Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 62

Day 8 of being stranded.

While wandering aimlessly through the Witch’s Forest, we were surprisingly yet to encounter any other explorer groups. Considering the regional characteristics, we should have run into them at least once, but… Looking closely, it wasn’t that unusual. First of all, the Witch’s Forest is vast. Also, it’s not a primary hunting ground, so the resident monster population itself is small. Moreover, we were just wandering aimlessly, not even heading towards the center. It’s less likely that we’d run into anyone by chance. ‘Besides, by now, most people who were going to pass through would have already done so.’ Still, I thought that when the 3rd floor closes, some explorers would flow into the 4th floor. Usually, when going up a floor, it’s common to test the waters a bit like that. ‘So, are they also trying to go up to the 4th floor?’ Well, it seems highly likely. Of course, that doesn’t mean we can trust them.

“A barbarian and a beastkin? Are you two really the only ones?” Just as I assessed them the moment I saw them, they also sized us up. Well, it would be strange. A two-person team wandering around the 3rd floor, especially in the Witch’s Forest, not the 1st or 2nd floor. The man who seemed to be the leader of the five-person team concluded. “…You two, did you perhaps get separated from your team?” “That’s right.” I readily admitted it. Bluffing is good, but only when there’s something to gain from it. In the first place, looking like this, denying it would only make us look weirder, and what could we gain by insisting we weren’t? Of course, even if I admit it, I still have to be careful. “Uwaa! Bjorn! Does this mean we’re saved, nya?” “Stay still.” I pushed Misha, who was already making a fuss, behind me and blocked her path. And I subtly raised my shield. “Don’t be too wary. We’re not bad people.” A middle-aged human woman from the other side stepped forward with a warm smile at my actions, but… “I have sons and daughters just like you in the city. I know what you’re worried about, but don’t be like that and come here, you must be tired—” “I refuse.” Sons and daughters? So what? It seems even more dangerous. Having children to feed means they have an even clearer motive to earn money. “B, Bjorn, why are you like that, nya? They might help us…” “Be quiet.” What should we do when we meet explorers? I had thought about this a lot. The conclusion then was to ask for help first. If we promise a certain amount of compensation and ask them to take us out of the forest, it would be a reasonable deal for them too. However… ‘To make a deal, I need to know what kind of people they are at least.’ Verification is the first step. “I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.” “You’re a cautious friend. I’m Hans Stovra. I’m the scout in the team.” When I revealed my name, the leader of the other side responded with his name. But the problem is… “Your name is… Hans?” “Haha, it’s a common name, isn’t it?” “I guess so.” Why are there so many Hans in the world? First of all, his name is ominous, so minus one point. “I’m Anuman Bate. I run a general store with my husband in the city—” I just cut off the middle-aged woman who was rattling off her personal information. “We don’t need that much.” There’s no way to verify if what she said is true in this labyrinth, and we don’t have much time. Whether to get help or not. We need to make a decision quickly, either way. ‘Two warriors, two archers, one scout.’ I quickly scanned them up and down, checking not only their approximate combat power but also their faces, expressions, tone, and atmosphere. Of course, there’s no need to examine each one closely. Sometimes, intuition makes a more accurate judgment than anything else. Experience and data accumulated in the subconscious. “Misha.” Finally, I made a decision. There’s no guarantee that this is the right answer, but… “Will you follow my decision?” There was no need for long words. Misha answered briefly to my question, which omitted many things. “Of course, nya.” Okay, I’ve got her agreement for now. “Let’s stop the introductions here, we’ll be on our way.” “On your way? Didn’t you need our help?” That’s true, but for some reason, my instincts are screaming that you’re dangerous. “It seems we don’t need it after all. Come on, Misha, let’s go.” “Ah, okay, nya!” “Hmm, if that’s what you want. There’s no reason to stop you. Go on your way.” Okay, then I’ve got their permission too. Covering my body with my shield, I slowly backed away, still keeping my eyes on them. It was at that moment. Whoosh-! A familiar sound of air being cut was heard. And before my brain could process it, my body reacted. Whoosh-! As I tilted my head to the side, an arrow grazed past my ear. Damn it, how did they do that? The direction it came from was behind me. The bastards who shot the arrows should be in front of me. “Ms. Bate, what are you doing!” One of the other party’s members shouted at the middle-aged woman, the archer. Wasn’t it agreed upon between them? The middle-aged woman who said she had sons and daughters no longer spoke softly. “You idiots! Didn’t you see the equipment that guy has? It’s made of Lightinium! Do you even know how much it’s worth if we sell it?” “B, but we’re fellow explorers…” “Kid, if you can’t do it, just stay out of it. Do you see that backpack over there? It’s an expansion backpack. You can’t buy it even if you work your ass off for a year.” Was it true that she ran a general store with her husband? This middle-aged woman has a good eye. I didn’t have the stomach to praise her, though. “I, I can’t do it.” “Then those who can’t do it should step aside.” “I’ll join in. It’s not like this is the first time. I’m not in a good enough situation to pass up free money.” The explorers, who were originally explorers, quickly reached an agreement among themselves. I stared at them intently. Misha grabbed my sleeve worriedly. “B, Bjorn… shouldn’t we run away, nya?” “Wait.” They have a scout. If we run away like this, we won’t get far. ‘It’s about time they came…’ “K, kill, you…” ‘They’re here.’ I smiled bitterly. The only reason I tried to make a quick decision, whether it was going to be good or bad. As the Cannibalos emerged from the darkness, the group of explorers who were trying to attack us flinched. “C, Cannibalos?” “Why are there two of them at the same time…” Well, it’s because we’re on day 8 of being stranded. You guys might have just entered, but we’ve already reached level 10 of [Witch’s Eye]. “Misha, now!” I pulled Misha into my arms with one hand. And with the other hand, I held up my shield and charged forward, not backward. 「Cannibalo has cast [Chasing Arrow].」 「Cannibalo has cast [Chasing Arrow].」 I saw a Cannibalo on the right side nocking an arrow on its bow. The more I saw that, the more I spurred myself forward. Whoosh-! Soon, the barbarian’s dynamic vision recognized that two arrows were fired simultaneously. But there was no need to worry about my empty back. Because now, there are things to block them for me. “A, ah! Block it!” “W, what are these guys!” The moment I pushed through the other party’s group with the barbarian’s brute force, a scream was heard from the side. It was the kid who said he couldn’t do it. “Agh!” Well, you got hit. It’s said that good people die young. Boom-! “Argh! Damn it, my foot!!” As if one thing led to another, an explosion erupted from the direction where the Cannibalos were. After a quick check, it seemed that Hans D, who was flustered by my charge and created some distance, accidentally stepped on a magic mine. “Mr. Stovra!!” Okay. It seems like the aggro [aggression or focus of attack] has completely shifted to them. “Misha, now you run.” “Ah, okay, nya.” I let go of Misha. And without looking back, I ran forward. “What are you all doing! Forget about those guys, deal with the monsters first—!” They won’t be able to follow us for a while.

