Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 667

Outside the castle walls, where not a single hair that wasn’t ours could be found.

Yet, they detected a human presence.

And not just a team, but….

“The opponent is just one person… and surprisingly, they seem to be fast asleep.”

Ironically, the fact that it was just one person made me even more uneasy.

It’s more absurd than if there were multiple people, wouldn’t you say?

In this dangerous land where level 3 monsters appear, who on earth would be wandering around alone, and for what reason?

“Well… I guess we should go check it out?”

“Yes. It’s best to identify all the variables around us first.”

Lee Baek-ho and the archer quickly exchanged opinions and then jumped up from their spots.

“I’ll go first, so follow me!”

Lee Baek-ho shot off like a cannonball.

Does he have no fear?

If it were me, I would have approached slowly and stealthily with the team, since it’s an unknown variable.

‘That unconditional confidence….’

Perhaps this is Lee Baek-ho’s biggest weakness.

“……B, Baek-ho?!”

“Aures, let’s hurry too. That man might not be in danger, but… you never know.”

Soon, the rest of us who were left behind also hurried to follow Lee Baek-ho.

And how much time had passed?

“W, who are you people! Keck! L, let me go!”

A man’s urgent voice was heard.

And it’s coming from right below us.

“…It seems to be down there.”

Looking down at the crack in the ground that seemed to have split open due to an earthquake, I could hear Lee Baek-ho’s voice from below.

“Ah, you’re all here? I’ll come up, so wait! It’s too narrow here, so you can’t all come down anyway!”

After saying that, Lee Baek-ho poked his head out from below the cliff after a short wait.

It’s hard to see from above due to the angle, but it seems there’s a hidden space down there….

“Heave-ho!”

Soon, Lee Baek-ho jumped high and landed where we were, making an old man-like sound.

In his right hand, which he raised high as if he had caught prey, a middle-aged man of unknown name was struggling while being held.

He looked very unhygienic, as if he hadn’t washed in months….

“W, what is this! Who are you…! Let go! Let g—.”

The middle-aged man, who was struggling even more upon discovering us, stopped his gaze at one spot and his pupils dilated.

“…Aures-nim? You’re the gatekeeper Aures-nim, right! Aures-niiiiiim!!”

“Y, you are…!!”

…What, they know each other?

“………Who are you?”

“Heeik! It’s me! I’m the 3rd squad leader of the Noahrc direct guard unit, Red Eye!”

“Red Eye? That’s a nickname I’ve never heard of…?”

As Aures tilted his head, Lee Baek-ho, who had briefly loosened his grip on the man’s neck, narrowed his eyes.

“Huh, were you just making up a name and pretending to know him?”

“N, no! Don’t you know me! Red Eye! Red Eye Daylan!”

As the guy urgently added his name, Lex Aures seemed to remember something.

“Daylan? If it’s Daylan, isn’t that the name of the old man at Merun Tavern? Ah… are you perhaps his son?”

“Yes, yes! That’s me! That’s who I am!”

“Ah, come to think of it, there was a guy like that! Hahaha! It’s good to see you!”

The two finally recognized each other.

At this, Lee Baek-ho also seemed to lose some interest and threw the man he was holding onto the ground like a piece of luggage.

However, that didn’t mean he completely lost interest.

“You said your name was Daylan, right?”

“Y, yes…! That’s right!”

“Tell me. What were you doing here all alone?”

“That’s….”

“Keep in mind that if you don’t tell me the truth, you’re dead.”

That coercive attitude was one of the scary things about Lee Baek-ho.

He always ignores things like manners and forces answers with his strength, and on top of that, he even has a lie detection ability.

‘I thought I was going crazy back then….’

Seeing the man shrinking and rolling his eyes, old memories suddenly came to mind.

Well, the past is just the past.

“Hurry up and tell me! What kind of nonsense were you trying to do here!”

When Lee Baek-ho yelled once more, the man closed his eyes tightly and answered.

“…I, I deserted!”

“Deserted…?”

“That… the plan to invade Lapdonia felt so absurd… It’s obvious that people like us would just get caught up in it and die meaninglessly!”

“Heh… so when everyone else was going back, you secretly slipped out, huh?”

“I wasn’t the only one! At first, there were many more people who thought the same as me.”

“Huh? But why are you alone now?”

“That… we got separated in the middle because of a monster….”

After hearing the situation, it turned out that at first, there were over a hundred people who stayed behind in the outside world together.

