Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 157

Male Lion(3)

A newbie wearing a goblin mask.

Strictly speaking, I am the newbie here, and the other is more of a returning player.

Sorry, but if you’re coming back after a long time, shouldn’t you at least know what has changed? Or pay close attention to the patch notes that the seniors have mentioned.

“Just, stop…”

The moment the goblin struggled to speak, I immediately withdrew my killing intent. However, ending it like this would only make me seem like someone with a bad personality.

[Is this all there is?]

I recalled the last words I left before my departure and decided on today’s line.

Consistency is key in maintaining a concept.

“I had hoped for something new with your arrival.”

I uttered with a hint of disappointment.

Hoping for a bit of excitement with the arrival of a new member, but as expected, it turned out as anticipated.

Not merely to bully, but to gauge the level.

“How boring.”

As if that was the sole purpose, I shifted my gaze away from the goblin mask and briefly scanned the clown, the fox, the crescent moon, and the Deer Horn.

As if to say that if they don’t have something interesting to say today, I’ll be disappointed.

“Fear not, Mr. Lion. This time, I have brought something that might even interest you.”

I did not respond.

I simply rested my chin on my hand and waited quietly.

Internally, I thought:

‘The clown, if he speaks so confidently, it must be crucial information.’

Is this why everyone likes to exert authority over their subordinates?

As I pretended to be indifferent:

Thud.

As time passed, the door of the round table room closed.

Signifying that no more members would be joining.

However, there was one more thing to do before the meeting officially started.

“Goblin, come to your senses.”

“He is really something. Always acting so superior.”

“Compared to before, Mr. Lion did show some consideration, and yet we ended up in this situation! Because of you, I end up feeling embarrassed as well.”

The clown spoke, and the fox and the Deer Horn seemed to agree with a chuckle.

“Indeed… It wasn’t as bad as before.”

“Yes. This time, even I could bear it.”

They glanced at me as if to thank me for being considerate, making me feel slightly embarrassed.

The reason was simple.

‘That was my maximum output…’

My killing intent, which I can turn on and off freely, has its limits.

Having observed the head of the Karlstein family use killing intent in reality and practicing countless times, I still can’t control it once I go into serious mode.

Still, well, interpreting it as consideration on their part is probably a good thing.

Is this why it’s important to look competent?

“Sorry, I’m okay now.”

Anyhow, the goblin seemed to have finally regained his senses.

Perhaps traumatized by the events moments ago, he avoided eye contact with me as soon as our eyes met.

‘It’s clear he’s a notch below the other four.’

Take the fox mask, for example.

Even after facing my true killing intent for much longer, she only remained cautious and wary of me, not overtly afraid.

“So, who shall start?”

The fox then broke the silence, looking towards the clown.

With that, the clown shrugged.

“The best is savored last, don’t you think? Why don’t we start with Mr. Goblin?”

“Cough, well, alright then.”

The goblin cleared his throat as if to make up for his earlier disgrace and began sharing his information.

“You all must know that the Leatlas’s High Priest Ludwig has disappeared.”

“And?”

“The culprit was Orcules. They kidnapped him to use for their own purposes.”

Could this guy be a priest?

Is that why he knows this?

That thought crossed my mind, but the light emitted from the round table’s gem was red.

“Mr. Goblin, it seems like more than half of us already knew this story?”

I couldn’t help feeling a bit bitter.

It hasn’t even been a fortnight since I brought that letter.

Like Lee Baek-ho, those who should know, have already heard the news—

“You’d better get used to it quickly. Ordinary information won’t satisfy those two.”

Huh?

“I wasn’t aware of this. Perhaps this incident could bolster the temple’s support for the royal family.”

Listening to the fox and the crescent moon, it seemed like this information was new to them.

‘So, the red light came on because the Clown, the Deer Horn, and I knew about this?’

I involuntarily clicked my tongue.

Was I the only one being observed until now?

