[{"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-617":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Surviving the Game as a Barbarian",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":18,"prevChapterSlug":19,"totalChapters":20,"novelImage":21},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":9,"created_at":14,"updated_at":14,"volume":15,"translator":16,"content_hash":17},1327994,1764,"Chapter 617: Homunculus (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-617",617,"\u003Cp>“Here, here we are......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kaislan, are you coming to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who regained consciousness still looked dazed as if dreaming, but after I slapped his cheek once, he fully woke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahhh......!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, this works instantly in many ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel......! I’m glad you’re safe!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it was touching to see him relieved as soon as he regained consciousness and saw me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re the commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, commander. I’m glad you’re safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you stand up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging a bit of banter, I helped Kaislan up. Then I shared all the information we’d gathered so far and asked if he had any new details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I don’t really know. Unlike Miss Raven, I can’t remember anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you usually forget what happened after drinking?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Not really. I’m not one to like drinking that much anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, it seems memory differences vary from person to person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it might also be due to distance. When everything happened, Lord Kaislan was near the temple where the main force was, unlike me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, maybe that really is the reason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since everything is still just a hypothesis, we need more samples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So from then on, we kept guarding the rail like gatekeepers, waking comrades as soon as they appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to that, we learned something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm... You vaguely remember, huh? You must have been near the temple then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Memory seemed unrelated to distance, just an individual difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, some people vividly remember their dreams, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For reference, I’m not good at remembering dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what the others say, I grind my teeth and talk in my sleep, but when I wake up, I don’t remember anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Are you talking about that prison where we were?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well... I can’t really remember. Sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, even those who remembered faintly didn’t know where exactly they had been imprisoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At this rate, it should be safe even without me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After rescuing over ten people and gaining minimal forces, I told my comrades I planned to explore alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, wouldn’t it be better to wait a little and move together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaislan expressed concern, but I couldn’t waste any more time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I didn’t show it, my insides were burning black even at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, they said the scout leader who went ahead might be fine—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Possibility, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean, I don’t want to just wait here and hope they’ll be safe like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I misspoke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. Take good care of this place while I’m gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relaxing his expression, I smiled and tapped his shoulder; Kaislan chuckled and saluted me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I obey your orders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geez, maybe that’s how soldiers are?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it looks like a joke, the posture is sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Raven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When more troops gather, investigate the surroundings as far as possible. Ah, but don’t force it if conditions don’t allow...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft, got it. I know what you mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, I had to say it. Your safety is priority over some investigation. Understood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. So go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phew, I said it clearly, so they wouldn’t overdo it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exchanging a knowing glance with the reliable Kaislan, I left this damn factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every second counts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even thinking that, I never rushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering the Korean saying “The more urgent, the more detour,” I started by understanding the building’s layout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The factory runs at the very bottom, and there are four staircases leading down here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there are other routes besides the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This building has hundreds of rails whose origin is unknown, and all connect to the factory’s rails underground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I thought about backtracking the rails one by one...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No, this won’t work.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the rails branch off dozens of times during backtracking, I gave up. Searching the whole building would be more efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I started from the underground factory and mapped each floor as I went up...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Nothing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite completing 100% of the map, I couldn’t find the room where my comrades were trapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn’t despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It probably doesn’t really not exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s more likely a hidden room not on the map, and such a room can’t be found by simple means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Should I go inside the rails and backtrack one by one?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought crossed my mind but I shook my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t think I could find a deliberately hidden room this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So now, there was only one thing left to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hamsik, do you remember anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...If I do, I’ll tell you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, I need to find the hidden piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like when we got that strange iron card by tearing off a stair tile based on Hamsik’s memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I search thoroughly, surely something will catch my eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There must be a way to use this card somewhere.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While wandering the whole building again, inspecting carefully, someone suddenly tapped my shoulder from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally found you, Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled since I didn’t feel anyone’s presence, I turned and saw an unexpected person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Amelia?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether inside or outside, I told you to call me Emily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her calm words drained the strength from my body for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she’s alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened? Your body? Are you okay? Did you also turn into that magic stone—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calm down. I’ll explain everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I settled down and started listening, Amelia recounted everything that had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unlike the others, I was able to regain consciousness midway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? How?