Passive and active skills were sealed when you were within the community, so the lie detector skill that gave me such a hard time in the outside world didn't work here. Furthermore, even if Baekho could use it, I could counter it with Auril Gavis' gift. But none of that mattered now.
Are you testing the waters?
There were two possibilities here. One, Baekho wasn't sure I was telling the truth about my intentions, so he pretended to be angry to check it out once again. Two, I was really sure he was lying.
Boom!
Damn.
My heart was beating so fast it was practically vibrating. Maybe he had underestimated him. This guy had lived in this harsh world for over a decade, right? Just because he didn't have a lie detector didn't make him an idiot. No, rather, I would be more sensitive even without him. Thanks to his skill, he would be intimately familiar with the strategies that liars use and would accumulate a large amount of data to unconsciously pull.
The chances that he is just testing the waters are very low.
In that split second, I made my decision.
It is better to admit my mistake and apologize than to assume that an excuse will work.
Fortunately, it was Baekho who broke the silence. «Hansu.»
«...Yes?»
«Sorry, I can't give Kitty back to you.»
«...What?»
Baekho's lips curled into a cold grimace. «What, living like a barbarian has made you lose your hearing?». His tone was acidic in a way I had never heard of Baekho while he was in Hansu's form. He looked me straight in the eyes and tried hard to speak in an exaggerated tone. «I can't give you back your precious Kitty».
My mind went blank.
«Don't you see it? She will be more helpful in helping me achieve my goals than yours. You want to stay in this world, right? Of course, don't worry».
Strangely, I didn't find myself seething with anger.
«I'll give it back to you when I'm done».
Instead, I could only laugh. To be honest, I couldn't say why. But even knowing that he was obviously provoking me, and also knowing that I had to make an effort so that our relationship would not get worse, the words came from me without a filter. «Baekho, you... are really a broken bastard».
I didn't even regret it.
«Wow, now you are showing your true colors. And you were always so careful». Baekho laughed too. «You don't have space to talk, do you?».
I smiled wider. As a result, everyone present smiled.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Despite the heat of the fireplace, a cold air settled between Baekho and me.
«Interesting».
«Yes it is».
We each murmured, and he opened his mouth to break our tie first. «But there is one thing I don't understand. How come I'm the broken bastard?» He no longer bothered to speak politely or use honorifics.
I mocked. «Isn't it obvious that you are the one who is broken?».
«Think about it. Your real life awaits you out there, but you're so infatuated with an NPC that you want to do something as silly as stay here».
It wasn't even worth responding. No matter what he said, he wouldn't understand.
«Maybe I could accept that coming from some fan, but you? Coming back isn't even a dream for you. You have power. You have very good comrades. You've done awesome things, you're famous, and what is this? You even have a noble title...»
«Where do you want to go?»
When I cut him off, Baekho got back to the point. «Don't pretend you're a normal guy. It's disgusting. It's obvious that you're the one who's broken. Was fun? Filling the void in your life with people? Quickly become powerful with the knowledge of the game, to feel that you are now someone worthwhile? But, let me guess, now that everyone treats you like a hero, you feel like you have to try even harder to live up to their expectations, right?».
Strictly speaking, he was not wrong. If I analyzed the changes I had undergone from a third-person point of view, I would undoubtedly come to a conclusion like that as well. But it didn't matter if he was right or wrong.
«Oh, I'm sure you'll bow to Auril Gavis and thank him in due time».
Gosh, this guy really likes to talk. This is not how a keyboard warrior fights.
«Um. You seem like a very angry guy, Baekho.» I maintained my composure as much as possible and stared at Baekho. If this were a turn-based game, it would be my turn to attack. And there was no need for a long speech. «But I understand. You were the one who was leaving, not the one who was leaving, right?».
«... Dumpée?» He didn't seem to understand what he was saying.
I expanded kindly. «Why are you playing dumb? The story of those girls running away from you when they discovered that you are an evil spirit is well known.»
