Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 404

An endless cliff swallowed by darkness.

A woman, gazing into the abyss where only the chilling wind howled, spoke.

“Six, they’ve fully entered the Glacier’s Eye.”

“I was concerned about outside interference, but thankfully, they’ve decided to continue the expedition.”

“So, what’s our next move?”

“Everyone except the guard team will rest and wait.”

At the command of the one called Six, a woman silently nodded. Then, with a hint of personal emotion, she cautiously asked,

“But Six.”

“Speak.”

“Do you think they’ll ever return?”

Six didn’t answer.

It was a question that felt pointless.

Whether they returned or not, what did it matter?

Swoooosh……!

They were simply following orders.

***

Chew, chew.

I walked forward, munching on jerky.

This was specially made, high-calorie jerky for exploration, received this morning.

If someone were to ask why I was eating breakfast so late, the answer would be simple.

This was the last of our supplies.

Chew, chew.

As of today, all our stored food was gone.

In other words, there would be no more food until we reached the 8th floor.

But was that the reason?

Chew, chew.

Today’s jerky tasted several times better than usual—

‘Wait, why is it gone?’

I was savoring the taste, feeling happy for a moment, but when I realized my hand was empty, anger surged.

“Already… did I eat it all?”

Really? This was the last meal?

Even after eating, I felt like I was going to die of hunger?

No, in the first place, everyone uses different amounts of energy, so how could the supply be the same for everyone?

Grumble-!

This is blatant discrimination.

Isn’t that right?

Those weaklings like mages and priests have low basal metabolic rates, and they just wave their staffs from behind, so they use much less energy.

But, despite that, they get the same one-jerky-per-person policy?

This is an insult and hatred towards the warriors who fight on the front lines, sweating blood.

If the commander had any sense, such a policy would never—

‘Ah, I’m the commander.’

Yeah, what can I do?

Actually, I didn’t want to do this either.

But if I gave special treatment to the warriors, they would surely protest, saying I was pursuing personal gain, right?

So, I took the lead and implemented this policy.

‘Well, it seems like a failed policy, though.’

With this policy, I gained the ‘not thankful, not hateful’ feelings of other classes, and the hatred of the warriors.

Ah, how do I know the warriors hate me?

The source is me.

I’m doing it right now.

“Hehehehehe.”

“Mister, what’s wrong?”

“Warriors always laugh when they’re having a hard time.”

“Is that… laughing?”

Erwen, who had briefly stepped out of formation and trotted to my side, made a disgusted face, then smiled and held out something.

“Jer… ky……?”

“Yes!”

“You’re… giving this to me……?”

“Yes!”

I asked again, as if I couldn’t believe it, but Erwen nodded without changing her expression.

I blankly took the jerky, then belatedly came to my senses.

“No, it’s okay! I’m not hungry at all, you eat it!”

“If you’re going to say that, how about lowering the corners of your mouth?”

Uh, the corners of my mouth?

Just as I was wondering what she meant, Erwen summoned a water spirit and made it into a mirror. In it, I was smiling like an idiot.

“Look, that’s what real laughing is! Hehe.”

“…….”

“Don’t do that, just eat it quickly. I’m fine. Everyone else is giving way to those who are having a hard time, you know?”

“…What?”

What is she talking about now?

As I tilted my head, Amelia, who was following behind, answered.

“The rear guard, who had some energy left, have been saving their food little by little in case of an emergency.”

“Saving? How? It would have gone bad quickly, wouldn’t it?”

“I’m talking about after we entered the cave. There hasn’t been an ice storm since then.”

“Ah, that’s right…….”

Am I so worn out from hunger? How could I not think of something so simple?

Anyway, that’s not the important thing…….

“But is that true? Giving away their already scarce food to others.”

“If you don’t believe it, you can see it later, can’t you?”

Well, I want to see it now.

“Halt!”

I used my authority as the expedition leader to stop the march.

Anyway, it was about time for a break.

“Oh, a break!”

“I’m finally going to live!”

“Hwaaa! Quartermaster! Blankets! Please give me some blankets! I need to close my eyes for a bit!”

Soon, as the priest activated ‘Declaration of Evil Extermination’ [a spell that creates a safe zone] and the surroundings turned into a safe zone, the members lay down on the floor without hesitation to recover their strength.

And…….

Thump, thump.

I pretended to patrol and moved to the back, observing the surroundings.

To cut a long story short, Erwen’s words were true.

“Here, please have this.”

A priest giving food to a warrior.

And…….

“……Y, y, jerky? To me?”

A warrior, with deep distrust in his eyes, having a fit.

“Yes. You must be tired, right?”

