[{"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-686":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},1328063,1764,"Chapter 686: Butterfly (6)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-686",686,"\u003Cp>“The fact that it’s an evil spirit is true, but I have no memories of that other world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I heard that, the famous saying about drinking but not driving came to mind. Why is that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, it sounded ridiculous, but after a moment, a lightning bolt struck inside my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be... that you were resurrected by the Resurrection Stone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that were the case, it would explain everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the Resurrection Stone requires several conditions, but the biggest penalty is, of course, the ‘erasure of memories.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve even experienced this myself—I revived a comrade only for the intimacy level to drop to zero, causing them to leave the team and the Resurrection Stone to go to waste—.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Resurrection Stone...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what’s with that reaction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know what you mean by that, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the Resurrection Stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why don’t you have any memories?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaina’s hands clenched tightly when I asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I... previously sacrificed all my memories of that world to Karui. That’s why I have no memories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, I see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was dead certain it was because of the Resurrection Stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a bit embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...So you can sacrifice memories too, huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking back to when I played as Karui’s priest, it’s not completely impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time all attempts failed and we neared ‘game over,’ he inevitably made a proposal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said he would save you in exchange for a price...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That price was always random, with many different options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like dropping intimacy with all characters to zero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking one of your held essences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Permanent physical defects, or even demanding the life of another companion NPC.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The worst was when the price was to return to the city and become a wanted criminal.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deal with Karui is absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the payment is ‘postpaid,’ failing to keep promises results in divine punishment and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, that’s not the main point...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must have been in a really desperate situation to sacrifice your memories, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I muttered briefly, and Jaina made a mysterious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes... probably. Maybe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, that sounds like she’s just brushing it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I debated whether to press further, but surprisingly, she spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That day, I paid the price twice. Once to move us all to a safe place... At that time, I lost my memories of the original world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The other time was... to save a dying person. But in exchange, I lost all memories of ‘that person.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Was that person precious to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not sure, but surely they were. To pay such a price, they must have been.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened to that person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s nothing to happen. They died in the labyrinth not long after.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) have to take it so seriously. Even though they died right in front of me, I didn’t feel much of anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Jaina’s calm voice, it hit me strongly why the people of this world call Karui an evil god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how did you end up traveling with Ibaekho? Are you trying to return to the original world?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I’m not interested in that world. I don’t remember anything about it anyway. For me, this side is reality, and that side is like a dream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The circumstances were quite different, but in some ways, it was very similar to my case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, I only intended to get information, but I gradually grew curious about Jaina’s story itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s only one reason why I travel with Ibaekho.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To regain my lost memories, I have to offer a huge amount of sacrifices.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Jaina said, it’s not impossible to reclaim the prices paid to Karui in [Dungeon and Stone].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Permanent physical defects can also be restored, if the sacrifice is sufficient in Karui’s judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I travel with Ibaekho because it’s easier to obtain high-quality sacrifices that way. There’s no other reason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phew, I didn’t expect this kind of situation...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she said she has no interest in memories from the modern world, it’s clear which memories she wants to reclaim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there’s one question I still have.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Why do you want to recover your memories so badly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She no longer remembers ‘that person.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said clearly she felt no emotion when they died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then why is she going this far?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just... it feels suffocating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaina’s answer was very simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When that person died that day, I couldn’t understand a single word or expression they gave me. That was so frustrating and annoying... Why? Is that strange?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...No, not at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, Jaina’s detection spell sensed a monster nearby, ending the conversation. We didn’t talk about related topics anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, the conversation kept swirling in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘An evil spirit that lost its memories...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world really holds all sorts of stories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraaaaaaang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting aside the periodic meteor showers characteristic of the ‘Star Grave,’ the ancient land’s climate changes every time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it’s always harsh and cruel to humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah... hah...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time it was a heatwave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I’m not sure ‘heatwave’ even properly describes it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fffft!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke started to rise from the raw flesh of creatures that couldn’t withstand the heat, and in severe cases, they caught fire and blazed up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, thanks to the Flame Orb’s fire resistance, we didn’t get burns or sustained damage, but the heat was unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only we had a mage to turn on the air conditioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...We’re surrounded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What should we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Running away at our speed is impossible, so we have no choice but to fight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite trying to avoid battles with monsters while moving, we inevitably had to fight sometimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tank and a priest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the best combination for hunting monsters, but somehow, it worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Jaina Flier casts [Rotten Wind].