[{"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-366":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},1327536,1764,"Chapter 366: Responsibility (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-366",366,"\u003Cp>Raven spoke to break the awkward silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you making that face? It’s not your fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she didn’t know the whole story, she wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was a bit ambiguous to say it was entirely my fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was the one who had pushed her over the edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I hadn’t gone to see her…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe she wouldn’t have made that choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, wait…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dwarkey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about them, I had to accept the possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That my presence had changed the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… I shouldn’t have said anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raven spoke, as if regretting it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if I had reopened an old wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I also had a thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it okay for me to reopen her wounds?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just because I didn’t want to avoid responsibility?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was struggling to speak…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s with the mood? Did we interrupt something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s nothing. What are you talking about? …But mister, what were you two… doing…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my head towards the entrance, and Amelia and Erwen were entering the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked back at Raven, and she was looking at her documents again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it wasn’t a conversation to be had in this atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t say anything that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The labyrinth is closed.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character is being transferred to Lafdonia.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 75 of the expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time to return to the city as the 7th floor closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wow, it feels like it’s been a while.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city felt unfamiliar after spending over two months in the labyrinth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could understand why some of the high-ranking clans took a month or two off after an expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you going straight home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For now. Let’s rest. And then eat something delicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We left the exchange and headed straight for the mansion after exchanging our magic stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, for reference, we didn’t have many magic stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the loot we obtained after arriving on the 6th floor had been exchanged for vouchers with the royal family’s seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would be exchanged for money at the Achievement Office, but it would probably be crowded for a few days, so we decided to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew, finally home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The detached house with a small garden and boarded-up windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never thought I would feel this happy to be back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, we would eat the food we bought on the way back after washing up…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So who’s going to wash up first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia spoke to me as we were deciding the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Schuitz, you can use the bathroom on the second floor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Thanks, but is it okay for me to go first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bathroom on the first floor is bigger. We can use it together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What? Together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t imagine them doing that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When… did you two get so close?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked, unable to hide my surprise, and Erwen waved her hands frantically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cl, close?! We’re not! Say something! Why would I shower with her?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s more efficient. Well, if you really don’t want to, I’ll go first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Why are you deciding that—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll go first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Wait, stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia headed towards the bathroom, and Erwen followed her, shouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘These two are never quiet.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dismissed them and went to the bathroom on the second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was a bit curious about whether they would wash up separately or together…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what did it matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wouldn’t draw their weapons and fight, at least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, that feels good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hot water washed away the fatigue that had accumulated in my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It finally felt like the expedition was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well… it ended smoothly, considering everything that happened.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There hadn’t been any major incidents after the first attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had continued to join patrol teams and gain experience points until I reached level 7, and the peace had continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was something going on with the main force. They had requested reinforcements from us and taken some of our troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it didn’t have much to do with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raven had to stay in the rear because of her strategic role, and so did we, who were part of her unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I should sell the equipment first, exchange the vouchers for money, and then split the earnings…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a strange sense of accomplishment as I organized my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Level 7, huh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could proudly say that I had reached the mid-to-late game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And considering the number of 3rd-grade essences I had, it was practically the early stages of the late game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like just yesterday when I was crawling around after stepping on a goblin trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I’ve gotten stronger.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel my own growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, why do you think I was able to call this expedition ‘smooth’?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had fought four members of Orculus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Corpse Collector, the Wailing Witch, the Lighthouse Keeper, and the Blood Knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were the old me, someone would have died, and I would have had to risk my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I have to get stronger.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a sense of inadequacy rather than satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was still far…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…from being able to guarantee my and my companions’ safety against monsters like the royal family, Auril Gabis, and Lee Baekho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I have to reach level 9 somehow. And I have to take care of the Spirit Engraving issue as soon as possible…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when, as my thoughts reached that point…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mister, are you almost done? I’m going to reheat the food…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I’ll be out soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I realized I had been in the bathroom for much longer than I thought and quickly finished washing up. I ate the reheated food with the others, and then Amelia spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Schuitz, what are you going to do about the guild?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guild?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Raven said we should take care of your guild records if we want to avoid the royal family’s attention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>5th-grade explorer, Lihen Schuitz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His last labyrinth expedition was about five years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if the royal family accessed the guild’s records, my identity would be revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His former team, the essences he had absorbed, and other information would all be there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if you just ask your former companions a few questions, they’ll notice something’s off. And if they see you in person, it’s game over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to either erase Lihen Schuitz’s records or modify them so that they couldn’t be traced back to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And only an insider could do that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there anyone who can help?