Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

For thousands of years, it was known that no living creature could survive beyond the city walls due to the witch's curse.

Beyond that, I don't know much either.

On the day the royal army descended underground to annihilate Noark,

a mysterious wizard suddenly appeared, rescuing the Noark forces and helping them escape outside the walls.

And that very day was...

'Year 154 of the Great Renewal, June 2nd.'

Players mixed within the Noark faction first announced the news inside the community, and it quickly spread throughout the city.

However, there are two curious points here.

There are reasonable suspicions of systematic information control.

Even the loose-lipped jester revealed almost no information about beyond the walls in the round table.

Hmm, if I were to pick at least one thing—

[After coming out beyond the city and visiting various places, I realized: although the terrain and structure may differ slightly, this land closely resembles the 7th-floor Dark Continent!]

According to the jester, the continent where the last stronghold Lapdonia stands has terrain very similar to the 7th-floor Dark Continent...

[If that's true, then the hypothesis might also be true.]

[A hypothesis that the labyrinth is not a passage connected to another dimension, but a dimension created by someone?]

[The Crystal Cave, the Rock Desert... maybe they were created based on places that actually existed.]

The round table members voiced various opinions upon hearing this, and some of those guesses turned out to be true.

After all, it was uncovered through direct exploration.

'Most of the places inside the labyrinth were modeled after real locations.'

Having witnessed countless circumstantial and physical evidence during adventures close to exploration, I have no doubt about this premise.

But...

'That makes it all the more strange.'

All ancient continental maps have been lost; no data remains.

However, there are still some records.

[We are one of the few families still insisting on Central Naming conventions.]

[It's natural to feel unfamiliar. Families like ours with blood from the Eastern Continent remaining this strongly are now rare in this city.]

[...It's Southern-Central style naming.]

Among Lapdonia residents, there are still those who remember their ancestors and family history to maintain their identity.

No need to look far; even our barbarians are like that.

According to records, the barbarian race lived fighting monsters in the rugged northern and southern parts of the continent.

However, the problem is...

'They said it took over two years to get from the north to Lapdonia.'

That's the distance conveyed in the records.

Yet in the labyrinth's Dark Continent, it takes only one or two months to cross from end to end.

Then where does this discrepancy come from?

'Well, that's actually the lesser issue.'

The vampire uncle on basement 1 told me,

[There were only humans in that era...?]

There were no other races in ancient times.

And if that is true, all history and records of this world are fabricated.

What on earth is the truth?

What secrets are hidden in this world?

Until now, I just thought I had to do my own work, so I didn't try to uncover much.

But now, the situation has changed.

The Noark bastards have invaded desperately and even occupied one district inside the walls.

The royal family's response is also somehow suspicious.

'...Now I must know.'

I must have the information they have to prepare for the future.

Isn't it the same when playing a game?

If you don't know, you can only get hit unfairly...

"...Yandel?"

"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking."

Ending my thoughts there, I headed back to where the others were.

"Wahaha! Did you see that? My spear is stronger than arrows!!"

"...I pulled it back cautiously because I was worried you'd get hurt! Again! Let's do it again!"

"Huh? Where did you go, sir?"

Alright, let's rest for today.

The day after the welcome party that lasted until late at night,

I woke up near sunset and led three guides to the sewer.

Ah, by the way, the guides were Amelia, Elwen, and Versil...

"Wow... it's really been a while since I was in the sewer. So, sir, why are we here?"

"We came to find something."

"Ah! So that's why you called the three of us!"

Among the Anabada members, Amelia and Elwen are most specialized in searching, and Versil is the only mage.

"May I ask what you are looking for? Knowing that will help me assist actively."

At Versil's question, I honestly revealed the reason we came.

"Today we will search here for a path connected to beyond the city walls."

"Beyond the city walls...?"

I nodded to confirm, and the previously flustered Versil calmed down and asked cautiously.

"...Are you planning to go outside the city walls?"

"Yes. I thought if I go out once, I might be able to judge what is true and what is not."

"Ah..."

"For now, only you three know. Understand?"

Since they weren't people to spread rumors around, I gave a brief warning and continued.

There's no way the hidden path connecting to the outside world would be in the sewers where vagrants hide.

First, we must go deeper in the sewer to the old Noark underground fortress—

Thunk.

Amelia, who led the way, silently signaled to stop.

Elwen also nodded slightly while looking at me, seeming to feel the same.

'Slowly.'

'Step back.'

'This way.'

Following Amelia's signal, we slipped into a side path and hid.

Soon, even my dulled ears sensed footsteps.

