[{"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-532":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},1328209,1764,"Chapter 532: Escape Plan (5)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-532",532,"\u003Cp>None of our entire expedition team took long to gather. That was thanks to having already called everyone together earlier, just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that didn’t mean anyone was mentally prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you mean... equipment, you’re talking about weapons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t mean... you plan to fight them...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why, is there a problem with an explorer wanting to kill monsters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked those who weren’t ready yet, and that was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...No, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you all doing? Not obeying the baron’s orders!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reckless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing had been properly confirmed yet, and if we waited longer, maybe we’d return safely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So let’s wait a bit more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though everyone was likely thinking that inside, no one spoke it aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only whispered among themselves while grabbing their weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really... is this okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or what are you going to do? Say you don’t want to go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...That won’t happen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could you handle saying that now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, better to fight those monsters anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder there weren’t any backtalkers, it was strangely quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn... calm down. Isn’t everyone scared...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after hearing Misha, who had quietly come close beside me, did I realize what kind of expression I was making.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auyen, glancing around, locked eyes with me, then startled and quickly looked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainard was similar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you sure you’re wrong? Those guys... even if they don’t talk well, they’re good... Ah, I didn’t say anything! I swear I didn’t!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mumbled something but stopped when I stared, shaking his head to make excuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped forward and stood before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ainard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-Yeah! S-Speak!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) you grown attached to those monsters you’ve been hanging out with?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-No! This is a problem with my head! That... that essence! Because of that essence—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike usual, I couldn’t listen calmly until the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cutting him off, I spoke firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I could understand it was due to his fighting spirit, but still...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is a situation where comrades could be in danger. Pull yourself together before I lose faith in you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, his mental reset was done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other explorers also seemed ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So no long talk was necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I stepped out into the street first, dozens of explorers followed at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost ran as I moved forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even my dull senses detected a presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that him? The one who used to watch our house from afar every day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Shall we catch him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated a moment before answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, leave him be. He’ll guide us. From now on, where we need to go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speed up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Elwen’s help, we pursued the watcher somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Explorers... explorers!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Aquitity...! G-Go inside! Hurry home!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monsters living ordinary lives in the village noticed us moving armed in a group and were startled, hiding quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much time passed, I wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not the direction of the chief’s house...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where exactly was this guy heading?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That question was soon answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Today I found a strange place. About 15 minutes from the chief’s house, a building looking like a normal house. But there were guards everywhere.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The suspicious house Amelia mentioned before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching the destination, I halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Explorer! Lower your weapons!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many had gathered already?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the monsters swarming like cockroaches, I muttered shortly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[No.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t here to negotiate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was looking for someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you have nothing to hide, get out of the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such words weren’t needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There could be no time wasted on talking — something could happen to Amelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Step aside. If you block me, I’ll kill you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the minimum courtesy I could offer at this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Nyuachichi, the village warrior and right hand to the chief, and the father of Marupichichi, ignored my final warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The chief ordered no one to be let in. Stand down.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t particularly sorry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, I didn’t repeat the same warning or try to persuade him again. I gave the warning, he ignored it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So there was only one thing I could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Then calm down first—.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As warned, I swung the hammer with murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has cast [Giant Form].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body swelled as vitality surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gathered it all and smashed the hammer down with full force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has cast [Swing].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nyuachichi, an archer class, stepped back quickly and drew his bowstring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was fast for a bow user.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has cast [Transcendence].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has cast [Eye of the Storm].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I swung the hammer and cast a grab at the same time, a gust blew and pulled Nyuachichi’s body closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hammer struck the crown of his head with perfect timing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a coincidence or luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting daily, matching this timing wasn’t difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially with the body of a skilled warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nyuachichi’s head crushed like a dented tin can in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at me with dazed eyes like he was dreaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood streamed down his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But being the chief’s trusted right hand, he didn’t die instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘One more time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled back the hammer, raised it high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoooosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, I struck down with all my might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, this blow would leave Marupichichi an orphan, but so what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t new.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hans A also had children...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That bright kid will live well.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or soon be with his father—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just when Marupichichi’s single-parent household was only a few centimeters away, something interfered with the hammer’s trajectory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A sword.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From my dexterity stat, I could tell it was a weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it shone pure white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraaaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the white sword met the hammer, a powerful recoil ran along the hammer’s shaft to my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blinded by the burst of light, I forced my eyes open and stared ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I twisted my lips coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘When you said you’re too busy to meet, was that before?