Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 181

Jinx (1)

Hans Krysen.

That name sounds familiar.

“Nyang! Bjorn! That person must be the one from that time…!”

Even without Misha’s reminder, I remembered.

Especially as various summoned creatures were appearing around him.

“He’s a summoner!”

I sighed as I identified each creature, one attacker and three support types, all averaging at level 7.

‘I thought he looked familiar.’

With this, any chance of him being just a look-alike vanished.

Hans G.

The one I concluded as ‘The Player’, based on my knowledge of Liakis’ patterns and the conditions under which the Death Knights had appeared.

“Shit.

What happened the last time we encountered this guy?

A troll appeared on the 4th floor, and we almost all died.

Player or not, Hans in this world is akin to a plague.

Thud.

My heart turned cold.

He must be killed.

Only that thought dominated my mind.

“Mr. Jandel? Why have you been so quiet—”

I dash forward, harder than ever.

The brief pause was to gain momentum.

Boom!

Leaving a clear footprint on the ground, I quickly closed the distance between us and him.

Hans G. wasn’t just watching idly either.

[Screaaaam-!]

A lizard that spits flames while screaming.

Specifically, a fire-attribute type attack summon called Naimpi.

Whooosh-!!

Even though it was a level 7 summon and not incredibly threatening, its firepower exploded with the support of the other summoners.

Sizzle!

The scorching heat heated my skin.

But what am I supposed to do about it?

“Bethel—laaaaaaaaa!!!”

I covered my upper body with a shield.

For the rest, I just relied on my flame resistance and charged through the fire. That may have taken some of my skin off, but there are priorities in everything.

Crack-!

The mace, infused with the full strength of an ogre, made a satisfying sound.

At the same time, Hans G.’s head burst, and he fell.

It was an instant death, as his body turned into light before even hitting the ground.

“What are you doing!”

Raven yelled, shocked by the completely unexpected behavior.

While I understand her anger, explanations can wait.

“Don’t come any closer!!”

I commanded authoritatively to my companions and quickly moved towards them.

Then I took a long-held breath.

“Huff!”

Done.

I had encountered Hans, but I hadn’t breathed in his contaminated air.

So, it should be fine.

No, it has to be fine—

“Could it be poison?”

Uh, that’s not it…

What should I call this?

“Right, let’s give up on this path for now.”

“Huh? Are you saying it was really poison? I didn’t see any signs of it…”

“Never mind that, just come on.”

I led the team back the way we had come, adopting a somewhat authoritarian attitude.

Was my behavior unfamiliar to them?

For some reason, Raven, who usually has something to say, followed quietly with a serious expression on her face.

“This should be far enough.”

After walking for about five minutes, I stopped.

I was about to turn around to explain what had just happened when—

“Whoa!”

My foot caught on a protruding rock, and my body swayed heavily. I managed to regain my balance, but…

Even this didn’t feel like a coincidence.

Could it be, the effects of Hans have started?

Right, it wasn’t even his real body, it was a doppelganger. Maybe this little incident is all that will happen –

“Jandel! There’s something more up ahead!”

Alerted by Mr. Bear’s shout, I quickly checked ahead.

Two doppelgangers were approaching.

I was sure they were doppelgangers because both of them, when revealed in the darkness, had the same face.

“Shit.”

I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them.

But the scene before me was unchanged.

Is this what hell is like?

“I am… Kry-sen.”

“Han, s… Krysen…”

Hans was being duplicated.

***

It was the same as the first time.

Regardless of the intense flames, I immediately charged in and smashed their heads.

Holding my breath during the attack was an added measure.

“Everyone, hold your breath. We’re breaking through!”

“What? Why?”

“There’s no time to explain!”

With no way back, we held our breath and crossed the corridor.

And when it seemed safe enough to stop.

I paused and checked on my companions.

“Bjorn, your eyes are terrifying!”

“What in the world is going on? I really don’t think it was poison. Was he someone you knew?”

My unusual behavior left my companions unable to hide their confusion.

“Yes. He was someone I knew.”

