Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Big Shot (3)

Ironically, human relationships are all like that.

The one who's more desperate usually becomes the underdog.

Like right now.

“One more.”

“Ah, here.”

“Ahhhhh.”

I refilled my Sprite and drank it.

The old man seemed eager to continue the conversation…

…but no way.

“Do you have Coke too?”

“Haha, you must be homesick.”

“Ahhhhh!”

This is the life.

My whole body trembled at the refreshing taste of carbonation, something I hadn’t had in a long time.

But I decided to stop abusing my drink privileges.

‘He knows what Sprite and Coke are, so he must have been to our world. But how did they get here? They didn’t open the ‘Gate of the Abyss’…’

Various questions filled my mind.

‘If I could just figure out how they did it, could I go home without climbing the floors?’

Of course, it was just a thought, I wasn’t that desperate. Honestly, my biggest concern these days was whether I even had to go back.

I had already adapted to this world.

Although it was a bit inconvenient, it was a livable place.

Yeah, even without carbonated drinks.

“Haha, seeing you so happy makes me happy too. Do you want another one?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Really?”

Auril Gabis tilted his head and then asked me the same question as before.

But…

“It’s my turn now, isn’t it?”

He coughed awkwardly as I rebuked him.

“Ahem, ah, I apologize. I got carried away. You’re right, it’s your turn, so ask me anything.”

What the hell, he didn’t even answer my questions properly.

I said firmly,

“No more questions.”

“Huh?”

What do you mean ‘huh’?

How shameless.

“What’s the point? I can’t even tell if you’re telling the truth or not.”

The old man looked indignant as I pointed out his underhanded tactic of using a lie detector.

“But I’ve never lied!”

Yeah, that’s right.

He just didn’t tell me the important parts.

His actions actually made me trust him more.

But…

“It’s still unfair, isn’t it?”

This old man could just change the subject when it was uncomfortable, but I couldn’t even stay silent.

“…What do you want me to do?”

Well…

I pretended to think for a while and then spoke.

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“How about I ask ten questions, and then you ask one?”

“What…?”

The old man exclaimed in disbelief.

Damn it, was that too much?

I quickly made an excuse.

“In the first place, I’m taking a huge risk just by talking to you.”

“Risk?”

“I don’t know how this will change the future.”

It was a line that implied the risks I was taking and the value of information from twenty years in the future.

But…

“What? Hahahahaha!”

Auril Gabis burst into laughter as if he had heard something truly funny.

It was so hearty that I felt offended.

I wasn’t telling a joke.

“Ah, sorry for laughing suddenly.”

He cleared his throat and composed himself as I just stared at him.

And…

“It’s just… I didn’t expect that. Well, it’s understandable from your perspective, but…”

Auril Gabis continued.

“You can’t change anything with the Fragment of Records.”

That was why he laughed.

______________________

My mind momentarily short-circuited.

But even after regaining my composure and thinking about it again, I couldn’t understand.

So I just asked him directly.

“What do you mean I can’t change anything?”

“Ah, is that a ‘question’?”

Uh…

“…….”

I felt speechless.

I suddenly wanted another sip of Sprite.

“Haha, I’m just kidding.”

Auril Gabis chuckled and answered my question.

“It’s difficult to explain the concept of time and causality to you now, so just know this.”

“…….”

“Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The order isn’t important. The history of the universe only happened once.”

I didn’t understand what he meant by the history of the universe.

But I understood what he was trying to say, even if I didn’t know the principle.

So, this old man was saying…

“You’re saying that no matter what I do here, the future won’t change?”

“That’s right. Once a timeline has been observed, it can’t be changed.”

“Simply put.”

“No matter what you think or do here. No matter what conversation we have. It’s already happened in the past.”

Understanding and accepting were two different things.

I understood the theory…

But what about Dwarkey?

The letters I left at the sanctuary?

So no matter what I did, nothing would change?

‘There’s no way.’

I decided to take his words with a grain of salt. This old man wasn’t omniscient.

He didn’t even know I had cleared the original game.

“You don’t seem to believe me.”

“…….”

