1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

43. The Third Test (3)

It was never about extorting money.

The coins in the third-rate villain’s wallet weren’t just currency; they were filled with the powerlessness and despair of their original owners, who had been robbed by these scoundrels.

That’s why, in their eyes, it would be better for their belongings to fall into the hands of someone else rather than these wretched thieves.

Thus, what I was doing was a noble service, fulfilling the long-held wishes of the victims.

“Empty your pockets. If anything comes out, you’ll get a hit for each coin.”

The piggy banks began to murmur amongst themselves.

One, not fully grasping the situation, scowled after realizing he’d been duped, and then pointed his knife at me.

“What are you doing, you fools! If it’s not Lethe, there’s no harm in killing!”

One after another, the others raised their great swords, axes, and staves, surrounding me.

I wasn’t scared.

Compared to the enemies I’d faced before, these guys seemed utterly insignificant.

‘You know how to fight against many, don’t you?’

‘For these novices who can’t even handle aura properly, one hand with a sword is more than enough.’

Trusting in Donatan’s bold claims, I dashed towards the man armed with an axe and a staff.

Thwack!

“Where do you think you’re going!”

The man swung his axe down vertically. I easily stepped aside, dodging it. As the ground splintered, I stabbed his neck with my staff, preloaded with an electric spell.

Crackle!

The man stiffened for a moment and dropped his axe. I smoothly brought down my longsword on his instep. As he bent over, I smacked the back of his head with the hilt of my sword.

Thud!

Then, with the staff in my left hand, I struck the wizard’s staff sharply. His wind arrow shot aimlessly towards the ceiling. I plunged my longsword into the back of his hand, making him drop his staff.

“aaagh! My hand!”

While he fussed over his perforated hand, I pressed my sword against his neck from behind.

“Hey you two, drop the sword before I slit his throat.”

“Wait, just a moment. I’ve been caught. Let’s just do what he says for now…”

True to their nature, having discarded their humanity, they had no concern for their comrades.

The one wielding the greatsword took a stance for a large diagonal slash and charged.

I loaded my staff with telekinetic magic and met the heavy attack that was meant to cut down both men at once.

Clang!

[A physical attack has been detected.]

[Your trait has been activated.]

[1-second invincibility cooldown: 59 seconds]

The greatsword that touched my shoulder broke neatly in two.

And, having exerted all his strength, the man’s wrist dangled grotesquely.

“aaargh!”

With the telekinetic magic I had loaded, I lifted fist-sized rocks from the debris created by the axe of the man who had fainted earlier.

It was my specialty magic, but perhaps due to a lack of magical power.

It seemed I had used up all my magic just by launching it.

Swoosh!

The rock hurtled towards the man’s face.

But it began to descend slowly in an arc, and then, the tragedy unfolded.

All of us, except for the fainted man, let out a gasp.

Smack!

“Could it be, did you do that on purpose?”

“No way, that’s impossible.”

The man, even with a broken wrist, clutched at his groin and collapsed.

The one I had taken hostage shook his shoulder even more violently, and the man with the greatsword cringed in horror.

“That was an accident. It was definitely not intentional.”

“Don’t… don’t come any closer!”

He looked at me as if I were a monster devoid of empathy, threw his weapon, and ran off.

As I pondered what to do with the now useless hostage, the mage spoke in a trembling voice.

“Are you… Could the rumors be true?”

“What rumors?”

“Br, braving the breath and still surviving, that rumor…”

“What good does it do to know.”

With a fist clenched around the staff, I thwacked the back of his head. Thump, thump, thump!

That makes four unconscious.

Leisurely rifling through the wallet, a multitude of coins spilled out.

Clink!

This was money imbued with the grievances of the innocent.

Coins oppressed by vile hands regained their freedom and piled up in the comfortable abode of my backpack.

Donatan, unable to comprehend my peaceful actions, asked with a hint of suspicion.

“Those scoundrels targeted your life. And yet, you think to spare them?”

“What do you take me for? Of course, I have to spare them.”

“That’s unexpectedly… kind of you.”

Only so I can fleece them again next time.

I gazed at the spot where the runaway piggy bank had been.

No need to rush; the escape route was obvious.

It was just a bit of an inconvenience planned ahead.

“Keke, Hershel. You’re finished.”

Rendel, who had been the first to faint, seemed to have come to, sneering with blood at the corner of his mouth.

“Wouldn’t it be wise to beg for your life now?”

“Why should I?”

“Do you know how many members of Lethe are here?”

“37.”

Rendel’s eyes widened as if surprised by my knowledge.

“Cough, you’re a dead man now. That guy who just ran away will gather the members to execute you.”

“I’m well aware.”

The one who fled was of captain rank, so it was inevitable that the others would swarm in.

He had the means to do so.

How could these fools, who barely know their way around the dungeon, have already regrouped?

The answer was simple.

“Because you lot have a way to communicate.”

With a smirk, I punched Rendel’s face again as he tried to act tough.

“Kuhuk!”

“Then, shall we go catch the one that got away?”

As I walked down the corridor, I started to see a room without a door on the side.

