Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Blessing (1)

Blessing (1)

A magic circle appeared on the sewer floor.

As I stood still, bathed in the light emanating from it, the stench of sewage vanished.

“You’ve arrived.”

It was the Dragon Temple, the same place I had been transported to before.

The Dragonkin man stood at the forefront, and behind him, six Dragonkin caught my eye. They must be the elders he mentioned.

Although their eyes were reptilian slits, I could sense their gazes weren’t favorable.

So, time for a battle cry.

I didn’t use [Wild Release] since I wasn’t here to pick a fight. But was that enough to draw their attention?

The elders frowned as they stared at me.

As if wondering, ‘What the hell is this?’

“Ah, sorry. I just felt like it.”

The Dragonkin man, the only one here who had experience with me, spoke with a strange look in his eyes as I scratched the back of my head and apologized.

“You… haven’t changed.”

Is that a compliment?

Now that the introductory shout was over, I got to the point.

“So, what should I do now?”

Whether they would give me, a barbarian, the Dragon’s Blessing.

The Dragonkin man said the elders would decide after meeting me in person.

But they weren’t really curious about my face.

What kind of ‘verification’ were they planning?

“It’s nothing special.”

The Dragonkin man said.

“Before making a final decision, each elder will ask you a question or make a request.”

“I understand ‘question’, but what do you mean by ‘request’?”

“Well, I’m not sure either. But just so you know, you can refuse if you want.”

Refuse my ass.

They’ll definitely vote against me if I do.

‘Is it because it’s the Dragon’s Blessing? They’re being awfully picky.’

“So, are you going to do it?”

I nodded, grumbling inwardly.

It’s annoying that they’re being so demanding, even though I returned Dragonslayer…

But the Dragon’s Blessing is definitely worth it.

“Alright, then it’s decided. There’s no need to waste time, shall we begin right away?”

“Okay.”

The Dragonkin man glanced at the elders behind him at my answer.

It was a sign to start the ‘verification’.

The first to step forward was one of the two female Dragonkin.

“I’ll go first.”

It was impossible to guess her age based on appearance due to the Dragonkin’s characteristics, but her tone and gaze gave off the youngest vibe among them.

“Bjorn, son of Yandel. What is your greatest desire?”

I had a hunch about the purpose of this hearing as soon as I heard that question.

It was literally verification.

To confirm what kind of person I am before passing on the Dragonkin’s secret art, the ‘Dragon’s Blessing’, to another race.

After a moment of contemplation, I answered honestly.

Returning to Earth?

That’s just a secondary goal.

“To survive.”

My top priority has always been survival.

But it’s changed a bit now.

Survival is still my top priority, but there’s something I want to add.

“With my companions, if possible.”

I feel a strange sensation as I answer.

Maybe this is the biggest change since I fell into this strange world.

Then what’s their feedback to this answer?

“…I see.”

The Dragonkin woman, who was looking at me with a meaningful gaze, asked an additional question.

“If your companion could survive because of your sacrifice, what would you do?”

“…Didn’t you say you would only ask one question or make one request?”

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

The Dragonkin woman said so in a voice that truly didn’t seem to care, and I answered honestly again.

“I don’t know yet.”

Liol Wobu Dwarkey, the mage of Team Misfits.

If you asked me if I could make the same choice as him, this is the only answer I could give.

Because I know that any words and promises I make before that situation arises are meaningless.

Death always puts humans to the test.

“But when that time comes, I’ll make the choice I have to make.”

“…You could have just said you would.”

The Dragonkin woman looked at me as if she didn’t understand, and I dismissed her briefly.

“It wasn’t a question I wanted to answer.”

It wouldn’t be respectful to him to do that.

The Dragonkin woman, who couldn’t possibly know what happened to me, stared at me for a moment and then stepped back.

“That’s all for my question.”

I couldn’t tell from her expression whether she liked my answer or not.

The next turn began without a moment’s respite.

“I’m Geornavehanuters.”

A middle-aged man with a physique as impressive as mine made a request instead of a question.

“Let’s spar.”

He even subtly unleashed his Dragon Fear as he made the offer.

I answered without a moment’s hesitation,

“Alright.”

It would be ridiculous for a barbarian warrior to refuse that offer.

And besides, it’s a good opportunity.

A Dragonkin elder should be at least 7th-floor level, right?

If I can fight him without worrying about dying, there’s no reason not to.

That was my judgment, but…

“Everyone, stop it.”

The Dragonkin man intervened.

“We agreed not to make requests like that.”

“What’s more certain than a fistfight? Don’t you think so, barbarian warrior?”

Uh, I was going to use a mace…

Although I believe that equipment is also a skill, I agreed with him for now.

“Of course.”

“Hahaha! I like this guy!”

The macho Dragonkin laughed heartily, pleased with my answer.

“…I didn’t expect him to agree to fight without even a moment’s hesitation.”

It seemed like the other elders also found the situation interesting.

“So what are you going to do?”

“Then I’ll ask a question and move on.”

The macho Dragonkin asked me in a slightly disappointed voice,

“Barbarian, what are you most afraid of?”

The first thing that came to mind was death.

But giving the same answer as the first question wouldn’t be good for the interview.

