1-Second Invincible Player in the Game - Chapter 51

1-Second Invincible Player In The Game 51

51. The Magic Department Students (2)

As always, he scanned the surroundings out of habit.

Inside the cave, there were no means to use the dungeon-like traps in reverse.

Yet, even in front of the sentry, the creature was nothing to boast about, so there was a chance of victory.

I raised the only weapon I had, a staff.

The giant fox’s forepaw came flying in.

Dodging with minimal movement, I followed Donatan’s lead and ducked.

Seeing an opening, I extended my arm and stabbed the creature’s neck with the end of my staff.

Boom!

…As expected, a beast was still a beast.

To pierce that thick hide, a sword might have worked, but it was too much to ask of a staff.

Still, it seemed to have caused pain, as it made the creature squint its eyes.

Gnash.

The fox lunged its teeth as if to bite.

I stepped back and, like fencing, stabbed the staff into its forehead.

This time, the stab was filled with a bean-sized orb of electricity.

Boom! Crackling.

If I keep dealing cumulative damage like this, it might eventually die…?

Growl.

…The deeper grimace on its face seemed to indicate I had only angered it more.

The fox clawed wildly, as if it couldn’t see anything.

I used all my strength to dodge by a hair’s breadth, stepping out of the way to avoid getting hit.

“Hmm, Hersel.”

“I’m busy dying here, why?”

“Don’t you feel a prick of conscience calling yourself a wizard?”

“I did use magic, didn’t I? Focus more!”

Was it because it had just woken up from hibernation and lacked energy?

After dodging sweatily several times, the creature’s movements began to slow down.

Cough. Cough…

At the very moment he gasped for breath, a sudden exclamation from behind made him flinch.

“Wow…”

Turning his head, Clave had her mouth wide open as if she had seen some trick.

…She really has a faint presence.

So much so, that she’s easily forgotten even after a bit of focus in battle.

“Uh, uhuhuh? Over there…”

“Why.”

“No, I mean. Over there.”

Clave pointed somewhere with her finger.

The giant fox, having caught its breath to some extent, was scaling the wall on all fours.

Its target was not me, but Clave.

Tatatat!

The giant fox lunged at Clave, swinging its arm widely.

True to her timid and faint-hearted nature, Clave just clenched her eyes shut, whether the beast approached or not.

Having dashed out earlier, I blocked the creature’s claws with my back.

Clang!

[A physical attack has been detected.]

[A trait has been activated.]

[1-second invincibility cooldown: 59 seconds]

The sharp claws fell to the ground with a sound of tearing flesh.

Krrrgh!

The giant fox let out a scream and then cautiously distanced itself from me.

It seems the pain from losing its claws was not insignificant.

Empowered, I took a step forward, igniting the ‘Noble Blood’s Last Ember.’

“This is no longer amusing. I’ll spare you, so get lost.”

I had intended to use the ‘1-second invincibility’ only as a last resort.

Since it was a demon, not a human, I wasn’t sure if my bluff would work.

But as expected, the demon I encountered this time, true to its instinctual nature, showed no signs of backing down.

“If that’s the case…”

Finishing Move.

It was time to execute the fall off the cliff with Clave after the cooldown.

At that moment, Clave squeezed out a voice.

“Move, step aside.”

“Hmm?”

Glancing back, I saw Clave drawing a spell with his staff.

It was one of the more complex magics demonstrated by Carmelo.

A mixed magic that simultaneously employed elemental and morphing series.

Whoosh!

A dove wrapped in flames darted and pecked at the fox.

Not just one, but five.

In astonishment, I looked at Clave, his eyes wide open.

If his previous impression was monochrome, now it was as vivid as a fresh fruit photograph.

“Have you been casting magic on yourself all this time?”

Among the morphing magics, there was one that used surrounding mana to faintly diminish presence.

According to Carmelo, it wasn’t hypnotic, but rather a camouflage.

It seems the camouflage magic had worn off while casting the fire dove magic.

“Uh, yes…”

I had wondered why his presence felt unnaturally absent…

“…Why?”

Clave turned his head swiftly and muttered softly.

“Because I didn’t want to be marked by you…”

What does he take me for?

Creak!

The giant fox, repeatedly attacked by the flame dove, finally collapsed to the ground.

I blinked at the neatly roasted fox.

…He was quite a formidable magician too.

After all, even acquaintances of playable characters tend to be stronger than ordinary people.

It was just that Clave, a friend of a playable character, had no chance to show his true worth as the story quickly ascended him to the Adel rank.

“…More importantly, Hershel. Are you okay from the fox’s scratch?”

Clave, with a worried expression, rushed over with a handkerchief in hand.

“Let me see your back for a sec…”

As I showed him the tattered coat, Clave opened his eyes wide in shock and wiped away non-existent blood.

Then, seeing the still clean handkerchief, he wore a dumbfounded look.

“My goodness… How can there be not a single scratch?”

“Now’s not the time to be amazed. We need to find a way out first.”

Clave, looking up at the steep cliff, spoke with a hint of trouble.

