[{"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-518":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},1328195,1764,"Chapter 518: One on One (1)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-518",518,"\u003Cp>Hippermachant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Elder’s estimated rank: 2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confirmed abilities: 3.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But two of those abilities didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘[Gigantification] on a monster with 2nd-grade stats…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could I resist that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The important thing wasn't the abilities themselves, but its essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its passive skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the passive skill was also useful…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the book didn’t mention its passive skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, they had run away from it without defeating it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They probably couldn’t identify its passive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m wide awake now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was thinking about the possibilities, another thought occurred to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What happens if you absorb two identical essences? Does only one activate? Or can you not absorb it at all?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm… I had a feeling it was the former.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it would be interesting if both activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I decided to consider the worst-case scenario as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was one major problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides the monster’s estimated 2nd-grade strength…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I don’t know if it even drops an essence.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was one of the unique characteristics of this floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were two types of monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normal monsters that dropped magic stones and essences, and monsters whose bodies remained intact even after being slain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they fought each other to the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why their numbers decreased significantly after the rainy season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The entire island becomes a field of magic stones.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the natives collected those magic stones and used them to create ‘life water.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ve been distracted for too long.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would think about the Hippermachant later. For now, I had to focus on reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I didn’t expect there to be so many new species…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monsters I had encountered so far were just the tip of the iceberg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the creatures that appeared during the ‘rainy season’ to the ones that washed ashore…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I should write this down somewhere… I might forget.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been reading for hours…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…when I heard a voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Misha? I thought you went out with Emily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We just got back…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I checked the time. It was much later than I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I would have stopped reading.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She… told me not to disturb you. She said you were busy…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Amelia?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misha nodded and then asked cautiously,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can we… talk for a moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed the book and turned to face her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a teammate came to see me alone, it meant there was a reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there a problem?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Not really.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just… we haven’t had a proper conversation since we met again…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened my mouth to say something, but Misha spoke first, her voice bitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re asking me why I came.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a pang of guilt, but I also had something to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were the one who said we should just be comrades.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she had been the one who drew the line after we reunited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I hadn’t tried to cross it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time was needed to heal old wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right… I did…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t say anything more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An awkward silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is there anything you’re uncomfortable with?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a signal to change the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misha’s voice brightened, as if she was putting on an act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, no… I’m just… a little surprised…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Floating objects in the sea, monsters that claimed to be human, monsters raining from the sky, and the Last Sage’s companion trapped in the labyrinth…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a lot to take in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just… strange… being back in the labyrinth with you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah… we were back to that topic again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t interrupt her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… don’t worry too much… I’m just… surprised… it’s still hard to believe… I never imagined this would happen…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced at me, as if checking my reaction, and I chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not worried.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misha smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that supposed to mean…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m serious. You’re nothing compared to Erwen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, Erwen had been much more difficult to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia and I had also been constantly bickering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So just relax and do whatever you want. We’ll get along eventually.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to tell her about my experiences with Erwen and Amelia…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Amelia and Erwen fight a lot—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…but she interrupted me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that book?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, this? It’s written by the Elder. It contains information about the monsters on this island.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? That’s good. It’ll be helpful for our exploration.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The topic had changed, but the atmosphere was still relatively relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We talked about the island, and whether Elder Brugrid was really one of the ancient heroes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like old times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, are you busy? We should share the information we’ve gathered today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…the conversation ended when Amelia knocked on the door and Misha excused herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Someone told me you were a traitor. What does that mean?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t ask her today either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>______________________\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day, two days, three days…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time flew by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our daily routine was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gathered information, talking to the Elder and reading his books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia and Erwen searched the village for hidden facilities and locations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bersil, Auyen, and Misha investigated the natives’ lifestyle, culture, social structure, and military strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Ainar…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…was busy making friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are you going today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sparring with Itaphia in the morning. Then I’ll visit the forge and watch them make weapons. And then I’ll meet with Kagudi and explore the underground warehouse. He said I would be surprised, so I’m looking forward to it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t understand how she had made so many friends in such a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Frenelin is… amazing. She can’t even speak their language, and yet she’s so close to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s nothing! And who needs words? Warriors can communicate with gestures!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-Is that so? But how can you make such detailed plans…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s because you lack sincerity! You mages are always reading books! Try looking someone in the eye and focusing on their words! Then you’ll understand their true feelings!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah… okay…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a strange sight, a barbarian lecturing a mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only Ainar could make friends without being able to communicate, so I didn’t interfere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! I’m late! I’ll be back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t cause any trouble. And tell me what you find in the underground warehouse!