Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 410

When faced with a desperate situation, most people first try to engage in wishful thinking. If we do this, and then that, and then this happens… Wouldn’t everything work out fine? They endlessly speculate on hypothetical scenarios, blinded by faint possibilities, and miss the golden opportunity. For years, or even decades in some cases. Even though we’ve been rolling around in the labyrinth for years, our expedition team was still made up of individuals.

“…You’re saying we should leave this place?” As soon as my decision was announced to the team, a chaotic atmosphere began to spread. “That’s a rash decision!” “B-but, wouldn’t it be better to wait here a little longer? Maybe there’s a problem on their end, and they’re just a bit late.” “That’s right! There are Noahrc [a hostile faction] bastards all around us, how far can we go on our own!” A wave of opposition spread like an epidemic. Well, it’s only natural. Because that’s the most hopeful option among all the choices. If the rescue team arrives, everyone can return alive. The crisis will be over, and all that will be left is to return to the city and be happy. Perhaps even the hardships we’ve endured this time will be reduced to mere drinking stories. But… ‘It’s dangerous.’ I know. That the situation isn’t that desperate yet. The real despair comes when the golden time is over and even that last ray of hope is crushed. At that point, even if you want to do something, you can’t. That’s why, if we’re going to do it, it has to be now.

“What are you all talking about? Did you all collectively lose your minds?” I use strong wording, enough to provoke a backlash. It’s a kind of shock therapy. “There was a rat hiding in Ice Rock. When we arrived at the Eye of the Sky? We tried several times, but couldn’t get in touch. And what about now?” “…” “It’s been three days, and there’s still no word. A little late? The rescue team is on its way? What a joke. If that were the case, there wouldn’t still be Noahrc bastards all around here. They would have been called to the front lines to stop the royal army long ago.” I took a breath and continued. “Listen carefully, everyone.” “…” “We’ve been abandoned.” I don’t truly believe that, but. I judged that I couldn’t break their false hope without going this far. “W-why would the royal family abandon us!” Well, I don’t know the reason either. Maybe they really had a situation and couldn’t come. I also think that’s more likely. But, so what? Regardless of the other party’s circumstances, the result doesn’t change. “If we weren’t abandoned, why haven’t they come yet?” A team member, who had been trailing off, clenched his teeth and continued. “…So, you’re saying we should move to another place?” “Yes.” “With everyone so exhausted? Do you think that’s possible? We’ll all die—!” “What’s different if we wait here!” As the voices rose, the mages activated ‘voice control’ even with their depleted mana, so I could shout without worry. “Everyone, open your eyes!” “…” “No matter what, the fact remains that they are not coming to save us!” My shout silenced all the team members. It’s not that there isn’t room for rebuttal, but they were also feeling it deep down. That what I said might be true. If they hadn’t had such doubts in the first place, they wouldn’t be so anxious now. “…” “…” In the silence that followed, I opened my mouth. “I have no intention of dying in a place like this.” “…” “Are you any different?” The one who answered that question was a member of Kaislan’s team. “…Who would want to die?” “Then that’s settled. Follow me. Kill the enemy, protect your comrades. At least, it’ll be more meaningful than waiting to die in this place.” I said that and glanced at the team members sitting on the thick branches. Looking at their expressions, it didn’t seem like my voice had resonated deep within their hearts. Well, when you think about it, it’s only natural. Ricen Schuetz. A mysterious explorer whose name and face I didn’t even know before joining the expedition. Even if I’ve shown various sides of myself since coming here, how trustworthy would I be in this situation? They naturally looked at their team leaders. And… “May we head towards where the light guides us.” The first to step forward was Jun. He looked at me, bowing excessively as if to help me, appearing somewhat sacred. “Our 4th team will walk with you through the hardships you have chosen.” Next was Kaislan. “The Lapdonia royal family has appointed Ricen Schuetz as the leader of this expedition. Doubting his judgment and raising objections could be interpreted as disloyalty to the royal family.” The introduction was long, but his words could be summarized in one sentence. “Our 5th team will follow your orders.” Is he trying to give me strength, just like Jun? Kaislan, kneeling on one knee on the uncomfortable branch, performing a ceremony. It was a bit unexpected. He had a displeased expression during the leadership meeting. “Our 2nd team is a bit different.” Then Akuraba spoke. “It’s not because we have blind faith, nor because we’re afraid of the royal family’s military law. I simply agree with that person’s opinion. It seems difficult for the royal family to come and save us.” “So?” At my prompting, Akuraba chuckled. “The 2nd team will follow you too.” Okay, now there’s only one team left. The 3rd team, led by James Kala, the vice-captain of the Cogtooth Clan. As the attention turned to him, James Kala made a bewildered expression. “I’m…” The performances of the previous team leaders seemed to have put some pressure on him. However, perhaps he thought that such a thing didn’t suit him? “Same here. It’s not like anything will change if I object, and ordinary people like me should always find and follow the trend.” It was a bit lackluster, but it was a very him-like statement. His sincerity, mixed with his joking tone, seemed to have been well conveyed to the other team members. “…It’s already over.” “Why are you doing that after deciding everything?” “Hahaha, I didn’t like it from the start. It’s not like the royal family has only messed up once or twice. I have to find my own way to survive.” “I’m going to hold the royal family accountable for this situation. But to do that, surviving is the priority.” I glanced at the muttering team members and clenched my fist. Squeeze. Alright, let’s do this.

