Surviving The Game as a Barbarian (Novel) Chapter 415, 416, 417

    

C415, 416, 417

Chapter 415: Eye of the Storm (1)

Back to the 7th floor, Ice Rock.

The final field of this place, the Glacier Eye.

「The character has entered a special area.」

「Field Effect – Eye of the Glacier is applied.」

「All healing and recovery effects work in reverse.」

「Status Ailment [Whispers of Immortality] is applied.」

「Upon death, the character resurrects as an undead.」

「Status Ailment [Deprivation of Opportunity] is applied.」

The freezing air envelops my lungs.

The warm sunlight we’d basked in on the 8th floor seemed like a distant lie.

But we had no time to adjust to the sudden environmental shift—we had to move, and quickly.

“Naria, summon the trolls!”

The Ice Trolls begin to pull each of the three sleds.

The sleds contained only 13 days’ worth of food.

If we had requisitioned all the food stored in personal subspaces, we could have managed for dozens of days, but we deliberately timed it to coincide with the closing day with the labyrinth.

 

This was because we needed as much space as possible for combat and exploration equipment.

“Formation, now!”

With 25 members in our expedition team, the calculated amount of food was more than sufficient.

 

“Move out!”

 

Once the formation was set, we retraced the route we had taken over the Glacier Eye ten days earlier.

It was a tight spiral climb up the cliff face, but our pace was faster than before.

Because since the portal was opened, monsters no longer appeared here.

At most, we can get out of the field in five days.

The problem is the pursuit team that’s chasing us.

‘If they were normal guys, they’d just let us go.’

Because entering Ice Rock requires a lot of preparation.

Thick fur to ward off the cold, a type of magic tool called a warming stone, food, and sleds to carry all of this.

Any explorer relying solely on their personal subspace would be in big trouble the moment they set foot here.

But…

‘But if it’s him… he’ll definitely come.’

It’s too early to feel relieved.

It’s too soon to be relieved.

It’s not just my life that’s at stake, it’s the lives of my comrades, and the lives of many others.

I have to act assuming the worst.

Therefore…

Plod, plod.

I pick up the pace, leading the rested but still tired men.

It must have been about eight hours later.

“Mr. Schuiz!!”

A female mage from Kaislan’s team rushed up to me, calling my name urgently.

Wasn’t she from the 2nd Magic Corps?

I haven’t talked to her much, but I clearly remember her because of her soft-spoken and un-military-like tone.

“Mr. Schuiz! This is bad—really bad!”

She’s much taller than Raven, and she looks normal, so I don’t know why she talks like this.

I don’t know, and I don’t think that’s important right now.

“If it’s a big problem, is it that?”

“Yes! The detection magic we set up in front of the portal has been activated!”

“I see, so that’s how it is…”

It means they have followed us into Ice Rock.

I expected it, but they really went through with it.

“What’s the number?”

“As soon as the detection magic was triggered, I switched to mental link mode and watched; there were definitely more than twenty people!”

“What do you mean by ‘definitely more’?”

“Well… they noticed it sooner than I thought. Because the magic eye was destroyed, I couldn’t see any more people entering.”

At her words, I involuntarily clicked my tongue.

Knowing the enemy’s exact numbers would have been invaluable for planning.

“Their appearance, how did they look?”

“Hehe, you’re wondering if they prepared thoroughly like us, right?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded, the mage smiled and answered.

“They’re totally unprepared! Just thin cloaks over their equipment. They all had stuffed backpacks, probably filled with food. Since they wouldn’t be expansion backpacks, they’ll get hungry soon and go back, right?”

She was about to cry at first, but now she’s smiling like that; seems she thinks this is good news…

Indeed, it was good news.

‘Cloaks aside, but the backpacks…? Well to be fair, what explorer carries sleds or carts around.’

The load limit of backpacks is clear.

In this place where hunger applies three times over, it’s impossible to carry 13 days’ worth of food in backpacks.

Moreover, backpacks were a liability in combat. Not only the weight but also the bulk restricts movement.

In the early floors, when subspace bags are hard to come by, some low-level teams bring porters to avoid the inconvenience of carrying their backpacks everywhere.

“Got it. Anyway, since we’ve confirmed there’s a pursuit team, let’s set up another spell here and move on. We need to find out their exact numbers.”

“Yes!”

Soon, we stopped briefly to set up another detection magic, and as soon as the work was done, we resumed our journey.

Picking up the pace to make up for the break.

***

“Mr. Schuiz! Mr. Schuiz!”

It was about six hours later when the same mage came running again, panting.

“The detection magic has been triggered!”

Her trembling voice made it clear this wasn’t good news.

“They’re moving faster than I thought…”

The spell we’d cast eight hours earlier had been triggered in just six hours.

