Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 197

Master.

The very person who created the secret chat room called ‘The Watchers of the Round Table.’ With him vanishing without a trace, the members all let out a collective sigh.

“Hah, he really is gone.”

“……It felt different from when he left the chat room.”

“Yes, it was like… logging out.”

Their voices were filled with nothing but questions.

Well, I guess I’m not much different.

“Isn’t logging out only possible when you return to your room?”

“Rather than that, judging from what he said, it seemed more like he was being ejected.”

It’s different from Lee Baek-ho’s case in many ways.

He took the ‘initial pill’ from the start, so his time limit was one hour.

But what about the Master?

A problem arose for someone who was originally fine.

And that was not in reality, but in using the ‘Ghost Busters’ community.

Could he have had similar thoughts as me?

“I wonder what kind of trouble the Master is going through……”

“Heh, whatever it is, one thing is certain.”

“Certain? What is it?”

The Clown lowered his voice at the Fox’s question.

“That his disappearance for a year without a word is related to the GM [Game Master].”

A moment of silence fell.

It wasn’t so much from shock, but rather a silence born from everyone thinking their own thoughts.

Overall, the atmosphere was one of agreement with his speculation.

“Well, I guess that’s the most likely possibility.”

“But there’s a contradiction. If the Master was really sanctioned by the GM, how could he show himself here again?”

“He’s such a mysterious person. Since this is a space created by magic, maybe he found a solution through magic?”

“So, so, that means our Master might be an even more skilled magician than the GM who created this community!”

“That’s a very plausible story. Heh.”

After that, the members exchanged all sorts of speculations, and I, finding the content quite interesting, quietly listened.

Of course, that time didn’t last long.

“……Um, Lion, do you happen to know anything?”

Before long, attention naturally turned to me.

It was only natural.

Wasn’t I the one who pretended to be Lee Baek-ho and talked about inspiration and such in front of them?

They must have thought I might know something.

But……

“I don’t know.”

How would I know?

I’m just as curious about his identity.

Of course, I have no intention of saying that.

Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?

“Yes, I see. So, Lion doesn’t either……”

Saying ‘I don’t know’ doesn’t suit ‘Lion.’

It would be more like this.

“I have a hunch.”

I cut off the Fox’s words and muttered briefly.

Then, the Fox’s tone, which had been showing signs of disappointment, rose sharply.

“A hunch? Is, is that true! No, it’s not that I doubt you, Lion, but……”

Expectation was clearly blooming in the Fox’s pupils, which were now visible through the mask’s gap.

For the record, the other masks were the same.

‘……Actually, I don’t have a hunch either.’

The remaining conscience of a modern person flickered, but I ignored it and cut off the Fox’s words again.

“Te, tell me quickly. What on earth happened to the Master—”

“Stop.”

“……Huh?”

The Fox looked at me with a blank stare, probably thinking I would tell them, of course.

But there was no need to explain in detail.

Just a slight shrug of my shoulders was enough.

There was no one here who didn’t know the meaning of this gesture now.

“It means you want something interesting. Heh.”

If you want something from me, you have to bring something in return.

That’s the iron rule that ‘Lion’ established at the Round Table.

Then, what answer will ‘Fox’ give?

“……Okay.”

As expected.

The one who showed a particular obsession with the Master’s whereabouts and such was ‘Fox.’

“Still, my hurdle will be a bit lower, right? It’s not a certainty, just a hunch……”

I didn’t bother to answer, and soon the Fox let out a deep sigh.

It seemed they hadn’t expected to end up in this situation, following the Clown, who was hooked on the ‘holy relic’ bait, and the Crescent Moon, who was blinded by the ‘Stone of Rebirth.’

“It feels like we have more comrades now. Fox will have a hard time from now on.”

The Fox gave a resigned bitter smile at the Crescent Moon’s words of consolation.

It meant that the quality of information would increase in the future.

‘The only ones left are Deer Antler and Goblin, I guess……’

I put my satisfied feelings aside and opened my mouth indifferently.

“Boring.”

“……”

“Isn’t this enough chitchat?”

“Yes, let’s start the meeting soon.”

The bait was enough, now it was time to harvest.

