Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Chapter 411: Karma (1)

Chapter 411: Karma (1)

When faced with a desperate situation, people tend to cling to hope.

If we do this, and then this, and then this...

Wouldn't everything work out?

They lose sight of reality, blinded by the faintest glimmer of hope, wasting precious time on countless 'what ifs'.

Years, even decades.

We were a seasoned expedition force, but we were still human.

"...You're saying we're leaving?"

My decision was met with immediate resistance.

"That's a reckless decision!"

"W-we should wait a little longer! Maybe something happened to them, maybe they're just delayed..."

"We're surrounded by Noark! How far can we possibly go?!"

Objections spread like wildfire.

It was understandable.

It was the most hopeful option.

If the rescue team arrived, we would all survive.

The crisis would be over, and we could return to the city and live happily ever after.

The hardships we had endured would become nothing more than a story to tell over drinks.

But...

'It's dangerous.'

I knew.

The situation wasn't that desperate yet.

True despair came when all hope was lost, when the golden time had passed.

There was no point in regretting it then.

We had to act now.

"What are you all talking about? Have you all lost your minds?"

I used harsh words to snap them out of their delusion.

It was a kind of shock therapy.

"We had a traitor in Ice Rock. When we reached the Sky Eye? We couldn't contact the main force, no matter how many times we tried. And now?"

"..."

"It's been three days, and there's no word from them. Just a delay? The rescue team is on its way? That's a joke. If that was true, Noark wouldn't be swarming this area. They would have been sent to the front lines to stop the royal forces."

I took a breath and continued.

"Listen carefully."

"..."

"We've been abandoned."

I didn't believe it myself.

But I had to break their false hope.

"W-what?! Why would the royal family abandon us?!"

I didn't know.

Maybe something had happened, maybe they couldn't reach us.

I believed that was the most likely scenario.

But it didn't change the outcome.

"If they didn't abandon us, why aren't they here?"

"That's..."

The explorer trailed off, his jaw clenching.

"...So you're saying we should leave?"

"Yes."

"In this state? We're all exhausted! We'll all die—"

"What's the difference if we stay here?!"

The mages activated the 'Voice Control' spell, despite their depleted mana.

I shouted.

"Open your eyes!"

"..."

"Whether you like it or not, they're not coming!"

My words silenced the team.

They couldn't refute it.

They had been feeling it too.

The doubt, the fear.

"..."

"..."

I spoke, breaking the silence.

"I'm not dying here."

"..."

"Are you?"

A member of Kaislan's team answered.

"...No one wants to die."

"Good. Then follow me. Kill the enemy, protect your comrades. That's more meaningful than waiting here to die."

I looked at the team members, perched on the branches of the giant tree.

They didn't seem convinced.

It was understandable.

Lihen Schuitz.

An unknown explorer, a nobody.

They had seen some of my skills, but...

How could they trust me in this situation?

They looked at their team leaders.

And...

"We follow the light."

Jun was the first to speak.

He bowed deeply, his gesture exaggerated and theatrical.

"The 4th Team will walk the path of hardship with you."

Next was Kaislan.

"The royal family appointed Lihen Schuitz as the leader of this expedition. To question his judgment and defy his orders is treason."

His introduction was lengthy, but it could be summarized in one sentence.

"The 5th Team will obey your command."

He even knelt on one knee, as if pledging his loyalty.

It was unexpected.

He had been so skeptical during the leadership meeting.

"The 2nd Team is different."

Akuraba spoke.

"It's not blind faith, nor fear of the law. I simply agree with his decision. I don't think the royal family is coming."

"So?"

I pressed her for an answer.

"The 2nd Team will follow you."

Okay, that leaves one team.

The 3rd Team, led by James Kala.

James Kala looked troubled.

"I..."

He seemed pressured by the other team leaders' actions.

But he quickly shook his head.

"I agree. It's pointless to object. I'm just a simple man, I follow the majority."

It was a typical James Kala response.

But his sincerity resonated with the other members.

"...It's over."

"He's already made his decision, what's the point of arguing?"

"Haha, I never trusted the royal family anyway. They've screwed us over countless times. I'll take care of myself."