That means they’re moving faster than us.

If this continues, they’ll catch up to us in two days.

“I think it’s because they don’t have to pull sleds like us… so that’s probably why…”

I can somewhat guess why they’re pursuing us.

They’re running out of food, so they’re trying to catch up as fast as they can and finish everything.

“So what’s their size?”

“Ah! I confirmed that properly! For—for forty-six people.”

“That’s useful to know. Thanks.”

“Just doing my job, sir!”

The female mage said that and playfully saluted.

“Ah, right. Um…”

After finishing the salute and turning around, the mage turned half a circle more to look at me.

And she carefully opened her mouth.

“Among them, there are some who stand out. Their equipment alone sets them apart. One of them, a dark mage, was the first to notice my detection magic.”

“……”

“Of—of course, it’s just my subjective judgment, so don’t worry too much!”

“Got it, I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Yes……. Oh, and one more thing, what about the detection spell, do you want me to use it again?”

“Please do. We’ve roughly confirmed their numbers, so we just need to know when they pass that point.”

“Yes, sir!”

As the mage finished reporting and returned to her position, the goblin next to me muttered in a strange voice.

“That… Miss Marone is always so energetic.”

What is he talking about, this guy?

Does he have such thoughts even in this situation?

I was about to tell him to stop spouting nonsense and focus ahead, but his next muttered words left me speechless.

“I just hope she can make it back alive…”

A lone voice, directed at the mage’s retreating back.

I couldn’t help but agree.

“Yes, it would be really nice if we could return alive.”

“……”

A silence settled between me and the goblin.

Then, Ravien, who was walking beside us, spoke up.

“In that sense, Mr. Parav, how do you feel now?”

Well, she treated me like an idiot at first.

Now she’s the one asking first.

Well, she also witnessed Parav’s ghost-like intuition while traveling next to me.

“Well… I don’t know anymore. Except that we have to keep moving upward no matter how hard it is.”

“…I see.”

The atmosphere around us quickly became gloomy.

I cleared my throat and changed the topic.

“By the way, Parav, why did you join the expedition?”

“…Yes?”

“With that great intuition, shouldn’t you have avoided things like this?”

Actually, I’ve been curious about this before.

He avoided the first floor incident by trusting his intuition and not entering the labyrinth, so why did he enter the labyrinth this time?

“Actually… I didn’t want to come from the beginning.”

“What?”

“You’re not saying that without reason, are you?”

“It’s really true. When the archbishop participated, he tried to persuade me by listing all sorts of rewards, but I still didn’t feel like it. So I tried to make excuses to back out…”

“And then?”

“But the archbishop sighed deeply while looking at me. At that moment, I felt a chill down my spine, so I quickly changed my mind and said I’d go. You know… walking a thorny path is better than stepping onto the execution platform, right?”

“…What? Execution platform? I don’t understand.”

“Um… This might sound strange, but I felt like if I refused, I’d die right there on the spot? That’s how it was. To the point where entering the labyrinth seemed better.”

“Ah…”

“Well, I regret it now. The archbishop wouldn’t really have killed me. Hahaha…”

The goblin laughed awkwardly, and Ravien, who had been skeptical about his intuition, seemed to accept it.

But…

‘That’s a bit strange.’

I felt a sense of discomfort somewhere.

I can’t put it into words exactly.

“Parav, do you have any idea why you felt that way from the archbishop?”

“Hmm, well. I haven’t thought about it… Maybe he was planning to assign me to an even more dangerous mission…”

We chatted for the rest of the journey, but I didn’t realize the source of the discomfort, so we stopped chatting to conserve energy and continued our journey.

As if I didn’t already have plenty to think about.

‘At this rate, they’ll catch up to us in two days.’

Even if we increase our speed here, it’s the same.

Either way, they’ll catch up before we get out of the Glacier Eye.

Then what should we do?

What should I do to make myself, my comrades, and other team members even a little safer?

Thump, thump, thump, thump—

Just thinking about that overwhelmed me.

***

Scrape, scrape—

The sound of sharpening a sword with a whetstone.

Chomp, chomp.

The sound of someone chewing on jerky.

“Haha, really? That happened?”

“Yes. Let’s go together when we return to the city. I didn’t believe it at first either.”

Some were chatting with their newfound friends, while others sat in silence, exhaling rhythmic breaths.

Because everyone has different ways of relieving tension.

“…Mister, why don’t you rest a bit too?”

“I’ll rest here, so you go back to your place.”

“But…”

“Go on.”

At my commanding words, Erwin turned towards her place with slumped shoulders, and I stared beyond the dark downhill path.

“She was trying to be considerate, was it necessary to be so cold?”

“Ravien, don’t cross the line.”

“…Understood.”

Ravien was about to say something but, seeing my expression, immediately shut her mouth.

