Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 256

Open World (5)

The Ruin Scholar’s signature flame magic was as vicious as his reputation.

Despite the massive manpower gathered from all corners of the city, the best they could do was stop the flames from spreading further.

It took the combined magic of the seven school masters to finally subdue the fire.

Swoooosh!

Rain poured down as if a hole had opened in the sky.

“Waaaaah!”

Some cheered as they watched the flames lose their power and die out. Others quietly sighed in relief, while some, too exhausted to even cheer, collapsed to the ground.

As for me, I was among the latter group.

“…Damn it.”

Finally, it was over.

My body, heated to a boil, quickly cooled down, and with it, the tension released. 

I fell to the ground and lay there.

And immediately regretted it.

Sigh.

The lukewarm ground, mixed with ash and rainwater, felt sticky. It was an environment that would make anyone uncomfortable.

Still, I was too tired to get up.

I closed my eyes. How long had I been lying there?

“Whoa, you scared me! I thought you were hurt!”

When I opened my eyes, Raven was looking down at me.

“…But you’re not actually hurt, right?”

“Just tired and resting, so leave me be.”

“If you’re going to rest, you should go back and properly wash—”

“Later.”

“Alright. You’ve been through a lot…”

After lying there for a few more minutes, I got up. The rain water had reached my ears by then.

Looks like drainage here is poor.

“…You’re a mess too.”

“You’re not one to talk, Mr. Jandel.”

We trudged toward the intact part of the city, covered in blackened ash water.

Everywhere, people could be seen. Some were frantically searching for someone they lost, while others were digging through the debris, hoping to find survivors.

All of them were in a state similar to ours.

“What time is it now?”

“Almost noon.”

June 2nd, noon… How ironic.

Usually only explorers look like this at this time of day.

“The rain’s stopping.”

The mages must have lifted their spell, for the dark clouds that had filled the sky parted and a warm beam of light began to shine through.

At the same time…

“Bjorn!!”

From a distance, I saw Misha. 

Aynar and Erwin were with her.

They must have heard the news in the night and come here too.

Judging by their appearance, they had also fought the fire all night long.

“…You’re not hurt, are you?”

I worried I’d get scolded, but Misha didn’t say much because of the people nearby.

“Sir Jandel…!”

Among the few survivors I had rescued the previous night, a few called out to me.

I was sure she probably couldn’t ask why I did it in front of these people.

“Why are you still here? Why haven’t you gone to rest?”

When I asked in disbelief, they stammered their thanks and left.

What? Were they waiting just to say those few words?

‘If that’s the case, don’t be afraid of my noble status.’

I chuckled and continued walking.

Soon, we reached the intact eastern district.

We found a place nearby.

There was no way we could take a carriage home in this state.

It would take hours to get home anyway, and I wanted to rest.

‘I wonder how much a night at Carnon will cost….’

Being the capital, it was likely more expensive than the commercial district of Commelby, but today, the cost didn’t matter.

Because it was free.

“The manager has instructed us not to charge anyone for today.”

All nearby lodgings were offering free rooms to the city’s residents and explorers who had helped fight the fire.

“Before you go up, please sign here…Uh Baron Bjorn Jandel…?!”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Thank you for your efforts. The city is grateful.”

Whether it was because of my noble title or my reputation, I wasn’t sure.

However, the receptionist assigned me the largest available room.

Elsewhere, a dozen people were sharing a single room.

With one living room, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms, the five of us had plenty of space.

“You can use one of the bathrooms first, Bjorn. We’ll take turns with the others.”

“Thanks.”

I didn’t decline my teammates’ consideration and took a quick shower. Despite hurrying, it took about an hour.

‘I’ll clean and return the borrowed gear later…’

I gathered my gear in one corner of the room and lay down on the bed.

The bed was plush, befitting a room in Carnon.

Fatigue overwhelmed me.

‘I wonder what happened in the labyrinth? Did the army win? I’m curious…’

But that could wait until tomorrow.

With that last thought, I fell asleep, waking up the next morning.

“…The army is back!!”

The royal army, which had gone underground, had returned.

It left me feeling conflicted.

‘What on earth happened down there?’

From my window, I watched them march towards the royal palace. There was no sign of battle on them.

In the dark underground, where no light penetrated.

Tens of thousands of people were walking in lines, relying on torches.

All of them were from Noark…

“This way.”

At the very front, an enigmatic old man led the way, followed by the city lord, who was trailing him closely.

“My lord, this person is unknown to us. Even now, we should head elsewhere…”

“Watch your words. He’s our only hope right now.”

“But how can he know of these hidden paths we’ve never seen? It’s too suspicious. What if he’s a royal spy—”

“Enough.”

The lord cut off his subordinate firmly.

He understood the suspicion towards the old man and the palpable fear.

But a royal spy? That was too far-fetched.

If not for this old man, they would have already perished along with the city of Noark.

“We have no other choice. Trust him.”

The lord murmured helplessly, recalling the events from earlier.

[My lord, the royal army has invaded!]

The army had stormed in just past midnight.

It was the exact moment when Raphdonia’s forces had entered the labyrinth.

The royal army shattered the protective barrier that had guarded the city and began their advance.

[Evacuate all civilians to the refuge.]

Though momentarily stunned, the lord led everyone to the shelter beneath the fortress.

A shelter that could accommodate thousands, built by the royal family in the distant past.

The fortress of Noark had once functioned as a royal castle.

When the witch’s curse threatened to destroy the world, humanity gathered from across the continent to build cities underground, extending protective barriers until they could safely return above ground.

That’s also why the labyrinth portal to the underground exists.

