Chapter 8
I hurried toward Zakan’s tent with the Muscle Potato tucked safely inside my clothes.
This was a hidden item that could strengthen Zakan, the warrior who could fight a hundred enemies alone.
It was even a precious item personally gifted by the goddess.
Naturally, Zakan had to eat it.
“Zakan.”
I quietly called him from the entrance.
A large shadow inside the tent twitched.
But just as I was about to enter, an unwanted guest appeared.
“Izak, where are you going? You stopped farming.”
It was Malko.
He had been helping me by pulling weeds and had followed me here.
This idiot, who had less awareness than a potato peel, quickly ran over and blocked my path.
Why was he following me?
Had he somehow noticed the Muscle Potato?
I casually waved my hand.
“Farming finished. Go away.”
“No. I help Izak. I stay beside Izak.”
Why was he suddenly being stubborn?
Malko stuck close to me with a determined expression.
Ever since he saw me create potatoes, he had almost begun worshiping me like the ancestor god himself.
I appreciated the loyalty.
But right now, he was in the way.
Zakan had already stepped out of his tent.
He stared at Malko, then at me.
His eyes seemed to ask what was happening.
Damn it... there’s only one Muscle Potato.
Obviously, it was far better to give it to Zakan than tall, skinny Malko.
And Malko, this is for your own survival too!
Still completely unaware, Malko insisted,
“I stay with Izak and Chief too.”
He tried to follow us inside.
I sighed.
Time for the final weapon.
“Malko.”
“Why?”
I grabbed his shoulder with a serious expression.
“As expected, you are the only one who can help me.”
Malko’s ugly nose twitched.
“Organize and guard the warehouse.”
I leaned closer.
“Soon potatoes will pour in. If not you, who will protect our precious potatoes?”
“Ohhh...!”
The simple idiot’s eyes sparkled.
“By the authority of the shaman, I appoint you Great Warehouse Keeper.”
I paused dramatically.
“Specially.”
“Gasp!”
Malko covered his mouth.
“G-G-Great Warehouse Keeper? A special one? Personally appointed by the shaman?!”
The warehouse had no rats.
It didn’t even have a door.
But apparently, the job sounded incredibly important to him.
“Understood! I protect warehouse! Nobody enters!”
Malko happily ran toward the warehouse.
He didn’t even look back.
I watched him disappear and sighed in relief.
Good.
Now that the distraction was gone, I could handle the important part.
Zakan stared blankly in Malko’s direction for a moment.
Then he suddenly turned around and walked back into the tent.
I quickly followed.
But he didn’t even look at me.
Huh?
He went to his bed, sat down with his back to me, and faced the wall.
What was wrong with him?
Whatever.
That wasn’t important.
The Muscle Potato came first.
I lit the small stove in one corner of the tent and placed a pot over it.
Zakan still didn’t move.
“Hey. Are you sick?”
“...”
No answer.
He simply sat there staring at the wall.
Did he catch a cold?
He looked like someone who should be physically incapable of getting sick.
While I wondered what was wrong with him, the water started boiling.
Soon, the warm smell of cooked potato filled the tent.
I stabbed it with a branch.
It went in without resistance.
Perfectly cooked.
“Zakan. Eat this.”
“Do not want.”
He answered coldly.
This was frustrating.
“This is special potato. Good for body.”
“Do not want.”
“Only one of these appeared from all the potatoes I harvested! It is amazing!”
“Do not want. Give it to Malko.”
Snap.
Something cracked inside my patience.
I knew he was a teenager, but this was a matter of life and death!
“Zakan!”
I shouted.
His shoulders flinched.
“I brought special potato for Zakan! Why do you refuse to eat it?!”
“...For me?”
Zakan slowly turned his head.
“Yes. I brought it for Zakan alone. This belongs to Zakan.”
“Hmm...”
He glanced at the steaming potato.
Then he finally held out his hand.
After taking it, Zakan stared at it for a moment.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Seriously?
Was that the problem?
He didn’t even blow on the hot potato.
He stuffed it into his mouth and chewed.
The description had clearly said it was tough and tasted terrible...
[Zakan has consumed ‘Glowing Muscle Potato’.]
[Strength permanently increased by +1.]
Well, whatever.
He ate it.
That was all that mattered.
Looking at the System message, I asked expectantly,
“How is it? Feel stronger?”
“...Tastes bad.”
Zakan frowned.
Eat it anyway, brat.
It’s good for you.
Raising a child was seriously difficult.
I sighed and started walking out.
Then a quiet voice stopped me.
“Thank you... Izak.”
I smiled at his awkward gratitude.
Time passed.
One day remained until the Red Moon.
The field was empty after our final harvest.
I stood between the rows and checked my Status Window.
