I close my eyes.
And I ask myself again.
If this is the beginning of a very, very unfriendly game, what should I be doing right now?
'First, figure out the situation and gather information.'
Phew, I feel like I'm starting to think straight again.
Recalling the first task I set for myself, I slowly opened my eyes and checked my surroundings once more.
Unfortunately, nothing had changed.
"..."
I was still in a clearing in the forest.
The surroundings weren't lit by LED streetlights, but by flickering torches.
And most of all, no matter which direction I looked—north, south, east, or west—there were muscular barbarians everywhere…
"Congratulations! Young warriors!"
Shit, I wasn't seeing things after all.
I don't know what they're doing, gathered like this in the middle of the night, but their expressions are quite solemn.
That guy in the center—he must be the tribe chief or something?
Well, that doesn't really matter.
"From today, you shall leave the Holy Land and be reborn as true warriors!"
I let the chief's words pass through one ear and closed my eyes again.
I'm not a doctor, but if I were to self-diagnose, I'd say I'm experiencing a blackout.
I don't know why I'm here.
"Now, come forward one by one and choose the weapon that suits you!"
Alright, let's try to think.
What was I doing just a moment ago?
Let's go over it step by step to see if something's wrong with my brain.
Soon, the memory came back.
I was playing a game.
I was right in front of the final boss room, and I activated the portal while trying to contain my excitement.
Then suddenly, messages popped up saying the tutorial was complete and the transfer was starting, and a bright light burst out.
And then…
When I came to, I was here.
Somehow, I was even more confused than before.
"Karack, third son of Panun, step forward!"
First, I decided to check my physical condition.
I didn't feel any pain, but you never know.
With that in mind, I lowered my head—and froze.
…What the hell is this?
"A two-handed axe! Excellent!"
The hand I looked down at was ridiculously large.
And surprisingly, it moved according to my will.
I checked the rest of my body out of curiosity, and it was a sight to behold.
Not only was I shirtless, but my bulky muscles were covered in all kinds of tattoos.
…No wonder everyone looked huge—my eye level matched theirs.
I tried to make sense of the situation.
Actually, there wasn't much to make sense of.
For some reason, I had become a barbarian without even realizing it.
"Karack, third son of Panun! With this, you are now a warrior!"
Kidnapping, hidden camera prank, psychological experiment, and so on.
I immediately erased all those possibilities from my mind.
The situation was too bizarre to cling to hopeful theories and force them to make sense.
It's more productive to accept what needs to be accepted and move on.
What's happening to me right now is something that can't be explained by science or modern knowledge.
And there's more than enough evidence besides this huge body.
"Next!"
First, the language those barbarians are using isn't Korean, English, or Spanish.
It's a language I've never encountered in any media in my life.
The problem is, I can understand it as naturally as if it were my native tongue.
As if the knowledge had been engraved directly into my brain.
"Ainar, second daughter of Fenelin, step forward!"
Second, this situation feels familiar.
It might sound strange, but it really does.
At first, everything felt foreign, but once I calmed down a bit, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
"You chose the sword! A wise choice that suits your clever nature!"
The young barbarians were taking turns choosing weapons.
That's the only thing they had in common, but…
It reminded me of the opening of [Dungeon & Stone].
Specifically, when you chose the 'Barbarian' race, the game started like this.
But could this really be a coincidence?
The game I was playing when that mysterious light swallowed me was also [Dungeon & Stone], and the main character I was playing was even a 'Barbarian'?
"Ainar, second daughter of Fenelin! With this, you are now a warrior. May the blessing of 'Rafdonia' be with you!"
'What the hell…'
I gave up trying to organize the remaining evidence.
Rafdonia.
That one proper noun the tribe chief just mentioned made everything else meaningless.
Now I know where I am.
I'm inside the world of the game I've been playing for nearly ten years.
"Du… Dungeon & Stone."
Huh, what's this now? Who's speaking for me?
I glanced sideways at the barbarian next to me and froze.
Even at a glance, he was different from the others.
