Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 204

Deep within the Noark Fortress, in a grand hall,

A man was conversing with someone through a crystal ball.

“Amelia Rainwales. Have you found that explorer?”

“Not yet, Lord.”

“I see…”

This was the first regular report since the city was sealed off.

It was too early to expect results, but the lord was lost in thought.

However, more bad news was delivered to him.

“There’s something else I need to tell you.”

“What is it? Speak.”

“From this month, the royal family will be distributing specially made identification tags to explorers.”

“…A magical artifact?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me more. I’m sure you’ve already looked into it.”

After that, the lord heard information about the ‘identification tags’ that the royal family planned to distribute through Amelia.

The more he heard, the more grim the situation became.

The royal family’s archmage had designed the identification tags himself.

“It would take us at least a few months to create something similar.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

“Thank you for the news. Don’t worry about this and focus on your mission. I’ll see you next month.”

With those words, the lord ended the call, closed his eyes, and sank into deep thought.

How much time had passed?

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

The lord summoned the finance minister and first checked Noark’s financial situation.

Or rather, he asked this:

“Finance Minister, how long can we last without entering the labyrinth?”

“If we continue as we are, three months.”

The aftermath of the last battle had left them in a bad state.

However, they had never been ahead of the game.

So, this was a familiar situation.

It was what their ancestors had done.

“If we starve and endure? Then how long can we last?”

“…About seven months at most.”

“I see…”

The lord nodded briefly.

Then he summoned his aide and gave instructions.

“Until I give the order, seal off the labyrinth and prevent anyone from entering.”

“…There will be strong opposition. And how long will this be?”

The lord answered firmly.

“At least until we can replicate the identification tags made by the royal family.”

If they entered before that, they would surely face a meaningless death.

So…

“We must endure until they let their guard down.”

They had to wait patiently for the right moment.

Then, it would surely come.

A single chance to change everything.

***

「Bjorn Yandel」

Level: 5

Physical: 516.48 / Mental: 427.56 / Ability: 1657.2 (New +720)

Item Level: 3,367 (New +769.01)

Total Combat Power: 3442.99 (New +845)

Acquired Essence: Corpse Golem – Rank 7 / Orc Hero – Rank 5 / Ogre – Rank 3 / Manticore – Rank 5

***

Light slowly seeped through his closed eyelids.

He leisurely opened his eyes, and for the first time in a while, a clear sky filled his vision.

With each breath, the hot city air filled his lungs.

He felt the passage of time all over his body.

‘It’s already June…’

Six months had already passed since the day he was exiled to Bipron.

The winter, which was a joke compared to Korea, had long since ended, and now even the short spring was fading away.

‘It’s strange.’

It was March when he came to this world.

It’s been over a year since he came here.

He felt a strange feeling, just like when he paid his first year’s taxes.

To be honest, his life on Earth was becoming increasingly blurry.

That was only natural.

If you included the time he spent in the labyrinth, he had spent almost two years here.

“Hey, are you going straight back to the inn?”

“For now. Let’s wash up and have a drink.”

“We’re backkkkkkk!!”

After checking his surroundings, which were no different from usual, he let go of his short thoughts.

‘Nothing happened this time either.’

He wondered if other levels were different, but judging by the reactions around him, it seemed that there were no other incidents.

‘Geez, it’s making me anxious for no reason.’

Swish.

He looked down at his wrist.

Even though it hadn’t been long since he came out to the city, the identification tag tattooed on his wrist was already scattering light.

It was a hassle to get a new one every time he entered, but its performance was different from the old identification tags that could be easily taken away.

Coincidentally, since this came out, the underground city brats had disappeared without a trace.

‘…I thought they’d be showing up soon.’

The ecosystem of Earth and this place were completely different.

A world without flowing rivers or fertile land for farming.

Noark and Lapdonia had to create food from the magic stones that came out of the labyrinth to survive.

‘But it’s been six months without a peep…’

Last month, at the Round Table, he heard from the fox that the large clans had formed an alliance to prepare for a surprise attack on Noark, which made him feel even more uneasy.

Where did they all hide?

It wasn’t like they had found another way to get food besides magic stones.

“Yandel! Why are you so late!”

As he was walking and organizing his thoughts as if he were taking a stroll, Raven waved her hand from afar.

Even Bear Uncle, who was always late, was already there.

“I had something to think about.”

“Hmm, you could have done that while waiting in line here…”

Ugh, always thinking about efficiency.

Anyway, it was true that he was late, so he apologized and stood in line.

It only took a few minutes for the line to disappear.

That’s because this was a level 5 checkpoint.

“Team Apple Narak, level 5, is that correct?”

This was one of the many changes that had occurred over the past six months. He, Ainar, and Misha had been promoted to level 5, and their team level had also increased by one.