***

After the 3rd meeting where no one was present, it was now the 4th meeting.

It started with the Goblin.

“We’re putting our heads together at the Magic Tower to find a way to break through Noah Arc’s barrier.”

When he first said that, everyone’s reaction was like, ‘Is he stating the obvious?’ but after the Goblin’s additional explanation, everyone understood.

“By the way, it seems that a certain amount of divine power is needed in the process, and it seems that we can at least reduce the time it takes to lift the barrier.”

“That means there has been some research progress.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

In summary, it meant that the magic barrier protecting Noah Arc might be lifted soon.

Well, I don’t know what it will actually be like.

‘Raven said it would take about two years……’

After that, the Goblin’s turn ended with the statement that the Magic Tower had set a goal to reduce it to six months.

The next turn was Deer Antler.

“The royal family has created a new type of identification tag. It’s a magical tool with an engraving that cannot be forged. It seems they’ve been preparing for a while, and distribution to explorers will begin next week.”

“Starting next week…… Isn’t that too unhelpful? It’s not the kind of information that allows us to gain an advantage in advance.”

“Then here’s one more thing. The royal family is keeping an eye on the clans that have stopped exploring to protect themselves.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘keeping an eye on’?”

“Judging by the atmosphere, it seems that they will definitely be given some kind of significant disadvantage.”

“……I see.”

Although they tried not to show it, the Fox’s reaction after hearing Deer Antler’s information was clearly one of relief.

So, I kept that reaction in mind.

‘Fox, they’re likely affiliated with a clan. Not a regular member, could they be a clan master?’

Of course, it was still just a guess, so I listened to the next person’s words.

It was the Fox’s turn this time.

“Large clans are preparing for a large-scale boycott.”

“A boycott?”

“What else could it be? They’re not going into the labyrinth as a group. There’s already a lot of dissatisfaction due to the last subjugation, and there was also an incident that recently fueled the fire.”

“Ah, that thing. I know what you mean.”

The Crescent Moon chimed in as if they knew the story.

“Bjorn Yandel, right?”

Huh?

Why is my name coming up here?

“Yes. That’s right. They exiled a perfectly fine explorer to Bifron [a place of exile] for something that would have normally ended with a fine.”

Ah, that……

“The execution is their domain, but most clans interpreted this as a warning to us.”

“The public opinion won’t be good.”

“Yes. There’s even talk that if we back down any further, we might be forcibly conscripted next time.”

The moment my name was mentioned, my hands stiffened and my lips went dry, but fortunately, no one seemed to notice my reaction.

No one seemed to be interested in Bjorn Yandel either.

‘Hah, I thought my heart was going to drop.’

Anyway, the third turn ended with the Fox giving a few additional answers to Deer Antler’s questions.

“Okay, so who’s next? Should we continue clockwise?”

“……Clown, would you mind going first?”

“Well, if you want.”

At the Crescent Moon’s request, the Clown took the fourth turn without complaint.

The turn of the person I was secretly most looking forward to.

But this time, had they failed to obtain ‘interesting’ information?

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s something that Lion would find interesting, but I’ll try anyway.”

Unlike when they talked about the binding magic, the Clown opened their mouth as if they were just going to pass their turn.

“Just before the blockade, Noah Arc sent a few people to the surface. Their goal is to kill one explorer! Amazing, isn’t it?”

“An assassin…… Do you know who the target is?”

“Well? I don’t know that much, heh!”

With a smile that was hard to read, the fourth turn ended.

The Clown didn’t even ask if it was interesting.

Well, how would they know from their perspective? That this was the most interesting thing I heard today.

‘An assassin sent from Noah Arc……’

There was someone who came to mind as soon as I heard that.

Amelia Rainweils.

Could she be one of the assassins sent up?

Looking at her stats, she seems like the perfect fit.

‘Then, is the target they’re trying to kill Auriel Gavis?’

That thought suddenly occurred to me, but somehow it didn’t seem right.

The words that it was a personal search didn’t sound like a lie.

Anyway, I decided to think about this later.

“Now it’s my turn.”

The long-awaited fifth turn began.

