Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 434

Rival (1)

Han-soo’s room felt unusually strange today.

‘Something… feels cramped.’

This room, which was always filled with coziness, made me feel inexplicably stuffy.

And it’s not like I’m in a huge barbarian body right now.

‘Whatever, let’s turn on the computer first.’

I felt a strange sense of incongruity for a moment, but I quickly turned on the computer and accessed the community.

[Korean Independence Forever] – 0 members online.

I checked the Korean chat room first, but it was empty for now.

‘Is Hyun-byul not here yet?’

There was no reason to enter an empty room, so I used the mouse to check the bulletin board.

Sure enough, posts were already being rapidly generated there.

From random posts to advice columns.

Among the various topics, I clicked on the most eye-catching post.

[Breaking News] Bjorn Yandel, who everyone thought was dead, is alive.

Content.

The author’s determination was evident at a glance.

I wondered how badly they wanted to be the first to post, as the content was just the word ‘Content’ twice.

However, as it was the first post, comments were being added in real-time every time I refreshed the page.

[Harbinn: Wow! This is news that would shock the Marquis and the royal family!]

[└Sogeking33: Definitely, the audacity of the poster calling news that’s almost two weeks old ‘breaking’ is shocking enough.]

[└these99: And the content is just ‘Content’.]

[└Poster: But I was fast.]

The comments were generally similar.

Well, they had already heard about my return, so they wouldn’t be making a fuss.

Though, there were some who seemed to be hearing it for the first time.

[showmustgone: Huh? Is this for real? How is Bjorn Yandel alive? He died, right?]

[└Sogeking33: Were you locked up in a basement or something? It’s been ages since Yandel declared his return at the Palace of Glory.]

[└IsABot: I was there when he declared his return, and honestly, I got chills.]

[└arolf5205: Before even greeting the empty throne, he went to apologize to the bereaved families first, which was honestly amazing. I thought I was a real man, but it seems like that’s what a real man is.]

[└WingPizza: The nobles’ stunned expressions were hilarious back then.]

[└showmustgone: The original owner declared his return at the Palace of Glory? What are you talking about? Even if he’s alive, Bjorn Yandel is a wraith, right?]

[└ReDCod: It’s said that he wasn’t actually a wraith. He faked his death and was doing secret missions under the royal family.]

The reactions were amusing, so I kept reading until I refreshed the page one last time.

[vaman: But am I the only one who thinks the poster is suspicious? They don’t even know the rumor that’s spread throughout the city.]

[└vaman: Is this guy from Noah’s Ark?]

Oh, now that I think about it, that’s really suspicious.

The upper echelons of Noah’s Ark would have been aware of my existence, but if they controlled the information, it’s understandable that some wouldn’t know.

[└WingPizza: I’ve already reported them to the admins because they’re suspicious.]

It seemed like others were handling the reporting well, so I stopped reading there and checked the chat room.

And…

Thump-

I froze for a moment, still holding the mouse.

It wasn’t so much that I was flustered, but more like a feeling that what was coming had finally arrived.

[Korean Independence Forever] – 2 members online.

A chat room with two people in it, even though I was outside.

There were three possibilities.

Either a completely random person had wandered in.

Or the GM [Game Master] had contacted Hyun-byul.

Or else…

Thump-!

Baek-ho Lee had returned.

“Hoo…”

If the GM had granted my request to lift Baek-ho’s ban within three months, then there was a good chance that Baek-ho was inside.

But…

“Alright, let’s go in.”

I’ll know when I go in.

Whether there’s a tiger or something else inside.

Click, click.

As soon as I double-clicked the mouse, my vision turned white and the surrounding space changed.

A lavish mansion that was filled with the tastes of Baek-ho, who was the original room owner.

Tap, tap, tap-

Two figures were sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace, which was crackling with white noise.

“Oh, Oppa!” [Older brother, a term of endearment used by a younger female to an older male]

One was Hyun-byul, as expected.

“Why are you so late!”

Perhaps because I had only said what I needed to say and left in a hurry last time due to the conflict with the Marquis, Hyun-byul’s voice was filled with both joy and relief.

However, before I could return the greeting.

Swoosh.