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I don’t really know either. Maybe one of my essences resisted this kind of attack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know more about Amelia than Amelia herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia doesn’t have mental resistance essences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if I had to pick a candidate...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s most likely thanks to Twin Hydra’s [Dual Dominion].”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Dual Dominion] is a passive skill splitting the ego into two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the game, when linked with skills like [Self Replication], the target gets a higher AI level and skill performance boosts...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe it had some other unknown effect.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Dungeon and Stone, that sometimes happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? This skill blocks that skill?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were advanced details you couldn’t predict just by reading the description—you had to experience them firsthand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, that’s not important now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I continue?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, yes. Go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she regained consciousness, Amelia was on the rails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was moving somewhere, backtracked the rails to escape, and searched the building alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, she found the underground factory...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Luckily, a few people had already regained consciousness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was after I woke Raven and Kaislan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after getting briefed, she followed me to find me...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My tension relaxed again and my legs weakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supporting her by the shoulder, I said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m really glad. You’re safe...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia just looked up at me silently without replying, and I slowly removed my hand from her shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, tried to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her soft hand gently covered mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small and fragile but with deeply calloused skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap, tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She patted my hand soothingly and then firmly gripped it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One second, two seconds, three seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short time passed, and my mind cleared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something about this felt strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This felt like a couple getting along well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the incident with Misha, I had resolved to treat comrades strictly as comrades, so this vibe was uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I quickly pulled my hand back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is she... fine with this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia’s expression didn’t change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just kept looking at me like that, then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She punched me hard in the stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why the hell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More shocked by the sudden attack than by pain, I dared not argue when she said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you to wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You rushed inside ignoring me completely. This is your punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She really can’t let debts go unpaid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm... Anyway, I’m glad! Glad! I was so worried you might have turned into that magic stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changing the subject, Amelia seemed to think it wasn’t the time to nag, so she spoke immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard about the magic stone. It’s a very strange place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Yeah, it is. Hey, you said you searched the building too? Did you find anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did. About three things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Really three?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hurriedly urged her to tell me, and Amelia chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One is the exit door. It felt different from a portal, but going through it leads outside the temple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the place I came in looking for you all. So the second?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The second is this staircase area. There was a small groove, and when I looked inside the wall, there was an empty space. Big enough to hide a small item, but unfortunately, nothing was inside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how did she find that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hamsik told me to look for it, but she just noticed it passing by?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s with that look? Do you know something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do. I found that before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I showed Amelia the item I found inside the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed... that must have been it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, Amelia looked convinced as soon as she saw the card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be you know what it’s for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not sure yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Tell me quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s related to the third thing I was going to mention. I found a hidden door but couldn’t open it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think this is the key?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If my guess is right. There was a groove beside the hidden door, and this fits perfectly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arguing about whether it’s the key is meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just have to try it myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where is it? Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The top floor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Amelia, we arrived at the empty hall on the building’s top floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been here before while making the map, but found nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This seam on the wall looks unnatural here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia kindly took me to the wall and explained, but I still didn’t get it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where exactly is unnatural here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When hiding secret doors, they arrange seams like this. It’s rare to see seams so visible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More importantly, there’s a groove here, right? Seeing this convinced me there’s a door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, on the wall was a small slit just big enough to fit this card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t noticed it when searching alone, and even if I saw it, it was thin enough to ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So... insert it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia nodded slightly at my cautious question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging a ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) glance, I immediately slid the card into the slit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like inserting a card into a vending machine, something caught at the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, nothing’s—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Step back, Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dr-r-r-r-rrr-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief pause, the wall indented and revealed a secret passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It really was there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exchanging a glance with Amelia, we cautiously stepped into the passage.\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-06-05T19:33:18.084Z",1,"novelbin.me","d517ee67a4f29560f0fba6d80c68b4404e41c2e333ed4266e79ad598165f2040","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-618","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-616",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]