Surviving game as a barbarian Episode 578

Return (3)

A perfectly chilled glass of soda with just the right balance of ice and liquid, bursting with freshness.

I gave the glass a gentle swirl and downed it all in one go.

After all, it’ll just bland once the ice melts, right?

“Ahhh…”

Yeah, this is it.

This world is bearable in many things, but the lack of carbonated drinks is brutal.

I could catch a faint trace of that bubbly sensation in its beer, but it felt totally different from the stuff back home.

‘…Should I go back?’

A flavor so good it almost rekindled my long-lost desire to return.

Lee Baek-ho needs to know this.

Instead of wasting time with the stone of resurrection, he should’ve just made soda and let me have a few sips. Then, I might’ve seriously considered going back.

“Old man, one more glass, please.”

After finishing the first glass, I immediately asked for a refill.

This time, though, I sipped slowly to savor the taste instead of chugging it.

“You… really do look happy, don’t you?”

Wow, talk about killing the vibe. I’m the kind of person who gets annoyed the moment someone says stuff like that to me.

“Now, why don’t you tell me? How did you meet her?”

“Ah, you mean the Witch?”

“Yes. I just can’t wrap my head around it. No matter how I think about it, I don’t see how you could’ve crossed paths with her…”

Hmm.

“How can you be so sure of that, sir?”

When I narrowed my eyes and asked, Auril Gavis rolled his eyes and turned silent.

“……”

Honestly, it was creepy.

What the hell? Was he really monitoring my every move?

How, exactly?

While I was lost in thought, the old man smoothly dodged the question.

“First off, the timing rules out the Basement Floor 1. And I recall you were quite busy before then. Establishing your clan, the Mage Tower… didn’t you even take down two floor lords during that time?”

Well, yeah. I had been busy.

On top of everything else, Count Alminas sued me.

Still, it’s not like what the old man said sounded like an excuse either.

That said, I wasn’t buying his weak excuses.

“You finished your drink already? Let me get you another one.”

The moment my glass emptied, Auril Gavis quickly took it and refilled it.

As much as I hate to admit it, the old man was consistent in his own way.

Should I call him a master of switching between roles depending on the situation?

“Sir, no matter how much you do this, I can’t tell you for free. I need something in return too.”

When I drew the line, his face was lit with fury, unmistakable now that he’d shed his mask as soon as we were alone.

“For free? What are you saying? Didn’t I just serve you soda?”

“Yes, and thank you for that.”

“If you were truly grateful, then—”

There he goes again, crossing the line.

“If soda could solve everything, why does money exist? Why do magic stones exist? Why not just hand out soda and call it a day?”

My sarcasm made Auril Gavis’s expression stiffen.

“I’ve always felt this way, but you have a real talent for pissing people off.”

The way he went from laughing warmly to suddenly getting serious was disturbing.

But so what?

It’s not like this is my first rodeo. I’ve got this old man figured out by now.

“Stop pretending to be mad. It won’t work on me anyway.”

When I brushed it off casually, Auril Gavis reverted to his usual expression as if nothing had happened.

“Heh, you’re really something..So, tell me… what is it you want from me?”

Since the stick didn’t work on me, the only option he had left was the carrot.

“You must want something from me.” he said, hesitant. “Isn’t that why you’re doing all this?”

Honestly, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted.

No—I wanted to ask so many things that he didn’t know where to start.

So I had to prioritize…

‘‘Asking what he’s scheming is too broad.’

After some deliberation, I settled on a more concrete question.

“Why are you trying to shut down Ghost Busters?”

A question about the old man’s most recent actions.

“Hmm, are you sure you want me to answer that? There’s no truth-revealing gem here.”

His tone suggested he’d whip up a new gem on the spot if I asked, but I declined.

“It’s fine. Just answer. Even if there were a gem, I wouldn’t trust it 100% anyway.”

“So you’ll judge whether it’s the truth or not?”

