Surviving The Game As A Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 252

Fierce flames engulfed the magic barrier.

Screams and cries echoed through the air.

The lament of the lost filled the night.

Nevaerthe Greenhope stood, blankly taking it all in, his mind racing.

‘Just… where did everything go wrong?’

There was no need to look further.

The root of it all was the Dragonslayer, Regal Bagos.

Despite the Noark faction’s objections, he had kidnapped the high priest and treated him like a slave. Eventually, his misdeeds were exposed, leading the royal family to draw their swords.

But…

‘……Is this my fault?’

Nevaerthe accepted the responsibility without trying to shift the blame.

What would be the point of going back to the past to avoid today?

In the end, even the previous lord of Noark, who had accepted Orculys, would have to be held accountable.

So…

“How does it look? Did it turn out the way you wanted?”

He had to accept it.

The fact that he was the one who had created this outcome.

“Stay close.”

Nevaerthe kept moving, careful not to fall behind and stray outside the magic field. Ahead of him was an old man using levitation magic as easily as breathing.

‘Belbebe Ruinjenes.’

An old man who, in his later years, had earned the nickname ‘The Scholar of Destruction.’

A mage who had dedicated his entire life to seeking knowledge, and a being who had driven countless people to ruin with that very knowledge.

It was none other than Nevaerthe himself who, frustrated after hearing from Amelia that there was nothing they could do, had sought him out.

Because at that time, he had held a firm belief.

‘The greater good.’

The royal family was wrong.

They had to overthrow their power and create a new world where the surface and the underground were united.

That was the right thing to do.

Surely… it should have been.

“H, hot……”

“Please, save me. I’ll give you as much money as you want……”

People were being burned alive, falling to the ground.

With each fall, the belief that had shaped him slowly crumbled.

Was this really the right thing to do?

To violate those who had no power to protect themselves in the name of the greater good.

Was this truly the path to a new world?

“Stop……”

Nevaerthe couldn’t hold back any longer and finally spoke.

Only then did the old man stop and turn around.

His expression was one of someone who had heard something strange.

“Stop? I also don’t want the balance of power to collapse, so I came here, but you were the one who asked for help first, weren’t you? If we stop now, the army heading to Noark will never retreat.”

That was true.

But…

“But that’s not what I wanted.”

“Really? Then what did you want?”

He was at a loss for words.

Going to find the villain of this era, known as the ‘Scholar of Destruction,’ what exactly had he been expecting?

“It’s a golden opportunity that will never come again. Even I didn’t expect that guy to show up. I don’t know what the problem is. As long as that guy draws attention at the royal palace, we won’t be in danger.”

“Do you think I’m saying this because I value my life! I just… I just… !”

Nevaerthe couldn’t finish his sentence.

Then, as if time was precious, the old man turned his back coldly and started walking forward.

“You seem a little troubled.”

Even at that moment, hundreds of flames gathered in his hand were flying indiscriminately, their sole purpose destruction, painting the city red.

“Abandon your emotions and think only of your goal.”

“……”

“It’s better than losing everything, isn’t it?”

A very mage-like, calculated remark.

Whoosh-!

Soon, the magic field moved away, following the old man’s steps, and the intense heat was transmitted through the skin.

Nevaerthe moved his feet, which had stopped without him realizing it.

His steps were filled with only questions.

“M, mom… I, I can’t, b, breathe……”

“It’s okay, honey… Mom will be here with you. Until the end.”

What was at the end of this road?

***

It was raining.

It was the work of the mages of the magic tower.

Swishhhhh-!

The guards who had come to help from all over the city were not resting either.

A long line stretched from the well.

They were constantly passing buckets and throwing them at the flames.

No, was it just the guards?

“If it’s hard, don’t try to hold on! You’ll only hurt yourself if you’re stubborn!”

Among them were explorers who lived nearby, and citizens who had rolled up their sleeves to help, even a little, after hearing the news.

People had gathered to overcome the disaster in front of them.

“Oh my, at this rate, my house will burn down too!”

“Hey, buddy! Is that what you should be saying right now? There are people with families inside!”

“If you have the strength to fight, carry a bucket!”

Of course, not everyone was helping with a noble heart.

He, who was standing here now, was the same.

‘Raven.’

As soon as he had arrived in Carnon, he had been at a loss.

A fire of a scale that was on a different level than a few factories burning in modern times.

Was Raven really holding up well?

No, maybe…

‘What do you mean maybe?’

He punched himself in the jaw to wake up.

Pow!

A healthy mind dwells in a healthy body.

There was no time to worry.

First of all, Raven was a mage, wasn’t he?

With his personality, he was probably taking care of the people around him and holding up well. Yes, he might even have been lucky enough to stop by the magic tower and avoid this situation.

“Hey, mage.”

He approached a mage who was busy putting out the fire and revealed his identity. Despite being interrupted in the middle of his work, the mage gave him a friendly look.

“Hey, mage. It’s been a long time since I’ve been called that. Haha!”

It seemed his image was good, regardless of his noble title.

“So, what brings Baron Yandel to a mage like me?”

“Can you use cold magic?”

“Is there a mage who can’t use that?”

At his request, the mage laughed and cast a spell on him.

「Your fire resistance has greatly increased.」

Whew, it was a little less hot now.

“Are you planning to go in there?”

“My companion is inside.”

The mage who had cast the spell on him nodded, saying ‘I see,’ and chuckled.

“But will that be enough?”

Uh? What was that? Was he making fun of him?

For a moment, such a thought arose, but he was quite embarrassed by the situation that followed.

Click.

The mage took out a message stone.

And…

“Ah, can everyone hear me? I’m sorry to bother you while you’re busy, but I have a favor to ask. Baron Yandel, the one you all know, says he has to go into the flames to save his companions.”

