Surviving The Game as a Barbarian (Novel) Chapter 244, 245, 246

  

C244, 245, 246

Chapter 244: Branch Point (4)

Hans Aiphreya.

To be precise, the man who attended the title bestowal ceremony, borrowing his name and face, splashed cold water on his face.

Splash!

Every time the water touched his skin, the bits of meat stuck to it were washed away and flowed down the drain.

It was enough to make him gag.

‘…It’s been a while since I felt this disgusted.’

He had experienced worse things during the early days when he was struggling after falling into this unfamiliar world, but those days were long gone.

‘…I should just observe from afar without approaching him.’

The man returned to the banquet hall and checked the table where he had talked to the barbarian.

It was empty.

He approached a servant and asked a few questions, and it seemed like the barbarian had already left in a carriage.

‘…I don’t really feel like going back to the Magic Tower.’

The man hesitated for a moment and then left the royal palace.

And he flew above the city, using Invisibility and Levitation magic simultaneously.

It was the Stealth Flight Mode.

‘There he is.’

He soon found Bjorn Yandel’s carriage as he looked down from the sky, dozens of meters above ground.

There was no way he had mistaken the carriage since there were knights on horses guarding it.

‘It seems like he’s going home.’

The man deduced the destination based on the carriage’s direction and then followed it.

Well, his expectation that the barbarian might be the person he was looking for had faded…

‘Maybe he’s acting.’

…but it wasn’t impossible yet.

Even he had never seen a barbarian act so mindlessly.

It actually made him even more suspicious.

‘…If he has that person’s understanding of the game, he would have quickly figured out how to act in this world and moved more ‘perfectly’ than anyone else.’

It could be interpreted either way.

Therefore, he needed more information.

What kind of person was Bjorn Yandel?

‘He’s living with three women…’

The man diligently followed the carriage, ignoring his envy.

They must be close if they’re living together.

He thought he might be able to find more concrete clues if he observed his daily life at home.

That’s when, as he was following the carriage at a distance…

Kwaaang!

…the carriage exploded.
__________________

It was an explosion reminiscent of the pillar of fire from that day.

But fortunately…

…its power was incomparable.

「Character’s health is below 50%.」

「All resistance and defense stats are increased due to the passive skill [Hero’s Path].」

My vision was blurry, as if my retinas were damaged by the heat.

And my skin was burning and tingling as it peeled off.

It seemed like my muscles were also severely damaged.

But…

“Assassin! An assassin is here!!”

…I didn’t die in one shot.

And my body was still moving.

‘Damn it.’

I suppressed my rising nausea and quickly pushed myself off the ground. And I activated the subspace ring I received when I left the palace.

‘Phew, I should have put on my equipment as soon as we left the royal palace.’

Regret is always too late.

I first took out my shield and equipped it.

That’s when something exploded, emitting black smoke.

‘Is it a smoke grenade?’

I wasn’t flustered, as I had experienced vision being blocked many times, and I quickly focused on my hearing.

“Kyaaaaaak!”

Screams of civilians echoed from everywhere, as expected of an incident that occurred in the middle of the street.

“Insolent!”

“Eliminate those evil rebels!”

I also heard the clash of weapons as the knights fought back.

But that wasn’t what I should be focusing on.

I had to distinguish the sound that threatened my life from all the other noises.

For example…

Tadat.

Right, like this.

I turned my body and lowered my stance towards the direction of the sound as soon as I heard it.

And at that moment…

Kwaaang!

…an impact hit my shield.

Phew, so you can see me even in the smoke.

There was no reason for me to stay quiet anymore.

“Keplo! Are you alive?!”

I shouted with all my might, checking on him, who was right next to me before the explosion.

There was no answer.

Was he dead? Or just unconscious?

Swoosh.

I quickly reached into my subspace pocket and took out my mace.

That’s when I heard another whooshing sound.

Whoosh!

Based on my experience, this kind of sound usually came from ‘slashing’ attacks.

I trusted my instincts and angled my shield.

Thud!

An impact hit the left side of my shield.

It didn’t matter if I couldn’t see.

Whoosh!

