Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 208

Leader(1)

We are moving forward slowly, guarding every direction.

This change occurred a few minutes ago.

We stopped running towards the second floor, focusing more on safety.

It was an inevitable choice.

The entire cave was filled with fog that obscured our vision.

“…I’ve heard of this. It’s dark magic. It was used by dark mages in the past subjugation battle.”

My heart beats slowly.

Thump!

Even though Raven is dispelling the fog with her wind magic, the visibility is only about five meters.

In such conditions, it’s hard to respond to danger.

This is not a simple game of HP/MP.

A single mistake could lead to death.

There is no ‘restart’ button in this world.

Thump!

I need to stay fully alert.

To return alive without losing anyone.

“Mr. Jandel…”

In the past, we were too weak to protect ourselves.

That’s why we had to lose comrades.

It was a crisis we couldn’t have managed otherwise.

So, what about this time?

‘Yes, we’ve become much stronger since then…’

I keep the positive thoughts in my head to prevent my body from stiffening.

That was when.

“Mr. Jandel!”

“Don’t shout.”

“Then respond at once.”

“What were you going to say?”

Raven, boarding on Aynar, asked cautiously.

“Do you think going to the second floor is the right choice?”

“What are you talking about?”

“There are many knights from the royal guard, and large clans too. Wouldn’t it be safer to join them?”

It’s not an entirely unreasonable idea.

Indeed, had we been near the starting point, I would have chosen that option too.

But in the current situation, I’m not so sure…

It doesn’t seem like a good option.

Also, she needs a correction.

“Raven, more than half of the large clans didn’t enter the labyrinth.”

I heard this at the roundtable.

Large clans dissatisfied with the royal family had started a massive boycott.

Apparently some of them realized that the royal family had them on the kill list, so they backed off…….

Their numbers are still not significant.

“…At such a time.” Raven looked shocked

No, it’s precisely because of times like this that they chose to act now.

“Abman, which way?”

“That way.”

“Over there.”

I continued to navigate with Mr. Bear, confirming the portal’s location, another change since the fog had enveloped the cave.

The compass stopped working.

“…Will everything be okay once we find the portal?”

“It won’t necessarily be safe on the second floor. But we just need to reach the fourth floor.”

The Sky Tower is an independent layer.

Once we get there, it will be possible to return safely to the city even amidst this turmoil.

That really is the best option for us now—

“No. I meant, what if there are no defenses around the portal?”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly that. If I were a strategist for Noahark, I’d first eliminate the means to reach the second floor.”

That’s true.

But what then?

We still have to try.

Thanks to the phenomenon of dimensional instability, we’re already on the very outskirts.

“If it turns out to be impossible to go to the second floor, what will you do then?”

Raven, who usually doesn’t ask me so many questions, kept inquiring. Seeing her like this, it seems she is anxious too

Well, she probably needs someone to rely on.

She’s inexperienced in this area, after all.

“In that case, I’ll do as you say and join the people from the city. I have no other choice.” I said as calmly as I could.

I don’t know if it’s really the best thing to do, but at least one of us has to.

“If that’s clear, let’s keep moving.”

“Okay…”

It was while we were making our way towards the second floor.

“Finally, we’re meeting people. Do you guys know what’s going on?”

We encountered explorers.

A team of three humans and two beast humans.

Their equipment was similar to ours, if not better.

Of course, no low-level explorers would be here at this time.

If we join forces, our strength would significantly increase.

But, there’s something I need to verify first.

“Show your ID tags first.”

To see if they can be trusted.

***

“They’re real.”

“What else would it be?”

As soon as we met, we identified ourselves as city residents by the identification tags engraved on our wrists.

And we naturally started talking.

Normally, we would have gone our separate ways as soon as we verified the ID tags.

But now, it’s an emergency situation.

“Do you know anything?”

“Not much. Just that something’s been stirred up on the Noahark side.

“Noahark, huh… Figures.”

