Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Ibaekho’s answer was a little different from what I expected.

I hadn’t imagined he’d admit it so casually.

Honestly, I thought he’d try to deny it more.

‘Then again… maybe it’s not that strange.’

If he hadn’t shown up at all, that would’ve been one thing.

But the fact that he came here himself meant he assumed I suspected him.

And since he wasn’t completely sure, he must’ve come one last time to check for himself.

That’s the kind of guy he is.

Yeah, so—

“This is the last time I’ll ask.”

I barely held back the urge to smash his skull open right there and asked:

“Why did you kill them?”

Even though I was convinced Ibaekho was the culprit, I still couldn’t begin to guess his motive.

Why had Ibaekho harmed my comrades?

The truth that came from his mouth was truly absurd.

“You really don’t know?”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes. Just answer.”

“You know, right? That everything I did was for you.”

It was beyond laughable.

“Are you seriously saying… you killed them for me?”

I asked again, barely keeping the fury in my gut from bursting out—and Ibaekho nodded without hesitation.

“I happened to overhear something about the [Record Stone]. That you’d realize your true path after losing three comrades, right?”

“…….”

“But if you think about it, that means three of them had to die. For you to awaken, I mean.”

You son of a bitch…

“So you killed them… because only one had died in the war?”

“Huh? Nah, not exactly.”

To my surprise, Ibaekho shook his head.

“The record said three would die, right? So even if I did nothing, three were gonna die no matter what.”

“Then why—”

“James Carla.”

He interrupted me.

“He got hit hard by that black mage, right? Even the High Priest couldn’t heal his arm. So I chose him. If three are fated to die, wouldn’t it be best if the one least helpful to your future was the one who went?”

“…….”

“But I didn’t expect that woman to show up. Seriously, why was she even there at that hour? Were you two… like that?”

“…….”

“Ugh… whatever it was, she ruined everything. You figured it out because of her, didn’t you? Because I stabbed her big and loud right in the gut. I thought you’d recognize the wound, since you were with her outside the wall. I was gonna clean everything up before leaving, but she made too much noise before dying, and I had to bolt.”

“…….”

“Anyway, I’m sorry it turned out like this. I really didn’t expect it. I had good intentions, you know? When she died, even I was like ‘shit.’ I thought if I just took out James Carla, the other one would die by accident somehow. But this way, guess it’s just fate—three had to die. Man, what bullshit, right—”

Watching Ibaekho talk like he was the one wronged, I couldn’t take it anymore.

BOOOOOM—!

The hammer came down, targeting the top of his skull—and slammed into the rooftop with an earthshaking crash.

“Ugh… you’re really mad, huh, hyung?”

I didn’t answer.

Conversation is for people.

This thing? He’s no longer a person to me.

He’s just a dangerous animal that needs to be put down the moment I see him.

Fwooooosh—!

As I swung my hammer again, Ibaekho sprang into the air and hovered in the empty sky.

“Hyung, just one last question.”

“…….”

“Come on, just answer this one thing, please?”

“…….”

“Is it really impossible for us to make peace?”

“…Peace?”

Not an apology—peace?

He was joking with me. Treating me like a game.

“Yeah. I mean, we’re both Koreans, right? Maybe just let it go with a big heart—”

Dash—!

I leapt high and swung my hammer, but he jumped even higher and sighed.

“Geez… they say unlucky bastards get a nosebleed just from falling on their back. Guess that’s me. Whatever… lately, I’ve been seeing new possibilities.”

“……?”

“Oh, right. You don’t know yet, huh?”

“…….”

“Until now, I thought you were the protagonist of this story. But now… maybe not?”

He stood silhouetted against the moon, looking down at me.

“So with that, I’m done.”

“…….”

“With this lame rival role that only exists to make the protagonist shine.”

“…….”

“Honestly? It was boring as fuck.”

I couldn’t fully grasp what he was saying.

But one thing was beyond clear.

「———— has cast [Star’s Extinction].」

My relationship with him…is now beyond repair.

***

When the blinding white light faded and I opened my eyes again, I was lying in the center of a massive crater.

Ibaekho was nowhere to be seen.

From outside the crater, I saw soldiers running toward me, alerted by the commotion.

I let out a sigh and slowly pushed myself up.

‘Ugh, my whole body aches…’

Seriously, there’s not a single spot that doesn’t hurt. What kind of bullshit cheat skill is that?

My stats are through the roof, and I still got wrecked by one essence strike?

“B-Bjorn…? A-Are you alright?”

“What in the world happened…?”

After pulling myself together, I gave the field commander a rough explanation about a surprise attack. Finished giving something like a statement. Then I returned to my comrades.

Amelia, whom I’d left behind at the palace, had also joined us in the meantime. Apparently, Astarotta had given permission for Amelia, Ainard, and Auyen to leave.

“…You’re saying Ibaekho was the assassin?”

Hearing that he had killed James Carla and Versil Gowland, Amelia was visibly shaken—something I hadn’t seen in a long time.

And when I told her he’d attacked me as well, her face turned deadly serious.

