[{"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-468":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},1327688,1764,"Chapter 468: Land Owner (3)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-468",468,"\u003Cp>House Alminus's first move wasn't the lawsuit, but a smear campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could have just filed the lawsuit and waited for the court to rule in their favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My conclusion was this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Count Alminus doesn't want this to go to trial.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that was true, the lawsuit was just a gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, a threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a message: You and I are in different weight classes, so if you don't want to lose even more, settle this quietly and pay up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Count Alminus isn't short on money...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's how the noble society worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a world divided into winners and losers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And backing down in this situation would be a clear sign of defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, I decided to turn public opinion in my favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's what they were focusing on, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'The original Baron Yandel wasn't strong enough to slay a Floor Lord.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'If it weren't for the Sawtooth Clan, his clan wouldn't have been able to kill the Chaos Lord.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Technically, both statements were true... but Count Alminus was using them to manipulate public opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a setup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would start with questioning my abilities and then gradually escalate the accusations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Bjorn Yandel stole the credit from the Sawtooth Clan, who risked their lives to slay the Floor Lord.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Is that how a hero should act?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Count Alminus had correctly identified the source of my power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, so you filed the raid request without telling us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I returned home and told Amelia about the raid plan. Her gaze was cold, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ha...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...it didn't last long. She sighed, like a parent looking at their troublesome child, and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you even know how many clans have disappeared after attempting a five-man Floor Lord raid?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard about it. They said it's especially dangerous with only five people. That's why most raid teams have twenty to thirty members...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That number was based on the average level of 6th and 7th-floor explorers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry. I have a plan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five-man clears were the standard for the Lord of Terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's how you got the best rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the rewards were well-known, so there were always a few clans who attempted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not many, maybe two or three every hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'If you know the strategy, a five-man clear is actually much easier than a thirty-man raid.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's why I had chosen the Lord of Terror as our next raid target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People considered a five-man Dreadfear clear more difficult than a Riakis clear. If we succeeded, no one would question my abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auyen, who had been quietly listening, started fidgeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suddenly wondered why he was even here... but I didn't say anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been through a lot with us in Ice Rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lokrok.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Baron. What can I do for you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I told him what he wanted to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don't have to join us for this expedition. Don't worry about it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah... I see...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked relieved, letting out a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then who will fill the last spot?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sending Auyen to his room, we discussed the raid plan and the remaining member.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after a while...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yandel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was about to leave the room, Amelia called out to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've been making a lot of enemies lately... Are you sure you can handle this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, wasn't I being too reckless?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Count, for example. It would have been better to just pay him off than to make an enemy out of him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood her concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the established powers of this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was probably worried about the potential consequences of my actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming Chieftain as a noble, challenging Count Alminus...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Amelia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you're scared of being attacked, you'll never be able to expand your territory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was my long-held belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia looked at me as if I was speaking a different language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>___________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, I went out with Erwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just the two of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our destination was Raven's lab in the Mage Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, you're here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's been a while, Raven.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard about your promotion. Congratulations. I tried to visit you a few times, but you were never home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've been busy lately.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lab was covered in dust, just like I remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Sorry about the mess. I've been spending most of my time at the military base in the Imperial City. It's been a while since I've been here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you. I didn't expect you to take time off for this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course I would. It's a chance to see a Floor Lord essence. Any mage would jump at the opportunity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, she wasn't wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no one I trusted more than Raven when it came to magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bersil specialized in artifacts, not essences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I did some research on the Riakis essence after you contacted me. It's quite a unique essence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shall we begin...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raven approached Erwen with a grin, and Erwen took a step back, looking at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Can't we just do this with the two of us? Like before?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen didn't like being treated like a lab rat, but it couldn't be helped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As I said, we need a mage to properly analyze your new abilities.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you do this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen reluctantly agreed, and Raven chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Erwen, you haven't changed at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's none of your business.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, that's true. Come here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere was stifling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We used to be so close...