Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

The lottery ended, and those who had drawn lots with circles gathered together. They quickly performed the 'Bonding' spell and then headed towards the giant stele at the center of the chasm.

Whooosh!

As I placed my hand on the stele, a portal opened, accompanied by a dazzling five-colored light.

"Hmm, this is fascinating. I can clearly feel the flow of mana, but the way it unfolds is clearly different from typical space-time magic."

"Is this your first time witnessing a portal opening?"

"Yes. Mages don't usually obsess over achievements."

The team members exchanged words as they watched the portal open, and the swirling light soon took a distinct shape.

「First to open the portal. EXP +2」

I always feel a bit cheated when opening an 8th-floor portal gives the same experience points as a 1st-floor one.

The five-colored light swirled into a sphere, and I turned around. Everyone was staring at me expectantly.

Right, I'm the one who opens it, and I'm the one who enters first.

"Formation!"

We formed our ranks, anticipating potential enemies on the other side, and I stepped into the portal.

Flash!

The world was engulfed in a white light.

My vision blurred for a moment, and then...

「Entered the 8th-floor Dawn Land.」

Dawn Land.

The 8th floor of the labyrinth, also known as Down Land in the game.

「Achievement Unlocked」

Condition: Reached 8th Floor.

Reward: Soul Power permanently increased by +50.

I felt a surge of Soul Power as the achievement unlocked, similar to when I first entered the 5th-floor Great Magical Forest.

Right, they called it 'Baptism' here.

A blessing bestowed upon explorers by the Tower when they achieved a significant feat.

Whooosh!

I scanned the area, and the other team members soon followed.

"No enemies."

"That's a relief. I was worried they might be waiting for us, like in the 'Goblin Forest Battle'."

"I finally made it to the 8th floor."

"This alone makes the expedition worth it."

About half of the members had received the Baptism. Well, excluding the mages and priests, it was actually more than half.

They had reached the 'Deep Levels', after all.

"This is a strange place..."

Erwen seemed to be experiencing the 8th floor for the first time.

Amelia and Raviyen were probably the only ones with prior experience.

"Enemies or the 8th floor, I don't care! Let's eat!"

"Woohoo!"

"I need healing first! Please heal me! My fingertip has gone numb!"

I gave the order to rest before a riot broke out.

The sleds were empty, but our subspace pockets were full.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Munch, munch, munch.

As soon as the order was given, the team members pulled out their food and devoured it.

The explorer with a minor injury, who hadn't received healing yet, stuffed his mouth with jerky and looked for a paladin.

"Mister, let's eat."

"Alright."

I joined my teammates, and we enjoyed a feast.

"I've heard about it, but I never imagined it would be this peaceful."

"You're talking about the Dawn Land?"

"Yes. It's called the Deep Levels, so I thought it would be much more dangerous..."

It wasn't a wrong assessment.

A lush green hill stood tall before us.

Beyond the hill, a vast plain stretched out, and a warm breeze carried a pleasant scent.

The change was even more drastic after shivering in thick fur coats just a few hours ago.

"You guys rest here. I'll go scout the area."

I finished my meal and left my teammates.

A leader has his duties.

And I could eat while walking.

Crunch, crunch.

I stuffed my mouth with five pieces of jerky and started exploring.

It was a luxury I couldn't even dream of a few hours ago.

But my heart was heavy.

That's why I couldn't relax and enjoy the break.

'I can't find the rift...'

The 8th-floor Dawn Land was a very small area.

It was probably the smallest field in the entire labyrinth.

And there were no monsters here.

At least not until you entered the rift.

'Someone must have cleared it already...'

There was always one rift open on the 8th floor.

The type was random, and after clearing it, two portals would open, giving you a choice.

To continue to the 9th floor.

Or to return to the 8th floor.

Either way, once the rift was cleared, a new one would spawn, and the cycle would continue.

And the problem was...

'The ones who entered the rift are probably from Noark...'

Would they continue to the 9th floor?

Or would they return to the 8th floor and farm a different rift?

If it was the latter, our current situation was quite dangerous.

They would be a large expedition force, strong enough to rival us.

'Now I understand why the royal family is so desperate...'

Being on the 8th floor myself, I could finally grasp the severity of the situation.

The royal family had lost many high-level explorers in the war two years ago.

They had recovered some of their strength through various policies, support, and the return of retired explorers...

'But the gap will only widen.'

Noark had a cheat code.

They could start on the 7th floor from day one.

They could immediately access the 8th floor and farm high-grade essences.

The difference in strength between the top explorers would become exponential in a few years.

'...But they can't remove essences, so even if their essence grades are high, their combinations must be subpar, right?'

Well, that was probably true for most of them.

After all, I had never seen anyone optimize their essence combinations as meticulously as I did.

90% of them would have haphazard builds.

But there would always be exceptions.

'...Well, that's not something I need to worry about now.'

I shook off my worries about the distant future.

