Chapter 2

Close your eyes.

And ask yourself.

If this is the beginning of a very, very unkind game, what am I supposed to do now?

‘First, you understand the situation and get all the information you can.’

After that, I seemed to have come back to myself a little.

Recalling the first task I set for myself, I slowly opened my eyes and checked my surroundings again.

Unfortunately, nothing has changed from before.

“…”

The fact is that I am in an open space, surrounded by a woods.

Also, it’s not some LED streetlights that illuminate the dark surroundings, but some flickering torches.

Most striking fact of all, there are muscular savages everywhere you look…

“Congratulations! Young warriors!”

Fuck, I’m not seeing things.

I don’t know what they’re doing in the middle of the night, but their expressions are pretty reverent.

Is that guy in the middle like a tribal chief?

Well, doesn’t matter.

“As of today, you will leave the Holy Land and be reborn as true warriors!”

I closed my eyes, letting out the presumed chief’s words through one ear and out the other.

I’m not a doctor, but if I were to self-diagnose, right now I have blackout symptoms.

I don’t know why I am here.

“Now, come out one by one and choose a weapon that suits you!”

So, let’s reason things out.

What was I doing just before this?

As soon as I tried to recall to see if I’d had any brain problems, the memory immediately came to mind.

I’d been playing a game.

The final boss room was imminent, and I’d activated the portal while suppressing my excitement. Then, suddenly, some messages saying that the tutorial has been completed or that the transmission has begun appeared, and a bright light burst out. And…

Now that I’ve come to my senses –

Somehow, it became even more confusing than before.

“Come out, Karak, third son of Farun!”

First, I decided to check the condition of my body.

I didn’t feel any pain, but you still have to check carefully.

With that thought in mind, I bowed my head – and stiffened.

… What is this?

“Two-handed axe! Great!”

The hands I looked down on were embarrassingly gigantic. And surprisingly, they moved according to my will.

While I was at it, I checked the rest of me, and it was a spectacle.

Not only was there no shirt, but tattoos of all types were drawn all over the solid upper body muscles.

… Yes, they all looked the same size, adjusted to the same level for this giant body.

Once I cleared up the situation –

No, really, there was nothing to clear up.

For some reason, I had become a barbarian savage without realizing it.

“O Karak, third son of Farun! This makes you a warrior!”

Kidnappings, hidden cameras, psychological experiments, etc.

I immediately erased all such possibilities from my mind. It would be foolish to twist the circuit of hope and forcibly fit the evidence even though the situation has already shown the key.

It is more productive to admit the truth and move on.

What is happening to me right now is something that science or modern knowledge cannot explain.

Other than this large body, there are plenty of other evidence.

“Next!”

First of all, the language that these savages speak is not Korean, English, or Spanish.

A language I have never encountered in any media in my entire life.

The problem is that I can understand that language as naturally as my mother tongue.

It was as if knowledge has been engraved in my head.

“Come out, Ainar, second daughter of Penelin!”

Second, I’m used to this situation.

I wonder how that can be, but it really is.

At first, everything was unfamiliar, but after I came to my senses, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

“You chose a sword! It is a good choice for you who are smart!”

That the young barbarians choose their weapons, one after another.

That’s all they have in common, but…

This is reminiscent of the intro of [Dungeon and Stone].

To be precise, when ‘Barbarian’ was selected from among several races, the game started in this way.

But is this really a coincidence?

The game I was playing when the mysterious light swallowed me was [Dungeon and Stone], and even the main character I was playing was a ‘Barbarian’?

“O Ainar, second daughter of Penelin! Now you have become a warrior. May the blessings of ‘Rafdonia’ be with you!”

‘You crazy…’

I decided to quit trying to clear up the remaining suspicions.

Rafdonia.

The tribal chief just mentioned this one proper noun, which made everything else meaningless.

I now know where this place is.

The world in the game I’ve been playing for nearly 10 years.

“This is, Dungeon and Stone?”

Uh, who else is speaking? What do you mean by those words?

As I glanced at the barbarian sitting next to me, I was stunned. He looked really different from the other savages nearby.

“What, what is this, why am I here…”

His breath was rough, and his eyes were full of confusion.

He even knows about [Dungeon and Stone]. Maybe he’s in the same situation as me?

