Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Ghostbusters (4)

---

There are several reasons for my judgment.

"Um, why aren't you saying anything?"

First of all, I haven't revealed my identity to anyone so far.

In other words, no one has any concrete evidence, just suspicions.

There's no proof that I'm an evil spirit.

Therefore—

"I told you, I'm from America. We're both outsiders here, shouldn't we stick together?"

This behavior is clearly unusual.

Another player might suspect that I'm a player and try to test me.

But to be this blatant?

It doesn't make sense in many ways.

I could be a local, so how could he reveal his identity first?

'In a city where you're executed as soon as you're discovered to be an evil spirit.'

Well, if he was a 1-month-old, it might be different.

They're quite naive at that stage.

But he just said it himself, didn't he?

That it's been over 3 years since he came to this city.

Acting like that and surviving for 3 years is nonsense in the first place...

"We have a 'game' association made by people like us. I'll recommend you to join, Mr. Yandel."

And most importantly, his pronunciation of the proper noun 'game' is very, very shitty.

Like a Korean character in a foreign movie.

'If he had no intention of hiding his identity, he would have at least spoken to me in English.'

If he had done that, I would have been a little less suspicious.

But this bastard is beating around the bush instead of taking the easiest route.

Therefore...

I reach a final conclusion based on the evidence available.

"Um, can't you just believe me now?"

This guy is not a player.

But he's pretending to be one and testing me.

And there's only one reason I can think of for a local to hide their identity.

'He came here specifically targeting me.'

Well, I thought this might happen someday.

It's a city where the existence of evil spirits is known even to the general public.

Although I couldn't find any related information in any of the books at the library, there must be an organization that specializes in dealing with evil spirits.

'They must still be in the suspicion stage. There's no way they would have physical evidence.'

In other words, what I have to do is clear.

I need to clear their suspicion.

It might just be a test for now, but someday they might start an 'investigation' using magic or something.

I need to nip it in the bud beforehand so they don't even think of doing that in the future.

'But how?'

What kind of actions should I take to convince those guys that I'm not an evil spirit?

The answer to that question is simple.

Thud.

I take a big step forward.

"...Why are you suddenly approaching? It's too close—"

"I have a question."

My question, which I had kept silent until now.

The guy hesitates for a moment and then nods with a smile as if it's a good thing.

"Ah, yes, yes, anything."

"Then I'll ask comfortably. Are you an evil spirit?"

"What's the point of hiding it now? Yes, I am. So..."

Okay, I got the confirmation.

"That's enough. You don't need to say anything else."

"Yes? What do you mean—"

"The chieftain said that evil spirits should be killed on sight."

"Ye, yes...?"

His face is filled with bewilderment.

I charge towards him, shouting loudly for everyone to hear.

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"

Barbarians don't tolerate injustice.

________________________________

My fist lands cleanly on his temple.

His eyes, which have become like squashed steamed buns, are filled with bewilderment, doubt, and fear.

But it's no use looking at me like that.

It's not like I have any personal grudge against him...

Come to think of it, he brought this upon himself.

Thwack—

He revealed his identity openly.

But to pretend not to know and run away now?

That would only raise suspicion.

It's something a properly raised local barbarian would never do.

Therefore—

Kwaaang!

I grab his neck as he loses his balance and slam him to the ground as if it's a combo.

And then I get on top of him.

Thwack-! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

I repeatedly punch him with my fists the size of watermelons.

Although his skin is quite tough, with a high physical resistance stat, it's useless against me, whose strength stat has increased significantly this time.

"Ah, wait a minute...!"

His face is a bloody mess after just a few hits.

But I continue doing what needs to be done without hesitation.

Of course, he shouts as if he's been wronged.

"I, I'm not! I'm not an evil spirit!"

Yeah, you're probably not an evil spirit.

But what can I do?

I have to survive too, right?

"To even lie on top of everything, you must be a truly evil spirit."

"No, I mean—! Aak! Aak!!"

After a few more punches, ignoring his pleas...

The crowd gathers around us, witnessing the sudden brawl, and even the guards arrive.

Just as I planned.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing! How dare you use violence in the middle of the city?!"

"Pull him off!"

I stop punching and get up.