He contacted someone and asked for a favor.

“If you have any artifacts or drugs that help with fire resistance, please send them to my personal lab’s designated coordinates. I’ll summon them here myself.”

What, was it like a group chat for mages?

Since it was an unexpected stroke of luck for him, he just kept quiet and waited.

Soon, replies came one by one.

[If it’s Baron Yandel, he has a noble title, so there shouldn’t be a problem with his credibility. But still, if there is any damage, I will charge you, so be aware.]

The voice of an old man who seemed strict.

[Okay. Most of my disciples have gone to Carnon for support, but I’m asking the remaining disciples, and I’ll send everything.]

The voice of a young woman.

[My precious disciple came back alive thanks to him this time. I’ll send a scroll, and tell him there’s no need to pay.]

The voice of a man who sounded kind.

[Baron Yandel, it wouldn’t be bad to put him in debt on this occasion. If you’re not listening to the conversation next to me, please tell him instead. Remember that the ‘Ring of the Fire Dragon’ was sent by our ‘Ioni’ school.]

A voice that showed a calculating personality.

And…

[Aru? Is that child the companion you’re talking about?]

Even a familiar voice.

‘That voice is… Old Man?’

If his memory was correct, the so-called Old Man.

The master of the giant school, Artemion, and also Raven’s teacher.

“Hmm, it seems right. He’s nodding.”

[I’ll send everything I have right now.]

With this, all contact ended.

To be honest, he was dumbfounded.

‘What the heck is this situation?’

He had just wanted to get some ‘cold’ magic, so he had talked to the mage who seemed the easiest to approach.

But now that he saw it, he was not ordinary at all.

The people in the group chat all had the nuance of being the head of a school, and in fact, Old Man, the master of Artemion, was among the members.

And that meant.

‘He’s not an ordinary mage either.’

He asked out of pure curiosity.

“Who are you?”

As if he had no intention of hiding it from the beginning, he smiled and introduced himself.

“Ah, now that I think about it, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Leven Arpegeon.”

It was the first time he had heard the name.

However, he knew the school he revealed next.

It was a school in the middle ranks of the magic tower.

But he had never thought that the master of that school would be this young.

“I’ll repay this debt someday.”

“If that makes you feel better.”

After a few minutes, replies arrived one after another that the items had been moved through the message stone, and Leven Arpegeon summoned all the items at the coordinates to this place using magic.

‘It’s really the Ring of the Fire Dragon.’

It was full of various rare items, starting with high-tier items.

Even while examining them one by one, he felt really strange.

“Fortune has favored you.”

In fact, it was not enough to say that he was lucky.

What were the chances that a mage he happened to talk to would be the head of a school and be so friendly to him that he would help him using a personal group chat—

“Luck? You’re saying strange things.”

Uh?

“I’ve never seen those guys go out of their way to help a complete stranger like this. Do you think this is just possible because you’re lucky?”

When he tilted his head, Leven smiled and continued.

“I don’t know what they saw in your words that you were going to save your companions that made them so willing to help. But…”

“……”

“All of this is what you have accomplished.”

It was a long-winded speech, as befitting a mage, but he thought he understood what he was trying to say.

It was embarrassing to hear these words to his face, but.

Swish.

Hiding his embarrassment, he wiped the soot off his nose, and Leven smiled and patted his shoulder with his skinny arm.

“So, don’t say you were lucky, and do what you have to do. You have to hurry and save your companions.”

Yeah, this was not the time to be lost in thought.

“Thank you.”

After expressing his sincere gratitude, he put on or consumed the summoned items.

「Your character has consumed Eternal Ash.」

「Your fire resistance is temporarily increased by +50.」

「Your character has consumed the Tears of the Spirit.」

「All elemental resistance values are temporarily increased by +15.」

「Your character has consumed Pure Flame.」

「Fire damage taken is temporarily reduced by 10%, and fire sensitivity is increased by +15…」

「…….」

First, drink the doping potions.

Zzzzt.

Tear the scroll.

And…

「Your character has equipped the No. 4819 Lava Shield.」

「Your overall item level has increased by 985.」

「Your character has equipped the No. 760 Ring of the Fire Dragon.」

「Your overall item level is…」

「…….」

He put on various fire-specialized artifacts, including triple-digit items.

Whoosh-!

The air no longer felt hot.

He reached out his hand towards the flames as a test, but it was the same.

“It’s cool.”

He said those words without realizing it.

Of course, Leven, who was not Korean, could never understand that sentiment.

“Hmm, no matter how much your resistance increases, you shouldn’t feel that way…”

“It was just a feeling.”

He vaguely brushed it off and stared at the flames that still showed no signs of subsiding.

And he asked Leven one thing.

“What did you see in me?”

Earlier, Leven had said.

He didn’t know what it was, but everyone had seen something in him that had made them willing to help.

Then, what had he seen?

“It was a rumor.”

The answer was completely unexpected.

“A rumor?”

“All the rumors I heard about you. It’s the first time I’ve seen you today, but as soon as I made eye contact with you, I knew. That they were all true.”

A double-meaning line with a lot of room for interpretation.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, Leven pushed his back with his skinny arm.

“……What kind of body is this, like steel.”

Leven smiled awkwardly at his body that didn’t budge and made one request.

“Ah, now that I think about it, I didn’t say this. If you have any strength left after saving your companions, please save others as well.”

It was not a difficult task.

Okay, he accepted.

“I’ll do my best.”

“You sound very reliable when you say that. Anyway, I won’t hold you back any longer, so go quickly.”

Soon, he finished all the preparations by activating the ‘Orb of Fire’ that he had acquired before.

「The Orb of Fire has been activated.」

「All fire-type continuous damage within a 15m radius is reduced by 50%.」