Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 606

After my suggestion to try it out, a moment of silence followed. During that time, Raven, who had been looking at me with genuinely intrigued eyes, shook his head with an effort.

“Ehh, still, it’s not right to just experiment right away, is it?”

“In the labyrinth, there are so many things you don’t know unless you try them yourself.”

“That’s true, but still. It’s quite a precious item… I’d be sad if it disappeared without being of any use.”

If the original owner of the rift stone says that, I have nothing to say. Even if some hidden piece is activated, it’s a problem.

I’m planning to continue the exploration as soon as the rainy season ends, and if we waste too much time, it will affect the schedule. ‘Besides, everyone is getting a bit sensitive, knowingly or unknowingly, from being trapped here…’

Therefore, the plan to activate the statue with the Cambormier rift stone is put on hold for now.

“Then, I’ll be going!”

After that, Raven left, saying he would think of a name to put on the flower crown, and I was left alone in the barracks. I had many thoughts in my head. It wasn’t about the statues and rift stones.

‘It’s still a coincidence.’

The ability of the flower crown that I heard from Raven keeps lingering in my mind. No matter how you look at it, the effect attached to the item obtained after killing the archbishop who was promoted to a priest of Karui is mental immunity?

‘It looks like an item meant to be used in that chapter…’

The red portal that I couldn’t help but check last time bothers me. What was beyond it? If I have this flower crown, I might be able to see what’s beyond it with my own eyes next time I challenge it. Well, I can’t retry right now anyway.

‘I can’t retry right away, can I?’

For now, the rift has been cleared. The guardian statues below the 5th floor, which were the conditions for opening the rift, no longer open portals even if you touch them. Right now, there’s nothing I can do except go outside through the portal in the stone chamber.

‘I wonder how long the cooldown is…’

Well, I’ll have to go out to find out. If I go out and come back in, I might have a chance to retry immediately, or I might have to wait until the cooldown is over. Considering that the first basement floor is covered in unknowns, if it’s a one-time rift, there’s a possibility that I might never be able to enter again.

Swoosh.

After sitting in the empty barracks for a long time, organizing my thoughts, I took out a backpack from my subspace. The backpack I received from the village chief before entering the rift. The village chief said that he had put a notebook in this backpack, and that all the answers to my questions were written there. So, as soon as I came out and finished my work, I read it all. But…

‘No, is he going to die if he just tells me everything clearly?’

That’s what I thought; this notebook had the property of making the mystery bigger the more I looked at it.

[If you feel like something is nearby on the Library Island, go out for a day and come back in. Then, all the bookshelves that were messed up will be organized.]

This must be about Hamsik.

[If you find another dimensional monument, never pay attention to it. Again, the exit you are looking for is the one in our village.]

This seems to be about the dimensional monument on Giant Island. However, everything below here is very meaningful.

[If a large shadow suddenly falls on the ground while exploring Giant Island, never look up. If you wait a while, the shadow will disappear, and you will be able to continue your journey.]

[There is nothing at the top of the island you called Tree Island. If you see something or hear a sound, put on an eye patch and earplugs and hold your breath. Then you will be able to pass safely.]

[If the waves start to surge during the rainy season, stop your journey immediately and find a place to hide. There will be a place to hide on any island. However, do not go to the rocky island where you first opened your eyes when you came here. That’s because there is no place to hide on that island.]

[The golden book will not help you achieve your goal.]

[If you see a horse running in the sky during a non-rainy season, do not act rashly. If you do not attack first or get close, no problems will occur.]

At this point, I think the purpose is to spread ghost stories rather than convey information. But still, the last item written was easier to understand.

[If a dimensional collapse occurs and the entire layer begins to collapse, head to the island where our village was. A portal to the surface will be open.]

In the event of a dimensional collapse, you can escape the first basement floor. And one thing that can be inferred from this.

‘Village chief, it seems like he doesn’t know any other way to escape either?’

Just waiting for the dimensional collapse. This is the only escape method the village chief knows. Then it makes sense that he didn’t try to escape with us and left this layer alone using the [Heretical Altar]. The village chief doesn’t know about my escape time either. If I hold out and hold out until the dimensional collapse occurs, it’s unknown how much time will be needed until then…

‘There’s no mention of Rainbow Island.’

