#Chapter 4: The Final Test
How dare you insult a warrior?
Do you see me as just a laborer?
“Give it here.”
“Huh? This?”
While Cheoldu was grilling meat, four executives from a conglomerate had already come and gone.
They left behind four business cards.
Rip, rip.
Cheoldu tore the cards to shreds.
“I am a warrior.”
“Huh?”
“Do you also see me as some mere laborer?”
“N-no!”
Jintae reflexively shook his head under his friend’s wild-eyed glare.
Why’s this bastard acting up all of a sudden?
“Anyway, what’s the quest about?”
“We need to obtain goblin coins.”
“Coins?”
“Yeah. Sounds like they’ll only release full details once the whole team assembles.”
Cheoldu closed his eyes in contemplation.
Quests be damned - this was merely a stepping stone toward Nova.
The true monsters awaited in Nova.
“I’m going to Nova.”
“But... it’s dangerous! We’re completely unprepared!”
“Warriors hunt bare-handed.”
“Huh?”
Since when was that the issue?
Rifle-armed soldiers swarmed the area, and even corporate civilians came properly equipped.
Meanwhile, Jintae and Cheoldu stood there in hoodies and puffer jackets like neighborhood loiterers.
“Fine. You go back.”
“What?”
“You said it’s dangerous. I’m a warrior - you’re not.”
Jintae’s face twisted.
“Let’s prepare properly and try together next time.”
“There is no ‘next time’ on the warrior’s path.”
This machismo-obsessed lunatic.
His constant warrior babble meant another round of delusional roleplay was incoming.
“I also...”
The declaration to join him stuck in Jintae’s throat.
This wasn’t some trivial decision.
They were gambling with their lives.
And there was still far more unknown than known.
......
Cheoldu waited silently before Jintae’s conflicted expression.
A man at life’s crossroads deserved this moment of contemplation.
After an eternity, Jintae spoke.
“Ever told you about my family?”
Cheoldu blinked at the non-sequitur.
“Hm?”
“Heard I’m a bastard child?”
“......”
“Would you believe my father’s Taeyoung Group’s vice chairman?”
“I believe you.”
Jintae turned from the sky to stare at Cheoldu. Not a trace of doubt showed on his friend’s face.
An unexpected lump formed in Jintae’s throat.
“I can’t claim my father anywhere. That’s bastard life. First time telling anyone.”
“......”
“Three days till Christmas. We’ll be adults soon. Me? I’ll coast through college on family money, fuck endless girls. But that’s my Maginot Line - acting like some nouveau riche brat while kowtowing to Dad and big bros.”
Jintae’s hollow laugh echoed.
“People call it privileged whining. Say I should be grateful. You think so too?”
“What a pitiful existence.”
“Heh...”
This was why Jintae valued Cheoldu.
The man’s unshakable confidence. Though his machismo often overwhelmed, he remained a friend worth keeping.
“I hate it too. Feel like vermin.”
A parasite.
Jintae refused to let such filth define his life.
“......”
“Look. Women over there. I could handle that.”
“They’re a group.”
“Then we’re a duo.”
“......”
“Just help me this once.”
“Agreed.”
Cheoldu’s eager nod surprised even himself.
He’d mistaken his friend’s caution for weakness.
A nest-bound chick who’d spent life observing others now sought to fly solo.
As his friend, Cheoldu would gladly enable this rebellion.
“You’re my friend, Jintae.”
The one who accepted his Barbarian nature without judgment.
“Sigh... Thanks. With you here, what’s to fear? I’m all-in.”
“Good. Choosing the warrior’s path?”
“Not sure about warrior... Fuck it - we’ve come this far.”
“Then I’ll forge you into one.”
Cheoldu eyed their vehicle.
“Anything weapon-worthy here?”
“There’s an axe.”
True to his wealth, Jintae produced a pristine camping axe from untouched gear.
“What’s this blunt blade?”
“Splitting maul.”
“Nothing sharper?”
“Bushcraft knife... Here.”
They armed themselves through gear scavenging.
“You’re weaker. Take this.”
Cheoldu handed Jintae the axe before gripping the maul himself.
“What now?”
“24 hours until the second quest. We’ve got till morning.”
“Huh?”
“Training.”
“What?”
“Attack like you mean to kill me.”
“Wha-?!”
Cheoldu’s sudden kick connected with a PWHAM!
Though non-lethal, the impact sent Jintae skidding across dirt before crash-landing.
“GACK! cough”
“Rise. Fight me, Jintae.”
“Wait, hold-!”
“Then I’ll come.”
WHOOSH-CRASH!
Jintae barely rolled aside as Cheoldu’s foot cratered where his head had been.
‘Fucking madman!’
“Doing well, Jintae.”
Thus began authentic Barbarian training.
*
Kim Yeong-do, the director of Shinseong Development, had a restless night due to the absurd spectacle he witnessed. The fight was one-sided; a man with a superior physique, as if he had just come from working out, kept lifting and throwing a smaller man, beating him relentlessly.
‘What is this?’
Clearly, the bigger guy had the strength to warrant a scouting offer. The two friends’ absurd spectacle lasted until dawn, and everyone around them greeted the morning with an uncomfortable sleep.
