Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 699

“It’s a shame that controlling it has become difficult… but our Baron has such clear weaknesses.”

Is it because I’m used to it now? I don’t even get worked up hearing those words. Besides, I can’t really hear them well anyway. Thump-thump-thump-thump—!

The pounding of my heart fills my eardrums. My vision is blurry from the blood and sweat. My skin is burning as if it’s been roasted.

“Khehehe……”

I just focused on those sensations and laughed emptily. I wasn’t laughing because it was funny, but just because laughter came out.

“That’s what was written in the book by the Febrosk troop. They say warriors laugh when they’re having a hard time……”

Baekho Lee tilted his head at the Scholar of Destruction’s words.

“What’s with that bullcrap?”

“That’s something a friend said once. It’s very famous among explorers, didn’t you know?”

“How would I know that?”

Baekho Lee snorted and spat out blood-tinged saliva.

“Anyway, does that mean the Baron is about to die from exhaustion right now?”

Baekho Lee’s eyes, looking at me, were filled with a determination to never back down. That was bad news for me.

Seriously, if this goes on a little longer, I don’t think I’ll even have the strength to stand….

“Khehehe……”

Well, what can I do? I have to try until I can’t anymore. Sometimes in life, you need the guts to charge forward even when you know the outcome.

“Hey, old man. Are you ready?”

“Ah, it’s done.”

“Then let’s finish this up.”

I don’t know what preparation he’s talking about, but it seems like he’s come up with some kind of trump card while I wasn’t paying attention… Whooshhhhh-!

A huge magic circle forms around the spot where the Scholar of Destruction is standing. It looked ominous at first glance.

It’s been a long time since my weak heart has taken over like this. ‘If I think I can’t stop it, I should run away immediately….’ I thought, forcing my eyes open and looking ahead. At that moment.

Crack-! The sound of a watermelon bursting came from somewhere, and the magic circle drawn on the floor lost its glow. What the heck is going on?

I quickly moved my gaze to check, and I was able to see two things.

“……!”

The Scholar of Destruction was flying through the air as if he had been hit by something. And….

「Amelia Rainweils has cast [Asura’s Wrath].」……

What, how is she here? I wondered if I was hallucinating because I was so tired, but then Amelia spoke to me.

Looking at Baekho Lee, not me.

“Captain, should I kill all of these guys?”

I blankly nodded at her question.

“Yeah.”

I nodded without thinking, but it would be a lie to say I wasn’t flustered.

Amelia Rainweils. My real comrade who should be inside the castle walls. I haven’t been able to talk to her properly and haven’t been able to go back for months, so I was very worried….

I felt happy, but also curious. How did she get here? ‘Did she come looking for me because I hadn’t returned…?’

Well, it seems like something Amelia would do. She must have been searching everywhere for a way to get out, worried that I might be causing trouble again.

She’s the most reliable woman in this kind of situation.

“…Kill? You alone, us?”

Baekho Lee, who had been momentarily flustered by Amelia’s appearance, regained his composure and snorted. And….

“Aures! You just protect the old man! I’ll take care of her!”

“Ah, I understand!”

Aures started running towards the Scholar of Destruction after hearing Baekho Lee’s order. However, Amelia just smirked at this.

“I don’t think I’ve ever said this.”

“…….”

“That I’m alone.”

At the following murmur, everyone’s gaze turned to the cave entrance where the teleportation magic circle was hidden. Flash-! Something was shot out from the dark cave with a short flash of light.

It wasn’t a normal iron arrow, but light. To be precise, it was a ‘Spirit Arrow’ shot using the power of spirits. Whoosh-! There was no need to see who it was.

「Erwen Fornachi di Tersia has cast [Rupture].」

Soon, an arrow flew at a speed that was hard to follow with the eyes, heading towards the Scholar of Destruction, who was in a groggy state. Thud.

Aures, who was running towards the Scholar of Destruction, hurriedly threw himself to defend against the arrow. And… Kwaaaaaaaang-!

