[{"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-591":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},1328138,1764,"Chapter 591: Bossrun (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-591",591,"\u003Cp>As soon as we passed through the portal, Sven Parab asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That... why me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a somewhat strange question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the content, but the timing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re only asking that now, after crossing the portal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I thought it might be a question hard to say in front of others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, so that really was the reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I see him, the more I realize he’s quite a meticulous guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seems to have some loyalty too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, why me? If you needed a paladin, there must have been others as well...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked again, and I answered honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t pick you because you’re a paladin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I picked you because you are you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sven Parab’s eyes went wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had expected that reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just a casual line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time I say it, without fail, it’s a moving, heartfelt line—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waved my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, that should’ve been it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some reason, Sven Parab stepped back, his face pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if trying to put distance between himself and something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I expressed my confusion and stepped closer, he retreated equally, modestly covering his upper body with his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving his wary gaze, I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think I know what this crazy guy was thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been a similar incident recently, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t misunderstand. Before I break your head.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then... does that mean the rumors aren’t true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rumors?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That... the baron enjoys... men—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was too hard to listen to, so I cut him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I repeated what I had said recently to clarify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I like women. A lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I see?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe my sincerity got through, because the caution in his eyes softened a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he still seemed puzzled by one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what did you mean earlier...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t choose you because you were a paladin, but because you were Sven Parab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning is simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Literally what it sounds like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was needed to catch the guardian was not a paladin, but this guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Looks like it’s going well.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought that plan was already halfway successful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he entered the portal without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you feel anxious or anything when coming in here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just to be sure, I asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said no, then opened his mouth like someone who just realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, could it be because of that...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just shrugged and didn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, the topic ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterwards, we talked about the boss strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was a cheat mode, the guy who came from playing games already had a general grasp on the boss battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood unfamiliar things quickly too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um... Baron, how do you know all these things?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at me with suspicion, but giving a reasonable explanation wasn’t difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I’m just a barbarian after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When you become a titled noble, you can easily get information that ordinary people don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The other nobles don’t seem to know much...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re not explorers. They don’t care about the labyrinth. Unless there’s money to be made.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh... that makes sense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sven Parab nodded willingly when I emphasized my noble status and dropped his doubts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With business talk done, I thought about starting the strategy soon, but decided to continue talking a bit more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, we hardly ever talked one-on-one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I started with a lighter topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sven Parab, how’s temple life?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, it’s not too bad. After filing for secularization, I am treated like an outsider... but for me, sometimes that’s more comfortable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secularization is a ritual where a cleric ends temple life and returns to being a layperson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the ritual, the religious person is no longer bound by temple commands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What exactly does secularization involve?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As someone distant from religion, I was curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard you don’t have to cut off your pinky finger or anything...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I doubt the Trinitarian Church would just release their trained paladin without a price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s nothing special. You just remove the blessing the goddess gave you and give up everything received from the temple, then it’s done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everything received from the temple...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha, it means you become completely empty-handed. Everything I gained was while belonging to the temple. Ah, from next year I’ll have to pay taxes too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, you can leave only by giving up all your assets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In some ways, giving up a pinky finger might seem more humane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not too scared though. Miss Gowland promised to support me fully... Wait, you didn’t know at all, Baron?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sven Parab sensed something strange while talking and flinched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled and lightly tapped his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility for you until the end.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew... you startled me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you’re surprisingly calm? Don’t paladins stop growing after secularization?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paladins are different from normal explorers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They can’t absorb essences like priests or mages, but instead gain new powers as they accumulate merits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, by the way, there are various ways to build merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing monsters in the labyrinth, offering donations, completing church missions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As merit accumulates, the pope visits periodically to pray, and when you wake up the next day, a new skill appears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why the pope’s authority is so powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well... can’t be helped, right? Staying there means certain death someday. Besides, the goddess sometimes bestows new powers after secularization, so I’m hopeful for that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I guess I’ll have to catch more monsters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think if you stay with the baron, you’ll naturally catch a lot...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually he seemed like a lighthearted guy, but talking one-on-one, I realized he was earnest in his own way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I got curious about this too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Would he want to go back if he could?