Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 300

“Byorn! I was just watching from behind, but it was still a fun exploration! Let’s meet again if we have the chance later!”

“……Yeah.”

With those brief farewells, Carlton’s group exited the rift. So now, it’s our turn to focus on what we need to do.

“Alright, let’s go. Who knows what else might be out there!”

“……Are you planning to just wander around aimlessly and search?”

No, I was planning to pretend to wander around aimlessly while finding exactly what I wanted.

“Follow me. I know a few things.”

Oh, well then.

Following Amelia, who had experience, we left the boss room and moved in reverse.

And we found two hidden items.

‘Earth Shard,’ which increases earth resistance and physical resistance by 1 each.

‘Scroll of Souls,’ which grants 3 additional experience points.

For reference, Amelia had already consumed them all when she came before, so I took them all, and that was the end of the hidden item exploration of the White Temple.

That’s all there was for elixirs.

The rest can only be taken out and sold by using ‘Distortion’ magic.

‘Well then, I’ve taken everything I need……’

“Amelia, instead of leaving right away, how about we stay a bit longer?”

“Why?”

“Honestly, I’m a bit tired from sleeping only three hours a day. How about we just take a good nap here?”

“……”

At my suggestion, Amelia looked at me with a somewhat displeased expression.

It was obvious what she was thinking.

Time has passed a lot, and the labyrinth will close tomorrow, so why do we have to rest now?

‘Tsk, we already achieved our goal a long time ago, why is she so greedy?’

However, whining isn’t my style, so I gave a reasonable reason why I needed to rest.

“My head is a bit muddled, so I need some time.”

“Ah……”

Only then did Amelia make a face as if she had realized something, and soon accepted my request without any complaints.

“Okay. Then we’ll rest and leave, so tell me whenever you’re ready.”

Even though she’s like this, she’s kind-hearted in these ways.

“Thanks, Amelia.”

“……Just rest.”

Soon, Amelia took out her sleeping bag and lay down on the floor, and I settled down about 3 meters away from Amelia.

And then I started the calculations in earnest.

‘Let’s see……’

The experience points I gained from the first kill in the White Temple were 156.

And if you add the bonus of 1 for killing the superior variant, 3 for killing the guardian, and 3 from the Scroll of Souls, it’s a total of 163.

Of course, even with this, it’s still a long way to level 7.

But……

‘If I do well, I’ll reach level 7 in the mid-to-late part of the 6th floor.’

It cannot be denied that the character is getting closer to completion.

I also got the Demon Crusher this time.

‘How can I take this with me……’

It was at that moment that I was thinking that.

“Yandel, I have something to ask you.”

“Ah! You mean the Numbers item? I, I don’t know what it is either, but I like the weight, so I’m going to use it—”

“That’s not the question.”

Oh, it’s not that?

I was worried about what to do if she asked to split it.

“You… don’t you want to change it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Yandel Jarku, your biological father.”

Ah, that……

Tsk, I was trying my best not to think about it.

“Maybe he can be saved.”

“How can you save him when you don’t know the exact time or reason he died, other than that he died when I was young?”

“If you want, I can go up to the city and help you after I finish everything here—”

“No.”

I cut off Amelia’s words and said firmly.

“I don’t want that.”

“……Why?”

Amelia asked as if she was genuinely curious.

Well, from her point of view, I would look strange.

Because she doesn’t know that I’m an evil spirit.

And……

“If it was going to change with just that, it would have changed just by us meeting here.”

The future does not change.

Of course, Amelia seems to sense that fact to some extent.

But the weight is different for me, who has received confirmation from Auriel Gabis and confirmed the cause and effect of Raven and Dwarki.

“Doesn’t change? What does that mean?”

Amelia asked, getting up abruptly.

I hesitated for a moment and then spoke honestly.

About how I tried to change the future of Dwarki and Raven, but failed.

“That can’t be……”

After hearing my story, Amelia bit her lip and tried to deny it, and I just asked frankly.

“Amelia, didn’t you vaguely know it too?”

“Know what……?”

