Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 333

To the Future (3)

What am I doing right now, and for what purpose?

To be a great gamer, you must always be aware of your goals and the means to achieve them. This alone can help you avoid wasting unnecessary time.

It’s the starting point for an efficient gaming life.

So…

Lick—

While flicking my tongue, I organize my thoughts.

What is the goal I need to achieve in this community?

It didn’t take long to summarize it in one sentence.

The goal is to find out the identity of the GM.

And the means…

‘Hmm, this seems to be the best.’

Lion’s Flow, Fourth Style: Possession.

It’s a technique that allows one to carry on a conversation as if they were possessed by the person they’re portraying, going beyond method acting.

Ah, I just came up with it.

“Heh heh, surprised?”

When I laughed like an old man, the white guy’s eyes widened.

“Are you really the elder?”

His voice was full of joy.

But did he suddenly feel something was off?

The wariness that had seemed to fade slightly suddenly intensified in his gaze.

“No, but your height is different… and your skin too…”

Haha, for a newbie, he sure is suspicious. He’ll go far.

I smiled warmly, as if pleased by his suspicion, and said,

“That’s the same for you, isn’t it?”

I spoke as if kindly teaching a young grandchild.

The man looked around as if realizing something, then checked his reflection in the glass wall.

“Ah, so this is your true form?”

“That’s right.”

“But, why the mask…”

“Because I don’t want others to see my true form.”

“Ah…”

Ah, what “ah.”

The way he nodded, thinking there must be some reason for it, was quite amusing, but I maintained my composure.

After all, I’m not Lee Han-soo right now.

“Haha, so what do you think of this place?”

I decided to start with a light question and gather information gradually.

“Well… I’m not sure yet. I still don’t understand what you taught me…”

Taught him?

I had no idea what he was talking about, so I activated the Second Style: Silence.

“…”

As always, the secret technique that never fails to hit the mark soon paid off.

“That… the materialization you mentioned? It’s not easy at all…”

Ah, that.

Fortunately, it was something I was well-versed in.

It’s a technique you must master to operate in the GhostBusters community.

‘It used to work only in chat rooms or inner worlds. I guess he can do it here because he inherited the master position.’

I continued the conversation naturally, interpreting the situation based on my understanding.

“Haha, it’s normal to find it difficult at first. Let me help you a bit. Is there any food you’d like to eat?”

“…Yes.”

“Close your eyes and imagine it vividly in your mind. Then think of it as being in your hands. Yes, well done. You’re a quick learner.”

“…What?”

“Would you open your eyes?”

“Yes… Oh, oh?”

The man opened his eyes and, seeing the hamburger in his hand, widened them even more.

Then he took a big bite.

“…I can’t taste it.”

Ah, that?

Sorry, that feature is lost when the round table was created before you arrived…

‘No need to reveal such harsh truths.’

“It’s unavoidable, so don’t be too disappointed.”

“…Okay.”

Although he accepted my words, he couldn’t hide his dismay, lowering his head.

I couldn’t blame him.

When I first joined GhostBusters, I, too, was disappointed after trying the cans of cola in the fridge.

“Ah, excuse me.”

“Speak.”

“But what happened to you, sir? You said we wouldn’t meet again…”

Judging by his tone, he wasn’t asking out of suspicion, just curiosity.

It wasn’t a difficult question, so I answered easily.

“I was worried about you. I thought I should meet you here once and give you some help before leaving.”

“Ah, I see…!”

The man, naive as a newbie, believed me without a second thought.

As soon as I saw it, I knew it was time.

I think I’ve gained enough trust now…

Time to slowly start digging into his personal details?

“Don’t worry too much.”

I patted his shoulder, speaking casually to indicate I had no ulterior motives.

“If you have the talent for magic, you’ll soon get better at things like materialization.”

The GM is a mage.

I was sure of it after meeting him in person, but I deliberately used the word “talent” for a simple reason.

It’s always better to be cautious.

After all, he might still be in his first year and not yet a mage.

“Ah, magic… So that’s why you chose me.”

Judging by his tone, he seems to have already taken the mage’s path.

“But there’s something I still don’t understand. There must have been more skilled people than me, so why me…”

“Don’t belittle yourself. How many people among those who were summoned here have settled in as quickly as you? You’re going to be someone great.”

As I began giving mindless compliments, the man turned his gaze away, embarrassed.

At this point, I decided to try prying into his background once more.

“By the way, what rank are you?”

“I’m rank 6.”

What?

I was genuinely surprised.

He hasn’t even been here for a year, right?

And he’s 6th rank already…? Is that even possible in such a short time?

