[{"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-22":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},1327614,1764,"Chapter 22","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>Level Up (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Library, city adaptation, fighting training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I skipped all the daily routines I'd been repeating for the past month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they were not what the adventurers had to do on the day the labyrinth opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[08:10].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I woke up, I skipped breakfast and hurried to where I was supposed to meet Ainar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I'd heard that you needed to wait at least a few hours to get your turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here! Bjorn son of Yandel!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To my surprise, Ainar had arrived before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" Since when have you been here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didnt you say you would leave me behind if I were late? So I slept at the front overnight! Come on! We're first in line!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it was 30 minutes before opening time, there was already a long queue in front of the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, thanks to Ainar, we were able to enter the Adventurers' Guild as soon as the doors opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you here for?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We've come to receive binding magic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it a two-person team?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Put your hands here together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we followed the instructions, a faint light leaked from the crystal ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The colour was greenish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two level 9 adventurers. That comes to 15,000 stones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>15,000 stones\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I hadn't scrimped on living costs, it would've been a little tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I meekly paid from my pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was indeed tragic, but it was an unavoidable expense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When entering the labyrinth, the starting point is random, but if you receive this magic in advance, you can at least start from the same place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is the adventurer rank based on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's measured by the total amount of essence engraved on the soul.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right. So, does the cost of forming a bond increase with rank?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haah,this didn't match with the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's done. Please note that this will only work for the next 24 hours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a little past 9 o'clock when we finished our business and left the Adventurers' Guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lets go back to my inn for dinner. The food's pretty good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The inn? You mean your inn cooks meals for you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of life had she been living?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When asked a question in return, Ainar replied with an easygoing tone that it wasn't a big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I usually buy the bread I'd eaten in the labyrinth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, the one that cost 20 stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd tried it once in an attempt to save money on food, but had to give up after a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't know the exact principle, but what'd been quite edible inside the labyrinth was hard as stone here outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's why they call it rock-bread'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But did she keep eating that for a full month?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart was full of sadness for some reason, so I ordered meat and stew, leading to Ainar swearing an oath of allegiance on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn! Even if you ask me to jump into a pit of fire, I won't refuse! So don't leave me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a tearful meal, we went up to my room and organized our backpacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Be careful. If you forget something necessary, it'll be troubling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry! Because there's nothing I need to bring!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed surprisingly quickly as I checked my equipment and shoved in exploring equipment and consumables into my backpack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then lets get some sleep now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've never seen such a soft bed. It looks like two people can lie down! It doesn't even smell!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the maintenance so that we were ready to enter the labyrinth at any moment, we lay down next to each other and slept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was pretty cramped with the two of us there, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Erwen, there'd be space left for one more normal-sized person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if you cant sleep, force yourself to close your eyes. You won't be getting proper sleep for a while \"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erm, what was I worrying about again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rrrrrrrumble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could even finish speaking, came the snoring sound in the native style of the barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just smiled and closed my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long had it been since then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[20:30].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We woke up a little early and had our last meal on the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A special, extravagant meal that cost 800 stones per head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, what does this taste like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar, who'd been fussing all through the meal, bit the baked cream pie that'd been served as dessert and froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, is it some kind of magic? M-, my eyes keep tearing up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, thats called sweet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" I think I'll have to work hard from now on\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't intentional on my part, but more motivation was always good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So many.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we packed our bags and headed out into the night streets, there was a crowd of people passing through instead of the usual quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them, like me, were armed and carried a large backpack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although not all of them were, and there were also barbarians with just a weapon on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looked like they'd just entered the city today after finishing the coming-of-age ceremony\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop! I must have lost my way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It can't be! We must reach the labyrinth within the set time!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Parthun has no qualification to be the leader!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this happened every month, huh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just how did they actually reach the labyrinth every time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was seriously pondering the issue\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Follow them and you will reach the labyrinth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar approached them with advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young warriors looked at her like you would a successful senior, and gave profuse thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you. I will definitely repay this favour one day!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the young barbarians moving away, Ainar wiped her nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" Hooo, it reminds me of the past.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please don't wave it off and pretend it's a thing of the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don't think anything has actually changed between then and now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone, back off!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thousands of people had already gathered in the Dimensional Plaza. As we found a place to sit and settled in to wait for midnight, a light began to shine from the centre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it was small at first, the halo quickly grew in shape and finally coalesced into a sphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now you can enter!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the official shouted, the adventurers around us quickly throw themselves into the portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I led Ainar out to the fringes to avoid the press of the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn, arent we going in?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of adventurers gathered in the plaza dropped by dozens every second, but the crowd was still as packed as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because other adventurers kept arriving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About forty minutes after the portal opened, the once-crowded Dimensional Plaza had become pretty quiet, with a line of seven to eight hundred people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" Shouldn't we go in now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The portal, which had already devoured tens of thousands of adventurers, was getting smaller in size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I kept waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar also raised her voice to check if I was paying attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bjorn, what are you waiting for?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it was too complex to explain\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't know if she'd understand or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, I decided to give a brief explanation as there was quite a bit of time left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I plan to enter when the dimension is unstable. The book says it happens once in a hundred years, but if you use this phenomenon \"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I dont understand what you're saying, but Ill follow you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I feel like I wont understand anyway!