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar was always the first to leave in the morning, followed by the other teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the evening, we would gather at the house the Elder had provided and share our findings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I found a strange place today. It’s about fifteen minutes from the Elder’s house. It looks like an ordinary house, but there are guards everywhere. I think I can sneak in, but I wanted to hear your opinion first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be reckless. We have to be careful until the rainy season is over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Silver Lion Clan… they’re in a worse state than I thought. The relationship between those who escaped and those who were left behind is deteriorating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems unlikely that they’ll be able to continue exploring after the rainy season. Auyen, anything to report?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… I’ve been feeling this for a while now, but… Brugrid… he’s not just the Elder, he’s practically the king of this village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More like a god. They obey his every command without question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s enough for today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the meeting, we would go back to our respective rooms and sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was our routine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there were minor variations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 4 of the rainy season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had finished reading all the books in the Elder’s study, so I started exploring the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t let the only person who could communicate with the natives stay cooped up in a room all day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was walking around…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ran into Marupichi again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the villagers avoided me, but Maru’s attitude hadn’t changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We chatted for a while, and it told me about a local legend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Did you know? A long time ago, a giant dragon lived on this island!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A giant dragon…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 5.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I met Ainar’s friends, but I couldn't become close to them like she had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all wary of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Ainar and I were close enough to joke around physically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the Elder given them some kind of instruction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked them several times, but they didn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 6.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader of the Silver Lion Clan came to see me in the morning and asked if they could join our exploration team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another group from the same clan came in the afternoon with the same request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I refused again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 7.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We finished our investigation of the village and returned to our house to prepare for the next expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ‘rainy season’ would be over today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was preparing for tomorrow…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Elder summoned us. He just gave us some words of encouragement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 8.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, Day 21 of the expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We left the village and returned to the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The island, which had been covered in grotesque corpses, was now beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Covered in magic stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they didn't disappear after 30 minutes, the entire island would be covered in essences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Elder had told us to leave the magic stones on the ground for the patrol team to collect, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t resist picking up a few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 22.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The island was still swarming with monsters, so we used the village as our base and explored the surrounding area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then I found an essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't fight for it. I just picked it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must have been dropped by a monster that had been killed by another monster…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had to be a high-grade essence, since it had survived the rainy season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately put it in a test tube.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We also encountered the Silver Lion Clan for the first time since leaving the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn't look well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 23.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We spent the night in the village and then returned to the island in the morning. The Silver Lion Clan decided to stay in the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of their members had died yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They said they would stay until the island was safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We, on the other hand, expanded our search area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 24.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villagers started sending out patrols to collect the magic stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a pang of envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a lot of money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 25.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The island had returned to its pre-rainy season state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had been searching for the Hippermachant, but we hadn’t found it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it been killed by other monsters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked the Elder, and he said that some monsters left the island by swimming across the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 26.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t much to do on the island, so we left and resumed our voyage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 27.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We discovered another island before nightfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather… could you even call it an island?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A giant tree, rising from the silver sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was much larger than the monster island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And much taller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered if all the islands here were like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 28.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We spent the night on the ship and then entered the tree island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as we docked at the base of the tree, vines sprouted from the bark, and monsters emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a new species, not mentioned in the Elder’s book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a vote, we named it Nanari.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 29.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We explored the roots of the tree and found a giant knot hole, larger than most caves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed to lead deep underground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it a passage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We explored cautiously, encountering new monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battles were challenging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar was seriously injured, even though she quickly recovered with a potion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 30.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started seriously considering the labyrinth closure timer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When would this floor close?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would I be trapped here forever, like the Elder?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that was the case, we would be in trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We couldn’t survive on magic water like the natives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We needed meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Should we start rationing our food?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day 35.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After six days of exploring the winding tunnels, we finally found an exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It led to the base of the tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was about knee-high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered how long it would take to reach the top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, it wasn’t really an exit. It was more like a window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We returned to the tunnels and continued searching for another exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we couldn’t find one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone looked tired, so we set up camp and went to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suddenly woke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character’s soul resonates and is drawn to a specific world.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was back in my room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the… why am I here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was genuinely confused.\u003C\u002Fp>",2081,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.156Z",1,"novelbin.me","7c3c6352f81d3657c6af4152af2d1906d6afc0d767a4175338a6bd45d020372a","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-519","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-517",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]