Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 61

The War of the Nonexistent (2)

Day 7, Afternoon.

So it’s been over 80 hours since I got separated from that damn group of dwarves and got stranded in this cursed forest.

“…….”

I’m still here, wandering wordlessly through the woods, staring blankly at the fucking hallucinations and visions that are getting worse by the day.

This started happening after the first day of being stranded.

“…….”

I stopped speaking unless it was absolutely necessary.

It’s not because our feelings for each other have soured or anything like that.

We just don’t have the energy for it.

Oh, there’s one more change.

“…….”

I’ve tied Misha and myself together with a rope.

We look like salted fish strung on a line.

It’s a trick I’ve learned after spending so much time in the Witch’s Forest.

This way, if one of us lags behind or gets separated, we can find each other by following the rope.

“Bjorn… please, go a bit slower, slower…”

“Understood.”

I slowed down our pace.

This morning, Misha’s condition had deteriorated rapidly.

It’s not that she’s sick or her wounds have worsened.

It’s just that her fatigue has reached its limit.

Thud, thud.

Even after slowing down, I feel a constant tug at my waist.

Is she unable to keep up even at this pace?

After a brief moment of contemplation, I stopped.

“Get on my back.”

“……?”

“Just close your eyes for a while, you might feel better.”

“Ha, but…”

Misha stammered, looking at me.

It must seem ridiculous to her.

After all, if you just looked at our appearances, I’m several times worse off than her.

“Even a beggar looks better than this.

The cloth under my armor is riddled with holes and tears, and the iron equipment is corroded in places.

These are all side effects of Misha’s awakening.

When the Frost Spirit Ring was removed, the sealed passive skill of the Corpse Golem was reactivated.

Every minor injury in battle against monsters, every splash of acidic blood, has led to my current state.

‘This is going to cost a fortune in repairs.’

But then, perhaps misunderstanding my smile, Misha spoke up with concern.

“I, I’m fine. I’d rather you rest and I’ll carry you!”

I appreciate the sentiment, but…….

Is that realistically possible?

“Enough, come here.”

Refusing further argument, I picked up Misha by her waist.

Her light weight conveyed her utter exhaustion.

She didn’t even have the strength to resist.

“If something happens, I’ll wake you. Rest until then.”

“But…”

“Shh.”

“…Thank you.”

Misha, now draped over my shoulder, finally conceded to the situation.

But I wonder if she’ll be able to fall asleep right away?

She speaks to me in a soft voice.

“Bjorn.”

“What is it?”

“…Do you know?”

“Tell me.”

“Hmm, you smell nice…”

Nice smell, huh? And then what?

You should finish what you’re saying.

I became curious about the rest of her statement, but…

Well, she must be dreaming or something.

There’s no way I, covered in blood and sweat, not having showered for days, could smell nice.

A small laugh escaped me as I heard her gentle snoring.

Heh.

Yeah, so you did that because you were tired, right?

No matter the hallucinations or auditory hallucinations, when real tiredness hits, sleep comes naturally, anywhere.

That’s just how the human body is designed.

Survival is the priority, no matter the circumstances.

‘Then, let’s keep moving.’

I continued through the forest, carrying Misha.

Its tempting to lay her down and rest together, but…..

I can’t.

「You have been in the Witch’s Forest for 84 hours.」
「Field effect – The Witch’s Forest is strengthened.」
「Status ailment [Witch’s Eye] is upgraded to level 5.」

The field debuff [Witch’s Eye].

This is the real reason why the Witch’s Forest is only recognized as a transit zone.

The effect is simple.

If you stay in the same place for a certain amount of time, the Rank 7 monster Carnivaro will appear, and the “certain amount of time” gets shorter and shorter with each level up.

On the first day, it was about an hour.

And now…

‘It’s down to about 10 minutes.’

We’ve reached a point where we must keep moving almost constantly.

The problem is, there are two of us.

If a Carnivaro appears, there’s no companion to fend it off. At this point, encountering one is almost a death sentence.

Even at full strength, it took over 15 minutes to defeat one.

Theoretically, before we could even finish off one, another one would appear.

Thud, thud.

That’s exactly why I’m walking right now.

I feel like I might drop dead from exhaustion, but I have to keep going.

Otherwise, I might actually die.

‘But considering they haven’t appeared yet, maybe we don’t have to worry about them anymore?’

When times are tough, it’s best to let your mind wander.

I concluded one train of thought and brought up another.

It’s the fourth day since we’ve been stranded in the Witch’s Forest.

If Elisha had a way to find us, she should have done so by now.

