Ch.12Chapter 12. Tribe (4)

Chapter 12. Tribe (4)

Comments appeared shortly after.

[CorruptPowerKnight: I’ve seen them a few times. They might be a bit challenging at levels 1-2, but after reaching level 3, they’re nothing special. They move in groups, but their numbers are small and they’re not commonly seen. They’re pagans who worship different gods, so they don’t like us Paladins and will likely fight if we encounter them.]

ㄴ [Have you killed any?]

ㄴ [CorruptPowerKnight: Since they’re not monsters like demons or infected, I don’t kill them even when we meet. It feels wrong. Besides, killing them doesn’t give much experience. If they’re too aggressive, I just teach them a lesson.]

CorruptPowerKnight. A user I’ve seen a few times. They mainly write information-focused posts, so I can probably trust them.

The second comment came immediately.

[SamuraiJackson: Barbarians. They sometimes appeared as NPCs in the game too.

If they’re warrior-class, they’re slightly stronger than common infected? We came here with our own isekai benefits, but the barbarians don’t have those.

Their priests handle something like shamanic powers, but they have longer casting times and less power than our skills.

Some individuals are so strong you might question if they’re human, but those are rare cases. Anyway, they’re not much to worry about.]

SamuraiJackson. A user with a dual-sword fetish who’s been in the community since the beginning.

Surviving this long means they’re strong. This person is also trustworthy.

So combining the information, they’re not particularly threatening, but they might attack first which is a bit annoying?

Exactly as I expected. No surprises at all.

I asked both of them the same question.

ㄴ [Have you seen the Roa they worship?]

ㄴ [CorruptPowerKnight: Roa? Oh, those things that only appeared in game lore? No? I’ve seen stone statues made by barbarians, but they were just statues. I didn’t feel any special power from them. Why do you ask?]

ㄴ [Just wondering. Thanks for answering!]

This one doesn’t know.

ㄴ [SamuraiJackson: When fighting, the barbarians always say things like “Roa will take revenge” or “Roa’s curse will fall upon you,” but I haven’t experienced any curse or revenge so far. In my opinion, it’s just folk religion or something like voodoo. Not a supernatural being that actually exists like the goddess who (probably) summoned us here.]

ㄴ [Thanks a lot!]

This one doesn’t know either. They don’t even know if Roa actually exists.

Paya’s claim that no other Roa has descended to earth besides me might be true.

It’s not that I don’t trust Paya, but she’s someone who has only stayed with this small tribe in these high mountains. Even if she thinks she’s telling the truth, it might not be the actual truth, so cross-verification was necessary.

Sigh. I might be a genius for a fanboy?

Anyway, the probability that I’m the only Roa in this world has increased. I was skeptical, but to think I’m really the only Roa.

This could be either good news or bad news.

The good part is that since there’s no information about Roa, there’s no one to check me. The bad part is that I can’t get help from other Roas (possessed or real).

“It’s becoming the season when wild strawberries ripen. They’re blooming a lot. Oppa, it’s a food that Chief Kanto and I used to eat a lot.”

– Oh.

“Wild strawberries are nice. It would be good to take some back for the children.”

Kanto smiled slightly in response to Paya’s words.

“I’ll gather them.”

Paya took out a leather pouch and started picking wild strawberries.

Looking at this, they seem like very ordinary mountain natives.

“We’ve come down quite far, so they might appear soon. We should move quietly.”

Paya nodded at Kanto’s words as he looked around, and they both muffled their footsteps.

I also focused with wide-open eyes (though they weren’t my eyes).

Not long after, a strange howling sound was heard.

A howling that mixed the growl of a wolf with the gurgling sound of a patient’s phlegm.

I could see them through Paya’s vision. This is my first time seeing infected directly.

They looked quite horrific. Wolves with fungal spores growing all over their bodies.

There were about a dozen of these creatures.

Kanto, hiding in the bushes, directed the warriors with hand gestures.

Paya was waiting at the very back with two warriors to secure safety.

A warrior who exchanged glances with Kanto approached the creatures with a low crawl.

Despite being small and skinny, she exuded an aura of strength, perhaps due to her fierce eyes.

“Hiyah!”

The warrior, who had been creeping along, suddenly stood up and threw her spear at the largest creature’s body.

With a swoosh sound, the spear pierced through what appeared to be the alpha wolf infected.

“Now!”

Kanto charged forward swinging a double-bladed axe, with warriors following behind, shouting battle cries.

