Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 198

Master Key (3)

The Master.

The creator of the private chat room called ‘Watchers of the Round Table’. When he disappeared without a trace, the members let out a collective gasp.

“Phew, he really left.”

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

“Yes, almost like logging out…”

Their voices were filled with nothing but questions.

Well, I guess I feel pretty much the same.

“Wasn’t logging out something you could only do if you returned to the room?”

“From what he said before he left, it seemed more like he was kicked out.”

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

He had taken an ‘initial pill’ from the start, which limited him to one hour.

But what about the Master?

He was originally fine, but then something happened to him.

Not in reality, but while using the ‘Ghost Busters’ community.

Perhaps the fox thought something similar to me?

“What on earth could the Master be experiencing right now…?”

“Psst, I don’t know what it is, but one thing’s for sure.”

“What’s so sure?”

The clown mask lowered his voice at the fox mask’s question.

“That his year-long disappearance is related to the GM.”

There was a moment of silence.

Not a shocked silence, but a silence of thought.

Mostly, they seemed to agree with his theory.

“Yes, I suppose that’s the most likely explanation.”

“But there’s a contradiction. If the Master is really restricted by the GM, how could he possibly reappear here?”

“He’s a very mysterious person, after all. This space was created by magic, so perhaps he found a solution through magic?”

“Then, then, that means our Master might be a more skilled mage than the GM who created this community!”

“That’s a distinct possibility, Psst.”

Afterwards, the members exchanged various speculations, and I, finding the content quite interesting, just listened quietly.

Of course, that didn’t last long.

“Um, Mr. Lion, do you perhaps know something?”

Soon, all eyes turned to me.

It was to be expected.

Pretending to be Lee Baek-ho and spouting inspirations in front of them.

They must have thought I might know something.

But…

“Well.”

How could I know?

I was just as curious about his identity.

Of course, I had no intention of saying so.

That would be embarrassing.

“Yes, I see. As expected, Mr. Lion also…”

It didn’t suit the Lion character to admit ignorance.

Perhaps this kind of feeling then.

“There is something I’ve noticed.”

I interrupted the fox’s words and said briefly.

As the disappointed tone in the fox’s voice rose sharply.

“Something you’ve noticed? Is that really true! I mean, I’m not doubting you but…”

Meanwhile, anticipation was brewing in the fox’s eyes, now visible through the gaps in her mask.

The same was true for the other masks.

‘…Though in fact, there’s nothing I’ve noticed.’

My modern-day conscience squirmed, but I ignored it and interrupted the fox again.

“Hurry, please tell us what happened to the Master—”

“Stop.”

“…Huh?”

The fox, obviously thinking I was going to tell, looked at me with blank eyes.

There was no need for a lengthy explanation.

A simple shrug was enough.

Now, no one here didn’t understand the meaning of this gesture.

“It means you’ve got to bring something interesting. psst.”

If they wanted something from me, they had to bring something of equal value.

That’s the ironclad rule of ‘ Lion mask’ established at the Round Table.

So, what would the Fox mask reply?

“…Okay.”

As expected.

It was the Fox who had shown an obsessive interest in the whereabouts of the Master.

“Still, it should be a bit easy for me, right? It’s not something certain, it’s just something you noticed…”

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

It seemed she hadn’t expected to find herself in such a predicament, following the clown who bit on the ‘holy relic’ bait and the crescent moon that went crazy over the ‘Stone of Resurrection.’

“It feels like our ranks are growing. The future looks tough for Miss Fox.”

The fox mask smiled bitterly at Crescent Moon’s words of comfort.

Meaning the quality of information had to rise.

‘All that’s left is the deer antler and the goblin…’

I put my satisfaction aside and spoke indifferently.

“This is getting boring.”

“…”

“Shouldn’t we wrap up the chit-chat?”

“Yes, let’s start the assembly.”

The bait was set; now it was time to harvest.

***

The fourth session was underway, following an empty third one.

The goblin started.

“We are brainstorming at the mage tower to find a way through Noahark’s barrier.”

At first, everyone seemed to wonder why he was stating the obvious, but they were convinced by the goblin’s detailed explanation.

“It seems that a significant amount of divine power is needed for the process, and we might be able to reduce the time it takes for the barrier to dissolve.”

“That means there has been some research progress.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

To sum up, the magical shield protecting Noahark might be peeled away sooner than expected.

Well, who knows what will actually happen.

‘Raven thought it would take about two years…’

Afterward, the mage tower set a new goal to reduce it to six months.

Next was the deer horn mask.

“The royal family has created a new type of identification badge. It’s an engraved magical device that cannot be forged. It seems they’ve been preparing it for some time, and distribution to explorers will begin next week.

“Starting next week……. Isn’t that too unhelpful? It’s not the kind of information we can take advantage of in advance.”

“Then here’s something else. The royal family is keeping an eye on clans that have backed out of explorations.”

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

“It looks like, though I’m not certain, they will definitely impose significant disadvantages.”

Although she tried not to show it, the fox mask seemed relieved upon hearing the deer horn mask’s information.

‘Fox, she’s most likely a clan member. She can’t be a regular member, so maybe a clan master?’

Of course, this was still speculation, so I listened closely to what the next speaker said.

It was the Fox’s turn now.

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

“A boycott?”

“What else? They’re collectively refusing to enter the Labyrinth. There’s been a lot of discontent lately, especially after the recent raid, and an incident that added fuel to the fire.

“Ah, that matter. I see.”

The crescent moon chimed in as if he knew.

“Bjorn Jandel, right?”