The arrow that pierced the flesh of his left arm exploded. Thud, thud, thud. Flesh and blood scattered everywhere as if it had exploded from the inside.

“…Looks like the pointy-ear [a derogatory term for elves] came too?”

At this point, everyone stopped moving as if time had paused. Thump, thump. From the cave entrance where the arrow was shot, my comrades were slowly revealing themselves.

“Belbeve Ruinjenes……”

Erwen, with poison in her eyes.

“Bjornnnnn!! Should I just wipe out all of these guys!”

Iinar, who was very excited.

“Please calm down. They are not easy opponents.”

Versil, with a somewhat nervous expression, and….

“Again, again alone……”

Misha, looking at me with worried eyes, seeing that I was hurt. ‘Auyen came too.’ And the members didn’t end there.

“That one is not visible. I heard there was a skilled archer.”

“This is outside the castle walls……”

“Still, it’s a relief. We were able to find our missing captain as soon as we came out.”

“Yes. It seemed like an emergency situation.”

Not only the original members of the Anabada Clan, but also James Kala, Sven Parab, Meland Kaislan, and Lilis Marone. Even the elite members who had joined relatively recently due to the Ice Rock expedition.

‘Looking at it like this, our clan has grown quite a bit….’

A number sufficient to completely turn the tide of the battle. A sense of reassurance rose from deep within my heart, while Baekho Lee’s eyes were filled with annoyance.

“……You guys came in a whole bunch?”

I could tell as soon as I saw that. Because it’s something that a skilled explorer would do naturally, like breathing. The very thing that Baekho Lee had mentioned earlier.

“Yurven Havelion.”

I called out the name of the opportunist who had maintained a bystander position to feel ‘that’ more clearly.

“…Yes?”

But is it because he’s a mage? Why is he so flustered? The situation has already changed 180 degrees.

“Are you going to keep standing there?”

“…….”

“You might get caught in the crossfire and die.”

“Ah… yes…!”

As soon as I repeated the lines that Baekho Lee had said earlier, he finally came to his senses and ran over. ‘He’s really funny.’

Just like he did with Auril Gavis, and how he stuck to Baekho Lee earlier. He acts all innocent, but he’s a fox through and through. ‘…Well, is it natural from his point of view?’ Actually, when I think about it, neither I nor Baekho Lee are GM’s comrades.

In short, it’s not like I’m in a position to feel betrayed by GM sticking to different people….

“……I’m, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, just get lost.”

“Yes……”

Baekho Lee didn’t stop GM. Or rather, he didn’t dare to stop him.

“Wow, with this many members… we could even go toe-to-toe with Orcullis?”

He tried to act calm, but at least I could tell more clearly than anyone else. That Baekho Lee was feeling a great deal of bewilderment at this unexpected situation.

‘Well, it’s understandable.’ The Scholar of Destruction, who was kicked by Amelia and sent flying, couldn’t even get his body in order.

“…….”

The tank, Lex Aures, had one arm blown off. Also, Jaina, who was in the healer position, didn’t have much MP [Mana Points] left, and….

“I need to heal quickly……”

“I’m fine, don’t provoke them.”

“……”

In a situation where they were on the defensive, they couldn’t even think about healing.

“Ahaha… this has become troublesome……”

“…….”

“Baron, how about we call it a draw…?”

What is this crazy guy saying? I laughed in disbelief and looked down at one of Baekho Lee’s body parts.

“Was it neutering, or whatever?”

“Um… Baron?”

“Well, I have a hammer, so I’ll figure something out.”

“How about… we try to resolve this through conversation…?”

Ignoring whatever he was saying, I took a step forward, and Baekho Lee sighed, making a ‘tch’ sound as if the ground was about to collapse.

“Ha… why does nothing ever go my way? How did they show up at this timing?”

Actually, from his point of view, it’s understandable that he feels wronged. This wasn’t just anywhere, it was outside the castle walls. I admit that I was lucky too. But….

‘Looking at him, it doesn’t seem like it’s just because of luck.’ I had been closely observing how Baekho Lee’s team was operating from the inside, and I suddenly had this thought.

