Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

There was no uproar at the announcement that we would spend the rainy season here.

In fact, everyone had probably expected it deep down.

We stayed here until a few days before the rainy season began, conducting investigations. If we wanted to avoid the rainy season, we should have finished the investigation and left long ago.

Perhaps because of the calm atmosphere around?

"I must have asked a foolish question. Lately, I've been so focused on the investigation that my judgment was poor."

The expedition leader apologized with an embarrassed expression.

"That's no reason to apologize. Everyone knows how hard you've worked on the investigation."

I then proceeded with the meeting, checking if there were any objections.

Fortunately, no leaders opposed.

Not because they were crushed by my authority.

Most of the leadership simply did not see the rainy season as a serious threat.

They had already experienced it once.

From Library Island to Chief's Island. The journey began on day three of the rainy season, yet we reached the destination without a single casualty.

"Considering the supplies consumed then, it's best to avoid the rainy ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) season if possible. But if it's unavoidable, there's no reason to flee."

"However, after the rainy season, the mages' strength will be greatly reduced for at least several days. Please take this fully into account."

"Yes. If we have to fight new enemies immediately after the rainy season, the gap left by their weakened state would be huge."

Our discussion had one topic.

Not how to avoid annihilation or flee the rainy season.

But how to minimize damage and get through the rainy season 'well.'

Many opinions and strategies were exchanged on this theme, and Plan A was eventually created.

Still, we were not satisfied with Plan A and continued brainstorming.

Then...

Plan B, Plan C, Plan D...

We kept preparing countermeasures to respond to all possible situations.

It was an advantage of being a group characterized as the king's army.

Mistakes must never happen, so preparing for every eventuality was natural.

Hoo, I wish our clan members would learn this spirit too...

"Alright, that concludes the meeting. Everyone, prepare according to today's discussion."

After several hours, the meeting ended, and everyone busily prepared the plans during the remaining time.

And how much time passed?

Crack!

As if signaling the start of the rainy season, a monster fell from the sky, crashing against the barrier and shattering.

At the same moment...

'Plan C must be scrapped.'

One option was removed from the start.

If Plan A was to erect a barrier on the ship and endure by consuming supplies, Plan C was its complete opposite.

A plan for fleeing when facing overwhelming enemies or trials.

Simply put, it was the escape plan.

Incidentally, Plan C was compatible with Plan D, which involved circling the surrounding waters and arriving here just before the rainy season ended.

Well, whether C or D, it no longer mattered.

Roaaaaar!

With a roaring sound, silver waves surged around the calm zone where we were anchored, connecting the sea and sky.

"What kind of bizarre..."

Even the battle-hardened expedition members were stunned, staring up in awe.

But one by one, they regained composure and realized the seriousness.

"This... now..."

"Isn't this incredibly dangerous?"

The vast sea area where three large warships and one medium ship were anchored and had ample room instantly became a closed space.

No matter how sturdy the warships were, breaking through those surges seemed impossible.

"Calm yourselves and hold your positions! Nothing has changed! As long as you do your role, nothing will go wrong!"

The deputy commander shouted to calm the chaos on my behalf.

'Nothing has changed, huh...'

Likely words spoken to restore order, but even he must know deep down.

It's not that nothing has changed, but that 'not yet.'

Nothing has changed yet.

Only the escape routes have been blocked, but we still have to endure the full seven days of the rainy season.

However...

The surging waves blocking the escape routes.

Is this really the end of the event?

I don't think so.

Though I wasn't overly worried.

During the meeting.

And even now, as the rainy season started.

My goblin intuition did not trigger.

Yeah, so...

"Behel—laaaaaa!!"

I dashed from the commander's seat to the railing and swung my hammer at the monsters climbing onto the ship.

"Count!!"

The deputy commander was shocked to see me join the battlefield but I ignored her. If something special happened, she'd report it.

"Hurry here...! If you go there, Count, who will command?"

Well, I can command from here too.

Commanding amidst the chaos of blood and sweat.

Not an easy task, but something I had always done.

"You can command from here, so just keep reporting the situation!"

Judging it was impossible to stop me, the deputy commander calmed down and did as I wished.

She relayed information without rest:

Casualties.

Supply consumption rates.

Grades and characteristics of appearing monsters, and so forth.

Fortunately, no unusual events had occurred yet.

So I focused more on the battle.

Crack!

As time passed from the start of the rainy season, more monsters climbed the railings.

The grade of monsters increased, and more survived falling from the sky...

"It's shift change, Count!"

As this dragged on, all members, including myself, rotated shifts to conserve stamina.

Mages were the exception.

Though excluded from combat, mages bore the vital task of maintaining the barrier, pouring mana all day.

