Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel - Chapter 744
Chapter 744: Guide (1)
Sven Parav emerged from the wardrobe and headed towards the window. The stress was so overwhelming that his head felt hot, and his thoughts were unlike his usual self. It felt as if another personality inside his chest was controlling him.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
His heart had been pounding wildly since he came out of the wardrobe, but without hesitation, he jumped out of the window.
And……
Whoooosh-!
First, he attacked the dark wizard who was standing defenselessly in the rear. It was an action driven by instinct rather than rational judgment. Only after severing the wizard’s neck did he think about it.
Slash-
Having easily killed the dangerous dark wizard, the rest would not be difficult. His prediction proved correct.
“…Who goes there!”
“Kill him……!!”
Only after the dark wizard’s head was cut off did the Noark forces realize the ambush and charge at him. Surprisingly, some of them recognized him.
“Sven Parav……!”
It wasn’t that his name had become particularly famous……
“He’s a comrade of Yandel……!”
The person he was with was so famous that it was inevitable.
“Damn bitch! So you did have comrades nearby!”
His identity was revealed in an instant, but he didn’t care.
He focused solely on wielding his sword.
Whoooosh-!
Slash!
With each swing of his sword, arms and legs flew, and sometimes even heads. It was a one-sided battle.
Slash!
The battle, which seemed both long and short, ended quickly. When he came to his senses, there were no Noark soldiers left around him.
“……”
Sven Parav lowered his head and looked down. The white greatsword he had newly acquired after leaving the ranks of the holy knights and the Reatlas church was now dyed crimson with blood.
Sssss.
He shifted his gaze slightly to the side, seeing the bodies strewn across the floor. Lifeless corpses, their warmth fading away.
“…Mr. Parav?”
Sven Parav suddenly became curious. He didn’t know how skilled the dark wizard he ambushed was, but the Noark soldiers were terribly weak. That’s why they lost even to someone like him.
Then……
‘Why are these people……’
Why were they so eager to torment those weaker than themselves?
“Mr. Parav……!”
Hearing Marrone’s voice trembling with fear, he quickly regained his composure.
Thump, thump, thump, thump……
As his extremely excited mental state calmed down a bit, the ‘intuition’ he had momentarily forgotten started functioning again.
Thump!
This place is dangerous.
If he stayed here, he might die. Sven Parav turned his head in a hurry to check the window he had jumped out of.
But……
“Ah, no……”
Sven Parav instinctively knew. Even if he went back to the wardrobe, it was no longer safe. The place he thought was the only ‘safe’ spot in this city was now gone.
“Mr. Parav……?”
However, there was no time to despair. These soldiers had already reported back to the main force before finding Marrone. Once they realized their communication had been cut off, they would immediately send additional troops.
So, what must I do right now?
Without the intuition that usually guided his choices, his decision was quicker.
“…We must move immediately.”
They needed to leave this place. As soon as possible.
***
An ominous atmosphere filled the street as they raced through it.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-!
He carried three people including a wizard on his back and a mother with a baby in her arms.
“…Where are we going? This is the direction of the fire.”
“That’s why we’re going this way.”
The reason for heading towards the eastern part of District 7, which was already half-devoured by flames, was simple. The fire was less frightening than people. In a place where the fire was spreading in real-time, there would be fewer soldiers. It was obvious that the fire was too out of control to be put out. Hiding near there was the best option, and if things went wrong, the second best was to dive into the flames and endure with magic and divine power.
Yes, so…
Thump, thump-!
Ignoring his intuition that it was dangerous, he ran on.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-!
With every step, he felt an eerie sensation like walking on thin ice. After all, he was carrying three people. The mother’s build was much larger than the average woman, so he needed to use both hands to carry her, and if they were spotted by the enemy in this state, it would be very troublesome.
“I’m sorry.”
While they were running for a long time, an apology came from behind him. It was Lilith Marrone’s voice.
“What do you mean?”
“…I was angry because I didn’t know you were that kind of person.”
Sven Parav felt a sharp pang in his chest at those words filled with guilt.
“……There is no need to apologize. You didn’t say anything wrong.”
“No, I was wrong.”
“……?”
“In the end, you saved us like this. So my words were already wrong.”
Hmm… Is that how it works? It felt a bit forced, but he didn’t deny it.
There was no point in arguing about it at length in the current situation, and somehow, he felt a bit regretful. Regretful about the choice to leave the wardrobe.
“Are we heading to the eastern area where the fire is?”
