[{"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-564":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},1328091,1764,"Chapter 564: Destination (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-564",564,"\u003Cp>The question of how I figured it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer is simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, their relationship was established far too quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[“Let’s see. That execution you spoke of.”]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[“Exterminate them! Everyone except the leader may be killed!”]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Less than five minutes after our encounter, battle broke out, and the chief led the monsters in retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the ensuing pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even there, something was strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[“He headed that way? Change the entire army’s direction!”]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main force immediately gave chase as soon as I broke away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if they were watching only my movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was just a feeling. Still, even if they happened to notice my sudden move by chance, it didn’t make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome, the mission-obsessed one who showed hostility toward the chief calling him a ‘traitor’...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in that situation, he wouldn’t have stopped the pursuit until the mission was complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Well, up to this point, it was just a strange feeling.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What sealed the matter was Jerome’s one request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[“Baron, would you lead the way?”]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked me to be at the forefront.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same guy who once guarded me first when I was knocked out fighting the prophetic wolf Kashan, obsessively committed to the mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And who looked down on the lives of his subordinates for the sake of the mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to throw me into a place where who knows what could happen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling intense unease, I racked my brain and came up with a possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was that hypothesis turned out to be true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those connected to the baron didn’t know this, but apparently there are more rats than just them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome cast a cold glance over his subordinates. He seemed to think someone must have helped me realize what was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That explained my sneaky plan to slip away during the chase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Anyway, those connected to me and the baron would be Raven or Kaislan...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hypothesis was already proven correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I thought about what conversation might have passed between the chief and Jerome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place: this island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time: definitely when we were asleep, only sentries standing watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most likely, they met secretly then and talked. During which, the chief proposed something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something so important that Jerome Saintred judged it more important than the “mission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What on earth was it? What did the chief promise that made him turn overnight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked bluntly, but Jerome seemed unwilling to answer honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s enough talk. Baron, since you’ve answered as requested, lead the way down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t persuasion or advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is an order given as commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was oppressive, as if there was no reason left to hide his true intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if I refuse?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will consider it disobedience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was honestly a bit shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were nearly 200 witnesses here, yet he acted so openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He must be confident he can shut me up...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, there were many means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money, honor, fame, power, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The royal family’s methods of persuasion are nearly infinite, and even if they fail to sway someone, there are other ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not always possible to silence by gentle means alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit my lip and glanced at my comrades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe they sensed my gaze?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, don’t entertain pointless thoughts. We’re all ready.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia pressed close beside me, speaking with firm resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter how much you hate fighting, when it’s time to fight, you must fight. That was you who said that, Bjorn, wasn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainar, whose fighting spirit was greatly diminished, drew his weapon and stood behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Versil also seemed ready for desperate battle no matter what happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was a little surprising, though, was Muul Armin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We will fight alongside you, Baron. It’s the least we can do to repay your kindness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared to oppose the royal army without fear of treason charges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, White Hext didn’t seem inclined to show that kind of loyalty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that was the typical reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even their side began to waver as they took an opposing stance toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If what the baron says is true... does that mean the count has allied with that monster...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though there might be some reason... still, sending the baron to his death like this—is that really okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t our mission to rescue the baron and return? Something’s wrong here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My achievements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fame of being a hero and the title of noble baron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And all the favor I worked so hard to build.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not enough to outright disobey orders yet, but these three things combined caused division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the order came to kill us right now, most would hesitate and not raise their weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the loophole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tiny crack in the needle’s eye, but it was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it grows or shrinks now depends on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, Bjorn Yandel, baron, declare!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lowering the shield that had guarded me cautiously, I shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I swear by the honor of being a proud noble and warrior supporting the Raphdonia royal family! For the sake of the royal cause, I fear nothing! Even if it costs me my life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my hand as I spoke was ‘Broken Trust,’ tightly gripped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it stopped working every time I spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if I covered it well, it wouldn’t be visible from afar anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ the endless future of the royal family, I’m ready to run forward and burn myself out anytime!