[{"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-576":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},1328108,1764,"Chapter 576: Return (2)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-576",576,"\u003Cp>Fox, Wolf, Goblin, Queen, Butterfly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Auril Gavis and me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven people in total gathered in the round table room, and an uncomfortable silence fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about it, it was natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The round table members were old users who had been dragged into this strange world for at least several years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back home...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean... you’ll send us back...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they had spent so long here, they knew even better. Achieving the goal of opening the Abyssal Gate and returning home was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why most of them accepted life here and lived diligently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why, don’t you like the reward?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mastermind behind all this, [Dungeon & Stone]. And Auril Gavis, the very person who made that game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was none other than him who spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you play the game and win, you will receive a ticket to return home as a prize.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I thought this was a decent reward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For any player, this was an irresistible offer they would rush at like moths to a flame, but surprisingly, the round table members remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And rightly so, who were they?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the ones who had survived this harsh world until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If something delicious was suddenly placed in front of them, the first thing they knew better than anyone was to be suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I want to hear what kind of game it is first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I have to participate just to hear about it, then I won’t listen...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than immediately wagging their tails and rushing in, the members tried to collect information first for a proper judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To their questions, Auril Gavis replied in a generous tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no way you have to participate just to hear about it. The game I prepared is a very simple one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was quite strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By his tone, he sounded like a kindly old neighbor, but from our position, it was anything but that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auril Gavis paused, and the members’ faces behind their masks tensed even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of game could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hopefully, he wasn’t senile and about to order them to kill each other or something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the old man finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a quiz.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one there had expected that game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A quiz... you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s the quiz you know, so stop looking at me suspiciously.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No... I’m just curious about how it works...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I didn’t say that. When I ask a quiz, you just have to answer whether it’s true or false. It’s a multiple-choice quiz with only two options.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An OX quiz, then...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goblin quietly mulled it over with a doubtful voice, and Auril Gavis added more explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I’m not sure it counts as extra explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The quiz will continue until only one person remains. Oh, of course, you can quit midway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Butterfly made a sound like, ‘Look at this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone felt the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t elimination by OX quiz but quitting? What on earth did that mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you mean there might come a situation where we have to quit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen asked bluntly, and the old man gave a meaningful reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, you might suddenly think so. I always respect your free will.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Respect my ass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all people dragged here while playing games at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I really wanted to snap sarcastically, but I just engraved patience in my mind and endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing would change anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, I think that’s enough explanation. Anyone who wants to participate, speak up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the old man asked for participants’ intentions, and the time was short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s really no penalty for quitting or being eliminated?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. Didn’t I say earlier? This game is a payment for removing your masks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then... I’ll try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen, who hesitated until the end, declared her intention to participate, deciding the participation of all members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, except for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, but you can’t participate. But don’t be too disappointed. You can’t return this way anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that I couldn’t return; rather, they had no intention of sending me back like this. I had to grow hard and open the Abyssal Gate someday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh... So I’m different from the Seeker? Somehow, this is interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Butterfly’s gaze toward me deepened, and Auril Gavis clapped his hands, gathering attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without wasting time, let’s start right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I realized belatedly that in front of each seat, O and X signs had been placed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, now it really felt like a mini-game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Surely this old man is hiding something.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What trick was he planning?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, here is the first question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the OX quiz began, I understood why the old man said quitting midway was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Fox mask is a wizard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold up the sign with O if you think it’s correct, X if incorrect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...This isn’t a game to get the answer right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the moment the first question came out, the awkward atmosphere surrounded the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fox tried to keep a neutral expression but failed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing that situation, Goblin anxiously looked at Fox’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the Queen had realized the hidden truth in this game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, the other two hadn’t yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh... why don’t we just follow the sign Fox holds? He is the quiz subject after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, not a bad idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eyes turned to Fox, who seemed to gather his thoughts briefly and then lifted his sign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A circle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really are a wizard. I somehow had that image. Hey, Master? Isn’t it time to check the answer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Butterfly’s question, Auril Gavis nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Congratulations. Everyone got the answer right. Then let’s move to the second question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Goblin mask is a paladin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wolf and Butterfly, who were indifferent, realized Auril Gavis’s intention from then on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room became so quiet it was hard to believe a game was ongoing. People held up O signs, and a similar process continued repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Queen mask has never entered the labyrinth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer to the third question was O.