“Urah-!”

Kanto literally butchered them, cleaving through the infected’s bones and flesh in one strike, then immediately embedding his axe into the next one.

It was like watching an incredibly strong lumberjack cutting down trees with single axe strokes. And doing it continuously.

Strength and speed that made me doubt if he was human. Even watching gave me chills.

Yet even with this strength, he finds it difficult to defeat a lower demon alone.

What’s with the balance in this crazy world?

“Phew, it’s all over.”

Kanto, having finished the one-sided slaughter, swung his double-bladed axe left and right to clean it.

– Impressive.

I conveyed my thoughts to Paya without hiding them.

“Yes. Chief Kanto has always been good at fighting since he was young, if nothing else.”

Paya nodded, seemingly pleased that her brother was being praised.

“Now let’s get to work.”

The warriors took out small knives from their pouches and began cutting the mushrooms from the infected bodies.

– What are they doing?

“Chief Kanto, Malak is curious about what the warriors are doing.”

“Ah, they’re preparing them before taking them back. The mushrooms attached to their bodies remain toxic even after cooking. After we take them back, we’ll completely skin them and remove the mushrooms that have penetrated inside.”

They eat those?

George had posted that infected are safe to eat when cooked, but I thought that was only possible because he was a Paladin.

– Isn’t it dangerous?

Paya relayed my words to Kanto.

“It’s fine if you remove the blood well before eating. You might get an upset stomach if you’re not careful, but that’s a risk worth taking. The taste isn’t too bad either.”

I see. I was hesitant because they’re monsters corrupted by demonic energy, but there’s a way to eat them safely.

As always, humanity finds answers. Just like they always have.

“Are you okay?”

“Tsk, just a scratch. It’s nothing.”

“Let’s go up and disinfect it.”

I can see a warrior who has been wounded on the forearm. What disinfection? They could just receive my healing.

Hmm, maybe?

[Name: Malak]

– Available Blessings: Healing Totem (Intermediate), Divine Possession

– Available Points: 230

– Vassal: Paya

– Enter Community

Hmm.

[Healing Totem (Intermediate)]

Click.

[Impossible]

I tried pressing the status window to see if I could use blessings while in divine possession state, but it seems I can’t.

Actually, I tried using it once before when I possessed Paya’s body, but it didn’t work then either. I had a small hope that it might have been because Paya was healthy so the blessing didn’t activate.

It’s a shame. I could have used it strategically.

“We’ve come quite far. Now we should return to the tribe. Come on, let’s finish up quickly!”

At Kanto’s command, the warriors loaded the infected onto carrying devices similar to A-frames and began moving.

I still have many questions about my abilities.

Do blessings just appear automatically as I continue to accumulate points like now?

How do I create vassals?

Do I have to remain fixed in totem form forever?

Will I never be able to feel sensations again?

Will all these problems resolve themselves over time?

“I wish Malak could taste these wild strawberries too.”

Paya, who shares her vision with me, said as she walked with small steps, her leather pouch full of wild strawberries.

She was busy walking, looking at her brother’s back ahead of her.

“Should I place some at the altar? As an offering… or would that be inappropriate?”

You don’t have much food as it is.

– Take better care of the children who are training hard for me. I’ll consider that as an offering.

Paya smiles softly.

“Malak is so considerate.”

What consideration? It’s just that no matter how diligently you make offerings, nothing comes to me.

Rather than letting good food go to waste, just eat more.

“How many did you catch?”

“Three.”

“Wow, you caught a lot by yourself. Duya will be happy.”

“Don’t even mention that woman. It gives me a headache.”

“That woman? Listen to yourself. Now that she’s your woman, you think you can talk about her like that?”

“She’s my enemy now. It’s like living with a demon. Even if I just go home early and sleep, she nags so much. My ears bleed. I don’t know who the hunter is anymore.”

“This is why I don’t get married.”

“It’s probably because no man would take you. Living with you would be no different from living with two men.”

“You son of a…”

Watching the barbarian warriors chatting with each other makes me feel at ease. When I get together with my hometown friends, we also talk about trivial things like this.

It makes me realize that they too are ordinary humans just like me.

…Maybe I should set aside unnecessary worries for now. I should just do what I can.

Perhaps if I build things up slowly, answers will come.

For today, I’ll be satisfied with having directly confirmed the combat power of the barbarians.

***

After returning to the totem, I entered the community and searched for “Necromancer’s Tomb.”

There are… two posts.