***

“The number of patrols around us has increased. It seems they’ve noticed that they’re dead… What should we do?” What do you mean, what should we do? The plan for the future is simple. “Use multi-teleportation magic.” First, we use mass teleport to get out of the heart of enemy territory. Well, it’s not like there aren’t any problems with this either… “After using such a large magic, the mages will be out of commission for a while. Our location will also be exposed.” Clearly, the Noahrc scouts will track us by following the afterglow of mana. But there’s no other choice. “Even if we move secretly, there’s no way this many people won’t be caught by the enemy.” “That’s true, but…” “Since the Eye of the Sky is broken, they can’t freely communicate with each other either. It’s best to create distance with multi-teleportation magic.” The team leaders expressed some concern about my judgment, but they didn’t voice it. Okay, then that problem is over. “What’s next?” The next plan is also very concise. “Whether the pursuers stick to us or not, we’re going north.” The destination is the northern hemisphere of the Dark Continent. “…Not the south where our allies are?” “Yes.” The reason for choosing the north instead of the south is one. Scouts can only track where we teleported to. They won’t know where we headed after that. In other words… “You’re trying to trick the enemy into thinking we went south. If they send troops south, the north will be empty.” “That’s right. We’ll hide in plain sight. Until the closure date.” “I understand. Did that strategist come up with this too?” They don’t believe I came up with it. Whatever, it’s not important. “Tell everyone to prepare. Once the magic incantation starts, they’ll swarm like a pack of dogs.” “…Okay.” I shared the strategy with the team leaders, and each team leader relayed the instructions to their team members. With this, all preparations to start the plan are complete. Tap, tap. We soon came down from the trees where we had been hiding. Since we wouldn’t be able to hide our bodies with magic while completing the mass teleportation magic anyway. “It’s been three days since I’ve stepped on the ground.” We felt the texture of the ground unfamiliar for a moment, but the five mages belonging to the expedition immediately divided and began drawing magic circles on the ground. Whoosh-! Two multi-teleportation magics are needed to move 28 people. As a vast amount of mana is used, anyone with good senses will soon notice the anomaly. I hope they’re at least a little late. “…” With our backs to the huge tree, the escort formation spread out in a semicircle, as if protecting the mages. “Mister, someone’s coming. At a very fast speed.” Soon, Erwen, who had an exceptional sense, murmured in a low voice. And how much time had passed? “…They stopped after finding us. Now they’re rushing back.” Right, they’re going to call for backup. Whoosh-! Before I could even give an order, Erwen shot an arrow into the dark forest. But… “Did you kill them?” “No. It hit a tree.” “I see.” Well, even if it had hit, it would only have bought us a little more time. I smacked my lips once and shouted loudly. “Everyone, prepare for battle!!” Since we’ve already been discovered, there’s no need to keep our mouths shut, right? The Noahrc bastards will soon come rushing in, excited. And we’ll somehow hold out until the mass teleportation magic is complete. Swish. With some time to spare, I checked behind me one last time. “Coordinates! The coordinates on this side are wrong!” “Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll fix it now!” The mages, knowing the urgency of the situation, were drawing the magic circles more frantically than ever. I appreciate their hard work, but it would be a lie to say I don’t feel regret. ‘…How great would it be if that was a dimensional gate magic.’ Of course, I know that this is unavoidable. Originally, in the game, unless you were a grand mage who had reached level 1, you couldn’t use ‘Dimensional Gate’ magic, and the price for using it was the caster’s life. The dimensional gates commonly used in the labyrinth today are modified versions of the original. To be precise, they are downgraded versions. A dimensional gate that has been modified so that even a 4th-grade mage can use it. It was a magic that could only be used once in a lifetime, but instead, you didn’t have to sacrifice your life when using it. But… ‘Cannot be used above the 7th floor.’ There is such a critical penalty attached to the modified dimensional gate. That’s why I feel regret about a different part. ‘I should have asked for a 1st-grade mage no matter what…’ I did request it, but it was rejected at the marquis level. There are very few 1st-grade mages even in the magic tower, and there is only one in the royal family. Even if the Tower of the Sky is destroyed and the entire expedition returns alive, it would be a loss if a 1st-grade mage dies. Unless they abandon the entire expedition. ‘Damn it, is that really it?’ I suddenly had such a thought, but I shook my head. Should I say the premise itself was wrong? From the start, it was wrong to put the lives of a 1st-grade mage and ours on the scales. In the end, wasn’t the final plan to send the main force to rescue us? Of course, there would be casualties among the rescue team in the process, but considering the reputation of the individuals belonging to the expedition, the royal family could afford that much sacrifice. So, the reason the rescue team isn’t coming is a different reason— ‘…Let’s stop thinking about this.’ Why the rescue team didn’t come. It was a problem I had been pondering countless times, but I decided not to think about it anymore. Because I’ll find out anyway if I return alive… “They’re coming…!” If I can’t return alive, there’s no point in finding out. Thump-, Thump- A subtle vibration felt through the ground. “Waaaaaaah!” “Kill!” As soon as the enemies revealed themselves from the darkness, I emptied my head. Now is the time to think about only one thing. 「The character has cast [Gigantification].」 「The character has used a transformation-type ability.」 「Due to the [Primordial Cell] effect, the soul force consumption of the skill is reduced by half, and the highest stat increases by 1.5 times.」 Surviving.