Surviving the Game as a Barbarian Chapter 796: Skull Island (3)
Previously on Surviving the Game as a Barbarian...
Seconds after the stone slab slammed shut, cutting us off from the world outside—
Fwoosh—!
Every torch mounted along the cavern walls erupted into flame, extending our field of vision. Not that the entire chamber was illuminated; anything beyond a ten-meter radius remained cloaked in absolute shadow...
“Rieate.”
Raven flicked a glowing orb into the abyss, his expression piqued with interest.
“Truly, nothing. It refuses to light up. Since magic remains stable here, the darkness isn't an artifact of suppression.”
He seemed genuinely fascinated by the underlying mechanics, but I remained indifferent.
I am no scholar. I am a player.
Deciphering the logic behind a field effect? What a laughable endeavor.
「Your character has entered a special area.」
「Field Effect – Catacoma is now in effect.」
「Debuff: Severe Wound Aggravation applied.」
「Defeating monsters in this area will reduce a random stat by 1.」
「Countdown timer removed.」
「Only the light of the dead can banish the darkness.」
Within these hollowed depths, neither torches nor light magic could puncture the veil. Even my attempts to utilize necromancy-themed relics, hoping to trigger the “light of the dead” requirement, proved completely fruitless.
The wall-mounted torches were the only things providing any illumination. While they failed to brighten the distant corners, that was a non-issue.
The monsters were about to begin their assault.
“Oh! Look! A skull-head over there!”
“Hold your position, Ainard.”
The instant Ainard readied herself to charge toward the undead, I intervened, yanking her back.
“Huh? Is there a problem, Bjorn?”
“From here on, all combat will be handled exclusively by Ilia Adnus.”
Ainard looked baffled, but the Guildmaster immediately grasped the situation, offering a wry, tired grin.
“I see. So I am to be the sacrificial lamb.”
“What sacrifice? You aren't going to die.”
“Understood. I accept the role.”
Ugh. We all knew the script.
He insists on using terms like “sacrifice” purely for his own dramatic flair, doesn't he?
Regardless, Ilia Adnus unsheathed his blade.
“A sword...? I thought he was an archer?”
He utilizes a bow, yes. But he is a hybrid. His combat efficiency is rarely tied to a single weapon type.
Shhk—!
The Guildmaster strode into the shadows, cleaving four monsters in a singular, fluid stroke.
Nothing unexpected there.
The mobs here are roughly Grade 7. The fighting remains trivial.
The difficulty lies in the aftermath.
「Ilia Adnus's natural regeneration has decreased by 1.」
「Ilia Adnus's strength has decreased by 1.」
「Ilia Adnus's flexibility has decreased by 1.」
「Ilia Adnus's fire resistance has decreased by 1...」
The higher the kill count, the greater the stat drain. Nevertheless, skipping them is not an option.
Fwoosh—!
“Ooh! Look, more torches are lighting up!”
Catacoma is designed to force progress only through the continuous slaughter of its denizens.
“Well, one thing is certain. Losing strength right out of the gate is a miserable experience.”
“Hm? Why would you say that?”
Raven stepped in to answer Ainard.
“Every time you fell a monster here, a random sub-stat takes a hit.”
“Sub-stat...? What on earth is that?”
“The bonuses you earn from essences or the blessings of Gavrilius. Strength, agility, resistances, that sort of thing.”
“...What? Those actually degrade?”
Ainard, who had been itching for a brawl just moments ago, looked aghast. The Guildmaster offered a hollow smile.
“But someone must bear the burden, correct?”
“...I hold you in high esteem, Adnus...! Taking that toll upon yourself for your comrades! You are a warrior truly worthy of trust!”
“...Haha, thank you.”
To me, this looked like a poorly written comedy routine.
“Burden,” my foot. These aren't even permanent effects.
Once you step beyond this boundary, every accumulated debuff vanishes instantly. Not that you can entirely bypass the challenge of the zone.
“Even if it's manageable for now, steel yourselves. Everyone I’ve spoken to who survived this place describes it as an ordeal they pray never to repeat.”
