Surviving the Game as a Barbarian-Chapter 552: Deja Vu (1)

Day 103 since entering the labyrinth.

At last, the number of days inside had surpassed three digits.

It was about time to take a break from grinding in the library.

From now on, we had to head to Rock Island to welcome the newbies.

‘I hope some decent ones come in so we can aim for the higher-tier books.’

Even now, when opening summoning books, four or five grade 3 monsters would appear, and occasionally a grade 2 would be mixed in.

Well, if the combination was good, we might manage to kill one or two...

But smoothly grinding like a factory was now impossible.

I played the tank role in prolonged battles and needed long rests afterward to recover consumed resources.

‘Last time, we almost had casualties...’

Anyway, increasing manpower was not an option but a necessity...

As we packed up the camp and prepared to leave, I felt eyes watching me from a distance.

Turning my head toward that direction, I saw Hamshik staring intently at me from afar.

[You’re leaving...?]

As I approached, Hamshik spoke while looking sternly at my feet.

The first meeting was awkward, but eventually we became friends, and he kept me company during all the hunting in the library, so it seemed we’d grown attached.

“Ah, don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. Besides, I’m not leaving the golden book behind, am I?”

[But you’re taking my fountain pen...!]

“Come on, friends overlook small things like that, understand?”

[...]

“No, I’m telling you, I’ll be back soon.”

[Who’s waiting? Don’t come back ever! It’s much better without people like you! Quiet!]

Haha, there he goes again.

I ignored Hamshik’s harsh words as a true barbarian would—just letting them pass in one ear and out the other.

“Baron, the whole squad is ready!”

“Good. Got it.”

Though we finished preparations to leave the library, for some reason I couldn’t easily take the first step.

[...]

“Hey, Hamshik.”

[...]

“Make sure to organize the books while I’m gone. Even if you’re not hungry, eat the jerky I gave you on time. And if any weird guys show up, never show your face. Hide behind the bookshelf and wait until I come back—”

[I’m not a kid! Stop the nonsense and leave if you’re going to!]

Still, even saying that—

Sigh... why do I feel so worried?

Maybe the attachment grew more on my side.

“Well... I’m going, Hamshik...”

[Yeah...]

“I’ll be back soon.”

[...Yeah.]

Forcing my reluctant feet to move, I turned my back and passed between the squad who had been watching from afar.

Smoothly, the squad opened the way for me to lead.

Ascending the stairs first, the others followed behind in formation as we began moving.

Once outside the island, we boarded the summoned ship and arrived at Rock Island within a few hours.

“No signs that anyone’s been here before us.”

I had come early just in case, but indeed, no explorer had descended to the underground first floor before us.

Well, it was only the third day since the labyrinth opened.

Physically impossible to finish farming on the third floor and return down to the first floor in that time.

“What are you thinking?”

“Just worried if Hamshik’s doing well.”

“I wonder exactly how you look to him... I can’t seem to approach him well given how I appear...”

“How do you look?”

“...Like a wizard. Holding a skull staff, looking even more evil than a lich, making horrible noises.”

Ah, that’s right.

Back then, I just listened and let it pass, but now with more samples collected, I think about it differently.

‘An evil wizard holding a skull staff...’

Isn’t that an imaginary image made by combining a corpse collector and a ruin scholar?

Of course, I didn’t say that aloud.

“Baron, may I take the team to the beach?”

“The beach?”

“Well... there’s always stuff floating in the sea, right? I thought maybe we could collect some during the downtime...”

“Do as you please. There’s nothing else to do but wait for a while anyway.”

Some explorers tired of waiting took the lead, and one by one others joined to pick up scrap by the beach.

It seemed the armor of grade 3 material we found during sailing had a big influence. Since then, talk had been spreading among us.

If luck follows, we might hit the jackpot.

Maybe even pick up equipment used by ancient heroes.

‘Well, if luck is really good, that kind of jackpot might happen...’

Honestly, I was skeptical.

We’d been everywhere but the most valuable thing found was the grade 3 armor picked up recently.

‘When the underground first floor fully opens later, there might be people who specialize in picking up scrap.’

Hmm, I thought that was inefficient, but that kind of group would probably appear.

Rock Island itself had no monsters.

If we can just avoid the rainy season on time, grinding here could be a source of income.

‘Time really doesn’t pass...’

After chatting idly at the start point all day, boredom finally got the better of me and I went to the beach to pick up scrap with the team.

And how much time passed?

A day, two days, three days...

By the end of day 107, only a few hours remained before the first floor closed again.

‘...They can’t not come by now. Did the royal bastards do something? Blocking entry?’

Unease slowly began to rise.

After all the bait thrown, we were expecting skilled newbies this time.

‘If they haven’t come yet... something must be wrong up there.’

Tsk, does that mean we have to continue the conquest alone without newbies this time?

While thinking that, I kept staring at the useless clock.

Whoooosh-!

“Portal! The portal has opened!”

Dozens of portals opened, and newbies stepped in.

How to handle the newly arrived newbies.

I wasn’t particularly worried.

First, I planned to show them around the underground first floor, letting them realize it was no easy place.

Then, once they were fully aware, just sign them to slave contracts and that would be it.

But...

‘Huh, no wonder no one came until the last day.’

When I saw the newbies who came this round, I had to admit it immediately.

They were opponents for whom that method would never work.

“Reform formation!”

“Reform!”

The moment they landed on the underground first floor, the group solemnly and neatly formed a formation.

I sighed.

