Chapter 436: Rival (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 436: Rival (2)
Baekho Lee, age twenty-three, was a soldier fresh out of the military with a shaven head and the facial features of a young country boy. This guy had called me his friend.
"Me? It's... been ten years."
Since it'd been four years since he said that, he was a player who had survived in this city for at least fourteen years. At first, I thought he was a bit odd.
"You are already of this world."
I was reminded of what Hans A said when I met him in the Box of Punishment. Suddenly, with them in mind, it finally hit me what the venom and tenacity I'd heard in Baekho's voice before meant.
"We don't say those things! I'm going back, so we should be counting by our real ages!"
Baekho wasn't a weirdo. He was just more desperate than anyone else, which was why it was rather easy to see through him.
"Lift the ban, now. If you don't, you're going to die here."
His tone of speech was frivolous.
"Hey, Dentures. Who said you could set a fire without permission?"
He believed he had omnipotent power and acted like a hooligan as a result.
"Wow, so you really were a player?"
But though it may seem like he acted solely in pursuit of his own selfish desires, ultimately, there was only one thing he wanted.
"I don't do friends in this world."
He wanted to escape this goddamn world and return to our original one. No one was easier to deal with than someone with clear motivations. I'd been wary of revealing my identity to Baekho this whole time, but...
There's no need for that now.
This guy may not have known Bjorn Yandel was Hansu Lee, but he had already known Bjorn was an evil spirit.
"Holy shit..."
More importantly, now that time had passed, I had the confidence that I could protect myself from the worst-case scenario, even against a monster like him.
"So... you really were Bjorn Yandel this whole time. And since Riehen Schuitz is Bjorn Yandel, you're the one I met in Atlante back then." After I revealed my identity, Baekho let out several exclamations of surprise before exhaling in apparent relief. "I'm really glad that I at least know now."
That bothered me a bit. "Glad...? Why?"
"Ah... I think it's best I don't tell you."
"I think that's for me to hear and decide."
When I was short with him, Baekho's brows furrowed slightly. "But, buddy, why are you being so aggressive toward me?" Rather than angry, he sounded genuinely confused. But before I could say anything, he figured it out himself. "Ah... the way I acted..."
It seemed he remembered everything that had happened between him and Bjorn Yandel.
"I'm sorry, Hansu. I didn't know it was you back then. You understand, right?" Before I could even decide whether to accept the apology or not, Baekho sighed again. "Jeez... you should've just told me back then. If you did, things wouldn't have gotten so complicated."
Hahaha... This kid really knows how to piss a guy off.
"Are you saying it's my fault?"
"No, I didn't say that. Ultimately, it's my fault. As you said, it's because of me that people know Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit."
His calm tone of voice was honestly making me angrier, but I swallowed back my emotions and forced myself to focus on the conversation. "Now that we know each other's identities, let me ask again: why did you do that?"
"I needed a figurehead for my plan. But, again, if I knew it was you, I would have never gone that route."
I don't know, I can't really trust him when he says that. I know a bit about how this guy operates now.
"Even if I were really dead?" Would he really not have used me in that case?
My question was met with silence. Was he the type of person who didn't like to lie? It was too early to know for sure. Maybe he just didn't want to tell lies that were too obvious.
Baekho casually changed the subject. "But aren't you curious about how I found out you were Bjorn Yandel? Honestly, I thought that would be the first thing you asked."
The answer to that question was simple. I decided something else was more important right now. No matter the reason, the events of the past did not change. Even when you went back to the past and tried to change them.
"Ah, well, I don't think I would've answered anyway," Baekho admitted.
What the hell is this bastard saying?
"But to be clear, I wasn't 100 percent sure. That's why I wanted to use this opportunity to sound you out a little." He didn't need to explain his method for doing so. Even though he suspected me of being Bjorn Yandel, he had acted normal until I brought up Missha or Bjorn first.
That's probably why he pretended to let Hyeonbyeol bully him. That way, I'd lower my guard more—
"Oh, but Hyeonbyeol is really scary. How did you date someone like that? Wow, I don't know how long it's been since I lost in a battle of wills. It was so ridiculous I had to laugh.
