Surviving The Game as a Barbarian (Novel) Chapter 412, 413, 414

    

C412, 413, 414

Chapter 412: Bad Blood (2)

Enemies surge from all directions.

And our expedition force held them off with defensive formations.

“Kill them…!!”

“Hold them off!!”

It felt like playing a tower defense game.

Well, there are obvious differences from a game.

In most defense games, hordes of enemies with only melee abilities rush at you.

But now?

Whiish—!

A rain of arrows poured down.

“Revive Ascender!”

Dark magic.

BOOM—!

And an array of elemental skills—lightning, frost, fire.

Typically, mages would handle this kind of ranged assault.

But our mages are currently using every ounce of their remaining mana to complete the mass teleport spell.

So, there’s only one solution.

To ensure these ranged attacks don’t reach the fragile units in the rear.

「Your character has been hit by [Seeping Chill].」

All we can do is endure.

[The next cold damage you receive will be doubled, and your cold resistance temporarily decreases based on the damage taken.]

[Lightning damage exceeds magic resistance and lightning resistance]

 

[Your character is now in a ‘Moderate Paralysis’ state.]

[Your character has been hit by [Piercing Light]…]

[…]

The burden quickly accumulates in my body.

But even so, I use my enlarged body as a shield to form a wall at the front.

Grit.

Clenching my teeth as if I might bite my tongue.

BOOM—!

I take the attacks pouring from the front with my body.

Not just me, but all the vanguards are doing the same.

[Benjamin Orman has cast [Moon of Purification]

 

[All status ailments on your character are cured.]

 

[Nialo Campbell has cast [Blessing of Light].]

 

[All healing effects received by your character are increased…]

 

[…]

 

The support of the priests is constant, but not enough. They have earned the right to borrow the power of the gods in exchange for their faith.

Because reviving the dead is the domain of the gods.

“…Might!!”

There are no screams in our deaths.

“E-everyone, fall back!!”

Might Million, the warrior of the second team positioned to my left.

Thud—!!

A sharp stone spear flying in a straight line pierces through his shield and penetrates his heart… no, his upper body.

“No…!!!”

There’s no need to count down. His death is instant.

As if to prove his death, the holy lights that were embracing his body quickly scattered around.

For a damned reason.

Swoooosh—

Because the dead cannot be the target of skills.

“M-Might…!”

An archer from his team rushes forward, desperately trying to pull the stone spear from his lifeless body.

A reckless and foolish act.

It won’t come out even if he tries, and even if it does, he won’t come back to life.

‘…Were they friends?’

Well, that’s not what’s important.

“Emily, I’ll be back for a bit.”

“…What?”

I curtly informed her and moved slightly to the side, grabbing the archer by the scruff of his neck.

And…

“Stop this nonsense and get back.”

—I throw the Archer toward the rear where Akuraba is stationed.

Thud—!

With the sound of him collapsing, an angry shout came from behind.

“…Wh-what are you doing! M-Might is…!”

“Might is dead. He died to save you all.”

“…!!”

Might Million.

He clearly saw the stone spear flying toward him.

He could have dodged.

No, with his physical abilities, he surely could have avoided it.

But he chose to block it.

[E-everyone, fall back!!]

Protecting his comrades.

That was his role.

Of course, he probably didn’t expect it to turn out like this.

He might have thought he could withstand it at least once.

Well, in such a chaotic battle situation, it’s hard to realize from seeing it just once—that that rock spear was a top-tier Level two essence skill.

…Perhaps he knew and still blocked it.’

Even if so, we cannot know the truth.

Probably forever.

“So stay back. From now on, I’ll take this place from here.”

“…”

“Emily! Join up with the second team!”

Since the only warrior of the second team died, I filled the vacant spot.

I’m effectively covering the space that two teams had to hold by myself…

Rather than being annoyed, I feel relieved.

‘It’s fortunate that I’m big.’

I thought about using [Transcendence] to further enlarge my body, but I gave up.

I can’t keep just getting hit forever, can I?

[Damage taken and reflected damage from Probabilistic Counter are doubled.]

I tried taking a hit experimentally, and it seemed I could endure even if the damage doubled.

[Due to the authority of the Transcendent, the inherent ability of the skill is unlocked.]

 

[The damage immunity effect from Probabilistic Counter disappears, but the activation chance is fixed at 100%.]

As soon as I activated [Transcendence], with clattering sounds, skeletons rose behind me.

And then…

[SCREEEEEECH—!]

They return every skill I have taken with my body to the enemy.

“W-what’s that!”

“What, what the hell?!”

“It’s a Gachapon! The Gachapon Essence!”

“What? But that skill shouldn’t activate like this…!”

The enemy is thrown into chaos as their own attacks are reflected back.

‘Should’ve activated it earlier.’

