[{"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-490":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},1327710,1764,"Chapter 490: Declaration of War (1)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-490",490,"\u003Cp>I had asked about the third option out of curiosity and spite, but my decision had already been made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know what the other door offered…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But nothing could be more valuable than my three comrades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And I don’t think I can defeat him alone…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced at him, a strange unease washing over me whenever our eyes met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like looking at a completely different being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve made your decision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I’ll be taking this door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started walking, and he just watched me, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stopped in front of the door and turned to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t just leave without asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What would have happened… if one of us had betrayed the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a hidden piece I had never encountered before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had managed to clear it, but I was still curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, he answered readily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to the established order, my avatar would have gained power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So that’s how it works.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why he had tried so hard to make us betray each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was starting to understand the design of this space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had to fight the boss alone in the end, and the difficulty increased if there was a betrayal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And if we lost the boss fight, it would have been game over.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the game, you would have needed a high level of affinity and trust to clear it this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, it had answered many of my questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I decided to ask one more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know what I mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t my first time having a conversation with a monster in the labyrinth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s been a while since I’ve seen a living being. Where did you come from?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cambormere, the Vampire Duke of the Blood Citadel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Greedy dogs of the Empire! I shall punish you!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Knight of the Apocalypse in the White Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If no one knows the lie… what’s the difference from the truth?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Doppelganger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been many similar encounters, but they had all felt scripted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would lose their minds and attack me after a few lines of dialogue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this one was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed to have his own will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And he said something strange earlier…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had said that if there had been a betrayal, his ‘avatar’ would have gained power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t be sure, but I had a hunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like [Dungeon and Stone] was based on this world…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The labyrinth was also based on something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cautiously voiced my theory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are all the monsters in this labyrinth… copies? Are you the original?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at me in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a surge of anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like I was about to uncover a hidden secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head after a long pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You might find out someday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the end of our conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stone door opened, and I felt a gentle push on my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「You have perfectly overcome the great terror within the labyrinth.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「No. 12 [Trust] is permanently bound to you.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The Nameless Pilgrim will vanish from the labyrinth forever.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Special Condition - Distorted Memories permanently deleted.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「A hidden area has been unlocked.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「This is the first time this achievement has been accomplished.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Your great feat will be recorded on the Stone of Honor for eternity.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The labyrinth has closed.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character is being transferred to Lafdonia.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A warm light touched my closed eyelids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened my eyes and looked up at the gloomy sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I always felt a sense of relief whenever I saw the city sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t last long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s Bjorn Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard he was going to slay a Floor Lord… I wonder how it went…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did he really succeed with only five people…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explorers started whispering as they recognized me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly regained my composure and headed towards the checkpoint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia was waiting for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had left the raid location to interrogate the captives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m glad you’re safe. I was worried when you didn’t come back before the labyrinth closed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let out a sigh of relief as she saw me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then her expression turned serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Casualties?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know what had happened, so she was more concerned about the casualties than the outcome of the raid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could only say this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“None. Or rather… there won’t be any.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There won’t be any…? What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s complicated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to see them with my own eyes before I could relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia nodded, even though she was probably curious too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after a while…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My teammates started appearing one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen was the first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“M-Mister…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She ran towards me and then collapsed to the ground, exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… isn’t a dream… is it…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. It’s reality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… what happened…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been expecting to die, so she must be confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll explain everything later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bersil Gowland appeared next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you so late? I was worried.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-Sorry… I-I don’t understand… B-But this… isn’t a dream… is it…? I-I died…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was also confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia tilted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Died…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As I said, it’s complicated. I’ll explain everything later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I calmed Bersil down, and then, after a long wait…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar finally appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“B-Bjorn…!!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shouted from afar, her voice echoing through the plaza.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I finally let out a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was finally over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had all survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…W-What is this?! Is this a dream?! I-I died—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly covered Ainar’s mouth with my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Mmm! Mmm! Ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be quiet. Everyone’s staring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s move. I’ll explain everything later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We left the checkpoint and headed towards the street. As always, the area in front of the checkpoint was crowded with explorers’ families and friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bersil, is it okay if we go to your house in Commelby?