Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 795

Skull Island (2)

The hidden piece of Skull Island is very simple.

If you keep roaming the map and continue hunting, you can encounter a monster called the “Key Keeper” at a very low probability. It’s like a mid-boss, but not particularly strong, barely a level four creature, though its attack power alone was closer to that of a strong level five.

If you cast the ‘Distortion’ spell on this creature, hunt it down and obtain the ‘Key’, you can open the cave at the centre of the island.

And then…

‘If you clear everything and go all the way to the end, the boss room appears.’

Inside the inner chamber waited what was considered Skull Island’s “boss,” and it wasn’t an easy fight. Although it was only a level 3 monster, the boss room allowed entry to just one team at a time, so launching a full expedition-scale raid was impossible.

‘And its patterns are quite tricky.’

Back in my early days with Ghost Busters, I sold information about Skull Island, specifically the strategy for defeating this boss.

‘Did she manage to defeat it… that woman…?’

Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever saw her nickname again after that time, not on the forums, not in the Q&A section, nowhere.

Well, it’s not something I should be worried about right now.

“Mr. Jandel, are you sure this is okay?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“This situation. You were certain we’d get into the cave first, yet we haven’t even spotted the key.”

Ah, that?

“Yeah, it was disappointing. We hadn’t run into the monster even once in two days. Still, I just said, ‘Give it time. We’ll be the ones going in first.’”

From the start, I had no intention of following the standard strategy.

Think about it.

Against a group of ninety people, what are the chances that just twelve of us could roam the island and find the key before them?

My confidence came from something else.

On this island, there is a guaranteed way to find the key—

“Phew, finally found it.”

My luck was terrible. We had spent two days searching the island before it finally showed up. Honestly, I was starting to get a little uneasy with how long it took. Still, as bad as my luck was, the other side seemed even worse off. The cave door was still unopened.

Crunch, crunch.

I stepped forward, crushing bone fragments beneath my feet.

This was a geographical feature of Skull Island. The entire surface of the island was covered in all kinds of bones, both human and monster.

The important thing here is…

‘There’s a special skeleton among them.’

Like this one.

I approached the skeleton I had been searching for and looked down at it. It was so big that it resembled a boulder more than a skull.

However, on this island, that size wasn’t unusual, so it didn’t particularly stand out.

‘Two horns and a square jaw.’

Once I confirmed all the characteristics, I raised my hammer. Just then, Raven spoke up.

“This skull… I think it’s the Keykeeper?”

“Huh?” I muttered, slightly taken aback. “That doesn’t resemble it at all.”

“No, it does. I happen to have an anatomical chart…”

“Why do you even carry something like that?”

“I did some research when I heard we might go to Skull Island. Anyway, look! Doesn’t it look similar?”

“…It does look similar.”

“Could it be that other explorers hunted it with Distortion and then left it behind? This floor doesn’t reset every time the labyrinth opens and closes like the others, right?”

Hmm, maybe…

It’s true that the sixth floor doesn’t reset, so that’s possible…

But then, shouldn’t there be multiple skeletons like this scattered around the island? Why was there always only one? As an explorer living in this world, I began to feel curious about it.

“But I don’t really care.”

I brushed it off with a player’s mindset.

After all…

Gamers don’t try to understand phenomena.

They simply use them.

Just like now.

There was only one thing that mattered to me.

Crack!

‘If you destroy a skeleton of a specific shape at the center of Skull Island, you can obtain a key.’

That was all.

“Beleg, lead the way to the cave.”

After obtaining the key, we quickly headed toward the center of the island. Raven noticed me chuckling along the way and asked, “What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“Nothing.”

I wondered what kind of face that ‘Golden Ghost’ guy would make when I showed up with the key.

***

When we arrived at the cave entrance, it was almost empty, except for one team who appeared to be on lookout duty. They tilted their heads when they saw us approaching, but their expressions turned flustered when they realized we were heading straight for the entrance.

“D-did you perhaps obtain the key?”

“Yes. So?”

“Move.”

“W-wait! Could you wait just a moment?”

As I continued forward as if I were about to use the key and enter the cave, the makeshift guards rushed to stop me in a panic. I had expected something like this, but I still frowned as if caught off guard.

“Why should I wait? You haven’t obtained the key yet, but I have. That means we have the right to challenge the cave first. That was the agreement, wasn’t it?”

“Y-yes, that’s correct! You’re absolutely right! But… just a moment! Could you perhaps meet our commander and talk to him?”

