Surviving game as a barbarian Episode 607

Commander (4)

There was a moment of silence after I made my suggestion.

During that time, Raven, who had been staring at me with a genuinely cold gaze, shook her head.

“Eh, even so, jumping straight into an experiment seems a bit reckless, don’t you think?”

“In the labyrinth, there are too many things you can’t know unless you try them yourself.”

“That may be true, but I’m quite fond of this item. If it ends up disappearing without being useful, I’ll regret it.”

If the owner of the Rift Stone says that, I have no room to argue.

Even if it triggers a hidden effect, it would still be problematic.

I’m planning to resume the expedition once the rainy season ends, and losing time would disrupt the schedule.

‘Besides, everyone’s already on edge from being trapped here for so long…’

So, the plan to activate the statue using the Rift Stone was put on hold.

“Well, I’ll be going then!”

After that, Raven left, saying she’d think about a name for the flower crown, and I was left alone in the tent.

My head was full of thoughts.

Not about the statue or the Rift Stone, though.

‘This really is too much of a coincidence.’

I couldn’t stop thinking about the crown’s effect that Raven had told me about.

After all, the item I got from killing the archbishop who had advanced to a Karui Priest had a mental immunity effect?

‘It’s practically tailor-made for that chapter…’

I kept thinking about the red portal I hadn’t been able to explore last time.

What was beyond it?

If I had this crown, maybe I could make it through next time and see it with my own eyes.

Not that I can go back and challenge it again right away.

‘There’s no way it’ll let me retry immediately’

The rift is already marked as cleared.

The guardian statues of the fifth floor and lower, which were the condition for opening the rift, no longer responded. No matter how much we touched them, the portal wouldn’t open.

For now, the only thing we could do was take the portal in the stone chamber and leave.

‘How long is the cooldown…?’

I had a feeling I wouldn’t find that out until after we left.

Maybe the moment I left and returned, I’d get another chance. Or perhaps we’d have to wait for the cooldown to reset entirely.

Given how mysterious this entire floor is, it’s not impossible that this was a one-time rift I’ll never be able to access again.

Shhhk.

After sitting alone in the empty tent for a long time, organizing my thoughts, I pulled out a bag from my subspace.

The bag the village chief had given me before entering the rift.

He said he’d left a notebook inside with all the answers to my questions.

So, once I finished handling my affairs, I read it all.

‘Seriously, was he going to die if he just outright told me everything?’

The more I read, the more mysterious the notebook became.

[If you sense a presence on the Library Island, leave for a day and come back. The disorganized bookshelves will have been neatly arranged by then.]

This must be about Hamsiki.

[If you find another dimensional portal, never show interest in it. Let me repeat, the exit you seek is only the one that was in our village.]

This probably refers to the dimensional portal on Giant Island.However, everything after these two is increasingly cryptic.

[If a sudden, massive shadow falls over you while exploring the Giant Island, never look up. Wait a moment, and the shadow will disappear. You’ll be able to continue your journey.]

“At the top of Tree Island, there is nothing. If you see or hear anything, put on a blindfold and earplugs, and hold your breath. Then you can safely pass.””

“If waves start to approach you during the rainy season, stop immediately and find shelter. Every island should have a hiding place. Except for the rock island where you first woke up, that one has none. Don’t go there.”

“The Golden Book won’t help you achieve your goal.”

“If you see a horse running through the sky during the dry season, don’t act rashly. As long as you don’t approach or attack first, there won’t be any problem.”

At this point, it felt less like providing information and more like spreading urban legends. But the last entry was relatively straightforward:

[If a dimensional collapse begins and the entire floor starts crumbling, head to the island where our village was. A portal to the surface will open.]

In the event of a dimensional collapse, it is possible to escape from the basement floor.

And from this, one thing became clear.

“Chief, it seems even he doesn’t know of another way out.”

Simply wait for the dimensional collapse.

That was the only escape method the chief knew.

