Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Three days after the second rainy season.

Day 74 of the expedition.

'About 1 billion stones from the giant island. And about 600 million from before...'

A total of 1.6 billion stones.

Of course, this was the total amount collected by everyone, and my share would be much smaller after distribution...

But thankfully, we had already reached an agreement.

So there was only one thing left to do.

"Everyone, rest! We're not doing anything today!"

I led the exhausted explorers back to the cave.

'Looking back, we were incredibly lucky.'

We had almost finished mapping the giant island.

There were a few caves...

But this was the only one located deep inland.

And for some reason, monsters avoided this area.

It was the perfect safe zone.

And they had found it in that chaotic situation.

'I hope some of that luck rubs off on me.'

I was about to do something that relied heavily on luck, so I felt a lot of pressure.

I wasn't exactly a lucky person.

Or rather...

'My luck is average.'

I had only recently come to that realization.

I used to think I was cursed, having experienced so many misfortunes in my life...

But looking back, I had also experienced incredible luck.

I had survived all those misfortunes.

And most importantly...

"It's about time."

"Bjorn! Good luck!"

I had met good people.

Erwen, my first night stand companion.

Ainar, my trustworthy barbarian comrade.

Raven and Hikurod, who joined me in the Blood Citadel.

Misha, Lotmiller, and Dwalki from Team Misfits.

Back when I had nothing...

Meeting them had been a miracle.

Therefore...

'I shouldn't rely on them.'

Ainar, Misha...

I couldn't rely on their luck.

'I am a lucky person.'

I repeated those words in my mind.

I needed conviction, not doubt.

'I am...'

A lucky person.

As I repeated those words...

"I am..."

...something clicked.

The tension in my jaw and the trembling in my hands disappeared.

It was a moment of enlightenment.

A half-empty glass.

Whether it was half-full or half-empty depended on your perspective.

"I am lucky."

"...Huh?"

"What's that supposed to mean? We haven't even started yet..."

Started?

Everything depended on your mindset.

Just like how the prophecies in the Record Stone always came true.

The moment I made up my mind, the future was already set.

It was an immutable law of the world.

"Hehe..."

But they wouldn't understand, so I just chuckled and said,

"The breeze is refreshing."

I felt a warm energy enveloping me.

Like the universe itself was on my side.

"And the sunlight is warm."

I was filled with conviction.

"What breeze? We're in a cave..."

"Maybe he just wanted to say it's refreshing?"

"But sunlight... in a cave...?"

"Mister... are you okay...?"

I ignored their questions and picked up a magic stone.

And I slowly brought it to the necklace.

There was no need to rush.

'Water is water, wind is wind.'

It was a simple truth.

Swaaaaaaaaaa-!

The future was already set.

「Garpas, the Great Alchemist, senses the power of creation.」

「Creating Stone Bread.」

Let's begin.

_____________________

No. 7777, Garpas's Necklace.

Its effect was simple.

You inserted a magic stone, and it would randomly produce an item.

Bread, water, metal, etc.

Like this.

「Creating Stone Bread.」

Every time you inserted a magic stone, the item displayed in the gem would change.

If you liked the item, you could take it.

I had no use for Stone Bread, so I kept inserting magic stones.

But...

'Why isn't it changing?'

「Creating Stone Bread.」

「Creating Stone Bread.」

「Creating Stone Bread.」

「Creating Stone Brea—.」

Six Stone Breads in a row?

And I had only used 5th-grade or higher magic stones.

'The probability of getting Stone Bread with a 5th-grade or higher magic stone is about 4%.'

And the probability of getting it six times in a row...

"...Cough!"

I almost lost my composure, but I quickly regained control.

The early game gacha was all about stacking pity.

"Bjorn! Are you okay?! You're coughing up blood!"

"...Move. I'm fine."

Doubt was a poison.

A deadly poison that eroded your mind and brought misfortune.

Therefore...

「Creating Stone Bread.」

「Creating Stone Bread.」

「Creating Stone Bread.」

I abandoned all human emotions and mechanically inserted magic stones.

Nine Stone Breads in a row?

It didn't matter.

The outcome was already decided.

「Creating Steel Ingot.」

Probability was just probability.