Regardless, I stared endlessly into the darkness.

“……”

Our current location is the middle part of the Glacier Eye.

As soon as we arrived here, our journey of endlessly climbing uphill came to a halt.

Not by our will, but by circumstances.

Based on simple calculations, the pursuit team will arrive here in an hour.

Thump, thump, thump—

My heart pounded.

Not from excitement from the battle, but from unease.

“……”

I had tried countless ways to avoid the coming battle, but nothing clever came to mind.

Combat was inevitable.

So, I ordered everyone to rest as much as possible beforehand.

And yet…

Scrape, scrape—

“Haha!”

Chomp, chomp.

The ordinary, peaceful sounds of life felt like the calm before the storm.

Maybe that’s why.

“……”

Why I couldn’t relax, and instead kept staring into the darkness.

The enemy numbered 46.

Nearly twice as many as our expedition team.

And according to the mage, ten of them were particularly strong, equipped with gear rivaling that of the Dragon Slayer.

‘Perhaps they brought along some of the guys who were attacking the 8th floor.’

If so, we’re in serious trouble.

Anyone capable of contributing on the eighth floor would need to be at least as strong as Amelia.

We’d stand no chance in a direct confrontation.

But…

“……”

There’s no other way.

The battle is unavoidable.

No matter the enemy’s strength, we can only do our best.

‘If we fail, we all die anyway.’

Whoosh, whoosh.

I shook my head as if to clear my thoughts.

From now on, I’d focus on more positive outcomes.

Like the possibility that the enemy might be weaker than expected.

In that case, maybe, just maybe, we could turn the tables here.

In that case, it might even be possible to defeat the enemies here.

Of course, there will be sacrifices…

But once we achieve victory, this expedition is over.

We won’t have to struggle to climb any further; we can just hold out here, consuming our remaining provisions.

Clench.

Yes, that possibility certainly exists.

So…

“Detection magic! The detection magic has been activated!”

Let’s do this.

“Everyone, form up!”

Beyond that ominously quiet darkness.

We still don’t know what will remain after the storm passes.

“…They’re coming!”

There’s only one thing we can do.

“Prepare for battle!!”

Fight.

--------------------------------------------------

Chapter 416: Eye of the Storm (2)

Hoooo.

Exhale.

Hoooo.

Inhale

Each time, steam flows out of my mouth as if I’m smoking.

Drip.

Sweat drips down, freezing solid as it hits the ground.

Muscles scream in agony. Vision blurs.

But so what?

Step. Step.

One step. Then another.

Focusing on my breathing more than ever, I stride forward.

At the very front of the two connected sleds, gripping the rope tightly so it doesn’t slip.

Step by step.

Constantly moving forward, pulling the sled.

It’s for a simple reason.

The troll summoner who was handling the sled got taken out.

“How is Milburn Naria’s condition?”

“……She won’t last much longer.”

“I see……”

Grit.

Gritting my teeth, I recalled the battle from earlier.

It didn’t start off too badly.

[Character] has cast [Gigantification]

I, having used [Gigantification], blocked the pass like a boulder.

“Tayrun Sheardiem.”

The mages with their ‘Mana Shields.’

[Jun Arshen has cast [Light of Protection]

[Periton Eriaboti has cast [Holy Skin]

[Benjamin Ormon has cast [Damage Reduction]…….]

“…….”

The priests assisted me with various shields and buffs.

In other words, an all-out strategy.

That strategy was effective.

[All healing and recovery effects work in reverse]

In an environment where a single hit could turn into a fatal wound, the enemy hesitated to engage me directly,  and in that state, with the advantage of the uphill terrain, we unleashed our full firepower on them.

We used everything—skills, healing potions as projectiles, and even placed healing zones on their side to harm them.

Whenever there was an opportunity, I grabbed an enemy and hurled them off the cliff.

[Status effect [Whispers of Immortality] is applied]

[Upon death, the character is revived as an undead]

Those who died rose as undead and attacked their own allies.

We maintained a solid formation and pressed our attack.

But then…

[Indeed… Regal Vargos would have had a hard time dealing with them.]

From the moment those guys joined the battle, the situation changed.

[Manua Lepeles has cast [Iron Fist]

[Ricky Aymond has cast [Punishing Stride]

[Puruan Cullin has cast [Possession]…….]

Dozens of elite explorers, armed with high-level essences obtainable only from the eighth floor onward, joined the battle.

The moment they joined the battle, our frontline collapsed.

[Schuits, Leia Dars’s mana is depleted!]

The mages who were casting Mana Shield on me were taken out one by one, and as if that wasn’t enough, they leaped over me and infiltrated right into the heart of our formation.

Three Paladins in the main tank line.