“Yes. So answer carefully. If I catch you lying, it’ll be your loss in the end.”

“My loss?”

“Because from then on, no matter what you say, I’ll never believe you again.”

It might sound childish, but for this situation, it was a pretty effective threat. After all, this old man wants to manipulate me like a puppet from the shadows.

He needs to maintain at least a decent relationship with me…

“Hmm…”

But why is this old man looking at me with such perverted eyes without answering me?

“What? Do you have something to say?”

“Not really.”

“Don’t ‘not really’ me. You were about to say something, weren’t you?”

 

When I glared at him, sensing his usual games, Auril Gavis reluctantly opened his mouth.

“It’s just… I was a little impressed, that’s all.”

“……?”

“By your attitude toward trust.”

What kind of nonsense is this now?

Seeing my baffled expression, the old man continued.

“If someone betrays you, punishment will follow. That’s what trust means to you.”

Isn’t that the same for everyone?

If you get betrayed, are you just supposed to laugh it off?

I kept that thought to myself and let him talk.

“When laws are strict, people are less likely to commit crimes. Likewise, your trust relies on punishment to—”

Okay, that’s enough.

The way he talked, it made it sound like he was some kind of paranoid control freak who couldn’t trust anyone unless he held the upper hand.

So I asked directly.

“Sir, do you have something wrong with your head? How the hell did you interpret my words like that?”

“Hmmm…”

“Sir, First of all, think about what you’ve done. What reason do I have to trust you?”

“So you’re different with your comrades?”

I was about to say, “Of course,” but for some reason, the words wouldn’t come out.

The old man’s earlier remark echoed in my mind.

[If someone betrays you, punishment will follow.]

Punishment.

Was what I did to Misha one of those punishments?

I’m not sure, but let’s end this topic here.

“……Whatever. Just answer the question. Why are you trying to close this place?”

“If I answer, will you answer me too?”

I replied without hesitation:

“I’ll decide after hearing it. If it’s valuable enough.”

In other words, I’m ready to ditch him at anytime.

A vague answer—not a clear yes or no.

Auril Gavis undoubtedly understood the implication.

But…

“Fine. Then listen and decide.”

Surprisingly, the old man accepted my proposal without protest.

“As expected, sir—you’re as easygoing as ever.”

“……Could you stop switching attitudes so abruptly? It feels like you’re treating me like a child.”

“Must be your imagination.”

“…….”

“So, the answer?”

I smiled politely, and Auril Gavis sighed deeply before responding.

“The reason for shutting down Ghost Busters is simple. This place isn’t serving the players well anymore. It’s deviated from my original intention.”

“Not serving them well?”

“This place was meant to be a sanctuary for players. A place to share stories of home they left behing, to ease loneliness among people in the same situation.”

“Then why is it a bad thing?”

“That’s the problem. Humans who grow complacent inevitably choose stagnation.”

“Ah…”

I think I get what he means.

Honestly, you can sense that vibe just from browsing the free board.

Posts about housing prices, marriage, even having kids here—they’re everywhere.

“Those friends earlier were the same. A few years ago, they never would’ve let such an opportunity slip.”

The old man seemed to believe that the OX quiz ending so anticlimactically was also due to that mentality.

Well, he’s not wrong.

“So you’re just going to get rid of it? Because if this place stays open, no one will think about returning home?”

“Roughly speaking, yes.”

Roughly speaking, huh…

Clearly, there’s a lot more he’s not saying.

“Well, what do you think? Is this enough?”

“No. If this were some big secret, maybe. But compared to the Witch’s information, this is too low-value for an exchange.”

In other words, I’m backing out.

Surprisingly, though, Auril Garvis’s expression was calm.

As if he had nothing to lose by ending the conversation now.

Is he pretending to be unbothered to keep the upper hand?

In the end, I was the one who spoke first.

This meeting didn’t happen easily—I couldn’t just walk away empty-handed.

