[{"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-754":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},1328105,1764,"Chapter 754: First Strike (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-754",754,"\u003Cp>\"Sir, if it's not too presumptuous, may I ask you one question?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man with white hair sipped his tea without a word upon hearing the wolf-masked man's inquiry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Presumptuous? Nonsense. Go ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why did you stop him from heading °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° to the Sanctuary? Forgive me, but I truly cannot understand your reasoning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What part is hard to understand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the old man's question, the wolf mask replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As a result of him going to the Sanctuary, Brown Rotmiller, a 7th-rank explorer, died, and Sven Parab became a 'Saint.' Ah, of course, he's not fully there yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the end, he lost a useless guide but gained a comrade far more useful for the journey. So I can’t help but wonder why you told him not to head to the Sanctuary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, so that’s what this is about...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the wolf mask's doubt, the old man gave a kindly smile. But if you looked closely, his eyes sparkled with the mischief of a prankster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where's the fun in just telling you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Excuse me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why don’t you try thinking it through? Why do you suppose I did it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Presented with a question in return, the wolf mask fell into thought before speaking cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe it must be one of three things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first is that you predicted how he would act.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re saying I told him not to go to the Sanctuary precisely because I knew he’d disobey—like a disobedient frog. Incorrect. If that were the case, why would I have sent you to offer the advice? He would’ve gone there on his own if left alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes... That was part of my confusion too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the second?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The second... is if Brown Rotmiller was fated to die no matter which path he took.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, that wouldn’t explain why you tried to send him to District 7 in the first place... but I thought perhaps you didn’t want Sven Parab to become a Saint.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Interesting. Go on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve said it before, haven’t you? That Sven Parab has a soul attuned to the divine. That even uncontracted dark gods might speak to him first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I did say that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I wondered if perhaps you feared Sven Parab might grasp the hand of a dark god instead. After all, a priest of Karui could be more dangerous than a Saint. Either way, he’d still be helpful to the journey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man smiled warmly at the second theory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m glad I asked your thoughts. That’s quite the compelling worldline.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... I was wrong again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. If he had gone to District 7, Sven Parab would have died.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wolf mask’s voice deflated, as if a masterstroke had missed the mark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The third possibility... is that Brown Rotmiller is more valuable than Sven Parab, even as a newly ascended Saint...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even to himself, that seemed unlikely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could a retired 7th-rank guide be worth more than a soon-to-be holy knight Saint—?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s the correct answer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Excuse me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I judged that, for his journey, Brown Rotmiller would be of far greater help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wolf mask couldn't comprehend it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, drawing from his experiences following the elder and observing the fates of countless people, he offered one more hypothesis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Sven Parab actually hinders his journey, doesn’t he.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke with certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the only thing that made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that seemed like a plus turning out to be a minus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fate was full of strange and fickle twists—such cases weren’t rare—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wrong again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprised by his own voice cracking, the wolf mask looked at the old man, who now turned his gaze to the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sven Parab will contribute as much to the journey as we hoped.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...And yet you still chose Brown Rotmiller.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Judging the future by only what a person is now... that’s a foolish thing to do. Who’s to say kings and nobles are born with royal blood? Even a beggar can become a king in this world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Are you saying Rotmiller had that kind of talent?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man chuckled softly at the binary thinking, shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He didn’t have that kind of talent. But all value is determined by what is recorded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice grew heavy with regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If Brown Rotmiller had survived, he would’ve left a far greater legacy in this world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But of course, that future no longer existed in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It feels like I just shut my eyes for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why it doesn’t feel real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t see it with my own eyes, didn’t experience it firsthand—I only heard about it afterward, once everything was already over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe they got it wrong somehow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That naïve hope refuses to leave my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Be good to Miss Shabin. She's a good woman.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s no way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainard Prnelin has been captured and taken prisoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Brown Rotmiller, my first guide, is dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the unchangeable reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which is why...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clench my fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did it all go wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before heading to the Sanctuary, the “wolf mask” gave me a warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I go to District 7, A will die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I go to the Sanctuary, B will die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I assumed A was Rotmiller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I went to the Sanctuary just as planned—ended up saving Rotmiller, who was in danger at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“B was Rotmiller...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the result of heading to the Sanctuary was his death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not like I’m blaming myself, saying I killed him. I’m not that stupid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know the difference between what I can and can’t do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not the type to beat myself up over failures I had no control over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, I’ve always been that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, what is this goddamn feeling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This barbarian body, branded with deep violence, begins to boil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I want to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until I stop thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I want to smash everything in sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I hold it in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this barbarian body isn’t Ihansu’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breaking a mouse or keyboard won’t cut it anymore...