Surviving the Game as a Barbarian – 48



Episode 48: Colleague (2)

After a moment of silence.

The dwarf who was hesitating what to say opened his mouth after much thought.

“I see…?”

A reaction that seems both embarrassing and surprising.

“Why are you so surprised? “I’m sure you have at least one of these!”

“But… was your personality like this originally?”

Well I don’t know what he knows about me.

But I guess that’s enough for the main casting.

If you’re a dwarf you’ll be able to get a feel for the level of my equipment just from this secretly leaked information.

‘At this level no matter how short my career is I wouldn’t think of playing around with distribution fees.’

Of course the notice clearly said ‘equal distribution’.

But I still remember clearly.

The expression on the face of that dwarf who rolled his eyes and said he was being greedy when he said he would take at least the crack stone in exchange for giving up all the loot in the blood-red fortress.

‘In the end no matter how nice a person he or she may seem an explorer is an explorer.’

Once you look down on someone like this there is no end to it.

Therefore I skipped the question of whether I could sit down and sat down across from him.

And then he spat it out.

“Hikuro you buy the alcohol. “Thanks to me you got the number item.”

A comment that implicitly shows off one’s abilities and reflects on one’s debt.

“What? Hahahaha! Is that how it works?”

The dwarf just laughed out loud and did not deny it.

That’s because I was the one who made the biggest contribution in ‘Blood Citadel’.

“Well that’s not wrong either! It’s early but I’ll buy as much alcohol as I want. “Let’s talk about what we’ve missed while drinking!”

“good night.”

It seemed like it would take a while for the food we ordered to come out but we naturally drank the drinks that came out first.

Get notified for updates: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

And then we started talking in earnest.

The one who took the lead was the dwarf.

“I was extremely surprised when I found out that it was you who submitted the application. What on earth happened? Was there perhaps some treasure hidden in that crack? “I’m sure that wizard girl must have looked around.”

As expected questions poured in.

If you look at me now that would be a natural question.

I don’t think I have enough loyalty to answer honestly.

“Well that’s roughly it.”

“What does that mean? “Tell me more details!”

“Just as you said there was treasure there. That’s it. “Don’t ask any more.”

When I cut it and drew a line the dwarf ate it.

It seems that he decided that it would be difficult to get an answer if he asked more.

“I don’t know what kind of treasure you got but you are very lucky.”

Are you lucky?

In the first place this guy was the one who benefited the most from the ‘Blood Fortress’.

I suffered like hell.

Didn’t this guy only eat one portion and took the number item with him?

‘I’m curious about what was dropped… I guess I can ask about that later.’

The meal we ordered arrived quickly so we continued the rest of the conversation while filling our stomachs.

Let’s start with this.

“So have the team members gathered together?”

“I don’t really like anyone so this is the first time I’ve met someone.”

“I see.”

I nodded and like a barbarian got straight to the point.

The real purpose for which this place was created.

“So what do you plan to do?”

Will Hikurod Murad really accept me as a teammate?

“Well… Actually I came out just a little while ago to check if it was you. Aside from looking for a teammate I wanted to have a chat. Ah I wrote it down as the 3rd floor but I was thinking of going up to the 4th floor if enough people gathered…”

It’s needlessly long.

Suffice it to say that at first they had no intention of accepting me as a team member.

“So have you changed your mind now?”

When I asked him a question while staring at him the dwarf stroked his stern beard and answered.

“Hehehe you could say that. After all who would look at you now and think you are a beginner? “If it weren’t for the fact that it would be difficult to find the rest of the team if a beginner joined in the first place I wouldn’t have even had to worry about it!”

Since I’m making such a lame excuse I wish I’d just never said this in the first place.

But the lack of a head is probably one of the charms of this Dwarf race.

“So the story is over?”

“Hahaha! “You can see that too.”

As soon as I raised my glass the dwarf followed suit.

Join our discord and ping me to update more chapters. Discord: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

“I’ll ask you to take care of me this time too.”

A team was formed.

There are still only two people but…

Well from now on we can just pretend to discuss things together and choose according to my preference.

***

“Hikuro didn’t you just say that several people applied?”

“Is that so?”

“What kind of people were they?”

“that? You have nothing to worry about. “Because they were kids who were in the 8th grade and had been there for less than a year.”

what? Are you trying to turn me around?

As I was truly thinking about it the dwarf opened his mouth as if he remembered something.

“ah! Come to think of it I didn’t ask that! How were you able to get promoted so quickly? “It would be difficult to get to level 7 with just one corpse golem essence right?”

“One corpse golem essence?”

I mumbled and regretted it too late.

That’s right he was unconscious at the time so he didn’t know that I had consumed vampire essence.

