Surviving The Game as a Barbarian — Chapter 169

WHAT WAS THAT LAST ATTACK JUST NOW?

A SIMPLE CURSE SPELL.

THERE'S NO WAY A CURSE COULD WORK ON ME.

WE MADE PHYSICAL CONTACT FOR A MOMENT, DID WE NOT?

I CONNECTED A CIRCUIT TO YOUR BODY AT THAT MOMENT TO COMPLETE THE SPELL.

OH, THAT?

SO THAT'S WHY MY MANA RESISTANCE DIDN'T WORK.

DOES IT BYPASS MANA RESISTANCE BY USING THE TARGET'S BODY AS A CATALYST?

THAT KIND OF APPLICATION WASN'T IN THE GAME...

BUT YOU DID IT THAT FAST? IT TOOK THE OTHERS AT LEAST A FEW SECONDS.

I DEVELOPED THIS SPELL FORMULA MYSELF. SURELY I SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF THAT MUCH.

WOW, THIS FUCKED-UP TECHNIQUE...

YOU'RE THE ONE WHO INVENTED IT?

I KNOW WHY YOU LEFT THE ROYAL FAMILY.

SINCE WE'VE MET, ALLOW ME TO MAKE YOU AN ENTICING OFFER.

...WHAT IS IT? LET'S HEAR IT.

FIRST, WHY DON'T WE FINISH THAT FELLOW OFF BEFORE WE TALK?

?!

HA. I DIDN'T SEE THIS TURN OF EVENTS COMING...

MAYBE I NEED TO REVEAL THAT I'M LEE HANSOO RIGHT HERE-

THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.

H-hmm...?!

THAT WOULD MAKE IT SEEM LIKE I'M GOING ALONG WITH YOUR PLANS.

HAH. A POWER STRUGGLE AT A TIME LIKE THIS...

What are you, a kid...?

EITHER WAY, IT SAVED MY LIFE.

Are you serious?

THAT MAN IS A NOBLE NOW.

WITH YOU AT ODDS WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY, HE'S A POTENTIAL ENEMY.

SO WHAT?

I CAN KEEP HIM UNDER CONTROL, SO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.

...CONTROL? OH, DOES HE MEAN BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT I AM?

...IN THAT CASE, WE'LL HAVE TO TALK ELSEWHERE.

OH, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, I'M NOT TAKING A PORT.

A PORT...?

TELEPORTATION.

JUST LEAD THE WAY. I'LL FOLLOW YOU MYSELF.

TRY ANY BULLSHIT YOU LIKE, BUT BE READY TO FUCKING DIE IF YOU DO.

...VERY WELL.

THEN I'LL GO ON AHEAD.

YEAH, YEAH. GO ON, THEN.

U WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW? This is moving way too fast...

HEY.

...WHAT?

I JUST SAVED YOUR LIFE, YOU KNOW?

OH... THAT WASN'T JUST A POWER STRUGGLE BACK THERE?

THAT BASTARD.

SO MUCH FOR NOT GETTING ATTACHED.

A NEW WORLD

ABOUT 12 HOURS LATER

HA. THE FIRE IS FINALLY COMING UNDER CONTROL.

TO THINK IT TOOK THE COMBINED MAGIC OF SEVEN SCHOOL MASTERS.

Explorers, Please rest in the tents!

THAT FIRE WAS EVERY BIT AS VICIOUS AS HIS REPUTATION.

AND WHO WENT ALL THROUGH THAT VICIOUS FIRE...

...HMM?

SEARCHING EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY AND SAVING SEVENTEEN MORE PEOPLE?

WELL, THAT WASU BECAUSE I MADE A PROMISE...

YOU KEPT USING MAGIC TO HELP PEOPLE TOO.

BECAUSE THAT WAS THE BEST I COULD DO.

I SEE. YOUR BEST...

YES, SO...

DON'T BLAME YOURSELF FOR NOT SAVING MORE PEOPLE.

YOU'VE DONE MORE THAN ENOUGH, MR. JANDEL!

HUH? OH, RIGHT.

BLAME MYSELF? ME...?

WHILE RAVEN WAS LABORING UNDER THAT STRANGE MISCONCEPTION...

OH, THE RAIN'S STARTING TO LET-

HMM?

BJORN! ARURU!!

SHEESH, LOOK AT THE STATE OF THEM...

M-mister...!

YOU CAME OUT INSTEAD OF STAYING HOME?

HOW COULD WE SIT STILL WITH A FIRE THAT BIG?

WE FIGURED YOU'D BE OUT SAVING PEOPLE, SO WE CAME TO HELP TOO...

I-IS THAT SO? why does everyone think I'm...

B-BARONET JANDEL...!

YOU PEOPLE...

WHY ARE YOU STILL HANGING AROUND HERE INSTEAD OF GETTING SOME REST?

You'll make yourselves sick!

B-BUT WE WANTED TO THANK YOU...

NEVER MIND THAT.

GET GOING! HURRY!

Th-thank you...!

IF YOU'RE GOING TO THANK ME, AT LEAST DON'T ACT SO SCARED.

YOUR CHARACTER'S FAME HAS INCREASED BY +1.

YOUR CHARACTER'S FAME HAS INCREASED BY +1.

YOUR CHARACTER'S FAME HAS INCREASED BY +1.

YOUR CHARACTER'S FAME HAS INCREASED BY +1.

YOUR CHARACTER'S FAME HAS INCREASED BY +1.

YOUR CHARACTER'S FAME HAS INCREASED BY +1.

WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE ENERGY TO GO HOME. LET'S STAY HERE TONIGHT.

It'll cost us a bit, but...

