Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel - Chapter 607
Chapter 607: Commander (4)
My suggestion to try it was met with a moment of silence. Raven looked at me with beseeching eyes before finally giving her head a shake.
“No. It’s still a little reckless to test it right away, right?”
“The only way to learn new things in the labyrinth is to try.”
“That’s true, but this is something I treasure quite a lot… I think I’ll regret it if it disappears without amounting to much.”
Since the rift stone’s owner was the one saying it, there was not much I could say in response. Also, it would be a problem if it caused a hidden secret to activate. We were planning on continuing with our expedition as soon as the rainy season was over, so dragging our feet here because of this gamble would ultimately be a problem.
And with how long everyone’s been stuck here, people are getting pretty antsy as well…
With that, we postponed our plan to use the rift stone of Cambormere on the stone statue for another time.
“Then I’ll be going!”
Raven went off to think of a name to give to the flower crown, and I was finally left by myself in the tent.
Many thoughts circled my mind, though they didn’t center on the stone statues and the rift stone.
Everything makes sense.
The effect of the flower crown as Raven described still echoed in my mind. So the item we obtained after defeating the archbishop-turned-priest-of-Karui gave the wearer mental effect immunity.
It’s obvious that this item exists to be used in that chapter…
The red portal that I had no choice but to ignore still lingered in my mind. What was beyond it? With the flower crown, I might be able to personally check the next time we challenge the rift.
Well, it wasn’t like I could attempt it again immediately.
No way I can reattempt it right now.
The rift was deemed cleared. The Guardian statues of the fifth floor and lower that were needed to open the rift didn’t activate anymore even when we put our hands on them. The only thing we could do now was to take the portal in the stone room and leave.
How long is the cooldown going to be…?
I got the sense that I would only learn that after we left. There was a possibility that I could reattempt as soon as we left and return here, but we might need to wait until the cooldown was over. Considering the mysterious nature of this underground floor, I couldn’t ignore the possibility that this rift might never be able to be attempted again.
While still mulling over my thoughts in the empty military tent, I took out a bag from my sub-space, the bag I had gotten from the village chief before we entered the rift.
The village chief had said that there was a notebook in the bag and that it would answer all my questions. That was why as soon as I did everything I needed to get done, I took it out and read it.
What the hell? Is he cursed to always tell me everything in such unsatisfying ways?
The notebook was written in such cryptic language that it only made me more and more confused.
If you sense a presence while on the library island, go outside for about a day before going back in. If you do, the books that were thrown on the ground will be put back in their proper places again.
That was probably about Hamsick.
If you find a different dimensional headstone, do not take an interest in it. I’ll say this now, but the exit you are looking for is the one at my village and that one alone.
That was probably about the headstone on Giant Island. However, the things.
written after these two were all so cryptic.
If a huge shadow suddenly blankets the land during your adventure on the giant island, do not ever look up. If you wait a moment, the shadow will disappear and you’ll be able to continue on your way.
The island that you call Tree Island doesn’t have anything at its peak. If you see something or suddenly hear something, sleep while wearing an eye mask or ear muffs. If you do, you’ll be safe there.
If waves start to approach you during the rainy season, immediately stop whatever you’re doing and look for a place to hide. There will be at least one place on any island that you can use to hide. However, do not go to the stone island that you first opened your eyes to when you came to this place. That island is the only island without a place to hide.
The golden book won’t be particularly helpful in helping you achieve your goals.
If you see a horse running through the sky during a period that is not the rainy season, do not act rashly. If you don’t attack it first or approach it recklessly, you won’t encounter any problems.
At this point, it wasn’t a transfer of information, but just him sharing strange stories with me. However, it was easy for me to understand the last thing written inside.
At some point, if a dimensional collapse occurs and the floor itself starts to crumble, head to the island that had our village. The portal that connects to the ground will be opened.
We could escape the first underground floor during a dimensional collapse. That also let me infer something else.
Looks like this is the only way the village chief knew of how to escape this place.
He was merely waiting for the dimensional collapse. It was the only method available to the village chief for escape.
It also made me realize why he didn’t try to escape with us but instead used a Heretic Altar to do so. The village chief had no idea when I could escape. If I had to survive and endure until the dimensional collapse occurred, and if only then could I escape, then we had no idea when that time would come.
