Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 339
Snowball (3)
My mind goes blank.
Everything in front of me is distorted like a crushed tin can, and Amelia’s words keep circling in my head.
‘The royal family has declared you an evil spirit.’
‘The royal family has declared you an evil spirit.’
‘The royal family has declared you an evil spirit.’
It feels like dozens of men are surrounding me, hammering my head with the weight of those words.
If it weren’t for Amelia, I might have been stuck like this for a long time.
“Jandel.”
“Ah…”
“…Are you okay?”
When I came to my senses, Amelia’s face was close to mine. Her small hand was on my chest and she looked up at me with concern in her eyes.
“Oh, yeah…”
“I understand how you feel, but now is not the time for this.”
“Ah, sorry…”
Amelia quickly grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward, and I mindlessly followed her steps.
Because, as I saw it, I knew her judgment was right.
[Whether she still has any feelings left for you is uncertain…]
Erwin also thinks I’m an evil spirit.
In other words, it’s hard to expect her to consider me as an ally anymore.
This probably goes for the others as well.
‘Right…’
I clenched my jaw unconsciously.
‘The day has finally come.’
Even though I accepted it, that thought still lingered.
There’s always a chance, though.
Erwin is chasing Amelia, thinking I’m dead. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll treat me the same as before, whether I’m an evil spirit or not.
Yeah, that possibility exists.
But…
“I don’t need you to hold on to me anymore.”
I removed Amelia’s hand from my wrist and started running on my own.
She was right.
Erwin cannot protect me anymore.
Even if she wanted to, Erwin is part of the fairies.
If she tries to help me, she’d harm her own people, and Erwin would likely prioritize her tribe over personal feelings.
‘…That’s just an excuse.’
I laughed bitterly as I ran.
No matter how clever or cowardly I may be, I can’t fool myself.
The truth is, I’m scared to face Erwin.
I don’t know what she’ll say when we meet.
[Aynar once said, “The tribe chief also decreed that evil spirits should be killed on sight!”]
[A long time ago, I didn’t understand, but after today, I get why people say never to trust evil spirits…]
Misha’s words echoed in my mind.
[It’s wise to deal with it when you get the chance. Just look at what happened to those who trusted evil spirits—that’s the result right there.]
Mr. Bear’s words.
Clenching my teeth.
The thought of it is bad enough – how will I feel when I face it?
If they begin to doubt my sincerity and become angry at being deceived, how will I react?
What expression will I have then?
“…”
If I can just get through this moment, maybe I can prevent that day from ever coming.
So I followed Amelia, running.
“Jandel, this way!”
We left the empty plaza, passing through the dark streets of the underground city toward the lord’s castle in the center.
There’s a secret passage in the lord’s castle, just like the one in the cemetery.
Our top priority is to get to the surface through that passage—
Creak—!
Just as we arrived at the castle and I forced open the closed doors.
“Jandel, get down.”
“Huh?”
Amelia pushed me through the door crack, and at that moment—
Thud.
An arrow silently pierced deep into Amelia’s back.
“…!”
Her mouth opened in shock, and her body tilted forward, collapsing onto me.
As she fell on top of me, she gently touched my cheek.
“I’m glad…”
“…Glad? What are you talking about—!”
“The look on her face… she won’t hurt you…”
Her words made no sense.
But there was no time to ask.
I hurriedly lifted Amelia into my arms.
“The, vault…”
Even at that moment, she tried to say something, but the words were left unfinished.
Crunch—!
Amelia exploded.
Right in my arms.
Erwin fornacci de tersia has cast [Shatter]
Thud, thud, thud.
Dozens of fragments fell to the ground.
It was an utterly surreal scene.
“Ame…lia…?”
The weight in my arms disappeared.
I couldn’t even think of moving my now purposeless hands.
All I could think was—
Amelia’s dead?
Just like that…?
By Erwin’s hand…?
My body froze like a statue, but then I noticed something strange.
“Blood.”
There wasn’t any.
An explosion violent enough to shatter a person into pieces should’ve sprayed blood everywhere.