Two Knights as secondary tanks, and a Warrior from the third team.

Even melee DPS like Amelia and Ravien couldn’t hold the line.

“Retreat, retreat!”

Every member of our team, including myself, felt the impending defeat.

The reason was brutally clear.

Their forces were much stronger than ours.

If we continued to fight desperately, we could inflict considerable damage on them, but that would be all.

In the end, it would lead to annihilation.

‘Let’s give up on killing these bastards here.’

Therefore…….

I immediately executed Plan B.

Plan B revolved around Milburn Naria, a summoner from Team Two.

She’s an AoE type extreme damage summoner,  summoning three ice troll shamans.

[Milburn Naria has cast [Relentless Command]
[Milburn Naria has cast [Beast Training]
[Milburn Naria has cast [Latent Instinct]
[Milburn Naria has cast [Stability]….

The moment I gave the order, she buffed her summons to their limits.

And then—

[Summon Pipi has cast [Avalanche]
[Summon Popi has cast [Avalanche]
[Summon Yipi has cast [Avalanche]….

The ice trolls unleashed massively amplified skills, buying us the time to retreat.

However…….

“Kyaaa!”

In the process, Naria was injured.

She had come out to the front line in close proximity to the trolls to maintain her [Stability], which tripled the range of her summons’ skills.

Even so, she stayed focused, directing her summons until we successfully retreated.

And now, here we are.

“Schweitz, are you holding up?”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“….”

After Naria lost consciousness, all members carried their backpacks and divided the food, but it amounted to only one sled’s worth.

Even so, we only managed to fill one sled.

Scrape. Scrape.

Pulling the sled, I climbed the incline.

I’d swap with another warrior when it became unbearable, but for now, I endured.

Moving mindlessly, body on autopilot—

“Ugh…”

From the sled, Naria stirred awake.

Wrapped in several layers of thick fur and surrounded by warming stones, her first words were:

“I’m… cold….”

“Just hang on a little longer. You’re in bad shape, but once we reach the top and get you healed, you’ll feel better.”

“Do you… really think so…? Cough, cough!”

“…Yes, I do.”

No response.

Her breathing continued—she must have passed out again.

Thud.

It felt like a cannonball had hit my chest.

A suffocating, maddening weight.

‘What a load of crap—she’ll be fine.’

I sincerely wished she’d survive.

But deep down, I knew better.

No, she knew better than anyone.

Her body was turning ice-cold.

Death was closing in.

“Home…”

Then, a weak voice spoke from behind.

“I want… to go home….”

It was Naria.

Grinding my teeth, I uttered another lie.

“You’ll make it home. I promise.”

“Do you think… that’s possible?”

“Yes. If you can hold on.”

“….”

She said no more after that.

It was much later when her voice returned.

“Mr. Schuiz… Please, leave me here.”

“…What are you saying?”

“It’ll help… the others. This place… is like that… isn’t it?”

I didn’t answer.

Not because I didn’t understand what she meant.

[Whispers of Immortality]

The field effect that resurrected the dead as undead, stronger than before.

She was offering herself to be that aid.

“….”

“….”

A long silence passed.

“Please… answer me.”

At her voice, I admitted it.

No, it would be an insult.

“Alright. I’ll do as you wish.”

“……”

“Is there anyone in the city you want me to send a message to?”

Again, the answer came back after a long time.

“…No. B-because I don’t… deserve it.”

“……Don’t deserve it?”

“I-I don’t have the right to……”

Her voice trembled, incoherent.

A pattern often seen in people before they die.

“Ah… I’m really sorry……”

“I didn’t want to deceive you. I also to all of you……”

“If only, if only, if only I……!”

“Kuhuhuheuk……”

I didn’t pry further, only listened as she poured out her regrets.

Eventually—

“Please, put me down now……”

Her voice was clear, for once.

“Fuck

The warrior next to me cursed under his breath.

“May the warm light embrace your soul.”

The paladin closed his eyes and made a reverent sign of the cross.

As people who have seen countless deaths, they realized that the last flame was burning.

“Miss Naria……. You really worked hard.”

Akuraba, her team leader, tidied up her disheveled hair.

Then Akuraba carefully lifted her body and laid her down.

“Thank you, Miss Akuraba……”

“Thank you? Not at all……”

Akuraba bit her lip as if holding back something.

Then the other members laid down a fur coat on the ground and placed Naria’s body on it.

“……Go. Don’t look at me like that.”

Despite Naria’s words, we couldn’t easily move.

“It’s urgent. I’m okay……”

“……”

“Go.”

Damn it.

Grit.

Something hot surged within my chest.

But I knew in my head.

“Schuiz, she’s right. We have to go now.”

I forced myself to take a step and started pulling the sled again.

“I’m not afraid……”

Naria, who closed her eyes weakly.

