Chapter 59 – Rules of Survival (Part 2)

 

What was the most important thing in the disaster situation?

Water? Meal? Health? Tooling?

Well, it was all very important, but if I had to choose just one, I would choose the right mental state.

"No... I can't die like that, I can't! I endured all this for nothing!

"Misha, calm down.

When you find yourself in a shitty situation, you need the courage to face the truth instead of denying it. Only then will you be able to get an objective perspective. So, I threw away all my doubts.

It doesn't matter what happened there.

A strange monster could have appeared, or Eliza and that group could have made a surprise attack in that brief moment. All possibilities were open.

But that's not what I should have focused on now.

Think.

Now I'm behind the group. Next to me was my teammate - a beastman girl. Unfortunately, she was a warrior who could only deal physical damage. The chances of our lost comrades coming back here were infinitesimal. Yes, in a word, we were in a complete ass.

This place, inhabited by monsters with physical immunity, was also called the Warrior Graveyard. It was almost impossible to pass through it with a barbarian and a beastman warrior. Meanwhile, there were also pursuers who aimed at us.

In fact, this was the biggest problem. If the two of us were to face them, the game would be over immediately. But if we didn't plan to bite our tongues and commit suicide, we needed to think. Not about how this situation was, but about what we need to do right now. What actions should we take next? Even if it's no different than kicking and screaming at our cursed fate, what should we give up and prioritize for the sake of our survival?

Simply put, what was the best thing we could do in this situation?

— ... Let's move.

"What did you say?" Even if-...

"Even if we can't find our way, it's better to leave this place.

Having objectively assessed the situation, I understood what had to be done, even if we were in the worst conditions.

Having lined up the options in a list of priorities, I decided to address them in order of importance.

First, get out of this place.

"It's too dangerous here.

The reason was simple. We didn't have any information about what exactly Hikurod and the others found in this area, other than that it was dangerous enough that they couldn't look for us.

"If that's something the bitch did, she'll find us eventually.

"But then, shouldn't she have appeared earlier?"

Well, maybe we were just pushed into her priorities because the dwarf ran away and she had to follow him, or for some other reason. Of course, I had no intention of asking the "if," "and," or "but" question about this. The first things to give up in order to survive were intangible values such as warmth and attention.

"So what are you going to do?" The choice is yours.

I wasn't going to carry my luggage around just because she was a member of the team. First of all, you can't consider it a team. I drew a clear line.

"If you don't like my judgment, we'll move separately from now on."

"What are you talking about?!"

"Answer."

I wasn't going to waste time arguing. It was a yes or a no.

Misha, who was silently looking into my eyes, bit her lip and made a decision.

— ... From now on, I will follow your words. I can't do anything while I'm injured.

It was an excellent answer that accurately captured what the questioner wanted to hear. I didn't notice anything like that in her, but she was quite smart. Despite her usual appearance, she had 5 years of experience for a reason.

"You're too harsh anyway!"

As soon as I relaxed my hard expression, Misha began to whine, as if she was in pain, but, oh, it seems like it was. I didn't care as long as she obediently followed my orders.

"Drink."

When I opened the bottle with the potion and handed it to her, Misha drank it slowly, as if she was drinking poison. Then she began to moan. But it sounded a little strange, because of the potion they moan the wrong way.

"Ugh!"

Hearing her suffering, I realized that the potion had worked well, so I put Misha on my shoulders. Since it was just a sprained ankle, the pain would subside in five minutes and she would be able to walk, but it would be nice to save that time.

"Oh!" Please slow down! Not so rude!

As soon as I began to gallop, Misha began to beg.

Obviously, she was sick. All I could say was

"Be patient.

I'm sorry, but now I'm a crazy barbarian who has forgotten about all warmth and care. Once the Survival warning light comes on, efficiency is paramount. A little motion sickness won't kill anyone, right?

*Running*

In general, while I was running through the forest without direction, Misha hit me on the back with her shoulder like crazy.

"Let me go, ugh!" Let me go! I am well!

"Don't lie.

"That's true!" I swear by the name of the guardian of my clan!

"Hmph, then why isn't there any power in your voice?"

I pointed out a logical loophole in Misha's words, but for some reason it was me who was scolded.

"How can I! You, ignorant barbarian! Let me down now!"

"Good.

Seeing how she could beat me on the back like that, she at least had the mental strength to move on her own, so I lowered her down as she asked.

"Ahh, I thought I was going to die!"

How dramatic. At least she looked normal, but I asked, just in case:

"Well, is your leg all right now?"

