The Academy’s Barbarian Chapter 281

Chapter 61 Gather the warriors (1)

One.

A vast desert in the southern part of the continent.

Six men and women set foot on the land of martyrs that has existed since ancient times.

It was a group of Ulan who had just entered the desert after saying goodbye to Istan.

“Whew, it’s hot, probably because it’s a desert.”

“I know. “I can take off my clothes and move around.”

Even though it had been less than an hour since we entered the desert, the group felt the extremely intense heat.

Is that why? Ibella and Delia took off their outer clothes one by one. Then Sirpi, who saw this scene, hurriedly approached and spoke to him.

“Well, you can’t do that!”

“what? why?”

“The sun is strong, so you have to wear at least a thin cloth. “Otherwise you’ll get burned.”

It was definitely a valid opinion.

If you walk in this amount of sunlight all the time, your skin will turn red.

Fortunately, there was a thin cloth among the supplies prepared by Istan, so the group wrapped the cloth around each other to cover their skin.

“what? “Can I not cover my Ulan?”

“I’m fine.”

His answer was not empty.

Because Ulan had the imprint of a hero. Even if you get burned, you will recover quickly.

Meanwhile, while the group changed their clothes, Noah quietly looked around the desert landscape.

‘This is right here…’ … .’

Even if you look around, there is nothing but sand.

A hot, dry world with crisp winds, dry air, and no moisture at all.

At the same time, it was also unknown territory.

Because Noah had never visited this place in the original work. As he was staring blankly at the desert, he heard a familiar voice.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Before I knew it, Ulan had come close to me.

Noah, who felt a presence at a short distance, answered without looking at Ulan.

“I’m just curious.”

“It’s fascinating?”

“Yes, it’s my first time here.”

There was no reason to come to the desert in the first place.

Of course, there were sub-quests related to the Desert Cult, but the rewards were very minimal compared to other hidden pieces.

Also, the main quest of the original work, defeating the Lord of the Abyss, had nothing to do with the desert.

“Is this your first time in the Ulando Desert?”

However, Noah is not the only one who is unfamiliar with the desert. Even the seven warriors, including Ulan, have never visited the desert.

However, the answer that came back was different from what I expected.

“Strictly speaking, not really.”

“yes? Ha, but as far as I know, the warriors never visited the desert in the original work… … .”

“It would be like that in the heart of the desert.”

Ulan interrupted Noah.

Suddenly, my eyes flashed sharply and I remembered someone from my memory.

“The Giant King Largtan. “The place that fell into the trap he set was the border between the desert and the jungle.”

“… … ah!”

When I thought about it carefully, it was like that.

The Giant King Largtan, one of the six lords of the Abyss, created a cave at the border of the desert and the eastern jungle and lured a group of warriors into it.

When Noah realized this later, another forgotten fact crossed his mind.

‘Wait a minute, now that I think about it… … .’

The Giant King’s Cave is also the place where Ulan’s confirmed fate was activated. In other words, this is the place where Ulan always met his end in the original work.

When I thought of this, a vaguely ominous feeling came over me. Is that why? At that time, she was chopping her nails with a nervous look on her face.

“Nothing to worry about.”

“… … yes?”

“Because this time will be different.”

Ulan, perhaps reading Noah’s anxiety, answered in a calm tone. And when I heard this, surprisingly, my anxious feeling went away a little.

‘That’s right. It’s just as Ulan said.’

Ulan has already defeated Asteban, the number one monarch. The second-ranking Giant King Largtan would not be a very threatening opponent.

With these thoughts, Noah took deep breaths repeatedly and calmed down his ominous mood.

“Then let’s move again.”

At that time, Ulan gathered the group together.

It is about half a day away from where the group is currently at to the place where they promised to join Laurea.

If you walk diligently, you will be able to arrive before night falls. The moment I lifted the backpack containing the supplies and carried it.

“Now, please wait a moment.”

A voice was heard holding the group’s feet.

It was none other than Sirpi Rudric.

“Before we leave, I have something to tell you.”

“what?”

“A word of caution about the desert.”

Sirpi was born and raised in the desert and is currently the only guide for Ulan and his party.

