[{"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-349":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},1327469,1764,"Chapter 349: Seclusion (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-349",349,"\u003Cp>Manticore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was indeed an essence I had planned to eventually remove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's why I had debated between removing Corpse Golem and Manticore when I bought the new essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um, Amelia… if I remove this, my Magic Resistance will decrease, and I’ll be vulnerable to magic…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, I was hesitant about losing [Leap], my only movement skill, but the real problem wasn’t that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the lack of Magic Resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The balance of my tanking abilities would be severely disrupted until I could obtain Bellarios’s essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And I can’t remove Stormgush either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I would have to remove it eventually…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at least I had to clear the Submerged Island event first. That essence practically guaranteed an easy win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, for reference, I could obtain my second core essence after [Gigantification] from that event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Damn it, what should I do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like giving up on disguising my identity was an option, even if it meant giving up on an essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were some suspicious aspects to the royal family’s actions, but it might not be that difficult to clear my name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wouldn’t execute me just because I’m an ev—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, and I didn’t tell you this because I thought you knew, but even if you’re proven to not be an evil spirit, the royal family won’t be happy about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you looking at me like that? It would mean that the royal family’s announcement was flawed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ugh… this is making it harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t make a decision, so I asked Erwen and Amelia for their opinions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you guys think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… think it’s better to hide as much as possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen was in favor of absorbing the essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Intuition.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, she was talking about her sixth sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then Amelia also gave me her opinion as I looked at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I agree with Tersia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no real benefit to clearing your name anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What do you mean no benefit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wouldn’t have to remove an essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to say that when Amelia continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not expecting your former companions to come back to you after two years, are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen also agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right, maybe Ainar, but it would be difficult for Arrua Raven to return, even if she heard that you’re alive. She’s in the royal army.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Presumably, it would be similar for Avman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He joined a clan, so it would be difficult for him to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I didn’t have much information about Misha, except for the fact that she had become Lee Baekho’s companion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So they’re not wrong.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused the conversation and weighed the pros and cons of both options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take that long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Based on the information I got from the Round Table, the royal family is going to issue a conscription order to all nobles soon.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them would just send their private armies, but I, as an explorer, wouldn’t have that option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would have to participate in the war myself and follow the orders of my superiors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I made a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll… remove the essence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My jump key…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the plan was set, it was time to move on to the next agenda item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which essence should I absorb?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we discussed it, I realized that these two had something in common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think Imp essence would be good. It gives a bit of Magic Resistance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it’s a 7th-grade essence, so it’s hard to find on the exchange. Dwarf Fighter essence would be better. It increases Bone Density like Ainar, so it suits you well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have enough money to buy a 4th-grade essence? Altsmolar would be better. It’s 5th-grade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Altsmolar? We can’t use that. It has a fatal side effect…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Side effect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen glanced at me and then whispered to Amelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t hear them, but Amelia glanced at me and said, “That’s possible,” and didn’t say anything more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why are they both so interested in my essences?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled and cut them off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough. I’ve already made up my mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had chosen the essence with the best stats and skills among those that could shrink my body size, and I had two backups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Erwen, you go to the bank tomorrow and check how much we can borrow using the house as collateral. Amelia, you check the exchange for the essence I told you about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s eat. I’m starving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We ended the conversation and ate the food Erwen brought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re staying here from tonight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are plenty of empty rooms, is there a problem?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I prefer to separate work and personal life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh, both of you, stop it. I’m tired, so let’s just go to sleep. Amelia, you can use any of the empty rooms.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a bit of a commotion when Amelia showed up in the middle of the night with her luggage, but it didn’t escalate into a big problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, another difficult day came to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mister! I’ll be back later!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen and Amelia left for their respective tasks the next morning, and I spent my days in seclusion in the dark house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, I slept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, we were able to secure a loan after three days, and we used it to retrieve Kraul’s Demon Crusher from the bank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Heh, you like it that much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course I do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is my number one treasure from now on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has equipped No. 87 Kraul's Demon Crusher.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Total item level increased by +4,800.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, that wasn’t the only good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The essence I was looking for appeared on the exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it wasn’t my first choice, but my second…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t a significant difference, and I wasn’t planning to keep it for long anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And the price is reasonable.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bought the essence with most of the money I had left after retrieving the Demon Crusher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had already placed an order for a shield through Erwen, and I was planning to get the rest of my equipment cheaply with 1st-tier materials, so I didn’t think I would need much money in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Well, there was one more thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Please, don’t let anyone recognize me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I went to the church the next day, now that I had bought the essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Tovera Church, one of the Three Gods Church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was a bit uneasy about going to the Leathlas Church since I had been there so many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It would be even more conspicuous if we went together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have a safe trip…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t attract attention by making a mistake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a large church that was easily accessible, but a small one on the outskirts of the city, frequented by ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I still had to remove my helmet to remove the essence, so I was a bit worried…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, you have a good build for a human. You would have been a great knight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but fortunately, the old priest in charge of essence removal didn’t recognize me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「[Manticore Essence] removed from character's soul.