Surviving as a Barbarian in the Game - Episode 216
216angry abandonment (5)
orculis.
A group of famous criminals who rebelled against the royal family..
This group, which was created only a few decades ago, has gained notoriety by committing numerous terrorist acts and crimes..
The royal family started hunting them with a huge bounty, but they are so secretive that they have only killed seven so far..
“Seven of those guys came.…….”
Marco Elburn, commander of the 3rd Royal Knights, could not hide his sadness after hearing his subordinate's report..
As soon as the situation occurred, he reacted quickly and established a safety zone in the center, declared a war situation, and took command..
The first thing he did was gather information.
We immediately sent a search party towards the portal on the second floor, which could be a breakthrough, and we checked and re-checked all the information coming from the front line without sleeping a wink until today..
As a result, seven Orculis members were captured..
Screaming Witch, Black Claw, Lighthouse Keeper.
These three were wandering around the safe zone and carrying out massacres, while the remaining four were blocking the front of the portal on the second floor..
‘This was the goal from the beginning.’
Elbern clenched his fists as if to show his discomfort..
The three mentioned above are also three, but these four are the biggest obstacles..
A corpse collector who is more infamous for his bizarre and cruel actions than for being an evil spirit..
A scholar of destruction who was once the head of a large school, but became a criminal after dabbling in forbidden magic..
A blood knight who started out as a soldier born in Biffron and gained fame by killing the commander of the first Royal Knights of the previous generation..
finally…….
‘traitor.’
Even the guy who gathered together those crazy people and formed a group called Orculis and created a history of countless notoriety and massacres with his own hands..
‘All four representing that group came here..
But Orculis is not the only thing to be wary of..
There are countless big criminals who have escaped to Noark, and if you combine them, you cannot be confident of victory even if you fight with all your might..
Eventually, Elburn ended the long silence and opened his mouth..
“I'm canceling my plan to get through them and get to the second floor..”
The silence added to those words began to weigh heavily on the atmosphere..
One knight spoke with difficulty..
“……Day 3 starts soon.”
“I know. However, since it has been confirmed that the Annihilator has arrived, there is a high possibility that the portal will already be useless anyway..”
“If you come here…….”
Elbern closed his eyes as if shaking away distracting thoughts..
A commander is a position where decisions must be made..
“Gather wizards who can use portal magic as secretly as possible..”
You have to make a decision..
No matter what sacrifices it takes.
***
Open your eyes and check the clock.
[00 : 17]
Before I knew it, one more day had passed and it was day 3..
There was nothing like this to do yesterday.
Check out the loot you got on the way..
Find an explorer with repair skills and fix broken equipment..
As a team, we also stand guard over shifts..
As soon as guard duty is over, walk around nearby and collect information..
Oh, I also heard about Takelan..
[……Uh, like that guy.?]
I tried hard to get Missha to open her mouth, but when I heard it, it wasn't much of a story..
I had a mental breakdown and lost my mind for a moment.?
He looked at all of us who survived and spewed out aggressive words..
But it didn't last long.
[Aruru wasn't really a joke back then. After seeing that you did something like that and was called away without receiving treatment from her, she was yelling at me for saying something like that... … . Ah, I just broke into a cold sweat while listening to it.?]
Well, he can be vicious when he's angry..
It's still a mystery how such spirit comes out of such a small body..
[Anyway, that's it. Einar was just about to get angry and pull out his sword when he disappeared in a flash..]
I am grateful to my colleague for stepping up for me, but the more I heard the full story of the incident, the more my mouth hardened..
That's right, they don't know.
The fact that I placed them behind on purpose to increase our chances of survival..
[huh? Why do you look like that??]
[It is nothing. I'm just hungry.]
Takelan's anger is justified..
If the formation had been planned only with efficiency in mind, more people could have survived..
But I didn't do that..
I placed the power source behind me, where it was relatively safe, although it would have been more appropriate to do so. Perhaps Takelan acted like that because he realized it too late..
‘……It's better if I keep this to myself.’
After taking a moment to wake up, I slowly got up and put away my sleeping bag..
Although it was busy enough. Day 2 was calm compared to the intense day 1..
However, that lasts until today..
“Ugh, Mr. Yandel.……?”
Raven, who must have woken up due to the presence of people, rubbed her eyes and popped her head out..
“Did you wake up because of me? I'm sorry.”
“No, I just can't sleep.…….”
“I can't sleep anymore?”
In response to my question, Raven took out her upper body from the sleeping bag and took a sitting position..
“What about Mr. Yandel? I won't sleep anymore?”
“I can't sleep either.”
“That's why I tried to stand guard alone.?”
I smiled and accepted it obediently..
It was funny that people said no even though their situations were the same..
“It's already been 3 days…….”
3Hierarchical monarchs are summoned from the first day onwards..