“I imagine watching your stats erode to the level of a commoner is a bitter pill to swallow.”
“Likely. Though as a mage, I can't claim full understanding.”
“Wait? Shouldn't the mages handle the killing then?”
Misha, who had been silently observing, tilted her head innocently. Raven avoided her gaze.
“...I’ve heard mages suffer mana loss here.”
“Huh? Then wouldn’t that leave them just as miserable?”
“...”
Raven fell silent.
A rare spectacle indeed. Misha had neutralized Raven with pure, unadorned logic.
“Enough idle talk. We move.”
The banter was amusing, but as the leader, I couldn't allow time to slip away. I cut the conversation short to keep the momentum of the expedition alive.
「Ilia Adnus's fire resistance has decreased by 1.」
「Ilia Adnus's tenacity has decreased by 1.」
「Ilia Adnus's soul power has decreased by 1.」
「Ilia Adnus's soul power has decreased by 1...」
「...」
「...」
As we delved deeper into the dungeon and the Guildmaster continued his grim tally, his stamina visibly withered. Where he had once dispatched four foes in a single swing, he now labored to drop one after another.
This is precisely why I didn't delegate this responsibility to Auyen.
This strategy mandates a specific, minimum threshold of stats.
“Bjorn. Ought we to assist him...? He looks like he’s struggling. Couldn’t the Guildmaster just deliver the final blow?”
Ainard voiced her concern, but I shook my head adamantly.
“Just observe.”
I needed fewer variables, not more. If someone interfered and inadvertently landed the killing blow, half the reasoning for our presence would be negated.
Consequently, all I could grant the beleaguered Guildmaster was this—
“Phew...”
“Well done. Let us proceed.”
Choosing the optimal route to eliminate wasted movement.
“This way.”
Catacoma isn't merely a linear corridor. It’s a crystalline, winding labyrinth. Lose your way here, and your stats will be shredded, leaving you incapable of surviving the boss encounter. Of course, that wouldn't matter for an expedition padded with plenty of sacrificial lambs.
“There is the door!”
“Ooh! We finally made it!”
“What is that monstrosity in front of it?”
At last, our crawl led us to the boss’s chamber.
'317 mobs...'
That was the total headcount of monsters the Guildmaster had slain by our arrival. 'Excellent. Over 300. The requirement is satisfied...'
Without pause, I initiated the encounter with the gatekeeper.
***
Disposing of the mid-boss proved mildly troublesome. Honestly, Elwen could have decimated it with a single, fully-charged arrow. But that would have spelled doom for our next phase. So—
“...Adnus! End it now!”
“Ugh...! I am trying! I have absorbed too many curses...”
“Yes, yes, just make it quick!”
We whittled the beast down carefully until it stood on the brink of death, pinning it so the Guildmaster could deliver the coup de grâce.
And, as expected—
「You have slain the Gravekeeper, Alleton. EXP +6」
「Bonus for defeating a rare variant. EXP +1」
The Guildmaster landed the final strike, and the mid-boss dissolved into light. A hidden element had also triggered.
「A Cursed One has slain the Gravekeeper.」
「The curse of the vengeful spirit will not spread.」
Typically, the death of a Gravekeeper forces the debuffs from the most cursed character onto the entire party. My old method, back when I was an information broker, involved rotating kills to balance the burden. Of course, that woman had no idea a secret boss even existed. No reason to inform her that funneling all the curses into one person keeps the party clean.
“No essence drop.”
“A pity.”
“Pity? It would have been worthless trash anyway.”
“Even so, it has value as a rarity. Worthy of academic study.”
Ah, right. She was ever the researcher.
“Whatever. Let us enter.”
We crossed the threshold of the door that had groaned open following the gatekeeper’s demise.
“Why so vacant?”
“Because all twelve of us have entered.”
The layout echoed the island’s design. Floors, ceilings, and walls were constructed from bone. Even the sconces consisted of skulls framing burning candles.
The boss chamber shared this macabre aesthetic, with one notable exception: a gargantuan skull mounted on the opposite wall—dwarfing any we had encountered thus far.