It seems safe to start feeling a bit relieved.

‘One less thing to worry, I suppose.’

I don’t know why they haven’t found us.

But if I had to guess…

There must have been some variable on their end, too.

Just like how Misha and I ended up stranded here alone.

Life is a bitch because you never know what’s going to happen.

Anyway, I wondered how long we’ve been avoiding the lesser mobs.

Hmm, it feels like at least an hour.

[Brother, why do you just leave her be?]

A familiar hallucination caught my attention.

[You’ve already fulfilled her long standing wish, that girl… she would’ve fallen for you if you tried just a little.]

A woman appeared from the side of the tree, staring at me.

A white blouse and a formal skirt.

And that characteristic arrogant and prickly tone.

…It’s my ex-girlfriend.

[Are you scared of being abandoned again?]

Damn it…

So far, most of the hallucinations were obvious, but she seems so real.

I feel like I could even sense her body warmth if I touched her.

[Oh, how sly.]

What now?

She’s acting just like her, based on my memories.

Hmm, does that mean all the hallucinations so far were based on my subconscious?

[Brother, that’s your problem. You always try to know everything.]

‘Can’t argue with that.’

Fear of the unknown is an instinct that all living things have.

[Isn’t that too much? You never share anything, yet you expect others to.]

‘You were the same.’

[What? What don’t you know about me? You know every inch of my body, more than I do.]

Her teasing voice inadvertently shifted my gaze.

There’s one visual change.

“…….”

White blouse and a short business skirt.

That part is the same, but now her long legs are clad in black stockings.

They were flesh-colored before.

[Your tastes are consistent.]

Damn, is this really me?

[Leave that wild girl and come to me. You should just be with me. Others can’t even understand you.]

Really, is that so?

Unknowingly, my feet started moving forward.

And then, at that moment.

[I’ll make you feel good—]

Her face, which was smiling broadly as if to embrace everything, grotesquely twisted.

Not metaphorically, but literally.

Thump!

Her face crumpled like dough under a punch.

Somehow, Misha, who should have been on my shoulder, was now pummeling my ex-girlfriend’s face with her fist.

Rapidly, like a nimble cat.

Puck, puck, puck, puck, puck, puck!

What the hell is this? Another hallucination?

I watched the scene unfold with a dream-like detachment.

But then…

[Kyaaaaah!!!]

A sound like nails on a chalkboard brought me back to reality.

Before I knew it, Misha, the ex-girlfriend, was back, grabbing me by the waist and shaking me.

“You’re okay, Bjorn!”

“Uh, yeah…”

“I took care of the Dryad! Snap out of it!”

What? A Dryad?

That Grade 8 monster that rarely appears in the Witch’s Forest and uses the [Charm] skill?

No wonder the hallucination was so vivid.
「You have defeated the Dryad. EXP +2」
「Status ailment [Charm] has been lifted.」

The situation became clear in an instant.

It wasn’t the field effect; I had been hit by a skill.

“…Thanks. I would have been in serious trouble without you.”

I gratefully acknowledged her help.

But at that moment.

“Heh, it’s natural for me to—”

Misha stiffened and pointed to something.

“Uh, Bjorn? I think we’re already in big trouble…”

Following her gaze, I nodded in agreement.

“…Seems like it.”

Had it been 10 minutes already while under [Charm]?

There, emerging from the bushes, was a Grade 7 monster Carnivaro, approaching slowly.

“Kill, kill, kill…….”

Its eyes gleamed murderously.

Carnivaro.

A Grade 7 monster exclusive to the Witch’s Forest.

Classified as a humanoid undead, it possesses quite a high level of intelligence.

The problem is that intelligence is used solely for killing people.

“Blood, and, flesh… let, go, of, it.”

The Carnivaro aimed its crossbow at us, drooling in anticipation. Its protruding fangs glistened with fluid. Well, to this monster, even I, a Barbarian, must look quite appetizing.

Though I might be a bit tough due to low body fat.

“Misha, get behind me.”

“Okay!”

After ensuring Misha was safe behind me, I shielded the gap with my shield.
Once encountered, fleeing was not an option.

Carnivaro relentlessly pursues its chosen prey.

Its combat style is similar to that of a hunter.

「Carnivaro has cast [Magic Mine].」

It sets traps around.

Invisible to our eyes, these traps explode with immense force if approached.

This makes it difficult to close the distance quickly.

And amidst this…
「Carnivaro has cast [Pursuing Arrow].」

Arrows fly out.

Far more powerful than any goblin archer’s, these arrows come with a high accuracy enhancement.

So, it’s better to block them rather than dodge.