“H, perhaps you are in love with me? If so, I cannot accept this jerky. I have a wife and children in the city—”

“It’s not like that, so don’t worry about it.”

“What? You’re giving me jerky even though you don’t love me……?”

The warriors were shocked, but they quickly took the jerky and munched on it, and such scenes were visible everywhere.

“Kuhhh, this… debt! This debt, I will repay it someday, even if it costs me my life!”

Many warriors, even shedding tears over a single piece of jerky, were making up their minds.

Even to me, it was a very touching scene.

“My policy… wasn’t a failure after all…….”

The expedition team, truly united and helping each other.

“Mr. Shuitz? What did you just say to me?”

“Ah, Jun……. It’s nothing.”

“Yes. But what brings you here……? Is it perhaps related to suddenly stopping the expedition?”

In reality, I came to check because my conscience was pricked at the thought of gobbling up Erwen’s jerky, but I nodded anyway.

Of course, I have to maintain the expedition leader’s face.

“How’s the atmosphere today?”

“Today, you mean…….”

“The food supply ended this morning, didn’t it? Were there any who were dissatisfied?”

“Everyone is strong. They must have experienced worse, so skipping a day’s meal is nothing. Everyone thinks it’s unavoidable.”

“I see…….”

Since I didn’t really come because I was curious, I nodded roughly and left.

***

On the way back to the front line where the team was, after finishing the conversation with Jun.

“Oh, Shuitz! Thank you for last time!”

“You seem to be getting thinner by the day?”

“It’s what I was eating, but would you like some of this?”

Warriors I knew were greeting me.

Perhaps this was the biggest change since the execution of Pike Neldain.

No matter which team we belonged to, when a major battle broke out, we had to take out our shields and run forward, so camaraderie was bound to develop.

However, it wasn’t just the relationship with the warriors that had improved.

“…….”

“…….”

Unlike the warriors who jokingly spoke to me, our relationship was still awkward, but the way they looked at me had become gentler.

When I thought about how they used to glare at me and whisper whenever I passed by, it was truly a moving thing.

‘Maybe it’s all thanks to that Neldain bastard.’

How an external enemy unites a group.

As his betrayal was revealed, the arrows of resentment that were directed at me all turned towards him.

Moreover, it was me who revealed it.

Naturally, my reputation had no choice but to improve—

“Shuitz, that person… I can’t tell if he’s smart or stupid, can you?”

“I heard last time that he tried to eat monster meat and got scolded by his comrade…….”

“He seems eccentric, but he doesn’t seem foolish. Looking at how he exposed that traitor back then.”

“Ah, that? But that was… the mage over there did all the reasoning, and he just took the credit, right?”

Heh, there were more traitors in a place like this.

I was about to subdue them immediately, but I changed my mind after hearing the conversation that followed.

“But having capable subordinates is also part of his ability. Besides, he seems like a good person, doesn’t he?”

“That’s… true. I haven’t talked to him much, but he seems like a kind person.”

“He could have put on airs since he got the title of commander, but he’s the first to step up for all the dirty work.”

“Yes, a friend like that is the most reliable ally when a difficult situation arises.”

What, were they just ordinary comrades?

Thump, thump.

I pretended not to hear their conversation and arrived at the team’s location, where the 20-minute break, which was an unwritten rule, was almost over.

“Mister! How is it? Was I right?”

“It was.”

“Okay, then eat quickly. Okay? Don’t feel pressured, everyone is doing it!”

“Ah, that… I already ate it on the way.”

“Hehe, you did well! I’m the only one for you, right?”

“Yeah, you’re the only one.”

After giving a rough answer, I leaned against the wall and fiddled with my ring for the rest of the break.

As I was doing that, Amelia approached.

“Are you thinking about why the light disappeared?”

“Ah, yeah, something like that…….”

No. 6111 Fate Tracker.

This ring, which I called the traffic light ring, suddenly lost its light.

The timing was about four days ago from today.

“It’s certainly unusual. A fate that was once detected wouldn’t have disappeared without a reason.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Even thinking about it again, it’s a very strange thing.

It doesn’t seem like anything bad happened…….

***

Day 20 of entering Ice Rock.

We finally reached the end of Ice Rock.

‘I didn’t think we’d actually arrive on the 20th day.’

In the planning stage, we had set 20 days to traverse Ice Rock.

However, despite various mishaps and pushing the speed to the limit, we arrived on the exact date.

‘Maybe the plan itself was too tight from the start.’

If we had moved according to the original schedule, we would have arrived at this point two or three days later.

When the royal family made the plan, I also participated as the leader, so let me make an excuse…….

‘There were too many unexpected variables.’

The fact that most of the members were new to this was naturally taken into account from the planning stage.

But at that time, we only saw it on paper.