“Ooh! Raven! What species is that? It looks incredibly potent!”
“I haven't the slightest. Such massive entities are rare even in the labyrinth... perhaps it isn't a monster at all?”
“Hrm... Such a wasted opportunity! I had hoped to test my blade against it later!”
We pressed forward, formation held tight.
“Elwen, initiate.”
“Understood.”
At my direction, Elwen closed her eyes, focusing intently. I kept my gaze locked on her.
Then—
「All accumulated energy has been consumed.」
「The empty vessel is filled with unknown power.」
The instant [Chaos Circuit] sparked into existence—
“Now. Everyone else, vacate the room.”
At my command, all but the chosen few scrambled from the boss chamber. Me, Amelia, Ainard, Misha, Elwen, and the Guildmaster. These six would face the boss—not for their elite status, but because I needed them to secure the EXP. Not that there would be much of a fight.
Thoom—!
Rumble-rumble-rumble—!
As the others cleared the threshold, the door slammed shut and the room groaned as if caught in a tectonic shift.
Then—
[GROOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRR—!!!]
That familiar, harrowing howl from earlier rippled through the air.
Clatter-clatter-clatter—!
The boss, with all the spectacle of a risen king, tore itself from the sea of skulls beneath our feet.
And simultaneously—
「Elwen Fornaci di Tersia has cast [Focused Fire].」
[GROOAAARR... huh...?]
Three entire phases evaporated.
***
The Skull King is a formidable challenge under normal circumstances. As the engagement deepens, his soul orb—the seat of his vitality—slowly wanes.
At 80% HP, he unleashes a massive curse.
At 60%, he summons reinforcements.
At 40%, he executes an instant-death maneuver.
And at 20%, he enters an invincible, buffed recovery state.
「Skull King’s soul reservoir has fallen below 20%.」
「Skull King casts [Soul Absorption].」
Three phases skipped. Phase 4 commenced immediately.
Not that Phase 4 posed a threat. Elwen, flooded with infinite Mana, had more in her arsenal than merely [Focused Fire].
「Elwen Fornaci di Tersia summons [Spirit King of Darkness, Diclore].」
BOOM-BOOM-BOOOOM—!!!
Elwen unleashed a torrent of firepower upon the boss. The soul orb drained faster than it could ever hope to replenish.
Thus—
「Skull King has absorbed all available souls.」
「All of Skull King’s powers are significantly amplified—」
「Skull King’s soul reservoir has fallen below 20%.」
「No souls available for absorption.」
As [Soul Absorption] flickered out, the HP bar kissed the 20% mark, triggering the finale.
「Skull King casts [Eternal Liberation].」
Every boss possesses a final, desperate berserk state. This one is simple.
「Skull King gains immunity to all damage.」
「Soul orb rapidly depleting.」
One need only survive—my specialty.
「Skull King’s soul orb is nearly depleted.」
Following a minute of futile, berserk rampaging, the Skull King ground to a halt. It wasn't technically slain, but the raid effectively ended.
Even a commoner could have walked up and crushed the glass orb resting within the frozen monster.
'Barely two minutes from the summon...'
Split between the recovery phase and the berserk timer, one could argue we cleared it in mere moments.
“Excellent work, Elwen. Just as arranged, Adnus, finish it.”
“It shall be done.”
The Guildmaster approached the paralyzed Skull King and shattered the soul orb, concluding the raid.
「You have slain the Skull King. EXP +7」
「Bonus for defeating a rare variant. EXP +1」
No essence dropped. I didn't care. The true prize lay elsewhere.
「A Cursed One has slain the Skull King.」
「A fragment of a long story has been completed.」
As the King’s skeletal form collapsed into flickering luminescence, the hall began to tremble anew.
Rumble-rumble-rumble—!
“Ugh... Now what? Was that not the conclusion?”
I smiled softly at Ainard’s grumbling, saying:
“My congratulations, Ainard.”
“Huh? For what?”
Instead of replying, I tilted my head toward the massive, wall-mounted skull.
“You claimed you hungered to clash with that thing later, did you not?”
It is time for the final, hidden boss.