"W-what is this? Why am I here…?"
His breathing was rough, and his eyes were filled with confusion.
He knew about [Dungeon & Stone] too.
Could he be in the same situation as me?
I felt the need to check, but unfortunately, I didn't even get the chance to try.
"Who just spoke!"
A voice so loud it made my eardrums ring left my head blank for a moment.
Of course, it didn't last long.
As soon as I saw the tribe chief looking down at me, I snapped back to my senses.
"Was it you?"
I immediately shook my head.
Then I naturally looked at the barbarian next to me.
Even I was impressed by how fast I reacted.
The chief also turned his gaze to the barbarian next to me instead of pressing further.
Sorry, but it really was you who spoke.
"Was it you?"
"Huh?"
"I asked if you were the one who just muttered."
Only now did I notice—the tribe chief's expression was unusual.
It didn't seem like he was angry just because someone spoke out of turn…
"Oh, you mean Dungeon & Stone? But… why?"
The guy still hadn't caught on to the mood.
"So it was you…"
A flash of pity passed through the tribe chief's eyes as he clenched his teeth.
Feeling an inexplicable sense of dread, I unconsciously took a step back.
The guy tilted his head and asked,
"This is some kind of event, right? Oh, did I mess up by figuring it out too fast—"
Whatever it was that passed by, I couldn't even see it.
Something flashed, and then I heard a chilling sound.
Slice—
That was the whole event.
In what felt like an instant, a dull thud followed as a head rolled across the ground.
A brutal scene that didn't feel real.
My eyes delivered the exact information to my brain.
"..."
A person's head had been cut off right in front of me.
I could see the bones, the cross-section of the muscles.
Something white splattered on my face along with the blood and flesh.
What is this? Fat?
Hmm, I'm not sure.
It wasn't as shocking as I thought it would be.
I didn't feel nauseous like in movies or comics, nor did I lose my mind thinking it was all a dream.
Ssshhhhh!
Even as blood sprayed like a fountain from the severed neck, only one question filled my mind.
Why did the tribe chief kill him?
"The soul of Orum, son of Kadua, was possessed by an 'Evil Spirit.' Young warriors, erase from your memories the words just spoken by the Evil Spirit!"
As soon as I heard the tribe chief's words, the pieces in my mind clicked together.
Info 1: I am an Evil Spirit.
Info 2: If this is discovered, I will die.
Info 3: I could've ended up like that guy.
Once I reached that conclusion, a chill ran down my spine, even though I had been fine when the head was cut off.
"Bulkan! Quickly take the body and report this to the Temple!"
"What about the Coming of Age Ceremony?"
"It will proceed!"
Even though blood had been spilled, the ceremony continued.
Maybe this kind of thing is common here—no one even blinked.
The same went for the other young warriors.
Maybe it's because I've played so many unfriendly games.
No one told me, but I instinctively knew what I had to do.
—Complete the Coming of Age Ceremony without revealing that you are an Evil Spirit.
If this were a kind game, a message like that would've popped up.
I etched the updated task into my mind and forced my trembling body to stop shaking.
Then, using the others' behavior as a guideline, I mimicked their expressions.
No one must sense anything off about me.
To them, I'm no different from an Evil Spirit that's taken over someone's body.
"Next!"
When the call continued, my heart sank.
"Serum, fourth son of Kenik, step forward!"
I don't know my name.
This is a life-or-death issue.
If my name is called and I don't respond, I'll definitely look suspicious.
"Next!"
Of course, I could pretend I didn't hear it.
That's probably more likely to work.
But if you ask whether I can be sure of that, the answer is completely different.
What if I'm wrong?
What if the tribe chief questions me for acting suspiciously?
I wouldn't be able to answer anything.
"Next!"
Maybe the anxiety triggered some hormone in my brain.
Suddenly, baseless positive thoughts started popping up.
'If I'm called last, it won't matter if I don't know my name, right?'
Such a weak thought.
"Next!"
I felt pathetic.
Relying on luck?
I've never been lucky in my entire life.
