Surviving as a Barbarian in a Fantasy World

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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Chapter 285: The Vile Rat that Pollutes the Seas (2)

RUMBLE!

A green pillar engulfed Bayern.

It was a thick, dense poisonous aura—corrupting and destroying both body and soul.

Once consumed by it, Bayern would rot and become a subordinate to the rat’s command.

However—

BOOM!

An immense force caused the rat's body to skid backward.

The rat’s eyes widened in shock.

“Hmm…”

Bayern emerged from the poisonous pillar.

Though the poisonous aura clung to Bayern’s body, it could not invade his flesh.

He had protected himself with mystery.

[An insignificant measure granted to the fragile beings outside. But it seems it hasn't protected your arm.]

The rat's words were true.

The left arm where the rat’s claws had dug in was indeed invaded by the poison.

Bayern suppressed it with his mystery, but while he could stop the poison from spreading further, he couldn’t eliminate it completely.

Bayern narrowed his eyes.

‘Monster.’

This was an entirely alien being, even difficult for him to confront.

Yet, because of that, he was certain.

From ancient times, the rat that pollutes the seas, mentioned in the Emperor's legends—

The creature before him was none other than that very monster.

“…I have one question.”

[Your resolve is admirable, so I’ll answer.]

“What’s your relationship with the bear?”

[Are you speaking of the bear in the snowy plains?]

Confusion clouded the rat’s eyes.

The rat seemed puzzled about how Bayern knew of the bear.

Still, the rat responded honestly.

[I coveted its territory. But it wasn’t easy. Even after a long struggle, no conclusion was reached.]

“Ha, hahahaha!”

Bayern couldn’t hold back his laughter.

He clapped his hands.

“Good! Very good!”

He gripped his axe tightly, the fire of battle in his eyes.

“It’s a shame you’re not the bear… but this is enough.”

The rat in front of him was on par with the bear.

If he could defeat this rat, it meant he could stand a chance against the bear as well.

His fighting spirit surged.

It was an opportunity to forget the shame of the past.

The worth of showing his full strength was clear.

THUD!

Bayern’s body trembled momentarily.

The mystery coursed through his body, enhancing it.

No—it transcended enhancement.

The mystery and his body became one.

This was the secret technique he hadn’t even used in his fight against Ketal.

Bayern bared his teeth, showing a beast-like expression.

“I’ll kill you!”

BOOOOOM!

Bayern charged.

The rat’s expression changed.

At this speed—far faster than before—the rat quickly swiped with its front paw.

CRAAAAASH!

With a thunderous sound, the rat was forced backward, its expression twisting.

The claws of its front paw, which had collided with Bayern’s axe, were ground down.

But Bayern didn’t stop.

He continued charging, striking with his axe.

The rat’s body kept getting pushed back.

[You are strong.]

The rat was surprised.

Bayern’s strength was astonishing, even to the rat.

[I didn’t expect there’d be such power outside. It reminds me of those wretched barbarians.]

BOOOOM!

Bayern charged once again.

This time, the rat didn’t block; instead, it twisted its body, narrowly dodging Bayern’s attack.

The rat smirked.

[But you can’t control it, can you? You’re still immature. You’re wielding a power that surpasses your limits.]

The rat wasn’t foolish.

In fact, it was incredibly intelligent, fully aware of the optimal course of action.

[Though I could face you head-on, there’s no need to bother. Rise, my land.]

RUMBLE!

The ground erupted like a volcano, distorting the view.

The rat darted through the chaos, evading Bayern’s attacks.

It was clearly stalling for time.

Bayern clicked his tongue.

His secret technique—merging his mystery with his body—was incredibly powerful.

But the drawbacks were equally clear.

He hadn’t fully mastered this power yet.

Controlling the force and speed was difficult, and the mystery consumption was excessive.

That’s why he hadn’t used it against Ketal.

The duration of this technique was short, and if the rat deliberately dragged out the fight, Bayern would be at a disadvantage.

At this point, the best option for Bayern was to flee.

In this state, the rat wouldn’t be able to pursue him.

