[{"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-762":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},1328122,1764,"Chapter 762: The Secret Garden (3)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-762",762,"\u003Cp>Ibaekho was watching the duel with gleaming eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lips tightly shut, neck craning forward, completely focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rek Aures found the sight deeply unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baekho, who do you think is going to win?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ibaekho, in his deep-focus trance, gave no reply—as if he hadn’t even heard the question. Thinking he’d been ignored, Rek Aures repeated himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if he’d just now registered the words, Ibaekho snapped out of it and slowly turned to look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his eyes were... odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like he was staring at him thinking, What’s this idiot’s problem...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Why are you looking at me like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just wondering if you seriously don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I’m not a god. How would I know who’s going to win?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to be a god. How’s he supposed to beat someone we couldn’t kill even with a gang-up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“H-he’s the Evil Eye, though...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was Ibaekho, wasn’t I? That old man was the Scholar of Ruin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, enduring is different from winning... and you never know what might happen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He genuinely seemed to believe that, and Ibaekho clicked his tongue in disgust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, don’t ever do sports betting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sports... betting...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it. Don’t talk to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cutting him off with ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) all the annoyance of a cat swatting a fly, Ibaekho turned his gaze back to the duel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, Rek Aures couldn’t hold his curiosity any longer and timidly spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh... Baekho?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still staring straight ahead, Ibaekho answered flatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What. Make it quick.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you watching so closely? You said you already believe Baron Yandel’s going to win.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rek Aures thought this question might stump him, make him feel the contradiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly why I’m watching. Wouldn’t you? What if our baron’s still got some hidden card I don’t know about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... w-well, I guess...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing more to say after that. Because Ibaekho was right—he did play a hidden card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A circlet...?! Was there an item like that? Escaping the illusion the moment he wore it... it’s gotta be a mental-resist item...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eyes sparkling, Ibaekho whipped out a notebook and furiously began scribbling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His pen hand moved like lightning. He was so excited, ragged breaths came through his nose—huuu, huuu. At one point, he even licked his lips like he’d just seen a gourmet dish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching him, Rek Aures couldn’t help but think—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'No... it’s not right to talk bad about your comrades...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...But he really felt sorry for Baron Yandel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching a man’s expression change is a source of great amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more so when it’s your enemy—and their expression is breaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I savored the look on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I broke out of the hallucination and stared into those white eyes with the help of the “Crown of Anguish”...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face said it all: Denial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...You broke out? No, you must be confused or mistaken...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though, reality hit him pretty fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What is this...?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland had the brains to understand the connection between the circlet and my breaking the illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that’s what made him furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d devoured countless Essences just to specialize in the [White Evil Eye]—sacrificed so much—and I shattered it with a single item?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must’ve felt utterly cheated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has used [Aegis Dragon Scale].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Reflected accumulated damage.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the Dragon Scale effect activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A towering ethereal warrior raised its greatsword high—its head nearly scraping the mage-cast barriers—and instead of losing his temper, Roland composed himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, of course, survival takes priority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Roland Banossant has used [Green Evil Eye].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panic-casting a defensive shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Craaaack—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when that shield shattered like paper, his eyes turned blue as he hastily triggered his mobility skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he really think I was a dumb brute?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Roland Banossant has used [Blue Evil Eye].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Blue Evil Eye] was a blink-type skill, capable of short-range instant movement. Cast time: less than a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it has a fatal flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It cannot be activated while the caster is in a restricted state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, I don’t have any direct crowd control abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I’ve played this game long enough to know that “restricted” includes more than just stuns and roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has used [Transcendence].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character has used [Eye of the Storm].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This combo applies a temporary restriction during the grab animation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In simple terms—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Roland Banossant is immobilized.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「[Blue Evil Eye] casting cancelled.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evade skill? Cancelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trapped before a massive spirit warrior’s descending greatsword, fear finally flickered in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I found that hilarious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evil Eye,” huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, his eyes were just regular human eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoooosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatsword tore through the air toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last expression he made?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—more like...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dry laugh. As if he couldn’t believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOOOM—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explosion kicked up a dust cloud as violent as a collapsing building, shattering the surrounding magical barriers like windows in an earthquake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half the remaining defenses were blown out just by the shock traveling through the ground—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fssssshhhhh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wind swept through the gaps where the barriers used to be. Dust began to settle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unmoving, crushed remains of what used to be the Deputy Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“UOOOOOOH!