Surviving The Game as a Barbarian (Novel) Chapter 301, 302, 303

   

C301, 302 , 303

Chapter 301: Evil Spirit (5)

“Bjorn! I just watched from the back, but it was a fun exploration! Let’s meet again if we have the chance!”

“……Okay.”

After a brief farewell, Kalton’s group left the rift. So it was time for us to focus on what we had to do.

“Let’s go. We don’t know what else there is!”

“……You’re planning to just wander around and search?”

No, I was planning to pretend to wander around and find everything I wanted.

“Follow me. I know a few things.”

Oh, if you say so.

I followed Amelia, the experienced player, and we moved in reverse order, exiting the boss room.

And we found two hidden elements.

‘Fragment of Earth’, which increased Earth Resistance and Physical Resistance by 1.

And ‘Book of Souls’, which gave 3 additional experience points.

For reference, Amelia had already taken them when she came here before, so I took them all, and that was the end of our hidden piece exploration in the Hundred Colors Temple.

Because those were the only useful potions.

The rest had to be ‘distorted’ to be taken out and sold.

‘Then we got everything…’

“Amelia, how about we stay here for a bit before leaving?”

“Why?”

“Honestly, I’m tired after sleeping for only three hours every day. How about we take a nap here?”

“…….”

Amelia looked at me with a dissatisfied expression.

I knew what she was thinking.

It was already late, and the labyrinth would be closing tomorrow, so why did we have to rest now?

‘Tsk, we already achieved our goal, why is she so greedy?’

But complaining wasn’t my style, so I gave her a rational reason.

“My head is a mess, so I need some time to think.”

“Ah……”

Amelia seemed to understand and then readily agreed.

“Alright. I’ll rest and then we’ll leave, so tell me when you’re ready.”

She’s kind in this aspect.

“Thank you, Amelia.”

“…Just rest.”

Amelia then took out her sleeping bag and lay down, and I sat down about three meters away from her.

And I started calculating.

‘Let’s see…’

I had gained 156 experience points from first-time kills in the Hundred Colors Temple.

And if I added the High-Grade Variant kill bonus of 1, the Guardian kill bonus of 3, and the 3 from the Book of Souls, it was a total of 163.

Of course, it was still far from level 7.

But…

‘I might even reach level 7 in the mid to late stages of the 6th floor.’

There was no denying that my character was nearing completion.

I had also obtained the Demon Crusher.

‘How can I take this back…?’

I was thinking about that when…

“Yandel, I have a question.”

“Ah! You’re talking about that Numbered Item? I, I don’t know what it is, but I like the weight, so I’m going to use it—”

“It’s a different question.”

Oh, it’s not that?

I was worried she was going to suggest splitting the profits.

“Don’t you… want to change it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Yandel Jarku, your father.”

Ah, that…

Damn it, I was trying not to think about it.

“We might be able to save him.”

“How can we save him when we don’t even know how he died or when he died? We only know that he died when I was young.”

“If you want, I can go up to the city and help after I’m done here—”

“No.”

I cut Amelia off and said firmly,

“I don’t want that.”

“…Why?”

Amelia asked, genuinely curious.

Well, I must seem strange to her.

She didn’t know I was an evil spirit.

And…

“If it could be changed that easily, it would have already changed when we met here.”

The future doesn’t change.

It seemed like Amelia also felt that to some extent.

But the weight of that realization was different for me, who had heard it from Auril Gabis and confirmed it with Raven and Dwarkey.

“What do you mean it doesn’t change?”

Amelia sat up and asked.

I hesitated for a moment and then told her honestly.

About how I had tried to change Dwarkey and Raven’s futures, but failed.

“There’s no way…”

Amelia bit her lip and tried to deny it, and I just asked her directly.

“Amelia, you also knew, didn’t you?”

“Knew…?”

“What else could it be? You were surprised when you saw ‘Nibels Enche’s’ name, and you had that look in your eyes when I came here wearing this helmet.”

“That’s…”

“You knew, didn’t you? That the past wouldn’t change no matter what we did. No, that it happened that way because we were there.”

“…….”

Amelia didn’t answer.

She just clenched her fists and endured something.

She finally spoke after a moment of silence.

“…So you’re giving up? Even though you might be able to save your family.”

Her tone was the same as usual, but there was a hint of aggression in her voice.

So did I respond a bit defensively?

“He’s a father I’ve never even met.”

“So you’re saying you don’t care enough?”

