Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

A vast circular corridor.

As we kept walking along the path opposite the wall painted with a magic circle, the corridor gradually narrowed.

"Um... I honestly don't care at all about the outside..."

Step, step.

"Why don't you go explore with the other companions, and just head back for today..."

Step, step.

"Th-this is ridiculous! Let me go!"

I thought there was no answer if it went on like this, but the GM's tone, who had been dragged along almost like a kidnap victim, gradually grew harsher.

Ah, of course, from a barbarian's point of view, that was cute too.

Like a chick chirping.

"Yurben Havelion."

I released the arm I was holding and looked at him.

"...Why do you look at me like that?"

"Just give me a little time. After all, meeting like this is fate in a way, isn't it better if we get closer?"

"If it's for social purposes, I can always make time anytime..."

You say you can make time anytime.

But as soon as you get sent back, you lock yourself up in the magic tower and never come out.

"But it's a bit strange."

"Hm?"

"Why are you whining so much to be sent back? You're a wizard, aren't you curious about the outside world?"

"...I only question what I can handle."

That was a pretty impressive principle.

If you want a long and thin life, there's no easier or faster way than to close your eyes and plug your ears.

'...Maybe that's how this guy has survived so long.'

That one sentence made me feel like I understood the GM better.

Not that I'm going to just let him go.

"But help me out a little, huh? At least for Versil's sake."

If you listen quickly, it sounds like begging by using his friendship with Versil, but from the GM's point of view, it sounded like a threat.

"Ahem..."

"I promise. If something dangerous happens, I'll throw myself to stop it. Okay? And it won't take more than a few days; I just want to check and come back."

"If you say it like that..."

When I threw in the carrot, the GM grudgingly nodded.

Okay, that problem was settled now...

"Then, let's keep moving."

After the agreement, we walked along the corridor again.

The corridor, which had been narrowing little by little, stopped narrowing at a certain point, and after walking some more in that state, the corridor gradually widened, revealing a sloped path.

And then...

Swooooosh—!

Going up along the hill, I felt the wind and gradually light seeped in.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but it felt somewhat different from the nature I'd felt in the city.

[Character has entered a forbidden area.]

Having come completely outside, I took a deep breath and slowly glanced around.

Far off, a sunset half-hidden by the mountain range.

A stream dyed red by the sunset.

Birds perched on trees chirping.

And then...

"That must be Rafdonia..."

In the far distance opposite the sunset, a massive fortress wall stood tall.

It was so high and so wide to the side that, like the Great Wall, its end was invisible...

'It's my first time seeing the exterior.'

I had never gone outside the fortress walls while playing the game, so seeing Rafdonia from this angle felt very unfamiliar—

"Havelion, what are you doing now?"

"Just taking a look. I saw some unfamiliar letters I've never seen before..."

Unfamiliar letters?

Tilting my head, we approached the cave entrance we had just exited, and on the smooth wall, there was a scratch mark that looked like it was carved with a knife.

[Was here.]

[Daehan Geona Ibaekho.]

Ha... why am I feeling embarrassed for this?

I almost let out a hollow laugh, but held it back and opened my mouth, pretending not to know.

"...It doesn't look like an ancient language, but it's unusual."

"Yes. It is unusual. It feels somewhat familiar, though..."

The GM didn't seem to know much about Hangul, which is understandable.

I think even I wouldn't recognize a language if I suddenly saw Hebrew or something.

Swish.

While looking at the scribble Ibaekho had left, the GM quietly gave me advice.

"If you plan to leave your name or something, it's better not to. It would be proof that you came outside. The royal family might interpret it as treason."

"...I didn't even think about it."

"That's fortunate then."

Watching the GM nod, I quickly turned my back and wet my lips.

"..."

Why do I suddenly want to leave a mark too?

According to the clown's words, the outside world beyond ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) the fortress walls has a structure similar to the dark continent's 7th floor labyrinth.

Then, where exactly are we now?

I guess I need to find a reference point first...

'If that's the Dragon Mountain Range... then maybe we're near the Great Forest?'

If that's true, we can roughly estimate our location.

The Great Forest is located in the southeast of the dark continent.

And since we seem to be even further east than the Great Forest...

'Maybe this is around the eastern Great Forest?'

Of course, it's all speculation; I can't be sure.

The atmosphere is totally different from the labyrinth, so I'm not sure.

'Anyway, I'll figure that out gradually...'

"So... where to now?"

When the GM asked about the next plan, I answered without hesitation.

"First, toward the city."

"The city... you mean?"

"Why that expression?"

"Honestly, I thought you'd want to head straight into the forest."

Well... honestly, I'm curious about that forest.

