Chapter 10

010.

The long night passed, and the morning sun rose.

The entrance to the village clearly bore the traces of battle.

But the atmosphere was brighter than ever.

We had survived. Without a single death.

I watched the delighted little ones for a while before quietly returning to my vegetable patch in a corner of the village and sitting down.

‘My whole body aches.’

Now that the tension had left me, every part of my body seemed to be screaming, but my attention was focused on the system message floating before my eyes.

Ding!

[Achievement Accomplished! You survived your first Red Moon. Experience acquired.]

[Level Up! You have reached Level 5. Lv.4 -> Lv.5]

[Stat Point +1 from leveling up. Class Skill Proficiency has increased.]

[The number of available Cultivation Slots has increased. 13 -> 15]

[Class-exclusive skill ‘Peeking’ has been unlocked.]

Apparently, killing monsters also gave experience.

Anyway, Level 5 at last! I had finally managed to shed the beginner label.

And I had gained a new skill.

==========

[Peeking]

Description : Sees through the target’s hidden information.

==========

A simple explanation. Since it literally said I could peek, there was not much else to say.

Anyway, I should check how useful it was.

I tightened my abdomen to use the skill.

Because I could not use skills without shouting the Warrior’s Roar.

I had done this so often that I was starting to get used to it…… though it was still a little embarrassing.

“BARBARIAAAN!”

[Skill ‘Peeking’ succeeded!]

==========

[Reclaimed Farmland]

Condition : Normal

Moisture : Slightly Insufficient

Nutrients : Average

==========

“…….”

I felt deflated.

What, that’s it? How nice would it have been if I had gotten a skill that found hidden seeds or something like that?

I was starting to want to plant something besides potatoes.

This time, I looked at a potato beside me and used the skill.

==========

[Harvested Potato]

Rank : D

Condition : Fresh

Nutrition : Sufficient (2x Satiety)

==========

“Damn it.”

I lightly kicked the potato.

Do I really need to use a skill just to see this? One look is enough to tell it’s a potato.

It would be useful for farming, but it somehow lacked impact for a class-exclusive skill.

‘Feels like I drew a dud.’

Feeling strangely cheated, I pouted.

Then I saw Malko coming from far away.

He really runs around everywhere without getting tired. Perfect timing.

‘Maybe……?’

Out of curiosity, I looked at Malko and activated the skill.

“BARBARIAAAAN-!”

“Oh! Izak, full of energy since morning? I cannot lose. BARBARIAAAAN-!”

The idiot Malko came bouncing over and immediately let out the Warrior’s Roar himself.

Ignoring him, I examined him.

- Ding!

A window completely different from anything I had seen until now appeared above Malko’s head.

==========

【Target Information】

• Name : Malko

• Race : Barbarian (Northern Rock Tribe)

【Basic Stats】

• Strength : 21 / Agility : 15

• Constitution : 30 / Intelligence : 3

【Potential】

• Overall Rank : A (Scent Detector)

• Growth : 20%

==========

Holy crap! What is this!

I sucked in a breath.

This was it. This was the skill’s true purpose.

Perhaps this was a skill that allowed me, the only player in this game, to evaluate(?) these barbarians who could not level up.

But why would a farmer have this……? Maybe raising people(?) was still a kind of farming. Anyway, this was amazing.

‘But unexpectedly, someone like Malko has A-rank potential??’

And there was no Mental Strength among his basic stats.

What? Am I the only one who has Mental Strength?

Whatever. There was already a barbarian who farmed, after all.

Anyway, this was incredible! Though I had no idea what Scent Detector meant.

C-rank was elite-soldier level, and B-rank was around knight level. A-rank was equivalent to an imperial knight commander!

Of course, that was only if he successfully developed into an A-rank.

This guy had such tremendous talent, yet because he had been starving until now, his Growth had stalled at only 20%.

‘Ah…… barbarians, what on earth have you been doing!’

Malko, who was picking his nose with a stupid expression, suddenly looked different to me.

So this bastard had Constitution 30, which was why he never got tired and ran around sticking his nose into everything.

Anyway, it was fairly surprising that Malko was an unscratched lottery ticket, but it was also good news.

My heart began pounding.

If Malko was this good, then just how incredible was my fragile little guy, the pillar of our tribe?

The thought struck me, and I abandoned Malko and sprinted toward Zakan’s tent.

“Izak! Where are you going! Let’s go together!”