“So, about that…”

“…….”

“Can’t you just leave the community alone? If you do, I’ll tell you about the Witch.”

Honestly, I didn’t care much about saving the community.

I just wanted to see how Auril Gavis would react to the offer—

“That’s impossible.”

Yeah, a rejection.

Meaning shutting down the community takes priority over learning about the Witch.

But why?

No matter how I look at it, players growing complacent doesn’t seem like the real reason.

“Then I suppose this conversation is over.” He was wrapping things up.

“Yeah. It’s not like you’d give me a straight answer even if I asked for details.”

“Heh, you really should learn to trust people more.”

“I do trust people. The ones who deserve it.”

With that hollow exchange, the conversation naturally wound down.

“I should get going. There’s one last thing I need to do before the shutdown. Until next time.”

“Sure. Next time—whenever that is—please just be honest and tell me everything.”

“That’s an odd thing to say. I could tell you everything right now, if you’re prepared to believe me.”

Wow, look at the lies rolling off his tongue.

I scoffed, and Auril Gavis smirked as if he’d expected that.

And then…

“Whether you believe me or not, I’ll leave you with one last piece of advice.”

“Advice? Fine, I’ll hear it.”

“Yi Baek-ho.”

“Yi Baek-ho…?”

“Don’t get too close to that friend.”

A completely out-of-nowhere remark, I slowly gathered my thoughts.—

“That’s all. Until next time.”

With those final words, Auril Gavis left the round table.

I stared blankly at the spot where he had been standing.

A sudden possibility had occurred to me.

‘Lee Baek-ho…’

Maybe…

It’s not certain, but just maybe.

The real reason Auril Gavis wants to shut down the community is because of him?

Like how burning down a hut guarantees you’ll kill the fleas inside. If this community disappears, my line of communication with Lee Baek-ho gets cut off.

Well, in the end, it’s just speculation. Probably meaningless.

“Damn old man. Couldn’t give me one straight answer till the very end.”

My complaint echoed through the now empty hall.

The vacant chair, the round table now missing its symbolic gem.

‘It really does feel like the end.’

Time to get up and get to work.

But for some reason, my feet wouldn’t move.

It just doesn’t feel real.

Deer Horns and Crescent Moon left in the first round. Then Auril Gavis showed up, and one by one, the assembly disbanded.

Tap.

I picked up the Lion Mask I’d taken off earlier while drinking soda and put it on. This would probably be the last time I wore it.

I’d grown oddly attached to it.

“Is this really the end…?”

It’s hard to put into words, but it feels hollow.

I didn’t expect some heartwarming farewell, but I never imagined it’d end like this.

Is that why?

[I can’t bring myself to thank you.]

[Do you really think this is fun? Do you?]

For some reason, the last words of those two kept echoing in my ears.

But I shook my head and brushed off the thoughts.

‘What’s with the self-pity? It’s not like we gathered here to bond in the first place.’

With a dry laugh, I took the mask off and placed it on the round table, then gave the empty space one last look.

“……This is boring.”

And so, the final meeting came to an end.

Back in Lee Han-soo’s room after witnessing the last round table.

After flopping onto the bed for a while, I pulled myself together, sat at the computer, and first checked the message inbox.

‘There’s one message, but…’

Contrary to expectations, it wasn’t from the GM I’d been waiting for.

[Sender: HS123]
In other words, a note from Hyeon-byeol.
Well, we didn’t get to properly say goodbye earlier because of Lee Baek-ho.

So, what did the note say?
Click, click.
As I opened it, the contents unfolded before me.

[Back when we talked about revealing our identities, I know you were the one who drew the line first.But now, I’ve decided to do things my way.I can’t go into detail about who I am, since the admins might be secretly watching.]

In the end, the real message was in the last line:

[Let’s meet outside.]

Outside, huh…

First things first—I need to get out of this labyrinth.

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