“…Yes.”

“I see.”

Amelia seemed to understand, but she clicked her tongue.

She seemed disappointed in me.

Damn it, I shouldn’t have brought this up.

I thought we were getting closer, but I ruined it all.

“…….”

“…….”

We then rested in silence.

And after about five hours…

…I woke up from a nap and suggested we leave. It would be better to do something than to just lie here on pins and needles.

But…

“Wait, can we stop by that place?”

“Do what you want.”

I approached the hut behind us after returning to the boss room to use the portal.

It was out of pure curiosity.

In the game, it was just a background object that you couldn’t enter…

‘Oh, the door opens.’

…but I entered the hut.

And I felt a strong sense of familiarity.

A bookshelf, a table, a carpet, a fireplace.

There was nothing special about the interior.

It was just an ordinary hut.

But the size, the structure, the arrangement of furniture…

‘It’s exactly the same…’

One place came to mind without even having to look around.

The Witch’s Hut, the only safe zone in the 3rd-floor Witch’s Forest.

The place where I had rested with Misha and offered a human sacrifice, which led to the summoning of the Lord of Chaos.

“You can search if you want, but we didn’t find anything like Gavrilius’ Arrangement when we searched it before.”

I quickly came out after briefly checking the books on the bookshelf.

Ah, they were all blank.

The titles were written in the ancient language, so I couldn’t read them.

Hmm, would Raven be able to find something if I brought her here later?

“Let’s go if you’re ready.”

“Ah, just in case, I’ll go first.”

“…….”

We then stood in front of the portal.

It would take us back to the place where we first entered the rift.

Thud.

I stepped into the portal first, as the tank.

Swaaaaaaaaaa.

The portal’s light enveloped me, and my vision flashed.

And my vision slowly returned.

But what the hell is this?

“Phew! You’re finally out!”

A group of explorers were standing there.

As if they had been waiting for us.

“Yeah, a Numbered Item dropped—”

We both flinched as we saw each other.

“Huh? Iron Mask?”

It was Bek’s team, the looters who were part of the Lord’s faction.

“Ha, this is interesting. I didn’t expect you guys to be the ones who met those three inside.”

“Three…?”

I unconsciously followed Bek’s gaze and froze.

Beeeeeeeep.

I could hear a ringing in my ears.
__________________________

What is this?

My mind went blank for a moment, but my brain quickly processed the visual information.

Kalton Drek.

Aimburn Berta Garcia.

And Yandel, the third son of Jarku.

The bodies of those three, who had left through the portal a few hours ago, were lying on the ground.

And it wasn’t just those three.

There were two more bodies.

I could guess who they were.

[This is bad! Lemud and Hans didn’t get in!!]

They were probably the two who were waiting outside.

Then how did this happen?

“…Bjorn.”

Amelia, who had also come out, grabbed my wrist, as if sensing the situation.

Is she telling me to hold back?

Hmm, it seemed like it…

Beeeeeeeep.

Ugh, it’s so loud.

I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them again, trying to regain my composure.

Everything was still there.

“It seems like we’re fated, meeting for the second time during this expedition!”

Bek got up from the corpse he had been sitting on.

Amelia asked him,

“…Why are you here?”

“Well, we were looking around after the rift opened, and then we saw these two.”

Bek nudged the bodies of Lemud and Hans with his foot and continued,

“We caught them and asked them some questions, and they said their three companions had gone inside. So we waited, and then those three came out.”

He shrugged, omitting the rest, and Amelia didn’t ask any further questions.

It was obvious.

They killed those three and extracted the information they needed.

Like how the Guardian dropped a ‘Numbered Item’ at the end.

Beeeeeeeep.

Amelia and Bek were talking.

I couldn’t hear them properly because it was so noisy.

So I just thought blankly.

[Ah, is it difficult for humans? Just call me Yandel Jarku!]

I knew he would die.

But I didn’t know it would be because of me.

‘If it weren’t for me…’

Yandel Jarku would have entered the rift with his teammates.

So they wouldn’t have been waiting outside and caught by these bastards.

And as a result…

He…

No, they wouldn’t have died.

They would have continued their journey.

And maybe…

[Huhu, he’ll definitely become a great warrior. The child who inherited my and her blood—]

…he would have been able to see his son grow up. No, maybe he would have even entered the labyrinth with him after he became an adult.

‘If it weren’t for me…’

Bjorn Yandel wouldn’t have been possessed by an evil spirit.