“But what do we do? There’s no rope…”

The rope had, of course, vanished.

“Can’t you do something with shape-shifting magic?”

“I’m not particularly skilled in that area.”

Was his innate talent in the elemental series?

Then, we’d have to consider other options.

“There’s no need to worry, really.”

“What? You know how to use shape-shifting magic?”

“…I know a better way.”

I picked up the claw that the fox had dropped.

With a thickness that fit nicely in the hand, and a tip as sharp as a needle, it might be possible to climb the wall by driving it in.

“You’re not thinking of climbing the wall with that, are you?”

“That’s the plan.”

“…”

“Will you hang on my back? Or would you rather stay here until I bring a rope?”

At that moment, as Clave fidgeted with his fingers in hesitation, the surroundings lit up brightly.

The light gradually morphed into a long shape, and what was completed was a ladder made of wood.

“…Come up, Clave.”

Looking up, there was a man with a ponytail holding a staff.

“Rix?”

Playable character, Rix Don Orian.

He had created the ladder with shape-shifting magic.

Clave gestured for me to go up first.

“Isn’t it ladies first at times like this?”

“···You don’t understand a woman’s heart.”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s nothing.”

As I climbed up the ladder, I saw the fallen Rendel gang.

It seems Rix was watching Clave from a distance by the looks of it.

His cold gaze swept over me, then fixed on the Merrily roots filling my herb bag.

“······.”

His eyes grew meaningful.

Clave had just climbed up, and though he turned back with a sharp expression.

“Clave, you shouldn’t have followed me here.”

Rix spoke sharply and began to move away.

Clave’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

I pulled out the worst-conditioned root from my herb bag and threw it.

“Catch.”

Rix caught the root deftly and stared at me intently.

“···Why are you giving this to me?”

“Think of it as payment for the ladder.”

“······.”

Unable to resist the temptation, he silently put the root in his herb bag.

As Rix left, Clave and I walked towards where the professor was.

There was no conversation.

Probably because of a timid nature that got hurt.

“Does what that guy said bother you?”

“A, a little······.”

From noble mtl dot come

It was understandable.

Clave, an acquaintance, had followed Rix here, but what was the reason······?

“Ahem, following him. Did you enroll here because of that guy?”

“Well, he’s a friend, and I wanted to attend the same academy.”

“It’s not like this was the only place you got into, right?”

“Ah, that’s not it. I was accepted to another place too.”

“Oh, the tuition is expensive at the other place. Considering you still kept it in mind, your family must be quite well-off.”

I began to understand.

He has no friends.

“It’s still too much. After coming here, he changed completely.”

Except for the popular Rix from the days when he took care of everyone.

“Isn’t that just your personality?”

“What, what?”

“There’s something about you that’s just infuriating.”

Rix, who wasn’t born into a particularly wealthy family, tried to enroll here for a bargain, and Clave, born into a good family, must have followed on his own accord.

Rix would have naturally opposed it, but Clave would have been stubborn about it.

And if I know Rix, the moment he learned about the environment here, he must have felt a sense of responsibility and thought he shouldn’t indulge in any more childishness.

If Clave remains timid without any progress, he won’t be able to adapt here.

“But you don’t need to take his words to heart. He might seem cold on the outside, but he’s probably here because he’s worried about you.”

He may put up a prickly front, but inside, he’s quite deep and sensitive.

That’s the secret to his popularity.

It’s also why his friends followed him and enrolled here.

“And you know what? Aren’t there others who followed him here besides you?”

“Yeah…”

I stopped walking and gave Clave, who was sulking, some comforting words.

“Out of all his friends, he cares enough about you to come and help. You should be grateful.”

Clave’s eyes widened in emotion.

“…You, ‘cares about you’? Hershel, do you realize how harsh you’re being?”

“Hmm, talking back to me so directly, you’ve grown up a lot.”

“We haven’t even seen each other for 40 minutes…”

“In those 40 minutes, you’ve grown. Be proud of that.”

As we chatted about this and that, we arrived in front of the professor.

“Hershel, Miss Clave. You’re the first ones to arrive?”

Clave blinked in surprise.

“What? Rix hasn’t come yet? I thought he would have arrived first…”

“Ah, if you’re looking for Rix, he’s not here yet.”

According to the professor, Rix asked his partner to wait a moment before he left to search for the root again.

True to his loyal and steadfast nature, he’s likely taking care of his partner’s share as well.

“But, Hershel, you have quite a lot of roots in your bag. Could you possibly give them all to this professor?”

The female professor asked with a smirk playing on her lips.

I quickly hid the bag of medicinal roots behind me.

“You clearly stated that collecting just one root would suffice.”

“Oh, no. Then, perhaps just the best quality root from there…”

“Do you think I would give it to you?”

I flatly refused, prompting the professor to make a tempting offer.

“Come on, don’t be like that. Give me just one more. I’ll make sure you get an A+ in the next class too.”

“I suppose I have no choice. If you insist, Professor.”

I glared at Clave.

“You know what I mean, right?”

