Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 239
Awl (4)
“Pffft”
When the goblin laughed, the clown’s icy gaze turned towards him.
“Ahem, ahem!”
Pretending his laugh was a cough, the goblin cleared his throat and avoided eye contact.
The deer horn stepped in and patted him on the back.
“Why bother the poor goblin? It’s not his fault you ended up in that small body.”
The clown didn’t respond to the sarcastic remark. He just stared at them, trembling with humiliation.
‘Is he going to stop coming because of this?’
Suddenly, I was worried, but luckily, the clown was top-notch.
“…Pssit.”
Even in a situation where it would be understandable to cry, the clown forced a smile.
“How childish.”
I had a sense of what he was trying to do.
The only way to reverse the situation where he was being one-sidedly insulted.
“Do you think words like that would affect me when it’s not even my own body?”
Mental triumph.
‘This guy’s really something.’
Though the clown’s words were bold, his voice was filled with seething resentment.
On the other hand, the deer horns was purely enjoying himself.
The winner was already decided.
But the deer horns was a ruthless guy with no mercy.
“Hmm, so you admit you’re small?”
Was this man a devil?
“…”
The clown, having suffered a final blow to his pride, chose silence. He realized that any further conversation would only hurt him.
“Men, really.”
The queen smirked when it was over.
I felt embarrassed for them.
Watching grown men fight over something like this must look pathetic.
Anyway, the brief disturbance ended, and the meeting resumed.
“We got sidetracked somehow. Let me continue.”
The deer horns resumed the meeting, sharing his information.
“Three days ago, the royal family captured a spy from Noark. They managed to smuggle a few out before the barrier was activated.”
A captured spy…?
Could it be Amelia? But she didn’t seem like someone who’d be caught easily.
“We plan to kill the spy after extracting all the information. Of course, we’ll torture him first.”
The deer horns taunted the clown from Noark.
‘Well, now I’m pretty sure Deer Horns belongs to the royal family……’
Another outcome from the clash with the clown.
“Pssit, naive. Do you think I care if a few worthless worms die?”
His voice was filled with disdain.
He was likely more upset by the deer horns’ arrogance than the fate of the spy.
“My turn, then.”
As soon as the deer horns finished, the clown swiftly countered.
“An assassin is coming for Bjorn Jandel soon.”
…What? Suddenly?
“They’re praising him as a hero, right. It’ll be amusing if he dies right after receiving a noble title. The royal family’s prestige will be in the gutter!”
So this is what it means for a shrimp to get caught in the middle of a whale fight.
I was momentarily stunned by the sudden mention of my name, then irritation set in.
‘An assassin, when I’m not even fully recovered…’
But at least I got to know about it in advance.
And maybe deer horns felt the same?
“Foolish.”
He clicked his tongue in response.
“Unable to control your emotions, you kindly warn your enemy. Truly, you’re no better than a child.”
“Tsk, and where does your confidence come from, thinking you can stop it even if you know?”
Another round of their confrontation seemed about to start.
It was amusing at first, but now it was getting tiresome, so I intervened to end it.
“Now it’s my turn.”
As I spoke for the first time in a while, the room fell silent.
I glanced around at the members and then fixed my gaze on the queen.
“The Ghostbusters were created by an evil spirit from another world.”
Damn, I was saving that.
***
It was a sort of preemption.
I had intended to use it as a reward for someone who shared ‘interesting’ information, but…
[This community wasn’t created by the GM?]
The queen, who knew this information, should be aware that the community’s creator was an evil spirit from another world.
Better to use it before it becomes useless.
I was running out of cards to assert my authority as the Lion—
“An evil spirit, you say…”
Huh?
“Yes, that makes sense.”
When the queen’s jewel emitted a green light, she nodded as if something had finally been resolved.
What? Did she not know?
‘I thought the community operator would definitely know.’
So, was she not ‘Soul Queen’?
That thought crossed my mind, but nothing was certain yet. Perhaps the master hadn’t told her everything.
Just as I was lost in thought—
“Wait a minute! An evil spirit from another world? Does that mean there are players from other worlds besides Earth?”
After a brief silence, the goblin asked me, astonished.
But I could only offer one response.
“That’s for you to interpret.”
If you want me to open my mouth, bring something interesting. Though, I’ll probably just deem it boring anyway.
“I’ve heard of such beings existing. But until now, I thought it was just a rumor.”