To become level 5, they had to complete a guild quest, which was a bit of a hassle…

They had completed the quest together three months ago.

They decided that if their level was low, they would be looked down upon, and if they were looked down upon, more troublesome things would happen in this industry.

“Wow, they even give out candy here. Bjorn, did you know?”

“I didn’t.”

He put the candy that Misha peeled and handed to him in his mouth and sucked on it.

“Sweet.”

Lapdonia, a city that was endlessly ruthless to the weak.

Now, he was starting to feel like he was being treated well wherever he went.

“Then, you’ll settle the accounts tomorrow, right?”

“Why are you asking the obvious?”

“Oh! Then let’s go! Home!!!”

After simply exchanging the magic stones for money, they went out to the city.

From the level 5 checkpoint, there were also bath facilities for convenience, but they didn’t use them this time either.

They could just wash up at home, so why bother?

“Then, I’ll see you there tomorrow. Honey, I’m home!”

They disbanded in front of Bear Uncle’s tavern, which was also a place to prevent them from getting lost, and headed straight home.

A four-story building located in the inner part of District 7, just 10 minutes away from the commercial city of Commelby.

They used the first and second floors, and another explorer couple used the third and fourth floors.

Since the entrances were different, they rarely ran into each other.

“Ugh, home sweet home!”

Unlike their previous cramped inn, their new home was superior in every way.

In fact, they had only moved in two months ago.

It was a really nice property, and the reason they got it was because the previous tenant had said they were moving out at that time.

Oh, of course, they rented it.

The prices for buying were insane.

“We take a long time to wash up, so if you’re hungry, eat first!”

Ainar and Misha went into the first-floor bathroom, which had a bathtub, and he washed up in the small bathroom on the second floor.

It was small, but it was a much better environment than the previous inn.

He chuckled as he lathered his body with soap.

‘Maybe this is also a change.’

A spacious house with a kitchen.

Soap from a workshop, not mass-produced soap.

Even an expensive bed that he had bought with a lot of effort.

Instead of desperately saving every penny to go back home, he had started to improve his quality of life here.

However, he didn’t want to think of this as an inefficient action.

He didn’t know how many years he would be here.

No, now that the Creation Artifact was gone, he didn’t even know if it was possible to go back.

‘In the first place… I don’t even know if I have to go back.’

He shook off his weak will and came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.

Splashhhhh-!

It seemed like they were still washing up downstairs.

He was hungry, but Misha’s food was much better, so he just sat on the sofa and dozed off for a while.

How much time had passed since then?

“You woke up just in time. Come and eat.”

He looked towards the kitchen at the appetizing smell, and there was a table full of food. As there were two barbarians, most of the meal consisted of meat.

They had a casual conversation while eating.

“Oh, right. Are you going to leave the equipment today?”

“I have to. I need to take good care of it so it lasts a long time. Give it to me after you’re done eating. I’ll go alone.”

“Okay. But are you going to Hikurod’s smithy again?”

“We should use it often. It’s not like weapon maintenance requires any special skills.”

As time passed, the dwarf had also opened a smithy.

It had been about three months now, and it seemed like he was still in the red because it was an industry where regular customers were the norm.

Well, it seemed like he was getting better.

“But about Hikurod… If his shop goes bankrupt, he’ll go back to being an explorer, right?”

“Don’t say that… in front of him.”

“Hey, do you think I’m crazy? I have a brain. I’m just a little worried.”

“Hehe, Misha, why are you so worried? If he goes bankrupt, we can just use him as our butler!”

“Butler…?”

“Hikurod is fun!”

What does she think a butler is?

He didn’t know, but it would be foolish to take a barbarian’s words seriously.

They laughed and chatted about trivial things, saying that it would be fun.

“Then, I’ll go to the smithy, so you guys can go to sleep first.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, it’s not like I’m going to do anything big.”

He put the kids down for a nap first, then took the cleaned equipment and headed to the dwarf’s smithy. After leaving the equipment for inspection and repair, he went back and lay down on the bed.

A king-size bed that he had bought for a whopping 350,000 stones.

‘Yeah, this is it.’

He closed his eyes, satisfied with the unchanging softness.

He was reminded of the old days.

Was it when he and Misha stayed in Commelby because the last train had stopped? Back then, he had sighed, wondering when he would be able to sleep on a bed like this every day, saying that he had a long way to go…

“…”

It had been over a year since he came to this city.

He no longer felt anything even if blood splattered on his body.

Rather, he felt more awkward on days when he didn’t have blood on him, and he didn’t feel anything even after hurting people, not monsters.

Before falling asleep, he asked himself.

Was he living more like a human now than he was back then?

***

The nap that continued until the next morning ended with Misha’s visit.

“You said you were going out later? You have to get up!”

“Ah, thanks.”

“Do you want me to make you breakfast?”

