The Barbarian.
When I first played the race whose name was synonymous with ‘savage brute,’ my weapon of choice was the greatsword.
Of course. It was cool.
There’s a certain romance for any man in wielding a two-handed weapon, that fantasy of carving through an enemy camp like a spinning dervish, reaping lives with every turn.
The problem was, he died. A lot.
Fascinated by the character, I dove into research. How could I build a barbarian that could actually survive?
But after countless attempts, the barbarian still died too easily. No matter how much I focused on survivability, he’d always go berserk in a fight.
There was no stability. Every battle was a walk on a tightrope.
Then, at some point, a thought crept in.
What if I just used him as a tank?
Barbarians had the highest vitality of any selectable race and high average strength—enough to wear full Orichalcum. They couldn't match a Dwarf with their broken special abilities, but the fundamentals of a tank were all there.
To be honest, the idea of a barbarian tank didn't excite me, but…
All the research I’d done would be a waste otherwise. I decided to give it a try.
And after some trial and error, I perfected a build strategy.
"Isn't this broken?"
Without a shred of regret, I abandoned my main, the Dwarf tank.
So what if the fights weren't as flashy?
I’d always valued efficiency. I was the kind of person who would toss aside my preferred playstyle if it helped me win.
Just like the decision I was making right now.
Step.
As I returned to my spot after selecting my ‘weapon,’ I could feel the other barbarians staring at me.
What, never seen a shield-bearing barbarian before? A ‘Barbaegis’?
As a proud barbarian, I walked back to my seat with a dignified, unflinching expression.
There was no need to act this time.
“Next!”
I had no regrets about my choice.
There were three reasons.
First, among the starting weapons, the shield fetched the highest price when resold.
Second, there was a strong possibility I wouldn't even be able to use a blade properly right now.
And third, the Barbaegis was my ultimate build.
Today, I had made the most rational decision possible.
“With this, you have become warriors!”
After the weapon selection, we had some free time.
While the coming-of-age ceremony continued for the others, I tried to figure out what had happened to me. I should have done it sooner, but…
Well, what could I do?
The more I thought about it, the more lost I felt.
You have reached the abyss.
Let’s recap.
I reached the final boss room.
That must have been the trigger.
Wait a minute, what about the man who died just now? Does that mean he reached the final boss room, too?
Perhaps.
The world was a big place; there had to be a few freaks like me out there. I’ll set that thought aside for now.
Tutorial complete.
I interpreted that message as:
I've told you everything you need to know. Now use it to survive.
I don’t know who sent it, but they were one vicious bastard.
If you really wanted me to survive, you could have at least included a warning about whether I was an ‘evil spirit’ or not.
My head was nearly blown off the moment I arrived. That son of a bitch.
“Whew…”
Was it because I was in a barbarian’s body? I was having more trouble controlling my emotions than usual.
So I cut my ruminations short.
Getting worked up would only lead to mistakes, and besides, stressing over the past wasn't my style.
What’s done is done. You can’t change it.
It was far more productive to think about how to get through this crisis.
So…
Right. Let’s just focus on that for now.
How to survive.
The coming-of-age ceremony ended.
And now, I was walking through the woods.
The chieftain led the way, with the young barbarians trailing behind.
They chattered and laughed as if on a picnic.
I couldn’t share in their simple-minded joy.
Because I knew their final destination.
“Halt!”
After trekking through the thick forest, we arrived at a clearing before a sizable wall, maybe thirty meters high.
“Open the gates!”
With a crude rattle of gears, the gates began to open.
The process was slow enough to make you yawn.
But the young barbarians watched in breathless wonder. In that strange silence, a gray city finally revealed itself.
“Aethelgard…”
For that one moment, my own eyes were probably no different from theirs.
Well-paved roads and stone buildings.
And visible between them, a spire that pierced the sky.
I’d never dreamed I would see the city from the game’s loading screen with my own eyes.
Shit.
“Warriors!”
Once the gates were fully open, the chieftain turned and shouted.
I thought he might offer some words of encouragement before sending us off…
“Go! Your destiny awaits!”
Barbarians had no need for tedious speeches.
“Whooooo!”
The newly-minted adults charged into the city, roaring. I didn't like it, but I let out a yell of my own and followed them.
There were probably people sleeping in the darkened buildings, but who cared?
I am a barbarian!
Claaaaang!
The gates groaned shut behind us.
Of course, not one of these savages paid it any mind.
The over-excited horde ran for what felt like an age before their fervor finally cooled and their pace slowed. Only then could I resume my thoughts in peace.
Right now, I was a mess of conflicting emotions.