Um but can I just tell you that story?

When the internal conflict deepened.

“aha! “I see!”

Suddenly the dwarf shouted Eureka.

“Haha! My thoughts were short! Actually with that level of equipment it’s worth being promoted to grade 7!”

Ah uh um….

It’s a reasonable guess but…

“…something like that.”

I decided to keep this fact to myself for now.

Anyway not only has the team not been officially formed yet but there’s no telling who might join the team in the future.

All is well.

One day this may become a trump card.

‘It’s enough to say that the regenerative power is thanks to the imprint of an immortal.’

The most important business was over but we continued to have many conversations over drinks.

Among them was why the dwarf left his original team and formed a new team.

“As you know I left the team for a while right?”

“I did.”

I heard that he recklessly applied for leave from the team out of concern that he might fall through the cracks.

“But now that I’m thinking of going back I guess I like the warrior I temporarily hired to fill my vacancy more!”

Next the dwarf vented his anger towards his former colleagues in an exasperated voice but I couldn’t sympathize with him at all.

‘Isn’t the problem that I left the team in the first place for personal reasons?’

The biggest victim can be said to be the former team leader.

I had to enter the labyrinth again this time but the dwarf suddenly said he would take a break so I must have been busy here and there.

But I wonder if there was a problem with that warrior.

Rather better?

‘Even if I were the team leader I wouldn’t accept such an unruly guy again. ‘I don’t know when this will happen again.’

Of course it was just a thought I kept to myself.

“Aren’t I really a loyal group of people?”

“That’s right. After listening to it it seems like they really don’t know what loyalty is!”

In times like this I learned to just say yes unconditionally.

Let’s give it a rough guess and ask anything you’re curious about.

“I don’t know how good they are but I’m sure you’ll hit the ground running and regret it once you find out what you got this time!”

“What did you get this time?”

“The number item!”

“iced coffee! Come to think of it that’s true too! “When we meet later I will definitely tell you about this and let them know how foolish they were!”

Is that situation already pictured in your mind?

The dwarf took a big sip of his drink and burst out laughing.

Okay this should be natural right?

“That’s what I’m saying….”

I took my luck cautiously.

“What did you get this time?”

“Well haven’t I told you yet?”

“I didn’t do it!”

It was something I was curious about from the moment I met him.

I know all the number items that can be dropped but what I cleared this time was an unprecedented variant crack.

Perhaps a unique item may have appeared.

Like the mysterious box that Raven left open in the boss room.

‘Now that I think about it you didn’t ask what was in there.’

I decided to ask about that when we meet next week and as I was waiting for an answer the dwarf grinned and placed his chubby arm on the table.

“This is the wrist guard I got there.”

Well I can’t tell just by looking at the outside.

“What is your name?”

“The guild’s appraiser said it was an item called ‘Guardian’s Wristguards’—”

“What the hell?”

That came out?

“…Huh? “Is this something you know?”

“Oh no. “I was just surprised because it was a cool name.”

“Hahaha! As expected I have something in common with you! “I thought so too!”

No.3112 Guardian’s wrist guard.

Originally it was a number item belonging to the 3000th generation that could only be obtained from cracks on the 4th floor or higher.

Aside from the effect how much is this?

“I checked the price through the central exchange and it seemed to be around 50 million stones.”

Nimmi.

Is this a game?

What kind of contribution did this dwarf make there?

“Hahaha! They said that it was the old price and that it could be more expensive since there are almost no listings! Of course I have no intention of selling it!”

“….”

“Hey but why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“It’s no big deal. “I was just… a little… surprised.”

To be honest I was so surprised that my stomach which had been filled with alcohol and meat for the first time in a while felt unbearably sore.

“I understand. 50 million stones? “I thought I fainted when I first heard it but I’m sure you felt the same way.”

Does this mean you give in return and receive in words?

Now that I see it the jutsu I did earlier was nothing compared to this dwarf.

“Don’t be too jealous. If you keep exploring won’t you get at least one Number Item someday? Of course it won’t be as good as what I got! Hahaha.”

Avoiding the gaze of the laughing dwarf I quietly lowered my hand down the table.

Slurp-

No.9425 It was the hand that was wearing the Frost Spirit ring.

***

Guard of Punishment? 50 million stones?

I decided to think as positively as possible.

It’s a minor problem that makes my stomach twist and makes me feel like I’m going to vomit. Anyway isn’t it good to have strong colleagues?

‘…Let’s just focus on building a team.’

The first thing I did after gathering my thoughts was to raise the dwarf’s explorer level one level higher.

If you want to hire good team members you first need to look like an attractive team.

