Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 214

The knight who gave me this ring said that if I showed it and told my story, my identity would be immediately verified. Yes, that’s exactly what he said.

“It’s a message ring. And… it’s from Sir Garfizel, who went out to search the second floor portal.”

Before I could even say who gave it to me, a knight recognized the ring. He looked at my reaction and chuckled.

“A message ring…?”

“Looks like you didn’t even know what it was. Wait a moment. We’ll know soon enough whether what you’re saying is true.”

The knight turned the gem on the ring to the side, and a blue light seeped out, flowing into the knight’s body.

“……”

The knight closed his eyes as if savoring the afterglow, remaining silent. It was about three minutes before he opened his mouth.

“There’s a corpse collector near the portal…”

With that one sentence, all the pieces fell into place in my head.

Shit, so that’s why it was a ‘message’ ring.

No wonder he just handed it to me without asking for a reward first.

‘I see why he gave it to me.’

The knight named Garfizel wanted to pass on information.

Using me, whom he met by chance.

He must have given me the information about this place for the same reason.

[If it’s the dark zone in the center, are you talking about the place with the monument?]

[Yes, go there. If you can make it there, you’ll be safe.]

It’s good if the message gets through, and there’s no loss if it doesn’t.

Still, he could have just told me honestly.

This makes me feel like I’ve been used.

‘Why are there so many bastards in this world who like to play with people?’

It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but…

The good thing is, this ring did a proper job of verifying my identity.

“Little Vulcan, Bjorn, son of Yandel.”

The knight, who I’ve never even introduced myself to, calls my name.

“Is the suspicion gone now?”

“It seems certain that you’re not from Noark. It’s a bit of a mystery how you managed to get through that path with just you guys… Come in. We’ll talk in detail at the central temporary headquarters.”

“That’s a relief to hear. Is there a priest here by any chance?”

There’s no way there wouldn’t be a priest, but I said it indirectly.

Fortunately, the knight seemed to understand what I meant.

“Yes, you should get treatment first.”

The knight nodded, seemingly convinced after seeing our state.

It was a bit unexpected.

I thought he’d be inflexible, saying the investigation comes first—

“I’ll have your companions taken to the temporary treatment center.”

“……And me?”

“The investigation comes first.”

Well, I guess this is still better than nothing.

“I can manage, so go and rest first.”

Misha protested at my decision, but I silently stared at one place.

A place where there was a patient more critical than me, who had lost an arm.

“Is Daria okay?”

“W-well, I don’t know. Raven used a curse-removal spell, but she’s still unconscious…”

“She’ll get better if she sees a priest. So, go quickly.”

“…I’m sorry.”

What’s there to be sorry about?

I chuckled and patted Erwen’s shoulder, who looked like she had committed a sin. Then, I approached Raven and had a brief conversation.

“You’re the leader when I’m not around. I know you’re exhausted from mana depletion, but I’m counting on you.”

“…Don’t worry about the team. I’ll take good care of them. No matter how hard it is, it can’t be as hard as it is for you, Yandel.”

Well, maybe a one-armed guy shouldn’t be saying that?

“If you’re all done, you come with me. My subordinate will take your companions to the treatment center.”

“Understood.”

After that, I parted ways with the group and followed the knight inside.

It was a different sight.

The dark zone, where no light could originally enter, was now lit up by torches, illuminating all the passages.

‘It’s like a temporary shelter.’

While the outer areas were filled with knights and explorers acting as guards, the inner areas were a bit different. Explorers were sitting or lying down, resting in the narrow passages.

“By the way, there’s no fog here?”

“Because we’ve set up a defensive magic circle.”

“A defensive magic circle…?”

“Ah, you wouldn’t know yet if you came from outside. That fog is a dark magic spell of the poison type. It’s not very dangerous because it’s set to a wide range, though.”

A dark magic spell in the form of fog…

Then, is it [Banquet of Evil]?

There was no problem breathing, and the range covered the entire first floor, so I naturally thought it was a fog magic spell to obscure vision.

‘How many black mages did they sacrifice for this?’

It sends shivers down my spine.

What would have happened if we had decided to go to the sparsely populated outskirts and fend for ourselves?

‘…We would have been screwed.’

Even if the power was low, the symptoms would have appeared after a few days of exposure. Maybe then I would have realized the true nature of this fog and come up with a countermeasure.

And by then, my options would have been limited.

“Hey you, it’s fine to rest, but stick to the wall, you’re in the way.”

“Ah, yes… I’m sorry.”

After navigating through the narrow passages for about 20 minutes, we finally reached the central hollow.

No, should I call this a plaza?

“…How did they do this?”

“We used mages to collapse all the nearby outer walls to expand the space. We couldn’t accommodate everyone in that narrow place.”

Wow, is this military civil engineering?

When this many people gather, there’s nothing they can’t do.

