[{"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-736":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},1327963,1764,"Chapter 736: Clown (5)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-736",736,"\u003Cp>When the Lion Mask first appeared at the Round Table, Abet Nekrapeto was utterly shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The one who recommended me here was your mother. So, is there a problem with that?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even among the gathering of top-tier players, his blunt words were fearless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Stop it, please. Any more of this, and I’m in danger too...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His skill backed up those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With suffocating killing intent, the Lion Mask instantly took control of the Round Table, and no one dared to oppose his opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was truly a violent presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the Mongol army ravaging the Western regions with overwhelming force, the Lion Mask conquered the Round Table in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, his real fearsome trait wasn’t just his brute strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If three people catch a Bandemon, a core is guaranteed to drop.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[A new relic has appeared in the world by the oracle of the Star Goddess.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Stone of Resurrection exists.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lion Mask knew information that no one else did, as if it was common knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was enough to make one wonder what kind of sizable group he must lead to know such things so casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A figure shrouded in mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Impressive.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abet Nekrapeto admired him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was almost an emotion close to longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t it natural?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted to crush someone, he crushed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He treated everyone like insignificant insects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, when bored, he tossed some bait and enjoyed the reactions like a game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Nekrapeto’s eyes, he looked cooler than any villain he had admired since childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If... if I said...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I want to abandon everything and come under the Lion Mask’s command... would you accept me?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he spoke those words at the final Round Table meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Orculis was a decent group, but compared to the Lion Mask, it felt lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could join under him, he thought he might truly become someone ‘special.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, the answer to that offer was rejection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Insect, you say! Puhuhuhu... Surely, to the Lion Mask, everyone looks like that, right?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t very disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just wasn’t worthy in the Lion Mask’s eyes yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hoped that if he built more notoriety and became a worse man, the Lion Mask might reach out to him first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Bjorn Yandel...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did he constantly interfere with his plans, but he also earned the strange nickname ‘Toy Collector,’ that barbarian who deserved to be beaten to death without mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...The Lion Mask?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His initial feeling was denial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must have heard some nonsense somewhere and was spreading it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bziiiiiiing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as he thought that, part of him accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a blurred truth that had been avoided with cloudy eyes started becoming clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Lion Mask is Bjorn Yandel.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ‘Queen’ said this to the Lion Mask when he returned to the Round Table after a 2 year and 6 month absence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it triggered a red alert, it meant there was # Nоvеlight # strong circumstantial evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[A new relic has appeared in the world by the oracle of the Star Goddess.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lion Mask knew the Reatlas religion’s secrets better than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he was Bjorn Yandel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was the very person of the oracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Jester is a corpse collector.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they first confronted Bjorn Yandel, he openly revealed himself as the ‘Jester’ while wearing the mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Could it be somewhere... ugh!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day at the meeting, when he suddenly scattered killing intent toward him, it wasn’t a bored absolute being’s game but revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunk—thunk—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nekrapeto understood everything the moment he saw that look of disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Persistent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lion Mask he admired was Bjorn Yandel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy’s expression was exactly what I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, denial of reality; then a sense of betrayal at the plausible circumstances...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, fear of the impending death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pressing down on his upper chest with a foot after releasing [Gigantify], the guy grimaced in pain but then laughed like a madman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just the shocking truth of the Lion Mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, with half his head gone, it was impossible for his mind to be clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ugh... disgusting.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, because I controlled my strength at the end, he didn’t die instantly. I had originally thought about finishing him neatly in one blow, though...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm, no matter how busy, you gotta loot.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I killed him like this, I wouldn’t gain much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At best, the ‘Staff of the Underworld’ he still tightly held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s why top explorers are such a pain.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When roaming the lower labyrinth floors, I’d just kill and loot or strip equipment, but upper-tier explorers almost all have extra-dimensional spaces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him, being a necromancer, the extra-dimensional space would be even larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, you listening? Huh? Can you hear me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke several times, but instead of answering, he just looked into the void, chuckling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having no choice, I took a potion from the extra-dimensional space and poured it over his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssiiiiiizzzzz!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell, this bastard doesn’t even feel pain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The potion bubbled and steamed, but he didn’t move, staring blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His scream erupted only when his deeply cracked head partially healed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pishshshshshsh! Pishshshshshshshsh! Pish, pish, pishshshiiiiiit!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He convulsed, bouncing up and down while screaming and laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...What the hell is this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bizarre scene sent a chill down my spine, but it was just a side effect of his brain returning to normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guh, guh! Guaah... huh!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His screams turned into normal ones as if proving it was just a brain malfunction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Okay, that should do it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gently tapped his cheek with the hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You hear me now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Uh, ah, ugh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, not enough brain function for speech yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blink once if you can hear me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why only one eye? That’s creepy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blink, blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean it’s not your will? Hmm... okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that’s not important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, now I’m going to release the owner’s imprint on the extra-dimensional space. Commencing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly got to the point for the guy who looked desperate for rest, but he rejected with his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blink, blink, blink, blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His left eyelid rapidly opening and closing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’d rather die than hand it over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, ah... uh, ugh...