Chapter 2 – Training (Part 1)

 

I closed my eyes and asked myself:

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

First, I needed to understand the situation and learn some information.

Phew, I felt my mind gradually clearing up. Remembering this first task I had set for myself, I slowly opened my eyes and surveyed my surroundings again. Unfortunately, it was the same as before.

— ...

That I was in an open space in the woods, that the light illuminating the dark surroundings was not an LED lantern but a flickering torch, and that everywhere I looked there were muscular savages... Damn, my eyes definitely weren't deceiving me. I don't know what these people were doing here in the middle of the night, but they looked pretty loyal.

"Congratulations!" Young warriors! One of the savages in the center of the tribe shouted.

Is this person in the center the chief of the tribe? Well, it didn't matter.

The leader continued.

"From now on, you will leave the sacred land and be reborn as true warriors!"

I closed my eyes, filtering the leader's words through one ear. I'm not a doctor, but if I could diagnose myself, I probably had symptoms of fainting right now.

"Now, go out one by one and choose the weapon that suits you!"

So, let's think again... What had I been doing a short time before?

As I looked back at the events that had just happened, I suddenly had a realization.

I was playing the game. In front of me was the final boss's room, and I activated the portal, suppressing my excitement. Then, suddenly, there was a message that the training had been completed, some kind of transference had begun, and a bright light poured in. And then... When I came to my senses, I was here. For some reason, now I was even more confused...

"Come out, Karak, 3rd son of Phanun!"

First I need to check the condition of my body. I didn't feel any pain, but you never know. With this thought in mind, I looked down and immediately tensed.

… What is this?

"A two-handed axe!" It's cool!

The hands I saw were so large that they looked almost indecent. And, surprisingly, they moved at my will. At this time, I examined the other parts of my body, and all of them were a real sight. In addition to not wearing a shirt, my rough muscles had tattoos of all shapes painted on them, and I was at eye level with these giant people. I tried to make sense of all this information. No, in fact, there was nothing to understand. For some reason, I turned into a savage.

"Karak, the 3rd son of Fanun!" Now you're a warrior!

A kidnapping, a hidden camera, or maybe a psychological experiment. I immediately crossed these options out of my mind. In this situation, it would be foolish to create false hope by imposing theories that didn't work. It would be more productive to accept this reality and move on. What was happening to me now could not be explained by science and modern knowledge. In addition to this large body, there were many other reasons to confirm this.

"Next!"

First, the language spoken by the savages was neither Korean, nor English, nor even Spanish. It was a language I had never heard in any media in my entire life. However, I understood this language as naturally as my own. It was as if this knowledge was engraved in my brain.

"Come out, Ainar, Fenelin's 2nd daughter!"

Secondly, I am used to this situation. It may seem absurd, but it was true. At first, everything seemed unfamiliar, but now, when I came to my senses, I felt a strange feeling of déjà vu.

"You have chosen a sword!" A good choice for a smart warrior like you!

Young barbarians chose their weapons one by one... I've seen this before. It was like the intro to Dungeon & Stone. To be precise, when the Barbarian was chosen among the various classes, the game always started out that way. But was it just a coincidence? The game I was playing when the mysterious light consumed me was "Dungeon & Stone," and the character I was playing was "The Barbarian."

"Ainar, Feneline's second daughter!" You have become a warrior. May the blessing of Raphdonia be with you!

"What... ...

I decided to stop generalizing the remaining theories. "Raphdonia," the name the leader had just mentioned, made all these theories meaningless. Now I knew where I was. I was inside a game that I had been playing for almost 10 years.

«Dungeon&Stone».

"Huh?" What is this? Why does he speak on my behalf?

Looking at the savage next to me, I froze. Even at first glance, he was different from the other savages.

"What... What is this? Why am I here?

His breathing was uneven and his eyes were full of confusion. And he knew about Dungeon & Stone. Could it be that he was in the same situation as me? I felt the need to test it, but unfortunately I couldn't even try.

"Who just opened his mouth?!"

The voice was so loud that it pierced my eardrums, and my mind went blank for a moment.

But this did not last long. I didn't know when he appeared, but the fact that the chief was looking down at me woke me up.

"Was that you?"

As soon as the question was asked, I shook my head. And naturally, I looked at the savage sitting next to me. It was a fast movement that surprised even me. The chief also turned his gaze to the barbarian, instead of asking further questions.

I'm sorry, but it's you who spoke.

"Is that you?" The chief asked the barbarian next to me.

"Sorry?"

"I asked if you just muttered.

I only now realized this, but the expression on the leader's face was unusual. He can't behave like that just because of the noise...

— Oh, you mean Dungeon & Stone? What's wrong?

This guy didn't seem to understand the situation.

"So it was you...

Pity flashed in the chieftain's eyes, and he clenched his jaw. Feeling an ominous feeling for some unknown reason, I unconsciously took a step to the side.

Then the man next to me tilted his head and asked,

— Does it look like an event? Oh, did I notice it too early...

I couldn't see what happened with the naked eye. Something flashed, and then a terrifying sound rang out.

*Section*

That was all. A fleeting moment passed, and his head fell to the ground with a dull sound. My head continued to roll. It was a cruel sight that seemed almost unreal.

In front of my eyes, a man's neck was chopped off. Bones and muscle slices were visible. Something white splashed on my face along with blood and flesh.

What is this? Is it fat?

I couldn't be sure. It wasn't as shocking as I thought. There was no feeling of nausea or mental exhaustion like in the movies, and I didn't lose my mind.

*Spray!*

As I watched the blood flow out of the man's throat, only one question remained in my mind. Why the hell did the chief kill him?

"An evil spirit has taken up residence in the soul of Oreum, the son of Kadua. Young warriors, erase from your memory the words that the evil spirit has just spoken!

