1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

44. Sentinel (1)

A dungeon is akin to a sophisticated organism.

Its insides are like a stomach, consuming corpses and using lost souls as ingredients to spawn new life.

“The dungeon not only devours corpses but also precious metals and equipment, transforming them into exquisite tools, like treasures that lure humans.”

The treasures were not just gold but varied.

There were peculiar magical artifacts that humanity couldn’t create, and ornamental jewels made solely for their beauty, devoid of function.

“He’s an excellent hunter. Even knowing the danger, he makes it irresistible.”

“Hershel, don’t scare me too much. It’s disheartening…”

Thus, the dungeon was an intelligent life form that knew how to exploit human psychology.

Well, this dungeon, thanks to Rockefeller, was satiated and no longer produced treasures.

Nevertheless, the dungeon wasn’t content with just the scholarship entrants; it began to use the guardians, who should have only protected the treasures, more aggressively to capture the nutritious third-stage examiners.

“Limberton, I don’t give needless fear. It means the guardian ahead is that dangerous.”

“Then, can’t we take another path?”

“If only it were that simple.”

I stopped mid-sentence and waited blankly.

-Is it the second day? Those who step into the middle zone from the entrance are starting to appear.

Those are Rockefeller’s unfortunate words.

-This is the last announcement. All squads should not plan to escape through the same exit. There are also 70 exits. You can only escape through the exit number written on your number tag.

If you have tag number 7, you must escape through exit 7.

In my case, since the path changed to 44, I’m not sure if the exit number has changed as well.

-In the middle zone, keys necessary for escape are hidden, so be sure to find them.

Unfortunately, the location where the key for 44 is hidden is the corridor with the ‘guardian’.

Seeing how Rockefeller went out of his way to screw me over, it’s highly likely that only the key from the corridor has been rigged to open the exit I’ve been assigned.

He would probably enjoy seeing me struggle against the guardian.

-And, even if a team member dies, do not give up. The test ends once you have the key and open the door that matches your squad’s number, regardless of the leader’s life or death. That is all.

“Did you hear that?”

Limberton nodded.

Then, with a slump in his shoulders and a voice of defeat, he said,

His gaze fixed on the first corpse he saw here.

“…But, is it really okay to do this for just a test?”

Limberton was clearly afraid.

He gripped his arms trying not to show it, but even the hands he clenched were trembling.

He must be thinking all sorts of thoughts.

Especially since almost all the examinees are nobles’ children, isn’t it frightening to treat them so harshly?

What grand purpose requires such actions to this extent.

But there was a valid reason for it.

The Empire had granted permission for tangled reasons, and those who knew of this fact had reasons enough to maintain silence.

“If I had known it would be like this, I should have listened to my mother and taken over the family business…”

That’s something you’ll find out eventually, so I didn’t bother saying it now.

All I could answer was just this much.

“There are those who apply knowing full well.”

“What?”

“Do you think the history of Frost Heart is so short that such a test could be completely and perfectly concealed?”

No matter how much the Empire and the Academy focused on security, it was nearly impossible to silence every mouth.

And yet, people come searching year after year…

“The moment you graduate from here, privileges incomparable to any of the other four academies are guaranteed. Some families reveal this to their children for certain benefits and train them professionally. Many, like you, applied without knowing, but there are also those who gathered to test their own limits.”

I placed my hand on Limberton’s shoulder and asked.

“Now you know too, Limberton. Which side are you on? Will you still say you wouldn’t have come if you knew, and sulk, doing nothing?”

Limberton wore a contemplative expression as if deep in thought.

I then shifted my gaze to the somewhat calmed woman.

“Which unit are you from?”

“…31st.”

“Then go straight from here to the right, and turn at the left corner. The key is there. From there, just walk as it comes and you’ll see the exit.”

The woman’s eyes widened.

“I won’t do it. I’m not going…”

With a heavy heart, I spoke while looking at the corpse of a man whose lower half had been severed.

“Really? Well, do as you please. But just know this. If you stay here, you’ll regret it. In many ways.”

The woman seemed about to say something but then closed her mouth.

It’s up to her to accept the advice I’ve given.

I commanded Limberton and Ashley.

“We’ve dragged this on too long. Let’s go.”

At that, the woman shouted with a voice filled with anger.

