Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 176
Doppelganger (1)
Red, shoulder-length hair.
A tattoo engraved under her eye.
Just over 170cm tall with a lean, muscular build.
“……”
Standing in front of the mirror, Amelia tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing a scar on her half-cut ear.
A scar that would surely be a flaw if she ever hoped to lead a woman’s life.
Back then, she hadn’t had the money to buy a bottle of potion, so she had left it alone.
Of course, now she could easily treat it, but…
She deliberately chose not to.
“Almost there.”
This scar always serves as a reminder.
Of who her enemy was.
“Amelia Rainweilz, the lord has summoned you.”
She shouldered her pre-packed bag and stepped outside.
An unexpected figure was waiting for her.
“I didn’t expect you to come.”
A member of Orcules.
The most infamous evil spirit both above and below the surface, and a criminal mastermind known to the world as the Corpse Collector.
“The situation is quite urgent.”
“How bad is it?”
“The royal family has made a drastic move. I never imagined they would release that madman from prison.”
“……You mean, he’s out?”
Even Amelia, usually expressionless, couldn’t hide her astonishment this time.
If the ‘corpse collector’ was known to the public, that man was the opposite.
Hardly anyone knew his name…
But to those who knew even a bit about his identity, he was an entity to be feared more than anyone else.
“Yeah, that guy’s here. Thanks to him, things have gotten complicated. Our side is suffering heavy losses right now.”
The man with glasses smiled and patted Amelia’s back.
“Let’s go. Everyone is already gathered, and with you here, we can begin.”
“…Understood. Let’s move quickly.”
They proceeded down the silent corridor, only their footsteps echoed.
“Is the dragon slayer also participating in the battle?”
“Huh? Oh, that guy… he’s become an arm cripple, what could he do? He’s probably resting in his room right now.”
“……I see.”
Amelia cautiously asked another question.
“Is there any improvement?”
“Why are you interested in that?”
The man stopped walking and turned around.
Famous for his intelligence, he may be able to link Amelia to the incident where the Dragon Slayer’s equipment appeared on the black market.
‘I’ve made a mistake.’
Though she realized her haste too late, Amelia responded as calmly as she could.
“If he’s useless now, I thought of killing him.”
“……What? Do you have a grudge against him?”
“I don’t like his eyes.”
There was a brief silence following Amelia’s response.
It didn’t last long.
The man burst into laughter as if he had heard a funny story.
“Ahahaha! True! Those snake-like eyes are annoying. Especially since he doesn’t know his place.”
The man’s steps resumed.
“Still, bear with it. I heard his body should recover in about six months to a year.”
“What about the dragon slayer sword? Without it, he’s practically useless, right?”
“Ah, that. We’ll have to look for it. The old alchemist said it wasn’t impossible to restore his memories”
“……I see.”
Restoring memories.
She wanted to ask more, but restrained herself.
After all, she wasn’t usually interested in others.
The sharp guy infront of her would surely sense something off.
‘I’ll have to inquire about this later.’
After about three minutes of walking, they reached a large door.
The white door leading to the lord’s hall.
As they entered, they saw the lord sitting on his throne.
“It’s been a while.”
“Good to see you, Amelia Rainweilz.”
After a brief salute, Amelia observed the other four figures in the hall. Three were familiar faces, and one was new.
“He is an explorer from the Orcules side. However, since we’re short on time, let’s save the introductions for later and move on to the main topic.”
She suppressed her curiosity and listened to the lord’s words.
“As you can see from my summoning you all, the situation isn’t good.”
“Hehe, I heard! That mad man has come down here, right?” A woman asked
“That’s right. Miss Carmilla. The captain is currently confronting him, but it’s unlikely he’ll hold out for long.”
The lord smiled bitterly as he continued.
Eventually, he mentioned that the city would be sealed.
Thus, for the next two years, no one could leave or enter.
“As soon as you all exit through the secret passage, I will activate the sealing magic circle. Any questions?”
“No, sir.”
“See you in two years! Handsome Lord!”
“Carmilla, is that how you speak to the lord?”
“What did you say, smelly old man?”
After a short conversation, Amelia and her four companions moved to a secret passage in the floor.
Soon, they reached a spot marked with a red flag.
[We’ve arrived.]
[Good luck.]
A huge blast of mana shot out in the direction of the city as she touched the Message Stone.
“Wow, amazing. We really can’t go back, can we?”
A giant barrier made of blue magical light.
‘I never thought I’d leave the city like this.’
Suppressing her strange emotions, Amelia recalled their mission.
“Sister, you’re the commander, right? What do we do now?” Carmilla asked
The mission was simple.