But is it because of the 2nd-tier armor I'm wearing?

Unlike when I was falsely accused at the guild and restrained, the guards approach cautiously, maintaining their distance.

Geez, there's no need for that.

Thud-!

I lift the unconscious bastard's body and throw it towards the guards. And then I shout loudly for everyone to hear.

"This guy is an evil spirit! He revealed it himself and tried to do something strange to me!"

"What? Evil spirit?"

The guards, who were approaching the bastard, thinking he was the victim, flinch at my words.

And the onlookers also start murmuring among themselves.

Of course, most of them are skeptical.

"Evil spirit? I think that barbarian is mistaken."

"...Even if it was a mistake, he's going to have to pay a lot of money for beating that guy up like that."

Well, a barbarian's claim wouldn't be very credible.

But what about this?

"My name is Bjorn, son of Yandel! I swear on my honor as a warrior that I'm not lying!"

Little Balkan.

Bjorn, son of Yandel.

It's the hottest name in the city these days, even if I do say so myself.

"Little Balkan?"

"...Come to think of it, I heard he wears Laetium armor."

"Then is he really...?"

"If he is, then it's believable..."

"There's no way such a famous explorer would spout nonsense and beat up an innocent person."

The murmurs continue, and the public opinion shifts.

The guards also realize who I am and look like they don't know what to do.

That's when a man who seems to be the captain of the guard approaches.

"Can I see your ID?"

It's a polite question that I couldn't have imagined before.

I hand him my ID, and he looks at me with a strange expression after checking it.

"So you really are that guy. First of all, thank you. My younger brother returned alive from the labyrinth thanks to you."

"Is your younger brother a member of the Dzarwi Clan?"

"No way, he was one of the few who paid the protection fee and followed you."

Huh, less than ten of those guys survived...

It's an unbelievable coincidence.

But that's one thing, and this is another.

"So when are you going to kill that evil spirit bastard? It's unsettling to have him alive."

"That will be decided after the investigation is over. So for now, we'll need you to accompany us to the authorities, is that alright?"

"Hmm, I'm hungry..."

"We'll provide you with a meal, of course. If what you said is true, you've made a great contribution."

"Great contribution..."

Unlike usual, I contemplate carefully.

How would a barbarian respond?

As always, my contemplation doesn't last long.

"What does that mean?"

It's a question that could only come from someone who is one with a barbarian.

The guard captain chuckles and answers,

"It means you did something amazing."

"Amazing? Then will there be meat?"

Hmm, even for a barbarian, is this too much?

That thought briefly crosses my mind, but...

Looking at the guard captain's expression, it doesn't seem to be the case.

"...I'll treat you even if it's with my own money, so please come with us."

"If that's the case, then..."

I then follow the guard captain and leave the Central Plaza.

But for some reason...

"Little Balkan defeated an evil spirit!"

"Just telling this story will save me from paying for drinks today."

I keep hearing such voices from behind as I walk away.

「Character's fame has increased by +1.」

「Character’s fame has increased by +1…….」

「…….」

______________________________________

Since it was a plan I came up with on the fly, I was a bit uneasy.

But the situation unfolded smoothly afterwards.

When the security officer searched the unconscious bastard's pockets, a badge came out.

"Oh, this is an Evil Spirit Hunter's badge?"

At first, even the security department was in an uproar.

It's only natural since the guy they brought in as a suspected evil spirit had an Evil Spirit Hunter's badge.

Therefore, the security department contacted them, and soon, someone who seemed to be the bastard's superior arrived.

And...

"Uh, that is... he is indeed one of ours..."

He initially had a dumbfounded expression, but after understanding the situation, he answered in a dejected voice,

"This guy revealed himself as an evil spirit. But how did that happen?"

"That's... it's a customary procedure for individuals who gain fame or show exceptional behavior in a short period of time..."

"Stop it, I don't understand difficult words."

"We suspected Mr. Bjorn of being an evil spirit."

"What? You suspected me of being an evil spirit? Who is it! Who suspected me of being an evil spirit! Don't tell me it was you!!"

I flare up as if I've been insulted, and the superior sweats profusely, looking embarrassed.

"As I said before, it's a customary procedure..."

