Surviving as a Barbarian in the Game - Episode 51
51Hwa Team Banpoon (1)
“Rotmiller, is there anyone nearby??”
Did you have similar doubts as me??
Rotmiller closed his eyes and opened them without saying a word. And I looked around with my pupils constricted to an oval shape..
「Brown Rotmiller casted [Body Temperature Detection].」
Lizardman skirmisher's ability 'body temperature detection'’.
Its functionality is similar to that of modern thermal imaging cameras..
For reference, it was a useful skill in-game as well. As long as there is a creature using stealth or something else, this alone will filter it out..
“There's no one nearby.”
Rotmiller released his supernatural ability and gave a short answer..
“But judging by the smell, it seems like someone was there not long ago..”
Since his judgment has two essences that correct the sense of smell stat, it is unlikely to be wrong..
I asked him a few more questions.
“By a while ago, I mean how long ago.?”
“There may be a margin of error, but if you smell this much, it's probably around 2 minutes no matter how long you hold it..”
“That means there's a very good chance they saw us hunting and left.?”
“…That's right.”
When Rotmiller nodded with a sad expression, the dwarf who had been quietly listening to the conversation jumped in and joined in..
“Wait a minute, so does that mean someone was intentionally targeting us??”
“They probably weren't targeting us or anything. I guess I was just waiting for someone to catch me.”
Rotmiller did not deny it..
He also explained that luring monsters in front of portals is a tactic often used by looters..
Among them, it is considered a low-risk method of plunder.?
‘One small head is amazing..’
Attack using monsters.
It was aimed at the moment when the explorers who had just crossed through the portal were most vulnerable..
If you get wiped out, that's great, if you get hurt one or two, it's normal, and if you survive, you can retreat for a while and wait for the next prey..
“Rotmiller! Isn’t this something we should catch and punish? There is no money in killing looters.!”
“Even if it were, it would probably be difficult to find. I can't just stay here forever... … . Above all, isn't there any evidence? We can't rule out the possibility of being falsely accused..”
“Hey, the dead don't talk!”
Misha, who found out the whole story, hissed with an angry look on his face, but the dwarf made a cool decision as the leader..
“For the sake of morality, I'll just go down to the second floor for a moment, write a warning to beware of looters in front of the portal, and then leave..”
“It's the right decision.”
Afterwards, we followed the minimum principles as explorers and left the area near the portal..
Then, naturally, we continued talking about the topic of looters..
However, the more I listened, the more strange it became..
“Rotmiller is amazing. Until now, I didn't even know there was such a method..”
“I've only heard about this, but this is the first time I've fallen victim to this tactic.. ”
“Well, it's not common to encounter looters.!”
Uh, what on earth are they talking about??
I felt strange about the explorer's talk, which I couldn't relate to at all, and asked various questions..
And then I realized a shocking truth.
“Me? We met about eight times in five years? One time we were on the same team, the rest were all random guys.!”
5Only 8 times a year?
See, for explorers, looters weren't something they encountered every day.?
“I’m sure… I heard there was a time like that about 150 years ago.!”
Misha said that after the death of the first king, also known as the Immortal King, the number of marauders was greatly reduced due to various policies..
But I couldn't understand.
It was clear there was some mistake..
Otherwise, I can't explain it..
‘Once in the Crystal Cave, once in the Goblin Forest, and twice in a row in the Land of the Dead.…….’
Including today, I have encountered looters 5 times in the past 3 months..
Then what on earth am I??
When I told this story to get their opinion, everyone, including Rottmiller, looked at me strangely..
“How many sins did Bjorn commit in his past life??”
“Hahaha! Maybe it was because you were here that we encountered the looters today.!”
“…….”
I have nothing to say.
What kind of life was I living??
As I walked in silence, not having the energy to refute, Rotmiller sighed and opened his mouth..
“Everyone, stop teasing me. Everyone knows that Ms. Karlstein is one of the lucky ones.?”
“ah! It was like that too—!”
“I also tend to encounter looters about once every three months. So don't worry too much.”
Ah, uh, um…….
I'm grateful for the comfort, but.
Still, five times in three months is not enough..
***
「You have defeated Wormstone. EXP+2」
「Defeated the Iron Falcon. EXP+2」
「Defeated the Iron Hill Guardian. EXP+2」
***
3Layer 'Pilgrim's Way'’.
No matter which route you take, such as the Land of the Dead, the Goblin Forest, or the Beast's Den, you will ultimately end up with a hierarchy..
The starting point is different for each route, so in fact, to meet explorers from other routes, you have to follow the path to the center where the 4th floor portal is located..
‘On average, it took about three to four days to reach the center.…….’
For reference, this is the time it takes when focusing only on movement. To that extent, the third floor was incomparable in size to the previous floors..
Therefore, in addition to the class name 'Pilgrim's Path', monsters are also given separate names for each habitat, one of which is 'Steel Rock Hill' where I am now..
