Surviving the Game as a Barbarian Chapter 807: Doomsday (4)

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Previously on Surviving the Game as a Barbarian...

The party secured Sniktura's essence after a difficult battle. Sven Parab awoke confused, unaware of the true nature of the authority he had used, and the party decided to hide the truth from him about their victory. The AI, Arta, revealed that a woman with the Anabada Clan symbol was detected at the origin of the apocalypse and would soon die, prompting a new quest.

Why was Amelia, who was tasked with observing the others from Skull Island, present in this particular location? I wasn't certain of the reason yet, but I could make an educated guess.

'If Amelia, under orders to monitor the Golden Tree Clan, has arrived here...'

It's highly probable that they ventured here as well. She wouldn't have entered this place without a compelling reason.

“Did you observe anyone besides my comrade?”

Arta's response to my speculative inquiry, however, was quite surprising.

[It's difficult to confirm. Thus far, we have only identified the woman.]

“Only one individual?”

[Is that an issue?]

“No. Then allow me to rephrase. What is the predicament my comrade is in that led you to state she is on the verge of death?”

[She might merely be wandering aimlessly, but she has already ventured into the Beast's domain. It wouldn't be surprising if they encountered each other at any moment.]

The locale I currently occupy—the “Memory of the End”—is an concealed zone, quite similar to the Larkaz Labyrinth we previously explored. The Beast, in essence, serves as the final boss of this zone.

And you're suggesting Amelia is already within its territory?

'Damn it.' Time was of the essence.

No—the temporal constraints were incredibly severe.

“Arta, is there any other crucial information I need to be aware of?”

[As I've already mentioned, to successfully slay the Beast, you must heed my counsel—]

“So, nothing else pertinent. Understood. That will be all.”

Having no inclination to waste precious moments reiterating the battle strategy, my conversation with Arta concluded abruptly. I swiftly gathered our companions and departed from the hidden sanctuary.

“I trust I don't need to elaborate on the urgency?”

“Yes. I give my word, Captain, we will reach you no later than necessary.”

With a confident affirmation from Auyen, our vessel surged across the waves with remarkable celerity.

Swoooooosh—!

Frankly, its speed surpassed even our initial arrival here. While it's true that we were expending mana stones for the engine without regard for fuel consumption...

However, that wasn't the sole contributor to our impressive velocity.

「Auyen Rockrove has cast [Tailwind].」

「Auyen Rockrove has cast [Trade Route].」

「Auyen Rockrove has cast [Ghost Ship]...」

Witnessing Auyen deploy his full repertoire of skills, the other crew members began to exhibit signs of unease.

“Uh... Navigator, sir? Are you quite well? I understand the urgency, but as the saying goes—making too much haste can lead to ruin...”

“If you expend all your energy from the outset, you may find yourself depleted midway through the journey.”

These sentiments, spoken by experienced explorers, were both logical and sensible. And, to be perfectly honest, I concurred with their assessment. Should Auyen's mana run dry and his skills falter mid-voyage, our arrival could be even more significantly delayed.

Therefore, I posed the necessary question.

“Auyen, are you certain you are capable of maintaining this pace?”

He responded without a moment's hesitation.

“Upon my previous journey here, I had to consider the return trip. However, this time, the focus is solely on the destination, not the departure.”

And with that, the matter was settled.

“Understood.”

If we are the experts in vanquishing monsters, then he is undeniably the master of navigation. It is best to place our trust in him and let him guide us.

Swoooooosh—!

We raced across the water, hurtling towards an island that had yet to materialize on the horizon. How much time had elapsed? Beep-beep-beep, beep-beep-beep— The ten-hour timer I had initiated upon entering Arta's sanctuary chimed, signaling its expiration. I had factored in a buffer, anticipating potential delays... yet still.

'I had envisioned a more leisurely return journey...' It serves as a stark reminder—the unpredictability of fate is absolute.

Even the Sniktura raid had concluded in a manner entirely unforeseen.

