Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel 2026 - Chapter 544
Chapter 544: Ghost (2)
Relative to time in the city, the fifteenth of every month marked the meeting of the evil spirits. My routine for it was usually pretty much the same whenever I came.
Vwing!
I would first start up my computer to join the community boards before checking how many people were in the chatroom LongLiveKorea’sIndependence.
No one’s here yet.
After that, I would go to the free posting board to skim through the posts to quickly get all the news. Then I would enter the chat room to hang out with Baekho for about an hour. Once he left, I would use the remaining time with Hyeonbyeol and converse with her before naturally leaving the chatroom when the Round Table was about to open.
Clack, clack.
Nothing in particular was different today about my routine. As always, my monitor displayed the message board. I began reading through the titles of the posts that had already begun to pop up, just like reading the morning newspaper with a coffee in hand.
Nothing to stress, just casually—
“…Huh?”
I went back a page to look at the first post of the day, and when I read the title, I couldn’t help but make that sound.
[Rafdonia Palace: Basement Floor 1 soon to close.]
What was this?
Click, click.
Even while expecting it to be a simple troll post, I continued to click through the links. This was a topic I couldn’t afford to miss out on.
As expected, there was nothing in the main body of the post. These types of posts were usually just made to claim the first post place and were filled in with the edit function after the fact to write out what they wanted to later.
What was important was the comments, and just reading them was enough to fact-check a few things.
arolf5205: Man, I wanted first this time.
NIKAMOTO: Looks like this post is going to go viral.
AI_DIDIGO: Info1. Among the first posts that come up whenever the community opens, 56% of them have more than 100 comments and become viral posts.
└Ki11Humans77: wow. It’s didigo. Please let me have a rank 3 essence during my next adventure.
└MarkG: but what’s good about having a viral post?
└Pawel: the admins give you a bit of GP. but I don’t think that’s the main reason people do it.
The users didn’t call the post out for being bait and were talking about other topics.
Through this reaction, I realized one thing.
Damn it, it’s real.
The palace had declared Basement Floor 1 would soon be closed. The news was true and many people already knew of it, meaning it was “common knowledge” at this point.
I quickly refreshed the post and scrolled down. The actual productive comments came later since they took a bit more time to write out.
Darkrealm93: but honestly i dont get the palace’s move here. why are they stopping other people from exploring the place next time?
└Akaistos: Didn’t you hear? They say it’s too dangerous.
└Darkrealm93: did you think i was asking because i didnt know that? im saying there must be a different reason
└WhyDoYouSniffShit: It’s obvious. They’re in the middle of a war but everyone is talking about going to the basement floor so they got mad.
└funkinthetrunk: But we still don’t know of a way to go into Basement Floor 1. Does it even matter that they give an order that stops people?
└WhyDoYouSniffShit: So they’re telling everyone to stop wasting time and go back to being targets for arrows.
The gist of the situation was that it had already been a month since the existence of Basement Floor 1 was made known to the outside world, and in the last cycle, two additional clans had entered the area as well.
I did hear that a lot of people from those two clans weren’t able to enter either.
There were quite a few adventurers who watched their allies go through the portal and then had to return to the city themselves. They would’ve spread even more news about Basement Floor 1 to the world. The people with good information networks might have even already figured out the way to enter. Not even “might,” they almost certainly did know now.
So everyone would’ve gotten ready to enter again, and that’s why the palace stepped in to stop them.
That, and if the information was something a large guild could figure out, the palace would definitely know of the method as well.
“Hmm…”
The situation was getting pretty interesting.
Afterward, I continued to read the comments and other posts that flooded the community boards before letting go of my mouse.
Tap, tap.
Thoughts swirled in my mind. If the palace forbade it, then people wouldn’t be able to enter the floor for some time. Tsk, then did I need to change my plan and wait and see?
I ran a few simulations in my mind as time passed by.
“Ah, they’re waiting for me.”
I noticed that a lot of time had passed while I was lost in my own thoughts, so I quickly joined the chat room.
“Hansu, you’re here?”
“Oh, bro! You’re late again?”
Hyeonbyeol and Baekho greeted me as I entered.
“Sorry. I was pretty late today.”
“It’s fine. And I wasn’t worried.”
“…What?”
As I tilted my head to ask what he meant, Baekho Lee grinned.
“A main character always arrives last, something like that? Well, I’m not seeing it in a bad light. No, actually, it’s pretty cool…”
What was this guy talking about now? I shouldn’t have given him that reaction.
