[{"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-596":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},1328149,1764,"Chapter 596: RPG (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-596",596,"\u003Cp>Sometimes, while playing a game, there are those moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just fighting blindly, but patterns designed to be solved by fulfilling certain specific conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about it, if the goal was just to endure, it wouldn’t have been that difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamshik didn’t have any powerful single skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if there were some, their casting time was long enough to prepare for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the meantime...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A buff that increases regeneration the more injuries you take.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This mercenary’s body was specialized in endurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Elwen, who would normally have been sidelined, managed to carry the weight of one person using [Chaos Circuit].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This feels kind of pointless...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I worked hard to take it down, but it turned out I only had to endure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered if I had wasted my effort for nothing, but I decided to think positively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Eh, but still, if it can be taken down, it should be.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, my judgment wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does it matter if I could just get through by enduring?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, rather because of that, it was even more positive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the standard method works, extra rewards always follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Really... I just wanted to help—.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hamshik.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Speak, mortal.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamshik, who once said I wasn’t even worthy of being called a person and had no right to question, now showed manners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had proceeded by just enduring until this guy showed mercy, this change would never have happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe he would have just tossed an item carelessly and left without proper explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that wouldn’t happen now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you didn’t do it with bad intentions, so just say it. So what exactly is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If given to that human girl, it will be of great help on the journey ahead.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be vague about help and all that. Be clear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew it was some kind of potion, but I couldn’t just let Elwen take an unknown thing, so I pressed him for details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamshik’s explanation of the potion’s effect was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she takes this, the ‘Forsaken’...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is, those who are ‘monsters’...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wouldn’t just be immune to attacks from monsters, but would gain some degree of control over them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[But remember. It won’t work on those with high spiritual grades like me.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamshik gave the warning seriously and stood up, heading toward the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, where do you think you’re going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Since I’ve heard the answer I wanted, our business is done—.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, trying to sneak off with my hidden piece reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After subduing him like this, letting him go for free is a loss. Of course, I don’t think Hamshik is hiding any material rewards...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the reward doesn’t have to be material.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every piece of information I gain here is invaluable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that sense...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who exactly are you? Are you also a monster... I mean, one of the Forsaken?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started asking seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...In the eyes of mortals, yes.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be ambiguous. Be clear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Yes. More precisely, we are the ‘Abandoned’.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Abandoned...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We abandoned faith first, and thus were freed from bindings to remain independent beings.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forsaken and Abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening further, the difference was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Whether intelligence exists or not.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goblins, kobolds, and orcs belonged to the ‘Abandoned’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike normal monsters, they built civilizations and lived in villages in forests or mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sometimes interacted with humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[But today I realize. No matter how much you want to abandon, there are things you cannot abandon.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What do you mean by that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I said that powers won’t work on those with high spiritual grades, but don’t worry. They will never be hostile toward that human girl. Just as I was today...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Things you want to abandon but cannot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not the answer to that question, I let it pass without objection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above all, there was something I needed to confirm first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hamshik.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Speak, mortal.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Hamshik no longer flinch at the name ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) I gave him, I cautiously asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just asking in case... Is she the Earth Witch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Witch?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamshik shook his head firmly as if he’d heard something strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t mean Elwen was not the Earth Witch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That human girl is not a witch.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Hamshik’s next words, I became certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[She is just a poor child born with a cruel fate.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That rift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the base was really the Earth Witch...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every rift has a story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when playing the game, you could tell there was backstory through various concepts or lines, but the thing that convinced me was the conversation with the vampire man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bloody fortress where corpse golems and vampires appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had gone there countless times in the game, and it was a space based on someone’s life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Temple, the Doppelganger Forest, and so on were probably the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A rift made based on the story of a witch...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hit me sharply as the most important turning point in all my explorations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the contents of the ‘Golden Book’ I read in Hamshik’s room suddenly came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long ago, a brother and sister lived happily in a rural village. But when the brother left the village to become a wizard, the younger sister was very saddened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To summarize, it was the kind of diary entry that could be written in three lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s probably the story of the witch too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe through this exploration, I would learn more details about the witch and uncover the secrets of the labyrinth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was when I was pouring questions at Hamshik for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Enough.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamshik suddenly muttered with sharp eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does he think we’re friends because I answered him with a smile?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just when I was seriously wondering how to deal with Hamshik in the future, he suddenly shouted as if sensing something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s not that...! The imperial army is coming!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The imperial army...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t even think about fighting! Even you wouldn’t stand a chance against so many enemies.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm... really?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he said that, I couldn’t quite feel it, but Hamshik continued his plea earnestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You may be fine, but what about that human girl? Do you think you can protect her against such numbers?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That logic wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, Elwen was still recovering from using [Chaos Circuit].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have to get out of this cave quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It will probably be hard. We are already completely surrounded.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really, Elwen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know. My body isn’t normal yet...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If I hadn’t used up all my strength fighting you, I would have noticed sooner...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamshik muttered with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could tell he was frustrated, but I couldn’t just let those words pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re saying all this is my fault?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I’m not trying to find someone to blame! Enough, come here!