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Surviving as a Barbarian in the Game - Episode 134

134angry team play (4)

I'm wandering in a maze.

No biscuits or balls of yarn, but it's okay..

Because we have Rotmiller.

“Wait, I'll leave one more mark here, just in case..”

There was a time when I wondered what use it would be to be a searcher when even a guide couldn't find the way properly.…….

It was all my arrogance.

Rotmiller, who worked his way up from the bottom, was a truly versatile man..

“Can I take a look at the map??”

“I know.”

He created a map based on the route we took..

It wasn't just a roughly made map, it was a map so elaborate that it was reminiscent of a mini map..

I made it by just pausing once every 10 minutes and swiping..

“Now that's done, give it to me. I need to update the map too..”

“Oh, here it is..”

I was amazed every time I saw Rotmiller moving his pen across the map without hesitation, but I never asked how this was possible..

Well, I already did it earlier..

[It's not that complicated at this level, so you can memorize it just by walking. To measure distance, just count the steps you take and then write it down accordingly..]

Mapping and observation are the areas I am most confident in, as I have been doing them in the crystal cave on the first floor for several years.?

I never thought this guy would have such talent..

It was a little sad..

Rather than being a talent, it's probably the result of effort that I naturally acquired because I didn't have any talent..

“Sorry for taking up your time. Come on let's go.”

Just stand still for about 30 seconds.

Walking through the dark maze again.

There is a Rotmiller following closely behind..

For reference, he holds a long sword in his hand, not a crossbow..

This is a change that occurred after several previous battles..

[I think this is enough to hold on to at least one guy..]

Rotmiller, whose abilities have increased, has begun to actively intervene in the battle..

Just like top searchers usually do.

I'm trying to do it for one person in addition to exploration..

“This time it's you.”

After the warning from Rotmiller, who had a developed sense of smell, four Vaikundus soon appeared from the front..

6With four level monsters, it's a group on a scale we've never encountered even on the 4th floor.…….

No one is particularly nervous or anything..

'Cause we got Dwalki.

Pisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssw-!

A ‘reinforced ice spear’ that is fired as soon as a monster appears.’.

But here again, it's different than before..

There are two ice spears whose power is several times stronger than before..

‘I never thought they would do double casting..’

When I found out about this, I felt a little embarrassed..

Even though we were together for several months, I didn't really know anything about them..

‘Nimiral.’

The horsepower level is abnormally low.

Dwalki's magical talent was considerable..

Enough to use additional auxiliary magic while double casting..

「Riol Warb Dwalki casted the level 8 auxiliary magic [Trajectory Adjustment].」

Without even having to move to the side to make space, the ice spear flew over our heads like a cannonball fired from afar..

Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!

Before the battle even started, two level 6 monsters turned into light and disappeared..

thus…….

“Hurry up and get it over with. This time too, I and Ms. Karlstein will be in charge of the other one..”

While I'm in charge of marking one guy.

Misha and Rotmiller work together to take on the other guy..

And around the time Misha killed one.

Pisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssw-!

After chanting once again, Dwarki's ice spear smashed the head of Vaikundus who was beating me..

It took about 4 minutes to get here..

“Bjorn, what are you talking about? I'm not going anymore.”

This is the final change for our team's Banpoon..

“Hehehe, don’t worry about what appears. Whatever it is, I, Riole Warb Dwalky, will kill you..”

Dwalki is out of luck again..

***

Guardian of Balance.

Originally, wizards benefited the most from this field effect..

Because wizards can’t drink essence..

It is a structure that inevitably causes the main stat, horsepower, to fluctuate..

but…….

‘That's to some degree.’

This is my first time seeing an extreme case like Dwalki..

However, if you look at it closely, it is an understandable change..

All the wizards I used in the game were talented and had high magic-related stats..

Unlike the former half-pun wizard Dwalki,.

“It's a really mysterious feeling. Should I say that it feels like all the shackles have been lifted??”

Dwalki is human..

And he has a body that is far from athletic..

Moreover, he has a horsepower level that is below the floor, let alone average.…….

‘If you just look at his abilities, he would be almost 3 times different from us..’

I don't know if the entire team is human..

Me, Misha, and the dwarf.

There are three different races on the team with inherently high basic stats..

Rotmiller?

Although he has benefited, he is in no way comparable to Dwalki..

First of all, I am a veteran who has filled four essences..

‘……How did it happen that the magician's abilities were so poor?.’

After watching the whole day today, I finished analyzing the team's strength..

I was the one who suffered the greatest loss, but…….

‘How can things work out this well??’

As a whole, the team has become at least twice as strong..

[[Dungeon & Stone] is a team battle game..

Maximum efficiency is achieved when everyone can fulfill their role, rather than when only one person excels..

It's a little bitter but…….

That's why I wanted to leave Team Banpuni..

‘Is this the first and last proper team play?.’

Rotmiller and Dwalki.

Today I was able to see something I had never seen before in those two..