Hmm, then was that real? I couldn't be sure, but I didn't have time to think about stuff like that right now.
"Anyway, enough of that." I cut that topic of conversation off there and decided to be blunt. "Why did you take Missha?"
"To clear the labyrinth, of course."
So, that was the reason. I figured that was the case, but actually hearing him say it gave me an inexplicable sense of relief.
"Isn't that why you were cultivating her too? Because it's convenient to have an ice double swordmaster in the latter half of the ninth floor?"
Of course, I still had some questions. "I'm sure you had other candidates. Why did it have to be Missha?"
"I liked her unwavering conviction. I thought if I promised to resurrect you with the Stone of Revival, she would never betray me."
"That's it?"
"Well, there are other reasons... but they're all trivial. To be honest, I did go back and forth about my decision. But I was fascinated by the fact that her feelings didn't change despite knowing the truth about your identity."
This didn't seem like a lie. In fact, he really didn't seem that interested in Missha herself. He seemed to think of her as more of a thing than a person.
"Oh, right! If you want her back, I'll give her to you. I worked hard to cultivate her for a few years, and I feel weirdly like I'm betraying Hyeonbyeol for some reason, but..." The only person this guy was interested in right now was me. "It's you and me, right?" Baekho grinned at me. "In that case, it's worth it. Of course it is."
His kindness was over-the-top. With this, it became obvious to me. The reason this guy was good to me wasn't simply because I was Korean. There was something else. If not, there was no way someone whose goal was to return would give up on Missha so easily.
His calm tone of voice was honestly making me angrier, but I swallowed back my emotions and forced myself to focus on the conversation. "Now that we know each other's identities, let me ask again: why did you do that?"
"I needed a figurehead for my plan. But, again, if I knew it was you, I would have never gone that route."
I don't know, I can't really trust him when he says that. I know a bit about how this guy operates now.
"Even if I were really dead?" Would he really not have used me in that case?
My question was met with silence. Was he the type of person who didn't like to lie? It was too early to know for sure. Maybe he just didn't want to tell lies that were too obvious.
Baekho casually changed the subject. "But aren't you curious about how I found out you were Bjorn Yandel? Honestly, I thought that would be the first thing you asked."
The answer to that question was simple. I decided something else was more important right now. No matter the reason, the events of the past did not change. Even when you went back to the past and tried to change them.
"Ah, well, I don't think I would've answered anyway," Baekho admitted.
What the hell is this bastard saying?
"But to be clear, I wasn't 100 percent sure. That's why I wanted to use this opportunity to sound you out a little." He didn't need to explain his method for doing so. Even though he suspected me of being Bjorn Yandel, he had acted normal until I brought up Missha or Bjorn first.
That's probably why he pretended to let Hyeonbyeol bully him. That way, I'd lower my guard more—
"Oh, but Hyeonbyeol is really scary. How did you date someone like that? Wow, I don't know how long it's been since I lost in a battle of wills. It was so ridiculous I had to laugh.
Hmm, then was that real? I couldn't be sure, but I didn't have time to think about stuff like that right now.
"Anyway, enough of that." I cut that topic of conversation off there and decided to be blunt. "Why did you take Missha?"
"To clear the labyrinth, of course."
So, that was the reason. I figured that was the case, but actually hearing him say it gave me an inexplicable sense of relief.
"Isn't that why you were cultivating her too? Because it's convenient to have an ice double swordmaster in the latter half of the ninth floor?"
Of course, I still had some questions. "I'm sure you had other candidates. Why did it have to be Missha?"
"I liked her unwavering conviction. I thought if I promised to resurrect you with the Stone of Revival, she would never betray me."
"That's it?"
"Well, there are other reasons... but they're all trivial. To be honest, I did go back and forth about my decision. But I was fascinated by the fact that her feelings didn't change despite knowing the truth about your identity."
This didn't seem like a lie. In fact, he really didn't seem that interested in Missha herself. He seemed to think of her as more of a thing than a person.