“Now, I’m finally going home……”

The further we walked, the more her murmurs faded away.

“To my real home, where it smells like coffee in the morning……”

Damn it.

[Well, I regret it now. The archbishop wouldn’t really have killed me. Hahaha…]

Now I know what the discomfort was.

***

Twenty-four survivors.

The expedition, which started with thirty people, moved forward.

Even in a life-threatening situation, there is still a sense of confusion that cannot be erased.

“What Miss Naria said… … .”

“If it’s home… then that’s it, right?”

Explorers who have spent countless years in the labyrinth and have had many different experiences.

Of course, there were many people among them who knew.

What does an evil spirit wish for most when it is about to die?

“So, Miss Naria was an evil spirit… …?”

“Shh! Be quiet. It’s not like we’re sure yet.”

Doubts spread among the members.

And some harbored anger at those doubts.

“Are you all sane! She was injured trying to save us, and even in her dying moments, she chose to help us! She chose to die alone for our sake! And you call her an evil spirit? Even if she was an evil spirit, what does that matter!”

It was not a good sign.

“No, we’re just……. Isn’t it strange? Why would an evil spirit……”

“You damn bastard! If you really don’t know, I’ll make you understand myself!”

It’s turning into chaos.

“Stop iiiit!!!”

Before the argument could escalate further, Kaislan silenced the group.

“Have you all lost your minds? Now, of all times, we need to work together!”

I didn’t stop him.

I realized through this incident.

That sometimes, to lead a group, you need to completely suppress them.

“From now on, if anyone utters another useless word, I will execute them immediately under the royal law! Understood?”

A harsh, almost extreme command.

At this, the members seemed to come to their senses and started keeping their mouths shut, watching.

Well, unfortunately, not all of them did.

“……Do it then.”

After the silence was about to end, a murmur came from somewhere.

The owner of that voice was Puta Rickervan.

He was a melee dealer and served as a scout in Team 2.

“You heard me. Go ahead and do it. You all know it, don’t you? It’s over for us!”

“You bastard—!”

“Kaislan, stop!”

Kaislan immediately raised his sword, but the nearby knights restrained him.

Rickerburn’s voice only grew louder.

“You saw them, didn’t you? They were stronger than us—way stronger! And there were more of them! What do you think will change if we keep running? They’ll catch up soon enough!”

“Release me. That’s an order.”

At his command, the knights who were restraining him sighed and stepped back.

This is getting out of hand. Are we seriously going to start fighting each other now?

“Kaislan, step aside.”

In the end, I had no choice but to stop pulling the sled and head to the center where the commotion was happening.

And then……

Grab.

I walked briskly and grabbed the man’s collar.

“Ugh!”

“So, what do you want to say? Do you want to just give up and die because there’s no hope? If that’s what you want, I can kill you first.”

“Ku, Heok-!”

The man who was grabbed coughed, but he didn’t lower his insolent gaze.

No, rather……

“Do it, if you can.”

Unconsciously, my grip loosened, and he dropped to the ground.

He shouted loudly, as if crying out in despair.

“What changes if we miraculously shake them off? A future where we return to the city laughing and chatting? Do you think that will happen?”

I should kill this bastard to shut his mouth.

But by then, it was too late. He had already said everything he needed to.

“You know too, don’t you? The reason the main force didn’t come to rescue us! We’ve been abandoned! Not because something happened, but because it was decided from the beginning!”

“……Wh-what do you mean? Decided from the beginning?”

“Yeah! That’s what I thought, too! Everyone here is extraordinary! But that’s exactly why we were sent—because it’s the perfect trap!”

“…A trap?”

At this point, there was nothing I could do to contain the chaos.

I sighed and let the scene play out.

“I, Puta Rickerburn, am from the House of Kealrunas! Ever since I was a child, I’ve done their dirty work to repay my family’s debts. I got sick of it and wanted to retire—but their ‘final favor’ was to join this expedition!”

“…What?”

“Don’t you see what that means? I was disposable! They couldn’t kill me outright because of the attention it’d draw, so they wrapped it up nicely and sent me here—a garbage dump disguised as an honor!”

“…”

“Hahaha! Judging by the looks on your faces, I’d say I’m not the only one with a story like this. Am I wrong? Didn’t you all have some nagging doubt in the back of your mind?”

When Rickerburn finally fell silent, the weight of his words settled over the group.

It was the calm before the storm.

“The guild… abandoned me?” muttered someone, their voice trembling.

“No… No, that can’t be. They promised me… if I succeeded, they’d overlook the embezzlement…”

Panic began to spread among the others.

“Are you perhaps in the same situation?”

Eyes filled with such doubt.

Those who received the most of these gazes were the team leaders.

