Chapter 478
Hmm…
Honestly, I’m conflicted about this.
For the team to pass this trial perfectly, each member would have to walk through hell.
‘I’m too soft-hearted to push people that hard…’
I already felt a bit teary just thinking about it.
After all, it hurt to imagine my precious comrades—who had just come through intense battles—suffering again.
But even so, I couldn’t afford to be lenient.
‘The place with the hourglass is the final destination of the ceremony anyway, so we have to take it down regardless.’
Giving up on Pudalak’s unique ability, which could only be unlocked by becoming an honorary Barbarian through this ceremony, would be a waste.
“So. Will you participate?”
“I will. But I’ll need to select who goes. A few of my teammates are still not feeling well.”
At Jinhyuk’s words, the members struggling at death’s door muttered under their breath.
“Master…”
“M-Mogii, M-Mogii…”
“C-Contractor…”
“Mr. Jinhyuk. You’re…”
“Seems you still have a shred of conscience left. Fine, let Miss Alice and Teresa rest, and how about just you and I…”
“That’s a shame. The rewards are greater if everyone participates.”
“What exactly do you mean by ‘greater rewards’?”
“There’s a legendary item passed down in our tribe: Stanloid. Just the thought of it… slurp… Ah, I’m drooling. Anyway, something like that.”
Also known as “Barbarian Juice.”
A rare elixir found in the Tower of Trials that boosts the [Strength] stat upon consumption.
“…That’s too good of an offer to refuse.”
Jinhyuk quickly grabbed Pudalak’s hand.
“Hmph. Weren’t you just worried about your comrades? This is a trial where injuries are quite common.”
“Hahaha, don’t say such cold things… Of course, everyone’s participating. I’ll work them to the bone until they’re ground into powder.”
“Really? Khahahaha! Excellent decision! Then I’ll raise the difficulty of this coming-of-age ceremony to its highest level ever.”
“If he’s my disciple, of course he would! I knew you’d say that!”
“Indeed. Your disciple’s quite the man.”
“Well, who do you think picked him? Of course he is.”
Pudalak and the Dark Emperor, united under the banner of muscle, clenched their fists.
Like lifelong friends of 20 years, they were perfectly in sync.
“Jinhyuuuuuk!”
“The Master is garbage!”
“Nooooo!”
“Mr. Jinhyuk… I trusted you…”
The members of the veteran corporation, now destined for hell, let out heart-wrenching screams.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
The sun slowly rose.
As dawn broke, the land awakened with warm vitality, marking the start of a new day.
Of course…
“Huff. Huff. Huff…”
“Kukuku… kukukuku…!”
“I’m going, I’m goooone!”
The young barbarians undergoing the coming-of-age ceremony were far too charged up with that vitality.
Bulging biceps and triceps.
Thigh muscles that looked ready to burst sprinted forward at any moment.
Having to compete with monsters like these was far from normal.
Especially while wearing shackles.
In fact, Alice and Teresa were clearly feeling disheartened.
“Ugh… M-My legs… won’t move. Even kneeling is hard…”
“S-So… heavy. Even my holy power won’t come out properly…”
Due to the nature of Barbarians, who focus solely on raw physical strength, all auxiliary powers were strictly forbidden.
At least, during the ceremony.
Though, unlike the veteran corporation, the other warriors only had to deal with 50kg shackles…
Well, seeing those guys running around and laughing like that, it didn’t really feel like a disadvantage.
“This time, our Horned Turtle Tribe will win for sure!”
“What do you mean? We’ve got the Great Bear Tribe! We’re the strongest!”
“Tribes with only walnuts for brains should stay quiet. When you see our warriors, you’ll be so shocked you’ll faint!”
“The trial’s called ‘Path to Valhalla’—I’m so excited I could go mad!”
Tribal leaders encouraged their warriors.
Hmm.
Seeing their morale skyrocket made me feel like I had to do something too.
[Player Kang Jinhyuk activates ‘Remote Video Call’!]
Jinhyuk looked at the members waiting at the starting line.
Each of them, with faces full of complaints, hurled curses his way.
“I’ll kill y—!”
“Get us out of here!”
“Is this a joke…?”
[Mute function activated.]
“……!”
“…….”
Silent screams.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
“Ahem, there’s been so much useless noise that I’ll do all the talking now, so bear with me. Hey, Yoosung, stop flipping me off. Tsk. Goguma, cover your butt. This isn’t a bathroom, you know.”
Somehow, unity seemed impossible from the start.
At this rate, a dictatorship was the only answer.
Jinhyuk’s finger moved toward the button labeled ‘Discipline.’
It was a device allowing remote attacks when the Barbarians under him refused to follow orders, a privilege granted to elder-level leaders.
But just as divine punishment was about to be unleashed…
“Hrrrrm!”
Pudalak appeared on a cliff.
He took a deep breath, and then a thunderous voice echoed through the land.
“Where are the warriors who will lead the future of our tribe!!!”
“Ooooooh!”
“Here! I, Laicha of the Great Bear Tribe, am here!”
“Otsuka of the Lizard Tail Tribe is here too!”
The warriors shouted back.
The whole mountain shook violently.
“Excellent! I see many smart young warriors who can remember both their tribe and name! I’ll be waiting for you all at the peak of Valhalla! I hope many of you make it!”
[You have officially entered the Barbarians’ Coming-of-Age Ceremony.]
