[{"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-792":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},1328169,1764,"Chapter 792: Red Ocean (4)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-792",792,"\u003Cp>When people are given a subject, they start with imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There may be differences in the scale or method of imagination, but there is no such thing as a person who doesn't imagine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that sense, my current imagination is also reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Five days overdue from the expected arrival date...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mobility of Team 1 and Team 2 isn't different enough for such a time gap to occur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, something definitely happened to Team 2 during the expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only problem is not knowing what that “something” was...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My subconscious, which has always lived with misfortune, naturally brings up the worst-case scenario first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could they have encountered raiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were there no explorers who looked at the isolated Team 2 and grew greedy, just like the Meiruta Clan we encountered on the fifth floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What torments me more is that these imaginings aren't outrageous delusions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t that true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Meiruta Clan backed off simply because they were cowards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But are all people like them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if Team 2 was unlucky enough to run into someone more decisive, someone bolder who didn’t fear my reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the reason I went so far when dealing with the Meiruta Clan’s leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter the situation, I want to eliminate every variable that could threaten me or us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I executed him as a warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s also why I told the vice-captain of Meiruta to spread word of what happened as soon as they left the labyrinth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“B-Bjorn...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, that’s not it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, my field of vision is narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it wasn’t raiders at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the enemies who threaten me, there’s Ibaekho, and Aurell Gaviss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not that, maybe Noark caught wind of the labyrinth opening and secretly sent in their own explorers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as someone smacked my back with a smash, I snapped back to my senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Misha?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re only now listening to me, nya!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, she’d been talking to me this whole time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanting to return to my train of thought quickly, I asked what she wanted, but Misha gave me a totally offbeat answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please! Stop thinking weird thoughts! Everything’s going to be fine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...How can you be sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because I believe in them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emily, Elwen, Ainard, and the rest... Well, I do worry a little about that Mr. Rockrove, but anyway! They’re all people who can take care of themselves!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I mean... it’s not that I don’t trust them—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn, more importantly, I think you’re really misunderstanding something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re not your children. We’re your comrades.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I’m going to cool my head for a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, yeah. Go on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Misha’s concerned advice, I backed down and stepped away from the portal to clear my head for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But of course, just doing that didn’t make the anxiety go away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only reason I even accepted Misha’s advice was because I needed a quiet place to think, and I figured it wasn’t good for the team leader to show this side of himself in front of the others—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know how much time had passed since I’d separated from Team 1, but from far away, Misha called out to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How far did you go to cool your head! I’ve been looking everywhere—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go back and tell the others to get ready to move.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh? Ready to move?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misha tilted her head, not understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I calmly spoke the decision I had reached after fast but careful thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As soon as preparations are complete, we’re heading back down to the fifth floor. Rather than waiting endlessly with no guarantee—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you talking about! That’s not necessary!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether it’s necessary or not is for me to decide. I don’t know exactly what situation Team 1 is in right now, but if they’re being chased by someone, or hiding somewhere to avoid detection, then we should immediately—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They just came up a little while ago, you idiot!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind went blank for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as she looked at me, Misha quickly explained everything I’d been dying to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re all safe! They said they were late because they went into a rift on the fourth floor!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, I told you, didn’t I! That everything would be fine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt relief hearing they were all safe, but only for a moment — after that, I felt something else I couldn’t quite explain, and I ran toward the portal...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where Team 2 would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh? I was talking, where are you running off to!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the portal grew closer, I could see the members of Team 2 gathered around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia was calmly explaining the situation to the others, and beside her, Ainard was puffing himself up like he was bragging about something he’d gotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when I realized what this inexplicable emotion was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bit of irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even I couldn’t understand where it was coming from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Ah, Yandel? You’re here. I heard you were really worried we were late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I ran up and stood in front of them, Amelia said in a slightly teasing tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwen was the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe, it’s Mister! Were you really worried?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even hearing those warm greetings, I didn’t open my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like if I said anything, this feeling would spill out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No — maybe it already had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emily... why were you so late?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... didn’t you hear from Kalstein? A rift opened right in front of us on the fourth floor, and after discussing it with the team, we decided to enter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But wasn’t that already decided? ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) From the fourth floor onward, we enter any rift we can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s right. That’s true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the other team members had been telling me that when I was getting worried over their delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were doing what the team leader should have done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem is......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still... wasn’t it a bit too late?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s probably me talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone of your level shouldn’t have taken five whole days to clear a fourth-floor rift...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s true we took a bit longer for safety’s sake. But are you blaming us for that now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia noticed the subtle emotion in my voice and frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that’s when I snapped back to my senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was clearly with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No — to be precise......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel... what is it that’s making you so impatient?