The hollow, which was about 30 meters in radius, had been expanded to hundreds of times its original size. The widened terrain was filled with tents bearing the emblems of various clans.

“Come in.”

The knight led us to a large tent located at the very center.

The flag of the Lafdonia royal family was planted at the entrance, and inside, people were having a meeting around a round table.

‘A high command meeting, huh…’

Although it was the royal family’s tent, it wasn’t just knights inside.

Explorers with the marks of famous clans were also present, talking enthusiastically.

And among them, there was a familiar face.

“Oh, you’re…!”

A woman looked as if she had seen a ghost, surprised.

I smiled bitterly and greeted her.

“We meet again, Bersil Gowland.”

I didn’t expect to see her again so soon.

***

“How did you get here…? Did you find a mage who can teleport?”

There’s no way.

Instead of answering, I waved my arm, which was now just an elbow.

Judging by her expression, she seemed to understand what it meant.

“You really came through that path…?”

Bersil muttered in disbelief.

They must have never expected that we would break through the route they had given up on, and even succeed.

“How did you do it?”

Well, it’s not something to be proud of.

I used a similar method to what she did.

We abandoned what we had to, based on priority.

“Enough with the personal talk.”

Just as I was catching up with Bersil, a man interrupted, and silence fell.

Right, this guy is the boss here.

“What brings Sir Ergos, who should be at the front line, here? And who is that barbarian next to you?”

“I temporarily left because there was a matter that needed to be reported urgently.”

“Speak.”

“I have obtained Sir Garfizel’s message ring.”

“…Sir Garfizel’s?”

“Yes. And this man is an explorer named Bjorn Yandel, the one who gave me the ring.”

The knight handed over the message ring, and the man activated it.

And after some time had passed.

“I am Marco Elburn, the commander of the Third Royal Knights.”

The man looked at me and spoke.

It seems he’s finally paying attention to me, who was standing behind him.

“I have a few questions for you. Will you answer them honestly?”

“…I will.”

“First, according to the content of this ring, it means that a ‘corpse collector’ is stationed in the north, connected to the Goblin Forest.”

At those words, some explorers exclaimed, ‘Corpse collector!’ but it wasn’t enough to disrupt the conversation.

It wasn’t something I needed to worry about right now.

“So, what’s your point?”

“Is that information reliable?”

“It’s reliable. I fought him, albeit briefly, before escaping.”

“You fought him, huh? Can you tell me the rank of your team?”

“…We’re 5th rank.”

Upon hearing the rank, the commander of the knights made a strange expression and touched his chin.

“If that’s true, it’s safe to say that he let you go.”

“Probably.”

I readily agreed.

In reality, his interest seemed to be only in blocking the second-floor portal. If that wasn’t the case, escaping would have been incredibly difficult.

“Are those all the questions?”

“No, one more. From what I heard earlier, it seems you entered through the path that Sir Ergos was in charge of, is that correct?”

“That’s right.”

“I’d like to hear the details. Is there a way to move around without being detected by them?”

“If there was, do you think I’d be in this state?”

“…That’s true. Then, can you tell me in detail how you got here? It might be helpful for our strategy.”

It seems that it’s already been proven that I’m not a Noark explorer, but there’s no need to create conflict by refusing.

I briefly summarized the 20-minute battle.

But, could that alone convey how desperate our journey was?

“That was an impressive story.”

The commander’s gaze became more favorable.

The explorers from the clans who had listened to my story were also looking at me with curiosity.

“You seem to have the qualities of a commander.”

“If I had those qualities, I wouldn’t have been half-dead.”

“That’s why I said you have the qualities. All of your companions survived, didn’t they?”

“……”

“A great commander isn’t someone who makes perfect choices. It’s someone who makes the choices that need to be made.”

It doesn’t seem like he’s being sarcastic, but I don’t really want to talk about this topic.

Even if it’s a compliment, I’m not particularly happy about it.

I changed the subject.

“If you don’t have any more questions, I’d like to go now.”

“Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask. The man you met last, did he have a scar on his chin?”

A scar…

“He did.”

As I nodded, the commander of the knights smiled as if he found it interesting.

“I wondered if he was the Serpent Knight since he used an Adamantium greatsword, and it really was him.”

“Serpent Knight?”

“The guy who stabbed the child of the lord he served and ran away. He’s quite famous, but I guess you don’t know since it was so long ago?”

No wonder he was using aura, he was a knight.

Looking at the murmuring explorers around us, it seems he was quite well-known.

“Anyway, congratulations. You killed such a man, so your reputation will rise, won’t it?”

“Reputation…”

“Why, don’t barbarians like that kind of thing?”

That’s not wrong, but I’m different from the usual barbarians.

Of course, there’s no harm in having a higher reputation.

I need to get the right to enter the imperial capital, Karnon.

