[{"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-578":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},1328111,1764,"Chapter 578: Return (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-578",578,"\u003Cp>The cider, filled with plenty of ice, enhanced the refreshing sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After shaking the glass moderately to chill it well, I downed it in one gulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if the ice melts, the taste becomes bland, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, this is it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much I had longed for this flavor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This world was bearable in everything except for the lack of carbonated drinks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least I could find carbonation in beer, but even that felt very different from the modern kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Should I go back?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A taste enough to sprout my almost lost will to return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibaekho had to know this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If instead of fussing about the Resurrection Stone or whatever, he had just made cider and let me drink it a few times, I might have seriously considered returning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, another glass please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing one glass, I asked for a refill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, I didn’t shotgun it; I sipped it slowly, savoring the taste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You... really look happy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, that made me feel embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People like us tend to suddenly sour upon hearing such words, no matter how glad we were before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well then, tell me. How did you meet her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, the witch, you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I just can’t understand it. No matter how I think, I don’t see how you could have met her...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you be so sure, sir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked, narrowing my eyes, and Auril Gavis turned mute, rolling his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it gave me chills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What, was he really watching my every move?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By what method?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While pondering, the old man skillfully evaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, you didn’t meet on Basement Floor 1, did you? And at that time, you were very busy, I recall. Tribe affairs, the Magic Tower, and even catching the Hierarch twice at that time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it was true I was busy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was swamped with work and even sued by Count Alminus, so my mind was scattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, his words didn’t sound like excuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve already finished it. Give me your glass. I’ll pour another.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the glass was empty, Auril Gavis quickly took it and refilled it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hate to say it, but in some ways, he was a consistent old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a ghost switching between master and servant depending on the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, no matter what, I can’t just give you information for free. I need to get something in return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I drew a clear line, and Auril Gavis, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) now unmasked with only the two of us left, bristled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For free! What do you mean? Didn’t I even give you cider?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, thank you for that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“People really do appreciate kindness—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoa, that’s crossing the line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If everything ended with just cider, why do money and magic stones even exist? Just pouring a glass of cider and it’s over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I openly mocked him, Auril Gavis’s expression stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You always have the talent to make people uncomfortable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughing like a neighborly old man one moment, then turning serious the next gave a heavy pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But so what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d experienced this situation more than once. I was getting a handle on this old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t pretend to be angry. It won’t work anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I shrugged it off casually, Auril Gavis returned to his usual expression like nothing had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, you’re really stubborn too. So tell me... what do you want from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can only offer a wild horse a carrot, not a whip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must want something, so you’re acting like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I didn’t have a definite desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, I had too many questions and didn’t know which to pick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I had to prioritize...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Asking what he’s scheming is too broad.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking, I settled on a more specific question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you want to shut down Ghost Busters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A question about his most recent action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, can I just answer? There’s no gem here to hide the truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded like he’d make a gem if I wished right now, but I declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just go ahead. Even if there was, it wouldn’t mean 100% trust anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you want me to judge truth or lie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. So answer carefully. If you lie and get caught, it’s your loss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Loss?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll never trust me again, whatever I say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It may sound childish, but this threat seemed effective this time. This old man wanted to control me like a puppet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to maintain a good relationship somehow...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why was he staring at me with such a perverted look instead of answering?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? Got something to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not really? You almost said something, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I looked at him as if to say ‘stop messing around,’ Auril Gavis reluctantly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just found your attitude toward trust... somewhat impressive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like nonsense about chewing straw while hanging from a roof in your sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I stared at him like that, the old man continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If someone betrays you, there will be punishment. That’s what trust means to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t that the same for everyone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If betrayed, do you just laugh it off?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I thought that secretly, I endured and listened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The stricter the law, the less people dare sin. Likewise, your trust requires means of punishment to be valid—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, I really can’t take this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He made it sound like I was a pathological doubter who can’t trust others unless he’s superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bluntly asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, is something wrong with your head? How on earth do you interpret what I said that way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think about what you yourself did first. What do I have to see to believe?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you think it’s different with your comrades?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...I was about to say that but suddenly couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remembered what the old man just said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If someone betrays you, there will be punishment.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe one of the things I did to Misha was such a thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know, but that’s enough on this topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Enough, just answer the question. Why do you want to close this place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I answer, will you answer too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the old man’s question, I answered without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I think it’s worth hearing first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant I was ready to run anytime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ambiguous answer instead of a firm one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auril Gavis must have clearly understood the meaning behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Then listen and decide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, the old man accepted my offer silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As expected, sir, you’re straightforward today as well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Stop flipping attitudes so quickly. It makes you look like a spoiled child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just my imagination. Just my imagination.