"Oh, right! If you want her back, I'll give her to you. I worked hard to cultivate her for a few years, and I feel weirdly like I'm betraying Hyeonbyeol for some reason, but..." The only person this guy was interested in right now was me. "It's you and me, right?" Baekho grinned at me. "In that case, it's worth it. Of course it is."
His kindness was over-the-top. With this, it became obvious to me. The reason this guy was good to me wasn't simply because I was Korean. There was something else. If not, there was no way someone whose goal was to return would give up on Missha so easily.
It would be best to pretend not to know.
Despite the temptation to dig, I didn't even try to sound him out. Getting Missha back safely was my first priority.
"Then since the issue of Kitty is resolved, let's talk about something else!"
"Something else?"
"I'm just curious about your story. I wasn't as strong as you were when I was at your stage. You even got the essence of a Deep Sea Giant not too long ago. Based on my rough estimates, you have at least four rank-three essences."
Baekho started asking me various questions. I kindly answered the things I could answer and left out the rest. Give and take. Since he'd been so agreeable about giving back Missha, I figured I could at least be this honest with him.
"But what really happened? Where were you for two and a half years?"
I gave this question a lot of thought. Was it a good idea to tell him I traveled twenty years into the past? It didn't take long to make a decision.
He already knows I'm Bjorn Yandel, so there's no reason to hide it. Maybe he'll be able to give me helpful information.
Auril Gavis was the common enemy of all players, so it was important to share information and discuss ways to deal with him. And so, I told Baekho the story of how I got sucked into the past on Farune Island.
"The Fragment of Records Stone...? I've heard about it before, but I guess it really does exist."
I told him about how I entered the community twenty years ago. This guy wouldn't be interested in how I saved Amelia's sister, so I left that part out.
"...You met Auril Gavis?"
"Yeah, it turns out he was the founder of the community."
"Oh, I knew that. I heard it from Old Man Ruingenes... huh? Wait... that old man mentioned Auril Gavis brought a weird man with him before the community blew up. Was that you?"
"Probably."
"Wow... It's like you're the main character or something. Tell me more. And then? What happened after?"
"Auril Gavis was very interested in the fact that I was a player from the future."
I recounted the conversation I had with Auril Gavis, leaving out the part where I beat the game in its original mode. Surprisingly, Baekho already knew most of this information. That was because one of his current teammates was the Fallen Scholar. Well, the reason I brought up the past in the first place was to get his intel.
"I know the Earth Witch is alive. I don't know where she is, though."
"The old man said she's where everyone's hopes go. Do you know anything about that?"
"Eh? He really said that? That's easy. Could it be anywhere other than the end of the labyrinth?"
"But there was no final boss in the game."
"That's because it was only ever a tutorial. After living here this long, you must realize it too. This place is completely different from the game. Maybe the Earth Witch will appear as the final boss. Hmm, then how the heck do we prepare for that?"
Even disregarding the topic of the Earth Witch, this conversation with Baekho was useful. I was the one revealing information, but it felt like I was getting more too.
"Oh, that Kagureas guy you mentioned is the barbarian who collected the three Genesis Treasures, right?"
Uh, it was two when I left... Wait, before that.
It would be best to pretend not to know.
Despite the temptation to dig, I didn't even try to sound him out. Getting Missha back safely was my first priority.
"Then since the issue of Kitty is resolved, let's talk about something else!"
"Something else?"
"I'm just curious about your story. I wasn't as strong as you were when I was at your stage. You even got the essence of a Deep Sea Giant not too long ago. Based on my rough estimates, you have at least four rank-three essences."
Baekho started asking me various questions. I kindly answered the things I could answer and left out the rest. Give and take. Since he'd been so agreeable about giving back Missha, I figured I could at least be this honest with him.
"But what really happened? Where were you for two and a half years?"
I gave this question a lot of thought. Was it a good idea to tell him I traveled twenty years into the past? It didn't take long to make a decision.
He already knows I'm Bjorn Yandel, so there's no reason to hide it. Maybe he'll be able to give me helpful information.
Auril Gavis was the common enemy of all players, so it was important to share information and discuss ways to deal with him. And so, I told Baekho the story of how I got sucked into the past on Farune Island.
