[{"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-627":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},1328004,1764,"Chapter 627: District 7 (5)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-627",627,"\u003Cp>The corpse collector, Abet Nekraphyto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A member of the elite criminal group Orculis, and once one of the vanished members of the Round Table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wasn’t the only familiar face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the Witch of Agony...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dark sorceress, Rilanne Vivian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s the death knight in blood-red armor... that author is precisely—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood knight notorious for killing the royal knight commander long ago and fleeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only the ones who fought fiercely on the Dark Continent but also mid-level criminals known only by reputation appeared here and there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, and of course, there were also several completely unknown figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite my research and study of the Orculis members, there were still many unidentified people I couldn’t place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...New recruits?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the feeling I got, though they didn’t seem easy to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, in fact, they probably weren’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noark had monopolized the 8th floor and invested heavily in raising the next generation. I knew well their power, having even directly faced some of them during the Ice Rock expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only relief was that the squad leader with a complicated essence wasn’t here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment we faced them, a deadly gleam flashed in Elwen’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, seeing that made me a bit worried about any sudden actions...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s okay. Don’t worry about me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She calmed me down with a composed voice as the killing intent faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe much time had passed since that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe the many events that transpired in the elapsed time allowed her to control those emotions more skillfully now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if not today... someday I’ll kill them all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her feelings hadn’t faded entirely, it seemed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was a good thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, I wasn’t much different from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though to the royal family, I was more detestable and looked worse, but in terms of hatred, I wasn’t comparable to these guys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dragon Slayer, Regal Bagos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a member of that very Orculis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the tense standoff grew heavier, I stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look at the numbers that have gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, so...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, have you already given up? That’d be boring... Hey? How about saying something—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cut off the boastful fellow and opened my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long time no see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft, that proud mouth finally opens—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Toy collector.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I wanted to recklessly charge just like I caught the lighthouse keeper on the Dark Continent before, but right now there were too many restrictions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our goal now was escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was determined to run, it’d take ages just to get close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...I need to get a transport device soon.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So teaching him a lesson was postponed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well then, toy collector! Not bad! After I kill you, I’ll treat you like a toy for sure!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to hype himself up as if my personal attack didn’t affect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha, just because of that you won’t grow up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about getting new essences yourself? If you search well, there should be essences that only enlarge specific parts—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop teasing this friend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I was about to press the attack, a man interrupted the conversation. That proud jester was unusually silent, suggesting he held a high rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Who is he?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While pondering, Amelia, standing behind me, whispered briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Roland Banossant. The vice leader of Orculis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His appearance was ordinary enough that I hadn’t recognized him immediately, but he was quite famous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana master, Roland Banossant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten years ago, he killed the previous vice leader in one strike and took his position—a top-tier esper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? He killed the previous vice leader?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. The previous vice leader was found to be collaborating with the royal family, and this guy took him out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I see...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, that eased some of my worries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the vice leader was in the 7th District, the leader must be in the 13th.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No chance we’d meet the leader today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that didn’t mean the vice leader was easy to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, it’s better if you avoid talking to him—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a magical aura flowed between me and the vice leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“———!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia said something beside me, but I couldn’t hear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not a noise control spell...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Must be a skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gestured to [N O V E L I G H T] Amelia that it was fine, then fixed my gaze on the vice leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My introduction seems to have been made by that lady, so I’ll keep it brief. Yandel’s son, Bjorn. I have a proposal for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A proposal...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I decided to listen, and the vice leader immediately got to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A storm that will engulf everything is coming soon. And a leaky ship can never withstand that storm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you talking about the royal family being the leaky ship?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. Otherwise, how could we be here like this? Abandon the leaky ship and join us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vice leader’s offer was somewhat disappointing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too obvious, perhaps?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was curious why he was even stopping my speech to make such a proposal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Can I have some time to think about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my request, he chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That means refusal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, why does it have to be that? I only asked for time to think.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re a person of interest to us. We’ve done extensive research on you. Saying you’ll think about it just means you’re stalling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was momentarily stunned, speechless, but thinking back, it wasn’t impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like baseball players analyzing pitchers’ habits...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were analyzing my usual habits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But precisely because of that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Research? Not really.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you had researched properly, you’d already know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know what my answer will be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite my sarcastic remark, the vice leader showed no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just asked again with the same tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what’s the answer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Refusal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? Just felt like it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want to talk about myself, so I gave a vague answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But maybe he noticed something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you cherish your comrades like life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Riol Worb Dwalke. His death had a big impact on you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was this madman trying to say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the one who killed him was the Dragon Slayer, and that was a unilateral act. And it’s said that he died clashing with the Rose Knights while chasing you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sounded almost like mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, maybe you don’t know? This is secret even inside the royal family...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In some ways, it sounded like persuasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Apparently you were just busy running away back then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded like a threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But... aren’t you curious why the Rose Knights were there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much did this guy know to say something like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I couldn’t tell whether he meant to persuade or threaten, I found it hard to read his true intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s testing how much I know.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to keep a poker face, the skill ended and everyday noise returned to my ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at the same time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re smarter than other barbarians. You’ll surely find out the answer someday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vice leader said aloud for all to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So today, I’ll let you pass.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did I realize why he had requested this talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to persuade me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in a very forceful way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let you go as is. We have no intention to stop you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy was completely different from anyone I’d met before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ha, I should have just charged him on sight.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The poison had been poured into the well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterwards, the vice leader gave some orders, and miraculously, a path opened all the way to the city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if that wasn’t enough—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you still feel uneasy, we’ll just disappear far away to another place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even offered to vanish completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, I couldn’t understand what was happening, but calmly putting it together, I realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of conversation did the baron have...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They spoke briefly and then opened the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Are they planning to deceive and ambush us later?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But they even said they’d disappear altogether.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were truly screwed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like some diplomat in Goryeo who stopped an army with a few words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy also trapped me with a few words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You’re smarter than other barbarians. You’ll surely find out the answer someday.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even that ominous phrase left loud enough for everyone to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we cross the walls today without anyone bleeding, the biggest loser will be me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The royal family will suspect me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People will suspect me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ll think there was some deal for the Noark faction to just let us pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until now, as a noble, I couldn’t investigate without cause, but this time there will definitely be a high-level inquiry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For me and my comrades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if that happens?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s over.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vivid image of that ending squeezed my heart tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vice leader probably didn’t know whether I was aware of the Rose Knights’ existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he tried to check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If my knowledge leaked during the investigation, the royal family would take care of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I didn’t know, I’d become hostile to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, no good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What should I do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I give a blind charge order right now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While contemplating, the guy smiled and said to me,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You seem to have difficulty deciding with so many eyes watching. Then we’ll be on our way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still with that smirk to the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stopped him and quickly sorted out my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was one contradiction in his plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood that they could gain from just letting us break through the walls...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But to go this far just for that...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I still don’t get it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why give up the 7th District so easily?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was I really that valuable to them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What expectations did they have for me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like lightning, a possibility struck my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t because I was valuable, but rather the opposite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, maybe it wasn’t me who was valuable, but simply that this 7th District wasn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, so...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘These bastards never cared about the 7th District from the start.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I accept that premise, it makes sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could their real goal have been the 13th District?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know for sure, but my intuition says it’s probably no different from the 7th.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So there’s only one remaining candidate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How long do you plan to hesitate—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Viphron.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, that’s the right answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now I know what to do next.\u003C\u002Fp>",1751,"2026-06-05T19:33:18.084Z",1,"novelbin.me","14d4f67aeb9385425d7b8a22109af8ee8cc42035ed3e43ce5be3c8ba2a44400d","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-628","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-626",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]