[{"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-496":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},1327716,1764,"Chapter 496: Quest (1)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-496",496,"\u003Cp>Marco Towair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirty-two years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d started working in a kitchen as a teenager, which sparked his interest and talent in cooking and business. Two years ago, he opened a small restaurant in Ravigion, proudly bearing his name. He was a husband and a father of two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d had his wild days, but after becoming the head of a household, he avoided anything that might cause trouble. He turned a blind eye to injustice and steered clear of any potential conflict, always prioritizing the safety of his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uwaaaaaaaaaaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He came to his senses, shouting as he climbed the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with countless warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today! We conquer! The Mage Tower…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barbarian warriors, a group he thought he’d never have anything to do with. And mages, desperately casting spells to stop them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finally realized where he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Mage Tower…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A place he’d only ever seen from afar, never having stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had he ended up here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he was pushed forward by the crowd behind him, he tried to remember.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yandel! Bjorn Yandel is marching towards the Mage Tower with thousands of barbarian warriors!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had started with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been nearby when he heard the news, and he had some time to spare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he went to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s war.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bjorn, son of Yandel, the Giant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hero he’d only heard rumors about was truly impressive in person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was bold and decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An aura of power emanated from him, as if nothing could stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[These are the mages who placed requests on the black market for barbarian hearts!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Bjorn’s powerful voice echoed through the plaza, his heart pounded in his chest. He had found himself shouting alongside the crowd, condemning the Mage Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, that’s how it had started…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-It’s a barrier…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What should we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean, ‘what should we do’?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had he ended up here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What good would he do here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Break it down!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wooooooooo—!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hoped this wouldn’t cause any trouble for his family…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why was he still climbing the stairs with them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barrier shimmered, blocking their path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baron Yandel, stop this! This is as far as you go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mage’s arrogant voice echoed from beyond the barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man with the hammer didn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swung his hammer again and again, his actions unwavering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marco Towair watched him from close by, and he realized…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chieftain! That’s not how you break a magic barrier—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t I tell you before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you can’t break it, it’s because you’re not strong enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the reason he was here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I! And we! Are strong…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That man was strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strong enough to break down any wall that stood in his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“T-The barrier is cracking…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why he wanted to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it was just a small part of his journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he couldn’t contribute much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to witness it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwaaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bjorn, son of Yandel, the Giant…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…was that kind of person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mage Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Home to the kingdom’s most valuable asset, the mages, and an impregnable fortress that had never been conquered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I didn’t agree with that assessment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Impregnable? It’s just because no one’s ever tried to attack it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an organization entirely composed of mages, their defenses completely unbalanced. Well, the magic barriers were troublesome…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t ‘impregnable’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And they don’t seem to be very united…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had public opinion and justification on my side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Mage Tower, a collection of hundreds of schools, wasn’t a monolithic entity. Not all of them would fight for the same cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t stop us! We’re just here to apprehend the criminals!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some schools had closed their doors and were waiting for the storm to pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, most of the mages were fighting back, determined to protect their home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They’re going to be casting spells all night.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the mages in the Mage Tower were researchers, not combatants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They spent their days studying magic theory and conducting experiments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t match the combat prowess of battle mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there was another problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Master! J-Just burn them all! Before he breaks through the barrier!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can’t… Do you see those people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The civilians who had gotten caught in the crossfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master! They’re not citizens, they’re rioters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have orders from the military. We can’t harm the civilians.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But… we can’t hold out much longer! They’ve already breached several floors!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Endure. We have to endure until the reinforcements arrive. Then we’ll win.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the civilians, the mages couldn’t use their most powerful AoE attacks. They could only cast defensive spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has cast [Swing].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Blunt weapon damage is greatly increased proportionally to Strength.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I continued to climb the stairs, smashing through the barriers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Filthy barbarians! You’ll regret this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I captured any mages I encountered and tied them up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn! You go ahead! We’ll search this floor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I left the captured mages with the warriors and continued upwards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ainar, as I said, search the other schools last.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? But they might be hiding there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do it last.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless we couldn’t find any of the mages I had accused, there was no need to make more enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, they would probably hate barbarians for the rest of their lives after this…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was a difference between a sworn enemy and just an enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I pushed them too far, all the schools would unite against me, and that would be a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As I said, don’t kill anyone. Capture them alive! Understand?