[{"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-779":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},1328154,1764,"Chapter 779: Month 13 (6)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-779",779,"\u003Cp>Elwen’s younger sibling was nothing like I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that the eldest, Daria, and second-born, Elwen, both had long and sharp features, I naturally assumed the third would be similar...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...She’s small.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About 150 centimeters tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roughly the same height as Raven, maybe even shorter—but completely different in mood. Where Raven had a cold presence, this one felt... soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t seem overweight, but her face—more precisely, her baby fat—hadn’t completely faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Looks bouncy. She’d probably get mad if I touched her?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, that was my first impression of Elwen’s little sister: a tiny girl who could never pass for twenty-one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Your gaze is unpleasant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I flinched instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...With that look, and she’s the cold dominatrix type?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard to find that combo in real life. Still, that wasn’t the point right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...H-hey, you can’t just say that. Um, why don’t we start with introductions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwen’s coaxing words led the small, pouty fairy to reluctantly speak her name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Mei Forwin di Tersia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Bjorn, son of Yandel. Nice to meet you, Mei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered if she’d complain about me calling her by name, but thankfully she didn’t say anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe she was minding her manners because I was her sister’s companion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know the details, but as the adult here—and a senior explorer—I decided to get the conversation going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mei, how many times have you entered the dungeon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Four times. After that, the dungeon was sealed, so I couldn’t go back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That must’ve been frustrating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not really... It’s not like going into the dungeon is something amazing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that was unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I figured a kid her age would be full of curiosity about exploring, so I thought that’d be a good topic to start with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she wasn’t whining—her tone and expression were dead serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you... not want to be an explorer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it obvious? You have to sleep in cold, dirty, hard places every day. The food tastes like crap, and like it or not, you’re stuck with other people...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well... that’s true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t need a lot of money or have some specific goal, there’s really no reason to become an explorer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s probably why so few nobles pursue the path—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the dungeon always takes things away...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wish it never existed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing the history of Elwen’s family, I couldn’t say anything to that quiet grumble from the tiny girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Haha, still, someone’s got to go in, right? The mana stones we dig up in there are how we get to eat, sleep, wear clothes, and live...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei’s curt tone left Elwen visibly flustered. Watching them, it became clear—Elwen didn’t know how to deal with this Mei girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably because she felt guilty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But conversation comes with experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ve dealt with plenty of kids like this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, I went with the tried-and-true method: spark her interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You don’t start with distant topics. You pick what she’s most curious about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elwen. Did you ever tell Mei how the two of us first met?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Oh, just briefly. That... um... you, uh... helped me when I was in trouble...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You called me Mr. Yandel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha... W-what’s wrong? Mr. Yandel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwen gave me an awkward smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t take long to piece things together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She’s embarrassed in front of her little sister.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I guess the nickname kind of became a pet name \u002FN_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t\u002F by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, this whole meeting was to show I wasn’t some weird guy—calling me “Ajusshi” here probably wouldn’t help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Is there something I don’t know about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei spoke up first, curiosity sparked by the idea that there might be stories she hadn’t heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I’m not sure how much she told you... Want to hear it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just like that, things moved quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started from the first time I met Elwen and told the rest of our adventures in the most entertaining order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at some point, she must’ve noticed the missing gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What about the Goblin Forest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei asked about a specific episode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many incidents in the Goblin Forest, but she was probably referring to the one where Daria died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It’s okay. I already know the gist of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced at Elwen for permission, and she nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I calmly shared that story, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Longer and more detailed than the rest, but it could all be summed up in one sentence:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Daria saved Elwen and died in her place.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, that was the end of Barbarian Storytime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the tale ended, Mei was silent for a long time, and both Elwen and I waited quietly with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the dungeon didn’t exist... my sister would still be here...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She finally spoke those words after a long pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded sincerely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe. That could be true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Daria hadn’t become an explorer, maybe she wouldn’t have died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though then, she wouldn’t have been there to protect Elwen either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why does everyone cling to the dungeon so much...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei’s next question had a simple answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because it’s no different than the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We go in because we’re tired of losing. Because the city takes just as much as the dungeon does.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s something Daria and Elwen definitely understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why they became explorers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To stop losing things. To protect what mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You say you hate it, but isn’t that why you became an explorer too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei didn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had a face that said she understood... but didn’t want to admit it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, at that age, it’s hard to even know what you’re feeling.