Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

(I know there is an issue with the chapter titles here. This error is also present in the original.)

Teaming.

It’s a term often used in competitive online games, referring to the act of players who are classified as enemies temporarily forming an alliance.

‘Damn it, teaming here?’

The perspective on teaming varies depending on the game.

Some games consider it a part of the gameplay, while others consider it cheating and actively penalize it.

Of course, intentional teaming is considered cheating in any game, on par with hacking or exploiting bugs. It severely disrupts the game balance and harms the experience of other players…

‘What the hell are the admins doing? Why aren’t they banning these guys?’

I can’t help but complain.

Aren’t Noark and the royal family sworn enemies?

This is complicated.

‘Is picking them off one by one impossible now…?’

Plan A has failed.

Come to think of it, that’s how it always goes.

My plans never go smoothly, even though I don’t usually make optimistic ones.

“Um…”

Marone’s cautious voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

“Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought.”

“It’s okay.”

“So, how many are there from Noark?”

“Six.”

“What’s their composition?”

She doesn’t know their names, but she had seen them fight before.

She gives a brief description of their abilities.

“Um… there’s an ability user who throws black spears, a woman who turns into lightning, and… ah, the bald pugilist…”

And a priest from Karui.

A black mage.

And lastly…

“You’re saying Regal Vagos is there too?”

“Yes, yes…!”

Dragonslayer, Regal Vagos.

I had hoped that he might have died during the [Soul Extraction] phase…

But he somehow managed to survive.

‘…It couldn’t have been easy, even with his body fully recovered. Maybe the Ancient Dragon is weaker than I thought?’

“That’s good news.”

Raviyen murmurs as Marone finishes her report.

“…Huh?”

“We need his heart to cure Penny.”

“Ah…”

I had completely forgotten about that.

It was Penny, the Dragonkin girl, who had cursed Regal Vagos and turned him into a bee. She had paid a heavy price for casting such a powerful curse. Her body’s time had stopped, and she was confined to the Dragon’s Temple. ȐἈＮŎΒĘŝ

“…You just remembered, didn’t you?”

“Sorry, I have a lot on my mind.”

“You should still prioritize it. If you cure Penny, you’ll have the protection of her father.”

“Isn’t your protection enough?”

“I have no authority within the tribe. But my father is different.”

In other words, if I complete this quest, I’ll gain the entire Dragonkin tribe as an ally.

It was a quest I couldn’t miss, even though the outcome was uncertain.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“That’s enough for me. But don’t overdo it. There will be other opportunities. As long as you survive…”

What? I have to kill him to survive.

But I understand her message.

No matter what I do, I shouldn’t forget my priorities.

“Alright, let’s move!”

We continue our journey, setting up detection magic along the way.

They’ll think we’re running away.

I need to lure them to a battlefield of my choosing.

Time passes…

70th day.

Five days until the labyrinth closes.

We find a suitable location and set up camp.

“Everyone, get some rest. This will be our last chance.”

It’s time to prepare for the final battle.

The last time we checked the detection magic, they were munching on jerky.

‘It must be the Rose Knights’ rations.’

I can’t help but feel envious and frustrated.

We’re stuck eating monster meat, while they’re enjoying a proper meal.

Well, at least it’s slowing down their pursuit…

‘But that means time is on their side.’

We’re not going to starve to death.

Thanks to the monster meat.

But we can’t eat our fill since we have to rely on Distortion magic to obtain it.

We’re not dying of hunger, but our bodies are growing weaker.

So we have to finish this before we’re completely exhausted.

“Yandel, come over here! It’s cold!”

Marone calls me over, and I join the other members who are huddled around a campfire.

Teams are meaningless now.

“Ah, meat is best when it’s grilled! Yandel, want some?”

I can’t refuse meat, so I take a piece and start chewing.

I listen to their conversations.

“This will be… our last battle, right?”

A woman hugs her knees, her voice trembling.

Periton Eriabos, a priest from the 5th Team.

She’s from the Heindel Church. She grew up in an orphanage and became a priest. She said she has a husband in the city.

‘She has a child too…’

This is one of the changes that has occurred during the long journey.

We’ve been through hell together, risking our lives countless times, and we’ve learned so much about each other.

"I... I'm going to survive. I can't let my child grow up like me."

Her voice is filled with a desperate determination.

Silence.

Crackle, crackle, crackle.

The only sound is the crackling of the fire.

And then Ashid, the mage from our team, speaks up.

"My wife will be fine without me. She's a strong woman... But... I'm sure she'll cry."

"You're... married? You never mentioned it."

"Well, you never asked, Aldidi."

"Huh...!"

Didi is speechless, and then Puta Rikerburn, the poor bastard who was abandoned here after being promised retirement, speaks up.

"This is depressing."

"...Huh?"

"I'm probably the most insignificant one here."

"...Suddenly?"

"I'm not married, and I don't have anyone waiting for me in the city. I'm tired of this life, but I'm stuck here. If God had to choose someone to die, it would be me."

"..."

"But... I'm still going to survive. I can't let this miserable life be all there is."

It's like a broken dam.

They're all pouring out their bottled-up emotions, their anxieties and regrets.

"That's a bit hypocritical, coming from the guy who was screaming about giving up."

"Can't you just let it go?"

"Haha! Well, not for free."

But despite the heavy topics, the atmosphere is lighthearted.

We know that some of us won't see tomorrow.

But we still talk about the future.

"Yandel, what are you going to do after this? You're going to get your revenge, right?"

Some talk about revenge.

"I just want to eat a cake..."

Some talk about their simple desires.

"I'm worried about my grandmother..."

Some think about their loved ones and find strength.

"I wish we had some alcohol."