I smirked as I sat on the sofa. “So, how have the two of you been?”
“I’ve been fine, Hansu.”
“What about you, Baekho? You’ve been good?”
A simple question that skirted the need to give a detailed answer. Even as I did, I couldn’t help but glance at Hyeonbyeol to be wary of her reaction.
But it seemed like Baekho saw that as well.
“It’s fine. Big sis Hyeonbyeol here already knows who I am anyway.”
“…Huh?”
“Hey, big bro! I’d like to say I’m pretty smart, so how would I not know that? You can say that I’m outside the walls right now in front of her.”
“…Heh.” When Baekho Lee declared his recent situation like it wasn’t anything special, excitement flashed through Hyeonbyeol’s eyes.
“…Baekho, is it really okay with you?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? All three of us here share a common ancestry. It doesn’t matter to me. Honestly, I didn’t really like how we needed to talk while keeping sis in the dark. And it’s more fun to waste time talking with three people.”
That still left the question of if he was really okay with it unanswered, but since he was saying that, I wasn’t in a position to contradict him. I also agreed with a few points he made to a certain extent.
Really…when all three of us talk together, things just get otherworldly…
To be precise, it felt like I was back in Korea. Talking about the army, politics, and eating kimchi was something we could only do here. Although I was truly satisfied with my life in the other world, there were some moments when I definitely missed those moments.
“Well, then how is it over there? Did you meet the Noarkans?”
“Yeah, it’s been about a week now, and I’m just going around here and there for now. Auril Gavis, though-haven’t found the guy yet.”
“Auril Gavis…?”
“Ah, Hyeonbyeol probably doesn’t know. The reason I went beyond the walls was to find that bastard.”
“Oh… R-really?”
Hyeonbyeol usually had an air about her that proclaimed she was the best, but she looked flustered when we began talking about something so large so calmly.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen her like this.
This, too, felt nostalgic to me, but when I looked at her to signal as much, she turned to glare back.
“I wasn’t laughing.”
“I haven’t said anything.”
I chose to stay quiet this time.
In any case, I asked Baekho the questions I had about being outside the castle walls, and he kindly explained everything he discovered to me. Every small detail was interesting to me since, even in the game, the area was mysterious, but if I were to pick out the most interesting point, it would definitely be this one.
“It’s possible to farm.”
Unlike Rafdonia, the world outside could function without mana stones. However, that created even more questions.
“Then why do those people keep wanting to crawl into the labyrinth?”
Why was Noark still waging war? Why could they not leave the labyrinth even while making a portal from the outside?
Unfortunately, Baekho wasn’t able to give me a straight answer. “I don’t know. But there’s definitely a reason for it. And I think Auril Gavis is deeply involved.”
“That seems to be the case. Alright, tell me more when you figure out more later.”
“Yes, big bro.”
When that topic was resolved, it was about ten minutes before Baekho Lee logged out, and so we spent the last few minutes talking about nothing in particular.
“Hah, for some reason, I think I was the one who talked the most today. Next time, please tell me your story as well, bro. I’m pretty curious as well. You know what I mean, right?”
“I do. I’ll tell you next time.”
“Then I’ll see you later!”
With that, Baekho Lee left on time, and nothing special happened during the time I had with Hyeonbyeol either.
“Seeing how he looked so curious, looks like you’ve been doing something fun?”
“Ahaha… Nothing like that…”
“You’re avoiding the question. I’m going to read now, do you want a book?”
“Oh, sure. Thanks.”
I casually received a book from Hyeonbyeol. I was a little curious since I had to stop at a pretty interesting point.
Why is this so fun?
Sometimes I’d snicker to myself while reading, and I’d shed tears at other parts that were more emotional.
After being so immersed in the story, Hyeonbyeol kicked my knee while lying down on the sofa.
“Huh, what?”
“Isn’t it about time?”
“Oh, right.” With a bit of regret in my heart, I closed the book and got up.
“If it’s that fun, come back later. I’ll let you borrow the book again…”
“No, there’s no need. I have GP so I’ll just buy it and read it myself.”
She didn’t respond.
“I’ll see you later.”
With that, I left the chat room and stretched my arms. Honestly speaking, I didn’t think I was somewhere that needed something like stretching. It was like a habit to me whenever I finished reading a book. Stretching also made me feel like it refreshed my mind as well.
“Alright, let’s go.”
There were many things to do at the Round Table today.
