Surviving game as a barbarian Episode 585

Though it was an absurdly long time ago, I still clearly remember it.

After awakening in the body of a barbarian, I entered the rift on the first floor — the Blood Tinted Castle.

There, I met Raven and Hikurod.

And where I fought the Vampire Duke, Cambormier, a Level 5 monster and the guardian of that rift. At that time, my body lacked even a single essence.

I still remember the conversation we had back then.

[How curious… truly curious…]

Even then, he looked at us and muttered the same words he had just said.

Though the lines that followed were quite different.

[“Looking at you makes my bloodlust boil uncontrollably. Do you happen to know why?”]

He was intelligent, capable of conversation.

That wasn’t strange.

Among high-ranking mutants, there were quite a few that could speak.

Of course, hearing such words from Cambormier was unprecedented at the time…

‘Back then, I just accepted it as it was.’

The Blood Tinted Castle was my first rift.

And Cambormier was my first major hunt.

So, I didn’t dwell too deeply on the issue.

But…

[“I cannot lose. I must not be defeated…!”]

The Knight of the Apocalypse, whom I met in the White Temple.

He was more desperate than any other monster I had faced.

[“If no one knows it’s a lie… then how is it any different from the truth?”]

The guardian of the fourth-floor rift, the Doppelganger, was no different. His final words were filled with desperation.

[“…Truly remarkable. To even faintly grasp the laws of this world.”]

Even the mysterious being I met in the reward chamber after defeating Dreadfear said something ominous:

[“You must not open the Gate of the Abyss.”]

And of course, there’s the Witch of the Earth, Elis Groundia. No need to even mention her.

The more floors I cleared, the more such beings I encountered, and the more questions I had.

What exactly is the Labryinth?

What were the Guardians and the Floor Lords?

And what lies beyond the Gate of the Abyss?

‘…Maybe.’

Maybe today, I could finally get closer to the answer.

The moment I faced the vampire, a sharp intuition struck the back of my mind.

“Hmm, do you not understand my words?”

His voice carried more curiosity than wariness.

Before that curiosity could fade, I cut off my thoughts and finally spoke.

“You’re right—we’ve met before. In the Blood Tinted Castle.”

“Blood Tinted Castle…”

The vampire quietly repeated the name before looking at me again and murmuring:

“Then I suppose it makes sense that I have no memory of it. By that time, I had already become…this.”

His response sent an inexplicable chill down my spine.

That faint suspicion in me grew stronger—because we were really having a proper conversation.

‘No signs of him suddenly snapping either.’

But since I didn’t know how long this would last, I hurried to continue the conversation.

“What do you mean by ‘this’?”

“You can see for yourself. This monstrous body.”

He probably just meant that he’d become a vampire. I was hoping for something more dramatic, like being trapped in a Labryinth or captured by a witch.

‘So… was this guy originally human too?’

I wanted to be sure about that, but unfortunately, the Mr. Vampire spoke first.

“So… where exactly is this place? And why am I here?”

Honestly, I had no idea how to answer.

“The last thing I remember is the Cambormere Duchy burning under the Three Gods’ Church’s assault.”

There was a wall between our conversation that couldn’t be explained by words alone.

It was like a person from the past encountering someone from the future, each attempting to communicate without understanding the other’s situation.

“…This is the labyrinth. I was exploring it when I found you.”

“The labyrinth…? What is that?”

Our common sense didn’t align, so the conversation kept skimming the surface.

So, I cautiously asked:

“Before I explain… could you tell me your story first?”

“My story…?”

“Anything is fine. I’m just curious about your last memories.”

“Hmm…”

The Mr. Vampire hesitated briefly before slowly speaking.

“The Three God’s Church’s army came to kill me. I lost that battle, closed my eyes praying for peace… and now I’ve awakened here.”

“…”

“The moment I opened my eyes, I saw you… and felt like I’d met you somewhere before. Ah, and the madness that tormented me so terribly… it’s gone. I can’t remember the last time my mind was this clear…”

“…I see.”

“Now, will you tell me? Where is this place you call the labyrinth?”

“Can I take a moment to organize my thoughts before answering?”

“By all means.”