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wise warrior knows how to wait for the right moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait for the moment I can release this feeling—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sffft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the tent entrance lifted, and someone stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arua Raven. A welcome face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our eyes met, and Raven froze in place at the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her complexion pale, her small white body trembling like a leaf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What... did something bad happen to her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what I thought—just as I was barely calming the urge to destroy again, the fire began to rise anew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I-I’m sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Raven avert her eyes in fear, I realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I-I’ll just... stay outside until you’ve calmed down...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was me Raven was afraid of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoo...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a long breath, like I was expelling every toxin in my body. Then I called out to Raven, who was about to bolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t go. I’ve calmed down now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raven looked back at me cautiously, studying me, and finally let out a breath of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I heard what happened, too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She struggled for a long time, unsure of what to say, and finally offered that small comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I felt like I’d boil over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was one thing I had to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you know what happened to Rotmiller’s body?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... I don’t think you want to hear this...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry. I’ve calmed down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh... I really don’t think you should—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said I’m fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raven only looked at me with eyes that clearly said I wasn’t fine, hesitating to the very end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the end, the answer came from outside the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Noark soldiers took his head. Once it’s confirmed he was your comrade, they’ll claim it as a military achievement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart pounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbelievably fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My jaw clenched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So tight I worried I’d lose a tooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You might’ve been hoping to use the Resurrection Stone... but too bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart thundered again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That bloodlust—mind reining it in? I’m fine, but... she looks like she’s about to die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haa...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Raven trembling again like she was about to seize up, I forced myself to reel everything back in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to think about something else, I changed the topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened to you all? Where’s that Vivian?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After you disappeared with the Corpse Collector, Orkulis’s leader showed up. There was a battle... long story short, we were the first to retreat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean—we didn’t run, exactly. We pulled back at a reasonable point.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She talked about how she’d done it to protect Raven, or how they could’ve won if they fought properly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only she knows the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, here’s the summary of what happened next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader, who originally came after me, realized I was a royal knight and changed targets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the leader chased Astarotta, I slipped out of the underworld at just the right time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After entering the capital, Astarotta recovered from her injuries and rested for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, and Vivian, who had tagged along, got thrown in prison, apparently?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’s useless now anyway. Thought about just executing her, but decided to keep her alive just in case.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After regrouping, they tried to find me—but the ancient magic caused them to lose track of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When word came that I’d entered the capital unconscious, they rushed over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So now I want to ask—what are you going to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Astarotta’s question, I closed my eyes for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I do now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take long to decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First, we have to rescue Ainard. No matter what.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Astarotta nodded at my answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And how?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just so you know, all we’ve heard is that she was taken prisoner. We have no idea where she is now, or if she’s even alive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, of course...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We need intel first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Astarotta, I have a request.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if it’s only in the areas the royal family still controls—can you gather the scattered comrades and bring them together?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to ask. That’s already underway.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see... good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She may seem rigid, but in moments like these, she proves she knows what she’s doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you need anything, or once your plan is set, call for me again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Astarotta left the tent once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat quietly on the bed, turning things over in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reviewed every piece of information I had, checking for anything I might’ve missed. Every few minutes, I bothered Astarotta again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was Ainard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were there any more comrades stranded in enemy territory?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—was the Marquis’s location still unknown?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a wartime scenario like this, I had no choice but to rely on military intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter how long I waited, no news came. I was starting to feel the pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Wait a second.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The information I’d been desperately seeking came from an entirely unexpected place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the Marquis led me to think of Ragna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of Ragna reminded me of that girl who was like Ragna’s right hand—Hyeonbyeol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that led me to remember the ‘Love Note’ she gave me a long time ago...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No way...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hurriedly pulled out the ‘Love Note’—and there really was writing on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It boiled down to two things:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ainard Prnelin, Alminus Central Bank Basement Vault.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Presumed current location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Execution Scheduled.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Current status.\u003C\u002Fp>",1911,"2026-06-05T19:33:19.606Z",1,"novelbin.me","f38980eb5f7d2665afd22bc769989f19f5b3d889c736704e137a396ceb878156","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-575","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-574",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]