Beeeeeeeep.

The ringing in my ears intensified.

It was a kind of defense mechanism.

To help me ignore the voice inside my head.

A coward’s sound.

Clench.

My hand clenched into a fist, but I felt blood rushing to my head.

Beeeeeeeep.

‘If it weren’t for me…’

Dwarkey wouldn’t have died.

Even if he became an explorer, he wouldn’t have gone to that dangerous place on the 4th floor.

Beeeeeeeep.

‘If I hadn’t come here…’

Dwarkey’s love might have come true.

Maybe they would have met as companions and healed each other.

‘I…’

Maybe.

What if.

Yeah, if it weren’t for me.

Beeeeeeeep.

My ears, no, my head was throbbing.

“Hey, why is Iron Mask so quiet?”

“Bjorn.”

Like a homework assignment I had been putting off.

That emotions are just emotions.

“Bjorn, snap out of it.”

Countless emotions, which I had been suppressing and ignoring, overwhelmed me.

I had to do something.

For myself, not for anyone else, because I knew it was just hypocrisy.

I opened my mouth.

“Amelia.”

Her real name, not her alias, ‘Emily’.

Did she understand?

“They’re from the Lord’s faction. Endure it.”

Amelia’s grip on my wrist tightened.

But it was meaningless.

Thud.

You’re an agility character.

“Bjorn…”

I shook Amelia off and stepped forward, and Bek chuckled.

“Huhu, it seems like Iron Mask is angry. Did I even ask for it? I just wanted to see what you got. We waited for a long time.”

I didn’t hear their conversation properly, but I understood the context.

Right, you’re curious about this?

Clank.

I took out the hammer from my subspace pocket.

No. 87 Kraul’s Demon Crusher.

“A hammer? There’s something like this among Numbered Items…?”

Bek trailed off.

And his expression changed.

“Wa, wait a minute. Can I see it closer? I think I know what that is.”

“Go ahead.”

I took a step closer, and Bek also cautiously took a step forward.

And when we were at a suitable distance…

“It, it really is that item! Did that really drop?”

“Yes.”

I’m glad your curiosity is satisfied.

Thwack!

Now die.


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


Chapter 302: Evil Spirit (6)

Thwack!

The moment I smashed Bek’s shiny head with the Demon Crusher with all my might…

Psssh!

…his skull and scalp exploded simultaneously, and blood spurted from every orifice.

A successful surprise attack.

But as expected of seasoned veterans, they reacted quickly even after their leader’s head was smashed.

Tadat.

The archer retreated.

“You crazy bastard!”

And the melee attackers rushed towards me, blocking my left and right flanks.

They’re like cockroaches.

Whooosh!

I activated [Gigantification] and swung my hammer at the shield warrior in front of me.

Surprisingly, he didn’t dodge.

He just raised his shield and shouted,

“Stab him!”

Right, he’s telling them to stab me in the sides while he’s blocking my attack.

I glanced at his shield. It looked pretty good.

‘Adamantium.’

It seemed like he was relying on his expensive shield…

But there are much better items in the world.

‘Don’t struggle.’

The hammer and shield collided, and an explosion occurred.

Kwaaang!

His shield was slightly dented, but it was still intact.

But…

Kwagic!

…the shield warrior was bleeding from every orifice, like a punctured can of soda.

Because I didn’t use [Swing] earlier.

I couldn’t even see the Double Numbered Item’s effect.

500% damage increase and 50% Soul Power consumption reduction when using a blunt weapon skill.

And 50% armor penetration bonus on downward strikes.

Thud.

He collapsed to the ground, his eyes bulging from the pressure.

Then it was time for the next one.

Swoosh.

I shifted my gaze towards my third target, and he retreated.

The archer behind him did the same.

Are they trying to run away?

That’s funny.

I had no intention of letting them go.

‘Transcendence.’

I quickly chanted the command.

‘Eye of the Storm.’

The active skill I obtained from Stormgush.

Kaboom!

I stomped on the ground, and a whirlpool started to swirl.

It was different from the one Stormgush used.

It was the effect of [Transcendence].

Whooosh!

[Eye of the Storm] no longer pulled in enemies within a 5-meter radius.

Instead…

…it targeted a single person within a 20-meter radius.

And dragged them towards me.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

Just like this.

Kwagic!

Okay, three down.

But I wasn’t satisfied. I looked at the last target, the fleeing archer.

I was planning to use [Leap] to chase him if he got too far…

But…

Thud.

