Surviving the Game as a Barbarian
Chapter 600: Third record (3)

What should I call my current state?

First of all, it’s definitely not a status abnormality like ‘fear’ or ‘frenzy.’

But it’s certainly not normal.

Thump!

My chest feels tight.

“What, what! You don’t mean to hit someone with that—”

“Gahwin, shut up for a moment. Let me think.”

It felt as if the filter of my consciousness had disappeared.

Impulsive thoughts kept popping up, and before I could control them, they spilled out of my mouth.

“Sorry, Elwen. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, no! I’m not scared!”

“...Not scared, huh.”

I should probably apologize again, right? That thought barely crossed my mind before I spoke out immediately.

So, what is the cause of this phenomenon?

‘It must be the field effect.’

I don’t know the detailed description of the effect.

It’s likely a mental-type debuff...

“Does it get stronger as time passes?”

Hmm, seems so.

I was fine when we first arrived here.

From the start point, as time passed, my mental state became strange.

And...

“So the old man is similar, huh.”

“...Old man?”

“Ah, sorry. I was just thinking silently.”

“What the hell are you thinking? Why did you suddenly bang your head on your hammer, and what were those things you just said—”

Ah, annoying chatter again.

“I’ll tell you, so be quiet.”

I really wanted to just start by smashing him with the hammer, but I held back with patience.

“Something is wrong with my head. Strong impulses keep rising, and it’s getting worse over time.”

“Impulses? What kind of impulses?”

“They change all the time.”

“Can’t you give an example—”

“Right now, I feel like hitting your head with a hammer.”

I answered shortly, and Gahwin recoiled in fright.

Then he made a face of realization.

“So that’s why you hit your own head with the hammer earlier...!”

“That’s right. I thought it might help.”

Actually, that method worked quite well.

It snapped me out of it and allowed me to look back at myself.

And in that sense...

“But somehow, it seems you might have a problem with your head too?”

“...Me?”

Gahwin feigned ignorance like an innocent person, but I was almost 100% sure.

Sure, Gahwin was a bit cranky old man, but not someone who would cross such a line.

Even back when we had conflicts before, he thought rationally and apologized afterward.

“Elwen, you seem fine. Why don’t you say it? Do you think that old man is normal now?”

“...No. He seems strange.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Even Elwen joined in, and Gahwin had to admit defeat.

“It’s not to the point of being a problem. Unlike the Baron, I don’t get impulses to hit someone!”

Well, that was a relief.

Getting worked up and raising your voice like that doesn’t build trust.

“Anyway, it’s confirmed that both of us have problems. Count, Archbishop. Are you two okay?”

I checked their states afterward, and although it was hard to say they were normal, it wasn’t enough to be noticeable externally.

“Hmm, then is it just a difference in mental strength?”

The chief is a monster who has lived thousands of years, and the archbishop is a devout religious person. It wouldn’t be strange if their mental strength was stronger than mine.

But...

‘Maybe the intensity of the debuff differs slightly by role.’

The basis of this hypothesis is Elwen.

Elwen, who plays the ‘witch’ role, was the only one not affected by the debuff.

“Then we have to hurry up.”

At my muttering, Gahwin challenged me again.

“Hurry? You don’t mean to just leave this problem and continue the journey?”

“Yes.”

There’s no other way.

Sitting still won’t make it better, so it’s right to move forward as quickly as possible—

“I really can’t believe it! What if someone loses their mind and attacks from behind?”

“Don’t worry. There is a solution after all.”

No need to verify this.

“Why suddenly... was the hammer raised during our conversation...?”

Ah, that?

“Your voice got louder, so it seemed like you lost your mind.”

“...”

“Oh, you quieted down, so your mind must have returned.”

“...”

The hammer can control a person.

One day, two days, three days, four days...

We continued down the canyon path.

Unlike the fifth-floor Daemagyeong, monsters of at least Grade 4 appeared here, but the battles themselves were not difficult.

Swoosh—

If we were hurt even slightly, we were quickly healed by infinite holy power.

Crack!

My mercenary strike was fatal even to high-level monsters.

Shreek—

The village chief’s combat power radiated dazzling aura.

Together with Gahwin’s ancient magic, and even Elwen who confused monsters and turned them into minions to aid in battle, the fights were so easy they were almost boring.

Yes, the battles.

[Control is decreasing.]

On the journey along the canyon path into the abyssal underground, there was no conversation at all.

This rule had been applied since yesterday.

All chatter except for strategy discussions was completely prohibited.

“...”

“...”

There’s a saying that words are seeds.

In other words, if no words are spoken, no conflict will arise...

“...How long will you keep up this ridiculous behavior?”

As in all things, there were rebels who were dissatisfied with the rules even here.

Well, it wasn’t a big problem.

“Baron! I don’t think this helps at all—”

“Shh.”

