[{"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-595":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},1328147,1764,"Chapter 595: RPG (3)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-595",595,"\u003Cp>Most rifts are divided into chapters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually they end by Chapter 4 or 5, but occasionally there are rifts that go beyond Chapter 7.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, that’s not the important part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So the city defense I just went through was Chapter 1.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could say that when I woke up as the mercenary Bjorn Yandel and fought monsters, that was Chapter 1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here’s the key point...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Could this be similar to the Doppleganger Forest?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 4th-floor rift, Doppleganger Forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the moment we entered, we were locked in iron cages, and only after two other teams entered the rift could we escape and start Chapter 1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of the three teams started Chapter 1 at their own start points and then joined together at Chapter 2...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This maze we just entered fits exactly that type.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I started in a village-like rural town. The army was in the middle of invading.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwen’s experience of Chapter 1 was different from mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also a battlefield from the start, but it wasn’t a chapter where she just wiped everything out like me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was at about a tenth of my usual strength... maybe even weaker.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwen, who had an insane debuff from the start, barely managed to escape the village with the help of NPCs nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just kept climbing the back mountain, but monsters kept appearing. Strangely, the soldiers who were following me attacked, but the monsters didn’t attack me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, it wasn’t just a mindless debuff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In any case, while wandering the mountain being chased like that, I arrived at this cave. I hid inside... but soon after, a knight found me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, did the knights or soldiers have a symbol like this on their chests?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before continuing, I drew the empire’s [N O V E L I G H T] insignia and showed it to Elwen, who nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes! That was it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, the empire really doesn’t leave anywhere untouched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, keep telling me. The knight found you, then what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought I was done for, but he said he wasn’t here to hurt me, so I felt relieved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knight introduced himself as a friend of my brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave me a compass and said that if I used it to get through the cave, I could meet my brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said he wanted to come with me but couldn’t, and that if I waited a few days, he’d send someone to rescue me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the whole of Elwen’s Chapter 1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the knight finished speaking, before I could reply, my vision went black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But suddenly, I felt a presence nearby... I’m so sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, if you don’t know what it is, stabbing first is the right move.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh... is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I patted her head, and Elwen smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an unconscious gesture, but because of her young appearance, it felt a little awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like I’d become a barbarian uncle teaching a kid bad things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Anyway, can you show me that compass the knight gave you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here you go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, Elwen handed me the compass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So I just have to follow this direction...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That seemed likely, but first, before setting off, I checked Elwen’s condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Her equipment’s all gone...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike me, who came with the Demon Crusher and Aegis Barrier, Elwen was completely unarmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her essences and spirits work, but... she can’t use her usual strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her MP was drastically low, and her output was only about a tenth of her normal state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only hopeful thing was [Chaos Circuit], but Elwen hadn’t confirmed that yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was worried the backlash might be huge, so I managed to regulate and run away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Chaos Circuit] activates when all resources are consumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turns MP infinite for one minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that state, using [Focused Shot] and summoning the Spirit King can unleash tremendous damage for that minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Though even fully charged, that’s only about 10% of her usual power.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from MP, lower stats mean lower multipliers, so damage differs even with the same charge time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she’d probably outperform most ranged dealers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I should save that for emergencies...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From various experiments, I found one more unique trait beyond “not being attacked first by monsters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, ugh...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her wounds don’t heal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not simply because her stats dropped and natural regeneration fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Potions work differently from stats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssllooowww—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her skin regenerated so slowly it was hard to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is problematic...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if she got stabbed in a bad spot now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just imagining it was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elwen, no fighting from now on. Understood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll protect you no matter what, so just trust me and follow quietly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alright, then, let’s start Chapter 2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step, step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We left the sealed cave entrance and followed the compass deeper into the cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when I realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d actually thought this since the cave entrance...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, this place is kind of...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Similar to the first-floor Crystal Cave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were differences, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no monsters here at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So we moved much more comfortably than expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though just physically—the mind was still extremely uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Nothing’s coming out, I’m getting anxious...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such a long time of no stimuli, no matter how hard I tried to stay alert, my senses dulled naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even while walking, my mind kept drifting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s weird...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rotmiller taught me scouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the place he researched the most for speedruns was the first-floor Crystal Cave, and thanks to that, I was sharp on that area too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exaggerating a bit, I could tell where I was just by feeling the walls and noticing subtle differences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So one question came up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is the maze’s terrain different?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guessed we were near the Land of the Dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Elwen said she started in a normal village, not the Land of the Dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what change had occurred here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Will that village turn into the Land of the Dead after some time?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t an entirely absurd hypothesis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One feature of the Land of the Dead was ruins of stone buildings buried in muddy black soil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...That’s troubling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The compass points west of the Crystal Cave, to the place with the Rocky Desert.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, but...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwen gave me a look like ‘What’s the problem?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was probably the normal reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m curious. What about other places?