Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

The uneasy companionship that started outside the fortress walls.

But even such an uneasy alliance had its clear advantages.

Before the journey even properly began, a treasure trove of information poured out.

"So, where exactly is this place...? Hmm, would you like to see the map we made first?"

Ibaekho had ventured outside # Nоvеlight # the walls much earlier than we did.

Unfortunately, the quality of the map he had made wasn't great. It felt like a map made before the discovery of the American continent.

Well, even if I had made it myself, I doubt it would have been any better.

Anyway.

"...What's this border line here? It looks familiar."

The map, still a work in progress, showed an unfamiliar border line.

It resembled national boundaries on a world map.

"Oh, that marks the terrain matching the Dark Continent on the 7th floor."

...No wonder the shape of the border line felt familiar.

It was the outline of the Dark Continent.

"Isn't it fascinating? In the labyrinth, you can't cross this coast line, but here the land continues beyond it."

Ibaekho's "Isn't it fascinating?" was so convincing that I had no rebuttal.

The jester said the outside world was exactly like the Dark Continent, but that was only partially true.

The Dark Continent lies in the southeast of the continent, and the northern and western parts remain unknown, unexplored lands.

"What's the circular spot marked here?"

"Oh, that? It's an island."

"An island...?"

"There's an island on the 6th floor — you know, the one with a strange, unknown stele in the center."

"You mean Starnels Island?"

"Yeah, that's right. That island and the terrain here are very similar. The monsters that appear there are the same, too."

"Is that so...?"

That was an odd coincidence — or maybe something unsettling.

An island that should be in the middle of the sea is attached to the continent.

Could this be tied to some world secret I don't yet know?

I didn't know, but at least my knowledge was increasing.

"Then this must be the eastern part of the Great Forest."

Ibaekho teased me, saying, "More precisely, the southeast of the Great Forest," but that was a minor detail I let slide.

"So, where are we heading now?"

"Here."

Ibaekho pointed with his finger to a mysterious land outside the Dark Continent.

"You can get most of the materials that guy mentioned over there."

"How long will it take?"

"About half a year on foot."

"...What?"

That meant by the time we returned, a year would have passed.

What kind of nonsense was that?

I frowned and looked at Ibaekho, who smiled playfully.

"Don't worry. We'll use a portal midway. We'll probably get there in under a month."

"Portal...?"

What was he talking about now?

"It's like a military elevator in Rafdonia, connecting specific points."

Literally a new world.

The more I heard about the outside world, the more I felt like a newbie again.

Like starting a brand-new game.

"Well then, let's get moving. We plan to reach the portal by tonight, so stick close."

...Feels like boarding a bus or something.

InDungeon and Stone, 'time' is critical.

Each floor of the labyrinth has a set time before the field closes.

If you don't use time efficiently, naturally, you can't advance to the next floor.

Whoooosh!

In some ways, that's an advantage of minor classes.

Explorers, regardless of position, must build their own 'movement mechanism,' but minor classes often achieve that naturally.

Unlike strength classes.

'Sigh... why am I always the odd one out?'

Boom! Boom!

Running heavily through the forest, waves of 'sage time' kept washing over me.

I still haven't figured out my movement mechanism.

Well, at least my endurance and stamina stats are high enough I don't get tired easily...

Boom! Boom!

But my movement speed lags noticeably behind other classes.

Like this.

Whoooosh!

[Whiiir!]

The wizard GM was already flying quickly using levitation and other magic, and the healer named Jaina summoned a mount to move comfortably.

And...

'...Kind of embarrassing.'

I was struggling at the back, barely keeping up, and I could tell the whole party was moving slower just to accommodate me.

An unspoken act of kindness, I suppose.

"Hahaha! It's fascinating! It's been ages since I've seen someone slower than me!"

...Damn it.

How did this tank class finish his movement mechanism so fast?

Instead of focusing on getting stronger, he just focuses on speed.

Tch.

I clicked my tongue and glanced at the woman comfortably riding the mount in front.

'A contracted demon... so she really is Karui's priest.'

I could tell her class by the mount, but it didn't really matter.

They probably thought it pointless to hide the class fully anyway, so they showed it.

"Phew, at least we made it before dawn."

We arrived at our destination after a late-night journey and took a short break.

"We'll rest here today. There's not enough time to recharge magic fully..."

"No need to change plans. Havelion's here now."

"Oh, that's a relief."

"Havelion, come here. Better to check your mana resonance first for safety."

"Ah? Okay...!"

While everyone rested as they wished, GM was called over by the doom scholar for a strange ritual I couldn't understand.

And then...

"Can we talk for a moment?"

Ibaekho quietly approached and called me aside to a secluded spot.