I swung my mace with all my might towards where I thought the enemy was.

Kwagic!

I felt the satisfying impact.

Hmm, so he blocked it.

I thought he would be an agility-based character since he’s an assassin.

“Keugh!”

Something screamed in the smoke and was thrown back.

That’s when…

Swaaaaaaaaa!

…a gust of wind, clearly artificial, swept through the area and cleared the black smoke.

‘Magic? Who?’

There were no mages on our side.

And there was no way the assassins would clear the smoke for us.

Then who cast the spell?

I dismissed my brief question and checked my surroundings.

“Viscount Yandel! Are you alright?!”

Only four knights were still standing.

On the other hand, there were over thirty masked figures surrounding the shattered remains of the carriage.

‘Is Amelia… not here?’

I scanned the masked figures, looking for someone with a similar build to Amelia.

There were about three candidates, but I wasn’t sure.

“We weren’t told there was a mage!”

“What are you waiting for! Kill him!”

The assassins resumed their attack after a brief moment of confusion from the spell that cleared the smoke.

They knew.

That they had to finish this quickly since it was an ambush in the middle of the street.

“Protect Viscount Yandel!!”

The knights who were fighting individually also quickly approached me and formed a protective formation as soon as they saw me.

I could understand why nobles were so obsessed with training knights.

How loyal and reliable they were.

‘It seems like there’s no time to put on my armor.’

I cleanly dismissed my regret and activated an ability, assessing the situation. It was the one I was planning to try out at the training center tomorrow.

‘Transcendence.’

Bion’s ability, [Transcendence].

It’s a unique skill that’s both passive and active.

When deactivated, it enhances the performance of all passive skills by 1.5 times.

[Acidic Fluid] becomes more potent.

The stat increase from [Hero’s Path] and [Iron Hide] is amplified, and the Manticore’s [Inheritance] is also affected similarly.

It’s a good skill even with just that.

But…

「Character has cast [Transcendence].」

…the true value of this skill is revealed when used as an active skill.

「The next skill used is enhanced.」

It’s not just a simple enhancement, but a unique additional effect that’s temporarily added to each skill.

「Character has cast [Gigantification].」

「The inherent ability of the skill is unlocked by the power of the Transcendent.」

That’s why a 5th-grade [Gigantification] is the core of the Shield Barbarian build.

「Size increases proportionally to Strength.」

It’s a size bonus that’s applied proportionally to Strength, not a fixed value.

‘About 5 meters?’

It’s the Gigantification (Transcendence) Mode.

‘This should be… about the same size as when I fought Riakis.’

I roughly estimate my new size based on my different eye level. It’s about the same size as when I was 1.5 times bigger, using Misha’s brother’s [Unholy One] with the Vampire skill [Blood Master].

Although I have the Ogre essence, my setup isn’t complete yet, so I’m not completely satisfied.

But…

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”

…there’s no denying that I’m much stronger now.

[Gigantification], which increases physical stats and threat level proportionally to height.

And [Wild Release], which further increases physical stats proportionally to threat level.

Strength surges through my body as the two are applied simultaneously.

Therefore…

‘Leap.’

I push off the ground with all my might and soar into the air.

My intended landing point is where a masked figure is aiming at me with a bow.

Kwaaang!

The masked figure, still holding his bow, is thrown high into the air as soon as I land.

「Character’s total weight is over 500 kg.」

「The special terrain effect [Recoil] is additionally applied to the damage radius.」

Fortunately, my weight met the requirement as I grew taller.

I was worried because I wasn’t wearing armor.

“Huh?”

The masked figure lets out a dumbfounded sound in midair, as if he doesn’t know what’s going on.

What, you didn’t expect me to attack first?

I swing my mace like a baseball bat, and his neck bends at a grotesque angle.

Kwagic.

Okay, one down…

‘Huh?’

Just as I’m about to turn my head and look for my next target, a masked figure jumps out from my lower right side.

It’s a blind spot that I wouldn’t have been able to see before.

But I clearly see it and dodge.

It’s thanks to the base stat of the new essence.