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「It deals continuous dark attribute damage within range and lowers physical resistance.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaina wasn’t a typical priest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character uses [Swing].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not exactly a normal tank either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We could handle monsters up to grade 4 between the two of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, slowly, but still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s Bartanus!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get on my back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, when monsters above grade 3 appeared, we hurriedly fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a priest-tank combo, fighting for hours wouldn’t be impossible, but that’s only one-on-one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s no point in spending hours to kill one monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suddenly stopped while leading the way. Jaina asked anxiously why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of answering, I pointed with my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A roughly torn cloth was hanging on a tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Signs of humans we hadn’t noticed on our previous pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached out and unfolded the tied cloth. There was writing inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If you see this... ..., ......to the monument.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle was blackened and burnt by the heatwave, making it unreadable, but it was easy to understand what it meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They want us to go to the monument in the center of the ancient forest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibaekho, the Old Doom Grandpa, the archer, the GM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed one of the four left this message on the path to the central monument...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why four people...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think Aures left this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I get it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, if we go to the central monument, we can meet one more person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good news at last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because except for Aures, the other three are all dealers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever is there among the four completes a damage, tank, and heal combo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then our safety and movement speed will greatly improve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s move quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worried about possibly missing each other’s path, I moved as fast as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hour, two hours, three hours...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We pressed on without even a short break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a familiar man’s voice came from the empty air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...My lord, the Baron?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, I was startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost swung my hammer without thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Havelion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked toward where the voice came from, and the GM appeared as if the invisibility spell was lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, we met a companion even before reaching the destination...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baaaron!!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lightly sidestepped the clingy GM and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you hang the cloth on the tree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, no. I found it recently and was following it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, so that’s how it is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Things are somehow falling into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This means someone else who hung the cloth is waiting at the monument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the number of people went from two to four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened to the Baron—.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re almost there; let’s talk when we arrive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was curious about GM’s situation, but since the distance was short, I focused on moving with heightened senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About thirty minutes later...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We pushed through the bushes and saw the familiar monument buried in a crater in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was that always here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place where only the monument should have been had a strange structure that was hard to identify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like the door of a temple entrance had been removed and placed on bare ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a staircase going down, but it was too dark inside to see clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The letters there are red... That wasn’t like this before, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes! From my investigation, I’m certain. This phenomenon didn’t exist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The top line of the monument, which had undecipherable hieroglyphs, was glowing red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What on earth was happening?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was confused, but the biggest question was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...So why is no one here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We followed the message on the cloth to this place, but the person who was supposed to be waiting wasn’t here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s wait a bit. Maybe they went to hang more cloth nearby.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes... I’ll investigate the monument. I’m detecting magical flows different from before...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll check that structure. It feels very familiar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Familiar feeling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s hard to explain in words, but just think of it as an aura related to an ancient existence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While two of them started investigating, I kept watch and observed their progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why isn’t anyone coming?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three whole days of waiting here, I started to think this was pointless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Luckily, it’s not too late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Old Doom Grandpa appeared leisurely from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to believe a mage had been wandering the ninth floor alone for over three days looking this intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...So he’s somewhat experienced at soloing as a mage?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was amazing, but before talking about his skills, I had to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you hang the cloth?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Cloth?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He acted like he didn’t know anything about it. When I told him about the cloth on the tree, the Old Doom Grandpa said he never saw anything like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just came here thinking someone might show up at the center.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you don’t know who hung the cloth either?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I think Ibaekho did it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you be sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aures wouldn’t have done it, so there’s only one person left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? But couldn’t it have been Briot who left it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the GM asked with a puzzled look, the Old Doom Grandpa said firmly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Briot is dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1838,"2026-06-05T19:33:18.642Z",1,"novelbin.me","a16637d5552d353c886d9f951a7194973a33b10817f97dee6526ff60af06d75e","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-687","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-685",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]