Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 250

Gnome Tree (4)

At first I wondered if it was the GM again.

But the GM wouldn’t use the same face to approach me again.

Also, the aura emanating from his escorts and the people around him is completely different.

In simple terms, this guy is…

‘(Real) Hans I.’

Not the GM pretending to be Hans I, but the real Hans I.

Therefore, there was only one thing I had to do.

“……”

I held my breath.

“I must apologize…”

I clenched my teeth and ignored his words as if I hadn’t heard them.

And then…

Thud.

I ran.

“Why, why are you running away…!”

“Whoa! I suddenly feel like running!!”

“Such…!”

As I recklessly sprinted away, (Real) Hans I was greatly bewildered.

But there was no way I was going to stop.

“Bethel—raaaaa!”

Soon, the distance between us widened, and he did not pursue me.

Luckily, he didn’t have that kind of persistence.

‘…Did I evade him?’

Arriving in front of my lodge in one breath, I calmed my pounding heart.

I only heard his voice, I didn’t see his face.

Thanks to that, we didn’t make eye contact, and since I held my breath, the chance of airborne infection was low.

…This should be enough.

Yeah, it should be fine.

“Welcome.”

As I caught my breath in front of the lodge, the waiting attendant greeted me.

Following the attendant inside…

“Nyahaha, Bjorn’s here!”

Misha greeted me with a highly excited expression.

She was in high-tension (alcohol) mode.

Erwin, who was sitting demurely next to her, wasn’t much different.

“Mister… Hihi, hihihi!”

Erwin called me with a gloomy voice and then let out a creepy laugh.

‘What’s going on here?’

Empty liquor bottles were scattered everywhere, and the entire living room reeked of alcohol.

‘It’s been less than an hour since I left……?

What could have happened here during that time?

As I glanced around the room like a detective, I realized that Aynar was not present.

“Where’s Aynar?”

“The warrior lady is already drunk and sleeping.”

It was the attendant of the outbuilding who answered my question.

When I asked about her location, it turned out she was in the central courtyard of the outbuilding, not in a room.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

Sigh, really.

I first carried Aynar and threw her on a bed in a room, then came back down. Misha was blowing on a bottle, enjoying herself for some reason.

“Crr…!”

Sensing a strange tension, I cautiously approached Misha.

“Did something happen while I was gone?”

There had been times when people got drunk during a drinking session, but this was the first time I saw them drink so heavily.

“Happened? Nyahaha,nothing happened!”

“Then why are you drinking so much…”

“I just felt like drinking because I was in a good mood!”

“I see?”

She said she drank because she felt good.

It seemed like my worries were unfounded.

After a refreshing bath, and with free drinks being served, there was no reason not to drink.

“Well, at first…”

Misha wiped the alcohol from her lips with her sleeve and turned serious.

I unconsciously looked away.

Naturally, I noticed Erwinn sprawled on the sofa.

By the way, she was staring blankly into space alone…

“Hihihihi…”

She kept giggling as if she found something funny.

Does she laugh when she’s drunk?

“Hey, Bjorn.”

At that moment, Misha grabbed my wrist and spoke.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“About the time you rejected me.”

Oh… She’s bringing that up now?

It was an uncomfortable topic, but it didn’t seem like I could refuse.

As I kept silent and waited, Misha bit her lip and asked.

“Is it because I can’t give birth to a barbarian?”

What? What’s she talking about?

Did Aynar say something strange?

My mind went blank for a moment, but my barbarian instincts kicked in.

“Of course not.”

I answered without a second’s hesitation.

It wasn’t even a lie.

The reason I rejected Misha that day wasn’t because I didn’t find her attractive or because she was a beast human.

I had my own reasons to keep them to myself.

“I see, so that’s how it is…”

Misha stared into my eyes as if trying to discern the truth, then opened a new bottle and drank.

And then…

“So it’s true…”

She kept looking at me, then looking away, opening her mouth, then closing it again before she spoke in a small voice.

“That you… will someday disappear… disappear…”

Misha trailed off and her head drooped.

“Nyaaah…”

She must have really exceeded her limit.

