Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Chapter 389: Wild Horse (3)

Chapter 389: Wild Horse (3)

The dead of night.

An intruder, having picked the lock and entered the house.

"..."

There were two options.

First, verbally reprimand him and ask why he had snuck in.

And the second...

"...I hope you're ready to die."

Express my anger physically.

There was no need to think twice about how a barbarian would react to an intruder.

I tightened my grip on his throat.

It was a natural response.

A barbarian confronting an 'assassin'.

"Did the Marquis send you to kill me?"

"...G-guh...!"

He struggled to speak.

"...N-no... Let's talk...!"

It was obvious what he was going to say.

That he had no intention of killing me.

And it was probably true.

He wasn't armed when he entered the room.

And the Marquis had plenty of other ways to get rid of me if he really wanted me dead.

I didn't deny that.

But...

"I don't talk to those who try to kill me."

I couldn't let him off the hook that easily.

Go to sleep.

I'll get my compensation from your father.

Squeeze.

I tightened my grip, cutting off his air supply, and then punched him in the stomach.

Thud!

His back arched like a shrimp.

"Ugh—!"

Wow, he's still conscious?

Then one more.

Thud!

"Ugh—!"

He's tough for a knight.

Should I just knock him out?

I was about to aim for his jaw when...

"Gah—!"

He drew his sword, sensing the danger.

It was a small dagger, similar to the one I used to cut jerky. But size didn't matter when it was in a knight's hand.

Whoosh!

A blue aura enveloped the dagger, expanding its size.

Swish!

The dagger, infused with aura, shot towards my wrist like lightning. He couldn't free his neck, so he was going to cut off my hand.

It was understandable.

Most knights believed that any obstacle could be overcome with a sword.

?Character has cast [Iron Fortress].?

?[Evolved Hide] effect is increased by 1.5 times.?

I quickly activated my skills.

And the aura struck my wrist.

But...

Clank!

The aura barely pierced my skin, stopped by my bone.

"...!"

His eyes widened in shock.

It was the same expression I had seen on the Blood Knight's face.

Why wasn't it cutting?

Knights, accustomed to their aura slicing through everything, couldn't comprehend this phenomenon.

But I wasn't going to explain it to him.

"You were hiding a weapon."

Blood dripped from the cut on my wrist.

But I didn't let go of his neck.

"You really are an assassin."

He couldn't even shake his head in denial.

His Strength wasn't high enough to overcome my grip.

His eyes widened in terror...

Whoosh!

...and then my fist connected with his jaw.

Crack!

Now, let's go.

______________________

I dragged the unconscious Marquis's son out of the room.

But I encountered a problem.

'How do I find the Marquis?'

I didn't know where he was.

I couldn't wake this guy up and ask him...

Drip, drip.

Damn, I want to meet the Marquis before the cut on my wrist heals...

But I didn't have to think for long.

A strong body meant a simple mind.

'Let's just go outside.'

I was currently staying in a guest house east of the main building.

I walked through the empty hallway and headed for the stairs.

The servants, who were everywhere before, were nowhere to be seen.

It meant the Marquis had ordered them to stay away.

'Well, at least the 1st floor is still active.'

The entrance hall on the 1st floor was brightly lit.

Even though there were no observers, one of the servants standing guard screamed as soon as she saw me.

"Aaaaah!"

Was she a human alarm?

"What's going on?!"

The scream alerted the knights guarding the main gate, and they rushed inside.

There were four of them.

"Lihen Schuitz...! What are you doing?! Who is that?!"

They didn't recognize the Marquis's son.

Maybe I shouldn't have hit his face...

"He's wearing our family crest."

"Even if he's a guest, you can't just attack him!"

"Release him and surrender!"

They surrounded me, their swords infused with aura.

It was a scene that would make any ordinary explorer tremble in fear.

And they knew it.

That's why they were so confident.

"This is your last warning. Surrender and await the Marquis's judgment."

"What if I don't?"

"...We'll have to use force."

"Really? Then try it."

I shrugged, and they frowned.

As if I had made a foolish choice.

