I close my eyes.
And ask myself.
If this is the introduction to a very, very unfriendly game, what should I be doing right now?
'First, understand the situation and gather information.'
After a moment, I feel my mind begin to clear a bit.
Remembering my first task, I slowly open my eyes and check my surroundings once again.
Unfortunately, nothing had changed.
"...."
The fact that I was in a clearing in the woods.
That it wasn't LED street lights illuminating the darkness around me, but flickering torches.
And above all, the fact that no matter where I looked, muscled barbarians were teeming about...
"Congratulations! Young warriors!"
Fuck, I wasn't seeing things after all.
I have no idea why they are all huddled together in the middle of the night, but their expressions are quite solemn.
Is that guy in the middle some kind of tribal chief?
Well, that's probably not important.
"From today, you shall leave the sacred land and be reborn as true warriors!"
Ignoring the chief's words, I closed my eyes again.
I'm no doctor, but if I were to diagnose myself, I would say I'm experiencing blackout symptoms.
I don't know why I am here.
"Now come out one by one and choose the weapon that suits you!"
So, let's try this.
What was I doing just before?
Wondering if there was a problem with my brain, I carefully retraced my steps and soon a memory surfaced.
I was playing a game.
I was just before the final boss room, suppressing my excitement as I activated the portal. Suddenly, messages about completing the tutorial and starting the transmission appeared, followed by a burst of bright light. And then ...
I woke up and realized it was now.
Somehow, it's even more confusing than before.
"Karak, the third son of Panun, come forth!"
I decided to check on the condition of my body.
There's no sense of pain, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
With that thought, I bowed my head and froze with a start.
…What's this now?
"A double-handed axe! Splendid!"
The hands I looked down at were absurdly large. And, surprisingly, they moved exactly as I wanted them to.
On a whim, I check the rest of my body.
Not only was I stripped to the waist, but all sorts of tattoos were drawn over my bulging muscles.
…No wonder everyone seemed so big, I was at eye level with them.
For now, I tried to organize my thoughts about the situation.
Actually, there was hardly anything to make sense of.
Somehow, I had become a barbarian without even knowing it.
"Karak, the third son of Panun, you are now a warrior!"
Kidnapping, hidden cameras, psychological experiments, etc.
I immediately dismiss such similar possibilities from my mind. Clinging to false hope by contriving forced explanations would only be a fool's errand."
It's more productive to acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged.
The things happening to me now are something that cannot be explained with science or modern knowledge.
There's plenty of evidence apart from this large physique.
"Next!"
Firstly, the language used by these barbarians is neither Korean, nor English, nor Spanish.
A language I've never encountered in any media in my lifetime.
The problem is that I can understand this language as naturally as my mother tongue.
As if the knowledge had been etched into my mind.
"Pheneline's second daughter, Aynar, come forth!"
Secondly, this situation feels familiar.
It may sound bizarre, but it's true.
Everything felt strange at first, but as I regained a bit of sanity, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me.
"You've chosen a sword! A wise choice, it suits you well!"
The young barbarians took turns choosing their weapons.
The only commonality was just that…
It reminds me of the introduction to [Dungeon & Stone].
Specifically, when you chose the 'Barbarian' race, this is how the game started.
But can this all really be a coincidence?
The game I was playing when that mysterious light engulfed me was [Dungeon & Stone], and even the main character I played was a 'Barbarian'.
"Pheneline's second daughter, Aynar, you are now a warrior. May the blessing of 'Raphdonia' be with you!"
'This is insane…'
I decided to stop compiling any further evidence.
Raphdonia.
The name just mentioned by the tribal chief made everything else meaningless.
I now know where I am.
The world inside a game I've been playing for nearly 10 years.
"Dun, Dungeon & Stone."
Uh, what's this now. Why is he saying my line?
I glanced sideways at the barbarian beside me and stiffened. At first glance, he was different from the other barbarians.
"What, what is this, why am I here...."
His breath was ragged, his eyes filled with confusion.
The fact that he also knows [Dungeon & Stone]. Could it be that he's in the same situation as me?
