[{"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-548":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},1328225,1764,"Chapter 548: Secret Room (1)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-548",548,"\u003Cp>Day 87 since entering the labyrinth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While going through the morning routine, Amelia brought some unusual news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A ghost....”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Amelia had checked and found nothing, there were already more than one or two eyewitnesses, so it couldn’t just be brushed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for Amelia, everyone in the guard squad claimed to have seen it at least once during their watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) called them all for a brief interview.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I turned my head toward that side, a creepy feeling came over me, and there, something with white hair was staring right at me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting with Mikhail Lectus from the royal investigation unit, I listened to all the testimonies of those who had seen the ghost — surprisingly, the forms they saw were all different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I saw was a beast monster with fangs sticking out like this...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For me, it was different... a man wearing tattered clothes. His eyes were completely blackened, and he looked at me with resentful, bleeding tears.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I saw looked like a slime. It was stuck to the floor like it had melted into it, approaching me from the darkness. But when I blinked, it was gone. I thought I was just seeing things from exhaustion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely different, inconsistent eyewitness accounts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one thing they all shared in common:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever they looked away for a moment, it suddenly disappeared from in front of them...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did they all see it yesterday?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, the times were all different. After Lectus mentioned it during his watch last night, I asked everyone, and except for me, they said they’d seen it at least once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I see...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I pondered, stroking my chin, I heard something grinding nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak, creak, crreeeaaak—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The source was Ainard’s jaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barbarians tend to clench their jaws when scared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A g-ghost... i-isn’t that dangerous...!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, Ainard had been really afraid of these kinds of things since before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, most barbarians were like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They have a physiological aversion to spiritual monsters, and many even have genuine fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, out of curiosity, I asked Raven about this trait, and this was the answer:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood of the barbarian tribe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it might be genetically encoded information about natural enemies immune to physical force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to barbarians’ instinct-driven nature, such traits commonly appear across many individuals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that’s not the important part right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said there’s a smell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? A smell? Maybe like meat...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my muttering, Ainard sniffed around restlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does his craving for meat outweigh his fear of ghosts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was absurd, but I lost interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the smell I was sensing wasn’t that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meat’s good, but....”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are things in this world tastier than meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smell I was sensing was exactly that kind of thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hidden piece.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For anyone who played Dungeon & Stone, the sight of one immediately turns your eyes wild with fascination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right after hearing about the ghost, that exact smell came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slurp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rich scent of a hidden piece full of milk and honey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And very strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidden pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, they’re called the legacy of Gavrilius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having found countless hidden pieces while playing Dungeon & Stone, I immediately got to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing needed was information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lots of diverse information, enough to make statistics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time... you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was shortly after 1 a.m.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since it was the first watch, it must have been around 11 p.m.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asking all the team members who saw the ghost revealed it only appeared between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this be coincidence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost in the library appears between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There! There it is! It was looking right at me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was on that bookshelf...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For me, it was on the stairs leading outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The location seems random.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, it might be better to say the entire library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, do you think the ghost might be one of Gavrilius’s arrangements?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While researching diligently, Elwen looked at me with curious eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not only her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I answered affirmatively, all the explorers listening brightened with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gavrilius’s arrangement!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s real!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Armin Expedition, specialized in finding hidden pieces, was obviously thrilled, and even members of the Hext clan showed strong desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, how could any explorer not want that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So... if we find the ghost, can we get treasure? I heard those who found arrangements became rich.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Ainard, who feared the ghost, let his true feelings slip out. But not everyone went crazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one approached me with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, it’s dangerous to think only positively.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia Rainwells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My companion, bound by a bond transcending time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dangerous?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. You seem to be thinking too optimistically, unlike yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, I get the gist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I thought the same as soon as I heard about the ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe the ghost is a surveillance sent by someone, and we happened to discover it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For example, maybe the chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the incident with the Silver Lion clan leader’s emergency escape on a revisit to the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not good to view the ghost’s existence only as a boon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it’s not the chief, it might not be a ‘boon’ at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emily, I understand what you mean. I’m keeping it in mind, so don’t worry too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Alright then. Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks for telling me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My instinct still said the ghost was connected to the hidden pieces, but I decided to be more cautious as Amelia advised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assuming the worst is helpful in any situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll see what happens at night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After concluding, I returned to my main work, summoning monsters and spending the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resting just enough, I spent the day fighting monsters, but unfortunately, today’s haul was poor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A useless grade 4 essence...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, this alone would be a jackpot to bottle, but now I can’t be satisfied with that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most disappointing thing was that Bellarios was found again by luck, and I caught two more, but no essence came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, if this trend continues, I think I’ll get some before leaving B1 floor. The frequency in the books definitely increased with the higher shelves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, what should I do with the one essence slot left?