Surviving the Game as a Barbarian Chapter 339: Snowball (3)

My mind went blank.

It felt like soone had crushed a can, and Alia's last words echoed in my head.

'The royal family announced that you were an evil spirit.'

'The royal family announced that you were an evil spirit.'

'The royal family announced that you were an evil spirit.'

It was a shock that felt like dozens of n were hitting my head with hamrs.

If it weren't for her, I would have been stuck in this state for a while.

"Yandel."

"Ah..."

"...Are you okay?"

I ca to my senses and saw Alia's face close up. She was looking at with worried eyes, her small right hand on my chest.

"Uh, uh..."

"I understand how you feel, but this isn't the ti to be spacing out."

"Ah, sorry..."

Alia grabbed my wrist and pulled forward, and I followed her in a daze.

She was right.

[It's unclear if she still has that intention...]

Erwen also knew that I was an evil spirit.

It ant I couldn't expect her to treat like a companion anymore.

This... probably applied to the other companions as well.

'So...'

I clenched my jaw.

'The day has finally co.'

I accepted it, but I couldn't help but think...

Maybe it's not too late.

Erwen was chasing Alia because she thought Alia had killed . Maybe she would still treat like a companion, regardless of whether I was an evil spirit or not.

Yes, that possibility definitely existed.

But...

"You don't have to hold my hand anymore."

I let go of Alia's wrist and started running on my own.

Alia was right.

Erwen couldn't protect .

Even if she wanted to, she was a mber of the fairy tribe.

If she helped , it would harm her tribe, and she was more likely to prioritize her tribe over her personal feelings.

'...That's just an excuse.'

I chuckled bitterly as I ran.

No matter how sly and cowardly I was, I couldn't deceive myself.

I didn't want to see Erwen yet.

To be precise, I was afraid.

I was afraid of what I would hear from her.

[That's right! The chieftain said the sa thing! We have to kill evil spirits as soon as we find them!]

Ainar's words.

[Yeah... I didn't know before, but after today, I finally understand. Why people told not to trust evil spirits...]

Misha's words.

[It's wise to kill them when you have the chance. That's what happened to those who trusted evil spirits. The result is right there.]

Avman's words.

Clench.

They stabbed like daggers.

Just thinking about it made feel this way, how would it feel to actually experience it?

What would it be like to see them doubt my sincerity and express their anger at being deceived?

"..."

If I could just get past this situation, I might be able to smooth things over and prevent that day from ever coming.

So I ran after Alia.

"Yandel, this way!"

We left the empty plaza and headed towards the Lord's Castle in the center of the city.

There was a secret passage in the Lord's Castle, not just in the cetery.

We had to escape through that passage—

Creak!

As we arrived at the Lord's Castle and I was forcing the closed door open.

"Yandel, get down!"

Alia pushed through the gap in the door.

Whoosh.

And at that mont...

Thud.

An arrow, shot without a sound, pierced Alia's back.

"...!"

Alia gasped, her body swaying.

She collapsed on top of .

"You're... okay..."

"...What the—!"

"Your face... you don't seem like... you'll hurt her..."

I couldn't understand what she was saying.

But I didn't have ti to ask.

I quickly picked Alia up and stood up.

"I'll... take her..."

Alia was still trying to say sothing, but she couldn't finish her sentence.

Crack!

Alia exploded.

While she was in my arms.

_____________________

「Erwen Fornachi di Tersia has cast [Rupture].」

_____________________

Thud, thud, thud.

Dozens of pieces fell to the ground.

It was a surreal scene.

"Am, Alia...?"

The weight in my arms vanished.

But I couldn't move my arms, even though they were empty.

I just stood there, thinking.

Alia is dead?

Like this...?

And... because of Erwen...?

My body froze, but then I noticed sothing strange.

"Blood."

There was no blood.

If a person had exploded into pieces like that, there should have been blood splattered everywhere.

But there wasn't a single drop of blood on my body.

And then...

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

The hundreds of pieces of Alia's body turned into particles of light and disappeared.

Just like a monster dying.

「Alia Rainwales' clone has taken fatal damage.」

「The summon is dispelled.」

Right, it was a clone made with [Self-Replication].

Whew, that startled .

I really thought she was dead.

'If she was going to use a clone, she should have told beforehand.'

I was annoyed, but I quickly dismissed it.

This wasn't the ti to be complaining.

'I have to run.'

I started running.

I had morized the path to the secret passage while following Alia to Noark.

The problem was whether I could get there safely.

Thud.

No arrows yet.

But I didn't know how long this would last.

So...

'Can I win if we fight?'

I considered the worst-case scenario.

That Erwen was hostile towards and wanted to kill .

And as I thought about that possibility, I rembered the scene of Alia's body exploding.

'That effect...'

It wasn't a normal explosion.

There were no flas.

And no shrapnel, like a grenade.

Her body just crumbled into pieces, like a Jenga tower collapsing.

'...It must have been [Rupture].'

The effect of [Rupture] is simple.

Whether it's an arrow, a sword, or an axe, if the blade pierces the flesh and deals a certain amount of damage...

It deals fixed damage based on the caster's main stat.

It ignores Physical Resistance, Magic Resistance, and all elental resistances.

Just like Aura, which is unique to humans.

'And she even obtained the 'Pureblood' and contracted the Spirit King...'

Whether it was [Rupture] or not, I didn't think I could win in a one-on-one fight.

