[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian":3,"chapter-surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-120":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Surviving the Game as a Barbarian",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1327740,1764,"Chapter 120 Dark Cloud (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-120",120,"\u003Cp>Dark Cloud (4)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark Cloud (4)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heavy scent of wood filled the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nile Urbans, the 7th Regional Manager of the Explorer's Guild, chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered what his daughter had said a while back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I have no intention of living the rest of my life as your doll, Father.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the prison break incident first happened…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He noticed his daughter's suspicious movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there was no reason for her to have a private meeting with the branch manager back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Even women have their own lives to live.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was quite a remarkable move for a rebellious act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt troubled, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel proud, thinking, ‘as expected of my daughter’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I told him to be careful even when breathing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only look at that ambition with affection because it was his daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So, Branch Manager, you chose my daughter in the end.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bjorn Yandel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian who achieved tremendous growth in a short period of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Branch Manager tried to make contact with him today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still didn’t know what his daughter was planning with that barbarian, but it became clear the Branch Manager had gone under his daughter's control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That fact was very unpleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He dared to rebel against me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn't understand why the Branch Manager made that choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was already out of favor, and he already decided on a replacement. Knowing that, he must have tried to grab onto a rotten rope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But understanding and forgiveness are entirely different words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I'll get rid of both of them this time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nile Urbans' eyes gleamed as he sipped his tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He originally planned to leave the barbarian alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he felt disgusted every time he thought about that humiliation, the barbarian had already built his own standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need to create another enemy unnecessarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now it was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had to be a reason his clever daughter tried to contact the barbarian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…And besides, he’s been bothering me for some reason.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nile Urbans made a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If something is bothering you, just remove it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before it becomes a bigger problem later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwaaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long has it been since I left the Explorer’s Guild?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I’m walking back to the inn, thunder rumbles from the clear sky, and heavy rain pours down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark, ominous clouds cover the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I considered just getting soaked and going, but I thought it might be a passing shower, so I entered a nearby restaurant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it was time to eat anyway, I figured I’d have a meal and wait for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here’s your order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grilled meat, pumpkin stew, and rye bread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although my stomach is warm and full, it feels somewhat lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not like I’m at one of those cheap 300-stone restaurants like before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Indeed… Misha is good at grilling meat.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I think about buying a few pounds of meat and having her grill them for me when I get back, I order another glass of rum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I’m here, I’ll wait until the rain stops, or at least calms down a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misha wouldn’t be at the inn anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah, I wonder if she’s still there because of the rain?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I’m drinking alone, the sound of rain serving as my companion, various thoughts flit through my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It feels like just yesterday I was crawling on the ground, avoiding goblin traps, and eating stone bread, but half a year has already passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Seafood pancake and makgeolli… they wouldn’t sell that here, right?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My desire to return home has faded significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything has just become familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creaky bed, the tiny studio apartment with a single bathroom, and the daily routine of laughing and chatting with my companions while drinking cheap beer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ve changed a lot too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you asked me to list the shitty things about this world, I could go on all day. But if you asked if there has never been a single happy moment…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although survival was my initial goal, I gradually started to feel a gamer’s joy as I saw myself grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn’t bad to joke around and laugh with my companions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a strange feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I hadn’t been summoned here, I would probably still be playing games alone in my room.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 29-year-old office worker Lee Hansu had a very limited social circle. Of course, he wasn’t dissatisfied or inconvenienced by it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was diligently preparing for retirement, and he could live on his own without relying on others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike this world, where companions are mandatory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘These thoughts must mean… I’ve become attached to them.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I take a sip of the rum, which has a strangely sweet aftertaste as if they added sugar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dwarkey, Rotmiller, and the dwarf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about them makes my mouth feel bitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To go to the upper floors, I’ll have to form a new team, right?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the current members, we’re outmatched from the 5th floor onwards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their growth potential is limited, you know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First of all, Dwarkey is not from the Magic Tower, and he has a serious problem of having low mana capacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s doing well now, learning new spells, but it’s safe to say that he can barely use 6th-grade spells.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Rotmiller is needless to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the lower floors, he’s fine as long as he can find the way, but in the upper floors, even scouts need a high level of combat power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the maximum party size is five.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Unless that man awakens as a Guide… his limit would be the 4th floor.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, unlike those two, the dwarf would be able to perform well even in the upper floors if he just has good equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a team doesn’t need two tanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Once Misha’s specs are a bit higher, I should form a new team.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but I’ve finally made up my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The troll battle we had this time played a big part in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m going to keep climbing the floors, and I can’t achieve that goal with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might seem heartless, but it’s also a decision for their sake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The upper floors are teeming with monsters even worse than trolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s better not to expect to survive just because we were lucky this time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh, what the sudden—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turn my head at the voice calling me, and a completely unexpected person is standing there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s the bear-like man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, I mean…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beefcake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s Urikfrit. If it’s difficult to pronounce, you can just call me Avman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll do that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The macho-looking bear-like man, as if trying to live up to his appearance, sits down across from me without even asking for permission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t feel offended since I often do that too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never expected to see you as a customer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Customer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I didn’t tell you, did I? This is the shop my wife runs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s an unexpected piece of information, but it’s not something to be surprised about. 