From inside, I could hear faint whispers.

“…Rendel was telling the truth, you idiots!”

I slowly crept up on the guy.

Oblivious to my presence, he kept talking to a small bead.

That was a magical device usually carried into dungeons to communicate with team members who had fallen behind.

**”Communication Bead with Magic Stone”**

It resonates sound from afar.

In an emergency, it can send out a coordinate signal.

“…I’ll send the signal, so gather immediately!”

-Wait, I see that dimwit Limberton near the safe zone. Wasn’t he the president? No, wasn’t he on the same team as Hershel?

Instead of the guy, I answered the bead.

“That’s right. He’s on my team.”

“Eek!”

Startled, he dropped the bead.

I didn’t care and thrust my sword deep into his thigh.

He started rolling on the ground, screaming into the bead.

“aaack! Then kill those b*stards first! Kill them right now!”

-…Okay, got it.

I kicked him until he stopped thrashing and rifled through his wallet.

“As expected, your pockets are the deepest.”

“Kuh… You’ll regret this… The beasts will tear you to shreds and feast on you…”

“Shut up.”

Whack!

I had to hit him one more time before he finally passed out.

I chuckled, recalling what he had said.

Because I had no doubt that the man beside Limberton would never lose.

“Rip him to shreds?”

The figure wrapped in a full-body robe was a stalwart ally to players, just like Mirsel.

And a hidden supporting character that could only be recruited from Frost Heart.

[Ashley Tortamaktura]

● Blessing

◆Blessing of the Earth Giant◆

δ Is there anyone stronger than me? No. I’ve crushed them all with these hands.

Exerts superhuman strength beyond human capabilities.

● Traits

◇Better than average◇

It’s a relief if it doesn’t get torn apart.

* * *

“Oh, don’t come any closer. One more step and I’ll shoot?”

Limberton alternated aiming his bow at the Lethe horde blocking his path.

As the one clad in full-mate armor clanked closer, Limberton, with trembling hands, aimed for the neck and fired an arrow.

Clang!

But the arrow was futilely deflected by the raised shield.

“You’re still a fool.”

The one in full-mate armor let out a sneer, prompting laughter from the onlookers.

“What, you know this guy?”

“Ah, Limberton is quite famous for being half-baked in everything he does, making him just right for toying with.”

Limberton let the arrow he was fumbling to load droop down.

Just as they said, arrows were indeed useless against knights.

They couldn’t contain aura, and were nothing more than toys bouncing off steel armor.

‘Why did they make me carry this thing…’

As he slumped his shoulders, the giant hand of the man in the robe lifted the drooping bow for him.

“Hey, big guy. Even if you’re good at fighting, we’re outnumbered. Just put down your weapon and surrender, okay? That’s probably a better chance to live, right?”

Ignoring him, the man planted his much larger triangular shield into the ground.

“Besides, you’ve only got one shield!”

Limberton wanted to say more, but he couldn’t.

They were charging in my direction.

“Damn it, I don’t know anymore!”

Rimbutton fired arrows at the ones rushing towards him.

But they either bounced off swords or slid off the smooth armor.

“It’s tickling, you fool!”

As the leader in front swung his sword down vertically, Rimbutton clenched his eyes shut.

‘Argh! Please let me die without pain!’

At that moment, a rough wind blew as if to scorch the skin on his left side.

Rimbutton slowly opened his eyes and his mouth gaped wide open.

Muscular legs burst through the robe.

At the end, a thumb and forefinger had caught the descending blade.

“My, my goodness…”

Had he been barefoot all this time?

No, that wasn’t what was important.

The man flicked the sword held between his toes up to the ceiling, embedding it there.

Clang!

“Don’t be scared. Let’s all rush in!”

The man’s brutish hand grabbed the pillar of the morning star coming down. The foe struggled, but to no avail. The man, with his bare hands, crushed the foe’s helmet like an apple.

“aaagh!”

As consecutive attacks came in, the man twisted the swordsman’s wrist, who was trying to slash diagonally, like a twig. Another one saw an opportunity and approached Rimbutton. The man swiftly grabbed the approaching foe’s ankle and slammed him to the ground.

Boom!

Rimbutton swallowed hard at the raw, primal force.

But the number of those surrounding them was too great, and in the narrow passageway, it was impossible for the large man to dodge every attack.

Rimbutton focused all his nerves and shot an arrow at the shoulder of a knight who was trying to stab the man in the back with a spear.

Thud!

He also hit the thigh of another one trying to cast magic from afar, and with each hit, the man’s attacks grew fiercer.

Like an ogre massacring a horde of goblins, he grabbed limbs and crushed bones, slammed them to the ground, or struck down with clasped hands hard enough to dent the armor.

“Retreat, retreat.”

“What about them?”

“Does that matter? Stop babbling and run for it!”

In an instant, the crowd that had surrounded them turned half-witted, and the rest didn’t look back as they fled.

It was only when the man looked behind that Limberton understood why they had run away.

It was because of the two eyes shining through the robe, revealing a ferocity like that of a wild wolf.

