[{"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-706":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},1327933,1764,"Chapter 706: Summoning Order (1)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-706",706,"\u003Cp>Taking the portal back to the Noirark underground fortress, my first impression was how quiet it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for the heavy breathing of the members, still tense from the recent urgent situation, the surroundings were eerily silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a single rat was to be seen anywhere, let alone the royal army who were supposedly occupying the fortress plaza.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it was a bit unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before taking the portal, Sven Parav, who is basically a human fate tracker, was making a big fuss, so I half-worried something would explode the moment we arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... ugh... ah......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, he’s still like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Snap out of it, Sven Parav.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped closer and tried talking, but his body trembled like a leaf with no sign of stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, I was watching, wondering what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Are you okay? Parav, try to pull yourself together. Okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lilis Marone, a military mage who joined our clan after the Ice Rock expedition, approached carefully and took his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whatever it is, you’ll be fine. Don’t be scared. I’ll protect you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To me, that looked like a wasted effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way he’d snap out of it just because of that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, ah... Ma, Marone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, uh... Ma, Ma, Marone? Please, let go of my ha-hand first...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Is that actually working?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s the difference between me and her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! Sorry... Parav looked cold...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, no! No need to apologize. I, I’m the one who should apologize...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marone jumped back in surprise and a strange silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What on earth is going on with these two?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are they like Rotmiller and Shavin Emur—some sort of romantic tension?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm... judging by Marone, probably not...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relationships between men and women are complicated anyway, and honestly, it’s not important what their relationship is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What matters is he finally came to his senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the only thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Parav, if you’re clear-headed, get up. Stop looking like a mess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Ah, ah! Yes...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grabbing his shoulder, I forced him up, and though shaky, he stood on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, looks like we can talk now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that gut feeling still the same?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phew... so that means something ‘big’ is really going to happen soon...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Understood. If anything changes, tell me immediately. It’s going to be chaotic, so stay in the back and follow slowly while gathering yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ending the conversation with Parav, I called Amelia and Bersil out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know why there’s no one around? When you left, the royal army was occupying this place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They were. We even struggled to activate the magic circle stealthily to get out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know why the royal army pulled out. No clues so far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, I see...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had even prepared excuses for if the royal army was here when we returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glad I don’t have to use them now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it’s unsettling not knowing why the royal army withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel, so what’s the plan from now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia asked, and I thought for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, there were two choices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either stay here silently, hiding in this empty underground fortress,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>or go up to the city and find out what’s really going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, my decision was made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...We’ll return to the city first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closing your eyes doesn’t change anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how scared you are, you have to open them and look ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least then you’ll know one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What you should [N O V E L I G H T] be afraid of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, going into a basement, closing your eyes, and covering your ears is an option, but that decision must be made knowing the full situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not out of pure fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many districts are you going to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For now, I’ll go to District 7 and decide flexibly based on the situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, we left the silent underground city and climbed up to the sewers marking the border between Noirark and Lafdonia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a formation focused purely on speed...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a cautious formation like when first entering the labyrinth or moving through extremely dangerous areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though no one said it aloud, most members looked puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why go this far?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it was a natural question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, it was just stepping outside the city walls and back again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I must have seemed strange, moving as if certain something dangerous had unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, thanks to the trust I’d built, they seemed to assume there was some unspeakable reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kuuuuuuung-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Amelia led and searched for the path in front, the floor and ceiling shook like an earthquake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a violent tremor, just slight vibrations, but enough to add tension to the already alert members’ expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The tremor came from quite far away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Is something really happening above the city?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, there was doubt, but now their faces showed clear signs of sensing the situation was serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take long before things got worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Blood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bright red blood floated on the sewage in the sewer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following it further, as expected—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Corpses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bodies lay scattered carelessly in the sewer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the looks, they hadn’t been dead very long...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Identifying them wasn’t hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They must have rushed out with only expensive equipment due to lack of time; enough gear was left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These people... are the royal army.