But nothing changes.

With a lot of effort and luck, it will be possible for those two to reach the same level as they are today..

but…….

‘It'll take years.’

It takes a long time.

Moreover, that will be the final point where they can grow..

The shortcomings of both are very clear..

Rotmiller?

Combat power can be filled by feeding essence..

However, in order to play the game I want, I need an explorer with the 'Guide' ability from the 5th floor onwards..

Dwalki?

Double casting and all, but in the end, the greatest quality of a wizard is his magic power..

So, even the magic tower wouldn't have accepted it..

Although these are cold words,…….

If we look at the Magic Tower as a standard, Dwarki's talent wasn't particularly special..

When my thoughts reached that point, my heart suddenly felt cold..

I don't really feel that way..

「Your character has taken cold damage.」

The cold penetrates beyond the skin and into the bones..

When I came to, Misha was snoring..

“Hey Bjorn!! How long are you going to ignore what I say?!!”

“Oh, what did you say??”

“What can I say! Everyone is going to sleep now, so I told them to stay on alert.!”

After getting angry and punching me in the chest for a moment, Misha asked me in a soft voice if I was worried belatedly..

“however… … It's okay?”

“Okay. It's still cold, but it doesn't hurt..”

I sincerely tilted my head..

“I?”

“huh. I can explain it in words, but... … ah! If I were to be honest, it was similar to the facial expression you made when I told you to eat carrots..”

Uh, so I don't know any more..

“Okay, go to sleep now. Don't worry, I'll be on guard properly..”

“Uhm, okay.”

Soon Misha returned to his seat and got into his sleeping bag..

And chatted with other colleagues.

“Ugh, I was really tired today..”

“Haha, it makes sense. I was brought to an unknown place and killed a level 6 monster.?”

“……Well, I may say this, but I had a little fun. Should I say that it feels like I am exploring for the first time? Actually, it's different from the exploration I've longed for so far..”

“Ah, I think you know what I mean..”

“Haha, I felt like an explorer in a story..”

A few words to chat while lying down before ending the day.

Of course, it wasn't long as it was time for a break..

“Oh right. Dwalki, today was amazing..”

“Well, is that because I'm so good? You don't have to calculate the spell over and over again to save magic power, just fire it out and that's it? Yes, any wizard could have done it..”

“uh… … That kind of river? Even if you say that, I don't really know. Anyway, I worked hard today, and I’m proud of it..”

“Sleep well, Miss Misha..”

The sparse conversation ends and silence comes..

[01 : 04]

Before I knew it, an hour had passed since the 20th day started..

I checked the plan while remaining alert to my surroundings..

‘You'll be able to get that item in a few more hours, so now all you have to do is find the boss room..’

With our current strength, the boss fight doesn't seem to be too much of a problem, so there's nothing to worry about..

However, the catch is that if you are unlucky, you may not be able to reach the boss room in time..

‘If I had stayed one more week, I would have packed everything I needed and left.…….’

It was that moment when I lost my appetite with such regret..

When I turned my head to see people rustling, I saw Dwalki getting out of his sleeping bag..

“Me, Bjorn…….”

“Even if you can’t sleep, sleep. tomorrow—”

“It's not that I can't sleep..”

huh?

Before I could say anything, Dwalki stood up completely and came towards me..

And I muffled my voice so as not to wake my colleagues..

“I have something to say to you.”

Yesterday, Rotmiller came like this, and it seems it was his turn this time..

“……Try it.”

“Do you remember what I told you about Miss Misha’s tastes last time??”

“I remember.”

I don't forget a lie once told.

That way there won't be any holes later..

Well, it doesn't mean anything in the current situation..

“So what I want to say is?”

As I stared at him, Dwalki opened his mouth with a determined look in his eyes..

“I was going to ask you if what you said back then was true. But now that I think about it again, it doesn't really matter whether it's true or not..”

Dwalki's voice was different from usual..

There was no trembling, and the gaze looking up at me was firm..

“I guess she has good taste. Because it would be cowardly to hope for sincerity without showing my true self..”

“……What do you mean??”

“Don't you know? You already know that I am secretly in love with her..”

I wish I had at least gone back to the city and said—

“If I survive this time and return to the city—”

“stop.”

I urgently cut off Dwalki’s conversation..

Because there is a clear difference between thinking and saying it directly..

However, you may have misunderstood my sincere concerns..

“Bjorn, you too…….”

Dwalki pursed his lips and shook his head as if to shake off distracting thoughts. And he spoke with a firmer voice than ever before:.

“Still nothing changes.”

“Stop talking. I understand what the misunderstanding was.—”

“When I get back to the city, I'll open my heart.”

No, that's a flag.

‘Nimiral.’

Suddenly I started to feel as anxious as when I had met Hans..

***

“This is all I have to do. Well then, let's go..”

Afterwards, Dwalki turned around and buried himself in his sleeping bag as if running away..

And before long, I let out a soft breathing sound..