“Wow, those eyes are really fierce.”

Even being on the same team, the intimidation was enough to make one’s legs give out and collapse.

The man extended his hand, perhaps intending to help him up.

Limberton, with an embarrassed smile, offered his praise.

“Ah, thanks. But that big guy, he’s really strong. Was there even a need to carry a weapon from the start?”

At that moment, flames erupted from the man’s back.

“What?”

As the man twisted his body, Limberton realized it was the work of the mage sitting on the ground.

Just as Limberton was about to join hands, a lanky blond ruffian stomped down hard on the back of the mage’s head.

“Tsk tsk, you’ve got to finish things properly.”

“Ah, that startled me. Hassel, what have you been doing while we’ve been slaving away?”

“I would have said I was called away.”

Hassel proudly presented a hefty bag of money.

“But, this guy…”

At Hassel’s words, Limberton looked up.

And before he knew it, he let out a gasp.

‘That outfit…’

The man’s black hair was tied back in a bridge style, and his attire was such that his upper body was fully exposed, draped in a wolf’s pelt.

He was unmistakably a barbarian.

Limberton didn’t care how he had entered the Academy, which was only accessible to nobles.

After all, he was the benefactor who had saved his life.

The problem was Hassel, the noble supremacist.

It wasn’t just Hassel; among the nobility, it was a widespread belief to call those who lived in the wild ‘beasts,’ not just commoners.

That barbarian had been wrapped in a full-length robe and hadn’t uttered a word, probably to avoid discrimination.

As Hassel approached the barbarian, Limberton, with a heart full of anxiety, decided to soothe him.

“Just a moment, Hassel. Even so…”

“What good is it if the only robe I have gets burned?”

“Huh?”

He extended his hand to the barbarian, who seemed even more tense and evident in his nervousness.

The barbarian, with a puzzled face, uttered an unknown language.

“■■■■■■ ■■■?”

“Don’t you know how to shake hands? Now that your status is revealed, you should at least introduce yourself. I am Hersel Ben Tenest.”

As Hersel called out his name again and pointed to himself, the barbarian friend seemed to understand that it was an introduction and responded with his name while accepting the handshake.

“Ashley Tortamactura.”

Limberton asked cautiously.

“Wait, you’re shaking hands with a barbarian? Why?”

To which Hersel replied with a frown, as if looking at trash.

“Limberton. What’s a barbarian to a foreign friend? Embrace diversity.”

“……”

“That guy is Limberton Bell Delsi. As you can see, a nasty aristocratic supremacist.”

“Oh, don’t make me laugh!”

Limberton rushed over and extended his hand to Ashley.

Then Ashley blinked in surprise again and soon smiled gently.

* * *

They also finished plundering the fallen ones’ coin purses.

After stealing enough food to fill their bellies, Limberton pointed at Ashley.

“But that barbari-“

“Ssh!”

“No, the foreign friend. His identity has been revealed, but is it really okay to take the exam like this?”

“Everyone has their circumstances. The academy probably knows everything and let him in anyway.”

“Really? But how did he pass the written exam?”

“Who knows? I’m even surprised that you passed.”

They let it slide, knowing the truth.

◇Better Than Average◇

The hit rate is fixed at 60%.

Ashley’s ‘Better Than Average’ is a characteristic that fixes the probability of hitting something at 60% in any situation.

It’s a maddening trait, whether the target is an attack or a test question.

“Of course, I passed with flying colors, what do you expect? I even scored 63 points!”

“The passing standard is way too low…”

Because of this, Ashley resorts to grappling, a 100 percent guaranteed attack, instead of using weapons or fists.

If it weren’t for that cursed trait, just arming those hands would be enough to beat them all down.

It’s frustrating, so frustrating.

Licking his lips, he walked towards the next stage.

“If we’ve rested enough, let’s move on.”

How long had they walked?

He was in the middle of listening to Limberton’s nonsensical chatter.

“With this many coins collected, the future looks bright, doesn’t it?”

“Hope?”

“Well, a man with money is popular everywhere, isn’t he? You too… Wait, hold on. Hush.”

Suddenly, he stopped talking, his eyes trembling as he stared ahead.

Footsteps in the distance and a woman’s voice murmuring softly.

He squinted at the silhouette dragging something closer.

“I give up, let me out. I give up, let me out…”

I spoke quietly to the woman, who was frantically talking to herself, so as not to startle her.

“Let go. He’s already dead.”

She looked down at what she had been dragging by hand.

The woman turned pale at the sight of the cold corpse of a man, his lower half severed, and covered her face with her bloodied hands.

She looked like she might burst into tears any moment, so I covered her mouth.

“It seems we’ve taken a wrong turn on our intended path.”

So that the sleeping monster beyond wouldn’t hear.

“Everyone, be on alert. The road ahead will drain all the stamina we’ve saved, and I can’t guarantee we’ll survive.”

If this was just the beginning, what lay ahead was the reason why Route 44 was the most difficult.

Because in the middle of Route 44 lay the hunting grounds of the ‘Sentinel,’ an entity that could be called the dungeon’s alter ego.