Surviving The Game as a Barbarian (Novel) Chapter 325, 326, 327

   

C325, 326, 327

Chapter 325: Role (5)

The Lord of Chaos, Riakis.

The Lord of the Abyss, Verzak.

Floor Masters had both a true name and a title, and their essences were usually named after their titles.

Essence of Chaos, Essence of the Abyss, and so on.

And my assessment of the Essence of Silence that Liuhen Praha had absorbed was this:

‘All bark and no bite.’

It had a strong personality and abilities, as expected of a Floor Master essence, but there were many problems with its concept.

First, its active skill, [Flameless Spirit].

It was an AoE silence skill that nullified all skills within a 30-meter radius of the caster.

For reference, it also included passive skills, and even if you used a skill outside the radius, it would be nullified as soon as you entered it, so it was impossible to counter it from afar…

But it didn’t mean he was invincible.

There was a reason why I rarely absorbed this essence.

‘Magic and divine power can’t dispel it.’

And that wasn’t the only penalty.

[Flameless Spirit] didn’t work on monsters.

In other words, the Essence of Silence was practically only useful in PvP…

…and its passive skill was even worse.

(P) Silent Control — All other essence skills are deactivated, and stats gained from essences are doubled.

It was a high-risk skill that doubled your stats in exchange for giving up all your essence skills.

Thanks to that, I rarely absorbed this essence.

After all, my goal was always to clear the game.

I had absorbed it over three hundred times because I was trying to clear another route.

[We’ve heard of your fame, explorer. How about joining us and turning the world upside down?]

A route that sometimes opened when you gained enough fame in the game.

I always absorbed the Essence of Silence first when I was trying to clear the rebellion route by cooperating with the Olmi Revolutionary Army.

It was the best essence for PvP.

Well, I never succeeded.

After encountering countless dead ends, I tentatively concluded that it was impossible to clear the rebellion route because of the game’s structure.

Ah, of course, I never absorbed it again after that.

I had also realized that the Essence of Silence had a fatal weakness.

Clench.

I gripped the item I had prepared.

The key to defeating the Traitor, Liuhen Praha.

I had thought about using it earlier…

…but I decided to save it because taking care of Amelia was the priority.

‘Damn it, if I had known she would change the date, I would have given this to her.’

The reason I didn’t share the information was because I thought we would be moving together.

How could I have known…

…that she would drug me and knock me out?

I didn’t even think about how cool it would be to use it in a crisis.

…Really.

Swoosh.

The water level was rapidly receding.

‘It’s about waist-deep now, so he must be able to see again.’

I looked at the passage Amelia had gone through.

I chuckled, remembering our conversation before she left.

[I’ll believe you.]

[Right, believe me. Your sister’s problem—]

[I wasn’t talking about my sister.]

[…Huh?]

[I meant I believe you won’t die. So… don’t die.]

[Uh, uh… Okay…]

I averted my gaze, feeling embarrassed, and Amelia also seemed to feel the same way, as she just said, “Then I’ll be going,” and left—

‘He’s here.’

I heard the sound of splashing water from afar.

I dismissed my thoughts and focused on the sound.

Splash, splash.

He was getting closer.

I tensed up and crouched down.

And…

Crackle.

…I tore the scroll I had been holding in one hand.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

Magic particles enveloped me, emitting a faint light.

Although the light was faint, it was enough to attract attention in the dark sewer.

Splash.

The approaching footsteps stopped.

Thump.

My heart pounded like a child who had been caught doing something bad.

“…….”

A brief silence followed.

I couldn’t hear anything except for the sound of flowing water.

For about three seconds.

Splash!

I heard footsteps, and I immediately ducked and submerged myself in the water.

And the moment he appeared at the intersection…

“……!”

…I jumped out and charged towards him.

Kwaaang!

My hammer collided with his Aura, and the water splashed everywhere from the impact.

Thanks to my heightened concentration, I could clearly see everything.

Thousands of water droplets.