[Bion]

Soul Power +100, Soul Regeneration +30, Strength +25, Pain Resistance +30, Bone Density +30, Magic Resistance +20, Field of View +25

Field of View +25.

This stat widens your field of vision.

So in the game, it gave a bonus to detailed stats like evasion rate.

Kwagic!

I kick the jumping bastard in the stomach and then get ready to leap again.

But did they finally come to their senses?

The knights shouted in panic at my sudden actions.

“Th, this way!”

Geez, who’s protecting whom?

I ignore them and leap towards my next target. And I take them down one by one with the same combo as before.

There haven’t been any strong opponents yet.

Kwagic!

Just like when I killed that guy in the smoke earlier, their level was strangely low.

‘Is there really no one at Amelia’s level?’

I was even planning to use [Leap] to escape if it got dangerous, but my anxiety soon disappeared.

After fighting them firsthand, I knew.

They were at a level that the knights could have easily handled if it weren’t for the initial explosion.

But what’s this?

“…We, we were only supposed to deal with the knights!”

Internal conflict started among the masked figures as I started rampaging and the knights also started pressing them with individual battles.

“You said he would die from that one explosion!”

“I’m going back. We weren’t told he was this strong!”

As one or two of them started to retreat, all the masked figures chose to run away.

It was ridiculous.

‘What the hell are they?’

They didn’t seem to have any sense of purpose.
____________________

‘…Are they really from Noark?’

That doubt even crossed my mind, but I diligently moved my body and captured the fleeing masked figures.

I caught a total of four.

Unfortunately, the rest all escaped.

“…Thank you for your hard work.”

The knight awkwardly saluted me, as if it was his first time seeing a noble being carried by his escorts.

“Ah, you guys also worked hard. Are there any casualties?”

The knight answered that three knights had died at my question.

Fortunately, Keplo wasn’t among them.

Although he was caught in the explosion with me, it seemed like he was durable enough to survive.

He would probably regain consciousness soon since I gave him a potion in time.

‘Then shall we interrogate them?’

The battle was over, and the guards were probably coming, so I grabbed one of the captured guys and took off his mask.

It was a man I had never seen before.

“…Huh!”

The man trembled, unable to even make eye contact with me, as if he realized he was screwed.

I reached out and shoved my hand into his mouth.

“Keu, keugh, keuheok!”

I searched thoroughly, but there was no poison capsule.

Hmm, so reality is different from cartoons?

No, shouldn’t an assassin have at least one?

‘Ah, in the first place, those guys wouldn’t have run away if they had that much resolve.’

What the hell were they doing?

I wiped the saliva on my hand on his clothes and asked,

“Who sent you?”

“…….”

He didn’t answer.

It wasn’t a big deal.

He would talk if I beat him up a bit.

That’s when, as I was raising my fist…

Flash!

…a white flash erupted from the dark sky.

And…

Kwoom!

…something crashed into the ground like a meteor.

At first, I thought maybe the assassins had escaped and shot a catapult…

“Keugh…!”

…but it was a man.

He was surrounded by a spherical barrier, and his face was all too familiar.

Because I had just met him.

“Hans Aiphreya…?”

No, what the hell.

Why is he falling from the sky?

Just as I was flustered by the unexpected turn of events…

Tadat, tadat, tadat.

…another man jumped down from the sky where Hans A. had fallen. And he approached Hans A. without even glancing at me.

“…….”

No one, not even the knights, dared to say a word at the strange sight.

The changed atmosphere didn’t allow it.

“Mister, just make it easy for yourself. Okay?”

“I told you, you misjudged—”

“Ha, you can’t lie to me.”

The barrier around Hans A. was effortlessly torn apart as the man reached out his hand.

Crackle.

Hans A.’s face turned pale at his overwhelming pressure.

The man grabbed him by the collar.

And he said,

“As expected, it’s you. GM.”

“…….”

“Unban me. Or you’ll die here.”

-----------------------

Chapter 245: Branch Point (5)

Ghost Master.

The administrator with control over the community, and a legendary veteran player among players.

“As expected, it’s you. GM.”

I feel suffocated for a moment.

‘Hans A. is the GM…?’

I’m confused.