He could treat his wounds, regroup, and come back later.

But Bayern’s face contorted.

‘Do I have to run away?’

In a moment like this?

With the opportunity to avenge his past humiliation right in front of him?

“Don’t make me laugh!”

In the end, Bayern was still a barbarian.

Even if the past disgrace had changed him, his core remained the same.

He wouldn’t retreat in front of a strong enemy.

Better to die than suffer shame!

Bayern roared as he charged forward again, stomping on the erupting ground and slicing through it.

He broke through every defense, closing in on the rat.

The rat dodged by leaping this way and that.

Bayern’s mystery was rapidly depleting.

However, Bayern’s body continued to close the distance.

Finally—

BOOOOM!

Breaking through all obstacles, Bayern arrived in front of the rat.

“Die!”

Bayern gritted his teeth and slashed.

The force of his strike extended to the horizon.

The rat barely dodged in time.

CRACK!

But it didn’t escape unscathed.

The rat’s chest burst open, green blood spilling out.

Bayern’s attack had pierced through the rat’s armor of decay.

[Oh, impressive. It’s been a long time since I’ve bled.]

The rat genuinely marveled.

[But that’s all there is to it.]

“Hah, hah…”

Bayern collapsed.

The mystery that had merged with his body had vanished.

The moment he delivered the blow, his mystery reserves had been exhausted.

“Damn rat…”

He had poured everything into that strike.

His body was now so drained that he could barely move.

It was his defeat.

[Such a satisfying strength. I’ll taint your body and make good use of it.]

The rat approached Bayern confidently.

With all his energy depleted, Bayern was no longer a threat.

At that moment, Bayern bared his teeth.

He gripped the axe tighter.

A hidden force surged violently.

[…!]

The rat’s senses warned him.

Reflexively, the rat defended himself with his venomous energy and leaped away.

Bayern swung his arm.

Crack!

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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The world split open.

Dark, thick energy cleaved through the space.

The venomous ground split in half.

Bam!

The rat’s chest burst open.

Unlike before, it was a much deeper wound.

For any ordinary creature, it would be fatal due to severe blood loss.

[You...]

“That was my trump card, and yet you managed to avoid it.”

Bayern clicked his tongue.

[…So you were pretending to have used up all your strength. You left only small wounds to make me lower my guard.]

The rat muttered, genuinely surprised.

[Although it was a direct hit, it’s not a fatal injury. But you’ll need time to recover. Crafty. It reminds me of someone I knew back then. Like you, he used the same trick when he was weak.]

“Enough chattering. I admit my defeat.”

Bayern calmly acknowledged, squeezing out the last of his strength.

He would finish it himself rather than being defiled by a mere rat.

He drew forth the hidden force from the depths of his being, ready to burn his entire body for one final strike.

A truly barbaric mindset.

Just as Bayern made that judgment and was about to act—

[…Huh.]

The approaching rat hesitated.

He briefly glanced at something in the distance, and an expression of shock filled his eyes.

[Squeak!]

The rat crouched.

His fur bristled, standing on end.

It was an unmistakable stance of wariness.

The sudden change in behavior caused Bayern, who was ready to self-destruct, to pause.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Footsteps echoed.

This was the rat’s territory.

The land was filled with venomous energy.

After the battle with the rat, the poison had intensified greatly.

Even Bayern’s body was slowly being contaminated.

But the newcomer walked across the ground, entirely unprotected.

Bayern’s eyes widened.

“Ketal?”

Ketal appeared.

Bayern was taken aback.

Because Ketal’s face looked extremely somber.

Up until now, Ketal had always been cheerful around Bayern, so much so that Bayern had come to think of him as a jovial person who never lost his smile.

But now, it was different.

There was a dark, oppressive atmosphere about him, one that sent chills down Bayern’s spine.

[Wait a minute. That’s... How is that even possible in this world?]

The holy sword was startled.

t seemed to know something, but Ketal paid no attention.

He spoke gloomily.

“So, you’ve crawled out as well.”

[…Barbarian.]

