[{"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-442":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},1327512,1764,"Chapter 442: Giant Step (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-442",442,"\u003Cp>When I woke up again, it was the middle of the night. I decided to go back to sleep since there was nothing to do at this hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought I had slept for two days straight…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Three days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, I thought Amelia was joking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was still exhausted, even after sleeping for three days straight. Honestly, I had forced myself to wake up even though I could have slept for longer…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But it’s really been three days.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s good that you finally woke up. If you hadn’t, I would have had to wake you up myself. I’m tired of calming Erwen down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Where’s Erwen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She went out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She said she was going to the sanctuary. It seems like things aren’t going smoothly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t mention the subject, but I didn’t have to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was probably about her leaving the Pureblood Order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had received a lot of support from the fairy tribe, so she would have to give up a lot to regain her freedom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the ‘Divine Tree Bow’, for example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or the money she had used to buy this mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Well, the real problem is the ‘Pureblood’ itself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fairy ‘Pureblood’ was a kind of racial secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one fairy could inherit it per generation, and the inheritor’s ‘Affinity with Nature’ stat would skyrocket. That’s how Erwen was able to form a contract with the Spirit King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need to help her with this. I can’t just leave her to deal with it alone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suddenly regretted wasting so much time sleeping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hadn’t even been a month since we returned from Ice Rock, but we didn’t have time to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…There’s food in the kitchen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, let’s eat first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After filling my stomach, which had been growling for three days, I started organizing my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lee Baekho, the GM, Hyunbyul, Ragna, Auril Gabis, and all the information I had gathered from the Round Table…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I excused myself and went to my room, spending hours trying to make sense of it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ugh… my head is going to explode.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt like a student who hadn’t done his homework.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had so many things to do, but I didn’t know where to start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Let’s prioritize them like quests.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced myself to rank them, and my mind felt a bit clearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the quest I had to complete today was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Amelia, how’s the clan registration going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finalize the clan registration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The paperwork is done. We just have to go to the guild and register our names.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had considered reviving my old clan, but it had been disbanded after I was declared dead, so the process would be complicated. It was easier to just create a new one. ŗα₦ȱ฿ЁṨ\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bit of a shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Older clans had certain advantages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, I can just use my noble title to pressure them later.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negotiating with the guild was one of my specialties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I got dressed and was about to leave when Amelia handed me an iron helmet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wear this. It’ll cause a commotion if you go out like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I put on the helmet and left the house with Amelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a while since we last went out together during the day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, has it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, the last time was when we went to the auction house to buy the Vol-Herchan essence and then visited the art museum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t been able to freely roam the city since returning to this time period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, there it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guild branch wasn’t far from our house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We took a number and waited, and when it was our turn, I showed the clerk my ID card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“B-B-B-B… H-huh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk started hyperventilating, so we were escorted to a private room on the 2nd floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The branch manager rushed in and personally handled the remaining paperwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a strange mix of emotions as I looked at the clan roster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leader: Bjorn Yandel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vice-Captain: Vacant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Member: Vacant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Member: Emily Raines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Member: Ainar Frenelin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Member: Auyen Lokrob.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the bare minimum to register a clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen couldn’t join yet because she hadn’t officially left the Pureblood Order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“P-please come again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We left the guild after receiving the branch manager’s ‘respectful’ treatment and headed towards a nearby restaurant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was already hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Amelia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re supposed to call me Emily outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m so hungry that I can’t think straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What were you going to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, it’s nothing special. I was just curious. Why did you leave the Vice-Captain position vacant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t had a chance to ask him about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sometimes, haste ruins everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell her that you left it vacant on purpose. It’ll calm her down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Uh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did I just hear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You left it vacant for Erwen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia averted her gaze, as if embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…She seemed upset.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She mumbled softly and then changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about the clan name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there a reason why you chose that name? I heard it’s an ancient language, meaning ‘pack of beasts’.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So you also recognized it as an ancient language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess this is a success?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought for a moment and then decided to tell her the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I called her closer and whispered in her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not an ancient language, it’s Korean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia flinched and then whispered back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Korean…? You mean… your native language?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and then told her the meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a spirit of working together for a better future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the meaning of ‘Anabada’.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For reference, it would also be our clan’s motto for the time being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After lunch, Amelia left to run some errands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew where she was going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was going to visit her sister’s workplace and stare at her from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t even bring herself to talk to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Well, it’s her choice.