1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

64. Wraith (3)

Even with the sword poised at her throat, a fist came flying.

Thud!

A sharp pain stung his cheek.

Luon quickly distanced himself from the woman.

As he brushed his hand against his face, blood smeared across his palm.

‘A speed that’s hard to track with the eyes.’

It was pure evasion based on instinct.

Had he not anticipated, his facial bones would have shattered.

“Almost got me there. Do you think you can just handle me however you like because it’s not your body?”

“If you don’t follow, I won’t kill you.”

“Oh? It’s nice to have options.”

Luon recalled the conversation he had with Pheldira of the Special Bureau.

[I hide myself tightly on the scales, drawing out the host’s potential to its maximum, making them strong.]

– Is that even possible?

[······I did well, didn’t I? I wanted to be recognized by my master, so I made it myself.]

– Another lie, then.

Though the claim of having developed it himself was false, the assertion of making someone strong seemed genuine.

The attack just moments ago had been delivered with a speed only those among the knights of considerable strength could muster.

‘If not, it would be unreasonable to think that that Burgar fellow could be this fast.’

Luon chuckled softly and tossed the sword behind him.

—

The woman relaxed her fighting stance and spoke.

“A good choice.”

On this side, we had no option but to return as if nothing had happened after merely scouting the area.

No matter how strong a student became, it was only a matter of time before they were subdued by the professors, and soon enough, everything would return to normal.

If the woman were to be found dead, stabbed, or with broken limbs, the professors would undoubtedly launch an investigation to uncover who was responsible.

‘Then…’

There was no choice but to subdue her without leaving a trace.

Thud!

Luo charged at the woman.

The first-year male student from Adel Hall had long since passed the corner of the corridor.

In a one-on-one situation, there was a chance of victory if he could just get close.

The woman twitched her right foot as if preparing to kick.

Ping!

A sharp high kick sliced through the air, grazing the hair of Luo, who had bowed his head.

This time, as a punch flew straight at him, Luo twisted his body to evade.

‘As expected, her attacks are predictably monotonous.’

Just by observing her stance, it was clear where she intended to strike.

The fighting style she employed was nothing more than a manual’s teachings.

Though her physical prowess might rival that of a professor, her skill in handling that body remained as it had always been.

‘I thought perhaps she was a sorceress named Pheldira… but her fighting technique is merely based on this woman’s memories.’

As he closed in, Luo threw a paper containing the ‘Accident Paralysis Powder.’

Bang!

The woman narrowed her eyes and responded instantly.

The paper burst under a thrust, and the powder scattered in the air.

But Luo had already approached her from behind, executing a joint lock.

“Ugh.”

The woman struggled with all her might, but due to the range of motion in her joints, she couldn’t shake Luo off.

Luo engaged in a back-and-forth struggle, his arms coiling around her neck like a serpent.

The woman slammed Luo against the wall.

Crash!

Blood trickled from Luon’s lips as he was repeatedly slammed against the wall.

Yet, Luon wore a serpent-like gaze, a smile creeping across his face.

“Heh heh heh.”

“Ugh…!”

As the woman twisted her body in a desperate struggle, Luon stubbornly repositioned himself, tightening his grip, the binds growing ever more constricting, his hold becoming flawless.

This was the close combat technique he had learned from Akandric.

– The knight’s weakness is usually the neck, Luon. When enveloped in aura, it is the easiest part of the body to cut.

– …No need for a demonstration.

– One must have the memory of being struck to learn caution.

– Damn you, old man.

Moments passed, and the woman let her head droop in defeat.

“Ha, if left alone, she’ll wake up on her own.”

Leaning the woman against the wall, Luon realized a new truth about the thoughts that lingered.

‘There was no impression of a conversation being interrupted…’

Pheldira from the Special Hall would reset her memory if a conversation was interrupted even once.

If the same were true for thoughts, when he pondered whether to lower his sword, he would have repeated the words he first spoke.

The flow of conversation had indeed been severed for a moment.

‘If she possesses memory, then an unconventional attack will only work once.’

Luon settled into a seated position, gathering his strength.

His next opponent was a first-year sorcerer from the Adel Academy.

As Pheldira, a former apprentice of the Grand Sorcerer, was a vessel capable of showcasing her skills, much preparation was required.

* * *

The entrance to Frost Heart Citadel had two paths, north and south, but a student would never use the northern entrance.

All the floors lined with clubs, classrooms, and other facilities could only be accessed through the southern entrance.

Entering through the northern entrance would lead to a corridor bricked in on all sides, with only a few doors to be found.