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t understand a word you’re saying, so use your eyes to tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I said that impatiently, his eyes flickered wildly. It seemed like he wasn’t planning to die just yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what is it? Got something to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, then I’ll pour more potion. But when you can talk, no complaining—you hand over the extra-dimensional space, got it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Answer me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blinked a bit slower this time, as if hesitant about my offer, but that was probably just my imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I could give speech to a mute, I’d gladly pay a fortune for that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, this was a reasonable and fair trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not knowing if he’d run away once he regained his mind, I crushed both his legs again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssiiiiiizzzzz!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pouring a bit more high-grade potion on his head to seal the deal, his screams intensified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had his cracked skull been gradually mending?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Aaaaargh! Guhhh... aaah!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpse collector screamed a more normal scream than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssiiiiiizzzzz!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About ten minutes later, he calmed down enough to talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tha...t....”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Extra-dimensional space.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have to keep your promise. Hand over the extra-dimensional space before we talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-no, that’s not something—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a waste of time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I said emotionlessly and raised the hammer slightly; he frantically waved his hands and shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I’ll give it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gosh, should’ve done that from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“B-but you must promise to talk to me for a little while...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry about that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he handed over the extra-dimensional space willingly, I had enough mercy to wait while he left a last will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ok, it’s done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the moment of releasing the owner’s imprint, a translucent orb radiated light from his chest core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked ordinary, but up close dozens of tiny magic circles overlapped inside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wow, I hear implanting extra-dimensional space like this inside the body is expensive...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Carrying something good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Y-Yeah, I got lucky.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it really true that bad guys live well?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To open the extra-dimensional space later, you’ll have to re-implant it through a wizard...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, no need to explain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“....”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, you have ten minutes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I set a strict time but was curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would this guy say during these ten minutes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would he pretend to repent and beg for his life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or would he make some sort of deal?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was nothing like I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before opening his mouth, the guy seemed to focus like a broadcaster waiting for a standby signal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pishsit...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed like when he wore the Jester mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Laughing?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if hearing my thoughts, he continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? Did you think I’d tremble and beg for my life?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wouldn’t lie if I said no, but admitting it hurt my pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I stayed silent, and he laughed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pishsit... I was really surprised! Bjorn Yandel, not only a player but the Lion Mask too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What exactly are you trying to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His theatrical tone made me lose patience and ask, and he laughed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eh? I’m just having one last conversation knowing I’m about to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wow... this guy is really into his role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I thought it was fake madness before, but now I see he’s truly crazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing real madness, I was at a loss for words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...No attachment to life?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not! But even if I confess that, you won’t spare me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...That’s true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, trying is what a normal person does.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pish, I’m different from ordinary people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Survival of the fittest is nature’s law. I have no intention of complaining about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So why ask for talking time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because it’s more fun that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, I see...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looks like his brain isn’t fully recovered yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, that’s why he’s spouting nonsense 10 minutes before death—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pishsit...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, from the clown’s laughing eyes, I sensed a familiar emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fear, despair, regret, sorrow...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark emotions that inevitably arise when facing death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? Disappointed because I’m not crying or begging?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking closely, his body trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did I realize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re pretending to be fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What do you mean? I really am fine. I was weak, and you were strong. So you deserve the rights of a victor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it better to be honest in the end?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he deserved to die, I seriously gave him advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone wears masks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s not wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter what, it’s better to take off the mask in the end. That’s my thought and the only kindness I could offer him now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pish, sit...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite my advice, he forced a fake smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, maybe my advice reached him a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Life is too tough to live honestly. Oh! Of course, that doesn’t apply to strong people like you. Pish!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying it more truthfully than all his talk about survival of the fittest and natural law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ha, damn it...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should have killed him earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, I asked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hey, what’s your real name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpse collector, Abet Nekrapeto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pishsit, suddenly curious about me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found myself curious about this guy.\u003C\u002Fp>",1878,"2026-06-05T19:33:18.959Z",1,"novelbin.me","ff1308ca5bcec26330cc42d0c29d703586370c91b4a644fd4b3944316062a83d","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-737","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-735",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]