That also explains why he didn’t try to escape with us and instead used the [Heretic Altar] to leave this floor on his own.

Even the chief didn’t know when I’d escape.

If I had to endure until a dimensional collapse occurred, who knew how long that would take…

‘There’s nothing about Rainbow Island.’

No matter how many times I reread the notebook or searched through the backpack the chief left, there was no mention of Rainbow Island.

But I have a feeling that it’s the key to escaping.

‘Did he leave it out on purpose? Or did he not know?’

There was no way for me to find out now.

It wasn’t like I could grab the chief by the collar and ask him. He is probably awake in the city now.

‘I’ll just have to go there myself.’

In the end, the only option was to continue exploring.

As an explorer should.

***

 

As soon as the rainy season ended, we escaped through the portal.

The stone gate towering in the middle of the sea. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the boat that we used to get here, so we had people fall straight into the ocean.

But…

‘Ugh, so troublesome.’

After some troublesome effort, all of our expedition members safely boarded the summoned ship. And in the process, we learned something new.’

The stone gate wasn’t always open.

“The gate is sinking into the sea!”

The moment the last member stepped out of the portal, the massive stone gate started to close and sink beneath the waves.

‘…So no immediate retry, huh.’

A bit disappointing, but I decided to wait for the next opportunity.

Unless it was a one-time event, the gate would resurface again once the cooldown period ended.

“Baron, we’re ready to depart.”

After watching the stone gate sink from the bow, I glanced around.

Three ships were floating around my boat in a protective barrier.

“Raise the flag!”

At my command, the boat began to move and a flag was hoisted atop the mast.

Life really is unpredictable.

When we first came here, we were the ones trailing behind those warships.

“Bjorn, are you hungry?”

“Ah, thanks.”

While chewing on the snacks Secretary Misha had prepared, Amelia approached me.

“…What’s that?”

“This? Snacks from the secretary.”

“…How long do you plan to keep up this ridiculous roleplay?”

Ouch.

Even I’d feel a little hurt hearing that.

“Are you upset because you don’t like your position as Chief Scout?”

For reference, the Chief Scout oversees personnel best suited for reconnaissance missions. It’s a newly made-up position I gave her as a founding contributor.

Sigh…

Amelia just shook her head and walked off to do her duties.

‘Nothing to do, huh…’

I spent some time patrolling, but there wasn’t much for me to intervene in. Eventually, I rested in my room or chatted with my comrades to pass the time.

And after some time…

“I’ll go alone for a bit.”

After finally arriving at Library Island, I got off the boat and went down to the Island.

The books that had been scattered were now neatly arranged. Even my footsteps echoed in the silence.

‘So quiet.’

I didn’t sense Hamsiki’s presence.

Maybe he’s sleeping at home?

“HAMSIIIKI—!!”

When I shouted loudly, a fluffy little creature cautiously poked its head out from between the bookshelves.

“Oh, you were there? Why aren’t you at home?”

[…You really have to ask!!]

Ah, right. We kind of destroyed his house before we left.

“…Sorry.”

[Hmph! So why are you here? And alone, at that.]

“Just came to see you. The others are waiting above, so come here.”

[…]

Maybe he was surprised by the sudden visit?

Hamsik looked around warily before stepping out.

[You… came to see me?]

“Yeah.”

[Why?]

Simple.

Because I saw him in the rift not long ago.

[My name isn’t some silly ‘Hamsik’—!]

The other Hamsiki I met in the cave. The one who didn’t even know who he was.

After meeting that ‘second Hamsiki’, I became convinced.

There’s a big secret hidden within this little guy.

Even if he doesn’t know it himself.

“Come on, do I need a reason to visit a friend?”

Instead of explaining my thoughts, I laughed it off and approached him.

Hamsiki, however, only looked more suspicious.

[Don’t lie!]

“…?”

[There’s no way you’d just come here for no reason! You have an ulterior motive!]