We didn’t know the exact abilities of the members.

An expedition team with excellent hunting speed but somewhat lacking in mobility.

Well, it’s an expedition team created for war, not exploration, so is it natural?

“Mister, what are you thinking so hard about?”

“…Nothing.”

I stopped thinking and looked around.

The lowest part of the Glacier’s Eye, with a pattern that resembled a human eye.

“Alright, everyone, calm down and wait! The lottery will be done in order!”

We just had to go through the portal to the 8th floor, but the atmosphere of the expedition team was chaotic.

For a very simple reason.

This is the remote and unexplored ‘Ice Rock’.

Naturally, we were the first to arrive in the current term.

“How are we deciding the order?”

“No, it doesn’t matter who does it, can’t we just go quickly? I’m starving to death.”

“What? Then you’re out!”

“What? Out? I never even thought of participating from the start! I’m a mage!”

The maximum number of people for the binding magic is six.

Accordingly, only six people can get the portal’s first opening experience.

Therefore, we decided to draw lots fairly.

Regardless of position or merit, such as team leader or expedition leader, it was purely based on luck.

“Ugh! Damn it! Why is it blank!”

“Hey! Don’t even think about using your abilities to check inside the box! I’m watching you closely!”

“Waaa! The achievement of opening the 8th floor! I’m having a day like this!”

As the long line shortened one by one, cheers and sighs followed one after another.

I was watching the scene from the very back.

“Aren’t you disappointed?”

Lavienne came next to me and said that.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re the expedition leader. You could have taken the spot with your power, and no one would have said anything.”

“Ah, you mean that.”

It was actually a topic discussed among the team leaders.

We would take the experience among ourselves and draw lots for the remaining spot.

By the way, Kaislan went even further and said that the remaining spot should not be drawn by lot but should be given to the one who had contributed the most.

That’s how you use subordinates, he said?

“…Hey, are you listening to me?”

“Ah, I’m listening.”

“Why did you give up so easily?”

Lavienne asked, and I just shrugged my shoulders in response.

What kind of answer are you expecting?

You know why I did it.

“Tsk, blank.”

Amelia, who had drawn her lot before me, clicked her tongue and returned, patting my shoulder.

“Shuitz, it’s your turn now.”

“How many are left?”

“One.”

Yeah, that’s right…….

I turned my head as little as possible and only checked the number of people left behind with my eyes.

‘There are four people left.’

In other words, the probability is one in four.

And…….

‘Hans isn’t among them either.’

All the signs of good luck are pushing me forward.

Swoooosh—!

A cold wind descending from above, sweeping the floor, and rising again.

Swish.

I took off the ring I was wearing.

Because I don’t need it now.

Thump, thump.

Fate is something you carve out with your own strength.

“I wish you good luck.”

As I stood in front of the box, Kaislan uttered words of encouragement.

Now it was time to see the outcome.

“Uwaaaaaaa!!”

I shouted like a man and drew a lot.

And…….

“Too bad. It’s blank.”

I guess it’s not going to work.

Ha, is it because there’s no BGM [background music]?

Usually, you play it when you do something like this.

Thump, thump.

As I turned my back and walked away listlessly, Lavienne brushed past me.

Ah, it’s her turn after me.

Surely she’s not really going to draw it—

“The one with the circle mark, is this it?”

“That’s it. Congratulations.”

Wow, she drew it?

‘I should have drawn it one turn later…….’

Just as I was feeling a stomach ache for no reason.

“Is it possible to transfer this ticket to someone else?”

“Didn’t you hear when I explained it earlier? After a long discussion, we agreed to make it possible.”

“Is that so?”

After a short conversation with Kaislan, Lavienne turned around without hesitation and approached me…….

“Here, take it.”

She suddenly held out the ticket.

“……?”

I couldn’t understand at all.

Moreover, she had joined us on the 6th floor after entering the labyrinth separately, saying she had to do a speedrun.

She must have been in a hurry for experience…….

“Why are you giving this to me……?”

“No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t seem like it’s mine.”

“…What?”

As I tilted my head as if I didn’t understand, Lavienne answered with an awkward voice.

“I’ve been next to you the whole time, so I know. You’ve suffered the most.”

What is this…….

“Wheeewoo!”

“Yeah, yeah! You’re the one who led us here, so you should be the one to open it!”

“Too bad. I was going to give it if no one transferred it.”

“Liar! You were so happy a while ago?”

“No, really! When we were discussing it earlier, I was on the side that wanted to make it transferable!”

“Enough, just take it! An explorer should take care of their own interests when they can!”

Deep underground, where a cold wave that could freeze your breath was sitting.

‘It’s warm…….’

I felt like I was going to cry.