“Or what was it? The way you were surprised when you saw the name ‘Nibelz Enche,’ or the way you looked at me when I came wearing this helmet.”

“That’s……”

“Didn’t you know? That no matter what we do, the past doesn’t change. No, rather, that things happened that way because we were there.”

“……”

Amelia didn’t say anything.

She was just clenching both fists tightly, trying to endure something.

It was after a moment of silence that her mouth opened again.

“……So you’re giving up? Even though you might be able to save your family, without even trying.”

Her tone was similar to usual, but there was a hint of aggression in her voice.

Is that why?

I also spoke a bit sharply.

“He’s just a father I’ve never even seen.”

“So, you don’t have much affection for him?”

“……Yeah.”

“I see.”

Amelia said as if she understood, but she clicked her tongue.

It seemed like she was disappointed in me.

Hah, should I have just not mentioned this topic?

I thought we had gotten a bit closer recently, but I ruined it all.

“……”

“……”

After that, we rested without saying a word to each other.

And after about five hours?

I woke up from a good nap and just said let’s go outside. I figured it would be more comfortable to go out and do something than to roll around on this bed of thorns.

However……

“Wait, can we stop by there for a moment?”

“Suit yourself.”

I returned to the boss room to take the portal, and approached the cabin behind it.

It was just curiosity.

In the game, it was just a terrain feature and you couldn’t enter it……

‘Oh, the door opens too.’

Squeak, I entered the cabin with a sound, and quickly scanned the inside.

And I got a very familiar feeling.

A bookshelf, a dining table, a carpet, a fireplace.

There was nothing particularly special inside.

A normal cabin that anyone could think of.

However, the size, structure, and arrangement of the furniture.

‘It’s exactly the same as that place……?’

Without having to look around in detail, one place came to mind.

The only safe zone in the Witch’s Forest on the 3rd floor.

The Witch’s Cabin.

The very place where I rested with Misha in the past and offered human firewood, which led to the summoning of the Lord of Chaos.

“The search is up to you, but when we searched there before, there was no arrangement by Gavrilius.”

At Amelia’s words, as if telling me to come out quickly, I only checked the books on the bookshelf and came out.

Ah, all the books were blank.

The titles were written in an ancient language, so I couldn’t read them.

Hmm, maybe if I bring Raven later, I can find something?

“If you’re ready, let’s go.”

“Ah, just in case, I’ll go out first.”

“……”

Soon, the two of us stood in front of the portal.

Now, if we take this, we will return to the place where we were when we first entered the rift.

Thud.

As a tank, I stepped into the portal first.

Whoosh.

The light of the portal wrapped around my body, and my vision flashed.

And slowly, my vision returned.

But, what on earth is this?

“Hah! You’re finally out!”

A group of explorers was standing in front of us.

As if they were waiting for us.

“Yeah, the Numbers item came out—”

I and the group of explorers looked at each other at the same time and flinched.

“Oh, what’s this? Iron Mask?”

‘Beck’s explorer team, who was a member of the Lord’s forces.

“Ha, this is really amazing? I didn’t know that you three were the ones who met inside.”

“Three people……?”

Unconsciously, I moved my head following Beck’s gaze and froze.

Beep beep beep beep beep.

For some reason, I kept hearing tinnitus in my ears.

***

What is this?

My head went blank for a moment, but my brain was recognizing and analyzing the visual information coming in in real time.

Carlton Dreck.

Aimberne Berta Garcia.

And, Yandel, the third son of Jarku.

The corpses of the three of them, who had gone out through the portal a few hours ago, were lying on the floor.

No, it’s not just these three.

There are two more corpses.

I could guess who they were.

[Big trouble! Remud and Hans didn’t come in!!]

They must be the two who were said to be waiting outside.

Then, how on earth did this happen?

“……Byorn.”

Amelia, who had followed me outside, also grasped the situation and grabbed my wrist with her hand.

Is she telling me to hold back from doing anything rash?

Hmm, I guess so……

Beep beep beep beep beep-

Ugh, it’s so noisy.

