Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Day 63 of the expedition, 3:00 PM.

We arrived at the human island a day before the rainy season, giving ourselves plenty of time. I had originally planned to hunt monsters on the island during our downtime, but we changed our plans and entered the village immediately.

"…It really is a monster village…"

"Wyte, are you sure about this?"

"The Baron said we should be on our best behavior. Everyone, be careful."

I had briefed them beforehand, but the explorers were still uneasy, looking around nervously at the monsters in the village.

Of course, that only applied to the Hex Clan.

"Monsters who claim to be human…"

"This is… fascinating."

"Haha! I told you! It would be a waste of space if there weren't any intelligent beings in this vast labyrinth!"

The members of the Armin Exploration Team, true explorers at heart, were more curious than afraid.

And the mages were the most enthusiastic.

"We'll be staying here until the rainy season is over, right? I'd like to talk to them."

"…Damn it, I should have studied ancient language more diligently."

"Don't worry. I'll record and translate our conversations. This is an unprecedented discovery!"

Right, the natives of the human island must seem like aliens to them.

Some would be afraid, while others would be curious.

"I'll go alone from here. You can all go back to the house and rest. Emily, can you lead them?"

"No problem."

I left my companions at the Elder's house and went to the Elder's residence alone.

"I'm glad you're back safe and sound."

"Were you worried?"

"Of course. You're the first explorers we've met in a long time."

His voice was still devoid of emotion.

It felt like talking to a machine.

The monsters who were friends with Ainar seemed to have normal emotions.

"Anyway…"

The Elder started a new topic.

"You have more companions now. What happened?"

He must have heard about it from the villagers.

"It seems like time flows normally outside, even when we're here."

"So more explorers entered this floor?"

"Yes."

I nodded and then asked,

"You don't seem surprised."

"You've already proven that time flows outside."

Well, that was true.

But now that I thought about it…

[It's a pleasure to meet you. You must be an explorer from Lafdonia.]

The day I first met the Elder on this island…

[How much time has passed outside?]

…he had asked me that question. And it was a question he could only ask if he already knew that time was flowing outside.

'The more I think about it, the more suspicious he seems…'

But I kept my suspicions to myself.

I needed his help and his knowledge.

And if he was hiding something, he wouldn't tell me the truth anyway.

"So, what's been happening outside?"

The Elder asked, and I gave him a brief summary of the events that had transpired.

Exploring the tree island, meeting the explorers on the rocky island, rescuing the explorers on the giant island, finding the portal stone in the cave…

And the giant we had seen before leaving the giant island.

"…You've accomplished a lot in such a short time."

He said that and then asked,

"Why did you suddenly go back to the rocky island?"

I had anticipated that question.

I hadn't mentioned the evil spirits in my story, so there was a gap in my explanation.

"I realized that time was flowing outside after thinking about your story. So I went back, just in case. And we had reached a dead end on the tree island."

"Hmm… I see."

He seemed to accept my excuse without question.

"So what's happening outside?"

I gave him a brief summary of the events.

"It seems like the hidden area is the key to escaping this place. What are your plans?"

"About that…"

I decided to mention something first.

"We had a deal. You would help us with our exploration, and we would share our findings with you."

"That's correct."

He didn't seem to understand why I had brought it up.

Well, he wasn't getting a free ride.

I grinned.

"I need your help."

The first step of the escape plan.

"My help…?"

We needed to get stronger.

______________________

I had realized the need for a power boost after leaving the giant island. After all, we had seen that colossal giant.

'Judging by the difficulty curve… we should assume that there are similar monsters on the library island and the tree island.'

Well, it was just a theory.

But that giant was definitely the boss of the island.

The portal stone had been found there.

And based on my experience with [Dungeon and Stone], that giant was probably the key to escaping this floor.

But…

"I need time to think about it."

The Elder's response was lukewarm, even though he must be desperate to leave this place.

"The rainy season starts tomorrow. Give me your answer before then."

"Alright."

So this issue was on hold for now.

We talked about less important matters.

"You must be cramped in that one house. I'll find you a new place to stay by tomorrow."

"It's fine. We're used to sleeping on the ground."

"That's good."

"Where did they go?"

"The Silver Lion Clan? They left the island after you did. And they haven't returned yet."

Hmm… really?

The rainy season was about to start.

'Did they go to a dangerous island and get wiped out?'