I felt the need to check it out, but unfortunately, I couldn’t even get the chance to try.

“Who just opened his mouth!”

The voice was so loud that my eardrums tingled, and my head felt dazed for a moment.

Of course, it wasn’t for long.

I don’t know how soon I came to, but seeing the chief of the tribe looking down at me made me wake up pretty quickly.

“Was it you?”

I shook my head as soon as the question was asked, and as if it came naturally, I looked at the savage sitting next to me.

An act so quick and smooth that I could only admire my own self-poise.

In response, the chieftain moved his gaze to the barbarian sitting next to me instead of questioning me further.

I’m sorry, but you’re the one responsible. Why did you have to go and open your mouth?

“Was it you?”

“Yes?”

“I asked if it was you who just mumbled.”

It was only now that I felt it, but the tribe chief’s face wore an unusual expression. Just looking at him, the problem didn’t seem as simple as somebody talking inadvertently…

“Oh, you mean Dungeon and Stone? Yes… Why?”

The guy doesn’t seem to have noticed the atmosphere yet.

“It was you…”

A brief ripple of sadness passed through the eyes of the tribe chief.

Feeling a sense of doom for some unknown reason, I unconsciously moved a bit to the side.

Then the boy tilted his head and asked,

“Is this like an event? Oh, maybe because I noticed too soon –”

What happened then, I couldn’t even follow with my own eyes.

Something flashed, followed by a blunt sound.

Seok –

That’s all there was to it.

That fleeting moment passed, and the head that fell with a dull sound rolled over and over on the ground.

A sight so brutal that it seemed unrealistic.

The eyes relayed the information they had just seen to the brain.

“…”

A man’s neck was cut off in front of my eyes. White bones and severed muscles were visible through the gap on the neck. Something white splattered on my face, along with read blood and muddy flesh. What is this? Fat?

Well, I don’t know.

It’s not as shocking as I thought.

As if I was watching a movie or an anime, there was no feeling of nausea and no mental pressure, as if it was all a dream.

Pssssssssss!

As I watched the blood spurt out of the torn throat, only one question remained in my head.

Why the hell did the chieftain kill him?

“An evil spirit resided in the soul of Oreum, son of Kadua. Young warriors, erase from your memory all the words this evil spirit has just uttered!”

The moment I heard the chief’s words, the information naturally compiled in my head.

Information 1, I am an evil spirit.

Information 2, if this is found out, I will die.

Information 3, this fate could have become mine.

When I came to that conclusion, chills rose in my spine, which was still intact even when my compatriot’s head had been cut off.

“Vulcan! Hurry up and report this to the temple, and take the corpse!”

“What about the coming-of-age ceremony?”

“I will proceed!”

There was a lot of blood, but the ritual continued.

It seemed that this kind of thing was common here, and no one blinked an eye wherever I looked. This was also true of the young warriors sitting around.

But maybe it’s because I’ve played so many torturous games?

No one told me, but I could clearly see what I had to do now.

If it were a friendly game, a message like this would appear.

With the updated task in mind, I forcibly stopped myself from shaking. And taking my cue from the attitudes of the others, I composed my facial expression.

No one should feel any sense of incongruity while looking at me.

To them, I would be nothing but an ‘evil spirit’ who has possessed the true owner of this body.

“Next!”

But what followed after the accident made my heart sink.

“Kennick’s fourth son, Serum, come out!”

I don’t know my name.

This is a serious matter, with life or death at stake.

If your name is called, and yet you stand still, you will definitely look suspicious.

“Next!”

Of course, you could go ahead and say you heard it wrong.

Obviously, that’s much more likely.

But if you are asked something more to make sure, that’s a different story altogether. Just if. What if the chieftain asks a question because he’s suspicious?

I won’t be able to answer anything.

“Next!”

Did these fervid emotions stimulate the hormones in my brain?

Positive thoughts began to come to mind.

A weak thought, ‘If you are called at the end, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know your name, right?’

“Next!”

I felt sorry for myself.

Are you going to depend on luck?

When you’ve never been lucky in your life? You can tell just by looking at how you were brought to this place while playing the game.

For a bastard like me to get through this crisis, I need a much more plausible plan.

“Next!”

