novelraw Chapter 92 : This Barbarian is Better than an Ogre.
Chapter 92 : This Barbarian is Better than an Ogre.
This Barbarian is Better than an Ogre.
Silas could not understand Barkal's words.
"If you... take off the ring, you get stronger?"
What in the world is he talking about?
"That's right. Don't you get stronger when you take off the ring?"
Is this idiot unaware of what ogre strength is?
Ogre strength.
How straightforward a phrase is that?
A human can kill an ogre, but no matter what, you can't overpower one head-on with pure strength.
That is the way of things.
It's a lesson I learned from years of experience as an adventurer.
"You drove yourself into a harsh environment! All to grow stronger!"
But what exactly was this skull-helmeted barbarian in front of him trying to say?
"You weakened yourself and trained! A spirit that can't even be compared to some dark knight! You are a warrior!"
"Hey."
Silas, unable to stand the absurdity, finally opened his mouth.
"It's ogre strength. Do you not know what an ogre is?"
Barkal thumped his chest with a loud smack and confidently replied.
"A big goblin."
A big goblin?
Just a big goblin?
Silas found curses rising up to his throat.
The reason he became obsessed with "ogre strength" was simple.
Back in his days as an adventurer, when he was exploring a gold-rank dungeon.
A dungeon crawling with ogres. When he saw an ogre rip apart and kill his comrade in that place, silas thought:
It's an overwhelming strength.
Yet, as tremendous as that strength is, their technique is rough and unsophisticated.
It must be an issue of intelligence.
If I could get that kind of strength, I would wield it in a far more refined way.
While pondering that, a chance to satisfy his curiosity finally arrived.
"Ogre Power Ring."
A comrade discovered a ring that could let its user wield ogre strength.
After hearing the news, his memory gets fuzzy. When he came to his senses, silas had already killed his comrade, stolen the ring, and was on the run.
"You must not have fully experienced how powerful this strength is."
Looking at Barkal's blood-soaked body, silas grinned.
He's just putting on a show. That's what he thought.
"You're dying to the strength of a big goblin. Don't you see all the blood you're losing right now?"
"Kuahahahat!"
Thinking it was a fair taunt, Barkal instead threw his head back in wild laughter.
"Blood can come from a mere scratch on a tree!"
Watching the red energy flicker through the skull helmet, silas swallowed.
"Even a newborn baby can wound my body!"
A wounded barbarian.
"But nothing can kill me."
Despite being drenched in blood, his spirit was as unbroken as before.
"No way..."
Barkal spun his axe through the air and glared sharply at Silas.
"So you don't get stronger even if you take off the ring!?"
At the barbarian's disappointed-sounding voice, silas felt dizzy.
No way.
Did this guy really gain strength greater than an ogre's?
No, it was nonsense.
Don't listen.
There's no such human.
If that were possible,
Why would I have killed my comrade and stolen the ring to get this power?
Don't take it to heart.
Silas forced himself to stay composed and shifted his gaze back to Barkal.
"Hm!?"
While he was momentarily distracted, Barkal had already closed the gap by kicking off the ground.
But at best, it's just brute axe swinging.
Silas, just as before, raised his gauntlet to deflect the barbarian's attack.
Clang—!
Metal crashed on metal and sparks flew once again. With mana suffusing his gauntlet, silas had no doubt it would deflect Barkal's axe like before.
"U, urk!? W-what...!"
Silas's toes scraped across the floor.
He tried to regain his balance, but the giant shadow of Barkal loomed over him even rougher.
A crimson energy flashed between the gaps in his helmet.
Barkal's breath was no longer simple breathing.
Thrag's "Blessing of Blood."
A mark suffused with the madness granted by the god of bloody revelry.
"This is the ogre strength I've faced!"
Barkal's roar shook the pier.
His muscles swelled even more, veins writhing like snakes.
Silas gritted his teeth, pouring even more power into his fist.
"And this is Barkal's strength!"
At that moment,
"Un... unbelievable...!"
"And this!"