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s something wrong with my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>21st day since entering the labyrinth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that minor incident upon reaching the sixth floor, we resolved things well enough and finally launched our ship into the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, and for the record, we parted ways with the Meiruta Clan here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re finally setting sail......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like the royal army is just starting to set off too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the shore, I could see the royal expeditionary force finally beginning to push their ships into the water one by one, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At this rate, they’ll finish setting off tomorrow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strictly speaking in terms of time, there were still some regrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though we moved so fast, we were only one day ahead of the sluggish royal army in setting sail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, aside from a few ships launched by some small clans, the only ships around the island were royal warships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a little behind schedule, but don’t worry too much. We did a lot of logging, and cleared a rift too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia, noticing my feelings, approached to offer consolation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it was because of what happened earlier, but the mood still felt slightly awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Amelia and I avoided bringing up the previous incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s right! You made more profit than if you’d spent those five days hunting, didn’t you? Don’t worry about it, Mister!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh... For even Elwen to be worried about me like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell am I doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, I felt pathetic, and also determined that I needed to pull myself together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to do that, first I had to fix the problem in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swaaaaaaa—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out on the deck, facing the cool ocean wind and watching the waves break, I looked back on myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That earlier version of me wasn’t like me at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No — thinking back, it started with the Meiruta Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like one of the cogs in my brain had broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emotion was overtaking reason, making me overly sensitive and aggressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually I was fine, but once something pressed the button, I would change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe I’ve been under too much stress...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looked at simply, that could be true, but it wasn’t something to take lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a commander loses their reason and acts emotionally, the whole group suffers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People could get hurt because of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how do I fix this kind of thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not like there’s a psychiatrist here — do I need to apply some kind of physical therapy myself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was thinking that when it happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Emily......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. It’s only natural.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amelia seemed to have a general idea of what caused the problem in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, she’s always been sharp like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence continued afterward, but it didn’t feel awkward like before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know how much time passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah, come to think of it, I never asked this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, after that awkward conversation earlier, I hadn’t brought it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly remembering it, I asked Amelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what was the rift on the fourth floor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It was the Forest of Doppelgangers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Really? That’s a shame it wasn’t the Golden Ruins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard Raven say she was pretty sure it was the Forest of Doppelgangers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that’s because she didn’t know our team had gone in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh, this is why people say you should think kind thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>29th day since entering the labyrinth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ninth day since we left the starting island of Lymia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without making a single stop at any islands, our ship finally docked at one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first destination along our expedition route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, since we were five days behind schedule, I’d considered skipping it...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But that’d be a waste. It’s right on our path too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, we’ll just clear it as quickly as possible and move on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh... I’d heard the stories, but it’s way creepier than I expected. The whole island’s made of bone...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ooooooh!! It’s the Skull Island! The Skull Island!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Its proper name is Catacoma, Mr. Prnelin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skull Island, Catacoma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was my first time visiting the island personally, but I had a strange connection to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when I first went to the Ghostbusters, I’d sold info about this island for GP, and I’d spread related information during a roundtable, too...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh... Captain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I was about to disembark, Sven Parab approached me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you know? Apparently if you defeat the boss monster on Skull Island and reach the tenth floor, you’ll experience something special...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wow, if that’s not a roundtable member talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s literally the information I gave out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feigning ignorance, I replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something special?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I don’t know the details either... but according to a reliable source, something like that exists. N-not that we’ll be going to the tenth floor this time, but I thought you should know...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah? Well, I know now. Like you said, we won’t be going to the tenth floor anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As that conversation ended and I stepped onto the island, Beleg, who had disembarked first, approached to report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are guests.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guests, huh......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d half-expected it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The labyrinth right now is a goldmine on every floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of thing must be happening all over the ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where there’s treasure, there are always rivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not sure... but at least one clan clearly arrived here before us. Look over there. They even planted their flag right at the entrance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, that says a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems to be an unspoken warning not to enter, since they arrived first... What shall we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What do you think — we went through the trouble of docking here, so we’re at least going to take a look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before rushing in blindly, I checked something first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adnus, that emblem — is it really the Golden Tree Clan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. One of the Seven Rivals, ‘Golden Ears,’ is their leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had my suspicions from the emblem, and it turns out I was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Golden Tree Clan was one I’d heard of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For one, their leader is one of the Seven Rivals, like Elwen and Ainard......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? Golden Tree? That clan is...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catching Misha’s questioning glance, I nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s the clan that Bear-Old-Man belongs to.\u003C\u002Fp>",2117,"2026-06-05T19:33:19.606Z",1,"novelbin.me","f817ccef9c9e4552ecacf57bea35403ba9ab20c780a12eef444e7398c7d2dd7f","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-793","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-791",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]