Surviving the Game as a Barbarian-Chapter 716: Prison (3)

Right after hearing the news from Raven about the surface.
The very first thought that came to mind was this.
‘It’s not too late, right?’
Of course, it hadn’t even been three minutes since the massive tremor was heard. Still, I wasn’t certain if this really was the ‘golden time.’
After all, whatever their ‘plan’ was, the explosion I heard earlier already made it clear.
The plan had already begun.
‘...Maybe.’
The ‘golden time’ might have meant the period before the plan started. The escape could already be underway, and by the time I got down there, there might be no one left below.
No, more likely, I might run into those coming up, which would be troublesome.
But...
Tatadatat-!
For that very reason, I was sprinting down the stairs at full speed.
Kwachijijik-!
Tearing through the thick iron doors on each floor.
‘Not yet.’
Seeing the iron doors still intact raised my hope that they might still be locked up inside.
Tatadadadat-!
Basement 2, basement 3, basement 4...
I was quickly descending.
Because the possibility definitely existed, right?
I still hadn’t missed the ‘golden time.’
“Huff, huff...!”
While rushing down the floors so fast, a panicked voice came from far behind.
“Hey, Yandel...!! Wait...!”
Though I was supposed to run away immediately, it seemed like they were worried and following behind.
I thought about telling them to go ahead just in case, but...
‘We’re already all the way down.’
Now I just needed to check below.
If they were still locked up with shackles, I could just rush in and ‘handle’ them quickly.
If they were already free...
‘Well, at least I can buy some time for this one to escape.’
Having made that decision, instead of sending Raven back, I tore open the last iron door connected to basement 5.
No matter what was beyond it.
Without hesitation, boldly like a barbarian.
Kwachijik-!
The iron door tore off like paper by my overwhelming strength.
Beyond was quiet.
“...”
The basement 5 prison arranged like a Go board.
Instead of torches requiring constant maintenance, magic tools emitting soft light were embedded in the ceiling, lighting the area.
Not very bright — just dim enough to make a person feel depressed.
Anyway, that wasn’t the important part...
Left, right, straight ahead.
Right now, there were three choices.
Since I didn’t know exactly where the Noark bastards were imprisoned on basement 5, I had to find them by foot—
Thunk.
Ah, no need to search.
‘Damn it.’
Hearing footsteps from straight ahead, I quickly checked and saw them appearing around the corner in the distance.
Clang, clang.
Two knights from a kingdom whose name and affiliation I didn’t know walked ahead making metallic sounds as if guiding.
And then.
“...As expected, I knew you’d come.”
Behind them followed Maan and Banozant, as if being escorted.
“Pisit...”
And various other lackeys.
Even if things weren’t going well as I hoped, I accepted and understood the situation at first sight.
Yeah, it was already too late.
‘Looks like they waited ahead and released them immediately...’
But this fact wasn’t completely fatal.
Because honestly, I hadn’t had much hope coming here.
From experience, when you feel it’s already late, it usually is...
‘Still, it was good to come anyway.’
Looking back, this was a place I had to come to.
Because if those bastards get outside, something really bad will definitely happen.
If I think positively, I just missed the chance to take advantage.
Maybe I still hadn’t missed the ‘golden time.’
Thunk, thunk...
Luckily, the terrain wasn’t bad.
Tight.
If it’s now, I could block them.
So they wouldn’t get up to the city and move ‘according to plan.’
“...As you know, our mission ends here.”
As I was mentally steeling myself, the two knights at the front spoke to the deputy captain as if guiding.
“From here on, Maan, you handle it.”
From what they said, they only intended to help get them out of the prison, nothing more...
“Hah, hah... Hey, Yandel?”
At just the right moment, Raven arrived.
Well, maybe not such a good timing?
“Hah, hah... You stopped... You finally... decided to return... Hiiik!”
Seeing me standing still gave Raven a moment of hope, but then realizing the front side hidden by my large body, Raven went pale.
“Th-those people, how... how are they outside...?”
How else?
Someone with royal power deep inside must have released them, so they’re outside.
‘Looks like they even got their equipment back...’
