Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 398

February 5, 2025 • 13 min read • 464 views

Expedition Team(3)

To get straight to the point, the speedrun was a failure.

When we arrived at our destination, the portal to the second floor was already open, and we missed out on the credit for being the first to open it.

Tch, I thought we’d make it this time.

“How far ahead is the team in front of us?”

“About ten minutes.”

Ten minutes, huh?

Honestly, if this were a game, our arrival time would have been more than enough to qualify as a speedrun.

It feels like the overall level has increased.

‘Still, with just a bit more speed, I think I can close that ten-minute gap.’

If we can consistently speedrun this, it’ll mean accumulated free experience points on every exploration, which is crucial for leveling up.

That’s probably why that dragon tribe woman requested to act independently.

‘Ravien, I wonder if she succeeded in her speedrun?’

The last member of our team, Ravien the Dragon tribe woman.

She attended the initiation ceremony, left before the banquet, and entered the labyrinth on her own.

She argued that moving alone is several times faster and that we could just meet on the sixth floor anyway.

If only it weren’t for the marquis back then…’

A mindset that clearly indicates a problem in her head.

I felt the need to correct her, but unfortunately, due to the marquis’s intervention, I failed.

Unlike the other expedition members, he had made a personal agreement with her, so he argued that we should respect that level of autonomy. 

He told me that he wouldn’t stop me from trying to control her, but he asked me to refrain from using force. 

In other words, he was telling me not to beat her up without reason…

‘It’s not like we have a princess in our team.’

Of course, just because the easy way is off-limits doesn’t mean I’m giving up on reining her in.

I need to fix her bad attitude so things will be easier in the future.

One way or another.

[You have entered the Goblin Forest on the second floor.]

[You have entered the Pilgrim’s Path on the third floor.]

[You have entered the Sky Tower on the fourth floor…]

Anyway, with or without her, the exploration proceeded smoothly as planned.

We quickly advanced through to the fourth floor.

From the fourth floor, where avoiding combat was impossible, we started coordinating in real battles and deepened our understanding of each other.

Naturally, we ended up having a lot of conversations.

“Hmm, so it’s true that the three of you were living in the same house…”

Among our conversations, there were many personal chats like this, but no one crossed the line.

For example, asking if the rumors about Erwen and me were true.

Wondering about my relationship with the marquis.

Old Didi occasionally showed curiosity about such things, but before he could voice them, the mage Ashid would cut him off.

“But by any chance—”

“Miss Reinz, I had a question while watching the battle. Can your clones use aura?”

“No, that’s impossible.”

“Is that so? It seems other abilities are usable by clones, though. It’s been a while since my scholarly interest was so piqued.”

At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but now I’m sure.

This mage is intentionally diverting the topic whenever Old Didi tries to bring up uncomfortable questions.

‘What a smart person.’

Is it because he’s a male mage?

Looking at Riard Ashid reminds me of Dwalki.

Of course, unlike him, Ashid speaks softly, says what he needs to, and has much better social skills.

Should I say their temperaments are different?

He’s quick-witted and much more mature.

But perhaps because of that…

“Why are you looking at me like that, Mr. Schuiz?”

“I’m not.”

When I look at him, I can’t help but think.

Leor Wuerv Dwalki.

If that guy had grown up over time, would he have given me this kind of feeling?

[You have entered the Great Sea on the sixth floor.]

***

Day 18 of the labyrinth exploration.

We speed ran through all the floors except the fourth and arrived at the Island of Beginnings Raimia, where it was rather quiet.

Well, that’s natural.

After rushing like this, how many people could have reached here at this time?

A reconnaissance team composed of the military’s swiftest.

The elite of large clans waiting for the arrival of follow-up personnel.

And…

“……”

A distant greeting from another expedition team, probably acknowledging our presence.

Wow, two teams got here before us.

I expected as much from the dwarf aunt’s team of veteran explorers, but I didn’t think Team 4, led by Paladin Jun, would beat us here.

“…Ah, there she is.”

Anyway, thanks to the quietness, it was easy to find someone.

The dragon tribe woman Ravien.