Well, they are the most renowned among us. They must be hoping that these leaders would step forward and assure them that such a thing couldn’t possibly be true.

However…

“Perhaps… we really have been abandoned.”

Reality was cruel.

“I, Titana Akuraba, have constantly questioned the royal family about the dimensional collapse and demanded strict management. Maybe they found that bothersome.”

It started with Akuraba.

“Recently, the clan leader has often seemed to be holding me in check. But just for that…”

The second was James Carla, vice-captain of the Gearfang Clan

“Hmm… If I had to point out a reason, mine is similar to Karla’s. I have no interest in my family’s title, but my older brother may have felt threatened. That’s why I joined the military at a young age…”

Kaislan.

And then..

“I was an interrogator of the Toberra Church. My known duty was to identify and execute believers tainted by the Karui religion… But after witnessing innocent political rivals being falsely accused unrelated to the Karui religion, I became disillusioned and resigned. There are quite a few bishops who would want to hide their disgrace.”

Lastly, even Jun’s confession.

With each team leader who spoke, despair was etched within the expedition.

But perhaps they still couldn’t let go of hope.

“Schuiz, what about you?”

“You were recommended by the marquis and even obtained the position of leader of this expedition.”

“Are you really similar to us?”

The members’ gazes turned toward me.

‘There’s no reason to hide it any longer.’

After a moment’s thought, I opened my mouth.

There was no need to speak at length like the previous cases.

“…I am Bjorn Jandel.”

One sentence was enough.

-------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 417: Eye of the Storm (3)

A short murmur that only revealed my name.

Yet, the ripple effect was by no means small.

“Crazy…!”

Someone spat out a curse, almost gasping.

“So that’s why you did those things as naturally as breathing.”

The one who is convinced.

“But wait a minute, isn’t this a big deal? If you’re Baron Bjorn Jandel, then surely…”

And the wary one.

I spoke up before any unnecessary words could spill out.

“Don’t worry; the talk about me being an evil spirit isn’t true. I can’t tell you the detailed circumstances, but I faked my death after reaching an agreement with the royal family, and that’s how it was announced.”

Of course, this isn’t the truth.

But it was a convincing explanation,  as the members showed a calmer reaction than I expected.

“Now it makes sense. No way they’d put an unknown explorer in charge of something as critical as this expedition leader role…”

“So that’s why the Blood Spirit Queen was following you.”

“Actually, I couldn’t believe that such a man suddenly died in the labyrinth.”

“But what kind of circumstances led them to spread false information about you being an evil spirit…?”

Perhaps due to their innate curiosity, even in this situation, the members showed interest in me. But now wasn’t the time to explain such things.

“I’ll explain someday, when I get the chance. Right now, that’s not what’s important.”

When I decisively cut off the growing commotion, James Carla, who had been standing there with his mouth agape came to his senses and asked me.

“Schuiz… no, Bjorn Jandel… no, Baron Bjorn Jandel!”

His flustered reaction was oddly cute.

“I still don’t fully understand. Why would the royal family use you as a disposable pawn?”

At his question, I smirked.

“Well…”

There are many things I can guess.

“The hero explorer who saved countless lives and earned a noble title for the first time in decades.”

It’s a bit awkward to say it myself, but that’s me.

“From their standpoint, wouldn’t it be much better if I just quietly disappeared? Especially if they have to retract their announcement that I was an evil spirit.”

“Ah…”

James Carla showed a face of understanding.

But that’s not the end of it.

I can’t share my suspicions with them, but…

Perhaps the Marquis knew I was an evil spirit long before.

No, he definitely did.

Even so, sending his son at night to confirm whether I was an evil spirit or not…

‘It was probably just to deceive me.’

Those who deceive others rarely suspect they themselves are being deceived.

“Anyway, that’s all there is to my story.”

Saying that, I glanced around at the members.

With eyes that asked, “So what about you all?”

“I received a promise from the Marquis as compensation for this mission. But he… didn’t seem to have any intention of keeping that promise.” -Ravien.

“I was sent into a coma and barely regained consciousness thanks to the ‘agent’ of the Toberra Church. In return, I was bound to the church. If they were looking for a disposable mage to use as a pawn, there wouldn’t be a better choice than me.”-Vercil Gowland

“Last year, my granddaughter died. There’s no evidence, but it was by a knight belonging to the Marquis’s household. I’ve been searching for that knight ever since. Perhaps they approached me knowing that.”-Our team’s support type, Old Diddy

“I happened to find out that the Tower Master was colluding with the royal family. To make it public, I needed power, and for that, I needed a lot of money, so I joined the expedition. But it seems he already knew about me.”-Riard Ashid, a mage from the Langman school where the Tower Master is the leader.

“Wait a minute! I really have nothing! My life’s motto is to live quietly and for a long time!”