The deer horns, who seemed deep in thought, also expressed amazement at the revelation.
‘This just goes to show how amazing Lee Baek-ho is.’
Just like this information, most of the crucial details that made me the Lion came from Baek-ho.
“Pssit, staying was worth it after all.”
Even the clown, who had been beaten down throughout the meeting, nodded in satisfaction, finding my information interesting.
Apparently, he was glad he put up with everything.
“This is becoming more intriguing.”
The queen suggested continuing the meeting with eyes full of enthusiasm, but unfortunately, this was the end of today’s gathering.
Even the goblin had already surrendered.
“I have nothing more to say, so I’ll stop here.”
“Then I shall stop as well. It seems difficult to find information unknown to all four of us.”
With the Deer Horns also withdrawing, the meeting naturally concluded.
“I’ll be leaving first then.”
Unlike usual, the clown left immediately after the meeting.
I guess it would be uncomfortable to stay and chat after everything was revealed.
“Pssit, next time I’ll bring something truly interesting.”
The clown, still pretending to be friendly after all that.
It was a bit absurd, but…
His approach to handling power dynamics was worth emulating.
There’s a reason he’s survived for so long, I suppose.
“Then I’ll take my leave as well.”
As I stood and opened the door, I saw the fox waiting for me, leaning blankly against the empty hallway wall.
“Ah, is it over?”
When I nodded, the fox led me to a room. Not the main room with the round table, but a small reception room nearby.
Oh, I didn’t know there was a room like this here.
“……”
As we sat facing each other on the sofas, an awkward silence filled the air.
But speaking first would be a rookie mistake.
I waited patiently, and the fox spoke first.
“Um… Thank you for making time for me.”
“Just get to the point.”
When I cut her off shortly, the fox flinched and hesitated before cautiously asking.
“Do you know why I called you here today…?”
Of course not.
But admitting that here would also be a rookie move.
“Trying to test me?”
I spoke coldly.
“No, that’s not it…!”
“Then it seems you’re not desperate enough yet.”
I pretended to stand up from my seat.
Because the urgent one is her.
Although I don’t know the exact reason, that’s for sure.
Otherwise, there would be no reason to arrange a separate meeting like this.
‘She must need my investigative skills or information’ I thought, having considered the fox’s situation during the round table. This might be my chance to uncover her true identity.
So, what would the actual situation be?
“Please, if you know my situation, help me,” the fox pleaded, though it was clear she didn’t fully trust me.
‘She must be seeking my help because she saw me expose the clown’s identity.’
She’s testing whether I’ve already figured out her secret. If I have, she gains my assistance without losing anything; if not, she buys more time.
Cunning indeed.
“You dare mock me to the end.”
I rose as if I had nothing more to see.
There wasn’t much I could do for her right now anyway. The clown was the only identity I had uncovered.
I didn’t know anything about the fox’s situation.
Thus…
“You’re not desperate enough.”
I spoke.
That’s not how you ask the Lion for help.
“Come find me again when you’re more desperate.”
As I completely stood up and headed for the door, the fox cried out urgently.
“Can’t you just tell me? Whether you know my situation or not!”
There was a hint of injustice in her voice.
The unexpected purity of it made me laugh involuntarily.
“Why should I?”
“Because—”
I interrupted the fox.
“Because it’s more fun this way.”
Indeed, this is how the Lion should be.
***
In a spacious room reminiscent of a hotel suite.
“I wonder what those two are talking about now?”
A man lying on the bed mumbled to himself as he got up.
“Well, what’s the point of being curious? They never tell me anyway.”
It was a familiar situation for him.
He often felt left out among his friends since his school days.
Still, he was lucky.
The cryptocurrency he bought out of boredom turned out to be a hit, allowing him to live in a place like this.
Not that it meant much now.
“Ugh, less than five hours left.”
Checking the time, the man sat at the living room table and started typing on his laptop.
It was his only pleasure once a month.
Chatting in the virtual space made him feel like he was back in his original world.
“Bjorn Jandel, huh…”
The forum he was looking at was filled with stories about one man.
So, this is today’s hot topic?
[Did you hear Bjorn Jandel is becoming a noble?]
- So jealous. There’s talk that he’s a player, but who cares? At that level, I’d want to live here too, player or not.
The man spent his leisure time commenting on various posts.