I shifted my gaze from Hyun-byul to the side.

They were looking at me as well.

“Oh, right. You two should greet each other too. This person is also Korean like us—”

Hyun-byul, who was watching our reactions, tried to naturally lead the conversation, but unfortunately, such consideration was unnecessary.

“We’ve been introduced.”

“We’ve been introduced, Noona [Older sister, a term of endearment used by a younger male to an older female]. We know each other.”

The guy who had been smiling then got up from the sofa and approached me.

“It’s been a long time, Hyung [Older brother, a term of endearment used by a younger male to an older male]. I missed you.”

A completely different treatment from when we met outside.

The change in attitude felt particularly strange, but I naturally accepted the greeting.

“Yeah, it’s been a while, Baek-ho.”

I missed him too.

Because I had a mountain of things to ask.

***

Tap, tap, tap-

The fireplace peacefully crackled, sending sparks flying.

The three of us sat on the sofa in front of it, chatting away.

At least, it seemed quite enjoyable on the surface.

“What, so you and Hyung actually knew each other in real life and then met again here?”

“That’s right.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. I’m confident I’d treat anyone I know really well if they came here.”

Why aren’t they coming? Baek-ho tilted his head innocently.

Then, he looked back and forth between the two of us and his eyes turned mischievous.

“But so… what kind of relationship were you two in?”

At that question, Hyun-byul glanced at me once before answering first.

“We weren’t in any kind of relationship.”

Well, she didn’t like talking about her personal life to others.

That was something we had in common.

“Ehh… it doesn’t seem like you weren’t in any kind of relationship?”

The guy persistently tried again with a sly voice. Hyun-byul’s business smile disappeared from her face.

“Excuse me, Mr. Baek-ho Lee.”

“Uh… yes?”

“Why are you suddenly using informal speech?”

“Uh… this isn’t informal… it’s… you know… that semi-formal… the one you use when you’re close…”

“Oh, I see… but are we close?”

Wow, it’s been a while.

Seeing her get serious like that.

“…”

Baek-ho seemed quite flustered by that, but his time spent stammering like an idiot was extremely short.

“You’re being really sensitive about something trivial?”

His voice changed to a slightly more aggressive tone, as if his old habits were starting to show.

Of course, Hyun-byul didn’t care.

“Isn’t it up to me to decide whether it’s trivial or not?”

“Well, yeah, I guess so. But, but strictly speaking, I’m older than you in real life, right?”

It was a statement that was unimaginable in the Confucian country of Korea.

An act of insubordination that only Baek-ho, who had lived in this world for over a decade, could do.

“Haa…”

Hyun-byul, who was full of annoyance, sighed and said,

“First of all, Mr. Baek-ho Lee, you’re the one who called someone ‘Noona’ while saying that real-life age is more important.”

“But—”

“Secondly, I never asked for that kind of treatment.”

“But—”

“Thirdly, I don’t think of Mr. Baek-ho Lee as a younger brother. I just think of you as a stranger I met today.”

“Uh…”

“So, I’m still using honorifics, right?”

Hyun-byul, who had finished speaking, relaxed her serious expression and smiled again.

The atmosphere, which had been chilling, instantly softened again.

“So, I hope you’ll keep your distance in the future. It’s not that difficult of a request, is it?”

In the end, it was Baek-ho who was pushed back by her momentum.

“Uh… uhh…”

“You can do that, right?”

“Yes…”

Baek-ho, who had lost his chance to counterattack, nodded obediently.

Even so, his mouth was full of hollow laughter.

It seemed like he himself was dumbfounded by the situation…

‘He can’t win against Hyun-byul either.’

That’s quite useful information.

Even now, when he’s considered to have grown a lot mentally, I was able to find out in advance that I shouldn’t mess with Hyun-byul.

“Ahaha… but Hyun-byul… and Han-soo Hyung, do you know each other?”

“Huh? What do you mean? Do we know each other?”

I quickly responded, wanting to cooperate, as it seemed like Baek-ho wanted to change the subject.

“Ah, I mean, not in real life, but in real life… Ah, what do I call this?”

“Do you want to ask if we’ve ever met in the city?”

