Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 150

Barbarian Chief(2)

Rotmiller is different from Misha and the dwarf.

True to his role as a scout, he is attentive, quick-witted, and has risen from the bottom through thick and thin.

Sigh, but I didn’t expect him to be so blunt, though.

‘…It’s my karma, so I have to deal with it.’

The immediate option that comes to mind is one.

Admitting that I am an evil spirit and appealing to emotion is pointless, so the only option left is to feign outrage and bash his head in.

However…

‘Something doesn’t quite add up.’

It’s not just my emotion clouding my judgment.

I know Rotmiller well. If he truly believed I was an evil spirit, he wouldn’t be engaging in this conversation with me.

He’s more like a herbivore, if anything.

Simply put, it means Rotmiller himself is not convinced by his own question.

Plus, I didn’t sense any malice from him.

I quickly decided on my position.

‘It seems best to deny while observing the situation.’

Of course, I have no intention of pleading and begging him to believe me.

That’s not the way of a true barbarian.

After about 3 seconds of silence, I spoke coldly.

“Rotmiller, I hope there’s another reason for you to insult me.”

As if to say, because you are my precious comrade, I’ll restrain myself and ask for your reasons. Technically, it wasn’t a lie.

If it weren’t for Rotmiller, my fist would have been flying towards his head long ago.

However, the man just smirked.

“You know, I would have thought you were really angry. That is, if I hadn’t got to know you so well.

“What?”

“Oaths, honor. You’re not the type to be bound by such formalities. Nor are you one to be easily swayed by emotions.”

Trying to push through with an act wouldn’t work on Rotmiller, who knew me too well. Even the cheat-like warrior’s oath wouldn’t work on him.

So, I slightly shifted my position.

“…Even a comrade would be upset hearing such a thing.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Rotmiller shrugged and downed the remaining drink.

The mood was much softer than before.

“But you are quite exceptional.”

Rotmiller continued.

A barbarian who reads books.

A barbarian not drowned in emotions.

A pragmatic barbarian who always values practicality over honor. These were points most would gloss over with the word ‘exceptional.’

Except for one.

A barbarian with knowledge impossible for a warrior of less than a year to possess.

“That time, in the maze, you said you received a divine revelation.”

After returning to the Sky Tower, I told my curious comrades that I had received a revelation from the ancestral god Bethel.

After all, gods do exist in this world.

Misha and the dwarf just accepted it as it was.

Rotmiller didn’t say much either, so I thought I had successfully navigated through that situation.

But…

“Who would really believe such a thing? I couldn’t either. That’s why I thought you might be an evil spirit.”

Ah, so he had been thinking like that behind the scenes.

If he were to assume I was an evil spirit, everything would indeed make sense.

Originally, that was the truth.

Yet, the situation turned out to be remarkably positive.

“So, you mean you no longer think that way?”

At my question, Rotmiller nodded without hesitation and added.

“In the books I’ve read, evil spirits are described as beings that regard all humans as mere puppets. But you were not like that.”

Valuing honor less, yet advising and leading young warriors with enough care.

Feeling loss and anger at a comrade’s death.

Acts a typical evil spirit would never perform.

Without any need for a clumsy excuse, the path I walked served as a shield protecting me.

Well, it seemed like another aspect had completely dispelled Rotmiller’s doubts.

“Besides, didn’t the Star Goddess bestow a divine revelation upon you? I saw it with my own eyes, how could I doubt you?”

The divine revelation from the Star Goddess Leatlas.

Even though I complained about the vine breaking in a day, it turned out to be a masterstroke.

“Thanks to you, I realized how narrow-minded I was. Thinking you were an evil spirit was because I saw you through the eyes of a fool.”

No, you saw me through the right eyes…….

I listened to Rotmiller’s last words, suppressing my squirming conscience.

“There are indeed those who are particularly loved by the gods in this world. And history has called them heroes.”

“…That’s an exaggeration.”