There is a huge gap between a team leader at level 7 and level 6 that cannot be bridged by any words.

“Hikuro go to the guild today and raise your explorer level first.”

“…suddenly?”

“Don’t you have equipment worth a whopping 50 million stones? “If you apply for review the guild will definitely give it serious consideration!”

“But it’s so sudden—”

“So you don’t like it?”

“No it’s not like that….”

“Then go now!”

I went along with them and watched them submit their applications to the guild in case they got sidetracked.

For reference it took 6 days for the review results to come out which was a little later than expected but fortunately I was successful in getting a promotion.

It was from this time that the applicant’s document specifications increased noticeably.

More than ten applicants came in every day.

And there was a time when I was closely examining the specifications of the dwarf and the applicants and having many happy thoughts.

“Demon wizard?”

Suddenly a wizard application form arrived.

Of course he was not a magician belonging to the Magic Tower but an 8th grade magician who worked in administrative work at a guild or public institution…

Still a wizard is a wizard.

“Isn’t there something wrong with Bjorn? “A wizard is supporting a team like this?”

“It sure is a little strange. “If you wanted to there would have been many teams in better conditions than us.”

“Then what should I do?”

There were a few questionable parts but I decided to meet them first and relayed the contact information to the guild.

And this morning.

Finally the meeting place and time were set.

“You’re not going to ask for half as your share right? “I heard that all wizards have high arrogance…”

I don’t know what he’s so nervous about.

He insisted on his share without being pushed back by Raven who was a member of the Magic Tower.

“What are you so worried about? “If you ask for something like that you can just say yes and leave.”

“I guess so?”

Is it because he is the first wizard I meet as a team leader?

As I was waiting consoling the dwarf who was constantly shaking his chubby leg and causing trouble a man wearing a robe entered the tavern.

And he looked at us and waved his hand.

“Oh Barbarian! Dwarf!”

Is Siba also a landmine?

How can you make someone angry with just that short greeting?

I was already expecting a catastrophe but I decided to wait a little longer just in case.

“Hahaha! Nice to meet you. Are you the wizard we were supposed to meet today?”

“What do you think are the odds of running into a wizard in a certain place at a certain time?”

The dwarf looked at me in confusion at the wizard’s question.

Haha really why am I sighing like this?

“…It means that it is you.”

“You did that too! Hahaha! Anyway nice to meet you. My name is Hikurod Murad!”

“It’s an unusual name. “I am Riol Warb Dwalki a level 8 wizard recognized by the royal family of Lafdonia.”

“…Public figure of the royal family of La Lapdonia?”

No why are you surprised again?

“It means a wizard who does administrative work in a public institution not a guild.”

“Ah is that right?”

Not only is the wizard who keeps speaking confusingly a problem but the dwarf who is harassing me one by one is starting to get annoying.

“Haha! “Even though you’re a barbarian you have extensive knowledge. What’s your name?”

“This is Bjorn son of Yandel. “Sit down first.”

I was going to just watch for a while but I got frustrated so I decided to lead the conversation from now on.

That would save both parties time.

“Dwalki I read the application you sent carefully. But I have a few questions so I’d like to ask them. Are you okay?”

“Of course.”

“Do you have a labyrinth pass?”

“Would you have come here if it weren’t for that?”

Just say it’s there and you’ll be fine.

“One more thing why do you want to become an explorer when you can make enough money just by staying in the city?”

It is rare for an 8th grade wizard to go on an expedition.

The reason is simple.

The skills are insufficient to function at mid-level or higher. However even if you explore the lower floors there is no money to be made.

The income he earns from working at a public institution is much greater.

Considering the difficulty in obtaining a pass and the risk involved it is not profitable in many ways.

“Hmm isn’t this an unexpected question?”

Dwalki tilted his head for a moment and continued speaking.

“It’s simple. “I want to become a great explorer and bring honor to Baron Martoin.”

An ambition proudly expressed with a face full of pride.

The dwarf who was listening quietly was shocked.

“Am I a baron? Are you really a nobleman? “Are you a noble…?”

nobility.

In fact they are the most powerful people in Lapdonia who ordinary people will never meet in their lifetime.

Dwalki seemed to be quite satisfied with the dwarf’s reaction and opened his mouth proudly bursting into laughter.

“Hehehe my mother’s sister Aunt Enka’s husband is Baroness Martoin’s third brother.”

“…!!!”

As soon as he finished speaking the dwarf took a deep breath as if he was going to faint and Dwalki patted his shoulder as if he understood.

There was a kind smile on his lips.

I thought as I looked at that smile.

“Don’t be too nervous. “I have no intention of treating anyone poorly because of my status.”

Is this guy really crazy?