How to Live as a Knight After the Ending

Chapter 46: Barbarian Warrior (2)

Barbarian Warriors were descendants of the giants who inhabit the cold, ice-covered northern continent.

In the game, they were famous for being one of the eight playable characters.

“Indeed.”

Osian looked at Balud’s physique and was convinced.

The Barbarian Warrior was known as the melee trio, along with the Wandering Knight and Paladin.

With a motto of one-hit wonders, he was the strongest of the melee characters.

If you want to see heavy damage, it’s not for nothing that they say ranged is for mages and melee is for barbarians.

One of the characteristics of a barbarian warrior was that he was able to regain his grip on the axe he had lost, just like Balud did.

They know how to manipulate mystical powers by engraving runes on their weapons or flesh through rune inscription.

The most basic of these is the Rune of Recovery, which is applied to weapons.

This skill allows you to return a thrown weapon to your hand like a boomerang.

The damage it does is devastating.

The first time you fight a barbarian warrior, you’ll often be killed by the weapon that comes back.

However, Osian was able to react immediately.

If the opponent was using the Rune of Recovery, the natural target would be the back of his head.

“I thought you were strong. If you’re a barbarian warrior it makes sense.”

Hearing Osian’s muttering, the mafia members’ expressions turned pensive.

“How dare you say that word in front of our director……!”

Osian asked, puzzled by the reaction.

“Is there anything wrong with calling a barbarian warrior a barbarian warrior?”

“Yes. There is a problem, a big problem.”

It was Balud who answered.

He stared at Osian with kind, sunken eyes.

They were like the cold northern winds, threatening to freeze anything they touched.

“I’m not very fond of where I come from, so I try to be as polite and gentlemanly as possible.”

“That doesn’t sound like something a man who wields an axe in each hand would say.”

“Axing is a gentlemanly thing, too: no harsh shouting, no excessive gestures, quick, sharp cuts, that’s my aesthetic.”

Balud’s behavior was out of character for a northern barbarian warrior.

Most barbarian warriors kept things simple, shouting loudly whenever they did something.

It was their tradition.

Balud, however, wore a neat suit and spoke with a steady stream of respectful words.

Considering his origins, it was safe to say he was an extreme contrarian.

“Naturally, I don’t like to be called barbaric, even if I am a warrior, and no one who knows where I come from would ever use that word in my presence. Do you know why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Because everyone who has ever said it to me is dead.”

A cold smile formed on Balud’s face.

“And you just said the exact same thing.”

The madness behind that creepy smile was unimaginable.

I couldn’t believe there was such a beast stirring beneath the surface of his normal demeanor.

Ironically, though, it was only then that Osian realized that Balud was a true barbarian warrior.

“How times have changed. Barbarian warriors wear suits and wield axes.”

The comment was a bit of a grumble, but it struck a chord with Balud.

Balud smirked.

“You’ve done it again.”

And with that, he vanished like a mirage.

Osian’s eyes rolled rapidly.

Left?

No. Right.

Just as he was thinking that, as he brought his sword upright, two axes struck his blade.

-Kwang!

The wind whipped around with a huge impact.

Osian strained his arms. He didn’t just want to withstand it, he wanted to push it away.

At that moment, a faint red glow emanated from the black tattoos on both of Balud’s forearms.

The force pushing against Osian’s blade increased.

‘Oh no.’

Osian abandoned the idea of fighting back immediately and stepped back.

“Enhancement Rune…….”

It was a typical rune for barbarian warriors that temporarily boosted their physical abilities.

“I see you’re familiar with it.”

Balud quickly caught up to Osian.

His movements were even faster than before.

It was probably because of the runes on the bottom of his suit pants.

“This time, it’s the Rune of Speed, which increases movement and attack speed.”

Kagagagagang!

Osian retreats backwards and Balud follows behind him.

Meanwhile, their arms flailed as they swung their weapons, and countless flashes of light flashed in the air.

The gang members, barely able to recover themselves, could only watch with open mouths as the superhumans dueled.

“Who the hell is that guy?”

“How can he fight as an equal against the rune-using director?”

The one they didn’t understand the most was Osian.

At first, they thought he was just a physically enhanced mutant who could wield a sword, the kind of guy who would die when Balud used a rune.

They thought he was a common fixer in Tirna but in reality, their fight was a back-and-forth affair, with neither man getting the upper hand.

If anything, Osian seemed to have the upper hand.

At that moment, their movements stopped.

Their weapons were locked in a grapple and Balud frowned.

Even after using the Rune of Enhancement and the Rune of Speed, Osian still wasn’t pushed back.

On the contrary, his movements became even faster than before, as if he had shifted gears to match this side.

“Not full power yet, is this it?”

Then that laxity will get you killed.

Balud swallowed that backhanded remark and used another technique as a pure white frost began to form on the blade of Balud’s hatchet.

The frost’s chill spread to the surroundings, even to Osian.

“Soul of Frost? You can actually use the power of frost?”

But his reaction was far from panic.

Osian had seen through Balud’s technique naturally.

-Boom!

Osian lifted his leg and stomped down hard on the ground.