And his expression.

He looked at me and then shifted his gaze.

‘Is he looking for Amelia?’

Geez, how rude.

Tadat.

I jumped again as soon as my feet touched the ground, closing the distance between us.

He was already swinging his sword horizontally.

It seemed like he was trying to stop me from getting closer… but thanks to that, I was right in the path of his sword.

It didn’t matter to me.

Tadat.

I continued dashing.

If this continued, his sword would reach me before my hammer could, even though it was already halfway there…

But so what?

I wasn’t planning to hit him with my hammer anyway.

Swoosh.

I reached out with my hand.

My free hand, since I had already put my shield away.

But could it be that he also knew how to use his hands?

He didn’t withdraw his sword.

He just tried to swat my hand away with his other hand.

Thwack!

His hand hit my wrist.

My arm was pushed back, as he was also strong.

His sword was still swinging towards my waist, and I couldn’t retreat since my feet were in midair.

His judgment wasn’t bad.

But he was a bit careless.

“……!”

The conditions for the scroll I had torn were met as our skin touched.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

Blue magic particles erupted.

If this were a game, this message would have appeared:

[Character has been ‘Bound’ to Ricardo Liuhen Praha.]

[Character is no longer affected by [Flameless Spirit].]

I immediately chanted the commands I had prepared.

‘Transcendence.’

And…

‘Leap.’

Tadat.

The moment I stepped on the air…

Whoosh!

…my body shot forward, water splashing everywhere.

I wasn’t dodging his sword, I was charging towards him.

And…

‘Gigantification.’

…I increased my weight.

Like an 8-ton truck with the accelerator fully pressed.

Kwaaang!

There was nothing more to see.

“Keugh…!”

The body slam was effective.

_____________________

Amelia, who was running through the sewers, flinched.

It was because of the tremor that traveled through the water.

Kwaaang!

A loud boom that was faintly audible even from a distance.

It seemed like a battle had begun…

Splash, splash.

Amelia quickly came to her senses and started running again.

It sounded like the sewer had collapsed.

What the hell was going on?

Did something go wrong?

Various questions filled her mind, but she shook her head.

She had said she would believe him.

It was a promise.

If Yandel had defeated Liuhen Praha, then why did he appear in front of them at the end?

She dismissed the contradiction.

And…

Splash.

…she continued running.

Although the sewers were labyrinthine, it wasn’t difficult to find her way.

She had been through this path countless times after gaining recognition for her achievements and rising to a high position in Noark.

She had memorized it all, in preparation for today.

‘Left here. And then straight until the three-way intersection.’

Amelia pushed her body to its limits and continued running.

After some time…

Thud.

…she stopped.

She had reached her destination.

A five-way intersection.

Waterlogged corpses were floating everywhere.

They were all familiar faces.

Amelia recalled her memories.

[Laura! Amelia! What are you doing? Get up and fight!]

The battle was still raging when she regained consciousness after being swept away and losing consciousness.

Amelia tried to join the fight, drawing her weapon, but her sister stopped her and pointed at something.

The former Melta Trading Company explorer, who was the only one who knew the way, was running away alone, carrying a few pieces of equipment.

So they followed him instead of joining the fight.

And…

‘Here.’

Amelia entered the passage she remembered and soon found them.

“I, I was just trying to get away…”

The guide was making excuses, his face filled with fear.

“Whatever, I don’t care about you.”

Derbon, the man, glared at the guide and then turned his head.

“How dare you betray me and run away?”

He slapped her sister across the face.

And her sister endured it, not even trying to block it. She probably judged that it wasn’t a good idea to provoke him further.

Derbon wasn’t alone.

Ironically, he was on the same side as the people he had been fighting.

‘They probably thought it was pointless to keep fighting since their numbers had dwindled. And the fact that the guide disappeared must have also played a part.’

They were truly like beasts.

They might even betray each other and loot their equipment at the end.

Well, there wouldn’t be a chance to confirm that.

