Medieval Fantasy Barbarian

The northern winter is harsh.

The chances of survival for someone who has collapsed unconscious with snow piled high on their body are close to 0%.

But Ivan was certain that the man was not dead.

“Wow, what a body…”

The muscles throughout his body were finely woven like armor. Can a person really be like that?

If you covered his graying hair and wrinkled face, you could easily believe he was a robust young man.

Nothing terrible would happen if he just left him there, but… it still bothered him to leave a collapsed old man behind.

The Confucian spirit remaining deep in Ivan’s soul stirred.

In his homeland, someone who ignored a fallen elderly person would be treated as a despicable bastard not worthy of association.

No matter how he thought about it, there were more reasons to help than to ignore. Ivan carefully hoisted the old man onto his back.

“Ugh, shit. Don’t these barbarian bastards know how to wash?”

The distinctive stench of a barbarian warrior wafted strongly from his back. Ivan couldn’t hold back his curse.

Confucian spirit or not, he felt like throwing this smelly old man into water, but barely restrained himself. What if he had a heart attack?

Upon arriving home, Ivan hesitated briefly before placing the old man on the floor. The smell was too terrible to put him on the bed.

After adding firewood to the dying fireplace, the embers flared up again, adding warmth.

After about two hours, the old man suddenly sat up.

Ivan asked politely.

“Sir, are you feeling better?”

“Food.”

Surprisingly, Ivan wasn’t flustered by this situation. Memories from his past life bubbled up vividly after a long time.

-Sir, I’m sorry, but the warranty period for this product has already expired.

-What? Well… I don’t understand all that… call your branch manager!!

Compared to those days, this level of rudeness was cute. Ivan remained kind.

“I thought you might say that, so I prepared in advance. It’s modest, but please be careful not to upset your stomach…”

Before he could finish speaking, the old man devoured the food at a terrifying speed.

In the blink of an eye, only the bones remained of a wild boar’s foreleg. Could this even be called eating?

“Is there more? And if it’s alright, some alcohol too.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Ivan brought food with a blank stare. A new interpretation of “mukbang” was unfolding at this moment.

If mukbang YouTubers saw this, wouldn’t they feel an insurmountable wall and announce their retirement?

The old man downed the alcohol in one gulp and chewed and swallowed meat as if drinking it.

For Ivan, who had lived an ascetic life alone in the forest for three years, the scene unfolding before him was extremely stimulating.

It wasn’t until the old man had completely emptied all the food in the house that Ivan belatedly came to his senses.

‘Wait, that bastard?’

Ivan felt an intense desire for destruction from deep within his chest. Regardless, the old man patted his stomach with satisfaction.

“Phew, now I feel like I might live. Thank you, young man.”

“It’s… nothing… Seeing you eat so well makes me… proud.”

Ivan gritted his teeth inwardly.

If not for the teachings of the great sage Confucius, his fist would have already flown.

“Since we’ve met by fate, shall we introduce ourselves? I’m Ivan.”

“Ah… that would be difficult. I have quite a background.”

Hiding his identity smelled suspiciously like a criminal. Ivan raised his internal alert level.

“But I should pay for the meal. I’m quite confident in hunting, would that be acceptable as repayment?”

He seems to have a conscience after all. Ivan’s heart softened a bit.

In truth, the alcohol was more precious than the meat, but he couldn’t exactly ask him to spit it back out, so what could he do?

“Well, I’d be grateful for that.”

“As straightforward as you look. Then… shall we stretch our muscles a bit?”

The old man smiled meaningfully, then quickly erased his expression as if it never happened.

Ivan wandered through the forest in search of prey.

After living here for three years, the forest now felt as comfortable as his own home.

“You have good footwork, young man. Unlike the youngsters these days.”

“…You’re amazing too, sir.”

Yet the old man kept up with Ivan’s pace without showing any signs of fatigue.