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainard broke the silence with brutal clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn Yandel crushed the Evil Eye!! He’s the strongest warrior on the surface now...!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A-a-attack!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the higher-ranking Noark officers screamed the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Orkulis and Noark forces swarmed forward—and the mass brawl began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in war, a one-on-one duel’s true purpose is to kill the enemy’s best officer and boost your own army’s morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'That must’ve been the Evil Eye’s plan, too.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought he’d beat me in a duel—thanks to Ibaekho’s stage—and then carry that momentum into a full assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once he lost the duel, the plan was meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Orkulis elites and Noark soldiers surged from all directions, Ibaekho finally jumped down from the rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Been a while?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Landing beside me, he greeted me like we were old friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What the hell are you scheming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Scheming? That’s kinda rude to say to someone who came to help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah right. Like I’d believe that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But more importantly, he’s probably not dead yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, you don’t know his Essence?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I was locked in the dungeon, one of the royal knights mentioned that some people could survive even with their heads caved in, thanks to their Essence. But I never got specifics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I assumed it was a survival-type Essence with a long cooldown—one he wouldn’t be able to use again yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s got the Hellase Essence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, it all made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Ah... so it’s that one.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hellase’s passive skill is a bizarre survival mechanic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It doesn’t boost defense. It doesn’t boost healing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Roland Banossant’s HP is at 0%.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「[Grace Period] activated.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Countdown set to 900 seconds.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「All self-healing effects disabled during countdown.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That passive doesn’t make you invincible—it just prevents you from dying for 15 minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a last-second death cancel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even that only matters if you have allies to heal or revive you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...And this guy isn’t even a tank. Why the hell did he pick a survival Essence?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now I was starting to get a feel for this Evil Eye guy’s personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'All flash, no spine. One of those types...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were me, I’d rather bring offensive Essences to avoid ever needing a survival skill in the first place—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh hey, look. They’re carrying him off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibaekho nodded toward the Orkulis soldiers quickly retrieving what was left of the Deputy Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evac team looked like lightweight mage-types—far too nimble for me to chase down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I looked at Ibaekho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Me? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t even say anything yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you were gonna.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>God, if you’re gonna help, do it properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I silently fumed and smashed a Noark skull in with my hammer, Amelia arrived with Elthora slung over one shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ainard was nearby too, carrying Auyen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, looks like we’ve gathered everyone—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, long time no see?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibaekho tried greeting Amelia, too, but she didn’t even look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go. Leave this place to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh? You’re just leaving us here? Hello?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibaekho grumbled, but Amelia ignored him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As did I.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, let’s go. Get on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once everyone was on my [Giant Form] shoulders, Ibaekho clicked his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch. God, these selfish bastards... How did my life turn out like this...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I stared at him, Ibaekho just chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, don’t say thanks. Just go. We’ll wrap things up here and vanish—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wasn’t planning on thanking you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Eh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gave him a cold glare that said I’ll be watching, so don’t pull anything, and left the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—! Thud—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using Elthora’s navigation, we reached our destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No guards. No troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Of course... it’s the marquis’s recovery building. Why was it so empty?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...Shit.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The marquis had already fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Makes sense. I wasted so much time in the duel with the Evil Eye—it’d be stranger if he were still here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I still had one card to play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to Elthora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’d your old man go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, well... I wonder? Hmm... where could he have gone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t joke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“M-maybe while we were delayed, he moved somewhere else...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like I didn’t know that already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think hard. Where would your father go? This might be your last chance to prove your worth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gentle reminder that failure meant abandonment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She quickly answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! I—I think I know a place...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The location she mentioned wasn’t far, so we immediately changed course and dashed over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ran into someone I never expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Been a while, Baron Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harin Suevi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My ex-girlfriend.\u003C\u002Fp>",1638,"2026-06-05T19:33:19.606Z",1,"novelbin.me","bd378c93078d1298ae1a32702fb02dadc78684e2b1cd678af41d5770940011f0","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-584","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-583",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]