What is he saying? I know, and heaven knows, that you’re an evil spirit.

His secret must have been found out somehow.

I quickly skipped over the outcry of the goblin mask, Sven Parab.

After that, whenever our eyes met, the members shuddered and began to confess their personal circumstances.

“…”

Of course, there were those who remained silent.

But they just didn’t want to reveal their weaknesses, and they too had expressions suggesting they had some suspicions.

When this unexpected confession time was continuing.

Someone shouted out in frustration.

“Wait a minute! I… I have no reason to be abandoned by the church!”

Her name was Periton Eriavosti, and she was a priestess from Kaislan’s team.

“This… this must be some kind of mistake. I only volunteered because I thought it was for the good of the people…”

It didn’t sound like a lie.

No, it probably wasn’t a lie at all.

I spoke with genuine sympathy.

“In that case, I express my regret. You simply had the misfortune of being caught up in this.”

“Wait! What do you mean, bad luck—”

“Aren’t there others besides you who are in similar situations?”

For instance, there’s Erwin and Amelia.

And then there’s Parsible Eric Coulson, a knight who served under Kaislan for nearly ten years. Or Rick Jaggersta, the childhood friend of James Carla.

Though in their cases, they’re less unlucky than the priestess woman—more like victims of poor choices in friends.

“How… how could this happen?”

The priestess, who seemed truly innocent, hung her head.

And she wasn’t the only one.

As expected, the atmosphere in the expedition was akin to a funeral.

“Are we really… abandoned?”

“It’s hard not to believe it now…”

“Then… even if we return alive, will the royal family try to kill us somehow?”

“Damn it all!!”

Like a kite with its string cut, their eyes began to waver with anxious expressions.

“Are we going to die? Really? Here like this…?”

Some despaired.

“I… I have something I absolutely must do!”

Some expressed anger.

“…Logically, something doesn’t make sense! Then what about Pike Neldaine?”

Some voiced doubts, clinging to a thread of hope.

“If they were planning to abandon us all, why bother planting a spy to sabotage the mission?”

Ah, that part.

I had thought about that myself.

There were two possibilities I could think of.The first was that the Guildmaster didn’t want the Marquis to claim credit for the mission.

After all, I’m the expedition leader.

If we destroy the Eye of the Sky and are annihilated, most of the achievements we made will go to the Marquis, and maybe the Guild Master wanted to prevent that?

‘It’s a plausible story. If we had lost all our food at Ice Rock, we wouldn’t have been able to even get through this place and would have all died.’

That possibility certainly exists.

But…

Tap tap.

It’s better not to mention this.

I made a decision.

It’s enough for me alone to worry about the worst.

So…

“Why did someone send a spy?”

The fact that the spy was working under the Guildmaster was something only the team leaders knew for now.

Let’s say what’s necessary now.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Perhaps the very words everyone wanted to hear.

“There’s someone out there in the city!”

I said to everyone in a strong voice.

“Someone who doesn’t want us to be meaninglessly consumed in a place like this!”

Even if it’s a vain hope.

“Someone who will help us fight against the royal family if we just return alive!”

We have to keep moving forward.

Because we’re still alive.

***

A room with all the windows closed, letting in not a single ray of light.

That’s what our expedition’s current situation is like.

Half of it was my intention.

[Even if we miraculously shake them off, what’s going to change? Do you think there’s a future where we can laugh and smile back in the city?]

When he said those words in front of the members, I didn’t stop him.

[…I am Bjorn Jandel]

I uttered that name, which was nothing less than a death sentence to them.

[Really… we’ve been abandoned?]

[It’s hard not to believe it now…]

I led the situation and erased hope from all the members’ minds. Like closing each window in an already dark room.

The reason I did such a thing is simple.

Those who dream of a golden future crumble easily.

So…

Through a slightly open window crack, a faint ray of light flows in.

I judged that, for now, that would be enough.

At least I could make everyone look in the same direction and move forward.

“Are you saying we’ll live if we go back…?”

“But… we don’t even know who that person is. Does that person really have such power…?”

They clearly saw the light.

They might doubt whether it was an illusion.

But that alone is certain.

Therefore…

“Everyone, listen up!”

Now, I have no choice but to somehow encourage them.

Let’s crawl through the darkness and head toward the light.

We don’t know if there will be a cliff at the end or what awaits us.

But at least, let’s check it out.

“I am Bjorne Jandel!”

I say my name.

And then ask.

“Have you heard of me?”

The members replied.

“How could we not know that name?”

“An explorer who became a noble for the first time in decades.”

“When the news of your death came out, there was such a big commotion.”

Their voices were limp and weak.

All the more reason for me to shout with energy.

“I’m glad you’ve at least heard of me! I won’t talk for long! Our current situation is the worst!”