[Bling0_0: Agreed. If I were a noble, I’d have multiple wives too. Just heard his companions are really pretty.]
[└arolf5205: The main wife is Misha. Saw her from a distance, she’s super cute.]
[└Ykbell: I’m into Erwin, that elf.]
[└cherylvander: For a real man, it’s gotta be that barbarian woman, right?]
The comments flowed as people replied to his provocations.
The man frowned as he read through them.
[Pnec: Idiot. Admiring a lowly barbarian shows your level.]
Okay, today’s target.
The man grinned.
Because he knew.
The man grinned, knowing that attacking these rude commenters was always satisfying.
‘Now that I think about it, those insults worked well before.’
Recalling a recent incident, the man chuckled and replied.
[└Bling0_0: Yeah, 3cm compared to Bjorn’s 10 times that. Trembling with envy, huh?]
Ding!
Soon enough, a notification popped up.
[└Pnec: Who the hell are you?]
A somewhat unexpected response.
[└Bling0_0: What? Seriously 3cm?]
[└Pnec: What’s wrong with you? Just go away.]
[└Bling0_0: Nope. The one who’ll leave is your future wife. No good woman would stay with 3cm. Even if you’re a noble, you can’t keep a concubine.]
[└Pnec: …Hey, where do you live?]
More derogatory comments followed.
[Bling0_0: Hey, anyone else seeing this? ㅋㅋㅋ]
[└Ykbell: Give it up. MIT here says it’s a 3cm’s total defeat.]
[└1spring: Sounds like he really is 3cm.]
[└cherylvander: Kept getting notifications, what’s going on between these two? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[└Ykbell: Stop it. As an MIT grad, I see this as a 3cm’s complete defeat.]
[└1spring: From the looks of it, he really is 3cm.]
As more users joined the mockery, the commenter deleted all their posts and fled.
‘Pathetic.’
Feeling triumphant, the man stretched contentedly.
How much time had passed?
Eventually, it was time for the community to close.
“Parav, Parav!”
When he opened his eyes, a priest beside him was gently shaking his shoulder.
“How can you sleep here?”
“Ah, sorry…”
He quickly apologized and pretended to listen to the bishop’s sermon.
Or rather, pretended to.
This wasn’t the virtual world where he could be himself.
Here, he had to play the role of a devout paladin.
‘If I’d known it would be this tough, I’d have picked a different character.’
An hour later, the night prayer ended. But before heading back to his room, the man spent some time chatting with his colleagues.
But maybe because he’d been to the community?
Too tired to talk, he just listened, and a colleague asked worriedly.
“Parav, are you okay? You don’t look well.”
“Is it because of that incident? Don’t let it bother you. It’s not your fault you couldn’t enter the labyrinth due to an upset stomach that day.”
“At least you’re alive.”
“God must have helped you.”
His colleagues were under a misconception, but he didn’t correct them.
He just nodded bitterly.
“Yes, I need to move on.”
He hadn’t actually had an upset stomach.
He’d just used it as an excuse because he had a bad feeling and decided to take a break.
When the pillar of fire rose in the dimensional plaza the next day, he was glad he did.
“Maybe you should rest first?”
“No, I’ll stay here. It seems better.”
“…If you insist.”
His colleagues continued their chatter.
Even here, the barbarian was a hot topic.
“That guy’s becoming a noble?”
“It’s a good thing. The priest who was with him said he’s truly noble.”
Being religious men who valued humility, his colleagues praised the new hero without jealousy or doubt.
‘This is so boring.’
The freedom of the community was hard to find here.
Feeling suffocated, he muttered involuntarily.
“Isn’t he a bit suspicious?”
“Suspicious?”
“Achieving such fame in just a year isn’t normal.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Could he be an evil spirit?”
Though said jokingly, it was half-serious.
Even if the community leaned towards ‘not’, he thought it made no sense unless he was a player.
What would his colleagues think?
“…”
A silence followed his words.
But it didn’t last long.
“Hahaha!”
His colleagues burst into laughter.
“An evil spirit? Impossible.”
“Commander Krovitz likes him. Such suspicions aren’t good.”
“Where’s an evil spirit willing to sacrifice his life for his comrades?”
“You’re joking too much today!”
He felt his face heat up.
It wasn’t a new feeling.
He’d been ridiculed and ostracized since childhood.
‘Right, I must have been wrong again.’
With a deep sigh, he returned to his room.
Just another day in his life.