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But things had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'She did try to separate us because she thought I was using Erwen...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe Raven still cared about me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Whatever, it's their problem.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't care about their relationship and focused on the experiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here, put this on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raven handed Erwen a familiar bracelet. It was the same one she had used when we tested the Corpse Golem essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, could you even call it a bracelet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Ugh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Erwen sat down on the ominous chair, the 'bracelet' snapped shut, locking her in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry. We're just going to insert a mana conductor into your vein and monitor your vital signs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shall we begin?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raven made the necessary preparations, and then she instructed Erwen to use her new ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It might be difficult since it's your first time, but just imagine it. Try to remember the name the Sage gave it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can do it myself, so be quiet. I need to concentrate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright. You're the expert when it comes to abilities, after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen closed her eyes, and a few seconds later...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beep, beep, beep, beep...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The graph displaying Erwen's vital signs started fluctuating wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The essence's skill had activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Erwen Fornachi di Tersia has cast [Fusion].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Fusion] was a Transformation ability, similar to my [Transcendence], but also different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Transcendence] affected active skills, while...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「All passive skills are combined into one.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Fusion] only affected passive skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I wonder what it is...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to remember Erwen's passive skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Chaos energy consumes [Elemental Enhancement].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 5th-grade Evan essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It increased all four elemental damage types: fire, water, wind, and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Chaos energy consumes [Absolute Focus].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 4th-grade Lithcannon essence I had recommended as a reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It doubled the damage of casting skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Chaos energy consumes [Harmony].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 5th-grade Patrol Ertes essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It converted Soul Power into natural energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Chaos energy consumes [Half-Blood's Blessing].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 5th-grade Kalban essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It gave her a random buff every few minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Chaos energy consumes [Tracker's Eye].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 4th-grade Metcrow essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It tripled all vision-related stats and gave a bonus to ranged attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And lastly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Chaos energy consumes [Food Chain].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 3rd-grade Heavenly Judge essence she had received from the fairy tribe after our team disbanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It increased damage against monsters proportional to their level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it wasn't as powerful as [Rupture], the essence's active skill, the passive was still quite valuable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'The Floor Lord essence isn't included in the fusion, so that's all of them.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't know what the combined skill would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were countless essences in [Dungeon and Stone].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even I, a seasoned player, couldn't possibly test every single combination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn't played the cheat version.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...Well, I've tested most of the higher-grade combinations.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had found quite a few useful combinations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But recreating those combinations was a long-term goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what about now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of skill had Erwen obtained?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Erwen Fornachi di Tersia's body is imbued with Chaos energy.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We needed a mage to analyze the skill's effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't see the system logs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... how does it feel? Anything different?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, then we'll test it out one by one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raven began the experiment, just like she had done with me in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't something we could finish in a single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've taken the rest of the month off, so come here every day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen's schedule for the month was set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>___________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Erwen Fornachi di Tersia's body is imbued with Chaos energy.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Soul Power and Natural Energy are greatly increased, proportional to the character's level.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「When dealing elemental damage to monsters below 4th-grade, additional Chaos damage is inflicted.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「While concentrating, all received damage is absorbed using Soul Power.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>___________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was busy after returning from the Mage Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I've heard some strange rumors about you lately. Of course, I'll help. That should quiet them down.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I secured testimonies from the explorers I had rescued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[There was a fierce battle on the summit of Dragon's Mountain Range. One of the Seven Strengths died. And there's something else you should know—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I received a report from Bersil about the war and other news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Bjorn!! Come to the sanctuary! We need you!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to visit the sanctuary to deal with some tribal matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...It hasn't even been a month! What do you know about blacksmithing? To properly melt Mithril, you need to build a specialized forge... What? You're not rushing me? Don't lie!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I visited the dwarf's forge to check on the progress of the loot disposal and Mithril smelting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In idle games, you have to click on the progress bars to speed things up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...It's only been two weeks?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I returned home late at night and collapsed onto the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to sleep...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I couldn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character's soul resonates and is drawn to a specific world.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had one more task to complete.\u003C\u002Fp>",1730,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","04902ed3ae0445745eadcb4b82412ea06c3ffc2dcf6ab247ecee89f2b667e705","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-469","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-467",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]