1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

103. The Last Day (1)

It felt unreal, my legs tingling with a strange numbness.

‘······Did I just almost die?’

‘Ahem, I’ll be honest with you. The moment that blade pierced the creature’s shoulder, I thought it was all over for me too···.’

If Vermi had relied solely on his resilience and hadn’t delivered that bone-crushing blow, I would have been dead.

It was a stroke of luck that there was a moment to breathe before the follow-up strike came; had there been none······.

No, to put it plainly, if that creature had simply kicked me right then, my body would have burst apart.

‘You, I can never entrust my life to you······. I nearly had a heart attack.’

‘Be quiet. Just now, that creature’s speed exceeded all expectations. Just by making contact, you should be worshipping me.’

Regardless of the process, what mattered was that I was still alive.

I was trying to calm the tremors within me.

Demons, half-submerged in the abyss of hell, struggled to break free.

“Hursel, this is too solid. Can’t you just smash it?”

At Rix’s plea, I curled my lips in a smirk.

I entertained a delightful thought of leaving it here for the remainder of the trial period.

In that moment, Belman pulled a red stick from his cloak.

“No, more importantly, we need to check if the professors are still alive.”

I looked down at Belman with a stoic expression.

[Belman Tol Gers]

● Blessing

◆ The Favor of the Guardian Skaword ◆

Ρ If there is meaning in protection, then one could say they have lived well.

When casting defensive magic, receive a 2x boost to defense.

The recovery rate of expended mana increases by 1.2x.

● Traits

◇ Dexterity ◇

◇ Knowledge Acquisition ◇

A foolish one who, despite possessing that esteemed blessing, ‘The Favor of the Guardian Skaword,’ did not aid me.

This fellow is an accomplice too.

—

First, I must place him on the blacklist.

With wary eyes, I cast a glance at Belman before making my way to where the fallen professors lay.

* * *

Before long, night had faded, giving way to dawn.

The cleanup had been neatly concluded, yet the demons were unleashed by the awakened Professor Gomon.

Next, the salary-thieving professors, whether by misfortune or fortune, were still alive.

Thanks to the ample antidote I had brought, immediate death was averted, but the issue of excessive bleeding loomed large.

In this regard, Belman’s knowledge played a crucial role.

Using rare herbs that he had sacrificed points for in the magic realm, he concocted a remedy.

He even went so far as to sterilize the makeshift needle and thread to stitch up the severed limbs.

This was made possible by the trait ‘Dexterity’ and the peculiar ability ‘Knowledge Acquisition,’ which allowed him to gain wisdom from every book he read.

Of course, the surgery was merely a stopgap, conducted in dire conditions, and here my own skills shone through.

It was the unique power of ‘Healing Magic,’ which blossomed first from the sense of taste among the five senses of mana.

Belman found this aspect strangely astonishing.

“Your sense of taste blossomed before your sense of smell? But is it truly possible to become a magic swordsman?”

Indeed, it was a natural reaction.

Only those with the talent for unraveling could become magic swordsmen.

I opened my eyes lazily and replied shamelessly.

“Don’t think that the information in books is all there is. The world is teeming with things you do not know. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you know everything like a frog in a well.”

I spoke in a deliberately prickly tone to create some distance.

Yet, he nodded in understanding, as if he had gained some insight.

“That’s true… The world is still overflowing with undiscovered things.”

This reaction.

My intuition was indeed correct.

He too was beginning to be tainted by those Shulafe b*stards.

“······.”

I tore my gaze away from him and wielded the healing magic.

With the surgery going well and the efficacy of the herbs added, the professors quickly regained their senses.

“Ugh!”

“Ahh, my arm…”

—

It would have been better to be unconscious.

They stitched the severed parts without any anesthetic; the pain must be unimaginable.

Yet, the gaunt professor displayed his professional spirit.

“Ugh, what of Vermi? What has become of Vermi?”

I answered briefly.

“He is dead.”

“Is that so…”

But then Belman added an unnecessary detail.

“Hershel severed his throat in an instant.”

The two professors stared at me, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief.

“W-what?”

“Ahem, I expected it, but to think it would end so swiftly…”

It dawned on me that the Wraith incident had snowballed into this chaos.

On the day I enrolled, the situation had spiraled out of control, leading us to Rockefeller, and the professors’ minds had turned to a field of flowers.

In the end, both professors and students were nothing but perilous entanglements for me.

Ah, suddenly I yearned to escape.

I wished the academy would close down.

There must be many patients; they could simply repurpose the building into a mental ward.

“Anyway, you’re alive. Ugh. Could you help me up?”

As the professor attempted to rise but sank back to the floor, I supported him.

Then I asked, “So, if we caught the bloodstained viper, will there be a reward?”