“Ha, I knew you’d say that. You tend to undervalue yourself. But at least I sincerely believe so.”

Out of the blue, I was bombarded with praises from Rotmiller and found myself at a loss for words.

Admitting to it also felt ridiculous.

Pushing aside my awkwardness, I finally asked a question that had been on my mind.

“Why did you bring that up?”

Rotmiller doesn’t think of me as an evil spirit.

Maybe he did in the past, but not anymore.

So why would he throw such a straightforward question about being an evil spirit?

The answer was completely unexpected.

“I wanted to give you a warning, as well as advice.”

“Warning and advice?”

“Yes, you’re wise but naïve in this regard. Even if you trust your colleagues, there’s a need to hide yourself.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You’re about to form a new team, aren’t you? Your uniqueness will inevitably stand out like a sore thumb. Perhaps someone like me will come along and judge you.”

Rotmiller said.

Since you can’t talk about the revelation, you should hide yourself as much as possible.

This could prevent potential troubles.

“As someone who has lived an ordinary life, I really wanted to give you this advice.”

“…I see. Thank you. I’ll always remember the advice you’ve given me.”

“Well, I’ve spoken longer than intended. Let’s end here for today. I will carry Murad.”

And so, the last gathering of Team Halfling came to an end.

Unlike usual, we parted ways without promising to meet again.

“I hope your path is filled with light.”

Team Halfling.

I really gained a lot from here.

***

The conversation with Rotmiller was enlightening.

Not just because of the advice he gave, but the situation itself instilled a sense of alertness in me.

Even though things went smoothly this time…

‘It could happen again’

There’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.

So I thought to myself.

What if a colleague, someone I’m fond of, is convinced I’m an evil spirit.

And if they even have evidence of it…

What should I do then?

“…”

I didn’t say the answer out loud.

Because, it wouldn’t change anything.

I would choose to survive, even if it meant becoming a terrible person.

‘…I need to be more careful.’

I decided to be more careful with my actions to prevent that tragedy.

Just like when I first fell into this strange world.

Thinking that I can only trust myself, I decided to calculate and move more meticulously.

Because that’s the right thing to do if I truly care about my teammates

“Nyah, Bjorn, what are you thinking about?”

“Nothing much.”

“Did I say something weird when I was drunk yesterday, Nyah…?”

The morning after the last dinner of Team Halfling , I went out with Misha to the temple.

It wasn’t necessary to go together, but…

We had to stop by Commelby later anyway.

“Good to see you again. Do you have any concerns?”

As soon as we arrived at the temple, we called for Krovitz.

The young paladin, in his early thirties, gave me a questioning look at my return visit after only two days.

I got straight to the point.

“It’s not a concern, but I have a request.”

“A request… Let’s hear it.”

The Dragon Slayer Sword, or rather, the Dragon Sword, is a precious treasure, but having it is more trouble than it’s worth.

“The star that rises at twilight shall guide us. It will be very good news for them.”

Was it for the greater good?

Krovitz readily agreed and said he would arrange a meeting with them.

For me, it was a relief.

Meeting with the dragon tribe’s leader as a rank 6 barbarian was daunting enough…

‘Through the temple, they probably won’t try to undercut the reward or outright try to seize it.’

“Once a date is set, I will send a notice to the address you’ve provided.”

“Thanks for your help.”

Okay, that matter was settled.

I left the temple with Misha and boarded a carriage headed to the Commelby district.

As soon as we arrived, we headed to the central exchange.

For a simple reason.

‘I need to upgrade my soul engraving first.’

If it becomes known that I’ve received a revelation, there’s a chance I could be expelled from the tribe.

So, I need to reach level 6 before that.

From level 6, you need not just money but also materials.

“Are you here to register an item for consignment sale?”

“I’m here to look for an item.”

I said, handing a pre-filled paperwork to the employee.

The Immortal Heart.

An extremely rare material that can be obtained from the by-products of trolls obtained through ‘distortion’ magic.