"Me too."

It's the perfect mood for a drink.

And then someone suggests...

"Hey... what if we form a clan when we get back to the city?"

"A clan?"

"We're all connected now. And... we can't all go back to our old lives... If we work together, maybe we can make something of ourselves in the city..."

Our future.

Not just mine, but ours.

"Kala, what was your friend like?"

"Rick...?

"I don't think we talked much."

Not just our stories,

But also the stories of those who couldn't be here with us.

We remember them, we mourn them, and we miss them.

Time passes...

"Yandel..."

Marone's voice is tense.

"The detection magic has been triggered."

We smile wryly and get up.

We extinguish the fire.

"..."

It's time to face the cold, harsh reality.

_______________________

The plan is simple.

Or rather, there is no plan.

We've chosen our battlefield.

And we'll fight to the death.

The survivors will be the victors.

"...They're here."

"How many?"

"Thirteen."

Erwen, who's listening to the ground, gives us the information we need.

But we wait, just in case.

About a minute later.

Thud, thud.

I hear their footsteps.

And then they appear around the corner.

But something's off.

Seven Rose Knights and six from Noark.

Thirteen in total.

'Did they leave the weaker members behind?'

No, that doesn't make sense.

This is a labyrinth, filled with monsters.

'They didn't leave them behind, they abandoned them...'

It's a typical Noark tactic.

"...A dead end?"

The woman leading the group looks at us, her expression puzzled.

They've finally caught up to us, but they seem to sense something is off.

"Did they anticipate our arrival?"

She's quick to analyze the situation, as expected of a seasoned explorer.

Well, it doesn't change anything.

"Kala!"

I shout, and James Kala casts a skill.

「James Kala has cast [Nimble Fingers].」

He can't aim his attack skills because of his blindness penalty, but that's not what we want.

「A skill has been activated within range.」

The ground trembles.

「The trap has been triggered.」

Kaboom!

We hear a loud crash from behind them.

This is a trap room.

One of the random encounters you can find in the ice cave.

"...The path is blocked!"

The trigger condition is skill activation.

And once the trap is activated, the only entrance is sealed with ice until it melts, turning this place into a sealed room.

The Noark explorers are panicked, but the Rose Knights are calm.

Especially the woman who seems to be their leader.

"Why did you choose this location?"

She asks, her voice filled with curiosity.

The answer is simple.

"There's no paradise at the end of the escape route."

"That's a profound statement."

It is.

It's a quote from my favorite author.

"I have a question."

"My name is Six."

"...Huh?"

I wasn't asking for her name.

She doesn't seem to react to my dumbfounded expression and continues.

"What's your question?"

I feel a bit embarrassed, but I decide not to dwell on it.

I ask the question that's been bothering me.

"How did you two groups end up working together?"

The answer comes from an unexpected source.

"Ah, that?"

Regal Vagos, who seems to have recovered somewhat, speaks up.

"They must have realized they needed our help to kill you."

Hmm, that makes sense from the Rose Knights' perspective.

Their mission is their top priority.

But...

"But why would you agree to their offer?"

I look at the bald pugilist and ask.

Regal Vagos might make a foolish decision out of revenge, but he's not the one in charge.

"Don't you realize? You're next."

My words are meant to sow discord between them.

The bald pugilist finally speaks.

"It's a well-known fact that the Rose Knights never break their oaths."

Ah, I see.

I thought oaths were a barbarian thing.

And it's funny that it's 'well-known'. This is the first time I'm hearing about it.

"And besides, we didn't have a choice. We ran out of food while chasing you. We had to join forces to capture you and obtain your supplies."

Now I understand.

How they ended up working together.

"So, are all your questions answered?"

Six, the female leader, asks, as if to end the conversation, and I shake my head.

"No, not yet."

"..."

"Repeles, was it? I have a proposition for you."

The bald guy chuckles.

"Are you trying to recruit us?"

What? How did he know?

I nod.

"Yes. Join our side. We'll provide you with food."

Monster meat, that is.

"...What?"

He's surprised by my offer.

I quickly continue.

"The royal family abandoned us anyway. We're thinking about switching sides, so what do you say?"

"...There's nothing more foolish than trusting the enemy."

"I'll swear an oath if you need one. On my honor as a warrior."

I use our tribal cheat code, just like the Rose Knights did.

"...Are you serious?"

He hesitates, his expression conflicted.

But his hesitation is short-lived.

There's a saboteur.

"Repeles, don't fall for his trickery. He broke his oath once before. He's a deviant who doesn't care about a warrior's honor."

Dragonslayer reveals his past experience of being betrayed by me, and the bald guy hardens his resolve.

"I'll have to decline your offer. We have no way of controlling you in the city anyway."

Hmm, so it's not going to work?

"That's a shame."

"..."

"I guess we have no choice but to kill you all."

I raise my shield, looking at them.

My perspective is a bit lower without [Gigantification], but it doesn't matter.

A barbarian uses his teeth when he has no weapons.

"Erwen!"

As soon as I call her name, Erwen's body flickers.

「Erwen Fornachi di Tersia has cast [Elemental Barbarian].」

She chooses the earth element, considering the abundance of Aura users.

「Fire Resistance increased by 50%.」

「Water Resistance decreased by 50%.」

「Poison Immunity bonus.」

「Blunt weapon attacks gain a bonus to destruction.」

「Physical Resistance greatly increased...」

「...」

Her Physical Resistance skyrockets, activating the 2nd stage of [Evolved Hide] even without [Gigantification].

「Character's Physical Resistance is above 350.」

「Piercing damage received is reduced by 50%.」

Alright, let's do this.

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"

I'm pretty good at brawls.

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