Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Chapter 352: Dark Continent (3)

Chapter 352: Dark Continent (3)

Raven's torment(?) finally ended when we reached our destination after two weeks of sailing.

A vast plain stretched out before us.

A dark purple barrier, as if forbidding any intruders, stretched along the border of the land.

And the portal floating above the sea in front of it.

"Woooo!"

"We're here!"

The explorers gathered on deck cheered as the long-awaited sight appeared beyond the horizon.

Well, the voyage was indeed tedious.

I didn't have time to feel bored, what with exploring the islands when I was well and suffering from seasickness the rest of the time.

As soon as we disembarked, I reminded Erwen of my alias, and she quickly lowered her head, acknowledging her mistake.

Would this finally stop her from making those slip-ups?

"So why are you here? It'll be a while before we can enter the portal."

"Just... I wanted to be with you..."

I used to feel incredibly burdened by such direct expressions of affection, but I had gotten used to it now.

No, had I become accustomed to it?

"...What's that ship? I don't think I saw it when we departed."

I pointed towards a specific ship.

Many ships had already arrived at the portal, and among them were quite a few that were different from the galleon we had boarded.

"Oh, that? It's a fast ship. They usually send those ahead with the explorers who arrive at the 6th floor first."

"To prevent Noark from entering?"

"Yes, there have been more attempts recently. The ship doesn't have any battle scars, so it seems like there weren't any attempts this time... But I heard that over half of the fast ships were destroyed a few weeks ago. It was a fierce battle."

I see.

So they had taken care of the gatekeeper monster.

The essence probably didn't drop, though.

As I was lost in thought, I felt the gazes of the surrounding explorers.

It was a change that had occurred during the long voyage.

"That's the Blood Spirit Marquis..."

"But who's the man next to her?"

"No idea. I asked a friend in the Magic Corps, and they said he's a newbie on his first expedition. Apparently, he retired a few years ago and returned."

"Hmm, a companion of one of the Seven Strengths... He must be more skilled than he looks."

Thanks to Erwen's fame, Amelia and I were attracting attention wherever we went.

Most of the gazes were filled with curiosity.

New faces were common in the war, but it was unusual to see someone with the Blood Spirit Marquis from the start. They were curious about our identities and skills.

Of course, there was also a hint of hostility.

"Schuitz."

"Ah, Raven?"

"She's staring at us again."

Even though she was busy talking with the other members of the Magic Corps, Raven's gaze was fixed on us.

"Should I... take care of her later...?"

What is she talking about?

I flicked her forehead, and Erwen looked up at me with a wronged expression.

"But what if she recognizes you? I'm worried."

I had been thinking about that too.

Of course, not about whether to 'take care' of her.

Whether to reveal my identity and ask for her cooperation.

But...

'It seems like it would only complicate things.'

First, I would have to convince her that I wasn't an evil spirit. And even if she believed me, there was no guarantee that she would cooperate and keep it a secret.

Raven was loyal, but she wasn't the type to prioritize personal feelings over her duty.

'And if she keeps it a secret, she might get in trouble later on because she's with the royal family.'

It would be better to reveal it myself after everything was settled.

"Well... I'll have to tell her if she finds out."

"...But what if she finds out before then?"

That was what I was worried about.

______________________

Boooooo!

The foghorn blared from the lead ship, and the ship we were on became bustling.

"Everyone to their positions!"

It was finally time to enter the battlefield after a short wait.

Following the instructions of the royal official, the explorers on the deck moved to their assigned positions.

But we didn't have to move.

Our designated waiting area was the deck itself.

"I'll tie you down! ...Ah, I mean, Lihen!"

"Huh?"

"I'm good at this!"

We then secured ourselves to the ship with the provided ropes.

It was a safety measure to prevent us from falling overboard.

The foghorn blared again from the lead ship, and our ship started moving.

"This is a bit nerve-wracking..."

"Don't worry. I'll protect Lihen... no matter what."

Uh, isn't that my line as the tank?

I didn't say anything.

"Lead ship entering!"

As the lead ships entered the portal one by one, I felt my heart pounding.

We were approaching the battlefield.

Even the other explorers, who had been relaxed earlier, were now tense and solemn.

This reminded me of the 1st floor incident.

I almost got PTSD.

"Main force, entering!"

It was time to get serious.

This was my first time entering the 7th floor in this body.

And it was a place teeming with explorers, even more dangerous than monsters.

Even if our goal was to obtain something, there was always a chance of returning empty-handed.

"Erwen, and Emily."

"Yes."

"Listen."

I gripped the railing with one hand and my newly purchased shield with the other.

"Stay close. Don't stray from my side."

Flash!

Our ship entered the portal.

______________________

Crash!

The massive galleon, momentarily suspended in the air, slammed into the water, sending a spray of seawater into the air.