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Wolf mask is the leader of a clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fourth was O as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Butterfly mask is a member of Noark.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the fifth answer was also O.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, one might wonder why they even made X signs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, now it’s time for the sixth question?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After one round finished, the old man’s gaze moved back to Fox, and everyone knew what that gaze meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone had long realized this wasn’t an OX game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A revelation game disguised as an OX quiz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the truth of this game, and since one round ended, the next question would surely become more intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll say one last time. I respect your free will, so if you want to quit, just say so anytime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Respecting free will...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier it sounded ridiculous, but now those words carried a different weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even kindly gave a taste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No chance he could know my identity. As turns passed, the amount of information to be revealed in front of everyone would only increase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happens if we quit here...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen asked, and Auril Gavis answered immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing at all. Ah, but since the game continues, you’ll have to give up your seat. One spectator is enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How certain is it that we can return home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What would I have to say here for you to believe me? The only way to erase doubt is faith.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you gave some credible evidence or something—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t trust me, the only thing you can do is leave here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What can you do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the speech was obviously like a scam, the Queen couldn’t get up and leave right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auril Gavis laughed at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew you’d say that. In fact, this is the only way you can return home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cheer up. In the end, just stay until the end and become the winner. Oh, or I can give you some time to go ask that friend whether you can do this or not. Like you always did when something happened—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough... continue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen interrupted irritably, and Auril Gavis cheerfully continued the OX quiz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to everyone quietly holding their signs, one round took \u002FN_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t\u002F about three minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Fox mask once killed an innocent explorer to steal money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Goblin mask once received a prophecy from Reatlas.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Wolf mask currently lives in District 7.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Queen mask is a noble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Butterfly mask is a member of Orculus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know why only Fox’s past story came up, but the second round ended in a flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hey, Master? I’ll stop here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Butterfly declared quitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I feel like my name will come out in the next round. Well, there’s nothing I can’t reveal... but it’s kind of awkward, right? And I’m not even sure if they’ll really send us home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand your judgment. Then would you give up your seat now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When asked to leave, Butterfly nodded casually, then gave us a quick cheerful farewell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See you all outside someday!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying that with a look in her early twenties made her seem quite fresh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But maybe because of the OX quiz, I learned that Butterfly belonged to Noark, a criminal group called Orculus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why does her “see you outside” sound so unpleasant?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t feel like just a mood thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I doubted that person was a normal human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll... stop here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, Butterfly left quickly at the right moment, and then Fox also declared departure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I didn’t expect Miss Fox to make that choice. She was more desperate than anyone before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right... But after dying once and coming back, everything feels meaningless. My life now is precious enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fox gave an honest answer, then bowed shortly toward Auril Gavis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, thank you for that time. Whatever your intentions, if you hadn’t taken me then, I wouldn’t be alive now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Thanks. Even if it wasn’t me, Miss Fox would have survived well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then may I say goodbye before leaving?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Feel free.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fox turned and made eye contact with each person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wolf, Goblin, Queen, and me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Somehow, the number of people got smaller like this. It’s a shame. I never thought we’d part like this without a proper goodbye.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it’s nice to see faces. It really feels like talking to people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. At least to me. At first, I was a bit surprised. Whether we return home or not, I wish you all well wherever you are. I mean that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen was silent for a long time at the blessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thoughts were obvious. She probably wondered if there was some meaning behind those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, she must have realized there wasn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen replied in a tiny voice, and Fox smiled briefly, ending the short conversation and shifting her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wolf, who had a short connection, just glanced and passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Goblin, Fox fixed her gaze a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But did she think it was okay to talk outside?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She left no special words for Goblin and looked at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually... I wanted to say something to Seeker. Is that okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fox nodded briefly, as if to encourage me to speak, and cautiously opened her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When life is too boring, why don’t you take off your mask and make a new one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then surely life here will become more fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was that premised on having no friends?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know, but I chuckled at what followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a little touching.\u003C\u002Fp>",1935,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.709Z",1,"novelbin.me","272eb35d2fcf3e5e27d83ed8a43b4b35fd11cb10357a22e245c21cc8639c3b1d","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-577","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-755",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]