Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 56
Episode 56(The Witch’s Forest (3))
Carui’s Priest.
A sort of hidden class that requires you to reach at least the 5th floor before a class change is possible, and unlike the normal priest class, is fucked with all sorts of combat spells and curse abilities.
“What the heck! They’ve run away!”
We even considered annihilation in the worst case, but in the end, we were able to fend off the danger without any damage.
How was that possible?
If we were to review it calmly, there were several reasons.
“Carui’s priest… as scary as the rumors said. Bjorn, if it weren’t for you, we would have been in serious trouble.”
We had seized their weapons early on.
Swords and shields, spears, and even Elisha’s staff. It seemed trivial at the time, but in retrospect it was a stroke of luck that we had taken her staff.
Without her staff, her spellcasting abilities were hampered.
Well, there might be other key factors, but…
“Nothing beats a sturdy barbarian. I thought that woman was just a priest because of Rotmiller’s misunderstanding. Who knew she’d just smash heads!”
“Me too, me too. When Bjorn was swinging his weapon, oh, my heart nearly stopped…”
The unexpected blow, both to enemies and allies.
This single blow shattered her skull, and Elisha was forced to revive by absorbing the life force of her companions.
However, her resurrection was not in perfect condition.
After all, her brain had been shattered and then revived; it’s not like her body could be completely fine.
‘Maybe her stuttering speech was due to incomplete recovery.’
There were many factors that worked in our favor.
Yet, as much as that brought relief, it also brought a sense of dread. What if we had fought in a situation where both parties were at 100%?
Well, the odds of winning would have been about fifty-fifty.
Assuming that at least two of us would die, no matter who won.
A fierce battle would have certainly ensued.
That’s why they resorted to pretending to be victims, to deceive us.
‘So, was it actually to our advantage that our powers were evenly matched?’
Having finished reflecting on the incident, I quickly checked my physical condition.
It was the worst.
「[Energy Drain] is ongoing.」
「The rate of energy recovery is reduced.」
「[Minor Corruption] is ongoing.」
「The speed of injury recovery is reduced.」
「[Pursuit] is ongoing.」
「The caster is informed of the character’s location.」
「[Wraith Walk] is ongoing.」
「Slight pain occurs when the character moves.」
「[Vitality Drain] is ongoing…」
Damn, I feel like I’m going to lose my mind.
My eyes are sore, my head feels like it’s been pickled in brine, and for some reason, my lower
half is devoid of strength.
Phew, how many curses did that damn woman cast on me?
「Warning: More than 15 curses are stacked on the character. If not treated with holy power or magic, the character’s physical abilities may be permanently degraded.」
My condition is beyond description.
It’s a total mess, and I honestly can’t even begin to describe what’s happening to me.
But I’m not too worried.
After all, we have a magician in our team.
“Dwalki, I need your curse removal magic.”
“Curse removal, you say?”
Why is he surprised?
This makes me anxious.
“I thought you said you could use curse magic.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
So, what about it?
As I looked at him expectantly, Dwalki avoided my gaze and continued.
“I said I could use a few types of curse magic, not that I could remove them…”
Huh?
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“I had to teach myself, as I had not joined a Mage Tower. I also heard that there’s hardly any need to remove curses during explorations…”
Dwalki went on with his lengthy excuse.
In short, it was a simple story.
“In other words, you didn’t have the money.”
In true Barbarian fashion, I summed up the situation in one sentence, and Dwalki nodded grimly.
“That’s right. I thought it was better to prioritize learning the most necessary skills.”
Right, that’s the kind of team we are.
What’s there to complain about now?
We’re all in similar straits, so complaining would only make us look petty.
Let’s not dwell on the impossible and focus on what we can do now.
“Rotmiller, do you have any way to track that woman?”
“Unfortunately, no. I’ve been trying to find a way since she ran off, but I can’t even find a trace.”
Hmm, as I thought.
Things are getting quite complicated.
Some of us still seem oblivious to the situation.
“What do you think? How dangerous could it be?”
