[{"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-778":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},1328152,1764,"Chapter 778: Month 13 (5)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-778",778,"\u003Cp>What path must I walk?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still hadn’t found the answer to that question, but I was walking nonetheless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not through the Sanctuary of the barbarians, but that of another race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step, step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the architecture didn’t seem much different from the rest of the city, yet the way it harmonized with nature gave the streets an exotic atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you raised your head just a bit, you could see the massive tree in the distance that told you exactly where we were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sanctuary of the Fairies, Barharrium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, it was also in the midst of its festival period—but the atmosphere was very different from ours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still loud, as one might expect from a festival, but somehow... more orderly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the background music made that clear. Where barbarians preferred drums and percussion, here it was soft, upbeat string instruments that took center stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No one’s fighting either...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, is this a cultural difference?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was my first time seeing another race’s festival, so it was fascinating. Though for Elwen, who was walking alongside me, this must’ve been familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ajusshi! Doesn’t it smell amazing here without all the smoke?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She seemed to like that more than the festival itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that I disliked it either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The air’s definitely cleaner... but how’d they manage that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, the entire city reeked of smoke from the massive fire in District 8, despite the ongoing festivities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In District 5, they’d even deployed purification magic circles daily, but the stench wouldn’t go away. Yet here, the air was pristine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwen pointed to the distant tree in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s thanks to the Divine Tree over there. Outsiders don’t usually know, but it has purifying powers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, right...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I vaguely remembered that part of the setting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, enough sightseeing. Let’s go this way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Weren’t we here for the festival?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Why would I? What’s there to enjoy about a boring festival like this...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why’d we come here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without answering, Elwen picked up her pace and led me forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since we were still at the outskirts of the Sanctuary, we had no choice but to pass through the festive streets for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It’s the Bloodshade Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s that man next to her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he’s standing beside the Bloodshade Marquis... could it be Baron Yandel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He looks too small for that, though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I’d shrunk down in the crimson formalwear I was wearing, I still drew attention with every step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other races were rare in the fairy Sanctuary to begin with—but more than that, the person beside me was too famous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...A snake of a woman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They say she threw away her duty and ran off with a man, even after receiving the pureblood rite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She abandoned the clan—how can she show her face here...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just listening in, I could already hear all the malice directed at Elwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Traitor. Snake. Disgrace to her people...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So this is why she’s avoided returning to the Sanctuary recently...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The criticism came from every direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just when I wondered if I could really let this slide, Elwen tugged on my sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s just go...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoo... Right. If she’s holding it in, it’d be weird for me to make a scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit my tongue and quickened my pace to keep up with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch, look at that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who said fairies were honest and pure?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who said they were above the petty malice of humans?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were meaningless questions now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who spouted that crap to me from now on would get their teeth punched in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grabbing a man like that—just like a whore from the red-light district—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beheeeell—raaaaaaaaahhh!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately canceled the effects of the formalwear, activated [Fusion] and [Giant Form], and let out a roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「The character has used [Savage Eruption].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Threat Level temporarily increased 3x. Physical stats increase proportionally.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden surge in Threat Level from [Savage Eruption].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roar scattered on the wind like an echo, yet within a 50-meter radius, not even a mouse dared move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of people frozen stiff, as if one wrong twitch would mean their death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bit ironic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t used a stun skill or anything—just boosted my Threat Level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If you were this scared, why act like that in the first place?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t get it, but maybe that, too, was proof that fairies were “people” after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, handling people was a barbarian specialty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I casually pushed through the frozen crowd and approached a middle-aged fairy man, his face pale as he looked up at me with terrified eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“U-uh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked like he wanted to speak, but he was so scared he couldn’t even move his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked him directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say it again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say to my companion just now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was lucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’d repeated it, I might’ve thrown the first punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, since he seemed to have some survival instinct, I decided to give him advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Best to keep your mouth shut if you want to live long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-yes, of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man nodded frantically, like someone who’d been thrown a lifeline, and that brought an end to the little incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ajusshi...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwen cautiously approached again and grabbed my sleeve once more, gently pulling me along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But of course...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that guy doing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it really okay for him to act like that in someone else’s Sanctuary?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Idiots... Don’t they even consider the diplomatic implications...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whispers came from behind as expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did they really think I’d lash out again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t mind them. Let’s go. Come on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting her drag me along, I felt like some delinquent trying to act cool in front of his girlfriend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I didn’t regret it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would I? They brought it on themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you say shit like that in earshot of a barbarian, of course something’s going to happen—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...But he still defends her. I guess she really is his woman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bloodshade Marquis, huh? What could she possibly see in a barbarian like that...