Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 175

Reddish-brown hair, cut in a bob that reached her shoulders.

A tattoo etched beneath her eyes.

Slightly over 170 centimeters tall, with a lean, muscular build.

“……”

Amelia, standing before the mirror, tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing the scar on her half-severed ear.

A flaw that would surely be a detriment if she desired a more conventional life.

Back then, she hadn’t had the money for a healing potion, so she’d had no choice but to leave it as it was.

Of course, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to treat it now, but…

She didn’t bother.

“I’m almost there.”

This scar always reminded her.

Who her enemy was.

“Amelia Rainwales, the Lord summons you.”

She slung the bag she had prepared over her shoulder and stepped outside.

An unexpected figure was waiting.

“I didn’t expect you to come.”

A member of Orculius.

The most infamous evil spirit in both the surface and underground, a notorious criminal known to the public as the Corpse Collector.

“The situation is quite urgent.”

“How bad is it?”

“The royal family has made a drastic move. I never imagined they would release that madman from prison.”

“……Surely, he’s not out?”

Even Amelia, who usually maintained a blank expression, couldn’t hide her surprise this time.

If the ‘Corpse Collector’ was a well-known evil spirit, that man was the opposite.

Few knew his name, but…

To those who knew even a little of his identity, he was more terrifying than anyone else.

“Yes, he’s here. Thanks to him, things have gotten a bit twisted. Our side is also getting slaughtered right now.”

The man with glasses chuckled and patted Amelia on the back.

“So, let’s hurry. Everyone’s already gathered, and you’re the last one we’re waiting for, sis.”

“…Alright. Let’s move quickly.”

Amelia followed the man.

The silent hallway echoed only with the sound of their quick footsteps.

“Did the Dragonslayer also participate in the battle?”

“Huh? Ah, him… he’s got a crippled arm, what could he do? He’s probably resting in his room right now.”

“……I see.”

Amelia cautiously asked one more question.

“Is there any progress?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

The man stopped walking and turned around.

As someone known for his intelligence, he might be connecting the incident of the Dragonslayer’s equipment being sold on the black market to her.

‘I made a mistake.’

It was too late to realize she had been hasty, but Amelia answered as calmly as possible.

“I was going to kill him if he became useless.”

“……Huh? Do you have a bad history with him?”

“I don’t like his eyes.”

There was a moment of silence after Amelia’s answer.

It wasn’t long.

The man burst into laughter as if he had heard a funny story.

“Hahaha! Well, that snake-eye is a bit annoying. Especially since he doesn’t know his place.”

The man’s steps, which had stopped, started moving again.

“But please bear with him. It seems his body will recover in about six months to a year.”

“What about the Dragonslayer Sword? Without that, he’s not really useful, is he?”

“Ah, that. We have to find it. The alchemist grandpa said that there might be a way to restore his memories?”

“……I see.”

A way to restore memories.

She wanted to ask what it was, but she held back.

She was someone who usually had no interest in others.

This perceptive guy would surely sense something was off.

‘I should look into this later.’

After walking through the hallway for about three more minutes, a huge door loomed before them.

The white door leading to the Lord’s grand hall.

As she entered, she saw the Lord sitting on his throne.

“It’s been a while.”

“Welcome, Amelia Rainwales.”

Amelia, who gave a brief salute, looked at the other four people in the grand hall. She recognized three of them, and one was a stranger.

“He’s an explorer from Orculius. But we don’t have time for introductions, so let’s get to the point.”

She also put aside her curiosity and listened to the Lord’s words.

“As you can tell from the fact that I’ve called you here, the situation isn’t good.”

“Hehe, I heard! That crazy old man came all the way down here?”

“That’s right, Camilla. The commander is currently dealing with him, but it’s said he won’t be able to hold out for long.”

The Lord smiled wryly and continued.

In the end, the city had to be sealed off.

Therefore, no one would be able to go out or come in for two years.

“As soon as you escape through the secret passage, the sealing magic circle will be activated. Do you have any questions?”

“No, I don’t.”

“See you in two years! Handsome Lord Oppa!”

“Camilla, what kind of way is that to talk to the Lord?”

“Whatever, you smelly old man.”

After a brief conversation, Amelia moved to the secret passage on the floor with her four companions.

Soon, they reached a spot marked with a red flag.

[We have arrived.]

[Good luck.]

At the same time as they contacted through the message stone, a huge amount of magic power was emitted from the direction of the city.

“Wow, amazing. It really can’t be crossed?”

A huge barrier made of blue magic power.

‘I never thought I would leave this city like this.’

Amelia tried to suppress her strange emotions and recalled her mission.

“Sis, you’re the commander, right? What do we do now?”

The mission was simple.

Gather information in Lapdonia.

