Surviving the Game as a Barbarian – 404



Episode 404: Dilemma (1)

The yellow light coming out of the traffic light ring means only one thing.

It means that something bad will happen soon but if you overcome it it will eventually lead to a positive outcome.

‘Could it be… is there one more traitor?’

The first thought that came to mind was this.

I didn’t hear about the accomplice during the interrogation but wouldn’t it be possible that there was another spy from another force that he didn’t know about?

It may mean that if you don’t catch him something negative will happen but if you don’t something positive will happen.

‘…Well maybe the light wasn’t turned on because of a spy.’

As I was in a position to take responsibility for the lives of many people I kept the worst possibility in mind but decided not to get too caught up in it.

Because nothing is certain yet.

Just don’t let go of tension and continue to observe your surroundings more carefully.

“The character has entered a special area.”

「Field effect – Glacial snow is granted.」

The day after the execution after clearing the camp we entered a deep pit that seemed to extend all the way to the inner core.

A field with a large cylindrical structure.

It was in the form of going round and round as if taking a spiral staircase on the side road on the outer wall and as it was the final gateway to the 8th floor the level of difficulty was quite high.

The monsters that appear themselves aren’t much stronger than the paths we passed through but…

“The status abnormality [Whisper of Immortality] is granted.”

A vicious curse that resurrects you as an undead when you die and makes you a team kill.

“Status abnormality [deprivation of opportunity] is granted.”

In addition the so-called golden time ‘Countdown’ will also be removed.

“All healing and recovery effects are reversed.”

Crucially this damn debuff is added.

‘…What if natural regeneration also works in reverse?’

Even small wounds never heal here.

No on the contrary it continues to fester and get worse.

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And the speed increases as the character’s natural regeneration power increases.

A place that can literally be seen as a tanker’s grave.

‘How many shield baba were lost here….’

Well I don’t even want to think about it.

I don’t know but hundreds of them must have been burned.

Until I finally figured out the strategy.

“It seems spookier here.”

“Erwen stop chatting and be aware of your surroundings. Because the demonic beasts will come out soon. As I said before—”

“You mean be careful not to get hurt as much as possible? Hehe I get it.”

“….”

Because the width is narrow the entire expedition is divided into teams and follows each other like a train.

Here the proportion of long-distance dealers increases.

This is because nearly 90% of the monsters that appear are capable of flying.

“It’s a gargoyle…!”

A real gargoyle not the grade 8 monster ‘Gargoyle Statue’ seen in the Bloody Fortress.

“There are also death knights!”

A death knight who rides a gargoyle and wields a spear.

[Kkihihihihihi!]

The Banshee Queen clapping in the air and spraying debuffs various spirit-based undead monsters etc.

Flying monsters which were no different from counters for melee dealers appeared one after another from various places but they were all intercepted before they could get near us and turned into a halo of light.

“James Kala cast [Piercing Light].”

“Titana Akurabaga [No. 1911 Fabler’s broken pocket watch] was used.”

「5 minutes cooldown disappears.」

“Erwen Fornacci di Tercia casted [Element Synthesis].”

Archers psychics wizards etc.

In the first place not only were there many ranged units in the expedition corps but there were as many as four priests so there was no shortage of firepower.

“Niaro Campbell casted [Healing Wave].”

“Benjamin Orman casts [Emergency Regeneration]…”

「….」

A sacred spell that deals 1.5 times the damage to undead.

Of course not all monsters that appear are undead but it is not a big problem.

Anyway there are enough deals.

“All healing and recovery effects are reversed.”

Since this is a place where you can’t use healing on your allies anyway the priest’s position here is just a long-distance dealer.

「Gargoyle was defeated +EXP 6」

「The ghost horse was defeated +EXP 4」

「White Wyvern was defeated +EXP 6」

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“I defeated the Blue Flame Bird….”

「….」

High heal coefficient and monsters melted by wide-area holy spells.

The melee dealers focused on defense and dealt with various monsters climbing up the cliff.

and….

