be defeated.

Flare—!

Behind us, the city is blazing fiercely.

Thanks to that, no enemies will appear from behind, but it also means our escape route is cut off.

Still, that doesn’t matter.

I never had any intention of running away.

Crunch—!

In a way, this is how Ihansu has always lived.

He was forced to fight in dead-end situations with nowhere to run.

Because he had no other options.

‘Pediatric ward.’

Fought with all his might against illness.

‘Amusement park.’

Fought the pain of being abandoned.

‘My room.’

Since then, he’s endured endless loneliness and battles with no winners.

[We ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) were born warriors. If we can’t fight, we die.]

In some ways, a life similar to a barbarian’s.

But when you look at the reality, there’s a crucial difference between me and them.

[You still haven’t kicked the habit of running away.]

When there was no choice, I fought.

And that also means I always ran away whenever I had the choice.

Crunch—!

I hated the struggle.

Because I knew better than anyone how hard it was.

Above all, there wasn’t much I wanted badly enough to fight that hard for.

Crunch—!

Unlike now.

“Raaaaaaveeeeen!!”

As soon as I shouted the name, a comrade who followed my dumb plan cast a spell.

「Arua Raven cast a grade 4 attack spell [Water Cannon].」

「Arua Raven cast a grade 6 support spell [Nature Transformation]…」

The city’s flames spread even fiercer.

Whoooosh—!

Astarotta following behind me scattered a fierce aura with every sword strike, proving why she is the king’s guardian.

“…M-Monster!”

“Damn, where the hell did that monster come from?!”

The battle was overwhelmingly one-sided, making the difference in numbers meaningless.

That’s only natural.

In this world, even characters built just as corpse collectors get called one-man armies.

‘And this guy’s strength as the king’s closest aide goes without saying.’

I’m the same.

Now that Shieldbarbarian is mostly complete, I think I can take on anyone without losing.

‘The posture is good, too.’

Most of all, I like not needing to guard the rear.

Boom! Boom!

Stomping the ground like a tank, I crash into the enemy lines, breaking their formation while Astarotta follows and pulverizes everything like a blender.

“Behel—laaaaaaah!!”

“Don’t get too excited. Judging by the fact they only have foot soldiers, the real ones must be behind.”

Hey, stop pretending to give advice.

If I were king, that guy wouldn’t say a word.

‘…Well, not wrong, though.’

These guys are just buying time; the real fight hasn’t even started.

The corpse collectors, the blood knights, and other Orkulis members.

None have shown their faces yet.

Yeah, so…

Kra-kssshhh—!

I better move more during this chance.

Once they’re ready over there, breaking through will be far harder.

Tat-tat-tat-tat!

I pick up the pace.

Crunch! Crunch!

The strikes echo louder in step with my faster arms and legs. But at some point, the enemy forces started to retreat.

“Fall back!”

“Keep your distance! Maintain the distance!”

The enemy troops pulled back as we charged.

Though they said that, it was basically running away with their backs exposed.

Because we were running full force too.

“Ah, aaah!!”

Crunch—!

“Sa-save me—!”

Screech—!

I wonder how long we chased down the stragglers, smashing their heads.

‘If we do this one more time…’

Once more, and we can enter District 7, which is basically my hometown. But that means we’ve already burned more than half of District 8.

“Ah, ah… no—!”

Crunch—!

Running death-tag while setting the streets ablaze, I suddenly felt like I’d become a villain. Still, I didn’t feel guilty.

This world is one where those who see enemies as “people” don’t survive long.

Ziiing—!

Looks like the free ride ends here.

Flash—!

A sudden intense flash of light surrounds me, and an overwhelming magical wave shoots straight from afar.

「Defense success.」

「Aegis Barrier absorbs all damage.」

Fortunately, it was smaller than my shield, so the guard succeeded.

But I couldn’t relax.

That they sent elite troops means they’re ready to stop me.

‘Now it’s time for me to…’

Prepare to meet them with full force.

「Character casts [Iron Fortress].」

「Character casts [Scales of Greed].」

About twenty troops started appearing from the front just as I activated both “Knight-crushing” and “Mage-crushing” modes.

Since this game depends on gear, their outfits were all over the place, but somehow their individual looks gave off an elite aura.

Still, I wasn’t nervous.

“This is as far as you go.”

Among those elites appeared a very familiar face. Seeing it, the group’s morale seemed to drop sharply.

“Even you can’t hold out against this many. Pfft…”

That’s right, earlier he fled with his comrades leaving them behind.

