Chapter 01
Surviving the Game as a Barbar:I couldn't even beat the 2D version, but you want me to beat this in real life?
Maybe I'll have to live here forever.
Well, even that wouldn't be easy.
---------------------------------------
Surviving the Game as a Barbar:
I've loved games since I was a kid.
The reason was simple.
Since I was always in the hospital, I naturally had nothing to do but play games, and as time went on, games became a part of my life.
But anything gets boring and tiring if you do it for a long time.
"Ah, shit... Is that AI judgment for real? Why did you heal him there?"
At some point, no matter what game I played, it wasn't as fun as before.
AOS, RPG, FPS, it wasn't a genre problem.
The games that came out every year were all like garbage. The stories and worldviews were similar, and the systems lacked depth.
I wanted a game with something more special.
That's when I found [Dungeon and Stone].
Tadadat. Click, click.
The genre was single RPG.
It was a foreign indie game.
There was no Korean language support, and it used 2D pixel graphics, which are rare these days.
To be honest, it was far from my taste.
But since it was free, I installed the game with the intention of trying it out, and soon I was hooked on it.
"Wow, I almost died because of that priest bastard."
It was a unique game in many ways.
When a character died, you had to raise it from the beginning.
NPC companions were essential for game progress, and despite being a vertical scrolling game, the degree of freedom was also very high.
The skill system and worldview were also attractive, and the story was interesting even though I read it in English.
Decisively, this game had an unknown specialness.
Tadadat, tadadadak.
I, who was a social service worker assigned to the subway at the time, began to delve into [Dungeon and Stone] in earnest.
It wasn't easy.
Combat in this game wasn't just about HP/MP.
Even at full HP, one misjudgment would wipe out the character I had painstakingly raised for three months.
"...Let's go."
Having not even reached the middle of the game for over two years, I swallowed my pride and searched for a strategy.
I had to translate and read English because it wasn't even searchable on Korean portals, but even that wasn't very meaningful.
There weren't many users overseas either, so there weren't many related posts and they were of little value.
Compared to those who played for a month or two and said it was a trash game, I had a much better understanding of the game, having studied it seriously for two years.
So I stopped looking for strategies.
"Up three times, left four times, down once, left twice, up six again, right four times. Avoid the trap at the end... Okay."
Anyway, wasn't this the game I finally found after searching for something to enjoy? I decided to do it on my own no matter how long it took.
And…….
"Phew."
And so, here I am.
「Gate of the Abyss」
My character is now standing in front of the portal leading to the final boss room.
Of course, it will be a few more times before I get to the ending. It's not the kind of game where you can beat the boss in just one try.
Nevertheless, I can feel how nervous I am from my stiff fingertips.
"The final boss..."
It may be nothing to someone.
But it took me nine years to get here.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I spent my entire 20s with it.
On the day of my discharge from social service, on the day I went back to school after a long time and applied for reinstatement, and on the day I received a text message of acceptance from the job I wanted after graduation.
I've always played [Dungeon and Stone].
「Would you like to enter?」
As I manipulate the character to approach the portal, a question pops up asking if I want to enter.
Of course, I press YES.
But maybe because it's the final boss room, another message pops up that looks like something's going on.
「You may not be able to return.」
「Do you really want to enter?」
From the player's point of view, it was an unnecessary production.
Then why wouldn't I go in here?
「Yes / No」
When I pressed Yes, the screen transitioned to the loading screen.
Looking at the blackened monitor, I focused my concentration.
How many patterns does this guy have? Attributes? He'll definitely have an instant death move. Hmm, let's give up on trying to succeed on the first try and gather as much information as possible. I might have to completely change the way I raise my character or the party combination.
My brain, stimulated by excitement and anticipation, could only think about the final boss.
That's why it took me a while to notice.
「You have reached the abyss.」
「Tutorial complete.」
Tutorial complete?
No, more importantly, why is it in Korean? Didn't [Dungeon and Stone] only support English?
「Starting transmission.」
As I sensed the discrepancy, a bright light burst out.
It was a light so intense that I couldn't even imagine it coming from the monitor.
"Argh, fuck! My eyes!"
Everything turns white in an instant.
Tinnitus rang in my ears, and an unknown heat spread over my skin. My mind quickly became hazy as if I had been injected with an anesthetic.
Flash-!
Feeling the light grow even stronger, I lost consciousness.
And when I opened my eyes again.
I had become a Barbarian in the game.