There was, of course, fear of what was to come.
But there was also a strange sense of anticipation, to now be a part of the game I had enjoyed so much.
It was a little funny.
Not long ago, I’d resolved to think only of survival, yet here I was, already letting these other feelings bloom.
I guess I wasn't so normal myself.
But that was nothing compared to these barbarian bastards.
“Stop!”
The barbarian who’d been leading the pack skidded to a halt, turned, and proudly announced:
“I’m lost!”
The others roared back at this shocking confession.
“Borin, son of Falkar, has led us astray!”
“He is not fit to be our leader!”
“You must take responsibility!”
For fuck’s sake. You lot were perfectly happy to follow him a minute ago.
Is this the true nature of barbarian society? So fickle.
“Stop. I understand. I admit I am unworthy of leadership and will step down.”
Borin, son of Falkar or whatever, bowed his head deeply and rejoined the group.
Next, a female barbarian was appointed leader of the new generation.
“Astrid, second daughter of Gerda!”
“Wise Astrid will lead us on the right path!”
Beaming at the words of praise and anticipation, the female barbarian took the lead.
It didn't take long for her to follow in her predecessor's footsteps.
“…I’m lost.”
Surprisingly, she even used the exact same words.
“It can’t be! We must reach the Labyrinth within the time limit!”
“Astrid is not fit to be our leader!”
“Right!”
Thrown into confusion, the barbarians began to seriously debate who should be the third leader.
“I think the second son of Hadrian would be good.”
“No, I don’t think so. Rather…”
Were these idiots completely brainless?
Had they still not realized that it didn't matter who took the lead? They weren’t going to find their way like this.
At this rate, my turn might even come up.
I quietly fell back and approached the second leader.
A giant of a woman, not much shorter than two meters, she stood slightly apart from the group, a dejected look on her face.
“Alaric, son of Brand? Have you come to blame me, too?”
No way.
As far as I was concerned, they were all equally to blame.
As I shook my head, the woman tilted hers.
“Then what? I don’t need your pity.”
“No. I’ve come to show you the way.”
“Really? How?”
I pointed.
“Just follow them.”
“Just… follow them?”
She looked at me as if I were insane.
Patiently, I laid it out for her step by step. A city in the dead of night. All the buildings were dark. And yet, there were still plenty of people on the streets. They were all dressed in armor, not common clothes.
Where else could they possibly be going?
“I see. Now that you mention it… I’ll try it.”
The female barbarian returned to the group and shouted, “I’ve found the way!” The others stopped their bickering over a third leader and began to cheer.
“That’s our Astrid!”
“The wise warrior!”
And so, the group began moving again.
Were we on the right path? As time went on, the number of armed people around us grew.
Soon, I could see a cluster of lights spreading out in the distance.
From this point on, at least, we wouldn't get lost again.
“The Labyrinth! I see the Labyrinth!”
“The Crucible of Valor!”
I returned to my interrupted train of thought.
One of my biggest concerns right now was whether entering the Labyrinth was the right decision.
“I can feel it! The Labyrinth is calling to my soul!”
The barbarians, lost in their frenzy, wouldn't even notice if I slipped away.
Then I wouldn’t have to enter the Labyrinth.
I wouldn’t have to fight and bleed against monsters.
And yet, even though I knew what lay ahead better than anyone, I still hadn’t made up my mind.
Because I also knew that running away was no solution.
Shadow and Steel had a tax system.
From the age of twenty, all city residents were required to pay taxes. Failure to do so was punishable by death.
It sounded like something out of a grimdark manga, but when you understood the world’s lore, the reasoning became clear enough.
That wasn't something I needed to worry about right now.
“Astrid! Let’s pick up the pace!”
“Wooooooooo!”
The point was, I had to make money.
Of course, fighting monsters in the Labyrinth wasn't the only way.
You could work in a tavern and make ends meet without any problem.
Unless you were a barbarian.
Barbarians were the only race given a weapon at the start of the game.
The reason was simple.
“A barbarian? Sorry, we just filled the position.”
“Are you still here? There’s nothing for a barbarian! You’ll just break something again!”
Barbarians couldn’t hold down a normal job.
Because of the game’s settings, they had no way to earn a living other than fighting monsters in the Labyrinth.
Of course, I wasn't sure how that would translate to reality.
Maybe I could find a job more easily than I thought.
But it was one thing to hope for that, and another to break away from the group on that hope alone.
“Ten minutes until closing! Hurry up and get in!”
In the game, the Labyrinth opened once a month.
In other words, if I didn’t go in now, I’d be stuck in this city for a month.
