Surviving as a Barbarian in the Game - Episode 252
252Tue Open World (1)
It was a small earthquake.
The table trembled, but no cup fell over and no sound of anything breaking was heard..
At most, the chips piled up on the table collapsed..
“earthquake?”
It's easy to be surprised by a natural phenomenon that comes without warning..
When the shaking stopped, the nobles inside returned to their normal state and enjoyed gambling as usual..
Except for one person.
“Look, where is Confucius going?!”
“I suddenly remembered something to do. This version is just dead.”
The man put down the card he was holding, took the chips with him, and went out..
And I took off the mask I was wearing..
The concept of a gambling place where you can enjoy yourself while hiding your identity with a mask was quite interesting, but…….
‘No matter how you look at it, it wasn't just an earthquake..’
Lee Baek-ho, who came out at night, sat down on the first bench he saw and quietly gathered his thoughts..
The other nobles didn't seem to hear it because of the noise inside, but he clearly felt it..
A huge wave of energy transmitted from beneath the ground..
‘It was like a mixture of magical power and divine power..’
Although he was not a magician, he had a high dexterity stat and quite a bit of magic-related talent, so there was no way he felt something wrong..
then…….
‘There was a lot of talk about breaking the protective barrier, breaking it, but they actually broke it and invaded..’
Before long, Lee Baek-ho reached the truth..
They couldn't have been terrible bastards..
It's probably not a coincidence that the decision was made around midnight when the labyrinth opens..
‘It's a robbery from an empty house.…….’
Now that he has left the royal family, I don't know the details. However, Noark must have entered the labyrinth well prepared..
I probably gave it all I could muster..
I never imagined that I would get it back using the same method they used..
‘……If you do this well, all the kids below you will be happy.?’
It was not a positive situation for Lee Baek-ho..
If I had no other choice in the future, I was thinking about clearing the game with the Noark guys..
‘I don’t really have anything to do, so should I come down and help you??’
A thought like that suddenly occurred to him, but Baekho Lee chuckled and shook his head. As expected, it didn't fit his play style..
Wouldn't it be better if it were something like this?.
‘The palace must be empty by now.?’
Soon, the corners of Baekho Lee’s mouth became curved..
***
1st Commander of the Royal Knights, Jerome St. Red.
The guardian of the royal family and the so-called Knight of Light had deep, untimely wrinkles between his eyebrows..
It was because of the news I received a little while ago..
“The palace is under attack.……?”
At first, I thought it was a counterattack from Noark’s side..
But this also doesn't make sense.
They summoned troops pretending that the labyrinth was their destination, and not only did they pay enough attention to security to the point where it was announced only two hours before departure that the real target was Noark Castle.…….
It was just before that the protective barrier was broken in the first place..
This means that the power needed to hit the palace did not have time to escape..
“Has the order to withdraw troops been issued??”
“Not yet.”
“If so, there is no change in the plan. The expedition continues.”
Jerome led his army and quickly moved down the sewers, and as time passed, news of the identity of the group that attacked the royal palace was also relayed..
‘……I never thought it wouldn’t have been too much of a stretch..’
There was only one person who dared to attack the royal palace..
I wondered if it was a solo crime committed by a catastrophist whose danger level had recently been raised, but even his predictions turned out to be wrong..
“Baekho Lee.”
He was once a more promising explorer than anyone else, but it turned out to be an evil spirit that caused the disaster..
Of course, very few people know about the disaster..
Due to the mercy of the royal family who valued his abilities, the disaster was completely covered up, and he also gained a new identity..
‘What a pain in the ass. How on earth did he know? Even I must have been away on a military expedition.?’
As far as he knows, Baekho Lee currently has no means of obtaining information. He had previously been in contact with outside collaborators in the demonic coven.…….
He is currently expelled from the meeting..
This was also something that the royal family had a hand in..
They secretly revealed Lee Baek-ho's identity to the evil spirit called GM, and when there was no sign of him being expelled, they sent him to Noark and made him lose..
‘So then I was just guessing on my own??’
Jerome fell into a deep sleep..