Difficulty: S
Victory Condition: At least two participants must reach the finish line. (However, to obtain the best reward, you must not lose first place.)
Reward: 5 Barbarian Juices ([Strength] stat +30), right to pass Floor 31.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
As the trial began, the warriors charged forward like madmen.
The first trial: Crossing the river.
A raging current of incredible speed blocked everyone’s path.
[First Finisher Reward: The title ‘Brave Pioneer’ can be obtained.]
[During the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, Physical Resistance is increased by 10%.]
However.
The barbarians at the front jumped into the water without hesitation.
“If you’re a warrior, you cross with guts!”
“That’s so cool!”
“We can’t lose!”
Naturally, the guy who said that was the first to be swept away by the current.
“To… Valhalla…!”
“Gah… cough cough!”
The others who followed shared the same fate.
Splash! Plop!
After several dozen more disappeared beneath the water, the number of barbarians diving in dropped significantly.
For a moment, silence fell over the trial.
“You can’t swim across. The current is too strong here. Even if we build a raft or something, it would sink instantly.”
It was Chun Yoosung who suggested a new direction.
“Not bad, noticing that.”
“…Wait, we’re not supposed to?”
“I-I figured that too…”
“T-To be honest, I also knew. No one with a brain would try to sail a boat here.”
“Y-Yeah, right.”
The warriors gathering wood paused in confusion.
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
“We run across the water. Before you sink, move to the next step, then the next. If you keep going, you’ll reach the end.”
“Y-You think that’s possible?”
“If you’re a true warrior, and if you trust your legs… it’s possible. This is clearly a test of courage and belief. And the glory will go to the one who crosses the river first.”
A true warrior.
That phrase instantly ignited the hearts of the young warriors.
“I’m the true warrior!”
“M-Me first!”
“Get out of my way!”
Chun Yoosung, who had convinced the barbarians, glanced at the video feed.
“…Did I do it right?”
“Yeah. Now that they’re fired up, they’ll charge in like brainless lunatics.”
“And when they do?”
“A path across the river will appear. That’s when we go.”
This river had one peculiar trait.
Once the number of swept-away barbarians passed a certain threshold, stones would begin to appear on the surface of the water.
A built-in lesson meant to teach that a true warrior shouldn’t just charge ahead but should assess their surroundings with caution.
‘Well, since they don’t understand such deep meanings, it’s no wonder this is considered the hardest trial among barbarians.’
They say that long ago, smarter barbarians existed. This trial must’ve been created by the clan leaders and elders of that time.
More barbarians hurled themselves into the water.
“Cough!”
“A true…”
“W-Warrior!”
True warrior, my foot.
What are they, Jesus Christ?
Unless they’ve got the blessing of Eden, there’s no way they’re walking on water.
Even more than before, barbarians disappeared downstream.
As the number of dropouts increased, subtle changes occurred on the river’s surface.
Stones shaped like turtles began to rise from the water.
Now!
“Cross!”
“Damn it. Let’s go!”
At Jinhyuk’s shout, Chun Yoosung leapt forward.
With many barbarians already flailing in the water, now was the perfect time to seize the lead.
However,
Things in life never go that smoothly.
“Eeeek!”
An Undine at the rear slipped and was swept away by the current.
“H-Help me!”
“Grab my hand!”
Chun Yoosung reached out. The other spirit beasts moved to save their comrade too.
“Just leave her. You’re really going to throw away the first-place reward for one person?”
“Do you even hear yourself?!”
“Even Undine is telling you she doesn’t want to be a burden. Are you really going to spit on her noble sacrifice?!”
“No, I just want to live… Kyaaaa!”
Undine, unable to hold on any longer, was swept away by the current.
From the very first trial, a tragic sacrifice had occurred.
Still, she was a water spirit. She’d probably survive somewhere below the waterfall.
…Probably.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Difficult trials followed one after another.
Climbing cliffs over a kilometer high.
Crossing between mountains by clutching an eagle’s legs.
Thanks to the relentless effort of the veteran corporation who consistently stayed in the lead at each stage, a strange sense of unease began to spread among the elders.
They never imagined their tribe’s honor might be overshadowed by outsiders in a coming-of-age ceremony.
[Deaths: 0 / Injuries: 529]
[Rankings]
1. Veteran Corporation (13 rewards obtained)
2. Great Bear Tribe (2 rewards obtained)
3. Lizard Tail Tribe (1 reward obtained)
4. …
Eventually, some of the tribes couldn’t hold back any longer and threw down the gauntlet.
Through an alliance with tribes they despised more than death, they agreed to first suppress the veteran corporation.
“Emergency meeting.”
“We need to hatch a scheme.”
“Everyone gather. Under no circumstances can that man find out.”
“Of course. Everything’s being handled in secret.”
If you looked closely, you could see they had something like earplugs stuck in each ear…
They seemed to truly believe that doing this made their voices inaudible to others.
Seriously.
Tsk tsk.
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue as he watched the elders engrossed in their secret meeting.
It was thanks to their overly blessed bodies that they’d made it this far up the Tower. The fact that they survived daily life with brains like that was a miracle.
‘If they lived in modern society, they’d have been scammed at least a dozen times.’
And they probably wouldn’t even realize they’d been scammed.
Regardless, the elders strained their stalled brains as they worked on their plan.
