[{"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-289":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},1327644,1764,"Chapter 289 Big Shot (1)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-289",289,"\u003Cp>There was no second knock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if the first knock was just a notification, the door opened without even a word of permission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old man entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a full head of white hair, and his skin was wrinkled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn't give off the usual frail aura of an elderly person. His gait was steady, and his back was straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And most importantly…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…his presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old man was dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Judging by your clothes, you must be from Earth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man scanned me and muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did you get in here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind went blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were definitely otherworldly evil spirits, judging by their clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chose to remain silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I decided to try and figure out the situation by letting him speak first, instead of rushing to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that was the plan…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Amazing. You already have three 3rd-grade essences. It’s only been a little over a year since you were summoned here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but the old man was already reading my information, even though I hadn’t said a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, where did he get that ability?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is… intriguing. I’m curious. Forget about how you got in here, tell me this first. Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you just going to stare at me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would have been wary of a stranger entering his room uninvited, but the old man urged me on in a friendly voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Phew, what should I say?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I just tell him I’m from the future?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought crossed my mind, but I dismissed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t wise to reveal my information when I didn’t know anything about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll ask the questions first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hoo, then will you answer my questions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To some extent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took the initiative by using his curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must be curious about my identity, just like I was confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to use this to get as much information as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked my first question as soon as he gave me permission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, my name…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man chuckled as if it was a boring question, but his name was very important to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had the advantage of coming from twenty years in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it was a name that wasn’t known now, it might be different in the future. I might even be able to figure out what kind of life he lived based on his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re quite polite, wanting to introduce ourselves first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…he was about to open his mouth when…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…he frowned and closed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was only for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I apologize. It seems like something came up, so we’ll have to continue this conversation later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man, speaking in an elegant tone, then made an unexpected suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It would be rude to just leave you here. Hmm, what should I do… Why don’t you come with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated for a moment and then agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else could I do, being alone in this room?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I might be able to get more information if I followed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, you’re quite bold. But you’ll attract attention from the other members in that outfit. Here, wear this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man waved his hand, and clothes that suited this era appeared in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was that not enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, it would be better to cover your face too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then created a white mask and handed it to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is that convenient ability?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be something he could only use in this spiritual world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I put on the clothes and the mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it uncomfortable?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it fits perfectly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huhu, I should prepare some masks here. Some people might not want to show their faces.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We left the room and followed the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he gave me some instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be surprised or act like you know anyone you see. No, if possible, just keep your mouth shut and observe, like you did earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if someone talks to me first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That won’t happen, and even if it does, I’ll take care of it, so don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, if he says so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I continued to observe my surroundings as I followed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I looked around, the more I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room I was in earlier was also like that, but this place felt similar to the mansion where the ‘Round Table’ was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There are no windows either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the decorations on the walls, the location of the rooms, and the width of the hallways were all different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s too much of a coincidence.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t dismiss it as just a feeling and carefully scanned my surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some time…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the old man stopped walking and slowly opened a large door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a round table beyond the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_________________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room with the round table that I had entered countless times wearing the Lion mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were quite a few differences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, there was no jewel on the table that could distinguish between truth and lies, and the room was a bit smaller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s similar.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other than that, it was practically identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patterns engraved on the edge of the table, the picture frames on the walls with paintings I couldn’t understand…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of it was the same as the Round Table twenty years later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then how was this possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Don’t tell me this old man is the ‘Master’?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious figure who created ‘Watchers of the Round Table’, whom I had only met once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe the old man in front of me was him. Well, it wasn’t impossible that one of the people here had modeled it after that place…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Anyway, I’ll think about it later.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was momentarily stunned by the familiar round table, but I quickly came to my senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did this round table matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The important thing was the people sitting there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Four.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were four people in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three men and one woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked at us as soon as the door opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s that behind you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…they were very interested in me, who was even wearing a mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bit similar to when I first joined the Round Table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Geez, those eyes.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They felt like thorns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time their gazes landed on me, my skin tingled, and I felt a stabbing sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when, as that uncomfortable time continued…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s none of your business who he is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the old man drew a line, his tone authoritative and strong, unlike when he was talking to me. And he immediately got to the point in the suddenly quiet atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard there was a conflict while I was gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, I believe you’re not foolish enough to forget the rules of this place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I should at least hear you out. What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man spoke as if he was scolding children, and an awkward silence fell over the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all avoided making eye contact as if they were trying to decide who would take the blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged man with a large build was the first to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m telling you this beforehand, but we had no intention of fighting amongst ourselves. But this guy keeps instigating us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man in black frowned at his accusation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is it wrong to want to kill the King?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha, do you think I don’t know why you want to kill the King? Don’t try to drag us into your personal vendetta.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kagureas. Are you still clinging to hope after failing to find a way for decades?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. Just like everyone else here. Ah, except for you now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s funny. If you want to return, you should be helping me. The royal family, who holds a great secret, is the end of all questions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s too dangerous to touch him. And there’s no guarantee that the royal family is even hiding the clue to returning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could see why they were arguing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hardliners who wanted to kill the King and find the clue, and the moderates who thought it was too dangerous and wanted to find another way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when, as I was listening intently to their conversation, finding it fascinating…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…my mind went blank at the middle-aged man’s next words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do whatever you want. I don’t care if you form a group called Orculus or whatever. It has nothing to do with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What? Form Orculus?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Don’t tell me, he’s the ‘Captain’?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unexpected appearance of a big shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suddenly remembered what the old man said earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To not be surprised no matter who I saw?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made sense for him to say that if he was the captain of Orculus. After all, he was a famous figure shrouded in mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can’t believe I met him here—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Master Ruinjenes is different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man then looked at the child-like figure and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind went blank again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Huh? Ruinjenes…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Belvev Ruinjenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real name of the ‘Ruin Scholar’, who was once the leader of a large school but became a criminal after dabbling in forbidden magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t stand idly by if you try to persuade him with your pathetic words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you really believe that he can complete the dimensional magic?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do. It’s much more plausible than your ridiculous plan to kill the King.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clenched my fists, looking at the child who was casually sipping tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slurp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seriously, this kid is the Ruin Scholar…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>________________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain of Orculus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Ruin Scholar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn, what a lineup…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I naturally became curious about the other two after learning the identities of the two big shots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ve never heard of the name ‘Kagureas’ before.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had never heard of the middle-aged man’s name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I didn’t know anything about the woman since she hadn’t said a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just who were these two?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough, I understand the situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man then spoke, silencing the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he didn’t seem charismatic, everyone was intimidated by his single word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, leave. We have more important matters to discuss today, so we’ll talk about this later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More important matters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman, who had been silent until now, finally spoke at the old man’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you talking about the person behind you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s gaze turned to me as the old man readily agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s more important than us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what their gazes were saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they all just looked at the old man, holding back their words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who is he? It’s your first time bringing someone here. And why is he wearing a meaningless mask?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman asked again, and the old man answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same answer as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mind your own business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, can you all leave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people in the room, starting with the woman, got up and left at the old man’s order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, we’re finally alone again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the old man smiled kindly, as if he had taken off a mask, as soon as everyone left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s continue our conversation. Where were we?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You were about to tell me your name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed like a friendly grandfather, saying I would also become like him when I got older.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he introduced himself casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re from Earth, so you might already be familiar with my name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nice to meet you. My name is Auril Gabis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auril Gabis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The author of the Compendium of Rifts, and the name of the game developer who created [Dungeon and Stone].\u003C\u002Fp>",1942,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","104e781f2afb2da3f2dd227cee8a8c3ad037c24857b5c0a1d105f3c077326a73","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-36","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-288",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]