Clench.

Amelia gripped her dagger with her remaining hand.

“It, it’s all my fault.”

“You know you’re wrong.”

“My, my sister just followed me… Ugh!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll let her go this time too!”

The moment the man who was holding her sister’s neck raised his arm, about to swing his axe…

Slash!

…his arm, still clutching the axe, fell into the water.

The man screamed in pain and twisted his body, while the others looked at Amelia in shock.

“…Em, Emily?!”

“H, how did you get here…?”

There was no need for conversation.

Amelia calmly stabbed them in the neck one by one, her eyes devoid of emotion.

“Wa, wait! I, I know the way…!”

Even the guide, who tried to appeal to her, was no exception.

She knew the way to the city, so there was no reason to spare him.

Slash!

The area was cleared.

The Rainwales sisters trembled, wary of her.

But could it be that her younger self was curious about something?

“Um…”

“Amelia…!”

She asked, ignoring her sister’s warning,

“Wh, what happened to Pelic Barker?”

“He’s dead.”

“Re, really? Bu, but how…?”

“No more questions.”

Amelia cut her off.

“We don’t have time, follow me.”

The ending of the long story was approaching.

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

Chapter 326: Ouroboros (1)

Bond.

It’s a support spell that makes the target recognize you as a companion, allowing you to travel together when using a labyrinth portal and share experience points after killing monsters.

I learned that this spell was the counter to [Flameless Spirit] when I was trying to clear the rebellion route.

After absorbing the Essence of Silence and going through about 300 tries, I finally reached the royal family’s inner sanctum. I was filled with hope, thinking I was just a few steps away from seeing the King’s face.

[Character has been ‘Bound’ to a Royal Guard.]

The royal family’s NPCs used this method on me, crushing my hopes and dreams.

Well, I did eventually find a way to counter this counter…

‘But I never saw the King’s face.’

I gave up on the rebellion route.

I think it was my first time giving up while playing this game…

But I don’t think it was a meaningless experience.

Sometimes, you gain something from failure.

Like this.

“Keugh…!”

The Bond + Giant Body Slam combo.

Liuhen Praha was thrown back, his body flying through the air.

But watching him fly was something only a noob would do.

Fighting games are the same, right?

If you launch your opponent into the air, you have to follow up with a combo.

‘Transcendence.’

I chanted the command.

Before his body went out of the 20-meter radius.

‘Eye of the Storm.’

The grab skill I obtained from [Stormgush].

‘Somehow, I ended up with a PvP optimized build.’

A strong gust of wind swept through the long sewer, and his flying body changed direction and flew towards me.

So I got ready to smash him.

And…

One, two, three.

‘Now.’

I swung my hammer with all my might at the right timing.

Kwagic!

Flesh and bone were crushed.

But I wasn’t completely satisfied.

Because it wasn’t the sound I was hoping for.

‘Damn it.’

I was aiming for his shiny temple, but he raised his arm to block it. He had regained his composure and protected his vital point, even while being dragged by the wind.

‘Well, at least I took one of his arms.’

It wasn’t a fatal blow, but I decided to think positively.

His arm was bent at a grotesque angle.

It was clear that I had inflicted significant damage—

Tadat.

He was thrown towards the side wall, but he regained his balance in midair and kicked off the wall with one leg.

And…

‘This guy really is experienced.’

…he charged towards me, swinging his sword, instead of creating distance.

Whoosh!

A fierce Aura emanated from the blade.

His Agility stat was much higher than mine, so it was difficult to block with my hammer in my current position.

Therefore…

Tadat.

…I retreated.

Damn it, if I had dodged backwards, I would have continued chasing him and kept up the pressure.

Splash.

A brief lull in the battle occurred as we created a distance of about 10 meters. He pointed his sword at me, holding it with his remaining arm, and asked,

“How… did you know?”

His ragged breathing suggested that he was still injured from the body slam and the broken arm.

Hmm, so he’s trying to buy time to recover?