Yet, there wasn’t a single drop on me.
And the moment I realized that—
Swoosh—!
Amelia, now reduced to countless pieces of flesh, transformed into a glow and disappeared.
Just like a monster meeting its end.
[The clone of Amelia Rainweilz has taken too much damage.]
[The summon is being dismissed.]
Ah, so it was just a clone created by (Self-Replication).
Phew, I thought she really died.
‘She could’ve told me if she was a clone from the start.’
I was so startled that I wanted to complain to Amelia, but I quickly pushed those feelings aside.
Now wasn’t the time for that.
‘Think while you run.’
I kicked off the ground, continuing to flee.
I’d memorized the path to the secret passage when I first came to Noark with Amelia.
The problem was whether I could reach it safely…
Tap, tap.
There were no arrows flying at me yet.
But who knows how long that will last?
So…
‘Can I… win if I fight?’
I considered the worst-case scenario.
If Erwin decides to turn against me, if she tries to kill me…
I remembered the scene of Amelia’s body being blown apart.
‘That effect…’
It was no ordinary explosion.
There were no flames.
No shrapnel like a grenade.
Just hundreds of pieces, like a Jenga tower collapsing.
‘It must be (Shatter)…’
The effect of (Shatter) is simple.
Whether it’s an arrow, a sword, or an axe, if the blade cuts deep enough to deal a certain amount of damage, the caster’s main stat will amplify the damage into a fixed amount.
It ignores physical resistance, magical defense, and all other attributes.
It’s like a human version of “Aura.”
‘And she obtained pureblood and contracted with the Spirit King…’
Whether that was [Shatter] or not, the odds of me winning a one-on-one fight with her seemed slim.
With her specs, her gear must be equally formidable.
‘How am I supposed to win without any weapons?’
As I continued sprinting, that thought weighed heavily on me.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, the Light Gems that illuminated the dark underground city lost their glow.
It wasn’t a natural occurrence.
I’ve used light gems several times before, so I know.
These magical tools gradually lose brightness as their mana depletes, not instantly like this.
‘…A Spirit of Darkness?’
I didn’t expect her to control that element as well.
I stopped running.
Thud.
I’ve always been good at memorizing paths.
If I focus on my stride and steps, I could probably find my way through the darkness to my destination.
As long as there are no pursuers chasing after me.
‘Escape failed.’
With that judgment, I closed my eyes.
There’s no point in using sight now, so I focused on my other senses.
Then, with my heightened hearing, I caught the sound of someone’s footsteps.
Step.
That was unexpected.
I thought I’d hear an arrow flying first.
‘Well, even if she thinks I’m an evil spirit, she might want to talk first.’
I tensed my feet, ready to move at any moment, while recalling Amelia’s final words.
[The look on her face… she won’t hurt you…]
It was likely true.
Amelia’s vision is much sharper than mine.
She might have locked eyes with Erwin, who was firing arrows from the darkness.
But…
‘How can she be sure just from a look?’
No one could know what Erwin, walking toward me in the darkness, was thinking.
So…
“Is that you, Erwin?”
I called out to her.
There was no reply.
The footsteps stopped.
Thud—!
Only the sound of my pounding heart echoed in the silence like thunder.
“…Mister.”
It had been so long since I’d heard that title. And with it, the Light Gems flickered back to life.
Swoosh—
Light spread in all directions, illuminating the area.
And I realized then—
“That’s why…”
Why Amelia said it was okay.
Why she was sure Erwin wouldn’t harm me.
“Mister… is that really you…?”
Just by looking at my expression, she had been able to tell.
Well, at least in that moment, she had.
***
“Yes.”
The moment the words of affirmation left my mouth.
Erwin’s amber eyes trembled with a myriad of emotions.
Joy, relief, hope, anxiety, fear.
And…
“How…?”
Doubt.
“You… you were supposed to be dead…”
“Yeah, I know.”
“That’s all you have to say?! THow can you just say it like that?!”
For a moment, her emotions spiked, and her voice rose sharply. Then, suddenly, she bit her lip, silencing herself.