Indeed, the best defense is a good offense.

When I braced myself for taking more painful hits and activated [Risk Burden], their offensive decreased.

Thanks to that, it was easier to fill the vacant spot by myself.

Okay, now we just need to complete the teleport…

“…Out of my way, you trash!”

A man steps forward, leading a group of enemies who had been hesitating to approach.

Even seeing him again makes me feel like vomiting.

“Regal Vagos is here!”

“The Dragonslayer…!”

He has come.

***

BOOM—!

Explosions erupted.

Cries of panicked comrades.

Screams and splattering blood.

In the battlefield filled with all sorts of noise, a silence fell.

The surroundings were still noisy, but at least that’s how I felt.

Probably the same for that guy as well.

“…”

“…”

We silently stared at each other from a distance.

‘Could it be that he recognized me?’

Just as that thought crossed my mind, he opened his mouth.

“I told you back then.”

“…”

“Even death won’t save you.”

So, he did recognize me.

Looks like he has regained his memories.

Seems he doesn’t care that I’ve revealed the Gachapon essence or that I’ve gotten shorter.

Alright, shall we greet each other after a long time?

“That’s an expensive-looking sword.”

I lowered my gaze and looked at the sword hanging from his waist.

“Did you come to give it to me again?”

His reaction was immediate.

“You bastard…!”

His hands trembled with rage.

But what can I do?

There are still more things to make him angry.

“How much longer until the magic is completed?”

“…One minute!”

Since voice control is disabled, that answer was heard by everyone.

“Well, there you go—”

“One minute is enough.” Regal Vargos

At that moment, he dashed toward me.

[Regal Vargos has cast [Advanced Acceleration]

 

[Regal Vargos has cast [Afterimage]

A combination of skills that dramatically boosts his agility.

But things are different now.

Last time, we met in Larkaz’s Maze.

‘He’s much faster.’

This must be his original output with his base stats.

But it doesn’t matter.

BOOM—!

Because I’m not who I used to be either.

“…!”

His eyes narrowed as his sword clashed with my shield.

It’s obvious what he’s thinking.

“Did you think holes would appear like before? This isn’t inside that maze.”

He didn’t answer and swung his sword once more.

[Regal Vargos has cast [Holy Blade].]

A white light shimmered along his sword blade.

But this time was the same.

Boom—!

Now that I can handle aura, it’s no different.

“How is it that you’re still the same?”

That’s fortunate.

I was wondering if he had gotten stronger over the past two years, so I was going to test him out.

“You bastard…!”

As I continued to block his sword attacks for a while, I pushed him away with my shield as if swatting a fly.

Well, my strength stat is higher now.

Overwhelmingly so.

“…Ugh!”

The Dragonslayer, caught off guard by unexpected resistance, staggered backward in surprise.

Then someone shouted from behind.

“Ten seconds left!”

Meaning the magic circle is about to be completed.

“I’ve seen enough, so get lost now.”

“…”

“You’re now weaker than me.”

He seemed quite shocked to hear such words from me, and he didn’t respond at all.

I wondered if he was stunned, but that wasn’t it.

Just in case, I slammed my hammer down, but he quickly dodged.

BOOM—!

I smacked my lips as I looked at the hammer embedded in the ground.

If only the number of enemies wasn’t increasing, I could have settled this bad blood here.

“Schuiz! Hurry over here!”

As Amelia’s voice came from behind, the magic circle on the ground began to emit light.

The teleportation magic had been completed.

The warriors at the front, including myself, hurried to the center.

“You think I’ll let you go…!”

What’s he saying? What can a guy like you do if you don’t let us?

The real pity is on our side.

“Youuuu!!”

“Lord Bagos! If you stay there, you might get caught in the mass teleportation magic!”

The guy, who was about to rush at me in anger, hesitated at his subordinate’s advice.

Tsk, if only he’d come a bit closer, we could have taken him with us via teleport and ganged up on him.

Swoooosh—!

As I arrived, the magic circle emitted an even more brilliant light.

“See you next time. Take care of your head until then.”

Then, the multicolored light flashed.

****

Flash—!

As the light that filled my vision faded, my sight returned.

The first thing I saw was the massive, lifeless trees.

An environment almost identical to where we were a moment ago.

Well, that’s natural.

It’s impossible to skip over the field with a single mass teleport.

“…There’s no one here.”

The western part of Deadwood, one of the central fields of the Dark Continent.

However, I don’t feel any signs of people around.

Probably because all the forces that were here were mobilized to catch us.

“Priests, hurry and heal the wounded. We’ll depart as soon as the healing is done.”

We had overcome a hurdle, but since we had no time to rest leisurely, we took a brief moment to regroup before immediately resuming our march.

Not south where our allies are, but north.

