Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 123

First, we introduced ourselves simply.

Not as Bjorn Yandel, but as Lee Han-soo.

“I’m Lee Han-soo. I’m twenty-nine years old.”

“Hyung, you have the same last name as me. I’m Lee Baek-ho. I was twenty-three.”

“You *were* twenty-three?”

“Well, actually… it’s been over ten years since I came here.”

“Oh, I see…”

I was speechless.

I had a hunch when I saw the luxurious chat room skin, but over ten years since he came here?

Is there anyone more pitiful than this guy?

“Wait a minute, then you’re older than me—”

“Hyungnim! Don’t say such crap! I’m going back to using real-world ages!”

“Uh… well, if you say so.”

As a member of a Confucian country where age is a status, there was no reason to stop him from willingly becoming my younger brother.

Okay, the family tree is sorted out for now.

“Anyway, Hyungnim, I’m sorry, but can I ask you for a favor?”

“A favor?”

“It’s… a simple test. I think you’re definitely one of us, but… I still need to do it.”

“No, I mean, what is it?”

“Just say the first thing that comes to your mind when I say something. Oh, don’t worry. It’s a question that no Korean can get wrong.”

Listening to him, it was a kind of Korean test.

He said it was a bit embarrassing for him to say this, but it seemed like there were some guys who pretended to be Korean to get some benefits because he was doing well here.

If that’s the case, then sure.

“Then, shall we start…?”

“Go ahead.”

As I nodded, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly. I thought it was nothing, but seeing him like this made me nervous for no reason.

Of course, as he said, the quiz itself was easy.

“Kimchi?”

“…Stew?”

“Beef head?”

“Gukbap [Korean rice soup].”

“Saudi?”

“Arabia.”

“Oath of service.”

“…Our resolve. And I was a public service worker.”

“Ah… anyway, this is the last one.”

Lee Baek-ho composed himself and looked at me with a serious gaze.

I wondered if everything before was a joke.

Lee Baek-ho opened his mouth.

“Lee Wan-yong?”

“You… hey, you crazy bastard.”

The moment I cursed without realizing it.

I was frozen by a strange aura.

Lee Baek-ho’s gaze, which had suddenly turned cold, was directed at me.

As if all the appearances he had shown so far were an act.

“I’ll believe you, you’re definitely Korean.”

What the hell is this guy talking about?

***

Lee Baek-ho.

A Korean player who was dragged here on the day of his discharge and has lived in this world for over ten years.

He seems like a nice guy, but…

‘Does he have a screw loose too?’

I narrowed my eyes without realizing it.

However, after hearing his explanation, it wasn’t something I couldn’t understand.

“Ah, I’m sorry for speaking informally. That was a line I prepared to say when someone passed the test. I didn’t expect it to take over three years, though…”

Even I, who thought I was far from such emotions, missed this kind of conversation.

Besides, when this guy first came, there probably wasn’t even a community like the Ghost Busters.

It was an environment that was perfect for destroying a person’s personality.

“So, what’s your name, Hyung?”

“I told you earlier.”

“Not that, the name you use here. I need to know that to help you. Koreans are all about loyalty and affection, aren’t they?”

“I appreciate the thought, but it’s okay.”

I chuckled and shook my head.

Then, Lee Baek-ho looked at me with a truly puzzled expression.

“Why won’t you tell me? If you just tell me your name, you can live without worrying about taxes.”

His voice was full of confidence.

He must have already achieved that kind of position here.

But still, my answer is the same.

“If I propose the opposite, would you tell me your name?”

“Uh, that’s a bit… even if you’re my hyung…”

“It’s the same for me.”

Did he finally realize that I was different from ordinary newbies? Lee Baek-ho asked me with a much more interested look than before.

“Hyung, how many times have you cleared?”

“How about you?”

“Ten times.”

Ten times?

The founder of the Ghost Busters was said to have cleared fifteen times?

When I looked at him as if surprised, he scratched the back of his short head.