A stormy wave surged from its center, pushing the chill in the air in all directions.

Taking two or three steps back, Balud stared at Osian in disbelief.

“How the hell did you…….”

Most opponents would panic and die before they could react but not Osian.

It was the same when he dodged the axe from behind, and it was the same now.

No matter what hand Balud dealt him, he took it all in stride and kept his cool.

It was unbelievable.

“You. Were you from the North?”

“Do I look like it?”

Osian’s appearance was far from Nordic, to say the least.

He had none of the distinctive physical features of someone from the north.

“How else could you…….”

“I just know.”

No matter what hand Balud dealt, Osian could handle it.

He’d fought Barbarians countless times in the game.

Barbarians are characterized by their lack of stiffness when attacked and their bulldozer-like nature.

As a result, it was one of the most favored classes in PVP among players.

Osian met countless Barbarian players there and he defeated them all.

Balud’s abilities, amazing to others, were just one of the many things he had to deal with.

‘Still, you’re amazing, boy. I can’t believe you’re using two Barbarian traits.’

Barbarians have three traits.

Rune Raven, which is tattooing runes on his body to activate runic magic.

Frost Wolf, which grants cold and storm lightning powers to their weapons.

And the final talent is the Berserk Bear, which grows stronger as your health decreases and even drains your health.

Balud was using two of the three talents.

This is unusual considering that NPCs usually only have one talent but it wasn’t unheard of.

‘Heroic NPCs can do that.’

Heroic NPCs carry a lot of weight and power in the game.

Most of them are the pinnacle of their talents, but there are a few who have mastered other talents as well.

Balud was one of them.

‘It’s nice to be reminded of something from my gaming days.’

In a world that had become too real and too changed, it was quite pleasant to find traces of a favorite pastime.

So much so that Osian found it amusing to watch Balud attack him.

“So. What are you going to do now? Are you going to use Berserker’s Roar? Maybe Stormhawk’s Call? Or you can use the Rune of Immortality and charge.”

“How on earth did you……?”

Balud was overwhelmed with embarrassment as Osian’s mouth spilled out all the secrets of the tribe.

There were many names among them, names that are now lost and only legends.

Balud had forgotten that he must kill Osian for crossing his line.

The embarrassment was overwhelming and Osian was puzzled by Balud’s reaction.

“What? You can’t use them?”

“…….”

“I see. You’re still a kid.”

Visibly disappointed, Balud bit his lip hard.

Just as his eyes were about to glaze over, he heard a desperate cry from behind him.

“Hey, Director, we’re in trouble!”

“What is it?”

A subordinate came up to Balud and whispered quietly while Osian watched in silence.

When Balud heard the news, he glanced at Osian, clicked his tongue, and sheathed his axe in his belt.

He gestured to his men and the men stiffened but moved in unison as they gathered themselves.

Even Ena Grundt, who had been watching them nervously, narrowed her eyes at the sudden change in mood.

Backing down? So suddenly?

Balud turned to Osian.

“You’re in luck.”

“What?”

“There’s been a change of plans. We’re giving up the witch. We’ll leave you alone.”

Osian narrowed his eyes.

“Giving up so suddenly. Something’s up.”

“I don’t think I need to tell you that.”

Osian was relieved to hear that he was backing down.

If he stalled out here fighting Balud, the pursuers would catch up to him in no time.

No. Maybe he’d heard the news, and that’s why he’d backed out.

But to give up the prey just because of a tracker?

Osian felt a twinge of disbelief.

For a man who had brought such a large force to fight the Holy Order of Petra, he gave up so easily.

Moreover, Balud’s expression as he retreated showed no sign of resentment toward the witch Ena.

Even more surprising, Balud and his men had left behind a jeep that Osian had been trying to capture.

“Why are they suddenly leaving, and why are they leaving the car behind? Are they telling us to get in and drive away?”

“It looks like it.”

“Why on earth would…….?”

“There is no need to turn down what has been given to you. Hurry up and get on board. We are leaving here too.”

Osian climbed into the vehicle with Ena.

He was glad he’d gotten a first-class normal in his previous life. At least he won’t be stuck here because he can’t drive.

With that, Osian stepped on the accelerator and pulled away with an indescribable sense of dread.

The vehicle sped out of Sadnafal and across the plains.

It wasn’t hard to find the way back. Using the railroad as a guidepost, he simply followed it.

Contrary to their fears, there were no tracks and no signs of disturbance.

“Uh, are we safe?”

Ena asked, relieved, but Osian didn’t answer.

If anything, the thought of being so safe made him feel even more uneasy and it didn’t take long to see why.

Osian immediately slammed on the brakes.

-Bam!

Ena yelped, nearly hitting her head on the windshield as the car came to a sudden stop.

She looked back at Osian with a questioning stare, then shut her mouth.

“What the hell are you looking at…….?”

Ena stared straight ahead, too, and kept her mouth shut.

A field of gold stretched out before them and in the center of the field, a gray-robed figure stood still, as if he had been waiting for them.

From beneath the pressed gray hood, they could feel its inorganic gaze, devoid of emotion.

“Monster…….”

Ena said, with a voice trembling.