Collect information in Raphdonia.
This was the main task, and if possible…
“I’ve finally made it.”
Killing a single explorer.
A long smile was drawn on her lips as she recalled the second mission assigned by the lord.
***
All sorts of rumors were swirling around the city.
From conspiracy theories claiming the subjugation failure was orchestrated by the royal family, to apocalyptic predictions that the city would be destroyed in the war against Noarak.
‘This side of the world isn’t much different from Earth, huh.’
I spent days hopping from tavern to tavern, incessantly listening to these baseless stories.
A tedious and stressful task.
But it was a necessary choice.
Unless I had the disguise of the Round Table’s Mr. Lion.
What could a simple barbarian do?
I had to run around on my own two feet.
“Bjorn, going out to drink again tonight, Nyang?”
“Yeah, it’s going to be late, so go to sleep first.”
With less than a week left before entering the labyrinth.
As night fell, I went out into the streets and tilted my cup alone as usual.
Just by doing so, information naturally came my way.
“They say the compensation for death will be delayed until next month.”
“Indeed, with that many dead, even the royal family must be overwhelmed.”
“Hah, it’s the opposite. They have enough money, but there are so many casualties that it’s taking time to tally them all.”
In a way, it was similar to the early days.
Well, back then, I couldn’t afford to come to taverns and had to keep my ears open during meals.
“Nothing much today either.”
Following the failure of the subjugation, the royal family’s lack of a proper statement led to rumors being infinitely regenerated, as if they were being copied word for word.
But if I were to sort out the facts that come closest to reality, they would be as follows:
- Noarak also suffered significant damage and barely managed to survive by imposing a blockade at the last moment.
This is certain because there are many witnesses.
No matter how much they try to keep people quiet, how can they hide something when so many were involved?
- There exists an incredibly powerful explorer unknown to the royal family.
I heard it from a drunken survivor who told me how Mr Derves, whom I met at that gathering, came back alive.
Or how he fought on par with the leader of Orcules?
Well, it’s not strange for the royal family to have such a master among them.
Anyway, moving on.
3.Three of the top ten clans were disbanded in this extermination.
It’s not so much a disbandment as annihilation.
There are so few survivors that recovery is practically impossible.
Not just the top ten clans, but also medium-sized clans on the 5th and 6th levels were more than half wiped out.
“At least this should reduce hunting ground control.”
The only positive aspect of the current situation.
Though the issue it brings is far too grave to be happy about.
‘If it comes to a prolonged battle, it will inevitably come down to fighting in the labyrinth.’
This is something I’ve been worried about since the first signs of war.
Honestly, it makes me laugh.
“An endless PK content…”
Isn’t this something I didn’t even experience in the original?
If the labyrinth turns into a battlefield, I, who needs to earn money and grow, will have no choice but to get involved.
“If the supply of magic stones decreases, inflation will definitely start.”
Unfortunately, such concerns were too complex to be discussed in cheap taverns.
Well, if an explorer is worried about inflation, I have to suspect evil spirits.
‘It’s time for me to make a decision’
Whether to stop exploring until things calm down, or to enter the labyrinth as usual.
The answer was clear.
“…I guess I should enter.”
There’s no telling when this chaos will end.
A break is more like a bad move.
My feud with the dragon slayer isn’t over yet.
I need to become as strong as possible before the vine ring breaks.
That’s the only way to survive.
“Eventually, if there’s a forced draft, I’ll have to participate in the war anyway.”
Above all, Noarak has suffered considerable damage this time.
Simply put, they also need time to regroup.
Even if that’s not the case, we are in a better situation than other explorers.
After all, we can bug through the first floor.
The fourth floor is a separate dimension, and entering the fifth floor through a mirror allows for PK-free hunting.
‘The problem is how to persuade the two…’
The mage Raven and the 10-year veteran Mr. Bear.
Whether they’ll agree to enter the labyrinth is still uncertain.
‘I have no choice but to confront them directly.’
After making the decision, I emptied my glass and left the tavern.
Barbarians have their own way of doing things.
“I’m sorry, but we’re closed for today… Oh, Mr. Jandel. What brings you here? Is it because of him?”
“Is Abman here?”
“He’s probably passed out drunk. Just wait a moment. I’ll wake him up and bring him over.”
Maybe it’s because he received proper financial treatment this time?
Mrs. Bear seemed several times more friendly than before.
I sat down at a not yet cleared table and waited for a while, and before long, Mr Bear came over, rubbing his eyes.
“Jandel, what’s the matter at this hour?”
“I have something urgent to discuss.”
“Hmm, is that so? Let me sober up a bit. Honey?”