It would come eventually.

That was all I needed to believe.

"Oh! Bjorn's expression has changed...!"

"I've heard that when he makes that face, he's serious!"

I maintained my composure, ignoring their reactions.

And after a while...

'It's almost time...'

I thought, just as...

「Creating Iron Sword.」

...a proper weapon finally appeared.

It wasn't surprising.

Garpas's Necklace had a hidden rule.

'7,777 magic stones, based on a 9th-grade magic stone.'

About 1.55 million stones.

After inserting that many magic stones, it would produce a 'usable item.'

And...

「Creating Laithium Breastplate.」

...it would repeat every 1.55 million stones.

So I had spent 3.1 million stones to get a Laithium Breastplate?

'Not bad for the early game.'

But it wasn't enough.

I wasn't planning to stop here.

"Huh? Bjorn! Why are you skipping it? It's not even Stone Bread!"

I had to keep going.

If I stopped, I would have to start over.

Amelia intervened, sensing Ainar's impatience.

"Ainar, be quiet. Don't disturb him."

"B-But... I was just curious..."

"Shhh."

"Alright... I won't bother you..."

That's why hierarchy was important.

Ainar had been subdued ever since the incident in the Witch's Cabin.

Anyway, that wasn't important.

「Creating Redwood Longbow.」

A longbow made of 2nd-grade wood.

「Creating Iron Shield.」

A common shield.

After obtaining nine usable items, it was time for the tenth.

Or rather...

After inserting 15.55 million stones.

7,777,777 magic stones.

「Creating No. 9981 Castaway's Vigor Ring.」

A Numbered Item had finally appeared.

But it wasn't a jackpot.

Numbered Items weren't always expensive.

'This one's about 2 million stones...'

It was even less valuable than the Laithium Breastplate.

But it didn't matter.

「Creating Cloud Candy.」

「Creating Training Mana Staff.」

「Creating High-Density Mana Grass.」

「Creating Wyvern Leather Armor.」

「Creating Permanent Magic Imbuement (Light Orb) Scroll…」

Potions, equipment, enhancement materials...

I kept inserting magic stones, skipping the unwanted items.

And then...

"...Huh?"

I froze.

「Creating Mithril Ingot.」

A 6th-grade metal?

And I had just gotten a scroll... so it was a normal gacha pull?

"M-Mithril!"

"A single ingot is worth tens of millions of stones!"

I could stop here and earn tens of millions of stones.

But...

'Damn it.'

Why was I getting good pulls in the early game?

I sighed, suppressing my frustration.

And I continued.

"...Ah!"

"...Huh!"

I heard gasps from behind me.

Don't disturb the gacha, you fools.

'How can mortals understand the mind of a giant?'

And after a while...

After inserting 155.5 million stones.

77,777,777 magic stones.

Swaaaaaaaaaa-!

A red light erupted from the necklace.

「Garpas's power is severely damaged due to excessive mana condensation.」

It meant that this was the last pull.

"Bjorn... are you okay? The necklace looks like it's cracking..."

Okay?

I hadn't even considered the possibility of retreat.

'Let's see what we get.'

I looked inside the gem.

From this point on, single Numbered Items could appear.

If I got a good one, I would stop here.

「Creating No. 535 Arctic Shield.」

A shield I had used a lot when I was building a Shield Barbarian.

'Seriously?'

A shield wasn't bad... but a triple Numbered Item?

'Who's going to use this?'

I skipped it.

It was the most valuable item so far, but the others didn't seem to mind.

They probably didn't recognize it.

Not many people memorized all the Numbered Items.

'Next.'

I inserted another magic stone.

And after a quick glance...

'Next.'

I kept refreshing.

As the pity counter increased, more valuable items appeared.

「Creating No. 2998 Royal Guard Sigil.」

My earrings.

「Creating World Tree Staff.」

A staff made of 6th-grade World Tree wood. Bersil's eyes sparkled.

「Creating 5 Ark Ingots.」

Five 6th-grade Ark Ingots.

「Creating Elixir of Life.」

A potion from a 9th-floor rift.

「Creating No. 7777 Garpas's Necklace.」

What was I supposed to do with another necklace?

A Matryoshka doll?