The rat slowly backed away, displaying a clear wariness that even Bayern hadn’t seen.

[So, we meet already. I was hoping to corrupt at least half the world before trampling you.]

“How did you manage to crawl out?”

[You of all people, asking that, when you were the first to escape?]

The rat mocked Ketal.

[The seal has been broken. We no longer need to be confined to the frozen lands. We can now roam freely across the world, which was ours to begin with.]

The rat took a step forward.

The land rotted beneath him.

[This is just the first step. I will corrupt the entire world.]

“I see.”

Ketal nodded.

“Bayern, get as far away from here as you can. I can’t guarantee you won’t get caught up in this.”

“O-okay. Got it.”

Bayern was flustered.

Ketal’s atmosphere had grown so oppressive, it was almost beyond comprehension.

In fact, it felt alien—similar to the rat, but even more so.

An overwhelming, barely controlled presence was seeping out in response to his emotions.

The holy sword sensed it as well.

[Wait... This... This is…]

The holy sword was a tool created by the blacksmith god, who worked alongside the deities.

It had been closer to the gods than any other being on Earth, and had a vague understanding of the divine powers.

That’s why it could tell.

The aura leaking from Ketal was qualitatively different.

It wasn’t like the gods.

It was something else entirely—warped, yet towering.

Though the holy sword couldn’t fully comprehend it, there was one thing it was certain of:

Ketal’s presence rivaled that of the gods in the pantheon.

“Be careful.”

Bayern quickly distanced himself.

Ketal muttered gloomily.

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

[Still as stubborn as ever. We’re all broken in some way, but you’re particularly shattered.]

“Shut up.”

Ketal slammed his foot down and leapt into the air.

Above the rat, he clenched his fist, pouring strength into it.

Crack!

His veins burst.

His muscles twisted.

Ketal’s arm began to break under the strain of his own power.

He wasn’t holding back.

From the start, he was going all out. Ketal muttered quietly.

“Just die.”

He drove his fist down.

And the ground shattered.

* * *

Rumble!

In the north, where venom had tainted the land, a massive hole was gouged into the earth.

From above, it was difficult to see the bottom—it was so deep and wide, like a sinkhole.

And it had been created with a single punch.

[Screech!]

The rat let out a desperate cry, narrowly avoiding the blow.

The ground erupted, spewing venom like a volcano.

Just as when he had fought Bayern, the rat used the venom to obscure vision and evade the attack.

Bayern had responded by breaking through the poison with his body.

Ketal’s response was even simpler.

Ketal lifted his foot with an annoyed expression, pouring all his strength into it.

The veins in his leg burst.

Then, he stomped down.

Crack.

The ground crumbled beneath him.

The venom that was about to erupt was forced back into the earth.

No, it wasn’t just that.

Cracks spread across the entire land.

The fissures quickly affected the entire area.

Finally—

Boom!

The ground, unable to withstand the force, collapsed.

The whole region crumbled into pieces.

A gigantic crater formed.

Anyone who saw this place later would likely think a meteor had struck.

That was the level of force involved.

[Screech!]

The rat shrieked, convulsing.

In its mouth, venom began to condense, growing thicker and thicker.

[Squeak!]

The rat spat out the venom.

A beam of poison filled the air, shooting toward Ketal.

It was the rat’s full power, something he hadn’t used against Bayern.

The trajectory of the poison could reach across the continent, perhaps even striking the capital of the barbarians.

Even the high elf queen, Karin, wouldn’t have been able to defend against that venom properly.

Faced with such overwhelming power, Ketal raised his fist.

He braced his legs and pulled his arm back.

His veins popped, bursting under the strain.

Then, he swung.

Boom!

The venomous beam collided with an even greater force and disintegrated.

The view cleared.

The air rushed in, creating a vacuum.

The ground, which had been saturated with venom and filth, became the cleanest place in the world in an instant.

The rat let out a bitter laugh.

[You monster.]

And with that, the shockwave hit the rat, sending its body tumbling violently across the ground.

[Translator - Jjescus]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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