Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Choice (3)

Choice (3)

The double-sized bed, the wardrobe, and the computer desk in Lee Hansu’s room.

[Long Live Korean Independence] - 0 members online.

I turn on the computer and enter the chat room.

That guy made a fuss about me being dead because I was a few minutes late last time.

‘And we can only be together for an hour…’

I plan to get as much information as possible from Lee Baekho this time, since there’s a big incident.

‘I’m the first one here today.’

Before I can even sit down on the sofa, Lee Baekho logs in.

Everything is fine up to this point.

“Hyung!”

But, what’s this?

He looks very urgent.

“I’m actually in the middle of a battle right now, so I have to go.”

“What?”

“I don’t have time to explain.”

“But—”

“You heard about the subjugation, right? Don’t participate, even later. That’s what I came to tell you.”

“What do you mean—”

“See you next month!”

That was the entirety of our conversation.

I’m dazed.

But if I calmly organize the situation…

‘…He’s in the middle of a battle?’

One hour in the community is one second in reality.

But to leave in such a hurry?

It means he’s fighting a strong enemy.

Even if he stays here for a minute, only 0.02 seconds will have passed outside.

It’s proof that his enemy is someone he can’t even spare that much time for.

‘What the hell is he fighting?’

I don’t know.

The only thing that’s certain is…

…that he’s closely related to the Noark subjugation.

‘Was this bastard in the underground city all along?’

He’s fighting an enemy in the middle of the night, not even in the labyrinth. It’s hard to think of anything besides the Noark subjugation.

The subjugation force departed yesterday.

The King’s army, the explorer alliance, and even the paladins sent by the temple. It was quite a sight seeing them all marching into the sewers.

‘His last words… it means he thinks the subjugation will fail, right?’

Telling me not to participate, even later.

It means that the first subjugation will fail, and a second subjugation force will be formed.

‘Ah, this is frustrating…’

I return to my room since there’s nothing for me here. It’s still three hours until Watchers of the Round Table opens.

I start browsing the web since there’s nothing else to do.

First, I check the exchange, and then I visit the chat rooms that don’t have entry restrictions.

They’re all the same.

Everyone is talking about the Noark subjugation.

‘…The underground is already in chaos.’

A significant number of players participated in the subjugation.

And from what they’re saying…

“I don’t know the details since I’m in the rear, but the atmosphere is really bad. I keep hearing explosions from the front, and those commander bastards aren’t explaining anything…”

“Why are there so few participants today? Don’t tell me they’re all dead?”

…it seems like a fierce battle is taking place in the underground right now.

I can’t even imagine how intense it is.

This post on the free board makes it even harder to imagine.

[Ask me anything, I’m about to die.]

-Got stabbed in the neck, and when I opened my eyes, I was here.

-I’ll be alive for at least 12 seconds, right?

-Damn it.

[EdwardBless77: I hope it’s not an eternal dream. I hope you wake up in your home.]

[└OP: I really hope so.]

[godFLEXyou: You’ve worked hard. Rest now.]

[└OP: Thanks for the comfort.]

[stevencastle: You must have been in the front lines. I heard it’s a living hell there. Did you see Orculus?]

[└OP: I don’t know. I heard someone shouting that they were there, but I don’t remember. Maybe they were mistaken. I couldn’t even see a meter ahead because of those dark mage bastards.]

[teckmonkey: What do you want to do the most?]

[└OP: Reproduce.]

[└teckmonkey: Uh, hmm… I’ll refrain from commenting.]

[tunaboot: Where are you from?]

[└OP: I don’t know what you mean. If you mean Earth, then Canada. If you mean here, then the Aribeten Clan, I was a high-ranking member.]

[└tunaboot: Of course I meant your hometown. But a high-ranking member of the Aribeten Clan? You were a big shot.]

[└1spring: What’s the point, he’s dying now. Goodbye.]

[└ionboii: Wow, seeing him coming out like this here, it doesn’t seem like he’s just trolling, right? I sincerely offer my condolences. You’ve worked hard. And just ignore the bastard who’s talking nonsense above.]

Dozens of comments are posted below.

The OP answers each of them as the number of comments increases in real time.

I scroll down, reading them all as if possessed, and then I post a comment.

[Elfnunna: Why are you already giving up? You should log out and try to survive.]

There’s a chance if you don’t give up.

It might be infinitely close to 0, but it’s not 0.

I’m proof of that.

However, after posting it, I feel like it was rude, so I add an explanation.

[└Elfnunna: I’ve also been stabbed in the neck before. And I even entered a state similar to the countdown in the game. But I could still move my body. I barely survived after killing the enemy and drinking a potion. So why don’t you try it too?]

My experiences in the Land of the Dead and the Crimson Fortress.