Anyway, I skipped them all.

And then...

「Creating Stone Bread.」

I had finally reached the final stage.

It was difficult to calculate the exact amount, since I had inserted so many magic stones...

But I had a feeling.

'About 10 more.'

Ten more magic stones, and I would reach the pity counter.

「Creating Stone Bread.」

1.55 billion stones.

「Creating Stone Bread.」

77,777,777 magic stones.

「Creating Stone Bread.」

Hmm...

「Creating Stone Bread.」

Huh?

「Creating Stone Bread.」

Wait a minute...

「Creating Stone Bread.」

「Creating Stone Bread.」

「Creating Stone Brea—.」

Nine Stone Breads in a row?

It didn't matter what I got...

Gulp.

But I stopped.

My hands were sweating.

It felt like an omen.

A cosmic sign of my impending doom.

'...No.'

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts.

It was just a phenomenon.

There was no meaning to it.

And besides...

'It could be a good sign.'

I wasn't superstitious, but sometimes, when I was playing games, I would enhance useless equipment first to build up pity.

So...

I inserted another magic stone.

Swaaaaaaaaaa-!

The necklace glowed.

A blinding light.

「Maximum magic stone absorption reached.」

「Warning: The necklace may be destroyed at any time.」

It was all up to luck now.

_____________________

77,777,777 magic stones.

Garpas's Necklace had transformed into a guaranteed gacha.

It had a pity system.

No. 1 to No. 35.

It would produce a top-tier Numbered Item within that range.

So, what would I get?

'Damn it.'

It wasn't easy.

「Creating No. 35 Abyssal Rake.」

The Abyssal Rake was a good item.

A pair of claw-shaped weapons with various effects.

It would be perfect for Amelia.

But...

'I spent 1.5 billion stones, and I got a No. 35?'

It wasn't worth it.

'One more time.'

I inserted another magic stone.

「Creating No. 35 Abyssal Rake.」

Huh?

Why wasn't it changing?

The magic stone had clearly been absorbed...

'...Seriously?'

I calmly accepted the reality.

I had gotten another Abyssal Rake.

Thump, thump, thump, thump—

My heart started racing.

I felt a chill run down my spine.

I slowly picked up another magic stone.

「Warning: The necklace may be destroyed at any time.」

The warning message didn't scare me.

It wouldn't break until the third try.

Don't worry.

It's all part of the process.

My future was bright.

「Creating No. 35 Abyssal Rake.」

"...One more time."

「Creating No. 35 Abyssal Rake.」

"Damn it, are you kidding me?"

I couldn't hold back my frustration anymore.

I had tried to maintain my composure, but it was too much.

My mind raced.

Everything that had happened today felt ominous.

The consecutive Stone Breads.

'Garpas's Necklace.'

The necklace itself had appeared during the gacha.

Maybe it was a sign.

A cosmic message telling me to give up and try again next time.

"...Yandel, are you okay?"

"Ah... Yes... I'm fine."

"You look pale..."

"...I'm fine. I'm lucky."

I forced myself to be positive.

'Four Abyssal Rakes in a row?'

It was just a hurdle.

The sweetest fruit was always beyond the thorns.

'Trust myself.'

I inserted another magic stone with conviction.

「Creating No. 35 Abyssal Rake.」

It's okay.

It hasn't broken yet.

「Creating No. 35 Abyssal Rake.」

It's just a test.

A cosmic prank.

「Creating No. 35 Abyssal Rake.」

...Is it broken?

「Creating No. 35 Abyssal Rake.」

...This is getting dangerous.

Thump, thump, thump, thump—

My heart pounded.

「Creating No. 35 Abyssal Rake.」

I gave up.

"...Ainar?"

Ainar Frenelin.

The barbarian warrior who always seemed to have good luck.

"Huh? What is it?"

She had been eating jerky, oblivious to my struggle.

I called her over.

"Um..."

"Huh?"

"Can you... insert a magic stone for me?"

"Oh! Really?! I've been wanting to try!"

Thankfully, she readily agreed and rushed over.

And...

「Creating No. 3 Aegis Barrier.」

I had a new realization.

"...Oh? A shield. Is that okay?"

"..."

I should have let her do this from the beginning.