Thud.

I dropped the Marquis's son on the floor and drew my Demon Crusher.

And at that moment...

Tadat.

They exchanged glances and charged at me.

How kind of them.

Boom.

I stomped on the ground, and a whirlwind erupted.

?Character has cast [Eye of the Storm].?

I didn't combine it with [Transcendence].

It was more efficient to use it normally in a group fight.

Whiiiiiish!

The knights were swept towards me by the powerful wind.

They swung their swords, their aura easily slicing through my armor.

"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"

But I didn't bother defending.

I just swung my hammer, again and again.

I was a damage-tank barbarian.

If we traded blows...

I would win in the end.

Swish.

One of the knights charged at me, swinging his sword down.

But I didn't dodge or block.

Slice!

The blade sank deep into my shoulder, almost reaching my collarbone.

Crack!

I smashed his temple with my hammer.

And at that moment...

Slice!

Another knight slashed at my ankle.

'He went for my Achilles tendon, that bastard.'

I stumbled, but my tendon wasn't severed.

So...

Shift.

I quickly regained my balance and kicked him in the face with my other foot.

Boom!

He flew back and crashed into a pillar.

Then I heard a thud from behind.

Crack!

Yeah, he stabbed me.

?Piercing damage reduction: 75%.?

It didn't even hurt.

"H-how... are you...?"

What? Does he have something to say?

Crack!

I elbowed him in the jaw.

He couldn't even shake his head in denial.

Whoosh!

The last knight charged towards me, his sword glowing with a golden aura.

'He's aiming for my neck.'

I blocked it with my shield.

And...

"...Ugh!"

I kicked him in the stomach.

Swaaaaaaaaaa.

The whirlwind subsided.

"..."

The room was silent.

We had traded blows, but the winner was clear.

I was still standing, while they were all on the floor.

"Ugh...!"

Two of them were still conscious.

The one I had kicked in the stomach seemed fine, but the one I had hit in the temple might be dead.

'Did he use a defensive skill?'

The knight who had been hit in the head stumbled towards the open gate.

"B-backup..."

Wow, he's dedicated to his job.

Whoosh!

I used [Transcendence] and [Eye of the Storm] to pull him back and then knocked him out with a headbutt.

'I can ask him where the Marquis is...'

I crouched down and grabbed the other knight's head, turning it towards me.

"I have a question—"

"Ptoo!"

...He spat a mixture of blood and phlegm in my face.

It was disgusting.

I had always been the one spitting, so it felt even worse.

I endured the urge to punch him and asked again,

"Where's the Marquis?"

"You'll... follow me... eventually."

He was already resigned to his fate. It seemed pointless to ask him anything.

So...

Boom!

I knocked him out with a headbutt.

'What should I do now? Should I go outside?'

There might be mages out there...

And I didn't want to cause any more trouble.

I just wanted to talk to the Marquis.

Should I wait for his son to wake up?

Swoosh.

As I was contemplating my options, I sensed someone approaching from the open gate.

I looked up and saw the Marquis standing there.

"..."

I slowly stood up.

"...I guess I don't have to go looking for you."

_____________________

The Marquis was wearing the same casual clothes as before.

It meant he hadn't gone to bed.

Maybe he was working late...

But...

I had a hunch he was waiting for me.

The knights surrounding him were a dead giveaway.

Swoosh.

As I stood up, the Dragonkin woman next to the Marquis reached for her sword.

"Stay back."

"...Yes."

She immediately obeyed his order.

I observed her carefully.

She wasn't a knight.

Aura was exclusive to humans.

'A Dragonkin.'

Her eyes had the characteristic reptilian glow.

And then I looked at her equipment.

And...

'Holy shit.'

I recognized the sword she was wearing.

'No. 19 Ignixen Dragon Slayer.'

A transformation-type longsword that amplified physical damage and could convert it to magic damage.

It was my counter, especially with my incomplete magic resistance build.

'I've never heard of her...'

If her equipment reflected her skill, she must be one of the strongest in the city. And Dragonkin were rarely weak.

"..."

A brief silence followed.