I was worried that I might spend my valuable rest time without sleep because of this, but it looks like today's journey was tiring..

‘……Still, it doesn't mean I'm going to propose, so I guess it's okay.?’

I tried my best to erase my worries and focus on staying awake..

Two hours passed, and I woke up the dwarf, took his shift, and went to lie down..

And when I open my eyes again.

[05 : 07]

It's time to leave.

Well, the dwarf and I decided to take turns on watch for four hours tonight..

“You both must be tired, you had a hard time..”

“Haha, it can't be helped, right? There isn't much time left now.”

“Tomorrow it's me and Rotmiller's turn, so let's work hard a little more today and get some rest later..”

After briefly clearing the campsite, we resumed our journey..

For reference, today's goal is clear..

“As Bjorn said, it looks like we have reached the outer surface of the maze. From now on, we will only go in one direction along this wall..”

Corner of the Larkaz Labyrinth, a square structure.

Defeat the mid-boss here and get hidden rewards..

For your information, I don't know which of the four types of mid-bosses will appear..

Because this is something that changes randomly in the game..

‘In fact, I can easily defeat anything with my current strength. Except for him, everyone else has clear weaknesses..’

[Meeeek-!!!]

We accelerated our movement by killing countless Vaikundus today, which must have already been caught in the hundreds..

There was still no sign of Jeongsoo coming out.…….

Instead, a huge amount of magic stones accumulated..

“Hahaha! This, just the magic stone, would be quite salty.?”

Actually, this is the second reward of the maze..

6There is no place on the 5th floor where level monsters come in a single type that is easy to catch. If it was on the 4th floor, it would have been difficult to encounter even 20 of them a day..

“……dead end?”

12After traveling for about an hour, we reached our destination..

Point corresponding to the corner of the maze.

“I never thought there would be nothing here.”

“It could be in the other direction. Or maybe it's in the wrong place.”

“Haha, it's not like there's no way out.?”

“That can't be possible. Because this place is also a labyrinth.”

While the group reached the dead end wall and were spitting out one word at a time, Rotmiller observed the wall closely and muttered something..

“……Wait a minute, something's fishy..”

Honestly, I was a bit surprised..

Is it because of the sixth sense attached to Mimic's essence??

Or just this guy's observation skills?

Click, rattle.

When something touches a wall, it slides aside to reveal a hidden space..

“Wow, the door opened.”

“It could be dangerous, so everyone step back.!”

The dwarf jumped forward and raised his shield, and without noticing it, I quickly joined him next to him..

Of course, there was no monster jumping out..

“……Nothing comes out?”

Because it's not that kind of place.

The space inside the wall was covered in darkness, making it impossible to see with the naked eye..

Actually, it didn't mean anything to me..

“I will take the lead.”

“Bjorn! It could be dangerous!”

“Okay. Is that my role?.”

Instead of being an observant dwarf, he spoke like a tank and entered the room, and the torches on the walls turned on at once, illuminating the room..

I quickly checked my surroundings.

“This is…….”

A stone room approximately 30 pyeong in size.

Magic circle with geometric patterns drawn on the floor.

There is even a pole with a goat's head hanging on it as decoration..

“Something… … It's a bad place..”

“I can't see the portal, so I can't just leave.?”

I secretly smiled as I looked at Misha and Dwalki muttering ominously..

Well, they don't know.

Compared to other rooms, this is a decent room..

‘Anyway, now that I'm stuck here, finding the boss room will be a piece of cake. As for how to use it, I think you just have to give a clue to Rotmiller like before.…….’

Thanks to you, I saved an hour.

It may be a little difficult to catch the boss, but if you're unlucky, it's possible to end the exploration without even seeing the boss' face..

‘Anyway, how do I summon him? If you just do it, it will look very suspicious..’

It was just a moment when I was thinking about such pleasant things..

“uh?”

“……No way, you too?”

Everyone, including me, flinched at the same time..

As expected, I wasn’t the only one who felt the change..

“what? Suddenly, my magical power increased tremendously..”

“Me, me too. Why is my body like this??”

As the strength level decreased, the slightly burdensome pressure of the heavy armor disappeared. It feels like I'm wearing Styrofoam armor for cosplay..

Why on earth did this happen?.

As soon as I realized the truth, swear words came out..

‘Oh my, shit…….’

Vitality surges throughout my body..

[A level of change that could not have been felt even if [Giantization] was used..

I already know the reason for the change.

“Rotmiller.”

“……Looks like you had the same thoughts as me..”

4Layer of Hidden Field, Larkaz's Labyrinth.

Another explorer entered here.

‘Minimum of 1 to maximum of 5 people.’

Common sense suggests that it is most likely to be a 5-person team, but it is still too early to tell..

All possibilities are open.

but…….

At least one thing is certain.

Either that guy.

Or, those guys..

「Field Effect - Guardian of Balance is renewed.」

「Entrant's abilities are adjusted equally..」

It's so strong that it's almost impossible.