Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 245
Turning Point (5)
Ghost Master.
A figure known as a legendary veteran among players and also the administrator with authority over the community.
“Yeah, it’s you. GM.”
For a moment, my breath caught in my throat.
‘Hans I is the GM…?’
I was confused.
If what he said was true, why would someone as important as the GM hide his identity and approach me?
Just because I’ve become famous lately?
‘No, that can’t be it.’
The GM suspected me of being a ‘player.’
That’s why he approached me during the banquet to test me, and even went as far as to follow me.
This hypothesis made more sense.
Even if I’m not fond of it.
‘So that gust of wind magic earlier must have been his doing.’
As my theory took shape, things started to make sense.
When the carriage exploded and the smoke bomb obscured the view, he must have been worried about my survival.
‘I’ll think more about this later.’
I returned to the most pressing issue.
The man who fell from the sky, called Hans I the GM, and exuded an aura that even the knights feared.
Who is this guy really—
“Lift the ban quickly. If not, you’ll really die here.”
…What?
‘Lift the ban?’
A shiver ran down my spine.
There was a simple reason for this reaction.
Out of all the people I know, there was only one who would demand such a thing from a GM.
The proud son of Korea.
‘Lee Baek-ho.’
Though, it could be someone else.
The GM must have banned many people.
It’s possible someone else with a grudge came to confront him.
But…
“Old man, can’t you hear me?”
For some reason, I kept seeing Baek-ho in him.
‘…Could it really be him?’
With that thought, I took another good look at his appearance.
‘About 175 cm tall.’
Wearing a clean suit without any noticeable equipment, and if he wasn’t disguised, his race was human.
He had white skin and no noticeable scars.
His platinum blonde hair was slicked back in a pompadour style.
He had strikingly handsome features, but his eyes gave off a mischievous rather than noble vibe—
“Lord Jandel.”
As I was observing him, one of the knights approached and whispered to me.
“Do not even think of running away.”
“…What are you saying?”
“He is not someone you can escape from.”
The knight’s voice was tense.
Did he know who this guy was?
“Who is that man?”
I hurriedly asked.
And…
“He is—”
Just as the knight was about to answer.
“Oh, I forgot about you guys.”
The man’s gaze shifted towards us.
Ha, he heard us from that distance, even though we were practically whispering.
“Bjorn Yandel.”
The fact that he correctly pronounced my name indicated he knew who I was.
Though perhaps not in detail?
“They say you took down that second-year punk? And in just one year.”
Holding Hans I by the neck, he looked at me with curiosity.
Like he had found something amusing.
“Just to be sure…”
Then he asked me.
“Are you a player?”
Ha, I had a bad feeling the moment he knew my name.
These kinds of premonitions never fail.
There was only one answer I could give.
“…You’re an evil spirit.”
Instead of feigning ignorance, I drew a line by calling him an ‘evil spirit.’
It didn’t matter if he was Lee Baek-ho or not.
With so many people watching, what else could I say?
“Hmm, that’s strange. Even though you’ve made a name for yourself, it doesn’t seem enough to attract GM’s interest.”
He murmured quietly, “Unless you’re a player…” and narrowed his eyes.
And…
“Hey.”
His voice, though smiling, was devoid of any emotion.
“Answer with a yes or no.”
“Do not answ… ugh!”
The knight who tried to advise me was hit by something invisible and flew away.
No need to ask who did it.
“Worried about all the people around? Don’t worry. If you’re a player, I’ll kill them all for you. Yes, I can give you that kind of service.”
He grinned and pressed me again for an answer.
“Yes or no.”
I barely held back from saying no.
The question itself was suspicious.
Why ask the same question twice, demanding a yes or no answer? It felt like he had some ability to discern the truth.
‘There are essences with such abilities.’
Without information, it’s wise to be cautious.
“If you don’t want to answer, just say no. Just one word. I’m really curious.”
The more he insisted on an answer, the more suspicious I became.
Thus, there was only one choice I could make.
“Questions first, from me.”
Instead of remaining silent, I changed the subject, implying that I didn’t want to relinquish control of the conversation to him.
“Are you allied with the assassins, evil spirit?”
I asked something a barbarian ignorant of of the GM might say.
Both the knights and this guy would find my silence suspicious.