***
As I took the set that I always wore—a lion mask that completely covered my face and a sleek, navy suit underneath it—and stood in front of the mirror, I felt a mysterious sense of confidence swell up within me.
It was as if I had become a being that could do anything.
However, putting that feeling aside, I calmly made a self-diagnosis about my current state.
This is intense.
I sighed. Having to keep up many different appearances in a row was tiring. Was I going to be eaten up by my own concepts?
Not that I had any intentions of stopping here.
Step, step.
After checking my clothes in the mirror, I walked through the hallway to the Round Table room. As always, everyone else was here before me.
“Pshehe, you’re here.”
“Heh… Welcome, Mr. Lion!”
“You’re last today as well.”
As I ignored their greetings and headed straight for my seat, I suddenly remembered what Baekho had said before.
“A main character always arrives last, something like that?”
Honestly, in the context of the Round Table, he was right. I did come here last on purpose. However, to make an excuse for myself, it wasn’t because I enjoyed the attention I received by being last, but because it couldn’t be helped that I was last.
It’ll be even weirder if I come early.
The ones who came earlier spent the time talking with each other. There was not much I could do there if I was to join. It wasn’t as if I was going to laugh while exchanging small talk. The mood would sour if I just sat next to them without saying anything.
So I did this instead.
“Then…since everyone is here…let’s begin the meeting…”
I had only sat there having my own thoughts while ignoring everyone else, but Wolf carefully turned to check on me.
“Is there… a… problem…?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then…let’s begin. Everyone is busy here.”
For some reason, Wolf was the one to lead the meeting today. Well, it didn’t really matter to me who did—
Ouch, why do I start thinking like this whenever I wear the mask?
While I did think that maybe I should start putting my guard up and being wary of others, I decided to consider it later and listened to what everyone was saying for now.
Deer was the first to go.
“It has been confirmed that the palace is shutting down entry to Basement Floor 1.
If people go down and ignore this decree, then they will be executed without mercy.”
“Quite the exceptionally severe punishment.”
“Ah, of course, this severe punishment only applies to clans larger than a set size.
We’re suspecting that the punishments won’t be this severe on individual adventurers.”
Well, that was an understandable decree. Just by stopping clans from going in, they could stop their frontline from collapsing.
Damn, these palace guys. They’ve never done anything helpful.
In any case, with Deer as the first to go, the other members quickly went down the line, and a total of two of them were memorable.
“When the Unnamed Sculptures on the third floor are defeated after ‘distortion’ magic is cast, you can obtain a fragment with a different pattern, and this is the key to entering Basement Floor 1”
Queen shared the way to enter Basement Floor 1, the Records Archives.
“Pshehe, in a sense, this may be good news for you. Unfortunately, our troops that were clearing the eighth floor failed and were hurt quite badly.”
Then came Clown.
What he said was something that I could’ve just skipped past onto my turn, but his statement hit me like a bolt of lightning.
The eighth-floor operation failed…?
Although I didn’t have any proof, it didn’t seem like a coincidence.
That was why I unconsciously said something out loud.
“Kalheum.”
One of the rifts on the eighth floor, Kalheum the City of Light, was the field where Milayel appeared as the Guardian of the Rift.
“Pshe…he…?” Clown stopped letting out his empty laughter. “Mr. Lion… How did you…?”
What the? That really happened over there? So was there a connection between the failure and Milayel appearing on the basement floor?
As I began to think about it, Clown suddenly backed down. “Ah-Ahem! I-I seemed to have asked a foolish question. Mr. Lion probably has ears even in Noark as well.”
I hadn’t done anything, but he seemed to rationalize it all by himself. Was this why I needed to become famous?
In any case, everyone’s gaze was on me now as Clown made a clown of himself.
It’s already my turn. Which information should I share?
Today, I didn’t need to contemplate that question. Usually, even while interesting pieces of information appeared, I just skipped my turn by saying information that matched their level.
But I’m not here to get information today.
That had been my original plan, to be honest, but an unexpected variable appeared. The palace had completely messed with my plans. At this rate, additional forces would stop coming down to the floor.
That was why I had no choice but to be proactive.
Since Queen talked about the entry method already, I’ll have to pass on that one…
And although the palace declared executions, I wasn’t too worried. There was a well-known fact about adventurers, after all.
“In Basement Floor 1, the Records Archives…”
Adventurers didn’t care about their lives.
“There, Bjorn Yandel obtained two single-digit numbered items in the last two months.”
Not if there was money to be made.
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