Looks like he’s puffing up his chest now that he’s made friends.

“Abet Nekrapeto! Hey, you damn bastard!!”

Rianne Vivian screamed wildly when she spotted him.

“P-Pssst… Vivian, long time no see? Glad you’re safe! I came back with reinforcements, so stop fighting and come with me—.”

“What are you saying! You’re dead, you son of a bitch!!”

“Psssst… Does that mean you’re betraying Orkulis and siding with them?”

“You were the first to betray us!”

“Why am I a traitor? In the end, Vivian neither died nor got hurt, and I came back with backup to rescue her.”

“…What? Yandel-nim!! No, Yandel oppa!! Please help me kill that bastard! I’ll do whatever you ask…!”

Vivian’s eyes rolled in rage, and she started throwing promises I didn’t ask for.

The corpse collector clicked his tongue watching her.

“Oh dear… Looks like it’s too late. They say you don’t get your woman back from a barbarian…”

“Ahhhhhhh!!”

Sadly, Vivian’s tantrum meant she lost the argument.

But right now, having the black magic user beside us with eyes wild from rage isn’t good.

“Pathetic.”

I cut in with a blunt remark.

“Small men’s jealousy.”

“…What?”

Sure enough, he immediately took offense.

“W-What did you just say…?”

“I said small men’s jealousy is pathetic.”

“…W-what?! This was a fight situation, so of course…!”

“I meant your height.”

He froze, clearly not expecting that.

Like a groggy state in a game.

“Pathetic.”

“…”

“Even the excuses.”

I delivered the finishing blow; as expected, he was speechless.

“Wow…”

Even Vivian, who had been yelling in outrage, was stunned with her mouth wide open.

Seeing bones and flesh stripped in an instant, her anger cooled and her excitement subsided…

“That’s enough talking.”

A man who seemed to be the enemy’s field commander pushed the corpse collector aside and stepped forward.

Hmm, I haven’t seen him before…

“Bjorn Yandel, your heroic tale ends here.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry. I will take over the fame you built.”

He looked like a tough guy but spoke like an extra.

Whoosh—!

I smirked and threw a hand axe.

“Remember the name of the man who will kill you. My name is Nortia—!”

“Oh, it still blocks, huh.”

“…Ugh! Kill him!”

The guy who stopped talking gave the order, and the battle began.

I want to be special.

Is there really anyone without such desire?

No way.

Everyone wants to be special.

That was true even for a white kid born in America.

From a young age, he loved cartoons.

American cartoons full of heroic clichés.

But the characters he loved most were always the villains who left a deep impression before departing.

Compared to heroes who only talk big despite lucking into powers, those villains who did everything they wanted and troubled the heroes looked much more special.

The kid admired villains, but reality was harsh.

“I’m not special.”

Growing up, he naturally accepted the truth that ordinary people are just ordinary.

He became a man that way.

I am ordinary.

No matter how hard he tried, that fact would never change.

That was his thought—until he downloaded a cheat for a brutally difficult game and decided to clear it.

「Transmission starting.」

What he’d only seen in cartoons, novels, and movies unfolded for him.

A game world appeared before his eyes.

‘Abet Nekrapeto.’

The ugly, chubby man got a new name.

Here, he was no longer ordinary.

He had knowledge unknown to NPCs and a future that welcomed him to become even more special.

Though called an “evil spirit” and shunned.

But even that was something he saw as part of what made him special.

In fact, he really was special.

He had talent, rose quickly among the “evil spirits,” and grew strong.

He gained fame and drew jealous eyes.

But the more that happened, the more reckless he became.

Like a villain in a cartoon who just has to do everything they want.

[“Why should you die? Because you’re weak!”]

[“Ah, just needed a suitable corpse for the time being!”]

He used any means to grow stronger, eventually getting caught and investigated, and his identity as an “evil spirit” was exposed.

Waiting only for his death one day.

[There is no place in this city where you can live.]

He experienced a fateful encounter.

[Follow me, Abet Nekrapeto. I’ll create the world where you’ll live.]

Orkulis.

The crazy terrorist group that dared to set an ideology against the royal family in this city.

There was no reason not to join them.

Even if it wasn’t the only way to survive, that group looked cool in his eyes.

He followed their leader to the underground city…

[Co-Corpse Collector…!]

Soon he gained a notorious fame surpassing his previous one.

[Psssst—!!]

His laugh grew louder day by day.

[Why the long faces? Smile!]

He couldn’t help but be happy.

Being the center of attention wherever he went.

And having people laugh and cry over every action of his.