I tried to calm down and explained everything one by one.

That the doppelganger we had just met was named Hans.

And all the bad things that happened whenever I crossed paths with him.

“Isn’t that serious!!! But what should we do? I breathed!”

Aynar, who knew about the ‘Hans education’ I had given in the Barbarian Sanctuary, listened to the whole story and began to chew her nails anxiously.

“…It’s not just a matter of feeling.”

True to his superstitious nature, Mr. Bear also looked troubled.

And Raven…

“What? You mean it’s not just a matter of feeling?”

She sat quietly for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“Pfft, hahahahaha!”

Is she a psychopath?

How can she laugh in this atmosphere?

“Seeing this, you really are a Barbarian, Mr. Jandel.”

“That’s a racist.”

“Oh, sorry if it sounded that way. But… haha, if you’re really worried, shall I bestow a mage’s blessing?”

A mage’s blessing?

There wasn’t such a thing even in the game.

As I tilted my head in confusion, Raven explained gently as if speaking to a child.

“In poorer neighborhoods, when a mage visits, little kids cling to them and beg for their luck. That’s what a mage’s blessing is.”

…So it’s just a figurative blessing?

“I don’t need it.”

“Why not? It could at least give you some peace of mind.”

Raven, who had been laughing, wasn’t entirely joking as she began to discuss a study.

Something about believing in something so strongly that it affects your physical body?

It seemed like she was referring to the placebo effect…

What does she think of us barbarians?

“Do it then.”

“Really? Oh, how was it done again? Could you stoop down a bit?”

As I simply slumped down to the ground, Raven placed her hands alternately over my shoulders with a solemn expression as if she was knighting a knight.

And unusually for her, she added a warm remark.

“Everything will be alright. You have my luck now.”

I’m not sure about luck.

But it seems to bring some sanity back.

Thinking about it, it’s just superstition.

Was Hans there when I met the Dragon Slayer?

“Ah, really! Won’t you come to your senses?Mr. Jandel, you are our team leader!”

Raven’s right, I need to wake up.

Even if the effect of Hans really exists, having entered the rift, meeting Hans’s real body is an established fact.

I just have to be more careful than usual.

“Me too!! Do it for me too!!”

“And me next… would that be okay?”

“Ahem, I’d like it too.”

Perhaps due to the improvement in my expression, my teammates gathered around Raven like chicks.

“Ah… alright. Everyone line up.”

Raven sighed but proceeded to bestow her blessing on each one, adding words of blessing for each.

Was this her personality?

It felt like I was seeing an unexpected side of her.

“Now tell us, Jandel. You wouldn’t have just killed it without a plan. You must know something about this Hans or whatever, right?”

“Somewhat.”

After the blessings were done, we had a time of sharing what I knew.

What essence Hans Crysen possessed.

And who his teammates were.

“A fairy archer, a human warrior, and a mage, right?”

“That was the last configuration I saw.”

“Only four people?”

“Since they’ve entered the rift, it’s likely a five-person team. Probably the last spot will be a Scout.”

A fourth-floor rift opens in one of the stages above the 25th floor. Without a Scout, finding the rift before it fills up is nearly impossible.

“That’s highly probable.”

After explaining what I knew about Hans’s teammates, Raven nodded as if reassured.

I could guess what she was thinking.

Unless something has changed in the meantime, Hans G’s team is clearly less skilful than ours.

“We don’t have to worry about them messing with the distribution.”

“We’re the ones who should be messing.”

“Yes, If the situation arises. We still know nothing about the other team, right?”

With that, I ended the information sharing about Hans’s team and resumed our exploration.

Fortunately, since we had distanced ourselves from him, only our doppelgangers appeared afterwards.

‘I wish I could have found out about the other team beforehand.’

Their paths didn’t cross ours, and the identity of the mysterious team remained unknown.

But lamenting wouldn’t change anything.

“Oh! Another magic stone box!”

We spent the day wandering the cave, occasionally opening boxes that appeared.

It was the main reward of the first chapter, the Shadow Cave.