Considering his unfamiliarity with the forest environment, it was quite remarkable.

While inwardly impressed, Ivan discovered large claw marks carved into a tree. Also, brown fur scattered around.

Judging by the traces, the prey was still nearby.

“Sir, excuse me for a moment.”

“Hmm?”

Ivan increased his speed. The scenery along the way rushed by, and strong winds beat against his body.

The animal smell grew closer. Ivan discovered a bear standing on two legs, chewing on a beehive.

It seemed to be replenishing nutrients one last time before hibernation.

“Grroah?”

The brown bear cried out, seemingly confused by the unidentified creature rapidly approaching.

Upon confirming it was human, the bear licked its lips and spread its arms wide with a roar.

If one were to interpret, it might be akin to thinking “What good luck!” Ivan smirked.

The bear swung its arms wildly. It was a blow that would instantly crush the head of an ordinary human.

Ivan lightly ducked to avoid the attack and struck the bear’s side with his left fist. Crack-. The ribs were instantly crushed.

“Grroaaar!!”

The bear wailed in pain.

“Ugh, so noisy. Let’s have some manners between neighbors.”

As Ivan extended his fist and struck the jaw forcefully, the bear went limp like a puppet with its strings cut. It was instant death, without a doubt.

He’d made quite a good catch right at the start of hunting. Something this size would easily last for days.

Ivan smiled with satisfaction, enjoying the sensation still lingering on his hand.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Loud applause rang from behind.

“Excellent skill, young man.”

Ivan was startled and turned around to find the old man standing behind him.

‘I was definitely running at full speed, how did he follow? No, more importantly, since when was he there?’

Moreover, not a single drop of sweat had formed on the old man’s body. Ivan’s expression hardened.

“Both strength and speed are impeccable. This much is enough to walk around with your head held high. There is a minor issue, but for someone so young, it’s already quite remarkable.”

There was something mixed in that couldn’t be ignored. Ivan bristled for a moment.

“What do you mean by a minor issue?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. That’s the problem with getting old. Please forget what I just said.”

The old man tried to change the subject slickly, but Ivan had no intention of letting it go.

“No. Please tell me what this young man lacks in your eyes.”

“Hmm, really? Are you sure? I’m just saying this because I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“How could that be? I will engrave it deeply in my heart.”

“If you insist, I have no choice. But I’ll say it again, don’t take an old man’s nonsense too seriously.”

The old man opened his mouth with a solemn expression.

“From what I see, you rely too much on your body alone, which makes you perfect for getting stabbed to death somewhere for being cocky.”

“…What?”

What did he just say? Ivan stared blankly at the old man.

“When I was young, I also feared nothing in the world, but looking back now, I was nothing but an immature youngster. Just like you.”

The old man twisted the corner of his mouth and locked eyes with Ivan. It was clear provocation with no room for misunderstanding.

“Oh my, you said you wouldn’t take it to heart, but your eyes are shooting sparks. Are you going to swing your fist at me?”

Seeing that snake-like demeanor, Ivan grinned.

“Of course not. I’ve taken your precious teaching to heart. But my comprehension is a bit lacking. If it’s alright with you, could you share your teachings physically?”

Hearing this, the old man opened his eyes wide and then laughed heartily.

“Haha, if you wanted to fight all along, why put on airs?”

“If you’re afraid, there’s no need to force yourself. At your age, bones don’t heal well when injured.”

“Alright, I’ll fix that attitude of yours first.”

Ivan approached, cracking his neck insolently. Despite his words, he had no intention of fighting the old man seriously.

How could a person withstand a fist that easily killed a bear?

‘…Surely he won’t die from this much?’

Ivan eased his strength somewhat and swung his fist toward the old man’s face.

And the old man easily reached out and caught his fist.

“Look at you. Holding back even now?”

“Huh?”

Momentarily stunned by something that had never happened in his life before, the old man’s fist pounded Ivan’s side.