Chapter 109: Chapter 109 Baby Barbarian (2)

Baby Barbarian (2)

“Keugh.”

“Don’t move yet. Your wound hasn’t fully healed.”

“…Did you save me?”

“Using a top-grade potion, no less.”

The bear-like man’s expression is complex.

He’s happy to be alive and all, but there’s something that doesn’t sit right with him.

Well, he knows it too, right?

How much profit we could have made if he had died.

[Thank you, it’s worth about 30 million sto—]

30 million stones.

Although it’s not the exact amount, it’s probably close enough since it was Jensia’s estimate, and she had extensive looting experience.

The bear-like man, who’s well-versed in the ways of explorers, mutters quietly,

“…You were lucky.”

I agree.

In this situation, how many explorers would choose to save someone instead of waiting for them to die?

“I’ll pay for the top-grade potion.”

Well, that’s only natural.

“How much do you want?”

“Hmm, I think 5 million stones should be enough.”

“…Isn’t a top-grade potion worth about 1 million stones?”

“Is that so? Then I guess I got ripped off by the merchants.”

The bear-like man is momentarily speechless at my sly attitude and then chuckles.

“Indeed, the price of an item can vary depending on the situation.”

As expected of an experienced 5th-grade explorer, he seems to understand exactly what I’m saying.

“5 million stones… that’s a reasonable price.”

“Thank you for thinking so.”

“…You two, what the hell are you talking about?”

You just stay quiet.

The adults are talking right now.

“But I don’t have that much money right now. I’ll pay the 5 million stones when we return to the city.”

“Hmm.”

“Instead, I’ll leave this item with you, and I would like you to return it after I pay you in the city.”

The bear-like man then takes out a skull-shaped bracelet and hands it to me.

“It’s a Numbered Item. I just used it once, but it’s still worth much more than 5 million stones.”

The bear-like man briefly explains the item, but I already know what it is.

No. 7611 ‘Deceiver of the Necromancer’.

It’s an item that puts the wearer into a state of suspended animation with temporary damage immunity when they receive fatal damage.

For reference, it breaks after 3 uses.

‘So that’s how he survived.’

I ask if he would be willing to just give me this instead of the 5 million stones, but the bear-like man draws a clear line, saying that he’s just leaving it as collateral and will pay me in money later.

“Don’t even think about running away with it, Bjorn, son of Yandel.”

What the, how did he know?

The bear-like man chuckles as I flinch.

“I’ve heard about a barbarian who travels with a beastman. That lady also mentioned your real name a few times.”

“Uh, did I do that?”

“Don’t worry. I understand that you don’t want to attract unnecessary attention. I won’t go around telling anyone.”

That’s a relief.

If Dwarkey or the dwarf were to find out, it would be a bit of a hassle.

After all, we snuck away saying we had a request.

“So what happened? Did that bitch die? Did you two defeat the guardian?”

The bear-like man, who almost died, first settles the matter of the price for his life and then asks about the situation.

There are many things I can’t tell him, so I just nod. Fortunately, the bear-like man, with his explorer’s etiquette, doesn’t pry further.

“Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. I thought the stories were exaggerated, but seeing what happened today, it seems like that wasn’t the case.”

He seems surprised that we defeated the guardian together, even though he understands about Jensia.

Anyway, we decide on a time and place to meet after returning to the city, and as I’m distributing the bear-like man’s share of the magic stones, his wounds fully heal.

“Bjorn, son of Yandel, and Misha Kaltstein. Thank you for saving my life. I won’t forget today’s favor.”

With those words, the bear-like man leaves the rift through the portal.

He’s a cool guy until the very end.

_______________________

After the bear-like man leaves, I take a moment to examine the ‘Deceiver of the Necromancer’.

Two of the three jewels are glowing.

In other words, there are two uses left.

‘Let’s just keep it on and return it later.’

I put it on my wrist just in case.

I remember the bear-like man saying that I should keep it safe and return it…

‘Well, it should be fine as long as I use it well and return it.’

Anyway, I put that issue aside and take a moment to think.

‘5 million stones…’

I received a decent reward in exchange for the top-grade potion. Well, it’s just a drop in the bucket compared to 30 million stones…

‘I’ve really become a barbarian.’

Honestly, it would be a lie to say that I wasn’t tempted at all.

After all, I wouldn’t even have had to do anything myself.

Whether the bear-like man was a good person or a bad person…

If I had just waited…

…I could have gotten enough money to upgrade my Spirit Engraving to the 6th stage in one go.

But…

…I poured the potion on his wound.

It wasn’t because of some philosophical dilemma about whether there’s a difference between me and a marauder if I let someone die because of money when I have the means to save them.

I just didn’t do it because of Misha.

“……Why, why are you looking at me like that? I’m suddenly feeling uneasy…”

“It’s nothing.”

Anyway, regardless of my corrupted moral standards…

…I judged that it wasn’t something I should do with a companion who will be with me in the future.

However, after everything is over, I have this thought.

‘What if I were alone?’

It’s not just for the sake of wealth and glory.

In this world, money is power, and it’s like life itself.

If Misha hadn’t been there, what choice would I have made in the face of that enormous temptation?

‘…It’s not something I need to worry about yet.’

Whether I want to or not, the moment will come when I find out as I continue working as an explorer.

Therefore, I finish my thoughts and pack my things.

“Huh? Aren’t we leaving?”

Leaving? Where do you think we’re going?

There are two things left to collect.

I take Misha and move along the ice passage.

It was originally blocked, but it was revealed when the Tyrant Tarunbas appeared.