No matter how many doppelgängers we caught, they didn’t spit out magic stones or essence.

This was just balancing the scales.

‘Still, it feels strange.’

In the game, I just accepted this system.

But experiencing it in reality brings a sense of alienation.

Is this really like a game?

[There’s a hypothesis circulating in academia nowadays that we didn’t discover the labyrinth, we created it.]

Maybe Raven was right about what she said before. If someone created it, that would explain this structure.

‘What exactly is this world?’

Is it a game, or is it really another world?

This question has haunted me since the day I woke up in this body, but as always, I’ve folded it neatly away again.

There’s no point in exhausting myself over something I can’t solve with the clues I have.

“Now there are only opened boxes. Almost no doppelgangers are appearing. What should we do?”

“Didn’t we agree you’d make the decisions here?”

I shrugged and left the decision to Raven.

What she’d say would be what I’d say anyway.

“Well, we should rest here today and head to the center tomorrow.”

Right.

“Why?”

“Because it’s very likely that other teams are already gathered in the central part. There’s no need to camp together, is there?”

A mage’s Safety-Oriented Judgment

I particularly like the part about her inherent distrust towards others.

“So, do you have anything to say about my decision?”

“Not at all.”

“Hmm, your eyes look strange…”

“I was just thinking how fortunate it is to have a mage like you on the team.”

I meant it sincerely.

She’ll never know how much easier she’s made my life since she joined the team.

“…Flattery won’t get you anything.”

What is she saying? Her shoulders are already up to her ears.

After quickly preparing camp, we took turns standing guard and ended the eighth day.

So began the ninth day.

[05:07]

Waking up a bit earlier than usual, we headed towards the central part of the cave.

There was no wandering off the path.

We had only stayed in this area because of the boxes; the way to the central part was straightforward.

Just follow the path with weeds.

Trudging along, the walls became more covered with clumps of grass and moss, and soon a vast cave appeared before us.

“Finally, the latecomers have arrived!”

Already, ten explorers had gathered there.

“Ah! Oh, you’ve come! Jandel!”

Ah, of course, among them was Hans G.

***

Did they spend the night here?

When we arrived, the explorers were busily organizing the area.

I immediately scanned the area.

‘Hans G’s team is just as I expected.’

There hadn’t been any changes in the team members; all four were the explorers I had seen before.

That woman I hadn’t seen before must be a new recruit.

‘And the other group…’

I’m not sure.

Made up of a dwarf, a beast human, and three humans.

Their equipment seems roughly on par with ours.

The distinguishing feature is their alert eyes.

Considering the environment of the rift, it’s not that unusual.

“Who’s the leader over there?”

Soon, the dwarf approached.

He was the one who had scolded us for being late as soon as we arrived.

“Ah, probably Jandel. The one I mentioned before, that person.”

“The little Balkan?”

“Yes, yes.”

Had greetings already been exchanged?

Hans G said something to the dwarf, then he turned to me pretending to be friendly.

“Ah, nice to meet you. Imagine meeting here. You know, when I met Jandel’s doppelganger, how shocked I was?”

“Stop.”

“…Yes?”

“Stop coming closer.”

I lowered my voice to block Hans’s approach.

From my perspective, this distance is just right.

It’s not like we’re wearing masks, right?

“Identification?”

I then turned my attention away from Hans G and spoke to the dwarf.

But somehow, Hans G responded.

“Ah, haha! If it’s about identification, I’ve checked it so you don’t have to worry—”

Really?

That makes me even more uneasy.

“Identification.”

Ignoring Hans’s words and repeating my request, the dwarf chuckled and in turn asked.

“You show yours first.”

Is he trying to start a standoff?

I’m not particularly inclined to avoid it, but since identity verification was a priority, I pulled out a necklace to show.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Following my request, the dwarf also took out a necklace to show.

“Alright, are we done?”

“…Yes.”

I nodded.

Then I heard Raven’s voice in my head.

A magic of whispered communication used for private conversations.

[Jandel.]

Yes, you’ve noticed it too.

[These people aren’t from the city.]

They’re from underground.**