The Marquis broke the silence.

"Shall we move to a different location?"

"How can I trust you?"

"Hmm, then let them leave."

The Marquis nodded, and the knights escorted the unconscious bodies away.

And...

"Everyone except for Ms. Raviyen, leave the mansion."

He dismissed all the other guards.

Only the Dragonkin woman remained.

Even with her present, the Marquis didn't hesitate to call my name.

"Viscount Yandel."

"..."

"I know why you did this. You must have misunderstood something."

Misunderstood...

He must have been surprised.

He probably didn't expect me to react this way, even if he knew I wasn't an evil spirit.

Especially not in his own mansion.

But I wasn't going to be considerate.

"You sent an assassin to my house and now you're talking about misunderstandings? You're shameless."

"That's why it's a misunderstanding. I just wanted to confirm if you were an evil spirit."

"...An evil spirit?"

I had known his intentions all along, but I feigned ignorance.

And added a touch of anger.

"...Are you saying you suspected me of being an evil spirit?"

I glared at him, and he calmly nodded.

"It's better to be sure. You know that evil spirits are summoned to a gathering every 15th. And they're completely vulnerable during that time. I just wanted to confirm if you were conscious or not."

"...And?"

"I've confirmed it. You're not an evil spirit."

I sighed in relief.

That was one of my main goals for coming here.

"Then why did you send your son?"

"I thought... he would be able to handle it even if you woke up."

"Handle it...?"

"First, I didn't expect you to cause such a commotion. And second, I thought he would be able to adapt to the situation."

In other words, he thought his son would be able to subdue me if things went wrong.

"Didn't you think he could die? He's your only son."

"He'll only grow weak if I coddle him."

That was his parenting style.

It was a bit unsettling, but I could understand.

"So, now that the misunderstanding is cleared—"

"Just because the misunderstanding is cleared doesn't mean the resentment is gone. And besides, it's not like everything is cleared up."

"...?"

The Marquis frowned as I cut him off.

What? I can't even speak my mind?

"Look at this."

I showed him the cut on my wrist.

It was almost healed.

"Your son did this."

"...He attacked you?"

"He tried to kill me as soon as I started talking."

"That's... I'll discipline him properly."

"What about my compensation?"

I showed him the other injuries I had sustained while fighting the four knights.

They were minor compared to the injuries the knights had suffered...

But the Marquis chuckled and gave me the answer I wanted.

"It was our mistake. We'll compensate you accordingly."

Okay, that was enough.

"Now, can we talk? I'd like to hear about the second condition you mentioned."

"Alright."

I nodded, and the Dragonkin guard summoned a chair from her subspace pocket.

It was a luxurious and comfortable chair.

Wow, she carries that around in her subspace pocket?

Nobles...

"I'm getting old, and my body isn't what it used to be. Do you need a chair too?"

"I'm good."

"I see."

"So, what's the second condition?"

The first condition was participating in the war.

What was the second?

"Before I tell you that, I have one more question."

The Marquis dodged my question and asked his own.

Damn, I couldn't refuse.

"Go ahead."

"Your son aside... the four knights you fought were quite skilled."

Were they?

It didn't feel that way since I had defeated them before they could even use their skills.

"So?"

"I'll be direct."

The Marquis asked,

"How strong are you?"

It was a strange question, but it made sense.

He didn't know my true strength.

He was just planning to use my reputation in the war.

"Hmm, it seems like a difficult question for you."

"Not really."

It wasn't difficult, just hard to answer.

How do you measure strength?

It was relative, just like time. You needed a point of reference.

For example...

"Her."

I looked at the Dragonkin guard, and the Marquis's eyes widened slightly.

"You're saying you can defeat her?"

I shook my head.

"No."

I wasn't sure.

I had never fought her before.

But I didn't hesitate to answer the Marquis's question.

"I'm strong enough to break through her and crush your skull."

Was that a satisfactory answer?

It seemed like it.

"..."

The Marquis, who had always been calm and composed, flinched.

And...

"...You're even more insane than I thought."

The guard's exclamation was proof.