[{"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-297":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},1327658,1764,"Chapter 297","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-297",297,"\u003Cp>After running for almost 30 minutes, we encountered a 5-person team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It consisted of three humans, a dwarf, and a fairy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by their equipment, they were at least 5th-floor explorers…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re lost? Calm down and come rest here for a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…and they didn’t even seem wary when they saw me approaching their camp. They even offered me jerky and a seat by their campfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, I thought the jerky might be poisoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, what should we do? We don’t have time to search the entire 3rd floor for your team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…none of them showed any greed throughout the conversation, and they didn’t even ask for my equipment in return for saving my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, you’re offering us your weapon? No, thank you. How would you explore without your equipment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. If you feel bad, just help someone else in need next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were incredibly kind. It was so suspicious that I even pretended to doze off by the campfire…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must be tired.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jess, what should we do? I don’t feel good about leaving him here. It’s practically the same as telling him to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about we look around for his companions for a few hours?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if we can’t find them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, then we’ll just take him with us. It will be a hassle, but we can’t just leave him here to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but they didn’t change their attitudes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed pointless to test them any further, and it would just be a burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I sent a signal to Amelia, who should be nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The signal we agreed on beforehand, to come and get me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are a lot of people looking for someone today. Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sorry for interrupting. I’m looking for my companion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Companion? Ah, don’t tell me…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I jumped up and ran towards Amelia as soon as she appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! Emily!! I missed you!! Why are you so late?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, sorry… but, this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emilyyyyy!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hugged her tightly, pretending to be relieved, but I was also wary of the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They seemed like good people, but they might change their minds after seeing Amelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that’s what I thought…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s good that you found your companion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but there was no twist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huhu, make sure to stay close to your companions from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have good companions. It’s not easy to get separated and search for each other in the labyrinth. Take care of each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were nice people from beginning to end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it was time for us to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go. Everyone is… worried about you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia took me to the place where we agreed to meet with the others, saying she had a meeting point, and they sent us off with warm smiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And time passed, and now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did I really come back without any problems?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a sense of wonder and gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this what healing feels like…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of life have I been living?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are so many wonderful people in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems like your method didn’t work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia looked at me as if asking what we were going to do now, while I was lost in my emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, she’s making me feel embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did I know this would happen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you going to continue?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I seriously contemplated her question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, are you separated from your companions? What are you two doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…five explorers appeared from the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come here if that’s the case. We’ll help you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all smiling brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if they had found gold on the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I ended my admiration for humanity and approached them with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, really?! We need help, this is great!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These kinds of people always come to you, even if you don’t look for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second team we met was even more blatant than the first. They surrounded us as soon as we joined them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, this is a subspace ring? Your equipment is trash, but you have something valuable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…they created a threatening atmosphere by grabbing my hand and touching my subspace ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So where’s your companion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did they judge that we weren’t a threat after getting some information?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them approached Amelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he reached out towards her exposed thigh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but a dagger pierced his hand before he could even touch her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aak!! You crazy bitch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle began less than three minutes after we met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were experienced in PvP, judging by how they counterattacked without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because we were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Gigantification], [Swing], and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle quickly ended as we started using our skills. The fact that they had surrounded us to prevent us from escaping worked in our favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s advantageous to surround goblins and beat them up…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwagic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but they weren’t trolls or ogres.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We first took down the backline with bows and staffs, and then they were all on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We, we were tricked… Damn it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwagic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pleasant silence fell as I crushed the leader’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time to loot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, we found evidence of looting in their bags.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t much equipment since it was only Day 3, but their bags were filled with consumables like sleeping pills, poison, and mental scrolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also several stolen ID cards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But could it be because we had earned a large sum at once?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We just have to do this ten more times.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia no longer questioned my method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must have realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That there was no more efficient way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we killed looters who had looted others, we could get multiple pieces of equipment and ID cards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The effort-to-reward ratio was much higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s clean up the blood and move on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We continued using the same strategy and met several teams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their reactions were all different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to broadly categorize them…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We’re not interested, so leave.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…90% of them wouldn’t even let us approach when I went alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We’ll let you stay since you seem to be in a difficult situation.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…5% of them would let us rest after hearing our story and then ask for a reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…You’re suspicious. Show me your ID card.