The woman I added as a member due to a deal with the marquis, and whose full name I still didn’t know.

“You guys wait here for a moment.”

After having my team wait, I approached the woman sitting in the shade, gazing blankly at the beach.

“The 18th day… you came earlier than I thought.”

As I approached, Ravien spoke without even turning her head.

What, does she have eyes on the back of her head?

“They said the gathering point was on the eastern side of the island, didn’t they?” I asked

“Yeah, but we’re not leaving until Day 20 anyway. Looks like the other teams who arrived early are just resting nearby.”

Well, that’s true.

I wasn’t planning to scold her over this anyway.

“When did you arrive?”

“Two days ago.”

“Two days ago…?”

…So she arrived on the 16th day?

She went from the first to the sixth floor in about two weeks?

Even though I dislike her independent approach, I have to admit that much.

“…I can see why you wanted to go solo.”

At that speed, she must have succeeded in speedrunning every floor from the first to the sixth.

It’s understandable why she didn’t want to join us; she would have missed out on twelve free experience points by sticking with us.

‘This’ll make convincing her even harder.’

It felt a bit unreasonable to demand that she stay with the team just because we were on the same floor.

“Anyway, get up.”

“Why?”

“We didn’t get much time to talk in the city, did we?”

“Alright.”

I wondered if she’d just choose to wait here until the meeting date, but surprisingly, Ravien accepted the suggestion and followed me toward the eastern side of the island.

“Good to meet you again. It’s our first time talking since the initiation ceremony, isn’t it?”

“I apologize for that. There were some circumstances within my tribe. I’ll try to make more time in the city from now on.”

“That would be appreciated. May I call you Ms. Ravien from now on?”

“Yes. Feel free to call me whatever you like, Mr. Ashid.”

A conversation flowing much more smoothly than expected.

“Would it be alright if I addressed you as Lady Ravien?”

Understanding that the beast tribe ages differently from humans, old Didi cautiously asked, and Ravien agreed without much thought.

And then…

“And you two? How should I address you?”

Ravien turned her head toward Amelia and Erwin.

“Call me whatever you want—Emily or Reinz.”

“I’ll call you Ms. Reinz.”

“I’m Tercia.”

When Erwin drew a line with a prickly voice, Ravien met her gaze with a peculiar look and smiled faintly.

“Alright, Ms. Tercia.”

Okay, now that we’ve sorted out the names…

‘…But why are we sorting out names on the sixth floor?’

Can we really call this a team?

Despite that question, I moved on to the main topic.

“We’ve synchronized and learned about each other in the city and during this journey.”

“I get it. You want to know about me too, right?”

“It’s only right to know who you’re trusting to cover your back.”

“Understood.”

Ravien drew her sword, showing us some of her skills and explaining her combat role.

Although she kept a few things to herself…

But it’s common in restricted professions like mages, priests, and ability users to withhold some information, so it wasn’t anything new.

“Then where should I position myself during movement?”

“Rear.”

“And during combat?”

“Emily will take my left rear; you’ll take my right rear.”

“That’s traditional.”

“It’s too complicated to do anything else when we don’t know each other well.”

Perhaps thinking there was a hidden meaning in my words, Ravien chuckled.

“Will you keep being like that

“It’s not like I said anything wrong.”

Well, let’s end this little power struggle here.

Then the mage and the support type explained their positions to Ravien.

It didn’t take long, but it was still frustrating to watch.

Why are we doing twice what we could have done once if we had done it back in the city?

Perhaps individualism is synonymous with inefficiency.

“They’ve arrived.”

“We can’t be slacking off on the beach when the expedition leader is here, can we?”

Before long, Akuraba’s team and the paladin team, who had been resting by the seaside, moved to the eastern part of the island designated as the assembly point.

And how much time passed after that?

“Team 3 has arrived now.”

From our higher vantage point on the eastern side of the island, we could see other teams arriving in real-time as they entered the sixth floor.

It was the team led by James Carla, the vice captain of the Gearfang Clan…

“That team looks like a mess.”

“Seems they pushed themselves to increase their speed.”