Dragging my weary body forward, I reluctantly ask the question I’ve been dreading.

“…Casualties?”

“Three dead in total.”

So, besides that guy who was next to me, two more were lost.

In that short time.

“So, the deceased are? Who are they?”

Kaislan then gave an accurate report in a bitter voice.

“Might Million, Fiona Amos, and Nialo Campbell.”

One warrior from the second team.

One priest from the fourth team.

And even a mage from the third team…

“A mage was killed…?”

“It seems he was hit by a stray attack after the Dragonslayer and his men joined in at the end. The magic circle was nearly complete, so there was no problem with the magic.”

Damn that useless Dragonslayer bastard.

Grit.

Our expedition, which started with thirty people, had now dwindled to twenty-five.

The team with the most casualties was the third team.

Including the traitor Pike Neldaine and now the mage who died in this battle, their numbers had decreased to four.

“The second team is also in a precarious state. Million, that friend was the team’s only warrior.”

Akuraba’s team, which focused on firepower, is also unstable.

Though they can temporarily use three summoned trolls as the vanguard, but that summoner woman of hers was more of a heavy damage dealer anyway.

“We need to adjust our formation.”

“It seems so. At this point, no one will insist on keeping the old ways.”

Until now, during movement, each team acted at a certain distance apart.

We thought it would be more efficient this way, unless it was a special situation like the attack on the Eye of the Sky or the one that just happened.

But we can’t continue like that anymore.

We need to become a true expedition team, not just an alliance of multiple teams.

“If you allow, I’d like to reorganize the formation by dividing roles…”

“I’m fine with it. Our team members will understand. I’ll leave the formation to you, so discuss it with the other team leaders and decide.”

“Understood. Then I’ll get to it.”

Although my first impression of Kaislan wasn’t great, he turned out to be quite a useful asset.

Shortly after I gave the order, he reorganized the teams into a single force.

He placed job classes with lower physical abilities in the center, surrounded by archers, swordsmen, and the support types.

Their role in battle was protection.

During movement, they would carry those who lacked stamina or were slow walkers.

“Ha, I’m already exhausted as it is…”

“S-sorry.”

“It’s fine. Can’t be helped. Just make sure to heal me well if I get hurt later.”

Surprisingly, those who ended up being treated like mounts didn’t react too badly.

They knew themselves.

That to survive, they needed to make efforts to maintain this group.

“Mister… please take care of yourself. If you need my help, just shout loudly.”

“You take care too. Don’t do anything dangerous.”

Anyway, because of this, our team also had to split up.

After all, I’m a warrior in the tank position.

Naturally, I have to be at the front.

“You all are really close.”

As we resumed our journey with the new formation, Ravien, who was positioned behind me, spoke.

Hmm, come to think of it, I have something to say to her too.

“Thank you.”

“…What?”

“For holding your position when the Dragonslayer appeared.”

Ravien is strong.

Depending on the situation, it’s not an exaggeration to say she’s a step above Amelia or Erwin in normal circumstances.

If she had acted rashly back then, there might have been injuries or even deaths among our team.

“I’m not foolish enough to not distinguish between public and private matters.”

“That’s a relief.”

“……”

Since there wasn’t anything else to talk about, the conversation ended there.

And after some more time passed.

“Let’s take a short break!”

Before our stamina reached its limit, we took a timely rest.

“Ah! Finally!”

As soon as the march stopped, all the members collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, but one man was different.

“Excuse me…”

A man with dark circles under his eyes cautiously approached me.

“Sven Parab.”

In other words, the Goblin Mask.

He’s quite a curious fellow.

Judging by his fighting, he doesn’t seem to have high combat skills, yet he strangely never gets injured.

“What’s the matter? Not resting?”

At my question, he replied in a somewhat anxious voice.

“Well, actually…”

“If you have something to say, say it quickly. I need to rest too.”

I said with a hint of irritation in my voice, and he closed his eyes tightly and said to me.

“Well… can’t we keep moving without resting?”

“Not rest…?”

At first, I thought it was nonsense, but thinking he wouldn’t say it without reason, I changed my attitude.

“Do you have a reason for saying that?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Isn’t it?”

“It’s just that, for some reason, I feel uneasy… Ever since you said we’d rest, I can’t breathe properly. And my heart feels like someone is poking it with a needle.”

…What is with this guy?

Making people feel uneasy for no reason.

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

Chapter 413: Bad Blood (3)

“Well… I’ve always had a good intuition since I was young…”

As I looked at him incredulously, the goblin began to share various experiences as examples.

His words were so scattered that I wondered if he even knew what he was saying, but among them, one thing stood out.

“On the day that pillar of fire shot up! I was supposed to enter the labyrinth, but I had the exact same feeling as today…”

At first, I thought he might be crazy, but if what he’s saying is truly based on his experiences, it’s hard to dismiss it outright.