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…3% of them would misunderstand us as looters and attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Even if items are valuable, they’re not more valuable than your life.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…About 1% of them would try to take all our equipment, even if it meant leaving us to die to monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I apologize. I don’t do things that might cause trouble later.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…And about 1% of them would try to kill us just because they saw our faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The success rate is much lower than I expected.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We could only find one team out of a hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, why did I encounter those guys so often?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know, but time passed, and when it was Day 8…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…we met a team we had never seen before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, so you’re the famous newbies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were a team of looters from Noark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To summarize the result, there was no battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t because we didn’t want to fight, but because they didn’t give us the chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, it’s nice to meet you, but please keep your distance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t even give us any space, and Amelia didn’t show any hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, she actually warned me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t do anything stupid, they’re from the Lord’s faction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geez, I wasn’t even thinking about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had to pretend to be on their side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we attacked first, and one of them survived and reported us, our plan would be ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can we talk for a moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia readily agreed to their suggestion. It didn’t take long for me to realize her intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had to join the Lord’s faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was actually a chance for her to appeal to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Bek.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know. Emily, and you’re Iron Mask, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Iron Mask?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, you didn’t know? It’s your nickname.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know I had that nickname.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it did suit me since I always wore a helmet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you’re quite handsome, for a barbarian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, right, I’m not wearing a helmet because we’re fishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a sense of dismay, but I didn’t bother putting it on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would change even if they saw my face?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing would change anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, is that your tactic? It was impressive. You used the prejudice against barbarians very well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, it was just a compliment. Don’t look at me like that. We might become companions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia interjected,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Companions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I didn’t tell you. I didn’t say it because you need time to adjust to this city, but the Lord has a good impression of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it meant that he thought we were skilled, but he was observing us because he didn’t know what kind of people we were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Lord likes bold people. Especially those who aren’t bound by morals like you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant that there was no need to test us any further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’ll probably contact you when we get back, so think about it. It’s an unfamiliar city. You need a place to belong, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’ll think about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, that’s good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed heartily and then looked at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, and you. It hasn’t been long since you came to the human world, but you’ve already adapted so well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve been in the world for too long, your hair’s all gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but retort, as it sounded like he was mocking me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was that really his intention?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! It was a compliment! I apologize if you misunderstood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He apologized instead of being offended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it was my turn to apologize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I also meant it as a compliment. I apologize if you misunderstood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I, I see?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed awkwardly, and I awkwardly laughed along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I kept looking at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a strange feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘His name was definitely ‘Bek’, right?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why did I feel like punching him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt an inexplicable sense of unease as I shifted my gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw an explorer wearing a robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was small, like a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, you guys probably don’t know yet, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bek, as if sensing my curiosity, pulled the kid’s robe off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s similar to your tactic. We use her as bait. Most people don’t suspect a child. And if you send her inside, you can check the opponent’s strength beforehand. She’s also surprisingly helpful in battle. Most people have a psychological barrier against killing a child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bek explained about the child as if he was showing off his merchandise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I couldn’t hear a word he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had already heard it from Amelia…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait, where have I seen her before?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…and I felt a sense of déjà vu from the child who was standing there expressionlessly, even after her robe was removed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But did she misunderstand my gaze?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, now that I see it, you’re not just curious, you like her, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bek said something ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, I would have smashed his head to clear up the misunderstanding, but I just asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s her name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bek tilted his head as if it was a strange question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t seem to understand why her name was important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he still answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zencia Nayfrin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, it was you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder I felt strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We, we’re human… humans, right? This is murder!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the evil spirit I killed for the first time in the ‘Glacier Cave’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Zencia I killed would be different from this child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evil spirits only possess adult natives, and there haven’t been any other cases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait, then…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A child born in Noark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This child would most likely still be living in the underground when she became an adult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I want to go home. I can’t die here. I can’t die in this shithole… I survived all this, you know? Please…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now I understood why that woman had been so frustrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Human characters are easy to survive with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their taxes were much lower than other races, so they could live for several years without any problems even if they didn’t work as explorers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why I couldn’t relate to her back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just thought she was a looter who wanted to live an easy life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Mo, mom…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…she started from this hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had thought that barbarians had the worst starting point…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but there was a bottom even lower than that.\u003C\u002Fp>",2101,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","aaa6fe55ff505463caee67170d6d2b870e8edd7d24864ceb96945a30491084dd","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-42","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-41",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]