“…We’ve gained a dangerous enemy.”

I understood her concern.

But I had to correct one thing.

“He didn’t just become an enemy.”

“…?”

“I was too stupid to realize it sooner, that’s all.”

Ibaekho never saw me as anything more than a tool—just something to use as he pleased.

Sure, I kept up our relationship because I saw some use in him too.

But now it’s clear.

Which means now we deal with things realistically.

“Anyway, from now on, none of us know what Ibaekho might do. We need to look out for each other.”

“I understand. Once things settle, we’ll need to secure a better location. Somewhere harder to infiltrate.”

“Exactly. We don’t know when, where, or how he’ll strike next.”

Still, it wasn’t a topic we could act on immediately. So we didn’t dwell on it long.

“By the way… those three are still in the palace, right?”

“Yeah, for political reasons. Harin Suevi chose to stay of her own will, too. Said she’d keep watch in case Countess # Nоvеlight # Peproc wakes up.”

“I see…”

It made sense from Astarotta’s perspective.

She wouldn’t let Elthora, the traitor marquis’s son, or Ragna, a royal bloodline, roam freely.

‘I’ll need to talk to her about Ragna later…’

Sigh…

As I quietly exhaled, Amelia patted me on the shoulder and stepped outside.

“Get some rest first. I’ll smooth things over with the others.”

Maybe I was falling short as a clan leader, but I was genuinely grateful for that kind of kindness.

I did want to know what Misha, Elwen, and the others had been through since the teleportation event…

‘Later…’

Right now, I just wanted rest.

After Amelia left, I lay down on the military cot and closed my eyes. My body and mind screamed in exhaustion, but sleep never came.

Brown Rotmiller.

James Carla.

Versil Gowland.

Every time those three crossed my mind, waves of emotion surged through me.

Sadness.

Guilt.

Rage.

Ibaekho.

The mere thought of him filled me with choking fury and regret.

Ragna Litaniel Peproc.

The marquis’s final request kept circling in my head.

What would the royal family do to her now? And if they tried something, how could I stop it?

And then—

The warriors of my tribe who died following me.

A war still ongoing.

The king, still in slumber.

The bizarre group called Hirkumuta.

Aurell Gaviss.

All of them haunted me, tightening their grip on my throat.

In the end, I didn’t sleep a wink before dawn.

Still… maybe because my eyes had been closed for a while? Or maybe thinking things through over and over had helped me settle my thoughts?

I wasn’t sure, but I felt slightly better.

Not enough time to sleep now anyway, so I decided I might as well get up and start the day.

“Biioooooorn!!!”

Ainar’s shout rang out from a distance.

It echoed loudly and drew closer by the second…

“Biioooorn!!! Wake up!!”

Without knocking or warning, the tent flap burst open and Ainard stepped inside.

And—

“It’s huge…! Really huge!!”

Through the news she brought, one of the many questions that had been eating at me all night was finally answered.

Well, halfway.

“The war is over…!!!”

…To be exact, a truce.

***

Noun: Truce.

Definition: An agreement between warring parties to stop fighting for a period of time.

If we’re speaking purely from a dictionary standpoint, this situation barely qualified as a “truce.”

It was a forced one.

Just like before when they fortified Viphron, Noark had locked themselves in again.

With the marquis dead, the Urae gone, and the front in District 4 steadily collapsing, it must’ve been their only option.

And yet, it’s funny.

From Noark’s side, it was like swallowing bitter medicine—they had no other choice but to hide in their bunker.

But the royal side interpreted it completely differently.

With Viphron lost, and now District 4 taken too, they feared the capital would be next.

Even the nobles, supposedly educated, were shaking with fear—let alone the clueless civilians.

‘…Still, even without that, the situation is pretty serious.’

Remember what happened after Viphron fell?

They shut the Labyrinth down, refusing to send any more resources to Noark.

Prices skyrocketed. People starved.

The royal family knew it too—that’s why they suspended war taxes.

But now that the war had “paused,” even temporarily…

‘No mining for a whole year, the treasury covering the shortfall… they must be running on fumes.’

I had no idea what would happen next.

…But it wasn’t a problem I needed to solve right this second.

“Chief!! The Chief is back—!!!”

Once things had calmed down, I collected our fallen comrades and returned to the Sanctuary.

“You’re back! What’s happening outside? Is the war really over?”

Shabin Emure, who’d taken care of things while I was gone, bombarded me with questions the moment she saw me.

Of course she did.

I knew the exact situation because of my status—but ordinary people only had rumors to go on.

Shabin, who never left the Sanctuary, couldn’t possibly know.

Why the war ended.

How it ended.

And…

“…Huh?”

…Who had died.

“But… Rotmiller isn’t with you? Is he in the back somewhere?”

Before I could force open my stiff lips, I looked down at my palm. Even though I hadn’t washed it, the ink had faded—just barely visible now.

But even faded, I could still read it clearly.

What he’d scrawled in haste atop that cart.

[Be kind to Miss Shabin. She’s a good woman.]

It’s something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.