Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 63

Chapter 63(The Hut (2))

Day 8 of being stranded.

It was surprising that we hadn’t come across any other groups of explorers until now.

Given the nature of the area, one would have expected to run into them at least once…….

But on closer examination, it wasn’t that unusual.

Firstly, the Witch’s Forest is vast.

Moreover, it isn’t a primary hunting ground, so there aren’t many permanent residents.
Besides, we were wandering aimlessly, not specifically heading towards the center of the forest.

Chances of a random encounter were naturally slim.

‘Besides, by now, anyone else would have already passed through this area.’

Still, I thought that as the third floor’s closure approached, explorers on the fourth floor would come in.

That’s how it usually works when you’re going up a floor.

‘So, are these folks planning to ascend to the fourth floor?’

That seemed likely.

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean we can trust them.

“A barbarian and a beast human? Are you two alone?”

Just as I had assessed them at first glance, they too had sized us up.

It must seem odd to them.

A duo team in the third floor, particularly in the Witch’s Forest, is quite rare.

The leader of the five-person team, a man who appeared to be in charge, came to a conclusion.

“…Did you two get separated from your team?”

“Yes.”

I admitted it plainly.

Pretense can be useful, but only when it’s believable.

If you look like shit and say no, you’ll just look weird, and what’s the point of arguing?

Of course, admitting it didn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful.

“Whoa, Bjorn! Does this mean we’re saved now?”

“Quiet.”

I pushed Misha, who was already getting overly excited, behind me.

Then, quickly, I raised my shield.

“Don’t be too wary. We’re not bad people.”

A middle-aged human woman from the other group stepped forward, smiling warmly in response to my action.

“In our city, we have children just like you. I understand your worries, but don’t fret. You must be tired, come this way—”

“I decline.”

Children, so what?

What’s that supposed to mean to us?

It actually seemed more dangerous.

Having children means they have a clear motive to make money, doesn’t it?

“Bu, but Bjorn, they might help us…”

“Be quiet.”

I had thought a lot about how to behave when encountering other explorers.

Initially, the plan was to seek help.

We could promise some reward and ask them to lead us out of the forest. It would be a fair deal for them.

But…

‘Before making a deal, I need to know who they are.’

I needed to assess them first.

“My name is Bjorn, son of Jandel.”

“A cautious fellow, aren’t you? I’m Hans Stobra. I serve as a scout in our team.”

As I introduced myself, the opposing team’s leader responded with his name.
But the problem was…

“Your name is… Hans?”

“Ha, it’s a common name, right?”

“Indeed.”

Why are there so many Hans in the world?

A common name, minus one point.

“I’m Anuman Bait. Back in the city, I run a general store with my husband—”

I cut off the middle-aged lady, who was going into excessive personal details.

“We don’t need all that.”

Whether her words were true or not, there was no way to verify in this labyrinth, and we didn’t have much time.

Should we accept her help or not?

Whichever option we chose, we needed to decide quickly.

‘Two warriors, two archers, one scout.’

I quickly assessed them, judging not only their overall strength, but also their faces, expressions, tone and atmosphere.

Of course, there was no need to scrutinize each one individually.

Sometimes your intuition is more accurate than ever.

A reservoir of accumulated experience and data in the subconscious.

“Misha.”

And with that, I made a decision.

There are no guarantees that this is the right answer, but…….

“Will you follow my decision?”

No need for a lengthy discussion.

In response to my succinct question, Misha replied briefly.

“Of course.”

Good, I’ve got her agreement.

“Let’s leave the introductions at that, we should get going.”

“Get going? Don’t you need our help?”

That may be true, but somehow, my instincts are screaming that you’re dangerous.

“On second thought, we might not need it. Come on, Misha, let’s go.”

“Ah, okay!”

“Hmm, if that’s your decision, I won’t stop you. Go on, then.”

Okay, we’ve got their understanding as well.

Covering myself with my shield, I slowly backed away, my eyes still on them.

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh!

A familiar sound of cutting air.

And before my brain could react, my body moved.

Swish!

As I jerked my neck to the side, an arrow whizzed past my ear.

Damn, how did they do that?

The arrow came from behind.

But the archers should be in front.

“Bait, what is this treachery!”

One of their party members, an archer, shouted at the middle-aged lady.

Wasn’t this agreed upon?

The lady, who claimed to have a son and a daughter, no longer spoke calmly.

“Idiots! Didn’t you see the equipment he’s carrying? It’s made of Lytianium! Do you even know how much it’s worth?”

“Still, we’re fellow explorers…”

“Kid, if you can’t handle it, just step aside. See that backpack? It’s an expandable one. You couldn’t afford it even if you worked yourself to the bone for a year.”

Was her story about the general store true?

The lady had a good eye.

Though I wasn’t in the mood to compliment her.

“I, I can’t do this.”

“Then those who want to leave, should leave.”

“I’ll join. This isn’t my first rodeo. And I’m not in a position to pass up rolling money.”

The would-be explorers quickly come to a consensus.

I watched them intently.

Misha tugged at my clothes anxiously.

“Bjorn, shouldn’t we run?”

“Wait.”

They have a scout.

We won’t get far if we run now.

‘It’s about time they came…’

“Dying… here…”

‘Here they come.’

I smiled bitterly.

Whether it turns out to be a disaster or a success, that was the only reason I wanted to make a quick decision

As the Carnivaro emerged from the darkness, the group of explorers targeting us flinched.

“Carnivaro?”