…Amelia had already caught up and finished him off.

She’s a rational woman.

She probably judged that it was best to kill them all and silence them since the incident had already happened.

“Ah, uh, uh, sp, spare…”

Thwack!

Amelia approached me after knocking the archer’s companion, Zencia, unconscious.

And she said briefly,

“That was foolish.”

“Because they’re from the Lord’s faction?”

“No, because now we have to kill this kid too.”

…Is that how it works?

But she was alive back then.

“There were many opportunities to kill her. I would have killed her eventually, even if you didn’t.”

“…You would have?”

“I’m also responsible.”

Responsible…

Ah, I don’t know.

My head is a mess.

Beeeeeeeep.

The ringing in my ears continued, even though I had killed them all.

I felt even more suffocated.

“Why did you do that? You said you didn’t even know your father.”

That was true.

And I knew.

That no matter how many people I killed, it wouldn’t bring him back.

That it would be hypocrisy.

But…

“Just…”

I couldn’t explain it.

“I just… felt like it.”

“…I see.”

Amelia didn’t get angry.

She just looked at me.

“…….”

I averted my gaze.

I saw Yandel Jarku’s body.

His corpse, which seemed to have been treated like a toy, was covered in injuries.

Clench.

I clenched my fists.

I remembered our brief conversation in the rift.

[Bjorn, have children as soon as possible. It’s sad to leave nothing behind in this world.]

[…Really?]

[Yeah, I didn’t know until I had a child.]

Jarku said.

That a child who shared his blood was like another him.

That it was a mystical experience.

That he had a new desire, even stronger than his desire to become a great warrior.

[Huhu, he’ll definitely become a great warrior.]

So I ran away.

[Stop!]

[Huh?]

[I, I’ll be going now…]

I realized it at his words.

That even if I lived as Bjorn Yandel, saved countless lives, and became a hero in the city…

‘I wouldn’t be forgiven.’

Even if it wasn’t what I wanted.

Clench.

The truth doesn’t change.

I was an evil spirit.

The one who stole the only precious legacy of this barbarian warrior.
_________________________

“You seem to have calmed down.”

Amelia spoke as I was staring blankly at Yandel Jarku’s body.

She wasn’t wrong.

Time heals all wounds?

The ringing in my ears had subsided, and my trembling had stopped.

It was time to think about how to clean up this mess.

I looked at the unconscious Zencia and spoke.

“…Do we really have to kill her?”

“Is there another option? The Lord will find out what we did if she returns alive.”

Damn it.

Amelia asked as I sighed in frustration,

“Is there a reason why we shouldn’t kill her?”

“She’s still… young.”

I felt conflicted even as I said that.

Why was I trying to find a way not to kill her?

I knew the future.

This child would live a hellish life and then be possessed by an evil spirit when she became an adult.

So wouldn’t it be better for her to…

‘Damn it.’

I cursed.

What the hell am I thinking?

That it wouldn’t change anything if I killed her now since she would die eventually anyway? That I could prove Auril Gabis wrong by killing her?

I shook my head firmly.

“…We can’t kill her. Let’s find another way.”

“That’s not like you.”

“What do you know about me?”

You don’t even know I’m an evil spirit.

I snapped at her, but I also agreed inwardly.

I would have made a different choice if it were my usual self.

But…

‘At least today…’

…I didn’t want to.

It had been a tough day.

Even if this decision meant surrendering to fate, I couldn’t handle any more.

Therefore…

“You’re right. I misjudged you. I didn’t know you were this weak. If you can’t do it, I’ll—”

“Stop.”

I grabbed Amelia’s wrist.

“…You should let go.”

“Didn’t you say we should find another way?”

“Another way? There’s no more certain way than this.”

Ugh, this woman…

So she’s saying we should think about it together…

‘Ah, right, that!’

I quickly spoke as I thought of a solution.

“Right, the Memory Erasure Pill! The one made by Noark’s alchemist! We can erase her memories with that! You’re from the Lord’s faction, right? You might have it!”

I said it excitedly, like Archimedes shouting ‘Eureka!’, but Amelia just scoffed.

“It’s still in its early stages of development. There’s no way they would have something that precious.”

“But we should at least look for it!”

“…Fine, if you won’t give up until you see it yourself.”

Amelia then shook off my hand.

“And don’t ever grab my arm without permission again.”

Geez, she’s sensitive.

Amelia then approached the corpses and started looting.

