[{"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-629":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},1328006,1764,"Chapter 629: Abandoned City (2)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-629",629,"\u003Cp>Originally classified as part of the city area of ‘Lavigion,’ it has now been designated a no-entry zone, and even the dimensional plaza there has disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this place was once considered as a possible escape route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once we crossed into Viphron, going from Viphron to District 4 was one option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there’s an active protective magic circle in Viphron, so crossing the walls by normal means is impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not a problem. Using a secret passage in the sewers, we can enter inside even with the magic circle active.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s something like that...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I was exiled for twenty days once, and happened to find out about it then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Incidentally, it was Amelia who told me about that passage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! That time! I remember now! I was really worried back then...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, despite knowing a way to Viphron, this route was ultimately not chosen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sewers were crawling with troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it was judged better to target the city walls instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we were to break through the sewers, it would be more rational to head straight into the city without passing through Viphron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above all, there were problems with Viphron itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vip-Viphron, you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Going there feels too unsettling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We don’t even have an antidote right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To carry out the escape plan, troops were needed, but most explorers found Viphron extremely uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, even I would probably feel that way if asked to enter a radioactive area without protective gear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...It’s not like there’s no witch’s poison here either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I knew outside the walls was fine, as a noble I couldn’t say that to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a clear difference between rumors spreading and an official noble stating it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Well, come to think of it, it’s probably not entirely untrue.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside is fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Viphron, people get sick and die every day from the witch’s poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So how did this happen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The royal family must be poisoning or spraying it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those reasons, the simple plan to go through Viphron was withdrawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now the situation was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Behel—laaaaaaaaaaah!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouting battle cries, we dashed through the sewers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The low ceiling prevented using [Giant Form], so we couldn’t go all out, but it didn’t bother us much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terrain affected the enemies just the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraaaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t use destructive magic or psychic powers fearing the collapsed terrain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, it wasn’t an open area, so we didn’t need to block dozens of attacks at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a shield barbarian with some level of training, it was quite manageable...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it felt a bit unfair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They said they wouldn’t stop us going to Viphron.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that promise only for the troops stationed at the walls? Or did the communication between them fail, and the message never got through?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know, but the troops in the sewers relentlessly attacked us as soon as we descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“D-Don’t stop us, just back off! Keep your distance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took it upon myself to clear the way to the secret passage, but losses still occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was similar to the crystal cave on the 1st floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sewer’s labyrinthine tunnels were like ant nests, with attacks from flanks and rear, causing casualties among those following.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current members weren’t elite single fighters like during Ice Rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lower-level explorers operating below the 3rd floor had almost no chance of surviving such large-scale combat on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt like smoking a cigarette, though I never did in life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...How many have died?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There can be no sacrifice-free path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) how brutal this world is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though knowing this better than anyone, decisions like this always weigh heavy on the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s all the fault of the Noark bastards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bear no blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I can’t help but think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...If I had just climbed the walls when the way was open, some people might not have had to die.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I don’t regret my decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just feel I must live harder from now on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I were a bigger person, I wouldn’t have had to give up anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, so...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed forward with my shield against my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was something I’d repeated many times through countless hardships, this time it felt different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it too easy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What is this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fall back! Fall back...!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Aegis’s barrier, there was no way to stop me in the narrow corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the moment the guard succeeds, a barbarian rushing in with no damage taken is unstoppable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel! Stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only ended my sprint after hearing Amelia’s shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t realized it while bursting through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reaching the secret passage entrance leading to Viphron, it got much easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no troops waiting in the passage, and no pursuers followed, as if they gave up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to that, we slowed down and moved more comfortably...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s the damage so far?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard the report from Versil, who managed personnel overall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even Versil didn’t know the exact numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like most casualties are among explorers below rank 7. We tried to assign them safer places, but...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, thanks to Yandel opening the way, the damage was limited to this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just from the estimated figures, a bitter feeling welled up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should be numb to this by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it’s menopause, but I increasingly don’t see these numbers as mere numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Yandel, what are you thinking?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, after moving along the secret passage for a while, we reached the sewer area of Viphron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as we entered the sewer area, we met unfamiliar figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, they weren’t Noark troops...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“B-Boss?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, they were people I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss? You don’t mean—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately reached out, grabbed a head of hair, and pulled off a wig to reveal a man with a familiar jellyfish cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Jingjing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes! It’s me! Jingkasar Peljain! Your faithful right hand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right hand or not, I didn’t know his real name well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the one who tended to me when I stayed in Viphron years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was good to see him, it was still...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what have you been doing here alone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well... the atmosphere felt bad. I was looking for a way to escape Viphron.