Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 25

“Ainar, always think of the worst-case scenario when something happens.”

Just look at what happened a little while ago.

We ran into human explorers by chance, and after getting our hopes up, what happened?

The world doesn’t always go the way you want it to.

“The reason we were able to escape from that spot was because that woman let us go. She must have thought she could catch us easily if she wanted to. So, it’s too early to relax.”

I’m being uncharacteristically long-winded.

Let’s get to the point.

“By now, that woman is definitely—”

“Watching us secretly nearby.”

What the hell…….

I thought she’d be on her way to find us at best.

Looks like there’s always a deeper bottom.

Or maybe there’s something wrong with my intelligence.

“Bjorn!”

As Ainar and I put down our backpacks and got ready to fight, a woman appeared from the darkness.

She still wasn’t wearing a mask.

“Too bad, barbarian.”

…What kind of creepy bitch is this?

“But your struggle earlier was impressive.”

From what I hear, she’s been watching us for a while now, regardless of the gnome’s ability or whatever…….

There’s something that doesn’t make sense logically.

“…Why did you show up now?”

It took a few minutes for me to drink the potion and be able to move.

But why didn’t she attack us then?

Just as I was waiting for an answer.

“Ugh, uaaah!”

The blonde guy got up as if he was bouncing off the floor and started sprinting with all his might.

Because we were focused on the psycho bitch, Ainar and I were slow to react.

However…….

Thud!

A thin, needle-like object flew in a straight line and pierced the blonde guy’s neck.

Was it poisoned?

Despite the small wound, the blonde guy convulsed like an aspen, and soon went limp.

That’s when I realized.

This wasn’t the time to be leisurely asking questions.

“Ainar!”

We didn’t need to say much to each other.

The moment I called his name.

Ainar pushed off the ground and leaped forward as if she had been waiting for it.

I was the same.

Because if we can’t run away.

We have no choice but to fight.

Whoosh!

The looter bitch easily dodged Ainar’s greatsword by bending her waist. And she blocked the mace that I swung down at the timing of her dodge with a dagger.

Clang!

This is insane…….

How many essences did she eat?

The dagger that blocked the mace was fine, of course.

When the woman pushed back, my body was pushed back as well.

“Stop doing meaningless things, barbarian.”

Well.

That’s a bit too much to ask.

Even if it’s a meaningless act.

“Behel—la!”

I am a barbarian.

Of course, my mind hasn’t completely shed its modern ways yet.

Clang!

Every day is scary, the pain never seems to get easier, and I still think about how to escape first.

Even so, I have one thing in common with them.

Clang!

If there’s only one path left.

I choose to go beyond it.

Without hesitation.

Clang!

At the same time as the dagger collided, I threw away the mace and tried to tackle her.

As expected, she didn’t budge.

How is her physical ability so high when she’s just a seeker?

I can’t help but complain.

But even if I can’t knock her down, I can at least hold on to her.

“Ainar! Now!”

Even before I shouted, Ainar’s greatsword was already being swung in a bold straight line.

At this, the looter bitch, who had been expressionless all along, showed emotion on her face for the first time.

“……!”

Confusion, or annoyance.

Well, maybe it’s anger.

Thud!

Pain bloomed in my spine.

Did she stab my spine?

No, but what about my armor?

Before I could even wonder, my strength drained away.

「The character is in a [Paralyzed] state.」

I tried to grab her pants and hold on, but my body, which had been rampaging like a monster even after being stabbed in the neck, didn’t listen to me at all.

Thud!

Then, I heard the sound of fabric being pierced again in succession.

With a clanging sound, Ainar’s greatsword fell to the floor.

When I moved my eyes upward to check, I saw a dagger deeply embedded in Ainar’s wrist.

I thought this was the end, but…….

Even in pain, Ainar didn’t stop moving.

“Uaaah!”

She swung her left fist instead of her right arm, which had lost its weapon and was incapacitated.

Watching her fighting spirit, I realized something new.

Why barbarians, who are no different from large humans in appearance, are treated like monsters by everyone.

However, the opponent was not good.

Whoosh!