I heard that an earthquake occurred on the ground in the aftermath of breaking the protective barrier.…….
There was one part I didn't understand..
Inferring this situation through earthquakes?
This is quite possible..
However, putting it into practice is a problem in another area..
If your prediction is wrong, you could get caught again, so it's like taking such a gamble.?
‘……He can do that.’
Although his pride was hurt, Jerome was convinced..
Lee Baek-ho is like a beast..
If the opportunity arises, he will definitely bite his enemy, and he will not hesitate to risk being bitten himself..
‘At this time, the position of leader of the Rose Knights was also vacant.…….’
I was worried about the situation on the ground, but no order to retreat was given yet..
So there's only one thing you need to do now.
Doing one's duty as a knight to carry out the royal family's orders..
“Im here.”
Soon, the army passed through the underground maze and reached the final gate to Noark..
Stone gate containing dozens of ancient magics.
During the last subjugation, it took several hours just to break down this door.?
“Fortunately, it looks like it hasn't been properly fixed yet. get started.”
After Jerome's order was given, the wizards began drawing a huge eight-square formation on the floor..
How long has it been since then?.
Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!
The magic circle scattered strong light and shot a wave of pure magic towards the stone gate..
and…….
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Beyond the dust cloud, the scenery of the underground city was revealed again..
“Come on, let's go. It's time to take down the evil group of weightlifters and bring stability and peace back to this city..”
Jerome pulled out the treasured sword that had been given to him by the king..
And I stepped into the beyond before anyone else..
“For the endless prosperity of Lapdonia.”
There was no hesitation in his steps..
***
Dimension square with closed portal.
However, I wandered there for a long time after that..
I thought there might be some useful information coming from those articles..
but…….
‘Ugh, I just wasted time..’
The knights did not even make small talk and disappeared somewhere as soon as the square was cleared..
So I said goodbye and left the square..
Rather than going straight to the hotel, I planned to stop by a bar and hear what other explorers thought about this incident..
‘If possible, should I go to Uncle Bear’s??’
Well, that would be nice too.
First of all, it is a tavern that explorers often visit..
It's perfect for eavesdropping on conversations because it doesn't have the partitions or rooms that are popular these days..
If you say this in front of me, I'm sure they'll get angry, but.
“Oh, Yandel. What's going on at this hour? Without Missha.”
“I was a little bored while I was just leaving. Looks pretty busy today, don't mind me. I'll drink quietly in the corner and leave..”
“……Can't you just call me? If you say so, I'm sure her wife will say it's okay..”
Mr. Bear, who I met upon arriving at the bar, saw that I was ready to joke around and made a request to me..
Well, don’t you feel sorry for your pregnant wife??
“I want to be alone and quietly today.”
“……If that's the case. Just provide snacks and alcohol in moderation.?”
“Ah, then thank you.”
After sitting at an empty table and waiting for a while, Mr. Bear presented us with a drink consisting only of meat..
For reference, the alcohol used is this house's signature salt mead..
‘It tasted really strange at first, but as you eat it, it becomes strangely intoxicating..’
Anyway, this is not the main purpose of coming here..
As I sipped my drink and opened my ears, I could hear the conversations of nearby explorers and ordinary city dwellers..
Due to the nature of the tavern where rumors spread quickly, most of the topics were about the army formed by the royal family..
‘There's nothing worth salvaging.’
The royal family deliberately spread rumors..
It's clear that he's afraid of Noark..
The source of information is your own brain, but it is only information that is missing the content..
Well, I wasn't expecting anything like round table information from a bar, so I wasn't disappointed..
In the first place, the purpose was to conduct a public opinion poll..
‘These days, not only explorers but also city dwellers do not look favorably on the royal family..’
After that, I closed my ears, drank alcohol, and gathered my thoughts alone..
And how long has it passed??
As things seemed to get a little freer, Mr. Bear came over and sat down in front of me..
“Yandel, what do you think??”
“You mean the military??”
“Yeah, aren't your senses amazing in this way?.”
After thinking about it for a while, I told him my guess that the military might be 'robbing empty houses' right now..