He didn’t say anything about Rainbow Island.
Even after flipping through the notebook multiple times and searching through the bag he had left me, he left no mention of Rainbow Island. My idea was that Rainbow Island was the key to our escape.
Did he not write it in on purpose, or did he not know…?
I currently had no way of knowing. It wasn’t as if I could go and shake the village chief by the scruff of his neck since he would be awake and walking about in the city by now.
I’ll know when I get there.
In the end, the only thing I could do was continue with the expedition. Like an adventurer should.
***
As soon as the rainy season ended, we used the portal to escape.
The stone gate stood tall in the middle of the ocean. We couldn’t see the boats that we used to get here, and in the end, we had people unfortunately fall straight into the ocean.
Agh, what a pain.
After a troublesome process, we got every member of the expedition group safely onto the summoned ships and learned something new in the process. That stone gate wasn’t always open.
“The door is sinking into the ocean!”
The moment the final member exited the portal, the huge stone door closed and began to sink into the ocean.
…Looks like I won’t be able to attempt it right away.
I was a bit disappointed, but I was determined to reattempt it some other time.
When the cooldown was over, it would resurface above the ocean. That was unless this was a one-try-only sort of deal.
“Lord Baron, we are ready to set off.”
After watching the stone door disappear beneath the waves at the bow of the ship, I looked around at the ships around me. Three ships floated around my boat in a protective barrier.
“Raise the flag!”
Upon my order, the boat began to move, and a flag was hoisted on top of the crow’s nest.
Splash!
My boat broke through the waves and sailed at the front as three other ships followed behind. A reversal of position, perhaps, from a certain perspective, but even on our way here, our boat was always behind those three and simply trying its best to follow.
“Bjorn, are you hungry?”
“Ah, thanks.”
As I walked around while munching on the snack that chief secretary Missha gave me, Amelia came to talk to me.
…What’s that?”
“This? It’s the snack that my chief secretary got me.”
“…How long are you planning to keep up this nonsensical commander role-play?”
Uh… If you say that, even I would get hurt.
“Are you saying that because you don’t like your search captain position?” For reference, the search captain position was one where it oversaw all members related to scouting and patrols. I had prepared quite a prestigious position for her.
However, Amelia just shook her head multiple times with a sigh and disappeared to do something.
I have nothing to do now…
I went about patrolling the boat for a while, but there wasn’t anything in need of my attention, so I ended up just resting in my room or chatting with my allies.
“I’ll go by myself for a little bit.”
After finally arriving on Library Island, I got off the boat by myself and went down to the island. The books we had messed up were now shelved, and it was so quiet that my few steps inside echoed throughout the place.
It’s quiet.
For now, I couldn’t sense Hamsick’s presence. Was it sleeping in its house?
“(Hamsick!)” I bellowed. A furry little creature carefully peeked from the bookshelves in response. “(Uh, what? Why are you there? Why aren’t you in your home?)”
“(…Are you really asking me that!)”
Ah, right. We had completely destroyed it right before we left. “(…Sorry.)”
“(Hah! So what are you doing here? By yourself at that.)”
“(I came here to see you for a bit. My allies are waiting above, so come here for a second.)”
Maybe my visit was pretty sudden but Hamsick looked to be on guard as it looked left and right before walking up to me. “(You came here… to see me?)”
“(Yeah.)”
“(Why?)”
The reason was simple. I had seen it in the rift not long ago..
“My name isn’t Hamsick—!”
The other Hamsick I met in the cave didn’t even know it was a Hamsick.
After meeting Hamsick Two, it occurred to me that there was a big secret behind Hamsick. Maybe it itself didn’t know.
“(Don’t ask that!)” I rebuffed, laughing loudly to hide my thoughts as I went to approach it. “(Why would I need a reason to come see a friend?)”
However, Hamsick only seemed to put up its guard even more. “(Don’t lie! There’s no way you’re here for no reason! You definitely have a reason for coming here!)”
Wow, it had changed a lot. It was so easy before when it was more innocent and naive.
I smirked and admitted the truth of what I wanted. “(Yeah, I do have a reason.)”
“(Hmph! I knew it—)”
“(Hamsick, leave this place with me.)”
“(…What?)” Hamsick looked completely caught off guard, taking me in with bewildered eyes. Hah, I knew this would happen so I was going to try and ease Hamsick into it. “(Leave with you… what do you mean?)”
