[{"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-567":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},1328094,1764,"Chapter 567: Closed (1)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-567",567,"\u003Cp>“Hey, Baron Yandel...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I came ashore, I saw the knights stiffen upon spotting me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, from their perspective, it must seem like a ghost had returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Jerome had forcibly thrown my unconscious body into the jaws of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um... are you all right...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One knight, sensing something strange, spoke from a distance without coming closer. For some reason, he didn’t even meet my eyes properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe he feels some guilt?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Summon Count Saintred. I have something to tell him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes? Ah... yes! I’ll hurry to deliver the news!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the knights standing guard by the tree dashed off somewhere, and soon Jerome Saintred appeared, accompanied by many knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared silently for a long time as if assessing my essence before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll take charge here. Everyone else, rest for a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, so for now, is this safe?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While thinking that, I maintained an expressionless face carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the core of the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making Jerome believe I was the chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though we were ready to talk quietly, silence continued for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was the first to break the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. The ritual ended successfully.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone could say that, it wouldn’t be Bjorn, son of Yandel the barbarian warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome seemed relieved at last and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good to hear it succeeded. Now, as promised, hand over ‘that.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you suddenly gotten cold feet? If so, I hope you let it go quickly. If you don’t give it up, you won’t be able to live properly outside in that body—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have no regrets. But back then, there was something I couldn’t tell you...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trailing off, Jerome looked at me expectantly, urging me to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That thing is currently immobile.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Literally what I said. When I opened my eyes in this body, there was a Dimensional Stele beside me. And... that thing was fused with the stele. I tried countless times but failed to detach it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, half of this story was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we opened the portal to escape, it only detached then. I heard it was then they realized monsters couldn’t use the portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Jerome didn’t know this and was furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it. Why tell me this only now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everything has its priorities, doesn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now you mention that—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the problem? You intended to obtain that item for the king anyway. Bringing it here and using it would be enough, right? I haven’t found a way to remove it, but maybe you could.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking the conversation boldly the other way, Jerome shut his mouth tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than suppressing anger forcibly, he seemed to be judging the situation calmly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I have to check it myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome’s tightly closed mouth finally opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must verify it firsthand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, then I’ll have the warriors clear the village. So you can take your time after we leave—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, you can’t go anywhere until the verification is complete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Yeah, I expected you’d say that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do as you wish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, it was up to the chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster village hidden beneath the tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The order given to the exploration force who finally arrived was neither an assault nor an annihilation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold position until further orders!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An indefinite standby order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, at this simple command, knights, priests, and mages of the exploration force swallowed nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had to wait in a standoff with hundreds of village warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evost, if those monsters move or show suspicious signs, charge and kill immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, keep a close watch on Baron Yandel while I’m gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the nuance of ‘keep a close watch,’ the chief must have briefed the deputy commander to some extent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing his personality, it probably wasn’t detailed, just instructions to monitor me and prevent contact with my comrades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you really okay alone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am. As long as you do your part here, there won’t be danger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome’s behavior was hard to call reckless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed the chief inhabited my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the village monsters are tied up like this, there’s no real threat inside the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahem...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome entered the village alone, and the deputy commander awkwardly cleared his throat and approached me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring that, I continued thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, what happens next...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief said that once Jerome came alone to the cave, he’d handle the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was confident, so I told him to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the chief failed, I wouldn’t lose much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the chief subdued Jerome and took his body,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>or Jerome fought back and killed the chief,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>either way, it wouldn’t be bad for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if Jerome returned alive, my dealings with the chief would be exposed...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But he was going to stab me in the back anyway.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Call it a fair deal?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There would be bad feelings, but since both were at fault, they could reconcile through conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If the chief wins, that also has its advantages.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the climax of the plan was left entirely to the chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also what he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only concern was if the two conspired again behind my back while I was away...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m so worried. Neither the chief nor Jerome is trustworthy.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I thought, the more pessimistic I got, so I ended those thoughts here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, there was a plan for such a contingency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, watching the situation was best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evost, can you talk with the comrades for a moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just in case, I asked the deputy commander, but he refused without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry. When the commander returns, I will strongly request that Baron be allowed to talk with his comrades. Please wait until then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I worried about my captured comrades but quickly let go of regrets. Judging by his stubborn attitude, no persuasion would work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...I have to ask Misha about the Resurrection Stone too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not out of curiosity, but rather for fact-checking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The source of the Resurrection Stone is 100% Ibaekho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also roughly guess why he gave it to Misha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ha... That bastard always does this whenever I start to trust him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I don’t even feel betrayed anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m just fed up with his persistence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed quickly as I thought about various things under the knights’ watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The count has returned...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerome Saintred, who had entered the village alone, came back and stood before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, I felt tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is it the chief, or himself?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was soon revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The exploration force commander looked at me and extended his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baron Yandel, thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to deal with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, it was a success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know what happened when the two were alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing I know for sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The chief won.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief subdued Jerome Saintred and succeeded in taking his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put, the entire exploration force filled with royal elites was completely deceived by some strange guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the command of this exploration force was ours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evost, release all of Baron Yandel’s comrades.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Yes? But...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. Everything I did to the Baron was a plan to deceive the ‘chief.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our deputy commander seemed surprised by the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) commander’s change of position, so I spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The chief had a secret way to watch everything happening on the island. To deceive him, we needed to deceive everyone, including you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes? Then...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was all an act from the start. To easily capture that chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, I didn’t explain the details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t enough time to go into detail, and mistakes might happen...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baron Yandel, you did well. That acting couldn’t have been easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha! This is nothing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deputy commander was still skeptical but couldn’t say anything as we laughed together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could he do when we said so?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, people tend to believe positive things about themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh... I did feel something was strange. I followed, thinking there was meaning behind it... But it seemed like the commander was treating Baron Yandel like a scapegoat...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this whole situation was our cooperation with Jerome, no trouble would arise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though some had doubts, the exploration force didn’t question what we said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The first hurdle ended smoothly.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, convincing the exploration force was important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That way, the chief living as Jerome Saintred wouldn’t lose face, and the next plan could proceed naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The problem is not getting caught before then...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even that didn’t worry me much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could tell how meticulous he was from what happened later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander...! The monsters are starting to rampage!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They must have realized their leader is dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the monsters shouted in the ancient tongue and screamed, the chief gave orders without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All troops, charge! Annihilate the monsters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An order aimed at subordinates he had been controlling like puppets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nia Rafdonia...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the exploration force prepared to attack, the monsters were slaughtered helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t even put up proper resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t because they lost their rallying point, the chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell... did he do to make them unable to resist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing special.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just told them to half-heartedly fight and then die. They’re useless now, aren’t they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...What kind of bastard is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it gave me chills down my spine, I understood the behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...They’re intelligent and can communicate in the ancient language, so this method must be the most certain.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dead don’t speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem is, now I’m the only one who knows the chief’s secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I decided to stay cautious but not think only in the worst way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was some positive side after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s all over now...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After cleansing the village, the chief, having taken Jerome’s body, said to me,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baron Yandel, your contribution in this battle was great. I would like to offer you a fitting reward...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The essence, magic stones, equipment you gathered—tell me what you want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gained a legal way to feed on the royal bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>",1674,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.709Z",1,"novelbin.me","e5f00edca3b0228de457e56e00d3dae13749efbf1cfd92855f78b0cd8c2ed702","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-568","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-566",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]