If it’s true, why would a big shot like the GM hide his identity and approach me?

Just to see my face because I’m famous these days?

‘No, there’s no way.’

The GM suspected me of being a ‘player’.

So he approached me during the banquet to test me, and he even followed me.

This seemed like a more plausible hypothesis.

Even though it wasn’t very pleasant for me.

‘Then he must have been the one who cast that Gale spell earlier.’

The question is naturally answered as the hypothesis is formed.

He must have been curious if I was alive after the carriage suddenly exploded and a smoke grenade went off, blocking his vision while he was following me.

‘I’ll think about this later.’

I returned to the most important topic.

The man who fell from the sky, called Hans A. the GM, and exuded an aura that even the knights were afraid of.

Just who was this man—

“Unban me. Or you’ll die here.”

…Huh?

‘Unban him?’

I involuntarily felt a chill run down my spine.

The reason was simple.

There was only one person I knew who would make such a demand to the GM.

The proud Korean.

‘Lee Baekho.’

Of course, it wasn’t impossible that it was someone else.

How many people had the GM banned?

It was possible that someone was holding a grudge and came to make demands like that.

But…

“Mister, can’t you hear me?”

…I kept seeing Lee Baekho’s face.

‘…Is it really him?’

I engraved his appearance in my mind once more with that thought.

‘He’s about 175 centimeters tall.’

He was wearing a neat suit, with no visible equipment, and if he wasn’t disguised, his race was human.

His skin was white, and he didn’t have any noticeable scars.

His platinum blonde hair was slicked back in a pomade style.

Although he had handsome features, he gave off a more mischievous vibe than a gentleman because of his unique gaze—

“Viscount Yandel.”

A knight approached me and whispered as I was observing him.

“You mustn’t run away.”

“…What do you mean?”

“He’s not someone you can do that to.”

His voice was filled with tension.

Don’t tell me he knew who he was?

“Who is that man?”

I hurriedly asked.

And…

“He’s—”

…just as the knight was about to answer…

“Ah, you guys were here too?”

…the man’s gaze shifted towards us.

Ha, I whispered, and he heard it from that distance?

“Bjorn Yandel.”

He knew who I was, judging by how he said my name correctly.

But could it be that he didn’t know me that well?

“You took down that chuunibyou bastard? And in just one year.”

The guy, who was holding Hans A. by the neck, looked at me with curiosity.

As if he had stumbled upon something interesting.

“I’m asking this just in case…”

He then asked,

“Are you a player?”

Ha, no wonder I felt uneasy as soon as he knew my name.

This kind of premonition never fails.

There was only one answer I could give.

“…You’re an evil spirit.”

I didn’t deny it or pretend I didn’t know.

I called him an ‘evil spirit’ and drew a line.

It didn’t matter if he was Lee Baekho or not.

After all, what else could I say when there were so many people watching?

“Hmm, that’s strange. Although you’ve become famous, I don’t think you’re at a level that would interest the GM.”

He muttered, “If you’re not a player…” and narrowed his eyes.

And…

“Hey.”

…he continued, his voice devoid of any emotion, even though he was smiling.

“Answer with yes or no.”

“Don’t answ— Keugh!”

The knight, who was trying to advise me, was punched in the stomach by something invisible and sent flying.

I didn’t have to ask who did it.

“Ah, are you worried because there are so many people? Don’t worry. If you’re a player, I’ll kill them all. Damn right, I can do that much to satisfy my curiosity.”

He grinned and forced me to choose again.

“Yes or no.”

I barely held back from answering, “No.”

Because the question itself was suspicious.

To ask the same question while telling me to only answer with yes or no? It’s like he has the ability to distinguish between truth and lies.

‘There’s actually an essence like that.’

It was wise to be cautious since I didn’t have any information.

“If you don’t want to answer, I’ll kill that cat girl.”

He then cornered me.

I could tell it wasn’t just a threat as soon as I heard it.

‘Damn it.’

What should I do?

Although I racked my brain, I couldn’t come up with a solution.

That’s when…

[…Mr. Baekho.]

“Huh?”

[See you later.]