At this, Ulan turned again and looked at Sirpi. Then Sirpi cleared his throat awkwardly and immediately stretched out three fingers.

“Hmm! hmm! First of all, there are three main things to be careful of in the desert. “Demon beasts and the dead, fetishes.”

Demonic beasts, the dead, fetishes.

Sirpi explained that among these three, casting should be the most careful.

“Here, a fetish means an object with a curse, and if you handle it incorrectly, something bad may happen that will result in you being cursed.”

Only high-ranking shamans of the Desert Church or those with pure divine power can lift the curse transferred through casting.

So, if you see a suspicious object in the first place, it is wise not to touch it carelessly. Sirpi concluded his cautions like this.

“This is all you have to be careful about. Of course, there are a few other things to watch out for, but I’ll explain them depending on the situation.”

“good. “Do it.”

Thinking about something that hasn’t happened just makes my head hurt. Ulan turned around with only the three points of caution mentioned by Sirpi in his head.

Some time after that.

As we walked for a short period of time enduring the scorching heat, something unexpected happened.

Doo doo doo doo doo!

I was going over a sand dune when suddenly the ground started shaking. Everyone in the group stopped in their tracks at the sudden phenomenon.

“huh? what?”

“earthquake?”

The vibrations became increasingly stronger.

Meanwhile, Sirpi, who was observing this phenomenon, shouted with a surprised face.

“Oh, no! This… … !”

And just before her cries stopped.

Coo coo coo coo! Paaaaat!

A huge object rose from the depths of the sand. It was a monster that looked like a centipede, with characteristics of arthropods and polypods.

“Everyone get back! “It’s a sandworm!”

Sandworms, magical beasts that live in the desert.

It usually lives in a nest deep in the sand dunes, and when its prey passes by, it has a habit of jumping out, biting the prey, and then returning to the nest.

At this, Sirpi shouted urgently.

“Be careful not to get bitten by it. If you’re not careful, you’ll be sucked underground in an instant… … !”

However, she could not continue speaking until the end.

This was because before Sirpi could finish speaking, the sandworm swung its sharp teeth at the person closest to him.

[Kyahaaa!]

With an indescribable scream, its mouth opened wide. Soon it tried to return to its nest, biting the body of its prey.

But something was a little strange.

[Grrr?]

I was sure I asked correctly, but strangely my body didn’t move. If I had to express it, it felt like I was biting a large rock.

As if puzzled by this fact, the sandworm lowered its gaze and looked at its prey. What was reflected in the bright yellow eyes was a barbarian with reddish brown hair.

It was Ulan.

“Ooh, Ulan!”

“wait! “I’ll save you soon!”

Ibella hurriedly pulled out her sword.

However, there was no need to go out.

This was because Ulan suddenly stretched out his hand, grabbed the sandworm’s body, and tore it to pieces.

Crack! Ugh!

A body that tears as lightly as paper.

Sirpi mumbled absentmindedly at the sight of sticky bodily fluid pouring out.

“… … ah?”

The sandworm whose body was just torn apart is also designated as a dangerous level demon beast by the Desert Church.

To kill a monster that size so easily with your bare hands and without a weapon. Sirpi, who had a blank expression on his face, suddenly became aware of it.

The real monster was something else.

“are you okay? “Are you hurt anywhere?”

“How’s the bite?”

Meanwhile, Ibella and Delia rushed to Ulan and looked at various parts of his body. Ulan shook his head at the sight of the two making a fuss.

“I don’t mind.”

“… … “As expected, your body is really strong.”

Sven quietly exclaims in admiration.

I felt it during the decisive battle with Astevan, but Ulan’s body was abnormally strong.

After such a boring fight.

The group resumed their movement.

Eventually, as the sun was setting, a new strange event came to the group again.

[Crook! Turn it off!]

[Gaaaa!]

Soldiers popping out one by one from deep in the sand. Wearing old armor, they glared at the group with their blue eyes flashing.

“What is that again?”

“They are dead people wandering the desert.”

“If you are dead… … . “Undead?”

“yes that’s right! “There are more people than you think, so be careful not to get surrounded.”

Sven and Dilia tilted their heads as if they didn’t understand Sirpi’s explanation.

“huh? “There are a lot of them?”

“It doesn’t seem like that many, does it?”