5th-grade explorers should have enough wealth to open a shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I’m going to be surprised, I should be surprised about something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were entering the labyrinth alone even though you have a wife?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The shop hasn’t been doing well lately. I have to work hard and earn money, don’t I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, then I have nothing to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not something I should interfere with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, it’s a strange coincidence that the owner of the place I came to avoid the rain is you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a coincidence beyond strange. It gave me certainty, Bjorn Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Certainty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bear-like man answers nonchalantly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me join your team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh? What’s this again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Join my team all of a sudden?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s an unexpected topic, but I understand after listening to the rest of his story. From the bear-like man’s perspective, I’m a verified explorer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you saved a complete stranger in that situation, you wouldn’t backstab them, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although I asked for 5 million stones, he seems to have a good impression of me for saving his life with a top-grade potion in the rift, where we were cut off from the outside world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…So it’s like this again.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tank-type summon and powerful ranged physical damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bear-like man would definitely be able to pull his weight even on the 5th floor or higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems like there’s a misunderstanding. We just entered together this time, but I have a fixed team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I indirectly refuse his offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m planning to stay with Dwarkey’s party for a while, and I can’t just kick someone out to let this man in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, the bear-like man nods readily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s the case. Let’s talk about it again when there’s an opening or if I leave the team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An opening?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know what I mean, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conversation about joining the team ends with the bear-like man’s meaningful look. Afterwards, we briefly discuss when he’ll pay back the 5 million stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already listed some equipment I wasn’t using on the exchange, so I’ll be able to give you the money by the promised date.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I feel a bit heavy-hearted, looking at the empty shop…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we agree to meet again here in ten days and exchange the money for the collateral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See you then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here, take this and wear it. It’ll fit you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it doesn’t seem like the rain will stop anytime soon, I borrow a raincoat from the bear-like man and head to the inn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swaaaaaaaa-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy rain pours down as if a typhoon has hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I run through the unusually quiet street, I soon arrive at the inn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what is this again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Bjorn, you’re back? You have a visitor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uwaaaaaang! Mister…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like the downpour on a sunny day, an unexpected encounter awaits me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since that incident 10 years ago, I’ve lived a life of restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I thought I was good at holding back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least until today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you coveted what belonged to someone else, you deserve to be punished, wouldn’t you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen freezes as her true feelings slip out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? You… you’re unexpectedly tough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, it seems like she didn’t notice the meaning behind my words…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What, what did I just say…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strictly speaking, it’s not something that was taken from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mister isn’t an object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she was the one who chose to leave his side and join her sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what is this feeling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She feels an unusual surge of hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could she win if they fought?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She finds herself observing the other woman with that thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come to think of it, we don’t even know each other’s names. I’m Misha Kaltstein.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Erwen Fornachi di Tersia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, you have a pretty name too… Erwen, it’s nice to meet you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She accepts the handshake, hiding her reluctance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she sits down and talks to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she has no intention of becoming friends with this woman, there’s one thing she wants to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Kaltstein, do you happen to have a boyfriend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boy, boyfriend…? Don’t say weird things. Bjorn and I are just companions, companions!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, her anger seems to subside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She doesn't understand why Bjorn's name came up immediately when she just asked if she had a boyfriend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she needs to confirm a few more things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry. I mistook you for his girlfriend because you said you showered together earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sh, shower together? What are you talking about! I just borrowed the bathroom for a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You borrowed the bathroom in a strange man’s room, is your accommodation far from here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, it’s not that far…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re saying it’s not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen raises an eyebrow at her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he's not her boyfriend, this woman is definitely harboring lewd thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the point where she's even using such a vulgar tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahem! So how do you know Bjorn?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she want to change the subject?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it's the other person's turn to ask a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen answers honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was mister’s companion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? Mister…? Bjorn is only twenty years old…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, it's just a nickname between us, so you don't have to worry about it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nickname...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, is there a problem with that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beastwoman smiles awkwardly as Erwen tilts her head innocently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s not a problem. Why would there be? Nyaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she’s smiling, her tail is swishing back and forth, hitting the bedsheets as if she’s annoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that, Erwen feels a strange sense of victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until the unexpected counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mister and I are a bit special, you see. We were first companions, and we even had our first return drinks together—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hee, but that only means something to you, doesn't it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, it's been months since I've been with Bjorn, and I've never heard him mention you. Nyaha!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beastwoman smiles brightly and stabs a dagger into her heart. Erwen is speechless at the sudden change in attitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she instinctively knows one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Erwen, you said your name was? It’s, it’s cute, I guess. But… wouldn’t I get annoyed if you treated me like an idiot while showing this much hostility?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misha Kaltstein.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s only natural that she felt hostility towards this woman from the moment she saw her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, still, thank you for one thing. Thanks to you, I’m no longer confused.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Confused? What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, don’t you already know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This woman is an enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone who’s trying to take away what’s precious to her.\u003C\u002Fp>",2262,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","1287ac7d5d25b869db71c9fc84f2d7829fbbcf3aa091ac58073b155141bf5d4b","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-121","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-119",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]