Seeing the leader of the opposite team nod at my words, I narrowed my eyes.

“Don’t you have any mages on your side?”

It was common knowledge that there were only a few mages on the Noark side.

“As you can see.”

However, the other side shrugged their shoulders confidently.

“We’re a team aiming for public achievements. There’s no need for a mage.”

Damn, that makes sense.

During a speedrun, mages rarely participate.

They slow down the movement and, since mages don’t earn experience in speedruns, they’re just a burden.

So we introduced ourselves.

“I’m Bjorn, son of Jandel.”

Just as I have a nickname, ‘Little Balkan’, if they have any renown, I might have heard their names.

“Hansen Kelders.”

“Hansen?”

“Oh, do you know me? Perhaps we have mutual acquaintances—”

“That’s unlikely.”

I shook my head.

The feeling was ominous, but I had never heard the name before.

So, what to do?

While I was pondering, Hansen whispered something to his companion.

“Little Balkan? Ah! That Barbarian from the tier lord battle!”

Someone among them recognized my nickname.

Hansen’s gaze became more friendly.

“So, you’re the famous one? How about we move together? It doesn’t seem like we’re in a situation to continue exploring alone.”

Hansen’s side was the first to propose joining forces.

“Could you give me a moment?”

“A few minutes maybe. It’s kind of risky to stay in one place for too long.”

After getting Hansen’s agreement, I took a moment to discuss with my companions.

Isn’t there something called collective intelligence?

It’s possible that my teammates noticed something unusual that I missed

“I’m not sure. It seems safer to have more people… But still, Bjorn, we should follow your lead.”

“I think the same as Misha!”

The melee sisters clearly indicated they would follow whatever decision I made.

Mr. Bear was on the opposing side.

“Something feels wrong. With their level, their names should be known, and I’ve never heard of them. They may not be from the Underground City, but they could be plunderers.

This was concerning.

Among us, Mr. Bear had the widest connections.

“Raven, what do you think?”

“I, I don’t see anything odd. Maybe we should just join them? Their ID tags looked legit.”

Hmm, that’s what she says.

I had been relying most on Raven, but now I might need to rethink.

Is this her first time dealing with such a situation?

Her mind doesn’t seem to be working as usual.

“Focus on the people, not the ID tags.”

“What do you mean by that… Ah!”

Raven understood the deeper meaning of my words.

In this situation, relying solely on ID tags is foolish.

There’s a chance they could have forged them.

There are two possibilities.

They couldn’t forge them, so they’re desperately causing trouble.

Or, they did forge them and are boldly making moves because of it.

I still don’t know which it is.

So I have to trust my instincts and make a decision, like in [Dungeon and Stone], where one wrong move means game over.

“I, I don’t know. Please, make the decision, Mr. Jandel.”

Raven seemed confused, leaving all decisions to me.

Why is her mental state this bad?

“Raven, snap out of it. Weren’t you fine even when there was a hidden assassin next to us in the sky tower?”

“That was different. Now, if I make a mistake, others will suffer.”

Ah, that’s what it was.

I learned something new about Raven.

Apparently, she can’t make decisions when the stakes include responsibility for others.

It’s understandable.

Someone could die because of her decision.

Overcoming that burden and making a decision is not an easy task.

This isn’t just a game.

It’s not about a character dying and that’s it.

“Damn it.”

Ultimately, the decision was up to me.

As if that’s anything new.

“What a headache.”

I sighed and looked over at Hansen’s group, keeping some distance.

If there had been a mage among them.

Or if they were a well-known explorer or from a famous clan.

Then, maybe I would have trusted them a bit more easily.

“Neither is the case.”

Unfortunately, time was short.

“Have you made a decision?”

“Yes.”

I finished my deliberation.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, but I’ll have to decline your offer.”

Deciding against unnecessary risks was my final choice.

“Is that so? That’s unfortunate.”

Surprisingly, Hansen nodded without showing displeasure. He seemed to understand what I was thinking.