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[There is only one way to safely exit this cave!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamshik waved his hand, and a portal formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoooosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The portal shook visibly unstable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we go through here, where will it lead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I don’t know. But it won’t be where you intended.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, besides passing through the cave via compass, was there another route?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still couldn’t tell if this was a good or bad event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, what will you do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s get in for now. I don’t think he means to harm us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no other choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Elwen in anglerfish mode got badly hurt, it would be uncontrollable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After coming to an agreement, we walked toward the portal, when Hamshik called me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Mercenary.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I entrust that child to you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh, I wondered what he meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know. Even if you don’t say it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled slightly and tightly held Elwen’s hand as we stepped into the portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Phase 3 now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened my eyes, curious about what would happen next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Special Condition – The Distorted Journey is fulfilled.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Character is moved to the Great Square.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thousands had gathered in the square.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill them!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Divine punishment to the wicked witch...!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were kneeling on the gallows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To summarize the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bound at limbs, standing on the gallows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did they take all my gear? Damn, I hope I can find it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gear I had painstakingly looted was nowhere, replaced only by a ragged cloth wrapped loosely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, and beside me was Elwen in similar condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow looking a bit older than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, sir...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked about ten to twelve years old now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A nobleman standing between me and Elwen began to read out our crimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From conspiracy to rebel, noble murder, massacre, arson...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the endless list of charges, there was only one thing I focused on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I request the death penalty for the wicked witch who caused chaos in this world for over ten years and her follower Bjorn Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than ten years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So that much time has passed since escaping the cave?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe the crimes recited by the nobleman had all happened during the last ten years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But if that’s true, Elwen is still too young.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had doubts but passed over it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, what should we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calm down. I’m thinking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After calming Elwen, I continued my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, there was still time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought the execution would happen immediately after the noble finished speaking, but it didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This concludes the emperor’s decree!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A knight fully armored in shining plate armor came up next and opened a scroll as if to proclaim a royal order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Citizens of the empire! It has been a long time! It has been a hard time! With the appearance of the wicked witch, the world turned into a hellscape...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice amplified by magic rang loud and proud with praise and self-congratulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I listened half one ear and was planning an escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone cautiously tapped my bound shoulder. I moved only my eyes to see a familiar face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long time no see, Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You remember me, huh. Though we only met once over a decade ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For me, it had only been a few hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mercenary who moved with me in Chapter 1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though wrinkles covered his face and his hair was graying, unlike when he was young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You haven’t changed at all since that day. So young. Did you gain power by becoming a follower of the witch too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, let’s just say so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was surprised when I first heard your name. I never imagined you were a follower of the witch who brought chaos to this world... Honestly, until I saw you here in person, I wasn’t sure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know? I spent all my fortune just to stand here today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Why did you go that far?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t answer my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After you left, I joined the imperial army. Mercenary or soldier, life was rough either way, but I finally settled down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I met a woman beyond my status, married, and had children. It was a truly happy time. Over a decade was enough to change my whole life, but at the same time, it was very short.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His calm voice grew heated as he continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know? Now I have nothing. I lost everything when Nelbus Fortress was overrun by monster hordes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that enough of an answer? Why I came here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew I wasn’t the one responsible, but still, facing such clear malice was stressful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some say sinners survive by a thread, but don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I checked many times properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finished speaking and stepped back, no longer talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And how much time passed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir? I think the end is near...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one had to tell me; I could feel it was right in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heated roar of the boiling crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...No, what am I supposed to do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to resist with all my might until my veins nearly burst, but the ropes showed no sign of breaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Isn’t this... too unfair?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first I thought there was an NPC helping me by talking from behind, but no.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So am I really going to die like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe I’ll wake up and continue to the next chapter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing I knew was that it wasn’t a reason to give up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uaaaaaaaahhhh!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled every ounce of strength from my body and resisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it wasn’t enough to break the ropes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ropes loosened a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gaining hope, I shook my whole body back and forth as much as it loosened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soldier approached to stop my rampage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...It was that guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the loosened gap, I headbutted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh? Aaaahhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell from the high gallows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill them! Kill! Kill immediately!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd roared louder at the incident on the gallows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring them, I struggled to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knight who was reading the king’s proclamation sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small sigh echoed throughout the square thanks to amplification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, seems like preparations are finally complete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did I realize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This voice was very familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir Ervan was found dead...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Then who the hell is that author over there...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop them!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knights shouted urgently and rushed up the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A light burst forth from the floor of the square holding thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swooshhh!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gigantic magic circle the likes I’d never seen in my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bathed in that radiance, a man turned his back and roughly took off his helmet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s time to join forces. Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the chief.\u003C\u002Fp>",2252,"2026-06-05T19:33:16.709Z",1,"novelbin.me","48d27efc1e4935890f32b29ecf3f04e4f626b209799ccd3f55ac55231adc90df","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-777","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-776",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]