I exhaled the breath I had been holding and carried her to the bed.

When I returned to the living room, Erwin was smiling at me with her mouth curled up.

“Finally, everyone… is asleep…”

What is she saying?

“Go to sleep if you’re drunk.”

‘Neck slice.’

“…Kk.”

After roughly knocking her out, I threw her next to Misha.

It was late, almost midnight.

I considered tidying up the scattered bottles but decided against it.

This wasn’t our home anyway.

Once we vacate, someone will clean up.

“Haa…”

I collapsed onto the sofa, which was a bit too small for me.

My mind was troubled.

It was because of what Misha had said last.

[That you… will someday disappear… disappear…]

The meaning behind her unfinished words was clear.

She was going to ask if I rejected her because I would disappear someday.

Of course, she wasn’t certain that I was an evil spirit.

In fact, she probably thought it was unlikely.

She had seen me receive divine revelations.

Evil spirits are known to be enemies of gods in this world.

So why would a god help an evil spirit by granting them holy relics?

It was an absurd notion by the world’s standards.

But a sliver of unease, like a seed planted in her mind, had surfaced under the influence of alcohol.

‘…But at least it’s reassuring to know that even if she suspects I’m an  spirit, she wouldn’t be hostile.’

I felt a sense of relief.

I was grateful and proud that I hadn’t lived my life in vain.

But the dominant feeling was self-reproach.

‘What do I truly want?’

When I woke up in the body of Bjorn Jandel, my primary goal was survival.

First, I planned to adapt to this world and then find a way back to my original world.

But…

Is living here not bad after all?

Do I really need to go back?

Didn’t I have fewer good experiences there?

Lately, these thoughts have been growing.

I think I understand why players distinguish between locals and NPCs.

There’s a need to draw a line.

This world isn’t ours.

We have a place to return to.

‘Enough.’

I forcibly halted the endless stream of thoughts.

Whether I go back home or stay here.

I can’t make that decision yet.

Didn’t I decide while watching those prisoners die from unpaid taxes?

At least reach the 6th floor before making a decision.

‘There’s no point in worrying about it now.’

It’s not just the taxes.

There are threats to my life everywhere: dragonslayer, the clown, Noark, the royal family.

Whether I like it or not, I need to get stronger.

Whatever I plan to do, I need to be alive first.

So, with that in mind…

“Where are you going at this hour?”

“Oh, just taking a walk. No need to wait for me.”

After informing the attendant, I stepped out of the lodge.

It was about time for the streets to be empty.

[02:37]

As I stepped outside, the cool night air wrapped around my lungs.

Is it because it’s right below the mountain?

It feels a bit chilly.

Step, step.

As expected, there were few people on the streets, but it wasn’t completely deserted.

The brightly lit gambling hall was still bustling with noisy crowds.

It didn’t matter much.

My destination was outside the village.

‘It’s dark.’

Once outside the village, the darkness was akin to the labyrinth.

It was just like the countryside in Korea.

As soon as I got far enough away from the lights, I was greeted by the eerie nature.

‘Anyway, it’s about time to show up.’

I thought about lighting a torch but decided against it, just in case.

I walked cautiously.

After some time…

I found the cave marked on the map provided by the lodge.

It was a tourist attraction as well.

‘…No guards.’

As I cautiously entered the cave, it gradually brightened.

This place was similar to the first floor.

The walls were full of crystals emitting a mysterious blue light.

I walked without hesitation.

There were side paths, but in the game, you just had to go straight from the entrance.

Whoosh!

Soon, a large cavity appeared.

At its center was a rock vibrating at regular intervals.

‘Lignarasia.’

The name’s origin was in ancient language, translated in the pamphlet as ‘Blessing of the Earth.’

Touching it was said to bring good luck.

Probably just a superstition.

The real hidden piece wasn’t this rock.

Swoosh.

I opened my subspace bag and took out my mace.

I passed the central rock and struck a section of the mural-covered wall with all my might.

Boom!

The wall shattered under the ogre-powered mace.

But I wasn’t worried.

This cave had a self-repairing magic circle.

It would fix itself in about five minutes.