“Miss Clave, this is a secret from the other students.”

“I won’t tell, I promise.”

With that, I was left with ten roots.

I whispered to the professor that I would set aside one root for a commission and sell the remaining nine at wholesale prices.

“800 coins. It’s a good deal, isn’t it?”

“That is tempting, but don’t you plan to sell the last root as well?”

“Ah, that one has a different owner…”

As I showed the professor the commission paper from my pocket, his eyes widened in shock.

“Gasp, was it Professor Rockefeller’s? Forget I heard anything.”

It seems he wasn’t confident enough to handle something belonging to the top-ranked professor.

* * *

The violin strings sang a sweet song under the friction of the bow.

Rockefeller didn’t stop there; he played the keys of a small organ with psychokinesis while blowing into a bassoon.

‘Ah, this is indeed the way to regain composure.’

Feeling the stress from the principal’s scolding disappear, Rockefeller played the most crucial part of the piece with all his might.

And there was another reason to be joyful besides this.

The slave from Shulrape had taken on the task of gathering Merrily roots, known for their restorative properties. Soon, they might be ready to be consumed.

♬-

At that moment, when majestic music filled the professor’s office, the abrupt opening of the door shattered the flow.

Bang!

“How rude. Knocking is basic, isn’t it… Huh?”

“If you’re not responding to knocking, I figured I might as well come in. Is that alright?”

Rockefeller scowled.

He didn’t like his sweet time being interrupted, but guessing the reason for the visit, he found it tolerable.

“Ah, yes. Hershel Ben Tenest. What brings you here?”

“I wanted to talk about the matter with the Knights Division.”

A sardonic smile spread across Rockefeller’s lips.

“Have you come to join the Knights Division now?”

“……”

“Even so, I didn’t expect you to show such an unsightly state in just one day. I thought you’d last at least three days or something.”

“Is that so?”

“But what to do? There might not be any vacancies left, given the number of successful candidates. The carriage has already departed.”

Rockefeller continued speaking, feigning disinterest as he inspected his nails.

“Still, with my influence, creating a spot is quite an easy task. Initially, I considered the Adel Division for you, but that might be difficult. Yes, let’s go with the Burger Division.”

Hershel’s eyes widened with apparent joy.

“Is that true? The Burger Division?”

Rockefeller curled his lips into a smirk, fixing his gaze downward.

What he was looking at was the shoe he had extended in front of him.

“In exchange, you’ll have to show some sincerity, won’t you? Start by bowing that arrogant head of yours and licking the shoe.”

The slaves of the Shulrape Division would bow their heads, even if it was more humiliating than any punishment, for such an opportunity.

Hershel, still retaining some pride, did not budge.

“……”

“Why? Can’t do it? If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. Just remember, this is your last chance.”

By now, one would expect a surrender.

As expected, Hershel slightly bowed his head, and Rockefeller’s smile turned triumphant.

But then, catching sight of the defiant blue eyes, the smile abruptly faded.

“Let’s talk about the Knight’s Department, you’ve been making strange remarks since earlier. I’m not asking to transfer, I’m asking why you’re so obsessed. But looking at your condition, Professor, a normal conversation seems impossible.”

“What, what?”

“Ah, of course, the answer remains the same. I’m not joining the Knight’s Department. By the way, you don’t look so well, Professor. You should take this.”

He had slightly bowed his head to pull out a piece of paper.

A paper with his familiar handwriting on it.

“Why are you so surprised? Meryli root. You must have requested it, Professor.”

Hersel pushed forward the thick Meryli root.

Rockefeller swallowed his saliva but scowled arrogantly.

“You, you dare… Dare to toy with me!!”

“Ah, if you don’t want to pay, just say so. Why the strange talk again? I can only indulge you so many times. Stop wasting my time. I’m busy as it is.”

Hersel put the root back into his bag.

Rockefeller felt a vein burst in his forehead as he threw a pouch containing 100 coins at Hersel.

“Just take it and get lost!”

“Thank you, Professor.”

He’ll probably get an earful from the principal again.

Better to replenish his energy than deal with that.

Rockefeller roughly tore into the root after Hersel had left.

‘How did that damned guy get something even third-years can’t find easily…’

Always contrary to his wishes, just an annoying brat that keeps rubbing people the wrong way.

He chewed the root furiously, filled with anger.

As his depleted energy surged back, Rockefeller stroked his face.

“…Indeed. I must commend you for your talent in turning people inside out, Hersel Ben Tenest.”

Rockefeller, with weary eyes, picked up a bead from the desk.

“Hamendal, were you the duty professor tonight? At 3 AM, release the outer barrier.”

“Ro, Rockefeller Professor. You want me to release the barrier?”

“It’s training close to real combat. Don’t give the Schlafey Ward guys any hints.”

“No, but… The freshmen have only been here for a day. Are you serious?”

Rockefeller smiled deeply enough to dimple his cheeks.

“Yes, quite. This time we have that talented student who seems to live so splendidly.”

Dawn at 3 AM.

The invasion of the monsters was scheduled to occur.