After all,’Sixth Sense’ is a stat that actually exists in [Dungeon & Stone].

“Alright, go back to your place.”

“A-are we departing then?”

“We can’t just recklessly push on because of baseless anxiety.”

“Y-yes, I suppose so.”

“Right. But I’ll consider it.”

Leaving some room for consideration, he walked away with an expression that seemed to say, “Well, this is the best I can hope for.” Only then did my companions around me start to speak up.

“What an interesting fellow.”

First was the support type, Old Didi,  who said, “Are you crazy?” in a polite way.

“Perhaps he received a revelation. After all, he’s a paladin who serves a god.”

The mage Ashid made a comment that seemed to defend him, while Erwin had a somewhat displeased look on her face.

“Who is that guy? Everyone’s exhausted and resting, and he’s being annoying.”

“Now, now, calm down.”

As I was calming Erwin, Amelia approached me and started a conversation.

“Schuiz, what are you going to do? You didn’t seem to dismiss his words as mere nonsense.”

“Explorers always have reasons for believing in superstitions.”

“So, are you going to follow his advice?”

“Well…”

I needed to think about it.

In fact, as soon as I heard his words, I started having a bad feeling.

Swish.

With that in mind, I glanced down at the traffic light ring I was wearing. It was still not emitting any light.

However, it was too early to feel relieved just because of that.

‘This ring doesn’t predict every event.’

Even in the game, the traffic light ring was like that.

Even if there was an event nearby, it didn’t activate with a 100% probability; it worked randomly.

If the green light came on, there was definitely something good nearby.

But just because the light didn’t come on doesn’t mean there’s no good thing nearby…

‘What should I do?’

As I was deep in thought.

“The ring has sensed the character’s fate.”

Suddenly, the ring activated and began to emit light.

Whoooosh.

I quickly looked down to check the color of the light—it was a vivid red.

“Sir…?”

Ignoring Erwin’s startled voice behind me, I quickly stood up.

And then…

“Everyone, prepare to move!”

We ended our rest and hurriedly resumed our march.

“But… we haven’t even rested for ten minutes.”

“The members are really tired.”

The team leaders expressed their concerns, but there was no choice.

It’s better to be a little tired than to experience a red event, right?

“Form up! We’re departing now!”

After that, we started marching again, and about thirty minutes later.

Whoooosh.

The ring’s light went out.

I don’t know what negative event was approaching us but…

I was baffled and dumbfounded.

‘Who on earth is Sven Parab, that guy?’

Was it just a coincidence?

How could anyone’s instincts surpass the detection radius of the traffic light ring?

Despite these thoughts, I couldn’t forget the sincerity in his expression as he tried to convince me of his “gut feeling.”

So, while we were moving, I fell back a bit and approached the goblin.

“How about now? Is everything alright?”

If he still felt uneasy, I could just dismiss it as a coincidence.

He doesn’t know about the traffic light ring—

“Ah, yes… I feel at ease.”

What is with this guy…?

***

Seventh Floor, Dark Continent.

A human male with a physique as sturdy as a barbarian bent down and touched the ground.

“Baek-ho, there are traces of someone staying here.”

“Really? How many?”

“Seems like just over twenty, but I can’t say for sure! 

But one thing’s certain—they left not long ago!”

The large man thundered, his voice matching his size.

An elderly man grimaced at the noise but murmured softly.

“Perhaps it’s them.”

“Them?”

“You know, those who destroyed the Eye of the Sky and are now on the run.”

“Ah, those guys…”

“Shall we follow them? If it really is them, we can demand quite a bit from Noark this time.”

“Hmm.”

At the old man’s suggestion, the blond man stroked his chin thoughtfully and smirked as he looked toward someone.

“Hey, Kitty, what do you think we should do?”

A voice full of mischief.

The beast tribe woman frowned in displeasure but remained silent.

“…It’s a waste of time.”

“Waste of time? You just don’t want to mess with people from the city.”

“……”

“Not fun.”

As their conversation ended, the warrior who had discovered the traces asked quietly,

“So what will you do? Are we following them?”

“No. Why bother?”

The blond man shrugged and continued.

“It’s not even certain. What if we go and it’s just some punks hunting nearby?”

“That would just be a waste of time. But isn’t it a pity? If we start now, we could catch up quickly.”

“Eh, forget it. Even if we catch them, it’s not like anything great will come of it.”

With that, the blond man waved his hand dismissively and pulled out a chair from his spatial storage to sit down.

“If we’d run into them by chance, maybe it’d be different, but there’s no need to go out of our way to check. Let’s focus on our own tasks. Don’t worry about them; they’ll handle themselves.”

“If that’s your decision, then so be it.”