I felt the need to check, but regrettably, I was not even able to attempt it.
"Who just spoke?"
The voice was so loud it made my eardrums buzz, momentarily clouding my thoughts.
Of course, it didn't last long.
I came to my senses upon seeing the tribal chief, who had appeared at some point, looking down at me.
"Was it you?"
Immediately upon being questioned, I shook my head and instinctively turned to look at the barbarian next to me.
A remarkably swift reaction, even to my own surprise.
The chief, instead of pressing me further, shifted his gaze to the barbarian next to me.
Sorry, but it's true. You were the one who opened your mouth.
"Was it you?"
"Yes?"
"I'm asking if that muttering was you."
Now, I realized, the expression on the chief's face was not good. It definitely seemed to be about more than just the muttering…
"Ah, you mean Dungeon & Stone? But… why?"
The guy seemed clueless about the gravity of the situation.
"It was you…"
A flicker of regret passed through the chief's eyes, clenched in anger.
Feeling an inexplicable sense of doom, I unconsciously stepped sideways.
That's when he cocked his head and asked.
"Is this some kind of event? Ah, is it a problem that I caught on too quickly—"
I couldn't see what happened.
There was a flash of something, then a chilling sound followed.
Shrrk-
That was the entirety of the incident.
After a moment of silence, there was a thud as a severed head fell and rolled away.
A brutally surreal scene, almost too unreal.
My eyes transmitted the information to my brain exactly as they had seen it.
"..."
A human head was cut off right before my eyes. Bones were visible, along with the cross-section of muscles. Blood, flesh, and something white splattered on my face. What is this? Fat?
Hmm, I'm not sure.
It's not as shocking as I expected.
There was no nausea like in the movies or comics, no mental breakdown thinking it was all a dream.
Pshuuuush!
Even as I saw a fountain of blood gushing from a human neck, my mind was filled with only one question.
Why did the chief kill this guy?
"Kadua's son Orm was possessed by an 'evil spirit'. Young warriors, erase all the words spouted by the evil spirit from your memories!"
As the chief spoke, information naturally pieced together in my mind.
Information 1,People like me, who came into the game are 'evil spirits'.
Information 2, If this is revealed, I die.
Information 3, It could've been my head rolling on the ground.
Having come to this conclusion, I felt a shiver run down my spine, which was fine even when a head was being chopped off.
"Vulkan! You must take the corpse and inform the temple of this matter immediately!"
"What about the coming-of-age ceremony?"
"We shall proceed!"
Despite the blood that had been spilled, the coming-of-age ceremony continued.
Was such an event common here? No one blinked an eye, not even the young warriors around me.
Maybe it's because I've played too many unfriendly games, but without anyone telling me, I knew exactly what I had to do.
-Do not let anyone discover that you are an evil spirit' and successfully complete the coming of age ceremony.
If this were a kinder game, such a message would have appeared.
I etched this updated task into my mind and forced my body to stop trembling. Then, using the behavior of others as a guide, I feigned an appropriate expression.
No one should feel any disharmony coming from me.
To them I must seem nothing less than an 'evil spirit' who has possessed their master's body.
"Next!"
My heart sank as the thought continued.
"Cenick's fourth son, Serum, step forth!"
I don't know my name.
This is a grave issue that could cost me my life.
It would certainly look suspicious if I stood still when my name is called.
"Next!"
Of course, I could pretend I misheard.
That's probably much more likely.
But when I'm asked if I'm sure, it's a different story. What if I'm wrong? What if the chief questions me because I am suspicious?
I would have nothing to answer.
"Next!"
Perhaps the anxiety triggered hormones in my brain.
Baseless optimism began to rise.
'If I am the last to be called, it may not be important for me to know the name'. A feeble thought.
"Next!"
I was ashamed of myself.
Relying on luck?
For someone who has never been lucky in his life? Just being dragged to this place while playing a game is proof enough.
For a bastard like me to overcome this crisis, I need a plan with a much higher chance of success.
"Next!"
That's why I continued to observe my surroundings.
