[{"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-657":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},1328034,1764,"Chapter 657: The Outsider (1)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-657",657,"\u003Cp>From the previous time travel experience, I felt it deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing an unchangeable future is close to a curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So... does that mean something will happen a year from now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Something will happen. A very interesting and big event.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, there is a positive side to think about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assuming Ibaekho’s words are true, it means we can spend the next year without trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not going to tell me what kind of event it is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro, if you knew in advance, it wouldn’t be an event.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then at least tell me this. When that event happens, will District 7 get wrecked again...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I don’t think so...? The event I’m talking about isn’t that kind of thing...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a relief to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially important to me since I planned to expand my real estate business greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But... if it’s not that kind, then what exactly is it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I silently thought this over, Ibaekho made an ‘oops’ expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, did I give too many hints?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too many hints? Not at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t get a single clue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, I guess we’re done talking now, right...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not done?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I tilted my head, Ibaekho disappeared right in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Poof.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha... I really need to get stronger faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days after visiting the marquis’s house, the reconstruction work in District 7 officially began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our tribe’s proud labor warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adult men from Viphron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And construction experts sent by various noble families belonging to Melbes, led by Count Goldbeard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone united to start demolition work, and construction began immediately where demolition finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With tens of thousands of workers involved, the work progressed very quickly — faster than modern construction sites, it seemed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kwaaaaaaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though there was no heavy machinery, magic existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, they weren’t building complicated high-rise buildings from complicated designs, and most importantly, the workers themselves had incomparable capabilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait! If you put it like that, isn’t there a risk of back injury—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It’s amazing no matter how I look. Is it not even heavy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This kind of work doesn’t count as exercise!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They completed the processes that usually require equipment using bare hands, so there was no reason to lag behind modern construction in speed...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the Baron Tailan offered a bit more money, they said they would sell the entire 7-2 commercial district.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sell the whole commercial district? Buy it immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While continuing the construction work, I bought land in District 7 cheaply from nobles introduced by the elder broker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“7-2 commercial district? That was scheduled to be worked on much later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The plan changed. It’s by Baron Yandel’s order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, once land was bought, demolition and reconstruction began immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have to build houses quickly to find tenants who will rent them and use that money to buy more land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This will be the house I stay in for two years...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s small but has everything!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Being next to Viphron is uneasy, but there’s no choice. House prices in other districts are too high...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contrary to my inner anxiety, finding tenants for lease was not difficult. The apartments were divided into studios, with dozens living in one building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the burden was low...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, loan approval from the bank at low interest rates and the housing funds provided by the royal family to existing District 7 residents were good news for the business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At this population density, my judgment is that opening a shop won’t fail.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, as more residents moved in, merchants began showing interest, creating a virtuous cycle and steadily expanding the business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there were still some problems along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahem... sorry, but forget about selling like you said before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As District 7 rapidly normalized, many nobles who planned to sell their land withdrew their intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excuse me, Baron...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I’m really busy, so why do you keep coming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wanted to ask why construction isn’t happening on our family’s land—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush. Can’t you see everyone is working hard?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Isn’t that the problem? The surroundings are already built up, so why is our land still barren? We’ve even submitted the blueprints; all we have to do is build—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I said to wait. Who said it wouldn’t happen? It will be done when the time comes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Note that each family is completely blocked from hiring separate workers to build.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reconstruction of District 7 must proceed through our Baron Yandel’s family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. I will sell...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many families surrendered, unable to withstand my blatant scheming, but it’s also true many resisted to the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They can start construction last...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One month, two months, three months...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time flew by, business got on track, and I had fewer things to worry about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So from then on, I focused more on other matters than the business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making money is good, but it’s meaningless if you lose sight of what matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally, we became one family. Welcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew... I didn’t think it would take this long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>James Carla, deputy leader of the Gear-Tooth Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paladin Sven Parab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noble officer Meland Kaislan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lilith Marone from the Mage Corps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all left their former groups and officially joined the former Ice Rock expedition members, now fully civilians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will Akuraba-san join us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not sure yet. I contacted her wanting to meet, but no reply.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seems similar to Lavien.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Not an easy decision. Much time has passed since that day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I still don’t understand! I still can’t sleep properly because of that incident...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“P-please calm down, Miss Marone... They all have their reasons, I suppose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I think it’s more a matter of temperament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While there’s someone like Lilith Marone, others think it’s better to forget and move on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realistically, that’s more comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So... we joined because we were told to, but what do we actually do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest, I wondered that too. Now that the labyrinth is closed, what can we do by gathering like this...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be... the labyrinth will open again soon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head at the new members’ question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I haven’t heard the labyrinth will open. But there is other news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“News?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There will be a big tournament at the festival held ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ in the 13th month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was high-level information I managed to get in advance using my noble connections, and not many knew it yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A tournament? What kind of tournament do you mean...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Details may change, but for now, they said they will gather all clans to compete. Our primary goal is to win that tournament.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Ah! I heard such a tournament was held a few times before!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I don’t understand why they hold it at a time like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On the contrary, that’s why. The royal family always wants to blind the people’s eyes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um... but if that’s the primary goal... does that mean there’s another goal...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Sven Parab showing more interest in this than the tournament, I smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course there is. It’s still secret though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t make that face. It’s just at the thinking stage. When it becomes more concrete, I’ll tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mentioning the existence of a second goal was enough for now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Follow me! Everyone’s waiting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, I took the new members inside and started the welcoming ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The existing and new members mixed and sat drinking and eating, naturally building camaraderie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kalstein, your face looks much better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, really...? I don’t know...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You definitely look better. You seemed hard to approach on the 1st basement floor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha... Was that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the goblins and Kaislan who stayed on the 1st basement floor, everyone was already acquainted, but there were also some new faces today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“James Carla! Nice to meet you!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... likewise. I’ve heard a lot about you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You shoot arrows, right? Try shooting me once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-well... you said that now...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You become friends through fighting!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>James Carla and Lilith Marone, who didn’t participate in the 1st basement expedition, were meeting Ainard, Misha, and Auyen for the first time today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marone, say hello. This is Misha Kalstein. This is our navigator Auyen Rockrove.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, yes... nice to meet both of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without overstepping, they introduced themselves briefly and moved aside; the three who understood the intention naturally continued their conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, until Ainard’s eyes caught sight of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! What are you three talking about!? Let us join!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, right! Do you want to watch too? He said he’s going to shoot an arrow at me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I didn’t say that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone seemed drained by Ainard, but I did not intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in these situations, having one extrovert makes the atmosphere smoother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, come here for a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While watching the spot where Ainard was from afar, Amelia approached silently and led me to a secluded corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have something to tell you about what you asked.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately lowered my voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, did you find out...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know if it’s true, but I did get some income.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I was a little surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I asked, I didn’t expect to bring back results so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if it’s completely wrong, just tell me quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my urging, Amelia told me what she had learned so far, and I listened silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much time passed, I don’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing her explanation, Amelia asked me with worried eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you really going to do it...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she accepted the request and found a method, her voice sounded reluctant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t there no other way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noark bastards hide too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The royal family hides even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibaekho and the jester keep crucial information tightly hidden, so there’s no reliable info.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So... does that mean something will happen a year from now?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes. Something will happen. A very interesting and big event.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something is brewing beneath the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And given my personality, I can’t just sit still and watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not a choice befitting an explorer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emily, don’t worry too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eventually, the time has just come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it’s time to explore beyond the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>",1676,"2026-06-05T19:33:18.642Z",1,"novelbin.me","bd317fe6681ac46ce32453d45abafc7d77ae86d7eb3f44693fbf7135c8f23ace","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-658","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-656",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]