“What you see is not everything. “The dead, like sandworms, have a habit of staying underground and coming up when they sense their presence!”

“… … okay?”

This means that the ground where the party stands is teeming with undead.

Realizing this fact, Delia muttered with a cool smile on her face.

“Then, if I just blow up the whole thing, it’ll be fine.”

“yes? What does it mean to fly… … .”

Sirpi asked curiously, but there was no answer. Delia concentrated on raising her magic power without saying a word.

Saaaaa!

Perhaps because it was closer to evening, the star’s magic showed a stronger response than usual.

After a while, Delia used the highest star cluster magic towards the ground.

『Extreme New Star』

7-star strategic magic.

It is an attack magic that strongly concentrates the magic power of stars and explodes it all at once, devastating the battlefield.

The extreme nova that caused such an explosion of light soon subsided and created a strong gust of wind.

Quagga-ga-ga-ga-ga!

The power to tear even grains of sand apart.

There was no way the dead, made up of mere bones, could survive. Afterwards, Sven and Ibella took care of the remaining remnants.

“It’s a lot bland than I thought.”

Sven, who finished the battle in the blink of an eye, muttered as he picked up the arrow.

“Are these guys really dangerous?”

“I know. “They’re no match for Asteban’s descendants who fought in Schulfern?”

Ibella also nodded in agreement.

This is because Asteban’s descendants that he faced in Schulfern continued to rise even after being cut down and destroyed unless they were using sacred weapons.

On the other hand, the dead that the party had just faced could no longer move after their bodies were destroyed. Noah laughed awkwardly at these two reactions.

‘Of course.’

No matter how powerful the desert dead are, there is no way they are stronger than the undead under Asteban, the undead lord.

‘If I had to compare the two, it could be considered the difference between a rabbit and a lion.’

After thinking about it, Noah shrugged his shoulders.

After finishing the battle with the dead, the group resumed their movement, and Ulan, who was walking quietly, muttered softly.

“We’ve encountered demonic beasts and the dead so far, so all we have to do next is find the fetish.”

“… … No, you don’t need to look for it.”

Noah sighed.

Of course, even if you find the fetish and become cursed, it can be resolved by joining Laurea, but the best thing is not to be cursed.

For that to happen, it was better not to come into contact with the fetish in the first place, so Noah prayed earnestly that nothing would happen on the way to his destination.

Did this wish come true?

Until the day in the desert came to an end and they arrived at the place where they had agreed to join Laurea, the party did not encounter anything particularly unusual.

“Roughly, I guess it’s like this?”

“Yes, it seems like that when compared to the map.”

Noah nodded.

Then Ibella looked around and muttered in confusion.

“what? “This is the meeting place?”

“that’s right. “It’s clear when you compare it to the map.”

“But there’s nothing…” … .”

“That’s because we came too early.”

Noah shrugged his shoulders.

As they said, Ulan and his party arrived much earlier than scheduled. So I had to wait three more days until the appointed time with Laurea arrived.

“Now, wait a minute! “Then do you really have to stay here all this time?”

“I guess so. “It would be better to join and go all at once rather than moving separately.”

When Noah answered, Ibella frowned as if she was bored. She thought that if she had known this would happen, she would have been in a hurry.

“Let’s start by seizing the base. And if there are any dangerous elements while exploring the surroundings, we must eliminate them.”

“Well, I agree.”

Ulan nodded at Sven’s words.

After that, the group moved around busily. The purpose was to find a suitable place to use as a base and to prepare a place to spend the night.

“Oh, I’ll help too.”

Meanwhile, Noah, who joined the group late because he was looking at the map, walked towards where the other group was.

But that only lasts for a moment.

“… … uh?”

Suddenly her steps stopped.

No, I had no choice but to stop.

This was because a special scene that only she could see unfolded before her eyes.

“This is… … !”

Bright blue eyes widened.

The scenery contained therein was like this.

[alarm]

▶The Trial of the Hero – Challenge Begins

▶Challenge: [Noah Darshen]

[Time remaining until trial completion]:

*39 days 23 hours 59 minutes

A system message that has not appeared in a long time.

The content of the message was a notification that the eighth trial of the warrior had begun.

fantasy,