The clown, noticing my gaze, stood up and vented his frustration towards the other three.

“Excuse me, are we ignoring the unspoken rules now? We agreed not to blatantly say ‘this was new to me.'”

“Sorry. I just felt bad for the goblin.”

“We let it slide when it was just us. But now that there’s someone new, let’s all be a bit more careful, okay?”

“Right, I will.”

Ah, so there was such a rule.

Naturally, if this keeps up, it will become clear who knows what and who doesn’t.

I had been somewhat bothered by this, but thanks to the clown stepping in, the issue was resolved.

‘But somehow, it doesn’t seem like he did it just for me…’

There was a similar incident in the last meeting.

[Mr. Crescent Moon, don’t be too hard on yourself. What you said is not commonly known.]

Back then, the clown had acted first in this manner as well.

Which means.

‘Did he deduce that the recent information could be used to infer someone’s identity?’

While it’s not certain, it seems entirely plausible.

However, if this speculation is true…

‘The clown is either associated with the priests or from the underground city. One of the two.’

The latter seems more likely.

It’s hard to imagine the clown working at the temple.

Well, they could be putting on a character just like I am.

‘But that’s not what’s important right now.’

I refocused on the meeting, attentively listening to the information Goblin continued to share.

Perhaps it was the shock from the red light earlier?

“The Star Goddess has issued an oracle.”

This time, the light turned green immediately.

Was this something even the clown didn’t know?

“I’d like to buy information on who received the oracle.”

“That, I don’t know…”

“Mr. Goblin, a paladin doesn’t know? The temple must really be keeping it under tight wraps, huh?”

“Weren’t we not supposed to say such things!!”

“Oh, my apologies. But it’s common knowledge, why be so sensitive about it?”

The goblin glanced at me, and the clown laughed as if it was all in vain.

“Do you think he cares about your feelings?”

The goblin, frustrated and unable to retort, just huffed.

I noted mentally without much thought.

[Goblin Mask = Paladin.]

The meeting continued onwards.

After the goblin, it was the fox sitting next to him who took the turn.

“Next month, the Sky Auction will feature Double Numbers.”

Double Numbers.

In other words, it means that numbered items between 11 and 99 will be auctioned.

But did the clown’s reminder about the rule make a difference?

There wasn’t much conversation after the information was shared, but the atmosphere grew tense.

As if everyone saw each other as competitors.

‘Sigh, I need to break into the Sky Auction soon.’

The Sky Auction is in the Imperial City of Carnon.

To enter Carnon, one needs to gain more fame or improve their explorer rank to accumulate merit.

It would take at least a year.

‘I don’t even have the money to buy Double Numbers. I’ll have to give up this time.’

I cleanly let go of any regret.

Not knowing exactly what item it was, but if I were to come into that kind of money, it would be right to use the “Necklace of Garphas” I got from the Baron’s banquet first.

“The royal family is planning a campaign against Noarark.”

After the fox, the deer horn shared information, and the green light appeared. 

So, the stories about assembling a punitive force were true.

I’d better stay away from them, as advised.

Next was the turn of the crescent moon.

“Items believed to belong to a member of the Orcules, known as the Dragon Slayer, have surfaced on the black market. Although the Dragon Slayer Sword wasn’t among them, it’s undeniable that something has happened to him.”

Green light appeared again at once.

I maintained my composure, barely keeping my calm.

Appeared on the black market?

I only took the Dragon Slayer Sword.

At first, I was startled, but soon the pieces started falling into place in my mind.

‘It seems what Baekho said was true.’

The Dragon Slayer had lost his memory.

Probably because of that drug.

The one who fed him the drug must have gathered all his remaining equipment and sold it in the black market.

“Now, it’s finally the Clown’s turn.”

As it was Goblin’s turn and then clockwise from there, it had now come around to the Clown. Expectations were high from the buildup, evident in the gathered glances.

“Hmm, would Mr. Lion like to go first?”

“You seem quite confident.”

