[{"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-139":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},1327759,1764,"Chapter 139 Awakening (2)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-139",139,"\u003Cp>Awakening (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awakening (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The essence of [Ogre] seeps into the character’s soul.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Strength increased by +140.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Magic Resistance increased by +80.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Physical Resistance increased by +40.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「All Resistances increased by +10.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Natural Regeneration decreased by -40.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Perception decreased by -20.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, not much time has passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk, I hurriedly finished it and came out…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stare at my sleeping companions for a moment and then take out a knife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I drag it across the back of my hand as if sawing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scrape, scrape, scrape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about ten back-and-forth motions with force, a single drop of blood oozes out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the wound that isn’t regenerating, I finally realize it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My character’s concept has completely changed in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clench my fist in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although I can clearly sense the change in my body, it’s not as drastic as when I absorbed the Orc Hero’s essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vampire essence is gone, and the ‘Guardian of Balance’ is still active.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll be able to fully grasp how much my Strength has increased once we’re outside.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I take a moment to calculate the gains and losses, keeping an eye on the passage illuminated by the torchlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ogre…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ogre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a level 3 monster with stats and skills that any tank would drool over. However, this guy’s essence wasn’t part of my final build.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not because it’s unsuitable, but rather because of practical reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s already a difficult level 3 monster to catch…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…and on top of that, to have to wait for the desired color to drop out of seven active skills?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The acquisition difficulty is too high…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…and there’s the 4th-grade monster ‘Steel Giant’ which is more efficient in terms of ‘defense’ alone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But the Steel Giant has the downside of not being able to use weapons.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, it comes down to preference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether to focus on damage as well, or to focus solely on tanking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference in performance between the two essences is minimal, so I usually chose the extreme tank build in most playthroughs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I judged that it’s more rational to invest the effort of obtaining the Ogre essence into raising a damage dealer instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that judgment was correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, I was able to open the ‘Gate of the Abyss’ in the original version that no one else could reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Strictly speaking, the Ogre is a bit better.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fun of this game is to change your build flexibly, and that’s also where the player’s skill lies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the first place, it wasn’t like the final build was set in stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for the core essences, everything else was a blank slate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had three or four candidates with similar performance for each role, and I absorbed whichever one dropped first and then moved on to the next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because my goal wasn’t just to clear the game, but to complete multiple characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s a bit disappointing that it’s not a yellow essence, but it’s not enough to change the entire build…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m a bit bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was expecting the ‘Steel Giant’ as the best-case scenario and sacrificed the Vampire essence, but I got an even better result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the hell are the conditions? If it’s a Vampire guardian essence, does it guarantee a guardian essence and a 2-level upgrade?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a pure question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My curiosity as a gamer is piqued, but I suppress my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘With this, is it 30%? No, maybe even 40%?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I recalculate the survival rate based on the changed situation and meticulously plan a new combat strategy in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To increase the chances even a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What I can do right now, at this very moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…It’s better to take off the armor. There’s no way he’ll wait for me to prepare.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a swordsman sharpening his sword the night before a decisive battle…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I refine my plan and find a better option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Perception decrease isn’t as much of a penalty as I thought. With this much Strength, I won’t be overpowered.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The detailed pieces of the plan fall into place, forming a single shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the more that’s the case, the faster my heart beats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The future is like shattered glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one can perfectly predict the outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like when the Floor Master was summoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that’s why…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I wonder if there’s anything else I can prepare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there’s anything I’ve overlooked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I contemplate relentlessly, as if facing a test that will determine my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much time has passed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rotmiller wakes up and calls my name quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It means it’s time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hurriedly wake up my companions and check the clock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[09:47]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About 4 hours have passed since we rested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, about 38 hours left until the labyrinth closes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s faster than I expected. As expected, there must be a way for them to track us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignore Rotmiller’s comment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s information I already know…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…and it’s not the kind of information I need to engrave in my mind right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Right, it takes 4 hours to get from there to here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the prerequisites for the new Plan A have been met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…it’s time to roll the dice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud, thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of footsteps echoing from the darkness at regular intervals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re approaching us, slowly and without haste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he enters our line of sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For reference, he’s accompanied by that poor man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems like he was also offered as a sacrifice while they were looking for us, as blood is trickling down from one of his eyes, which is crusted shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s so cruel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would he do that to his companion…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone frowns at the grotesque sight, but I let out a silent sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phew, so he left the old man at the portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had come with him, it would have been hopeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…he stops walking, keeping a moderate distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a heavy silence falls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the, you’re all alive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chuckles and speaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s far from the reaction I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought he would just stab us in the stomach without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suddenly regained my strength, so I thought one of you must have died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At those words, all the dissonance is resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that’s why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No wonder he was so calm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hasn’t realized it yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That I swallowed ‘Tempered Wish’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, now that I think about it, it’s understandable that he would think that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until the next sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, right. You must have absorbed a Vykuntus essence, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s even offering a new possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can’t help but laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I didn’t know this guy would also jump to conclusions.