“The cautious ones live the longest. Hope we meet again.”

“What are you guys going to do?”

“We’re going to the second floor. I’m not sure if it’s safe there, but it’s better than here.”

“I see. Maybe we’ll meet in the city if we get the chance.”

“What are you waiting for? Let’s move.”

After a brief exchange, Hansen’s group moved on, disappearing into the fog.

Did I make the right choice?

I forced a smile, as if to erase my doubts and anxiety.

When have I ever known the outcome before making a decision?

“Let’s get moving.”

We had no choice but to trust and proceed.

***

About five minutes after parting ways with Hansen’s group, we stumbled upon five corpses.

They didn’t belong to the Hansen group.

Though stripped of their gear and left bare, identifying them wasn’t a problem.

“They’re knights.”

“…Knights?”

“Yes. See the tattoo here on the back of the neck? It’s the crest of the Teruten family.”

“To stamp such a crest on their bodies, it’s almost like branding.”

It felt as though they were treated more like objects than people.

Is that why?

I couldn’t help but feel bitter.

Even knights are treated as expendable in this world, and to physically feel that was deeply unsettling.

“……Not all noble families are like this.”

I turn away from Raven’s defense and collect my thoughts.

The bodies of a knight and four soldiers.

And no signs of a struggle nearby.

It meant only one thing.

“There’s a monster around us.”

“Yes. The wounds suggest they were all killed in one strike. The uniformity of the marks suggests it wasn’t the work of many.”

Knights who wield aura are the ultimate warriors in single combat. They are the sword that protects the privileged in a world where magic and supernatural powers exist

And yet, they were killed without a chance.

It really felt like we were in the eye of the storm.

Knights who have probably spent their lives wielding swords and wielding immense authority, now reduced to mere extras in death.

No, they were still dying.

Just like in the Noahark subjugation a few months back.

“When did they die?”

“About 20 minutes ago.”

So, not too close by then.

A positive clue, yet it was too early to relax.

Anything could happen now.

“Are they… really planning a war?”

Mr. Bear muttered, furrowing his brow.

Seeing the knight’s body made the current situation viscerally real.

After all, we hadn’t fought anyone yet.

I said firmly.

“They aren’t planning it, Abman.”

“…”

“We are already in a war.”

We were fortunate to be on the very outskirts.

So far, we hadn’t directly experienced the repercussions.

Well, that was likely only a matter of time.

“What should we do?”

At Raven’s question, I sighed again.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve faced such decisions since coming to the first floor.

We were once again at a crossroads of decision.

“There’s only a portal this way.”

“You don’t have to explain. Whoever killed this knight must have gone that way.”

The only escape route I had deduced was the second-floor portal.

A monster was lurking there.

But turning back was equally grim. The battle that started at the core would soon envelop the entire first floor.

“Fuck, we weren’t supposed to come down to the first floor.”

Regrets were inevitable.

Who would have thought such a trivial choice would land me in such a messed-up situation?

It felt like the cruel world was testing me.

Whatever choice you make is fine.

But the responsibility is all yours.

Unwittingly, my gaze shifted to my companions.

“…”

Misha, Aynar, Raven, Mr. Bear.

They were all looking at me, as if the choice was mine to make.

“…Let’s go back.”

I made the decision.

Whoever was ahead, I didn’t know.

It could be a member of the Orcules, for all I knew.

Such formidable opponents were rare even among Noahark’s ranks.

As I was about to turn back.

“Ha, are you really just going to turn back like this!”

A voice came from beyond the fog.

Thud.

The sound of footsteps followed.

Swoooosh!

Immediately, Raven dispersed the fog with a gust of wind.

Revealed was a man dressed simply in a black outfit.

He wore a skull mask on his face.

“What kind of barbarian are you, running away like that? Eh?”

My body stiffened at the voice.

It was a voice I’d never heard before.

That much was clear.

But…

“Pssit”

It was somehow familiar.