Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

After about three meters, the passage opened into a room resembling a control center.

Rectangular glass panels covered the walls, showing real-time status of every location inside the building.

Also...

'There are a lot of controls.'

There were so many buttons and levers it looked like an airplane cockpit.

"Yandel."

Turning at Amelia's call, I saw through one screen the room where our trapped exploration team members were held.

'No wonder I couldn't find it no matter how much I searched.'

The room had no door.

Instead, dozens of rails connected in and out, meaning movement was possible only via rails...

'Now I roughly understand how we were supposed to get to that room.'

You had to board the correct rails and move in the precise order, like solving a puzzle mini-game.

'...There was something similar on the 10th floor's final part.'

That part was truly malicious.

You had to try repeatedly, and failure meant the entire party's destruction.

Honestly, I'd accept that on floors three or four, but on the 10th floor? That's just cruel.

"Luckily, those who were taken out earlier seem to have returned unharmed."

"Huh?"

"The ones dragged out before me. The ones suspected to have turned into magic stones in the underground space. Now they all appear unharmed inside."

"Ah!"

Only then did I carefully look inside the screen and saw that, along with Amelia, all the missing members were standing safely in that room.

"So what now?"

Amelia asked, and I paused to consider.

Countless buttons and levers.

If we operated these well, we might rescue our comrades from here...

"Don't press anything randomly; just stay still."

Since we didn't know what these buttons did, it was risky to try blindly. What if one released poison gas and killed everyone?

"You think I'm that stupid?"

"Just in case I said so. Let's try the one farthest away first."

"...You said don't press randomly?"

"But if we don't try, we won't learn anything, right?"

Amelia and I then carefully examined the control room step-by-step.

We pressed buttons sequentially from the screen showing the comrades' room and the farthest buttons, learning one fact:

Buttons below the screen affect the camera position of that screen.

Realizing this, we became bolder pressing multiple buttons and levers, soon understanding most of their functions.

'Pressing red stops the rails; green restarts them; pulling the left lever reverses the rails...'

Pulling the right lever changed the screen view to control another area. Each button and lever had various uses.

However, the problem was three buttons and levers remained unknown...

'What the hell are those?'

Unlike others attached below the screens, these were alone in the room center, so we couldn't check them lightly.

They looked suspicious.

Judging by my guess, those devices probably affected the entire building...

"If we want to get to that room, the fastest way is to let someone turn into a magic stone and follow it."

Amelia advised, and I chuckled.

Who doesn't know that?

"Absolutely no. It seems life-threatening, and who knows what side effects there might be."

"Then we just keep waiting like now."

Not a bad choice.

The downside is waiting forever for them to come out one by one, but if we stick to this method, everyone can be saved.

Assuming the current state holds.

"Or we can try finding it ourselves."

"Finding it ourselves?"

"Yes."

Checking the underground factory on the screen, over twenty people had gathered there.

If we stopped all rails and had everyone enter the rails to search, this might be faster.

"Besides, we need to find that room first to search it. Something might be hidden there."

"True... We came to explore after all."

"Right, we haven't learned anything yet."

Escaping this temple is easy.

Just exit where I came in.

But what's our purpose here?

We want to escape this miserable basement and return to the city. Yet we have no way to leave Rainbow Island.

"I see, that makes sense."

With agreement, no need to hesitate.

Amelia and I began stopping all rails throughout the building.

Then we went underground, joined the main force, shared discoveries and plans.

One day, two days, three days, four days...

Under Amelia's command, we steadily mapped the tangled rails like an anthill.

"Everyone, take a copy of the map! Updated as of yesterday!"

"We confirmed this route leads back out here, so today we'll check elsewhere."

Everyone worked together, moving cheerfully toward a shared goal.

And now I watched them on the top-floor control room screens.

I came to check after reports of moving rails during exploration...

'What? I thought I turned that off?'

Finding and stopping the problematic rail again wasn't hard.

But then...

Crackle, crackle—

Just as I was about to go back down, all screens suddenly went completely black.

And then...

[May I have a moment to talk?]

A strange voice began from beyond the screens.

An ancient language requesting conversation.

At the same time, a rainbow-colored cluster of light appeared on the central screen.

[Do not worry. I mean no harm.]

With every word, the light cluster stretched and bounced like a rubber ball.

