[{"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-197":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},1327817,1764,"Chapter 197 Master Key (2)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-197",197,"\u003Cp>Master Key (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Key (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watchers of the Round Table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A secret community created for the exchange of high-quality information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I first entered this place, the existing members were curious about my relationship with the Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had already been a year since the Master, who used to recruit members through private messages, disappeared without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The members thought they might be able to hear about the Master’s whereabouts from me, and after the ‘Lion’ persona was established, it became a generally accepted truth that we were acquainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I responded with ‘no comment’ to all related questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was worried about the consequences if I said I knew him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I thought it wouldn’t suit my mysterious persona if I said I didn’t know him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But could it be that I got greedy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Do you happen to know where the Master is?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the second gathering, I shrugged at Fox’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if to say I wouldn’t mind telling her if she brought me something interesting. I rested my chin on my hand and acted nonchalantly, like an absolute being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clearly intended to deceive them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Didn’t the Master invite him? I’m pretty sure he said that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, my intention worked well, as Fox’s voice was filled with confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other masked figures were also bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, you’re saying I invited him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master touched his chin as if he had no idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other masked figures’ gazes then turned towards me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes were filled with questions and curiosity about my identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did he get in here if he wasn’t invited by the Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe he used an invitation code he received before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goblin offered a guess at Fox’s muttering, and the Clown refuted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Idiot. Don’t you know that invitation codes expire after a month?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is that true, Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What Clown said is true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their gazes towards me became even more blatant as the Master agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Lion, why did you lie to me about knowing the Master…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fox asked me cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held my breath and closed my eyes for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be a lie to say I wasn’t flustered by the Master’s sudden appearance, but I would ruin everything if I lost my composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly decided on my position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t lie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never said I knew him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You guys just misunderstood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I push forward like this, they won’t have anything to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, they might feel a bit of dissonance…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the killing intent that I half-stumbled upon to various other pieces of information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve shown them quite a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They won’t be able to reach the truth that I’m just a cyberbully just from this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, so…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t lie?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…let’s be shameless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, that’s what the ‘Lion’ character is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. Do you have a problem with your ears?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, no… that’s not it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fox is flustered as our eyes meet, even though I didn’t unleash my killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I was about to deliver the line I prepared, saying that they were the ones who misunderstood, even though I didn’t say anything…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that’s when…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, stop it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the Master spoke, looking at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know the details of what happened between you, but he didn’t lie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now I understand. Who you are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart skipped a beat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was just for a fleeting moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knows who I am? That’s impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s just the owner of a private chat room, how could he possibly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kekeke. I thought you would be from the Tiger side.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shut my mouth at the Master’s laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because I was hit where it hurts, but because I couldn’t understand what he was talking about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just chose to remain silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you just keep your mouth shut, you’ll at least be in the middle ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or a soldier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That judgment was correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Soldier…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now I understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who this old man thinks I am.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sergeant Lee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s the nickname of Lee Baekho, the unfortunate player who was dragged to this world on the day he was discharged from the military.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kekeke, there’s no point in pretending. You’re the only one I gave a code with no expiration date to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, it’s an understandable misunderstanding from the Master’s perspective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it’s the invitation code that Lee Baekho gave me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s no way he could distinguish between me and Lee Baekho when we’re wearing masks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Should I consider this a good thing?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It depends on how close Lee Baekho and the Master were…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never expected you to come here. Didn’t you scold me, saying I was doing something stupid, when I first visited you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m a bit curious. What made you change your mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t need much time to reach a conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They weren’t close.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expression ‘scold’ doesn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are relationships where people are close even though they bicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ah, I forgot to tell you. The pill I took was an early version, so I can only stay here for an hour.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lee Baekho can only stay here for an hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he can’t even participate in this gathering, where the entry time is between 3:00 and 3:10.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he doesn’t know this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something he told me as soon as we met?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m starting to get a sense of it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master doesn’t know Lee Baekho well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it’s possible for me to pretend to be Lee Baekho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but wouldn’t you have nothing to gain from participating here, at your level?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Clown mutters grumpily at the Master’s words,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Pfft, nothing to gain? Master, are you looking down on us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I’m sorry if you’re offended. But it’s because he’s that amazing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmmmm, I see…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Clown’s eyes sparkle at the Master’s praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly check the other masked figures. They’re not much different from the Clown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re just surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe even more so than when I shared high-level information like the ‘Stone of Resurrection’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think this is the first time the Master has given someone such a high evaluation…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t believe he’s at this level.