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The subordinate rushes out as if his guy’s about to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tense standoff lasted a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster warriors who had endured the rainy season together all held weapons, staring at us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, it was no different for us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic, holy spells, psychic powers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explorers following me prepared to fight at any moment, watching the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was the first to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My patience was already at its limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give me my comrade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cutting everything short, I demanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief didn’t ask what I meant or treat me like a freak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it was because of her that you came.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief admitted quite plainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heated head cooled down, and my already tense muscles tensed further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was room to interpret his reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That despite our use of force, they were fully prepared to block us easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, but I had no intention to back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Is she dead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of glaring, he barely uttered the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief lifted his index and middle fingers twice in a gesture used only by monsters calling themselves human in this tribe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And surely that gesture meant...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. She’s alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, it was a negative response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The suffocating tension eased a bit, and relief bloomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the chief might be mocking me, just hearing that allowed me to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, I spoke with a stronger tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief glanced at me and replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not, what will you do then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll come find her myself. Breaking through anything that blocks me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surprisingly... you seem sincere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It goes against my principles to bluff risking a comrade’s life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am stronger than you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you afraid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never not done what needed doing just because I was scared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I see. Truly aggressive. Are you a lover?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t answer such pointless talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not, you must cherish your comrades very much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief muttered ambiguously, then ordered his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Nyuachichi... Ah, now’s not the time. Bring any female explorer inside.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is she really alive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a moment. We’ll discuss this afterward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While waiting with anxiety and hope, the monster warriors brought Amelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was lying unconscious on a stretcher...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We only knocked her out briefly, did no harm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No external wounds were visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But appearances can be deceiving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take her inside. Judging by your state, no discussion will be possible now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving Amelia, I ordered priests and mages to check her condition thoroughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As the chief said... it really looks like she’s only unconscious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the confirmation from an ally, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia was safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone felt like crossing a major hurdle, but more challenges remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because nothing was resolved yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, are you ready to talk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did you kidnap Emily?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kidnap? That’s absurd. Actually, we should be the ones questioning. That woman secretly broke in here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that’s how it went down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if that’s true, you should have called me immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right. But I wanted to check first if she came out of personal curiosity...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief looked at me then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those fishy eyes that always annoyed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or if it was under your orders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could answer, he continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, she acted alone. She didn’t answer anything else no matter how much we asked. Don’t misunderstand—we only scared her a little, didn’t cause her any pain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I appreciate that—.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you must take responsibility for this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A leader’s job. Whether it was your order or not. Your comrade ignored our rules and disrupted the village. Worse, without checking, she came in blindly and tried to kill our warriors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no words for that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia’s survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the fact they brought her in properly as a prisoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That proved my actions were excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, how will you take responsibility?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief’s final ultimatum came like a cold blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was void of emotion, which made the pressure even greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I had no clue what he truly thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What’s needed now... isn’t an apology.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I judged quickly and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, I wouldn’t avoid responsibility as leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emily Rains did enter there under my orders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there was a reason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m curious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I began to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, I didn’t plan to open up so much, but sometimes directness is the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Recently, I ‘accidentally’ found a dagger marked with the Silver Claw Clan’s emblem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wondered why their weapon was inside this village, which they supposedly abandoned. So I started investigating behind the scenes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see, so that’s how it happened...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since it’s come to this, tell me. What happened to that dagger? And what exactly is inside that house you were hiding?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief hesitated as if thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, about the dagger. I can’t be sure since I didn’t see it myself, but before they left, they traded with the villagers. It’s highly likely it got mixed in then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, that answer was expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, I couldn’t tell truth from lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief spoke again as I silently watched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And about that house you mentioned... It’s a bit troubling, but better you see it yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. Show me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warriors guarding the fence stepped aside as the chief motioned, clearing a path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I followed the chief inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Down here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the disguised normal house was a staircase leading underground, and descending it, I finally saw with my own eyes what these monsters had been hiding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Damn it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stench of rot had been strong even from the stairs above, so I wasn’t surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, this is what you were curious about—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The basement was filled with rotting corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our village’s secret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the bodies were so mutilated it was hard to recognize their forms, it wasn’t too difficult to identify what they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But now you know, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Human corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>",1987,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.156Z",1,"novelbin.me","6cc95db64d8dc487d5189abf281403da539c3c7b57c3e4bab3bbf2f2acae904e","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-533","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-531",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]