“A reward? Well, the Pathfinder headquarters might bestow a medal. But given your student status, don’t expect anything monetary…”

So.

Just a medal, then?

“Wait a moment. Ugh! Why are you touching the severed parts?!”

“It was a mistake.”

With Belman, I helped the two professors as we joined the group.

They were taking a rest, and Professor Gomon was stuffing the heads of the instructors into a sack.

As we approached, Professor Gomon sprang to his feet, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Phew, you lot are still alive.”

“Yes, thanks to these two students.”

“Heh, I heard, Gomon. You fell for Vermi too, didn’t you?”

Gomon scratched his head.

“Haha. Facing two instructors back-to-back was quite the challenge. I nearly met my end, you know?”

“Well, as long as you’re alive, that’s what matters, right?”

“True enough. Anyway, Hursel Ben Tenest. Quite the pretty thing, aren’t you?”

The professors seemed to be in high spirits, their lips curling up to their ears.

“Ha ha, by the way, those vagabonds are going to be utterly devastated.”

“Yeah, indeed. I heard that the bloodied viper was killed by a student. Wouldn’t you want to hide in a rat hole?”

“Oh… If we play our cards right, the higher-ups might pay us a visit.”

The “higher-ups” that the gaunt professor mentioned surely referred to the Elder Council of the Pathfinders.

Well, it’s not like they’d actually come.

Even if Gomon had managed to drive off Vermi with the help of one professor and the students, such a thing wouldn’t have happened.

I was just about to take a bit more rest.

Drip.

A water stain settled on the ground.

Boom!

Light flashed all around, and a thunderous roar followed, as rain poured down in torrents.

Professor Gomon spoke to the group.

“Oh dear, it’s suddenly raining. We should get going. There might still be traps left behind, so let’s move with haste. I’ll take the lead, so don’t worry.”

We walked in two lines, getting drenched by the rain.

As Gomon had said, whether there were still traps left was uncertain, and everyone halted to deal with the removal tasks.

With nothing else to do, I turned my head slightly and locked eyes with Leana.

The corners of Leana’s mouth seemed to lift just a bit.

But soon her expression turned neutral, as if she didn’t want to show me that she was smiling.

Well, given her nature, she must have felt satisfied to have saved the children.

“Ah, all done. Let’s go.”

Professor Gomon had cleared all the traps.

I tore my gaze away from Leana and resumed my steps.

In truth, the path we took was far removed from the location of our fortress, making the detour seem almost pointless.

Yet, I had joined them because I wished to see with my own eyes the condition of the captives, and to discuss further the treatment of Melin.

It was around the time we arrived at the Shulafe encampment.

All the students stood with weapons raised, a fierce determination etched upon their faces.

At the center, I saw Sila, her eyes glinting with a predatory focus on a single point.

The ones they regarded as enemies were four men.

* * *

“Oh dear, are we late?”

“Alcis, this is all your fault. We wandered off course thanks to that fairy’s curse.”

It was the banter of Alcis and Aiman from the Luon crew.

As we joined Sila and the hunting party, Professor Gomon inquired, “What is happening here?”

Alcis scoffed.

“Just look over there. Those kids behind them. They’re supposed to be enemies, right? But why aren’t they killing them? I don’t get it.”

Aiman chimed in, “Aren’t they supposed to be our adversaries? What if they let them go and then come back to kill us later?”

Their logic seemed, at first glance, to hold some weight.

Yet, the truth was that they were merely toying with the situation for their own amusement.

In any case, they were a bunch of lunatics bent on killing kids.

As the majority glared at their loathsome faces, Gomon spoke coldly.

“The Academy will handle that matter, so you lot should step back.”

It was an unexpected sight, leaving my mouth slightly agape.

Professors typically do not intervene in the conflicts among students during practicals.

To take an interest and voice an opinion in such matters was indeed surprising.

Alcis widened his eyes in disbelief and asked, “W-what? Why now, after staying silent all this time?”

“I speak not as a professor, but as a Pathfinder. The kids behind them are captives, right? Then, the authority over their treatment lies with those who have bound them. But you didn’t capture them, did you? You’re not in a position to dictate what should be done.”

If Rockefeller were to hear this, he would surely be furious; I wondered how they planned to handle the aftermath.

But that was none of my concern, so I brushed it aside.

My gaze remained fixed on Luon, who continued to stare at me in silence.

—

It is because of this b*stard.

Thud, thud.

He approached me.

“Hussel, I know saving those children is part of your plan. Is that true?”

I nodded, gazing into the murky depths of his eyes.

“Indeed. It would be wise not to entertain foolish thoughts. Unless you wish to die here.”

I deliberately raised the intensity of my words.

Now was the time to sever all ties, regardless of whether he held any goodwill towards me or what the past had been.