"The Fragment of Records Stone...? I've heard about it before, but I guess it really does exist."
I told him about how I entered the community twenty years ago. This guy wouldn't be interested in how I saved Amelia's sister, so I left that part out.
"...You met Auril Gavis?"
"Yeah, it turns out he was the founder of the community."
"Oh, I knew that. I heard it from Old Man Ruingenes... huh? Wait... that old man mentioned Auril Gavis brought a weird man with him before the community blew up. Was that you?"
"Probably."
"Wow... It's like you're the main character or something. Tell me more. And then? What happened after?"
"Auril Gavis was very interested in the fact that I was a player from the future."
I recounted the conversation I had with Auril Gavis, leaving out the part where I beat the game in its original mode. Surprisingly, Baekho already knew most of this information. That was because one of his current teammates was the Fallen Scholar. Well, the reason I brought up the past in the first place was to get his intel.
"I know the Earth Witch is alive. I don't know where she is, though."
"The old man said she's where everyone's hopes go. Do you know anything about that?"
"Eh? He really said that? That's easy. Could it be anywhere other than the end of the labyrinth?"
"But there was no final boss in the game."
"That's because it was only ever a tutorial. After living here this long, you must realize it too. This place is completely different from the game. Maybe the Earth Witch will appear as the final boss. Hmm, then how the heck do we prepare for that?"
Even disregarding the topic of the Earth Witch, this conversation with Baekho was useful. I was the one revealing information, but it felt like I was getting more too.
"Oh, that Kagureas guy you mentioned is the barbarian who collected the three Genesis Treasures, right?"
Uh, it was two when I left... Wait, before that.
"He's a barbarian?"
"You didn't know? You two are deeply connected. Little Balkan... that was your nickname, right?"
What?
"No way..."
"Yeah. Kagureas is Balkan. Or, he's assumed to be, based on the circumstances. New World 134, April 2nd: shortly after Balkan died at the age of fifty-five, the missing Genesis Treasures all returned to their tribes."
This was surprising news. To think my legendary predecessor and the original holder of my nickname was an evil spirit.
"Do you know about the portal in the palace basement, too?"
"I've been looking into that for a while, but I haven't learned much. Just that the portal there is not the entrance but the exit."
"The exit?"
"You can't go anywhere from that portal—it's the opposite. You have to get into a portal somewhere else to travel to the portal in the palace basement."
Hmm, I see... That's definitely suspicious.
Anyway, we talked like that for a while, standing on the same side for the first time in a long time. Finally, as we reached the final round of our game of Truth, we touched on a new topic.
"Auril Gavis, do you feel the slightest bit of remorse for the deaths of the countless evil spirits who were brought here as a result of your greed?"
Baekho burst into laughter as soon as he heard this. "Ha! Pffft, ahahaha! Really? You really asked the old man that?"
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because... Let's just say it's a very 'you' question. Well, you are still innocent in your own way, after all..."
What? I'm innocent?
I was dumbfounded by that assertion, but Baekho genuinely seemed to believe it.
"So? What did that old man say?"
I told him exactly what Auril told me word for word, how he looked me straight in the eyes as he said it.
"How could I ever be at peace? Of course, I feel sorry for you. I feel responsible as well. I will probably live with and atone for this for the rest of my life. Was that enough of an answer for you?"
I told him how the red light on the jewel lit up.
"Hmm..." I was sure Baekho would curse him out with me, calling him an old nutcase, but he had a weird look on his face. "That's a bit ambiguous."
"Ambiguous?"
"He purposefully gave a long-winded, over-the-top answer."
"Huh?"
"That's typically a strategy for hiding a lie inside a truth. Not to mention, you two could only answer yes or no in that situation..."
Baekho was suspicious of Auril Gavis's motives. The problem was that the more I thought about it, the more I thought he might be right.
"Hmm, I wonder why that old man did something like that," Baekho mused. "Is it just a coincidence that he talked that way, or was it on purpose? What do you think?"
"I don't know... how could we hope to know what goes on in that old man's head?"