It was a thrilling experience, but we didn't have time to admire it.

We weren't in the calm waters under a blue sky anymore.

?Entered the Dark Continent of the 7th floor.?

The sea was black, as if covered in oil.

A thick fog had already settled in, obscuring our vision, even though we were only at the edge of the continent.

And...

Boom! Boom! Crash!

Loud explosions bombarded our eardrums.

It was a barrage of magic cannons fired from the Noark forces stationed on the cliffs.

"That's a warm welcome."

"Where did they even get magic cannons?"

"Probably stole them from one of our ships."

Even as we talked, magic cannons, dark magic, and various abilities rained down on our fleet.

The sheer firepower was overwhelming, but the royal fleet remained unscathed.

Money can buy anything.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

A defensive magic barrier, activated the moment we entered the 7th floor, blocked all incoming attacks.

The ship occasionally shook from the impact, but it never sustained any significant damage.

It was a measure taken by the royal family after suffering heavy losses during the initial landing. A massive investment.

It supposedly cost tens of millions of stones per minute to maintain the barrier.

'How much would it cost to reach the continent with this barrier active... Ah, well, it's probably a bargain compared to the cost of a ship.'

I dismissed the thought of worrying about national spending and focused on the present.

The fleet bravely advanced through the barrage, finally breaking through the enemy's defenses and entering a narrow canyon.

The ships rearranged their formation into a single file line.

?Entered a special area.?

?Field Effect - Ghostly Canyon activated.?

?All healing and regeneration effects are deactivated.?

?Divine power is sealed.?

Ghostly Canyon.

A mandatory route to enter the Dark Continent, where all the coastlines were cliffs.

As our warship entered the canyon, following the ship ahead, the ominous and gloomy fog intensified.

And...

"Prepare for battle!"

Undead monsters started crawling up the ship's hull.

They were diverse in both type and rank.

?Deadburn defeated. EXP +3?

?Redeye defeated. EXP +4?

?Banshee Queen defeated. EXP +6?

?Teeth Skeleton defeated. EXP +4?

?Cliff Ghost defeated...?

Over half of the monsters were ones you could hunt on the 6th floor, but we gained experience points much faster since we had skipped the 6th floor.

Erwen's long-range attacks were a huge help.

Almost 70% of the monsters were taken down before they could even board the ship.

The sea monsters couldn't even reach us.

?Chaos Seaman defeated. EXP +6?

?Mud Elephant defeated. EXP +5?

?Skeleton Mermaid Queen defeated...?

The experience points flowed in effortlessly with just one hit from Erwen, who was Bound to me.

Of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing.

Wham!

Ghost-type monsters, immune to physical attacks, swarmed the deck, forcing us to constantly swing our weapons.

?Ghosties defeated. EXP +4?

?Souldrinker defeated. EXP +6?

?Canyon Wraith defeated. EXP +3?

The sheer number of respawning monsters was overwhelming.

And to make matters worse, the Noark bastards continued their bombardment from the cliffs, even as we fought on the deck.

Well, the defensive barrier nullified the attacks, but...

"Aaaaargh!"

Explorers occasionally lost their footing on the swaying deck and fell into the sea.

And...

"Why isn't the ship moving forward?"

"The ship ahead has sunk!"

"What?! Why?!"

"It seems like a Deadlect appeared and damaged the ship's magic barrier!"

Based on the real-time updates, some ships had their barriers destroyed by monsters, leading to their sinking.

'No wonder they're so persistent with their bombardment.'

Destroying even one ship would be a significant victory for them. And their constant attacks prevented the fleet from deactivating the barrier.

They had to keep the barrier active throughout the canyon, consuming a massive amount of mana.

"Amelia, behind you!"

I shouted, and Amelia swiftly smashed the skeleton that was trying to ambush her from behind with a roundhouse kick.

And...

"You don't have to thank me. We're companions—"

"It's Emily."

"Huh?"

"Just in case anyone heard, be careful."

"Ah, I'll be careful..."

Even though it was the same alias I had used in the past, it felt strange coming out of my mouth.

Was I in no position to criticize Erwen's slip-ups?

"Mister...! Look over there!"

"It's Lihen."

"Oh... okay... Anyway, look! We're almost there!"

Erwen pointed, but I couldn't see anything through the fog.

But...

?Field Effect - Ghostly Canyon deactivated.?

We soon exited the narrow canyon, and a vast lake came into view.

Waterfalls cascaded down the cliffs, the water stained red, like blood.

And...

"Phew, it's finally over!"

"Now I can finally breathe."

The relentless onslaught of monsters ceased, and the bombardment from the Noark forces also stopped.

We had successfully passed the first hurdle.

'Then it starts now...'

I gulped, staring at the faintly visible shoreline shrouded in fog.

"..."

"..."

I don't know if it was just my imagination...

But the air already smelled of blood.