“(It’s as it sounds. If you stay here, all you’re gonna do is organize books, right? And if we’re not here, there’ll be no books to organize either)”
Displeasure crossed Hamsick’s face. It seemed angry. However, to change one’s life, one needs these shocks.
“(You’ve been here for a long time at this point, so let’s get out here with me,)” I coaxed.
“(…What even changes if I leave?)”
“(Many things.)”
Even when I said that, it seemed that Hamsick still didn’t believe me. That was why I went into a bit more detail.
“(You’ll be able to see what’s outside with your own eyes. You’ve stayed here for so long that you don’t even know what’s going on on the outside.)”
“(I’m not that curious.)”
“(An expansive silver ocean, unknown islands… You’re not curious about any of that?)”
“(I’m not.)”
That caught me off guard. I could tell that it wasn’t just messing with me—it genuinely did not seem interested.
“(Then what about this? You lost all your memories, right? So you don’t even know who you are. Maybe we’ll be able to find your memories if we go around outside a bit.)”
“(…How are you so sure of it?)”
Oh, that response was a bit slower, so that seemed to have tempted it a little.
When Hamsick responded half a beat late, I immediately seized the opportunity and said, “(What about you? Can you be sure that it won’t be possible?)”
Hamsick went speechless for a long while. “(…You’re forcing it.)”
Well, it wasn’t wrong. However, I could talk with confidence.
“(But if you stay here forever, it won’t change the fact that nothing will change.)”
It was by the way by which I lived my life as well.
Starting was half the journey. Zero was different from one. Even though they may seem similar at first, the difference between those two would become immeasurable as time passed.
However, Hamsick didn’t take my hand easily.
Hah, I think it’ll work if I just push it a bit more now…
“(But answer me one thing. Why are you trying to take me out of here with you?)”
Wow, it was pretty persistent.
After letting out a sigh in my heart, I looked away from Hamsick at the empty air. “(…How could I just sit by and let you be? My friend is just sitting alone at home without being able to do anything.)”
It was another reason that I was trying to take Hamsick with me. It seemed that I had grown fond of it over time.
Hamsick answered me after a very long time had passed. “(I’ll go with you. I’ll follow you outside.)”
It seemed that what I told it during our last visit—about how I would let it return here whenever it ever changed its mind—helped convince Hamsick to come with me.
“(Good thinking,)” I praised.
“(…But there’ll be trouble if I’m nearby. Other people…are terrified of me.)”
“(You just need to hide yourself, right? Just stay in my cabin for the time being.)”
“(Then nothing’s changed, right?)”
(“The place you’re hiding in? You don’t even have a home anymore. The cabin has a bed. A super soft one at that.)” Noting the silence, I continued, saying, “(What are you hesitating for? You’ve already decided, so let’s go! We don’t have time to waste!)”
Just in case Hamsick changed its mind, I quickly took it and left the island.
“Tell everyone to go inside for a moment.”
After emptying the deck for a moment, I took Hamsick into my quarters without anyone seeing it.
“(How is it?)” I asked. “(Isn’t it nice? There’s a window here so you can see the ocean as well.)”
“(Hmph. What’s impressive about that? I’ve already seen it a few times.)”
“(Oh, looks like you came up by yourself a couple of times. Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in the outside world at all…? Anyway, I’ll come back later. I need to tell the other guys to come back out and tell them to start moving as well.” “(…Do as you wish.)”
After hiding Hamsick in my room, I went back outside and returned everyone to their original stations.
“Set sail!”
We resumed our voyage. Our current destination was the mysterious rainbow island that was around a month’s travel from our current location.
Splash!
Our four ships sailed through the ocean, cutting through the waves.
“…Huh?”
But not long after setting sail, a commotion occurred from the deck.
As I went out to see what was up, I saw everyone staring up at the sky in a daze.
“—a horse?”
“Right? It looks like a horse no matter how you look at it.”
…A horse?
As I lifted my head to see what it was, I could really see what looked like a white horse galloping through the sky.
I quickly took out the notebook filled with the village chief’s strange tales.
If you see a horse running through the sky during a period that is not the rainy season, do not act rashly. If you don’t attack it first or approach it recklessly, you won’t encounter any problems.
I never expected to encounter it this quickly.
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