Malko shouted from behind, but I did not even look back as I practically kicked open Zakan’s tent and barged inside.

“Chief! I’m here!”

Zakan, who had been maintaining the greatsword he used to cut down the wyvern yesterday, widened his eyes at my sudden intrusion.

“Izak?”

Without even catching my breath, I shouted.

“BARBARIAAAAAN-!”

[Skill ‘Peeking’ succeeded!]

My roar seemed powerful enough to blow the tent away.

Zakan was staring at me blankly…… or more precisely, looking at me like I was insane, but I did not care!

“Gasp!”

Because a legend was appearing before my eyes.

==========

【Target Information】

• Name : Zakan

• Race : Barbarian (Northern Rock Tribe Chief)

【Basic Stats】

• Strength : 35+1 / Agility : 20

• Constitution : 39 / Intelligence : 11

【Potential】

• Overall Rank : S (Legendary Hero)

• Growth : 17%

==========

‘Amazing…….’

A breathless sound escaped me without realizing it.

S-rank.

A hero rank counted among the very best in the history of the game. No wonder he had been insanely strong whenever I saw him while playing.

But his Growth was only 17%?

Even now, he had cut off the neck of a wyvern driven mad by the Red Moon in a single strike. What if I raised this guy all the way to 100%?

‘This guy is the lottery jackpot.’

A thrill ran down my spine.

That was right.

I had the genre wrong. This was not a survival game. It was a simulation for raising the strongest barbarian army!

My imagination ran wild at full speed.

It had not appeared again yet, but what if I became able to grow Strength Potatoes!?

What if I had a bumper crop of Strength Potatoes and fed all of them to this guy?

And who said only Strength Potatoes could appear? Constitution Potatoes, Agility Potatoes, Intelligence Potatoes…… anyway, what if I supported this guy’s growth with all kinds of buff potatoes?

‘Then I won’t need to fear something like the Red Moon.’

I could just farm in the back, cook delicious food, and enjoy a leisurely healing life.

My monster-like kids would do all the fighting for me, so why would I risk myself by fighting?

The Volcano Tribe? Magical beasts? The Empire? Come at me! I have Zakan.

“Hehehe…….”

I could not stop laughing.

A beautiful rosy life plan unfolded before my eyes.

“Izak?”

Zakan cautiously called my name, but I had no time for this.

Right! I have to find the other lottery tickets!

I abandoned Zakan and dashed out of the tent again.

The village clearing.

Little barbarians were gathered in groups, playing with dirt.

I stood in the middle of them, took a deep breath, and once again unleashed the Warrior’s Roar.

“BARBARIAAAAAN-!”

[Skill ‘Peeking’ succeeded!]

A tremendous roar loud enough to shake the entire neighborhood.

The children who had been playing suddenly froze at the unexpected shout, then stared at me with wide eyes.

Their expressions said the crazy shaman had finally lost his mind, but I was happy.

[Potential : B+]

[Potential : A]

[Potential : B]

Wow!

Future heroes were visible at a glance.

That snot-nosed little brat was A-rank, and the one eating dirt was B+.

The ones who had been different since they were sprouts were scanned before my eyes one after another.

‘And why are the specs of this barbarian tribe so insane?’

The lowest is C!

With this, I could clearly see who should receive more meat.

Who should be raised as a warrior and who should be raised as a hunter—the personnel evaluations were laid bare before me.

“Hehehe…….”

A chuckle escaped me without realizing it.

Until now, my goal had vaguely been, ‘Let’s all eat well and live well together,’ but from now on, things were different.

‘Strategic development!’

I would create the strongest fighting force through efficient allocation of resources. And since I also happened to be a former chef, it was perfect.

‘Ah! This is no time to stand around.’

Potatoes! Let’s plant potatoes!

I hurried to the vegetable patch and began planting potatoes.

[The title effect ‘A Barbarian Serious About Farming’ has been applied, reducing cultivation time by 5%.]

[Potato – 2 days 20:24:57 until harvest]

The cultivation time had been reduced significantly too, so I needed to hurry up and farm, raise my Potato Understanding, then churn out A-rank, no, S-rank potatoes.

Then I would feed them to my adorable future heroes.

‘Then our chances of survival will shoot upward.’

My hands moved faster through the soil.

I could not stop smiling because it felt like I was getting one step closer to my dream.

Hehe!

_____________

2 hours earlier. Zakan’s tent.

Zakan sat blankly, thinking back on what had happened yesterday.