Man, he’s really been around people too long.

I miss the good ol’ innocent Hamsik.

I chuckled and finally got honest.

“Yeah, I do have a motive.”

[Ha! I knew i—]

“Hamsik. Come with me. Let’s leave this place together.”

[…What?]

He looked completely stunned, staring at me in disbelief.

I sighed, knowing this wouldn’t be easy.

[Leave…? What are you talking about?]

“Exactly what it sounds like. You’re just going to sit here forever organizing books. And without us, not even that.”

[…]

That must’ve struck a nerve. Hamsiki looked visibly displeased.

But change always requires a shock.

“You’ve been here long enough. It’s time to come with me.”

[…What would change if I left?]

“A lot.”

He didn’t seem convinced.

So I got more specific.

“You’ll get to see what’s out there. After all, you’ve been here this whole time and have no idea.”

[Not interested.]

“You’re not curious? The endless silver sea? Unknown islands?”

[Nope.]

Totally unexpected.

And he wasn’t bluffing—he really meant it.

“Then what about this? You lost your memory. You don’t even know who you are. Maybe if you come out, you’ll remember.”

[…How can you be sure?]

Heh, he hesitated. That caught his attention.

I answered confidently.

“What about you? Can you be sure there’s no chance?”

He was quiet for a long time before finally speaking.

[…That’s a stretch.]

Fair.

But I was certain of one thing.

“If you stay here forever, nothing will ever change.”

That’s been my life motto.

As they say, the first step is the hardest.

Zero and one may look similar at first, but over time, the gap becomes enormous.

But Hamsik still couldn’t take that first step.

‘I can tell—he just needs a little push…’

[Just answer me one thing.]

“…?”

[Why are you trying to take me out of here?]

Jeez, persistent.

I sighed and looked into the distance.

“…How can I just sit by and watch?”

[…]

“A friend just wasting away at home like that.”

That was my other reason for bringing Hamsiki.

Maybe I’d grown fond of him. But I couldn’t stop worrying about him.

His answer came only after a long silence.

[…I’ll go. I’ll follow you out.]

Apparently, telling him during our last visit that he could return whenever he changed his mind convinced him to come with me.

“Good choice.”

[……But my presence will cause problems. Others… find me terrifying.]

“You can just hide your appearance, right? Stay hidden in the cabin.”

[Then what’s the difference?]

“The place you’re hiding?”

[…….]

“You’ve lost your home anyway. The cabin has beds. Really plush ones.”

[…….]

“What’s there to hesitate about? The decision’s made—let’s go! No time to waste!”

Worried he might back out, I quickly led Hamshik out of the island.

And then…

“Tell everyone to stay inside for a while.”

After clearing the deck, I brought Hamsiki to my cabin without anyone seeing.

“How is it? Not bad, right? There’s even a window so you can see the sea.”

[Hmph. What’s so great about that? I’ve seen it plenty of times.]

“Oh, so you’ve come up here alone before? You acted like you didn’t care about the outside world.”

[…….]

“Anyway, I’ll be back later. I need to tell the others it’s safe to come out and prepare for departure.”

[Do whatever.]

After hiding Hamsiki in my room, I went out and restored the crew’s normal duties.

And then…

“Set sail!!”

Our journey resumed.

Our destination: the unknown Rainbow Island, about a month’s travel away.

Whoooosh—!

The four ships cut through the waves, advancing steadily.

“……Uh?”

But not long after setting sail, a commotion suddenly erupted on the deck.

When I went out to check, everyone was staring blankly at the sky.

“…A horse?”

“Right? It definitely looks like a horse, doesn’t it?”

……A horse?

I quickly looked up and saw a gleaming white, horse-like figure galloping across the sky.

I immediately pulled out the village chief’s cryptic notebook.

[If you see a horse running across the sky outside the rainy season, do not act rashly. As long as you don’t attack or approach, no problems will arise.]

I hadn’t expected to encounter it so soon.

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