If Baekho Lee were in my situation. Would he have had comrades who would come looking for him all the way outside the castle walls? ‘I don’t think there would have been even one.’

Thinking that way, this moment doesn’t feel like just luck. I can’t emphasize it enough.

“Bjornnnnn!! When are we going to start fighting!”

Because 0 and 1 are different. *** Baekho Lee’s team was cornered. Of course, I didn’t think I could catch Baekho Lee here.

‘If that guy decides to run away, I’ll never be able to catch him.’ However, it was definitely still an opportunity.

Lex Aures. Jaina Flyer. Even if I couldn’t catch the team members that Baekho Lee had gathered and raised.

“My sister’s enemy……”

Maybe I could really get revenge for that day. Thump. As I took another step, Baekho Lee smiled submissively and spoke to me.

“Haha, Baron? Stop coming closer, and let’s talk for a bit?”

Thump.

“No, I won’t listen. I’m not even curious about what you did with that old man anymore.”

Thump.

“Ah, seriously… okay! Settlement money! Isn’t this the kind of situation where you give settlement money and resolve things amicably? How much do you want? I’ll match it as much as I can!”

Thump.

“…Do you really have to see blood? Between us? Huh?”

Thump. Ignoring him and continuing to walk forward, Baekho Lee’s expression hardened. Thump. Baekho Lee didn’t say anything more as I walked.

Thump. Only when I was about to stand in front of him did he mutter something quietly. As if his submissive attitude from a moment ago was all a lie.

“Baron.”

“…….”

“Are you really going to go all the way with me?”

He spoke to me in the most familiar threatening tone of Baekho Lee.

“I don’t know about the Baron, but the rest of them are going to die?”

There was no proper explanation, but it wasn’t difficult to understand what he was saying. [Star’s Demise]. Baekho Lee’s strongest ultimate move.

He was trying to use it like a modern nuclear weapon. Is it a kind of chicken game?

If he comes out saying that we’re all going to die together, I won’t be able to handle it either. Because I’m not the only one here.

“…….”

For a moment, I was speechless and couldn’t say anything, and a sly smile formed on Baekho Lee’s lips.

“I knew it. You have such a soft heart? Not like how you look.”

My weakness and Achilles’ heel that Baekho Lee had mentioned several times but couldn’t fix. Thump. Saying this, Baekho Lee took a step towards me.

“Baron, let me give you just one piece of advice.”

I don’t know why everyone is so eager to give me advice.

“A guy with a lot to lose can never beat me.”

Baekho Lee said. Looking straight into my eyes.

“Because I can give up everything.”

“…….”

“For that one thing I desperately want.”

I couldn’t say anything because the person saying those words was Baekho Lee. Because he would actually do that.

Whether it’s the Scholar of Destruction, Jaina, or Lex Aures. He’s the kind of guy who wouldn’t even bat an eye if they all died for his own purpose. Yes, so….

“……!”

I reached out my hand towards Baekho Lee, who had fearlessly come right in front of a power character. Grab-! Even though his collar was grabbed in an instant, Baekho Lee’s expression was relaxed.

He had the look of someone who believed that I couldn’t really do anything to harm him here….

“Try it.”

“……?”

“Try anything.”

Baekho Lee frowned as if he didn’t understand my words. What was there not to understand in what I said a moment ago? Baekho Lee, this guy, is misunderstanding something about me.

Losing something precious. Of course, it’s scary, it’s unpleasant, and just thinking about it makes my chest tighten and makes me feel like I’m going crazy. But rather, because of that. Crack-!

I pulled the hand that was grabbing his collar and headbutted him with my forehead.

The chilling sound echoed far away, but Baekho Lee didn’t even groan and instead asked back.

“…What does that mean?”

Ha, does he really not know? How much of an idiot did he think I was to act like this? Crack-! I was a little annoyed, so I headbutted him again.

“…Are you really trying to start something?”

No, I just said it earlier. Crack-!!! An even more chilling sound than before rang out, and blood trickled down Baekho Lee’s forehead.