Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 528

Day 63 of exploration, 3 PM. We had planned our schedule generously, arriving at the Human Island a day before the rainy season was set to begin. Originally, we were going to spend the remaining time exploring the island and hunting, but we changed our plans and entered the village right away. “…It’s really a village of monsters, just like I heard.” “Wight, are you sure this is okay?” “Didn’t the Baron tell you all to be careful?” Although we had discussed it to some extent beforehand, the explorers were still shaken by the sight of the monsters everywhere as we entered the village. Of course, this was only the case for the Hekz Clan. “A monster claiming to be human…” “This is… quite rare.” “I heard you can communicate with them if you use ancient language, right?” “Haha! Didn’t I always say? That it’s a huge waste of space for this vast labyrinth to not have a single intelligent being that can communicate!” The members of Armin’s exploration team, with the blood of explorers flowing through their veins, showed curiosity rather than fear towards the monsters. Naturally, the most enthusiastic were the three mages. “You said we’d stay here until the rainy season passes, right? If I get the chance, I’d like to talk to them.” “…Damn it, I should have studied ancient language more diligently.” “Don’t worry. I’ll record all the conversations and make a translated version. This is an unprecedented discovery in the long history of the labyrinth!” Well, from their perspective, the monsters on Human Island(?) would feel like aliens. Some would feel fear, while others would be more curious. “I’ll go alone from here. You guys stay at the house. Emily, can you lead them?” “No problem.” After having all the companions wait at the house we received from the village chief, I entered the chief’s house alone. “It’s a relief. You’ve returned without being late.” “Were you worried?” “Of course. You are the ones who appeared after such a long wait.” Despite that, I couldn’t feel any emotion in the village chief’s voice when we met again. It felt like I was talking to a machine. Looking at the monster who became friends with Ainar, it didn’t seem like monsters couldn’t have emotions in their voices. “Anyway…” As I was thinking that, the village chief spoke. “I see you’ve gained more companions while I wasn’t looking. How did this happen?” It seemed like the monsters we met in the village on our way here had already told him that our numbers had increased… “It seems that time flows outside even when we’re here.” “So, time passed and new explorers entered this place?” “Yes.” I nodded, but also voiced my question. “But you’re not very surprised?” “The fact that time flows outside has already been proven by you.” Well, that’s true. But now that I think about it, one question arises. [It’s truly a pleasure to meet you. You must be an explorer from Lapdonia?] That day when the village chief and I first met on this island. [Yes, how much time has passed outside?] This first question I asked, wasn’t it a question that could only be asked if you knew that time was flowing? ‘The more I think about it, the more suspicious this guy is…’ But I kept these suspicions to myself and never voiced them. Right now, I needed the village chief’s power and knowledge. And if he really had something up his sleeve, he wouldn’t honestly answer even if I asked. “So, what happened outside the island?” The village chief asked, and I summarized the events that had occurred. Starting with the story of exploring the Tree Island, the explorers we met on the Rock Island. And rescuing the explorers on the Giant Island and the portal stele in the cave. And finally, the super giant we saw when leaving that island. “…You’ve found a lot in such a short time.” The village chief said, with a tone that didn’t sound like admiration, and asked me. “But, why did you suddenly return to the Rock Island?” It was a question I had expected. Because while telling the story, I had completely left out the story about the evil spirit. So, there was bound to be a hole in the story. “Chief, after thinking about what you said, I came to the conclusion that time flows outside as well. So, I went there just in case. It also happened that I had reached a dead end while exploring the Tree Island.” “Hmm… I see.” The village chief accepted my prepared excuse without any suspicion, and that was the end of the information sharing. The village chief then moved on to the next topic. “A stele that doesn’t work… perhaps that’s the key to escaping this place. What’s your next plan?” “Ah, about that.” Before answering, I mentioned this first. “Chief, you and I had a deal. You would help our exploration, and in return, we would give you the information we found while exploring.” “Is that so?” The village chief’s tone implied that he didn’t understand why I was suddenly saying this. Hey, don’t try to get a free ride. I grinned and said. “Now, I need your help.” The first step of the escape plan. “My help…?” We need to become stronger. *** The need for a stat boost was keenly felt right after leaving the Giant Island. That’s because we saw that super giant at the end. ‘Considering how the difficulty was increasing exponentially… we should keep in mind that such a monstrous creature might appear at the end of the Library Island and the Tree Island as well.’ Well, this is just a possibility for now. Still, that giant was clearly acting as the boss of the island. The portal stele was also found on that island. According to the big data I’ve accumulated from playing [Dungeon & Stone] for a long time, there’s a very high chance that the giant is the key to escape. But… “I need time to think.” The village chief gave a lukewarm answer. Even though he must want to get out more than us, having been trapped here for countless years. “The rainy season will start tomorrow, so give me an answer before then.” “I understand.” Then, this matter is put on hold for now. After that, we talked about less important topics. “Since the number of people has increased, one house might be uncomfortable. I’ll prepare a new residence by tomorrow, so please bear with it.” “It’s just for a day. These people have been sleeping on the bare ground, so they won’t even think it’s uncomfortable.” “That’s a relief then.” “But where did those guys go?” “If you’re talking about the Silver Lion Clan, they left the island not long after you did. And they haven’t returned yet.” Hmm… really? The rainy season is about to start. ‘Did they go to some strange island and get wiped out?’ Considering their level, it was a plausible story. Even we started actively recruiting because we were short on manpower to reach the end content. “I’m planning to wait as long as possible. But once the rainy season starts, I’ll lock the village gates right away.” “That’s obvious.” Since they might be on their way back to the island, we ended the discussion about the Silver Lion Clan here. And… “Do you have anything else to say?” “No. Give me an answer right away when you make a decision about what I said today.” “I will.” Since we had finished all the conversations, I returned to the residence where my companions were. The residence that was spacious during the last rainy season had now turned into almost a refugee camp. Well, it’s natural since seven people have become 39. “Hekz, Müll. Just bear with it. The village chief said he’ll prepare a place to stay by tomorrow.” “That’s a relief.” Wight Hekz, who prioritized survival, simply expressed relief at my words, but Armin was different. “The residence doesn’t matter. But… I heard about the person called the village chief…” “And?” “Is it true that the village chief is the Dragon Knight, Cornelius Brünhild?” “…Who told you that?” At my question, Müll flinched and stared at one spot. And Ainar, who was sitting at the end of that gaze, avoided my eyes. “Haa…” Yeah, it’s my fault. This time, I didn’t clearly say it was a secret. If I had, he would never have gone around telling people. As I was sighing, Müll, noticing the atmosphere, quickly defended Ainar. “I’m sorry. I asked a pointless question…” “No, it’s not something to hide anyway. Anyway, to answer your question… half of what you just said is correct.” “Half… you mean?” “Yes. He claims to be, but it hasn’t been properly confirmed.” “I see…” Since it had come to this, I decided to hear Müll’s opinion as well. This guy has been wandering around looking for the secrets of the labyrinth for almost his entire life. Maybe he knows something. “Müll, what do you think? Do you think that claim is true?” “Well… I haven’t met him directly, and I can’t tell just from hearing about it. But, if it’s true, there’s one thing that bothers me.” “What part?” “The part where he’s currently dwelling in a monster’s body and enjoying eternal life.” “Why is that?” “The Great Sage’s biography is very famous… but the stories about his companions are suspiciously lacking in records. I was once curious about their secret stories and diligently collected their records—” “Okay, just get to the point.” “I once found a record about Brünhild in the antique market.” “What was it?” “Before I tell you, let me make this clear first. After analyzing the records, I confirmed that they were written in that era, but I couldn’t conclude whether the records were genuine or not.” Hey, I told you to get to the point. “Yeah, I guess so. But what was the content?” Müll Armin carefully opened his mouth after I asked again. “The record stated that the hero, Dragon Knight Cornelius Brünhild, was more obsessed with eternal life than anyone else, and this caused repeated conflicts with the Great Sage.” An ancient secret story that I was hearing for the first time from Müll, the authenticity of which was not certain. But why? “Eternal life…” Why do I suddenly feel so uneasy? *** Day 64, 9 PM. The village chief visited our residence. There were two reasons for his visit. One was that he had prepared a new residence to solve the already cramped housing problem… “I’ve decided to accept your proposal.” The second was that the village chief had finally made a decision. After hearing the story about eternal life, I felt a bit more uncomfortable with the village chief, but I didn’t mention it at all. It’s not good to be in conflict with the village chief at this point. It’s more efficient to get what we can first and then investigate step by step. Therefore… “All the warriors of the village are ready.” I went outside with the village warriors that the village chief had mobilized. The reason was very simple. Basement floor 1, the record storage. In order to escape this place, it’s too difficult with our current level. In other words, we need to become stronger. And to become stronger, one needs hardship. “There are about two hours left. If you change your mind in the middle, tell me. There’s nothing more foolish than facing a disaster with your bare body.” “No matter what, I won’t change my mind.” The village chief spoke as if trying to persuade me, but I didn’t change my mind. And how much time had passed like that. “…” When nearly 300 troops, including the village warriors, were waiting with solemn expressions. The time finally came. [Uuuuuum!] [Gero, gero, gerok…!!] [Woof! Woof! Keuheoheong!] As if in harmony, the howls of numerous monsters were heard loudly from the sky. Crack-! The monsters that crashed headfirst into the hard ground disappeared into light. Swaaaaaaa-! The monsters that survived in that brilliant light rushed towards us with their battered bodies, and the explorers and monster warriors who were waiting took out their weapons and fought back. And… ‘What disaster.’ I raised my shield high and shouted. “Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!” The rainy season. An event like a disaster where monsters pour down from the sky. But this event was as I expected. 「You have defeated a Lyture Shaman. EXP+4」 「You have defeated a Werewolf.」 「You have defeated a Wall Mole.」 「You have defeated an Akeltas. EXP +5」 「You have defeated a Subterranean Earthworm. EXP +4」 「You have defeated an Iantro.」 「You have defeated an Orc Warrior.」 「You have defeated a Guard Captain…」 「…」 「…」 Monsters that can be encountered with extremely low probability in rifts, hidden fields, or even normal fields were pouring down from the sky. 「Your character’s level has increased.」 「Your Soul Power increases by +30.」 「The maximum absorbable essence increases by +1.」 If this isn’t a burning event, then what is?