This time it was the mother’s voice. Maybe it was because the situation earlier was so unusual? Her actual tone was calm and cultured. At the same time, she seemed somewhat strong.
“I couldn’t properly thank you earlier because of the chaos. Thank you so much for saving us…”
Those words made Sven Parav feel even more uncomfortable.
“…I didn’t do it to hear your thanks.”
In reality, he had been thinking until just a moment ago. Should he abandon this mother and baby if the worst came to pass? It was a practical dilemma, and he still hadn’t come to a clear conclusion. But even while worrying, he knew. In such a situation, the right thing to do would be to save Lilith Marrone even if it meant abandoning the mother and baby—.
“But I still want to thank you.”
“……”
“Anyway… what I wanted to say is, if we’re heading to the eastern area, how about going to the eastern branch of the Reatlas Church?”
An unexpected name.
“The Reatlas Church… you say?”
“Yes. My husband is an explorer, and because the world is so dangerous these days, he often talked about where to evacuate in different situations.”
“…But seeing the flames, it’s likely that the eastern branch is already engulfed.”
“No, that’s exactly why we should go. My husband said that the eastern branch of District 7 is the only place with a divine spell that resists fire over the entire building.”
For a moment, he thought she might be mistaken. Even as a paladin of the Reatlas Church, it was something he had never heard of before.
But……
“Do you know what rank your husband is as an explorer?”
“…He’s a rank 3 explorer.”
The credibility of the information skyrocketed at those words. He wasn’t just anyone. A rank 3 explorer wouldn’t give his wife false information about a refuge. Besides, unless they were bishops handling administrative work, even holy knights wouldn’t necessarily be aware of the situations at all the branches. On the contrary, the information from an explorer who would have gathered various pieces of information out of concern for his wife would be more reliable.
‘A building that can withstand fire…’
If her words were true, it would be the most ideal refuge in the current situation.
“The real question is whether we can reach that building safely… Do you think it’s possible? I heard Mr. Yandel has something that can withstand flames.”
Ah, she must be referring to the Orb of Fire…… Well, it is quite famous.
“If Miss Marrone and I combine our strength, the three of us… no, including the baby, the four of us should be able to reach it safely.”
As long as we don’t encounter any other enemies along the way.
Sven Parav didn’t bother to mention that last part.
“Oh my… that’s a relief. We are so lucky to have met people like you in times like these……”
“Yes… but why were you hiding there in the first place? The evacuation of District 7 should have been completed a while ago…… why didn’t you leave then?”
Sven was curious about the mother’s story.
Her tale was indeed a tragic one.
“No, we left. But… the other districts were so overcrowded that people like us had to settle on the outskirts. We were so close to the front lines that we could hear the sounds of fighting and people dying every day.”
“……”
“And then… it seemed like the royal army was pushed back significantly and Noark forces surged in.”
The Noark forces surged in like a tide and receded, abducting refugees indiscriminately. According to the refugees who were taken along, they said they were being used as human shields, but that wasn’t certain information. Before becoming a human shield and being pushed to the front lines, she managed to escape from their grasp.
“Then a huge fireball fell from the sky.”
The royal army’s counterattack after suffering significant damage. That attack seemed indifferent to the safety of the captured refugees, and she was lucky to survive and escape amidst the chaos.
“There are probably quite a few people hiding in District 7 like me. There were easily thousands of people captured at that time……”
“So, that’s your story……”
The saying that war breeds tragedy hit home. As Parav heard the entire story, he couldn’t help but think, even while running.
What happened to her husband?
After contemplating for a moment, he left the question unanswered. Now was the time to focus on running rather than satisfying his curiosity, and there are truths in this world that can be known without asking. In the heart of a battlefield where anyone could die, what could cause a rank 3 explorer to leave his wife and child alone? So, Sven Parav didn’t ask. However, military wizard Lilith Marrone was different.
“Excuse me… What happened to your husband?”
A cautious question. However, contrary to expectations, the mother’s voice was steady.
“I don’t know. When it all happened, he had been drafted into the army due to the conscription order. I just hope he’s safe…”
To her genuine hope, Marrone spoke consolingly.
“Your husband must be safe. By now, he’s probably realized you’re gone and is searching for you frantically.”
Although her words were meant to be reassuring, the mother’s reaction was lukewarm.
“Well… I just hope he doesn’t do anything reckless and stays safe in a secure place……”
“……Huh?”
Marrone tilted her head at the unexpected answer, and the mother, as if embarrassed, perked up her black fur-covered ears.
“Well… my husband isn’t very good at finding his way…… I’m worried he might end up in danger trying to find me.”
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