The woman, who dodged the punch with a flexible movement, didn’t stop there, grabbed Ainar’s wrist, twisted it, and then…….

Thud!

She slammed her straight into the floor.

Ainar immediately tried to get up by pushing off the ground, but she kept slipping and falling.

The veins in her arm were throbbing.

Watching her, the woman coldly recited.

“Give up. You can’t do anything since you’ve been hit by the basilisk’s paralysis poison.”

It was as if a death sentence had been handed down.

My mind goes blank, and my vision goes dark.

Equipment, skill, experience…….

There is a clear difference in all aspects.

No matter how hard I try to think, I can’t think of any way to turn the situation around.

Just as the word death was being engraved in my mind.

“You should have listened to me obediently.”

The woman bent down and released my hand, which was stiff while grabbing her pants.

And she said dryly.

“Barbarian, swear that you will not tell anyone about what happened today. Then I will let you live.”

…What?

* * *

After a moment of silence.

The woman opened her mouth.

“If you hadn’t run away right away, I was going to make this offer from the beginning. Because I owe the barbarians a debt.”

I could instinctively feel that this was the only way to survive, but…….

I don’t understand.

When I desperately raised my head to look at her, the woman explained briefly.

“If possible, I don’t want to kill barbarians with my own hands.”

With my own hands…….

Is that why she just watched when I was about to die to the blonde guy?

Because she thought she could get away without lifting a finger?

“Bjorn… don’t believe the looter’s words. She’s just trying to play with us.”

But even if he says that, there’s no other option, is there?

Whether I get played with and die, or just die.

It doesn’t make much of a difference to me anyway.

After spitting out the blood that had risen to my throat, I asked.

“If I refuse the offer, what are you going to do……?”

“Of course, I’ll kill you. That was the promise from the start.”

“A promise… with whom?”

“That’s none of your business.”

It was the same tone as usual, but somehow it sounded a little more prickly.

“Choose. I’ll give you a little time—”

“I swear on the honor of a warrior.”

I don’t need time.

It’s not like there’s another option.

“…Certainly, you’re a bit unusual.”

The psycho bitch, who had been looking down at me with a strange gaze for a while, sprayed something.

Cheee, that familiar pain.

There’s no need to look any further, it’s a potion.

「You have consumed a (High) Recovery Potion.」

「The character’s paralyzed state is removed.」

The stiff muscles relaxed, and the strength in my body slowly began to return.

“Female barbarian, what will you do?”

The woman, who had taken her eyes off me, bit her lip.

Ainar gave an answer after a short silence.

“…I refuse.”

“I see.”

The woman didn’t ask again.

She just nodded slightly.

However, that action made it even clearer.

She didn’t take out her weapon, nor did she take a threatening stance, but…….

Now, this woman will kill Ainar.

And to prevent that outcome, there was only one thing I could do.

“…Ainar, make the oath.”

“Bjorn?”

“Didn’t you say you would follow me completely?”

“That’s true, but a warrior’s oath is…….”

Damn it, what’s the point of keeping that pride?

“Ainar, the second daughter of Pnelin!!”

Ainar froze at my shout.

I lowered my voice and spoke calmly, looking into her eyes.

“Trust me now. This is the right choice.”

After a moment of silence, Ainar opened her mouth with difficulty.

“…Okay. I will make the oath.”

“You made the right choice.”

After Ainar made the oath, the psycho bitch even used a potion to heal us.

Is this the true meaning of the carrot and stick?

The feeling of being forced to choose by force was no different now than it was before.

It’s so disgusting, it’s so fucked up.

“…What floor is this?”

As soon as the treatment was over, I hurriedly asked the woman who was about to turn her back and leave.

At this absurd question, the woman tilted her head for a moment and then answered briefly.

“8th floor.”

I knew it wasn’t around the 5th floor.

No wonder she was so strong for a seeker.

Even if there were ten more of me, I wouldn’t have been a match for this woman.

But…….

Swoosh.

Watching the psycho bitch disappear like smoke, I made a resolution.

Next time, it will be different.

* * *

“Ainar, are you okay?”

