Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 477

The second coming-of-age ceremony since becoming the tribal chief.

Having done it once before, I finished the entire ceremony much faster this time.

‘Hmm, did no new players join this time?’

Among the young warriors, not a single one acted suspiciously like a player.

That’s a good thing.

The warriors won’t have their bodies stolen, and the players won’t have to live as hated spirits.

That damned game needs to disappear.

“Karon.”

“Speak, Chieftain.”

I checked the newbies’ status with the 2nd Elder beside me.

“Kiltaw’s third son, Bekta? Ah, the one who chose the shield at the last ceremony!”

“Yes. How is he doing?”

“Hehe, worried about him choosing a shield?”

“Just answer the question.”

“He’s doing well. I heard he was amazing in the labyrinth too…”

I asked for details, and the latest information poured out from the Barbarian tribe’s social butterfly.

“He’s quite like you. Like you going to the second floor on your first try, he also went up with his team.”

“The second floor…?”

The newbie actively used the team system and starting items I introduced.

He gave a potion to another explorer, bought a torch, and cleared the dark zone.

On the second floor, he acted as a tank with his shield and helped the others, they say…

“Chieftain, he didn’t earn as much as you, but he came out of the checkpoint with a fair amount of money from his first exploration.”

He seems smart and is adapting well.

Even with game knowledge, it wouldn’t have been easy.

But one thing worried me.

‘If he keeps this up, he’ll attract the attention of the Secret Security Agency’s [a group that hunts down players] evil spirit hunters…’

Well, he’ll manage.

If he’s the type to spill everything when someone asks, ‘I’m from the US, where are you from?’, he wouldn’t have survived long anyway.

“From the next class, we should include a torch as well.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea.”

That ended the conversation. I led the young warriors towards the city.

Then,

“Chieftain.”

Karon, beside me, spoke stiffly.

“Actually… I found something recently.”

“…?”

“I found the cause of death of the warriors who died this time. You told me to investigate, right?”

Ah, that.

The first thing I did upon returning was check the death count.

Seven warriors died.

A monumental figure, with a first exploration survival rate of almost 90%.

But I wasn’t satisfied.

I gave them potions and shoes, and used binding magic to create teams of three or four, so how could three die?

“So, what was the cause of death?”

Karon said miserably,

“It seems they were looters. I found reports of our own kind being found dead in the crystal cave, attacked by people, not monsters.”

“……”

“The reports say they were attacked by people, not monsters.”

“I see… so that’s what it was.”

I expected it, so I accepted it quickly.

But one question remained.

“Still, it’s strange. They were in teams of four, yet attacked by looters. And on the first floor.”

“Actually… I was suspicious too, so I looked further. And then…”

Karon trailed off, then spoke quietly so the young warriors wouldn’t hear.

“Recently, the value of our hearts has greatly increased.”

As the tribal chief, that was a heart-stopping statement.

“The value has increased…?”

“That’s right. The Magic Tower’s standard price has increased several times over.”

“God damn it.”

Now I understood.

As we became harder to defeat, the supply decreased, and the value increased.

The price of hearts must be skyrocketing.

‘If one heart is worth millions of stones… some bastards would go crazy.’

It’s more profitable than exploring the 4th or 5th floor.

No matter how many potions I give them, or how many teams I make.

If professional looters operate on the first floor, the young warriors can’t respond.

“The explorers who saw the corpses said they were attacked almost unilaterally.”

Those damn bastards.

“Crunch…”

A strong response is needed.

***

After escorting the young warriors to the dimensional plaza, I had them bound in groups of three or four with a mage’s help.

Not a guild mage this time.

We have a mage on our team now.

“It’s lower-level magic, but… it’s tiring since there are so many.”

“Thank you, Bersil Gowland.”

“Ah… I didn’t mean to show off…”

“Still, I have to show my gratitude properly.”

As I patted Bersil’s shoulder, Amelia sighed, seemingly annoyed.

“…There he goes again.”

I had no idea what I was starting.

“Yandel, let’s stop that and go in.”

With the escort over, we entered the labyrinth.

「You have entered the 1st floor, Crystal Cave.」

The crystal cave always brings back memories.

We headed for the dark zone in the center.

“…It feels strange. To be back here.”

Bersil muttered strangely at the monument.

“What’s so strange? You just opened a portal and ran away comfortably back then.”

Erwen snapped back, and Bersil flinched.

But Bersil apologized instead of reacting sensitively.

“…I’m sorry.”

Geez, the atmosphere is weird.

I chimed in cheerfully.

“What’s there to be sorry about? It’s not your fault.”

Did that sound uncomfortable again?

Erwen refuted me directly.

“It is her fault. If no one had run away and we had fought together, more people could have come back alive.”

Well, she lost her older sister back then.

“There is always a price to pay for wrong choices.”

“…That’s right. That’s why I had to pay the price too.”

Bersil responded gently to Erwen’s words, as if she sincerely regretted it.

Erwen didn’t criticize her further.

She even apologized to me.

“…Mister, I’m sorry. I made the atmosphere weird for no reason.”

“Huh…? No. It’s okay. It’s not weird at all?”

“Then… that’s a relief.”

What? When did she become so normal?

She was upset, but she regained her composure so easily, even with her sister involved…

“Bjorn! When is that guy coming out? I’ve been waiting for this day!”

Ainar shouted excitedly.

Amelia frowned.

“Barbarian, you keep asking the same question I told you several times in the meeting?”