It’s expensive, but if you have enough money, it’s worth it. Even those who specialize in hunting trolls will only get it once every few months.

“There is 1 item that meets your criteria. Would you like to check the information?”

The search fee was 3,000 stones, and the final product price was 18 million stones.

Phew, that’s a million stones higher than last time.

“…I’ll purchase it.”

Though slightly regretful, I coolly made the purchase.

There’s only one of this item on the entire exchange. So, If it sells, who knows when another will come in.

‘If level 6 is like this, from level 7 onwards, I might as well assume I have to obtain it directly.’

With that thought in mind, I arrived at the warehouse, checked the item for defects, and picked it up.

That concluded my goal for today.

Next, it was Misha’s turn.

“Let’s change your sword this time.”

“Nyah, so this is why you brought me along?”

Misha looked at me as if to say, “Why do you get to decide that?” but she didn’t protest.

It wasn’t strange.

She must have been feeling the limits of steel by now.

“Our goal with the new team is to reach the 6th floor, so don’t think about saving money.”

“…If I find something I like, Nyah.”

Taking Misha’s opinion into consideration, we looked for a suitable weapon.

It took longer than expected.

We agreed on purchasing a tier 3 alloy longsword made from a mix of mithril and steel, but choosing the design was the issue.

“I’m telling you, it’s not about choosing the pretty one!”

“Yeah, let’s go with that. Anyway, just choose already. I think this one looks good.”

Despite grumbling, Misha carefully chose her sword.

I was quite surprised to learn that she could recite the names of famous blacksmiths while talking about things like weight distribution and reach.

Well, She’s an explorer too.

“Nyah, never thought I’d be using a sword that costs 12 million stones…”

“Could’ve saved 4 million stones if we skipped the magic enchantment.”

“But if we’re buying, we might as well get the best! It’s for a lifetime, Nyah!”

After receiving the item from the storage, Misha hugged the sword like a baby.

And muttered as if making a promise.

“Nyah, I really need to save the rest of my money…”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Why save? Leave only the money you need, and spend the rest on ‘Beast’s Blood.'”

“Huh?”

If barbarians have Soul Engravings, beast tribes have Spirit Beast. Spirit Beasts grow over time, but consuming ‘Beast’s Blood’ shortens that time.

“I told you, didn’t I? Don’t think about saving money.”

“Can we really spend like this, Nyah?”

“It’s not spending recklessly, it’s an investment for the future.”

Misha wondered if it wouldn’t be better to buy essence instead, but to me, that didn’t seem rational. Essences of Level 5 cost tens of millions of stones.

And the lower ones aren’t worth buying.

“Your Spirit Beast’s powers aren’t fully unlocked yet. It makes sense to focus on that now.”

At my insistence, Misha spent all of her wealth, minus her emergency fund, on the Beast’s Blood.

She said she’d take it later when she got home…….

We’ll know if any powers manifest by tomorrow.

“Let’s head back.”

After a few hours of scavenging, we returned to the residential area.

It was around 8 PM.

It was just beginning to get dark.

‘I’ll finish the Soul Engraving tomorrow morning by going to the sanctuary…’

I made one more list of things to do until the next labyrinth opened.

Only three things remained.

• Meet with the dragon tribe to return the Dragon Slayer Sword.
• Gather information about Orcules and Noarark.
• Form a new team.

Oh, I haven’t asked her about this.

Prompted by the thought, I immediately asked.

“Misha, do you have any specific preferences or wishes for when we recruit teammates?”

I had a rough idea of how to fill the remaining three spots. But, it was worth hearing Misha’s opinion.

After all, she’s a founding member…

And her experience as an explorer is much longer than mine.

Perhaps she could offer advice on something I hadn’t considered.

“Um…”

Misha seriously pondered before cautiously speaking.

“Well… I’d prefer it if we didn’t have a fairy, Nyah.”

It was an unexpected request.