I analyzed his condition, and then I chuckled at his next words.

“No one… should know about… this essence…”

He was seeking an answer to the contradiction he had encountered.

Right, so he was just curious.

He must have tried hard to hide this weakness.

That’s probably why he always explored alone. Even when he was with others, he never ‘Bound’ with them.

Because that would reveal the weakness of [Flameless Spirit].

‘Come to think of it, the reason he was clinging to the Ruin Scholar in the community was probably because of [Flameless Spirit].’

He needed a companion who wouldn’t lose their power even without ‘Bonding’ to achieve his goal of killing the King.

Like a mage or a priest.

But a priest wouldn’t help him kill the King, so the Ruin Scholar was more valuable.

He was a top-tier mage and a fellow ‘evil spirit’.

“Right, an evil spirit…”

He muttered, looking at me.

I hadn’t said a word, but he had already reached a conclusion.

Well, it wasn’t a wrong conclusion…

‘But he doesn’t know the counter.’

I was certain that he didn’t know the countermeasure after hearing him talk. He wouldn’t have insisted on being alone if he knew.

I tightened my grip on my hammer.

‘It’s a good thing this is twenty years ago.’

I didn’t know what he would be like in the future.

Maybe he would have overcome this weakness.

He might have even switched out some of his essences.

And his swordsmanship might have reached its peak.

One thing was certain, he would probably become an enemy I couldn’t defeat, judging by his notoriety twenty years later.

But…

‘Not today.’

I chanted the command.

After all, why do you think I’ve been holding back?

‘Transcendence.’

‘Eye of the Storm.’

The cooldown for my grab skill was over.

_____________________

The battle was simple.

Kwaaang, kwaaang!

Aura and the Demon Crusher, a Double Numbered Item, clashed repeatedly.

And…

‘Damn it, he’s good.’

…I felt a wall for the first time.

I had fought many opponents who were stronger than me, but this was my first time feeling this way about someone’s martial arts.

Slash!

My skin was cut open in an instant.

His sword moved like a snake, and sometimes it was as hard as steel.

And not only that…

His swordsmanship had form and rhythm, even to my untrained eyes.

Even knights, when pushed into a brawl, would rely on instinct and momentary judgments…

Slash!

…but he was different.

The wounds on my body piled up.

They were appearing faster than my Natural Regeneration could heal them.

But I hadn’t received any fatal blows yet.

It wasn’t because I was good at dodging, but because I was constantly using potions.

Sizzle!

The deep cuts bubbled as flesh regrew.

I stepped back after briefly checking my condition.

And…

‘Transcendence.’

‘Eye of the Storm.’

I used my grab skill, which was off cooldown.

But the situation was similar.

As if proving that he had only been caught off guard because he didn’t know about it, he didn’t panic at all and swung his sword, using the momentum.

Whoosh!

Damn it, his timing is perfect now.

I should probably just seal this grab skill.

Tadat.

I retreated again to avoid his sword.

And he stepped on the ceiling and closed the distance, asking,

“Who are you?”

Kwaaang!

“You’re with that woman.”

Kwaaang!

“So you’re also from the royal family?”

Geez, he’s so talkative.

I was annoyed by his constant chatter, but I was also curious.

‘From the royal family? Why is he suddenly mentioning the royal family?’

Well, it wasn’t strange for him to misunderstand.

The royal family and the Lord’s forces were attacking Orculus.

But what I was really curious about was this:

‘What’s going to happen now?’

I didn’t even consider killing him here.

After all, he was supposed to appear in front of Amelia soon.

But…

‘I might not be able to win, but I don’t think I’ll lose either.’

I felt like I could hold him off for hours if I wanted to.

Well, I couldn’t be sure…

‘Huh?’

That’s when…

…it happened.

Like the saying, ‘be careful what you wish for’.

Splash.

I heard footsteps from afar.

And at the same time…

…we both looked towards the sound.

Someone was there.

