Surviving as a Barbarian in the Game - Episode 416
416eye of the storm (2)
Whoa whoa.
Exhale.
Whoa whoa.
take a deep breath.
Every time, the breath that leaks out as if smoking a cigarette.
Rumbling.
Drops of sweat fall frozen to the floor..
My muscles are screaming, my vision is blurry.
But, so what?.
plod, trudge.
one step, one step.
I focus on my breathing more than ever before and stretch my steps..
At the very front of the two connected sleds, hold on to the rope tightly so as not to miss it..
plod, trudge.
Leading the sled and constantly moving forward.
The reason is simple.
The troll summoner in charge of the sleigh was hit..
“What is Milburn Naria's condition??”
“……You won't last long.”
“is it…….”
Crackling.
I gritted my teeth without realizing it and recalled the battle that took place a little while ago..
The beginning wasn't that bad.
「The character casted [Giant].」
[I, who had become gigantic, blocked the road like a rock..
“Teirun Sheardiem.”
Wizards use ‘Mana Shield’.
「Jun Arshen casted [Guardian Light].」
「Periton Eriaboti casted [Holy Skin].」
「Benjamin Orman casted [Damage Mitigation]…….」
「…….」
The priests assisted me with various shields and buffs..
So-called selection and concentration.
In other words, a strategy that could be called all-in..
The strategy worked..
「All healing and recovery effects are reversed.」
In an environment where even a single hit would result in fatal wounds, the enemies were unable to actively attack me, and in that situation, we took advantage of the uphill road and poured all our firepower into the enemies..
As if just the skill wasn't enough, I threw a healing potion at him..
Instead, they spread the healing floor over there..
Whenever I got the chance, I grabbed the guy in front of me by the hair and threw him down the cliff..
「The status abnormality [Whisper of Immortality] is granted..」
「Upon death, the character is resurrected as undead..」
The dead enemy soldiers became undead and attacked nearby allies, and we continued the offensive while maintaining a strong formation..
but…….
[surely… Regal Vagos, you must have been a difficult opponent on your own..]
Since they entered the battle, the structure has changed..
「Manua Repeles casted [Iron Fist].」
「Ricky Aymond casted [Walk of Punishment].」
「Furan Cullen casts [Sangshin]…….」
8Fifteen explorers armed with high-level essence that can be supplied from the floor..
The moment they joined the battle, the front line collapsed..
[Schuitz, Rayathus' magic power has run out.!]
One by one, the wizards who were applying the Mana Shield to me went out, and as if that wasn't enough, they jumped over me and infiltrated the middle of our team's formation..
Three Paladins, the main tank line.
Two knights as auxiliary tanks and one warrior from the third team..
Melee dealers like Amelia and Ravien tried to work together to drive him out, but even that wasn't enough..
[We must retreat, we must retreat.!]
All crew members, including me, felt defeat..
The reason for the defeat was truly simple..
Their power was much stronger than ours..
If we continue to fight to the death, we may cause considerable damage to them, but that's all..
Ultimately, it will lead to annihilation..
so that…….
‘I'm giving up on kicking all these bastards here..’
I immediately implemented plan B..
The core of Plan B was Milburn Naria, a summoner from Team 2..
This woman is a ranged extreme damage type summoner..
Three ice trolls called 'shamans'.
「Milburn Naria casted [Harsh Command].」
「Milburn Naria casted [Beast Training].」
「Milburn Naria cast [Latent Instinct].」
「Milburn Naria casts [Stability]…….」
As soon as I gave her instructions, she applied all the buffs to the summons..
and…….
「Pet Pippi casted [Avalanche].」
「Pet Poppy casted [Avalanche].」
「Summoner Yeppi casts [Avalanche]…….」
The ice trolls simultaneously cast skills with power dozens of times stronger, giving them time to retreat..
but…….
“Wow!”
Naria was injured in the process..
In order to maintain [stability], which increases the summon's skill range by three times, he came to the front line in close contact with the trolls and was defeated..
Fortunately, even though she was injured, she maintained her concentration and summoned her summons, and we were able to retreat successfully..
So much time has passed and now.
“Schuitz, it's okay.……?”
“don't talk to me.”
“…….”
After Naria lost consciousness, the entire crew carried backpacks and shared food, but even so, it was enough for one sled..
Swoouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.
Going uphill while pulling a sled.
If it gets a little more difficult, I may have to swap with other warriors, but it's still worth it. It was a car that cleared his head and moved his body with that thought in mind..
“Ugh…….”
Naria, lying on the sled, regained consciousness..
The first thing she said, covered in several layers of thick fur clothes and fully equipped with insulating stones, was this:.
“It's cold, it's cold…….”
“Hang in there just a little longer. It's because I'm not in good shape. You'll get better after you go up and heal..”