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I currently have two essence slots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One is fixed for Bellarios essence, and the Hiphramagent’s essence will go into the orc hero slot later, so it doesn’t count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m worried about the last slot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not specifically reserved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just thought it best to keep it for preparation against a conflict with the chief since the graduation essences can’t be obtained in the current state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless an 8th-floor Rift Guardian like Milayel appears again, whatever I consume will have to be wiped in a few months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I’ll decide gradually as I see what appears. There’s no urgent reason right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless I hadn’t gotten Aegis’s barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that I have the graduation shield, even the chief has no reason to be impatient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that thought, I ended my musing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tick, tick—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The library was ready for camping as the day ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[23:00]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night had already come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>11 p.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to our expedition schedule, everyone except the watchmen was fast asleep, resting for tomorrow’s work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But surprisingly, many people were still awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An arrangement of the great sage...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could that be true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if not, it’s curious. Maybe it’ll give clues to escape this place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like children unable to sleep the night before a picnic, the explorers lay chatting with comrades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hey, just go to sleep already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough chatter! Close your eyes! If too many are awake, it might not show up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I patrolled, catching those resisting sleep, the library soon fell silent. Though the quiet was far from peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rrrrrrrrrrrr—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snoring of dozens of explorers, big and small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like everyone’s asleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, what do you want to do now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What else but roam around and look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming everyone was asleep, I led Amelia and Versil on patrol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So... we have to stay like this until 3 a.m.?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about an hour of patrolling without any discoveries, Versil spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t seem unhappy about the patrol...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, how are you these days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looks like he was bored being quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I felt the same and naturally took that as an invitation for small talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you mean ‘how am I’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just overall. Everyone’s curious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I asked back, Versil glanced at Amelia patrolling alone far away and whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So who is she?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could you please use a subject for once?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, come on... you know what I mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, yeah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not oblivious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smirked and answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? I thought you were dating Ms. Rainz at least.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not at all. We’re just comrades.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm... I see?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Versil seemed unbelieving but quickly changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about Ms. Kalstein? You’ve been spending more time together lately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spending more time...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just that the awkwardness between us had lessened a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So recently, we’ve talked more often. Mostly trivial stuff about food being tasty or telling her to eat more veggies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I guess everyone cares. After all, you’re the baron’s only ex-lover.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ugh, being stuck in the labyrinth so long, everyone’s attention has narrowed to this kind of stuff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small talk during patrols is fine, but this topic is stressful, so I ended it here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough, be quiet. Everyone’s asleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re valuable people who need rest to work hard tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is he not answering?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is he sulking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I turned back to check, Versil stopped and murmured softly like a ventriloquist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over there, over there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head faced me but his eyes shifted sideways to indicate a direction. I followed his gaze and confirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right? That’s the ghost people were talking about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I don’t know for sure, but it’s worth checking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It’s scary. I didn’t expect it to look so horrible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that, I involuntarily tilted my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Horrible appearance...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Versil and I must be seeing totally different things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How curious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I saw was a rat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mysterious creature living in the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It appears between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., and each person sees a different form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mysterious in many ways, but surprisingly easy to capture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character cast [Eye of the Storm].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「By the power of Transcendence, the inherent ability of the skill activates.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One grab and it was in my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beep? Beep, beep—!!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was so small I didn’t even need to use [Giant Form]; it curled up perfectly in one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beep, beee! Beeeep!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rat struggled, its body turning semi-transparent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, I almost crushed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Versil Gowland cast 8th-grade curse magic [Materialization].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Versil responded just in time, and the rat’s body returned to normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was that noise...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia, hearing the commotion, rushed over and frowned at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, what’s that in your hand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, what do you see it as?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Something very soft and disgusting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so? Versil, what about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A man covered in filth... suspiciously resembling someone I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone you know...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, Yandel doesn’t know him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, I see...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beep, beee! Beeeep—! Beeee!!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I licked my lips and looked down at what I was holding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how I looked, it was an ordinary rat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a hamster standing on two legs?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference was that unlike Earth hamsters, its size was huge — big enough to play measuring height with dwarves and acorns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beep! Beep—! Beeeek!!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It struggled desperately and even looked kind of cute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that’s one thing; this is another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s wake up all the members first... no need to scream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the members, having heard the commotion, were already awake and staring this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Is that the ghost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It really is a horrible form.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you saw it alone at night, you’d be terrified...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter their reactions, I headed to the library’s center holding the rat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I placed the rat on the summoning altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...No use, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the altar gave no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beep, beee! Beeeep—! Beeee!!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was left with two choices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which should I test?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With only one specimen, I had to decide carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beep! Beep! Beeeep!!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I pondered, having bound the creature on the altar like a test subject,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-you insolent thing! Let me go! I said, let me go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the rat started talking like a person.\u003C\u002Fp>",2074,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.156Z",1,"novelbin.me","e104e2d6eb1469dc51a8f6305416e999ad5bdfe91be95cca6e3bea094333e447","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-549","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-547",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]