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, the answer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smiling softly, I asked, and Auril Gavis sighed deeply and answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The reason to close Ghost Busters is simple. It’s not working well for players now. It’s different from my intention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not working well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place is like a sanctuary for players. They share hometown stories, and ease loneliness with others in similar situations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why is it having a bad effect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the problem. People satisfied with the present eventually settle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood what he meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could see that atmosphere quickly just by looking at the free board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could easily find posts about housing prices, marriages, even having children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The same with those friends earlier. A few years ago, they wouldn’t have missed such an opportunity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old man thought the futile end of the OX quiz was rooted in that psychology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you want to destroy it? Because if this runs, people won’t think of returning home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could say roughly that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roughly, huh...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he left much unsaid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, how about it? Is that enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. If there was some big secret, I’d understand, but I conclude that trading it for the witch’s info is too low value.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put, he intended to run away with the loot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, Auril Gavis’s expression was calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if he didn’t lose even if the conversation ended there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he pretending calm to keep control?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was the first to speak again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t part without some gain from this meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So then...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can’t you just leave the community alone? Then I’ll give you the witch’s info.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t say it to protect the community.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was just curious about Auril Gavis’s reaction to the offer—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, a refusal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning shutting down the community had higher priority than hearing the witch’s info.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would that be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t seem to be just because players had lost spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then today’s talk ends here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. You wouldn’t answer even if I asked in detail anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, you need to trust people a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do. People worth trusting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that soulless reply, the conversation slowly wound down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I should be going. One last thing to do before closure. See you next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I don’t know when, but next time please tell everything honestly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s odd. I can tell you everything right now, if you’re ready to believe me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a big lie fully grown into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I gave a dry laugh, Auril Gavis smiled like he expected it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but one last piece of advice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Advice? I’ll listen. Go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ibaekho.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ibaekho...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t get too close to that friend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a non sequitur, but I had no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s all my advice. See you later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Auril Gavis left the round table, and I, who had been watching vacantly, slowly collected my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A case suddenly occurred to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ibaekho...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not yet sure, but maybe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could Auril Gavis’s reason for shutting down the community be this guy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like burning the straw hut to catch fleas. If this community disappears, the way to communicate with Ibaekho would be blocked for me too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, in the end, it was just speculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn old man. Why the hell does he never say anything straightforward until the end?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My sigh echoed hollowly in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An inexplicable silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The empty seats, the round table’s symbol—the gem—were all gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I really feel like it’s over.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought to leave and get to work but hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t feel real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Deer Antlers and Crescent Moon left in the first round; then Auril Gavis appeared and one by one people left the gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I picked up the Seeker mask I’d taken off while drinking cider earlier and put it on my head. Probably the last time wearing this mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had some affection for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this really the end...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard to say, but somehow it felt hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never imagined a friendly atmosphere like a graduation ceremony, but I never thought it would end like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Can’t say thank you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Do you really think this kind of thing is fun? You?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, those two last words kept ringing in my ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I shook my head and brushed off the thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What a pity party. We never gathered here to make friends anyway.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled and took off the mask, placing it on the round table, then glanced around the empty table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Boring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so the last gathering ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in Lee Hansu’s room after watching the round table’s end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After lying on the bed for a while, I snapped back to focus and sat in front of my computer to check my inbox.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There is at least one message...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contrary to expectation, it wasn’t a message from the awaited GM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Sender: HS123]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>HS123.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is, Hyunbyeol sent the message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, we couldn’t properly say goodbye earlier because of Ibaekho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what was written in the message?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened it, and the contents unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[When we said to reveal our identities before, I know you drew the line first. But now I want to do what I want. The admins might secretly spy, so I can’t say much about my identity here.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bottom line was one last sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[See you outside.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, huh...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, I need to escape the labyrinth quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>",2017,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.709Z",1,"novelbin.me","a7faef6eac47d2aee453478d9ae6d1309f13643aff1f60ce3c8fc75274ede780","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-579","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-756",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]