That’s why I kept looking around.

With my chin steadily facing the front, I looked at the expressions, movements, and habits of the others with my eyes.

As I was doing this, a way came to my mind.

“Next!”

Of course, this method was not 100% guaranteed.

However, the time was short, and I made the final decision.

That this is the most likely way I may live.

“Next!”

“Next!”

“Next!”

The calling continued.

I counted about two seconds to myself each time.

And when I had repeated it eight times –

“Come out, Bjorn, son of Yandel!”

Finally, the long-awaited moment has arrived.

Even after the two seconds had passed since the name was called, no one stirred their feet.

Recognizing this fact, I stepped forward. And proudly, with my shoulders squared, I walked towards the tribe chief.

Step.

It’s not that I’m not afraid.

Even at this moment as I step forward, I’m not sure that’s my name.

Step.

If my judgment is wrong, this insane tribe chief will call it out at once, saying it is suspicious.

And perhaps ask, who is your mother?

I will not be able to answer.

However.

Step.

I didn’t hesitate.

Even as my heart pounded in my chest, I steadied my breath and continued to step forward.

For a simple reason.

Because I thought this was the most probable.

“Young warrior, choose your weapon!”

In the end, my choice was right.

There was no doubt in the eyes of the chieftain looking at me.

A gentle gaze, same as when dealing with other young warriors.

I held my breath, suppressing the strange excitement bubbling inside me.

I lived.

Less than ten minutes have passed since I opened my eyes.

But I have accepted the reality I am facing now as it is.

It may seem strange to some, but…

Denying reality is idiotic.

It’s not a dream.

‘Bjorn Yandel.’

From now on, I must live by this name.

No, not just the name, I have to be completely become this savage barbarian.

I don’t know how long.

Is it possible to go home, and if so, what should I do…?

Because I don’t know anything yet.

Well, I wonder if it would be possible to go back once the game’s clear conditions are met.

It is still too early to determine this.

I honestly wish that wasn’t the clear condition.

No, I haven’t cleared the 2D version yet, how do I clear it in real life?

Maybe I’ll have to live here for the rest of my life.

“…”

In that sense, weapon selection was important.

I thought that dragging things out might raise suspicion, but I still carefully examined each weapon one by one.

One-handed sword, two-handed greatsword, mace, iron club, spear, harpoon, two-handed axe, flail, great hammer, etc.

There were no bows or staffs at all.

These savage bastards don’t even care about jobs that have it easy[1] like a healer, a wizard, or an archer.

Considering their racial characteristics, it’s natural.

“Bjorn son of Yandel! Come on, choose your weapon!”

As the selection time grew longer, the tribe chief began to urge me.

I finally organized my thoughts.

Barbarians have no natural talent for magic, but have strong physical abilities.

For that reason, when raising a barbarian character, I always played with melee weapons and put them in the vanguard.

Out of curiosity, I also tried to raise a barbarcher, but it didn’t work.

Their true value was always shown in close combat.

And among them…

‘This.’

After a lot of deliberation, I finally chose my weapon.

“Hmm.”

The chieftain, who gave admiration and praise after every choice, showed a strange reaction for the first time.

The sentiment was fully understandable.

“Bjorn son of Yandel! This makes you a warrior!”

I chose a weapon that no one else picked.

At that time, in a dark room with the lights dimmed.

「Synchronization complete. 」

「Character information and logs have been recorded and sent to the manager. 」

The CPU fan that had been quiet starts to spin, and the light from the monitor again illuminates the empty room.

However, the machine did not boot normally.

Beep beep, beep, beep –

Text entered in line with the beeping sounds on the DOS screen over a black background.

“You have successfully completed the coming-of-age ceremony.”

“You have installed new equipment.”

“The overall item level has increased by +12… ….”

As if someone was writing it down in real time even at this moment, only those sounds reverberated quietly in the unoccupied room.

Endlessly, continuously.

「Bjorn Yandel」

Level: 1

Body: 25 / Mind: 35 / Ability: 1

Item Level: 24 (New +24)

Total Combat Index: 67 (New +6)

Editor’s Notes:

[1] 날로 먹는 (lit. eating raw) means taking it easy, getting a free ride etc. Comes from the expression that eating things raw and uncooked requires no effort.