Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 244

Ghost Master.

A manager with the authority to operate the community, and also a legendary veteran among the players.

‘You’re the one, aren’t you? GM.’

For a moment, my breath hitched.

‘Hans I is the GM…?’

I’m completely confused.

If that’s true, why would a big shot like the GM hide his identity and approach me?

Is it because I’ve become famous lately and he just wanted to see my face?

‘No, that can’t be it.’

The GM suspected me of being a ‘player.’

That’s why he approached me during the banquet and tested me, even going so far as to tail me.

That’s a more plausible explanation.

Even if it’s not very welcome to me.

‘Then, he must have used that gust of wind magic earlier.’

Once the theory is established, the questions naturally resolve themselves.

While tailing me, the carriage suddenly exploded, and smoke bombs went off, obscuring the view, so he must have been curious about my survival.

‘I’ll think about this later.’

I returned to the most pressing issue.

A man who fell from the sky, called Hans I the GM, and exuded a force that made even the knights tremble.

What is the identity of this man—

‘Release the ban quickly. Or you’ll really die here.’

…Huh?

‘Release the ban?’

I felt a chill run down my spine without realizing it.

The reason was simple.

There’s only one person I know who would make such a demand to the GM.

The proud Korean man.

‘Lee Baekho.’

Of course, there’s a possibility that it’s not him.

How many people has the GM banned?

It’s possible that someone with a grudge came to make such a fuss.

But….

‘Hey, mister, can’t you hear me?’

For some reason, I keep seeing Baekho’s face.

‘…Is it really him?’

While thinking that, I once again imprinted his appearance in my mind.

‘He’s about mid-170s in height.’

He’s wearing a neat suit without any equipment, and if he’s not disguised, his race is human.

His skin is pale, and there are no noticeable scars.

His hair is platinum blonde, slicked back with pomade.

He has handsome features that anyone would recognize, but because of his unique gaze, he exudes an atmosphere closer to a rascal than a nobleman—

“Yandel-nim.”

As I was observing him, a knight approached me and whispered.

“You must not run away under any circumstances.”

“……What are you talking about?”

“He’s not someone you can do that to.”

His voice was full of tension.

Does he know who that guy is?

“Who is that man?”

I quickly voiced my question.

And….

“That person is—”

Just as the knight was about to answer.

“Ah, you guys were here too?”

His gaze shifted to us.

Ha, I really spoke at a whisper level, and he heard it from that distance?

“Bjorn Yandel.”

He accurately recited my name, so it seems he knows who I am.

But perhaps he doesn’t know me in great detail?

“I heard you took down that *chuunibyou* [a person with delusional, often adolescent, fantasies] bastard this time? And that was only in your first year.”

The guy, who was firmly gripping Hans I’s neck, looked at me with curiosity.

His expression was as if he had stumbled upon something interesting.

“I’m just asking, just in case….”

Then, he asked me.

“Are you a player?”

Ha, I knew I felt uneasy the moment he knew my name.

These kinds of premonitions never miss.

There was only one answer I could give.

“……So, you were a fiend.”

Instead of pretending not to know what he was talking about, I drew a line by calling him a ‘fiend.’

It doesn’t matter whether this guy is Lee Baekho or not.

After all, there are so many people watching, what else could I say?

“Hmm, that’s strange. Even though you’ve made a name for yourself, it doesn’t seem like the GM would be interested in you.”

The guy quietly muttered, ‘Unless you’re a player….’ and narrowed his eyes.

And….

“Hey.”

His mouth was smiling, but his voice didn’t convey any particular emotion as he continued.

“Answer with only yes or no.”

“Don’t answer… Keuh!”

The knight, who was trying to advise me, was hit in the abdomen by something invisible and flew away.

It was obvious who did it without asking.

“Ah, are you worried because there are so many people? Don’t worry. If you’re a player, I’ll kill them all and get rid of them. Of course, I can provide that much service to satisfy my curiosity.”

The guy grinned and once again forced me to choose.

“Yes or no.”

I barely held back the answer that it wasn’t.

Because the question itself was suspicious.

Asking the same question while telling me to answer only with yes or no? It’s as if he has the ability to discern the truth.

‘And there are actually essences that can do that.’

Since I don’t have any information, it’s wise to be cautious.

“If you don’t want to, just say no. You only need to say one word, you know? I’m really curious.”

The more the guy insisted on an ‘answer,’ the more my suspicion grew.

Therefore, there was only one choice I had to make.

“I’ll ask the question first.”

Instead of just remaining silent, I changed the subject.

With a nuance that I didn’t want to give the enemy the initiative in the conversation.

“Fiend, are you also in cahoots with the assassins?”

I threw out a question that a barbarian who doesn’t know what a GM is would ask.