“Yes! That’s it, that’s it.”

If that’s the case, then not yet.

There was no reason to hide this, so I was about to answer honestly when.

“Why are you curious about that?”

Hyun-byul interjected, and I just closed my mouth.

Baek-ho did the same.

“Mr. Baek-ho Lee, you’re very curious. You’ve been asking questions unilaterally since a while ago.”

“…Ahahaha. Was I?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Ugh, this is so uncomfortable.

“Hyun-byul, stop teasing him.”

“But he keeps asking for personal information?”

“…He probably didn’t have bad intentions.”

“That’s something we don’t know. He’s a stranger I met today.”

“I’m, I’m not a stranger… we’re both Korean! Noona!”

Baek-ho shouted as if he was wronged, but this time too, it didn’t reach Hyun-byul’s heart.

“Are there no criminals in Korea? The Korea I lived in wasn’t like that?”

“…”

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you tell us first who you are, what kind of person you are, and what you’re doing now?”

“…Huh? Me? Why?”

“Wouldn’t I feel a little more at ease if I knew that?”

“Uh… but even so, that’s a bit… you know? Men should have a mysterious side… Ahahaha…”

“Mr. Baek-ho Lee, you’re an interesting person.”

Hyun-byul’s eyes weren’t smiling at all as she said that, and a moment of awkward silence followed.

Sigh, at this rate, he’s going to run away.

We haven’t even gotten to the main point yet.

“Hyun-byul.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, but could you leave us for a bit? I have something to talk about with Baek-ho.”

At my request, Baek-ho flinched.

And he looked at me with eyes that said, ‘Hyung, are you crazy?’

Well, he doesn’t know Hyun-byul well.

“…Okay. I can come back later, right?”

Hyun-byul hates crossing the line without permission.

So, she never crosses the line that the other person has drawn first. Well, thinking about that day, it seems like there aren’t any exceptions.

“Don’t disappear without telling me. If I’m waiting outside and it changes to one person, I’ll come right in.”

“Okay. And thank you.”

“…”

Was it that awkward for me to say thank you?

Hyun-byul stared at me with strange eyes before leaving the chat room.

And now, we were finally alone in the mansion.

“Hyung…!! No, Hyung-nim!” [A more respectful term for older brother]

Baek-ho stood up as if he was impressed.

“Hyung-nim is the one who takes charge! Yeah! I knew it!”

Taking charge, my ass…

I didn’t know what to say, so I just chuckled, and he changed the subject first.

“Ah! But what was that about? That you had something to talk about with me?”

“Ah, it’s nothing much, I just have a few questions. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”

“Really? Then how about we ask one question at a time? I also have some questions for Hyung.”

A truth game where we take turns…

Why does it always end up like this for me?

I didn’t know, but I agreed to the suggestion for now.

“Then can I go first?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Okay, I’ve got the first move…

I started by asking light questions.

No, strictly speaking, they weren’t light, but rather questions to disguise my true purpose.

“First, I’ll ask this, is the famous Baek-ho Lee in the city… you?”

“Ah… so you know now.”

Baek-ho didn’t deny it.

Well, he was going around openly revealing his name, so it was obvious, right?

“But Hyung is pretty good too? Actually, I’m not that famous.”

“Whatever, it’s your turn now.”

After passing the turn, Baek-ho cautiously asked.

“…What kind of relationship were you really in with Hyun-byul Noona?”

It was a question that instantly drained my energy.

“Why are you so curious about that?”

“No, then aren’t you curious? What else should I be curious about?”

Baek-ho raised his voice in a frivolous tone.

But I knew too much about this guy to let my guard down just by looking at that.

“She was my ex-girlfriend.”

As soon as I answered honestly, he jumped up.

“I knew it! I knew it! I knew it from the first time I saw you!”

After that, such a question-and-answer session continued.

Did he know anything about the Noah’s Ark kids going outside the walls?

There was a rumor that Auriel Gavis was alive, did he know if that was true, and so on.

I asked some pretty heavy questions, but when it was Baek-ho’s turn, he only asked trivial questions.

Just like this.

“How did you end up dating someone like Hyun-byul Noona? Did Hyung make the first move?”

