[{"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-245":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},1327922,1764,"Chapter 245 Branch Point (5)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-245",245,"\u003Cp>Branch Point (5)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The administrator with control over the community, and a legendary veteran player among players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As expected, it’s you. GM.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I feel suffocated for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hans A. is the GM…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it’s true, why would a big shot like the GM hide his identity and approach me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just to see my face because I’m famous these days?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The GM suspected me of being a ‘player’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he approached me during the banquet to test me, and he even followed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This seemed like a more plausible hypothesis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it wasn’t very pleasant for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then he must have been the one who cast that Gale spell earlier.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question is naturally answered as the hypothesis is formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must have been curious if I was alive after the carriage suddenly exploded and a smoke grenade went off, blocking his vision while he was following me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll think about this later.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I returned to the most important topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who fell from the sky, called Hans A. the GM, and exuded an aura that even the knights were afraid of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just who was this man—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unban me. Or you’ll die here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Unban him?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I involuntarily felt a chill run down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one person I knew who would make such a demand to the GM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proud Korean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Lee Baekho.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it wasn’t impossible that it was someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many people had the GM banned?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was possible that someone was holding a grudge and came to make demands like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mister, can’t you hear me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I kept seeing Lee Baekho’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Is it really him?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I engraved his appearance in my mind once more with that thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s about 175 centimeters tall.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was wearing a neat suit, with no visible equipment, and if he wasn’t disguised, his race was human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His skin was white, and he didn’t have any noticeable scars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His platinum blonde hair was slicked back in a pomade style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he had handsome features, he gave off a more mischievous vibe than a gentleman because of his unique gaze—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Viscount Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A knight approached me and whispered as I was observing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mustn’t run away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s not someone you can do that to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was filled with tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t tell me he knew who he was?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who is that man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hurriedly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…just as the knight was about to answer…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, you guys were here too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the man’s gaze shifted towards us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha, I whispered, and he heard it from that distance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew who I was, judging by how he said my name correctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But could it be that he didn’t know me that well?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You took down that chuunibyou bastard? And in just one year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy, who was holding Hans A. by the neck, looked at me with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if he had stumbled upon something interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m asking this just in case…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you a player?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha, no wonder I felt uneasy as soon as he knew my name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of premonition never fails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one answer I could give.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re an evil spirit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t deny it or pretend I didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I called him an ‘evil spirit’ and drew a line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t matter if he was Lee Baekho or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, what else could I say when there were so many people watching?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, that’s strange. Although you’ve become famous, I don’t think you’re at a level that would interest the GM.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered, “If you’re not a player…” and narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…he continued, his voice devoid of any emotion, even though he was smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Answer with yes or no.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t answ— Keugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knight, who was trying to advise me, was punched in the stomach by something invisible and sent flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t have to ask who did it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, are you worried because there are so many people? Don’t worry. If you’re a player, I’ll kill them all. Damn right, I can do that much to satisfy my curiosity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grinned and forced me to choose again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes or no.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely held back from answering, “No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the question itself was suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To ask the same question while telling me to only answer with yes or no? It’s like he has the ability to distinguish between truth and lies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s actually an essence like that.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was wise to be cautious since I didn’t have any information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t want to answer, I’ll kill that cat girl.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then cornered me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could tell it wasn’t just a threat as soon as I heard it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although I racked my brain, I couldn’t come up with a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Mr. Baekho.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[See you later.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A light erupted from Hans A.’s body, who had been staring blankly with his neck still in the man’s grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha, this son of a…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lee Baekho cursed and sat up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vast farm filled with the refreshing scent of fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take long for him to realize where he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one place with a farm like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gnometree, the 6th district of Lafdonia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is so annoying. That bastard won’t leave the Magic Tower now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lee Baekho admitted that he had let him go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There would be no one left even if he went to the Magic Tower now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clearly his miscalculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was wary of him escaping using teleportation since he was a mage. He had grabbed him by the neck to prevent him from even chanting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But chantless teleport?