Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 729

Inspiration. A brilliant idea or stimulus that serves as a catalyst for creative work.

“A good idea…? What is it?” Raven asked, sounding somewhat uneasy, and I grinned.

Just as a philosopher who shouted ‘Eureka’ started by getting into a bathtub, these inspirations suddenly come to you at unexpected moments.

Just like right now.

[Tourua, Piare, Buamine Yandel, Harpu.]

“District 8, arson, the culprit is Yandel, requesting support.”

The goal is simple.

To draw aggro [short for ‘aggression,’ meaning to attract the enemy’s attention] so that Amelia in District 4 can escape more easily.

And in a way, drawing aggro was a field that not only Bjorn Yandel but also ‘Lee Han-soo’ was confident in.

It’s a skill that every ordinary man in Korea who spent their teens and twenties playing games has, you could say?

[Tourua No, Tekkai, Jigerunu, Remgak.]

“Point 8-2, access prohibited, support troops, moving in.”

Besides, this isn’t the first time.

Of course, now that my body is better, my head has less to suffer, but back when I was so weak that I could fall over in the wind, I had to use all of ‘Lee Han-soo’s’ knowledge to draw aggro.

So, that means…

“Vivian.”

I checked one last thing.

“That radio transmission, we can send it too, right?”

“Yes. The more attention it draws, the higher the chance that my line will be blocked, though.”

Okay, so it works?

I was secretly worried that it might not work, but the last obstacle has disappeared.

“So… what are you going to send?” Vivian asked, seemingly curious about my ‘good idea,’ and I replied.

“You’ll know when you hear it.”

“…Huh?”

“From now on, translate what I say into code. Don’t miss a single word.”

“Ah! Just a moment!”

After that, Vivian fiddled with the crystal ball as if making some adjustments and said she was ready.

So now it’s time to deliver my words to all the commanders of Noahark.

“Ricardo Lühnfraha.”

I spoke slowly.

“Mom.”

“…Huh?”

“None.”

It’s time to go back to the basics.

***

Chzzzz-!

Various radio transmissions came from the communication crystal ball on his waist, but the man ignored them, letting them flow out of one ear.

[District 8, arson, the culprit is Yandel, requesting support.]

‘That guy’ has appeared in District 8 and is causing a ruckus.

[Point 8-2, access prohibited, support troops, on standby.]

The situation seems quite serious.

Tap-!

It wasn’t his business.

In the first place, his location was in District 4, quite far from District 8.

Unless they specifically asked for his support, he was going to leave them to handle it themselves.

Yes, that’s what he thought.

[Ricardo Lühnfraha.]

Until he heard a familiar female voice.

‘Lilianne Vivian…?’

He knew whose voice it was as soon as he heard it.

After all, he was the one who had personally brought the young girl, who was full of venom, and raised her to become the ‘Wailing Witch’.

‘She’s in District 8, calling for me…’

It seems like a request for support.

‘Is she in a life-threatening situation?’

That thought crossed his mind, but even if that were the case, he couldn’t go to support her.

Because now is wartime.

Also, the reason he gathered each and every one of them to create ‘Orculius’ was all for today.

[Uh, Mom…]

…Even if it’s an urgent situation where she’s looking for her mom, nothing changes.

Tap-!

Because there’s something more important right now.

It’s better to ignore this request as if he didn’t hear it—.

[Uh, none…!!]

……?

“……”

His mind momentarily stopped, and his feet paused for a moment.

However, thinking that he had misheard or that they had misspoke, he quickly moved his stopped feet again.

But it didn’t take long for his feet to stop again.

Because the voice started to come out again.

[Ri, Ricardo Lühnfraha! Mom, none!]

The radio transmission repeated itself as if to say he hadn’t misheard.

The man was genuinely confused by this experience, which he had never experienced before.

What on earth is going on?

He couldn’t understand it at all, but the radio transmission continued.

[The Rose Knights are…]

“……”

[Gonna, gonna kill them! So, Mom, none!]

The content was so shocking that it felt unreal, but on the other hand, his head became cold.

He had that much sense.

‘……He’s under someone’s orders.’

Lilianne Vivian didn’t send the radio transmission willingly.

Most likely, she was caught by someone and was being forced to send this transmission.

But the problem is something else.

‘……Who is it?’

Who on earth is sending this transmission for what reason, and how does that someone know about the grudge between him and the Rose Knights?

It’s definitely a story that only a few people know.

Thud.

The man’s priorities shifted in his mind.

Chasing the woman who was Bjorn Yandel’s companion and who used an aura very similar to the Rose Knights was important enough, but.

“Commander…?”

“I’ll leave the pursuit of Emily Raines to you.”

“Ah, yes…!!”

The man, who had decided to leave the pursuit to his other subordinates for the time being, took out a crystal ball from where he stood.

[Ricardo Lühnfraha characteristic 1, smaller than a corpse collector…]

The only way to find out who was making Vivian say such ridiculous things was to talk to them directly.

[…Who are you.]

The man said in a low voice, activating the crystal ball.

But the only answer he got was mockery.

[Ricardo Lühnfraha characteristic 2, not scary at all even if you say that, just trying to act cool!]

Perhaps because it was inconvenient to translate into code, the mockery continued in Lafdonian, now omitting the code.

For some reason, one person flashed through his mind.

The Dragonslayer, Regal Bagos.

The Corpse Collector, Abet Necrapeto.

The Evil Eye, Roland Banozant.