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I did honestly think that would be the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was annoying that she said that after being the one to ask in the first place, but\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be fair, it might be quite convenient to be able to skip the explanation for each and every action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The gate will close soon! Back off!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, the portal's light began to fade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no adventurers left at this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I slowly walked towards the labyrinth with Ainar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing us like that, the official exclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's dangerous to enter now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pretended not to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't know what they meant by dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering that there were even books with statistics, they had to be aware of the phenomenon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"B-, Bjorn! Those important-looking people are saying it's dangerous! We have to get out of here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then why did they never consider using this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One second, two seconds, three\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, what's the point in a countdown?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My gut tells me this is enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's now. Let's go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kuhk!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I push Ainar from behind and jump into the labyrinth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of light obscures my vision, and when it disappears, a deep darkness is there to greet me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It means that what I'd intended has worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahead! I can't see ahead! I should've listened to that important-looking fellow after all! Bjorn is an idiot!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ainar, calm down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar regains some of her composure as I take out a torch from my backpack in a hurry and light it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn, how the hell did this happen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if I tell you, you wont understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That That's true!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having easily convinced Ainar, I slowly look around. And as I see the monument in front of the dead-end wall, a strange feeling wells up inside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Really, the dimensional instability phenomenon is closely related to the starting point of the portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news is both happy, and sad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This means that if I'd decided even a minute earlier the first time, I wouldn't have had to crawl on three legs with one leg in tatters!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoooooosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I place my hand on the monolith, a halo bursts out and coalesces into a sphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a portal for going up to the second floor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, we've skipped all the intermediate processes of finding the route using the compass, fighting monsters as we meet them, and wandering in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least a day or two has been saved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?! The chieftain said it would take three days to find the portal! What kind of magic did you use?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I tell you, you won't understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First portal opened. EXP +2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The character's Level has risen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soul Power rises by +10.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maximum absorbable essences rises by +1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To regain my original status as an old expert, I have to make good use of the bugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bjorn Yandel\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Level: 2 (New +1)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Body: 46 \u002F Mind: 36 \u002F Ability: 4 (New +3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Item Level: 202\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combat Index: 136.5 (New +3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have entered the Goblin Forest on the second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding myself floating about 3m up in the air, I quickly regained my balance and landed on my two feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, I'd practiced this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While wrestling with the barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ugh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Ainar fall and pound the ground with her buttocks, I could feel my own growth anew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could now understand Erwen, who'd smirked at me, to some extent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ugh, my ass is numb.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Itwaspretty funny to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, she was athletic, so she'd learn to land properly in no time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it? You look sad?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, it's nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaning around, I took out my watch and set it to 0:05.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plan had been to do it right away after opening my eyes, but I'd forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I moved it forward by 5 minutes, so there shouldn't be a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" Ainar, do you feel it too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It feels like my heart is pounding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe I should describe it as a sensation of something denser than blood pouring into my veins and filling me up from the inside?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like that from the moment I crossed the portal, and now I could feel it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatwasthis?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After I explained the symptoms, Ainar quickly made a diagnosis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like your soul level has risen! Congratulations!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, so I'd leveled up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Dungeon and Stone] also has levels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soul power is based on level. In other words, as you level up, MP, the resource required to use abilities, increases, and the total number of absorbable essences also increases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, at level 1, I could only absorb one essence, but\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At level 2, up to two would be possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, you'd have to come across two essence drops for that to count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Its amazing. You haven't even caught any monsters yet, but your soul still rose in rank!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No wonder. Opening the portal for the first time must've been recognized as an achievement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Achievement is a term that means a feat that gives you experience points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um, what does recognized as an achievement' mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, once you reach a certain level, speedruns' are the easiest way to increase your experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Dungeon & Stone] is a game with a slightly unusual growth system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can only get experience points from the same monster once and only the first time. Therefore, just like filling out a book of pictures, you have to defeat various different monsters to get exp and level up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh, wait, wasn't this a bit dangerous?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" Ainar, this is a secret between you and me. Do you understand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Secret? What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was the first to open the portal. This has to be kept secret. If anyone asks, tell them that it took us two days to get to the second floor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening the portal only gave 2 exp. In other words, it was equivalent to about two level 9 monsters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike hunting monsters, achievements can be repeated to accumulate exp.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, adventurers who've reached a certain level stake it all on speedruns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because whether you can hunt a monster or not is decided by various factors if you're a good match-up against it in combat, its zone of activity, if you have a wizard in your party or not, the nature of the god your cleric worships, etc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you reach some kind of limit, you can try using achievements to break through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to do that from the start?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only I knew this trick, and it was my ticket to easy mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this got spread around, it won't end well for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I swear on my honour as a warrior.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was my expression too serious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The look in Ainar's eyes changed, and she even made an oath although I hadn't asked her to. It did make me feel pretty relieved, but we still needed to move quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We have to run.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adventurers would start pouring in here in a few hours. And if they saw the two of us here who looked like rookies, they'd start doubting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did two rookies manage to get here earlier than the veterans?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was best to not be seen at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always, I was more scared of adventurer bastards than the actual monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>",2456,"2026-06-05T19:32:48.785Z",1,"novelbin.me","8c391dadc588808f0c188110e36e8c175f37b7e4dff520510917b82099146117","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-273","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-272",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]