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Some of the stats gained from [Inheritance] have been permanently acquired.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The essence removal went smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paid double the usual fee and hurriedly left the church and returned home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then I opened the test tube I had bought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「[Gachabon Essence] absorbed into character's soul.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the 6th-grade undead Gachabon’s essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The base stats were simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Sixth Sense +40.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Physical Resistance +15.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Darkness Resistance +30.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Accuracy +45.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stats that were a bit ambiguous for certain classes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Bone Density +110.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the Bone Density stat that would turn me into a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And lastly, the penalties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Luck -50.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Control -30.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luck was a stat that increased the probability of random events, like critical hits. And Control gave you resistance to mental magic and status effects like ‘Fear’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it would have the opposite effect now that it was decreased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen and Amelia exclaimed as I finished absorbing the essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I was the most surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our heights were almost the same now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia was about 170 centimeters tall, so my height must have decreased to about 185 centimeters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen looked away as I was lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is it that weird?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, no, it’s not that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It, it’s better if you… just see for yourself…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen pointed at the mirror, and I walked towards it, holding my loose pants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sturdy barbarian warrior was no longer there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a handsome human man remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This is me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now I understood why Ainar was so depressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked so weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like I would break a bone if I got hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Should I… remove this essence?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My reflection in the mirror was pitiful. Well, that’s probably why Erwen was avoiding eye contact and stuttering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… mister, what’s wrong? You look so sad…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen asked why I was depressed, and I answered honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How can I go outside looking like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Erwen couldn’t look at me properly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wha, what? It, it’s a misunderstanding! I wasn’t avoiding eye contact because of that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? You’re saying it wasn’t because you were trying to hold back your laughter at my pitiful appearance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen answered in a small, embarrassed voice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be, because you’re handsome…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also has a very common taste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was she obsessed with me back then because she saw me as a guardian, not because she was romantically interested?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked Amelia to get a sample.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think so too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia stared at me and then chuckled, turning her head away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least I don’t have to crane my neck to look at you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, none of them seemed to have a negative opinion about my current appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had I become too accustomed to being a barbarian?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Come to think of it, I do look handsome by modern standards.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I still didn’t want to stay like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Gigantification] was based on my base physique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This small body wasn’t efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, I’m going to test my abilities, can you help me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t just stay depressed about my appearance, so I decided to focus on what I could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, practice my skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s a bit awkward to go out to the garden in broad daylight, so I guess I’ll just do it in the living room.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, I’ll help. What should I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just hit me. With your spirits or abilities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh… doesn’t she know about this essence’s passive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like she didn’t, so I briefly explained it to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(P) Retaliation — When receiving damage that consumes resources, there’s a chance to ignore and reflect the damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a passive skill that activated whenever the enemy used a skill that consumed resources, whether it was magic, divine power, or spirit power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This skill was the biggest reason why I chose this essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it wouldn’t be enough to make up for my decreased Magic Resistance, it was the only essence that offered this kind of performance at this price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My first choice was also another color of this essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Anyway, the probability was about 10%…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For reference, this number included the Luck penalty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, there might be a slight difference depending on my base Luck stat, but it wouldn’t be significant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… then I’ll go ahead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen started attacking me with her spirits after I finished explaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character received frost damage.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character received frost damage.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character received frost da… 」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「… 」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Erwen, try a different element.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character received fire damage.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character received fire damage.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character received fire da… 」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「… 」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wa, wait! Amelia, you try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you want. You’re the perfect height for this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has been hit by [Asura’s Fury].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has been hit by [Asura’s Fury].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has been hit by [Asura’s Fur… 」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, what the… What is going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aak!! St, stop!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why isn’t it activating?\u003C\u002Fp>",1994,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.065Z",1,"novelbin.me","a47bf6ba5741a81dbf573cff50730fe87754c7e8f7e04fc2896438f168d4f0b1","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-350","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-348",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]