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Displaying a thoroughly false nobility, I completed my argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But! I don’t know if this truly serves the royal family! Or whether you harbor different intentions and have made a mistaken judgment!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a kind of poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A poison that slowly seeps inside unnoticed and leads to ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you dare doubt my loyalty to the royal family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t expect me to accept that without explanation! Explain it so I can understand! Then I, Bjorn, son of Yandel, will go down there anytime! Even if it means being sacrificed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strategy of clinging like a leech no matter what.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Jerome Saintred’s silence grew longer, suspicion within the expedition slowly sprouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered if he was beginning to realize this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak, Jerome Saintred! What is down there, and what deal did you make with the chief?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finally answered my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I cannot reveal military secrets. But one thing I can say for certain is this: all of this is for the royal family!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t believe it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Why not? ‘Broken Trust’ is activated, isn’t it? What I’m saying now is all undeniable truth—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it possible that your claim to serve the royal family is just your own delusion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, judging by his expression, if I pressed further, he might spill something else...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I could just refute him properly one more time, turning public opinion completely wouldn’t seem impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, explain! How is me going down there for the royal family’s sake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, possessed by loyalist mode, I shouted proudly at the top of my lungs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a voice echoed in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...You’re wrong. Opposing him here will only lead to the worst outcome.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gentle voice, somehow mixed with a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Why don’t you just run away now and stop making things so difficult...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered whose voice it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brilliant silver light burst somewhere, and my consciousness faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The Observer of Fate intervenes.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Through the mark of Sven Parab, the character is granted the power of the stars.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The mark is deeply etched into the character’s body.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The character’s holy resistance permanently increases by +100.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「All healing and beneficial effects granted by the Reatlas faith are reduced by half.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Warning. Should the character receive the divine power once more, the fragile mortal body will collapse...」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened my eyes, I was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, more precisely, I was watching from a slight distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, explain! How is me going down there for the royal family’s sake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shouted harshly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome’s face boiled red like a boiling kettle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What is this...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, I was watching that scene from afar, as a third party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just then, the voice I’d heard earlier echoed again in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Watch closely. The answer lies at the end.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My head was spinning as if drunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe because of that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My doubts vanished, replaced by the thought that I must follow that command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why can’t you tell me? Don’t you know? That what you’re trying to do isn’t for the royal family at all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching, the situation grew even more dramatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept verbally pressing him, and eventually he couldn’t take it anymore and shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How far do you intend to insult the royal family, you traitor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha! Traitor? I’m not trying to disobey the king’s order; I just doubt your judgment—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha! Did you really think I wouldn’t know? That you’re the traitor pretending to be Bjorn, son of Yandel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, the ‘me’ in my vision was noticeably shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I was the target, it wasn’t hard to guess what he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought I was a demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From the start, I thought something was off, and now I’m sure. You’re the one who operated in Noark decades ago under the name Iron Mask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surely, you received orders from Noark, became an agent, and have been acting as a barbarian who just reached adulthood ever since. Even during the two years and six months you disappeared for a special mission, you actually just returned home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But how dare you lie about serving the royal family? I don’t know how you neutralized ‘Broken Trust’ but—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Neutralized? I didn’t do that—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then put down your weapons and listen carefully! See? It stops whenever you speak!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Game over right there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If turning over a traitor like you benefits the royal family, I’d do the same thing a hundred, a thousand times.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get moving! Capture that insolent traitor! If anyone tries to help him, consider them traitors and kill them! I, Jerome Saintred, take full responsibility!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome’s exposure of the ‘Broken Trust’ scam and the ‘justification’ I failed to counter instantly triggered the full-scale attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, hide behind me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Hext Clan and Armin expedition out, the remaining members of Clan Anabada fought desperately, and then the world stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happens next...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I muttered without realizing it, and something answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Three of your precious comrades will die. And eventually, it will connect to the future I showed that child.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I realized the owner of the voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The star goddess governing fate, Reatlas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I was an atheist, I was speaking with a real god in a distant otherworld—but it didn’t move me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one thing was important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what was I supposed to do? It was clear they were scheming. Should I have just gone down there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a human driven into a dead end always looks to a god’s name, I sought an answer from the divine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I told you. Watch until the very end.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, the stopped world began to rewind, moving backward like time reversed.\u003C\u002Fp>",1857,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.709Z",1,"novelbin.me","ffaf09383a0cb0cfb5d2c28a6e863f70fa50a85df574e3a6ab08bcae3ce52961","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-565","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-563",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]