Chapter 3 – Training (Part 2)

 

Barbarian. When I first played a character of this class, the weapon I chose was a sword. Reason? Because it was cool. I imagined how cool it was to hold a sword in both hands and spin like a madman in the middle of the enemy camp.

The problem was that they die too easily.

Fascinated by the Barbarians, I began my own research. How can I save the life of a barbarian? Even after many attempts, my barbarian characters still died too easily. No matter how much survivability they had, they all turned into berserkers. It was like walking on a tightrope in every battle. This made barbarians unstable characters.

Then, at some point, I started to be skeptical about him.

Do I really need to use it as a Damage Dealer*?

Damage Dealer (DD, damage dealer) is a player in computer or tabletop role-playing games, in a group or individually, inflicting the main damage to opponents (monsters) in battle

Barbarians had the highest survivability among the classes, their potential strength was also high, which meant that they could wear adamantium. While they weren't as good as a dwarf with their special skills, barbarians possessed basic tank skills. To be honest, I didn't really want to be a barbarian tank. But I also didn't want all that time spent studying barbarians to go to waste, so I gave it a try. And after a few trials and errors, I created my own build* of the character.

Build is a complete list of the game-mechanical characteristics of the character, intended for optimization purposes.

What kind of cheat character is this?

Without hesitation, I gave up the dwarf I had originally used as a tank. So what if you can't fight an exciting battle? I always valued efficiency, and I was a gamer who could ignore personal taste if it helped strategy. As well as this decision now.

*Rumble*

When I returned to my seat after choosing my weapons, I felt that the other savages were looking at me.

Have you never seen a barbarian with a shield before?

I returned to my seat with a dignified, unflinching expression, as befits a true barbarian. This time there was no need to pretend to be myself.

"Next!"

I did not regret my decision. There were three reasons for this:

Firstly, among the starting weapons, the shield was the most expensive when resold.

Secondly, there was a good chance that even if I was holding a sword in my hand now, I wouldn't be able to use it properly.

Thirdly, in the end, I chose a shield barbaric physique.

I made the most rational decision for today.

"With that, you became a warrior!"

After choosing a weapon and returning to my seat, I was finally given time to think. While the rest of the savages were celebrating their coming of age, I decided to speculate on the reasons for the situation. I really should have thought about it earlier, but... Well, what could I do?

I was too busy saving my life.

[You have reached the abyss].

Let's summarize the course of events. I made it to the final boss room. Most likely, it was the trigger.

Wait, who was the guy who died earlier? Does this mean that he also reached the room with the final boss?

... Maybe so. There are a lot of people in the world, and some of them might be as weird as I am.

[Training Completed]

I took this message as follows:

I've taught you everything I was supposed to teach you, so use that knowledge to survive. I didn't know who they were, but they were supposed to be evil bastards. If they really wanted me to survive, they should have included an explanation about the "evil spirit."

Because of this, I was almost killed when I arrived. Asshole.

"Hah...

Maybe it was because I was in the body of a barbarian, but I had a hard time controlling my emotions as usual. For this reason, I have abandoned this thought. Anxiety can lead to trouble, and thinking about "why" and stressing yourself is not for me.

What had happened had already happened, and there was no turning back. It was more productive to put my energy into thinking about how to get out of this situation.

So... Okay, let's just think about it for now.

How do I survive this?

***

The coming-of-age ceremony was over, and now I was walking through the forest. The chief was in front, and the young barbarians were behind. It seemed that everyone was having fun, like at a picnic. But I couldn't laugh with them... because he knew their final destination.

"Stop!"

The place where we arrived after passing through a dense forest was a fortress wall about 100 feet (30 meters) high.

"Open the gate!"

The castle gates opened with the sound of a crude mechanism. The speed was slow enough to make you yawn. But the young barbarians watched this spectacle as if they had forgotten how to breathe. In the strange silence outside the gate, the gray city finally appeared.

"Rafdonia—"

At least at this point, the sparkle in my eyes probably wasn't much different from the sparkle in the eyes of others. Orderly roads and stone buildings, and a towering spire that could be seen piercing the sky. I never dreamed that I would see this picture in real life, which I saw only in the illustration of the loading screen.

Gosh darn.

"Warriors!"

When the door opened, the chief of the tribe turned around and shouted. I was hoping he'd say a few words of wisdom before sending us off, but...

"Go!" Your fate is there!

For the barbarians there was no need for boring speeches.

"Ah!"

The barbarians, who had just entered adulthood, ran into the city screaming. I didn't want to, but I shouted and followed them.

In these dimly lit buildings, there are probably people who are fast asleep, but what did it matter?

I was a barbarian.