==========
【Player Information】
• Name: Izak (Kang Jinho)
• Race: Barbarian (Northern Rock Tribe)
• Class: Beginner Farmer
• Level: 4
【Basic Stats】
• Strength: 20+1
• Agility: 15
• Constitution: 22
• Intelligence: 20
• Mental Strength: 8+2
• Fame: 4
• Remaining Stat Points: 4
【Farming Journal】
• Potato
·
Harvest Count: 620/2,000
·
·
Understanding: 40%
·
==========
What a shame.
I wanted to reach Level 5 quickly.
But I couldn’t continue farming right now.
I’ll invest the four points into Strength.
The Red Moon was tomorrow.
Maybe it would help me survive.
Next...
I needed to erase all signs that we had been farming before the Volcano Tribe arrived.
With the field left empty like this, it simply looked like barren land where weeds didn’t grow.
“This should be enough.”
I sighed while staring at the empty field.
But the anxiety in my chest remained.
Would everyone follow the plan properly?
What if something unexpected happened?
“Izak! Dinner!”
The children called from the distance.
I pushed away my worries and headed back to the village.
Tonight was the eve of the Red Moon.
Time for our final feast before battle.
The bonfire crackled.
The smell of stew filled with potatoes and dried meat spread across the village clearing.
Naturally, I had cooked it.
We had very few spices.
Actually, almost none.
Still, it was much better than starving.
The tribesmen sat together and happily ate.
“Delicious! Potatoes best!”
“Lots of meat too! Today stomach bursts!”
Soup covered the children’s mouths.
Chief Zakan silently tore into his meat.
Malko proudly told the children stories about how he had become the Great Warehouse Keeper.
Peaceful.
I rested my chin on my hand and watched them.
A strange emotion filled me.
At first, I had done everything simply to survive.
To level up.
So why did these forty barbarians now feel like family?
Was it because I had never had a family in my previous life?
The feeling was unfamiliar.
But it was also something I had always wanted.
I want to protect this.
I didn’t want this peaceful dinner to become our last.
I didn’t want the children’s laughter to turn into screams.
Near the end of the meal, Zakan stood.
He quietly called several warriors.
Malko.
And a few of the older warriors in their late teens.
They were the core fighting force of the Northern Rock Tribe.
“Do you understand?”
Zakan’s voice was low and serious.
“Tomorrow, the Red Moon rises. Volcano Tribe will come.”
“We know, Chief.”
“We are ready.”
“Remember. The goal of this battle is not victory.”
Zakan glanced toward the tents where the children were sleeping.
“It is survival.”
“...”
“While Volcano fights, we protect.”
He looked at each of them.
“If anything gets through, you stop it.”
“Understood!”
The atmosphere grew serious.
Zakan’s eyes were sharp.
The young warriors facing him were equally determined.
I stepped forward.
“And remember one more thing.”
They looked at me.
“Volcano is strong.”
I clenched my fist.
“But we are strong too.”
“Right!”
The warriors nodded.
We exchanged glances.
Nothing else needed to be said.
We were all looking toward the same goal now.
Time flowed like water.
Before we knew it, night had fallen the next day.
The sky before the Red Moon was stained an unpleasant purple.
So this is what it looks like.
I burned the sight into my memory.
The air felt heavy.
Not even insects made a sound.
In that frightening silence, we checked the crude barricades and fences at the village entrance and prepared our weapons.
I had no idea how useful those rough defenses would be.
Still, something was better than nothing.
After finishing the preparations, we took fifty potatoes from the warehouse and put them in a sack.
That was the payment for the Volcano Tribe.
They had requested one hundred potatoes.
But I had no intention of giving them everything before they finished the job.
The remaining potatoes had been buried deep inside the cave behind the village.
“They are coming.”
Zakan drew his greatsword.
Dust rose from the far end of the canyon.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Heavy footsteps shook the ground.
Red-skinned giants appeared.
The Western Volcano Tribe.
Around twenty warriors arrived with Chief Burta at the front.
The rest must be protecting their own territory.
Looking more carefully, I noticed the deputy chief who had come with Burta on the first day was missing.
“Were you waiting for us, Rock Tribe children?”
Burta approached with a grin.
His eyes first passed over Zakan.
Then me.
Finally, they landed on the sack of potatoes behind us.
He licked his lips.
“We came as promised. Are the potatoes ready?”
“Here.”
Zakan pointed toward the sack.
Burta frowned slightly.
He had probably realized there weren’t enough.
“Is that the promised amount?”
Zakan nodded.
Then he repeated the words I had taught him.
“Half of it. You receive the other half after the Red Moon ends.”
Burta’s expression darkened.
“A contract is sacred. Do you intend to break your promise?”
“I never said that.”
Zakan stared back.
“We will pay the exact amount we promised.”
He placed one hand on his greatsword.
“But first, Volcano must completely protect us.”
BOOM!