"As you can see.

"Tell me plainly. Does that mean you can fight right now?

— At the moment... Yes! But why do you ask?

Because we were facing a battle.

"Good. A monster is about to appear.

Mike turned her head in the direction I was pointing. There was a giant tree that was digging its roots into the ground as it moved, a rank 8 monster called Snetree. It was a creepy monster that attacked the explorers with its tentacle-like branches. For the record, this guy was one of the few ordinary monsters in the Witchwood, along with the Half-Troll. Simply put, they could only be hunted with physical damage.

"But do we need to fight him?" Since it moves slowly, it won't be able to chase us... Oh! I'm not saying I won't obey your orders!

Well, then I'm glad.

In any case, the question itself was reasonable, so I answered it succinctly.

"It can drop essence.

"Essence?"

Mike tilted her head as if she had heard something strange.

This was understandable. If it were not for this situation, I would not have come up with such a plan either.

"All monsters in the Witchwood have attribute-based abilities.

More precisely, all monsters, except for the Half-Trolls. Well, even if they appear, we will still miss them.

Soon Misha caught the essence of my plan and was stunned.

"So that's why you want to catch this one?"

Yes, not only this one, but everyone who appeared on our way. I needed to somehow acquire an attribute-based ability. We could not avoid spirits forever. Now I couldn't even get a good night's sleep.

Although, if we accidentally found a way out of the forest while wandering through it, then it would be an unnecessary worry.

But such a miracle is unlikely to happen to me.

Of course, the drop rate of the essence was also infinitesimal, but in a way, it was the same as a side quest. I wasn't going to dwell on just that plan. If it worked out, great, and if not, then there was nothing I could do about it. That's all.

The moment that bitch finds us, everything will be meaningless.

If the scouts on the other side kill or lose the dwarf and then come looking for us, all of this effort will be in vain.

But this is not a reason to calmly wait for death.

"In any case, prepare for battle.

"Good!"

Soon Mike pulled out her weapon, picked it up, and threw herself at Snetri, who was crawling on the ground with his roots.

"Glürgglegglegg!"

Rule of Survival No1: To live, you have to fight.

[You killed Snetri. Experience +2]

***

We walked through the Witchwood without a scout. If someone had asked me how I felt about it, I would have said this: It was like walking through a mirror room in an amusement park all day, and there was constant background noise in that mirror room.

"Just kill her!" Or enjoy it! Why are you so nice to a useless bitch?

— Кхихихи, кхихихи!

"It's all your fault!" If only it wasn't for you...!

Am I mistaken or have the auditory hallucinations become more detailed?

No, I don't think so. Visual hallucinations are also clearer than before.

Hans, why are you alive?

Unlike the previous hallucinations, when they took the form of ordinary monsters, now they were people from my past, people I had never been able to meet in this world.

"It hurts!" It hurts! It hurts!

"When are you going to kill that girl?" When will you kill this girl? When will you kill this girl? When will you kill this girl?

Sometimes they appeared in the form of visual hallucinations and wreaked havoc on me. At some point, the visual and auditory hallucinations began to merge.

It cannot be that the field effect suddenly becomes stronger. Maybe I just became weaker?

I calmly and coldly realized my state. However, that was all. I did not sleep all night, and in this state I had to fight a fierce battle. I was cursed and barely returned from the brink of death, and then I found myself in a hopeless situation and lost too. It is only natural that I have reached the limit of my psychological abilities.

But so what?

I have no choice but to endure.

That was how life went, at least for me. Endure, endure, endure, endure, and do the best you can without dwelling on what you can't change.

"Mike, use this instead of a dagger.

"Hm?" I've never used a spear before...

After beating Snetri, I took a break and rummaged through my expandable backpack. I handed Misha the spear that belonged to Tyson. It was something we decided to sell and share when we got back into town, but now wasn't the time to worry about it.

"Just do as I say.

"Oh, good...

Respecting the individuality and accumulated experience of each person, I did not say anything about it all this time, but according to my theory, the longer the weapon, the more practical it is. Even when Mike was fighting Snetri, if it wasn't for the dagger, she would have been able to dig deep and destroy the core at once.

"It's so inconvenient!" Can you give me a sword in his place?

No. I didn't know which was easier to handle, a sword or a spear, but I knew that a spear was much longer. When I create a shield wall, it would be easier for her to help me from behind.

"You didn't fight either anyway. Just use it.

"Hmph."

Stop complaining. I don't know what you think of me, but I don't consider you such a close person.

