[{"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-16":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},1327601,1764,"Chapter 16","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>Return (3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light covering my eyes gave way to something softer, and my vision returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked up at the sky, a bit vacantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It'd been a long time since I'd last seen something so bright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it was still a gloomy gray sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You gonna go home, Derek?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No way, I finally came out after a month. I'm going straight to the tavern after washing up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Im baaaaaaaaack!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All adventurers below level seven, please come this way!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surroundings couldn't simply be described as noisy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only natural, since all the adventurers who'd entered the labyrinth were gathered in one place\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Really, I had no idea there were so many adventurers in this city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like watching soccer fans cheering at Gwanghwamun Plaza during a World Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click, click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I set my watch to 12 o'clock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you spend a month inside the labyrinth, only one day passes in the city. No matter how many days you pass there, you come out at noon the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I was playing the game, I thought it was just a quirk of the setting to improve the player's quality of life'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this way, even after visiting the labyrinth, you can continue your quests in the city without interruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I'd thought it was for the convenience of the users.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn, son of Yandel!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who is it? It's a familiar voice\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I turned my head towards sound, I saw a barbarian of similar size as me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remembered him quite clearly, as he was the first leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Karak, the second son of Bloodnun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The third son of Farun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What? So, is Ainar second?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, it was easy for the tall barbarians to find each other in this crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Serum, Kennicks fourth son! You came back alive too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Im glad you look well, Karak, third son of Farun!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was really just standing still, but the barbarians started flocking to my place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahahahaha! The blade wolves were no big deal! Not a single one could handle more than one shot of my axe!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's only natural if it was your valiant axe, Parman, son of Nerun!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of reunion was this? It was crazy lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They greeted each other by calling out those long names without a break, and praised each other valour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These guys were weirdly amazing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your brains are filled with holes, so how come you managed to memorize those long names?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn! What are you doing standing around! We're going to exchange the magic stones now, don't you want to go together?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cleared my throat once and answered as loudly as I could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, I will go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You look pretty tired!! There's no power in your voice!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd thought I was putting up a good act as a barbarian, but now my confidence was disappearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The natives were really different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There it is!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The place that proves the bravery of a warrior!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moving along with the barbarians, I was naturally able to follow the procedure as an adventurer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't a big deal; it was just the process of exchanging mana stones for money at the checkpoint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Its 24,476 stones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's 28,420 stones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's 41,498 stones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like some kind of checkout counter at a supermarket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when it came to speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officials sitting at the table were really quick at their jobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They put the pouches of mana stones somewhere like checking for barcode, and when a number appeared, they took out money like machines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I looked at the whole scene with a bit of curiousity, the savages around me, not knowing that they were embarrassing themselves, kept chatting with each other in loud voices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oooh! To earn more than 40,000 stones, thats amazing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Karak, third son of Farun, is a warrior among warriors!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Man, was it because I'd been living with a fairy for the past few days?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't get used to it at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, I needed to find Erwen as well\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How come I could only find these guys, not the one I was actually looking for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I did in fact just stand still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn son of Yandel! Now it's your turn!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was sighing to myself, it was finally my turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked over to the table and put my pouches in front of the seemingly soulless official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are all three pouches magic stones?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other two belonged to the beanpole and the samurai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now they were all mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since about forty minutes ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I nodded, the official placed the pouches on a scale or something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And told me the exact amount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"182,413 stones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slice of bread was worth about twenty stones, so did I earn over 9,000 breads in seven days?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like just yesterday when I'd been feeling sad about catching a goblin and earning only a slice of bread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow, I was feeling a bit choked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Its 180,000 stones! Bjorn, son of Yandel, has earned 180,000 stones!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the best record ever! Bjorn, son of Yandel, is the greatest warrior of all time!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These bastards didn't even give me the time to get emotional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly grabbed the money from the official and passed through the checkpoint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as I came out into the crowd, everybody could finally see my appearance properly, and the savages who'd come out before me began to tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not just stones! He's even got a hammer!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, he's even wearing shoes! I'm so jealous!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three pouches!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at that watch! Does he even know how to read a watch?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How can that be? Is Bjorn son of Yandel a wizard?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I don't understand your reaction either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you feel that reading is no different than magic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I am the first barbarian who went into the labyrinth naked and evolved into a civilized man!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck, I'm heating up because this praise is too freaking much for me to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoo, calm down, Bjorn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am the best warrior!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wooooooohooooooo!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I shouted, the barbarians also descended into a frenzy of enthusiasm. Then they picked me up and started tossing me into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to my surprise, I was feeling better than I'd expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, everything had gone well, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can't make too much noise here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Im sorry! I apologize!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, don't raise your voices\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I get it!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the madness subsided only after one of the officials came and said something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I regained my composure and sat on the floor like the barbarians around me, waiting for the remaining barbarians to finish passing through the checkpoints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was then\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sensed a certain gaze, and turned my head to see a fairy staring at me through the crowd of adventurers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since when have you been watching? Hopefully after I finished getting tossed into the air\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether she knew how I felt or not, when our eyes met, Erwen smiled as if she was happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, because she was talking to the beautiful fairy standing next to her, she quickly took her eyes off me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curious, I listened in to the conversation, and it was quite refreshing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I say that it felt too unrealistic to be chatting quietly and happily with your sibling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister! Now I think I know how to deal with some spirits! Maybe that's why Grandma Greentherin insisted that I make friends with them in the first place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, really? They say that the fire spirit has a rather quick temper, so you should be able to hear his voice soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, so she's that type of person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only have a barbarian girl next to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So jealous\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I looked at Erwen with a longing for what I didn't have, our eyes met again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to tell her the time, so I mouthed a word out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen tilted her head, then smiled and answered in the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First of all, it was clear that this secret conversation felt quite interesting to Erwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, I didn't know if she understood what I was saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she actually say yes' in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once I get out of the checkpoint, I should try and talk to her properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I thought this to myself\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you looking over there like that, do you know anyone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, no! Sister! Could it be!