They said that if they joined forces, they could live happily in this place?

They kept saying those words, but that promise became meaningless the moment they encountered a powerful monster.

And wouldn’t that be the case?

They were originally guys who left the group only for their own safety, so there was no way they could properly join forces when an emergency situation arose.

“So after we scattered, we wandered around carefully, looking for places to hide. And then I ended up settling down here….”

“In that rabbit hole-like place on the cliff earlier?”

“Yes….”

“How long have you been living there?”

“That… I don’t know the exact time, but it’s probably been about two months now….”

“Wow, that’s amazing. But where did you poop and pee?”

“That’s… actually… I would go to the edge of the cliff and squat—.”

“Stop it! That’s disgusting.”

Soon, the healer, Jaina, frowned and nagged, and Lee Baek-ho grumbled but chuckled and didn’t continue the conversation.

And perhaps thinking this was the right timing?

“But… who is the young master?”

The guy boldly throws a question at Lee Baek-ho.

“Me? Why are you curious about me?”

“That… well, if you’re from the city, I was wondering if you might know… whether the lord’s plan was successful….”

Is he regretting not following them now?

If we say we’re from the city, he’s going to ask us to take him back when we return to the city.

Of course, there’s no way Lee Baek-ho would allow such a request.

“That’s none of your business, so be quiet for now.”

“…….”

“Hoo, so what should we do with this guy? He looks like he’s going to die soon even if we leave him alone….”

The man’s expression became even more urgent at those words.

Well, it’s understandable.

Seeing him talking like that, as if he’s wondering what to eat for dinner, makes me shudder—.

“W, wait a minute! I have a proposal to make!”

“Huh?”

“Please take me with you when you return to the city! Then I’ll give you useful information!”

A desperate offer of a deal.

However, Lee Baek-ho only wore a nonchalant expression.

“Hmm, I’m not really curious….”

His voice sounded like he genuinely had no interest, but I could tell it was an act.

No, to be precise, it was a natural negotiation, like breathing.

It was this guy’s habit to take the lead when the other party was in a submissive position.

“Well, still, tell me. If it’s really useful, I’ll consider it.”

Lee Baek-ho spoke from a completely dominant position, not giving anything away, and soon, through the man’s mouth, we heard something completely unexpected.

“A dimensional stone…! I know where another dimensional stone is…!”

Hmm…?

***

The man’s story was very short and concise.

After being separated from the group, he had wandered around for a long time, looking for a safe place.

That’s when he accidentally discovered it.

A dimensional stone that looked identical to the one in the Noahrc frontier.

“What… is it real?”

Since Lee Baek-ho, who has a lie detector, said this, there’s no doubt about its authenticity….

“It was hidden in a remote area that normal people would never even think of going to. I, I’m the only one who could have found it!”

Certainly… hearing that from a guy who lived in a small cave under a cliff, it does seem like it could be in an unimaginable place.

“So where is it?”

Soon, the existence of the dimensional stone became very enticing, and Lee Baek-ho couldn’t even pretend to be nonchalant anymore.

The man seemed to sense that and quickly made a deal.

“It’s not hard to tell you… but….”

“Okay, you want a promise, right? I promise. If you don’t cause trouble and follow us well, I’ll take you to the city.”

The man looked as if he was checking whether Lee Baek-ho was lying or not, but eventually, thinking he had no other choice, he nodded.

“I’ll trust you….”

“Okay, that’s settled. Now tell me, where is it?”

At Lee Baek-ho’s question, the man approached the edge of the cliff where his hideout was.

And….

“It’s down here.”

“Down here?”

“Yes….”

Ha, I knew he was telling us too easily.

Since we would have found it soon anyway if we searched this area, he was trying to end the deal quickly.

“I’ll go first, so everyone follow me down, got it?”

This time too, Lee Baek-ho jumped off the cliff without any hesitation, and we followed him down using our own methods.

Whoosh-!

The mage used levitation magic.

Tap, tap, tap-!

The archer jumped nimbly down the cliff.

[Heeheeheeheeing-!]

The priest rode a summon that could fly.

And me….

‘I guess I’ll have to use my body.’

Kwaaaang-!

It was quite deep, so it felt like electricity was flowing through my toes the moment I landed, but I was able to withstand it with my diligently built bone strength and physical resistance stats.

“Wow, Baron, you’re on fire?”

“What are you talking about? Anyway, is this the dimensional stone?”

“Yes. It really is here? We’ll have to ask the old man later to see if we can activate it.”

