[{"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-614":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},1327991,1764,"Chapter 614: Homunculus (1)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-614",614,"\u003Cp>A test tube filled with green culture fluid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside that test tube, dozens of dopplers curled up, all glaring at me simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just a coincidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some blinked their eyes, and when I took a step, their pupils moved accordingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...They’re alive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a modern person's perspective, it was such a grotesque sight that I involuntarily shrank back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are they staring like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having endured countless hardships inhabiting the body of a barbarian, the sensibility of a modern person was now hard to find in me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, not completely gone...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, is this your first time seeing a barbarian?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I were to measure it precisely, maybe it’s similar to truffle mushrooms added to truffle oil?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After scanning the surroundings briefly, I started moving forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step, step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time I passed down the corridor, their gazes followed me, but I didn’t particularly mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, when it comes to grotesqueness, nothing beats a corpse golem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, this barbarian body moved indifferently without shrinking back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I briskly walked, the end of the corridor appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was another room, and when I carefully opened the door and entered, it looked like a laboratory inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A huge test tube stood like a pillar at the center, filled only with green culture fluid...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning my head sideways, I saw a bookshelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wall was fully covered with shelves crammed with thick old books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing here, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened all the books from top to bottom hoping to find a clue, but there were no letters written in any of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked like props used for decoration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, not really surprising...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, empty books like this were often found during labyrinth explorations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why sometimes books with actual content sold for high prices in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the 'Necronomicon' coming from the Bloody Fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But... what is this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning away from the bookshelf, I approached the center of the laboratory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of the giant test tube filled only with culture fluid was a lever of unknown purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this were a game, an interaction button would pop up as soon as I got close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, I couldn’t resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clack, clunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pulling with moderate force, the lever moved fully and caught at the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at the same time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light burst out from the test tube.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a blinding flash harsh enough to hurt the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when the light subsided, something had appeared inside the culture fluid in the test tube.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Doppler.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster trapped inside the test tube in the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was surprising that pulling one lever instantly generated a doppler inside the tube, but that was all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it made sense in this world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My attention soon shifted elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If the left lever is the generate key... then what’s the right one?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the other lever, I reached out my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because really, how could I resist?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clack, clunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a true barbarian, I grabbed and pulled the lever at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light burst out from the test tube again, just like before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only this time, the result was completely the opposite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It disappeared.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the light faded, the doppler inside vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is this the delete button?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, I’m not sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it’s a teleportation button or something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, it wasn’t really important at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...So what exactly is this place?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the biggest question after confirming the effect of both levers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A generate lever and a delete lever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood all that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why was a place like this hidden underground, and how had I managed to get here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It couldn’t be that someone made a place like this to come down alone and just play with levers...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, when playing [Dungeon & Stone], there were these kinds of hidden pieces within hidden pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t other online RPGs have those too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a notebook or a note dropped on the path, and picking it up reveals someone’s story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes hidden quests would start from those, but ultimately the essence of those devices was to naturally reveal the game’s worldview.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if this is such a case...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To give clues about the truth that the demi-humans were artificially created?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only thought that came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had already roughly guessed the secret of the demi-humans even before coming here, but that was just luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it hadn’t been for that conversation with the vampire guy back then, I wouldn’t have reached that conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Hmm, maybe this really is a place that exists for that purpose?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, there was another reason why this hypothesis felt plausible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it because most of basement level 1 has this kind of atmosphere?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I explored, the more I felt something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like an invisible force was leading me somewhere, trying to tell me something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Anyway, it’d be a shame if this is all there is...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having dropped the lever, I searched the entire room thoroughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But despite the effort, I gained nothing notable, and there was only one thing left unchecked in this room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed and stared at the giant test tube filled with green culture fluid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for a barbarian, known for boldness, this problem was a serious concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the only thing left was that one test tube.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I break it... will something come out?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I were playing a game, I would have pressed the attack button immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it became irreversible, I’d be satisfied with gaining information and would retry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, [Dungeon & Stone] was that kind of game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not trying means I won’t know anything.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated but didn’t take long to decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ping—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I flicked a 100-stone coin I carried in the city with my thumb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it landed heads, I’d toss it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If tails, I’d smash the test tube mercilessly with a hammer—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roll roll roll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coin spun on the floor and stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was tails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Okay, no need to feel guilty then.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if waiting for that, I swung the hammer and smashed the glass of the test tube.