“The battle is over!”

“Resume movement after a 10-minute break!”

After one wave I quickly regrouped and headed down.

How much more time has passed?

After overcoming several waves without a single casualty we finally arrived at the first hill.

Before you know it the narrow slope has ended.

A wide rock ledge jutting out of a cliff.

and….

“I’m going crazy. “You’re saying you shouldn’t get hurt while fighting that number?”

Hundreds of monsters filled the space.

This is unavoidable since the cave on the cliff over there is the glacier snow respawn area.

“What are you complaining about? “We’ve had a good time resting so far so now we have to work hard.”

If the long-distance classes were active on the slope now was the time for the melee dealers to use their bodies.

“In formation!”

“Concentrate every moment! “Unless you want to continue your journey while looking at your rotting arm for the rest of the week!”

After completing the line formation gather the warriors at the front and set up a shield wall.

and….

“Let’s go!”

Somehow push away the monsters and secure space.

From then on a melee unfolded.

While the warriors in front fend off the enemy risking injury the long-distance group pours out firepower.

The battle difficulty itself was low perhaps because the power was clearly overwhelming.

But nonetheless.

“Damn those arms…! “Aaaaaaa!!”

There were injuries.

***

The total number of injured was four.

Three of them can be classified as minor injuries and since they are only scratches they are unlikely to result in death.

First of all as planned we can arrive at the 8th floor in 6 days.

As long as you don’t get any more injuries there it will be possible to hold on until treatment is possible even if the wound is rotten and festering.

The problem was another person who was seriously injured.

“I… am I going to die like this?”

Rick Jugusta.

A melee dealer for James Calla’s team which has already lost one number due to the absence of Pyke Neldine.

cried James Calla a serious expression on his face beside the writhing bastard clutching his bony thighs.

“There is no way I could die! “Don’t worry it will never happen!”

Yeah those two were old friends.

“Shuitz! “We must turn the expedition team around and head upward immediately!”

“Why?”

“Why? What does that mean? “If you leave it like this you will never make it to the 8th floor.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his urgent voice. Did this guy actually act like this when someone else got hurt?

Well I don’t know but I think he judged it calmly.

Just like Akuraba right there.

“I already spent the whole day coming down. This means that it will take a total of two more days to go up and down again.”

A total of 28 people waste two days to save one person.

Well this alone isn’t a problem.

but….

“I’m sorry Sir Kala but we only have enough food for the next five days. “Even as it is now I will have to starve all day in the end.”

As Kaislan said time is not the only thing sacrificed to save one person.

It’s life.

Even if you starve for just one day you won’t be able to continue your journey without starving for three days.

“Ah is it because a traitor appeared on whose team?”

But is he a paladin?

What kind of sarcastic skills…

“Enough about the traitor let me ask you one thing. Sir Kala did you think this expedition would succeed without any sacrifices?”

In response to that question James Carla could not say anything and Kaislan continued to speak coldly.

“Besides there will be more injuries in the future so what are we going to do then? Do I have to go up every time?”

This time James Calla couldn’t say anything.

Crackling.

He just couldn’t hide his anger and gritted his teeth.

The reality of having no one to help was so cruel.

“Why don’t we just let you return to God’s arms in peace? “If it’s difficult for you Kala I’ll help you.”

Jun’s suggestion seems to be to completely remove the oxygen respirator.

James Carla who was trembling pitifully looked at me and asked.

“Schuitz. “Are you of the same opinion…?”

I neither denied nor affirmed.

“I guess Kaislan said something wrong.”

This is usually the case in extreme situations.

There comes a moment when you must make a choice and sacrifice something.

but….

“All right. “I will do it.”

What are you saying?

“Okay it’s not time for that yet.”

We can’t let one of our precious members die.

Well you could die during the expedition.

At least not here.

“…yes?”

I shrugged as I looked up at James Carla with his blank expression on his face.

“We don’t move up but we don’t leave our comrades to die here.”

Each team leader made the same expression upon my words.