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought crossed my mind—but honestly, I wasn’t in a position to talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even I wasn’t sure what I was feeling these days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled softly and gave Mei a bit of advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mei Forwin di Tersia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The dungeon will reopen soon. You should go in again. You’ll learn that it’s not always a place that only takes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her answer came only after a long pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you really... think so...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I replied without a shred of hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sure of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that’s what it had been for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we kept chatting about this and that, spending time together, I started to get a better sense of what kind of relationship Elwen and Mei had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should I bring some more snacks? I actually have some from a famous shop in the city—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No thanks, I’m fine, sis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time Elwen awkwardly tried to do something nice, Mei would awkwardly try to avoid receiving it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Definitely not what you’d call a warm family dynamic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Frustrating.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear they cared about each other—so why did they act like strangers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even I was getting exasperated, but there wasn’t much I could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t have the experience to give advice on family matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No need to butt in. Just observe.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I stuck to that stance, kept the conversation pleasant, and let time pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock knock knock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A visitor arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mei, are you inside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A refined male voice with a familiar tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Uncle...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei immediately jumped up and went to open the door, while Elwen watched with an awkward smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew it, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That reaction was completely different from how Mei treated her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mei, have you been well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh come on, it’s not like I’ve been gone long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha... Even a few hours is enough to worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fairy man, who gave Mei a fatherly smile while patting her head, looked over at me and greeted me politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a while, Bjorn Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It has, Beleg Shusia di Tersia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An explorer considered a hero among the fairies—and Elwen’s maternal uncle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’d briefly met once during a racial summit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you came with Elwen... I figured you might be here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Were you looking for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Among other reasons. I’d have come even if you weren’t here. My precious niece has returned home, after all. Elwen, how have you been lately?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been... okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s good. May I sit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Suit yourself. I’m not the one who lives here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shrugged, and Beleg chuckled as he sat across from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard what happened in town on the way here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That made my shoulders twitch involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this man was Elwen’s uncle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand what you meant by it... but did you have to go that far?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......I’ve got no excuse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, I said it was fine—no, I’m actually grateful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hung my head in shame, and Elwen stepped in to defend me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a barbarian tank, I rarely got to feel what it was like to be protected by someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei blinked wide-eyed, but none of us dared answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that annoyed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going out for a bit. You two talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Mei left the house, and things settled down for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...She’s a good kid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She really is. And she follows her sister’s lead well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was talking about Elwen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So please treat her well. Even if you explain it a thousand times, a closed marriage prospect won’t open again. So have some responsibility—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“U-uncle...! What are you saying?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elwen, no matter what you think, I’m still your and Mei’s guardian. I have to say what needs to be said, don’t I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had nothing to say to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one thing came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You’re right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I assume you understood what I meant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“O-of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Don’t take it the wrong way. Think of it as the concern of an adult who cares for Elwen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I could do was nod silently, but thankfully, Beleg didn’t press the issue any further. The conversation turned casual again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beleg, while I’ve got you here, I wanted to ask something. Has public opinion really turned that badly since Elwen left the Pureblood Order?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I can’t even lie and say it’s good. Some of the things coming out of the elders’ mouths...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must’ve done a lot to help. I appreciate it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just did what needed to be done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d like to help too, from now on. Could you tell me more about the fairy political structure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm... Sure. You’re not exactly an outsider anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were a few subtle digs sprinkled in his words, but still—our conversation was productive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I now had a general idea of what to do to improve Elwen’s standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I got back, I’d need to plan out the details—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elwen, would you step outside for a moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s something I want to discuss privately with the Baron. Just for a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as things were wrapping up, Beleg sent Elwen out of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, that made me tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been blunt enough to drop the “take responsibility” bomb in front of her—what on earth was he planning to say now that she was gone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...So? You said you wanted to talk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked cautiously, and after a brief hesitation, Beleg came right out with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baron, I heard... that you possess the Resurrection Stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...That was not the topic I’d expected.\u003C\u002Fp>",1845,"2026-06-05T19:33:19.606Z",1,"novelbin.me","0a0de2cc32d921fd2eec01859c4dd8256596578ff3da0da73a3a77e4ee3ddf49","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-599","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-598",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]