A light erupted from Hans A.’s body, who had been staring blankly with his neck still in the man’s grasp.
______________________

“Ha, this son of a…”

Lee Baekho cursed and sat up.

A vast farm filled with the refreshing scent of fruit.

It didn’t take long for him to realize where he was.

There was only one place with a farm like this.

Gnometree, the 6th district of Lafdonia.

“This is so annoying. That bastard won’t leave the Magic Tower now…”

Lee Baekho admitted that he had let him go.

There would be no one left even if he went to the Magic Tower now.

It was clearly his miscalculation.

He was wary of him escaping using teleportation since he was a mage. He had grabbed him by the neck to prevent him from even chanting.

But chantless teleport?

And on himself, at that?

“Right, so he’s also a big shot.”

Although he was a bit regretful that he underestimated his opponent, he quickly shook it off.

It had already happened.

It didn’t suit him to dwell on the past.

And besides, it wasn’t like he didn’t gain anything.

He found out that bastard was the GM.

‘I have time, so I can just keep running around.’

Lee Baekho scratched his head and then turned his attention to something else.

“So I couldn’t get an answer in the end.”

Bjorn Yandel.

The barbarian he met while chasing the GM.

“…Well, whatever.”

Lee Baekho stopped worrying about whether that barbarian was a player or not.

In the first place, it was more likely that he wasn’t…

…and he had lost interest in him.

Even if he was a player, he wouldn’t be interested now.

Those who were satisfied with this world and obsessed with NPCs weren’t helpful to his plan.

Thud.

Lee Baekho lay down on the ground.

And he used the [Spatial Interference] skill to pluck a grape from a vine and put it in his mouth.

“Ah, grapes are the best when they’re natural.”

The air was clean, and there was a lot of delicious food.

And that GM bastard wouldn’t leave the Magic Tower for a while.

‘And it’s too much of a hassle to go to Bifron.’

He thought it wouldn’t be bad to stay here for a while.
____________________

Two days had passed since that incident.

The title bestowal ceremony, the assassin, the GM, and Lee Baekho.

So much had happened in just one day, and the past two days were spent cleaning up the aftermath.

First, the ‘assassin’…

[We’ll take them and interrogate them.]

…the captured assassins were escorted to the Moselan.

I heard from a knight today that they were hired by someone unknown.

For reference, the explosives that instantly killed three knights were also given to them by that ‘someone’…

[Their mission was to kill Viscount Yandel and steal the essence he received.]

There were many suspicious aspects.

I could understand the essence part.

The box containing the test tube was very sturdy.

It was possible for them to ambush and kill me and take it.

But…

[What were they going to do if I had absorbed it?]

[We also found that strange.]

And the client even offered a huge bounty for my head.

It meant that the essence was just an excuse.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to pay to have me killed.

So the Moselan guessed that the client was Noark.

At least until yesterday.

[…So you’re saying it’s highly likely one of the large clans?]

The Moselan concluded that the culprit was one of the large clans. They said Noark would have sent more competent people if it were them.

They said this kind of ‘request’ didn’t suit them.

And most importantly, the large clans had a motive.

[Yes. They were probably planning to harm Viscount Yandel and then frame our royal family. Actually, we found evidence of such schemes in several bars that night.]

Although it was a plausible guess, there was a question.

Then what about what the Clown bastard said?

Did he say that because he obtained this information beforehand?

‘Well, he did say an assassin would come. He didn’t say it was from Noark…’

He might have judged that it wouldn’t hurt to tell me beforehand since it wasn’t his assassin.

‘…No, maybe the real one hasn’t even arrived yet?’

I feel a sense of self-deprecation.

Phew, why do I have to live in fear even in the city?

Anyway, enough about the assassin. Next…

‘GM.’

To summarize, Hans A. wasn’t the GM.

[The Hans Aiphreya we saw that day must have been someone in disguise.]

When they raided his house, the real Hans Aiphreya was unconscious.

They even checked his mana just in case, but he didn’t have a shred of magic talent.

In short, it meant someone borrowed his identity.

‘Tsk.’

It was a bit disappointing.

I thought I might be able to find out the GM’s identity…

‘But it’s not like there were no gains.’