Burta stomped the ground.
Inside, I was terrified.
But my body, dominated by Barbarian Mind, didn’t even blink.
At times like this, the trait was extremely useful.
Burta glared at us.
Eventually, he bit his lip and frowned.
“Clever little brats.”
Then he grinned.
“Fine. I will keep the promise.”
His voice became dangerous.
“Tonight, I will not allow even one hair on your heads to be touched.”
Then he turned and slowly looked around our village.
Like a predator studying its prey.
He’s planning something.
I knew it.
This bastard was suspicious.
They hadn’t come here only to work as mercenaries.
They intended to gain something more.
Then...
ROOOOOAR!
A beast’s cry came from far away.
It wasn’t the sound of an ordinary wolf or bear.
No.
This was the horrifying roar of a magical beast, strong enough to feel like it was ripping apart the air itself.
I instantly looked at the sky.
The black clouds parted.
And finally...
It appeared.
A gigantic moon stained with blood.
The Red Moon looked so close that it seemed as though blood might drip from it.
[The Red Moon has risen.]
[Magical Beast Frenzy has begun.]
[The First Wave is approaching.]
“It begins.”
Burta rested his axe on his shoulder and smiled.
His white teeth looked terrifying beneath the red moonlight.
“Warriors of Volcano!”
He raised his weapon.
“Time to earn our food!”
“BARBARIAAAAN!”
The Volcano Tribe warriors roared and charged forward.
I swallowed as I watched their backs.
I was terrified.
But I forced myself to stay calm and tapped Zakan on the back.
“Let’s go, Chief. We have things to protect too.”
Zakan nodded heavily.
The ground shook.
A black wave climbed over the dark barrier in the distance and rushed toward us.
A wave of magical beasts.
At the front was a pack of Black-Mane Wolves.
Normally, they would have been around the size of calves.
But the Red Moon’s power had transformed them into beasts as large as houses.
Behind them came Thorn Boars and Mutated Black Bears, shaking the earth beneath their feet.
“Stop them!”
“BARBARIAN!”
At Burta’s command, the Volcano Tribe warriors crashed into the monsters.
BOOOOM!
Their axes shattered wolf skulls.
Charging boars crushed warrior shields.
Blood and flesh immediately sprayed in every direction.
So this is a barbarian battle.
It looked more like slaughter than combat.
The first time I saw barbarians fight seriously, it was overwhelming.
I honestly wondered whether creatures that could tear magical beasts apart with their bare strength should even be called human.
And among them...
Burta stood out the most.
“They are coming this way too.”
Zakan’s voice pulled me back to reality.
The Volcano Tribe couldn’t stop every monster.
There were simply too many.
The more intelligent beasts avoided the strong warriors and looked for another route.
Naturally, their target became us.
A fast shadow slipped through a gap in the Volcano Tribe’s defense line.
A dog-shaped magical beast with exposed red muscles.
Blood Hound.
It sprinted toward us.
More specifically, toward the cave where the children were hiding.
Slash!
A black flash cut through the air.
The Blood Hound’s head flew upward.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Zakan stood beneath it with his greatsword extended.
“Protect the children!”
At his command, the young warriors of the Rock Tribe moved.
Malko stabbed a boar in the side with his spear.
Other warriors pressed their shields together and created a defensive formation.
Our first real battle was clumsy.
We lacked experience.
We lacked strength.
But they were not weak.
Because behind them was a family they had to protect.
And I...
WHOOSH!
“SKREEEEK!”
What?!
How did I do that?!
Without even realizing it, I threw my axe at a Blood Hound charging toward Zakan.
It split the creature’s skull.
“...!”
Zakan looked at me in surprise.
But only for a moment.
He quickly returned to swinging his greatsword at the monsters.
It was a desperate battle.
The smell of blood.
Screams.
Burning flesh.
Everything mixed into a terrible hell.
So this is the Red Moon.
This wasn’t a game anymore.
This was reality.
Even while drowning in fear, I kept cutting down the monsters attacking us.
Maybe because of Barbarian Mind, I didn’t feel sick despite it being my first real battle.
My body moved just like the other barbarians.
I had no idea how much time passed.
Eventually, the monsters’ momentum weakened.
The first wave had been crushed by the overwhelming strength of the Western Volcano Tribe.
The canyon floor was covered in piles of magical beast corpses.
But something was strange.
The battle had ended.
Yet the Volcano Tribe warriors didn’t withdraw.
They still held their weapons.
And they were positioned almost as if they were surrounding our village.
“Zakan.”
I quietly called him.
He turned.
“Look over there.”
Zakan followed my finger.
In the middle of the battlefield stood the final magical beast.
A gigantic Mutated Black Bear, covered in blood and breathing heavily.
For some reason, Burta had not killed it.
Then...
Burta looked directly at me.
Our eyes met.
