Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 90

It’s been five months since I opened my eyes in this other world. If I include the time spent in the labyrinth, it feels much longer. A lot has happened during that time. I killed a person for the first time, and I killed monsters. Besides that, I’ve done many barbaric things to survive. But is it that the essence of being a modern person remains? Tap, tap-tap-tap, tap, tap! As soon as I finished entering the password, my pinky finger naturally pressed the enter key. And then I realized something and flinched. ‘This is… my body?’ Not the rough, thick hands of a barbarian. Definitely not the body of a warrior with broad shoulders and rock-like muscles all over. My body, Han-soo Lee, 175cm tall, average weight, with soft flesh and skin. It was the moment I recognized this. “Ah, shit!” I felt like the floor was collapsing, and my body was being sucked somewhere. When I came to my senses, it was pitch black all around. It wasn’t that unfamiliar since I had experienced it often in the labyrinth, but… Click. A sound of a switch being pressed, and the surroundings lit up brightly. Surprisingly, I was in my room. The room of Han-soo Lee, where I was enjoying a game before being dragged here. ‘……So, what am I supposed to do?’ I checked my surroundings first. A bookshelf, a computer, a slightly yellowed bed…… I went out and looked at the kitchen-cum-living room and the bathroom, and everything matched my memories. ‘Ah, then could it be that too……?’ I hurriedly opened the refrigerator door. For some reason, it was filled only with cold canned cola. I wondered what kind of trick this was, but I didn’t think too deeply about it. How could I possibly resist this? Click, fsssh- The sound alone was refreshing. I could endure everything else, but how much I had missed this. I quickly poured it into my mouth, afraid it might disappear before my eyes. But…… ‘Damn it.’ I can’t taste anything. There’s no stinging sensation that feels like my throat is being split in half. I just felt like a tasteless liquid was sloshing down my throat. It was then, when I couldn’t hide my disappointment. Ding-dong- The doorbell rang. When I checked through the intercom, there was a blonde white woman. It wouldn’t be a religious solicitation. I was about to say, ‘Who are you?’ in my usual tone, but I realized my mistake and opened my mouth again. “Who are you?” I judged that she might be able to deduce that I was a barbarian from my tone. ‘But why is it so awkward?’ I just spoke normally, but it felt like thorns were growing in my throat. Soon, an answer came from beyond the intercom. [I’m Soul Queens, the guide for the Ghost Busters. May I come in?] Well, I didn’t know it was this kind of system. I quickly opened the door before I did something to displease them. But what is this again? “Excuse me, why are you walking into the wall?” “Oh, was this a wall? To me, it just looks like a white space.” Is she talking about the space I saw earlier? It’s said to be a spiritual world, but it seems like some mysterious rules are at play in this space. As I was roughly giving her directions and guiding her to the living room, the woman exclaimed in admiration. “Amazing. Even so, you should be able to see the shape faintly.” “Shape?” “This place, I mean. Maybe you……” “You can just keep calling me ‘you’.” “…If you say so.” As the letter promised anonymity, the woman didn’t show any attachment to my subtle refusal. “Anyway, this space is a manifestation of what you imagined. The place your inner mind thinks of first. Usually, it becomes the space where you feel most psychologically comfortable.” “So?” “Usually, it’s visible to others too. There are occasionally people with strong defense mechanisms, but even then, you can still see the shape to some extent……” The woman looks at me as if she’s amazed. I don’t know if it’s curiosity or caution, but I decided to point out the contradiction first. “Then how did you ring the bell earlier? You said you couldn’t see it earlier?” “I guess it was expressed that way. I didn’t ring a bell or anything. I just called you as soon as I arrived in this white space. Does that make sense?” To be honest, I kind of understand what she’s saying, but I don’t understand at all. So, I just smiled awkwardly and nodded. “Thanks to your kind explanation.” “That’s a relief. Actually, it’s a concept that’s difficult even for magicians to understand, so I’m always at a loss for how to explain it.” Anyway, since she introduced herself as a guide, I felt comfortable asking what I was curious about. “Ah, but what happens if you get the password wrong?” I figured it out by intuition, but there must be those who can’t enter the password. “That? Nothing much happens. It’s just for show. In the first place, there are hardly any people who get the password right before I come, like you.” “……?” “Whether you enter the password or not, I have to come and check anyway.” By the way, the check she mentioned was simple. She can just tell by looking at them? I wondered if she had some special ability, but I realized it when I saw my current appearance. A navy suit that fits perfectly. The clothes my ex-girlfriend bought me to celebrate my getting a job. ‘Is it different from the clothes……?’ Come to think of it, I knew this woman was a modern person as soon as I saw her, so it must have been the same for her. “Wow, you’re really quick on the uptake. The difference between players and NPCs starts from here.” “NPC?” “It’s slang for calling the locals. Anyway, the difference between the two is not just the clothes, but you can clearly tell when you come into this space. Although, this is the first time I’ve seen it completely invisible……” “So, you can usually tell by looking at the room.” “Yes. It’s not like you’d see a rock star poster in an NPC’s room, right?” I understand. With this kind of verification method, it would be almost impossible for locals… that is, NPCs, to hide their identities and enter. “Then am I cleared?” “Of course.” I was a little worried because she said the room couldn’t be seen due to my defense mechanism, but the woman nodded without hesitation. Seeing that, I realized one more thing. The clothes, the tone, the expression, and this mental space. Besides these, there must be a sure way to distinguish NPCs. ‘They’re not telling me for security reasons, I guess.’ “Well, then… you’re officially a member of our Ghost Busters.” “But who came up with the name Ghost Busters?” “There is someone. I think this name is terrible, right? I’ve told them so many times to change it……” Oh, I thought it was a very sensible name, so I asked…… “Haa, everyone who comes here starts by asking why the name is like this.” I nodded awkwardly. I can’t agree with the sentiment that it’s a terrible name, but I can pretend to agree. It’s always been my specialty to act according to the situation. “It’s certainly… a unique name.” “Right? Ah, where were we……” Soon, the woman returned to the main topic and continued speaking. “Ah, we can’t use the method of forcibly separating and killing souls like the NPCs who sneak in anymore. Instead, we can impose an expulsion measure so that they can’t be called here again, so if you have time, please make sure to familiarize yourself with the rules.” After that, the woman explained the basic methods for using the Ghost Busters community. “Do you have a computer? If you do, go ahead. If not, you’ll have to imagine and materialize it……” “I have one.” “You saved some time. Go ahead and turn it on.” As I turned on the computer as instructed, a window popped up without the familiar OS screen. “Ah, just a moment. Your code is……” After that, I entered the code that the woman told me, and the window moved to a page where I could set a nickname. “You’re done once you create a nickname here. You can’t change it once you make it, so be careful.” Hmm, what should I make it? As I was pondering, the woman gave me some advice. “You did Stone Iven, right? Usually, many people use the nickname they used there. My nickname, Soul Queens, also came from there.” Stone Iven. It was a trash game community, with the main bulletin board having less than 30 posts a day…… But still, since they were people who played this game, they must have used it at least once. I was the same. ‘It’s not my real name, it’s just an ID, so it’s okay to use the nickname from there, right?’ Soon, I wrote my nickname and pressed enter. But…… [This nickname cannot be used.] “Ah, it looks like someone is using that nickname.” What? Someone is using that nickname? I couldn’t understand it at all, but I changed one spelling and set my nickname. The woman just smiled meaningfully when she saw my nickname. “Hehe, are you a fan of that person?” Fan? What is she talking about? Just as I was about to ask in detail, the woman’s explanation continued. Explanations about how to use the community in the future. “Well, I’ve told you almost everything I need to tell you. Now I’ll be going, so feel free to use it. If you have any problems, please contact us through 1:1 inquiry!” Soon, the woman with the nickname Soul Queens left. I was alone again in the room. Having completed the tutorial, I easily looked around the community. [Men in their 20s and 30s only] [American Union] [Gather, Beastmen] [Wizardry] [Chat Room] There were several chat rooms currently active. If I choose any of these and enter, I can talk to them? It was a futuristic yet fantastical system. ‘There are also rooms with grade restrictions or passwords.’ For now, to get used to this place, I chose a random room and entered as a test. [Newbie Room] Not a grade restriction, but a unique room where only people who have been in the community for less than a year can enter. I thought there would be many people like me, so I chose it. Tap-tap. The moment I double-clicked. A bright light emanated from the monitor. And just like the day I woke up from the barbarian’s body during the game. When I came to my senses, I was in an empty lot. *** Tap-tap, tap-tap-tap- An empty lot with a bonfire blazing fiercely in the center, as if it were a campfire. About a dozen people are standing nearby. They’re all men. Well, how many women would play this perverted hardcore game? “Oh, a new person!” My appearance draws attention. White, yellow, black. There are more diverse races than I thought, but…… After living in another world for a few months, the sense of camaraderie as people from the same hometown blooms first. Was it the same for them? “What country are you from?” “Ah, I’m from Korea.” “I see! Welcome!” I quickly looked around and checked my surroundings. There is no racial discrimination at all, and the atmosphere is purely welcoming to newcomers. ‘Is that a nickname above their heads?’ Semi-transparent letters were floating above people’s heads. At that moment, a black man in a neat suit approached me and spoke. “It’s a bit barren, right? We haven’t gathered enough points to decorate. I’m Darkman, the room leader. Would you like to make your nickname public and give a brief introduction?” “Make my nickname public?” “I guess this is your first time in this room. Just think of it as saying yes. In the community, clear recognition and thought have power.” Clear recognition and thought…… Do I just use it like an active skill? ‘Make nickname public.’ As I muttered that to myself, people’s gazes turned to above my head. It seems like they can see my nickname now too. But…… “Hello. I’m ElfNuna.” The moment I revealed my nickname, thinking it was an anonymous space anyway. “……” “……” A chilling silence covers the empty lot. And after a while. “ElfNuna?!” “Crazy, the person who wrote the stat summary?” “Uh… wasn’t that person from the game company?” “I knew that person was Korean! I knew it!” “Excuse me! Is it real? Are you really that person?” For some reason, there was an uproar. However, before grasping the situation, I quietly took a long breath. ‘Hoo……’ What is this again?