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The royal army is dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the sewers are sparsely populated, this is clearly Lafdonia’s territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it possible they were just robbed by some vagabonds?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The possibility that a vagabond would dare attack the royal army inside the sewers is almost zero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emily, keep leading. We need to get upstairs quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing by the royal army corpses, we increased our pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We saw several more royal army bodies until reaching the exit leading outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after that last tremor like an earthquake, the sewers never shook again...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, what the hell is going on here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It’s surprisingly quiet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving at the sewer exit, we cautiously observed outside without going out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The view was limited but the distance visible straight ahead was very quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it wasn’t safe to relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how outskirts the sewer entrance was, having no one on the street at midday was unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What do we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll wait here for now. If so many people move, it will be noticed immediately. Emily, can you take a few people out to quietly check the situation and return?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need for more than a few. It’s easier if I go alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter what, it might be dangerous—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s safer alone. If it’s dangerous even if you’re discovered, having more people won’t make a difference.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm... no matter what she says, I worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since she’s the expert, that probably is safer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright. Please be careful. We don’t expect much information, so don’t overdo it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I’ll be back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Amelia prepared briefly and opened the sewer door, stepping out into the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She moved so swiftly and stealthily that I lost sight of her back the moment she stepped outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t sit well that she didn’t respond properly to being told not to overdo it, but for now, I decided to trust and wait while getting on with other tasks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time should be used efficiently, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I sent a mana transmission to the message stone coordinates at the clan house, but there was no response.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s expected. After checking, it seems a wave blocking mana transmission is spread throughout the city. I can’t contact the remote video recording device in my lab either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder! I felt mana was dispersing halfway...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! I heard the military also has such magical devices. I thought they were only for wartime use... but it really seems something is happening in the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What on earth happened during those two months we were outside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Amelia was out, we organized all the information we could find on our own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then some time passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creeeak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia opened the sewer grate and returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she looked tired, there were no signs of injury or battle damage on her clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Injured anywhere?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...No, don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia smiled slightly at my question, then shared the information she gathered outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The soldiers are spread along the walls, constantly using detection magic and abilities, so I couldn’t get close. But one thing is certain: the incident started in Befron, which the Noirark forces had occupied.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Befron...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll see when we go outside later, but the barrier covering Befron was gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, a war really broke out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Most likely. I found this in our clan house mailbox.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia handed me the mail we had found in the clan house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seal showed it was from the royal family, and Amelia had already opened it—the wax was broken...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Checking the letter, it had a long introduction as official documents from the royal family usually do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to sum it up briefly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a mobilization order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, it looks like not just us, but all clans in the city have been summoned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a law in the city code that explorers and fighters can be forcibly incorporated into the military during wartime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That makes sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No country would fight a war relying only on regular soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While thinking that, Kaislan, a military veteran, sighed heavily beside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This situation must be serious. About a year ago, when the Noirark people invaded, the mobilization order wasn’t even issued...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the mobilization order is issued, the royal authority ultimately weakens. The royal family’s power must be absolute, so issuing the order could be interpreted as a sign that help is needed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, really?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Simply put, if the royal family could handle it alone, they would never issue a mobilization order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I think that’s a safe interpretation of the current situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaislan’s words gave me a lot to think about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I silently just rubbed my chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, this is getting complicated... Miss Rains? Was there any official letter addressed to the clan leader, not the clan itself, among the mail?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There wasn’t... but why is it complicated?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, our leader is a titled noble, right? When a mobilization order is issued, all titled nobles transfer their affiliation to the ‘Military Command.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Military Command...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, it’s a complicated concept, so I don’t know how to explain it well...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaislan frowned, then tried to organize his thoughts and gave the simplest explanation he could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As soon as we return to the city, our leader will be assigned to the Military Command and wait at Ecliptic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what about the Anabada clan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll carry out the tasks assigned by higher-ups. Most likely on the most dangerous frontline. And that will be without the leader, just us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, we have to elect a vice leader to fill the vacancy first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To return to the city.\u003C\u002Fp>",1815,"2026-06-05T19:33:18.959Z",1,"novelbin.me","7d821cb51b6feb08eb2f2f9995397b8990bce1aaae7a3b885a63b2ac142b378c","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-707","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-705",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]