“Is that so... … ? Cough, cluck.!”
“…Yes, I definitely will..”
no answer came back.
As I could hear breathing, it seemed like I lost consciousness again at some point..
Cooung-
It feels like a cannonball hit my heart..
It's so stuffy and stuffy that it feels like you're going crazy..
‘What makes it certain that it will happen?…….’
I hope this woman doesn't die.
That's sincere.
However, I know best that in reality it is impossible..
‘No, the one who knows best is this woman.…….’
A body as cold as ice.
death is coming closer.
“at home…….”
Then I heard a voice from behind again..
“Go home, go... want…….”
It was Naria's voice..
In response to those helpless mutterings, I gritted my teeth and told a lie..
“You will be able to go. certainly.”
“That’s right… Can I do it??”
“okay. If you hold on.”
“…….”
After that, Naria said nothing again..
It's been a while since I heard her voice.
“Mr. Schuitz... … . Please leave me here.”
“……what does that mean?”
“Well, just a little more... Because it will help... … . This place… It's that kind of place.…….”
i didn't answer.
It wasn't because I didn't understand what was being said..
‘whisper of immortality’.
A terrible field effect that causes you to resurrect as an undead upon death, several times stronger..
I guess I'll help you in that way..
“…….”
“…….”
There is silence..
“Answer me… please.”
I ended up admitting to that voice..
Any more hypocrisy won't help this woman either..
No, it's an insult..
“i get it. do what you want.”
“…….”
“Is there anyone in the city you would like to speak to??”
The answer came again after a long time..
“…No. Yes, standing.”
“……I can't believe it?”
“I, I deserve it…….”
Her voice was shaky and incoherent..
Changes in patterns often seen before a person dies.
“iced coffee… I'm so sorry…….”
“I hated being lied to. me too…….”
“Rather, rather, I would rather……!”
“Hehehehehehehehe…….”
I just thought there must be something going on with this woman, so I didn't inquire deeply..
I just silently listened to the resentment being spewed out and moved on..
How long has it been since then?.
“Now, get off, please.…….”
A voice with relatively accurate pronunciation was heard..
“Shit.”
At this, the warrior next to him cursed..
“May the warm light embrace your soul..”
The paladin closed his eyes and made the sign of the cross reverently..
As those who have seen countless deaths, they noticed that the last flame was burning..
“Miss Naria… … . You had a really hard time.”
Akuraba, the team leader of her team, smoothed out her disheveled hair..
Then he carefully lifted her body and lowered it..
“Thank you, Akuraba.…….”
“Thank you so much…….”
Akuraba chewed his lip as if he was holding back something..
Then, the other members laid Naria's body down on the fur clothes that were spread on the floor..
“……song. Don't look like that.”
Despite Naria's words, we couldn't move forward easily..
“It's urgent. Because I'm fine…….”
“…….”
“go.”
fuck.
Crackling.
Something hot rises in my chest..
But I know it in my head.
“Schuitz, she's right. I have to go now.”
I forced myself to take a step and started walking again with the sled..
“I'm not scared…….”
Naria closed her eyes helplessly.
“Now, I'm going home…….”
As she walked further, her murmurs became more and more distant..
“In the morning, my house smelled like coffee, really.…….”
Shit.
[Well, now I regret it. Was the Archbishop really going to kill me? ha ha ha…….]
Now I understand the identity of the feeling of discomfort..
***
24 survivors.
The expedition that started with 30 people moves forward..
Even when my life is in danger, I still feel the mess that has not been erased..
“What Ms. Naria said…….”
“If it's home... After all, that's all it is.?”
Explorers who must have spent countless years in the labyrinth and had a variety of experiences..
Of course, many of them knew..
What is the most earnest wish of an evil spirit facing death?.
“Then Miss Naria was an evil spirit.……?”
“Shhh! Be quiet. It's not even clear yet, is it?.”
Doubts spread among the crew..
Also, someone was angry about the question itself..
“Everyone, are you sane! He was injured trying to save us, and he tried to help us even at the moment of his death! You chose to die alone for us! But an evil spirit? Even if it is an evil spirit, what does it matter?!”
It was a bad sign..
“No, we just… … . Isn't it strange! Why do evil spirits do this for us?…….”
“You damn bastard! If you really don't know, I'll tell you personally.!”
It's so messed up..
“That's it!!!”
Kaislan shouted and intervened before a rift formed between the crew..
“Everyone, are you sane! Even if we all move forward as one, it won't be enough!”
I didn't bother to stop him from shouting..
I realized this for myself through this incident..
In order to lead a group, sometimes you need to hit the nail on the head perfectly..
“From now on, if anyone utters even one more useless word, I will be the first to summarily execute them under the strict laws of the royal family! I understand?”