“Why are there two of them at once…”

Well, we’ve been stranded for eight days.

You might have just entered, but we’ve already reached the 10th level of the [Witch’s Eye].

“Misha, now’s our chance.”

I pulled Misha close with one arm.

With the other hand holding the shield, I charged forward, not backward.
「Carnivaro has cast [Pursuing Arrow].」
「Carnivaro has cast [Pursuing Arrow].」

I saw a Carnivaro on the right, pulling an arrow on its bowstring.

Whoosh!

Finally, the Barbarian’s dynamic vision recognized that two arrows were fired simultaneously.

But there was no need to worry about the empty space behind me.

Now, there were others to take the hits for me.

“Ah, ahh! Block it!”

“What, what the heck are these guys!”

The moment I pushed through the opposing group with the Barbarian’s brute strength, a scream rang from the side.

It was the kid who said he couldn’t do it.

“Aaah!”

Hmm, so you got hit.

The good ones always go early.

Boom!

“Ack! Fuck, my foot!”

One explosion after another erupted from the direction of the Carnivaro. A quick glance revealed that Hans D, thrown off by my charge, had accidentally stepped on a magic mine.

“Mr. Stobrane!!”

Okay.

It looks like I’ve successfully diverted their attention.

“Misha, now it’s your turn to run.”

“Ah, got it.”

I put down Misha, whom I was holding, and then ran forward without looking back.

“What are you all doing! Forget them, deal with the monsters first—!”

This should keep them off our backs for a while.

***

[Dungeon and Stone] is a roguelike game.

Once you die, that’s the end.

Your character disappears.

Of course, it’s just a game after all.

You can always raise a new character, get new equipment…

After all, the main content of this game is to reach higher levels using the information learned in previous runs.

In [Dungeon and Stone], death is as common as life.

But what if that game world was real?

Character regeneration would be impossible.

Everything you see, hear, and learn in this life becomes meaningless the moment you die.

And in that sense…

“But Bjorn, how did you know? That those people would do that…”

“It’s just a feeling.”

This time I was lucky.

Following the decision made by my subconscious instinct turned out to be the right call.

Misha, realizing the reality, couldn’t hide her astonishment.

“…A feeling?”

Somehow, she had unquestioningly followed my orders earlier.

She must have thought there was some clear basis for my actions.

“Their leader’s name was Hans, wasn’t it?”

“So?”

“I just don’t like that name.”

“…”

“Anyway, we managed to escape safely, so it’s all good, right?”

“That’s true but…”

Misha trailed off, looking somewhat uneasy.

“Still, I never dreamed that kind-looking lady would turn on us like that…”

Remembering the lady who had turned ferocious and screamed at us, Misha shivered slightly.

The lady’s quick change in attitude must have been quite shocking for her.

I wasn’t sure if it would be comforting, but I said shortly,

“Well, we got away safely, that’s what matters.”

“Huh? What do you mean—”

“If we hadn’t looked weak.”

Or if we hadn’t been carrying expensive items.

If we had met her in a city instead of a labyrinth.

That lady might have remained in our memories as a kind person.

But she was quicker than anyone to string and pull an arrow.

“Being unkind because we looked weak, I just can’t understand…”

“Misha, why did you enter the labyrinth?”

“Well, I need to earn money…”

“It’s the same for them.”

Money is a means of protection.

Especially in this world where not paying taxes can lead to execution.

Surely, that lady had more to protect than just her own life.

“…I feel like I’m learning a lot from this expedition.”

“Then move faster. They might be tracking us.”

We increased our pace.

And after some time, contrary to our fears, they didn’t show up even after more than an hour.

‘Even if they were ambushed by the Carnivaros, they wouldn’t have been completely overpowered… Could something else have happened?’

That seemed a plausible thought.

Maybe Hans, the one who stepped on the magic mine, the scout, got seriously injured, hindering their pursuit.

Regardless of the reason, we had safely overcome a crisis.

‘I just hope this is the end of it.’

Despite hoping so, I remained vigilant.

Don’t let your guard down until the very end, as always.

The worst things happen when you’re complacent.

***

Day 13 of being stranded.

The time was 7 PM.

Meaning, exactly 53 hours left until the labyrinth closes.

“Bjorn, I found it!”

We discovered a tree leading to a hut.

The light streaming out was a bit faded, indicating the entrance had been there for some time…

‘Fine.’

We had at least avoided the worst-case scenario.

Even a four-hour rest would allow us to endure the remaining two days with sheer willpower.

In other words, the chances of safely returning had significantly increased.

「Character enters the Witch’s Hut.」

Valuing every second of rest, I immediately touched the entrance and entered the cabin.

The scene inside was the same as before.

A rich aroma of grass and flowers.

The quiet sound of insects in the grass.

The whisper of leaves rustling in the wind.

‘Dammit…’

Regrettably, something out of place intruded upon the peaceful scene.

「Current number of occupants: 5」
「The entrance is now closed.」

Guests.

People who had found the hut before us.

“Bjorn.”

“Shh.”

I covered Misha’s mouth, quickly scanning the surroundings with my eyes.

‘One on the bed, one on a chair, one on the lawn.’

The interior visible through the window had some blind spots, but…

There appeared to be three people in total.

The cabin’s limit was five occupants.

‘This just got complicated.’

I slowly approached the man sleeping on the grass.

And at that moment.

As if talking in his sleep, the man turned over, facing us.

I stiffened in surprise.

‘I didn’t expect to meet again like this…’

Surprisingly, it was a familiar face.

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