It was one of the few things that comforted me.

First, I learned that the GM suspected me of being a player.

At least I had time to prepare.

‘He must be even more suspicious now that he saw me not answering. He’ll probably target the next community session.’

Fortunately, I had a guess about this.

So I had also prepared a countermeasure.

Anyway, next…

‘Lee Baekho.’

He was definitely Lee Baekho.

After all, the GM said so at the end.

[…Mr. Baekho. See you later.]

He said it using magic, not his voice, even though his neck was being held.

Hmm, it didn’t really matter.

[That person… I’m sorry, I can’t tell you.]

I asked the knight who was there about Lee Baekho later, but that was the only answer I got.

Is this what they mean by ‘timing is everything’?

It seemed like he would have told me if Lee Baekho hadn’t interrupted him.

‘As expected, he’s a dangerous guy…’

I didn’t think I could be friends with him like before, even if I met him again.

Did I realize that our personalities were completely different?

I didn’t think his innocent persona in the community was his true self, but this was too much.

‘He’s a real madman…’

Anyway, enough about Lee Baekho. Next…

‘Misha.’

This was the most troublesome part, the one that made me feel suffocated.

“Bjorn, listen to me without thinking anything strange, okay?”

“…….”

“You, you’re not going to suddenly disappear? Ri, right…?”

Misha started looking at me anxiously.

-------------------------------------

Chapter 246: Branch Point (6)

What mistake did I make for her to act like this?

That thought didn't even cross my mind.

After all, Misha had been watching me the longest.

A barbarian who read books.

A barbarian who could navigate.

A barbarian who pretended to be stupid but was actually cunning.

A barbarian who always knew things that others didn't, as if it were natural.

There must have been many suspicious things about me.

Well, she had probably just dismissed them, thinking there were all kinds of people in the world…

…but that day’s incident must have made her realize.

She knew the most about me.

[Is there a reason to do what the enemy wants?]

Although I kept avoiding the question with a barbarian-like excuse, it must have seemed strange to Misha.

She knew that I only acted stubborn when there was a reason.

[If you don’t answer, I’ll kill that cat girl.]

I felt a deep sense of despair when I heard those words from that Baekho bastard.

Misha might have even sensed that.

That I was desperately holding back from answering because I was cornered.

“…Disappear? What do you mean?”

In the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep…

…I pretended not to know anything as Misha cautiously approached me and expressed her anxiety.

“Why would I suddenly disappear?”

“Ah, no, that’s… because of a nightmare.”

Misha changed the subject, using a dream as an excuse.

It seemed like she thought it might really happen if she voiced her anxiety.

“Nightmare? You can sleep next to me if you’re scared!”

“I, I’m not that scared! Geez! Just go to sleep if you’re going to tease me, you old barbarian!”

Misha then left the room, saying what I was talking about, and I let out a silent sigh.

My chest felt tight.

‘Suddenly disappear…’

I knew why she said that.

Because I had secretly entered her room and read the book on her desk.

It was a book I had read at the library before.

A book that listed the patterns and habits of evil spirits.

[Evil spirits are skilled at acting and cunning. And they don’t cling to relationships. If they’re in a situation where their identity might be revealed, they choose to sever all ties and disappear.]

It was a passage I could relate to.

After all, if my identity was revealed, I would be doomed.

First, I would try to distance myself from those around me, and if that didn’t work, I would eventually have to change my identity.

And if even that option was blocked…

‘I would go to Noark.’

Noark was a city made up of such people. Criminals or evil spirits who couldn’t stay in Lafdonia would hide in the sewers, and Noark would take them in.

‘Even the Clown bastard joined Orculus as soon as he was revealed to be an evil spirit.’

I lay in bed and blankly stared at the ceiling.

My mind was racing.

‘If they find out I’m an evil spirit…’

How would they react?

Would they feel betrayed and angry?

Well, I don’t know.

At least Misha was more anxious about me disappearing than about me being an evil spirit.

‘That damn Baekho bastard.’

I finally admitted it.

I was afraid of them finding out about my true identity.

More than the guillotine I might be dragged to.