I elaborated on my answer.

“Fighting someone stronger than me.”

“…What?”

The macho Dragonkin tilted his head as if he misheard.

But did he have a different thought?

“Don’t tell me you thought I was weaker than you?”

The macho Dragonkin asked, sounding a bit angry, and I shook my head.

“No.”

“But you just…”

“You weren’t planning to kill me.”

“That’s true, but…”

I cut him off and muttered briefly,

“I have to fight because I’m afraid. Even more so.”

I know it might sound un-barbarian-like to some.

But so what?

This is the essence of a barbarian.

Fortunately, it seems like they understood the meaning of my words.

“To not run away because you’re afraid, but to prepare for that moment… It’s a truly rational answer.”

The macho Dragonkin chuckled.

“Interesting. Are all barbarians like you?”

“Similar.”

Actually, it was Ainar who taught me what it meant to be a ‘warrior’, and the advice she gave me back then showed me the path I had to take when I was cornered.

“I see. That’s all for my question.”

The macho Dragonkin then returned to his seat with a satisfied smile.

At least I know one thing.

I definitely secured one vote.

_________________

The third one was also a question, not a request.

And a rather strange question at that.

“Do you have someone you love?”

“…No.”

“Your answer was a bit late. It seems like someone came to mind.”

The female Dragonkin with sleepy eyes returned to her seat without asking anything further.

And so, the fourth turn began.

“I will test your insight.”

The old Dragonkin with a thick mane of white hair handed me an item. I could tell what it was as soon as I saw it.

A puzzle ring.

“Try to separate them all.”

Huh, I didn’t expect there to be a mission like this.

“To give you a little help, you can only separate them all by using the correct order and the correct method.”

The old Dragonkin chuckled and even gave me a hint as he handed me the puzzle ring.

He probably thinks there’s no way I could solve it.

Geez, does he really think I’m a barbarian?

I played with puzzle rings a lot when I was a child in the hospital.

“I’ll give you as much time as you need. After all, sometimes you reach the truth through perseverance.”

I first examined the structure of the puzzle ring, looking at it from all sides.

There’s no way I couldn’t solve it if I had enough time.

Hmm, that should have been the case…

“Huhu, 5 minutes have passed.”

Damn it.

What the hell is this?

“10 minutes have passed. Are you still far from solving it?”

I admit it honestly.

It doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to solve it even if he gives me more time.

Therefore, there’s only one way.

‘Gigantification.’

My body expands in an instant.

I grab the rings with my enlarged hands and pull them apart.

And…

Kwagic.

…I successfully separate the seven rings.

“Wh, what are you doing!!!”

“I separated them.”

“…Th, th, that’s impossible!!”

“You didn’t say I couldn’t break it.”

I answer confidently.

Because I already figured out the trap in this puzzle.

The old man said he would test my insight, not my intelligence, at first.

He also gave me the hint about reaching the truth through perseverance.

In other words, this puzzle ring was impossible to solve from the beginning!

‘He probably gave this to me to see how I would solve a problem with no solution—’

“Th, this is! This is how you solve it…!”

The old Dragonkin mutters, staring blankly at the puzzle ring with a few more pieces, fiddling with it.

His eyes seem sad.

“Ahem.”

“I, I can’t even get another one…”

“Who’s next?”

I ignore the old Dragonkin and look at the elders, and the verification resumes.

The fifth one is a question about my past.

“How many people have you killed so far?”

I recall each and every one of them in my mind and then tell him the exact number, and the elder asks me why I killed them.

The answer isn’t difficult.

Although the methods were diverse, the reason boils down to one.

“Because they tried to kill me.”

“I see.”

The fifth one ends as the elder who asked the question nods and steps back.

Now only the last one is left.

I don’t know if it went well.

‘At least that old man who gave me the puzzle seems to be against it…’

The macho Dragonkin will vote in favor.

The rest? Well, I don’t know.

“Then it’s my turn.”

A handsome man in his late twenties steps forward.

And he asks,

“Did you tell the truth?”

His tone is as if he has the ability to distinguish between truth and lies.

Although I’m a bit uneasy, I’ve answered all the questions truthfully so far.

I judged that if I fail, I can start the K-Barbarian negotiation then.

“Yes.”

“Alright, then it’s over.”

The hearing is finally over.

The Dragonkin man, after exchanging glances with the man who went last, speaks.

“We need to discuss it among ourselves, so please wait for a while.”

“How long will it take?”

“Well, it should be over in an hour.”

Hmm, then it’s fine.

I then follow the Dragonkin woman who asked the first question and head inside the temple.

And we arrive at a room.

I thought it would be a reception room for guests since she’s guiding me to a place to rest…

“You’re the barbarian who’s supposed to come today?”

…but there’s someone already inside.

An unknown Dragonkin child, seemingly in his early teens.

The child looks at me and giggles.

“Wow, you’re ugly!”

What the hell? This impertinent kid?

I’m momentarily stunned by the unexpected attack, but I laugh it off, like a mature adult.

“Haha, it seems like you don’t have a mother.”

“…Huh?”

“If you had received a proper upbringing, you wouldn’t tell such a ridiculous lie!”

Bjorn Yandel is a handsome man, not ugly.

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