I read the notebook several times and searched the backpack that the village chief gave me, but there was nothing mentioned about Rainbow Island. In my opinion, Rainbow Island seems to be the key to escape. ‘Did he know and not write it? Or did he not know and not write it…’

As of now, there was no way for me to confirm. I can’t grab the village chief, who must have woken up in the city a long time ago, by the collar and ask him. ‘I’ll just have to go and see for myself.’ In the end, I have no choice but to continue the exploration. Like an explorer.

***

As soon as the rainy season ended, we went out through the portal. A stone gate towering in the middle of the sea. The small boat we had taken to get here was nowhere to be seen, and as a result, we had the misfortune of falling into the silver sea as soon as we came out. But…

‘Ugh, this is really annoying.’

After a series of troublesome processes, all of our exploration team was able to board the summoned ship safely. And one piece of information I learned in this process. That stone gate was not always open.

“The gate is sinking below the sea!”

The moment the last member popped out of the portal, the huge stone gate closed and began to sink below the sea. ‘…I guess I can’t retry right away.’ It’s a bit disappointing, but I decided to look forward to the next time. Eventually, when the cooldown is over, it will rise above the water. If it’s not a one-time content.

“Baron, the preparations for departure are complete.”

Soon, I, who had been watching the stone gate sink in front of the bow, glanced around. Three warships floating around, as if escorting my ship. “Raise the departure flag!” As soon as my order was given, the ship began to move, and a flag was raised above the watchtower. Swoosh-! Three warships followed us, cutting through the silver waves. Is life a series of ups and downs? Until we came here, we were following those warships from behind.

“Bjorn, aren’t you hungry?”

“Ah, thanks.”

As I was walking around, chewing on the snacks that Secretary Misha had prepared, Amelia spoke to me. “…What is that?” “This? It’s a snack the secretary gave me.” “…How long are you going to keep playing that ridiculous role-playing game?”

Uh… If you say it like that, even I’m a little hurt. “Are you perhaps doing this because you don’t like the position of the search party leader?” For reference, the search party leader is a position that manages the personnel who are best suited for reconnaissance missions. Since he can be seen as a founding member of the nation, I created a position that didn’t exist before… “Haa…” In response to my question, Amelia just shook her head and disappeared to do her work. ‘There’s nothing to do…’

After that, I patrolled for a long time, but there was nothing I could do, so I ended up resting in my room or chatting with my colleagues. And how much more time had passed? “I’ll go alone for a bit.” Finally, I arrived at Library Island, and I got off the ship alone and headed down to the island. The books we had messed up were all organized, and the sound of my footsteps echoed several times. ‘It’s quiet.’ For now, I don’t feel Hamsik’s presence. Is he sleeping at home?

“Hamsik–!!”

When I shouted loudly, a fluffy creature carefully poked its face out from the bookshelf. “Oh, what? Were you there? Why aren’t you at home?” […Are you really asking because you don’t know!!] Ah, right. We had completely destroyed it before we left. “…Sorry.” [Ha! So, what brings you here? And alone.] “Wait, I came to see you. My colleagues are waiting above, so come here.” [……] Was my visit sudden? Hamsik looked around cautiously, as if he was a little wary, and then revealed himself outside. [You… came to see me?] “Yeah.” [Why?] The reason is simple. I saw him in the rift I visited recently. [My name is not Hamsik–!] The other Hamsik I met in the cave, who didn’t even know he was Hamsik. After meeting the so-called second Hamsik, I thought. There’s a big secret hidden in Hamsik. Even if he doesn’t know it himself.