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, he knew about the secret passage thanks to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I told him to stay ready and live properly, but he hadn’t come until now due to busy circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, now that things had happened, he was looking for a way out alone...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Left your subordinates behind and came alone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned in disdain, and Jingjing hurriedly defended himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no way! I’ve changed a lot since then!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, really?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did seem sharper than before...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What would I do surviving alone? I don’t have much time left... I was planning to find the passage, get out, and check on things!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, so that’s how you’ve changed...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What? So what’s changed...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it. I have some questions, so answer them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting a local in the sewers, I quickly checked the city situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe the Noark bastards had invaded this area already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Noark... you mean? Ah, is this whole chaos caused by them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jingjing didn’t even realize the current situation was due to Noark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The royal family hadn’t told him anything?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well... suddenly there was a commotion; soldiers locked the checkpoint doors and told us to wait, then no contact. But we heard sounds of fighting near the walls... The residents were very anxious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for Viphron, that was harsh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s war, but could they not at least say it was war?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s why you said you were going out to get news, not escape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes... I didn’t know it was so bad outside. No-Noark invaded? How serious is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The 7th and 13th districts were taken by them. We barely escaped the 7th.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-That...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jingjing’s mouth dropped at the news of two districts falling, but there was no time to wait for him to recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Follow me for now. We’ll talk on the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While moving, Jingjing told me what he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From any suspicious newcomers to how the city had changed since I left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Viphron, you say...? Ah! Following your orders, all supplies entering the distribution center are shared equally. No difference between adults or children.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The atmosphere has changed a lot too. If there are leftover goods at the distribution center, everyone asks the guards to exchange them for books...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exchange for books?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes... Even if not books, they teach children whatever skills they have without holding back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...At least the children should be able to live in the city. As for us, there’s not much time left...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At those words, I stopped and looked at Jingjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What’s your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ji-Jingkasar Peljain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jingkasar Peljain. You’ve changed a lot too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flinched slightly at having his name called for the first time and gave a self-deprecating smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many years has it been...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes... Even the boss has changed. You recently became a baron... Ah, here! This leads directly to the plaza!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exiting to the surface via a shortcut the local knew, Viphron appeared familiar yet somehow strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...This place changed a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Much cleaner, perhaps?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closed dimensional plaza here used to be a ruin when I last came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s thanks to everyone’s hard work...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jingjing said, but it was clear he had worked the hardest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Peljain-nim!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow! It’s Peljain-ssi!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle!! ...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children playing in the plaza greeted Jingjing warmly as soon as they saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That lasted until they noticed me and the hundreds of explorers from the 7th district behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be afraid! This is Bjorn, son of Yandel, the giant baron!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Waaah, really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The giant baron! The giant baron!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Waaaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, hearing my name excited the children even more, and they ran up to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>City children liked both ‘big things’ and ‘explorers.’ Wherever I went after gaining fame, I received such attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Giant Baron! Thank you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think that was the first time I’d heard such words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing my mumble, Jingjing looked awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told the children a lot about you, boss. That you’re the hero who saved the city...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You did something pointless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Children need hope. Besides, it’s not a lie, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Viphron changed like this because of you, boss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Ahem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s changed, but now just flatters a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t like this before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All units, halt!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having arrived at our destination, I began reorganizing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wounded were laid in the plaza to be treated by the clergy, and those able were asked to investigate the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Peljain, you come with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took only Jingjing with me toward the checkpoint in District 4.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it wasn’t occupied like the 7th or 13th, I thought we might contact the city through here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...No one’s here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No response even when shouting and pounding the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even revealing my name and identity, no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This checkpoint has long been closed...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know it’s closed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why is it like this...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the situation, I supposed no one was stationed here normally, but under these circumstances, it would be strange if it was completely unmanned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hoo...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was quite troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d expected to get out safely to the city or make contact via this checkpoint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all such hopes were dashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There are so many parts I just don’t understand.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did the royal family simply neglect this area?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I were commander, I’d have activated this checkpoint and deployed troops to Viphron, extending the front line around the 7th and 13th districts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...And what about those Noark bastards?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t station troops in Viphron at all despite holding the 7th district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s as if the royal family was confident no attack would come from that direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the more questions grew, one thing became certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viphron hid a secret I did not know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, so...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap, tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s time to find out what it is.\u003C\u002Fp>",2018,"2026-06-05T19:33:18.084Z",1,"novelbin.me","34e610ade379c59640824d5dd19e9000bd3d0e573f5f5f06a4cd535e06590d73","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-630","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-628",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]