I wasn't a royal loyalist who would sacrifice my life for the King.

When you're in the labyrinth, you focus on the present.

So...

"We're departing in five minutes! Get ready!"

It was time to end the precious break.

We couldn't afford to relax for too long.

"Finally saying goodbye to those damn sleds!"

I stored the sleds and supply boxes in my subspace pocket and then distributed potions, scrolls, and other combat consumables to each team.

With that, we were ready to resume our journey.

Click, click.

Everyone was in formation by the time it was time to leave.

They were starting to look like an elite force.

"Let's go!"

We marched towards the portal, maintaining our formation.

The journey to the Dark Continent was uneventful.

There were no monsters on the 8th floor, except for those in the rift. And the portal was close enough to see from the hill.

Thud, thud.

We reached the portal after about 30 minutes.

"This is the gateway to the Dark Continent, right?"

Even up close, the portal looked normal.

It was a relief.

If Noark had decided not to open the 8th-floor portal, we would have been stuck here.

'...Well, even if they hadn't opened it, someone would have eventually, because of the experience points.'

I led the way, maintaining our formation, and the other members followed, their expressions tense.

They were about to enter Noark's territory.

"Schuitz."

Kaislan called out to me just as I was about to enter the portal.

"Shouldn't you say something before we depart? Your words will boost morale."

Hmm, I don't really want to.

It feels like a waste of time.

I showed my disinterest, and Kaislan quickly added,

"Think about it! This is a historic moment! If this expedition succeeds, and if you play a crucial role in the victory... Your words will be recorded and remembered for generations to come!"

Hmm, I don't know if this is a historic moment or not.

But judging by the way he's suppressing his burning ambition, he's clearly envious of me.

'If I don't say something, he'll keep whining about it...'

Alright, let's just get it over with.

"Ahem."

I cleared my throat, and Kaislan stood at attention, like a loyal guard.

"Listen up! We stand at a crossroads! Victory or defeat! Gain or loss! Doubt and fear may linger!"

"..."

"But!"

"..."

"I, Melend Kaislan, have no doubt that we will be recorded in history as victors!"

"Oooooh!"

Kaislan's team members cheered enthusiastically, while the other members looked indifferent.

'Who is he to be giving a speech?'

That's what their expressions seemed to say.

Did he sense the mood?

"And that's why!"

"...?"

"Listen well! Before we embark on this great mission bestowed upon us by the King, Schuitz will address us!"

He passed the baton to me.

What the hell, he gave a speech himself and then shoved the mic in my face?

'...Is he that desperate to be recorded in history?'

I couldn't understand his motives, but everyone has their own values.

I turned to face the team members, standing with my back to the portal.

Unlike when Kaislan was speaking, they were all looking at me with anticipation.

This is why American CEOs stir up controversy on social media.

People pay attention, even if it's out of worry or disgust.

Anyway, that wasn't important.

"Ahem..."

I cleared my throat and looked around.

The faces of my teammates, familiar after weeks of hardship and shared meals.

And then I knew what to say.

"I won't make a long speech!"

Right, I already said that back then.

About killing a lot and earning a lot.

"Let's all come back alive!"

That's enough for today.

_________________________

「Entered the 7th-floor Dark Continent.」

_________________________

The latter half of the Dark Continent, known as the Dragon's Lair.

Giant vertebrae were scattered around like ruins, and the ground was covered in skulls and bone fragments.

Clatter, clatter.

We marched forward, our footsteps muffled by the bones.

"..."

There were no conversations.

Clatter.

And no light to guide our way.

But we could still see.

We had magic.

「Liard Ashid has cast the 5th-grade support spell [Insight].」

It was a 5th-grade support spell.

Maintaining it constantly would drain a mage's mana quickly, but it was necessary.

We were deep in enemy territory.

We had to be cautious.

Clatter.

Amelia, who had been leading the way, suddenly stopped.

And...

Whoosh, whoosh.

She signaled with her hands.

Enemies nearby.

The team leaders gathered at the front, and we activated the voice control magic, also known as team voice chat.

"How many?"

"Fifteen."

Hmm, that's a small clan.

They would need at least that many to explore this area.

"What's the plan? Fight?"

"Of course! They're the enemy!"

"I agree with Sir Kaislan. We should eliminate them. It's safer to reduce their numbers as we move."

The team leaders quickly reached a consensus.

Ambush and eliminate.

I agreed.

But...

"Alright, let's attack."

"Wait. If we're going to ambush them, we need to prepare. The mages and ability users need time to charge their attacks."

"Oh, you're right! We'll lead the charge."

What are they talking about?

"Do you guys not know what an ambush is?"

"...?"

I threw a bucket of cold water on their enthusiasm, and they looked at me, confused.

They've killed plenty of people, but...

Have they never ambushed anyone before?

"Just wait."

"Wait? What for?"

I explained the basics.

"We wait for them to engage with monsters, and then we attack from behind."

That's how you PK.

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