‘Damn it.’

It was someone I knew.

And it seemed like Liuhen Praha also knew him.

“…Jerome Saintred.”

The silver-haired knight on the other side of the passage also spoke as soon as Liuhen Praha muttered his name.

“Ricardo Liuhen Praha.”

It wasn’t a friendly greeting.

Their voices and gazes were filled with hatred and killing intent.

Well, it was only natural for the ‘Traitor’ who wanted to kill the King and the protector of the royal family to meet.

I quickly assessed the situation.

‘Okay, I have to run while they’re fighting.’

The Knight of Light must have followed me here, but I might be able to turn this crisis into an opportunity since they were enemies.

That’s when, as I was looking for a chance to escape…

…someone was faster than me.

“Two.”

Liuhen Praha muttered a single word.

And…

“…Huh?”

…he started running towards a side passage.

I realized what ‘two’ meant as soon as I saw him run.

‘…Damn it, this is happening?’

He thought I was on the Knight of Light’s side.

_______________________

It was a mistake caused by the fact that I hadn’t cleared up his misunderstanding that I was from the royal family.

Well, even I would have been hesitant to fight a 2v1 in this situation.

I could understand his reasoning.

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

‘Ah… I have to run too.’

I quickly came to my senses and started running after Liuhen Praha.

And I prayed inwardly.

‘Please, please, please…’

Please follow him, not me.

He’s the one who wants to kill your King.

Tadat.

I heard footsteps behind me as soon as I started running.

It seemed like he had made his decision…

Splash.

Damn it.

There’s no way it would be this easy.

Splash, splash!

He was following me.

He must have judged that retrieving the Fragment of Records from me was more important than chasing the ‘Traitor’.

Or maybe he was still holding a grudge from earlier.

Flash!

He used [Gate of Light] and blocked my path as soon as Liuhen Praha escaped and [Flameless Spirit] was deactivated.

He looked different from before.

‘What the… why is he so angry…?’

The naive knight from before was gone, and he was glaring at me with a merciless gaze.

“Did you think you could get away with mocking me?”

Maybe this was my fault.

You know, like when you take the easy and fast path and then realize you’re surrounded by enemies.

Ah, of course, I wasn’t regretting it.

It was the fool who got tricked who was at fault.

“I’ll ask you one question before I punish you.”

He pointed his Aura-infused sword at me and continued,

“What’s your relationship with Liuhen Praha? Did he order you to steal the Fragment of Records?”

It was an ironic situation.

Liuhen Praha thought I was on his side, and this guy thought I was on Liuhen Praha’s side.

I felt like a shrimp caught between two whales… but what could I do?

I had to try and wiggle out of this somehow.

So, in that sense…

“Right, you figured it out.”

I agreed instead of clearing up the misunderstanding.

It would be more helpful for now.

His eyes trembled as I nodded.

“Don’t tell me, you’ve already given it to him?”

“Well.”

I had learned something while wearing the Lion mask.

The key to lying is to convince yourself.

“What do you think?”

I shrugged, as if telling him to use his imagination, and he started struggling.

“…So that’s why you split up and ran away.”

“You’re not called the Knight of Light for nothing. You’re sharp.”

He bit his lip as I complimented him at the right time.

I tried to keep a straight face.

And I added the final touch.

“I won’t let you go to the Captain. Attack me.”

I expressed my willingness to buy time for the greater cause.

But it was a meaningless gesture in front of Jerome.

He could just use [Gate of Light] to pass me.

And that was actually what I was hoping for—

“Keuh…”

What the hell, why is he laughing?

Did he lose his mind?

He stopped laughing and stared at me as I frowned.

“I almost fell for it again.”

“…What?”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re telling the truth or not. I can just kill you and find out.”

“But if you do that, you’ll be late—”

“It doesn’t matter. To reach your destination by taking the right path, not by being greedy.”

He looked at me and said grandly,

“That’s the way of a knight.”

It seemed like he had found his own way of surviving in a world full of deceivers.

