Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 376

Treasure Hunter (4)

I held my weapon, but I didn’t aim it.

We didn’t know their intentions yet.

If I provoked them unnecessarily, something that could be resolved easily might become complicated.

“What should we do?”

“First, let’s try talking.”

“I’ll stay prepared.”

“Alright.”

“Erwin, don’t step forward until I give you the signal.”

After a brief exchange with my companions, I stepped forward, as if to protect them.

How much time had passed?

Thud, thud.

A group of fifteen explorers stopped outside our campsite, and a man who seemed to be their leader slowly walked forward.

“Looks like there’s no need to wake you.”

“Who are you? Introduce yourself first.”

“Haha, no need to be scared. We’re not here for what you think.”

What? Who said we were scared?

I’m just figuring out whether you’re someone I’d need to smash in the head or not.

‘Four ranged, two mages, nine melee, and no priests.’

But the fact that there are fifteen of them is a bit ominous.

Since the standard party size became six after the Six-Member Bonding magic.

It’s possible that the remaining three are hiding elsewhere.

“You’re quite the suspicious fellow. Calm down and let’s have a conversation. If we came with ill intentions, we wouldn’t be talking with you like this, would we?”

Well, you only know that after you open the box.

I glanced at the group waiting behind him, then shifted my gaze to the man.

“Enough. What is your business? You should know that wandering near someone’s campsite at night isn’t viewed favorably.”

At my question, the man revealed his identity.

“We are people from the Huntsman Clan.”

“Never heard of it.”

“That’s understandable. To be honest, we’re not a very famous clan. Recently, we’ve been busy treasure hunting on Fione Island, so we haven’t been active outside.”

“Treasure hunting…”

Only then did I roughly guess why they came to find us.

“You may or may not know, but Fione Island is divided into territories controlled by six clans, each acting within their own territories. It’s a measure to prevent indiscriminate conflicts.”

“So?”

“The place you’re camping is our Clan’s territory.We’d appreciate it if you left by morning.”

As expected, it’s about controlling hunting grounds.

It’s something every explorer experiences starting from the fifth floor—a reminder that the labyrinth  is a world of survival of the fittest.

My first impression of them wasn’t great, and it’s only getting worse.

“I don’t recall hearing about the royal family granting specific groups rights to Fione Island.”

“Haha, you’re really stuck on formalities despite your looks. Since when did explorer matters follow the rules?”

After that retort, the man didn’t say anything more.

He just stood silently, staring at me.

Depending on what decision I make, the words that come out of his mouth will probably change.

I didn’t think long.

“Don’t worry, we’re leaving by morning anyway.”

We had only planned to stay for one night, so there was no need to cause trouble over hunting rights.

But maybe my response seemed like backing down?

“Haha, is that so? Seems we made an unnecessary trip. Thank you for understanding.”

His gaze, which had held some wariness towards us, softened into a more relaxed smile.

He must have decided we weren’t worth worrying about.

Otherwise, why else would he be saying such nonsense instead of just leaving?

“By the way, just three of you? That’s unusual. Did you lose your comrades on the way here?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Don’t be so wary. I’m just trying to help. If monsters suddenly appear, you could be in danger, couldn’t you? If you wish, we could let you use our campsite…”

The guy trailed off, glancing at Erwin and Amelia behind me.

Ha, this bastard really knows how to piss people off.

“Thanks for the offer, but we’ll decline.”

“Hmm, is that so? But the opinions of the two ladies might be different, no?”

Even though I’d declined politely, he kept insisting, and only after Erwin and Amelia firmly rejected him did he finally back off.

“It’s a no.”

“We’re capable of handling our own affairs.”

“That’s unfortunate. Our clan’s branch is in Zone 8 of Ravigion. If your team disbands and you have nowhere to go, feel free to find us.”

Damn, he’s still going at it until the end.

“Alright, let’s head back to the campsite!”

I barely held back a mocking laugh as I watched him lead his group back.

“Mister, why did you hold back?”

“Just because I’m annoyed doesn’t mean I can swing my hammer at everything.”

“Hmm, wasn’t that the case?”

Both Elwin and I ignored Amelia’s comment.

“But seriously, if I had stepped in, those jerks wouldn’t have been so rude…”

Elwin muttered, clearly frustrated, but I knew it was the right decision.

She’s noticeable wherever she goes, and rumors spread easily.

No matter how small, I didn’t want to expose our information to outsiders.

Still, there was no need to explain all that.

“Thanks, Erwin.”

“…Huh? What for?”

“You held back even though you were really angry, right?”

“Well, yeah… you told me not to act on my own…”

“That’s why I’m grateful and proud of you.”

“R-really…? It’s nothing. I could do that every day…”

Instead of giving a detailed explanation, I changed the subject.

After all, the most important thing was diffusing the tension.

“It ended earlier than I thought?”

“Why are you speaking as if it’s surprising? Anyway, let’s go back to sleep. We have to go far tomorrow. Got it, Erwin?”

“Yes!”

With that, we quickly settled back into our blankets and resumed our rest.

How much time passed?

“Schuiz, wake up.”

Amelia shook me urgently.

What now? Don’t tell me those guys came back?

I jumped up and reached for my hammer.

“Calm down. It’s not people this time.”

“…What?”

Not people?

Then what…

“No way…”

I quickly scanned our surroundings, and soon enough, I spotted what I was looking for.