That was the main mission, and if possible…

‘I’ve finally come this far.’

To kill one explorer.

A long arc was drawn on her lips as she recalled the second mission given by the Lord.

***

All sorts of rumors were circulating in the city.

From conspiracy theories claiming that the failed subjugation was a result of the royal family’s intentions, to doomsday theories that the city would be destroyed by the war with Noark.

‘This world isn’t any different either.’

For several days, I went around the taverns, constantly listening to such absurd stories.

A tedious and stressful task.

However, it was also an unavoidable choice.

Unless I was the Round Table’s Lion Mask [a reference to a powerful figure or group], what could a bare-bones barbarian do?

I had no choice but to run around myself.

“Biorn, are you going out for a drink again today?”

“Yeah, I’ll be late, so go to sleep first.”

With less than a week left until the labyrinth entry.

As soon as the day ended, I went out to the streets and poured myself a drink alone, as always.

Even just by doing that, information came to me on its own.

“They say the compensation for deaths will be postponed until next month.”

“Well, if that many people died, the royal family wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

“Haha, it’s the opposite. They have enough money, but there are so many deaths that it’s taking time to tally them.”

In a way, it was similar to the early days.

Well, back then, I didn’t have money, so I couldn’t go to the tavern, and I just kept my ears open during meals.

‘Nothing special today either.’

Since the royal family didn’t make a proper statement after the subjugation failure, the rumors were endlessly reproduced, literally like copies.

But if I were to organize only the things that were close to the facts, it would be like this.

1. Noark also suffered considerable damage, and they barely survived by making a drastic move to seal off the area just before their defeat.

This part is certain because there are many witnesses.

No matter how much they try to keep it quiet, how can it be hidden when there are so many participants?

2. There is a great explorer unknown to the royal family.

I heard this story directly from a drunken survivor.

That Derbes uncle I met at the gathering somehow managed to come back alive.

He fought on par with the leader of Orculius?

Well, it’s not strange for the royal family to have such a master, considering their status.

Anyway, next.

3. Three of the Ten Great Clans were disbanded in this subjugation.

Actually, it’s not disbandment, but annihilation.

There are less than 10% of survivors, making recovery completely impossible.

For reference, not only the Ten Great Clans, but also more than half of the small and medium-sized clans at the 5th and 6th floor levels were also dissolved.

‘But thanks to that, the hunting ground control will be a little less.’

It’s the only positive factor in the current situation.

It would be nice to be happy, but the issues that came with it are too serious.

‘If it becomes a long-term war, we’ll eventually have to settle things in the labyrinth.’

That’s what I’ve been worried about since I saw the signs of war.

Honestly, just thinking about it makes me laugh.

‘An infinite PK [Player Killing] content, huh….’

Isn’t this a content I haven’t even experienced in the original work?

If the labyrinth turns into a battlefield, I, who have to make money and grow there, will inevitably get caught up in it.

‘If the supply of magic stones decreases, inflation will surely start.’

Unfortunately, it was hard to even hear about these concerns in a cheap tavern.

Well, if there was an explorer who was already worried about inflation, I would have to suspect them of being an evil spirit.

‘Now I have to make a decision.’

The time for a decision was slowly approaching.

Should I stop exploring until things calm down, or should I just enter the labyrinth as usual?

Actually, the answer was already decided.

‘……It’s better to go in, after all.’

There was no telling when this chaos would end.

Just resting was a bad move.

The bad blood with that Dragonslayer bastard wasn’t over.

I had to get stronger as much as possible before the vine ring broke.

That was the only way to survive.

‘Either way, if they forcibly conscript me later, I’ll eventually have to participate in the war.’

Above all, Noark suffered considerable damage in this battle.

In other words, they also need time to reorganize.

Even if that’s not the case, we are in a better situation than other explorers.

That’s because the 1st floor can be bypassed with a bug [a glitch or exploit in the game].

The 4th floor is an independent dimension, so it’s out of the question, and on the 5th floor, once you enter through the mirror, you can hunt without being involved in PK.

‘The problem is how to persuade the two of them….’

The mage Raven and the bear uncle with 10 years of experience.

I don’t know if they will agree to enter the labyrinth.

‘I have no choice but to face it head-on.’

As soon as the decision was made, I emptied my glass and left the tavern.

A barbarian has his own way.

“I’m sorry, we’re closed for today… Oh my, Yandel. What brings you here? Is it because of him?”

“Is Abman here?”

“He’s probably passed out drunk. Wait a moment. I’ll wake him up and bring him to you.”

Did she get proper financial treatment this time?

The bear’s wife seemed several times more friendly than before.

I sat at a table that hadn’t been cleaned up yet and waited for a while, and soon the bear uncle was dragged out, rubbing his eyes.

“Yandel, what’s going on in the middle of the night?”