“Well then, we will camp here today, and from tomorrow we will move on to the next area..”
The border where an area ends.
In that awkward location, we began preparing for camping. The reason is that as the monsters' territories overlap, there are relatively few monsters roaming around..
“By the way, Dwalki, are you okay? You didn't look good earlier..”
The dwarf, who had prepared to sleep by spreading out his sleeping bag on the floor, spoke to Dwalki..
In response, I pretended not to be me, Rotmiller, or Misha and listened..
That's why I was curious.
Why does this talkative guy keep looking like he chewed shit?.
“…I looked like that?”
“Maybe I'm mistaken, but that's what it looked like to me.”
“I guess so…….”
Dwalki smiled bitterly and nodded..
He hesitated for a moment and then confessed his true feelings..
“I know how my words will sound. It probably looks naive and young from your perspective. but… To be honest, I was shocked..”
“What a shock.?”
“No, it would be correct to say that the illusion I had was shattered. I've always heard stories about explorers since I was young... Because there was no talk like this.”
explorer killing explorer.
Conversely, an explorer who says that killing such explorers makes money..
It's definitely not a reality filled with dreams and childhood innocence..
“Hey, what I said earlier was no, I was joking.!”
“It doesn't matter whether it's a joke or not. Maybe if I continue my work as an explorer, I won't end up killing someone someday.?”
Everyone in the group fell silent at those words..
“…….”
“…….”
Even if I tried to comfort you here, it would be a lie..
The dwarf, Misha, Rotmiller, and I all have experience killing people..
And if Dwalki continues to work in this industry, the day will inevitably come when he will have that experience..
“So I made up my mind. While we're here, we'll keep going…….”
Hearing a muttering sound that was much more resolute than expected, I asked one question..
“So what was the result? Are you determined that you can do it??”
“I stood. but… I don't know if I'll be able to do it well when that time comes..”
Dwalki's resolve was full of confusion..
I had no confidence in myself and was full of fear about the situation..
but…….
“That's enough..”
I actually think this is better.
Rather than idiots who make promises they can't keep and whine that they can't do it..
Rotmiller, who was listening to the conversation, probably had the same thoughts as me and blurted out a word..
“It's important not to overestimate yourself. To my ears, it sounds a lot more reliable than saying you can do it..”
“Yes, that's right?”
Seeing Dwalki making an awkward expression, Rottmiller had a warm smile on his face..
As if looking at a young person walking the same path.
“You know that you have to do it, and you have decided to do it. If you are like that, you will definitely be able to do well when that time comes..”
“Please, I hope so.…….”
“Hahaha! Cheer up, my friend.!”
The conversation ended with the dwarf hitting Dwalki on the back..
However, the car is intended to lie down after setting the watch order..
“Just a moment, can you all give us some time??”
Suddenly, Rotmiller called the group together..
“I know that a little more rest would help the team, but there's one thing I want to show you..”
“Something?”
In response to my question, Rotmiller looked at Dwalki and said:.
“There are not only difficult and terrible things that happen while doing this job..”
Soon Rotmiller checked his watch and moved to the edge of the cliff near the campsite..
We followed without knowing what was going on..
All I could see was the usual darkness.
The darkness of the labyrinth, which consumes even the light, always hinders the explorer's vision..
“I have something to show you.?”
“Wait, just a moment..”
Seeing Rotmiller answer while looking at his watch, I suddenly got an idea and took out my watch..
[23 : 59]
1 minute before Day 3 begins when monster populations peak.
The second hand moves with a ticking sound..
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5…….
I closed the watch and looked into the darkness on the other side of the cliff. Soon, a silver sphere of light was seen far away in the darkness..
The number was too numerous to count, and they all started from the ground and were fluttering like dandelion seeds toward the sky..
As a result, the dark labyrinth gradually became brighter..
Only then did I realize why this place I was in was a steel rock hill..
“This is something that only explorers who arrive early can see. Isn't it truly spectacular??”
Hill.
In other words, this is a terrain that belongs to the highlands within the labyrinth..
Normally, it was difficult to perceive because it was dark, but after countless lights cleared the darkness, the entire vast third floor became visible at a glance..
Mountains and fields, river flowing between them.
A dense forest and a tall spire that rises to the ceiling in the center of it..
A sight you would never have seen if you had lived your whole life within the walls of Lapdonia..
Dwalki, who was staring blankly, muttered..
“…I think I now understand what explorers used to say: the world is big..”
I raised my head and looked at the sky.
It had to be a closed ceiling anyway, but at this moment it really felt like heaven..
The open night sky with the Milky Way spread out.
Of course, that time was really just a moment..
It only took about a minute for the spheres of light that started from the ground to reach the ceiling and disappear one by one..
“No one knows why this only happens on the 3rd floor..”
There are a lot of hypotheses.
3It is released when the magic power of the labyrinth dimension becomes oversaturated as it enters the first phase..
A blessing from God.
Everyone accepts what they want to believe..