The only condition is that there are 5 or more people together..
Of course, it is a certain probability and there are already more than 10,000 explorers gathered on the first floor, so it is unlikely that you will be summoned to us.…….
‘just in case.’
I am the tank of this team.
Even if a hierarchical monarch falls right in front of you, you can buy time for your colleagues to escape.—
Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-!
At that time, the ground trembled slightly, and the colorless crystals embedded in the cave walls emitted a brilliant light..
The color of the radiance is as red as blood..
“Mr. Yandel, this is……!”
This means that a hierarchical monarch has appeared somewhere..
“What, what?!”
Einar and other sleeping colleagues woke up one after another. This was the same for other groups of explorers sleeping nearby..
I calmly calmed down my colleagues.
“Don't be too surprised. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like I was summoned anywhere near here..”
1Where there is a hierarchical monarch, there is inevitably a loud noise. But since there is no such sound, it is safe to say that it is a long way away..
“Everyone, go to sleep.”
“but…….”
“I'll wake you up when something happens. Hasn't it been a while since guard duty ended?.”
“Aren’t you tired too?.”
“I was a little sleepy at that time so it was okay..”
I don't know if they will be able to sleep right away, but for now, I forced my colleagues to lie down in sleeping bags and close their eyes..
The decision that recovering physical strength is a priority.
About 20 minutes passed like that??
Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…….
The crystal that illuminates the surroundings turns off as if the battery is discharged..
It means that the hierarchical monarch has been killed..
Of course, it is still too early to be reassured..
Unlike the upper level monarchs who have a long respawn time of at least several months to several years, this one can be resummoned many times..
“It will be okay in the future……?”
“Don't worry. If you have 30 proper explorers, you can catch the first-tier monarch. In the current situation, no matter where it appears, it will be dealt with quickly..”
In fact, this is the biggest reason why he tried to overcome that miserable path and join the royal family's forces..
If you stay here, you are safe from the hierarchical overlords..
Even if it appears right in front of me, if I hold on just a little longer, help will come soon..
“Then please ask me here.”
“Where are you going?”
“I was wondering if I could get some information..”
“If that's the case, I'll join you too…….”
“It's a waste of manpower. If you can't sleep, stand next to you at night..”
As soon as the first Hierarch was defeated, I left the assigned area and moved to the center..
Hierarch's respawn time is six hours..
I was planning to walk around and see if there was anything unusual..
Because there's nothing else to do but.
[north172-21]
In order to differentiate the terrain, the royal family used the markings drawn on the wall as a guide while moving forward while listening to the conversations of nearby explorers..
“Hey, did you hear? They said it was the southern passage..”
“Is this where the hierarchical monarchs came from??”
“Yeah, they say about 20 people died before help arrived..”
“Damn it, if it's going to come out, it's coming from the side of the underground city bastards..”
Although the reliability of the conversations between explorers in similar situations as mine is not very high, the information is at a level that cannot be ignored..
Still, it was great to know public opinion..
“I don't know how long I have to stay stuck here..”
“That's right. In the last speech, it was said that the road to the second floor portal would soon be opened. It's already been 3 days.”
“Since they are quiet, I feel anxious..”
As expected, the explorers were showing distrust toward the leadership, which had not given much notice since the first day..
For reference, this was the same for me too..
‘It's probably time to make a decision..’
6If you calculate that a Hierarchy Lord is killed every hour, a total of eight Hierarchy Lords will be killed in two days..
That means it will definitely appear on the 5th day..
‘There is even a Royal Knight Commander in a large clan, so there is no way he wouldn’t know that.…….’
But why is there no action yet?.
I'm going crazy because I'm curious about the conversation in the barracks where the meeting was taking place the day I came here..
‘You can clearly tell that that's what Noark was aiming for.…….’
Why do I keep holding on here??
Of course, I thought either way would open the way and lead to the second floor..
plod, trudge.
As my worries deepened, I increased my walking speed..
Then a familiar face appeared.
The guy who first discovered the backpack duplication bug and spread it widely within the tribe..
“Charon……?”
“Bjorn, son of the great warrior Yandel!!!!”
When I recognized him first and spoke to him, Charon immediately got up and ran towards me furiously..
“I can’t believe I met you here!! After all, you are destined to lead us!!”
I was a little embarrassed, but I was glad to see him, so I roughly greeted him in the barbarian style..
And I asked what I was curious about.
“But who is next to me??”
“These are the warriors I met here.!!”
“I met you here?”
I never understood..
The Barbarian's backpack copying bug has already been fixed a long time ago. Although the method was known among explorers, the seed of low-level explorers dried up after the creation of the identification tag, a kind of magic tool..
It costs 70,000 stones to get one dog tag..
So, I understand that Charon also joined a 3rd floor team not long ago.…….