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the question of the fairy next to her, Erwen waved her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, finding a gap in the conversation, she glanced at me and mouthed a word again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sorry!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought I got it right this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterwards, I could understand her gesture of secretly pointing at the fairy sister and shaking her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must have been because of this elder sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I didn't think it was a common situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn son of Yandel! Where are you looking at like that! Do you know a fairy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impossible!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally! There's no way that the greatest warrior of all time like you would ever know one of those vile idiots!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to shut this bastard's mouth, but I couldn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that loud voice, the fairies around us looked at me with piercing eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them was Erwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at me with bitter eyes and nodded her head as if understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haah\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was looking at those sad eyes, I suddenly came upon a realization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was I doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's not like we were Romeo and Juliet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the barbarians finished trickling out of the checkpoints and started to move out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed impossible to talk to Erwen who was surrounded by fairies no matter how long I waited, so I followed them too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiringly, there was another crowd in front of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad! Aren't you hurt? I missed you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother! Here we are!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, yes, there'd been something like this in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Put simply, the people here were families or friends of the adventurers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go! I will open a path!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ooooooooh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I followed the barbarians through the crowd that bubbled with joy, excitement, despair, sorrow, and affection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at their faces one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt weird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Limarion! My husband, where is my husband? It can't be\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry. He asked me to pass this on to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No No. No aaaaah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd played [Dungeon & Stone] countless times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was my first time seeing those expressions everywhere, that could've never been seen through the 2D graphics from beyond the monitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had a reason for moving with the barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, like the previous checkpoint, there were still more procedures for beginners to go through in this city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, my expectations went unexpectedly wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Time for some alcohol! Let's have a drink!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wooooohoooooo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as they came out of the labyrinth, the barbarians headed to the tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are you kidding me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm going to get out of here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why is that! Bjorn, son of Yandel, the best warrior!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a modifier got attached to this already long name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Telling myself to be patient, I got out of my seat, giving an excuse that I had no choice because I had a place to go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"May fortune be with you! Bjorn, son of Yandel, the best warrior!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was feeling it again and again, but all my predictions based on common sense didn't seem to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh, its finally quiet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being with these savages for a while was already driving me crazy. Did Erwen feel the same way while she'd been with me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next time, I'd have to pay more attention to my acting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump, thump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After breaking up with them, I aimlessly wandered around the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I did have a destination, but for now, I felt like I wanted to walk wherever my footsteps led me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first time I'd seen this city, it was midnight, but now it was daytime, and the streets were full of people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, that gave me a sense of security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no monsters here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one to hurt me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you fall asleep on the road, you'll be able to safely wake up. No, maybe someone will even give you a helping hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were laws, rules, and leeway here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was still a distant world, and unlike how it looked on the surface, I knew that almost everything, including their ideas, culture, and social systems, would be barbaric compared to the 21st century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was still so peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least compared to the seven days I'd spent inside the labyrinth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to immerse myself even more in that sense of stability, so I kept walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it was because the adventurers had just poured out of the labyrinth, but my blood-soaked appearance didn't really stand out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one spared me a strange glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as I kept walking down the street, I felt like having a bath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I entered the first inn I saw, got a room, and washed myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a little strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More blood than dirt came out as I kept washing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After rinsing hard for about an hour, I now felt that the clothes I was wearing were too filthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, I'd have to go buy some clothes and come back to wash these.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was feeling sleepy, but I still went out to the street and found a clothing store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how come?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one looked at me strangely, but I was somehow feeling embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took off my top, and wore just the trousers that were stained with dirt and blood\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now I felt like a savage again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I entered the store, a kindly-looking assistant approached me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although I was a barbarian looking like a beggar, she had a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd never seen such a professional shop assistant even in Seoul\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you want some clothes? If you would like to make a custom order, please visit the building next door Oh, you're looking for something to wear right now? I'm not sure if there's anything the right size, but I'll take a look.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With her help, I was able to buy a pair of tight-fitting shirts and black trousers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The price came to a total of 2,500 stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No idea if I got ripped off or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd never bought and tried on clothes without any function in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come back next time!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that I was feeling more like a person, I returned to the inn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd thought this the first time I saw the officials exchanging magic stones, and I felt it again while talking to the shop assistant just now. This city exuded a strangely modern atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rafdonia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the buildings were made of stone, with multiple stories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it was hard to find a building with three stories or less on the street, and when I'd been washing, it was with water coming out of a faucet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life in this city might be more comfortable than I'd have thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the inn, I soon dropped down on the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the events of the past seven days one by one, I realized that I was also a human being not much different from Uncle Hans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I first fell here, my only goal was to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what about now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, I spat out the words that I'd wanted to say countless times but endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to go home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I want to go back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if no one welcomes me there.\u003C\u002Fp>",2609,"2026-06-05T19:32:48.785Z",1,"novelbin.me","0a6581a6bf64fb3ac1e5213734fd82dfac4d51c16863dd73f4902dda205a5ace","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-266","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-265",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]