“Alright, that settles it. Let’s rest a bit, grab something to eat, and then move on. Hey, Aures!”

“Haha! Just give me a moment! I’ll grill some tasty meat for you in no time!”

Before long, the smell of roasting meat began to waft around them.

***

60th Day Since Entering the Labyrinth

In other words, 15 days left until the 7th floor is closed.

“Somehow, we’ve ended up here.”

We arrived at the Resting Place of the Defeated, a field west of the Dragon’s Depth, where the portal was located.

Whoooosh.

A black fog filled the surroundings without dissipating even in the strong wind.

Countless old swords stuck in the endless plain.

It was an eerie place, but no one spoke of it.

No one had the time to indulge in such sentimentality.

“Schuiz, we need to keep moving. If we stay here and get surrounded—”

“I know, so keep quiet.”

“……”

Hmm, perhaps I was too sharp.

I felt a pang of regret but didn’t bother apologizing.

There was no time for such things—

“Schuiz, don’t let the pressure get to you. If the commander falters, everyone will fall apart.”

Huh, I didn’t expect to receive comfort instead.

I let out a bitter sigh with a faint smile.

‘Asking me not to be anxious is a tall order.’

My plan had already gone awry.

Instead of heading south where our allies were, we were in the north—in enemy territory.

I thought we could hold out by hiding here, on the principle that the darkest place is under the lamp.

But in reality, how had it been?

‘Persistent bastards.’

If we slowed down even a bit, the pursuit team would quickly catch up.

Because of them, we hadn’t been able to rest properly or get decent sleep for several days, pushing ourselves relentlessly.

“I just can’t understand. How do they manage to track us so precisely, no matter where we go…”

Kaislan wondered how Noirark’s forces could keep tracking us so relentlessly, but I already knew the answer.

Because I’d experienced it once before.

[If I hadn’t sacrificed another arm, I might have lost track of you.]

In Larkaz’s Maze, that dragonslayer used the priests of Karui to track us.

They probably used a similar method this time.

They’re the type who would offer sacrifices without hesitation to achieve their goals.

“Parab, how are you feeling now?”

“Ah, I still feel fine…”

The fact that we hadn’t lost a single person on our way here was largely thanks to the goblin.

Somehow, even when we were resting, if the pursuit team was getting close, he’d sense it like a ghost.

When we were proceeding smoothly and he’d cautiously ask if we could take a different route, we’d find enemies lying in ambush ahead.

After realizing this, I’d started keeping him right by my side during our movements.

“Then let’s rest a bit longer. If you notice anything strange, let me know immediately.”

“Understood.”

With that, he flopped onto the ground without hesitation.

If he could relax like that, the area must truly be safe.

I wanted to lie down and get a moment of shut-eye myself, but…

‘I can’t afford to do that.’

I pushed away my weakness and summoned the team leaders for a command meeting.

“Karla, Kaiislan, Jun, Akuraba. First of all, I owe you all an apology.”

“…?”

“I thought we’d be able to hide here until the floor closed, but I was wrong.”

My sudden apology seemed to catch them off guard. They looked confused at first, but one by one, they offered words of reassurance.

“I don’t think there’s anything to apologize for.”

“Indeed. Considering the pursuit force, staying back for reinforcements wouldn’t have worked either. We wouldn’t have lasted a day.”

“If it weren’t for you, even more people would have died.”

“To be honest, I was relieved that I wasn’t the commander when this situation unfolded. As I said earlier, a commander is someone who must never falter…”

Oh, hearing that makes me feel a bit lighter.

Lately, I’ve been tormented by such thoughts.

Maybe we should have stayed at Deadwood and waited for the rescue team.

Perhaps we should have headed south, risking heavy casualties to escape enemy territory.

And…

Is everyone going to die because of my wrong decisions?

Thud—

It’s like carrying a mountain-sized boulder on my chest.

But even so, I can’t shy away from what needs to be done.

Even if it means that an even heavier burden weighs upon me.

“Ahem.”

“You seem embarrassed.”

What are they saying?

Tap, tap.

I patted my knees and spoke to the team leaders.

“Anyway, the reason I called you here is to hear your opinions.”

“By the looks of it, you seem to have already made up your mind.”

Well, that’s true.

Even so, I couldn’t just make the decision on my own without consulting them first.

Therefore…

“As you all know, we probably won’t be able to hold out for long even if we hide here.”

I laid some groundwork before getting to the main point.

“If we don’t keep moving, we’ll soon be caught and surrounded.”

Like a shark that can only breathe by moving forward.

If we complacently stop, it’s game over at that moment.

Once they fully surround us, our exhausted forces won’t be able to break through.

Therefore…

“So, where are you planning to go?”

Seeing the team leaders’ curious expressions, I smacked my lips bitterly.

“From what you’re saying, it seems you have a place in mind.”

Exactly as they said.

I do have a place in mind.

It wasn’t something that came to me after I got here, it was something I had in mind from the planning stage.

Yes, to put it simply, it’s Plan B.

An option I didn’t want to choose unless it was an extremely dire situation.

‘I’m curious. Where are you planning to go in this situation?’

In the end, I voiced that option.

‘We’re going back to Ice Rock.’

A path that’s difficult for us will be difficult for them as well.

Let’s see if they can follow us all the way there.”

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

Chapter 414

62nd day since entering the labyrinth, Dragon’s Depths.

When we were about 30 minutes away from the portal connected to the 8th floor.

「The ring has sensed the character’s destiny.」

The traffic light ring lit up.

“Mister, it’s… it’s a red light!”

So, it’s all negative events ahead.

I thought there would be at least some green mixed in.

Well, that’s disheartening.

‘…What should we do, shouldn’t we turn around now?’

Up until now, whenever the ring glowed red or Sven Parab’s intuition triggered, we immediately changed course to avoid the events.

But…

“Erwin, changing the destination now won’t change anything.”

“That’s… true, but still…”

The surroundings were already engulfed in crimson flames.

Even if we tried to escape to another location, the flames would close in and suffocate us.

There was only one way to escape the fire—go all in and push through it before it’s too late.

“Parab, what is it?”

The goblin beside me, looking embarrassed, hesitated before speaking.

“Um… it just feels safest being next to you, boss…”

“Well… I feel the safest next to you, Captain…”

“Safest,’ huh? It stings a bit, but I’ll let it go.”

After all, he’s been a great help until now.

“So, how do you feel now?”

“I feel suffocated. L-Like entering a burning forest.”

“Is that so? But it’s unusual for you not to say anything. You always wanted to run away to another place at times like this.”

“That’s… I do feel ominous, but I keep thinking this is the right path.”

I see, so that’s how it is.

“We’re almost at the portal. Everyone, pick up your pace!”

Then I kicked into a final sprint.

And after some time passed.

“The portal!”

In the distance, the portal shimmered, scattering multicolored light.

And then…

“……Enemies!”

In the light provided by the portal, we could see the enemies.

A detached unit of about 40 people.

They too were heading toward the portal.

“Those royal bastards!!”

“They really came this way!”

Just as we saw them, they also noticed us and shouted.

Phew, how did they know to come here?

As I wondered that, I saw a familiar face among the enemies.

“You…!!”

The Dragon Slayer, Regal Vargos.

“Yes, I knew you would come this way!”

Just as I know him, he knows a little about me.

Truly, it’s a persistent ill-fated relationship—

“This is where your escape ends!”

What’s he on about? They just got here, too.

Anyone listening would think they’d completely blocked the path.

‘Good thing we picked up the pace’

I praised myself for my judgment twenty minutes earlier.

If we had hesitated even a little when the ring emitted the red light, they would have blocked us by now.

We would have suffered great losses.

“What are you hesitating for? Run!”

Breaking into a full sprint, I pushed my legs to the limit.

The current situation is simple.

Our expedition is heading east toward the portal.

The Dragon Slayer and his friends—in short, the Dragon Slayer Squad—are running north toward the portal.

“Ruuuuuun!!”

Whoever arrives first will have a huge advantage.

But perhaps because they also know that.

The Dragon Slayer Squad also ran desperately, closing the distance to the portal.

But…

‘Good, we’re faster.’

It’s obvious at a glance that we’re closer to the portal.

“What the fuck are you guys doing, attack!”

To somehow keep us in check, the Dragon Slayer Squad began long-range bombardment.

It was a strategy made possible by their numbers.

The ranged attackers would provide suppressive fire while melee fighters tried to secure the portal.

Whoooosh— Boom—!

Ratatatatata.

Phew, this feels like we’re in a real battlefield.

Countless arrows and abilities pour down from the sky like rain.

“What are you doing? Move faster! If you fall behind, it’s over!”

“M-My legs have no strength…!”

“Damn it! Fine, get on my back!”

“But…”

“Just do it!”

I could withstand this kind of area damage and keep moving forward with my body alone, but not everyone in the group was as resilient.

“Gah!”

An arrow struck a squad member, wounding them.

“Hang in there! I’ll heal you soon!”

Another member picked up the wounded and continued on his way.

‘Damn it. At this rate, we’ll lose more people here…’

As I clenched my jaw at that thought.

A shadow with the outline of a woman loomed over us as we ran.

「Erwin Fornacci di Tersia summons [Di Cloe, the Dark Spirit King].」

The strongest summoned creature that earned her the nickname “Blood Spirit Queen.”

The Dark Spirit King, Di Cloe.

Immediately, Dichloé began to pour huge dark spheres onto the enemies.

Boom boom boom boom boom—!

An overwhelming firepower that even Akuraba, known for her burst damage, cannot produce.

However, its duration is short.

When pouring out full power, the available time is about five seconds.

But five seconds was enough.

“Run!!”

“We’re fine here, go in first!”

As the Dragon Slayer Squad faltered to defend against the onslaught, our vanguard began to dive through the portal one by one.

And then…

BOOM!

After casting her final dark sphere, Di Cloe was unsummoned, and Erwin staggered.

“Mister, you’re still here…”

“Would I leave you behind?”

“…No, you wouldn’t.”

“Good work.”

By now, all team members except the two of us had gone up to the eighth floor.

I picked up the exhausted Erwin and quickly ran towards the portal.

And how much time had passed?

“You think I’ll let you go!”

From right behind me, I heard his voice.

Indeed, being agility-based, he’s fast.

When did he get here?

Well, even so, he’s already too late.

Tap.

The light of the portal enveloped me as I slid through it.

[You have entered the eighth floor: Land of Dawn]

When I rolled on the ground and opened my eyes, I saw the team members waiting in front of the portal.

“C-Captain.”

Seeing my face, the team members lowered their weapons, their tension easing considerably.

But only briefly.

“The portal’s glowing!”

Their relief turned to urgency as they raised their weapons again.

Since all of our expedition members had already entered.

It’s obvious who would be coming through the portal now.

‘Huh, I didn’t expect they’d follow us all the way here.’

Are they fearless, or have they just lost their minds?

Either way, there’s no need to be scared.

Why did we run ourselves to death?

“Prepare for battle!”

“Kill anyone who comes through!”

“Th-they’re coming.”

“Kill them…!!”

Blocking the entrance is unbeatable.

Entrance blockers are invincible.

***

I stand in front of the portal.

No, to be precise, I’m guarding it.

Holding a hammer in one hand and a shield in the other.

“……”

Together with team members ready to cast skills and swing their weapons at any moment.

“It’s so quiet that it’s making me anxious instead.”

It’s been over an hour since we blocked the portal.

During that time, the portal spat out enemies only once.

Right after I entered the eighth floor, the Dragon Slayer and his subordinates came in simultaneously.

‘If only we could’ve killed him then.’

We killed eight of his subordinates, but unfortunately, the Dragon got away.

Experiencing entrance-blocking for the first time, he got beaten up and fled back to the seventh floor, abandoning his subordinates and all.

Since then, this stalemate has continued.

It’s like the calm before the storm.

‘They’ll probably try to rush in all at once when they’ve gathered enough troops.

By then, entrance-blocking or not, we won’t be able to defend this place. Well, I never intended to block the entrance forever in the first place.

All I wanted was time to regroup.

Just like this.

“Schuiz, all the injured have recovered.”

“What about food and supplies?”

“We’ve gathered everything we have and need, and loaded them onto the sleds.”

In other words, we can enter Ice Rock anytime we want.

But I decided to push a little more.

“We’ll watch over here, so let everyone rest a bit in turns.”

“…Understood.”

Kaislan began to rotate the troops, giving priority to those in the worst condition, and seeing this, Akuraba approached me.

“We should really get moving. Staying here is dangerous.”

Despite the calm, Akuraba’s expression was grim.

Her gaze kept turning backward, revealing her anxious heart.

It’s obvious what she’s worried about.

“…Schuiz, as you know, we don’t know when they will return.”

Right now, the elites of Noark must be inside the eighth-floor rift.

If they clear the rift and come out, we’ll be surrounded on both sides.

‘But for now, luck is on our side.’

Actually, what I feared most was the possibility that when we entered the eighth floor, those elites would be waiting.

The problem is, we have no idea when they’ll come back…

It’s like lying in the middle of a probability-based instant-kill zone.

If luck turns against us, they’ll emerge right now and drag us into a dead end.

But…

“We’ve been on a forced march for days without proper sleep. If we enter Ice Rock like this, we won’t last long before we’re wiped out.”

There’s no other choice.

Perhaps understanding this, Akuraba agreed and left.

And about twelve hours later.

Whoosh—!

The portal shimmered and spat out a Noark explorer. Poorly equipped and completely unprepared, the explorer was quickly taken down by our side.

“Only one person…?”

“…A scout, perhaps.”

A very Noark-like response.

If the sacrificial pawn dies, it means we’re still blocking the entrance; if not, he can return alive and report.

‘But even Noark wouldn’t keep sending people recklessly.’

After thinking for a moment, I made a decision.

The next scout would likely appear in an hour or three.

If the next scout comes, it would be in one to three hours anyway.

And we’d had just enough time to rest.

“Everyone, pack your gear and suit up!”

Thirteen days remain until the labyrinth closes.

“We’re entering Ice Rock!”

It’s time to head toward the final chapter.

***

Eighth floor, Land of Dawn.

A peaceful place with green meadows and hills.

However, the atmosphere there was far from peaceful.

Because the bodies of the explorers filling the surroundings reeked of blood.

“Say that again. Kael Elvad Jeneger. What did you just say to me?”

“Give it up, Lord Vargos. We have already lost them.”

“What!”

The Dragon Slayer rushed and grabbed his collar, but the man didn’t keep his mouth shut.

“No matter what you do, nothing changes. Following them into Ice Rock without any preparation is suicide.”

“What do you mean! We have several times their numbers; you think we can’t do what they did?”

“You say that because you don’t know Ice Rock. No matter how many people we have, in Ice Rock, numbers only get in the way.”

“……”

“If you’re about to ask whether we can just send an elite team, I’ll tell you in advance: it’s also dangerous. The reason they’ve been running away until now is that enemies were everywhere.”

“You’re saying that if we go by ourselves… we’ll be counterattacked? Is that what you’re saying now?”

“Yes. Especially their leader—he’s a monster—”

Despite the Dragon Slayer’s angry question, Kael responded firmly, only to have his neck grabbed immediately.

“Gurk…!”

“You worthless scum.”

Even as the Dragon Slayer throttled him, Kael kept struggling to explain.

“If… If the commander finds out about this—”

“That damn commander.”

“Gahk—!”

“Between you and me, who do you think the commander would choose? You think he’d kill me for killing you?”

“N-No…”

The blood flow to his head was soon cut off, and Kael’s strangled body went limp. A few more seconds here, and he would surely die.

“Tch.”

The Dragon Slayer threw him to the ground, spitting in disgust.

He was pissed that the man kept climbing up on him, but he couldn’t kill him.

‘Apart from his talkativeness, he’s a useful guy’

And the commander has a soft spot for him.

“Damn it.”

Even after venting his anger, the Dragon Slayer clenched his fist tightly, his rage still hadn’t subsided.

The other subordinates all glared at him, but his mind was cold.

‘…What he said isn’t wrong.’

If numbers weren’t an option, following them like this was dangerous.

If everyone were on his level, it might work, but the so-called elites were barely competent.

The one who was slightly better was that guy who just fainted.

If things went sideways and he had to use his Dragon Speech, his barely-recovered body might collapse, leaving him incapacitated for months.

The commander would raise hell.

It was a situation where losses seemed inevitable.

But…

So I’m just supposed to let that bastard go without doing anything?

The thought alone was infuriating.

It wasn’t just about pride—it came from bitter experience. Looking back, it had been the same in Larkaz’s Maze.

[Do you want to know why you keep losing money every time? You just bet enough to get by each time, even when you need to make a decisive move.]

In an attempt to avoid losses, he gave up things one by one, and eventually, it came to that point. His body was ruined, and because he lost his memory, he had to live as half a cripple for over a year.

And now, he was supposed to just let the root of all this walk away?

The more he calmly organized his thoughts, the more his mind leaned toward not letting it happen.

Because now, it wasn’t simply a matter of revenge.

“He’s someone who became this strong in such a short time.”

What will he be like the next time we meet?

He even destroyed the Eye of the Sky; if he just returns, the royal family will surely grant him a great reward.

If he becomes even stronger here…

Will I be able to defeat him then?

Soon, Regal Vargos made up his mind.

“…I have to do it now.”

He couldn’t give him any more time.

No matter what losses he had to bear, he had to end this ill-fated relationship with him.

That was the wise choice.

Clench.

At the moment he made that decision.

As if the heavens were cheering on his resolve.

Whooshhhh—!

A warm spring breeze blew fiercely, swirling into one place and forming a ring of light.

It could only mean one thing.

“…A rift! A rift is opening!”

The most elite force secretly cultivated by Noark—a group so selective they refused to absorb any essence below Level 4.

There’s even talk within Noark that once they start their full-scale activities, a generational shift will occur even within Orcules…

Lucky bastards born in the right era.

After all, while others clawed their way up from the first floor through grueling effort, these chosen few had been lavished with resources for their so-called potential and empty essence slots.

Well, no matter.

Setting aside his envy, Vargos smirked and stepped forward.

Soon, the portal opened, revealing the raiding party.

They looked worn out, as if they had been through a tough battle.

“You are… Regal Vargos? What brings you here?”

At the raiding party’s question, the Dragon Slayer grinned and answered.

“The Eye of the Sky has been destroyed.”

“…What? The Eye of the Sky?”

“And the ones who broke it fled to Ice Rock over there.”

“But why are we…?”

“The commander’s order is to lead you in pursuit.”

Trial

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

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post

ADPORT6

ADPORT7