But it's risky for just the two of us to go too far, and first, there's something I want to check around the fortress walls.

So...

"Keep using detection magic and follow me. This is an unknown world. Anything could happen."

"Yes. I'll just memorize the coordinates, just in case."

"Oh, good."

Leaving behind the forest that looks peaceful enough to be the Great Forest of the dark continent, we headed east.

And how long had it been?

'This map is ridiculously huge.'

The sunset had completely disappeared beyond the mountain range, and the night sky was full of stars, but we still hadn't reached the fortress walls.

Maybe halfway there?

'I thought we'd get there in a few hours.'

Since we were on high ground and the fortress walls were so tall, this was an odd experience.

Like a mirage?

No matter how far we went, it never felt like we were getting closer.

"Let's stop here for today. We'll spend the night here and move again tomorrow."

Since the fortress walls were no longer visible at night, we prepared to camp here.

If we moved in the wrong direction, it would just waste more time.

"...It's been a long time sleeping in a blanket."

Lying inside the sleeping bag and looking up at the starry night sky, the GM spoke first.

Maybe night made him a bit sentimental?

I can't tell the exact change in mood, but it was clearly the start of the small talk I wanted.

"You used to be an explorer, right?"

"Yes. Though it's been over seven years."

"...Why did you stop exploring?"

"Just... a lot happened. It was also a time when I felt my own limits..."

He summed it up as "a lot happened," so it seemed he didn't want to talk about the details.

Or maybe it was something he couldn't talk about carelessly.

"As soon as I stopped exploring, I locked myself up in the magic tower for seven years..."

I don't know his full story, but I'm not completely ignorant about his past.

I did some background research.

'There must be a reason he became a recluse...'

My intuition says the cause isn't him, but external factors.

The royal family, or maybe Ibaekho.

"Still, lying here like this somehow feels comforting."

"What kind of mood change is that? You hated this place like hell earlier."

"I still hate it. But this one thing is comforting."

"What's that?"

"No one knows I'm here."

Only then did I understand why he said he felt comforted.

He seemed to be under surveillance by the royal family too.

Last time, he was ambushed by Ibaekho right after briefly leaving the magic tower.

The city has more enemies, it seems.

'So I must never say that Ibaekho is outside...'

I carefully avoided saying anything disadvantageous and continued light conversation.

"About lovers...? I've had relationships considering my age, but none ended well."

He wasn't one to be good at romance.

"The sect I first joined? Actually... I don't want to talk about it. Sorry."

Surprisingly, when faced with a lie or an awkward topic, he chose to confront it head-on.

Or maybe that incident is his taboo.

'I'll have to investigate that later.'

The sect he originally belonged to was completely disbanded by some incident, and he founded the current sect afterward.

Unfortunately, detailed records of 'that incident' were hard to find.

Everything was treated as top secret.

All I know is that the incident was related to forbidden magic.

'I'll have to ask Uncle Kyle later; he knows a lot about forbidden magic.'

After that, we talked about trivial things until falling asleep, and through that small talk, I realized something.

Me, Ibaekho, and this guy are similar in many ways.

Neither on the player's side, nor the royal family's, nor Noark's.

The next morning brightened.

"Did you sleep well?"

"My whole body aches."

"Here, drink some water. That should help."

"...What does that have to do with the ache?"

"Don't sweat the small stuff."

We got up, quickly ate, and headed toward the fortress walls.

And then...

"We finally arrived."

"Arrived? No, this is just the beginning."

Around sunset again, we reached near the fortress walls and moved along the outer wall.

It's in even the few historical records.

'Rafdonia, located at the edge of the continent, was a territory relying mainly on trade.'

Which means...

There must be a sea near Rafdonia.

Tap, tap.

A transparent barrier formed along the outer wall that you could feel even if you tapped it.

We followed this all night and reached Districts 10 and 9, which could be called the eastern side of Rafdonia, before dawn.

But...

"It's too dark to see anything. Better to wait till sunrise."

"You must be tired; just rest until then."

The problem started after waking up from that nap.

"Baron...? Wake up! W-what is that...?"

"...Let's get closer first."

After snapping out of sleep, stunned by the distant view, we hurried toward the spot.

And then...

"..."

"..."

Both of us were speechless.

Trying to piece things together as best as we could.

'First.'

There was a sea.

From the cliff at the continent's edge, the sea stretched widely along the ridgeline.

One problem was...

'It was gray.'

The sea was gray.

Not just the sea, but the sky too.

The waves rippling.

The clouds painted in the sky.

Everything beyond the canyon looked like a black-and-white photo, frozen without color.

Staring blankly at the scene, the GM muttered.

"...The world has never really been whole."