A coercive order that is close to a prescription for extreme medication..
As a result, the crew members seemed to have come to their senses, kept their mouths shut, and began to pay attention..
Well, unfortunately not everyone was like that..
“……Try it.”
As the silence ends, a chant comes out from somewhere..
The owner of that voice is Futa Rickerburn..
2He was a man who served as the team's close friend and guide..
“……Try it?”
“Don't you all know this anyway? We're already done!”
“this guy……!”
“Well, stop it! Lord Kaislan!”
Kaislan immediately raised his sword, but was stopped by the surrounding knights..
At this, Rickerburn raised his voice even more..
“Didn't you see those guys earlier? They are much stronger than us! There are more numbers! What difference will it make if I run away like this? They'll catch up to you soon..”
“…Let go, it's an order..”
Soon, following Kaislan's instructions, the knight who had been restraining him sighed and stepped back..
Huh, if things continue like this, we're really going to bleed among ourselves.?
“Kaislan, get out of the way..”
In the end, I had no choice but to stop the sled and head towards the center of the commotion..
and…….
Wow.
I walked over and grabbed the guy by the collar..
“Pfft!”
“So, what do you want to say? Since it seems like there is no answer to the situation, are you just going to give up and die? Do you really want that? If that's the case, I might kill you first..”
“Big, haha-!”
The guy who was grabbed by the collar cleared his throat but did not give up his disrespectful gaze..
No, rather…….
“If you're going to try it, do it.”
I was taken aback by the look in his eyes that seemed like he really didn't care if I died..
“…what?”
The guy who unconsciously lost his strength and fell to the floor.
The guy shouted loudly, as if crying out in despair..
“What would change if we miraculously beat them out? Back to the city, hahaha, a smiling future? I think there is something like that?”
Even if it kills me, I have to shut this bastard's mouth..
It occurred to me late, but he had already spewed out everything he couldn't say..
“Don't you know? Why didn't the main unit come to save us? We are abandoned! It's not because something happened, it was decided that way from the beginning.!”
“……Well, what does that mean? It was decided that way from the beginning.?”
“Huh, nonsense! Wow, there is no reason for the royal family to use people like this as outcasts and kill them.!”
“okay! I thought so too! Because they were all great people! That was a trap!”
“……trap?”
It's already too late for me to fix this..
I sighed and observed the situation..
“I, Futa Rickerburn, belong to the Kealunus Dukedom! When I was young, I owed a lot to the Duke family, so from then on, I spent my time solving dirty after-work! I was fed up and said I was going to retire, and the last thing I asked for was this expedition.!”
“…….”
“Don't you know what this means? I am abandoned! There was too much attention to just kill him, so he kindly covered it up and sent it to the trash can.!”
“…….”
“Hahaha! Looking at everyone's expressions, it seems I'm not the only one who has this situation. Isn’t there something that was pricking everyone inside??”
Soon he finished speaking, and for a moment, a silence heavier than ever settled within the expedition group..
Silence like the calm before the storm.
“The company abandoned me... … ? Oh, no. That can't be possible. He said that if I succeed in this matter, he will forgive the embezzlement.…….”
The mutterings of someone in panic.
As a result, both eyes turn to each other..
‘Is that the case for you too??’
Looks filled with such doubts.
It was the team leaders who received the most attention..
That's because they are the most prestigious among them. You're hoping they'll come forward and say that's never going to happen..
but…….
“……Maybe it's really abandoned..”
reality was cruel.
“I, Titana Akurava, constantly raised questions about the dimensional collapse to the royal family and demanded strict management. Maybe that was annoying.”
The beginning is Akuraba.
“Recently, the clan leader has often seemed to be keeping me in check. But that's just about it…….”
The second is James Calla, vice-captain of the Sawtooth Clan..
“after… If I had to choose, I would be similar to Carla. I'm not interested in the family title, but my brother may have felt a sense of crisis. This is why he joined the military when he was young.…….”
Kaislan.
and…….
“I was an inquisitor for the Tobera Church. The known mission was to hunt down and execute members of the Karui religion... … . I became disillusioned after seeing political opponents who had nothing to do with Karui religion being falsely accused, so I resigned from my position. There must be quite a few bishops who want to hide their secrets..”
Finally, Jun’s confession.
Every time each team leader opened his or her mouth, despair was engraved within the expedition team..
However, have we not given up hope yet?.
“Schuitz, what about you??”
“Not only did you receive the marquis' recommendation, but you also obtained the position of leader of this expedition..”
“Are you really like us?!”
The crew's eyes are on me..
‘There's no reason to hide it now.’
I thought for a moment and then opened my mouth..
Like in the previous case, there was no need to say it in detail..
“……I am Bjorn Yandel.”
One sentence is enough.
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