Professors might use it for setting exam questions or storing tools necessary for classes, vaguely justifying the prohibition on students, but I knew the real reason.

It was the hidden location of the Forbidden Library.

And currently, it was also the place where Rockefeller was being dragged.

“Stop being so stubborn; I said we should call the Headmaster!”

This was a remark made to Rockefeller while floating in the air.

“It is loud…”

His stubbornness has reached a point where my mouth aches from it.

Indeed, the moment Akandrik becomes aware of the professors’ incompetence, it is this man who must bear the burden.

After all, it has nothing to do with me, a mere student.

…But now, my thoughts have shifted.

The purpose of thought is to reconstruct the original flesh and become human.

The materials for this lay dormant in the forbidden library.

Under normal circumstances, I would have been discovered by the professors before even attempting it, destined to be sealed away once more. But now, with the variable of Leana introduced, the chances of success seemed promising.

Thus, it was necessary to gauge the situation on the ground, adjusting to this variable.

“Professor.”

“What is it?”

“Is it wise for Leana to face the professors alone right now?”

“According to the report, that is indeed the case.”

That means…

“Then, the two of them must have already entered.”

Rockefeller’s face flushed with confusion.

At that moment, a professor lying on the floor came into view.

His limbs were twisted grotesquely.

Crack.

Rockefeller halted, examining the state of the man.

From the sound of his breathing, it seemed he was not dead.

“A professor, brought low by a student—how pathetic.”

Though Rockefeller spoke with a sharp edge, he swung his cane, tracing a familiar spell in the air.

It was a healing magic, one that could only be wielded by those with a unique affinity.

“…Professor, were you one to awaken your sense of taste first?”

As I asked, Rockefeller grimaced.

“What good does that knowledge do you?”

“Hmm.”

Thinking back, many of the spells Rockefeller employed diverged from the ordinary.

I hadn’t realized it when I merely clicked skills with a mouse, but now, having formally learned magic, I found myself aware of truths I would rather not know.

…… To be called a peculiar lineage among the few, the very few, like me, is rather unsettling.

At last, I had reached near the northern entrance.

The woman in red swung her sword, and yet, a tempest arose.

The professors in black robes were swept away like autumn leaves in a blizzard.

In that moment, Leana approached a knightly professor and thrust her sword down vertically.

Clang!

The professor’s sword, which had tried to block, bent under the force.

He quickly retreated, arms hanging limply.

“I think my wrist is, is broken…”

“Go over there and rest!”

The professor, catching his breath, stepped forward to block Leana, who was about to charge.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, Leana slipped past him, aiming to sever the breath of the professor with the broken wrist.

Just before her sword plunged into his heart, her movement faltered for an instant.

Thud!

Her sword struck the ground.

The professor with the broken wrist was already floating in the air.

I glanced at Rockefeller, who was swinging his staff beside me.

His magic consisted solely of curse spells and telekinesis.

Even so, his telekinesis pulled not only the professor with the broken wrist but also those who were injured and gasping for breath behind him.

… Was telekinesis capable of bearing the weight of a dozen men?

“R-Rockefeller, sir…”

“I am ashamed.”

Rockefeller clicked his tongue at the professors who spoke thus.

“Tch, pathetic fools.”

Though he said that, his expression remained serious.

Surely, even with high-level curse magic cast, it hadn’t taken even a second to restrain Leana’s movements.

He must have realized the gravity of the situation.

At that moment, my feet were firmly planted to the ground.

“Hershel Ben Tenest. Bind the two intruders in the forbidden library.”

Rockefeller said this, lifting the professor’s sword with telekinesis and handing it to me.

I was taken aback and asked again.

“Capture?”

“Yes, capture. Do not kill, but take alive.”

“…Are you talking about me?”

Rockefeller traced a sigil in the air.

Then, a crow appeared, and the staff hanging at my waist glimmered with a white light.

“What is this?”

“The crow will guide you. And I’ve placed a purification spell on your staff. If it touches their heads, the brainwashing will be undone.”

To bestow a spell upon another’s staff…

It was a type of magic I had never heard of from Camelot.

As I stared at it, slightly bewildered, Rockefeller frowned.

“I’ll say it again: you must capture them alive.”

“Why the emphasis?”

“You should know better than anyone.”

“…?”

When I inquired with my expression, Rockefeller gritted his teeth and said,

“Don’t turn them into fools like Bidon.”

“………”

Rockefeller averted his gaze from me and approached Leana.