«...Ha.»
«That's why, right? Why are you so desperate to come back? Tsk, child cocoon». I said that last part quietly so Baekho couldn't hear, but it seemed like he was listening like a voyeur.
Baekho's expression wrinkled strangely, although it didn't stay that way for long. «Ha ha ha! Kh-puhahaha!»
Baekho burst out laughing as if I had just told a really hilarious joke. It was a common survival mechanism. You're totally ridiculous, that's why I laugh like that... something like that.
I stared at him, in complete silence, and Baekho's laughter faded little by little. «My friend».
«What?»
«Do you really like that Kitty that much? So much so that he suddenly attacks me like that?».
«I don't care about all that».
«Of course you care. That seems to be your biggest reason for not coming back». Once again I remained silent. «Wow, even now you can't admit it. You are surprisingly shy». I judged that no matter what he said here, he would only fall for his antics. «Oh wait! I just came up with a good idea».
The statement sounded strangely sinister.
«About Kitty...» My instincts hit the nail on the head. «Why don't I kill her?»
Fuck.
«Honestly, you just want to stay in this world because you are so satisfied with the status quo, right?». The more I talked, the tighter my heart tightened. «So it wouldn't be a bad idea to just kill her. If this place is unbearable for you, you will naturally want to return home. Like a bunny seeking shelter when winter comes».
This was the fundamental reason why I had not revealed my identity to Baekho.
«Hmm, I think that's a very good idea.»
This guy would do anything to achieve his goal.
«Broken things can be repaired. Right?» I smile. His smile was bright and didn't fit the tone of our conversation at all. I felt chills running down my spine, fear instinctively invaded me.
«Baekho». But there was another emotion more powerful than fear.
«That?
It was the killing intent, the deep desire to kill someone. «If you keep saying that garbage...» I didn't even need to meditate and get in tune like at the Round Table. He just had to release what he had been repressing, something that had been building up for some time. «I'll have to kill you». My killing intent was more intense than ever.
Baekho shuddered as he felt my thirst for unrefined blood. Of course, his hesitation was very brief. Before long, he began to speak again. What came out of his mouth showed how different he was from the people he had met in the past. It wasn't an apology, or words of resentment, or even a plea for him to stop.
Faced with murderous intent that would have left Body Collector drowning and writhing on the ground, he said: «Wow...». It was a sincere exclamation. «You're unreal... other guys would pee their pants». He uttered words of praise that weren't really praise and slowly approached me, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension there. «But Hansu.» One step. «Don't you remember?» Two steps. «I taught you». Three steps. «Murderous intention».
We reached within reach, and suddenly I could feel with all my body the murderous intention he had towards me.
Killing intent was an unofficial technique used by professionals to scare novices. Although I had benefited from the use of killing intent at the Round Table, I had never received it. To be more exact, I only found myself in their sights once, when Fox tried the day I became a member of the Round Table. It was a strange sensation, that had been my impression the first time I experienced it. My skin crawled and my heart was pounding, but that was it.
«Now, then...» On the other hand, Baekho's killing intent was different, from its intensity to its ferocity. «Say it again.» He thought he understood now why the Corpse Collector had shaken so much that day.
Thumpthumpthumpthump!
My heart was beating so hard that it seemed like it was going to explode at that rate. Cold sweat was building up and running down my face. In theory, this wasn't a place where breathing was necessary, but my breathing was labored as if someone was grabbing me by the neck. It was like all my neurons were burning.
«What was it, again? Are you going to have to kill me?»
It wasn't to the point that I broke down as a Body Picker or Fox. Of course, it was hard and every part of me wanted to run away. You could end all of this by simply clicking outside the chat room. But still...
«Dude, you don't think that's possible, do you?».
I put up with it anyway because I knew it. He had learned something while living as Bjorn Yandel. When you were running away from your fears, an even scarier situation awaited you on the other side.