“Even if it’s ten times, it’s nothing special. It was a fake clear anyway. So, I actually don’t know much even after ten years. Ha, if that’s the case, I should have just done the original.”

Maybe it’s because he’s been surviving in this world for over ten years, but his mindset was definitely different from the guys I met in the newbie room.

“So, what about you, Hyung?”

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

“I cleared a ten-times one too.”

“Ah, really?”

I was a bit worried, but Lee Baek-ho readily believed me.

“Yeah, you have to be this good to be Korean.”

“What?”

“Isn’t it normal for Koreans to be good at games?”

I thought his national pride was a bit too much, but…

I didn’t bother to nitpick.

Isn’t he a pitiful guy? I should embrace and comfort him.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Right? Ha, it’s so frustrating. If there was a Korean patch, at least a few people would have cleared the original version…”

Lee Baek-ho seemed to have become more nationalistic because he was only with foreigners.

“Ah, Hyung… should I give you some GP [Game Points]?”

“It would be nice, but I won’t be converting it to cash anyway. There are many ways to earn it anyway.”

“Tch, Hyung, you’ll probably just keep accumulating GP like me.”

Aside from his personality, Lee Baek-ho and I were similar in many ways.

He tried not to reveal his identity easily, and unlike his frivolous personality, his actions seemed cautious.

Well, that’s probably why he survived for so long.

“Hmm… then there’s nothing I can do for you.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t come here expecting anything. Let’s just meet up and chat sometimes.”

“Kuh… Hyungnim…!”

Did he feel like he had met a real compatriot at my words?

Lee Baek-ho made a crying sound while wiping away non-existent tears.

Of course, it didn’t last long.

“Hyungnim, if you have any questions, please ask me. I need to do that much to save face.”

Why is his emotional range so extreme?

It’s hard to keep up with his tension.

Since he said that, I asked him everything I was curious about.

“Do you happen to know who the operator here is?”

“Ah, I don’t know either. Actually, I got the pill after raiding the secret security headquarters in the early days.”

“Then they don’t know who you are either?”

“They probably have an idea, though? I have a few suspects in mind too…”

“There are three of them, should I tell you all?”

Lee Baek-ho called out the names of the suspects one by one. They were all mages, and except for one, they were all famous enough for me to have heard of them.

“I think you’ll be able to handle it on your own, but don’t ever reveal your identity here. As far as I know, there are some bastards who are in cahoots with the royal family.”

Lee Baek-ho gave me advice that I didn’t even ask for, as if he liked me.

Unlike the newbie room friends who said this place was 100% safe, his pessimistic view was very appealing.

In that sense, one more question.

“Is there a way for the operator to find out my identity?”

“No. That would be difficult. In the first place, this space wasn’t created by their power, but rather it’s closer to a modification.”

“Modification?”

“There have been evil spirits in this city for over a hundred years. That’s more than 20 years ago on Earth. So, who are they?”

Uh… honestly, that’s something I hadn’t thought about at all.

20 years ago, it was a time when LCD monitors weren’t even properly distributed, let alone [Dungeon & Stone].

“I don’t know, just tell me.”

“The answer is, they’re guys from another dimension!”

“Another dimension…?”

“Yes. I’ve never actually met them, but as far as I know, they were transferred in the form of reading books or records about this world.”

For reference, the evil spirits at that time were very few, and each of them had unique powers.

One of them created this space, and it’s presumed that the current operator inherited it by chance?

‘I suddenly heard something huge.’

At this point, I’m also curious about Lee Baek-ho’s identity.

What kind of guy is he to know this so casually?

‘Well, it’s a huge gain for me, though.’

I changed my mindset and continued to ask Lee Baek-ho various questions to resolve my doubts.

But this guy wasn’t omnipotent either.

“Ah… well, I’m actually in hiding, so my latest information is a bit weak?”

“In hiding?”

“Yes, it’s a bit difficult to explain in detail. If you want the latest information, I’ll introduce you to a chat room. It’s called ‘The Watchers of the Round Table’… it’s like a club made by chuunibyou [a Japanese term for someone who acts like a delusional teenager] bastards.”