‘…So we have to fight.’

I quietly raised my hammer.

He wouldn’t be swayed by words.

“…….”

“…….”

A tense silence followed.

We were both about to attack.

That’s when I heard an old man’s laughter from behind.

“Haha…”

I couldn’t turn around to check because Jerome was in front of me.

But I could tell who it was.

“You’re quite the deceiver.”

Auril Gabis.

But could it be that Jerome had never met him?

“…Reveal your identity, old man.”

The silver-haired knight spoke authoritatively.

That’s when…

“You’re rude.”

…Auril Gabis’ voice echoed through the sewer.

“…Ugh!”

Jerome, the Knight of Light, clutched his throat.

His expression was pained, as if he couldn’t breathe.

His gaze was fixed on something behind me, his eyes filled with shock.

“Wh, who… are you…?”

“You’re not worth my time.”

“Ugh…!”

“Disappear.”

The moment Auril Gabis finished speaking in a flat voice, Jerome’s body went limp.

I felt a chill run down my spine.

…Don’t tell me, he’s dead?

He killed the strongest knight of the royal family that easily, like a fly?

A voice came from behind me, as if to answer my question.

“He’s not dead. He’ll probably wake up at the royal palace.”

Ah, is he talking about that essence?

I dismissed the thought and slowly turned around.

“You’re finally looking at me.”

The old man’s kind smile was unsettling. His lips were curved upwards, but his eyes weren’t.

‘…Just how much does he know?’

Auril Gabis opened his mouth as I gulped nervously.

“The barbarian you mentioned. Bjorn, son of Thor.”

“…….”

“I asked around in the city, and a kind young man told me about him. He said he always wears a thick helmet that covers his face, so he’s called Iron Mask.”

“…….”

“Just like you.”

Right, he knew everything.

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

Chapter 327: Ouroboros (2)

It was like a monster losing its life.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

Jerome’s body, limp on the surface of the sewer water, shattered into fine particles of light and scattered.

A few items remained, but most were worthless. Expensive-looking equipment like his sword and armor had all vanished, enveloped in light.

‘It must be Eblus…’

I had a hunch about the essence.

But that wasn’t important right now.

“…….”

“…….”

A silence filled the air, only the sound of the flowing sewer water remaining.

Auril Gabis, who had been smiling vacantly as if paralyzed, finally spoke.

“I’ll ask you again. Are you an evil spirit?”

It wasn’t a question, but a final confirmation.

Well, after coming all the way here, he must have been certain that the 6th-grade explorer Nibels Enche, who couldn’t be found in the city, was ‘Iron Mask’.

‘He’s asking because he wants to hear it from me directly…’

I activated Barbarian Confucianism Mode and spoke, having witnessed him incapacitate the strongest knight of the royal family with a single gesture.

“An evil spirit, sir? I don’t know what you’re misunderstanding, but I’m not.”

Auril Gabis scoffed at my polite tone.

“That’s a lie.”

Damn it, so he can use his lie detector here too.

I was expecting it, but I felt a bit bitter when my attempt failed.

But I didn’t have time to be frustrated.

This wasn’t the community.

Things could get physical.

Therefore…

“Huhu, as expected, I can’t fool you. You’re amazing.”

…I quickly changed my strategy.

I decided to admit what I had to admit since continuing to lie would only make him suspicious.

“Yes, I’m the person you’re looking for. I was so flustered to see you outside that I couldn’t tell you the truth.”

“Flustered…”

“Yes, flustered. And I didn’t exactly lie, did I?”

Auril Gabis chuckled at my bold question.

“Haha, well… you’re right, you didn’t ‘lie’.”

That’s right. I didn’t lie back then.

He asked me about the situation in the city.

And I answered that the Lord had joined forces with the royal family and ambushed Orculus.

He asked if a barbarian had entered the city about five or six months ago.

I answered yes.

And when he asked for the barbarian’s name, I kindly told him ‘Bjorn, son of Thor’.

