Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

"Here, here we are......"

"Kaislan, are you coming to?"

The one who regained consciousness still looked dazed as if dreaming, but after I slapped his cheek once, he fully woke up.

"Ahhh......!"

Yeah, this works instantly in many ways.

"Yandel......! I'm glad you're safe!"

Honestly, it was touching to see him relieved as soon as he regained consciousness and saw me.

But......

"You're the commander."

"Heh, commander. I'm glad you're safe."

"Can you stand up?"

After exchanging a bit of banter, I helped Kaislan up. Then I shared all the information we'd gathered so far and asked if he had any new details.

"...I don't really know. Unlike Miss Raven, I can't remember anything."

"Do you usually forget what happened after drinking?"

"...Not really. I'm not one to like drinking that much anyway."

"Well, it seems memory differences vary from person to person."

"No, it might also be due to distance. When everything happened, Lord Kaislan was near the temple where the main force was, unlike me."

"Well, maybe that really is the reason."

Since everything is still just a hypothesis, we need more samples.

So from then on, we kept guarding the rail like gatekeepers, waking comrades as soon as they appeared.

Thanks to that, we learned something.

"Hmm... You vaguely remember, huh? You must have been near the temple then."

Memory seemed unrelated to distance, just an individual difference.

After all, some people vividly remember their dreams, right?

For reference, I'm not good at remembering dreams.

From what the others say, I grind my teeth and talk in my sleep, but when I wake up, I don't remember anything.

"...Are you talking about that prison where we were?"

"Well... I can't really remember. Sorry."

Unfortunately, even those who remembered faintly didn't know where exactly they had been imprisoned.

Therefore......

"At this rate, it should be safe even without me."

After rescuing over ten people and gaining minimal forces, I told my comrades I planned to explore alone.

"Commander, wouldn't it be better to wait a little and move together?"

Kaislan expressed concern, but I couldn't waste any more time.

Though I didn't show it, my insides were burning black even at that moment.

"Well, they said the scout leader who went ahead might be fine—"

"Possibility, right?"

"......?"

"I mean, I don't want to just wait here and hope they'll be safe like that."

"...I misspoke."

"No. Take good care of this place while I'm gone."

Relaxing his expression, I smiled and tapped his shoulder; Kaislan chuckled and saluted me.

"I obey your orders."

Geez, maybe that's how soldiers are?

Even though it looks like a joke, the posture is sharp.

"Raven."

"Yes, speak."

"When more troops gather, investigate the surroundings as far as possible. Ah, but don't force it if conditions don't allow..."

"Pfft, got it. I know what you mean."

"Still, I had to say it. Your safety is priority over some investigation. Understood?"

"Yes. So go ahead."

Phew, I said it clearly, so they wouldn't overdo it.

Exchanging a knowing glance with the reliable Kaislan, I left this damn factory.

Every second counts.

Even thinking that, I never rushed.

Remembering the Korean saying "The more urgent, the more detour," I started by understanding the building's layout.

'The factory runs at the very bottom, and there are four staircases leading down here.'

But there are other routes besides the stairs.

This building has hundreds of rails whose origin is unknown, and all connect to the factory's rails underground.

So I thought about backtracking the rails one by one...

'No, this won't work.'

Seeing the rails branch off dozens of times during backtracking, I gave up. Searching the whole building would be more efficient.

So I started from the underground factory and mapped each floor as I went up...

'Nothing.'

Despite completing 100% of the map, I couldn't find the room where my comrades were trapped.

But I didn't despair.

It probably doesn't really not exist.

It's more likely a hidden room not on the map, and such a room can't be found by simple means.

'Should I go inside the rails and backtrack one by one?'

That thought crossed my mind but I shook my head.

I didn't think I could find a deliberately hidden room this way.

So now, there was only one thing left to do.

"Hamsik, do you remember anything?"

[...If I do, I'll tell you.]

Something hidden.

In other words, I need to find the hidden piece.

Just like when we got that strange iron card by tearing off a stair tile based on Hamsik's memory.

If I search thoroughly, surely something will catch my eye.

'There must be a way to use this card somewhere.'

While wandering the whole building again, inspecting carefully, someone suddenly tapped my shoulder from behind.

"Finally found you, Yandel."

Startled since I didn't feel anyone's presence, I turned and saw an unexpected person.

"...Amelia?"

"Whether inside or outside, I told you to call me Emily."

Her calm words drained the strength from my body for a moment.

"Ha..."

So she's alive.

"What happened? Your body? Are you okay? Did you also turn into that magic stone—?"

"Calm down. I'll explain everything."

"Ah, I see."

As I settled down and started listening, Amelia recounted everything that had happened.