“I have something important to talk about.”

“Hmm, really? Just let me sober up a bit. Honey?”

When the bear uncle called, his wife gave him honey water as if she had been waiting for it.

“Drink it all.”

Seeing that extreme treatment, it seemed he had regained his authority as the head of the family.

“Kuh, that’s the stuff. So, what did you want to say?”

“I’ll ask you directly. Are you going to participate in the exploration this time?”

“Hmm, the way you say that, it seems you’ve already made up your mind?”

“I’m going in.”

When I nodded without hesitation, the bear uncle chuckled.

“Really? Then I’ll join too.”

“You made a quick decision. Do you know something?”

“It’s not that, but we’re a team, aren’t we? If the leader has decided, we have to trust and follow.”

It was a completely unexpected kind of answer.

I never thought he would respect the leader’s authority!

This uncle, he was actually conservative in this way.

“Then this conversation is over.”

“Why don’t you have a drink since you’re here?”

“No, thanks. Your wife needs to rest too. You should help with the cleaning since you’re up.”

I quickly finished the conversation and left the tavern.

As a bonus, the bear’s wife’s eyes were a little softer, as if I had earned some points with that last comment.

[03:24]

It was past three in the morning, but I headed to the magic tower without hesitation.

After all, it was like daytime for them now.

In fact, Raven was also holed up in his lab, experimenting with something.

“Huh? Mr. Yandel? Why are you here at this hour?”

“I came to ask you something.”

“Really? Just let me finish what I was doing. Sit anywhere and wait for a moment.”

I thought I might get scolded for being rude in the middle of the night, but surprisingly, there were no complaints.

Was it because we were comrades?

It seemed like they didn’t treat me like a stranger anymore.

“So? What did you want to ask?”

After waiting for a while, Raven cleaned up the area and sat down in front of me, and I just bluntly said it again.

“The labyrinth, are you going in?”

“Ah, that… Well, I had to talk about that too. What about the others?”

The way he spoke made it clear that I had come to ask him last.

I felt a little insulted, but…

Since it was true, I had nothing to say about it.

“Everyone except you has agreed to go in.”

“Really? Then I’ll go with you too.”

“You made a quick decision. Do you know something?”

I repeated the same words I had said to the bear uncle, and I heard a different answer than before.

“Yes.”

“……What is it?”

“It’s nothing much, but this time, the royal family didn’t send an official letter to the magic tower.”

“An official letter?”

“Usually, if there’s something dangerous, the magic tower is notified first. Like, don’t go in this time or something like that.”

My mind went blank for a moment, but I understood.

Should I call it a kind of VIP treatment?

As a mage, who is classified as a top-tier personnel, the royal family directly takes care of their safety.

“So, don’t worry too much. The royal family was the one who led the subjugation, and there’s still no such official letter? It basically means that the royal family has judged that it’s not dangerous.”

“……I see. If you have something like that, tell me in advance.”

“If that’s what the leader wants.”

With a smile that seemed to be teasing me, I left the magic tower and returned home.

Then, I woke up Misha and Aynar, who were sleeping.

“Ah, what is it. I was sleeping.”

“Ugh, the smell of alcohol!! Did you go out drinking again without me!”

“Enough, eat this.”

I gave them each a wrapped chicken leg and informed them of the result.

“We’re going into the labyrinth.”

Aynar’s reaction was as if I had said something obvious, and Misha sighed deeply.

“……Sigh, I knew it. You reckless barbarian old man.”

Sigh, it would be nice if all the team members were like them.

“So, is that it?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Go to sleep now.”

“Ah, really, you could have just told me this tomorrow……”

Misha grumbled and went back to her room, and Aynar did the same.

“Good night! Biorn!”

I also took out the key and inserted it into the hole.

However, just as I was about to turn it to unlock the lock.

Tap, tap.

The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs could be heard.

Considering it was an inn, it was just white noise that wasn’t particularly strange.

But for some reason, that sound was piercing my ears today.

Tap.

In the end, I unintentionally turned around to check the stairs, and thanks to that, I made eye contact with the person who was coming up.

I wondered if I had mistaken her because she was wearing a skirt, but…

Of course, that couldn’t be the case.

‘Why is she here?’

Once in the Land of the Dead, and once in the sewers.

The 8th floor explorer from the underground city who made me feel the wall twice in total.

Commonly known as the psycho bitch.

Gulp.

As soon as I saw that face engraved in my mind, I unconsciously tucked my neck in and swallowed.

But was she just as bewildered?

“I never thought I would meet someone who knows me here.”

“……”

“This is a bit troublesome.”

The woman frowned at me, then took a step back and took a stance.

It seemed like she had already come up with a solution.

“Well, I guess I can just beat you up and erase your memories like last time.”

Damn it.