“You’ve been acting like you know everything, but do you even know what’s in front of you? You’ll probably die within minutes. Don’t you regret it—”

“The thing in front of us, it’s a lizard made of bones, right?”

With a sly smile, she cut off his words, and a look of bewilderment spread across the woman’s face.

“Does my story seem a bit more credible now?”

With those words, I stepped into the domain where the sentinels were stationed.

* * *

Upon reaching the middle ground, the corridor-like path was no more, and an open arcade came into view.

To get there, one had to cross a stone bridge laid over a dizzying abyss, and Limberton, sensing danger, swallowed hard and asked,

“What if we’re attacked here? We’d die without being able to do anything, right?”

There is a way, of course.

The method to cross the bridge safely, without being ambushed by the sentinels, was simple.

It was to hide in the dark shroud of the blackout.

“Limberton, I’m going to turn off the lights now. Let me know once your eyes have adjusted to the dark.”

I extinguished the torch and tied the team members in a line with a rope pulled from my backpack, like a train.

Limberton, of course, was at the lead.

“Ah, why do I have to be in front…”

“You have good night vision, don’t you?”

Limberton, whose eyes had gradually adapted, began to move forward with courage.

The trembling fear was so intense that it seemed to travel along the rope.

As we crossed the bridge, he whispered in a voice as faint as ants crawling,

“There’s something ahead… Ugh, it’s feasting on a corpse. Ugh!”

“Then quietly move to the right. See the entrances there, lined up like ant holes? It’s the fifth one.”

We walked, silencing even the sound of our footsteps.

Occasionally, we heard the sound of something being chewed, but we paid it no mind and stepped into the fifth burrow.

“Limberton, do you see a small box anywhere?”

“Yeah, there’s one on the altar. But how do we—never mind, you’ll probably say it’s intuition or something.”

“You know it well.”

Limberton handed over the box.

Upon opening the lid, we acquired the 44th key, encased in the 7th shell.

“We’ve found it. Limberton, you keep it safe.”

“Am I just a porter now?”

At that moment, as Limberton carefully held the key, blue flames flickered from the torches mounted on the walls.

Whoosh!

There was no doubt that his meal had ended.

I hurriedly untied the ropes, reached for my weapon, and shouted.

“Prepare for battle immediately!”

Then I called out Ashleigh’s name and pointed ahead.

“Ashleigh.”

“■ ■■.”

I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but seeing him take up his shield and advance, it seemed he understood my intent.

Following him, I exited the cave where the key had been hidden, along with Limberton.

As soon as we emerged, a long tail made of bone struck Ashleigh’s shield.

Clang!

Sparks flew as if metal were being torn apart.

The impact was enough to push back Ashleigh, sturdy as a rock.

Limberton gasped in horror as the skeleton, shaped like a lizard with blue eyes, ignited.

“Eek!”

Despite lying flat, it was a massive skeleton, three meters tall.

A black heart throbbed within its ribcage.

It resembled a dragon made of bones, though smaller than the real thing.

It was merely a replica of the Bone Dragon, one of the top-tier monsters created by the dungeon.

“A, a dragon?”

“No need to be that scared. It doesn’t even have wings, does it? It’s just a shoddy fake.”

But its power was on par with a taste of the real Bone Dragon.

At this point, it was a monster that playable characters in the Academy couldn’t defeat.

Ah, there was one guy who could, but our team numbers had been switched…

“Hershel, wha, what do we do now?”

Clang!

As Limberton asked, I watched Ashleigh’s shield tear away like paper and answered.

“What else? We run.”

I patted Ashleigh’s back with my palm and pointed towards the exit.

He seemed to understand, nodding his head.

Just as the sentinel held a blue flame to his lips, he shouted loudly,

“Now’s the time! Run for it!”

Ashley and Limberton hurriedly dashed away.

Yet, I stood still, solemnly fiddling with the gloves the hostess had gifted me.

[Gloves Blessed with Mana]

● Attribute Series: Blessing.

A masterpiece glove crafted by the artisan Horutu and enchanted by the alchemist Hailey.

Increases mana capacity by 10 percent.

Increases the accuracy of spells by 10 percent.

Significantly enhances the durability of the object held.

Spells can be inscribed onto the gloves.

“Hey, Hershel! What are you doing not coming?”

“I’ll buy us some time, so run with all your might.”

Though I spoke with confidence, my heart was tight with fear.