"That's... true." Our discussion of Auril Gavis's answer ended there. Baekho seemed to have more questions besides that. "Um..."
"What is it? It makes me anxious when you hesitate like that."
"This might be a bit offensive."
"Just ask."
"You sure?"
"Yep."
With my permission, Baekho asked, "What's your goal?"
The question wasn't entirely out of left field, but it still caught me a bit off guard. "Goal?"
"Do you want to go back to Earth?"
So, that's what you're wondering.
"You told me you didn't know back when we met in Gnometree."
Yeah, I did say that. And when I did, he asked if it was because of that Red Cat Tribe beastwoman. When I answered with silence, he advised me not to expect too much from an NPC, because he felt like he was seeing his past self in me. But he probably dismissed it from his mind after that because he didn't place much value on Bjorn Yandel.
"Still not sure?"
"I don't know..."
"Give it some serious thought, then. You're long past the stage where your goal is just to survive."
It was obvious what Baekho was getting at, but I pretended to seriously mull it over. But was it because I'd been thinking about this myself a lot lately? "My goal, huh?" I was only going to pretend, but I suddenly found all kinds of thoughts running through my mind. What was my goal?
"If it's hard, try thinking about it like this. There's a button. And if you press that button, you can immediately return to the world you came from. Now, what would you do?"
Baekho's advice was more helpful than I thought. Though I didn't know what decision my future self might make, I at least knew my gut instinct right now. If there really was a button like that, I would hesitate in front of it for a long time, my mind reeling.
If I went back home, what was there for me? There were a handful of things I could think of right away. Hamburgers, cola, games. Fun shows, and the convenience of countless modern devices. I wouldn't have to kill anything, bleed every day, or feel so much pain or exhaustion. I may have to worry about living, but not surviving. The life of smooth sailing I longed for existed beyond that button.
But, though this game was surely damned, my feelings still hadn't changed.
That... doesn't change anything.
I wouldn't be able to press the button. No, I'd choose not to press it. That was not the life I wanted right now.
"Looks like you've somewhat made your decision?"
"Yeah."
I reached a conclusion. My goal was to survive in this place. Even if it was full of all kinds of threats, even if every day was like walking on thin ice... To survive, along with the numerous people I met here, was my sincerest desire.
"Can you tell me what you would do?"
I looked him right in the eye and answered, "I would press that button."
I decided at that moment not to reveal my true intentions and instead give Baekho the answer he was looking for. It was obvious what he was waiting for me to say.
After hearing my answer, Baekho stared at me quietly. There was a moment of silence that felt strangely heavy.
"Tsk." The sound of Baekho clicking his tongue sliced through the quiet. "Jeez, you're getting on my nerves. Are you treating me like a moron because I can't use my skills here?" The same guy who always laughed flippantly and joked around with people was now looking at me with eyes that were colder than I'd ever seen them. "You're lying right to my face."
"He's a barbarian?"
"You didn't know? You two are deeply connected. Little Balkan... that was your nickname, right?"
What?
"No way..."
"Yeah. Kagureas is Balkan. Or, he's assumed to be, based on the circumstances. New World 134, April 2nd: shortly after Balkan died at the age of fifty-five, the missing Genesis Treasures all returned to their tribes."
This was surprising news. To think my legendary predecessor and the original holder of my nickname was an evil spirit.
"Do you know about the portal in the palace basement, too?"
"I've been looking into that for a while, but I haven't learned much. Just that the portal there is not the entrance but the exit."
"The exit?"
"You can't go anywhere from that portal—it's the opposite. You have to get into a portal somewhere else to travel to the portal in the palace basement."
Hmm, I see... That's definitely suspicious.
Anyway, we talked like that for a while, standing on the same side for the first time in a long time. Finally, as we reached the final round of our game of Truth, we touched on a new topic.
"Auril Gavis, do you feel the slightest bit of remorse for the deaths of the countless evil spirits who were brought here as a result of your greed?"
Baekho burst into laughter as soon as he heard this. "Ha! Pffft, ahahaha! Really? You really asked the old man that?"
