Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 328

Traitor, Ricardo Rühenphraha.

The battle with him was shocking in many ways.

It wasn’t his ‘specs’ like rare essence skills, high stats, or aura, but the fact that ‘weapon proficiency’ could have such a significant impact in battle was something I realized for the first time.

Whoosh-!

Even his casual-looking sword swings were full of intent, naturally setting up his next move.

A level beyond simply being good at fighting.

Of course, it wasn’t a hopeless situation.

‘I don’t need to win anyway.’

If I can just buy time, I’ve won.

So, I deliberately stalled and focused on observing his swordsmanship.

‘I think I’m starting to see it a bit.’

At first, I relied on my senses and reflexes to desperately dodge and block his sword, but as time passed, I started to see more and more. How he would use one move to lead into the next.

Whoosh-!

Aiming for the wrist is for restraint.

It’s best to dodge backward, but……

‘That’s what he was aiming for. Then my neck would be exposed.’

In a way, it was a checkmate.

Assuming [Unspoken Command] is working properly.

Swoosh.

As [Giantification] was released, my body shrank, and his sword grazed my wrist. But was this also a calculated move?

Whoosh-!

His sword twisted like a snake, aiming for my thigh.

Tadat.

I quickly retreated.

However, he seemed to have anticipated this while swinging his sword, and without a moment’s hesitation, he twisted the trajectory of his sword again.

Towards the unconscious Amelia.

‘This son of a bitch……’

I quickly linked [Transcendence] and [Eye of the Storm] to pull him in front of me.

With this, Amelia was safe.

But……

Swishhhhh-!

As if he had anticipated this, he rode the wind and swung his sword exquisitely as he was pulled in.

Well, I managed to avoid it somehow……

‘Is this bastard’s head some kind of supercomputer?’

The more I experience it, the more I feel like I’m being played.

It’s like he’s reading almost all of my moves? I can understand how modern Go players felt when they were being toyed with by AI.

‘If I could learn even a little bit of how he does it, it would be a great help.’

It’s not a martial art that can be learned by just watching, but it’s not often that you get to engage in a life-or-death battle with a swordsman of this level, so I stalled for time with the intention of learning as much as possible.

And how much time had passed?

‘I think the old man’s side should be finishing up soon……’

Just as I was thinking that.

“Ugh……”

A groan escaped Amelia’s lips.

She wasn’t conscious yet, but it was a sign that her injuries had recovered to a certain level.

‘Okay, once Amelia wakes up, we can take him down 2-on-1……’

Perhaps the reason he was aiming for Amelia whenever he had the chance during our fight was because of this.

As seen with the Knight of Light, despite his incredible swordsmanship, he was a guy without any warrior’s pride.

If the situation becomes unfavorable, he’ll run.

Without hesitation, without looking back.

Yes, just like right now.

“……I won’t forget today’s events.”

Perhaps he judged that now was the right time to flee, before Amelia woke up, since he was going to run anyway?

Tadat.

He retreated, creating distance while uttering a typical line about planning for the future, and I didn’t follow.

I didn’t show it, but my MP was almost depleted.

Every time I blocked a sword, I used [Swing] to avoid being pushed back by his strength, and I was spamming [Transcendence], [Leap], and [Eye of the Storm] throughout the battle, so it was an inevitable result.

‘Well, that’s over on this side……’

I then approached Amelia.

Her breathing was quite stable, and her severed arm seemed like it would need more time—

“Heh heh.”

A voice came from behind without any sign of approach.

I hurriedly turned around.

“You really defeated that guy all by yourself?”

There was Aurell Gabis, looking at me as if I was commendable.

***

“It would have been much easier if you had helped, Elder.”

“I didn’t want to meet that friend yet.”

“Is that so……”

Since he clearly wasn’t going to tell me the reason, I turned my gaze away.

To the left of Aurell Gabis, there was an object floating in the air as if by telekinesis.

No, it wasn’t an object, but a person?

It was Amelia, unconscious.

Seeing her here, it seemed like things had gone well on that side without any problems, but……

‘I should check.’

I fixed my gaze on Aurell Gabis again and asked.

“So… how did it go on your side?”

“It went well. Just like you asked, I said my name at the end.”

“What about Laura?”

“Hmm, you seem to be a bit less polite all of a sudden……”

“Haha, there’s no way that could be the case. It’s a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding.”

At my words, the old man looked at me suspiciously, but he didn’t think it was important, so he chuckled and brushed it off.

“Anyway, the older sister of this girl is the same. Just like you asked, I gave her medicine, healed her body, and sent her up to the surface.”

I thought he was an old man who was reliable with his work.

After listening to the story, it seemed that as soon as she went up to the surface, she was thrown into the first carriage she saw and disguised as an accident?