"Don't you think we're really fate? I never thought I'd be roaming around with you like this."

"..."

"Don't worry, no secrets will slip out!"

Haa...

I sighed and glared at Ibaekho, scanning the surroundings.

There was so much I wanted to say—from the weird way he explained how to get out—but I swallowed it for now.

"But hey, I've been meaning to ask—GM still doesn't know you're a player, right?"

"Right. He has no idea, so he's just acting like this."

"Wow, if he knew your true identity, his expression would be priceless."

Hmm, I'm curious too, but I can't risk checking that.

"Can I ask you something too?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Ibaekho's casual permission gave me the courage to ask the question I'd wanted to.

"The Noark guys came into the city, right? You said it was all to survive."

"Yeah?"

"What exactly does that mean?"

"Oh, that..."

"Since I'm outside anyway, just be honest. Is it because of the ash-colored world?"

I asked, not hiding my frustration.

Ibaekho seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded.

"The ash-colored world... that's a poetic yet fitting phrase."

"Enough with that, just answer."

"It doesn't really matter. It's not that dangerous."

"Not dangerous?"

"Well, anyway... the reason the Noark guys desperately returned to the city is different."

He paused and looked at me.

What the hell was he about to say?

"There's a monster."

"...Huh?"

"A really, really terrifying monster."

He emphasized that so much I couldn't keep up with his explanation.

Giving him a look to explain more, Ibaekho shrugged.

"I don't think it has a fixed habitat. Wherever you go, it shows up. Every time it appears, thousands die without a chance."

"Die...?"

"All we know is this: the more people around, especially those who stay outside the walls longer, the higher the chance it appears."

Hearing that gave me a strange sense of discomfort.

Like knowing something but not quite.

Why was I overwhelmed by this feeling?

While I was thinking about that, Ibaekho asked me—

"Isn't it kind of similar?"

"...?"

"It's just like the Floor Lord—when conditions are met, it appears."

Oh, right.

That was it.

"So it's still dangerous?"

"Yeah, very possible. But what can we do? The way home is already blocked. We're few and only just left the city, so we have to trust that."

Sigh... no matter what I told myself, the anxiety didn't fade.

Because what I hate most is uncertainty.

Like how zero and one are totally different numbers.

Unless the chance is zero percent, probability loses all meaning.

What will happen will happen.

'Maybe I'd be better off not knowing...'

But I believe it's better to know than to be ignorant.

So I grilled him about that 'monster' and heard an unexpected story.

"It's not exactly destructive or overwhelming..."

"Not?"

"It doesn't take damage. Not a single bit."

"...What?"

"Really, literally. Magic, aura, skills—all immune."

The first thought was, does this make any sense?

A monster you can't even touch, no matter the method?

"That's why it's nicknamed the Reaper. The Reaper."

From what I heard, the name suited it well.

Especially since it's a being humans can't resist.

"Really...?"

"How do you feel? Creeped out?"

Hmm.

What to say?

My curiosity was growing almost as much as my fear.

It was instinct as a gamer.

'Hmph, there must be some way to counter it...'

Right?

Even monsters with gimmicks that seem impossible to catch have strategies when you keep hitting their heads.

Well, not in real life.

But thinking that way was as natural as a reflex.

"What would it drop if caught...?"

I muttered that without thinking.

Ibaekho tilted his head, then opened his mouth wide.

"Wow... you really are crazy, aren't you?"

...What?

Where else would you find a barbarian as sane and reliable as me?

"Enough. So what's the deal with that?"

"What?"

I quickly changed the topic.

"You said something about an event happening in a year."

"Oh... that...?"

"We might not be able to return by then, so can you just tell me?"

"No. Because we might return sooner."

Ibaekho cut off my follow-up question bluntly.

But even from that, I could gather some information.

'That's what made him so pissed off.'

When the magic circle was broken, Ibaekho got furious and tried everything to find a way back quickly.

It hinted that the 'event' was connected.

Also...

'He hopes I don't find out the details.'

He probably thinks if I know about the event, I'd interfere or cause problems.

Simply put, it's likely a bad event for me.

"Well then, I'm off!"

No surprise, Ibaekho ran off the moment the conversation got uncomfortable.

And...

"Oh, were you done with that old man?"

"Yeah. Synchronizing resonance doesn't take long."

"I see."

After finishing his work, GM cautiously asked for a private talk.

"Could you spare a moment?"

Alright, this time it's his turn.

Pretending I knew nothing, I followed quietly as GM led me to a secluded spot, turned on voice control, and spoke.

"This may be a rude question, but..."

"Just ask freely."

"What is your relationship with Ibaekho?"

Sigh.How do I even explain this?