Silas felt the weight pressing on his elbow exceeded even the 'ogre' strength he had experienced.
"Barkal plus Barkal!!!!!"
Barkal gripped his axe, "Erindal," with both hands. Drawing out all his might with an explosive yell, he swung down.
"Gu-uhhhhhh!!"
Silas's mana-clad gauntlet shattered instantly, and Barkal's axe planted itself in Silas's chest.
As the savage strike stabbed into his solar plexus, silas coughed up a mouthful of blood and toppled unconscious to the floor.
Barkal looked down at the fallen Silas.
"Already collapsed? And I still have Barkal plus Barkal plus Barkal left!"
He muttered disappointedly, then took the "Ogre Power Ring" from Silas's finger and put it on himself.
The moment he wore it, Barkal's shoulders sank.
"Ugh... I actually feel weaker."
Disgusted, Barkal immediately flung the ring far away.
"I thought you wore it for training, but I guess that wasn't it."
Oops.
Barkal smacked his own skull helmet.
"I got distracted for a moment."
As if he recalled something, Barkal looked around.
The Disguisers who met his gaze shrank back in fear.
"Where are my brothers?"
Although it was the same question as before, the Disguisers showed no intention of attacking.
Quite the opposite of their prior hostility—almost worshipful, they knelt before Barkal.
"O new Finger."
Other Disguisers observing the situation followed suit, bowing to Barkal.
"We greet the new Finger."
"O new Finger."
Barkal stared at them through his skull helmet, lost in thought for a moment before speaking again.
"Never mind this Finger business—where are my brothers!"
"Barkal!"
Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name. He turned his head, and an anxious glimmer gave way to color in his eyes.
"Wolf mask and rabbit mask... could it be, my brothers!"
* * *
"First Finger"
Miriam had said something, but finding Barkal came first.
It's not that I'm worried about him—I'm worried about what he might do.
With that thought, I searched for Barkal and found him covered in blood.
And then—
"O new Second Finger."
"You are the new Second Finger."
The Disguisers, who had been causing such a commotion, were now bowing formally to Barkal.
Just what in the world is going on here?
"Brother!!!!"
Barkal, covered in blood, rushed over to us. Apparently, he had been searching for us as well.
He hesitated, as if seeking permission to take off my mask just in case.
"Brother, it's definitely me."
"A voice full of wisdom! It's true! My brother!"
I don't know how he recognized me, but Barkal nodded vigorously.
"Barkal, are you all right?"
"Hmm?"
I pointed to the blood streaming from his body, and Barkal grinned.
"It's just a scratch."
It looked like a pretty big scratch, though.
"It, it's best to treat even scratches. Even abrasions can get infected."
Saying so, Serena approached Barkal.
Is she going to heal him, being a cleric?
As expected, she just took out some bandages.
Once things had calmed down, miriam, who had been following us from afar, slowly appeared.
"Un... unbelievable."
Then she muttered as she looked at the fallen hulk before Barkal.
"To think he defeated the Second Finger, silas. I knew he was strong, but this... eek!"
As Miriam mumbled in front of the giant, Barkal suddenly grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and lifted her.
"Hmm."
Barkal sniffed at her neck, scowled, and spoke.
"You... seem like someone I've met before."
Wait, he can recognize people by scent too?
"You're someone I know too."
"Hmm... I don't remember."
"Anyway, I'll finish what I was saying before."
"Y-yes?"
Lifted by Barkal, miriam looked flustered.
"I... I think you can put me down while we talk..."
"I don't care who wants to meet me."
"I, I agree. I wouldn't care either."
"More importantly, disguisers, 300 years ago, you stole an item from the adventurer party named 'No Logout.' I want to ask about its whereabouts."
"T-that's great!"
Miriam clapped her hands together with a loud slap.
"The one who's looking for you now also wants to talk about that!"
So it's related?
I shot Miriam a questioning look, and she scratched her head nervously.
"So, can we put me down first and talk?"
***
List of New Names, locations, skills and Techniques: