Surviving The Game as a Barbarian (Novel) Chapter 394, 395, 396

   

C394, 395, 396

Chapter 394: Captain Barbarian (4)

The reason I chose to fight all four of them at once was simple.

Even if I defeated them all in a 1v1 tournament, they wouldn't be convinced.

This was the only way to make them acknowledge me.

To dangle a piece of meat they couldn't resist.

"I'll say this beforehand, if I lose, I'll give up the commander position without any complaints."

An opportunity to eliminate a competitor from the stage.

"But why is everyone so quiet? Are you all lacking the confidence to win even against one person?"

My provocation finally elicited a response.

"I agree."

"What? Even if he's strong, we wouldn't go that far—"

"He's offering to step down if he loses. Why would we object?"

"Senior Akuraba is right."

The Vice-Captain agreed with the dwarf woman, creating a consensus.

The knight reluctantly nodded, and the paladin silently agreed.

They knew it too.

It might seem ridiculous to outsiders, but this was a chance to eliminate a competitor with minimal effort.

"Lihen Schuitz, was it?"

"What?"

"You'll have to keep your promise."

"Of course. If I lose, I'll gladly serve under one of you. But—"

"You want to hear our promise as well? Fine. If you somehow defeat all of us, you'll get what you want."

I made sure to get their confirmation, and the verbal contract was sealed.

It wasn't in writing, but we had a reliable witness.

"Then it's settled. Marquis, do you have a suitable location?"

"Of course."

The Marquis, without a hint of worry, readily offered us the use of his mansion's training grounds.

He probably wasn't completely trusting me.

He must have calculated that even if I lost, he could use it to his advantage.

For example, he could use it as an excuse to control me.

"We'll be waiting outside."

We went to the training grounds and I equipped myself.

「Character has equipped Adamantium Large Battle Shield.」

「Total item level increased by +1,750.」

First, the shield I had repurchased with a hefty sum after returning from the past.

「Character has equipped Steel Breastplate.」

「Total item level increased by +150.」

「Character has equipped Steel Greaves.」

「Total item level increased by +75.」

「Character has equipped War Boots.」

「Total item level increased by +45.」

The cheap equipment I had to settle for back then because of my lack of funds.

Now that I had money, I could upgrade them all to Adamantium.

「Character has equipped No. 87 Kraul's Demon Crusher.」

「Total item level increased by +4,800.」

I fully equipped myself and stepped onto the training grounds.

The four challengers soon appeared.

"It's strange. I feel more comfortable in this than in my everyday clothes."

"It's because your body has adapted. You spend more time wearing this, after all."

Their equipment looked expensive.

But even with proper maintenance, there were signs of wear and tear, especially around the joints.

I observed their equipment carefully.

'They're even wearing all their accessories... They came prepared.'

I had expected them to bring their equipment, but I didn't expect them to be this thorough.

"He's... not what I expected."

"The Blood Spirit Marquis's man... did she not even buy him decent armor?"

"Lihen Schuitz, are you really going to fight in that?"

They looked at my cheap steel armor with a mixture of disdain and curiosity.

They must have been surprised.

They hadn't expected the Marquis's chosen representative to be so poorly equipped.

"It's fine."

What was steel armor to me?

It wouldn't make a difference in this fight.

Well, their gazes did make me feel a bit self-conscious...

But it didn't matter.

"Come at me."

After all, the one who gets their head smashed would be the most embarrassed.

______________________

They say a battle between masters is decided in an instant.

But I disagree.

That might be true for agile damage dealers... but I'm a tank.

My true strength lies in endurance.

But...

The beginning, at least, was similar to the legendary battles I had imagined.

"..."

Silence fell over the training grounds.

We sized each other up, the distance between us shrinking.

Our eyes met, the tension thickening.

My muscles, honed by countless battles, tensed, ready to unleash their full power.

And...

Swoosh.

My senses, sharpened by experience, detected the first movement.

One of the challenges of a multi-opponent fight is the sheer number of things to be aware of.

So...

"What are you waiting for?"

I used their hesitation to my advantage.

I charged forward the moment they were about to answer.

My first target was the knight, who was standing at the front, his stance aggressive.

"...!"

He flinched, caught off guard.

He seemed offended that he was the first target.

Whoosh!

A seasoned knight's aura enveloped his blade, and he swung it at me.

The aura that had sliced through countless armored explorers in the labyrinth and the city.

「Character has cast [Iron Fortress].」

「[Evolved Hide] effect is increased by 1.5 times.」

I raised my shield and blocked the attack.

Clang!

The blade was deflected, and the knight's eyes widened in surprise.

But he quickly regained his composure, as expected of a veteran.

Whiiiiish!

He used the recoil to spin in midair and swung his sword again.

This time, he aimed for my lower body, a difficult angle to block with a shield.

He was targeting my calves, protected by steel greaves.

'Does he think Adamantium is the problem?'

He was quick to analyze the situation.

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

Clang!

My steel armor was unscathed.

And...

"Ugh!"

I kicked him in the jaw.

Boom!

He was launched into the air.

It was the perfect angle for a hammer swing—

「Jun Arsene has cast [Light of Protection].」

Damn it.

Kwaaang!

A divine spell activated, creating a translucent barrier that blocked my hammer.

The knight retreated, using the opportunity to create distance.

"How...?"

He looked confused, unable to comprehend the situation.

Why wasn't his aura working?

'Does he think steel armor can block aura?'

Well, it's true that the quality of the armor matters...

"His equipment is ordinary."

"Then it must be his abilities."

That's right.

[Unification] granted my equipment additional Physical Resistance, and both [Evolved Hide] and [Iron Hide] were active.

Well, my steel armor was scratched, while the Adamantium shield was unscathed...

"He blocked aura with steel armor... He's not just bluffing."

The dwarf and the Vice-Captain exchanged words, observing the situation from a distance.

"Kala, try attacking him with an arrow."

The Vice-Captain, dressed in dragon leather armor, drew his bow at the dwarf's command.

Did they already figure out my sword resistance?

「James Kala has cast [Piercing Light].」

Light gathered at the arrowhead, and I quickly retreated behind my shield.

It was too fast to block with my eyes.

Whoosh!

The arrow shot forward.

I had blocked it in time, so I was unharmed.

But...

"The arrowhead is embedded."

The dwarf pointed out, her voice filled with surprise.

The arrowhead had pierced through my Adamantium shield.

This was bad.

My trump card was exposed.

"He's immune to swords."

Damn, they were quick to figure it out.

I was about to change my strategy when...

Kwaaang!

The paladin, who had been standing still, charged at me, blocking my path.

He was wielding a mace and a shield, the classic tank combo.

Kwaaang!

He slammed his shield into me, trying to push me back.

Creeeak.

He was strong, but I held my ground.

「Jun Arsene has cast [Divine Release].」

「Jun Arsene has cast [Surging Strength].」

「Jun Arsene has cast [Sun's Blessing].」

The paladin, true to his class, started casting divine spells, his body glowing with a white aura.

And...

"You are strong."

He stopped pushing and complimented me.

Damn it, that was annoying.

But I had reached my desired distance.

「Character has cast [Transcendence].」

「Character has cast [Eye of the Storm].」

My signature grab skill, perfect for PvP.

It had a range of 20 meters, but I had deliberately closed the distance.

The shorter the range, the harder it is to react.

Whiiiiiish!

A powerful whirlwind erupted.

"Ugh...!"

My target was the Vice-Captain in the back.

It's always best to eliminate the ranged attackers first in a multi-opponent fight.

And...

'I want to rip that dragon leather armor off him.'

Dragon leather armor had high magic resistance, but it was weak to physical attacks.

One hit would be enough to cripple him.

「Character has cast [Gigantification].」

「Character's size increases, and physical stats and threat level increase proportionally to the size.」

I activated my trump card and pushed the paladin back with my increased strength.

And...

Tadat.

I leaped towards the Vice-Captain, who was being pulled towards me by the whirlwind.

[Gigantification] increased my reach, so I swung my hammer before he could even react.

「Jun Arsene has cast [Light of Protection].」

The paladin tried to block my attack with the same divine spell...

「Character has used a transformation-type ability.」

「[Primordial Cell] effect reduces the Soul Power consumption of the skill by half, and the highest stat is increased by 1.5 times.」

...but the outcome was different this time.

He had tried to block a normal attack before, but this time...

「Character has cast [Swing].」

「Blunt weapon damage is greatly increased proportionally to Strength.」

It was my only attack skill, [Swing].

Crack!

The hammer shattered the barrier like a pane of glass.

Kwagic!

The Vice-Captain's forehead exploded, splattering blood everywhere.

One knight, one tank.

And even Titana Akuraba, the 9th-floor explorer, couldn't stop me.

"..."

I counted silently in the uncomfortable silence.

"One down."

Three left.

______________________

Four high-level explorers.

Well, one of them was a knight, so should I count him out?

'This is where it gets real.'

I had easily eliminated one of them, but I wasn't getting complacent.

It was just a first-mover advantage.

"..."

The situation was a bit awkward.

The Vice-Captain, who had boasted about the importance of information, was the first to be eliminated because of his lack of information.

'Well, he's not completely out yet.'

[Dungeon and Stone] allowed you to revive fallen companions as long as they weren't dead.

「Jun Arsene has cast [Healing Touch].」

A white aura flowed from the paladin's body, enveloping the unconscious Vice-Captain.

I couldn't interrupt their healing.

He would eventually recover.

But...

'I can't let this drag on.'

I had to finish this before he could rejoin the fight.

I couldn't afford to let him recover and use his full power.

"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"

I roared and charged forward.

Kwaaang!

The paladin blocked my path.

Whoosh!

The knight, who had been knocked back earlier, attacked from behind, wielding a blunt weapon.

He had swapped his sword for a blunt weapon.

It was strange to see a knight using a non-aura weapon...

But that was a testament to his skill.

He was adapting to the situation.

Kwaaang!

The weapon slammed into my shoulder.

The impact wasn't that strong.

But a searing heat spread through my body.

'What kind of weapon is that?'

No. 761 Roam's Blast Furnace Hammer.

A Triple Numbered Item.

It added fire penetration damage proportional to your physical strength.

Thankfully, my fire resistance was high enough to endure it for now.

"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"

I activated [Wild Release], my Strength surging.

I kicked the paladin back—

'What? Why isn't he moving?'

My instincts, honed by years of gaming, knew the answer.

「Jun Arsene has cast [Divine Avatar].」

He had activated his trump card.

'This is getting difficult...'

They were no longer holding back.

I couldn't rely on my Strength advantage against the paladin anymore...

「Titana Akuraba has used [No. 1911 Paveler's Broken Pocket Watch].」

And the dwarf joined the fight.

She was a support ability user.

Dwarves relied heavily on Numbered Items, and support ability users were as valuable as warriors.

「Cooldown for all skills is removed for 5 minutes.」

The pocket watch was a Double Numbered Item.

It would normally reduce cooldown by 70%... but it had a special effect for dwarves.

She must have all her core items.

She was a 9th-floor explorer, after all.

So, what was her signature skill again?

「Titana Akuraba has cast [Bloodsucking Spike].」

Ah, that's right.

A 2nd-grade skill with low MP cost, decent damage, and MP drain.

Its only drawback was the long cooldown.

Whiiiiish!

A giant spike shot towards me.

I would have dodged it... but the paladin and the knight were blocking my escape routes.

Kwaaang!

I blocked it with my shield.

It was a physical attack, despite being an ability.

My arm ached, but I could endure it.

The problem was that it left me open.

The paladin and the knight seized the opportunity and attacked.

Kwaaang!

One attack felt like my body was on fire.

Kwaaang!

The other one shattered my bones.

His [Divine Avatar] had doubled his Strength.

'Okay, let's abandon defense.'

I quickly changed my strategy.

If I was going to get hit anyway...

It was better to attack than defend.

Kwaaang!

I blocked the major attacks with my shield and focused on swinging my hammer.

The other three responded by unleashing their full power.

And...

"Wake up and grab your bow!"

The Vice-Captain rejoined the fight.

Kwaaang!

My armor was damaged, and...

Whiiiiish!

Stab!

An arrow pierced my flesh, adding to my injuries.

Whoosh!

The heat from the Blast Furnace Hammer was unbearable.

Kwaaang!

The paladin's mace shattered my bones.

Ah, they were actually shattering and regenerating in real time, right?

Well, it probably was.

But...

"Why... are you smiling?"

I smiled.

I had expected this to be a tough fight.

Whoosh!

I spat out the blood that had pooled in my mouth from biting my tongue.

It wasn't acidic blood anymore...

But it was enough to obscure their vision.

"...That monster."

"I have to admit, you're stronger than me."

The knight finally acknowledged my strength.

"But you can't fight all four of us at once. Give up."

What? Give up?

They were the ones who were exhausted.

And I still had plenty of MP left.

「Character has cast [Soul Dive].」

「Soul Power is regenerated proportionally to the amount consumed.」

My depleted MP was instantly replenished.

The battle continued.

And after a long time...

"Why... won't he fall?"

The knight, who had been urging me to surrender, muttered in disbelief.

"You're like a bottomless well..."

The paladin also seemed confused.

"Stop it. You can't win."

The dwarf, tired of my stubbornness, spoke.

"Let's forget about the agreement. How about we end this here?"

The archer seemed like he just wanted this to be over.

But...

"You're all... so talkative."

I focused on one thing.

"Are you... scared of losing?"

What I could do.

What I had to do.

And...

"Just fall already!"

What I had always done.

「Titana Akuraba has cast [Bloodsucking Spike].」

「James Kala has cast [Piercing Light].」

「Jun Arsene has cast [Healing Touch].」

I endured, and endured, and endured.

And then...

「User does not have enough Soul Power to cast the skill.」

「User does not have enough Soul Power to cast the skill.」

「User does not have enough Divine Power to cast the skill.」

The one who stands last is the strongest.

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

Chapter 395: Captain Barbarian (5)

My head throbbed.

My stomach churned, my lips were parched, and my throat felt dry and scratchy.

But the discomfort was secondary to the question that filled my mind.

'Why am I here?'

James Kala, the Vice-Captain of the Sawtooth Clan, gasped for air as if he had just been resuscitated.

"Huh...!"

He looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling.

A luxurious wooden ceiling with intricate patterns, a dazzling chandelier hanging from it.

As he tried to piece together his fragmented memories, a man's face appeared before him.

"You're awake."

Jun, the paladin from the Tovera Church.

He had thought the paladin was quite handsome when he first saw him—

"Ah...!"

His last memory flashed before his eyes, and James sat up abruptly. He quickly asked the paladin, who had dodged his flailing body just in time,

"What... what happened to the fight?"

The paladin smiled awkwardly.

"You already know, don't you?"

"Then..."

"Yes, we lost. He was truly strong, in many ways."

Unlike the paladin, who seemed indifferent, James couldn't help but sigh.

"Are you having trouble accepting defeat, Sir Kala?"

"That's not... it's just... I don't know what to tell the Alminus Trading Company and the Explorer's Guild. They supported me..."

"Just tell them the truth."

"That we lost to a barbarian after ganging up on him four to one? And that we have to let him be the leader? How can I possibly... Wait, why are you laughing?"

"Ah, my apologies. The word 'barbarian' just struck me as funny."

James realized his mistake.

He shouldn't have spoken ill of the victor.

It must have sounded like he was trying to belittle him, like the despicable people he had often encountered as Vice-Captain.

"You still don't acknowledge him, do you?"

"That's..."

James trailed off and then answered in a bitter tone.

"No, I do."

He meant it.

He had initially been prejudiced against him because of his first impression.

"He's... a clever man."

The paladin nodded in agreement.

"Yes, he is."

"Looking back, we were played from the beginning. We underestimated him. We thought he was just a brute..."

"Indeed. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I didn't expect us to lose. I still have much to learn."

James agreed with the paladin.

If he had investigated him more thoroughly when he first heard the rumors... things might have been different.

"The problem is, I don't know how the others will react. Where are Sir Kaislan and Senior Akuraba?"

"They're in separate rooms. They were unconscious when I last saw them. They were more severely injured than you."

"...I should go see them."

They went to the infirmary.

The priests had already healed their injuries, so they just had to wait for them to regain consciousness.

James sat down and waited, and Titana Akuraba soon opened her eyes.

"You have that look on your face... I guess we lost."

She didn't ask any questions, unlike James.

She just sat there in silence for a while, and then asked where the others were.

"You're awake, Senior Akuraba. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. But... where is he?"

"I don't know. Maybe he's giving us time to recover."

"He wouldn't be that considerate."

Akuraba's blunt words lightened the mood. They chatted for a while, and then Kaislan regained consciousness.

"...What... what happened to him?!"

It was time for a serious discussion.

____________________

"So... we lost."

Kaislan muttered, his voice filled with deep regret and anger.

He clenched his fist.

"I won't accept it."

"You're refusing to accept defeat?"

"No, I'm not that foolish. But losing is one thing, and letting him be the commander is another."

"Are you saying you're going to break the promise you made in front of the Marquis?"

Kaislan flinched at the mention of the Marquis's name, but he didn't back down.

"Would you accept it? Thirty lives! And not just any lives, the most talented individuals in the city! Are we going to entrust their lives to someone who only relies on brute force? I can't stand by and watch, even if it's for the greater good!"

James sighed. He hadn't expected Kaislan to be this stubborn.

"Are you saying you're more qualified than him in every other aspect?"

"Not just me, but all of us. We're better than some unknown barbarian!"

"I see. Then can you explain why?"

"Why? Didn't we have a deep conversation about the ideal leader? No one mentioned strength."

"That's true."

James agreed with the knight.

A leader shouldn't be the strongest, but the one who can wield the strongest.

But...

'It's pointless to argue. We lost, and the Marquis has already made his decision.'

James had already accepted the situation and was thinking about how to minimize the damage.

"I don't think he's less qualified than us."

"...What?!"

"I'm not saying he's the best candidate. But I don't think he's worse than us."

James genuinely meant it.

If they had had time to prepare and fought him seriously from the beginning, the outcome might have been different.

But...

'It's too late now.'

"We lost, and he won. Do you know why?"

The knight glared at him, but James continued.

"Because we lacked information. He knew everything about us. Our essences, our equipment..."

"He just got the information from the Marquis!"

"That's the scary part, isn't it? We didn't even know who we were going to meet, but the Marquis did."

Kaislan didn't respond.

"So you're saying you're okay with him being the leader? You're all going to just accept it?"

James looked at Titana Akuraba.

But...

"I'm not that different."

She didn't agree with the knight.

"...Are you scared of the Marquis?"

"Not really. It's just... I don't think he's worse than us."

"What?!"

Kaislan was dumbfounded.

"I was impressed by his meticulousness."

"Meticulousness...?"

Kaislan seemed offended by the word.

"Yes, meticulousness. He acted like he didn't know anything about us, even though he did. And he provoked us into attacking."

And not just that.

He had also been meticulous in his use of skills during the fight.

He had saved his trump cards until the most opportune moment.

James Kala was a prime example.

He had been the first to fall, leaving the other three to bear the brunt of the attack.

"And his combat instincts are amazing."

"...He's a natural."

They had tried to burn him down, but they were the ones who got caught in the flames.

And he had smiled in satisfaction.

"I thought he was just fighting instinctively, but now I realize he was making calculated decisions."

"Are you saying he was being rational when he smashed Kaislan's head with his hammer after losing an eye?"

"He gained more than he lost. The front line collapsed after that."

James and the paladin exchanged compliments, and Kaislan gritted his teeth.

He couldn't understand them.

'What's wrong with them?'

They were acting like they didn't care about the commander position.

He suspected they might have made a deal with the Marquis behind his back...

But the conversation continued.

"I was most impressed by his determination."

Ha, now it was determination?

Kaislan scoffed, but the paladin continued.

"As Kala said, he wasn't overwhelmingly stronger than us. But he still challenged us."

He had been beaten to a pulp.

His bones were shattered, his insides were cooked, and he even lost an eye.

But he never fell.

He pushed through the flames, spat blood, and swung his hammer even with a dislocated shoulder.

"Can any of you do that?"

"..."

"I'm ashamed to admit it, but I've never seen anyone fight with such unwavering determination."

He hadn't enjoyed the pain.

He must have been suffering.

Anyone would have understood if he had given up.

He was at his limit.

"In that situation, most people would start making excuses. They would try to convince themselves that they had done enough, that it was time to compromise."

But he didn't.

How was that possible?

The paladin, a devout follower of God, attributed it to faith.

"It was his faith. He believed in himself, that he wouldn't fall. That's what allowed him to overcome the trial and achieve victory."

"So you're saying you're okay with him being the commander, Jun?"

The knight asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.

But the paladin answered without hesitation.

"Yes. If I have to follow someone, I would choose him."

"..."

"He'll be the one who stands strong, even when everyone else falls."

It seemed like the paladin was truly smitten.

James and Akuraba were hesitant to object. James was worried about the Marquis's reaction, and Akuraba felt obligated to keep her promise.

"Just accept it. We lost. He didn't even complain when the unconscious Vice-Captain rejoined the fight. That was practically cheating."

"He must have thought we wouldn't be convinced otherwise."

With three of them agreeing, Kaislan couldn't do anything.

'Thankfully, he didn't challenge the result and ask the Marquis for a rematch. Knowing his personality, he wouldn't have allowed it.'

James was relieved that he had avoided a potential conflict.

But there was still one problem.

"I won't say anything more. But remember this, you're making a mistake. As I said, strong discipline and control create a strong group. I doubt he has that kind of leadership."

The knight was stubborn, refusing to acknowledge the victor.

He seemed like the type who would cause trouble at the first opportunity...

And that could be a problem in the labyrinth.

But...

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Ah, it seems like everyone is awake."

The door opened before anyone could answer, and a man entered.

James felt a sense of relief.

"You're all my subordinates now, so speak comfortably."

The man chuckled, even though he had never used honorifics before.

He looked at the knight and tilted his head.

"Hey, knight, why are you glaring at me like that? Did you hit your head too hard?"

It was a surprising sight.

The knight, who had been shouting about the importance of control...

"Answer me. Did you?"

"N-no, sir..."

...was now looking down.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world.

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

Chapter 396: Expedition Force (1)

I stared at the knight, who had been glaring at me, and then changed my expression.

"It seems like I was mistaken."

My softened expression made him sigh in relief, but he still looked confused.

"Ah, I'm glad there's nothing wrong with your head."

I then checked with the other three if they had any objections to me being the leader.

They had all agreed to the bet in front of the Marquis, but you never know.

Additional treatment might be necessary.

But...

"None."

"Same here. That was the bet."

"Since it's settled, please call me if you need anything."

Surprisingly, the other three, except for the knight, didn't object at all.

Were they all so cool-headed?

I thought at least one of them would be greedy, considering their own interests and the political stakes involved.

Well, I'm glad my workload has been reduced.

"It's good to hear that there are no objections. Then I'll be going."

"Yes? Going?"

As I turned to leave, the four of them looked at me with puzzled expressions.

They must have thought we would discuss something now that the leader had been decided...

"I'm hungry."

"...?"

"I'll see you later."

I left the room, ignoring their dumbfounded expressions.

It was a kind of build-up.

I wasn't going to live as Lihen Schuitz forever, and my identity would be revealed in three months anyway.

I had to show them this side of me beforehand so they could understand when the time came.

'He acted like a barbarian, so that's why he was like that.'

"You're back."

I went to the Marquis's office.

I had to report to him before leaving.

"How did it go?"

"It went smoothly. Nothing special happened."

"They all agreed?"

"They didn't have a choice."

"That's... true. If you need anything, let me know."

"I'm counting on you."

That concluded the interim report—

"Ah, and one more thing."

"...?"

"There will be a founding ceremony soon, now that the commander has been decided."

"A founding ceremony?"

"We need a place for everyone to meet and get to know each other before entering the labyrinth. The sponsors who participated in this plan will also want to see you."

"When is it?"

"I'll let you know as soon as the schedule is finalized."

It was a bit ridiculous.

There were only ten days left until the labyrinth opened, and they were planning to hold a founding ceremony and then immediately enter the labyrinth?

This was like trying to cook beans over a lightning strike.

'I wonder why they're in such a hurry.'

I briefly wondered, but the answer was obvious.

'They probably wanted to avoid the 15th, the easiest time for information to leak to Noark.'

They wanted to minimize information exposure.

I asked a few questions about the ceremony, and as expected, they said it wouldn't be a large-scale event with hundreds of people due to security concerns.

"Okay, I understand about the ceremony, but what about my teammates? Will I be able to meet them then?"

"They'll be there. If you want, I can arrange a meeting tomorrow."

"Then please send them to my house tomorrow."

"I'll do that."

The Marquis readily agreed.

Had we finished our conversation?

I was about to wrap things up when the Marquis suddenly brought up a new topic.

"There's one more thing I'd like to ask you."

"What is it?"

"About the bet you made at the dinner..."

The Marquis paused and asked,

"Were you really confident that you could win against all four of them?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I'm curious. You read the documents I prepared, so you must have known their skills. I thought you were confident you could easily defeat them."

"And?"

"But that wasn't the case. Do you know how worried I was?"

I understood what he was asking.

Why did I make such a reckless bet if I was going to barely win?

I decided to be honest.

"You're right, Marquis."

The reason for my victory was the 7th-grade Undead engraving.

The special stat, 'Recovery Power', that increased healing and regeneration efficiency.

Without it, my natural regeneration wouldn't have been enough to endure for so long.

And most importantly...

I might have run out of MP first.

Recovery Power also applied to MP regeneration.

It increased the amount of MP recovered by [Soul Dive].

That's why I thought I could win against them.

But...

"I wasn't completely sure I would win."

Still, I wasn't 100% confident.

After all, that's how battles are.

There are countless examples of people getting knocked out by a lucky punch.

"I don't understand. Why would you make such a reckless bet if you weren't sure?"

"Well, why do you think?"

I shrugged and left the room.

After all...

'If I lost, I was planning to refuse to accept it and demand a rematch.'

You always have to have a backup plan.

_______________________

The next day at lunchtime, the two new teammates arrived at my house.

"You must be Lihen Schuitz. Nice to meet you. I'm Liard Ashid, a 3rd-grade mage from the Rengman School."

A 30-something mage with a friendly face and a surprisingly tall stature for a mage.

And...

"You're young. I'm Gruold Aldidi."

A 60-something ability user who looked much younger than I expected.

"It's nice to meet you both. I'm Lihen Schuitz."

"...Are you from the military?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"You speak so informally."

Was he trying to get some respect by bringing up his age?

I briefly wondered, but didn't dwell on it.

It wasn't important.

"Aldidi, if you came here expecting a typical explorer team, you should leave now. We'll be operating under the military for a while, and that means a strict hierarchy."

It's always best to establish dominance from the start.

My firm words made Gruold Aldidi, or Didi for short, back down.

"Haha, of course not. I was just curious. I've been an explorer for this long, I'm used to working under younger people. It's no big deal."

"That's good to hear. Mage..."

"Liard Ashid. You can call me by my first name or last name, whichever is more comfortable."

"Then I'll call you Ashid. Ashid, do you agree with him?"

"Of course. In our mage society, it's natural to be treated based on your skills. And besides... this is a great opportunity for me."

"Opportunity...?"

"We've already been promised generous rewards just for joining the expedition force. And I heard from the Marquis yesterday... you're the expedition leader, Schuitz?"

Ah, the Marquis had already told them.

"It seems like we've found a good sponsor. We'll have more opportunities to earn achievements if we're on the leader's team. Don't you agree, Aldidi?"

"Hmm, I suppose so..."

Ashid smiled gently and asked, and Didi coughed and nodded.

I looked at them.

'They both seem decent.'

Mage Ashid,

I hadn't talked to him much, but he seemed competent.

Well, most mages were intelligent, but...

Social skills and intelligence are two different things.

'And the old man doesn't seem stubborn.'

Of course, Ashid played a role in that.

He subtly emphasized their subordinate status by mentioning the opportunity and the expedition leader position.

"If you're done with the introductions, would you like to meet the other two?"

Ashid cautiously asked, and I nodded.

Erwen and Amelia introduced themselves.

"I'm Erwen Fornachi di Tersia."

"Emily Raines."

They were surprised when Erwen introduced herself as the Blood Spirit Marquis, but they just tilted their heads when Amelia introduced herself.

But...

'It's good that they didn't ask any unnecessary questions.'

Hmm, it seems like I got lucky with the recruitment.

"Come on in."

I led them inside.

I had ordered a lot of food, anticipating their arrival.

"By the way, I forgot to ask. Have you eaten?"

"We haven't. We thought we might be having lunch together."

"It's better to have an empty stomach when you have important matters to discuss."

Okay, so they're both hungry.

"We don't have much, but eat as much as you want. We can talk while we eat."

We all sat down at the table and started eating and chatting.

"This food is delicious. Who made it?"

"Haha, I did. Thank you."

"No, thank you for the meal."

"Oh my, it's nothing. Ho ho."

Ashid and Erwen's friendly banter lightened the mood.

I just focused on eating.

It wasn't like I had made the food.

I had bought it all from a restaurant this morning.

Ashid's claim wasn't entirely a lie, though.

He had arranged the food on the plates and set the table.

'If Misha were here, she would have insisted on making the food herself...'

I briefly thought of Misha, and then I sighed.

It felt strange to be welcoming new teammates.

'By the way, we haven't discussed their experience yet.'

I actively participated in the conversation and started asking questions.

There wasn't much difference from what I had heard from the Marquis.

"I last entered the labyrinth seven years ago. I was part of a clan for about five years, but it disbanded, so I've been focusing on research at the Mage Tower."

"Why did you decide to come back?"

"Same reason as everyone else."

A better life.

More opportunities.

Those reasons were much more convincing than any strange ideals or beliefs.

"What can you do in the labyrinth?"

"For a mage, it's more important to know what you can't do than what you can."

Ashid smiled and shared his skills.

"I can only use 5th-grade or higher curse magic in a limited capacity. Support and auxiliary magic up to 4th-grade. I can use most other magic, except for those unique to other schools. Ah, I'm also knowledgeable about gathering and materials since I'm interested in the labyrinth."

Ashid was a jack-of-all-trades.

He might be lacking in curse and support magic, but it wasn't a major weakness.

"If you're asking what I'm best at, it would be attack magic."

"What element?"

"I don't think I have any particular preference."

Wow, he's really versatile.

"Is the Rengman School specialized in combat magic?"

"No, it's actually focused on curse magic."

What? That's interesting.

He went to a curse magic school, but his best skill was attack magic?

There must be a story behind it...

"If you don't have any more questions for me, I'd like to hear about Aldidi's skills."

Ashid smoothly passed the turn to Didi before I could ask about his story.

'...Was that intentional?'

Well, even if it was, I didn't mind.

I wasn't planning to pry into his personal life.

"I'm a healer."

Healer was a subcategory of ability users.

Those who mimicked priests' healing abilities were called healers.

Those who could replicate mages' firepower were called spellcasters.

Spellcasters who used poison were poison masters, those who used fire were flame masters.

Those who specialized in buffs were support ability users.

And those who specialized in curses were curse ability users.

It was a common classification system, and it became more detailed and complex as you climbed higher in the labyrinth.

If I were to submit a resume to the guild, I wouldn't write 'barbarian warrior', but 'guardian'.

"A healer... that's a good balance."

Ashid seemed pleased with Didi's profession.

It was understandable.

Erwen's role as an archer was well-known, and Amelia's attire, with her leather armor and daggers, made her profession obvious.

And they had heard about me from the Marquis.

"I mostly have healing abilities, but I also have two support skills."

It meant he had buff-type skills.

Didi then explained his essences and how he used them, and then it was our turn.

Of course, we didn't need to go into detail about our essences since we weren't ability users who needed to coordinate our skills.

We just had to tell them our roles and what we could do.

And Amelia's 'Aura', 'Self-Replication', and Erwen's 'Darkness Spirit' were the only special things we had to mention.

"I think we've covered most of the important information. What are your plans for the future?"

"We should start practicing together. We'll need to coordinate our movements."

"Yes, do you have a training ground you usually go to?"

"I did, but it closed down recently."

"Then I'll find a suitable place. Ah, we'll need to contact each other in writing, so can I get your addresses?"

"Here you go."

This is what it's like to have a competent secretary.

Ashid took care of all the trivial matters, so I didn't have to worry about them.

We started practicing together at the training ground from the next day onwards.

And time flew by...

"Schuitz, the Marquis contacted me."

The day of the founding ceremony had arrived.

'How do they get things done so quickly?'

It was three days before the labyrinth expedition.

Trial

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

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