[{"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-371":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},1327541,1764,"Chapter 371: Black Star (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-371",371,"\u003Cp>Kang Hyunbyul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My ex-girlfriend who was four years younger than me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She confessed first while we were both preparing for job applications, and we dated for about three years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that wasn’t important right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at her again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze was cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I knew why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your eyes are going there in this situation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, what can I do if my eyes are drawn there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly pulled myself together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t misunderstand. I was just checking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Checking?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The default outfit here is based on how you see yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… you’re saying this is how I see myself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have to buy other clothes with GP.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s how I got this tracksuit and t-shirt I was wearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The default outfit was a bit uncomfortable—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was your default outfit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a navy blue suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My ex-girlfriend… her, bought it for me to celebrate getting a job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This. This is my default outfit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I was too embarrassed to say that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would seem like I still had feelings for her if I told her I was wearing the suit she gave me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm, that’s very you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, Hyunbyul didn’t seem suspicious and easily accepted my explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that made me curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very me? What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you being so sensitive? I just meant you look comfortable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Re, really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, I can’t win against her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it’s because I’m guilty?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way… don’t you have anything to say to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s been a while, Hyunbyul!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else should I say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, I forgot to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, how did you end up here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul stared at me and then sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You still haven’t changed, always running away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pretended not to hear her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. It doesn’t really matter now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, why does the past matter? The present is more valuable than gold…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did you stop? Continue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just… thought I should apologize first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry about what happened back then. I mean it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul looked at me with a surprised expression as I apologized sincerely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve… changed, haven’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, it couldn’t be helped… So, do you accept my apology?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. Like I said, it doesn’t matter now. And it’s not really something anyone should be apologizing for…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s… true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An awkward silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were exes who had broken up over a year ago, and we had just reunited in another world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, I was really surprised. I never thought I would see you here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? I thought we would meet someday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been thinking about it since I came here. That you must be somewhere in this world. It made me feel a bit relieved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relieved…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About your disappearance. I was shocked when I heard about it. I thought you might have done something stupid…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, I guess that’s understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a sense of gratitude. She was worried about me even though it had been over a year since we broke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… how did you end up here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was my third time asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not exactly the type to be interested in games…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul finally answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… I became a bit curious after we broke up. How fun that game must be for you to be so obsessed with it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a strange feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we were dating, she used to nag me about playing that game on three computers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait a minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… you cleared the original version?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no way I could clear that. I played the cheat version after you disappeared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… what difficulty did you clear it on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“30x.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“30x…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>30x was a high difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were countless players who couldn’t even clear the normal difficulty and switched to a higher difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must have played a lot…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I cleared it after about ten tries. It was easy since I had played the original version. And I learned a few things from watching you play.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, I used to brag about finding hidden pieces and explain them to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was smart, so she must have remembered everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why the gloomy face?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You can tell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. We were together for a long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated for a moment and then answered honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about how you always listened patiently to my ramblings, even though you weren’t interested…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I trailed off, feeling awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul answered after a brief pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’ve really changed, haven’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A lot of time has passed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s… yes, that’s true…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere almost turned awkward again, but it was short-lived. Hyunbyul told me what she knew about my disappearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To summarize:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My company filed a missing person report after a month, and the police came to see her, so she found out about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… met my mother…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. At the police station.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did that woman say…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She didn’t talk to me directly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But something must have happened.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s okay, tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul hesitated for a moment and then spoke cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She talked about the inheritance for a long time… and then she asked the police if there was a way to file a death certificate before the missing period expired.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I expected it, but it still felt disgusting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much money did I even have?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was stupid to even have a glimmer of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clenched my jaw, and Hyunbyul tried to comfort me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We, well… you still have five years. It wasn’t an accident, and there’s no evidence that you were a victim of a crime, so they couldn’t process it as a special disappearance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the difference?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For special disappearances, inheritance is possible after just one year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a bit of a relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was also a bit funny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a typical Hyunbyul-style consolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She always tried to find a silver lining and comfort me logically instead of offering empty words of sympathy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had a significant influence on my current personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what happened next?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know. I was dragged here three months after you disappeared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was genuinely surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time was messed up because of the Fragment of Records, but it had been three years and nine months since I became Bjorn Yandel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the time ratio was 5:1…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Nine months have passed in reality since I disappeared.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it meant that Hyunbyul had survived in this world for over two and a half years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But why are you only here now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not an explorer. They probably didn’t notice me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not an explorer…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. Do you think I would fight those monsters in real life just because I played a game? I got a decent job and made money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re truly human.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was speechless at her question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could I tell her this kind of personal information?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she sensed my hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, you don’t want to tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul’s eyes crinkled at the corners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>____________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a familiar expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One I had seen several times when we were dating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I used to be flustered and try to appease her, but there was no need for that now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were strangers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul, who was always rational, wouldn’t forget that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… drew the line first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Okay. I won’t ask again. Happy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She accepted it coolly, as expected of Hyunbyul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But could it be that she was a bit disappointed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But don’t expect me to tell you my story. I won’t tell you even if you die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, she’s right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded, unable to refute her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul bit her lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re really not curious at all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll have to tell you my story if I hear yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I answered honestly instead of making an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew when I was summoned here. If I told her my race, the number of candidates would be drastically reduced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We stared at each other in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Let’s sit down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bit awkward to keep standing, so we sat down on the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we didn’t have anything to talk about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I started with something light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is your first time in the community, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was curious how she got an invitation if she had been living a normal life in this world. But I swallowed my curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you need some GP? You can exchange it for cash or buy things on the exchange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, thank you. I can earn that much myself. And besides, if I exchange it for cash, there will be a physical transaction, and my identity might be revealed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s… true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had just offered it to break the ice, but I was actually planning to stop her if she tried to exchange it for cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… became an explorer, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had agreed not to reveal our identities, but I admitted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t refuse even this much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you smiling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just… I can’t imagine you fighting monsters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It just happens.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It must have been hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m doing okay. Work life is actually easier here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, she was the smartest person I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must have adapted to this world quickly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seriously. The systems aren’t even digitalized, so it was easy to make some starting capital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting capital… don’t tell me she embezzled money?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The market is so inefficient that I’m getting a good return on my investments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oppa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yeah?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s stop beating around the bush and join forces.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, join forces… we already—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I’m not saying we should get back together, I’m saying we should work together. I’ll support you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Support me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s only natural, isn’t it? In exchange, you take me with you when you go back. You want to go back, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Return…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul’s expression changed as I trailed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oppa… don’t tell me you’re going to stay here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t bother denying it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s nothing waiting for me back home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What about your mother?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? My mother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you stay here, she’ll get all your money!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, so that’s what she meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that’s a good motivation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul raised her voice as I chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t try to brush it off! Are you really going to stay here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you so worked up? I mean, it’s not a bad place to live. Did you know? I have more friends here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hyunbyul’s lips tightened at my attempt to lighten the mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, after a long pause…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…………Friends? You?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…she exclaimed in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even I felt a bit hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>",1784,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.065Z",1,"novelbin.me","e960f5e9b7924ee02102a9a79d81ab4b000b641b7d469c4b75bc07a400ce20fb","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-372","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-370",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]