She would have high-grade equipnt to match her specs.

'How can I possibly win against that with my bare hands?'

I was running with all my might when...

Whoosh.

The Light Gem in my hand, which was illuminating the dark underground city, suddenly went out.

It wasn't a natural phenonon.

I had used Light Gems before.

This magic tool gradually dims and then goes out when it runs out of mana.

It doesn't just suddenly turn off like this.

'...Darkness Spirit?'

I didn't expect her to have mastered this elent as well.

I stopped running.

Thud.

I was confident in morizing paths.

If I focused on my steps, I could probably find my way to the secret passage even in the dark.

As long as there wasn't a pursuer behind .

'Escape failed.'

I closed my eyes.

It was ti to abandon my useless vision and focus on other senses.

And then...

My heightened hearing caught the sound of footsteps.

Thud.

It was unexpected.

I thought I would hear the sound of an arrow first.

'Well, even if she thinks I'm an evil spirit, she would probably want to talk to first.'

I tensed up, ready to move at any mont, and thought about Alia's last words.

[Your face... you don't seem like... you'll hurt her...]

She must have seen his face.

Alia had much better vision than .

She might have made eye contact with Erwen, who was shooting arrows from the darkness.

But...

'How could she be so sure just by looking at his face?'

No one knew what Erwen was thinking as she walked towards in the darkness.

So...

"Erwen?"

I called her na.

There was no answer.

And the footsteps stopped.

Thump!

The only sound was my heartbeat, echoing like thunder in the silence.

"Mister."

And then, after a long ti, I heard that familiar na.

The Light Gem started working again.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

The light spread out, illuminating the surroundings.

And...

"It's really..."

I finally understood.

Why Alia said it was fortunate.

Why she was so sure that Erwen wouldn't hurt .

"It's really... you...?"

Her eyes were filled with emotion.

Joy, relief, anticipation, anxiety, fear.

And...

"H, how..."

Distrust.

"You... you're supposed to be dead..."

"Ah, that's... what happened."

"What happened? How can you say that so casually?!"

Erwen's voice rose in anger, but then she suddenly stopped talking.

"...Could this be... her doing?"

She muttered, as if realizing sothing.

And her eyes turned sharp.

"Who are you?"

Uh, I didn't expect her mood swings to be this severe...

I started to feel uneasy, but I tried to hide it and answered.

"Who am I? I'm Bjorn Yandel."

"Liar."

"What? You don't believe ? I'll use [Gigantification] if you want."

"Go ahead."

Her tone was curt, but I didn't hesitate and activated [Gigantification].

"Wh, what... It's really you?!"

Erwen's voice returned to normal.

Well, only for a mont.

"It's really you—!"

"No, I don't believe it yet."

"...Huh?"

"Use sothing else."

Erwen's eyes, filled with tears a mont ago, turned cold, and I quickly used [Leap].

And...

"It's really you...!"

"Yeah, I'm glad you finally believe —!"

"...You think this is enough? It's not."

The sa thing happened several tis.

Erwen wouldn't be satisfied until she had seen all my essences.

I felt a chill run down my spine when she told to use [Flesh Explosion].

"...You're a fake."

Her eyes were filled with madness and killing intent.

But I explained that I had removed the essence, and then I started talking about things only we knew.

"Our first eting. What did you give ?"

"Licorice leaf."

"The na of the inn where we spent our first night together."

"..."

"Can't... answer...?"

"It, it was Garlic and Salt Inn."

"Too late."

"No, I was just flustered because you said 'first night'. We just went to see the essences..."

"Hmm."

We continued talking about the past.

As I shared stories that only we knew, her mood swings gradually subsided, and finally, she seed to have completely dismissed her suspicion.

Although I still didn't know when she would suddenly change her mind and point an arrow at .

But at least for now, she had accepted .

"Mister...!"

"It's been a long ti, Erwen. It's been two years and six months, right?"

After a long ti, she finally greeted .

Erwen put away her bow and clenched her fists, her eyes filled with tears.

"Why... why did you co back now?! You were alive all this ti... Why didn't you co find ?!"

Ah, she must have felt that way.

I didn't want to co back, but...

"There were so complications."

I quickly answered, worried that she might suddenly change her mind.

Erwen then cautiously asked,

"Complications... are you talking about the announcent that you were an evil spirit?"

It was the most important question of this conversation.

A hurdle I had to overco.

"Yeah, that's..."

I felt a mix of guilt and relief.

Erwen had clearly decided not to believe the announcent. She was talking to now, wasn't she? That was proof—

"No? What does that have to do with anything?"

"...Huh?"

Erwen tilted her head, as if I had asked a strange question.

And then she started explaining, as if teaching sothing.

"Mister, we t after I beca an adult, right?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Evil spirits only appear on the day you beco an adult."

"...So?"

"So what does it matter if you're an evil spirit or not?"

"...Well, that's true..."

I couldn't help but stamr.

Erwen then grabbed my hand.

"You protected in the cave, taught things I didn't know, and helped get back on my feet after my sister died... It was all you, mister."

Her hand was warm.

"No matter what anyone says, you're Bjorn Yandel to ."

I was touched.

There were people who thought this way too.

"..."

I wanted to say thank you, but I couldn't.

Erwen probably didn't know how much her words ant to .

"But..."

She let go of my hand.

And her eyes and tone returned to their previous coldness.

"Are you really... mister?"

I felt like I was going crazy.