Like this.

Clang!

I deflect the arrow at an angle and bounce it to the side.

Previously, while I blocked arrows, Misha used to throw rocks to destroy these mines.

But now…

‘We don’t have time for that.’

We need to defeat it within 10 minutes.

Otherwise, another one will appear.

And this process would repeat.

Until we die.

So, there’s only one option left.

“Misha, get on my back.”

“What are you talking about?”

Misha, who was picking up stones to throw, looked puzzled.

But there was no time to explain.

“It seems we have to push our limits this time. Just do as I say.”

I spoke firmly, and Misha climbed onto my back.

Instantly, I shielded my head and upper body with the shield and charged forward.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The mines lying nearby exploded with every step I took, but…….

I kept running.

“What the hell are you doing!”

Misha panicked at my action, but to me, it was nothing unusual.

Ever since awakening in the Barbarian’s body, I’ve overcome most crises physically.

This time was no different.

The only choice in a worst-case scenario.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The pain pierces through my pain tolerance.

I could feel my legs getting shredded with each blast.
「Carnivaro has summoned [Hounds].」

Amidst this, summoned hounds pounced on us.

They bite into my arms, shoulders, thighs, legs, and so on. Sinking their teeth into everything and wiggling their jaws.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Still, I didn’t stop.

Blocking flying arrows.

Shaking off the hounds clinging here and there with [Flesh Explosion].

I continued forward.

Then, at a certain moment.

Boom!

As the tenth mine exploded, my body suddenly weakened.

I tried to step forward with my other leg, but soon realized it was futile.

‘This is disgusting.’

The lower part of my leg was no longer recognizable as a foot.

More like a mangled piece of meat.

“Well, I’ve made it this far, they’ll take care of it.”

Realizing that further charging was impossible, I threw Misha, who was on my back, far away.

“Finish it off.”

There was no response.

However, Misha’s leap into the air was answer enough.

Swoosh!

In mid-air, she deftly somersaulted and thrust her spear not into Carnivaro’s head, but into its shoulder.

Swoosh!

A mistake due to her less proficient spear skills.

But Misha, using the spear as a pivot, spun around and drew her dagger from her waist, driving it into the monster’s forehead, correcting her earlier mistake.

And the time it took for all this…

‘It couldn’t have been more than 5 minutes.’

Somehow, we managed to survive this crisis.

Satisfied with that fact, I collapsed onto the ground.

「Warning: Part of the character’s body has suffered severe damage. Immediate medical attention is required to prevent permanent injury.」

After the battle ended.

Misha rushed over to me.

“Bjorn! What were you thinking doing that?!”

Angry, yet her face looked like she might burst into tears any moment.

I replied briefly.

“It was the most viable option.”

There were no other choices.

And what Misha needed to do now was not to scold or worry about me.

“Done with the lecture? Can you give me a potion now?”

As I lay on the ground with my foot mangled, giving orders nonchalantly, Misha’s eyes went blank.

But my request must have gotten through to her brain, because she poured the potion with trembling hands.

Hisss.

A high-grade potion, worth a whopping 200,000 stones per bottle.

A pricey but essential item, capable of healing even amputated limbs.

Still, Misha looked worried.

“If you’re hurt this badly, even the potion might not heal everything…”

Well, that’s not quite true.

「Character’s regeneration is greatly increased due to [Immortal] effect.」

Immortal engraving.

High natural regeneration from Vampire essence.

And the active skill [Immortal].

If this were a game, my natural regeneration stat would easily be over 150.

Even without a high-grade potion, given enough time, I could heal from an amputation.

I wouldn’t have taken such a crazy risk otherwise.

“Nyah, what! This, this can’t be healing so fast…”

Misha was astonished as she watched my wounds rapidly regenerate, thanks to the potion’s effect.

Makes sense, she only knows about my Corpse Golem essence, right?

In less than a minute, my crushed leg had healed.

Sadly, I was left barefoot.

‘Should have taken off my shoes before running. Could’ve sold them for 150,000 stones.’

High-grade potion and boots lost.

The cost of taking down a Grade 7 monster seemed excessively high.

But no use crying over spilled milk.

I opened my backpack, put on the leather boots I originally wore, and slowly stood up.

Good, the sensation in my toes seems normal.

“Bjorn, what are you! Not only did you not feel pain after applying the potion, but…”

“It’s the mental strength of a Barbarian.”

This part is true.

Even Aynar didn’t make a sound when she took a potion.

In my case, it’s purely due to pain tolerance.

Well, as long as the result is the same, that’s how the world works, right?

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