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And on himself, at that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, so he’s also a big shot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he was a bit regretful that he underestimated his opponent, he quickly shook it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had already happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t suit him to dwell on the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And besides, it wasn’t like he didn’t gain anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found out that bastard was the GM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I have time, so I can just keep running around.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lee Baekho scratched his head and then turned his attention to something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I couldn’t get an answer in the end.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bjorn Yandel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian he met while chasing the GM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Well, whatever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lee Baekho stopped worrying about whether that barbarian was a player or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the first place, it was more likely that he wasn’t…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…and he had lost interest in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he was a player, he wouldn’t be interested now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who were satisfied with this world and obsessed with NPCs weren’t helpful to his plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lee Baekho lay down on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he used the [Spatial Interference] skill to pluck a grape from a vine and put it in his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, grapes are the best when they’re natural.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air was clean, and there was a lot of delicious food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that GM bastard wouldn’t leave the Magic Tower for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And it’s too much of a hassle to go to Bifron.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought it wouldn’t be bad to stay here for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days had passed since that incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The title bestowal ceremony, the assassin, the GM, and Lee Baekho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So much had happened in just one day, and the past two days were spent cleaning up the aftermath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the ‘assassin’…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We’ll take them and interrogate them.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the captured assassins were escorted to the Moselan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard from a knight today that they were hired by someone unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For reference, the explosives that instantly killed three knights were also given to them by that ‘someone’…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Their mission was to kill Viscount Yandel and steal the essence he received.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many suspicious aspects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could understand the essence part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The box containing the test tube was very sturdy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was possible for them to ambush and kill me and take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What were they going to do if I had absorbed it?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We also found that strange.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the client even offered a huge bounty for my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant that the essence was just an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, there would be no reason to pay to have me killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the Moselan guessed that the client was Noark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least until yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…So you’re saying it’s highly likely one of the large clans?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Moselan concluded that the culprit was one of the large clans. They said Noark would have sent more competent people if it were them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They said this kind of ‘request’ didn’t suit them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And most importantly, the large clans had a motive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes. They were probably planning to harm Viscount Yandel and then frame our royal family. Actually, we found evidence of such schemes in several bars that night.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it was a plausible guess, there was a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what about what the Clown bastard said?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he say that because he obtained this information beforehand?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, he did say an assassin would come. He didn’t say it was from Noark…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might have judged that it wouldn’t hurt to tell me beforehand since it wasn’t his assassin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…No, maybe the real one hasn’t even arrived yet?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I feel a sense of self-deprecation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phew, why do I have to live in fear even in the city?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, enough about the assassin. Next…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘GM.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To summarize, Hans A. wasn’t the GM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Hans Aiphreya we saw that day must have been someone in disguise.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they raided his house, the real Hans Aiphreya was unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They even checked his mana just in case, but he didn’t have a shred of magic talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, it meant someone borrowed his identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tsk.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bit disappointing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought I might be able to find out the GM’s identity…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But it’s not like there were no gains.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was one of the few things that comforted me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, I learned that the GM suspected me of being a player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least I had time to prepare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He must be even more suspicious now that he saw me not answering. He’ll probably target the next community session.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, I had a guess about this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I had also prepared a countermeasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, next…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Lee Baekho.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was definitely Lee Baekho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the GM said so at the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Mr. Baekho. See you later.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said it using magic, not his voice, even though his neck was being held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, it didn’t really matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That person… I’m sorry, I can’t tell you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked the knight who was there about Lee Baekho later, but that was the only answer I got.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this what they mean by ‘timing is everything’?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like he would have told me if Lee Baekho hadn’t interrupted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘As expected, he’s a dangerous guy…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t think I could be friends with him like before, even if I met him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did I realize that our personalities were completely different?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t think his innocent persona in the community was his true self, but this was too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s a real madman…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, enough about Lee Baekho. Next…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Misha.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the most troublesome part, the one that made me feel suffocated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn, listen to me without thinking anything strange, okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You, you’re not going to suddenly disappear? Ri, right…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misha started looking at me anxiously.\u003C\u002Fp>",1915,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","ef1f96e104ae06695d703d7c78e776323bbcdfb42f72493bc3a1d0569ac16d48","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-246","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-244",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]