“...”

Perhaps it was the enforced idleness during our transit, leaving my mind free to wander, that brought on these reflections? Gazing at the seemingly endless expanse of the horizon stirred a myriad of thoughts. Before I realized it, my jaw had tightened, and my fists clenched involuntarily.

“Don’t trouble yourself excessively... Everything will turn out alright...”

“Indeed, Uncle. Have faith, it’s going to be fine.”

My comrades surmised that my disquiet stemmed from concern for Amelia. And, admittedly, that was a factor.

However, it was not the sole reason for my inner turmoil. The events that had just transpired continued to occupy my thoughts relentlessly.

“Yes, it was perilous, but ultimately, everyone emerged unscathed, did they not? Please, try not to dwell on it.”

Elwen’s intention was to offer solace, yet her words inadvertently struck a painful chord within me. Merely a few hours prior, we had teetered on the precipice of annihilation.

No—to be precise, we had, in fact, been annihilated.

I had failed to discover a viable solution. I had resigned myself to our perceived fate.

For the first time since embracing the path of a barbarian, I had contemplated my final words.

Certainly, circumstances had, by some miracle, resolved favorably in the end—we had vanquished a Rank 1 monster and acquired a top-tier essence...

'But that outcome wasn't a testament to my prowess.'

Our survival that day was purely a matter of fortunate chance. At that critical juncture, I hadn't even considered the deployment of [Star's Proxy].

'...Or perhaps, it was precisely *because* I wasn't skillful enough.'

Upon retrospection of the preceding conflict, that catastrophic wipeout could likely have been averted. Had I been willing to concede Beleg's situation earlier, the raid could have proceeded precisely according to my original strategy.

Yet, I did not. I clung to a misguided hope—a naive belief that by making a greater sacrifice, I could ensure everyone's safety.

And the consequence of such obstinate conviction?

Disaster.

'Indeed, the outcome was positive. But...'

For how much longer could fortune continue to shield me? No.

Was I, by inherent nature, the type of individual who deserved to depend on sheer luck?

'Certainly not...' Luck had carried us this far. There would be no next time.

If I proceed into the next situation with the same mindset, the outcome will be the absolute worst.

And the moment I truly understood that fact…

BOOOOOM—!

My mind shattered. Or rather, my thoughts imploded.

***

Perhaps it was the jarring impact of my forehead against the railing?

“...”

A heavy silence descended upon the ship's deck.

Looking up, I noticed the entire crew was pointedly avoiding my gaze, as if they had witnessed something they shouldn't have.

“Ahem…”

“Well… I suppose I should attend to my equipment. Where did I put my whetstone…?”

Damn it all.

That was an impulsive display on my part.

Regardless of what turmoil I might be experiencing internally, I am the leader—I ought not to reveal it externally.

'It's not as if I'm the only one enduring hardship here.'

Just because one is an explorer doesn't mean they are immune to stress.

Certainly, we are all accustomed to the ever-present threat of death, but no matter how adept an explorer may be, the relentless pressure takes its toll.

That, I suspect, is the reason for the prevalence of peculiar personalities within the guild.

Each individual had, by a slim margin, escaped demise.

They were undoubtedly fatigued and on edge.

And here I was—inducing further unease among them.

“Sigh… My apologies, everyone! I just… really felt an urge to headbutt something for a moment!!”

I blurted this out, attempting a lighthearted tone while laying my feelings bare—and it seemed to alleviate the tension somewhat.

“…Haha, is that so?”

“Absolutely! Sometimes, you just need to smash your head against something, right? Right?”

“Haha… yeah, I suppose…”

The laughter was tinged with awkwardness, but it was infinitely preferable to the stifling silence.

And thanks to my attempt, even Raven, who had maintained a distance, moved closer to stand beside me.

“Looks like you’re finally in a communicative mood again?”

“…Did you require something?”

“Sniktura’s essence.”

Ah, that matter.