“…I’m fine. I can get up by myself.”

Ainar pushed my hand away and got up on her own.

I wondered if she was disappointed in me, but maybe the person she was disappointed in was herself, not me.

Barbarians have a stubborn side.

“…….”

I decided to leave Ainar, who had a complicated look, alone for a while, and checked my own condition first.

First of all, this…….

Clank.

When I took off my armor and checked the back, I could see a hole the size of a dagger.

The penetration surface is very clean.

…Is it ‘aura’?

Damn it.

On the 2nd floor, in this vast land of the dead, how could I run into such a monster? What kind of fucked up situation is this?

I can only think that I need to get stronger as soon as possible.

Going back home or whatever, the only way to protect myself in this fucked up world is to get stronger.

“Bjorn, what are we going to do now?”

“…We’re going down to the 1st floor.”

The land of the dead is not a bad hunting ground.

But I have no intention of staying here where that crazy bitch is roaming around. She might change her mind and come back again.

“I see… I understand.”

Ainar, who was completely dejected, followed my words without asking any questions.

Mental care is not my specialty, but…….

Well, I’ll say something when we get down there.

She looks like the world has collapsed.

“Follow me closely.”

We avoided most of the fights we could and moved along the marks.

About six hours later.

We were finally able to return to the portal that led down to the 1st floor.

Thud-!

This time, I landed safely, while Ainar rolled on the floor.

And very badly.

However, she didn’t even groan and slowly got up as if nothing had happened.

“…Aren’t you in pain?”

“I am in pain.”

“But why…….”

“For someone who is not a warrior, it’s not worth being in pain.”

…The situation is much more serious than I thought.

Was it so humiliating to make an oath as if begging for life?

Well, it was like that in the game too.

“Hey, Ainar……?”

“Why are you calling me?”

“The warrior who survives is the strong one. It’s not the end with one defeat, but rather the possibility of winning later!”

“It’s hard to understand if you talk too long.”

I tried to speak energetically, but Ainar’s voice was still gloomy.

“But, I think I know what it means to say that the warrior who survives is strong.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“To overcome this humiliation and the urge to commit suicide right now, it must mean that you are a strong warrior. Like you, Bjorn.”

No, I don’t have any of that……?

Suicide, what is this, some kind of samurai?

That’s not what I meant in the first place.

But there’s no need to deny something that I accidentally got right.

“Ainar, you can do it.”

“I don’t know if I can overcome this pain, but… I’ll try.”

“Yes, there will be a day when you can repay the humiliation.”

After giving her sincere encouragement, we resumed our journey. And after deciding to camp in a suitable place, I put Ainar to sleep first.

“I’ll wake you up in two hours.”

“…I will accept your consideration this time.”

Consideration…….

It’s half right and half wrong.

[07:39]

In terms of time, it’s the morning of the third day.

I haven’t slept for over 20 hours already.

And after experiencing so many things, my mental fatigue is enormous.

But even if I closed my eyes, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep for a long time anyway.

“…….”

I may not be swept up in extreme impulses like Ainar, but…….

I felt just as shitty.

It’s similar to the pain when drinking a potion.

No matter how many times I experience this kind of feeling, I can’t seem to get used to it.

Crunch.

Back then, when I was rescued by the blonde group, it was similar to today.

The priest refused to heal me while looking into my eyes.

The swordsman threw the potion like a toy as if it was a waste.

Even while watching that, I got down on my knees like a dog and ate the potion.

Of course, I was happy to survive, but…….

An indescribable feeling also surged up.

“Hoo…….”

I let out a long breath as if to shake off my 잡념 [japnyum – 잡념 is a Korean word that means ‘idle thoughts’ or ‘distracting thoughts’].

What the hell am I doing right now?

It’s not like me to be tormented by my emotions.

Maybe it’s time to take it out.

I closed my eyes and recalled the advice that someone I respected when I was young had given me a long time ago.

‘Remember, you are nothing. You can never be a special person.’

A magic spell that always made me a slightly better person.

Yes, let’s use even this emotion as a raw material.

As always.

Because that would be a little more efficient.