The very person that everyone he had experienced had advised him to ‘watch his mouth’.

“Bjorn Yandel……”

If it was really that guy, then his actions would make sense.

Because he was chasing his companion at the time.

If internal information had leaked and that guy had heard it and was doing this to get his attention, it would be a plausible situation.

‘If that’s the case… how does he know about what happened between the Rose Knights and me?’

Since he didn’t know, the man gripped the crystal ball again.

[Ricardo Lühnfraha characteristic 3, trembling so much he can’t say anything!]

The mockery continued even at this moment, but the man didn’t care.

Rather, he was much calmer than usual.

It was just that he was out of breath and his body was shaking because he had run for a long time.

[…Where are you, you.]

He asked once more to confirm who the other party was, and fortunately, the answer came back immediately.

This time it wasn’t Vivian’s voice either.

[District 8.]

A thick voice that reminded him of a sturdy physique just by hearing it.

[Come if you dare.]

Both the fact that it was a man and that it was District 8 where Yandel was sighted.

‘So my prediction was right.’

Of course, he was still dumbfounded at this moment.

[Ricardo Lühnfraha characteristic 4, just asks where and is too scared to come.]

Where in the world is this the kind of thing that a city hero, the leader of a race, and even a baron would say?

It’s too frivolous and vulgar.

But that’s why the other party’s intention is even clearer.

‘He must be trying to lure me here.’

So, what should he do?

The deliberation was short.

[Ricardo Lühnfraha characteristic 5, doesn’t have a dad either.]

He didn’t like falling for such an obvious trick.

[Don’t even think about dying peacefully.]

Should he let it slide just this once?

He was also curious about where he had heard that story.

[Ah, like your parents?]

The moment the mocking words continued once more, the crystal ball that the man was holding shattered, unable to withstand the pressure.

“Looks like it was a defective product.”

The man drew the fastest route to District 8 in his mind.

However, for some reason, the words that the guy had said earlier kept lingering in his ears.

No, to be precise, it was the ‘voice’ that lingered.

[District 8, come if you dare.]

He had heard many stories about the man named ‘Bjorn Yandel’, but it was definitely the first time he had spoken to him directly.

But why?

‘Something… feels familiar…’

He felt a strange sense of discomfort that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

It was as if he had heard this exact same voice a long time ago, sometime he couldn’t even remember.

‘When was it…?’

The man, who was even frowning as he tried to recall his memories, began to move his feet quickly.

Whatever this discomfort was.

Tap-

He would know when he met him in person.

***

Have you ever been inside a closet?

Sven Parav, the (former) Holy Knight of Lafdonia, had.

Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn’t ‘Sven Parav’ who had been in the closet, but his original body, but anyway.

“……”

“……”

When you go inside a closet, you have to bend your body, you can’t straighten your neck properly, and the floor isn’t as soft as a bed.

But surprisingly, it’s comfortable inside.

No, to be precise, it’s not that your body is comfortable, but your mind is comfortable, should he say?

Because no one can find him here.

So, whenever he was scared since he was a child, he always went inside the closet.

‘I never thought I’d be back in here at this age.’

The closet he had squeezed himself into, as his body had grown so much.

He wasn’t even alone.

“I, I’m sorry… am I too heavy?”

He also had a roommate, and because of the fragrant scent coming from that roommate, he had to lean his back even further in the already cramped closet.

But even so, it couldn’t be helped.

Because this was the only place nearby where they could hide.

“Ah, no… I’m the one who’s sorry. It’s all because of me…”

“…Don’t apologize. We’re both safe for now.”

Sven Parav felt an immense sense of gratitude at those words.

The reason they were trapped in this cramped closet was entirely his fault.

He had a seizure at a crucial moment during a fierce battle with his comrades, and Lilis Marone had fallen behind with him while trying to save him.

“Still, it’s amazing… how you got completely better as soon as we came in here.”

“Ahaha… y, you could say that.”

Sven Parav smiled awkwardly and changed the subject.

He felt both sorry and grateful at the same time, but even so, there was a secret he could never reveal to her.

‘……I definitely shouldn’t say it was on purpose.’

In fact, the seizure was an exaggerated act.

To be precise, it was acting.

To naturally break away from the group.

‘What is it about this closet…’

Sven Parav stroked the wall of the closet, wondering.

In fact, there was nothing special about it in terms of appearance.

A normal abandoned house that could be seen anywhere.

And a closet that was faintly visible only at the top through the broken second-floor window.

But he was seized by a stronger ‘intuition’ than ever before the moment he saw this closet during the battle.

‘I have to go.’

That closet is safe.

If I just go inside that closet, I will never die.

‘I have to go.’

Sven Parav broke away from the group as if he were possessed by something.

He had to put on an act as if he was having a seizure because Lilis Marone followed him after seeing that, but anyway.

This closet was worth going to even if he had to go that far.

It was like some kind of panacea [a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases]?

Thump-!

The chronic anxiety that had been dominating his whole body since he returned to the city disappeared at once, and he was convinced that he would be safe even if the world collapsed as long as he was inside here.

‘……I’m sorry to my comrades, though.’

It was an act that could be seen as a betrayal of his comrades in a way.

It would be a lie to say that his heart wasn’t heavy, but Sven Parav, who was exhausted, couldn’t even think about going out of this closet.

‘I can live if I’m just inside this closet…!’

For Sven Parav, intuition was something he had to follow.

Absolutely.