“…Was it that bitch’s doing?”
She mumbled, as if realizing something.
At the same time, her gaze sharpened.
“Who are you?”
Whoa, I didn’t expect her emotions to be this volatile…
I suddenly grew unsure if she wouldn’t actually try to hurt me after all. But I kept my voice steady as I replied.
“Who do you think I am? I’m Bjorn Jandel.”
“Liar.”
“What, should I use [Gigantification]to prove it?”
“Go ahead.”
Her short, clipped tone was strangely unsettling, but without further words, I activated Gigantification.
“What the… it really is you?!”
Her tone quickly reverted to normal, but only for a moment.
“Yeah, now do you believe—”
“No, I still don’t trust you.”
“…What?”
“Show me something else.”
Her expression had softened just a second ago, but now it was cold again. Reluctantly, I used [Leap] as she demanded, trying to prove myself.
And…
“It’s really you… Mister…!”
“See? Finally convinced—”
“No, this isn’t enough.”
The cycle repeated itself. No matter what skill I showed her, it never seemed to be enough.
When she asked me to use [Flesh Explosion], I nearly passed out.
“…You must be fake, after all.”
The madness and killing intent in her eyes were enough to make my stomach churn.
However, I explained that I had deleted that ability and, instead, I started proving my identity by recounting things only the two of us would know.
“The thing you gave me on the first day we met.”
“A leaf of richo.”
“The name of the inn where we stayed on the first night.”
“…”
“Can’t answer?”
“The inn was called Garlic and Salt.”
“Too slow.”
“I mean, who wouldn’t be flustered when you say ‘first night’? We just checked out some of your abilities, nothing else…”
“Hmm.”
We reminisced like that for a while, going over shared memories. Slowly, her emotional swings lessened, and eventually, all doubt faded from her face.
For now, at least.
Though I wasn’t entirely sure when she might flip back to aiming at my forehead.
“Ah, Mister…!”
“It’s been a long time. Two years and six months, I heard?”
It took a while, but I finally managed to greet her properly.
Erwin, now with her bow lowered, clenched her fists as if holding back frustration.
“Why… why are you only showing up now?! You were alive this whole time… Why didn’t you come find me?!”
Ah. I guess from her point of view, that’s how it must seem.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to come back…
“There were circumstances.”
I answered quickly, not wanting her emotions to spiral again. She hesitated before asking cautiously.
“Circumstances… are you talking about being declared an evil spirit?”
This was probably the most important question of this conversation.
It was a hurdle I’d eventually have to face.
But just as I was figuring out how to approach it…
“Idiot.”
Erwin muttered softly.
“Like I would ever care about something like that…”
“…So, you’re saying you don’t believe the royal declaration?”
Her words made me feel both guilty and relieved.
Erwin had clearly made up her mind not to believe it. The fact that she was standing here, talking to me without hesitation, was proof of that—
“Nope. I meant, whether it’s true or not, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head, completely baffled by her nonchalant tone.
Seeing my confusion, she decided to explain in a patient, almost lecturing tone.
“Mister, we met when we were already adults, right?”
“Uh, yes?”
“Evil spirits only show up when someone comes of age.”
“…And?”
“So, what does it matter whether you’re an evil spirit or not?”
“…Really?”
I couldn’t hide my surprise, but Erwin calmly took my hand in hers, her warmth spreading through my skin.
“You’re the one who risked your life to protect me in that cave. You’re the one who taught me everything I know. When my sister died, you were the one who helped me stand up again.”
Her grip tightened slightly.
“No matter what anyone says, to me, you’ll always be Bjorn Jandel.”
It was incredible to think that someone could still believe in me like this.
“…”
Words like “thank you” came to mind, but they seemed too shallow. In the end, I just stayed silent, pressing my lips together.
I don’t think Erwin realized it.
How much comfort her few simple words gave me just now…
“But…”
Suddenly, she let go of my hand.
Her expression hardened again, and she asked in the same tone as before.
“Are you sure you’re really Mister?”
It felt like I was about to lose my mind.