In a deep valley that was almost 70 meters deep.

In that dark place where light didn’t reach properly, the dimensional stone that the man had mentioned earlier was clearly present.

“Oh, old man! Here, here! Come quickly and check it out!”

“Havelion, you go and check it out too.”

After the mages arrived, they investigated the dimensional stone, and both mages came to the same conclusion.

“It has the exact same properties as the dimensional stone we used before.”

“It’s likely that if we inject enough magic power, a portal will open, just like last time.”

“Wow, really? We couldn’t find it even when we were searching so hard, and we found it like this.”

Lee Baek-ho, saying that, pats the cave man on the shoulder as if he’s proud of him.

Well, I think he should pat him harder if he’s going to praise him….

But that’s just each person’s style.

“Then let’s inject magic power right away. Let’s check if it works properly.”

“……What are you planning to do if it works?”

“No, just try it first. We have to see if it works before we think about it. Why are you so lacking in foresight?”

“…….”

GM, who had been scolded for speaking unnecessarily, approached the dimensional stone with a bitter expression.

And….

“I’ll start now.”

Together with the Destruction Scholar who was already there, they injected magic power, and the exact same effect as before erupted.

Whoooosh-!

The light emitted by the concentrated magic power.

It gradually takes shape and increases in size, and soon it takes on a form.

“A portal has really opened.”

“Baek-ho, what are you going to do now?”

“……Well, I really have to think about it from now on.”

“Please finish it as soon as possible. The portal will only last for about 5 minutes.”

“Okay.”

Lee Baek-ho, who seemed to be really thinking alone, opened his mouth again after a short while.

“But I’m still curious. Where does this lead to? It feels like I’m really exploring for the first time in a while.”

“…Don’t forget our purpose. We came all the way here to get the materials to fix the magic circle.”

“But who knows? Maybe if we go through this, we can get there faster.”

“…….”

“Well, if it doesn’t work, we can just open the portal again and come back. Right?”

What percentage of P [Likely refers to a personality type or a specific trait] does this guy have?

It was a way of thinking that I couldn’t even imagine, but I agreed on one thing.

‘I am curious though….’

Should I say it feels like I’m really exploring?

While I was thinking that, Lee Baek-ho finished his decision.

“Okay, I’ve finished thinking.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Let’s go through it once. It’ll be more work to come back here later. Baron, are you okay with that?”

Hmm….

“If I say no, will you not do it?”

“No. We’re going to go through it ourselves? Baron, you can wait here.”

“I’ll follow.”

Yes, this could also be considered a kind of hidden piece, so I can’t just send Lee Baek-ho alone.

Once I made my decision, everything was done quickly.

“Hey, you go in first.”

“M, me?”

“Is there any reason why you can’t go in?”

“There might be something dangerous on the other side… Ah, I’ll go first.”

“You should have done that from the start.”

Lee Baek-ho sent the cave man into the portal first, and then one by one, we went through the portal in order.

For the record, my turn was last….

Flash-!

My vision is filled with white and slowly recovers.

As a habit, I first looked around.

The terrain is inside a dark cave.

There are no monsters nearby.

But the problem is….

“Baek-ho, are we sure we came to the right place? I can’t see the dimensional stone anywhere?”

The moment we crossed over, the portal disappeared, and the dimensional stone that would allow us to open the portal again is nowhere to be seen.

Also….

‘One, two, three, four, five….’

One person is missing.

No, to be precise.

“What, that bastard.”

The guy who told us the location of the dimensional stone is nowhere to be seen.

“Where did he really go? No, there’s no way he could have escaped in that time? What the hell is that guy?”

Lee Baek-ho mutters as if he doesn’t understand.

Looking at him, I swallowed hard.

Thump-!

Should I say it feels like we’ve fallen into a trap?

An inexplicable sense of unease begins to creep in.

I quickly spoke to Aures, who was familiar with the guy.

“Aures.”

“Why do you call?”

“That guy from earlier. The one named Daylan.”

“Yes?”

“If Daylan is his last name… what’s his first name…?”

From Aures’s perspective, it was a slightly random question.

However, Aures thought seriously and answered.

“Well… I don’t remember well.”

“……Is that so?”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very helpful answer.

‘…Maybe it’s better not to know?’

Just as I was about to drop the thought.

Aures said something that couldn’t be ignored.

“However….”

“However?”

“It seems like it was a very common name.”

……Eh, no way?