The protagonist of this turn was the Crescent Moon, who desperately wanted the ‘Stone of Rebirth.’ Judging by how they asked if the promise was still valid, they seemed quite confident.

What exactly did they prepare?

“Does everyone remember when I talked about the traces of the ‘Holy Relic Thief’ before?”

“Of course.”

As the Crescent Moon cautiously started, the other masks nodded.

Except for the Goblin, to be exact.

“Huh? Holy Relic Thief?”

The Goblin, who hadn’t attended the meeting at the time, tilted their head, but no one paid attention.

“So what is it? Is it information related to the Genesis Artifact again?”

The Fox spoke without hiding their curiosity, and the Crescent Moon nodded.

And……

“The Genesis Artifact no longer exists.”

They uttered shocking words.

***

The Genesis Artifact.

It was also the key to reaching the final floor where the Gate of the Abyss was located.

“……The Genesis Artifact doesn’t exist? What does that mean? I don’t understand at all.”

“Is that reliable information? It’s not just something you believe on your own, is it?”

“Heh, this is quite shocking.”

“H, h, how can it disappear?”

Since everyone was a player who wanted to return, it only took a moment for the room to fill with chaos.

But perhaps they had expected this reaction to some extent?

The Crescent Moon simply continued their explanation in a bitter voice.

“I wish it was just my misunderstanding. But this is an undeniable fact. The Genesis Artifact does not exist anywhere in this world.”

“W, was it destroyed or something?”

“At least, that’s the conclusion we’ve come to.”

“But, but that’s an indestructible item!!”

The Goblin raised their voice, sounding like they were whining, as if the shock was too great.

And at that moment.

Swish.

A green light emanated from the gem embedded in the center of the Round Table.

It meant that the above content was true.

“So, really…… The Genesis Artifact might have disappeared.”

Deer Antler muttered in a hollow voice, and with that, silence fell for a while.

The first to speak was the Crescent Moon.

“So, how was it? Was it fun?”

It was a very difficult question to answer.

I tried to say it was boring somehow, but……

‘No, how can I say it’s boring here?’

The Crescent Moon had been staring at me the entire time they were reciting the information. They must have noticed even the moment I flinched and stiffened when they said that.

‘What should I do?’

After a brief moment of thought, I made a decision.

It’s not a good choice to say it’s boring here.

So……

“You’re quite resourceful.”

I’ll just admit what needs to be admitted.

Instead, I’ll reduce the losses on the other side.

“That means……”

The Crescent Moon’s breathing became rough, as if they thought the ‘Stone of Rebirth’ was right in front of them.

I muttered briefly.

“To be honest, it was quite impressive.”

Of course, admitting this means losing a lot.

Not only would I have to tell them about the ‘Stone of Rebirth,’ but the Crescent Moon, having gotten what they wanted, wouldn’t be as eager to ask for information as they are now.

Also.

It doesn’t fit the Lion image I created.

The ‘Make Lion Laugh’ corner that I had prepared so carefully was cleared on the first try?

My reputation is not good at all.

But……

Heh.

There’s no problem.

I’m not Bjorn Yandel right now, but a veteran player wearing the ‘Lion’ mask.

‘Okay, I think the lines are good enough.’

As soon as I finished the final check in my head.

I asked the Crescent Moon.

“How did you find out?”

As if what surprised me wasn’t the disappearance of the Genesis Artifact, but something else.

To be precise……

“There aren’t many who know that the Genesis Artifact has disappeared.”

It was a story I already knew, unfortunately.

“……!”

The Crescent Moon’s eyes widened as they noticed the nuance.

But could they not have noticed that I was bluffing?

The Crescent Moon didn’t even suspect it.

“……Yes, you knew about it.”

They just showed a resigned look with a weak, sunken voice.

If this doesn’t work, what else do I have to do to satisfy them?

That sense of despair was even transmitted to me through the air.

It wasn’t a good situation for me.

“Heh……”

Just looking at the Clown awkwardly laughing shows that.

This will affect all the members who took the bait.

Yes, so in that sense.

Heh.

I laughed out loud and said.

“The Stone of Rebirth can be obtained on the 9th floor.”

I could give them a consolation prize.

Honestly, I feel a little sorry too.