Surviving as a Barbarian in a Fantasy World

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 363: To the White Snowfield (2)

Hashuwalt followed the gaze and turned to Ketal.

"By the way, who is this barbarian? I don’t remember seeing him before."

There was no need to ask about Serena; the intense divinity emanating from her indicated she was likely a saint or devout follower.

However, Ketal was an enigma.

His appearance was that of a perfect barbarian.

The aura he emitted was extraordinary, yet compared to their group, his strength was noticeably inferior.

With a curious gaze, Helia gestured toward Ketal.

Ketal nodded, signaling his consent.

Helia then spoke.

"He is the guide of the White Snowfield."

"A guide? That’s impossible. No one knows about this place."

The information about the White Snowfield available to the world only pertained to its outskirts.

There was no information about its interior, let alone the existence of a guide.

But Helia continued in a low voice.

"He knows what this place is, the ecosystem it supports, what exists here, and how desolate it is—better than anyone else. That’s because he used to live here."

"…!"

Hashuwalt’s eyes widened as he stared at Ketal’s ashen hair.

"No… it can’t be."

"For a year, huh. I know how hard that must’ve been. You’ve endured well."

Ketal spoke softly.

"I am Ketal, a barbarian of the White Snowfield. I hope you’ll take care of me."

Hashuwalt’s eyes were filled with astonishment, and he stammered.

"I-I’ve never seen a barbarian during my time here…"

"This place is vast. A mere year wouldn’t even allow you to grasp a fraction of it. Besides, those people rarely leave their territory. It’s likely you didn’t encounter them."

Ketal replied calmly, and Hashuwalt gradually composed himself.

"I see… So, you’re saying you’re a barbarian of the White Snowfield."

A peculiar competitive spirit flickered in his eyes.

Suppressing the emotion, Hashuwalt asked,

"Did you come here to find the barbarians? May I ask why?"

"The situation on the surface is dire—dire enough to need their strength."

"What?"

Once again, Hashuwalt was shocked.

Helia quickly explained the situation.

The more he listened, the larger his eyes grew.

"The Demon King appeared? And surface won? But it didn’t end there, and now entities from the White Snowfield have emerged?"

"Though we won the war against hell, the surface suffered immense damage. Even the gods are hesitant to intervene directly."

"I understand."

After organizing his thoughts, Hashuwalt nodded.

"May I join you as well?"

"Huh? Are you planning to leave the White Snowfield?"

"The surface is in such a dire state—I can’t just sit idly by. I can always return here later."

"Thank you!"

Helia expressed her gratitude with a bright smile.

Hashuwalt was a hero-level powerhouse, among the strongest on the surface.

His unexpected participation was a boon.

"Moreover… I want to meet them."

He looked at Ketal.

"The barbarians. I want to know how they survive here. Is that alright?"

"I don’t mind. The more hands, the better."

"Thank you. Then, may I pack my belongings first?"

"Of course."

They followed Hashuwalt, soon spotting a cave protruding from the snowy mountains.

Helia was surprised.

"A cave… Is this where you’ve been staying?"

"Yes. It’s quite spacious inside, and remarkably, it retains warmth, making it a convenient shelter. This place truly is mysterious."

After packing his belongings, Hashuwalt prepared to follow them.

His face carried a competitive edge as he looked at Ketal.

This man had lived in the White Snowfield, enduring its harsh conditions for over a year.

Naturally, Hashuwalt was proud of his own survival here.

He wanted to prove how well he had adapted and thrived in this brutal environment—to this legendary barbarian.

His eyes burned with fighting spirit.

But Ketal remained indifferent.

While staring at the cave, he asked,

"You’ve lived here for a year?"

"Yes. Without this place, it would’ve been much harder."

"You were lucky."

"Huh? Lucky, you say?"

Hashuwalt was confused by the unexpected remark.

Ketal responded not with words but with action.

He raised his foot and stomped on the cave floor.

BOOM!

A thunderous sound echoed.

The ground beneath the snow mountain trembled momentarily. Hashuwalt panicked.

"What are you doing…"

A low growl interrupted him.

[Groooan…]

The supposed cave entrance began to close gradually.

With rumbling sounds, the "cave" began descending into the snowfield.

THUD.

All that remained were shattered fragments as the cave vanished completely.

"…Huh?"

"W-What?"

"That wasn’t a cave."

Ketal explained casually.

"That was the mouth of a turtle."

"A turtle?"

"Yes. The White Snowfield is essentially a glacial expanse, beneath which lies a vast, deep ocean. That was a massive turtle living in the sea. Sometimes it surfaces to breathe, opening its mouth like this. Then, after some time, it submerges again. It takes roughly a year for it to return—cutting it close, weren’t you?"

"…."

Hashuwalt’s eyes quivered.

The "cave" he had thought of as his shelter all this time was actually a turtle?

"I-It’s not like I just sat there. I had my suspicions and extended my senses to the limit, but I didn’t detect anything unusual."