“…I forgot!”

“And?”

“I, I’m sorry…?”

“That’s better.”

Ainar shrank at Amelia’s words, the hierarchy clearly established.

Still curious, he asked again.

“So… when can we fight? I remember roughly how to fight!”

Amelia reluctantly answered.

“…It’s on the 7th day.”

“What, we have to wait that long? Can’t we summon him from the 3rd day!”

“It’s amazing how you’re saying the same thing as in the meeting.”

The floor boss appears probabilistically from the 3rd day if more than 5 people are gathered.

But it’s just a probability, and it increases exponentially, so it’s virtually 100% summoned before a day passes.

Therefore…

‘Prepare for summoning from the evening of the 6th day.’

I set the schedule to summon it for sure on the 7th day when the labyrinth closes.

That’s also the 5-person strategy.

“Then… are we just going to wait here until then?”

Ainar looked bored to death.

I could see him complaining about being bored every day, but it was fine.

“Ainar, don’t worry. While we wait, you and I have something to do together.”

“Oh! Really!”

Ainar was delighted, while Amelia tilted her head.

“…Yandel, what do you mean by something to do? I haven’t heard anything about that.”

Well, of course not.

This plan came up on the way here today.

“Anyway, we shouldn’t be together as a group of five until the 6th day. You three rest here. I promise I won’t be late.”

“…What are you planning to do?”

Amelia looked worried I might cause another accident.

Geez, you’re making me feel bad.

“Don’t worry. We’re just going for a leisurely walk together.”

Ah, of course, I plan to take off all the expensive equipment.

Like a beginner who just entered the labyrinth.

***

I separated from the group with Ainar.

Erwen offered to help, but I refused.

It’s simple.

What we’re going to do can only be done by Barbarians.

Therefore…

Step, step.

Ainar and I are walking alone in the cave.

Without a destination, just following our feet.

“……”

“……”

I had already taken off my equipment and put it in my subspace, wearing a Barbarian beginner set.

A pair of boots.

A cloth backpack.

A waist pouch.

And a single iron weapon left over from the coming-of-age ceremony.

“…Bjorn, do you really think they’ll fall for this?”

Ainar followed my plan, but seemed doubtful.

“Both you and I are quite well-known…”

“It’s the name that’s known, not the face.”

“You’re saying that because you don’t know! People will definitely recognize you!”

Well, is that so?

I don’t think so.

A person’s first impression is determined by the situation, appearance, and aura.

“Even so, how old are we… everyone will think it’s strange.”

He worries too much.

Barbarians all look old, so people from other races can’t tell the difference in age.

Ah, based on my experience.

Everyone’s eyes light up when I approach them looking delicious—.

“Grrr, grrr.”

A goblin appeared from a crack in the crystal rock.

And…

Swoosh-

It was immediately cut down by Ainar’s iron longsword.

I screamed in surprise.

“Ainar! What the hell are you doing!!”

“Why, why? I just cut it because a goblin appeared…”

Ainar flinched and protested.

“That’s the problem! You killed it too easily!”

“…Then what should I do?”

“I’ll show you.”

I found a level 9 monster and showed him how to fight.

“Grrr, grrr…!”

My opponent is a single goblin.

“……”

Looking at the monster’s murderous gaze, I gripped my weapon tightly.

Squeeze.

The sword tip shakes from the force.

“Be, Behel—laaaaa!”

I swung the greatsword wildly, hoping for my ancestors’ blessing, and the goblin dodged it.

And…

Whack-!

After swinging a few more times, I barely hit it and used my basic stats to kill it in one go.

Swaaaa-!

The fallen magic stone is the point where you run to pick it up like someone who hasn’t eaten for days.

“How was it, can you do it?”

“Bjorn… even on the first exploration, no warriors fight that badly… Even I—”

Sigh, he keeps talking back?

“So, can you do it or not. Just say that.”

“I’ll try…”

“Ah, and always shout the battle cry. That way, those watching will think we’re fighting for real.”

The name of the ancestral god shouted against a level 9 monster. Ainar endured the shame and followed my words.

“Be, Behel—laa…”

He seemed unmotivated, but this is good.

Basic training is over.

All that’s left is practice.

“Okay, from now on, we’ll keep moving like this. Got it?”

“I got it…”

We roamed the crystal cave and fought level 9 monsters fiercely.

When we met human explorers, we kept our distance, and when hungry, we chewed on stone bread to fill our stomachs.

It’s called the Barbarian Angler Mode.

Maintaining this state required a lot of mental strength.

No matter how much I controlled my strength, the goblins would die from a single graze…

I got used to it.

Day 1, Day 2.

Time passed.

Unfortunately, no bite yet.

But no reason to doubt or be disappointed.

‘The looters will be careful in the first and second days when there are a lot of people.’

It was the start of the 3rd day, when all explorers would have gone to the upper floors.

Drrrrrrr! Drrrrrrrrr…

As I dozed off while standing guard after putting Ainar to sleep, the first bite came.

Step, step.

Four explorers approached without hiding their presence.

Their equipment was good.

‘They seem to be at least on the 4th floor…’

It’s not important.

Step.

The guys stopped, forming a wide formation as if to surround us.

And…

“Anyway, even though there are only a few of you, you’re always wandering around. Why is it so hard to find you?”

One of them grinned at me.

Surprisingly, it was exactly what I was thinking.

“We finally found you.”

Yeah, right.

Grin.

We finally found you.