Because it's not certain yet.
I wondered what the opinion of Mr. Bear, a veteran explorer, would be..
“……Was that really what caused the earthquake earlier?.”
“Do you believe it??”
“Isn’t that much more plausible? It's more nonsense to say that the royal family is afraid of Noark..”
Perhaps because he had once heard the royal family's report, Uncle Bear was quick to understand. It is knowing that the power of the royal family is much stronger than imagined..
“……Maybe next time I'll be able to enter the labyrinth..”
Soon, Uncle Bear expressed his expectation that this Cold War might end much earlier than expected..
And I was also worried about the city's economic problems..
“Yandel, if this is the case, shouldn’t we be spending the cash this time instead of saving it? Once the labyrinth stabilizes, prices will return to normal..”
I was a little moved by those words..
Is it because he is a veteran explorer with a family to protect??
Einar and Misha tend not to think about this at all..
“For now, just watch. Anyway, it will be resolved to some extent tomorrow..”
“Yeah, I was too impatient..”
After that, I moved away from this topic and chatted about various things with Mr. Bear..
It was that time.
Dang-! Dang-! Dang-! Dang-!
An alarm bell rang outside..
1This was my first time in this city for over a year. Last time, when my carriage exploded and GM and Lee Baek-ho were in trouble, no alarm bells rang..
But now it's ringing?
Cheokkeok, chuckkeok, chuckkeok.
As soon as I hurried outside, I saw security guards from the Public Security Agency running towards one place, making the sound of military boots..
I stopped someone and asked about the situation..
The security guard said he couldn't tell civilians, but his attitude changed instantly when I revealed my identity..
“My name is Bjorn, son of Yandel. He is a formal noble who was granted the title of baronet by the royal family. So hurry up and answer. How did this happen??”
“……Well, we don't know either. There was just an order to go to Karnon for support. If you listen to what your colleagues say, it seems like there was a big fire..”
During this time, there was a large fire in Karnon, the ecliptic.…….
‘It can't be a coincidence.’
Then, could it be that the Noark guys invaded??
Well, I'm not sure..
But it is possible.
If you had known in advance about the royal family's plan to rob an empty house, you could have used this kind of elitist strategy..
‘Ha, the royal bastards can't do anything right..’
As I was quietly sighing, Mr. Bear next to me suddenly spoke up..
“A fire in the imperial capital doesn't seem like a normal thing... … I don't know if Raven will be okay..”
huh? Raven?
Why is he suddenly.
‘Oh, he said he was staying in a place near the palace to learn magic..’
……Nimiral.
It was fine so far, but as soon as I realized this, my heart started pounding..
An ominous feeling that rises in an instant.
The level of anxiety was heightened because most of these premonitions were never wrong..
“I hope it ends with a simple fire.—”
“Abman, I'm going to go now..”
“Where on earth are you in the middle of this? Yandel, listen to me. In times like these, it's best to just stay home..”
When I got up from my seat, Mr. Bear caught me..
but…….
“Don't worry. I will find it and bring you back soon.”
“If so, me too—”
“What on earth are you talking about? you should be with your wife.”
I told Mr. Bear to close the store and go home with his wife..
Misha is probably worried about me too..
First, I have to tell you the news..
I feel reassured that all my team members are together..
“……be careful.”
Afterwards, I parted ways with Mr. Bear and got on the roof of the military carriage heading to the imperial capital Karnon..
The soldiers riding below made an uproar, but when I revealed my identity, everyone became quiet..
And how long has it passed?.
“Baroness Yandel! We'll be arriving in Karnon soon.!”
Soon the carriage arrived at its destination..
My body stiffened without me realizing it..
“…….”
Even though it is the middle of the night, the sky is red.
The high, cleanly maintained walls are stained with black ash, and the surrounding area is filled with acrid smoke as if there were fog..
also.
Beyond the hot flames, or outside the flames, evil cries and screams can be heard overlapping each other..
‘Crazy, what the hell happened?.’
Karnon, the city of nobles, was burning..
Comments