Of course, he wasn’t going to make it easy.
“I said answer with yes or no.”
As he spoke, the air grew heavy.
My body froze as if facing a natural predator.
‘Is this… killing intent?’
I couldn’t understand it.
Could someone outside the community really emit such a concentrated killing intent?
I didn’t know.
But there was one thing I knew for sure right now.
“Impressive, you’re holding up well.”
He was like a tyrant.
A tyrant who can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, wherever he wants.
“Ready to answer now?”
My mind went blank.
Was this how the clown felt at the round table?
My breathing stopped, and my vision blurred as if my blood vessels were blocked.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘…What if I say yes?’
I knew it was a futile hope born of a weak mind, but I couldn’t stop.
‘If he really is Lee Baek-ho… maybe revealing my identity wouldn’t be so bad?’
It might even be beneficial for me.
We were both Koreans, after all.
If his personality from the community was genuine, he might treat me like a brother.
‘Yeah, maybe…’
Depending on my answer, I could gain Lee Baek-ho’s favor, grow stronger, and perhaps escape this world together someday.
But as soon as I imagined that future.
“…Bjorn!”
I snapped back to reality.
There were several reasons.
Firstly, it wasn’t confirmed that he was Lee Baek-ho.
Also, revealing my identity would result in hundreds of civilians here becoming corpses.
No, more precisely…
“Misha?”
I saw Misha rushing towards us.
Well, it was near our house, after all.
She must have come running at the sound of the commotion.
But the situation wasn’t good.
“Oh, your girlfriend?”
The man looked at Misha and grinned.
As if he had found a perfect weak spot.
The pressure that had been binding my body disappeared, and I could move freely again.
So…
Thud.
I immediately jumped in front of Misha.
To protect her from any potential surprise attacks from him.
“Sure, the Red Fox tribe is cute.”
He nodded in agreement.
And then he asked again.
“Answer with yes or no.”
Strangely, not to me, but to Misha.
“Red Fox, are you a player?”
“Uh? P-Player?”
“An evil spirit?”
“N-No, I’m not…”
Misha, taken aback by the sudden question, stammered out her answer, and he nodded.
“That’s the truth.”
“You don’t need to answer him. Misha, come behind me.”
I quickly pulled Misha behind me.
Seeing this, he smirked.
“Ha, seeing you care for an NPC, you probably aren’t a player. But something’s off. Why won’t you answer?”
Sweat started to trickle down my back.
If I answered, he’d know it was a lie.
If I didn’t, it would look suspicious.
“Why should I do what my enemy wants?”
I gave a barbarian-like reason to avoid answering.
“Oh, that’s true.”
He nodded as if he understood, then asked playfully.
“But do you really want to become my enemy?”
Ha, those eyes were intense.
This must be what they mean when they say someone’s eyes aren’t smiling, even when their mouth is.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll kill the Red Fox.”
He finally delivered his ultimatum.
I could tell it wasn’t just an ultimatum; it was clear the moment I heard it.
‘Damn it.’
What should I do?
I racked my brain for a solution, but nothing came to mind.
At that moment…
[…Baek-ho.]
“Huh?”
[See you next time.]
Hans I, who had been held by the collar and only moving his eyes, suddenly emitted a burst of light.
“Ha, this damn…”
Lee Baek-ho cursed as he got up.
He found himself in a vast farm emitting a fresh fruity scent.
It didn’t take long to recognize where he had landed.
There was only one place with such farms.
District 6 of Raphdonia, Gnome Tree.
“Ah, this is really annoying. That bastard won’t come out of the Mage Tower for a while now…”
Lee Baek-ho acknowledged that he had lost him.
There was no point in rushing back since no one would be there.
It was a clear misjudgment on his part.
He had anticipated that the mage would escape using teleportation. That’s why he had grabbed his neck, to prevent any incantations.
But a no-cast teleport?
And used on himself?
“So, you’re skilled too?”
He regretted underestimating his opponent, but quickly brushed it off.
It was already over.
Regretting the past didn’t suit him.
Besides, it wasn’t a total loss.
He had confirmed that bastard was the GM.
‘I have plenty of time, so I can keep running him around.’
Lee Baek-ho scratched his head and shifted his attention elsewhere.