[Yes, they’ve taken position at the plaza and are not moving. It seems they are waiting for the portal to open.]

Thankfully, the royal army showed little interest in those hiding in the refuge.

It made sense. Once the portal opened, the Noark explorers would emerge.

The royal army’s priority was to deal with the explorers first.

Destroying the refuge could wait.

[Send a message to the surface.]

In the end, the lord requested support from the surface, and the Ruin Scholar drew attention by setting the capital ablaze.

But…

[Those damned bastards.]

The army didn’t return to the city.

Even the Ruin Scholar, their last hope, had gone silent at some point.

Time kept ticking away…

[11:41]

With only 20 minutes left before the portal opened and the forces that had been sent into the labyrinth returned.

[Listen up.]

The lord of Noark, cornered, gave orders to his remaining troops.

Uncertain of how many would die, but judging it as the only path with a slight chance of survival.

[Open the gates!!]

Just before noon, the lord led his remaining troops out of the refuge and charged toward the waiting army in the square.

Seeing it first hand was even more disheartening.

[…]

Thousands of knights and even more soldiers.

Mages and priests were positioned everywhere.

But retreat was not an option.

[The portal is opening!!]

[Prepare yourselves!!]

As the portal in the center of the plaza began to glow blue and spit out explorers, the scene erupted into chaos.

[What the hell?!]

[The royal army!]

[Dammit! No wonder there was no one inside!]

Though shocked by the royal army’s presence, the noark explorers quickly grasped the situation, having sensed something was amiss even within the labyrinth.

[What are you doing?! Do you want to die here?!]

[Draw your swords, damn it!]

The explorers drew their weapons and prepared to fight, while the lord’s troops engaged the army from the outskirts, trying to draw attention away.

His only command was clear.

[Escape! To the surface!]

The best plan he could devise in such dire circumstances.

Every man for himself.

Survive even a little to fight another day.

But was he noticed?

[So this is the face of the insolent rebel leader. I am surprised, you look more normal than I thought].

Soon, a knight stood before him.

The knight’s sword, gleaming with aura, spoke for itself.

[The Knight of Light…!]

Jerome Saintred, First Captain of the Royal Knights.

A protector of the royal family, a significant figure in the kingdom.

[Do not worry. You won’t die here. Just to make sure, I’ll cut off your limbs first and then take you alive.]

The Knight of Light swung his sword.

The lord, who had barely reached the fifth floor as an explorer in his twenties,  couldn’t even see it coming.

Whoosh-!

A flash of light followed the sword’s path, blinding his vision.

But then…

Flash-!

As the momentary flash faded and he opened his eyes.

“…?”

Nothing happened to the lord.

His arms moved, and his legs were still attached to the ground.

What was going on?

At that moment.

[You still have a task to complete.]

An old man appeared dozens of meters above.

The surrounding battle had stopped.

Not by choice.

The Knight of Light, with his sword aimed at the lord’s neck, trembled as no one could harm another.

As if it was the rule of this space.

[Now that everyone is here, let us go.]

With a gesture, the old man caused a huge magic circle to light up on the ground.

A profound magic felt for the first time.

[It still works well, thankfully.]

With the old man’s mumbling, everything blurred.

And then…

Flash-!

When the lord came to his senses, he was in a dark underground passage.

He wasn’t alone.

Everyone from Noark’s side was there…

[What have you done!]

[Mass teleportation? It’s impossible to move so many people at once…]

A few knights had also been brought along.

[There seems to have been some errors due to the large number moved at once. I didn’t bring them intentionally, so go ahead and kill them.]

The lord, as if enchanted, followed the old man’s instructions and ordered the knights to be killed. He then followed the old man, who began to walk with a meaningful smile.

Time passed, and now.

“Are you who I think you are, sir?”

The lord was pulled from his thoughts by a man’s voice.

Surprisingly, the man, the leader of the Orcules, spoke to the old man with respect.

“If you have no doubts, there are no answers.”

“You mean I should figure it out myself. Understood.”

The leader, who had often clashed with Noark’s forces, bowed his head and stepped back.

That sight was peculiar.

The lord’s curiosity about the old man grew.

‘Who is he?’

He considered asking the leader.

But…

‘He wouldn’t tell me easily.’

Instead of questioning the leader, the lord approached the old man. He then actively started a conversation that he had been reluctant to have earlier.

Surprisingly, the old man was very friendly.

“Ah, the teleportation? It was just the power of the ancient magic circle in the city, so don’t think it’s too impressive. Temporarily stopping the battle was the same. Noark is well-designed that way.”

“I didn’t know such a thing existed…”

“Haha, it would be strange if you knew, so don’t be discouraged. Is that all you’re curious about?”

The lord asked the old man various questions, and the old man answered everything except their destination.

After some time.

“We’re here.”

The narrow passage widened into a sloped path.

And then…

“What is this place…”

They emerged outside.

It was a sight the lord had never seen before.

Sunlight, forests, flowing streams, chirping birds, and earthworms wriggling on the moist ground.

But most importantly…

“There are no walls…?”

No walls to be seen anywhere.

This meant they were not inside the Last Bastion, Raphdonia.

“Where are we…?”

The lord muttered in disbelief as he returned to the old man. He saw the old man smiling under his hood.

“Congratulations. You will be recorded as the first people in thousands of years to step outside the city.”

In the year 154 of the new era, June 2nd.

The age of being confined by walls ended, and a new world opened.

See you on Monday! By the way, you can join here and binge-read all my advanced chapters, with new updates every day. Your support is the only way to keep the website running, so please consider supporting if you can. Thank you! 🙂