“Don’t be so sad! Do you need a reason to come and see a friend?” But as I approached Hamsik with a hearty laugh, hiding my true feelings for now, Hamsik became even more wary. [Don’t lie!] “…?” [There’s no way you just came! You must have some purpose!] Sigh, he’s already become this much of a person. It was easier when he was the innocent Hamsik. I chuckled and said honestly. “Okay, I do have a purpose.” [Huh! I knew it–] “Hamsik, let’s leave this place together.” […What?] Hamsik was greatly surprised and looked at me with eyes that didn’t understand. Sigh, I knew this would happen, so I tried to grease the wheels a bit and reveal it. [Leave together… what does that mean?] “It’s exactly what it sounds like. What are you going to do here, just organizing books endlessly? Even that, if we’re not here, there won’t be anything to organize.” [……] Was this part like a reverse scale? Hamsik had an unpleasant expression. But in order for life to change, a shock is always needed. “You’ve been here long enough. So, let’s get out of here together now.” […What will change if I leave?] “Many things.” Hamsik didn’t seem to be convinced by my words. So, I told him more specifically. “First of all, you’ll be able to see what’s outside with your own eyes. In the first place, you’ve been here for so long, and you don’t even know what’s outside.” [I’m not really curious.] “The vast silver sea. Unknown islands… Aren’t you curious about any of that?” [I’m not curious.] It was an unexpected reaction. Looking at him, it seems like he’s not just making excuses, but he’s being sincere… “Then how about this? You’ve forgotten all your memories, right? So you don’t even know who you are. Maybe if you wander around outside, you might be able to regain your memories.” […How can you be so sure?] Oh, his answer is slow, so is this a bit tempting? To Hamsik’s valid rebuttal, I answered confidently. “How about you? Can you be sure that there’s absolutely no way?” For a moment, Hamsik was speechless, and after a long time, he barely opened his mouth. […It’s forced.] Well, he’s not wrong. But I could say with confidence. “But it doesn’t change the fact that nothing will change if you stay here forever.” This was also my philosophy of life. As the saying goes, starting is half the battle. 0 and 1 are different. At first, they may seem similar, but as time passes, the gap widens tremendously. But Hamsik couldn’t easily take a step. ‘Sigh, I feel like if I just push him a little bit here…’ [Just one thing.] “…?” [Answer just one thing. Why are you trying to take me out?] Ugh, he’s really persistent. I sighed inwardly and looked at the empty space, not at Hamsik, and said. “…How can I just watch?” [……?] “A friend being miserable and cooped up at home.”

That was another reason why I was trying to take Hamsik out. I don’t know if I’ve grown attached to him, but I keep worrying about him.

***

Hamsik’s answer came after a very long time. [I’ll go. I’ll follow you outside.] It seems that my persuasion, which followed later, that I would take him back here anytime if he changed his mind, worked. “You made a good decision.” […But if I’m nearby, there will be problems. Other people… look at me terribly.] “Anyway, you can just hide your appearance, right? You just have to hide in the cabin.” [Then what’s the difference?] “The place you’re hiding?” [……] “Anyway, you’ve lost your home now, right? There’s a bed in the cabin too. A very fluffy one.” [……] “What are you hesitating for! The decision is made, so let’s go quickly! We don’t have time for this!” In case Hamsik would change his mind, I quickly took Hamsik out of the island. And… “Tell everyone to go inside for a moment.” After clearing the deck, I let Hamsik into my cabin without anyone’s gaze. “How is it? Is it okay? There’s a window here, so you can see the sea well.” [Hmph. What’s so great about that? I’ve already seen it several times.] “Oh, so you’ve come up here alone a few times? You seemed like you weren’t interested in the outside world.” [……] “Anyway, I’ll come back later. I have to tell the others outside that they can come out now, and we have to depart.” […Do as you please.] After hiding Hamsik in my room, I went outside and restored the personnel arrangement. And… “Set sail!!” We resumed our journey. The destination is the unknown Rainbow Island, located about a month away from the current location. Swoosh-! As the four ships were cutting through the water towards it, something happened. “…Huh?” How long has it been since we set sail, and suddenly there was a commotion on the deck. When I went out to the deck, everyone there was staring blankly at the sky. “…A horse?” “Right? No matter how you look at it, it looks like a horse, right?” …A horse? When I quickly looked up, I could see the shape of a white, shining horse flying in the sky. I quickly took out the village chief’s ghost story notebook. [If you see a horse running in the sky during a non-rainy season, do not act rashly. If you do not attack first or get close, no problems will occur.] I didn’t expect to see it so soon.