“Of course. If I were to speak of boring, well-known tales, Mr. Lion might not come next time, right?”

I chuckled and nodded slightly.

Not intending to indulge in trivial banter, I indicated for him to proceed as planned.

“Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing we can do, right? The story you’ll tell might be more entertaining!”

The Clown shrugged nonchalantly.

And then, stretching bizarrely, he casually threw out his piece.

“Within 3 years, a binding magic capable of including up to six members will be developed.”

The words, spat out in a mischievous voice, were met with silence.

“It’s a green light…”

Meaning the Clown’s information was true.

Or at least, the Clown believed it to be true.

“Insane, to think such a thing would be possible.”

“Guilds, royal families, clans… everything will change.”

Members spat out their astonishment, disregarding any unspoken rules the Clown had mentioned.

It was a natural reaction.

This would change the basic team composition, and it would significantly widen the range of activities for explorers…

“Six people can enter the last floor?”

This implied a substantial increase in the possibility of clearing the game.

The difference between five and six members is substantial.

Whether it’s in 10x mod or 100x mod, combinations and synergies that were impossible in the traditional game settings now become feasible.

However, throughout this, the Clown only looked at me.

As if the reactions of the other members didn’t matter.

“So, what do you think?”

Eyes hidden in a small gap met mine.

The emotion contained within them was all too clear.

‘It’s not like he’s a child seeking praise.’

I smirked and opened my mouth.

 Being honest without compromising my persona.

“This is, quite interesting.”

A compliment sticker earned.

***

There’s a saying that even a whale dances for compliments.

Well, maybe a few hundred whips will make them dance, too…….

There’s a huge gap in effectiveness.

What truly makes a person passionate is the future.

The reward they deeply desire and anticipate.

“Ahem, so now it’s Mr. Lion’s turn?”

The Clown, having received his compliment sticker, awkwardly averted his gaze and changed the subject.

As if on cue, all eyes turned to me.

Thanks to the bombshell the Clownhad just dropped, expectations were high.

‘…This is a dilemma.’

Truth be told, I had prepared a few pieces of information to share here today.

But…

‘The quality of information has risen too high.’

Perhaps because of the statement I left last time, it feels like everyone has started to bring out their big guns.

Especially the clown, who seemed to have come prepared with the information about the 6-member binding magic.

A piece of information I wouldn’t have gotten if I hadn’t adopted a mystique persona.

‘Sure, it’s a good thing, but…’

The pressure mounts.

What should I talk about?

Of course, I do have information that could meet their sky-high expectations, but…

‘It would affect me too if others knew about it.’

Choosing information like Vandemons, which would be useless even if known by others, is the challenge.

Moreover, it would be somewhat odd to bring up the maze while everyone else is talking about external matters.

‘Yes, that would be best.’

I then calculated the potential repercussions of this information before making my decision.

And…

“You were curious about the oracle earlier.”

I say, staring at the Jester.

As if saying, since you’ve entertained me, I’ll reward you.

“I wasn’t planning on talking about the reason—”

Cutting off the Clown, who misunderstood my intention, I continued.

“It was an oracle accompanied by a holy relic.”

“Excuse me?”

“The oracle given by the Star Goddess brought forth a new holy relic into the world.”

The clown, who had been momentarily stunned as if hearing something he shouldn’t have, regained his composure. Then, seeing the green light on the jewel, he cautiously asked.

“…Can I also hear what kind of holy relic it is?”

His voice, unlike his usually playful tone, was cold and serious.

‘Right, for you, what the holy relic is matters more. Not who received the oracle.’

I responded with a pleased smile.

“Bring something interesting next time as well.”

“Goblin, I’m glad you’ll be coming again.”

The Clown laughed in his usual frivolous manner.

But I could feel it.

That the next time I come, I would hear even more intriguing information.

Though I can’t imagine what it might be…

“Look forward to it.”

When that time comes, I’ll probably say this.

It was boring.