‘Worst case scenario.’

Too many priests for a typical clan.

A mage battalion uniformed all in the same clothes.

And a group of knights in polished plate armor.

Though the classes could be divided into three major groups, they shared one thing in common.

“Nia Lapdonia...!”

They bore the royal crest on their chests.

Once formation was complete, a man who appeared to be their commander approached me and saluted briskly.

“It is my sincere honor to meet you, Baron Yandel! I never expected to meet you so soon. I’m truly relieved you’re still alive!”

“Who are you...?”

“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Jillen Evost of the First Royal Knights.”

“Your relation to Baron Evost?”

“He’s my older brother.”

Sigh, at least the commander wasn’t very high-ranking.

Not the baron himself, but his younger brother.

If things went well, I might be able to crush him with my baron’s rank...

“Oh, and I’m temporarily serving as deputy commander of this expedition.”

That hope shattered with that one sentence.

“Deputy commander...?”

“Yes. Could you please step aside? The second expedition will enter soon.”

Stunned, I stepped back.

Whoooosh-!

Once again dozens of portals opened in the sky, and dozens more explorers entered the underground first floor.

Twice, at intervals.

‘Sixty people entered three times...’

One hundred eighty people.

A force worthy of the name ‘expedition army’ rather than just ‘expedition team.’

However, the real problem was different.

“Nia Lapdonia! Reporting that all 180 explorers sent by royal order have safely entered the destination, Commander!”

The commander heard the report immediately upon entry.

“No threats detected nearby. The primary target of this mission, Baron Bjorn Yandel, has been found. Of the total 38, seven are from Clan Anabada, and the rest are presumed to be members of the Hext Clan and Armin expedition who entered during the first and second waves!”

“I see.”

The commander with ghostly pale skin and silver hair walked toward me.

A very familiar face.

Though about twenty years older than when I last saw him full of youth.

“I remember seeing you from afar at the baron’s investiture but never greeting you properly.”

Head of the First Royal Knights.

The royal executioner known as the Knight of Light...

“Nice to meet you, Baron Yandel. I am Jerome Saintred.”

The same guy I had various incidents with twenty years ago, when he operated in Noirark wearing an iron mask.

“Y-yeah... nice to meet you! Glad to see you! Hey, Baron Yandel’s son, Bjorn!”

...He probably didn’t recognize me?

As the saying goes, a thief fears a bleeding nose.

Thump thump thump thump—

Though I thought I was unrecognizable, my heart started pounding wildly.

“Baron Yandel’s son? That’s an unusual introduction.”

Okay, it seemed he hadn’t suspected anything yet...

Ha, I stumbled over my words in surprise earlier.

“That kind of remark is something I hear often.”

I answered calmly in a barbarian fashion and diligently summarized the situation.

Jerome Saintred.

More than twenty years ago, he came down to Noirark hunting for fragments of the record stone and fought me.

Apart from the anxiety about whether he recognized me, the situation was nearly the worst.

Because he held the title of baron.

In short, it meant the title blocked any attempt to crush me...

‘I never imagined they’d send such a heavyweight to a place with no known escape method.’

This was behavior unbecoming of the royal family.

So naturally, I expected him to stand aside and watch the situation unfold, but...

“Haha, anyway, it’s so good to meet someone from home in a place like this! Is everything fine in the city?”

“The city? It’s naturally well protected under the royal family’s patronage...”

“Glad to hear it! Well then, we’ll be off. Good luck with the exploration! Take care! What’s everyone doing? Aren’t you preparing to leave?”

After naturally saying goodbye and turning his back, he suddenly appeared in front of me as if by teleportation, blocking my path.

That time I saw him use the grade 3 teleportation skill [Gate of Light].

“Baron, where are you heading?”

“Ah... I’m hungry...”

“You were inconsiderate. Your food might have run out, but don’t worry now. We have enough supplies.”

So, they weren’t going to let me run away?

I dropped the playful tone and lowered my voice.

“Baron Saintred, step aside.”

A cold attitude clearly distinguishing business from personal matters.

But he calmly continued speaking despite my mood.

“That’s impossible. You are the first explorer to enter the unknown floor, and one of our expedition goals is to rescue you.”

“Sounds like someone asked for a rescue.”

“You are a precious ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) treasure of our kingdom. Losing you would be a huge loss.”

“So? What do you plan to do now?”

I asked bluntly.

“Are you planning to forcibly conscript me, a clan leader, into the expedition? By what authority?”

I said mockingly, but he showed no offense and just smiled.

“To be clear, I have no right to forcibly enlist you. Though there is a law to conscript explorers in disasters, it doesn’t apply to nobles like you. However...”

He seemed to expect my resistance and pulled a scroll from his coat.

I knew immediately what it was.

“This is a royal decree.”

In other words, disobeying whatever is written on this paper would be considered treason...

“Baron Bjorn Yandel of Lapdonia, hear this.”

He unfurled the scroll and solemnly read the contents.

“Chaos reigns with evil rebels roaming free. Though we trust the royal light to protect this beautiful city and its people forever, those who blindly believe false rumors and vanish in greed cause great harm to the city.”

The introduction was long, befitting a royal document.

“To summarize, as ruler I cannot stand by, so I have formed this expedition army and sent it forth...”

In short, the core message was:

“Baron Bjorn Yandel is to join the first expedition army, thoroughly explore the unexplored regions under the command of Commander Jerome Saintred, and find a way to return to the city.”

Damn, they really messed me up this time.