‘What on earth is this bastard talking about?’

Just that kind of expression.

Tsk tsk this is why they are beginners.

“We keep going down.”

It’s time to use strategy.

***

‘Glacier Snow’ was the field I avoided the most.

As I said before until I discovered a strategy.

“All healing and recovery effects are reversed.”

It’s not a short journey it’s a journey that takes up to a week.

[Dungeon & Stone] having this crazy penalty means only one thing.

I decided that the means to overcome it must be hidden somewhere so after countless attempts I finally found it.

It was a simpler method than I thought.

“Distortion magic… you mean?”

“Yes from now on we will use distortion magic against demonic beasts in all battles.”

“The wizard is already very tired from using the ‘preservation’ spell. But why are you trying to increase the burden here?”

That’s because the key to the strategy is ‘distortion’.

Monsters affected by distortion do not spit out magic stones and essence but instead there is a certain probability that their corpses will not disappear when killed.

Wyvern leather.

Adamantium.

Troll blood the raw material for potions.

The various materials used in high-level spirit imprinting are representative by-products mined using ‘distortion’.

and….

‘All the monsters that appear in the snow of the glacier can be hunted at other levels.’

That’s why it took quite a long time to figure out that distortion was the answer.

Are you digging up by-products using ‘distortion’ in a place where you can’t use ‘subspace’ and there’s not enough inventory?

Is it easier to catch it on another floor?

This was a very inefficient action.

Well as always in this damn game the correct answer is hidden in such actions.

“…I never thought there would be a way to heal injuries like that.”

Soon when I briefly explained the strategy everyone burst out in exclamation.

Even though it was the first time they had heard this no one had any doubts.

“The Marquis’s intelligence is amazing. Or should we say it is the power of the royal family? “I can’t believe you knew about ‘Arrangement’ that even explorers who can fly and crawl like this don’t know.”

Just like when I turned on detective mode and caught the traitor I assumed there would be another strategist on my team.

They believed that the source of this strategy was somewhere else.

‘…Is it better to be misunderstood like this?’

Well I think that would be better.

There’s no benefit in showing off for no reason right?

In our Confucianism humility is also a virtue.

“Then that’s it. “We are all exhausted today so let’s camp here and set off again tomorrow.”

Thinking that James Calla’s friend would last us two days we spent the night on a rock ledge and resumed our journey early the next morning.

and….

“Leard Ashed casted the level 6 space-time magic [Higher Distortion].”

“McKelly Rayothers casted the level 6 space-time magic [Higher Distortion].”

“Versil Gowland cast the level 6 space-time magic [Higher Distortion]…”

The result of continuing the hunt by bombarding countless ‘higher distortions’ with a probability of 1.5 times higher than regular ‘distortions’.

By the afternoon we were lucky enough to produce a preserved body.

“Shu shuitz! “Is this what you said back then?”

Soon James Calla who ran ahead of anyone else rummaged through the body and found a bead and I quickly fed it to the injured person before the bead melted.

“Rick Jugusta has taken ‘Frozen Traces of Life’.”

Okay then one person was revived with this….

“Um… what are we going to do with the remaining by-products?”

I decided to just throw away the remaining monster corpses.

If I go back to the city and sell it I should be able to sell it for a pretty high price but it’s impossible to add more luggage at this point.

Of course it’s better to just throw it away—

Grumble.

Hmm but why can’t I stop walking?

As I was looking for the cause of my unconscious resistance this thought suddenly occurred to me.

‘First of all it’s meat right? It seems a little rotten though.’

I thought it was a good idea so I rushed over to Amelia and shared the idea.

“Emily! “I found a way to solve the food problem!”

“Are you going to say something strange again this time?”

“It’s not strange this time it’s true!”

“Ha tell me first.”

“that is….”

Soon I explained to Amelia the food supply plan I had devised.

and….

Sigh—!

I just got hit in the back for no reason.

‘…is this really that bad?’

Well no matter how I looked at it it seemed like a good idea.