***

[Dungeon & Stone] is a roguelike game. Once you die, that’s it. The character disappears. Of course, it’s just a game after all. You can just raise a new character, and you can just get new equipment… In the first place, the main content of this game is to go to higher floors with the information learned from the previous playthrough. In [Dungeon & Stone], death is like everyday life. But what if that game world was real? Character regeneration is impossible. No matter what you see, hear, or learn in this life, it becomes meaningless the moment you die. And in that sense. “But Bjorn, how did you know? That those people would do that…” “It’s a hunch.” This time, I was lucky. Following the judgment made by my subconscious in that moment turned out to be the right answer. Misha, who realized the truth, was shocked. “…A hunch, nya?” No wonder, she said she would follow my words without any questions earlier. She must have thought there was some clear evidence. “Wasn’t the leader’s name Hans?” “Yeah, nya?” “I don’t like that name.” “…” “Anyway, we escaped safely thanks to that, so isn’t it a good thing?” “That’s true, but…” Misha, who was trailing off with a somewhat uneasy expression, changed the subject. “By the way, I never dreamed that the nice-looking middle-aged woman would change like that…” Misha trembled slightly, perhaps remembering the middle-aged woman who glared at us fiercely and shouted at the top of her lungs. The middle-aged woman’s quick change of attitude seemed to have been quite shocking to her. It might not be comforting, but I said briefly. “Maybe she was really a nice person.” “Huh? What do you mean—” “If we didn’t look weak.” And if we didn’t have expensive items. If we had met in the city instead of the labyrinth. That middle-aged woman might have remained in our memories as a kind person. But that middle-aged woman was the one who nocked and drew her arrow faster than anyone else. “Not being kind because we looked weak, I don’t understand it at all…” “Misha, why did you come into the labyrinth?” “Because I need to earn money, nya…” “They’re the same.” Money is a means to protect oneself. It’s even more so in this world where you’re executed if you can’t pay taxes. Surely, that middle-aged woman had more than just her own life to protect. “…I feel like I’m learning a lot on this expedition.” “Then move faster. They might be tracking us.” I increased our movement speed. And how much time had passed? Contrary to my worries, they didn’t show up even after more than an hour. ‘Even if they were attacked first, they wouldn’t have all been defeated by two Cannibalos… Did something else happen?’ Well, it seems reasonable to think so. Perhaps Hans, who stepped on the magic mine, the scout, was seriously injured, which hindered their pursuit. Whatever the reason, we managed to get through one crisis safely. ‘I hope this is the end of it.’ Even while hoping for that, I pulled myself together. Until the very end, let’s not let our guard down. As always. The worst thing always comes when you’re careless.

***

Day 13 of being stranded. The time is 7 PM. In other words, at that time, there were exactly 53 hours left until the labyrinth closed. “Bjorn, I found it, nya!” We found a tree leading to a cabin. The light emanating from it was slightly faded, so it seemed that the entrance had been formed quite some time ago, but… This is something. ‘Okay.’ We somehow avoided the worst-case scenario. Even if we can only rest for about four hours, we can endure the remaining two days with our willpower. In short, the possibility of returning safely has increased dramatically. 「The character enters the Witch’s Cabin.」 Since every second of rest was precious, I immediately placed my hand on the cabin and entered. The scenery beyond was the same as before. The scent of grass and flowers filling the air. The quiet sound of insects. The sound of wind as leaves fluttered. ‘Goddamn it…’ Unfortunately, there was one incongruous thing in the peaceful scenery. 「Current number of entrants: 5」 「The entrance is closed.」 Pre-existing guests. In other words, those who found this cabin before us. “Bjorn.” “Shh.” I covered Misha’s mouth and quickly scanned the surroundings with my eyes. ‘One on the bed, one on the chair, one on the lawn.’ The interior, which I checked through the window, also had places that were not visible due to the angle, but… For now, it’s right to assume there are three people in total. The entry limit for the cabin is up to 5 people. ‘This is troublesome.’ I slowly approached the man who was sleeping on the lawn. And at that moment. As if he was talking in his sleep, the man turned his back and turned his body towards us. I froze. ‘I never thought I’d meet him again here like this…’ Surprisingly, it was a familiar face.