I could understand the mindset.

The gathering date might be the 20th, but nobody wants to be the last, as it would reflect poorly on them.

It’s just another form of power struggle.

‘This is practically like a disorganized army.’

Internal competition?

It’s a good means of leadership, but only once a sense of camaraderie has been built. Otherwise, it just sows seeds of division.

‘How can I unite these people into a single team?’

As I spent time pondering the inevitable concerns any leader would have, the day came to an end.

Team 5—the one led by Sir Kyslan—arrived right at that moment.

“Damn it…!”

Even though they arrived two days early from the meeting date, they were still last, and the frustration was evident as he clenched his fist.

Huh, looks like his temper’s fraying.

“What’re you doing over there? Come here.”

“…Understood.”

When I waved him over, he flinched and approached.

See, getting angry will only give you wrinkles.

Pat, pat.

Encouragingly, I patted his shoulder and used him as a support to stand up.

“We still have two extra days, but now that everyone’s here, there’s no point in wasting time.”

“Oh, does that mean we’ll finally get to hear what this mission’s all about?”

“Ah, if it’s about that, wouldn’t it be better to send the other members away?”

“No need; it’s not like there’s anything secret. Even if they hear, it’s not as if they can leak it anywhere now.”

At my words, the members who had been awkwardly watching from the sidelines moved closer to the center.

Since I gave permission, they thought it was okay to listen openly.

“Now, tell us. What are we going to do that you’ve been keeping so tightly under wraps? You’re the only one who knows about this mission, being the expedition leader.”

Through the flickering campfire, Akuraba’s eyes filled with curiosity met mine.

Please, I wish dwarves wouldn’t sit on chairs.

Look, I can’t even see her face through the fire.

And it’s not like we’ve built a big fire.

Anyway, that’s not the important thing.

“Ahem.”

Considering the dignity of a leader, I cleared my throat and spoke.

“You all must have been curious. If those Noark bastards are coming to the Dark Continent through a portal, then where that area is.”

“Yes. If it’s a starting point like the Crystal Cave, surely they would use it as their base.”

“Don’t tell me, has the royal family finally found out where it is?”

“Yes.”

When I revealed the top-secret information I heard from the marquis, everyone buzzed.

Jeez, it’s not even time to be surprised yet.

“Our mission is to strike at their base.”

In military terms, we’re a rapid strike force.

Destroying the enemy’s core units or facilities while the main force distracts them on the battlefield.

“Um, there’s one thing I don’t understand. If that’s our mission, why did we set such a tight schedule?”

“Maybe they intend for us to push through the Ghost Canyon on our own?”

“That’s madness! Unless we’re marching with the main force, there’s no way we can cross that canyon with just one ship!”

Really, I haven’t even finished talking yet.

One of the characteristics of a disorganized army is that every time someone says a word, a local broadcast kicks in.

Before misunderstandings grew, I quickly addressed this first.

“We won’t be crossing the Ghost Canyon.”

“What? You’re saying we’ll strike the base in the Dark Continent, so what do you…?”

“This is your last warning. Stop interrupting me.”

“……”

Phew, now it’s nice and quiet.

“….”

The group finally quieted down, allowing me to explain our mission in full.

“There’s more than one way to reach the Dark Continent beyond the Ghost Canyon.”

“Aha! Don’t tell me…”

Why else would we gather on the eastern side of the island?

“We’re heading to Ice Rock in the East.”

Just as the Goblin Forest, Beast’s Den, Rock Desert, and Land of the Dead—all second-floor fields—connect to the third-floor Pilgrim’s Path, the seventh floor also has more than one route beyond the Dark Continent.

“Once we reach the eighth floor, we’ll use it as a passage into the Dark Continent to strike at the Noark’s exposed rear.”

This mission is like biting into a cake that is frozen solid.

Tough to chew.

Sometimes, the cold will sting your teeth.

You might constantly wonder if it’s worth going this far.

“If anyone doesn’t understand, step forward.”

“……”

“Glad to see there are no cowards.”

Nevertheless, the aftertaste will be sweet.