"I'll hold them accountable for this. But first, we have to survive."

I looked at the murmuring team members and clenched my fist.

Alright, let's do this.

_______________________

"The patrols have increased. They must have realized one of their members is missing. What should we do?"

We had to move.

"We'll use the Multiple Teleportation spell."

That was our plan.

But...

"The mages will be exhausted after casting such a powerful spell. And they'll be able to track us."

Noark would be able to track the residual mana from the spell.

But we didn't have a choice.

"We have to risk it. We can't stay hidden forever with this many people."

"But..."

"The Sky Eye is destroyed. They can't communicate freely anymore. It's our best chance to create distance."

The team leaders expressed their concerns, but didn't object.

Okay, that settles that.

"Where are we going after the teleportation?"

The next step was simple.

"North."

We were heading for the northern region of the Dark Continent.

"...Not south, towards the royal faction?"

"That's right."

There was only one reason.

The scouts could only track our teleportation destination.

They wouldn't know where we went after that.

"You're trying to mislead them. They'll send their troops south, leaving the north undefended."

"Exactly. We'll hide in plain sight. Until the labyrinth closes."

"I see... Did your advisor come up with this plan?"

They still didn't believe I could come up with something like this.

It was fine.

"Get ready. They'll be here soon."

"...Yes, sir."

I shared the plan with the team leaders, and they relayed it to their teams.

Tadat.

We descended from the tree.

We couldn't hide while the mages were casting the spell.

"It's been three days since I last touched the ground."

The five mages quickly began drawing the magic circle.

Swaaaaaaaaaaa!

The Multiple Teleportation spell required a massive amount of mana to transport twenty-eight people.

Anyone with a keen sense for mana would notice.

Please, just a little more time...

"..."

We formed a protective circle around the mages, our backs to the giant tree.

"Mister, someone's coming. They're fast."

Erwen's voice was low and urgent.

And then...

"...They stopped. They're turning back."

They had spotted us and were going to alert their allies.

Whiiiiiish!

Erwen fired an arrow before I could give the order.

But...

"Did you kill him?"

"No, it hit a tree."

"I see."

It would have only bought us a few more seconds anyway.

I shouted.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

There was no point in hiding anymore.

Noark would be here soon.

And we would hold them off until the spell was ready.

Swoosh.

I checked on the mages.

"The coordinates! You entered the wrong coordinates!"

"Ah, s-sorry! I'll fix it!"

They were working frantically.

They knew the situation was dire.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

'...If only it was the Gate spell...'

In the original game, only high-level Archmages could cast the Gate spell. And it was a one-time use skill, costing the caster's life.

The Gate spell currently used in the labyrinth was a modified version.

A downgraded version, to be precise.

It could be cast by 4th-grade mages.

It was a one-time use skill, but the caster didn't necessarily die.

But...

'It can't be used on the 7th floor or above.'

That was the crucial drawback.

'I should have insisted on recruiting an Archmage...'

I had requested it, but the Marquis had rejected it.

Archmages were rare, even in the Mage Tower.

And the royal family only had one.

Even if the Sky Eye was destroyed and all thirty of us survived, it wouldn't be worth it if the Archmage died.

'Unless they were planning to abandon us...'

That thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.

It was a pointless comparison.

Our lives weren't worth as much as an Archmage's.

And the original plan was for the main force to rescue us.

They would suffer casualties, but the royal family would deem it a worthy sacrifice, considering our reputation and achievements.

So there must be another reason why the rescue team wasn't here—

'...Let's stop thinking about that.'

Why wasn't the rescue team here?

I had been obsessing over that question.

But I decided to let it go.

We would find out when we returned.

"They're here...!"

And if we didn't...

It wouldn't matter.

Boom, boom!

The ground shook.

"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"

"Kill them!"

As soon as the enemy appeared, I cleared my mind.

I only had one thought.

?Character has cast [Gigantification].?

?Character has used a transformation-type ability.?

?[Primordial Cell] effect reduces the Soul Power consumption of the skill by half, and the highest stat is increased by 1.5 times.?

Survive.