"Speak plainly!! Are you making fun of me!"

"What's clear is that this won't happen again! So please, lower your voice..."

I think I'm starting to understand why barbarians live like that.

It's convenient.

And their troubled reactions are quite amusing.

"Hmm, then what happens to me? If that guy isn't an evil spirit, should he be punished?"

"Th, there's no way that would happen."

"That's a relief. Then I'm sleepy, so I'll be on my way."

"Ye, yes? Ah, yes... Go ahead..."

I immediately leave the building and return to the inn as soon as I see an opportunity to escape.

Although I acted nonchalantly in front of them...

...I desperately wanted to get out of there.

'Damn it...'

Honestly, I'm exhausted.

Just as much as when I was being chased by the Floor Master.

'I didn't expect them to know that much.'

America, Europe, or whatever.

He even talked about the game, and his speech was so natural that I thought he was from Earth.

Well, I was able to figure it out because his English pronunciation was shitty...

But even so...

What kind of bullshit difficulty level is this?

'Right, the people here aren't all idiots...'

It's only natural that Tarik Liyen ended up on the guillotine.

[America? Taiwan? Europe? Where are you from?]

[Wow, I almost fell for it. You're really good at acting. You're not really a 3-month-old, are you?]

[Ah, you don't have to be on guard. I'm from America. I shouldn't have even touched that damn game.]

A strange city with no one to rely on.

If someone suddenly approaches you and says things like that, it's normal to be tempted.

'Damn it...'

The more I think about it, the more I think this world is fucked up.

It's already frustrating enough to be dragged here and treated like an evil spirit, but if you make one mistake, these bastards come and dangle bait in front of you?

Monster bastards are easy to deal with, you just beat them to death, but you can't do that with these guys, so they're even worse.

"Whew..."

I let out a sigh of relief that I've been holding back.

'Well, I guess I managed to get through it for now.'

Of course, I don't know if those Evil Spirit Hunters or whatever really cleared their suspicions about me.

But I've done everything I can for now.

So there's no other way but to be careful and wait.

'From now on, I should act even more like a barbarian.'

As I'm reorganizing my future course of action, I enter the inn room. And I lie down on the bed without even taking off my clothes.

But what is this?

"......"

There's a letter on the bed.

I tear open the envelope and check the contents, and a letter and a pill the size of my thumbnail come out.

'What is this? Did Misha write a letter? No, she wouldn't have had the time—'

I freeze as I read the letter.

[This letter is a random letter sent to an explorer presumed to be a player. If you could read th…….]

It's a letter written in English.

I almost throw it away in surprise, but first I make sure no one is around and then get under the covers.

And I carefully read it inside.

To roughly translate, the content is like this:

[This letter is a random letter sent to an explorer presumed to be a player.]

[If you can read this, never reveal to anyone that you are a player.]

[Ah, and please don't translate the contents of this letter even if you're caught by Evil Spirit Hunters.]

[Anyway, this is what I want to say.]

[We have a community where anonymity is strictly guaranteed, and you can enter our community by taking the attached pill.]

[If you don't want to join, please dispose of the pill. I sincerely wish for your survival.]

The more I read, the more complicated my mind becomes.

Could this be another one of those bastards' tricks?

'Damn it, but it's too believable...'

The fact that it's written with simple words?

It's understandable if we consider it as a way to be considerate of people who aren't native English speakers.

After all, the game only supported English.

They must have thought anyone would be able to read this much.

'If I were trying to recruit players while hiding my identity, I would have done it like this too.'

It's different from those Evil Spirit Hunters who were just pretending.

This letter is written entirely from the perspective of a player.

[GHOST BUSTERS]

Just look at the community name written at the top.

It's too witty to have been written by an evil spirit on death row in an interrogation room.

'But those bastards wrote this?'

Of course, it could be a delayed attack.

Something like pretending to be harmless and then striking when I let my guard down.

Therefore, I hope the sender of this letter is actually a player.

I don't really need a community, but...

If this is a letter sent by the Evil Spirit Hunters, I don't have the confidence to survive in this city.

Because...

[P.S. Rafdonia’s king, Mother fucker]

How can I win against bastards who are this serious about hunting evil spirits?