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crescent Moon and Antler exclaim in astonishment. Ah, for reference, Fox flinches and hangs her head low as soon as our eyes meet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems like she feels guilty for suspecting me earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What should I do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My dilemma deepens as I see this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a saying, ‘crisis is an opportunity’, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just by looking at the members’ changed gazes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…if I succeed in pretending to be Lee Baekho, it will be a great help in maintaining my persona in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And most importantly, I might be able to find out what kind of person Lee Baekho is through this old man.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The return is certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what about the risk?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…There’s no real risk.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, if it doesn’t work, I can just reveal that I’m Lee Baekho’s friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s an old saying, ‘birds of a feather flock together’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Master mentioned that Lee Baekho is an amazing person, his friend, me, will also be seen as on the same level as Lee Baekho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Right, let’s do it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I break the long silence and speak to the Master first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What should I call you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t call you the same way as usual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not? Just call me old man like you did before. And stop with those weird honorifics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, old man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I feel a chill run down my spine as I naturally change my attitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I almost screwed up from the start…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can’t believe they were on informal terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But thanks to that, I realize one more thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lee Baekho is a proud Confucian Korean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to speak informally to an elder?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They weren’t just not close, they must have hated each other.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have a sense of how to treat him now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, I naturally add another sentence to make up for my previous mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have a strange taste. To refuse even when I’m trying to save face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a line that implies I genuinely don’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although I’m not sure if it worked…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the Master laughs heartily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kekeke! Right, that’s more like you. Anyway, let’s end this conversation here. Although I’m happy to see you again after so long, I don’t have time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Master, you don’t have time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t stay here for long due to some circumstances.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes? What happened that—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master cuts off the question with a brief mutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand that Miss Fox has a lot of questions. Why I disappeared without a word, what I’m trying to say now. But I can’t tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it that urgent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it has nothing to do with time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fox doesn’t push any further at the Master’s firm words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she asks one more thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… will you come back next time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I’m not sure. But I’ll definitely come back in a year. I might come sooner if something comes up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft, so you’re saying you came here today because you had something urgent to announce, Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right, Clown.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attention that was focused on me shifts towards the Master at his shocking declaration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a perfect situation for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the content itself…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’ll come back in a year…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, it means I don’t have to worry about my lies being exposed at every gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, my curiosity is greater than my relief right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He said he doesn’t have time, and it doesn’t seem like a lie… What kind of situation is he in? And what’s the urgent information he needs to share?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I look at the Master, focusing on my hearing, amidst countless questions. And it’s not just me, all the masked figures are doing the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange silence falls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kekeke, don’t be too nervous. It’s actually good news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master waves his hand as if to lighten the heavy atmosphere and then slowly opens his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Bonding spell that can bind up to six people will be created within two years. It means the key to opening the Gate of the Abyss will increase to six!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence falls upon the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The members exchange awkward glances and don’t say anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master tilts his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, why the long faces? I thought you would be more surprised…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it’s old news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creation of a 6-person Bonding spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s definitely valuable information, enough to shake the entire city for at least a few months once it’s known.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You already revealed this? Eh, no wonder everyone’s reaction is so underwhelming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master clicks his tongue after learning that the Clown already shared it at the previous gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it’s a bit unexpected. Clown, I didn’t think you would talk about something like that here. Have you finally warmed up to these people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft, there’s no way. I was just curious about their reactions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Clown looks at me as he laughs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master then subtly glances at me, following his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m nervous, thinking he might say something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when the Master’s body starts flickering like a hologram.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, it’s already time to leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fox shouts in disappointment, but the flickering intensifies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in this situation, the Master is only looking at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a very unpleasant and unsettling gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s like he can see through me just by making eye contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old man, do you have something to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can’t hold back and ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that moment…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s not ‘old man’, it’s ‘geezer’.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice echoes in my head like a Whisper spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s clear who the owner of the voice is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That damn brat called me that.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder it seemed too easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He knew from the beginning?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body stiffens slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it’s so subtle that it’s hard to notice with the naked eye, and it only lasts for a split second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmm, actually, your reaction was so natural that I was still confused. But seeing your heart rate increase, it seems like you’re really not that brat.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, he was just testing me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t worry. There’s no reason for me to interfere with what you do here.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I’m just curious, but unfortunately, I don’t have time today. Let’s talk again when we meet next time.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the Master’s body disappears before my eyes like fog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laugh out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s similar to how I chuckle when I experience something absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s no one easy in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>",2117,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","564b90ac98c53af92696d6ef05a163e7a59c1f801440cc273fe9ff340805be15","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-198","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-196",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]