His attack wasn’t like the laser breath of a monstrous bird, but more akin to a flame thrower’s area damage.

With just ‘1 second of invincibility,’ I’d burn to death in the blue flames.

But now, that’s all in the past.

I aimed at the sentinel, illuminating the spell inscribed on my gloves.

Then, I recalled the conversation I had with Carmelo.

“If telekinesis and healing magic are established, why leave out weight reduction magic? Isn’t that developed too?”

“It’s a magic invented by mere chance. We need to study further what the principle is and what effects it has.”

“Hmm, seems like it simply makes things lighter, what more is there to research?”

Then, Carmelo proved it by inscribing a flame magic spell onto a levitated staff with telekinesis.

“Let me show you one of the phenomena. If you make the flame elements gathered around the fire lighter like this.”

As he cast the weight reduction magic towards the levitated staff, flames enough to fill the room burst forth instantly.

“It ignites immediately, burning up. The duration of the flame shortens, but it burns stronger than its original power.”

Whether the weight reduction magic amplifies volatility is not precisely known.

However, I thought it a good strategy to overcome one of the weaknesses of ‘1 second of invincibility,’ the area damage of flames, so I inscribed it onto the gloves.

I cast the weight reduction magic towards the flame elements gathered at the sentinel’s lips.

Fwoosh!

Blue flames fiercely blazed up, engulfing his head.

Without a second glance, I sprinted towards Limberton and Ashley, who were crossing the stone bridge.

They were about two-thirds of the way across when it happened.

A streak of blue meteor shower reflected in my retina made my heart sink.

Shooosh──

With fire on his lips, he descended from the sky, crashing his entire body towards the stone bridge.

Boom!

With a dull roar, the bridge snapped.

The sentinel fell into the abyss, not dead, but merely vanished from sight.

Ashley and Limberton on the other side stopped and turned to look at me.

“Hershel······.”

Nothing surprises me anymore.

The situation was always irregular, and somehow, I overcame it.

So, this time will be no different.

“It’s okay. I’m the one who survived the monster. So go ahead.”

“······.”

“And, guard the coin with your life.”

I shifted my gaze from Limberton and peered into the abyss that was like the deep sea.

Sure enough, those shining blue eyes.

Whether he climbs the wall or not, I had faith, and I smirked.

“Huh.”

Was there really a need to cross that broken bridge?

There were many paths to the exit.

I had the key; now, all I had to do was to turn back across the bridge I came from, circle around this place, and that was it.

“Goodbye? Take care, I’m off.”

But fate had other plans, and it came knocking twice.

I thought he was climbing up, but instead, he leapt into the sky and hurled himself towards the opposite bridge.

Dazed, I stopped in my tracks, helplessly watching my last hope crumble.

Boom!

As the last bridge snapped, a sigh involuntarily escaped my lips.

“Ah.”

Life, damn it.

* * *

Limberton clenched his teeth and ran.

‘That foolish guy. I don’t believe in such rumors.’

Some believed he had survived the mythical creature’s breath, but Limberton wasn’t one of them.

Wasn’t he the weakling who relied on power, harassing women and throwing vile jokes around?

“Huff! Huff!”

Limberton stopped in front of the 70 branching holes, resembling an anthill.

Judging by the numbers people were shouting, they were definitely exits.

“This is exit 27. Does anyone know where the entrance to room 3 is?”

“Room 3 is over here.”

“Don’t lie. I’ve already checked that way.”

“What? Exit 27? Don’t try to scam me.”

There were many eyes watching, so stealing coins was not an option, but the competition continued until the end.

The faster the escape, the higher the score?

Teams were engaging in subtle mind games to delay each other’s escape time.

‘…This is crazy. No one in their right mind would help him in this atmosphere.’

Especially not that Hassel.

Limberton was deep in thought when his eyes suddenly sparkled.

He grabbed a bag full of coins and signaled to Ashley with his eyes.

He nodded.

“Whoop!”

Limberton inflated his lungs with air and shouted loudly enough to echo through the caves.

It was a pity to lose the coins, but that was the least of his worries.

It wasn’t that he liked Hassel.

He just hated owing anything to that scoundrel.

“It’s a job offer! The reward will be generous, so gather around if you’re interested!”

At Limberton’s call, people began to gather.

Among them was a man holding the number 44 badge.