In truth, he had not trusted Izak 100%.

But now, he had completely cast aside his doubts.

He truly was a barbarian who had received the ancestral god’s wisdom.

‘Izak saved us.’

At first, he had solved their hunger with miraculous potatoes, and the second time, he protected the tribe from the crisis of nearly being swallowed by the Volcano Tribe.

And finally, on that terrifying night of the Red Moon.

Even while Zakan himself trembled in fear, Izak had calmly seen through the situation and stopped the Red Moon.

He had to admit it.

Izak was not an ordinary barbarian.

From the day the ancestral god bestowed wisdom upon him, he had become a completely different being.

‘Izak…….’

Whenever he thought of him now, his heart somehow relaxed.

Though he never showed it, becoming chief at such a young age had always left him anxious.

The pressure of knowing that a single decision of his determined the lives of the tribe members, and the guilt of having survived by hiding like a coward, weighed on him every night.

But he was no longer afraid.

Because behind him stood a shaman who looked small and weak, yet was more dependable and wise than anyone.

‘What can I do for Izak?’

Zakan thought.

Because he had always only received things from Izak. Potatoes, wisdom, even his life.

Now he wanted to repay him.

What could he do that would make Izak happy?

For the first time in his life, Zakan began thinking about something not related to food, battle, or survival, but about ‘making someone happy.’

Without even realizing that such a trivial concern was itself a first for him.

But then.

“……??”

Had this barbarian suddenly gone insane?

He barged in without warning, shouted loud enough to burst Zakan’s eardrums, then grinned to himself and ran back outside.

Worried, Zakan followed him, only to see him shouting at the children again in the center of the village.

Then he dashed toward the vegetable patch, dug frantically through the dirt, and began planting potatoes like mad.

“Hehe! Hehehe!”

That laughter.

That somehow deranged expression.

‘Has the Red Moon’s demonic energy possessed him?’

Zakan became genuinely worried.

If the shaman went insane, the tribe was finished…….

He carefully approached and nearly placed a hand on Izak’s shoulder before stopping.

Because he looked so happy.

For now…… Zakan decided to watch.

.

.

.

A few days later.

Since reaching Level 5 had increased my Cultivation Slots to 15, the harvest had also increased slightly, and quite a few potatoes had accumulated in the warehouse as emergency food.

The immediate threat to our survival had eased considerably.

‘Muscle Potato…….’

Was that really the only one?

It had said it was a gift from the Goddess.

It seemed unlikely that an item like that would be strictly one-time only.

‘Maybe she gave me one as a preview to let me know things like that existed?’

I made that guess while thinking back on all the games and novels I had immersed myself in over the years.

But in the end, no more Muscle Potatoes appeared.

It was disappointing, but if I kept raising my Potato Understanding and producing higher-rank potatoes, one would probably appear eventually.

Disappointing, but there was nothing I could do.

“……Tsk.”

I should be satisfied just knowing that such crops existed.

‘But…… potatoes are good and all.’

I was starting to get sick of them.

The human heart is truly fickle, isn’t it? At first, all I wanted was not to starve to death, but once my stomach was full, other desires slowly started surfacing.

Moreover, in this village where there was not a single seasoning or spice, every day was just steamed potatoes.

‘I want kimchi stew loaded with red pepper powder. With white rice…….’

I smacked my lips.

Come to think of it, a few days ago Zakan had asked whether there was anything I needed.

I had said no back then, but now there were so many things I wanted.

Seeds or planting stock for other crops would be good, and I wanted cooking tools too, but more than anything, what I wanted was…….

‘Seasoning! S-salt!’

Potatoes without salt were torture.

To get something like that, I would need to go to a market or shop…… but there was no way a shop existed in this wasteland.

I suddenly looked back toward the village.

The greatsword Zakan used, my twin axes, leather armor, the large cauldron, and old iron pots.

Though worn and rusty, they were unquestionably products of civilization.

‘Where did they get them?’

There was no way the barbarians had made them themselves.

They had no blacksmithing skills.

Then that meant they had traded with someone, plundered them, or picked them up somewhere…….

‘Is there a human village nearby? Or perhaps traveling merchants pass through?’

Curiosity and desire stirred together.

I wanted to go to a shop. I wanted to buy salt and seeds.

I wanted to sell the potatoes piled high in the warehouse and turn them into money.

“Zakan!”

Having made up my mind, I barged into Zakan’s tent again today.

The Red Moon had passed now, so it should be fine.