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t mind. It’s safer to talk there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We went to the Public Transfer Station and took a carriage for nobles to Commelby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was one of the disadvantages of living in the commercial district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we were in the 7th District, we could just walk home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clan Master! Welcome back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auyen greeted us as we arrived. The house was filled with the aroma of food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he prepared a meal for us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you. But we have something to discuss, so can you go upstairs for a moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Of course. Please rest, and call me if you need anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Auyen left, I asked Bersil to activate the Voice Control spell. We started eating and talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, only Ainar and I were eating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel… stop eating and tell us what happened. I was dying of curiosity!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, I had to explain everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallowed my food and began my story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… we had to sacrifice someone to clear the hidden phase. Even if we defeated the boss alone, we would all be revived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I explained everything that had happened, except for my conversation with the Nameless Pilgrim at the end. Amelia looked at me with a strange expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you… okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must have been through a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had almost lost it a few times, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outcome was good, so it was fine, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, I had finished my story, so it was my turn to ask questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Amelia, what about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia’s face darkened as I asked about the interrogation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I couldn’t find any evidence. They said they just received a request from the black market. They didn’t know who the client was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was disappointing, but it wasn’t Amelia’s fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would deal with Count Alminus later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…And?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll tell you later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hesitation made me uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she said she would tell me later, so I let it go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Erwen, what happened to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah, me? I’m sorry. I couldn’t escape. He kept chasing me, even when I thought I had lost him. It was like he was teleporting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teleporting…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe he really did have that ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that activated when we were a certain distance away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it was strange… he kept trying to persuade me until the very end. He said it wasn’t too late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen’s story was short, but I could sense the anguish and despair she had felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Erwen, you’ve been through a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was Bersil’s turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bersil Gowland.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand why you did it, but… don’t ever do that again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just gave her a brief warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something more important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Ainar…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cautiously called her name, and Ainar, who had been quietly eating, looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I had to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you… remember what I said at the end?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you remember what I told you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be precise, I was asking if she had heard my confession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar casually picked up a piece of meat with her fork and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, that…? I think you said something… but I don’t remember. I was about to pass out, so I couldn’t hear you properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, was she telling the truth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I observed her expression, but I couldn’t find anything suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like she really hadn’t heard me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, she would have exploded if she had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? What did I say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing important.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar seemed to have accepted my answer, but the others were making a fuss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think I know what he said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel is surprisingly sentimental.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why are you all doing this? It’s embarrassing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignored them and continued eating. They finally started eating too, their curiosity satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We chatted idly as we ate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way… Yandel, what’s that bracelet? Did you always wear it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bersil’s cautious question made me realize something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a bracelet on my wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was momentarily confused by the unfamiliar item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen and Amelia also stopped eating and muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… I didn’t say anything because I thought you knew about it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t believe he didn’t even notice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why hadn’t I noticed it before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe it’s the reward…? The one you get for clearing the raid with five people…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bersil made a guess, but it wasn’t the reward for a normal five-man clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I had chosen to revive my teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Could there be another reward for reviving everyone?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm… come to think of it, that made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a hidden piece that I hadn’t discovered even after playing the game for almost ten years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the reward was just… survival?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That didn’t seem right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took off the bracelet and examined it closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I recognized it instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I wasn’t sure, so I handed it to Bersil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bersil, who had the ‘Special Appraiser’ license that even Raven couldn’t obtain, identified the item immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-This is… a Double Numbered Item…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia’s eyes sparkled. She loved rare items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, a Double Numbered bracelet…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No. 12, Trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it a fixed reward?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the perfect item for this hidden piece…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…A Double Numbered Item as a fixed reward…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What were the trigger conditions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I could figure that out, I could duplicate the item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was thinking that…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang, clang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bell on the front door rang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A visitor at this hour…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stopped eating and opened the door. A group of knights, probably from Mozelan, were standing there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Greetings, Baron Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They greeted me politely. It seemed like they weren’t here for anything bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I returned their greeting and asked what they wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Two hours ago, a new feat was recorded on the Stone of Honor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new feat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did that have to do with me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was your feat, Baron Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the bracelet wasn’t the only reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was stunned as I read the inscription on the stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[In the 157th year of the New Era, Bjorn Yandel, a great warrior of the Barbarian Tribe, and his companions, defeated Dreadfear, the Lord of Terror, and unlocked a hidden area.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was another hidden area?\u003C\u002Fp>",2019,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","49f7180164ea6765ebfac3cd5c038b0ca6c7565631f3de9498b3ebd3e857aa53","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-491","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-489",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]