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Auril Gavis offered the escape ticket as a prize, he participated but soon gave up and left the round table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Ice Rock expedition, he expressed anger and said he wanted revenge with us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But... how should I ask that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking a moment, I cautiously asked indirectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sven Parab, there’s something I want to ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go ahead, Baron.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you... have someone you’re seeing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked surprised, like he heard a question he didn’t want to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I was serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the answer would reveal how he views this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I meant, do you currently have a girlfriend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, um... no...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I see...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I had no choice but to ask another question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I was about to speak again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hurriedly continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I do have someone I care about...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I mean, there is a woman I care for!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, by then he had stepped a few paces back from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who was the woman who stole Sven Parab’s heart?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked persistently, but he only bowed his head shyly and never answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such behavior could only come from someone truly sincere toward the woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s really not Miss Gowland. She feels more like a teacher...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you prefer innocent and fragile women?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-That’s not what I meant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, just kidding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He really has a unique sense of humor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I patted his shoulder and stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the private talk, I felt closer to him than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood better what kind of person he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, we’ve talked enough, so let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I led him out of the start point and down the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Criiick—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without needing to operate anything, the boss room entrance opened as we approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as we stepped inside, the door slammed shut with a bang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whirr—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the hall was dark, thanks to having pre-activated Barbarian Candle Mode, visibility wasn’t a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three paths appeared: left, right, and straight ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Rift Guardian wasn’t anywhere to be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guardian we’re about to fight is a unique type unlike any other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step, step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This labyrinth we’re walking through—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whole maze itself is the boss monster we have to face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is just the first phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spirit Guardian Housiel has cast [Defense System].”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment we started moving in earnest, a magic cannon suddenly shot out from the perfectly smooth wall without any seams, aiming right at us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pew! Pew!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t really hurt me, but for fragile mages, it would be just enough damage to take them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One reason I brought Sven Parab was this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a paladin, he can serve as a secondary tank and can self-heal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... yes. I was just a little surprised. I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked like he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he got seriously hurt from that, I wouldn’t have brought him along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s keep moving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, we wandered through the maze defeating occasional magic cannon fire and monsters jumping out from frames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the targeted area appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A square stone chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at its center was a watermelon-sized magic stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breaking that ends phase one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I struck the magic stone with a hammer, a bizarre howling reminiscent of a banshee’s scream echoed throughout the space, and the entire world turned pitch black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened my eyes, the space around me had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An elegantly decorated mansion hallway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But like a dream, the hallway endlessly stretched forward in a perfect mirror image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said we need to search the rooms together to find the second magic stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strictly speaking, not ‘together’ but you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... yes...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We moved together, searching each room in sequence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though calling it a search felt a bit embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um... I don’t really feel dangerous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After opening a closed door, Parab opened a box placed in the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pew!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened next, I left to luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During that process, traps were triggered releasing poison gas, monsters appeared causing a long fight, and we got hit by an annoying curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um... I think it’s better not to open this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I put it on hold and checked it once more, just in case he felt uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we can’t find the true magic stone, we can open the others one by one later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It definitely takes a long time if he searches alone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we split up ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) now, it would save a lot of time, but that was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spirit Guardian Housiel’s [Defense System] grows even stronger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much this guy gets stronger the longer the fight lasts—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How are we supposed to open those when we could all die?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boxes had impossibly unfair traps mixed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a metaphor—about once in ten thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, more like once in a hundred thousand times when a box is opened, an event triggers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m not touching them.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, when facing misfortune, probability is just a numbers game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least I know that better than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, sometimes the opposite happens, a positive event triggers.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, there’s only one of each event, and the chance is nearly equal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I figured the game designers deliberately put that nasty mechanic in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So you can’t just open all the boxes blindly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have to rely entirely on luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Anyway, it’s better not to expect much from the golden boxes—’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um... Baron...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to Parab’s stunned voice and froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An open box like a dead mimic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sshhhhhh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From inside, a brilliant light was radiating.\u003C\u002Fp>",1898,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.709Z",1,"novelbin.me","c1f345655335c651dd39f87e5cd1f37060c85f51eab661233cdd82996a92d5cb","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-771","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-770",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]