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I repeated the order whenever I had a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I just rampaged through the tower, I would lose all justification for my actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘We’re on the 30th floor…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached a new floor, and a new barrier greeted me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Baron! Baron Yandel is here…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mages on the other side of the barrier looked at me nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baron Yandel, reconsider! Do you even realize how many laws you’re breaking?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They tried to insult and persuade me, but I just…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…swung my hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has cast [Swing].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Blunt weapon damage is greatly increased proportionally to Strength.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about ten swings, cracks started appearing on the barrier. The higher I went, the stronger the barriers became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there was more bad news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chieftain! Royal army! The royal army has arrived!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The royal army had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was earlier than I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They must have been deployed as soon as we entered the city…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, this city was too efficient when it came to these things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s over! Surrender and release the mages!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mages on the other side of the barrier sounded confident now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if my warriors tried to stop them, the royal army would arrive first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Okay, that’s enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barrier shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mages who had been maintaining the barrier scattered, and some of them were captured by the warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chieftain! What are we doing?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have to go up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warriors were getting impatient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I stopped them and gave a new order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bring all the captured mages here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, alright! I’ll let them know!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all I could do for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest depended on luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If any of the mages I was looking for were on the floors we had captured, it would make things easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what was the outcome?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar appeared, dragging three mages by their collars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Extellin Flacco of the Mileun School.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mohilo Austquin of the Bevektalt School.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cuol Memandolik of the Altus School.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar had captured three mages, but none of them were on my list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t revealed all the names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wouldn’t have been able to use them as hostages if they had been warned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good work, Charon. Ainar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I praised them and asked if they had encountered any problems, but they said it had been easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three mages had been hiding in their respective schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s a shame we couldn’t find the one who placed a bounty on my heart… but this is good enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would find him eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything I was doing was leading up to that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-It’s a misunderstanding! Baron! It’s all a misunderstanding…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll see about that. Ainar, how’s the situation downstairs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The warriors are holding them off, but they won’t last long. The royal army had already reached the 4th floor when I left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need to hurry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I activated the recording crystal and looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes met with a civilian who had followed us all the way to the 31st floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“M-Marco Towair, sir!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marco Towair. I’ll remember that. Can you do me a favor and hold this? Make sure our faces are visible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-It would be an honor! But… such an important task… I’m just a commoner…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was trembling, but I patted his shoulder reassuringly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I trust you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was better to entrust the recording crystal to a stranger than to a barbarian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marco Towair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I memorized his name and face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I-I’ll do my best!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had secured a cameraman. It was time for the interrogation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were plenty of mages around, but I didn't need to use the Verification spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already had one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has used [Distorted Trust].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an expensive item, even with my increased budget.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Extellin Flacco, Mohilo Austquin, Cuol Memandolik.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked down at the three captured mages and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you still think I’m mistaken?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mages, who had been shouting and protesting, fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t lie in front of this item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their silence was a confession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I needed more than silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re being accused of treason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tightened the ropes around their necks, cutting off their air supply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their reaction was immediate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…T-Treason?! That’s ridiculous…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a serious accusation, one that could lead to the execution of their entire families. They couldn’t afford to remain silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I’ve never plotted treason! I would never even think of such a thing! You can tell just by listening to me! I’m telling the truth!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They even appealed to the recording crystal, desperate to prove their innocence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, they were afraid of being accused of treason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your intentions don’t matter. You colluded with the rebels, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Colluded?! I-I just placed a request—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They tried to argue that they had only placed a request on the black market…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they couldn’t finish their sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone interrupted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s enough, Baron Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep voice echoed through the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blue magic circle appeared on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step, step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned around and saw an old man descending the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I recognized him instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master of the Lengman School, and the younger brother of Duke Keallunus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teschlun Lengman Keallunus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mage Tower Master.\u003C\u002Fp>",1802,"2026-06-05T19:32:49.064Z",1,"novelbin.me","8fa25c8e52f84b7020b45f531164d5c91dfd5eaf08e3354d641a408967eb57b2","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-497","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-495",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]