As I pondered this question…

“Although my rank is high, I can’t really use magic properly, so I live in constant anxiety…”

The man muttered self-deprecatingly.

Thanks to that, my question was answered.

Combining his earlier description of himself as a “half-baked mage” with his recent admission of not being able to use magic…

‘That means the character he’s possessed is already a mage!’

There’s a statistic that says the body you possess is fixed at 20 years old.

However, unlike explorers who can only enter the labyrinth as adults, mages can start their profession from a young age.

‘Ha, I started as a plain Barbarian.’

For the first time in a while, I felt a twinge of jealousy towards someone else, but I made sure to firmly engrave the information in my mind.

It turns out there are cases like this among evil spirits.

“Uh… Why do you look like that?”

“Haha, it’s nothing. I was just impressed by you.”

“…Please, don’t flatter me so much. It’s embarrassing…”

“Embarrassing? There’s nothing embarrassing about recognizing your shortcomings and working hard to improve.”

At my warm words, the man looked at me with eyes full of gratitude.

“Sir…!”

This suggests that he’s almost in the groggy state required for my plan to proceed.

I subtly asked,

“By the way… what’s your name?”

It seemed like it was time to ask.

****

The identity of the GM, surrounded by rumors.

I knew he was a mage, but I didn’t know his name or face.

So, I wanted to use this opportunity to find out his personal details.

However…

“Huh? My name? Why do you ask…”

At my question, he tilted his head.

As his gaze shifted to me, I could see the suspicion I had carefully erased while building trust beginning to resurface.

‘Tsk, I guess this method won’t work.’

I quickly made up my mind and switched to Plan B.

Plan A was just a probe, after all.

“Heh heh, I was asking for your real name.”

“M-my real name?”

When I teased him, he flustered, then sighed in relief.

“Ah… I was wondering why you suddenly asked for my name. There’s no reason to ask that.”

“Haha, it was just out of curiosity, so you don’t have to say it if you’re uncomfortable.”

“No, what’s the point of hiding my real name? It’s Oliver Wiseman.”

“That’s a nice-sounding name, haha…”

Laughing like an old man, I let the name “Oliver Wiseman” go in one ear and out the other.

As he said earlier, what’s the point?

A real name is useless here anyway.

“By the way, sir.”

“Hmm?”

“May I ask for some advice?”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

“You told me to run this place well and turn it into a place where evil spirits… no, players can interact, didn’t you?”

Oh, did I?

“Yes, I did.”

“I think I can figure out how to make the pills if I study a bit more, but I’m at a loss about the other aspects. Could you give me some advice?”

“Hmm…”

“I’m not sure how to design this place.”

If that’s the case.

After a moment of contemplation, I decided to give GM some advice that would be immensely helpful.

Once the decision was made, the rest was easy.

Not sure how to run this community?

Just describe the future I’ve seen.

“Since this world classifies you all as evil spirits, people will be hesitant to enter here. You’ll need a system that ensures complete anonymity.”

“Ah! I have an idea for that! I was thinking of making it like an online community…”

“Online community?”

“Sorry, that might be an unfamiliar term for you, sir.”

GM kindly explained the concept of a community as if introducing modern technology to an elder.

It was useless information for someone like me who’s lived with the internet all their life.

Still, thanks to him, I learned one more thing.

‘So, Auril Gavis didn’t give him a proper introduction.’

Judging by the conversation, he probably only introduced himself as an evil spirit from another dimension.

Anyway, that’s not important.

“Hoho, that sounds like a good idea. But it might be even better to use that ‘computer’ thing you mentioned. It would be more appropriate for the community format and easier for people to adapt to something familiar.”

“Oh… That makes sense!”

“It might also be good to create a marketplace where people can trade without revealing their identities. If they can exchange real-world items without showing their true selves, this place will become very attractive to them.”

“Wow…”

“And when you send the pills, it might be a good idea to include a letter in your native language explaining what this place is.”

“Amazing…! I’m impressed you grasped the concept of computers and communities so quickly, and even came up with these ideas…!”

I gave GM a detailed explanation as if offering advice, and GM let out a series of exclamations as the ideas connected.

But did he suddenly have second thoughts?

“Just hearing about it makes it sound like an amazing place. But how do we create something like that?”

GM tilted his head and asked.

I had nothing to say to that.

How could it be done?

‘That’s up to the engineers to figure out.’

What do I know about the method?

I responded firmly.

“You can do it.”

“Yes…?”

“You may be inexperienced now, but with time, you’ll get used to it. I believe in you.”

“Ah, yes…”

GM answered without much confidence, but that wasn’t my concern.