"Your senses can’t be fully trusted in this place, nor can mystical abilities."

This land was home to entities that predated the world’s order. @@novelbin@@

Mysticism held little sway here.

"Well, now that that’s sorted, let’s move on."

Ketal’s calm voice echoed through the silence.

* * *

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

They followed Ketal forward.

Hashuwalt still couldn’t shake off the shock.

‘No. That can't be.’

Finally regaining his senses, Hashuwalt shook his head.

Though he hadn't realized the cave was actually the inside of a turtle's mouth, he had still lived here for over a year.

That experience must count for something, he believed.

With that in mind, he spoke to Ketal.

"I'll tell you about the things I've experienced while living here. You've probably been outside for a while, so—"

"Sorry, but that won't matter much,"

Ketal interrupted, turning his head to look behind them.

"Where you were is the border."

"The... the border?"

"The boundary between the outer and inner regions. It's not exactly weak, but it's not particularly strong either. It's... adequate."

"Adequate?"

Hashuwalt had gone through considerable hardship over the past year.

And that was considered "adequate"?

"When we enter the inner region, what you know will be meaningless."

"Uh... um. I see."

Although Hashuwalt reluctantly acknowledged the point, he didn't fully believe it.

He assumed the difference couldn't be that great.

It didn't take long for that assumption to be shattered.

A monster appeared before them.

[Grrr...]

"...A wolf pack."

It was a stark white wolf, resembling freshly fallen snow—only it was three times the normal size.

Hashuwalt stepped forward.

"I'll handle this!"

He had fought these white wolves numerous times.

Though they possessed superhuman strength, they weren't a match for him.

Hashuwalt skillfully subdued the wolf.

Crunch.

Hashuwalt drove his weapon into the wolf's neck.

The writhing body of the wolf went limp.

He thought to himself, The inner region is supposed to be different, but this is just the same as before.

At that moment, something shot out of the wolf's eyes.

Fwoosh!

It was a white worm-like creature, about a meter long.

It sprang out as if lunging and darted toward Hashuwalt.

Reflexively, Hashuwalt swung his sword.

Swish!

But the creature twisted its body and easily evaded the strike.

It scurried up the blade and attempted to burrow into Hashuwalt's skin.

At that instant, Ketal suddenly appeared and grabbed the creature.

It thrashed violently, trying to penetrate Ketal's body, but it couldn't even scratch his skin, as if it were made of steel.

Ketal tightened his grip.

Squelch.

The worm split in half and dropped to the ground.

It twitched a few more times before going still.

"...What is that?"

Hashuwalt asked, his voice trembling.

"It's a parasite that inhabits living beings. We call them 'white tentacles,'"

Ketal replied, casually brushing his hands off.

"I've never seen anything like this before..."

"They usually survive only in the inner environment, so they rarely appear outside. But just because they’re rare doesn’t mean they’re non-existent. Looks like you were lucky."

Hashuwalt couldn't refute that.

The "white tentacle" had moved so quickly that even he, with his hero-class skills, would have struggled to deal with it if caught off guard.

He grew more silent, following Ketal with a downcast expression.

Then Ketal abruptly stopped walking.

"Be cautious from here on. Step only where I step."

"...I don't see anything unusual, though."

"It's quicker to show than explain,"

Ketal said, pulling a random item from his dimensional storage and tossing it onto the snowy expanse ahead.

The object struck an unremarkable glacier.

Then, all at once—

CRACKLE!

The glacier violently surged upward and engulfed the object.

A chilling frost burst forth, freezing the divine protection surrounding them.

"...What is this?"

Helia groaned, recalling something Ketal had mentioned about the "White Wastes" when they had previously discussed the region.

"This is what you referred to as the 'Icy Terrain,' isn't it?"

"Exactly. Think you could escape if it swallowed you?"

"...It might be possible,"

Helia replied, hesitating.

"But it would take everything I have. And even then, most of my divine power would be lost."

Even Helia, a top-tier hero, admitted it would be a severe challenge.

For Hashuwalt, survival would be nearly impossible.

Stunned, Hashuwalt fell silent.

Strange phenomena continued to emerge as they advanced:

Hailstones precisely targeting them; swarms of invisible insects suddenly appearing; eerie forces mimicking frost, slowly freezing them to death.

Each encounter demanded their utmost vigilance, even as hero-class individuals.

Helia murmured in awe,

"Everything Ketal said... it was all true."

"Did you think I was lying?"

"No... not exactly. But..."

As mortals, it was hard to believe such dangers could truly exist.

But they did.

The inner region was a place where even heroes struggled to survive.

Reflecting on his arrogance and ignorance of the White Wastes, Hashuwalt slumped like a defeated puppy.

His dejected state even evoked pity from Serena.

Finally, at the end of their journey—

"We've arrived."

In the distance, a cluster of huts came into view.

Not just one or two, but hundreds of them.

Ketal looked at the huts with a strange expression.

These were the Barbarians of the White Wasteland.

This was the place he had once called home.

And now, he had returned.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]