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had a feeling that as soon as we find the exit, we’d move on to the next chapter like in Chapter 1, meaning we’d never get to see Chapter 2’s structure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Other places?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think something might be hidden at the center. I’m curious how the other exits look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well... you’ve always been curious, haven’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More like greed than curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knows what rewards might be hidden?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Chapter 1 too, if it weren’t for gathering information, I’d have searched every place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, can’t we just go check?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if there’s nothing there, it’d just waste time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t that what exploration is all about...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, that’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having already made up my mind, I changed direction and headed for the center of the cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this the place? There should have been a monument here...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cave’s very center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, the monument of Gabrielius should stand here—the same spot where the Witch’s Altar was in the Pilgrim’s Cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Judging by the terrain, it seems we found the right spot, but there’s nothing here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, a bust?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, since we came this far, let’s search a bit—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh... uncle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Elwen stopped me, startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I feel... something strange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something strange?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s coming...! Over there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwen pointed toward a wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn’t doubt her instincts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Step back! Now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved Elwen behind me, readied for combat, and stared at the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pop—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A translucent strange creature poked its head shyly out of the wall, looking around quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our eyes met, and I was speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hamsik?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why are you here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black eyes, twitching ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moderately protruding chin and front teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beige fur with a shiny sheen and a plump pink belly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And adorable little paws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was obviously Hamsik.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ham... Sik?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura in its tone and voice was confusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes, mortals dared to give me such a trivial name...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chill ran down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I sensed it, I accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This being before me was not the same as Hamsik.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You are not permitted to ask that, mortal.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamsik coldly brushed off my question and fixed his gaze on Elwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Human girl, do you know your fate?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh... who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike my question, Hamsik answered Elwen’s politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I can either help or harm you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Pitiable one.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamsik fully stepped out of the wall and walked toward us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his gaze was majestic and heavy with gravity, his gait was unmistakably Hamsik’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biological limits, perhaps?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was trying hard to figure it out, Hamsik spoke in a deep voice and revealed important information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Human girl, if the pursuers catch you, a terrible disaster will come. But...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...But?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If you die here by my hand, the world will remain intact.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke as if there were two choices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by Hamsik’s eyes, anyone could tell what decision he made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I came here expecting some loot, but a hidden boss popped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You bear no guilt. You may curse me if you wish—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cut off his muttering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether this was Hamsik before he lost his memories or one of his parents didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swung my hammer fiercely to block the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cut the act with that cute face, will you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Cu-cute...? Me?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamsik trembled with a sense of insult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beep! Insolent mortal! How dare you—!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so the hidden boss battle began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To sum it up, Hamsik was strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About a Grade 3 monster level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably mid to upper tier among Grade 3s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beep! Let me go! I said let go!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamsik had a fatal flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High durability and regeneration, but long casting times and wide-area skills with low single-target damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He specialized in “grind”—using skills designed to overwhelm with numbers...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I’d been a shield barbarian, I might have lacked damage.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having switched to mercenary and hammer barbarian, I was able to break through all his defenses and suppress him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Elwen’s contribution was huge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even under that insane debuff, using [Chaos Circuit] she could hold her own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How is it that she can still out-DPS me in that state...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Uncle! Are you okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After successfully suppressing him, Elwen came running to me out of breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lowered defense stats had taken a toll on my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But thanks to the fierce fight, I learned something important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine. No serious wounds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, serious wounds had already partly healed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow, after healing to a point, the recovery rate sharply dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is this some mechanism where the more you’re injured, the higher your regeneration?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seems like this status effect doesn’t just increase attack and lower defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If so, it actually synergizes well with [Hero’s Path].’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, my main concern now was self-feedback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hamsik.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[My name is not some petty ‘Hamsik’—!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hamsik.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...What do you want from me, mortal!?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled out a small orb, and Hamsik’s eyes went wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[How did you get that—!?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did I get it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I briefly passed out earlier, I found it right in my pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough, just answer. What is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t remember informing him about Miranda rights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you won’t say, I’ll keep it then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I politely asked for consent, but again Hamsik stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it a treasured item?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not going to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered pitifully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I was going to give it... after testing and deciding it wasn’t a pointless death...!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a gamer who’s seen everything, I was pretty shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Why on earth do I have to endure this humiliation...!?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Could it be that I wasn’t supposed to just kill him?\u003C\u002Fp>",2005,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.709Z",1,"novelbin.me","9d6f8e89046f988190aba099336181ee315dfa5e14528341008ae661e0dc0f38","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-776","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-775",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]