If you follow this passage, you can return to the second chapter.

“Wow… how do you know things like this? Information about rifts is really expensive.”

“It’s thanks to Ragna.”

“Ah, uh-huh… that woman…”

Misha seems to accept it when I use the secret library that Ragna opened as an excuse.

Since she doesn’t usually read books, she tends to believe it when I say I read it somewhere.

Kwaaang!

After arriving at the second chapter, we climb back up the stairs and smash the third pillar from the top.

It’s the item that increases cold resistance once when consumed, which I didn’t bother taking while observing the mafia.

「Character has consumed ‘Magic-infused Ice Shard’.」

「Cold Resistance permanently increased by +3.」

Since Misha has enough cold resistance, I eat it.

Well, I’m planning to give her the next one, though.

After passing through the first chapter, we come out of the Glacier Cave entirely. And we cross the frozen lake and head towards the starting point.

Kwaaang!

A small pond near the starting point.

I smash it with my mace and then dive into the icy water, retrieving a red ice bead.

“Here, eat this.”

“Shouldn’t you tell me what it is first?”

Would I give you something bad?

Still, I give her a rough explanation, and Misha lets go of her anxiety and crunches on the bead before swallowing it.

「Misha Kaltstein has consumed ‘Ice Crystal’.」

「Cold Affinity permanently increased by +3.」

Actually, ‘Ice Crystal’ is the signature item of the Glacier Cave.

It increases Affinity and you can eat it up to three times, so I always came here first when building a freezing build in the early stages.

‘I’ll have to come here first next time too when the cooldown is up.’

Since I’m quite cold from diving, we make a bonfire and dry off.

I put on the clothes I took off and folded beforehand.

“Then that’s it.”

“Oh, are we finally leaving?”

What is she talking about?

I take out a blanket from my bag.

“…Why are you laying out a blanket?”

“We didn’t get much sleep last night because of the watch, let’s rest for a while.”

Honestly, there’s no safer place in the labyrinth than a cleared rift.

Although it’s a bit cold…

…there’s no better place to get a good night’s sleep.

“Don’t worry, there’s no one here but us.”

“…I, I see. Then we’re just taking a short break?”

“Yeah. Come here, it’s cold. Let’s just share the blanket.”

“…Sh, should we?”

A cool wind brushes against the bridge of my nose.

The warmth of the bonfire.

As night falls, a dark blue Milky Way stretches across the sky, twinkling.

And within it…

“Bjorn… are you asleep?”

Snore, snore!

“You’re, you’re asleep?”

We close our eyes for a while.

______________________

「Entered 1st Floor Crystal Cave.」

______________________

Avman Urikfrit, a 5th-grade explorer.

He lets out a long sigh as he opens his eyes in the Crystal Cave.

Only then does it feel real.

‘…I made it back alive.’

He had been operating alone after leaving the team he had been with for a long time due to an incident.

And he experienced many dangers along the way.

Because this labyrinth is not an easy place to wander around alone.

But there had never been an enemy as dangerous as this time.

It was literally a situation where he barely made it back alive after practically stepping into the gates of hell.

‘…I was lucky.’

He feels it again and again, that he was lucky.

Anyway, he encountered a crazy bitch who entered the rift with the intention of looting while hiding her identity.

And there was a kind explorer on the team who saved him even though they had no connection.

And that person even had a top-grade potion.

What are the chances of that?

‘I should make a donation to the temple when I get back.’

No matter how many times he thinks about it, it’s truly a miracle.

He briefly enjoys the afterglow of survival and then changes the subject in his mind.

‘By the way, Bjorn, son of Yandel…’

Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel.

He had heard that name several times in the city.

Of course, he didn’t think much of it at the time.

He just thought, ‘huh, so a unique guy appeared?’

To him, a 5th-grade explorer, an explorer with a title wasn’t anything special.

But…

‘He’s an interesting guy.’

He was different from typical barbarians.

He was experienced despite seeming simple-minded, he was quick-witted, and he was good at negotiating.

If he had to describe him, he was similar to a barbarian who had been exploring the labyrinth for a long time.

Pure, but not naive.

That’s why he was able to notice it.

The woman’s true intentions, which even he was unaware of.

‘To gain a title in 3 months and already possess this level of experience… he’ll definitely achieve great things.’

He doesn’t have any ill feelings towards him.

No, he only feels gratitude.

Although it’s an explorer’s destiny to pursue money, how many of them have been consumed by greed?

The fact that he was asked for 5 million stones as a treatment fee?

He considers it as having fulfilled his duty as an explorer by not taking all his equipment.

Well, it’s because many people have forgotten that duty that his actions seem even more special.

‘Well, that’s why that lady follows him, I guess.’

Avman recalls the beastman lady who seemed to be the barbarian’s companion. The barbarian gave her the Yeti and guardian’s essences without asking for anything in return.

‘That lady is also quite lucky.’

Having a companion like that is a blessing.

Phew, if only his former teammates had been half as good as that guy, he wouldn’t have to be traveling alone—

‘Wait a minute…’

At first, it was just a fleeting thought.

But he changes his expression and contemplates seriously.

‘Indeed, someone like him wouldn’t be bad.’

He’s been feeling doubts about traveling alone after experiencing this incident.

‘…Well, I can’t keep going solo forever. It seems like they only have two people for now.’

Avman makes a decision.

Although the various clans and regular teams that tried to recruit him would be disappointed if they found out…

Who cares?

‘I should at least bring it up when we meet in the city.’

He really likes this barbarian.