Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 436

Within this community, abilities are sealed.

Therefore, the lie detection that troubled me so much outside doesn’t work here either.

Even if it could be used, I have Auriel Gavis’s gift, so I could counter it, but… anyway, that’s not the important thing.

‘…Is he testing me?’

There are two possibilities.

One is that Baek-ho Lee couldn’t tell if I was telling the truth, so he deliberately put on a serious face to verify it one more time.

And the second is…

Thump-!

That he was truly convinced I was lying.

‘Shit.’

My heart is pounding.

Maybe I underestimated him without realizing it.

He’s a guy who’s survived in this harsh world for over a decade, after all. Just because he doesn’t have a lie detection skill doesn’t mean he’s useless.

No, he’d probably be even more sensitive without it.

Thanks to that skill, he must have encountered countless patterns of liars and accumulated a vast amount of information.

‘The possibility that he’s simply testing me is extremely low.’

In a split second, I finished my assessment.

‘Rather than thinking an excuse will work, it’s better to admit my mistake and apologize now.’

However, it was Baek-ho Lee who spoke first.

“Hyung.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m sorry, but I still can’t give you back Nyaong.”

“What did you say…?”

At my question, Baek-ho Lee smirked coldly.

“Living as a barbarian must have made you deaf too?”

Words full of sarcasm that I had never heard from Baek-ho Lee when I was in the form of Han-soo Lee.

Baek-ho Lee then looked at me and said clearly.

“I said I can’t give it back.”

“….”

“Nyaong, who you cherish so much.”

My mind went blank for a moment.

“Isn’t that right? No matter how I look at it, she seems more helpful to my goals than you. You want to live in this world, right?”

“….”

“Oh, of course, don’t worry.”

I wasn’t particularly angry or anything.

“I’ll definitely give her back to you after I’ve used her well.”

I just laughed.

I don’t even know why at this moment.

“Baek-ho, you….”

My head knows that it’s an obvious provocation.

And that it’s right to prevent the relationship from deteriorating further here.

“You’re a real messed up bastard.”

The words came out without a filter, completely nonchalantly.

There wasn’t even a hint of regret afterward.

“Wow, now you’re showing your true colors? You were always just playing it safe in front of me.”

However, Baek-ho Lee just chuckled at those words.

“You’re not in a position to talk, are you?”

I raised the corners of my mouth a little more.

As a result, there wasn’t a single person in this place who wasn’t smiling.

But…

Tap, tap, tap-

Apart from the warmth of the fireplace, a cold air settles between me and him.

“Interesting.”

“Yeah, it is.”

After muttering a word each, he spoke first.

“But there’s one thing I don’t understand, why am I a messed up bastard?”

He no longer used honorifics with me.

“No matter how I look at it, aren’t you the one who’s messed up?”

I couldn’t help but laugh again.

But, did he have something to say too?

“Isn’t that right? Your original life is over there, but you’re just happily falling for NPCs [Non-Player Characters] and thinking about staying here, that’s a crazy idea.”

I didn’t feel the need to answer.

No matter what I say, he won’t understand.

“No, if it were just some weaklings, I wouldn’t care. But you’re not in a situation where going back is just a dream, are you? You have abilities. Your fellow characters are pretty decent. You’ve built up your reputation well, and on top of that? You even have a noble title—”

“So what are you trying to say?”

When I interrupted him, Baek-ho Lee bluntly threw out the main point.

“Don’t pretend to be the only normal one. It’s disgusting.”

“….”

“No matter how I look at it, you’re the one who’s messed up.”

“….”

“Were you happy? Did meeting people fill your void? Did you feel like you became someone because you got stronger quickly thanks to game information? Did everyone treat you like a hero, making you think you should work even harder?”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t wrong.

If someone were to observe my changes from a third-person perspective, they would definitely say something like that.

But whether it’s a fact or not doesn’t matter.

“Ugh, as time goes on, you’ll probably even bow down to Auriel Gavis and thank him—”

Ugh, why is he talking so much?

That’s not how you do a keyboard battle [online argument].

“Okay. It seems like Baek-ho is very angry.”

I try my best to maintain my composure and stare at Baek-ho Lee.

If this were a turn-based game, it would be my turn to attack now.

There was no need for long words.

“Still, I understand, you were the one who got dumped, right?”

“…Dumped?”

He looked like he didn’t understand what I was talking about.

I kindly added an explanation.

“Why are you pretending not to know? How famous is the story of the women you liked running away as soon as they found out you were a demon?”

“…Huh.”

“You… is that why, actually? That’s why you’re so desperate to go back.”

This is not even like a kid, tsk.

I continued to speak quietly so that Baek-ho Lee wouldn’t hear, but did he eavesdrop like a pervert?