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because... Let's just say it's a very 'you' question. Well, you are still innocent in your own way, after all..."
What? I'm innocent?
I was dumbfounded by that assertion, but Baekho genuinely seemed to believe it.
"So? What did that old man say?"
I told him exactly what Auril told me word for word, how he looked me straight in the eyes as he said it.
"How could I ever be at peace? Of course, I feel sorry for you. I feel responsible as well. I will probably live with and atone for this for the rest of my life. Was that enough of an answer for you?"
I told him how the red light on the jewel lit up.
"Hmm..." I was sure Baekho would curse him out with me, calling him an old nutcase, but he had a weird look on his face. "That's a bit ambiguous."
"Ambiguous?"
"He purposefully gave a long-winded, over-the-top answer."
"Huh?"
"That's typically a strategy for hiding a lie inside a truth. Not to mention, you two could only answer yes or no in that situation..."
Baekho was suspicious of Auril Gavis's motives. The problem was that the more I thought about it, the more I thought he might be right.
"Hmm, I wonder why that old man did something like that," Baekho mused. "Is it just a coincidence that he talked that way, or was it on purpose? What do you think?"
"I don't know... how could we hope to know what goes on in that old man's head?"
"That's... true." Our discussion of Auril Gavis's answer ended there. Baekho seemed to have more questions besides that. "Um..."
"What is it? It makes me anxious when you hesitate like that."
"This might be a bit offensive."
"Just ask."
"You sure?"
"Yep."
With my permission, Baekho asked, "What's your goal?"
The question wasn't entirely out of left field, but it still caught me a bit off guard. "Goal?"
"Do you want to go back to Earth?"
So, that's what you're wondering.
"You told me you didn't know back when we met in Gnometree."
Yeah, I did say that. And when I did, he asked if it was because of that Red Cat Tribe beastwoman. When I answered with silence, he advised me not to expect too much from an NPC, because he felt like he was seeing his past self in me. But he probably dismissed it from his mind after that because he didn't place much value on Bjorn Yandel.
"Still not sure?"
"I don't know..."
"Give it some serious thought, then. You're long past the stage where your goal is just to survive."
It was obvious what Baekho was getting at, but I pretended to seriously mull it over. But was it because I'd been thinking about this myself a lot lately? "My goal, huh?" I was only going to pretend, but I suddenly found all kinds of thoughts running through my mind. What was my goal?
"If it's hard, try thinking about it like this. There's a button. And if you press that button, you can immediately return to the world you came from. Now, what would you do?"
Baekho's advice was more helpful than I thought. Though I didn't know what decision my future self might make, I at least knew my gut instinct right now. If there really was a button like that, I would hesitate in front of it for a long time, my mind reeling.
If I went back home, what was there for me? There were a handful of things I could think of right away. Hamburgers, cola, games. Fun shows, and the convenience of countless modern devices. I wouldn't have to kill anything, bleed every day, or feel so much pain or exhaustion. I may have to worry about living, but not surviving. The life of smooth sailing I longed for existed beyond that button.
But, though this game was surely damned, my feelings still hadn't changed.
That... doesn't change anything.
I wouldn't be able to press the button. No, I'd choose not to press it. That was not the life I wanted right now.
"Looks like you've somewhat made your decision?"
"Yeah."
I reached a conclusion. My goal was to survive in this place. Even if it was full of all kinds of threats, even if every day was like walking on thin ice... To survive, along with the numerous people I met here, was my sincerest desire.
"Can you tell me what you would do?"
I looked him right in the eye and answered, "I would press that button."
I decided at that moment not to reveal my true intentions and instead give Baekho the answer he was looking for. It was obvious what he was waiting for me to say.
After hearing my answer, Baekho stared at me quietly. There was a moment of silence that felt strangely heavy.
"Tsk." The sound of Baekho clicking his tongue sliced through the quiet. "Jeez, you're getting on my nerves. Are you treating me like a moron because I can't use my skills here?" The same guy who always laughed flippantly and joked around with people was now looking at me with eyes that were colder than I'd ever seen them. "You're lying right to my face."