Plop, plop—

At least two people were roaming the sewer, and the sounds grew louder.

'Vagrants?'

At first, that's what I thought, but if that were true, Amelia wouldn't have tried to hide.

We waited silently.

Finally, they passed the spot where we hid.

'...Knights?'

Not just ordinary knights.

Two fully armed knights, not belonging to any specific family, bearing the royal crest on their chests.

"Emily, what's going on? Why are those guys roaming the sewers at this hour?"

"Oh, didn't you know? Since that incident a few months ago, guards have intensified, and knights patrol the sewers regularly."

"Now that you mention it, I think I read in the paper. Thanks to that, the number of vagrants living in the sewers has dwindled..."

Hmm, have I been neglecting the news too much lately?

Anyway, I was really surprised by the knights suddenly patrolling.

Like thieves who feel guilty.

I wondered if they had prepared for our arrival by posting patrols.

"Let's keep moving. The patrol here is small and doesn't seem to search thoroughly, so we probably won't get caught."

"...That's a relief."

Although it was unexpected, I wasn't particularly nervous seeing the patrolling knights.

Not just trusting Amelia's stealth skills.

Now it's different from long ago.

If something goes wrong, we can make even two knights blink and forget what they saw.

In fact, if we don't want trouble, they should be more careful than us...

"There's a device here too. Wait a moment."

Arriving at the path to Noark, Amelia squatted by the entrance and fiddled with something.

And then...

"You may enter now. I carefully dismantled it so no trace remains."

Ah, so that was the device.

Like in movies, where they put a small paper in the door gap to check if someone entered.

Step, step.

Going down the stairs, a vast underground space unlike the sewer appeared.

The varying ceiling heights and wall structures made it feel like entering a three-dimensional maze.

'Ah, this is where it was... where I fought that Karui priest.'

What was her name... Elisa?

It was so long ago, around when I had just consumed the Orc Hero Essence, I barely remember.

Anyway.

She was a formidable foe, but with the overall spec increase of team Half-Pint, we were able to defeat her...

'No one from back then is here.'

Should I have brought ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Misha too?

Then I could have chatted while telling that story—

'Ah, wait, Amelia was there too.'

Of course, back then she wasn't an ally, more like an enemy.

Well, she was kind enough(?) to let us all survive after losing the fight.

"Tersia, do you sense anyone's presence?"

"No."

"That's a relief. Same here. It seems they don't patrol past here, so let's speed up."

After increasing our pace, we soon ended the maze section and finally arrived.

"This is Noark...!"

The vast hall was hard to believe was underground.

Versil admired the massive stone gate, much larger than the palace gates.

"Is this your first time coming here, Gouland?"

"It's my first time coming this deep. I participated in the first raid, but as you know, we had to retreat without reaching this far."

"Ah... I heard many died then..."

Hearing their conversation, I suddenly remembered a Canadian player I met in the community.

He was pulled into the community the moment he got a knife in his neck during battle.

'When I return... I promised to give news.'

Funny how, despite forgetting for a while, I still clearly remember the address and words he left.

Maybe because it was so impressive?

"What's wrong? Not coming?"

"Ah, I'll come..."

Lost in old memories for a moment, Amelia quietly opened the side door beside the huge gate.

Versil, who was unfamiliar, tilted his head.

"Huh? Aren't we entering through that door?"

"There's no gatekeeper, so it doesn't matter. Why choose the easier path?"

"...That's true. But was there originally a gatekeeper?"

"There was. Though not famous to Lapdonia, he was one of the strongest in Noark—"

Just as Amelia said this and was about to enter through the side door,

"Hahaha! I appreciate your high opinion of me!!"

Suddenly, a loud hearty laugh erupted from behind.

"...!"

Elwen and Amelia, who didn't sense the presence, turned around in surprise, and so did I.

"I never imagined meeting other guests here, especially such famous people!"

Turning around, I saw a man as sturdy as a barbarian.

His appearance was clearly far from stealthy.

But the reason he approached without a sound was simple.

Because Dungeon and Stone is a team game.

"They say even passing by is fate, so greetings! Former Noark gatekeeper, Rek Aures!"

The man, standing at the frontline tank position, was followed by his comrades, one by one revealing themselves.

"Ah, and these are my comrades..."

'One, two, three, four...'

Five in total.

They outnumbered us, but the qualitative advantage seemed negligible.

Though it seems strange that our team is losing in quality...

Thump-thump!

The world is all relative.

"Huh? Baekho! Why so quiet today? Didn't you say you were close to that Baron Yandel over there?"

...I never thought I'd run into these bastards here.