It was a plausible scenario, considering their level.

Even we were short on manpower and had to actively recruit more members.

"I'll wait for them, but I'll close the village gates as soon as the rainy season starts."

"That's only natural."

Maybe they were on their way back.

I decided to stop worrying about them for now.

"Anything else?"

"No. Let me know your decision tomorrow."

"Alright."

I returned to my teammates. The house was packed, like a refugee camp.

Well, we had gone from seven members to thirty-nine.

"Hex, Mul. Just endure it for a little longer. The Elder will find us a new place to stay tomorrow."

"That's good to hear."

Wyte Hex, whose top priority was survival, seemed relieved, but Mul Armin was different.

"Lodging isn't a problem… but… I heard about the Elder…"

"What about him?"

"Is it true that he's Cornelius Brugrid, the Dragon Knight?"

"…Who told you that?"

Mul flinched and looked at Ainar, who avoided my gaze.

"Haa…"

It was my fault.

I hadn't explicitly told them to keep it a secret. Ainar wouldn't have said anything otherwise.

I sighed, and Mul, sensing the awkward atmosphere, quickly spoke up.

"I apologize for asking such a question…"

"It's fine. It's not a secret anyway. To answer your question… it's only half true."

"Half…?"

"Yes. He claims to be Cornelius Brugrid, but there's no proof."

"I see…"

I decided to ask for Mul's opinion. He had spent his entire life searching for the secrets of the labyrinth.

He might know something.

"Mul, what do you think? Is his claim credible?"

"Well… I haven't met him in person, so I can't be sure. But if it's true, there's one thing that bothers me."

"What is it?"

"He's immortal. He's been living in a monster's body for a long time."

"So?"

"There aren't many records about the Last Sage's companions. I used to collect them, because I was curious about their stories—"

"Just get to the point."

"I once found a document about Brugrid at an antique market."

"What did it say?"

"Before I tell you, I have to make one thing clear. I confirmed that the document was from that era, but I couldn't verify its authenticity."

Seriously, just get to the point.

"I understand. Just tell me what it said."

I asked again, and Mul Armin spoke cautiously.

"It said that Cornelius Brugrid, the Dragon Knight, was obsessed with immortality. And that he often clashed with the Last Sage because of it."

It was an unverified anecdote from ancient times.

But…

"Immortality…"

…it made me feel uneasy.

______________________

Day 64, 9:00 PM.

The Elder visited us.

He had two reasons for his visit.

First, he had prepared new lodgings for us. The house we had been staying in was too small for our growing numbers.

And second…

"I've decided to accept your proposal."

…he had finally made up his mind.

I had felt uneasy about him after hearing the story about his obsession with immortality, but I didn't mention it.

It wasn't wise to antagonize him right now.

I would accept his help first and then investigate him later.

"The warriors are ready."

We went outside with the village warriors.

The Elder had mobilized his entire army.

There was a simple reason.

The first basement floor, the Archives…

It was too difficult for us to clear at our current level.

We needed to get stronger.

And strength came from adversity.

"We have about two hours left. Let me know if you change your mind. There's no point in facing a disaster head-on."

"I won't change my mind."

I refused to back down despite his attempt to persuade me.

And after a while…

"……."

As we waited, a small army of almost 300 explorers and monster warriors…

The time finally came.

[Wooom!]

[Gero, gero, gerok…!!]

[Woof! Woof! Grrrr!]

A chorus of monster howls echoed from the sky.

Crack!

Monsters rained down from above, disintegrating into light as they hit the ground.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

The surviving monsters, their bodies mangled, charged towards us.

And the explorers and monster warriors, their weapons drawn, met them head-on.

And…

'A disaster? This is a blessing.'

I raised my shield and roared.

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"

The rainy season.

A disaster where monsters rained down from the sky.

But it was exactly what I had hoped for.

「Lytoure Talisman Mage slain. EXP +4」

「Werewolf slain.」

「Wall Mole slain.」

「Akeltas slain. EXP +5」

「Subterranean Earth Dragon slain. EXP +4」

「Iron Troll slain.」

「Orc Warrior slain.」

「Island Guardian slain…」

「….」

「….」

Monsters that rarely appeared outside of rifts and hidden fields were raining down from the sky.

「Character has leveled up.」

「Soul Power increased by +30.」

「Maximum number of absorbable essences increased by +1.」

It was a leveling bonanza.