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I worried there might be a “cannot be destroyed” option, but luckily the test tube shattered with a clear tinkling sound like ordinary glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shshshshsh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Green liquid poured out through the broken glass cracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it was unknown what it was, I climbed onto the desk to avoid getting wet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although I got a little wet when breaking it with the hammer, the parts touched didn’t sting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The liquid wet the floor but quickly drained away, as if there was an invisible drainage below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did I get down from the desk and approached the test tube.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled as I saw a mysterious stone buried among the glass shards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Yeah, I knew there’d be something.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, I’ve been playing this game for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cracks that looked like lava flowing inside leaked a red light, clearly not an ordinary item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I bent down and picked up the stone with my gloved hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Character acquired ‘Philosopher’s Stone.’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Malignant genetic factors engraved on the character’s body have been removed.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I opened my eyes, the first thought that came to mind was one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a hunger stronger than ever before, which raised a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How much time has passed?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shouldn’t be this hungry just from fainting for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, I steadied myself with my hands on the floor and stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were glass shards everywhere, but thanks to my high physical resistance stats, it didn’t sting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, nothing around me had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The test tube was smashed, and the bookshelf on one wall was a mess since I had pulled out the books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference was...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’s that thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find the stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clearly lost consciousness while holding it last, but when I came to, it had vanished like foam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two possibilities immediately came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know which was true, but I judged the latter was more likely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this type of item or event isn’t unheard of in [Dungeon & Stone].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The problem is, there’s no way for me to know its effect...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it’s a potion, curse, or buff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I couldn’t check the character log, I had no idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no obvious changes in my body either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘By the way, how much time really passed?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Putting the stone aside, I checked my watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hour hand was about seven hours ahead of the last time I checked, but it was too early to be relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The advanced explorer’s watch even shows how many days have passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...No wonder I was hungry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I realized more than ten days had passed, I sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh, just imagining how much the comrades would scold me when I return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak, creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it was like this, I slowly chewed on some jerky to fill my stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I got up and left the laboratory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As when ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) I came here, as soon as I stepped into the corridor, the dopplers trapped in the test tubes glared at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the background, it wasn’t annoying enough to be frustrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I guess I have to break these too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once an idea popped up, a barbarian’s spirit is to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smashed the test tubes along the corridor, crushing the heads of the crawling dopplers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But aside from relieving my stuffy feeling a little, I gained no other results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that reminds me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I passed through, I noticed another hole leading downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that I was this late, I might as well check it before going back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia would probably be furious, but anyway, she’d be mad even if I returned now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I climbed down the ladder and searched below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was similar in structure to when I first entered this bunker-like space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A straight corridor ending in a round iron door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference was that knocking, touching, or yelling loudly didn’t open the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...There must be some condition to open it. But then, why did the first door open immediately?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know, but there was nothing else to do here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that thought, I climbed the ladder and returned the way I came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take long to reach the point where the dimensional rupture phenomenon blocked Amelia from following me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, no one was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ominous feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never dismiss such feelings as superstition or mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a saying that bad premonitions never miss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in fact, bad premonitions are often correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling that way means my unconscious mind already sensed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A discrepancy between what my eyes and ears perceived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump, thump—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart raced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia or anyone else should have been here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, if a barbarian like me acted recklessly and disappeared, comrades would worry and wait here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, why was there no one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they moved somewhere, it would be rational to leave at least one person here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I guess something must have happened.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that in mind, I quickly climbed the ladder to the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even on the ground, thick with bushes, no one was in sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emily! Ainard! Raven! Misha...!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much I shouted, no answer came back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was too quiet, so quiet that I wondered if I was the only one left in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever the situation, I needed to check the main base temple first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tat-tat-tat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking that, I ran madly, and after a day had passed, I reached a river I had passed before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the biggest obstacle to reaching the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t care whether the water was harmful to my body or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it wasn’t a hopeless situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just couldn’t swim, but barbarians could walk through river water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I jumped as far as I could, submerged, and waited until my body sank all the way down to the bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunk—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once my feet touched down, I trusted my lung capacity and walked as fast as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff—huff!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, I really thought I was going to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t see ahead and didn’t know if I was going the right way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff, huff.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After barely crossing the river, I ran toward the temple without even shaking off the black water.\u003C\u002Fp>",2092,"2026-06-05T19:33:18.084Z",1,"novelbin.me","2e2adf1b805c096cffaef1ee00fd791de5ada4d2e3a5b42693f0235de4fb5e47","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-615","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-613",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]