It would serve as a basis for her having lost all her memories.

Moreover, he had put a similar-aged identity plate without any connection to her and some ointment in her possession……

“I think I know what you want. I hope I didn’t do anything unnecessary? Heh heh.”

“Of course not.”

At this point, it seemed like there wouldn’t be any problems with the older sister.

Therefore, I checked the next matter.

“More importantly, what about the younger sister?”

“Don’t worry. Didn’t I tell you? Secret magic is my specialty. This child will probably never realize that she saw an illusion. Except for the fact that her breath stopped, everything else was real.”

Laura being crushed by the rocks and stabbing herself in the neck with a dagger was a real situation. Only the fact that her heart stopped and the potion’s effect ended was an illusion.

“But, you know. Did you really have to reveal my name?”

“That’s what she remembers, so what can I do?”

It was a necessary script to eliminate contradictions.

“Hmm, that’s true. By the way, you’re quite clever. Coming up with such ingenious ideas.”

The old man looked at me as if he was impressed, but I actually had a bitter taste in my mouth.

In fact, when you think about it, it was a farce like no other.

It was like being a stage actor following a script?

‘It’s too inefficient.’

Even after everything was over, I couldn’t understand it.

I wouldn’t have moved like this.

There was no need to pretend that Laura was dead,

And there was no reason to bring Amelia to Noahrc. It would have been enough to just send her to the surface with her sister.

Everyone could have had a happy ending.

Nevertheless, I used this inefficient method that required a girl to suffer a tragedy for 20 years.

Because I met Aurell Gabis after returning to the past.

And because I realized that there was no way to undo what had already happened.

I set the result and then fit the rest to it.

In some ways, it was no different from a short-sighted solution.

‘Maybe……’

Maybe the question of whether the chicken or the egg came first was meaningless from the start.

Because what does it matter?

No matter which came first, the egg laid by the chicken will eventually go through the process of becoming a chicken and lead to the result of becoming a chicken.

“You don’t seem very happy?”

At Aurell Gabis’s question, I honestly revealed my thoughts. It was quite a long story, but he listened attentively and then patted my arm.

“I can understand how you feel, but don’t think too deeply about it. You must have gained a lot from this, haven’t you?”

It was a consolation that wasn’t particularly helpful.

Information that could only be obtained from the past, the buff that Aurell Gabis gave me, the double numbers item, the Crowl’s Demon Crusher, and even the Amelia (SSR) [Super Super Rare] recruitment ticket.

I certainly gained a lot, but……

“The world is maintained, the country is maintained, and society is maintained because everyone fulfills their role. Think of this as your role.”

Saying it like that just makes me feel more uneasy.

What exactly is a fragment of record?

I wanted to ask more details, but I didn’t have the time right now.

“More importantly, now that everything is over, I’d like to receive the promised reward—”

Seeing Aurell Gabis subtly changing the subject, I cut him off firmly.

“It’s not over yet.”

“Huh?”

“Give her to me.”

There was one more thing to do.

***

When Amelia regained consciousness, she was being carried on someone’s back, running through the sewers.

Even in her hazy consciousness, she wondered.

Who could it be?

“You seem to have regained consciousness.”

The voice made her fully awake.

No wonder her back felt so broad that her arms were stiff.

“Iron Mask-nim……”

It was Iron Mask.

Unlike the other clan members, he was generous and kind to our sisters, both in the labyrinth and outside.

And……

‘Emily-nim’s companion.’

For some reason, Emily had taken care of the sisters today. She wasn’t so oblivious that she didn’t know that.

‘Why are these people helping us……’

She couldn’t understand it.

However, one thing was certain.

If it weren’t for their dedication, she and her sister would have been……

‘Would have been…?’

As her thoughts reached that point, her memories came flooding back.

“O, Onni!” [Older sister]

“……?”

“W, what happened to Onni? She was next to me……! Did you not see her?”

“……I only found you in the rubble.”

“Ah……”

Amelia clenched her fist without realizing it.

“Ah, ahh……”

Her head was spinning.

The words of Iron Mask explaining the current situation sounded muffled.

“We’re heading back to Noahrc now. The road to the city is destroyed…… What, did you fall asleep?”

In her fading consciousness, a low, deep male voice echoed.

“……I’m sorry, I couldn’t save you properly.”

“……”

“See you later.”

That was the last thing she remembered.

“Where is this……”

When she opened her eyes again after some time had passed, she was in a desolate cemetery.

The fortress of Noahrc could be seen in the distance, and a pungent smell filled her nose.

And……

“……”

There was no one around.

Not Iron Mask, nor Emily.

Nor her one and only sister.

Swoosh.

Amelia took out a dagger as if possessed.

It was stained with thick blood.

“O, Onni……”

Looking at the blood on the dagger, it became real.