I closed and opened my eyes for a long time to try to regain my sanity.

Everything in front of me was the same.

“It seems like we’re destined to meet, seeing as we’ve met twice during this exploration!”

Beck smiled kindly and got up from the body he had been sitting on like a chair.

Amelia asked Beck.

“……Why were you guys here?”

“Well, as soon as the rift opened, we were wandering around, and then we saw these two guys here.”

Beck said, kicking the corpses presumed to be Remud and Hans with his foot.

“When we caught them and asked, they said that only three of their companions had gone inside? So we waited, and then these three came out.”

Beck shrugged and omitted what happened next, and Amelia didn’t ask any more questions.

Because it was obvious.

They must have killed these three and extracted the necessary information.

Like the guardian dropped a ‘Numbers item’ at the end.

Beep beep beep beep beep-

Amelia and Beck are having a conversation.

It was hard to hear because it was so noisy around.

So I just thought blankly.

[Ah, is it a bit difficult for humans? Just call me Yandel Jarku comfortably!]

I knew I was going to die.

But I didn’t know it would be because of me.

‘If I wasn’t there.’

Yandel Jarku would have entered the rift with all of his teammates.

Therefore, the remaining companions would not have been discovered by these guys while waiting in front.

As a result,

He……

No, they would not have died.

They would have continued their journey.

And if they did well……

[Hehe, he will surely become a great warrior. The child with my blood and hers—]

Yandel Jarku might have been able to see his child grow up. No, maybe they would have even entered the labyrinth together as adults.

‘If only I wasn’t there.’

The evil spirit would not have possessed Byorn Yandel’s body.

Beep beep beep beep beep beep.

The tinnitus is getting worse.

It was a kind of protective mechanism.

To help me ignore the voice echoing inside me, even just a little.

A ringing for a coward.

Clench.

I’m clearly putting all my strength into my hand, but blood is rushing to my head.

Beep beep beep beep beep-

‘If it wasn’t for me.’

Dwarki would not have died.

Even if he became an explorer later, he wouldn’t have gone to that dangerous place on the 4th floor.

Beep beep beep beep beep-.

‘If I hadn’t come.’

Dwarki’s love might have been fulfilled.

One day, they might have met by chance as colleagues and become a relationship where they healed each other.

‘If I……’

Maybe.

If.

Yes, if I wasn’t there.

Beep beep beep beep beep-.

My ears, no, my head is numb.

“But, why is that Iron Mask guy so quiet?”

“Byorn.”

Like a homework that had been put off for a long time.

Saying that emotions are just emotions.

“Byorn, get a grip.”

Numerous emotions that I had thrown into a corner of my heart and ignored are simultaneously engulfing me.

I had to do something.

Knowing that it’s hypocrisy to do it for someone else, I had to do it for myself.

I opened my tightly closed mouth.

“Amelia.”

Not the alias Emily, but her real name.

Did she understand the situation just from that?

“They are from the Lord’s forces. Hold back.”

The force that Amelia, who was holding my wrist, was applying became stronger.

Of course, it was meaningless.

Thud.

You’re a mage, you know.

“Byorn……”

As I pushed Amelia away and stepped forward, Beck chuckled.

“Hehe, it seems like the Iron Mask is angry. Did I ask for it outright? I just wanted to take a look at what you got. We’ve been waiting for a long time, haven’t we?”

I didn’t hear the conversation they were having properly, but I understood the context.

Okay, so you’re curious about this, right?

Clank.

I took out the hammer I had put in my subspace.

No.87 Crawl’s Demon Crusher.

“A hammer? There are such things among the Numbers items……”

Beck mumbled something and trailed off.

And then his expression changed.

“Wait a minute. Can I take a closer look? I’m wondering if it’s the one I know.”

“Go ahead.”

I took another step forward, and Beck also cautiously took a step forward.

And when we were at just the right distance.

“Oh, that’s really it! Did that really come out from inside?”

“Yeah.”

I’m glad your curiosity is satisfied.

Thwack-!

Then die now.