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I’ve never been close to the guild.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one person came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julian Urbanes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guild master’s daughter, whom I had taken hostage to clear my name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm, is she really a ‘daughter’?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was a strange woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted her father to be ruined because she didn’t want to live as a puppet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered how she was doing now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would she help me if I asked her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>_____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia went out to sell the Lighthouse Keeper’s equipment, and Erwen left for the sanctuary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll be going too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I also got dressed and left the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had concluded that it would be fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Raven, my former companion, didn’t recognize me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was practically impossible for anyone to connect this face to Bjorn Yandel. And it would be strange for me to just stay cooped up at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I should have met that Dragonkin kid with this face.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even that Dragonkin priestess, who had called me ugly at our first meeting, wouldn’t be able to lie after seeing this face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, what’s so good about this weak-looking face?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Anyway, I should go there first…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was my first real outing since returning to this time period. I walked through the city, enjoying the sights, just like when I went to the past, and soon arrived at my destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Carsia Lomne.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blacksmith with a fancy name in the ancient language, unfitting for its profession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant ‘Magic Flame’, if I remember correctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the blacksmith Hikurod Murad, the dwarf, had built after leaving Team Misfits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…So the rumors about him doing well were true.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had heard about it from Raven, but I didn’t expect it to be this successful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even expanded his business, taking over the neighboring buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Should I go in?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I entered the blacksmith out of curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as I was looking at the displayed equipment…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha! The items on display are just samples for custom orders. Tell me if you’re looking for something else!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned around at the familiar voice, and a familiar face was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hikurod Murad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, you know my name? Hahaha! It seems like I’ve become famous…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dwarf laughed heartily and then looked at me, his smile fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, nothing. Just a strange feeling. You’re a tall and handsome young man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought he might have recognized me, but it seemed like that wasn’t the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, with this face, I could probably walk around freely without anyone recognizing me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But… why am I disappointed?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dismissed the strange emotion and talked to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it okay for the owner to be out here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, I don’t really work in the forge anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would I when I have blacksmiths who can do it for me? They’re much better than me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like he had given up on his dream of being a blacksmith and had become a businessman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder he was doing so well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn, he’s even wearing a Mithril necklace.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I was shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was completely different from the dwarf I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, the final blow was his last words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, damn it… I wasted my time explaining everything because you looked rich.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately wiped the smile off his face and kicked me out as soon as I said I was just browsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get out if you’re not buying anything! You’re blocking the other customers!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was dumbfounded as I was pushed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell happened to him? He was so obsessed with money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Well, at least he’s doing well.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I left the blacksmith and headed towards a training center. It was the place where Rotmiller, that old man, taught explorers navigation skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s closed. I wanted to at least see his face.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t open today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where should I go now?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought about going back home, but I didn’t have anything to do there, so I chose a new destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Central Library of Ravigion.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no better place to go when you had nothing to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I entered the library, and I saw the familiar desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people sitting at the desk were all different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was supposed to be only one sleepy librarian at that large desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome. We’re happy to have you here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were over twenty staff members working at the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like the library twenty years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… where’s the librarian who used to work here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Who are you talking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ragna Ritanyel Peprok.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The librarian tilted her head, confused, and then went to the desk and asked the other librarians before returning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My seniors said she retired before the library renovation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…When did she retire?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right before the renovation, so about two years ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two years ago…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, she didn’t have the specs to be a librarian forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was practically doing the work of dozens of people with her vast mana pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there anything else I can help you with?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, thank you. Just cast the detection spell, and I’ll take care of the rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The book detection spell fee is 3,000 stones!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, they even charge a fee now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt the changes that had occurred during my absence, but I paid the fee and found a few books, then sat down at a table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some time…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snore!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who the hell is snoring?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snore!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t take it anymore and looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… sir, we received a complaint… can you please… wake up…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A librarian was shaking a large barbarian who was snoring, practically begging him to wake up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snore!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That guy is embarrassing all barbarians…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian sat up, wiping his drool, and I couldn’t help but flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, sorry! I must have dozed off!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blonde hair tied into a messy braid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden eyes that seemed to be filled with stubbornness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, y-yes… then please leave the library…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t believe I would meet her here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost didn’t recognize her because of her large frame, but I was certain after seeing her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha! There’s no need to kick me out! I apologized! Don’t be so harsh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Ainar, Frenelin’s second daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>",2126,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.065Z",1,"novelbin.me","ce20002f255670ddeb230a659e20db973b4c8b5625c2011cc5ff04f50b81ed83","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-367","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-365",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]