[{"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-507":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},1328184,1764,"Chapter 507: The First Basement Floor (3)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-507",507,"\u003Cp>Let’s state a fact: they would die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Verzak appeared, 70% of the explorers here would meet their end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assuming they ran away immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they chose to fight, it would be a group suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Don’t they value their lives?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t understand them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Verzak had already been summoned, and yet more explorers were arriving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…There are more of them…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of fourteen explorers arrived, their bodies battered and bruised, as if they had triggered every trap along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did the portal open?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Verzak has already been summoned! The ninth Lord of Terror has been slain!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were they insane?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To come here instead of going to the 2nd floor, just for that slim chance…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explorers who were already here had been waiting since Verzak was summoned. But these guys…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled, and Amelia approached me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yandel, what are we going to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know. I underestimated their greed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You underestimated human nature, not just explorers. There are always people like this, regardless of time or place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia’s words were surprisingly wise these days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was I supposed to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haa…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I calmed myself down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t afford to lose my temper at my teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to find a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The problem is that it’ll be difficult to open the portal with this many people around…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the portal opened, they would all follow us, and my share of the loot would decrease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And it would spread rumors.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if we could enter the hidden area alone, the news would spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would be followed and targeted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t an ideal scenario.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-It’s the Abyssal Watcher…! Verzak! He’s coming…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t have time to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the Abyssal Watcher appeared, Verzak’s arrival was guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uwaah! Get away from me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t push!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaaaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaos erupted as soon as the Abyssal Watcher appeared among the explorers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew that whoever killed it would become Verzak’s target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all running away from a 9th-grade monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Abyssal Watcher, fearless, attacked the high-level explorers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its basic attack was… spitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It shot acid from its eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaaah! Get out of the way!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a ridiculous sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High-level explorers, panicking over a 9th-grade monster…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the explorers, startled by the acid attack, accidentally hit the Abyssal Watcher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swaaaaaaaaaa!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Abyssal Watcher vanished into particles of light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heavy silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-No…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explorer who had accidentally killed it started trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the situation took a new turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“G-Get away from here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the other explorers started pushing and shoving the unlucky explorer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you stay here, Verzak will come! Go to the 2nd floor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“B-But… I-I can’t reach the 2nd floor alone…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s what you get for killing it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are all explorers psychopaths?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I intervened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baron Yandel…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Baron! If he stays here, we’ll all die! We have to get rid of him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a ridiculous argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were they going to survive if he left?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Verzak was coming anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I could see it in their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t going to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll open the portal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plan B again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explorers parted like the Red Sea as I walked towards the stone tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the ones who had been guarding it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Y-Yes! What are you waiting for?! Get out of here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They quickly cleared the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They must have been shocked by my declaration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bersil, can you block their view and sound?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bersil cast a barrier, preventing the others from seeing or hearing us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, so we had some privacy now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was about to start the ritual, Amelia spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, are you sure about this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t have a choice. I can’t just let them die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we wait, they might go to the 2nd floor. Even reckless explorers value their lives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, I had considered that…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I don’t think they’ll give up on the hidden area.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re surprisingly calm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well… I was more resigned than calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this worked, and the portal opened… countless explorers would follow us, and I would get a headache just thinking about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If this doesn’t work, we’ll have to escape to the 2nd floor anyway. We can’t waste any more time here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia didn’t say anything more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I approached the stone tablet, holding the fragments we had collected on the 3rd floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then I stopped and gave a new order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bersil, cast the Bonding spell on the other six.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the portal opens, we might get achievement points.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bersil nodded and cast the spell again. Mages didn’t need experience points anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Please, let this work.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gulped and touched the stone tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brilliant, multicolored light erupted from the tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Hidden area portal opened for the first time. EXP +99」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The portal had opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A portal to an unknown area, a place no one had ever set foot in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had a lot of thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I decided to stick to the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bersil, cast the Bonding spell again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me, Erwen, and you are Team 1. The rest are Team 2. If the portal closes after we enter, Team 2 will immediately go to the 2nd floor. Ah, Emily, your role is crucial here… can you handle it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. They’ll come to their senses once they see the portal close. I’ll persuade them to go to the 2nd floor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right… And if they follow us and end up in a different location, you’ll have to guide them. Understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll do my best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, so the backup plan was set…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I carefully stepped into the portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bright light blinded me, and I felt a floating sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then my vision returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Entered the 1st Basement Floor: Archives.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「First time achievement unlocked.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Your great feat will be recorded on the Stone of Honor for eternity.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I landed on the ground, my balance unwavering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised my shield and quickly scanned my surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floor was made of stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The visibility was about 100 meters, but there was nothing special in sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a barren, rocky landscape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swaaaaaaaaaa!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that the sound of waves…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There don’t seem to be any monsters…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was thinking that, a bright light appeared above me, and my teammates followed me through the portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-Whoa…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen and Bersil, my Team 1 members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wooooooooh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar, followed by Auyen, Misha, and Amelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…The portal didn’t close.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was relieved…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then I realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…There’s no exit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The portal, which had opened briefly, had closed after we entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a one-way trip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way to go back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a surge of unease, but I tried to be positive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Nothing’s changed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 1st floor would close on the 7th day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And we wouldn’t be able to go up after that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The question is… when will this place close…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something I would have to find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I approached Amelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emily, what happened when you entered?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was the same. The portal’s color was different, but that’s all. Once Gowland’s barrier disappears, the other explorers will start coming down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, I see…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, stay alert and check your surroundings. Report anything unusual, no matter how small.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn! There’s something wrong with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wrong? What’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“M-My face is hot, and my heart is racing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…That’s because you’re excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, we checked our surroundings and our conditions, looking for any unusual changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then the explorers started pouring in from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! A new floor! A new floor…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha! My name will be recorded in history!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were a few idiots… but most of them seemed relatively sane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, stay alert…! We don’t know what we might encounter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They formed groups and prepared for battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, they were all keeping their distance from us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did they think it was safer to be near us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know, but the influx of explorers soon stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-What?! Why isn’t it working?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Zelton isn’t here yet…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kurdo! Kurdo isn’t here yet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new piece of information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the other portals, this one closed under specific conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what were the conditions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It doesn’t seem to be time-based…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly counted the number of explorers who had entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One, two, three, four, five, six…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sixty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The portal closed when sixty people entered.\u003C\u002Fp>",1419,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.156Z",1,"novelbin.me","efafe1f5b0a4d58630cf82bd0583af2ba889ba79953582a34687274250c2d1c0","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-508","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-506",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]