With his permission, I quickly pieced together the clues—not just what he had told me, but also what I already knew.

[“The Dark Continent is a real place.”]

The information the clown had revealed at the Round Table after crossing the walls.

[“The Three God’s Church army came to kill me.”]

The Three God’s Church, which existed in our world and still thrived with influence…

It didn’t take long for me to reach a conclusion.

Well, it was still a speculation in the end.

The labyrinth was constructed based on real events and locations from the past.

And…

“Cambormere, don’t be startled, but listen carefully.”

“I’m listening.”

“First, the undeniable truth is that thousands of years have passed since your death.”

“…What do you mean? I’m clearly alive right now!”

From here on out, it was all my speculation.

“No, you’re already dead. And the you standing before me now… is likely a recreated existence.”

“…I can’t comprehend this at all.”

For the first time, hostility flickered in the vampire uncle’s eyes.

I had expected this reaction.

I mean, who wouldn’t react like that if a stranger suddenly told them, “You’re already dead”?

‘…Still, this method is tough.’

There had been an easier path.

I could have hidden the truth and fed him lies—things he might have wanted to hear. That way, I could have extracted information more smoothly.

But even knowing that, I chose to lay out my speculations honestly.

In a way, it was a very Barbarian-like reason.

I just didn’t want to do it that way.

It was time to move past such methods.

If I wanted to be someone who could express anger fairly when treated unfairly…

“Cambormere, calm down and listen. I’ll explain why I think that.”

Sometimes, you have to choose the harder path.

***

After that, I spent a long time explaining things to the Mr. Vampire.

What the Labryinth was.

What the modern world and cities looked like now, and how the world had changed.

What I’d seen and experienced while exploring the Labrinth. And finally… the circumstances of our first encounter.

Explaining all of it took far more time and effort than I’d imagined.

The Mr. Vampire struggled to understand the vast gap in common sense caused by thousands of years. At times, he outright rejected what I said in fury.

But…

“…Enough. I understand now. Why you said those things.”

Eventually, he raised the white flag.

But there was one question he couldn’t seem to let go of.

“There’s something I don’t understand.”

“…What is it? Tell me. I’ll explain as many times as it takes—”

“Why did you go to such lengths to tell me all this? If you’re right, then I’m nothing more than a created being. For all we know, today’s events may be erased from my memory—just as I forgot meeting you before.”

It wasn’t a question I expected—but I still answered honestly.

“…If I were you, I’d still want to know the truth.”

“……”

“That’s why I told you. I figured if I was honest with you first, maybe I could get your help in return.”

“I see…”

The Mr. Vampire seemed to think deeply for a while, and then finally spoke.

“Then tell me—how can I help you?”

The line I’d been waiting for.

I took a deep breath and replied,

“Cambormere, I want to know about you.”

“About… me?”

“Yeah. How you lived. What kind of world did you live in? What you went through to become like this. Just like I told you everything—I want to hear it all.”

The Mr. Vampire looked surprised at first, as if hearing something unexpected. But soon, he nodded solemnly.

“I’ll tell you. Though it feels strange to speak of my life to a stranger… if what you said is true, then I’m just a puppet anyway, aren’t I? In that case… it might be better to be remembered by someone.”

“……”

“Still, it feels strange to suddenly talk about my life. Well, where should I begin… Ah, I suppose it’s best to start there.”

“…”

“I had a daughter.”

And so, his story began.

The estimated time was before the Witch’s Curse had engulfed the world.

“It was an age of chaos. The Witch’s followers and the Empire’s armies clashed endlessly, spilling blood day after day.”

The story of humans fighting the Witch was a part of history I knew well.

But the story that he told me held far greater significance.

After all, records from that era were nearly lost to time.

“Our Cambormere family, a duchy from a remote minor kingdom, remained relatively untouched by the war. We took no side—neither with the Witch nor the Empire—and waited quietly for the conflict to end.”

Until one day…

“My only daughter fell ill.”

It was a vicious disease—one that neither potions nor the divine power of high priests could cure. Day by day, her life force dwindled, and the Duke could not stand idly by.

“I would have given my soul for her without hesitation.”