But…

“If I return alive, that is.”

That’s a worry for later.

It hasn’t even been a day since the labyrinth opened.

***

“Ah, I’ve kept the injured person for too long. Go and rest. Sir Ergos will tell you the rules here.”

With that, we left the tent. And with the knight’s guidance, we moved to the temporary treatment center and joined our companions.

“Mister!!!”

“How’s Daria?”

“She received purification from the priest and is all better. She’s sleeping now because she’s tired… Anyway, it’s all thanks to you, Mister!”

Erwen, who had regained her energy after her sister was treated, became lively again.

Misha approached and pulled Erwen away.

“Hey! Stop bothering him and get away.”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean ‘huh’? Can’t you see Bjorn is hurt?”

“Ah…”

“Let me see. Are you okay? Is there anywhere else that hurts? You’ve been through a lot being called away like that. Let’s go show your arm to the priest.”

It seems that all the injuries have been treated, so I followed Misha to the priest and received treatment.

Oh, and by the way, it was free.

Because it’s a state of emergency right now.

All explorers must follow the orders of the royal family.

In the first place, this treatment center was probably created by conscripting priests who originally belonged to other teams.

“For about a day, you won’t be able to exert as much strength as usual, and you’ll feel a sense of foreignness. Well, there are many patients, so I’ll be going now. May the radiance of the sun be with you.”

An arm that grew back in less than a few minutes with one heal.

I’m reminded of the importance of a priest.

If it were a top-grade potion, I would have had to use two or three bottles.

Not to mention, it wouldn’t reattach a severed arm…

That’s because the effect of potions gradually decreases as physical abilities increase.

‘If I create a clan, I have to get a priest first.’

After receiving treatment, I rejoined my companions and talked.

“Raven, have you heard about the situation here?”

“I’ve heard the general idea while being assigned to an area.”

“Area assignment?”

“The place where we’ll be sleeping from now on. Looking at the map we received, it’s a passage on the outskirts. I guess it’s because we came too late. It seems that the safe inner area is already saturated.”

At Raven’s words, I smiled silently.

Only the tents of large clans were in the very center, so did they really get assigned there because they came early?

“Anyway, let’s move there quickly. I heard that starting tomorrow, we’ll have to take turns on guard duty.”

It’s like we’ve joined the military.

Looking around at the tense atmosphere, I suddenly voiced a question that came to mind.

“…But where’s Takelan?”

Takelan Arbenon.

A 5th-rank explorer who is practically the only survivor of this plan.

“……”

The moment I mentioned Takelan’s name, my companions froze.

“Ah, that person…”

Raven forced a smile and opened her mouth.

“He went there as soon as he was assigned an area. Explorers who are alone or in teams of two or less are assigned to teams with vacancies.”

“Is that so?”

But why didn’t he just join our team?

It seemed like clans were all traveling together.

In the first place, there were quite a few groups of six or more people passing by.

When I expressed that question, Raven smiled awkwardly and said,

“He wanted to. So, don’t worry about it, Yandel.”

“If you say so.”

I nodded indifferently and thought.

‘Something happened while I was gone.’

There was an incident.

I don’t know why they’re hiding it from me.

I can just ask Ainar or Misha about it later…

“Erwen, you said you’re joining the Blue Barrier Clan?”

“Yes… I, I don’t want to, but my sister said I have to… She said there might be problems with the contract later.”

Well, the contract is one thing, but she probably thought it would be much safer there. The Blue Barrier is a clan that operates six teams.

Well, one of them disappeared while coming here.

“Then, we’ll be going now. Take good care of your sister when she wakes up. Always be vigilant.”

“Yes…!”

After that, we parted ways with Erwen and headed to our assigned area.

It was a passage located on the outskirts, and the distance to the team right next to us was less than 2 meters.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve slept on the first floor…”

However, like true explorers, we laid out our sleeping bags on the floor without any complaints and lay down close to each other.

We all know.

That we should be grateful just for being able to sleep like this.

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

No sooner had I laid down than Ainar started snoring.

For some reason, listening to that made me remember what I had to do.

I had to check the loot I got today, inspect the equipment that was covered in lava, and clean my body that was soaked in blood and sweat.

Oh, and I have to find out what happened with Takelan.

I have a mountain of things to do.

I’ve done so much.

‘Ah, whatever, I’ll do it tomorrow.’

As I closed my eyes, the strength drained from my body.

It felt like I was sinking into water.

Just as my consciousness was slowly falling into slumber, I heard Misha’s voice from beside me.

“Bjorn, you’ve worked hard.”

From the other side, I heard Raven’s voice as well.

“Yes. You’ve really done a great job.”

Abman also smiled awkwardly and said a word.

“Rest, Yandel.”

Only then did it sink in.

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

The unusually long first day had finally come to an end.