Okay, I bought some time to think, whether the Memory Erasure Pill appeared or not—

‘Ah, wait a minute.’

I belatedly realized my mistake.

It seemed like Amelia hadn’t noticed…

‘Damn it.’

Ha, was I that out of it?

I would never have made this mistake if I were my usual self.

‘…I’ll just try to fix it later when she mentions it.’

I squatted down and started looting, checking the backpacks.

And I continued to think about what to do if the Memory Erasure Pill didn’t appear.

That’s when…

“…We’re lucky. I can’t believe they have this at this time.”

…a pill appeared from one of the backpacks.
________________________

Things went smoothly after the pill appeared.

Amelia quickly fed it to Zencia, and we waited for her to regain consciousness.

And after some time…

“Ugh, ugh! What, what the…!”

Zencia, whose hands and feet were tied and who was blindfolded, regained consciousness, and we quietly observed her reaction from a distance.

It was an early version of the pill, so there might be side effects.

“Bek! Bek! Help me!”

It seemed like her memories had been erased, judging by how she was calling for the dead Bek.

Then how much had been erased?

We were able to get the information we wanted from Zencia, who was muttering to herself.

“She doesn’t remember anything from the moment she entered the Crystal Cave. It seems like it’s much more potent than the mass-produced version, maybe because it’s an early version.”

Amelia then knocked Zencia unconscious again and fed her a sleeping pill to prevent her from waking up.

That settled the issue for now.

“The labyrinth will be closing soon, so we just have to stay with her for a few hours.”

We moved to another location and waited with the sleeping Zencia.

We couldn’t just leave her alone in the labyrinth.

When the labyrinth closed, she would be found by the Lord’s faction.

They would try to find out what happened, but she wouldn’t remember anything.

“…Amelia, I’m sorry about earlier.”

I apologized while we were waiting, but Amelia just ignored me.

And after some time…

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

…the labyrinth closed.

But unlike usual, we weren’t greeted by warm sunlight or a refreshing breeze.

Only the gloomy underground city awaited us.

“We’re back.”

The Dimensional Plaza in the western part of the Lord’s Castle.

This was where Noark differed from Lafdonia.

On the surface, you had to go through the checkpoint and exchange your magic stones when the labyrinth closed, but here, it was up to you.

“Let’s go get a drink!”

“Hey, isn’t that the kid from Bek’s gang? Why is she alone? Did the others die inside?”

“That’s good news for Iron Tooth. He had a grudge against Bek.”

The explorers who came out to the plaza dispersed, and it soon became deserted. Zencia, who was lying in the distance, was also found by the Lord’s faction and taken away.

“Let’s go too.”

“Ah, right…”

We also left the plaza and headed towards one place.

[Melta Trading Company]

The only trading company in Noark, and the place where the looters of the underground usually sold their loot.

Unlike the magic stone exchange, which had a short line, the Melta Trading Company branch was crowded. After all, magic stones were currency here, so there was no need to exchange them.

And I heard that the magic stone exchange didn’t even give you money, they just exchanged them for food or other items.

“Hmm, Iron Mask and Emily. The most famous people these days.”

We took out all the equipment we had been storing as soon as it was our turn.

Ah, for reference, we excluded Bek’s equipment.

It would be obvious that we killed them if we showed them that.

“…You obtained all of this during this expedition?”

The employee’s eyes widened as we emptied our backpacks.

Even though looters were rampant in Noark, it wasn’t common to see someone with this much loot.

“This will take some time. Can you wait?”

The employee then called a few more appraisers, and they all started working.

And after about ten minutes, we received the appraisal.

21 4th-grade magic stones.

1 5th-grade magic stone.

And 7 7th-grade magic stones.

Damn it, I don’t even know how much that is.

“How much is that in Lafdonia?”

“Ah, you might not know since it’s your first time in Noark. Based on last month’s exchange rate, it’s a total of 21,570,000 stones.”

I had heard it from Amelia, but these guys are truly robbers.

Even though it was all low-grade equipment, and we didn’t even show them the subspace pockets or expandable backpacks.

“It would be worth over 70 million stones on the surface.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Geez, that tone.

“Whatever. Emily, let’s go.”

“You’re not selling it?”

“No, I’m not giving it away at this ridiculous price.”

“If you say so.”

We then took our equipment and left.

The employee didn’t even try to stop us.

He probably thought we would eventually sell it to them anyway.

“Then let’s go back to the inn.”