I was more afraid of everything I had built collapsing.

Even if it was just a sandcastle.

Whoosh.

I took out a magic tool from my subspace pocket.

A magic tool that allowed you to have a private conversation.

[Fine, if that’s what you want, I’ll make sure you have nowhere to go. Hans Krisen is an evil spirit! I have proof in my backp—]

For reference, it also had a recording function, so the dwarf I met in the Doppelganger Forest used it to corner Hans G.

Click.

I pressed the button on the bottom of the magic tool, and the conversation they had back then replayed vividly.

[What are you so worried about? They’re just NPCs.]

[But they’re still companions I’ve been with—]

[That’s funny. Do you think they would still think that way if they knew your identity?]

Hans G couldn’t answer the dwarf’s question.

Because he knew.

[The one your companions considered a friend was the real Hans. And as you know, the real Hans is no longer in this world.]

We’re evil spirits.

No matter what kind of relationship we build here, it’s a precarious one based on lies.

[But… I consider them to be my real companions.]

Hans G answered that way.

But what about his actual actions?

[Ho… w, why…?]

[I, I’m sorry.]

When the dwarf, who was in danger, forcefully revealed his identity, Hans G burned the warrior’s body with flames and sided with the dwarf.

He knew it deep down.

That they could never go back to the way they were.

That his companion, who was once precious, would now consider him as an ‘enemy’.

Click.

I pressed the button again and turned off the sound.

I suddenly remembered Takelan’s words.

[The day will come when you’ll feel the same way.]

He was wrong.

If that moment of despair ever came to me…

…it would be even more horrifying and miserable.
____________________

Another two days passed.

There wasn’t anything special during that time.

No more clues about the large clan that was suspected to be behind the assassination attempt appeared, and the incident ended vaguely.

There was nothing more to investigate.

Ah, but the number of guard knights increased.

They sent more forces after it was proven that there was a faction that held a grudge against the royal family and was targeting me.

Hmm, it was a bit excessive.

‘Ha, I can’t even go anywhere like this.’

There were already three knights closely guarding me.

Of course, it was only inside the house, and there were over thirty knights standing guard outside. And if I went out, they would all follow me.

Ah, and I even had a food taster.

“I’ll try it first in case it’s poisoned.”

A knight who specialized in Poison Resistance tasted the food first at every meal.

“Th, there’s no need! I, I would never do anything to Bjorn…”

“It’s better to be safe. Hmm, it’s delicious. As expected, Lady Kaltstein is a great cook.”

“Th, that’s not comforting at all!”

Although Misha didn’t seem happy about the food taster at every meal…

…it was actually more reassuring to see her being so inflexible.

‘I don’t have to worry even if Noark sends assassins.’

Ainar left for the sanctuary after breakfast, and Erwen went out to meet her sister.

And I did the same.

“…You’re going out?”

“It’s time for me to get back to work.”

It was time for me to get back on my feet and take care of the things I had been putting off after resting for a while.

“Work? Are you going shopping again?”

“No, it’s something else.”

“Hmm?”

Although I usually went shopping during our maintenance time, that wasn’t my goal today.

Although I had earned a lot of money this time…

‘There’s no reason to shop now when the value will increase if I just wait.’

The price of equipment had already started to plummet.

Demand had decreased because most of the explorers, who were the main customers, had died.

On the other hand, the price of food had increased.

People had started hoarding because they were worried that the supply of magic stones might decrease from next month onwards.

‘Let’s just hold onto the cash for now.’

The currency here wasn’t just a piece of paper based on a social agreement.

It had real value.

After all, it was a world where people lived off of magic stones, an all-purpose material that could be turned into iron or wheat by alchemists.

The value of currency wouldn’t decrease.

Unless the value of labor hit rock bottom.

‘I wonder if Hikurod is okay…’

I suddenly thought of the dwarf.

His blacksmith’s workshop seemed to be doing well recently, but it would be empty in this situation.

I felt sorry for him.

He had invested all his assets to open the shop, and then this happened.

‘I’ll visit him later when I have time…’

I quickly got dressed and left with Misha.