Whether it’s the knights or this guy, my silence would leave both sides with questions.

Of course, this guy was not easy either.

“I told you to answer only with yes or no, didn’t I?”

The moment the guy spoke, the air gained weight.

My body stiffened as if I had met a natural enemy.

‘Could it be, killing intent…?’

It was incomprehensible.

Is it really possible to emit this level of killing intent outside the community?

I don’t know.

What’s clear right now is only one thing.

“Wow, you’re holding up well?”

The guy is like a tyrant.

Capricious, yet he achieves everything he wants, regardless of time or place, a tyrant like that.

“Are you going to answer soon?”

My head turns white.

Was this how the clown felt at the round table?

My breathing stops, and my vision blurs as if the blood vessels leading to my brain are blocked.

Suddenly, I had a thought.

‘…What would happen if I answered yes?’

Even though I knew it was a vain hope that was taking root in my weak mind, I couldn’t stop it.

‘If he’s really Lee Baekho… maybe it’s okay to reveal my identity?’

Maybe that would be helpful to me.

At least we’re both from Korea.

If the way he acted in the community is his real personality, maybe he’ll treat me like a real brother.

‘Yeah, maybe….’

Depending on my answer, maybe I could get carried by Lee Baekho, grow stronger, and one day, we could escape this world together.

But, the moment I imagined such a future.

“……Bjorn!”

I suddenly snapped back to my senses.

There were several reasons.

First of all, it’s not even certain that he’s Lee Baekho yet.

Also, the moment I reveal my identity, hundreds of civilians here will turn into speechless corpses.

No, to be precise….

“Misha?”

When I checked the direction of the sound, I saw Misha running towards me in a hurry.

Well, this was near my house, after all.

She must have heard the commotion and came to check, just in case.

But, the situation is not good.

“Oh, is that your girlfriend?”

The man looked at Misha and grinned.

His expression was as if he had found a good weakness.

The pressure that had been temporarily constricting my body disappeared, and I was able to move freely.

Therefore….

Tadat.

I immediately jumped forward and blocked Misha’s path.

An act to protect Misha from any possible surprise attack from the guy.

“It’s true that the Catkin are cute.”

The guy nodded as if he understood.

And then he asked again.

“Answer with yes or no.”

For some reason, he was asking Misha, not me.

“Catkin, are you a player?”

“Huh? P, Player?”

“Are you a fiend?”

“N, no, I’m not…?”

Misha, who was suddenly spoken to, answered in confusion, and the guy nodded.

“That’s the truth.”

“I don’t have to answer you. Misha, get behind me.”

I quickly hid Misha behind my back.

The guy chuckled at my actions.

“Ha, seeing you take care of an NPC, it doesn’t seem like you’re a player… but something’s strange. Why aren’t you answering?”

Cold sweat has been running down my back since earlier.

If I answer, it will be revealed that it’s a lie.

If I don’t answer, it will look suspicious.

“Is there any reason to do what the enemy wants?”

I avoided answering thoroughly, using a barbarian-like reason.

“Oh, that’s right.”

The guy nodded as if he understood, then playfully asked back.

“But are you really going to become my enemy?”

Ha, he’s glaring with such a fierce look.

Is this what they mean by ‘his mouth is smiling, but his eyes aren’t’?

“If you don’t answer, I’ll kill that Catkin?”

Then, the guy threw a checkmate.

I knew it wasn’t a simple threat the moment I heard it.

‘Damn it.’

What should I do?

I tried to rack my brain, but I couldn’t come up with a suitable answer.

It was at that moment.

[……Baekho-ssi.]

“Huh?”

[See you next time.]

Light burst out from Hans I’s body, who had been quietly staring with his eyes while his collar was grabbed.

***

“Ha, you little shit….”

Lee Baekho cursed and got up.

A vast farm with a refreshing fruit scent.

It didn’t take long to realize where he had fallen.

There’s only one place where such a farm would be.

Noum Tree, in the 6th district of Lapdonia.

“Ah, this is really annoying. That bastard will never come out of the magic tower first now….”

Lee Baekho readily admitted that he had missed him.

After all, even if he ran there right now, there would be no one left.

It was clearly his misjudgment.

As a mage, he was wary of teleportation as an escape method. That’s why he grabbed his neck so he couldn’t even chant.

But, a no-chant teleport?

And that too, targeting himself?

“Okay, so he’s got some skills too, huh?”

He regretted it a little, thinking about what would have happened if he hadn’t underestimated his opponent, but he quickly shook it off.

After all, it had already happened.

It’s not like him to regret the past.

Besides, it wasn’t like he gained nothing.

He found out that that bastard is the GM.

‘Since I have time, I’ll just keep going around.’