Most mana was replenished by feeding mana stones into the magic circle, but magic didn't run on stones alone.

One day, two days...

By the third day, two deaths had occurred.

Due to the rainy season's nature, fierce battles were unavoidable early on, so sacrifices were inevitable.

However, none were sidelined due to injury.

If not instant death, our capable healers managed to drag them back from the brink.

'So far... things seem to be going smoothly?'

Contrary to fears of waves surging and abnormal events, the rainy season plan proceeded smoothly.

Two deaths...

Well, unlucky deaths happen even fighting goblins in this line of work.

Though heavy-hearted, as explorers, we had to shake it off and move forward.

'But... is this really the end?'

The peak of the rainy season had passed and was slowly weakening.

Perhaps because of that?

A poison of carelessness began to loosen inside.

We were still wary of unknown variables, but the thought that the rainy season might truly end was growing stronger.

'Surviving the rainy season barehanded outside is an incredibly tough condition...'

Trying to do this with only clan Anavada members without the expedition team would have been madness.

No, even with the same members, without the insanely powerful warships, there would have been countless casualties.

And thinking of that...

'...This difficulty seems about right?'

The more complacent I became, the more vigilant I grew.

Isn't it the same when driving?

Accidents happen more when confidence is moderately high than when a beginner.

But...

Days 3, 4, 5...

Despite passing mid-season, no special event occurred.

That doesn't mean it was easy.

"Casualty in Squad 2."

On day six, one more death occurred.

Compared to the intense early days, things had become much more manageable, but difficulty is always relative.

As the number of monsters decreased, our condition deteriorated.

Due to nonstop fighting in shifts day and night, sleep deprivation pushed fatigue to the max.

"Who's out due to battle exhaustion?"

"Three."

There were even those who could not get up despite healing by the priests because of fatigue.

Maybe that's why...

"Damn it."

Even in our fourth squad, which had no deaths until then, an accident finally happened.

One of the drained mages collapsed, causing the barrier to temporarily fail...

Crack!

Putting aside the serious damage caused by the falling monster...

"Recover the bodies."

One member of the Armin expedition team and two members of the Hext clan died instantly.

"Recall the ships and gather everyone on the first warship."

Eventually, Plan E was invoked.

Monsters wouldn't scatter much, but given the circumstances, there was no choice.

No ship had been destroyed so far anyway.

On days one and two, mana stone consumption was so high that our once abundant supply was running low.

'Enduring the full seven days straight is hell.'

Maybe we underestimated it because there were no casualties previously.

Enduring from day three is different from going nonstop from day one.

But thankfully...

Day seven.

At last, the final day came, and no other event occurred until the hour and minute hands struck exactly.

[00:00]

The rainy season finally ended.

But unlike before, the members did not gather to cheer.

"..."

"..."

Like they had burned themselves out, crew members lay scattered across the monster-bloodstained deck, breathing heavily.

"Is it over...?"

"Even if it's not over, it's fine. I can't move anymore..."

I wanted to say something praising to those who had suffered greatly, but postponed it and looked up at the sky.

'It should be about to start soon.'

Why hadn't anything happened?

That thought surfaced in my mind.

Flash—!

As if to bless those who passed the trials, a brilliant rainbow-colored light covered us.

Beep beep beep— beep beep beep— beep beep beep—!

Mechanical beeping nearby.

Opening my eyes, I saw a flying object gliding in front of the ship's railing.

No, more precisely...

Drrrrrrr—!

A drone hovering in place.

'What now?'

Even in my dazed state, I instinctively gripped my hammer and got up.

Then...

Drrrrrrrrr—!

Perhaps sensing my intent to attack, the drone flew off from the front and disappeared into the jungle.

"Where the hell are we...?"

"Is everyone alright?!"

"Everyone, get into alert formation...!"

Despite extreme exhaustion, the members quickly got up sensing something abnormal.

'Wait, jungle?'

I hurried to the railing and checked around.

We were not at a river mouth.

The warship we were on was set in the midst of a dense jungle with no sound of water.

And then...

"Sir! There's a building! A building over there!"

Elwen, who had climbed the watchtower, pointed somewhere, raising her voice.

"You have to come see this!"

Maybe because the ship was huge?

Though the trees were not small, stepping on the ropes hanging from the sail and climbing up, the view opened wide.

"Over there, over there!"

Looking where Elwen pointed, I saw an artificially constructed building shaped like a diamond pyramid... reminiscent of a temple.

Seeing that immediately reminded me of a place.

One of the fields on the seventh floor of the Dark Continent.

A field where 'machine'-type monsters, rare inside the labyrinth, appeared in abundance.

If I wasn't mistaken.

'Panthelion Ruins.'

The place where we had awakened looked very similar.