We left the trading company and returned to our inn. We washed up and then sat down facing each other and talked.

“We showed the looted equipment to the trading company, so the Lord will be interested in us, even without Bek’s report.”

That was the reason why we went to the trading company even though we weren’t planning to sell anything.

After all, the Lord practically owned the trading company.

He would definitely hear about the bloodstained equipment and ID cards, all the evidence of our looting.

“Then we just have to wait.”

“Yeah, for now.”

We talked about a few more things and then changed into our casual clothes and lay down on our beds.

“I’m going to sleep first. I’m tired.”

Of course, sleep didn’t come easily.

I was tossing and turning when…

“Are you asleep?”

…Amelia suddenly spoke.

“No, I’m not. Why?”

“I’m suddenly curious about something.”

Curious…

I had a hunch.

She was probably thinking about my ‘mistake’ from earlier.

“Go ahead.”

“How did you know about Amern’s Blessing?”

Oh, so that’s what it’s called.

I answered nonchalantly, pretending not to know.

“Ah, that? Didn’t you give it to me at the inn before?”

“But I didn’t say it was made by Noark’s alchemist.”

“I grabbed another explorer from Noark and asked him before killing him!”

“Hmm, I see. Right… I see…”

Wait, what’s with that tone?

I’m starting to feel uneasy—

“Barbarian, the name of that pill is Lethe’s Blessing. Not Amern’s Blessing.”

Huh?

“As expected.”

A shadow fell over my bed.

I subtly turned my head, and Amelia was standing there, looking down at me.

“You didn’t lose your memories back then.”

It was a checkmate.

She had realized my mistake back then, but she pretended not to know until I let my guard down…

How cunning.

I sighed and admitted it.

“Yeah, for some reason, I was fine.”

What could I do if the pill was defective?

I had hidden it back then because I thought she might try to kill me if she knew, but there was no need for that now.

Noark’s existence had already been revealed to the city.

‘What do I even have to hide now?’

It wasn’t something I should be worried about.

So I sat up and looked at Amelia, as if telling her to speak if she had something to say.

But then…

“…….”

…her gaze was strange.

It felt cold.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Amelia answered coldly,

“Only evil spirits don’t lose their memories after taking that pill, Bjorn Yandel.”

Ah, uh, hmm…

‘Damn it.’

I didn’t know that.


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

Chapter 303: Rainwales (1)

Noark doesn't reject evil spirits.

So unlike on the surface, there are quite a few people who live openly as evil spirits. In fact, judging by our previous conversations, even Amelia, who was born here, didn't seem to be hostile towards evil spirits.

However…

‘It would become a permanent weakness if I admitted it.’

Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit.

That sentence was my Achilles' heel.

A bomb that could destroy my social life and even threaten my life.

And Amelia now had the button to that bomb.

Of course, we were on good terms now…

‘But no one knows what will happen in the future.’

What if something happened and our relationship soured?

I wouldn’t be able to sleep properly, and even if there were no problems, it would still be a source of anxiety.

If she decided to use me, I would be treated like a slave.

Therefore…

“Amelia Rainwales, are you insulting me?”

I spoke in a low voice, like a growling beast.

Evil spirits don’t lose their memories?

It could be a made-up story to test me.

No, even if it was true that the pill had that characteristic, I had to make it seem like it was a defective product—

“What will you do if I am?”

“…Huh?”

I’ve never met someone this bold…

Amelia spoke before I could even recover from my shock.

“Are you going to attack me? Even though it will be more difficult to obtain the item the Lord is keeping without my help?”

“…Don’t test my patience.”

Amelia scoffed at my words.

“That just proves you’re not that angry. You would have already attacked me if you were. Like the other barbarians.”

“…….”

“Come to think of it, it was strange from the beginning. I told you to beg for your life on a warrior’s honor, and you didn’t even hesitate.”

“…….”

“And now you’re talking about insults? Don’t you think it’s a bit funny?”

Damn it, is this karma?

I was speechless.

So I had only one option left.

“You must be crazy to mock a barbarian.”

It was an ultimatum.

I knew I would be at a disadvantage if I hesitated any longer.

I was gathering my strength when…

“Why, are you really thinking of attacking me? Like you did to that Evil Spirit Hunter who came to see you?”

Huh?

She even knows about that?

“…You investigated me?”

“There were too many suspicious things about you. Not just me, but everyone must have done it. Well, they probably all dismissed their suspicions after you received a noble title.”