After desperate searching, the Duke eventually reached out even to the Witch’s followers. And they proposed a way to save his daughter.

“Later, I learned they weren’t really the Witch’s followers. They served the evil god Karui and sought to plunge the world into chaos.”

But unaware of this, the Duke accepted their offer. He had heard countless stories of people cured after becoming the Witch’s followers, and the Empire had done more than enough evil to deserve such judgment.

The Duke viewed the Witch neutrally.

“That was the beginning of all misfortune.”

The priests of Karui healed the daughter using bizarre methods. Every day, screams came from her room.

There were days she begged him to stop, but the Duke turned a blind eye, insisting it was for her sake.

And so, time passed…

“My daughter rose from her sickbed.”

She had regained her health, and the priests of the Evil God left.

At first, the Duke was overjoyed that his life had returned to normal, but that happiness didn’t last long.

The Duke spoke calmly.

“She started to swell.”

His daughter began to swell, as though her entire body were filling with pus.

“When her wounds burst and bled, everything around her corroded and melted. She also lost her reason, becoming violent.”

 

The duke locked her in an underground prison.

There was no other choice.

If word spread that his daughter had become like this, neither the Cambormere Ducal House nor his daughter would survive.

His plan was to hide her while searching for a cure.

“But the problem was… she refused to eat.”

No matter what delicacies were brought to her, no matter how forcefully she was fed, she rejected everything.

“I could feel her dying day by day. She grew too weak to even open her eyes. Checking her pulse, I could tell her heart was failing.”

The Duke was powerless.

Then, one day, as he helplessly watched her wither away—

“…One of the knights was killed while bringing her food. She attacked him.”

“…”

“And then… she ate.”

There was no need to ask what she had eaten.

“That girl, who once recoiled at even a fly… was eating. Ravenously.”

The Duke fainted at the sight, but from that day on, his daughter regained her strength.

Desperate for time to find a solution, the duke began feeding her criminals.

But the more she ate, the larger she grew.

The Underground Prison could no longer contain her, so he moved her to an underground reservoir.

Her appetite increased beyond what the criminals could satisfy, forcing the duke to frame innocents to feed her.

“The man I once was would never have made such foolish choices. But… the followers of the Evil God had done something to me as well.”

The Duke’s rational mind had eroded.

Violence stirred within him, and his sense of guilt faded.

Episodes of madness came and went.

The change wasn’t just mental—it was physical.

Fangs grew.

His sense of smell sharpened.

He drooled at the scent of blood.

He could wield dark magic without ever having learned it, and his altered body moved as naturally as a butterfly fluttering its wings.

Procuring food for his daughter became easier.

After that, people began disappearing more frequently, and as his loyal servants abandoned him one by one due to his brutality, his home came to be known as the Blood Tinted Castle.

 

Naturally, word reached the Empire and the Three God’s Church, who were at war with the witch.

“What happened next is what I told you earlier. The army came and defeated me.”

Once consumed by cruelty, he constructed a secret chamber deep below his castle for his dark pursuits. There, a holy knight’s blade pierced his heart.

“It’s laughable, but… I prayed.”

Facing death, the Duke prayed.

Not to the gods of the Three God’s Church, who would never forgive him.

“I called the Witch—the enemy of mankind—my goddess and begged for salvation. Not for myself, but for my daughter. I prayed over and over. When I opened my eyes, I was here.”

Then it struck me—maybe, from the Duke’s perspective, all of that had happened just moments ago.

But how could he speak about it all so calmly?

When I carefully asked, the Duke shook his head, saying he didn’t know himself.

“I can’t say for sure… but it feels like an incredibly long time has passed. If what you say is true, then I suppose it really has been ages…”

I had nothing to say in response, so I just listened in silence. Then the old man looked at me and asked,

“Do you realize? The truth you shared with me today was truly cruel.”

I understand well enough.

I thought it—but didn’t say it aloud.

Because, in truth, I couldn’t possibly understand enough. Hearing his story only deepened that feeling.

“But…”

The vampire spoke again.

“Still, I thank you. For telling me honestly”

“…”

“Because of you, I won’t be chasing empty dreams.”

It was an incredibly strange feeling.

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