As soon as I heard the leader's words, everything fell into place in my head.

Point 1: I am an evil spirit.

Point 2: If this is revealed, I will die.

Point 3: That head on the ground could have been mine.

When I came to this conclusion, goosebumps ran down my spine, which did not happen even when I watched someone get their head cut off.

"Vulcan!" Hurry up and report this to the temple with the corpse!

"What should we do with the coming-of-age ceremony?"

"I'll go on!"

A pool of blood spilled, but the coming-of-age ceremony resumed. It must be a common occurrence here, because when they looked around, no one even batted an eyelid. It was the same with young warriors. Maybe it's because I've played so many unfriendly games? No one told me what to do, but I was sure of what I had to do now.

[Finish the ceremony of your coming of age safely so that no one will know that you are an evil spirit].

If it were a friendly game, this message would appear. Remembering the new task, I made my body tremble. And using the behavior of the others as a guide, I copied their facial expressions. No one can detect anything unusual in me, because to them I will be nothing more than an "evil spirit" that has entered someone's body.

"Next!"

But then I realized something, and my heart sank.

"Serum, 4th son of Kenik, step forward!"

I don't know my name.

It was a serious matter, my life was at stake. If I don't come forward even after my name has been called, I'll look suspicious.

"Next!"

Well, I guess I can say that I misheard. Obviously, this is much more likely. But if you ask me if I can be sure, that's another story. What if it doesn't work? What if the chief begins to suspect and question me? I can't answer anything.

"Next!"

Anxiety triggered hormones in my brain. Positive thoughts began to come to mind. And cowardly thoughts like: If I'm called last, it doesn't matter if I don't know my name, right?

"Next!"

I felt pathetic. Rely on luck? When have I never been lucky in my life? The fact that I was summoned to this place during the game made it quite obvious. In order for a guy like me to get through this crisis, I needed a more likely plan. So, I kept looking around.

"Next!"

With my chin in front of me, I studied other people's facial expressions, movements, and habits in peripheral vision. While I was doing this, a method came to my mind.

"Next!"

Of course, this method also did not give a 100% guarantee. However, the allotted time was short, and I had to make a final decision. This was the most likely way to live.

"Next!"

"Next!"

"Next!"

The calls continued. Between each challenge and the warrior's step forward, I counted down about two seconds. Then when I repeated it about eight times,

"Come out, Bjorn, son of Yandel!"

Finally, the long-awaited moment came. But even two seconds later, no one took the lead. Noticing this, I stepped forward. Proudly straightening my shoulders, I approached the leader.

*Rumble*

It's not that I'm not afraid. Even at this point as I walked forward, I wasn't sure if it was my name.

*Knock*

But if I were mistaken, the mad leader would immediately suspect something was wrong and stop me. And he will ask: "Who is your mother?" I would not be able to answer. However...

*In here*

I did not hesitate. Even as my heart was pounding, I controlled my breathing and kept stepping forward. The reason was simple. I decided that now was the right time to take a step forward.

"Young warrior, choose your weapon!"

In the end, my hypothesis turned out to be correct. There was no doubt in the leader's eyes as he looked at me. It was a warm look, just like when interacting with other young warriors. I held my breath, suppressing a strange excitement.

I survived.

***

Less than 10 minutes have passed since I opened my eyes, but I have already accepted the reality I am facing now as it is. This may seem strange to some... but it was pointless to deny it,

It was not a dream.

Bjorn Yandel.

From now on, I must live by that name. No, not only the name, but I must really become this barbarian for an indefinite time. Not knowing how I would be able to return home, or if it was even possible, I realized that I didn't know anything yet.

Well, I figured that if the game had clear win conditions, then I would be able to come back. But it was too early to draw any conclusions. To be honest, I was hoping it wasn't. I haven't even completed the 2D version, how could I have completed this game in real life? I may even have to live here forever...

Therefore, the choice of weapons was very important. Delaying this might have raised suspicions, but I took a close look at each weapon in turn. A one-handed sword, a two-handed greatsword, a mace, an iron club, a spear, a harpoon, a two-handed axe, a hammer, a great hammer, and a few more. There were no bows or wands. These wild bastards didn't seem to care about helpers like healers, wizards, or archers. Given their massive physique, it was a given.

"Bjorn, son of Yandel!" Choose your weapon quickly!

As the time of choice passed, the chief of the tribe began to urge me to hurry. At last I put my thoughts in order. Barbarians do not have a natural talent for magic, but they do have strong physical abilities. For this reason, when playing as a Barbarian, I always gave them melee weapons and put them at the forefront. Out of curiosity, I once tried to play as Barbarian the Archer, but nothing good came of it. Their true value has always been revealed in close combat.

And among them...

"This.

After much deliberation, I chose a weapon.

"Hmm...

The chieftain who had praised the other young warriors after each choice showed an unusual reaction this time. His feelings were understandable.

"Bjorn, son of Yandel!" Now you are a warrior!

I chose a weapon that no one wanted.

***

At the same time, in a dark room with dim light.

[Synchronization complete.]

[Character information and diary recorded and sent to the administrator].

The cooler on the system unit, which was turned off, began to spin, and the light from the monitor illuminated the empty room.

However, the download did not go through as expected.

*Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep...*

Typing stopped on the operating system screen with a black background. Judging by the sound signal, there was an error.

[Coming-of-age ceremony successfully completed]

[New equipment has been equipped]

[The total item level increases by +24...]

-------------------

It was as if someone was recording it in real time, only those sounds sounded quietly in an unoccupied room. Endlessly, continuously.

Bjorn Jandel

Level: 1
Constitution: 25
Spirit: 35
Special Abilities: 1
Item Level: 24 (New +24)
Total Combat Strength: 67 (New +6)