*Boom!*

Behind us we heard the sound of the gate closing. Of course, none of the barbarians cared about this. The overexcited barbarians ran for a long time until they finally calmed down and slowed their pace. Only then could I calmly continue my thoughts.

At the moment, I was experiencing conflicting emotions.

I felt scared of the situation I was in, but at the same time I was looking forward to being part of the world of my favorite game.

It was a little ridiculous. More recently, I decided to focus only on survival, but these emotions still blossomed. I definitely couldn't be normal. Although I was nothing compared to those wild bastards.

"Stop!"

The barbarian of the leader's type running ahead stopped, turned around and shouted proudly.

"I think I've lost my way!"

The savages murmured among themselves at the shocking confession.

"Phanun's 3rd son, Karak, led us astray!"

– He does not have the qualifications of a leader!

"You have to take responsibility!"

. You all voluntarily followed him. So what did barbarian society look like? Frozen.

"I understand. Stop. I admit that I am unworthy, and I will leave the post of leader.

Karak, the 2nd or 3rd son of Phanun, bowed his head deeply and returned to the group. A barbarian woman was appointed the next chief.

"Ainar, Feneline's 2nd daughter!"

"Wise Ainhar will lead us on the right path!"

The barbarian woman led the group at the forefront and smiled when she heard the encouraging words. However, it didn't take long for her to follow the same steps as the previous leader.

— ... I think I've lost my way.

Surprisingly, their words were synchronized without errors.

"Unbelievable!" We must reach the labyrinth in the set time!

– Ainar does not have the qualifications of a leader!

"That's right!"

Dejected, the barbarians began to urgently discuss whom to appoint as the 3rd leader.

"I think the 2nd son of Tetra would be good.

— No, I don't. I don't think so. Instead of him...

Do these children really have no brains? Don't they understand that no matter who is the leader, they will not achieve their goal?

At this rate, even my turn will come.

I quietly lagged behind the group and approached the 2nd leader. Standing about 6 feet tall, she stood slightly to the side of the group with a discouraged expression on her face.

"Bjorn, son of Yandel?" Have you come to accuse me too?

No way. For me, they were all the same. Shaking her head, the barbarian woman tilted her head.

"Then why?" I don't need consolation.

— No, I don't. I have come to show you how to find the way.

— ... It's true? How?

I pointed somewhere with my hand.

"You just have to follow them.

"Just follow them?"

She looked like she couldn't believe it. Being patient, I logically explained to her step by step. A city in the middle of the night.

All the lights on the streets were turned off. However, considering the late night, there were quite a few people on the streets.

They were all dressed in armor rather than casual clothes.

Where are they going?

"Of course... That makes sense. I'll try.

The barbarian woman returned to the group and shouted, "I found a way!" and the barbarians stopped the process of choosing the 3rd leader and applauded.

" Da, Ainar!

— Мудрый воин!

In general, the group began to move again. They seemed to be on the right path, as more and more armed men appeared in the vicinity as time went on. At some point, I began to see a bunch of lights from afar, spreading in all directions. If we've made it this far, at least we won't get lost.

"It's a labyrinth!" I see a labyrinth!

"Divine Battle Dimension!"

One of my biggest concerns right now was whether entering the maze was the right decision.

"I can feel it!" The labyrinth is calling to my soul!

The barbarians in the crucible will not notice the excitement if I break away from the pack. That way, I won't have to enter the maze or fight monsters to the death. However, even knowing this fact better than anyone else, I knew that my dilemma would not end there.

Because I know that running away is not an option.

Dungeon & Stone had a tax system. From the age of 20, all residents of the city had to pay taxes, and non-payment of taxes was punishable by death. Hearing this, you might think that this is a stupid game, but if you study the universe of the game, then such a system was quite justified.

I don't think it's worth worrying about now, but...

"Ainar!" Let's speed up!

"Ohhhhh!!

Anyway, I needed to make money. Of course, it was not necessary to go into the labyrinth and fight monsters to do this. Even if I find a job in a tavern, I won't have any trouble finding a place to eat and sleep... unless, of course, I am a barbarian. Barbarians were the only characters who were given weapons from the very beginning of the game. This happened for a very simple reason...

[Barbarian? I'm sorry, I've already found someone].

[Go away! There's nothing here for a barbarian! What are you going to break this time?]

Barbarians could not have ordinary jobs. Due to the way the game was structured, the barbarians had no other way to make a living than to fight monsters in the labyrinths. Well, I'm not sure how this will happen in real life. Maybe I'll even find an easier job than I thought. But I did not like to break away from the group just for the sake of this guess.

"There are 10 minutes left before closing. Hurry inside!