"Unlike the others, I was able to regain consciousness midway."

"What? How?"

"Well, I don't really know either. Maybe one of my essences resisted this kind of attack."

I know more about Amelia than Amelia herself.

Amelia doesn't have mental resistance essences.

But if I had to pick a candidate...

"It's most likely thanks to Twin Hydra's [Dual Dominion]."

[Dual Dominion] is a passive skill splitting the ego into two.

In the game, when linked with skills like [Self Replication], the target gets a higher AI level and skill performance boosts...

'Maybe it had some other unknown effect.'

In Dungeon and Stone, that sometimes happened.

"Oh? This skill blocks that skill?"

These were advanced details you couldn't predict just by reading the description—you had to experience them firsthand.

Anyway, that's not important now...

"Can I continue?"

"Ah, yes. Go ahead."

When she regained consciousness, Amelia was on the rails.

She was moving somewhere, backtracked the rails to escape, and searched the building alone.

Naturally, she found the underground factory...

"Luckily, a few people had already regained consciousness."

That was after I woke Raven and Kaislan.

So after getting briefed, she followed me to find me...

My tension relaxed again and my legs weakened.

Supporting her by the shoulder, I said,

"I'm really glad. You're safe..."

Amelia just looked up at me silently without replying, and I slowly removed my hand from her shoulder.

Or rather, tried to.

Tap.

Her soft hand gently covered mine.

Small and fragile but with deeply calloused skin.

Tap, tap.

She patted my hand soothingly and then firmly gripped it.

And then...

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

A short time passed, and my mind cleared.

'What the...'

Something about this felt strange.

This felt like a couple getting along well.

Since the incident with Misha, I had resolved to treat comrades strictly as comrades, so this vibe was uncomfortable.

So I quickly pulled my hand back.

'Is she... fine with this?'

Amelia's expression didn't change.

She just kept looking at me like that, then—

Pow!

She punched me hard in the stomach.

"Why the hell?"

More shocked by the sudden attack than by pain, I dared not argue when she said,

"I told you to wait."

"......?" Chapter source: My Virtual Library Empire (M|V|L4EMPYR).

"You rushed inside ignoring me completely. This is your punishment."

Ah...

She really can't let debts go unpaid.

"Hmm... Anyway, I'm glad! Glad! I was so worried you might have turned into that magic stone."

Changing the subject, Amelia seemed to think it wasn't the time to nag, so she spoke immediately.

"I heard about the magic stone. It's a very strange place."

"...Yeah, it is. Hey, you said you searched the building too? Did you find anything?"

"I did. About three things."

"Three?"

Really three?

I hurriedly urged her to tell me, and Amelia chuckled.

"One is the exit door. It felt different from a portal, but going through it leads outside the temple."

"That's the place I came in looking for you all. So the second?"

"The second is this staircase area. There was a small groove, and when I looked inside the wall, there was an empty space. Big enough to hide a small item, but unfortunately, nothing was inside."

Ah, that.

But how did she find that?

Hamsik told me to look for it, but she just noticed it passing by?

"What's with that look? Do you know something?"

"I do. I found that before."

"...You?"

I showed Amelia the item I found inside the wall.

"Indeed... that must have been it."

For some reason, Amelia looked convinced as soon as she saw the card.

"Could it be you know what it's for?"

"Not sure yet."

"What? Tell me quickly."

"It's related to the third thing I was going to mention. I found a hidden door but couldn't open it."

"Do you think this is the key?"

"If my guess is right. There was a groove beside the hidden door, and this fits perfectly."

"Hmm, I see."

Arguing about whether it's the key is meaningless.

I just have to try it myself.

"Where is it? Let's go."

"The top floor."

Following Amelia, we arrived at the empty hall on the building's top floor.

I had been here before while making the map, but found nothing.

However...

"This seam on the wall looks unnatural here."

Amelia kindly took me to the wall and explained, but I still didn't get it.

Where exactly is unnatural here?

"When hiding secret doors, they arrange seams like this. It's rare to see seams so visible."

"Really?"

"More importantly, there's a groove here, right? Seeing this convinced me there's a door."

Indeed, on the wall was a small slit just big enough to fit this card.

I hadn't noticed it when searching alone, and even if I saw it, it was thin enough to ignore.

"So... insert it?"

Amelia nodded slightly at my cautious question.

After exchanging a ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) glance, I immediately slid the card into the slit.

Click.

It felt like inserting a card into a vending machine, something caught at the end.

And then...

"What, nothing's—"

"Step back, Yandel."

Dr-r-r-r-rrr-!

After a brief pause, the wall indented and revealed a secret passage.

"...It really was there."

Exchanging a glance with Amelia, we cautiously stepped into the passage.