Not an AI or anything.

How should I take this mysterious presence trying to talk beyond the screen?

[Marx, it's been a while. I'm glad to see you're doing well.] Firs@t see@n on M^V4-LEM@P.|+Y&R-.&

While pondering, the mysterious entity greeted someone # Nоvеlight # directly.

"Marx?"

[Could it be... you mean me?]

I tilted my head just as Hamsik cautiously looked at the screen.

[Ah, now I realize you don't know who you are or why you're here. That was your wish.]

[What are you talking about? You know me?]

[Of course.]

At the positive reply, Hamsik grabbed my hair tightly.

He seemed as stunned as I was.

So it was time for a friend to step in.

"I'm glad to meet you, but how about introducing yourself? Who are you?"

[Director of the lab. Call me that if you need a name.]

"Director is too long; just 'Director' is fine."

[Suit yourself.]

I threw a casual remark to feel out the tone, but the reaction was surprisingly mild.

Whoever this was, they truly didn't care about titles.

"Well then, Director, tell us. If you appeared before us, you must have a reason."

Before finding out who the Director was, I asked the purpose. It's what I value most when meeting strangers.

What is this guy's goal?

Sadly, the Director answered evasively.

[Captain Baekin, is he doing well?]

"......Captain Baekin?"

[Even stuck here, I can sense things. You met that friend recently, didn't you?]

Intuitively, I understood who 'Captain Baekin' referred to.

The one who defeated the fearsome Lord Dreadfear and whom we met in a mysterious place.

"......Who exactly are you?"

[A pitiable being blessed and cursed at once. Marx, same as that friend.]

"So you won't tell me anything."

[Don't be impatient. You'll reach the truth someday.]

Oddly, the phrase resembled what Captain Baekin said.

The difference: Baekin spoke uncertainly, but the Director sounded confident.

[But I can give you a clue. Conveniently, Marx, that friend is right beside you.]

"A clue?"

[Before starting, I'll ask first. Marx, do you want to know your past? Remember, you lost your memory by your own request.]

At the Director's question, Hamsik trembled.

But the time was short.

[Yes, I want to know.]

At Hamsik's reply, the light cluster on the screen began moving.

[You are currently in a research facility named Panthelion. It was a secret underground institution operated by the Empire.]

Though Hamsik said he had been here before, I wondered why this story was starting now.

Still, I listened carefully without cutting off.

[The Empire established this lab for one purpose: to create loyal and powerful biological weapons stronger than any soldier.]

[Many mages, scholars, and alchemists gathered to study all knowledge and conduct experiments. Yet, results were always insufficient.]

[This changed when witches appeared. An unprecedented war broke out, and the Empire was under threat.]

[All talent was gathered to the lab, and unprecedented support was given. Most importantly, new test subjects increased.]

[Thousands of monsters, including those created by witches, were brought in daily. Panthelion's research made tremendous progress in a short time.]

The light cluster flickered wildly as if opening eyes.

[One of those test subjects was you, Marx.]

[I... was a test subject...?]

[Yes. You were captured here and underwent harsh experiments until a witch who once favored you attacked with her army.]

[...So I was freed thanks to the witch?]

[No, you weren't freed. You died during the process.]

[You died? Then why am I here?]

[Your death was significant to the witch. It was engraved so deeply it couldn't be erased.]

"No, I don't understand! What does that have to do with me?"

At Hamsik's outburst, the Director replied mechanically.

[You died in the witch's arms, saying that if there were a Land of Dawn, you wished to live there peacefully without memories, reading books.]

That was the entire story the Director told about Hamsik.

Then the Director continued.

[I was in a similar situation. Though I made many mistakes as human, I got a chance to atone with the witch.]

The tone was still flat, but...

[But time changes everything.]

If I wasn't imagining it, the voice seemed different.

[Even you, didn't you finally fail to endure that long time and left there?]

[I only reluctantly did because of this guy—]

Before Hamsik could be overwhelmed, I intervened quickly.

"Enough. So what exactly do you want to say?"

According to my big data, none of these long-winded types were sane.

This guy was the first to appear.

He was probably behind kidnapping my comrades here.

All in all, he was hard to trust...

[I want to propose a deal.]

"A deal...? Go on."

[I will let you leave this place.]

For now, it seemed worth hearing him out.