Time was running short.

Soon, the first act boss battle of Frost Heart would commence.

As I drew a clear line, I heard his laughter.

“Heh heh.”

He covered his lips with his hand, his body twitching.

Even amidst that, the madness in his gaze sent chills crawling across my skin.

There was an unsettling vigor in Luon’s presence that was almost too much to bear.

“Huuh—”

Luon exhaled, suddenly opening his eyes wide.

Then he leaned in close to my ear, unleashing a torrent of deadly words like a rapid-fire barrage.

“I don’t know what has happened to you. But I know what your essence was. This change is too great to simply be called a transformation. It’s as if you’re no longer Hussel. Ah, but that doesn’t really matter.”

At last, the words he spat out were an invitation to the game he would host.

“Whether the core has changed or you’ve truly transformed, I know well that you are an opponent destined to die. So, the future will be delightful. When the time comes, I shall send you an invitation.”

He spoke in a calm tone, then flashed a knowing smile.

“I’ll take my leave now. Alcis, Aiman, Kurel. I find this to be part of the charm. After all, bread tastes best when you’re truly hungry.”

As Luon turned sharply, the three of them wore bewildered expressions before beginning to follow him.

I stood there until they had completely vanished from sight.

Beside me, Limberton’s voice broke the silence.

“He’s truly a chilling one. I’ve seen plenty of scum, but that guy is different. There’s something…”

Indeed, Luon was unlike those three who acted solely for pleasure.

Common thugs might poke and prod at others’ suffering, reveling in the chaos, but Luon felt neither the concept nor the empathy for it.

Yet, he did not bask in superiority or flaunt any semblance of power either.

The reason, I suspect, lies in the very source of our actions, which is perhaps different from theirs.

What that source specifically is, I cannot say for certain…

“Everyone, be wary of that one.”

I spoke thus to the playable characters and supporting cast around me.

The Ruon subjugation was a challenge so steep that many protagonists had to risk their lives to fight.

* * *

My business at the Shulafe camp was concluded.

I had a discussion with Professor Gomon about how to treat the remaining children, but I made only one suggestion there.

“What if we send them all to the Tenest family?”

“What? You mean all these children?”

“For now, yes. In fact, our family runs a few orphanages.”

Our housekeeper is a woman of remarkable pretense, known as a kind noble lady.

Naturally, to achieve such an image, countless calculated acts of kindness must back it up.

Well, there are various other things besides orphanages.

Scholarship programs that shackle brilliant talents, or free meal programs that turn the impoverished into lazy livestock, accustomed to free food.

“The housekeeper will raise these children to be laborers who tend to the estate. If they come from a troupe of vagabonds, they’ll be strong enough, and perfect for hard labor.”

“Ah, no. What you’re saying is that you’re granting them citizenship in the Empire, but why phrase it like that…”

“Just because it doesn’t say ‘slave’ written on their foreheads doesn’t mean they aren’t. The housekeeper is that kind of woman. She engages in legal malice.”

This was the decision made regarding the treatment of the young vagabonds.

And on the fourth day.

No one moved to earn points or anything of the sort.

After the events of the third day, we were all quite exhausted.

Moreover, having lost coins to gambling recently, we were now in a situation where even our food had burned away.

Of course, we harvested the food from the vagabond base and distributed it, but with so many people…

Dividing it among 250 individuals and the captured young vagabonds meant there was hardly enough to go around.

Thus, the fourth day naturally passed in a haze of rest.

And on the morning of the fifth day.

I opened my eyes for the tasks I had postponed.

Originally, my plan was to find the artifact and score full marks on this test.

“Limberton, Asley.”

I called out to the ones who had been sleeping, but perhaps fatigue had reached its peak, for they showed no signs of waking.

With no other choice, I rose from my place to seek the artifact alone.

The three-headed wolf and the wandering band had settled down, so there would be no danger.

“I shall be back shortly.”

I left them to their slumber and opened the fortress door.

Yet, there stood Belman outside.

In his hands were fish strung together by a line, which he offered to me.

“Take it.”

I regarded him with wary eyes.

This fellow was already on the blacklist in my mind.

“What is this?”

“All I gave you was jerky. I couldn’t provide the promised two days’ worth of food. Satisfy yourself with this instead. I went to the riverbank and caught them with great effort.”

I had forgotten about this, but it seemed he had been concerned all along.

Reluctant to refuse outright, I accepted the fish.

Then, a sudden thought struck me, and I asked Belman.

“By the way, you can speak in runes, can’t you?”

The artifact bore runes that even I, the user, did not understand.

I had always been curious, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn this now.

…Though I’m not keen on it, should I drag him along?

With him, I could interpret it before it fell into the hands of the Empire.