No wonder they were still on basement 5 until now.
They must’ve taken some time fixing up wearing the recovered gear.
Thunk.
Between the two knights who stepped aside, Maan and Banozant slowly walked forward and quietly asked me.
“Are you planning to stop us? Alone?”
Well.
“What do you think?”
I smirked and asked back, and he quietly stared at me.
A disturbing cold gaze as if he didn’t see me as human.
But maybe thanks to the tutoring I gave last time?
“Hmm, from what I see, you...”
This time he guessed right.
“You’ll make a foolish choice again.”
Well, I can’t agree with the word ‘foolish.’
But at least he guessed my next move.
Yeah, so...
“...”
Instead of answering, I raised the ‘Aegis Barrier.’
And activated [Gigantify], blocking the only passage connected to the surface with my body.
And then...
“Yandel... This is too reckless—.”
Cutting off Raven’s worried words.
“You go up first. I’ll hold them here. You don’t need to risk yourself.”
After saying that firmly, a slight pause and the reply came.
“...Ah, you really always say things that hurt my feelings? If you planned that from the start, you shouldn’t have come down here.”
“Uh...”
“You’re planning to hold them off? So they can’t go up and do something bad.”
“That’s...”
“I’ll help. It might not help much now, but I’ve learned a lot of auxiliary spells while in the army.”
“Hmm...”
A voice with no hesitation.
Somehow, while a feeling of warmth filled my chest, I wondered what the proper response should be in a case like this.
Should I refuse saying it’s not necessary? Or promise to repay later?
My hesitation didn’t last long.
“Raven.”
“Yes?”
“Always... thank you.”
“...”
There ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ was no reply to my sincere thanks, but I didn’t ask for one.
If she answered, it would just make things awkward.
Besides, the others looked at us with ‘what is that?’ expressions.
“...Are you done? Pisit.”
Stop giggling.
Looking ahead, I saw the Noark bastards slowly approaching me.
The corpse collector.
The witch of screams.
Maan.
And others with glasses and unknown names, clearly skilled members.
‘How long can I hold them off?’
That fleeting thought passed through my head but I let it go.
“Behel—raaaaaaa!!!”
Come.
Whatever you’re planning, I won’t let it go your way—
Kwaaang-!
At that moment, a huge roar shook the entire underground space violently from the surface side again.
Drdrdrdrdr...!
Much stronger shaking than before.
The pillar parts already damaged by previous shock became worse, on the verge of collapse...
Drdrdrdrdr...!!
The collapse could happen any moment.
“Randolf, is the multi-teleport magic ready?”
...Huh?
“Yes. As of now, the mana suppression field has been lifted, ready to activate anytime.”
...What?
“Execute it.”
“But if you do, the plan to free the other prisoners will be ruined.”
“Wasting more time here is a strategic loss.”
“Understood.”
After talking smoothly between the two of them, suddenly a blue light emitted from beneath the feet of those bastards.
The situation was clear.
‘So they weren’t staying in basement 5 because of their equipment?’
I didn’t know, but as it looked, I had no choice but to watch them escape with my eyes open.
The weakness of mass teleport is that it takes a long time to cast and is easy to interrupt...
But it seemed they were already done preparing.
Still, I couldn’t give up...
Tat.
I kicked off the ground urgently and dashed forward.
Although a tank, my top-tier explorer body was enough to quickly close such a short distance.
Ah, of course, if uninterrupted.
「Roland Banozant cast [Green Mana].」
The deputy captain’s iris, who was standing still as a tank-sized barbarian charged, turned green.
And at that moment...
Whoooong-!
A translucent green barrier rose between us blocking the way.
Kwang-!
Even hammer strikes didn’t leave a crack.
The same even if I swapped to No.687 Siege Slayer weapon...
Kwaaaang-!
As I hammered the immovable barrier, the unstable ceiling began collapsing, showing signs of building destruction.
Regardless, I kept hammering the flail.
Shwaaaah-!
The blue glow beyond the wall grew deeper, signaling the nearing completion of magic.
Kwaaang-!