“No, I’m going to eat with them when we meet.”

“Oh, is that so?”

As he was washing up and getting ready to go out, he heard snoring from the first floor.

It seemed like Ainar was still sleeping.

Oh, by the way, Misha and he each had a room on the second floor.

There were two rooms on the first floor, but…

Zzzzzzzzzzz-!

His snoring was worse than his.

The remaining room on the first floor was just being used as a common storage room.

“Then, I’ll see you at the tavern later.”

“Okay, have a good day!”

He said goodbye to Misha and left the house.

Then, he walked to Commelby, which was 10 minutes away, instead of taking a carriage.

After passing through the city gate and walking for about 30 minutes, he arrived at the public platform where they had agreed to meet.

Raven had already arrived.

“You’re late. It’s been a while since I got off the carriage.”

“…I think you just came early today?”

“You’re just quick to notice. Come on, let’s go. I’m starving.”

After joining Raven, they finished their meal at their usual restaurant, then went around the general store and the exchange to dispose of the spoils they had earned from their last exploration.

This time, it was more profitable than usual.

Thanks to the level 5 essence that came out of the mirror world they entered after catching Millardon.

“It might take a while to sell, but I’ll distribute it with my money first and receive it later.”

“Then that’s good for us, but are you okay?”

“What’s not okay? It’s just a hassle to wait until it’s sold and then gather again to divide it.”

That was true, but they had always insisted on that method until now.

They thought it was the least problematic way.

“…What is it? That look?”

“Nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing?”

“It’s your imagination.”

He forced a smile and walked forward.

Come to think of it, she had changed a lot too.

She was still not honest, though.

“It ended sooner than expected. I’ll be at the tavern first.”

After finishing selling the spoils, they headed to the tavern, which was their meeting place.

As expected, no one had arrived yet.

“It’s better this way. We didn’t even have time to organize last time.”

Raven, who had only ordered a drink, took out a piece of paper and started writing down the details of today’s settlement.

It took longer than he thought.

She always said it was nothing when he asked her.

“Thanks.”

“…Um, suddenly?”

“You’re always doing the troublesome things for our team.”

“I wouldn’t do it if there was even one other person who could do this, right? You should give me money or something.”

“Okay, I’ll give it to you. How much do you want? I think everyone would agree.”

“…It’s okay. Do you think I’ll become rich if I get that money?”

Sheesh, if it weren’t for that grumpy way of talking, she would be much more popular.

“Oh, I thought I’d be the last one.”

As time passed, Bear Uncle arrived, and soon the melee sisters also came.

Thus began the settlement time.

“It’s 8.5 million stones per person.”

They had a large sum of money in their hands, as Millardon had spat out a mirror. They had already paid off their debts two months ago, so all of this income was going into his pocket.

“Then, let’s talk about other things.”

After finishing the settlement, they comfortably ate and drank while making plans for their next exploration.

Well, it would be more accurate to say that he announced it.

“I’m not planning on going to Hellfire Canyon anymore.”

“What? Why?”

For the past six months, they had been hunting in Hellfire Canyon and had entered the mirror world a total of three times.

And they had finished exploring the ‘Ash Mountains’ and ‘Lava Lake,’ which they had not been able to explore before.

It wasn’t that difficult.

They had the ‘Orb of Fire’ that blocked fire damage, and their combat power was much higher than when they first entered the place.

“Is there a reason to leave the place that is most compatible with us and go somewhere else?”

Raven, who had been enjoying Hellfire Canyon, expressed concern about his decision.

But this was a matter he couldn’t compromise on.

“We can’t stay on the 5th floor forever. It’s time to explore other places.”

They had obtained everything they could from Hellfire Canyon.

So, it was time to move on to the next chapter.

“So, where are you planning to go?”

“Frost Canyon.”

“Oh, if it’s Frost Canyon…”

Misha trailed off and glanced at him.

She knew that it was a field that could be an opportunity for her, unlike Hellfire Canyon.

Well, it wasn’t a wrong guess.

In Frost Canyon, there were several essences that had good synergy with Misha, who was an ice attribute.

In fact, that was one of the things he was aiming for.

‘If I get that essence, Frost Canyon is done.’

After that, he planned to collect experience points in the remaining two fields of the ‘Great Demon Realm’ and then open the path to the 6th floor.

Well, it would take at least another year to get there.

‘Still, we’ve come a long way.’

It was at that moment that he thought that.

Swishhhhh-!

The vine ring on his hand emitted light.

“Bjorn, that can’t be…”

Unlike the first time, he didn’t try to deny it or deceive himself. He didn’t even wet his finger and rub the vine as if he were going to reattach it.

Because nothing would change even if he did.

“The activation condition for the Blessing of the Stars has been met.”

The second vine that had been blocking the death flag related to the Dragonslayer had broken.

Damn it.