But what if I couldn’t find a job?
What if no one would hire me because I was a barbarian?
The future looked bleak.
The food the chieftain had given me might last a week, but after that, I’d be living off scraps from the gutter.
I might starve to death before the Labyrinth opened again.
One thing was certain: even if I did somehow survive, my body would be a wreck.
“I’ll be the first one in!”
“No! Me first!”
Hunger, cold, sleeping in filth.
I knew better than anyone how devastating those things were to the human body.
So, if I was going in anyway, it was only logical to do it now, while I was in peak condition.
The problem is, it’s lethally dangerous.
It was a time for a decision.
“Alaric, son of Brand!”
A hand clamped down on my shoulder.
I turned to see the barbarian woman.
Her name was…
“Astrid, third daughter of Gerda.”
“I’m the second daughter.”
Right. Anyway, what did she want?
“All the other warriors have gone inside. It’s just you and me left.”
“Ah.”
The square had become strangely quiet.
Looking around, I saw that not only the barbarians but most of the other people were gone, too. Astrid, as the de facto leader, must have stayed behind to make sure I wasn’t left behind.
“You have to hurry. We’re late, so we don’t have much time.”
At her words, I lifted my head and looked forward.
The portal, which had been a blazing beacon from a distance, had shrunk noticeably.
“Five minutes until closing!” a guide announced again.
Five minutes. That was tighter than I thought.
I had to decide soon…
“You go on ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Alright.”
Astrid nodded and headed for the portal, which only deepened my dilemma.
So, what should I do?
As a highly efficient person, I preferred to make decisions quickly, but this one wasn't easy.
This wasn’t a game. My actual life was on the line.
“Alaric, son of Brand!”
I flinched, taking an involuntary step back.
Astrid, who had been walking away, had suddenly turned around.
“Thank you for earlier.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for.”
“And I want to ask you something.”
Anything but my mother’s name, please.
When I nodded, Astrid asked with one hundred percent sincerity:
“How can I be wise like you? I’ve never met a barbarian as smart as you. I want to be like that, too.”
That was a difficult question. How to become smart? Honestly, it would probably be faster to just be reborn…
No, why was I even thinking about this?
Just give her a vague answer and send her on her way.
“You have to always think before you act.”
“Hmm, that’s true!”
I’d just said the first thing that came to mind, but Astrid mulled over my words with a serious expression.
Then she said something a little odd.
“Thank you for the advice. If I come back alive from the Labyrinth, I will repay you.”
If you come back alive?
It sounded strange coming from a barbarian.
So, I found myself asking an unnecessary question.
“Are you afraid of dying?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Of course, I’m afraid. The other warriors probably are, too. They just don’t say it out loud.”
Was that so?
To be honest, her words didn’t make much sense to me.
The barbarians in the game knew no fear.
And from what I’d seen so far, reality didn’t look much different.
While I stood there silently, Astrid added an explanation.
“We were born warriors. If we don’t fight, we die.”
Her tone was clumsy and stiff, but for some reason, I understood perfectly what she was trying to say.
“Right.”
Just like me, they had no choice.
Because they were born barbarians.
If you didn’t kill the monsters in the Labyrinth, you couldn’t survive in this city.
That was why, from a young age, they learned to overcome their fear and press forward.
Yes, that was all it was.
What made them seem like savage brutes.
“See you alive, Alaric, son of Brand.”
With that, Astrid stepped into the portal.
“One minute until closing!”
Now there was nothing holding me back.
Only my own choice remained.
Like the prompt that had appeared before the final boss room, I had two options.
Yes / No.
The thought cut through the complicated mess in my head. Back when I was playing the game, I always prioritized efficiency. Every action was for the sake of a goal.
If an action offered an immediate benefit but resulted in a net loss, the answer was ‘No.’
Otherwise, it was ‘Yes.’
In the end, there was never really a choice at all.
“The gate is closing! Stand back!”
I ran.
Deep inside, the same fear that had seized me when the chieftain called my name was boiling over.
Needless to say, I’d never even been in a fistfight, having been sickly for most of my life.
And my opponent was going to be a monster?
I was so terrified my body felt like it was turning to stone.
“It’s dangerous!”
But that didn’t mean I had no chance.
I was in the body of a barbarian, with strength that defied common sense.
I had my knowledge, gained from building thousands of characters in the game.
And above all else, I had a single, overriding goal: to survive.
So, I had to do this.
Even though I knew better than anyone the horrors and grotesqueries that lay on the other side.
Still, this was the most rational choice…
You have entered the Glimmering Caverns, 1st Floor.
Or so I thought.