Just look at how I got dragged into this place while playing a game.
Someone like me needs a plan with a much higher chance of success to survive this.
"Next!"
That's why I kept observing my surroundings.
While keeping my chin forward, I used my eyes to study the others' expressions, movements, and habits over and over.
And then, one method came to mind.
"Next!"
Of course, this method doesn't guarantee 100% success.
But time was short, and I made my final decision.
This was the path with the highest chance of survival.
"Next!"
"Next!"
"Next!"
The calls continued.
Each time, I counted about two seconds in my head.
I repeated that eight times.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel, step forward!"
Finally, the moment I'd been waiting for arrived.
Two seconds passed after the name was called, and no one moved.
As soon as I realized that, I stepped forward.
And with my shoulders squared, I walked toward the tribe chief.
Step.
It's not that I'm not afraid.
Even now, as I take these steps, I'm not sure if that's really my name.
Step.
If I'm wrong, that crazy tribe chief will definitely stop me for acting suspiciously.
And he'll ask, who is your mother?
I won't be able to answer.
But—
Step.
I didn't hesitate.
Even as my heart pounded, I kept my breathing steady and continued walking forward.
It's simple.
I judged this to be the most likely path to survival.
"Young warrior, choose your weapon!"
In the end, my choice was correct.
There was no suspicion in the tribe chief's eyes as he looked at me.
Just the same gentle gaze he gave to the other young warriors.
I suppressed the strange excitement in my heart and calmed my breathing.
I survived.
***
It hasn't even been ten minutes since I opened my eyes.
But I've already accepted the reality I'm facing.
Some people might find that strange…
But there's no point in denying it.
This isn't some dream.
'Bjorn Yandel.'
From now on, I have to live with this name.
No, not just the name—I have to completely become this barbarian.
I don't know for how long.
I don't even know if it's possible to return home, or what I need to do if it is…
I don't know anything yet.
Well, maybe if I clear the game's objectives, I can go back.
But even that's too early to say for sure.
Honestly, I hope that's not the case.
I haven't even cleared the 2D version yet—how am I supposed to clear it in real life?
Maybe I'll have to live here for the rest of my life.
"..."
With that in mind, choosing a weapon was important.
I thought dragging it out might make me look suspicious, but I still carefully examined each weapon.
One-handed sword, two-handed greatsword, mace, iron club, spear, harpoon, two-handed axe, flail, giant hammer, and so on.
There weren't even any bows or staves.
These barbarian bastards have no interest in easy classes like healers, mages, or archers.
Considering their racial traits, it makes sense.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel! Choose your weapon!"
As my selection took longer, the tribe chief began to urge me.
I organized my thoughts one last time.
Barbarians are born with no talent for magic, but they have powerful physical abilities.
That's why I always gave them melee weapons and placed them on the front lines when I played.
I once tried raising an archer barbarian out of curiosity, but it wasn't great.
Their true value always shined in close combat.
And among those…
'This one.'
After much thought, I made my choice.
"Hm."
The tribe chief, who always added praise and admiration after each selection, showed a strange reaction for the first time.
I could understand how he felt.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel! With this, you are now a warrior!"
I had chosen a weapon that no one else had picked.
***
At that moment, in a dark room where the flash had faded.
「Synchronization complete.」
「Character data and logs are being recorded and sent to the administrator.」
The fan of the previously shut-down computer began to spin, and the light from the monitor illuminated the empty room.
But the system didn't boot up properly.
Beep-beep-beep—
The screen froze on a black DOS background, and typing sounds echoed in sync with the beeps, as if an error had occurred.
「The Coming of Age Ceremony has been completed safely.」
「New equipment has been equipped.」
「Total item level has increased by +12…」
「....」
As if someone were typing in real time even now, only those sounds quietly echoed through the ownerless room.
Endlessly, continuously.
「Bjorn Yandel」
Level: 1
Body: 25 / Mind: 35 / Supernatural Ability: 1
Item Level: 24 (New +24)
Overall Combat Index: 67 (New +6)