...THE MANAGER HAS INSTRUCTED US NOT TO CHARGE FOR LODGING TODAY.

AS IT HAPPENED, ALL THE LODGINGS NEARBY WERE OFFERING FREE ROOMS TO THOSE WHO HAD COME TO FIGHT THE FIRE.

NOW, IF YOU WOULD SIGN-

BARONET BJORN JANDEL...?!

BUT THEN...

I-I'VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT YOU.

THEY SAY NO ONE WORKED HARDER THAN YOU TODAY...

ON BEHALF OF THE LOCAL RESIDENTS, THANK YOU!

Th-thank you for all your hard work...!

Oh, thanks!

OH, WELL, THERE'S REALLY NO NEED...

ANYWAY, I WONDER HOW THINGS WENT IN THE LABYRINTH.

I'D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THAT TOO...

...HERE!

...THE ARMY!

THE NEXT MORNING, THE ROYAL ARMY RETURNED FROM UNDERGROUND.

BUT...

LOOKING DOWN FROM THE WINDOW,

I SAW THE ARMY MARCHING ALONG THE ROAD BACK TO THE ROYAL PALACE...

AND ON THEM,

I COULDN’T FIND A SINGLE TRACE OF COMBAT.

AROUND 11 A.M. THE PREVIOUS DAY

NOARK REFUGE

IS THE SITUATION UNCHANGED?

YES... THE ROYAL ARMY IS STILL ENCAMPED IN THE SQUARE. THEY HAVEN’T WITHDRAWN.

I see.

THE SCHOLAR OF DESTRUCTION HAS FAILED.

IF THIS CONTINUES UNTIL NOON, THE FORCES RETURNING FROM THE LABYRINTH WILL...

BE SLAUGHTERED, YES.

WE'RE AT A DEAD END.

MY LORD...

EVERYONE, WE'RE HEADING TO THE SQUARE NOW.

FOR THE FUTURE—

THE PORTAL IS OPENING.

IT'S TIME FOR THEIR RETURN. EVERYONE, GET READY.

LISTEN, EVERYONE. THERE'S NO ONE

INS-

WH-WHAT?! WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!

TH-THE ROYAL ARMY?

Kill them!!

DAMN IT, HOW DID THESE BASTARDS GET INTO THE UNDERGROUND CITY...?!

...?!

SAVE THEM! GET OUT! RUN! HIDE!!

THIS WAY! TO THE SURFACE! INTO THAT DAMNED CITY'S SEWERS!!

SURVIVE! EVEN IF IT'S ONLY ONE OF YOU!!

YOU DAMNED REBELS...!

GAH...!

GET A GRIP! DO YOU WANT TO DIE HERE?!

DRAW YOUR WEAPONS, YOU BASTARDS!!

I SEE.

SO THIS IS THE FACE OF THE LEADER OF THESE INSOLENT REBELS.

THE KNIGHT OF LIGHT...!

I'M SURPRISED TO FIND YOU IN BETTER SHAPE THAN I EXPECTED.

DON'T WORRY. YOU WON'T BE DYING HERE.

I'LL MERELY CUT OFF YOUR LIMBS, THEN TAKE YOU BACK ALIVE AND WELL

...!

THAT'S ENOUGH.

...? ...??

NGH... WHAT IS THIS...?

WHAT? I CAN'T MOVE.

DAMN IT... MY SWORD WON'T BUDGE-

YOU STILL HAVE WORK TO DO.

Y-YOU'RE...?!

WELL, EVERYONE SHOULD BE HERE BY NOW. LET US BE ON OUR WAY.

IS THIS...

MASS TELEPORTATION? ON THIS SCALE...

FORTUNATELY, THIS STILL WORKS PROPERLY TOO.

OOF...?!

WH-WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE WE...?!

OH DEAR. MOVING SO MANY AT ONCE SEEMS TO HAVE CAUSED A SLIGHT ERROR.

...PARDON?

I DIDN'T BRING THEM HERE ON PURPOSE. GO AHEAD AND KILL THEM. DON'T MIND ME.

W-WAIT-

ARE YOU-

BY ANY CHANCE, IS HE WHO I THINK HE IS?

TH-THE LEADER OF ORCULUS...?!

THIS MAGE IS SOMEONE IMPORTANT ENOUGH THAT EVEN HE WOULD GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO SPEAK POLITELY FIRST?

WELL, WHERE THERE IS NO QUESTION, THERE CAN BE NO ANSWER.

...YOU MEAN I SHOULD DRAW MY OWN CONCLUSIONS. UNDERSTOOD.

...ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

PARDON...? YES!

I BORROWED THE POWER OF THE CITY'S ANCIENT MAGIC CIRCLE JUST NOW. DON'T GIVE ME TOO MUCH CREDIT.

THAT IS HOW WELL DESIGNED NOARK IS.

AFTER ALL, IT SUSTAINED HUMANITY FOR AGES AS THEY HID FROM THE WITCH'S CURSE.

I-I SEE...

NOW, SHALL WE GO? FOLLOW ME, EVERYONE.

MY LORD! WHO IN THE WORLD IS THAT MAN...?

...WE'LL ALL FOLLOW HIM.

WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE ANYWAY.

3 HOURS LATER

WE'VE ARRIVED.

WHAT IS THIS PLACE...

WH-WHERE ARE WE?

CONGRATULATIONS.

...PARDON?

YOU WILL NOW GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE FIRST PEOPLE IN THOUSANDS OF YEARS

TO VENTURE OUTSIDE THE CITY.

AUGUST 2ND, YEAR 154 OF CREATION.

AND A NEW WORLD OPENED THAT DAY.