With my chin tipped forward and my eyes scanning the expressions, movements and habits of others, I searched and searched.
And that's when I thought of one method.
"Next!"
Of course, this method doesn't guarantee a 100% success rate.
But time was short, and I had to make a final decision.
This was the path with the highest chance of survival.
"Next!"
"Next!"
"Next!"
The roll call continued thereafter.
For each call, I silently counted for about 2 seconds.
I had repeated this eight times when it happened.
"Bjorn, son of Jandel, step forward!"
The moment I had been waiting for had arrived.
Two seconds had passed since the name was called, and still, no one moved.
Realizing this, I stepped forward. I walked toward the chieftain with confidence, my shoulders squared.
Thud.
It wasn't that I wasn't scared.
Even as I took each step, I had no certainty that this was my name.
Thud.
If my judgment was wrong, the mad chieftain would surely stop me for being suspicious.
And he would ask, who is your mother?
I would not be able to answer.
But.
Thud.
I did not hesitate.
Even with my heart pounding, I kept my breath steady and continued to step forward.
The reason was simple.
I had judged this to be the most probable path to survival.
"Young warrior, choose your weapon!"
My choice turned out to be correct.
The chief's gaze held no suspicion as he looked at me.
It was the same gentle look he gave to the other young warriors.
Suppressing a strange thrill, I steadied my breathing.
I had survived.
***
It hadn't even been 10 minutes since I'd opened my eyes.
But I had fully accepted the reality I was faced with.
To someone else, I might seem odd…
But denying it is pointless.
This is not like a dream.
'Bjorn Jandel.'
From now on, I have to live with this name.
No, it's not just the name; I have to become this barbarian completely.
I don't know how long this will last.
Whether it is possible to return home, and if it is, what I need to do to make it happen…
I don't know anything yet.
Well, maybe if I fulfill the conditions of the game, I'll be able to return.
But even that is too early to determine.
Honestly, I hope not.
I mean, I haven't even beaten the 2D version yet, how am I supposed to conquer this in reality?
Maybe I'll have to live here for the rest of my life.
"..."
In that sense, choosing a weapon was critical.
I thought I might arouse suspicion if I dawdled too long, but I carefully examined each weapon.
A one-handed sword, a two-handed greatsword, a mace, a flail, a spear, a harpoon, a two-handed axe, a scythe, a large hammer, and so on.
Bows and staffs were nowhere to be found.
These barbaric brutes didn't even consider jobs that could skate by on finesse like healers, wizards, or archers.
Given their racial characteristics, it made sense.
"Bjorn, son of Jandel! Choose your weapon now!"
As my hesitation grew, the chieftain began to urge me on.
I gathered my final thoughts.
Barbarians, by nature, lack any talent for magic but possess formidable physical abilities.
For that reason, whenever I played as a barbarian, I always armed them with melee weapons and placed them in the front line.
I had tried raising a bow-wielding barbarian out of curiosity, but it was underwhelming.
Their true value always shone in close combat.
And among those options…
'This one.'
After much deliberation, I chose my weapon.
"Hmm."
For the first time, the chief, who had praised and admired each selection, showed a peculiar reaction.
I could fully understand his sentiments.
"Bjorn, son of Jandel! With this, you have become a warrior!"
I had chosen a weapon that no one else had.
***
At that moment, in a dark room where the flashing had subsided.
[Synchronization complete.]
[Character information and logs have been recorded and will be sent to the administrator.]
The previously silent computer fans began to whir, and light leaking from the monitor illuminated the empty room.
However, the booting was not proceeding normally.
Beep-beep-beep, beep, beep—
On the black background of the DOS screen, typing corresponding to the beeping sounds as if indicating an error.
[The coming of age ceremony was successfully completed.]
[New equipment has been equipped]
[The overall item level has increased by +12…]
"…"
As if someone was still writing it down in real-time, these sounds quietly resonated in the room without an owner.
Endlessly, continuously.
'Bjorn Jandel'
Level: 1
Physical: 25 / Mental: 35 / Supernatural: 1
Item Level: 24 (New +24)
Overall Combat Index: 67 (New +6)