The labyrinth in the game was opened only once a month. In other words, if I don't enter this time, I'll have to survive in this city for a whole month. But what if I can't find a job in that time?

What if no one wants to hire a barbarian?

Well, the future was bleak. Even if I had survived for a week on the food given by the tribal chief, I would have had to eat scraps and waste for the rest of the time. Maybe I'll even starve to death sooner.

One thing is for sure. Even if I endure this, my body will be completely different from what it is now.

"I'll be the first!"

"No!" I'm the first!

Hunger, cold and sleep in unsanitary conditions. I knew better than anyone how destructive they are to the human body. So if I was going to go in anyway, the smartest thing to do would be to go in now, when my body was in perfect condition.

The problem is that it can only shorten my life.

I was lost in my thoughts when someone grabbed me by the shoulder.

"Bjorn, son of Yandel!"

When I looked, it was that barbarian woman.

Her name was...

— Ainar, Fenelin's 3rd daughter.

"The second daughter.

Never mind. What does she want from me?

"All the other warriors have already entered the labyrinth. The only ones who haven't entered yet are you and me.

"Oh.

No wonder it was quiet. Looking around, there were not many people left in the square, let alone other barbarians. Einar, as the 2nd leader of the group, seems to have come to take care of me while I stood idle.

"We need to hurry. Since we arrived late, we don't have much time.

As I did so, I raised my head and looked straight ahead. The portal, which used to emit intense light from afar, has noticeably shrunk in size. Just at that moment, the guide once again informed us about the remaining time.

– 5 minutes before closing!

5 minutes... It turned out to be less than I thought. I had to make a decision.

"Go first." I'll follow you.

"Good.

Ainar nodded and headed for the portal, which made my problems even worse.

What should I do now?

As a person who prefers efficiency, I preferred to do things quickly, but this time it was not easy to make a decision.

Unlike the game, my real life depended on it.

"Bjorn, son of Yandel!"

I was about to take a step back involuntarily when Einar, who was walking in front, suddenly turned around.

— Thank you for earlier.

— ... There is nothing to thank me for.

"And there's one thing I want to ask you.

Anything but my mother's name, of course. I nodded, and Einar asked in a completely sincere voice:

"How can I be wise like you?" I have never seen such a clever barbarian as you in my life. I want to be like you.

How to become smart? It was a really difficult question. To be honest, I wondered if it wouldn't be quicker to just be born again...

No, wait, why did I even think about it? Just give her a rough answer and send her on her way.

— You always need to think before acting.

"Hmm, I see!

I said it without much thought, but Einar thought about my words with a serious expression on her face.

And she said somewhat unexpectedly.

— Thank you for the advice. If I return from the labyrinth, I will repay you.

What does "if" mean? I was surprised.

It sounded too strange for the barbarian's lips. Therefore, unlike myself, I asked her an unnecessary question.

— ... Are you afraid of dying?

"Isn't that obvious?" Of course, I'm afraid of dying. Other warriors probably do too, even if they don't show it.

It's true? To be honest, her words did not hurt me very much. The barbarians in the game couldn't feel fear, and reality didn't look much different. When I fell silent, Einar added:

"We are born warriors. If we don't fight, we will die.

Her tone was awkward and harsh, but somehow I was able to fully understand what she was trying to say.

- I see.

Because they were born barbarians, they had no choice, and neither did I.

If they hadn't killed monsters in the maze, they wouldn't have been able to survive in this city, so they learned to overcome their fears from an early age. Yes, that was all. That's why they looked like savages.

"I'll see you alive." Björn, son of Yandel.

Ainar soon entered the portal.

– There is 1 minute left before closing! The guide said.

Nothing held me back now. Only my decision. As in the phrase when entering the final boss's room, I had two options.

[Yes/No].

My confused thoughts cleared up.

Yes, I'd rather think of it as a game.

Whenever I played games, I always played with an emphasis on efficiency to achieve a goal. Before moving, I always considered probability first, and always moved with the next step in mind. If I believed that my actions would lead to a loss, even if there was an immediate benefit, I chose [No].

Otherwise, I chose [Yes]. Thus, I never had a question.

"The gates will close soon!" Move!

I ran forward. Fear boiled in the depths of my soul, as when the chief called my name. Needless to say, having been sickly all my life, I did not have the slightest experience of fist fighting. But fight monsters? My knees were already shaking.

"It's too dangerous!"

However, now there is a chance. Now I have the body of a ridiculously strong barbarian and the knowledge gained from powering up thousands of characters. First of all, I have a great goal – to survive. Therefore, I had no choice.

And although I know better than anyone that this decision can lead to terrible consequences and that any sane person would not choose it, I still decided that it was the most reasonable decision.

[You have entered the 1st floor crystal cave].