Jin Barenberg

"Wake up, you bastard!"

Slap! Someone slapped my cheek hard. It was a violent shock. Thanks to that, my eyes snapped open.

"W-what?!"

"Hey, you son of a bitch! Keep moving!"

I was in a desolate desert. My body wouldn't move properly. Looking down, I saw five thick steel handcuffs binding my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wrists, and my body was tied with a long rope, linking me to the people around me in complete captivity.

"Did that beating scramble your brain, you piece of shit? Walk straight!"

The bastard who had just slapped me with a full swing smacked the back of my head. I couldn't say a word. Partly because the situation was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠utterly absurd, but also because I was remaining strangely calm. It almost felt natural.

'What the hell is this?'

Where did my life as Kim Gongryak, the YouTuber with a million subscribers, go? I had woken up in some bizarre world. What kind of place was this? If it was a dream, I wanted to wake up immediately. But it couldn't be a dream. How could a dream feel this realistic when I could literally feel the pain?

'This is driving me crazy.'

Did I really die while gaming and wake up in a new world?

"..."

Now that I thought about it, it actually made sense. My average gaming time exceeded twelve hours a day, and I practiced the "Napoleon sleep method," sleeping only four hours a night. I barely ate proper meals, usually just one a day—and even then, it was always delivery food that completely wrecked my health. If I had known I'd kick the bucket like this and get dragged to some weird place, I would've taken care of myself. I couldn't even die in peace; instead, I was bound and dragged through some bizarre desert.

"Haa..."

With my body and hands bound, escaping was out of the question, and I didn't even know where we were heading. I had zero information. There was no clear answer. I turned my head to look behind me. The line of captives stretched out long, like a winding stream. Just like me, every part of their bodies except their legs was bound.

I asked the person behind me. He was a white-haired old man.

"Hey. Where are we being taken?"

Wait. That wasn't my usual way of speaking. I thought I had spoken gently, but it came out incredibly cold and dignified.

"...Your Highness. No matter how dire our circumstances have become, you must not lose your mind."

What was this guy suddenly talking about? Who was "Your Highness"?

"Who is 'Your Highness'? Are you referring to me?"

The old man's eyes widened at my words. His lips trembled as he gasped for air, and finally, tears began to stream down his face.

"Ugh... The trauma must have caused you to lose your memory..."

The old man raised his handcuffed arms to wipe his tears. He looked as if he were facing a horrific reality.

'What's his deal? Why is he acting like that?'

Just as I frowned and looked back to the front—

Slap! The bastard who had slapped me with a full swing and smacked my head earlier struck my cheek again.

"You son of a bitch! Keep the line straight!"

He kept calling me a son of a bitch. I was definitely going to get my revenge on this bastard, no matter what. Though first, I had to figure out a way to get out of here.

What the hell was this suddenly? Player? Synchronization? I didn't even have time to process it. A massive influx of information surged into my mind, tearing through my thoughts. I squeezed my eyes shut as an excruciating headache struck.

"Ugh...!"

My skull felt like it was splitting open. It felt as if a pickaxe were being driven straight into my brain. My vision shook as if an earthquake were happening. My mind spun, and I almost collapsed sideways, but I barely managed to keep my balance. And then, a moment later...

"Ah..."

Why I was here, who I was, and what was going on... I understood everything now. I was currently inside the body of the final boss of the romance fantasy novel, Somire's Route—Jin Barenberg.

Jin Barenberg was the First Prince of the Barenberg Kingdom, which had been defeated in a war against the Empire. He was a character who could only be targeted in the hidden ending of the romance fantasy novel, Somire's Route—or Rofanso for short. And that very man was now me.

"Walk faster!"

Crack! A whip lashed out, striking my back. The searing pain of tearing flesh shot straight to my brain.

"Ugh!"

The original Jin Barenberg would have forced himself to suppress the groan, but I wasn't him. Until recently, I was just a scrawny guy who did nothing but stream games in my room. It would be weirder if I could just casually endure this kind of sudden, agonizing pain.

'Sigh. How am I supposed to survive in a world like this?'

Dying was absolutely out of the question. I had to survive, no matter what. After all, dying was terrifying. It was basic human instinct... Anyway.

To summarize the situation based on what I knew: unable to tolerate the Empire's tyranny, the Barenberg Kingdom had rebelled and declared war, only to be utterly crushed due to the overwhelming disparity in national power. The proof of that defeat was me, the prince, being dragged away in chains as a prisoner of a fallen nation.

I closed my eyes tightly. Did I transmigrate into this world just because the last game I played before dying was Rofanso? If I had known this would happen, I would have played games filled with dreams and hope instead of a female-oriented reverse harem game. Well, whatever the case.

'To live, I need to escape from here first.'

To figure out a way, I recalled Jin Barenberg's narrative from the original story. If I followed the original plot, Jin Barenberg would be put up for sale in the underworld slave market. Possessing outstanding combat instincts and martial prowess, his price would skyrocket as a highly sought-after commodity.

The person who purchased Jin was none other than the villainess who opposed the original protagonist, Franche Decartes. As the youngest daughter of the Decartes Ducal family, she envied the highly successful original protagonist and created numerous obstacles for her.

'I really struggled because of Franche Decartes at first.'

The first boss was a mercenary hired by that bitch. By the way, that boss's nickname was the "Newbie Cutter." The good news for now was that I wouldn't have to face that Newbie Cutter myself. The bad news, however, was that I was destined to become Franche Decartes's slave.

'This is insane.'