His back looked reassuring, almost impressive.

That was until he whispered softly.

“Hursel Ben Tenest, you must come quickly…”

I prepared to run and replied with a hint of sarcasm.

“That’s why I said we should call the principal.”

Leana closed the distance in an instant.

As the crow took flight, I dashed at full speed toward the northern entrance.

My task was to purify those two.

If the conditions held up to this point, it seemed possible.

After all, I had the ‘one-second invincibility.’

* * *

Thanks to Rockefeller drawing the proper attention, I was able to set foot inside the stronghold.

As the secret staircase leading to the forbidden library came into view, Donathan assessed the battle he had witnessed earlier with Leana.

‘That woman, Leana. She stands in stark contrast to us.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I possess the techniques of a swordsman, yet your body is akin to that of a mere insect. In contrast, that woman’s physical prowess is unparalleled, but her swordsmanship is pitifully lacking.’

Especially after being bested by a mere child like Mircel…

Fine, I’ll be the bigger person here.

‘Well, isn’t that to be expected? She likely received no support from her family and learned only from textbooks.’

The strength of a swordsman is measured by the techniques they have mastered.

It’s far better to learn something unique, like Vision Swordsmanship, than to rely on easily obtainable manuals.

In Leana’s case, she simply had yet to find a mentor to guide her.

She would come to Frost Heart soon enough, but that was a tale for another time.

I descended into the depths and walked through the corridor of the forbidden library.

Ahead lay a labyrinthine structure that twisted and turned.

But thanks to the crow, I wouldn’t need to rummage through my memories.

As I rounded a corner with a calm heart, something suddenly brushed against my feet.

“Hmm?”

It was a woman, slumped against the wall.

One of the missing, a second-year student from the Burgeran Academy.

A sudden ache began to throb in my head.

…Who could have knocked her out?

Was there a professor present?

No, if that were the case, Rockefeller would have been informed without fail.

I sensed the presence of an intruder and brought my staff, imbued with purification magic, close to the unconscious woman’s head.

‘Hershel, someone is lying in wait nearby.’

At Donathan’s warning, I gripped the hilt of my sword.

As I approached the next corner with cautious steps, my heart nearly dropped at the sound of a soft voice.

“It was you, Hershel.”

A man, bearing an air of mystery despite his disheveled appearance, revealed himself with the grace of a noble.

With eyes that held an aesthetic allure, he gazed at my face, approaching with an unsettling ease.

As if vowing to inflict no harm whatsoever.

“Reana…”

Why is this one, who should be investigating elsewhere, here?

* * *

“Ugh!”

Even as he strained, muscles taut with effort, trying to lift her with telekinesis, Reana remained unmoved.

The distance between them was steadily closing with her advance.

Rockefeller gathered the gazes of those around him, darkening the sky above.

A deluge of eyes cast shadows over the area, enveloping Reana.

Swoosh!

He compressed the eyes into solid ice, binding her in place.

Yet, mere brute force caused cracks to form, splintering and shattering the ice.

Reana surged forward, shards flying in her wake.

‘Damn it, I need to change the terrain.’

Rockefeller melted the ice entirely, then refroze it into a smooth, slick surface.

Casting telekinesis upon himself, he sidestepped her charge.

Reana glided forward, a streak of motion.

But with her monstrous strength, she merely stomped the ground, shattering the ice beneath her.

Crash!

As ice fragments scattered, Reana’s lifeless gaze loomed closer.

Rockefeller smiled at the sight of her swinging blade.

‘In speed and strength, she rivals the headmaster. However, her movements are simplistic, lacking any true technique.’

With layers of shields surrounding him, Rockefeller cast a lightweight spell upon his own body.

Ping!

As Reana’s strike came crashing horizontally, he was sent sprawling far away.

The heavy impact left him with barely three shields remaining.

Yet, the smile etched upon his lips did not fade.

For in his hand, the staff now hovered, gleaming with white light, poised to touch Reana’s head.

“It’s over.”

Rockefeller manipulated the telekinesis with his hand, ensuring the staff would not fall.

A few seconds later, life flickered to life in Leana’s murky eyes.

“…Huh.”

Her expression, startled.

But it was only for a moment.

The magic rising around her seemed to have no intention of letting go, staining the white light with darkness, and once again clouding Leana’s gaze.

It was a moment when horror escaped her lips involuntarily.

“What, in such a case…”

Rockefeller, with a vacant expression, let out a roar close to a scream within himself.

‘Am I still far from it? Hursel Ben Tenest!!’