Huh?

Why is my name coming up here?

“Yes. That’s right. Normally it would have ended with a fine, but they banished a perfectly good explorer to Bifron.”

Ah, that…

“While it’s up to them to enforce, most clans see this as a warning to them.”

“The public opinion must not be favorable.”

“Yes. If we back down further, next time we might even face forced conscription.”

My hands clenched and my lips dried at the mention of my name, but fortunately no one seemed to notice my reaction.

No one seemed interested in Bjorn Jandel either.

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

With a few more responses from the fox mask, the third turn also concluded.

“So, who’s next? Shall we keep going clockwise?”

“…Clown, would you like to start?”

“If you insist.”

Crescent moon prompted the clown, and he took the fourth turn without complaint.

The one I was looking forward to the most.

But had he failed to secure ‘interesting’ information this time?

“Honestly, it might not be something Mr. Lion would find it interesting, but I’ll share anyway.”

Unlike when discussing binding magic, the clown seemed just to pass the turn.

“Right before the blockade at Noahark, a few were sent up to the surface. The goal was to kill a single explorer! Surprising, isn’t it?”

“Assassins… Do you know who the target is?”

“Well? I’m not sure about that, but, pfft!”

With a cryptic smile, the fourth turn also ended.

The clown didn’t even bother to ask if it was entertaining.

How would he know? Of all the things I heard today, this was the most intriguing.

‘An assassin sent from Noahark…’

As soon as I heard it, a person came to mind.

Amelia Rainweilz.

Could it be, she was one of the assassins they sent up?

Her abilities would certainly fit the bill.

‘Then the target they are trying to kill is Auril Gavis?’

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

It didn’t sound like a lie when she said it was a personal matter.

Anyway, I’ll think about this later.

“Now it’s my turn.” the Crescent moon spoke

The much-awaited fifth turn began.

This time it was Crescent Moon who was desperately seeking the ‘Resurrection Stone’.Judging by his question about whether the promise was still valid, he seemed quite confident.

What had he prepared?

“Do you all remember when I spoke about the trace of the ‘Relic Thief’ before?”

“Of course.”

As Crescent Moon started speaking, the rest nodded, except for the goblin.

“What? A Relic Thief?”

The goblin, who hadn’t attended the meeting back then, tilted his head, but no one paid any mind.

“So what is it? Is it related to the Creation Relic again?”

Fox said, not hiding her curiosity at all, and Crescent Moon nodded.

And then…

“The Creation Relic no longer exists.”

He dropped a bombshell.

***

The Creation Relic.

The key that leads to the last floor where the Door of the Abyss is located.

“…The Creation Relic no longer exists? I don’t understand at all.”

“Is this reliable information? It’s not just something you believe alone?”

“Pfft, this is quite shocking.”

“How can it just disappear?”

With everyone wanting to return home, it only took a moment for chaos to fill the room.

Was this reaction somewhat expected?

Crescent Moon just continued to explain with a bitter voice.

“I wish it were just my mistake. But this is an undeniable fact. The Creation Relic does not exist anywhere in this world.”

“Was it destroyed?”

“At least that’s the conclusion we’ve reached.”

“But, but it’s supposed to be indestructible!”

The goblin raised his voice in dismay.

And then.

Swoosh.

A green light burst from the gem embedded at the center of the round table.

This meant that the information was true.

“Right, so… the Creation Relic might have really disappeared.”

Deer Horn Mask muttered dejectedly, and a silence lingered for a while.

Crescent Moon was the first to break the silence.

“So, was it interesting?”

That was a difficult question to answer.

Trying to call it boring…

‘No, how can I say it’s boring here.’

Crescent Moon had only looked at me while telling the story; he must have noticed even the slightest stiffening in my reaction

‘What should I do?’

After a brief consideration, I made a decision.

Saying it was boring here would not be a good choice.

So…

“Your skill is impressive.”

I decided to acknowledge it.

But on the other hand, I would mitigate other losses.

“That means…”

As if sensing the ‘Stone of Resurrection’ was within reach, Crescent Moon’s breathing grew harsher.

I murmured briefly.

“Honestly, it was quite impressive.”

Of course, admitting this would come at a great cost.

Putting aside the details about the ‘Stone of Resurrection,’ Crescent Moon, having gotten what he wanted, would not be as eager to gather information as now.

Moreover.

It wouldn’t fit the image of the character I had created.

Clearing the ‘Make the Lion Laugh’ segment on the first try?

It really wasn’t flattering.

But…

Sneer.

It’s not a problem.

Right now, I’m not Bjorn Jandel but an experienced player wearing the ‘Lion mask.

‘Okay, that should do for the dialogue.’

Having finished the final check in my mind.

I asked Crescent Moon.

“How did you find out?”

My surprise wasn’t about the disappearance of the Creation Relic, but rather something else.

Precisely…

“There aren’t many who would know the Creation Relic has vanished.”

Regrettably, as if I already knew this story.

“…!”

Crescent Moon’s eyes widened, catching the nuance.

But did he realize I was bluffing?

Crescent Moon didn’t seem to doubt it.

“…Right, you already knew.”

He just resignedly lowered his voice.

If this doesn’t satisfy, what will?

Such despair seemed to permeate the air.

Not an ideal situation for me.

“Pssst…”

The clown’s awkward laughter alone showed that.

This would affect every member who bit into this bait.

So, in that sense.

Pff.

I laughed out loud and said.

“The Stone of Resurrection can be found on the ninth floor.”

That should be worth a consolation prize.

Honestly, I felt a bit sorry.