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had finished my quest for the day, but I didn’t go home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had something else to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened the door and entered a restaurant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was half-full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 2nd floor was an inn, and the 1st floor was a restaurant during the day and a bar at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome! Table for one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young waitress with a bright smile led me to a table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What can I get for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something with a lot of meat. I’m starving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, sir. Please wait a mo—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, is the owner not here today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The owner’s wife is pregnant, so the priest told her to be careful. She’s not coming to work these days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Is she sick?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was a bit worried, but I quickly corrected her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I meant the male owner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! Mr. Siegfried will be here soon. In about 30 minutes? He’s always late, so I can’t be sure!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, so I just have to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gave her a tip and waited at the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, when I was about to order another dish after finishing my meal…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened, and the person I had been waiting for arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re here, Mr. Siegfried!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, anything happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have a visitor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…A visitor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bear, who had been talking to the waitress, looked around and then froze as soon as our eyes met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he quickly recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Myla, no more customers. Tell the remaining customers to leave after they finish their meals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you too. Go home with the chef after the customers leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Make sure no one comes near my table.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave the waitress a series of orders and then approached me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s really you. Bjorn Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a while, Abman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat down across from me without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… heard the news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, this is awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t understand what happened, but it seems like you went through a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, yeah… I did…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you… met the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone except for Misha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed to be deep in thought, and then he continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I went to your house a few times after hearing that you were alive. But there were too many people, and you never came out, so I just left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should have knocked. I would have let you in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I changed my mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a strange nuance in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just my imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Abman, I didn’t mean to deceive you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to make that clear first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I couldn’t show myself for two years and six months because—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn, you’re misunderstanding something. I’m not angry at you. Of course, I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel betrayed… but that’s not what this is about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew a firm line and then took my glass and drank from it before continuing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just don’t want to hear it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why you disappeared. You might be involved in something dangerous. And besides, it’s none of my business anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart clenched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“None of your business…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry, but I have to make this clear. If you came here to ask me to rejoin your team, it’s impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s like being rejected before even confessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was more curious than hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not because of your current clan, is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I ask why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed deeply and then spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The day I heard you were alive… my wife asked me if I was going to see you. She was worried.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know, Bjorn, two years and six months is a long time. Long enough to change an explorer’s mindset.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued in a melancholic tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… what I’m trying to say is… I can’t go back to how things were. I don’t think I’ll ever see my child get married if I keep exploring with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I understand…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let go of my last shred of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I didn’t really have any hope to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why I hadn’t classified this visit as a recruitment quest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t ask him to join a clan that might end up fighting the royal family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially not a married man with a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t apologize. Let’s just drink.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the real reason I came here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Can’t we drink together unless we’re exploring the labyrinth?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Of course not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his glass, and we chatted idly, drinking and reminiscing about the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun set, and night fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We laughed, we argued, and we even had a serious conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s getting late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just nighttime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My wife is waiting for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… I can’t stop you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry. If my wife wasn’t pregnant, I could have stayed longer…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Pregnant?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind went blank, but I understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They’re having another child.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a strange mix of emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t there for the birth of their first child either. We had joked about me being the godfather…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s raining. Take this. I have to clean up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah, thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took the raincoat he offered and stepped outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy rain poured down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m not sad…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it’s because I drank too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a pang of loneliness, as if I had lost something precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it couldn’t be helped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash, splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked through the rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash, splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My steps were heavy, my body swaying slightly from the alcohol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as I walked…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Bjorn Yandel.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His last words echoed in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Move forward. Don’t look back.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does he mean by ‘look back’?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You can go anywhere you want.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why do they all think I’m so special?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t understand, but I kept walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash, splash—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reciting my to-do list for tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>",1956,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","5484c1d4f3c1a1134443715604028d35c1dd9815904197659e6d3ee974e46b65","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-443","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-441",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]