“Where is the team going??”
“Oh, they died on the way here! So the soldiers introduced me to the lone warriors like me.!”
damn soldiers bastards.
A party of 5 barbarian warriors.…….
I'm sure they made a team just because they were annoying..
“Wow, it really is a small Vulcan! It's an honor to meet you!! I am Devan, the second son of Verox.!!”
“Uh, okay. Nice to meet you too.”
After receiving a cursory greeting from the barbarians who were excited to hear my name, I continued the conversation with Charon..
You wouldn't know if you didn't see it.
I should be able to leave it wherever I see it..
“Instead of doing this here, why not join us??”
“Well, is that okay??”
7I paid 10,000 stones and received a dog tag, as well as the equipment I was wearing. From this alone, you can tell that they are 3rd floor or higher warriors..
If you have it, it will definitely help me too..
Above all, you can trust.
“What can't be done??”
I told Charon, who was very happy, the area to which our team was assigned..
“I will tell the administrative officer on my way, so you guys can get there first. If you see a wizard, politely tell him I sent him there..”
“I get it!”
“Oh, if you don't know the way, ask nearby explorers where to go. If you yell at me and keep me from sleeping, I'll answer even if it's annoying..”
“Oh oh!! indeed!”
It was the moment when Karon and his group were sent away and they were about to take their first steps..
“Bjorn Jandel.”
I stopped walking when I heard a low male voice..
When I turned my head, there was a person standing there whom I didn't want to meet..
“Takelan Arbenon.”
He was gathered together with explorers he had never seen before..
That's natural.
Because I lost all my friends on the way here..
“…….”
In silence, Tarkelan stares at me..
The slightly trembling side of his chin proved that he was enduring something with difficulty..
I asked first.
“I heard about what happened while I was away..”
“…….”
“Do you blame me??”
Takelan neither nodded nor shook his head..
Just standing there looking at me as if holding on.
It took a long time before his answer came back..
“No, I don't blame you..”
an unexpected answer.
Takelan slowly opened his mouth, as if pouring out his emotions..
“In the meantime, I kept thinking about it. Because that was the only thing I could do. Why did I become like this? Lena is dead, so why are you all so happy and smiling? If those bastards hadn't run away, wouldn't Lena have survived?.”
“…….”
“No, above all…….”
“…….”
“Did you really not know it would turn out like this?.”
“So is there a conclusion??”
“I don't know. In fact, you are the one who was hurt the most. You are the one who did the most difficult thing. Because it was a situation where there was no guarantee that your colleagues would be safe..”
Is there really such a thing as a guaranteed situation??
I just did my best.
Anything that slightly increases our chances of survival..
so that…….
“I shouldn't have followed you.”
It felt like sharp cutlery was scraping away something left inside me..
“but.”
Takelan continued..
“It was me who decided to follow you.”
“…….”
“It was I who voted for you to be the leader..”
“…….”
“When that woman said she was using multiple teleportation magic, I couldn't even suggest anything and just watched... … ! It was me.”
self-loathing.
In the end, I was overcome by an indescribable emotion as I saw him putting all the blame on himself..
“So I don't blame you.”
“……Right.”
What should I say in this situation?.
I couldn't even throw out clumsy words of comfort..
But was my hesitation conveyed??
“don't pity me.”
Tarkelan finished the conversation and sat back down in his original position..
“One day you will feel the same way as me.”
His gaze was no longer directed at me..
I just looked at the floor.
I sensed that all the conversation we needed to have was over..
plod, trudge.
So I continued on my way again..
Tarkelan never spoke to me or anything along the way..
How long has it been since then?.
The passageway widened and an enlarged central cavity emerged..
First, I went to the administrative officer and informed him that Charon and his party had decided to join us..
“Team Apple Narak... … . Ah, it's a passage outside the northern district. Confirmed.”
This concludes the business that needs to be done..
However, the car had just turned backwards..
Clap, clap, clap..
The driver who came out of the barracks headed towards the place where the administrative officer who helped me earlier was and glanced at me..
And a total of six schools were named..
“Ah, yes. You mean a wizard from that school? Let's check the list first..”
Since priests aren't enough, are they trying to conscript wizards as well??
I thought so at first, but…….
‘Derta, Speris, Jacquard…….’
After carefully considering the schools mentioned in the article, I discovered one thing in common..
‘Portal Magic.’
A level 4 or higher wizard of the school can open a ‘dimensional gate’ that can be used by up to 30 people..
The moment I realized this fact.
Exciting-!
My heart was beating uneasily..
Also, a conversation we had a while ago flashed through my mind..
There was no point in denying it.
[A good commander is not one who makes perfect choices. A cock that makes choices that must be made..]
If it were a guy, I wouldn't hesitate to throw it away..
judged to be of low priority.
all of that.
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