“Well, you’ll understand when you finish what you have to do here and return. What it means to be called by fate.”

Auril Gabis then changed the subject and returned to our original conversation.

“So about fairness… ten questions is a bit much. How about three for one?”

Geez, he’s taking advantage of me while I’m confused.

I focused on the negotiation, deciding to think about the history of the universe later.

“Three is too few. How about five for one?”

“…Aren’t you being too shameless? Although information from twenty years in the future is valuable, the things I know are no less valuable.”

Auril Gabis frowned as if his pride was hurt.

Well, I could understand.

If you asked a hundred players from Earth, all of them would be interested in the information Auril Gabis had and think it was more valuable.

But…

“Then don’t do it if you think that way.”

The value of water is relative.

To a thirsty person, a drop of water is more valuable than a hundred pounds of gold.

“Five questions for one. Take it or leave it.”

I gave him my final offer.

That’s when…

“These damn bastards…”

…the old man’s expression hardened.

I was nervous, thinking I might have crossed a line, but…

“Ah, I apologize. I wasn’t talking about you. It’s just that those guys I saw earlier are breaking the rules again.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t because of me.

He even seemed worried that I might have misunderstood.

“It seems like I have to go now. How about we continue this conversation next month? I’ll think about the fairness issue.”

Although it was sudden, I didn’t show my disappointment. If I did, our negotiation might fall apart.

“Okay.”

I nodded as if I wasn’t in a hurry, and he waved his hand.

And…

“…I’m back.”

…I was lying in bed in my room when I came to my senses.

_______________________

[00:00].

I checked the time, midnight on the 15th, and then lay down and tried to sleep.

Of course, sleep didn’t come easily.

Countless thoughts, worries, and anxieties flashed through my mind.

But the sun still rose.

“…Nothing has changed.”

I got dressed and headed towards the library as soon as I woke up.

That the future wouldn’t change no matter what I did?

That it was meaningless since it had already happened in the past?

So what?

That couldn’t be a reason for me to just stay still.

There was a chance that Auril Gabis, that old man, was mistaken.

The probability was zero if I didn’t do anything.

‘She’s not here today.’

I went to the library, but Raven wasn’t there.

Where did this kid go?

Did she get in trouble for electrocuting someone?

‘…She didn’t come after all.’

I waited until the time Raven usually went home, but she didn’t appear.

It was the same the next day.

‘…Damn it, this is making me worried.’

I regretted not finding out where she lived, but I continued to visit the library. Raven finally appeared the next day.

“Why didn’t you come for the past few days?”

“I had something to do. What about you?”

“Just…”

Raven answered vaguely and sat down, starting to read a book.

But then…

“Why do you keep turning your head?”

“I’m not.”

No, you are.

And your hair is a mess.

“Come here.”

“No.”

“Then I’ll go to you.”

I strode towards Raven and moved her bangs aside.

And I barely managed to control myself.

‘So that’s why she was hiding it.’

There was a large bruise around Raven’s eye.

“Who did this?”

“…It doesn’t matter.”

Damn it, how do I get her to talk?

As I was sighing…

…Raven looked at me cautiously and muttered, as if trying to comfort me.

“…Don’t worry about it. I just came home late and my mom found out I was at the library.”

I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

Aside from the fact that this child was beaten up by her mother…

‘Came home late…’

She was always on time.

Then how did she end up coming home late?

“Did you wait for me and come home late?”

“…….”

Raven remained silent, and her silence was a clear answer.

Well, she did say ‘no’ belatedly…

But it was too late.

“Forget about me, tell me about the labyrinth. We were talking about it before.”

“…Where did we leave off?”

“The Doppelganger Forest. We talked about how doppelgangers are good at playing dead. But that’s not very interesting, so tell me something else.”

I told her stories about the labyrinth, as if entertaining a child, and then it was time for Raven to go home.

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Okay.”

“Are you… coming tomorrow?”

“If nothing comes up.”

Raven left the library after hearing my answer.

So I also left.

And…

‘Should I follow her?’

I started following Raven.

I didn’t want to get involved in her family matters…

‘But she didn’t do anything wrong.’

Damn it, this was crossing the line.