“But…!”

“Never in my life have I ever given up—not once! And this time will be no different.”

I told them.

“I, Bjorn Jandel, swear on the heart of a warrior.”

I can’t dare to say that I’ll save everyone.

“I will do the hardest tasks.”

“I will do the dirty work that no one else wants to do.”

“I will walk into the places reeking of blood first, and if someone has to get hurt, I’ll be the one.”

“So…!”

I politely requested.

“Follow me.”

My voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a resonance that surely reached everyone’s ears.

“…”

“…”

No one responded.

Should I say they were just busy watching each other’s reactions?

Even after I’ve spoken so earnestly, they act like this.

Ha, really makes me angry.

“If you’re going to throw away your life in the gutter anyway, throw it away on me!!”

In the end, I have to shout to get them to listen, right?

***

“Those who understand, get ready. We’ll depart in one minute.”

After saying that, I turned my back.

Immediately, someone followed.

“Mister, let’s go together!”

Erwin fornacci de tersia.

“Good. If the departure was delayed any longer, I was going to set off alone.”

Amelia.

My precious comrades who would follow me even if I walked into the flames.

“Jun, in the end, you were right,” Kaislan spoke.

“Even when everyone crumbles, that man alone will stand firm. No matter what lies at the end, I will follow that back.”

Kaislan stood behind me.

Next was Akuraba.

“I never intended to give up from the start. I’ve been through worse situations than this. If I had given up each time, I wouldn’t be standing here now.”

After Akuraba was Jun, and then James Carla joined, and the members began to stand up one by one.

“Bjorn Jandel… turns out he’s an even more reckless guy than the rumors.”

“Hehe, I thought he was saying something cool, but at the end, he ended up yelling.”

“We’ve rested enough; let’s get going again.”

“He said he’d handle the dangerous tasks himself, didn’t he? If we sit down even after hearing that, can we be called explorers?”

“Besides, we can’t just die here…”

“Wait! Everyone, don’t just stand anywhere; let’s get into formation! Formation! Yes?”

Within a minute of me saying it, the whole unit was behind me.

It wasn’t a particularly moving scene.

Even when people are prepared to throw themselves into the abyss, they hesitate until the very last moment.

Even if I had set off alone, they all would have followed.

But…

“Jandel! So when are we departing?”

“Hey, you… what kind of way is that to talk to the commander…?”

“Ha, you pay attention to every little thing. Anyway, if things go wrong, we’ll all die, right?”

There’s a saying that the way you say things makes a difference.

The lifeless eyes that seemed like they couldn’t even cut down an orc began to show vitality.

If they had followed just because they were afraid to be left alone.

If they had followed reluctantly because they didn’t want to be abandoned again after already being abandoned once.

Such motives would never have inspired this change.

“Alright, then before we depart, there’s one more thing to take care of.”

“Take care of?”

Sven Parab next to me tilted his head with uneasy eyes, and I ignored him and headed toward the sled.

At this, a warrior hurriedly approached.

“Wait! Until now, you’ve been pulling it alone, haven’t you? From now on, we’ll also help…”

What is he saying?

When did I ever say I was going to pull it?

“Wait a minute… Why are you unloading the food crates from the sled?”

“I think we can carry this much in our stomachs and go.”

“…Huh? Carry it in our stomachs? Then what about the rest…?”

What else can we do with the rest?

We throw it away.

Whoosh—!

I pushed the two sleds I had been barely dragging to the bottom of the cliff.

The cliff was so deep that it took over ten seconds before a faint “thud!” sound was heard.

“…C-crazy!”

“What did you just do!”

What do you think I did?

Why are those guys moving faster than us?

“If we move while dragging the sled, we’ll be caught up by them soon.”

“Th-that’s true, but… but to throw away the food…”

“What’s the problem? The food in our backpacks should be enough until we get out of the Glacier’s Eye.”

“But! What are we going to do after that!”

A fair question, filled with genuine concern.

Even if we get out of the Glacier Eye in two days since our load has lightened, we still have to survive for eight more days until the labyrinth closes.

But…

‘Geez, they’re getting all worked up.’

Did they think I did that without any thought?

Before the commotion could grow any larger, I quickly shared the plan I had devised.

“When we get past the Glacier Eye, won’t monsters start appearing?”

“Monsters…?”

“Wait a minute, you don’t mean…!”

I didn’t deny their suspicions.

“Yes, from that point on, we’ll use distortion magic to procure meat.”

For some reason, this seemed to cause even more agitation.

“He seems to be serious about this…”

“This is driving me crazy.”

“Um… I… I’m starting to think it might be better to just die here.”

This is the best method.

Trial

I like Korean novels (Murim, Dukes, Reincarnation, etc, etc, etc)

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