At the 24-hour mark, in the center of the incident area, a black sphere appeared higher in the sky than before.
“Alright, let’s get ready.”
“Yes, team leader.”
A protective barrier began to spread from the black sphere, twice as large as during the first quest—several times larger in area.
“Gather close.”
The team members huddled together almost as if embracing each other. Such groups were everywhere.
Cheoldu, who wasn’t far away, woke up Jintae, who was still sprawled out asleep.
“Jintae. Wake up.”
“Wha—what?!”
Slap!
“Gah!”
Jintae snapped awake and immediately went on guard after being slapped.
“What the hell? Why’d you hit me?”
“Snap out of it. It’s about to start.”
The protective barrier from the black sphere in the sky had already covered nearly half of it.
The two checked their weapons. Jintae held a hand axe, while Cheoldu carried a dagger in his sheath and a machete in his hand. Looking around, everyone was shedding their long padded coats and arming themselves. Their bodies, previously hidden under the coats, were now clad in thick clothing that seemed to serve as makeshift leather armor. Many were armed with weapons like baseball bats; crossbows were common, and some even pulled out guns.
“What the hell? Is this really South Korea?”
Feeling intimidated by everyone’s preparedness, Jintae hastily tied a wooden stick to a camping pot with straps to make a mini shield. They had come thoroughly prepared, while Cheoldu and Jintae found themselves thrust into this trial of doom by chance. Regret washed over them, but there was nothing they could do.
“We’re screwed anyway. Here, take this.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Cheoldu picked up an iron frying pan, still caked with hardened grease from upgrading yesterday’s meat. It was a bit heavy but seemed suitable as a shield or blunt weapon.
By then, the protective barrier had almost reached the ground.
“Everyone, gather up!”
People huddled together tightly as if embracing each other. It reminded Jintae of those awkward pairing games during mandatory school retreats back in freshman year.
“What’s going on?”
Suddenly, people were hugging each other like long-lost family members. Cheoldu and Jintae found themselves awkwardly embracing each other too.
“What the hell is this?”
“No idea. When in doubt, just follow along.”
Yesterday they were beating each other senseless; today they were hugging tightly.
“What is this even?”
A deep sense of regret washed over Jintae, but there was no turning back now. They were already on the tiger’s back. Even if they tried to run now, they couldn’t escape the disaster zone—the barrier had just touched the ground.
Crack!
The ground shook violently at that moment. Cheoldu’s biceps tightened as he held onto Jintae even more firmly; both were tossed around by the shaking ground.
“Ughhh!”
“Quiet down.”
Whether Jintae was panicking or not didn’t matter—Cheoldu held him close while scanning their surroundings.
‘The ground is moving away.’
The people around them were drifting further apart. It wasn’t that people were pushing each other away; rather, the ground itself was expanding.
Now it made sense why everyone had huddled together so tightly.
The shaking subsided eventually; all around them was dense forest now—only Cheoldu and Jintae remained within sight.
“Damn.”
“Hmm…”
It wasn’t just an analogy—a real quest had been given to them:
The end has come for Earth. The planet Nova extends its hand of salvation to Earth’s inhabitants. Cross through portals to seek refuge on Nova. Objective: Obtain 1 Goblin Coin Reward: Novice Class Change
Cheoldu and Jintae stared wide-eyed at the window that appeared before them.
“So it really is a quest…”
“Wow… what even… damn… this feels like a movie…”
Jintae’s excitement quickly faded when he read further:
“Destruction? Earth’s doomed?”
There hadn’t been any mention before!
Could this be why the village was being built…?
Jintae’s mind raced with fear and confusion:
“Is the government aware of this?… Of course they must be… That’s why they’re building shelters… But evacuating the entire population is impossible, right?… What do we do now?… What kind of danger is Earth facing anyway…?”
Cheoldu’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts:
“Jintae!”
Jintae’s eyes remained unfocused. Cheoldu shook his head.
“First, get your head straight.”
“Huh?”
Slap!
“Ouch!”
Jintae’s vision flipped upside down as his neck stiffened with pain.
“Wow… was looking forward, now seeing behind me?”
Simultaneously feeling the pain in his cheek, he cursed aloud:
“Damn! Why keep hitting me?”
“Still not focused enough.”
As Cheoldu’s hand rose again, Jintae hurriedly raised his hands and backed away.
“I’m focused now!”
“Then quiet down.”
Jintae clamped his hands over his mouth, muffling any sound.
After a few moments of silence, Cheoldu finally nodded.
“Now you’re focused.”
Cheoldu nodded silently to himself.
‘Damn, feel like losing my mind here.’
Jintae reflexively held back the words he wanted to say, focusing instead on breathing deeply to calm himself.
“No matter what happens, everyone dies eventually. Whether it’s doom or something else, challenges always come. When your mind’s cluttered, focus only on what’s in front of you.”
Cheoldu pointed toward a slope leading upwards through the forest.
“Let’s head to higher ground and scout the area. First priority right now: search the surroundings and complete the quest.”
“Yeah, got it.”
Jintae followed behind, noticing anew how large Cheoldu’s presence seemed. Despite already being a big guy, something about the current situation made him appear even larger than usual. The two friends began their climb uphill together.