Lee Baekho scratched his head and soon turned his attention elsewhere.

“In the end, I didn’t get an answer.”

Bjorn Yandel.

A barbarian he met by chance while chasing the GM.

“……Well, whatever.”

Lee Baekho stopped worrying about whether that barbarian was a player or not.

First of all, the possibility that he wasn’t was higher, and….

He had already lost interest in that barbarian.

Even if he turned out to be a real player now, he didn’t think he would be interested.

Because those who are satisfied with this world and suck up to NPCs are not helpful to his plans.

Thud.

Lee Baekho lay down on the ground carelessly.

And he used the [Space Interference] skill to pick grapes hanging from a tree and put them in his mouth.

“Ah, grapes are best when they’re natural.”

The air is good, and there are many delicious things.

Besides, the GM bastard will be holed up in the magic tower for a while and won’t come out.

‘And it’s too much of a hassle to go to Bipron.’

It seemed like it would be okay to stay here for a while.

***

Two days had passed since that incident.

From the conferment of a title, to assassins, to the GM, to Lee Baekho.

So many things happened in just one day, and the past two days were spent cleaning up the aftermath.

First, let’s start with the ‘assassins’….

[We will take them and interrogate them.]

The captured assassins were transported to Mozlan.

According to the news I heard from the knight today, they were commissioned by someone whose identity is unknown?

By the way, the explosive that instantly killed the three knights was also given to them by that ‘someone’….

[The orders they received were to kill Yandel-nim and steal the essence that was bestowed upon you.]

There were quite a few suspicious points.

I can understand the essence.

The box containing the test tube had to be very sturdy.

It was also possible to ambush and kill me and take it.

But….

[What if I had eaten it before that?]

[We also couldn’t understand that.]

Moreover, the client had put a large bounty on my head.

It meant that the essence was just an excuse.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to put money on killing me.

So, Mozlan speculated that the client was Noark.

At least until yesterday.

[……Then, it’s highly likely that it’s one of the large clans?]

Mozlan concluded that the culprit of this incident was one of the large clans. If it was Noark, they would have sent more reliable guys?

They said that this kind of ‘request’ doesn’t suit them.

Above all, they had enough motive.

[Yes. They probably intended to harm Yandel-nim and then pin it on our royal family. In fact, such tricks were discovered several times in some pubs that night.]

It was a plausible guess, but there were questions.

Then what was that clown talking about?

Did he get this information in advance and say that?

‘Well, he did say that assassins were coming. He didn’t say that they were sent by Noark….’

Since they weren’t the assassins they sent, they might have decided that there was no harm in telling me in advance.

‘……No, maybe the real ones haven’t even come yet?’

For some reason, a sense of self-loathing washes over me.

Sigh, why do I have to live so anxiously even in the city?

Anyway, that’s enough about the assassins, and next.

‘GM.’

To put it simply, the GM was not Hans I.

[The Hans Eifreya we saw that day must have been someone in disguise.]

When they raided his house, the real Hans Eifreya was found unconscious.

Just in case, they also checked his magic power, but the real Hans I had no magical talent at all.

In short, someone borrowed his identity.

‘Tsk.’

It’s a disappointing part.

I was hoping that I had found out the GM’s identity with this.

‘But it’s not like I gained nothing.’

It’s one of the few consolations.

First of all, I found out that the GM suspects me of being a player.

At least I have time to prepare.

‘Since he saw that I didn’t answer, his suspicion must have deepened. He’ll probably aim for the next time the community opens.’

Fortunately, I have an idea about this part.

So, I’ve also prepared a way to deal with it.

Anyway, that’s enough about this, and next.

‘Lee Baekho.’

First of all, that guy was Lee Baekho.

After all, the GM said so at the end.

[……Baekho-ssi. See you next time.]

It was a message he sent using magic, not his voice, while his neck was grabbed.

Well, it doesn’t mean much.

[That person is… I’m sorry. I cannot tell you with my authority.]

Later, when I asked the knight who Lee Baekho was, that was the only answer I got.

Is this why they say life is about timing?

If Lee Baekho hadn’t interrupted, he would have told me.

‘He’s a dangerous guy after all….’

Even if I meet Lee Baekho again later, it seems like it will be difficult to be as close as we were then.

Should I say that I realized that our tendencies are completely different?

I didn’t think that the innocent appearance he showed in the community was his true self, but it was too much.

‘He was a real maniac….’

Anyway, let’s end it here with Lee Baekho, and next.

‘Misha.’

In fact, this is the most troublesome part and the part that makes my breath catch.

“Bjorn, please, please don’t think it’s weird, okay?”

“…….”

“You, you won’t suddenly disappear somewhere, right? Th, that’s right…?”

Misha started looking at me anxiously.