The events of today were not a dream.

“Ah, ahh……”

After sitting down for a long time, Amelia heard a noisy commotion.

“Here! There’s someone here?”

“What, who is this?”

“Looks like one of Felix Barker’s lackeys?”

“Let’s take her, she might know something?”

After that, Amelia was dragged into the city by the guards, and only then did she realize.

“……”

That she was completely alone.

That her sister, who had protected her, was no longer there.

That she would have to survive alone in this city from now on.

***

As I watched Amelia being dragged away by the guards, I heard a voice from behind.

“Seeing that, I feel heavy-hearted for no reason. It’s as if I’ve done something terrible.”

What is he talking about, is he trying to play the role of a benevolent old man?

He doesn’t even think that way.

“By the way, where did you leave your companion and come here alone?”

“If you’re talking about that girl, she’s still there.”

“Even so, leaving a woman who is unconscious……”

“Don’t worry, she’ll wake up as soon as I leave.”

Well, if that’s the case.

That relieved my worries.

She’s a woman who can protect herself no matter what happens.

There’s only one thing I’m curious about.

“But why didn’t you come together?”

At my question, Aurell Gabis answered as if he was asking something obvious.

“Don’t we have something to talk about?”

Ah, that……

‘I can’t act tough and say I don’t want to now……’

It’s human nature for people to change their attitude when they enter and leave the bathroom [a Japanese idiom meaning people change their minds easily].

Even though I had decided to give what I had to give, it was hard to open my mouth when the time came.

“Are you perhaps planning to break your promise?”

Aurell Gabis’s voice was gentle, but there was a strange sense of pressure in his words.

“Name.”

As I subtly avoided his gaze, the old man’s eyes lit up and he took a step closer.

“Tell me your name. Or it would be good to take off that mask first. Hmm, yes…… I think it’s better to see your face first.”

The sight of his breath puffing out with every exhale was truly terrifying.

Therefore……

“W, wait a minute!”

I quickly raised my hand and stopped Aurell Gabis.

And I reached into my subspace.

At my actions, he asked.

“…Why are you rummaging through your bag?”

Well, there’s something I want to try.

“Fragment of Record?”

He tilted his head as he checked the item I had taken out of my subspace bag.

“Why that?”

Why, why else?

This was my last resort.

Because the lord said.

[I heard it’s the same as when you came. Once you’ve finished everything you need to do here, you’ll be called back……]

The way to return to the original timeline was to complete all the ‘tasks’. I judged that the remaining ‘task’ was to save Laura.

And that role was now over.

In other words, if I did it right, I could use this to skip paying the price and jump to the future.

Well, that’s what should have happened……

‘Why isn’t it working?’

The fragment of record didn’t move at all.

But did my disappointment show on my face?

“……Heh heh, so that’s what you were aiming for.”

The old man seemed to have noticed my intentions, his eyes widened as he glared at me.

“It wasn’t a lie that I wanted to have a friendly relationship. That’s why I went through all these troublesome requests…… But to think you were planning to stab me in the back until the very end.”

“Misunderstanding… It’s a misunderstanding. If we talk calmly—”

“That’s enough. Now I know exactly how to deal with you.”

‘Damn it.’

As I took a step back without realizing it, Aurell Gabis gestured in the air.

Whoosh-!

My body was pulled by an invisible force, as if [Eye of the Storm] was used. When I came to my senses, I was standing in front of him.

“Now, shall we see your face?”

Aurell Gabis reached out his hand towards my helmet.

‘Ha, if I had known this would happen, I would have just taken it off myself.’

It was too late to regret it.

Thud.

That was the moment when Aurell Gabis’s fingertips touched my helmet.

Even in the dark night, there is light.

Swishhhhhhhh-!

The fragment of record in my hand suddenly began to emit a pure white light in all directions.

‘Yeah, this is elder exploitation [referring to taking advantage of an older person].’

In a world where everything was turning white, I smiled.

“S, sorry about this. I was going to keep my promise.”

“Y, you!!”

“Don’t shout. What else can I do? My role here is over.”

“Name! Then at least tell me your name—”

Flash-!

The light exploded like a flash, and Aurell Gabis’s voice was crushed.

And……

Thud.

The light faded, and my slightly floating feet touched the ground.

The timing was close, but it meant that my unpaid elder exploitation plan had succeeded—

“Huh……”

But what on earth was this?

“Huh……?”

I froze, dumbfounded, as I checked my surroundings.

Because everything was the same.

The destroyed cemetery.

The corpse of the cemetery caretaker.

And even the smell of burning from the burnt city.

If I had returned to the original timeline, there should have been some changes, but everything around me was the same.

Except for one thing……

“What, where did that old man go?”

Aurell Gabis was gone.