Amelia continued without giving me a chance to speak.

“But to think you’re really an evil spirit. You’re quite skilled. How did you even get a noble title? Even if the Secret Security Department cleared you, the royal family would have done their own investigation since it’s a title bestowal.”

Uh, there wasn’t an investigation.

But whatever, that’s good.

I could use this.

“Can’t you believe that I got it because I’m not an evil spirit?”

I said confidently, but Amelia immediately refuted me.

“Like I said, only evil spirits don’t lose their memories after taking that pill.”

“It was a defective—”

“That’s impossible.”

Is she being stubborn?

No matter how hard I tried to explain, she wouldn’t listen.

What should I do?

As I was contemplating, Amelia muttered something.

“…Hmm, now that I think about it, the royal family might have known and turned a blind eye. You were practically a hero in the city back then.”

Damn it, what is she talking about?

I wanted to know what she meant, but I held back, knowing that it would be the same as admitting it.

But did my expression betray me?

“You don’t seem to understand.”

“No, not at all. Why would I even be curious about that?”

Amelia chuckled at my denial.

“You’re still not going to admit it, are you?”

“Of course. I’m not an evil spirit.”

“Well, that’s like you. Whatever. It’s not like there’s no solution.”

Amelia then took out a disc the size of a compass from her subspace pocket.

It was an item I couldn’t not know.

‘Crazy, why is that here?’

No. 7234 Distorted Trust.

A consumable item that prevented anyone within a 10-meter radius from lying, and the one that caused all that chaos in the Doppelganger Forest.

“I didn’t see it when you were unpacking at the trading company.”

“I bought it separately when I was living in the city. I thought it might be useful in a city like this. I didn’t expect to use it on you first, though.”

Right, so she had already simulated how to use her cards against me.

“Judging by your expression, it seems like I don’t have to explain what this is. Well, an evil spirit would know, wouldn’t they?”

Click.

Amelia pressed the button on the top of ‘Distorted Trust’.

And she placed it on the nightstand between our beds.

Tick, tick, the second hand started moving.

“Bjorn Yandel, are you an evil spirit?”

Checkmate.
_______________________

A suffocating silence followed.

I desperately racked my brain.

‘…What should I do?’

It wasn’t about whether to reveal that I was an evil spirit or not.

That ship had already sailed when ‘Distorted Trust’ appeared.

‘It’s not a fake.’

Unfortunately, it was the real deal.

I had already tested it as soon as it was activated.

I couldn’t even say a lie like ‘I’m a woman’.

“Five minutes left.”

“…….”

“Are you just going to stay silent?”

The item that made silence itself an answer.

The fact that I was an evil spirit had already been proven.

Therefore, there was only one thing I was contemplating.

‘Should I kill her?’

It was my biggest secret, so even extreme measures seemed tempting.

But…

‘…Don’t be ridiculous.’

I dismissed the thought.

It was impossible to kill her in the first place.

Honestly, it wasn’t like I didn’t have a chance of winning in a 1v1…

…but it would be difficult to chase her if she decided to run away.

And if our relationship soured now, our future plans would be ruined.

‘And besides, she seems like the type who would be a pain in the ass as an enemy.’

Then there was only one option.

It wasn’t a barbarian-like solution, but…

She was a woman who saw things in black and white, so if I didn’t want her to become an enemy, I had to become her friend.

“It’s a waste to just stay silent, so I’ll say something. It’s true that ‘only evil spirits don’t lose their memories after taking that pill’. I didn’t make it up.”

I finally made a decision after a long contemplation.

“…Right, I’m an evil spirit.”

It was my second coming out, after Lee Baekho.

Amelia didn’t seem surprised.

She must have already been certain.

“You have a strange expression.”

“…You wouldn’t understand. How relieved and frustrated I feel right now.”

“I think—”

Amelia suddenly stopped talking.

I didn’t understand at first, but I soon realized what was going on.

‘Distorted Trust’ had blocked her from speaking because it recognized her words as a lie.

“Don’t tell me you were going to say you’re sorry.”

“…….”

Damn it, this is ridiculous.

I was furious, but I barely managed to control myself.

I couldn’t afford to make an enemy out of her.

Now that she knew I was an evil spirit, I had to become her best friend.

Right, so let’s confirm this first.

“But are you okay with it? That I’m an evil spirit?”

“If you’re asking if I have a grudge against evil spirits like the people in the city, the answer is no. I was even on a team with an evil spirit for over a year.”