I hope it gives someone I don’t even know hope.

But…

[└OP: I understand what you’re saying. But I’m an archer. I can’t use your method.]

…the answer is complete resignation.

[└Elfnunna: You can at least try, can’t you?]

I post another comment as if possessed.

And an answer is posted immediately.

[└OP: Sorry, if I’m going to die anyway, I want to die as myself. Not in this damn body, but as the person my parents gave birth to.]

My mind goes blank as soon as I see it.

I take my hands off the keyboard.

What can I even say?

That it’s not a real body?

That it’s just a manifestation of the identity you think you are?

Well, no one can judge the OP’s choice.

And they shouldn’t.

“…….”

I involuntarily look at the wardrobe.

To be precise, I look at the mirror next to it.

I see Lee Hansu.

Click, clack, clack.

I start typing on the keyboard again.

And I write and erase countless words of comfort, like hoping that he rests in peace or that he wakes up in the real world.

But I can’t bring myself to press enter.

Click, clack, clack.

Players continue to post comments as I struggle to type.

The OP answers each of them.

[branbran_helmet: This game is trash.]

[└OP; You’re right, this game is trash!]

That’s the last comment.

I refresh the page.

The OP’s nickname, which was at the top, is now blurred out.

“…….”

It means he’s dead.

_________________

I don’t know why.

I don’t even know his face, and we’ve never talked before.

But my heart can’t stop pounding.

Thump, thump.

Countless deaths I’ve witnessed since waking up in this world.

The weight of those deaths feels heavier today.

What’s the reason?

Scroll-

As if to find the answer, I scroll up.

And I read through it again from the beginning.

Many people asked about his true self, so I was able to glimpse into his life just from that.

Scroll-

He was from Canada.

He was born into a farming family, and his real name was Mac Davis.

His first kiss was when he was 17.

With his girlfriend’s best friend?

Although I think he’s a bit of a jerk, he didn’t live a life of sin.

Scroll-

His dream was to be a veterinarian.

The trigger was when he had to watch his dog choke to death after vomiting and getting something stuck in its throat.

But he failed because he wasn’t good at studying.

In the end, he helped out on his parents’ farm and occasionally played games.

Scroll-

Right, he was an ordinary person.

Someone who was decently kind, and sometimes made mistakes and was remembered as a bad person by others…

Just an ordinary person.

Scroll.

I stop scrolling at one point.

There’s a new comment on the comment I left.

[└OP: Your words keep coming back to me. I feel like you’re a strong person. I hope you can clear this game and return. Of course, it’s your choice.]

His words of encouragement, just a few sentences, left for me when I was struggling to write a simple message of comfort.

“…….”

I can feel how thoughtful he was just from the single word ‘choice’.

Click, clack, clack.

I type on the keyboard, writing a new comment.

Although he’ll never be able to see it now…

[└Elfnunna: If I ever go back, I’ll definitely send a letter to the address you wrote above.]

[└Elfnunna: You’ve worked hard.]

I leave a meaningless comment and leave the post.

And I lie down on the bed for a while, lost in thought.

How much time has passed?

[03:07]

Only 3 minutes left until the entry deadline for Watchers of the Round Table.

But what’s this?

Creak—

The Round Table room is empty, even though I rushed in.

Crescent Moon, Goblin, Fox, Antler…

And Clown are all gone.

I’m the only one in the Round Table room.

‘…Don’t tell me, they all participated in the subjugation?’

I can’t think of anything else.

3 hours in the community.

It’s just 3 seconds outside.

What other reason could they have for not coming here, when they can’t even spare 3 seconds?

‘I can’t believe I got stood up here…’

After Lee Baekho, I’ve been stood up again.

Before I can even feel the emptiness…

…my vision flashes, and when I come to my senses, I’m back in my original room.

[Minimum number of participants not met.]

[This session’s gathering has ended.]

A message appears on the monitor.

Right, so this is what happens when the entry deadline passes without anyone else joining.

The core of the community activity is gone.

‘Well, I should at least browse around a bit before leaving.’

In the end, I have no choice but to check the minor news by surfing the web.

Time passes, and it’s time to log out.

「Character is being transported to Lafdonia.」

Bjorn’s room and Bjorn’s body.

But it feels a bit unfamiliar today.

Or am I just tired?

‘Let’s just sleep.’

I clear my head and lie down on the bed.

Creak.

The bed sinks with a groan, as always.

And so, another day ends.

And three days later…

“Bjorn! Co, come out here! The subjugation force that went underground has returned!”

The army that headed towards Noark has returned.

Only about one-third of them survived.

“…….”

“…….”

The army marches past silently, their shoulders slumped.

The result is obvious just from that.

‘They really failed.’

Things have gotten troublesome.

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