I had momentarily thought she approached to offer comfort.

However, engaging in ordinary conversation might indeed be more beneficial.

“So? What kind of abilities does it grant? I’ve been incredibly curious. Is it the color you were hoping for?”

“Partially.”

“So… one of the abilities is indeed the one you targeted?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you being so evasive? You know precisely what I’m asking—just tell me already!”

“That can wait until later—”

“Absolutely not! ‘Later’ is the most detrimental habit an explorer can cultivate! What if you meet your end before ‘later’ even arrives? I’ll be so furious I’ll tear myself apart with magic!”

“…Tear yourself apart with magic?”

That peculiar expression caused me to falter, and Raven quickly averted her gaze.

“O-Oh, um… Certain mages hold the belief that upon death, they do not ascend to a divine realm or the like—they simply dissipate into raw mana particles…”

Ah. So, akin to atheists.

If I were compelled to choose, I would likely align with that perspective.

No existence beyond death—merely disintegration into nothingness.

Not that I particularly desire such an outcome.

Even if it’s merely a wistful hope, it would be comforting to believe in a place of rest.

A sanctuary where one could reunite with lost loved ones and reminisce about bygone days—if only for a fleeting moment.

“Hey? Are you still with me?”

Ah. Right. We were in the midst of a conversation.

“Come on! Are you truly going to withhold the information?”

“No, I was just about to reveal it. What was the inquiry again?”

“Sniktura’s essence!”

Ah, indeed…

My mind was truly a jumbled mess.

So, I simply recalled the description from memory and recited it verbatim.

“Sniktura’s essence possesses two innate abilities of a physical nature. One is [All-Poison {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Physiology], and the other is [Final Radiance]…”

I continued my explanation—detailing the functions of the passive skills, the statistical attributes of the active skills, providing a comprehensive breakdown.

Initially, Raven listened with wide, attentive eyes, but her expression progressively soured.

“No, I mean—which one did *you* desire?”

Oh. That was her underlying question.

“I did not possess a specific preference.”

“What?”

“My sole focus was on one particular aspect—[Final Radiance].”

“What? Not [All-Poison Physiology]?”

While that ability is undoubtedly potent, it is nowhere near as crucial.

Amelia’s fundamental essence is derived from [Self-Replication], inherited from the doppelganger.

Subsequently, we integrated the Twin Hydra’s [Dual Dominion] to exert superior control over her duplicates, and later augmented it with the Cyclops’s [Wave Link] to elevate the clone output to parity with the main body.

“…So that [Final Radiance]—that’s the ability Sniktura employed at the very end, correct? It only activates moments before death…”

Upon hearing that the primary ability was passive in nature, Raven murmured to herself before her face suddenly brightened.

“Oh! That makes perfect sense! Given her duplicate configuration, the restriction of a single activation hardly matters anymore!”

“Precisely.”

While it is true that one becomes immobilized for a minute upon activation, simply enduring that period results in the emergence of a clone possessing several times the strength of the original entity.

'Once we imbue this essence and finalize the calibration of the remaining components, she should be capable of clearing at least Floor 10.'

“Alright, but what about the other ability?”

Oh. That one.

The secondary ability is [Form Shift].

“Ooh, that’s quite a remarkable one, isn’t it?”

“When Sniktura utilized it, she could indeed transform freely into other monsters and harness their attributes, correct. However, in practical application, it functions somewhat differently.”

“What’s the drawback?”

“One can only transform into the most recently vanquished monster. Furthermore, no enhancements to physical statistics are conferred.”

“Ah… I comprehend.”

A hint of disappointment laced her tone, yet the situation held more significance than that alone.

After all, this was a 1st-rank essence.

It possessed numerous sophisticated applications.

However, I’ll reserve those for Amelia, who will actually have need of it.

“So, what is the final ability?”

“...[Final Day].”

“Huh? Is that truly an ability?”

“Indeed, it is.”

“...Your expression suggests otherwise.”