Was this guy so curious about this that he deliberately suggested asking one question at a time? I even had that thought, but I didn’t show it and gradually raised the level of my questions.

“Why are you so curious about me? What about you?”

“Uh, suddenly me?”

“Yeah. Don’t you have a girlfriend? You’ve lived here for over ten years. Come to think of it, what am I saying about dating? You could have even gotten married if you wanted to?”

“Uh-huh, Hyung-nim, that’s crossing the line?”

“Uh… then I’m sorry… but I’m curious. You really don’t have one?”

“That… it didn’t work out.”

“Really? Because you’re an NPC [Non-Player Character]?”

“You could… see it that way.”

“Hey, stop making a serious face all of a sudden, the atmosphere is getting weird.”

“…”

“Tsk, you’re stubborn in weird ways too. Think about it. Marriage was a joke, but you could at least date, right?”

“Hmm… I’ll think about it.”

“Yeah, try to find someone around you. You have women among your colleagues, right?”

“Ah, Misha Karlstein?”

“Yeah, I think that was her name.”

“Hmm…”

Baek-ho stared at me for a moment and then asked.

“But how does Hyung know about her?”

It was a question within my prediction range.

“That? I heard it from the Round Table Watchers you introduced me to. They said you used her to spread the rumor that Bjorn Yandel was a wraith…”

“And?”

“I’m suddenly a little curious.”

I asked, trying to show some caution.

“If that’s true… why did you do that?”

Going around and finally asking one of the many questions I wanted to ask him.

Why did Baek-ho do such a thing?

“I didn’t think you would do something that would harm another player.”

After naturally adding the reason for asking this question, I calmly waited for an answer.

And…

“Hyung.”

Soon, Baek-ho’s mouth opened.

“It’s my turn now.”

“…Huh?”

“Wasn’t your question whether I had a girlfriend?”

Ah…

Is that how it works?

“So, it’s my turn now.”

“…Okay, go ahead then.”

As I nodded, Baek-ho stared at me intently, then sighed with a stuffy expression.

“Ah, is it because the opponent is Hyung? Something really doesn’t feel right. This is something I should only do with enemies.”

A change in atmosphere that felt so sudden.

Before I could even grasp the change, Baek-ho continued to speak.

“Hyung, let’s stop testing each other.”

“…Testing?”

There’s an error in his words.

If he had said that I was testing him, then maybe, but.

‘Each other…?’

Then does that mean you were testing me too?

Thump, my heart was beating ominously.

Perhaps because the blood flow to my head was excessive, my thoughts accelerated to the point where I felt like time had slowed down.

Baek-ho was testing me.

What?

It’s obvious.

Where did it start?

There’s something that comes to mind.

What did I miss?

It doesn’t matter.

The important thing is the choice ahead.

What am I going to do from now on?

‘Okay, it’s just that the order has changed.’

As soon as I finished organizing the situation by concentrating all the nerves in my brain.

“Ugh, I can hear your brain working.”

I was forcibly brought back to reality.

“Hyung.”

Baek-ho’s mouth was opening.

With a voice that was too calm for someone who was about to poke someone’s sore spot.

“Is it really true that you’re Bjorn Yandel, Hyung?”

He asked.

After a moment of pause, I answered.

“Yeah.”

Surviving the Game as a Barbarian [EN]

Surviving the Game as a Barbarian [EN]

Surviving as a Barbarian in the Game, 게임 속 바바리안으로 살아남기
Status: Ongoing Author: ,
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[English Translation] After nine grueling years, Hansu Lee finally conquers the infamously challenging game "Dungeon and Stone." But his victory is short-lived; upon defeating the final boss, he's thrust into a blinding light and awakens as Bjorn Yandel, a barbarian warrior within the game's universe. In this perilous world, survival hinges on his ability to embody the savage strength and cunning of his new identity. Armed with only his gaming knowledge and a barbarian's physique, Hansu must navigate treacherous dungeons, battle formidable monsters, and conceal his true origins to avoid deadly suspicion. Dive into "Surviving the Game as a Barbarian" and join Hansu on a relentless quest where the line between player and character blurs, and every decision is a fight for survival.

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