“Hmm… I’ll give you 10 minutes.”

“…Ten minutes?”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

“N-no, of course not! Thank you for the opportunity!”

As soon as the conversation ended, the fastest-looking member ran of their team sprinted off somewhere.

Before long, the Golden Ghost showed up, seemingly summoned by the report. It took him about eight minutes to arrive.

It looked like he had been waiting in the area, not hunting, but simply ordering people around.

While it wasn’t my place to question how a captain should command his people, I preferred to work alongside my team on the ground.

“I heard the situation. Thank you for waiting. You obtained the key?”

“Yes. Planning to stop me?”

I spoke sharply, but Golden Ghost shook his head.

“Of course not. I simply wanted to propose a deal. Thank you again for giving me the chance.”

What a funny guy.

I hadn’t even agreed to hear him out yet, and he was already thanking me.

“Enough. Speak. Time is passing. As you know, time is money in the labyrinth.”

“Yes. Then I’ll get straight to the point. How much do you want?”

“…Are you asking for the key?”

“No. We obtained a key 30 minutes ago, so we don’t need yours. We simply want to buy the right to challenge it first. It goes without saying that if we fail, you may challenge it next.”

Is that why he’s known as the ‘Golden Ghost’? The moment his plan failed, he started talking about money.

“But you and I both know, don’t we? Whoever goes first is going to succeed.”

“Which is why—could you tell me your price?”

“Why do you keep asking me to name an amount?”

“I need to know.”

“What, if I say ten billion stones, will you pay?”

Hah, that shut him up.

“Just be blunt. Tell me the maximum amount you can give. Then I’ll listen and consider it. I’m warning you now: don’t try to negotiate by increasing the amount little by little. I hate tedious things.”

“………How does 400 million stones sound?”

“Just selling the boss’s essence would fetch five hundred million.”

“But there’s no guarantee that the essence will drop.”

Hmm, that’s true. Honestly, if it were me, I would never pay that much to enter the cave. If the essence doesn’t drop from the boss, it’s guaranteed to be a loss.

‘Still, it feels like he gave his maximum.’

It seemed he had signalled to his clan members, who gradually began to gather while we spoke.

“So, what will you do?”

I pretended to think for a moment before answering.

“I’ll accept the deal.”

“Oh, a wise cho—”

“On one condition. Hand over Abman Urikfrit to us.”

Golden Ghost’s expression changed instantly.

“I am aware of the connection between the two of you… It seems you’re still quite close?”

“In the labyrinth, people you can trust are rare.”

“Haha, very true.”

“So? Your answer?”

“I refuse. As you said, trustworthy people are rare in the labyrinth.”

Hah, trust?

And yet he let Mr. Bear be treated like that within his clan?

I felt like smashing his smug face, but as a civilized man from the modern world, I held myself back.

He continued speaking anyway.

“Moreover, someone like Mr. Urikfrit, who is willing to sacrifice himself for the group, is even rarer.”

This bastard…

That was a threat, wasn’t it? Saying he’d keep sending Mr. Bear into dangerous situations and work him to the bone.

“Ha…”

With superhuman patience, I held it in once more and replied,

“Fine. Then forget the money. Just give us Abman.”

“I’m afraid that’s difficult as well.”

“…What?”

“Considering how much he owes us, it wouldn’t be worth it.”

How much did he borrow for it to exceed a 400 million deal?

I had no idea, but the negotiation ended there.

“Then we’ll pay the difference—”

“No. We will not be breaking our contract with Mr. Urikfrit.”

“…Then go ahead and enter first, my lord.”

As if he had no regrets whatsoever, no, as if he was actually pleased. The Golden Ghost turned his back without hesitation.

Watching him, I clenched my teeth.

[Open the cave before the Golden Tree Clan.]

Although the main quest had been completed…

[Rescue Mr. Bear from the corrupt clan.]

…the side-quest had failed.

****

The cave entrance, formed from a giant skull, looked like something straight out of a Jurassic Park theme park.

We stepped through the skull’s gaping jaws and found a single steel door with a keyhole.

[Grrrrraaaaaaaah!]

As I inserted the key and turned it clockwise, a sinister, oppressive roar echoed across the entire island.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going in?”

I turned my head and met the Golden Ghost’s gaze. He had been watching me as I examined the entrance.

‘…Is he smiling?’

Really, everything about that guy was unsettling.

I couldn’t even tell what he was thinking.

“Mr. Jandel?”

…Right. For now, clearing the main quest came first.

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