The chat room that Lee Baek-ho told me about was secretly operated and required an invitation code to enter. It was a kind of community for high-level players…

“Since your nickname and face are all hidden there, don’t worry… I heard that if you don’t know anything, you’ll get beaten up and kicked out, but since you cleared a ten-times one, I don’t think you need to worry about that…”

He explained everything from A to Z, as if he were sending his young child on a picnic.

It was quite long, but since it was all useful information, I listened quietly without interrupting.

“Hyung, then I’ll be going now, see you later.”

“You’re leaving already?”

“Ah, I didn’t tell you that. The pill I took was an early one, so I can only stay here for an hour.”

…Is this a generational gap?

Even if he suddenly started complaining, ‘Back in my day,’ I would just accept it. After all, he looks like he’s lived a harder life than me.

“Hyung, you have to come again next time?”

“Yeah, see you next time.”

“If there are any bad guys in the city, please remember them and tell me.”

“Okay…”

“Ah, and also—”

“That’s enough, just go. We can talk again when we meet next time.”

“Ah, right… next time… yes, Hyung! See you next time!”

The guy who had been looking at me with an uneasy expression smiled innocently and left.

So, I also ended the chat room.

And as he told me, I entered the code in the chat room search bar and entered ‘The Watchers of the Round Table.’

[It is not the available time to enter.]

[OPEN 03:00 ~ 03:10]

Oh, Baek-ho didn’t tell me about this.

For now, I had no choice but to look around the trading post and other bulletin boards to pass the time.

And when the clock on the lower left of the monitor pointed to three o’clock, I tried to enter again.

[You have been verified as a new member.]

[Welcome to the Watchers of the Round Table.]

[This gathering guarantees complete anonymity…]

The messages containing the information I had heard from Lee Baek-ho flashed by, and then when I opened my eyes.

Flash-!

I was in a customization room.

***

A room full of all kinds of costumes and decorative accessories.

I wondered if I really needed to hide my identity this much even in Lee Han-soo’s body, but…

Well, it’s better to follow the rules since that’s how it is.

After quickly scanning, I chose some moderately plain items as if I were cosplaying.

A slim-fit navy suit.

‘A mask is a must, so I have to wear this.’

For reference, there were so many masks that they filled one entire wall, and there were many empty spots, perhaps to avoid duplicates.

Squeak.

Anyway, as I put on a mask that I grabbed, the door opened automatically.

A long red carpet that seemed to guide me.

As I explored my surroundings and walked slowly, a large round table appeared. There were dozens of seats, but only four people were seated.

Thud.

They were talking to each other as if they knew each other, but when I arrived, they all shut their mouths and stared at me.

“……”

A heavy silence flowed.

They said it was a high-level community.

Man, their gazes are fierce.

Don’t they know that newbies are beings to be cherished and cared for?

“Oh, that’s a mask I’ve never seen before?”

When a yellow clown mask spoke, a woman wearing a fox mask asked in a sharp voice.

“How did you get in here? It’s been over a year since we accepted a new member.”

Oh, I didn’t know there was such a situation.

“Tell us quickly. Who are you, and who recommended you?”

Well, this time it was a question I had prepared for, so there was no problem.

“You must answer truthfully. This is that kind of place.”

As this woman said, a special skin is applied to this space. If you lie, your mask will break and you will be immediately expelled from the chat room.

However, there is one exception here.

You can lie as much as you want before the gathering officially begins.

‘But the fact that they’re all keeping their mouths shut and just watching means they’re all in cahoots. Or maybe they’re just curious about what kind of guy I am.’

I understood what they meant by saying that I should go strong from the first meeting.

It must have been advice from experience engraved in their bones.

So, although I didn’t want to, this time I decided to just follow the lines and direction that Lee Baek-ho had recommended.

“Ah, me, me, me?”

After acting like a pushover.

“Yes, you—”

When they were grinning, I delivered a counter punch.

“My mom recommended me, you know?”

Seriously, I heard everything from this sergeant, but they’re trying to scam a newbie.”