A carriage prepared by the knights was waiting outside.

Although it felt excessive…

“Let’s go.”

…I got in the carriage.

It wasn’t like I was paying for it, and it was much easier for them to escort me this way, so what could I do?

“Where to?”

“The Grand Temple of the Leathlas Church.”

The carriage started moving as soon as I told the coachman our destination.

“…Leathlas Church? Why are we going there?”

Misha seemed uneasy.

I could understand her feelings.

The religious forces here were practically the natural enemy of evil spirits.

‘Tsk, it seems like she hasn’t completely dismissed her suspicions.’

Although Misha had read books about evil spirits and said meaningful things to me for a day or two, it had all disappeared soon after.

So I thought she had concluded that it was just her imagination and that I couldn’t possibly be an evil spirit.

‘…It’s better to just ignore it and not provoke her in this situation.’

Therefore, I just continued the conversation normally.

“I’m planning to ask for a priest if there are any left.”

“…A priest? Do, do you want to leave the te, team?”

“What are you talking about?”

“But we already have five members… Ah! Don’t tell me you’re going to…”

Ah, what is she talking about?

I sighed and said firmly,

“I’m not leaving the team, and no one else is leaving either.”

“Huh? Then why a priest…?”

Misha trailed off, still confused.

I told her about my future plans.

“It’s time for us to prepare for the 6th floor.”

“Uh-huh, 6th floor? Right, I see. But what does that have to do with this?”

“I’m going to form a clan.”

It was time for our 5-person team to graduate.
_____________________

Even a small group was classified as a clan if it had more than five members. Because it had to be divided into at least two teams.

“Clan? So we’re going to be moving with 10 people from now on?”

Hmm, I guess that would be the case eventually.

But not right now.

‘Since Erwen can navigate, we just need one priest for now.’

We would also have to recruit another explorer with a special role from the 6th floor onwards.

So a total of eight people for now.

‘At our current level, we should be able to reach the 5th floor without any problems even if we split into two teams of four.’

Well, I wasn’t too worried about this part.

If it didn’t work, we could just meet on the 2nd floor.

Although it would take time to gather depending on the starting location, and it would be even slower because of the penalty on the 4th floor…

‘It’s not like we’re a large clan.’

A day or two difference wasn’t significant for a small clan, unless their goal was to control hunting grounds.

The real problem was something else.

‘When will the labyrinth return to normal?’

If the timing wasn’t right, I was planning to wait for a few more months. In the first place, we needed that much time to prepare for the 6th floor.

“We’ve arrived.”

The carriage stopped in front of the Grand Temple while I was organizing my thoughts.

Most of the knights waited in the carriage.

I entered with just the three close protection knights and Misha.

“Captain Krovitz is currently out on business.”

It wasn’t Paal Krovitz, whom I knew, who greeted me, but another paladin.

His name was Sven Parab.

He was the vice-captain of the 2nd Paladin Order of the Leathlas Church.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Viscount Yandel. What brings you to our church today?”

I briefly told him about my future plans.

That I was planning to form a clan, and if possible, I wanted to take a priest with me.

To summarize the result, I was immediately rejected.

“Hmm, even if you’re a Viscount, that would be a bit difficult.”

Neither the ‘Giant’ title I recently obtained nor my status as a Viscount worked at the church.

They were just basic requirements.

I needed achievement points to recruit a priest.

‘Phew, why is this so inflexible, just like the game?’

I asked about the ways to increase achievement points since it was within my expectations, and I received a detailed answer.

‘Most of them are similar to the game.’

In the end, it seemed like the only answer was grinding.

Tsk, I should have done it beforehand.

“Parab, was it? Thank you for today. I’ll come back later.”

“Yes, we’re always waiting for the hero’s visit.”

I said goodbye to Parab and turned around after finishing my short business.

And just as I was about to open the door and leave…

「The activation condition for the Star’s Blessing has been met.」

…the last vine that was blocking the karmic connection with the Dragonslayer broke.

“…….”

Damn it.

It’s truly one mountain after another.

Trial

I like Korean novels (Murim, Dukes, Reincarnation, etc, etc, etc)

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