But Rotmiller said it clearly:.
“Whatever the reason, one thing is clear. Anyone who sees this scene in person will not wonder why..”
“That's right! I've only heard about it, but this is my first time seeing it in person! Normally, I would have been sleeping comfortably in my sleeping bag.!”
“Hahaha! For some reason, I don't think that friend will be able to sleep tonight.?”
Afterwards, the light completely disappeared, and the usual darkness enveloped the labyrinth again. Except for me, who was on my first shift, everyone on the team went into their sleeping bags and fell asleep..
but…….
“…….”
It was a long time later that the sound of breathing was heard from Dwalki's sleeping bag..
***
the day has dawned.
It's not like the surroundings really got brighter..
First of all, it's like that in terms of time..
[08 : 10]
After clearing the campsite, we walked downhill for a while and left the steel rock hill..
And reached the first destination.
“Now, from here is the orc colony..”
Orc colony.
3Among the various areas on the floor, this is the place with the largest number of monsters. A characteristic is that only monsters of level 8 or higher appear..
‘Unless you're going straight to the 4th floor, there's no better hunting ground than here..’
The level of difficulty is the second highest among the 3rd floor areas..
But if my prediction is correct, there won't be much danger for us..
In fact, our union can operate even on the 4th floor..
There are wizards, and the three of them, excluding me, were originally explorers who were active on the 4th floor..
“Well, let's first try our hand and foot here for a while, and then make a decision based on the results..”
First, after reorganizing our formation, we stepped into the huge forest..
Well, when it comes to reorganization, it's all about sending Rotmiller to the rear and having a dwarf take his place..
“Murad, there's a group of orcs coming at 1 o'clock..”
As it is a popular hunting ground with a high density of monsters, even though it was on the outskirts, I was able to encounter a group of orcs after walking a bit..
“profit, profit—!”
A basic group consisting of four orc warriors, one archer, and one shaman..
“Just do what you practiced.!”
We formed a formation as we had coordinated beforehand..
It's called Formation A..
A formation where the dwarf and I reliably block the front line, and Misha, who is in the melee dealer position, moves freely between the shield walls, giving priority to taking out the closest enemies..
「Riol Warb Dwarki casted the level 8 attack magic [Ice Spear].」
Orcs don't really need curse-type magic, so Dwarki focuses only on the role of striker..
And this also applies to Rottmiller..
When a battle occurs, he also focuses on rear support using a crossbow from the rear..
However, he has one more role to play..
「The Orc Shaman casted [Frenzy].」
「Orc warrior's physical resistance increases 3 times for 10 seconds..」
In case the monster ignores the shield wall and heads to the rear, protect Dwarki, the most vulnerable member of the group..
“It's a passion spell! carefully!”
“Dwalky! get behind me.”
“I understand!”
[When an Orc warrior in a state of frenzy ignored us and rushed at Dwarki, Rotmiller took out his shield and blocked it..
Of course, as a seeker, he doesn't have the physical strength to beat an orc warrior one-on-one.…….
“Phew, I was appalled.!”
All you have to do is buy him a little time by using his main weapons: crossbow, buckler, dagger, firebomb, etc..
Then Misha can support or Dwalki can use magic to attack..
「Killed an orc warrior. EXP+2」
「Killed an orc archer. EXP+2」
「Killed an Orc Shaman. EXP+2」
So the first battle with the Orcs ended smoothly. The total time taken was about 8 minutes, and although there were no injuries, the time spent in battle was longer than expected..
‘There's definitely not enough deals..’
There is a searcher, and there are two shield warriors..
And orcs have quite high physical resistance among grade 8 monsters..
Of course, in this worldview, there is a wizard on the team who is the highest dignity dealer in name and reality.…….
Dwalki is not from the Tower of Magic..
8Even if it is a grade attack spell, [Ice Lance] is the only one that deals damage to a single monster..
‘Well, I brought you here in the first place for the curse magic rather than the attack magic..’
The value of a wizard is not limited to high-power attack magic..
There is a compatibility between explorers and monsters..
However, if you have a wizard on your team, you can actively battle with monsters of a much wider variety of compatibility..
‘Although it is still slow, it is high in terms of stability.…….’
There are some regrets, but regardless, this is a pretty good team..
“Then let's go deeper..”
Afterwards, we fought our way towards the center of the orc colony..
As this happened, the number of orcs appearing in groups also increased. At one time, there was also a grade 7 monster called ‘Orc Warrior’ mixed in.…….
「Killed an Orc warrior. EXP+3」
I was able to hunt this too without difficulty..
However, shitty things always happen when everything seems to be going well..
It was a time when we had settled down in earnest and were frantically hunting down groups of orcs..
“Ihenro Teuntain.”
Suddenly, a low-pitched chanting sound was heard from beyond the distant bushes..
and—
Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!
A fiery meteorite fell and exploded the group of orcs we were trying to hunt..
“…fuck?”
What kind of shit situation is this again??
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