“…Then why were you so persistent?”

“I was curious.”

This was the second hurdle.

She investigated me, trying to find out something I wanted to hide, just because she was curious?

I was getting angry when…

“…We keep getting involved. So I was curious. If you were hiding anything, if I could trust you.”

…Amelia said so, avoiding my gaze.

Judging by the fact that ‘Distorted Trust’ was activated, it didn’t seem like an empty compliment.

Damn it, this is making it hard for me to be angry—

“Ah, and of course, I also thought it would be useful to have leverage over you so you wouldn’t betray me.”

She shouldn’t have said that.

Well, what can I do? That’s just how she is.

“I have a question.”

“…Go ahead.”

“If you’re an evil spirit, why were you so angry about Yandel Jarku’s death? Was it guilt?”

“That’s…”

I don’t know.

I tried to answer, but I couldn’t speak.

So I just admitted it.

“Yes.”

“Hmm, you’re surprisingly soft-hearted.”

Amelia looked at me with interest.

“Is your goal also to return, like the other evil spirits?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Because of your companions?”

“…….”

“You must have always been sentimental.”

Seriously, why is she so interested in me?

I should change the subject…

Click.

The second hand on ‘Distorted Trust’ stopped moving.

The effect had ended.

‘I can finally breathe.’

I quickly changed the subject.

I had already revealed that I was an evil spirit, whether I liked it or not.

I had to confirm the things I couldn’t ask before.

“Amelia, why were you looking for Auril Gabis?”

“Ah, come to think of it, you must know about him since you’re an evil spirit.”

“Know about him? I even met him recently.”

“You met him?”

“We’ll talk about that later. Answer my question first.”

“…He was there when my sister died.”

“What?”

“I thought he must have been involved somehow. So I wanted to meet him and hear the truth. That’s all.”

Hmm, that’s surprisingly simple.

I thought there would be a bigger secret.

‘No, wait, the fact that the old man was there is valuable information. Maybe I can find out his goal during this trip.’

“So, tell me. Where did you meet him?”

“Do you know about Ghostbusters?”

“If you’re talking about the evil spirit gathering, then yes, to some extent.”

Okay, then there’s less to explain.

“I didn’t think I would be summoned since it’s twenty years ago, but I was summoned in my sleep. I met someone who claimed to be Auril Gabis there.”

I then briefly explained how I was discovered to be from the future.

“The important part is from now on, so listen carefully. That old man said that the past can’t be changed, no matter what we do here.”

“…He said that?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either, so I tested it. And the result is what I told you back then.”

Dwarkey and Raven.

I tried to change their futures, but it seemed like even those actions were part of causality.

“So I’ll ask again, Amelia.”

“…….”

“Are you still going to try?”

Amelia didn’t answer.

She didn’t even flinch when I mentioned it before.

It seemed like Auril Gabis’ words carried a different weight.

“I’ll try.”

Amelia finally spoke after composing herself.

“It’s too late to give up now.”

Too late…

She’s like someone who bought stocks at the top of a cliff.

“I see. Then I’ll help you.”

I expressed my willingness to help instead of advising her to cut her losses.

She’s surprisingly kind.

If I keep building up her favorability and putting her in debt, she won’t use my weakness against me—

“…I’m tired, so I’m going to sleep first.”

Amelia then ended the conversation and lay down on the bed.

I was a bit flustered.

‘Huh? She’s going to sleep? Isn’t this the time to say thank you?’

I didn’t even expect her to say she was grateful or relieved that I was here, but I didn’t expect her to just lie down without saying anything.

Damn it, this is ruining my plan…

How can I score points?

“Amelia, are you asleep?”

“……?”

“I, I was just wondering if you wanted a massage since you’re tired.”

“…….”

“Ah, right… I guess that would be weird. Sorry for bothering you.”

I lay down on the bed across from her, watching her reaction.

I closed my eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come.

That’s when, as the silence continued…

“What’s your real name?”

…a question suddenly came out of nowhere, and I just answered honestly.

I didn’t know why she was suddenly curious about my real name…

“It’s Lee Hansu. Ah, Lee is the last name.”

…but my real name didn’t really matter now that she knew I was an evil spirit. And refusing to answer could decrease her favorability.

Well, that’s right.

But…

“Hans? So your name is Hans? That’s an unusually common name—”

I couldn’t help but curse.

“What the fuck?”

That was crossing the line.

Trial

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

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