It would happen eventually anyway.

With the debate on feasibility settled, I resumed my design work.

“Oh, and one more thing. How about including an entry password at the end of the letter?”

“A password?”

“Yes, if you use something like a phrase that insults the royal family as a password, it could filter out spies to some extent.”

Indeed, PS was later used as a password.

Of course, it wasn’t particularly meaningful.

Whether they got the password right or not, “Soul Queens” had to come to verify and approve the membership.

Well, with my exceptional insight, I figured out the trick in the letter and entered the password before that woman showed up…

‘Wait, now that I think about it, the acronym for password is PW, not PS, right?’

So how did that work out?

I briefly wondered if there might have been another way to crack the password, but it wasn’t worth thinking about now.

“Sir, are you feeling unwell…?”

“Ahem, no. Where was I?”

“You were explaining how to filter out spies.”

“Ah, right.”

After that, I passed on information ranging from the contents of the letter to the creation of individual private spaces and measures to identify and expel spies.

‘That should be enough guidelines.’

Since I was conveying it verbally, I might have missed some details, but I wasn’t too worried.

How many times have I gone back in time and done this?

Whether I explained it or not, this mansion would gradually transform into the community I know.

‘Hmm, maybe this is my role in this era…?’

I wondered if I would return to my original timeline as soon as I left the community.

But…

‘Nah, that’s unlikely, right?’

I forced myself to shake off the worry.

And then…

“But sir…”

GM cautiously spoke to me.

“I’m not sure, but I think I might know who that person is.”

“…”

“That… When you said I cleared the 15x mode, you mentioned that someday, a user who cleared the original difficulty would come here. The one who would fulfill all the players’ wishes.”

Ah, so that’s what I said.

As I understood the context, I flinched slightly.

‘It turns out I didn’t just hand over the future to anyone.’

It seemed I had given him a supervisory role.

Though GM himself didn’t realize it.

‘But what does he mean by wishes? Is he talking about the Abyss Gate?’

Hmm, maybe that old man just said something random to motivate the GM, like saying the players could return only when I appeared.

Anyway, I decided to think about it later.

“Indeed, I did.”

I added an interjection, and GM continued.

“After thinking about it, I have a guess. He was someone very famous in the Stone Ivans community… Someone I greatly admired. I received a lot of help from his posts while clearing the 15x mode.”

I didn’t need to be told who that person was.

But since I was still disguised as Auril Gavis, I pretended to be curious.

“And who might that be?”

“Someone who went by the nickname ‘ElfNuna.’”

“Hmm?”

“I’m not sure, but I believe only that person could clear the original difficulty. And didn’t you mention last time that the user would be a ‘Barbarian’? Coincidentally, that person mainly played a ‘Shield Barbarian.’”

“Is that so… I see. But it’s not certain, so it would be wise to keep your options open. It’s possible that person might not be a ‘Barbarian.’”

I subtly hinted to create confusion in the pursuit.

But was this a mistake?

“What do you mean, it might not be?”

Uh, why are you freaking out all of a sudden?

I was startled but remained calm and smiled.

“Haha, I meant there’s a possibility, that’s all.”

“Is that so…”

GM seemed to accept my explanation, but his eyes said otherwise.

“Sir.”

“Speak.”

“If you don’t mind, may I ask one more question?”

Then GM looked straight into my eyes, the only part exposed from behind my mask, and asked,

“What is my name?”

Sigh, this is getting troublesome.

***

Looking back, I may have underestimated him.

No matter how much of a newbie he is, he’s a veteran who has run this community for over 20 years, keeping his identity hidden.

While his quick judgment may not be as sharp as in his prime, his intelligence is still high.

My appearance being different from the outside.

The mask I was still wearing.

And asking for his name.

I had reasons for everything and made him accept them, but the sense of unease must have been building up.

No matter how well I act as an old man, I can’t do it perfectly. He must have felt something off during our conversations.

And that probably became the decisive mistake.

“Why are you silent…?”

At his question, I smiled bitterly, silently.

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on how things had gotten to this point.

“Do you perhaps not know my—”

I quickly interrupted GM and spoke.

“Zerkiff Elmen McKinder.”

I hadn’t just blurted out a random name in desperation.

[Do you want me to name all three?]

It was a name I had heard from Baek-ho in the past, one of the three mages suspected to be the GM.

So, in summary…

‘The probability is 33.3%.’

Enough to give it a shot before giving up.

So, what will the result be?

“…”

A moment of silence passed.

And then…

“Who… are you?”

GM’s voice started to carry a hint of hostility.