«...Eh?»
I forced my confused mind back into consciousness and took a step forward.
One step.
Now a little closer, I leaned towards Baekho and whispered in his ear: «I don't think it's totally impossible». It wasn't just a bluff to win our battle of wills.
«Come on, didn't you say you beat the game at Times Ten?».
I was really confident.
«In ten years, you will be like me».
Although I may lack power compared to him now if only I had more time...
«Realistically, I have no further areas to improve, so...»
A measly Times Ten.
...could beat Baekho.
But maybe my confidence showed. Baekho regained his composure, which had disappeared as I spoke, and smiled satisfied. «Interesting».
Yes of course.
«You're getting on my nerves». I clicked my tongue and blamed him for his own words. «Why are you suddenly lying?». Baekho tilted his head as if he had no idea what he was talking about and I added: «You don't find this interesting at all».
If you did, why do you keep backing down?
«...Hey, huh! Stop for!» Baekho took three steps back making exaggerated hand gestures. «Ah! Hansu, really! I can't even joke with you!» Suddenly, his expression and personality took a 180 degree turn. Baekho kept going without giving me time to adapt. «There was no way I would kill Kitty. I was just saying that. I was just saying it. Do you know how much I like you, Hansu? I've been very good to you since we met».
Yes of course. No, well, I'm sure he likes me. Since he finds something useful in me.
«Is that why you threatened to kill Missha?»
«Relax, relax! Threatened? I already told you. It was a joke!» Baekho's tone was frivolous, but the facts were the facts. It had been a threat. «Why would I kill Kitty? I have nothing to gain from that».
Well, that logic was really credible. He would lose an ice-type double sword master and also fall out with me. Whichever way you look at it, killing her was far from rational. But...
«If your threat had worked, you would have used it to control me in the future». I was already dizzy from almost having lost our battle of wills sooner. If he had mastered me, the conversation we would be having now would be completely different.
«Honestly! Why do you think that, buddy?! I'm not that evil!»
He wouldn't be laughing like he is now. He wouldn't have called me «friend» and started acting friendly again.
«I'm glad you're not evil. Then give me Missha» back.
«I will. If you do me a favor».
He would never have offered me a deal like that.
So this scenario is this bastard's Plan B?
As he stared at him with that thought in mind, Baekho continued timidly. «I won't ask you to come back to me again. Now I know how serious you are».
«Your point».
«We can still work together, right?» Baekho paused for a moment to give me a pleading look.
Of course, he had no intention of playing along. «...Finish your sentence first.»
«You know the situation where you are better than me».
Yes, better than yours, at least. It wasn't good, full of problematic things. No, actually, it was worse. Every day felt like skating on very thin ice. «AND?»
«I will help you get through these difficult times. I will give you all my support so that things go from bad to good. In exchange, help me beat the tenth floor later».
Baekho's offer was not bad. Unlike me, he had nothing to stop him. To put it bluntly, if I murdered the marquis, it would be of great help to me.
«Baekho.»
«Yes?»
«Shouldn't you do something before asking me for help?» I was brief. I still didn't know why he loved me so much. «Bring me Missha first. Then we'll talk. Your answer?»
Baekho fell silent again. He seemed lost in thought. The moment I sent Missha towards me, she would lose her advantage.
Finally, he broke the silence. «Hansu, since we're both nervous today, let's end this conversation here». He preferred to wait.
«What?»
«Don't you see it? My head is too scrambled right now. So let's talk again next time. In the meantime, I'm going to carefully consider what to do with Kitty. Okay?»
«Okay...»
-my ass.
However, before I could finish the sentence, he interrupted me. «Ah, buddy, you said okay!»
«...What?»
«See you then!»
«Hey, wait! Wait...» I hurriedly reached out, but there was nothing I could do physically in this spirit world.
Touch.
As soon as my fingertips touched Baekho, his body disappeared into a halo of light.
Boom!