“Well, it’s hard to say right now. But one thing is certain – we need to leave this place immediately.”
“Leave? But where to?”
“Wait a moment! What are you two talking about?”
Dwalki interrupted our serious conversation.
I wanted to tell him that adults were talking and to step aside for a bit…
But he is a magician, after all.
Discussing it might lead to some good ideas, so I briefly explained.
“That woman said she wouldn’t let us live if she escaped. She’ll definitely come back for us.”
“That’s true, but can’t we just deal with her when she comes again?”
No, that’s what I’m saying. It won’t be that easy.
Is he this naive because it’s his first time in the labyrinth?
He seems to have less judgment than even Misha, despite being a magician.
“Definitely a big deal! Imagine if she attacks from behind while we’re fighting monsters. That’d be trouble!”
The enemy you see is less frightening than the one you don’t.
Especially since when she returns for revenge, she’ll likely have recovered most of her strength.
‘And she’ll choose the timing of her attack.’
Just like we benefited from the element of surprise earlier, those initiating the fight generally have the advantage.
As Rotmiller explained this, Dwalki clammed up, visibly frightened.
“A priest of Carui lurking in the shadows, aiming at us… This certainly poses a significant obstacle to our journey, huh? Hahaha.”
The dwarf leader tried to laugh it off. He tapped the stiff Dwalki lightly on the shoulder…
But the tense atmosphere didn’t improve one bit.
Well, they know better than anyone, having just fought one-on-five, just how troublesome the priests of Carui can be.
As the anxiety steadily increased, I suggested the only viable option.
“Given the situation, it might be best to enter the Witch’s Forest as soon as possible.”
Rotmiller asked briefly.
“Why?”
“If we get there, they won’t be able to track us. And we can deal with the curse problem as well.”
I left out many details, but that was enough. From his expression, it seemed he understood what I meant.
“Using the geographical characteristics of the Witch’s Forest to our advantage… That’s a logical decision.”
Rotmiller nodded.
However, he seemed a bit puzzled.
“Didn’t you say this is your first time on the third floor?”
Yes, that’s right.
Please, just figure things out on your own before I have to spell it out, man.
“…I studied in the library.”
“The library?”
Rotmiller looked puzzled at my not-exactly-an-excuse.
But I’m not too worried.
There’s a witness right beside me, after all.
“It might be surprising, but it’s true. Bjorn visits the library every day to read books.”
“Wow, a barbarian who reads books?”
“Somehow, he’s different from other barbarians, even in the way he speaks.”
I was met with looks as if they had encountered a rare species.
Now that they’ve shown their interest, it would be good if we could just make a decision and get on with what we need to do.
“So, what does everyone think?”
“I’m in favor of your plan.”
After Rotmiller backed me up, the dwarf and Misha added their votes of approval, and the decision was quickly made.
But there was one more thing to do before we hurriedly left.
Looking at ‘Hanson’ who had collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut when Elisha fled,
“What’s everyone doing? Why aren’t you stripping off the equipment?”
No matter how urgent, we must take what we can.
Aren’t we explorers?
Plunderers and monster slayers.
“If we sell everything, it should be well over 6 million stones.”
Is it because he’s a third-floor plunderer?
The ‘dramtem’ spat out by ‘Hanson’ was on a different level compared to those we encountered before.
Of course, if it’s divided into five, the income would be roughly similar.
“Really! More than 1 million stones each! I was worried about this year’s taxes, but now I’m relieved!”
“With that money, I could learn a few more spells! Ah, this time I will definitely learn curse removal magic too!”
Dwalki and Misha joyfully envisioned their future with the sudden windfall.
But Bjorn, Rotmiller, and the dwarf just smiled awkwardly and remained silent.
Well, no matter how much you earn in the labyrinth, it only matters if you return to the city alive.
“We’ll sell all these spoils when we return to the city and
Well, earning riches in the labyrinth only makes sense if you live to return to the city, right?
“We’ll sell these spoils in the city later and settle the accounts then.”