When Mr. Bear called, Mrs. Bear promptly provided honey water as if she had been waiting.
“Drink it all.”
Seeing the lavish treatment, it seems he has regained his authority as the head of the family.
“Ah, that’s it. So, what did you want to talk about?”
“I’ll ask you straight. Will you join the exploration this time?”
“Hmm, seeing you ask that way, you’ve already made up your mind?”
“I’m going in.”
After nodding without hesitation, Mr. Bear chuckled.
“Is that so? Then I’ll join.”
“Your decision is quick. Do you know something?”
“Not really, but we’re a team, aren’t we? If the leader has decided, I trust and follow.”
An unexpected kind of response.
To think he would respect the authority of the leader!
This Ahjussi, in fact, is quite conservative in this aspect.
“Then that settles it.”
“How about a drink before you go?”
“I’m good. Your wife needs to rest. Since you’re up, you should help clean up and then go to bed.”
I quickly finished the conversation and left the tavern.
I think I scored some points with Mrs. Bear with that last comment, and the look in her eyes just got a little softer.
[03:24]
It was past three in the morning, but I headed to the mage tower without hesitation.
For them, this time might as well be daytime.
Indeed, Raven was busy experimenting in the laboratory.
“Huh? Mr. Jandel? What brings you here at this hour?”?”
“I came to ask you something.”
“Is that so? Let me just finish what I’m doing. Please sit anywhere and wait for a bit.”
I thought I might get scolded for being rude at this hour, but surprisingly, she didn’t fuss.
Maybe because we’re teammates now?
At least, she doesn’t treat me like a stranger anymore.
“So, what did you want to ask?”
After waiting a while, Raven cleaned up the area and sat down in front of me, and I just laid it out.
“Are you going into the labyrinth?”
“Oh, that… Well, we had to talk about it at some point. What do the others say?”
The way she spoke made it clear she expected to be the last one I’d ask.
It hurt my pride a bit…
But since it was true, I had no argument there.
“Everyone else has agreed to go in.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll join too.”
“Quick decision. Do you know something?”
I repeated the same question I had asked Mr. Bear, but received a different answer this time.
“Yes.”
“…What?”
“It’s nothing major, just that the royal family didn’t send a formal document to the mage tower this time.”
“A document?”
“Normally, if there’s any dangerous situation, the mage tower is the first to be notified, like warnings not to enter this time.”
My mind went blank for a moment, but it made sense.
Some kind of VIP treatment, perhaps?
As mages are considered top-tier personnel, the royal family is directly concerned about their safety.
“So don’t worry too much. If the royal family, who led the subjugation, hasn’t sent such a document by now? It essentially means the royal family doesn’t consider it dangerous.”
“…I see. Next time, give me a heads-up about such things.”
“If the leader wishes so.”
With her teasing smile, I left the mage tower and headed home.
Then I woke up Misha and Aynar, who were sleeping.
“Ah, what. I was sleeping.”
“Ugh, the smell of alcohol!! Did you go drinking without me again,Nyang!”
“Nevermind that, eat this.”
I gave them each a wrapped chicken leg I had brought with me and informed them of the decision.
“We’re going into the labyrinth.”
Aynar reacted as if it was obvious, while Misha sighed deeply.
“…Nyang, I knew it. This brainless barbarian.”
Ah, if only all team members were like them.
“So that’s it?”
“Yes, that’s it. Now go back to sleep.”
“Nyang, really, you could’ve just told me this tomorrow…”
Misha grumbled as she went back to her room, and Einar did the same.
“Goodnight! Bjorn!”
I took out my keys and inserted them into the lock.
But just as I was about to turn it and unlock the door.
Click-clack, click-clack.
I heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.
Considering it was an inn, it wasn’t a particularly strange background noise.
Yet, for some reason, today, that sound seemed to prick my ears more sharply.
Click-clack.
Eventually, without thinking, I turned around to check the stairs, and that’s when I locked eyes with the person coming up.
For a moment, I wondered if I was mistaken because of the skirt…
But no, that couldn’t be it.
‘Why is she here?’
I met her once in the Land of the Dead, and once in the sewers.
A total of two times, she made me feel like I hit a wall, the 8th-floor explorer from the underground city.
Commonly known as the psychopath.
Gulp.
As soon as I saw that face imprinted in my memory, I involuntarily swallowed hard.
But was she also taken aback to see me?
“To think, I’d meet someone who knows me here.”
“…”
“This is… somewhat troublesome.”
The woman frowned at me, then took a step back, assuming a stance.
It seemed she already thought of a solution.
“Well, like before, I could just beat you up and erase your memory.”
Damn it.