The wizard frowned and raised the hammer, and suddenly regained composure.

“S-Sorry. I got excited again because of this damned curse... I’m really sorry. This won’t happen again—”

“This is your final warning.”

“...Understood. I’ll be careful.”

Maybe it was because I really hit him once yesterday?

My eyes started to sharpen faster.

Still, aggressive words came from my mouth first.

“Don’t just be careful, do well. It’s just keeping quiet. Is that so hard?”

“Um... Sir...?”

“...I got a bit excited too. From now on, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Phew... that’s also why chatter is banned.

In such an impulsive and sensitive situation, no stimulus at all is the best.

‘I’m going crazy.’

It’s so hard I feel like losing my mind.

If I lose focus for a moment, aggression surfaces.

I wonder how the chief and archbishop can stay so normal.

Honestly, the chief is understandable, but the archbishop didn’t look mentally that extraordinary.

“Sir! That’s a flower over there!”

“Wasn’t it my turn this time?”

The moment Elwen pointed somewhere, I hurried over, picked a flower growing on the cliff edge, and put it in my mouth.

Simple reason.

[Control slightly increases.]

This flower alleviates mental abnormal symptoms when ingested.

By the way, I was the one who discovered it.

I had fed it to Gahwin because it looked suspicious whenever I saw it.

“...Sir, you must be really struggling, right?”

“...I appreciate the thought, but please try not to talk to me if possible. It doesn’t sound good in my current state.”

“Ah... I’m sorry.”

Now that I think about it, Elwen is quite something.

Before she lost her essence, every moment must have been similar to my current state—

“Uh? Everyone stop for a moment!”

Then Gahwin shouted loudly and stopped us.

“Did you hear something below? Something down there?”

“Am I starting to hear hallucinations now...”

I sighed and lightly raised ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) the hammer, but the chief stopped me.

“Baron, put the hammer down for now. Lord Versilus’s words are true.”

What? There really was a sound?

I gestured to Elwen to confirm, but she just shook her head.

It seems the stat reductions caused her not to hear anything...

“Focus. Then you should be able to hear it too, Baron.”

Closing my eyes and focusing on the sound, I faintly heard something through the breeze brushing past my ears.

[This way...]

Something was whispering, calling me.

“Finally, something has come out.”

This might be chilling for someone, but to me, it was very welcome.

After all, how many days had I been suffering?

I just wanted to clear this chapter and leave here as soon as possible.

“What will you do?”

“What else but check what it is?”

This time Gahwin didn’t oppose my words.

Well, I guess the old man wanted this to end quickly as well.

“Follow me closely.”

After increasing our speed, the noise coming from below became clearer.

[Good...]

[Come this way...]

[You have a very beautiful soul.]

Even though I didn’t like having to move as if entranced while hearing such blatant lines, there was nothing I could do.

Whether it was a mid-boss or the real boss, I had to capture it first for something to happen—

“By the way, Baron...”

Someone spoke to me then.

“Have you ever thought of serving something other than your ancestors’ spirits?”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Gahwin, but the archbishop who said this.

Somehow I chuckled.

“Heh heh...”

I thought he was holding up well, but maybe this old man was reaching his limit too?

“Trying to proselytize to barbarians is extremely rude, you know?”

“...”

“But given the situation, no need to make excuses. I’m not that angry.”

Since he was a model elder who never caused trouble, I tried to pass it off coolly.

But despite my efforts, the archbishop just looked at me with an unpleasant smile.

Maybe because of that?

“...?”

I noticed the change late.

‘The voice...’

Words wouldn’t come out.

It felt as if something blocked my throat.

When I quickly checked around, I soon realized the problem wasn’t only mine.

“...”

“...”

The surroundings were too quiet.

Not just because of the chatter ban.

No breath, no footsteps.

Not even the sound of the wind blowing from below during the journey.

[This way...]

Except for the mysterious voice, there was perfect silence.

The moment I realized this precisely.

Thump—! Thump—! Thump—!

A short murmur and vibrations from my toes.

The vibrations from below the cliff were growing stronger.

“...!”

“...!”

Looking around, everyone had stopped with their mouths slightly open.

They seemed to be saying something, but it was hard to understand.

I cautiously approached the cliff edge and looked down.

Thump-!

Darkness without end.

Nothing was visible yet.

But...

Thump-!

Soon, ‘it’ appeared from the darkness.

It looked up at me with chilling eyes and was crawling up the cliff.

‘Uh...’

The moment I met its gaze, my body froze like stone.

I couldn’t understand it at all.

Thump-!

Before I entered here.

Thump-!

The wizards who had thoroughly investigated the portal insisted that beyond it was definitely a fissure...

[Character has entered the range of [Silent Curse].]

[All essence skills are sealed.]

[[Gigantification] ends.]

Why is the Floor Lord appearing here?