We decided to divide the loot between the three of us with expandable backpacks for the duration of the trip.
After all, no one can predict the future.
During exploration, anyone could die, lose their backpack, or, in a rare case, someone might
even try to run off with the loot.
But during this process, I was slightly surprised.
‘I knew the dwarf had one, but Misha owns an expandable backpack too…’
Contrary to the impression she had given so far, was she the type to scrupulously save money? Maybe Misha was more astute in financial matters than I thought.
“Let’s depart now then.”
Having gathered our spoils, we quickly packed up our campsite and left.
Rotmiller led the way, while the rest of us followed, wary of any sudden ambushes.
We avoided confrontations with monsters as much as possible, using Rotmiller’s keen sense of smell to navigate.
How much time had passed?
“Warning: The character’s vitality is continuously decreasing. If not addressed promptly, permanent damage……”
I feel like I’m going to die.
After nearly running for five hours, loaded with curses, my body is not in a good state.
If not for the anti-magic and dark resistance stats I got from the vampire, I would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.
“Bjorn, are you… okay?”
“I can manage, don’t worry about me.”
I reassured the dwarf, but honestly, I was far from okay.
Unlike them, cursed with just a few afflictions, that crazy woman had thrown countless curses at me.
And these curses were specifically targeted at me.
‘Damn stamina drain…’
Stamina Drain.
A lousy skill that significantly reduces the recovery of stamina, which is consumed every time the character moves or takes action.
By the way, stamina is separate from life force, so no matter how high the natural regeneration is, it’s useless.
‘If this were a game, I’d have what, 30% left?’
In the game, when the stamina gauge fell below 10%, the character couldn’t move.
NPCs often whined and begged to be killed under such circumstances.
But I’m not at that point yet.
Yes, it’s unbearably hard.
But not enough to die.
I can still hold on with sheer willpower.
So, there’s still some leeway left.
“Achievement Unlocked”
Condition: Vitality drops below 5%.
Reward: Mental stat permanently increased by +1.
Yes, surely that must be it.
I can’t keep going if I don’t think like that.
Focus on the positives.
I might have pushed myself too hard, but our destination is almost in sight.
“The soil’s moisture suggests we’re about 10 minutes away.”
After a journey of approximately 5 hours.
Contrary to my fears, we made it to the Witch’s Forest without a single attack.
‘Having come this far, that means she’s not fully recovered yet.’
It’s worth the haste.
At least, I don’t think she’s given up on us.
After all, she didn’t hesitate to unleash the power of the Dark God right in front of us.
If we, the witnesses, return unscathed, she will be in a lot of trouble.
“We’ve arrived.”
Rotmiller’s words pulled me out of my thoughts.
Ah, indeed, it’s best to let the mind wander when exhausted.
I managed to skip a whole 10 minutes of travel!
“This is the Witch’s Forest… Somehow, it gives me the creeps.”
“It seems all magicians who come here for the first time say something similar.”
“A sense of ominous magic vibrates throughout the forest.”
Thorny bushes devoid of life.
Vines coiled around them like snakes.
“Wait a minute! That tree just moved!”
Everything here seems alive and moving.
The Witch’s Forest.
“Character has entered a special area.”
“Field Effect – Witch’s Forest applied.”
“Status Ailment [Disorientation] applied.”
“Status Ailment [Auditory Hallucinations] applied.”
“Status Ailment [Visual Hallucinations] applied.”
“Status Ailment [Enhanced Sensitivity] applied.”
As we stepped into the forest, relying on torchlight, a chilling air touched our skin.
“All status effects, excluding field effects, are nullified.”
Ha, I feel like I can live a bit more now.
“Bjorn Yandel”
Level: 3
Physical: 155 / Mental: 91(New +1) / Supernatural: 115
Item Level: 683
Total Combat Index: 528.75 (New +1)
Essence obtained: Corpse Golem – Rank 7 / Vampire (Guardian) – Rank 5
Editor’s Note: Leave a comment if you are reading the chapter, thanks