I wanted her to stop whining and losing heart. After all, less than two weeks had passed since we met.

So... And I have to use it.

Misha is not the only one who has improved her equipment.

[You have equipped iron plate gaiters].

[General item level +45].

First, I wrapped Hans S's gaiters around my calf. The equipment was made of leather inside and iron outside. It would have been nice if I had a part for the thighs, but unfortunately it was stored in the dwarf's bag.

[You've equipped military boots].

[General item level +38].

I also changed my shoes to a new one similar to the one worn by Hans S. The boots were made of quality leather, but, oddly enough, they had iron plates on top, and in the form of sharp spikes.

Bastard explorers are only practical in these areas.

I searched for additional items, but did not find anything among the equipment that could be useful to Misha or me. Instead, however, I found something unexpected.

"Huh?" Bjorn! Isn't it holy water?

— ... It looks like it.

Bad news accumulated one after another. Maybe it's time for a slow rise? It made me so much happier than finding the gear. With the help of holy water, it was possible to enchant our weapons.

[Sacred energy permeates enchanted equipment. Deals additional holy damage when attacking monsters with the attribute of evil].

The extra damage from the holy attribute meant that even if we didn't have the attribute abilities we were hoping for, we would be able to kill spirit type monsters. Although it was limited to monsters with an evil attribute, the spirit monsters that appeared in the Witchwood usually had an evil attribute, so I didn't have to worry about it.

The problem is that there are only 5 bottles.

Holy water had no time of action. The effect simply disappeared once all the additional damage was dealt.

How long can we fight with five bottles? I wasn't sure, but until the 15th day, when the 3rd floor closes, I won't be able to be generous with this.

It would be better to use them sparingly.

Still, for the first time in a long time, it was good news, so I kept digging into my bag. Previously, I did not have time to properly study the reserves for exploration. Perhaps there was something else useful there.

"Hm?" Bjorn!

While each of us was rummaging through the bag, Misha called my name.

"I found something strange, don't you know what it is?"

It was a pendant with an unusual pattern. I knew what it was.

Is this not a symbol of Karuism?

Unfortunately, that was all I knew. Other than being connected to Karui, I couldn't understand his purpose.

At this point, I think I've checked everything that needs to be done.

I put everything back in my bag and put it in order. Then, as a new variable, holy water, appeared, I also revised the plan I had developed briefly. At first glance, there were three options.

1. Ask for help from researchers whom we may accidentally stumble upon.

The Witchwood was huge. Due to its geographical features, it was rare to find other explorers here. However, if we continued to look around, we would sooner or later come across a researcher. If we promise to give them equipment in exchange for help, any explorer will be tempted.

The problem is that we will not be able to trust them.

There were many efficiency obsessed bastards among the researchers. They can just kill us and take our stuff for themselves. Why should they help us? Some of them may think so.

In addition, Misha is a girl...

Looking at Misha, who was greedily eating dried meat at the moment, I continued my thoughts.

2. Walk in a circle until we reach the end of the forest or the portal to the 4th floor.

It would be simple to rely on luck. Therefore, I decided that there was no need to set this as the ultimate goal. Whether we like it or not, we will still have to wander in the forest. No desire will help, and no reluctance will either.

In any case, next.

3. Focus on surviving until the maze closes and holding out.

We had enough food and drinking water. Moreover, by enlisting holy water, it was possible to ensure a minimum of immediate security.

If an elemental essence dropped along the way, our survival rate in this cursed forest would increase dramatically.

But that's all assuming these bastards don't find us.

I let out a long sigh.

It's only been 4 days since we entered the maze. There was much more on the way than we had been through. It was hard to expect the rest of the time to go smoothly as I thought about what we had been through in the last 4 days.

I don't think the essence will appear anytime soon. If I'm going to do it someday, it's better to do it now.

So, I decided.

"Misha, are you married?"

"Huh?" Why do you suddenly ask?

Misha was chewing on a piece of dried meat and was amazed by my question. It was clear that she was wondering what the hell I was talking about. Nevertheless, since she agreed to listen to me, she gave me an answer.

"No, I'm not married...

Ok. I asked again, this time more directly.

"Then do you have any special beliefs, such as not showing your naked body to a strange man?"

"Uh, n-no, I don't think so...

"Good.

"What exactly is good?" And! S-stop! Don't come any closer!

It was an option that I would never have chosen if I hadn't played Dungeon & Stone for almost 10 years.

It's a pity that we will have to use it, but it was our best option.

4. Wake up Misha.