Watching me stubbornly keep hitting, Maan spoke,
Like advising a foolish youth.
“Baron Yandel, isn’t this the time to stop? Don’t waste strength on useless things and hurry.”
Then his dull cold gaze shifted beyond me, over my shoulder.
I didn’t even need to hear what he was about to say.
Because...
“You cherish your comrades deeply, don’t you.”
Kuuuung-!
The collapse started in earnest.
A huge shard of the ceiling struck my shoulder.
That was when I stopped swinging the flail.
I had to admit it.
I couldn’t stop these bastards from escaping right now.
But...
“I don’t know what you’re plotting.”
I had to say that much.
“It will never go the way you want.”
Barbarians are a race specialized in ruining things.
“...Look forward to it.”
Damn, playing it cool.
‘Well, whatever.’
I had said all I needed to say anyway.
Tatat-!
As soon as my business was done, I turned and dashed back to the stairs where Raven was.
Flash-!
A strong light flickered once behind me but I didn’t look back.
Because by now, no one would be left anyway.
My top priority was evacuating to the surface with Raven—
“Yandel! The stairs going up are blocked!”
“...What?”
Carrying Raven, I checked the stairs and saw that the way up was completely collapsed.
‘Ha, so I have to clear this debris one by one to get up?’
I sighed as soon as I saw it but didn’t give up.
There was no time to think, so I headed straight for the stairs.
Just as I was about to start clearing the rubble with my bare hands...
“Yandel, it’s already too late!”
Too late...
Well, maybe it seemed that way.
“So you’re saying we should just die here?”
For a K-barbarian, giving up is like giving up kimchi—
“No, I don’t mean that! Let’s go down! We can escape by multi-teleport magic too!”
Ah...?
That’s an option?
“If you just buy time until the magic is completed!”
Why hadn’t I thought of this and just started using brute force?
Somehow I felt like my brain had turned into a barbarian’s, which embarrassed me, but it was definitely the best method.
Therefore...
Drdrdrdrdr-!
Running back down the collapsing stairs to enter and find a space where we could hold out.
“Over there!”
Raven pointed to the corner farthest from the entrance.
Checking it out, the thick pillars had collapsed intertwined, creating a space big enough to hide two people.
‘Okay, if I just hold from below, I should be able to hold out easily until the magic completes—’
Just as I made that judgment and dashed down the corridor—
“...Huh?”
“...Ahh? Kyaaaah!!”
The floor gave way.
And...
Boom-!
When I came to, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
Hmm, ‘came to’ might be an exaggeration.
Just because the floor collapsed beneath me while running doesn’t mean my barbarian body is weak enough to pass out.
My heavy foot landed on the floor.
The cracked floor broke apart.
Even while falling, I twisted my body so Raven I was holding wouldn’t get hurt and landed on my back.
Like a slow-motion replay, I saw and remember every detail vividly.
The only question is...
“Where is this...?”
Even without anyone explaining, I could feel with my whole body that this place was safe.
Despite the upper floors collapsing completely, this space beneath where I fell remained still and intact.
If I had to find something that broke, it was just a small ceiling surface created when I fell.
“Basement... 6th floor...?”
The royal underground prison ended at basement 5.
It was the same in the game, and in reality, there were no stairs going down past basement 5.
I’d never heard of an extension to the royal prison.
‘No, more than that...’
...Can this even be called a prison?
A huge cubic space.
No bars, no entrance even.
In the center stood a cubic structure.
Like a Russian doll with a box inside a box.
“...”
What the hell is this place?
Surely it wasn’t built like this just to hide a pointless space.
“Raven, wake up. Quickly.”
To get the answer, I quickly woke the mage.
Fortunately, Raven had only lost consciousness briefly after the fall, and regained awareness as soon as I shook her.
“Th-this place is...”
“After falling, this is where I ended up. Is there anything I need to know?”
Raven glanced around dazedly and fixed her gaze on the cubic structure in the center.
“Do you know what that is?”
I shook her shoulder again, and Raven answered uncertainly.
“I... I’m not really sure...”
“But?”
“I think... there’s a portal inside it...?”
What is this place?