“Yes, I couldn’t lie to you… but…”

“But you see…”

“…Yes?”

“Do you know that it’s much more insulting to be deceived like that than to be lied to?”

“Ah…”

He was right.

There were ways to counter it, but…

“…I apologize.”

I apologized first.

“I have a mental illness.”

And then I gave him a reason.

“…Mental illness?”

“Yes. I keep lying to people against my will because of it. Damn it, I shouldn’t be living like this…”

It was a kind of blame shifting.

If the environment was the reason I was like this, then he was the one who put me in this environment.

“Haha…”

Auril Gabis chuckled awkwardly, having become the main culprit.

But at least he was smiling this time.

It seemed like he also found the situation amusing, seeing me acting so boldly.

Okay, then the atmosphere had softened a bit…

“But did you come here because of me?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm, I don’t feel good about you investigating me like this…”

Auril Gabis coughed awkwardly as I hinted that I was uncomfortable.

“Ahem, but I wouldn’t have been able to meet you otherwise.”

“Huh? Ah… right. Why did the community suddenly close? I thought you might have banned me.”

“Ah, about that, there was a situation.”

“Situation?”

“There was interference from the royal family. I’ve recovered it to some extent now.”

“Oh, so we can meet there again next month?”

“No, that’s not the case. I handed over ownership to a friend recently. You might not be able to see me anymore.”

“A friend… are you talking about the GM?”

“Probably.”

I was curious and asked who the GM was, but Auril Gabis didn’t answer.

It felt like a secret he couldn’t tell me.

Or rather, he seemed sulky.

“Well, there’s no reason to keep it a secret… but try to figure it out yourself.”

“Yes?”

“If you just see me as someone to trade information with, I have no choice, do I?”

“Ah, yes…”

Geez, he’s sulking over this? He’s over 300 years old, and he’s acting like a child.

“But how long are you going to keep using that tone?”

“Yes?”

“You were calling me ‘you’ and everything back there. It’s awkward hearing you speak so formally.”

“Haha, come on. It was just a concept.”

“Concept?”

“Yes, like another character. A weakling’s struggle to not be underestimated. I wouldn’t dare to be disrespectful to you.”

“Hmm, I don’t really understand, but I think I get it.”

Auril Gabis nodded quietly.

And a brief silence followed.

He spoke after a while.

“Anyway, the reason I came looking for you is because I wanted to try and start over.”

It sounded like a cheesy line from a romance movie.

“…Yes?”

The old man quickly explained as I couldn’t hide my confusion.

“I want to be on good terms with you. I’m sure we can be helpful to each other, so it’s frustrating to just keep going in circles.”

“Ah…”

“So I brought a gift.”

“Gift…?”

I couldn’t help but flinch at that word.

I was both excited and worried.

I couldn’t read his intentions.

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing bad.”

“Can you tell me more?”

“As you know, I want you to open the Gate of the Abyss. So although I called it a gift, it’s also for me.”

Damn it, why is he so long-winded?

“I see. So?”

“It’s an ability that will be very helpful for you to hide your identity.”

Auril Gabis then briefly explained the ‘gift’. To summarize, he was going to use his power to give me a permanent buff.

“So, if I receive it, I won’t be affected by ‘Verification’ magic or interrogation items like ‘Distorted Trust’, right?”

“That’s right. It’s like a protective barrier on your body, so it won’t work when your mind is exposed.”

“When my mind is exposed?”

“For example, that place you’re summoned to every month.”

Ah, so it doesn’t work in the spiritual world.

Then I wouldn’t be able to just lie at the Round Table.

“So, how is it? My gift?”

I briefly contemplated.

It was definitely a very helpful ability.

He said it himself, so I wouldn’t be affected by things like ‘Distorted Trust’ after receiving this gift.

But…

‘I feel like he’s going to do something sneaky.’

I don’t know much about magic.