[Ki ki kik, kik?]

A rare level 04 monster, Raflemimic, only found on Fione Island.

***

Raflemimic.

It’s a monster guaranteed to drop a Numbers item upon defeat, and if its essence drops, we could earn tens of billions in mana stones.

While it does appear in other fields, there’s no place where it shows up as often as Fione Island.

Even then, one appearing once a month would be considered lucky.

Of course, that’s across the entire island.

“Who would have thought we’d encounter it in a place we stopped by briefly.”

Yes, this is what exploration and adventure are all about.

“Schweitz, what are you going to do?”

Amelia whispered in a low voice, and I answered.

“What do you mean, what will I do?”

Did she think I’d give this up because of those guys?

“What else? We’re going to take it down.”

“…I knew you’d say that. Then I’ll go wake up Erwin.”

Amelia went over to the mat to wake up Erwin, and I noticed something strange.

“Wait a minute, Erwin? Since when did you two become so close?”

“After seeing her, she seems kind of cute.”

Heh, emotions really are unpredictable.

Maybe it’s true that fights can bring people together?

“…Cute?”

“I guess waking her wasn’t even necessary.”

“Waking me? What’s going on?”

“What do you think? Raflemimic appeared.”

“…Really?”

Rubbing her eyes, Erwin got up and quickly fixed her gaze on the chest casually rolling about 20 meters away.

[Gik! Gigi gik?! Gik!]

As a non-aggressive monster, the Raflemimic only showed curiosity upon seeing us from afar, without displaying any hostility.

“Erwin, your role is important here. We don’t have a mage in our team.”

“I know. If we don’t finish it in one shot, it’ll escape, right?”

“Exactly. Otherwise, it’ll burrow into the ground.”

If it goes underground, consider it lost.

That’s why the priority now is a one-shot kill…

“Erwin, hit it with everything you’ve got. Summon the dark spirit if you need to. Ah, you know that the main body is the chest, right? Don’t shoot the stem just because it looks like the body—”

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely take it down!”

“Yeah, I believe in you.”

I had no choice but to trust her.

After all, among us, the one with the highest single-target damage output was undoubtedly Erwin.

“Alright… here I go.”

Erwin slowly drew her bowstring, and in that moment—

「Erwin Fornaci di Tersia has cast [Elemental Synthesis].」

Fire, water, wind, earth, and even darkness.

The five elements merged into one, emitting an extraordinary aura.

Even amidst all this, the Raflemimic completely unaware.

[Ki kik…?]

The creature tilted its head, curious about the strange phenomenon unfolding before it. For a brief moment, a sense of guilt washed over me at the sight of its innocence. But that was all.

We are explorers, after all.

It’s our job to kill monsters and people for profit.

Thwack.

Erwin finished her focus and released the string.

Whiiiiish—

The arrow shot forward at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow.

[Ki, ki kik—!]

The Raflemimic finally realized the danger, but it was too late.

Boom!

The arrow flew straight into the gaping “mouth” of the creature and exploded with a deafening roar.

However…

[Ki… ki kik…!]

Amazingly, it was still alive.

Though its chest shell was shattered and its body torn to shreds—

[Ki ki kik—!]

It summoned the last of its strength and attempted to burrow into the ground.

But Erwin was faster.

「Erwin Fornaci di Tersia has cast [Rupture].」

A second strike followed, and the Raflemimic shattered into hundreds of pieces, scattering in all directions.

Shhhhh—

Soon, the scattered fragments turned into particles of light and disappeared.

「You have slain Raflemimic. EXP +6」

The surge of experience was palpable, a reminder of the creature’s high level.

Though the feeling of leveling up never got old, I had my mind on something else.

No matter how many times I experienced it, it was always a satisfying feeling. But my focus was elsewhere.

‘The essence… didn’t drop.’

Not that I had expected it.

Wishing for more would just be greedy.

‘Please, let something over 5,000 drop.’

Two objects fell to the spot where Raflemimic had been.

One was a mana stone.

The other…

“A ring…?”

I approached to inspect the loot and let out a dry laugh.

“Huh…”

“Schuiz, do you know what that is?”

Of course I remembered.

How could I forget? It almost got me killed once.

No. 6111, The Fate Tracker.

The same ring worn by that dragon-slayer we encountered in Larkaz’s Labyrinth.

‘Not a bad item, but something about it feels… off.’

“What kind of ring is it? If, if it’s good for archers, then maybe I could…”

Erwin trailed off, her gaze greedy.

She normally didn’t care much for loot, but even she couldn’t resist the allure of a Numbered item.

“It’s hard to say which type of explorer it’s good for.”

“Hard to say?”

“If I had to categorize it, I’d say it’s a detection-type magic tool. When something happens nearby, the ring shows a color to indicate whether it’s positive or negative.”

For reference, there are three colors: green, red, and yellow.

That’s why I always called it the “traffic light ring.”

“It’s not bad to keep on hand, so it’s better not to sell this one.”

“…Then, can I wear it?”

“You? But you’re already wearing a lot of rings. I’ll just keep this one.”

“Oh, okay. Yeah! That’s probably for the best, right?”

With Erwin’s approval, I didn’t hesitate to slip the ring onto my finger.

And at that moment.

「The ring has detected your fate.」

The ring lit up.