“….”

Baek-ho Lee’s expression is unusually distorted.

However, that time was very short.

“Hah, hahahahaha! Keuh, puahahahaha!”

Baek-ho Lee laughs heartily as if he heard something truly hilarious.

It was a common mental victory pattern.

It’s such a ridiculous story, that’s why I’m laughing like this.

That kind of feeling.

As I just stared at him, Baek-ho Lee slowly stopped laughing and spoke to me.

“Hyung.”

“What.”

“Do you like that Nyaong that much? Enough to suddenly lash out at me like this?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. It seems like the biggest reason why you’re not going back.”

I was silent.

“Kya, even in this situation, you can’t admit it, so our Han-soo hyung is surprisingly shy?”

I judged that no matter what I say here, I would be caught in his pace.

“Ah, wait a minute!”

Then Baek-ho Lee stopped talking for a moment.

“I just had a good idea.”

As someone listening, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“About Nyaong….”

The ominous premonition was spot on.

“How about I just kill her?”

Shit.

“Actually, the reason you want to stay in this world is because you’re too happy right now, right?”

My heart tightens with each word.

“So, I think it wouldn’t be bad to just kill her. If this place becomes painful, wouldn’t you naturally want to go back? Like a rabbit looking for a shelter when winter comes?”

That’s the fundamental reason why I didn’t reveal my identity to Baek-ho Lee.

“Hmm, thinking about it again, it seems pretty good.”

Baek-ho Lee, this guy.

He’s the type who can do anything for his goals.

“Sometimes, broken things can be fixed and reused, right?”

Then he looked at me and grinned.

A smile that was too bright for the situation.

Whether it was because I instinctively felt fear, I felt goosebumps all over my spine without realizing it.

But…

“Baek-ho.”

There’s an emotion that’s rising even more than fear.

“Why?”

Murderous intent.

The desire to desperately kill someone.

“If you keep doing that….”

I didn’t need to mind control myself to deceive someone like I did at the Round Table.

I just had to stop holding back.

Something that had been rising for a long time.

“I’ll have to kill you.”

A murderous intent that was darker than ever.

“…!”

As soon as the unrefined intent spread, Baek-ho Lee flinched.

Of course, that time was extremely short.

Soon, Baek-ho Lee’s mouth opened again, and the words he uttered were clearly different from the people I had seen before.

Not words of apology.

Nor words of resentment.

Not even words of begging to stop.

What he uttered in the murderous intent that would have made a corpse collector squirm on the floor like a bug was.

“Wow….”

It was just a sincere exclamation.

“This hyung is really crazy…. Other guys would probably be shitting their pants at this level?”

After uttering a compliment that wasn’t quite a compliment, he slowly approached me, cracking his stiff shoulders left and right.

“Hyung.”

One step.

“But don’t you remember?”

Two steps.

“I was the one who taught you.”

Three steps.

“Murderous intent.”

That’s when the distance between him and me was close enough to reach out and touch.

I could feel it with my whole body.

“…!”

The murderous intent he held towards me.

***

Murdurous intent.

A handy skill for high-level players to scare newbies.

I had benefited from murderous intent by using it all the time at the Round Table, but I had rarely been on the receiving end of it.

Only once, to be exact.

The last time was when I was attacked by the fox on the day I became a member of the Round Table.

It’s a strange feeling.

That was the impression I had when I first experienced murderous intent.

My skin tingled with the clear murderous intent, and my heart kept pounding.

And that was it.

“Well, then….”

On the other hand, Baek-ho Lee’s murderous intent was different.

From the density of the murderous intent to its ferocious momentum.

“Say it again.”

I think I can now fully understand why the corpse collector was trembling so much.

Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump-!

My heart is pounding so hard that I feel like it might burst.

Cold sweat is flowing down, unable to stay put.

Even though it’s not a place where breathing is theoretically needed, my breath is forcibly cut off as if someone is strongly choking my neck.

Also, my brain cells are tingling as if they’re burning.

But…

“What? I’ll have to kill you?”

It’s not enough to completely collapse like the corpse collector or the fox.

Of course, it’s difficult.

I want to run away from this place right now.

I even know that I can end this situation just by leaving the chat room….

“Hyung, you don’t really think that’s possible, do you?”

I endure.

Because I know.

I learned while living as Bjorn Yandel.

That after running away because you’re afraid, an even more frightening situation awaits you.

Yes, so….

“…Huh?”

I force myself to wake up my dazed mind, which is being consumed by murderous intent, and take a step forward.

And…

Thud.

From a closer distance.

“Not really.”

I whisper in his ear while looking down at him.

“It doesn’t seem like I can’t do it.”