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if we divide the stats among eight people because of the Guardian of Balance, it’s an incomparable increase compared to a measly Vykuntus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must have felt it clearly too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…he’s already decided on the answer he wants and is just looking for evidence to support it, so how could he possibly reach the truth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Dragonslayer, Regal Vagos.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I add another line to my mental notes about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s unexpectedly a positive guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But did my laughter make him feel uneasy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Barbarian, you kept your oath, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drops his nonchalant attitude and asks me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just stare at him without answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s an expression that means, ‘why bother saying it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it seems like that’s not enough for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The item, where’s the item?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asks me again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, there’s annoyance in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s been trying to deny it because of the sunk cost, but he’s slowly realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth that he might have been tricked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Don’t tell me, you already used it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asks one last time, and I answer,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, it wasn’t intentional.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry. I was just fiddling with it out of boredom, and it broke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite my sincere apology, he trembles like an aspen leaf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s finally accepting the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warrior’s oath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that barbarians, with only their honor, have protected even at the cost of their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That he was fooled by it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You had no intention of keeping your oath from the beginning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I feel a chilling killing intent through my skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I puff out my chest, as befits a K-barbarian from Korea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I told you I’m so—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time I hear his voice, I can already see his sword in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed that much distance in that short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was able to react in time because I was observing his every move while provoking him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raise my shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not to block…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwaaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but to strike the blade with all my might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s the countermeasure I came up with while simulating the battle with him during my spare time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s an Akro longsword, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I block it, it will just pierce through my shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dwarkey!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I push him back with my overflowing strength and shout…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the spell that was briefed beforehand is shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Liol Wobu Dwarkey has cast the 7th-grade attack spell [Blizzard].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems like he managed to complete the spell while we were buying time with our conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swaaaaaaaaa!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp ice shards whirl, filling the passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I’m pressed against the wall, out of range, I feel a chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, ironically, I feel a strange heat from the other end of the blizzard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s obvious what it is without even looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Regal Vagos has cast [Blast Furnace].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Blast Furnace].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s one of the abilities of the 4th-grade monster, Lava Giant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a buff skill that grants immunity to cold and fire damage and greatly increases physical stats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was a bit worried since it’s 10 years old information…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but as expected, he still has it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rip!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tear the scroll without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s the item I obtained after defeating ‘Argos’, one of the mid-bosses, and the one that should have been used to defeat the Minotaur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Target designated.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Regal Vagos’s ‘Lava Giant’s Essence’ is sealed for 48 hours.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scroll burns and disappears, and the heat from the other side of the passage also disappears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, one 4th-grade essence down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, what happened to him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swaaa!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blizzard that froze the entire passage subsides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s still standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unharmed, behind a translucent black barrier like a window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that all you were counting on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smirks at us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s understandable if he thought this surprise attack was our trump card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what a shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can’t believe things are going this well.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The skill he just used is [Dark Veil].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this skill isn’t on the list of essences that Rotmiller told me about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, one of the variables we were wary of has been confirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s only one or two unknown essences left.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he might have other Numbered Items, so I still need to be careful—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His figure lunges towards me again before I can even finish organizing my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I try to strike his sword with my shield like before, but he’s also an intelligent being who learns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My shield cuts through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time I realize it, I feel a slight pain and a foreign sensation in my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I check, and his Akro longsword, which was slicing through my Laetium shield like tofu, is embedded in my forearm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About 3 centimeters deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our eyes meet for a fleeting moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I see bewilderment in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was planning to sever my entire arm, but why did it only go in this far?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer is simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Geez, just how high is my Physical Resistance stat right now?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ogre’s passive skill, [Iron Hide].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a crazy skill that doubles Physical Resistance and then doubles it again for slashing attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If our stats are similar because of the ‘Guardian of Balance’, it’s only natural that I can withstand even an Akro longsword.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tsk, I didn’t want to reveal it this early.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to hide it until the perfect opportunity arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Preferably by blocking his sword with my shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But someone of his level would be able to deduce what essence ability this is just from this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Head.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I look at his burn-covered head and make a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s the Ogre’s red essence active skill…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…and my first proper attack skill since I only had offensive skills like [Flesh Explosion].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know why a skill from a guy nicknamed the Tyrant of the Forest has such a lame name…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has cast [Swing].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The destructive power of blunt weapons is greatly increased in proportion to Strength.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but whatever, as long as the effect is good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swing my mace with all my might.\u003C\u002Fp>",2132,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","9b868b5caaf8a97135388a4f0c95b5cc8c2f4ff46027337a8120261288a7c115","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-140","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-138",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]