‘Let’s go.’

I squeezed through the revealed passage.

Inside was a small space, just like in the game.

‘The outer rock must be fake, this is the real one.’

I placed my hand on the central rock.

Unlike the outer one, it didn’t vibrate periodically or emit a mysterious aura.

But soon, I felt it.

「The energy of the Earth Dragon imbues you. (1/3)」

A sense of fulfillment flowed through my body from my fingertips.

「Soul power increases by +10.」

「Earth resistance increases by +20.」

It was one of the best hidden pieces.

You needed to be a noble to access the Gnome Tree district, but it gave 30 free stats.

‘Anyone who’s played the original at all will recognise it, as they’ll be mashing interaction keys everywhere they go.

I suspected many players knew this hidden piece.

But not this part.

「The blessing imprinted on your soul reacts.」

「The stat increase rate rises to 30%.」

Receiving the Earth Dragon’s blessing increased the stat boost from 20% to 30%.

‘I never thought I’d be the first to unlock this condition.’

This definitely wasn’t in the game.

Becoming a noble at level 5?

If this were a game, I would think I used a bug.

‘Anyway, time to head back.’

I had gathered everything, so I turned towards the exit and froze.

It couldn’t be helped.

Shuffle, shuffle.

In front of the wall that was beginning to restore itself, a man stood.

“Wow, so you really were a player.”

It was Lee Baekho.

***

Countless possibilities swirled in my mind.

Why is Lee Baekho here?

I hadn’t seen a trace of him since that day.

Could he have been tailing me all this time?

The answer was surprisingly simple.

“Fate is strange, isn’t it? I thought it might be the GM disguised as Hans, so I was following him, but then you showed up.”

It was Hans again.

Lee Baekho had coincidentally met Hans I at the Gnome Tree and, while tailing him, found me.

And then…

‘He must have been following me ever since.’

The outline of the events became clear.

So, how should I act now?

The decision was already made, more or less.

“Here we go again. Aren’t you tired of this?”

Revealing my true identity to Lee Baekho wasn’t a good idea.

Just by looking at him, I could tell he was unpredictable.

Even if we got along well, if something went wrong, he’d draw his sword and force me to choose.

For example…

“That cat seems to have caught on a bit? Shouldn’t we kill her?”

Yeah, just like that.

Feeling cornered, I decided to feign ignorance.

“Now I understand why the chief said spirits are evil.”

“Kya, you’ve got a decent mind. You’re still denying it in this situation.”

“This situation…?”

I mustered all my strength to show a puzzled expression.

However, Lee Baekho just chuckled dismissively.

“Yeah, this situation. Your presence here is proof you’re a player. Otherwise, how would you know something like this is hidden here?”

Okay, I knew he’d ask that.

I answered as if I had been waiting for it, mixing in just enough truth.

“I am a benefactor of the Dragon Tribe. After returning the Dragon Sword to their clan, I became close with the ancient dragon ‘Raphir’. His daughter, the Dragon Shaman, follows me closely.”

My answer implied that I had received this information from them.

Lee Baekho tilted his head immediately upon hearing this.

“…Oh, really? For real?”

Of course, it’s true.

I didn’t lie at all.

“So, you’re the one who took down that dragon bastard? Wow, that’s amazing.”

Lee Baekho sounded genuinely impressed.

I sighed inwardly.

Although I had revealed some of my hidden information to get out of this situation…

‘Well, the vine ring broke anyway.’

On reflection, it wasn’t such a loss.

The sacred artifact’s effect had ended, and sooner or later, I’d have to face him again.

There was no need to hide it desperately like before.

“Indeed.”

He nodded, looking at me for a moment.

“It makes sense. With such achievements, they might tell you about something like this. It’s not that great anyway.”

Did he buy it?

No, I couldn’t be sure yet.

I remained tense, waiting for his next move.

After what felt like an eternity, he spoke again.

“But you know…”

He asked, grinning.

“Why are you answering so well?”

For a moment, my mind went blank.

“Last time, when I asked if you were a player, you clammed up.”

“……”

“Suddenly, you’re being very friendly?”

Damn it.

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