It’s not a bluff to win the battle of nerves.

[Hyung, you also cleared the 10x one, right?]

I really am confident.

[Wouldn’t I be similar to you in about 10 years?]

Even if my strength is a little lacking compared to him right now.

[I have almost no room to get stronger now….]

If I’m given just a little more time—

‘Where did a ten times multiplier come from.’

I can beat Baek-ho Lee.

But did that conviction reach him too?

Baek-ho Lee, who had been stiff while I was talking, forced himself to regain his composure and raised the corners of his mouth.

“…Interesting.”

Bullshit, interesting.

“Geez, you’re making me feel bad.”

I clicked my tongue and returned the exact same words he had said to me before.

“Why are you suddenly lying?”

Baek-ho Lee tilted his head as if he didn’t know what I was talking about, and I slowly added.

“You right now.”

“….”

“You’re not having any fun at all.”

Otherwise, why are you constantly going back—

“…Whoa whoa! Stop, stop!”

Then Baek-ho Lee made an exaggerated gesture to block the front and took three steps back.

“Ah! Seriously, this hyung is something else! I can’t even joke around?”

His expression and atmosphere changed 180 degrees in an instant.

Before I could even adjust to it, Baek-ho Lee opened his mouth.

“There’s no way I would actually kill Nyaong. I was just saying it. Just saying it! No, how much do I like hyung? I’ve been so nice to you since the first time we met!”

Like my ass.

No, he probably does like me. In his own way, he must have found something useful in me.

“Was that why you threatened to kill Misha too?”

“Relax, relax! Threaten? I told you, it was a joke!”

Baek-ho Lee spoke playfully in a light tone, but the truth doesn’t change.

It was a threat… yes, it was a threat.

“Why would I kill Nyaong? There’s nothing to gain from it?”

Yes, if you look at it rationally, that’s right.

Not only would he lose the dual wielding ice swordsman, but he would also become enemies with me.

No matter how you look at it, it’s far from a rational choice.

But…

“If the threat had succeeded, you would have been able to control me from now on.”

If I think about the case where I lost the battle of nerves a little while ago, I already feel dizzy. The content of the conversation we’re having now would have been completely different then.

“Aigoo, come on! Why would you think like that? Hyung! I’m not that black-hearted!”

He wouldn’t have smiled like he is now.

He wouldn’t have come out in a low posture, calling me ‘hyung, hyung’ again….

“If you’re not black-hearted, then that’s good. Then give me Misha.”

“I’ll give her to you. If you grant my request.”

He wouldn’t have proposed a ‘deal’ like this either.

‘So, can I see this current situation as this bastard’s plan B?’

As I was thinking that and staring at him, Baek-ho Lee cautiously opened his mouth with an awkward expression.

“I won’t ask you to go back with me. Now I know how sincere you are.”

“Just the point.”

“But we can still cooperate, right?”

Baek-ho Lee paused for a moment and then gave me a subtle look.

Of course, I had no intention of accepting it.

“…Let’s continue for now.”

“You know your current situation better than anyone, right?”

Yes, I know it better than you, at least.

It’s not good, there are a lot of troublesome things.

Beyond that, every day feels like walking on thin ice.

“So?”

“I’ll help you. So that you can overcome this difficult time. In the shadows and in the light, in every way. Instead, help me when I break through the 10th floor later.”

Baek-ho Lee’s proposal was quite plausible.

Unlike me, he’s a guy who doesn’t have any restrictions on his actions.

To put it bluntly, if this bastard just assassinated the marquis, it would be a great help to me.

But…

“Baek-ho.”

“…Yes?”

“Isn’t there something you need to do first before asking me for a favor?”

“….”

I didn’t say much.

I can’t 100% understand why this guy wants me so much.

“Bring Misha first. We’ll talk about this after that.”

“….”

“Answer?”

Even when I asked again, Baek-ho Lee remained silent.

He seemed to be thinking a lot.

Well, the moment he sends Misha, one more of his cards will be reduced—

“Hyung.”

Then he broke the silence and opened his mouth.

“We were both excited today. Let’s stop here.”

The answer he gave was a postponement.

“What…?”

“Isn’t that right? My head isn’t working well right now either. So let’s talk again next time. I’ll think about the Nyaong thing. Okay?”

Okay?

“Okay—”

—What the hell.

That’s what I was about to say.

“Hyung, you said okay, right?”

“…What?”

“Then I’ll be going now!”

“Hey, wait a minute! Wait—”

I quickly reached my arm forward, but there was nothing I could physically do in this spiritual space.

Thud.

As soon as my fingertips touched his body.

“Poof!”

His body turned into a stream of light and disappeared.