If Auril Gabis planted a tracking virus or something along with the gift, I wouldn’t be able to find and remove it.

And the problem was…

‘I can’t refuse.’

He was the old man who incapacitated the strongest knight of the royal family with a single gesture.

In other words, if he had any ill intentions towards me, he could force it on me.

“Okay. Then can you do it now?”

“Actually… I already did. As soon as we met in the sewers.”

“Huh? But I didn’t feel anything…”

“That’s my specialty.”

Ah, I see.

So I never had a choice from the beginning.

‘Damn it, this is annoying.’

No wonder he was speaking in the past tense.

______________________

After the ‘gift’ conversation ended…

…Auril Gabis said firmly,

“I’m telling you this beforehand, but I’m not planning to control you forcefully.”

That was good news.

Although I didn’t know how long it would last, it was better than him threatening me with magic.

“As expected of you. I respect you.”

“Haha, well…”

I said something flattering, and the old man chuckled humbly, but we both knew it was all an act.

But hypocrisy is also a form of courtesy in social life.

I chuckled and organized my thoughts.

I had two options now.

1. “Haha, it was nice meeting you. You said you wouldn’t control me forcefully, right? Then I have something to do, so I’ll be going… Please take care of yourself!”

To somehow shake off Auril Gabis and go save Amelia.

And…

2. Exploit the old man.

To accept Auril Gabis’ help.

It didn’t take long for me to make a decision.

I tried to avoid him, but we had met again.

And I couldn’t secretly get rid of him.

He would definitely follow me, even if I chose option 1.

‘And that Iron Mask would probably come off if he wanted it to… and it would be child’s play for him to find out my name.’

If I had to give in anyway, it was more rational to get something in return.

‘I might as well milk him for all he’s worth.’

I made up my mind and then spoke cautiously.

“Um… sir.”

“Ah, go ahead.”

“Can I ask you a favor? I’ll tell you my face and name if you do this for me.”

“Your face and name…?”

“Yes, you’ve always been curious, haven’t you?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Let’s work together.”

Auril Gabis didn’t answer my suggestion.

He just stared at me.

With a look that said, ‘What trick are you trying to pull now?’

_____________________

Meanwhile…

Amelia, who was running through the sewers with her sister, stopped.

“Wh, why did you suddenly stop…?”

She couldn’t sense anyone nearby.

But one of her abilities had been deactivated.

In other words…

“He’s here.”

The Traitor, Ricardo Liuhen Praha, was nearby.

‘As expected…’

She wondered what had happened to Yandel, who was fighting him.

But Amelia dismissed her worry.

She had said she would believe him.

And that wasn’t what she should be worried about right now.

“You mean…”

Laura flinched at Amelia’s mutter.

She had told them that Ricardo Liuhen Praha was after her when they asked about her severed arm.

“Right, it’s him.”

The two girls trembled as Amelia confirmed it. They remembered him slaughtering hundreds of explorers a few hours ago.

“Amelia, Laura.”

“…Ye, yes!”

“Listen carefully. We’re almost there.”

Amelia briefly explained the way to the city.

“Go, I’ll hold him off.”

The sisters’ reactions were different.

“Why are you doing this for us…?”

Her younger self was flustered.

She seemed to be worried about Amelia being left alone.

But her sister, Laura, was different.

“Amelia, come here.”

“Bu, but…”

“Now!”

She grabbed her sister’s hand and ran towards the passage, despite her questions and gratitude.

Laura had…

…one thing that was more important than her personal feelings.

“…….”

Amelia watched them leave.

She didn’t even have to close her eyes, the memory was vivid.

The end of that dark passage.

The memory she had experienced there.

Could she really change the past?

She didn’t know yet.

But…

“Those are precious children to you, aren’t they?”

A man’s low voice echoed softly.

“That’s good.”

Amelia turned her head, and Ricardo Liuhen Praha was smiling.

“I can show you what it feels like to lose something.”

Amelia tightened her grip on her dagger.

Trial

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

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