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Agh, damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apologizing inwardly to Elwen, I stopped in my tracks and glanced around at the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I did, all those whispering just seconds ago fell silent and averted their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She’s being insulted because of me. I can’t just walk away like this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I made my decision quickly and shouted at the top of my lungs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Listen up!! I swear upon all the honor I possess—here and now! I, Bjorn son of Yandel, have never slept with Elwen Fornaci di Tersia!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d shouted in hopes it’d stop the gossip, but quickly realized I needed to clarify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my rush, I’d misspoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! Wait—no, I mean, we did sleep together, but we didn’t do anything! We just slept! I swear on my mother and father’s honor!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A barbarian’s oath, containing nothing but the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm... but why is everyone still silent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was ‘didn’t do anything’ too indirect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if I spelled it out, even I would feel a bit vulgar...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uhh... um...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a second, I even considered pulling out a puppet, but quickly scrapped that idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, I went with Plan B.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Elwen is a virgin!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that had its own issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a quantum physics perspective, since I hadn’t observed it firsthand, technically, two parallel realities could still exist simultaneously—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“P-probably...!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah. That should cover it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that shocking declaration, silence descended upon the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“L-let’s go...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling like I’d made some huge mistake, I hurriedly grabbed Elwen’s wrist and pulled her away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-so, Elwen...? That wasn’t exactly what I meant to do...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s okay. You don’t need to explain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, but...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really. It’s fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm. Is it really fine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were Misha or Amelia, I think I’d already be dodging attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going by tone alone, she didn’t sound angry at all, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I’m grateful. You stepped up for me, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh... yeah, I guess?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s okay. It did hurt my pride a little, but still.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...I couldn’t say anything to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I quickly changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not many people around here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving the city streets, we were now deep in a wooded area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t a residential or commercial zone. Not many come here during festivals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. This is where we were headed anyway. Shall we?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once we entered the woods, Elwen slowed her pace, and we began strolling as if on a forest walk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Now that I think about it... where exactly are we going?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That question popped into my mind, but I decided to ask something else first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elwen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does that happen often?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that...? Yeah, kind of. I received the pureblood rite, but I haven’t devoted myself to the clan...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly asked one more thing—something she might not want to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has anyone ever said... they should kill you and pass the rite to someone else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I’ve heard that. Especially in times like these, when power is in demand. But don’t worry. Thanks to you, even the Elders don’t criticize me to my face anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her force a smile, I thought to myself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need to take care of this issue before it gets worse...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t return the pureblood rite, of course. But maybe I could repay it some other way—by helping the fairies when they’re in danger, or by settling a debt equal in value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But anyway, where exactly are we headed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, we’re almost there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know what the destination was, but if Elwen had brought me to the Sanctuary despite all this... then she must’ve had a good reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I said no more and quietly followed, taking in the scenery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—I noticed something strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place... it’s not just a forest, is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I stopped walking and said that, Elwen smiled awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... you noticed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The magic circles carved into the trees, the loose ground that makes it hard to move quickly, even the trees above arranged for aerial defense. It’s a fortification, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. At least now, it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back then, this was a residential zone. But after one breach that left the Sanctuary in ruins, they changed it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One breach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t need to ask what she meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was talking about the Dragonslayer incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what I’d heard, Elwen had lost her parents back then, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We used to live here, actually... It feels similar, but also very different now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“R-really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hehe. Anyway, let’s stop with the sad talk and get going.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I probably shouldn’t have brought it up, but what could I do? It was already said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We continued walking as if on a peaceful stroll, until finally we reached our destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small house built beside a small pond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This was our home. My sister, me, and my little brother lived here. Well, not anymore, for my sister and me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s empty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, my little brother still lives here. Actually... the reason I dragged you here is because of him...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You brought me here because of your brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what I’d heard, Elwen wasn’t on good terms with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Daria died and I went missing, she’d abandoned her family and chased revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when she became known as the Bloodshade Marquis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been visiting now and then since I returned from Basement Level 1. We’ve patched things up a bit... and he seems really curious about you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm. I think I get it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s worried I might be a weirdo, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well... there are still prejudices about barbarians, you know... I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got nothing to apologize for. It’s my fault, really.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s your family, and that makes him mine too. And I’m only just now coming to see him. Is he inside? Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever kind of guy her brother was, I had to meet him—quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Before word got around about what had just happened in the village.\u003C\u002Fp>",2018,"2026-06-05T19:33:19.606Z",1,"novelbin.me","9983ba35993eed37f8e33421841b688a59e7eb72d1d65852897a5505df13e810","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-598","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-597",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]