“In the end, I didn’t get an answer.”
Bjorn Jandel.
The barbarian he met while chasing GM.
“…Whatever.”
Lee Baek-ho decided to stop wondering whether that barbarian was a player.
There was a higher chance he wasn’t anyway…
And he had lost interest in him.
Even if he turned out to be a player now, it wouldn’t matter.
NPCs satisfied with this world, just sucking up to it, were of no use to his plans.
Plop.
Lee Baek-ho lay down on the ground.
Using his [Spatial Interference] skill, he plucked grapes from a tree and popped them into his mouth.
“Ah, wild grapes are the best.”
The air was good, and there were plenty of tasty things.
Besides, the GM would stay hidden in the Mage Tower for a while.
‘Going to Bifron is a hassle.’
He decided it would be okay to stay here for a while.
***
Two days had passed since that incident.
The title ceremony, the assassins, the GM, and Lee Baek-ho.
So much had happened in one day, and the last two days were spent dealing with the aftermath.
First, the ‘assassins’…
[We will take them for interrogation.]
The captured assassins were transported to the Mozlans.
According to the news from the knights today, they were hired by an unknown individual.
The explosives that instantly killed three knights were also provided by this ‘someone.’
[They were instructed to kill you and steal the essence you received.]
There were many suspicious points.
The essence part was understandable.
The chest containing the test tubes was incredibly durable.
It was possible to ambush me, kill me, and take it.
But…
[What if I had already consumed the essence?]
[We couldn’t understand that either.]
Apparently, the client had placed a hefty bounty on my head.
The essence was just an excuse.
Otherwise, there was no reason to put a bounty on me.
Therefore, Mozlan speculated that the client was from Noark.
At least, that was their conclusion until yesterday.
[So, it’s likely one of the large clans?]
Mozlan concluded that the perpetrator was probably one of the major clans. If it were Noark, they would have sent more capable individuals.
This type of ‘request’ didn’t suit them.
Moreover, the major clans had sufficient motive.
[Yes, they probably planned to kill you and frame the royal family. Several instances of such manipulations were discovered in the pubs that night.]
It was a plausible guess, but there were questions.
What about the clown’s words?
Did he know this information beforehand?
‘Come to think of it, he said assassins were coming. He never said they were sent by Noark…’
Since they weren’t his assassins, he probably didn’t mind telling me.
‘Or perhaps the real ones haven’t even come yet?’
A sense of self-doubt crept in.
Why do I have to live in fear even in the city?
Anyway, enough about the assassins. Next…
‘GM.’
In the end, GM was not Hans I.
[The Hans Ifreya you saw that day was clearly an imposter.]
When we raided his house, we found the real Hans Ifreya unconscious.
We even checked his magic capabilities, but the real Hans I had no magical talent at all.
In short, someone had borrowed his identity.
‘Shit.’
It was disappointing.
I had hoped to uncover the GM’s identity.
‘But it wasn’t a total loss.’
There was some consolation.
At least, I learned that the GM suspected me of being a player.
This gave me time to prepare.
‘Seeing me avoid answering would have deepened his suspicions. He’ll probably aim for the next community meeting.’
Luckily, I had a plan for that.
Anyway, next…
‘Lee Baek-ho.’
It turned out he was Lee Baek-ho.
The GM had confirmed it in his final words.
[…Baek-ho, see you next time.]
He had said this using magic, not his voice, even while being held by the neck.
It doesn’t mean much, though.
[I’m sorry. I cannot tell you more with my authority.]
I later asked the knight who Lee Baek-ho was, but he couldn’t answer.
So, timing is everything in life?
If Lee Baek-ho hadn’t interrupted, the knight might have told me.
‘He’s definitely dangerous…’
Even if I met Lee Baek-ho again, I wouldn’t be able to get along with him as before.
I realized our personalities were completely different.
While I never thought the innocent face he showed in the community was genuine, but the extent of his true nature was too extreme.
‘He was a real maniac…’
Anyway, enough about Lee Baek-ho. Next…
‘Misha.’
This was actually the most troubling and suffocating part.
“Bjorn, listen carefully and don’t think it’s weird, okay?”
“…”
“You’re not going to suddenly disappear, right? Right…?”
Misha started to look at me with anxiety.