No matter how I looked at it, a peaceful life was out of the question. While my goal was to survive, death was already foretold now that I had become Jin Barenberg. I pondered and pondered. Would it be better to enter Franche Decartes's service as scheduled and change her future, or should I somehow carve out an escape route to avoid becoming a slave altogether?

"..."

Though I had to deal with the immediate situation first. Fortunately, it wasn't as if there was absolutely no way to get out of here alive. If I could just break these bindings, I could fight my way out and escape.

The Jin Barenberg whose body I now inhabited possessed an S-rank combat capability. Dispatching dozens of soldiers with a single sword would be child's play. The only reason a powerhouse like Jin Barenberg had been captured in the first place was likely because his subordinates had been taken hostage. They must have promised to spare the others' lives if he surrendered quietly.

For now, I looked around to assess my surroundings. There were hundreds of captives. The soldiers escorting them numbered only in the dozens. If I could just break free from these bindings, escaping would be a piece of cake.

"Hmm."

The problem, however, was that because my current physical condition wasn't perfect, I didn't know how to use my strength properly. I tried moving my arms with all my might, but these damnably thick handcuffs didn't budge an inch. I was blocked right at the starting line.

'Am I really forced to become a slave like this?'

As I grit my teeth in agony, a sound echoed in my head once more.

Suddenly, power began to surge throughout my entire body. My mind grew instantly cold and analytical, allowing me to know exactly how to move and what decisions to make.

"Huuup...!"

I channeled strength into my forearms, pulling my wrists apart. Although my power had surged, breaking the handcuffs was still impossible. Part of it was because I hadn't fully adapted to this body yet, and the handcuffs were made of steel so thick that they wouldn't budge no matter how hard I struggled. It felt as if some special magic had been inscribed on them. Regardless, I had to try a different approach.

The first thing that caught my eye was the sword hanging from the waist of the soldier walking beside me. I could lunge in an instant, draw it, kill the soldier, and then use the keys hanging from his chest to unlock my bindings. It was an absolutely impossible plan for an ordinary human, but with Jin Barenberg's body and my enhanced stats, it was entirely feasible.

I carefully gauged the situation. The soldiers didn't seem worried at all about any escape attempts. They were completely off guard.

"Hup!"

In an instant, I broke out of the line and slammed my shoulder into the soldier beside me. The recoil caused the people in front of and behind me to tumble.

"Argh!"

The soldiers' attention snapped toward us.

"What is it?!"

"An escapee!"

"Subdue him immediately!"

I had to move fast. Forcing my bound hands to move, I drew the sword from the fallen soldier's waist and slashed through the ropes binding my body.

Slash!

Then, I drove the blade straight into the fallen soldier's abdomen, finishing him off. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

"Gah...!"

Blood gushed from the fallen soldier's mouth. Perhaps because of the ongoing synchronization with Jin Barenberg, I didn't feel a shred of hesitation. An ordinary person would have been shaken by the fact that they had just killed someone, but I didn't bat an eye as I grabbed the ring of keys.

"You there! Come here and unlock this!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

A nearby prisoner of war rushed over and frantically began trying the keys.

Click. Click.

The man in front of me was searching for the right key, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time was running out. The other soldiers were already closing in.

"Damn it!"

Was I going to get captured again like this? Was there no other way?

"Protect His Highness!"

"His Highness is the only hope of the Barenberg Kingdom!"

The surrounding prisoners of war roared and began to move on my behalf. Despite being bound, they thrashed and threw their bodies to block the approaching soldiers.

"Argh!"

One was subdued by a soldier. Two were stabbed. Three were slashed.

"Hurry! We don't have time!"

While the prisoners of war were dying to buy me time—

"I found it!"

Click. Click. Clang!

He finally found the five keys that fit the handcuffs, and they fell away. Checking my freed wrists, I spun the blade in my hand.

"Step back, everyone! I will handle this!"

The prisoners of war who had fought for me stepped back, smiles of pure joy spreading across their faces.

My body felt as light as a feather. Seizing the opportunity, I surrendered myself to Jin's instincts. Focus. My vision narrowed to a single point, and all sound faded away.

Dash!

I lunged forward. Weaving freely through their ranks, I swung my sword.

"Argh!"

"Gurgle..."

Thud. Thud.

They collapsed before they could even let out a proper scream.

"What the—!"

"Damn it, Jin Barenberg is free!"

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"

I had no intention of letting them escape. If word got out, we would be pursued. I lunged again, swinging my sword. I moved, relying entirely on my synchronized stats and the muscle memory engraved in Jin's body. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air from my relentless strikes. With nearly dozens of soldiers slain, the sandy plain was transformed into a desert swept by a crimson gale.

"Phew."

I took a deep breath. When I came to my senses, the dozens of soldiers who had been escorting us were all lying dead on the ground.

"Your Highness!"

The survivors rushed toward me with bright smiles. I slashed through their ropes, freeing them.

"Find the keys yourselves. From this moment on, we go our separate ways."

"What? Your Highness, you are the only hope of the Barenberg Kingdom! Moving alone is...!"

"Do not question my decision."

Flick. I shook the blood off my blade.

"From now on, we survive on our own."

"Your Highness, but...!"

There was nothing more to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠say to them. I had no obligation to rebuild the Barenberg Kingdom. More than anything, rebuilding the kingdom was an impossible feat even in the original story.

"I pray that your paths ahead will be smooth."

With those parting words, I walked away with easy strides.

However—

Clop, clop, clop!

The sound of thundering hooves striking the ground echoed in the distance. Heading straight toward me was an order of knights that easily numbered in the hundreds. I let out a deep sigh at the sight.

"Phew!"

Yeah, of course it wouldn't be that easy. Let's do this.