Invincible
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#181
🕑 Added 2025-01-15 15:14:36 +0000 UTCBlack Sun (1)
As soon as the outcome was decided, Donatan spoke up.
'Sticking out your tongue during battle? That’s disrespectful to your opponent.'
'I wasn’t trying to mock anyone. There’s a reason for everything.'
'In a one-second invincibility state, knockback effects don’t apply, and grabs are also nullified. That’s why I bit my tongue on purpose to maintain a constant one-second invincibility.'
Bang!
I kicked off the ground and emerged from beneath the earth.
The timing was perfect—just as the potion’s effect was about to wear off.
[Dream Elixir Duration: 0 seconds]
[Effect has expired.]
I wanted to save it, but I had used it well, so there were no regrets.
After all, facing someone like Ecok, who had taken on Dordone’s form, was equivalent to confronting a top-tier adversary in a high-difficulty scenario.
Brushing the dust off my body, I lifted my head.
The seawater was rapidly evaporating.
It was only now that the end of the battle began to feel real.
Then I remembered the sword that had been struck by fragments moments ago.
Carefully, I drew it out.
Clink!
The once razor-sharp Shadow Blade of Weakening now had a chipped edge.
Though it didn’t have durability-enhancing options, it was still a fine sword.
That showed just how overpowering Ecok’s strength was—enough to defy common sense.
"Hah, it’ll take some time to repair this."
A fine sword can’t be fixed by ordinary means.
It requires the skills of a master blacksmith and a magician proficient in alchemy.
I decided to look into that later and headed toward the barrier.
The people who I had thought would still be lying on the training ground were barely propping themselves up, holding their aching bodies.
They all stared at me with uneasy gazes.
'Did they… see everything?'
'Even the sick come to watch fights. Hersel, it’s human nature.'
Sigh.
I was used to it by now.
They’d admire me, place their hopes on me, and push me into danger again.
At this point, there was nothing new about it.
"Stop standing around and open the barrier already."
At my words, a man who had been tending to the injured quickly rushed into the fortress.
Not that it was necessary.
Dorosian waved her staff and created an opening in the barrier.
Walking through with ease, I flashed a slight smile at her.
"Looks like I won’t be getting kidnapped this time."
I was about to pass her to go change my clothes when her voice made me stop.
"Well done. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d win."
Was it just my imagination, or did her voice carry a hint of mockery, as if to say it wasn’t over yet?
I turned my head slightly to see her standing tall, staring into the distant void.
"What are you going to do about that?"
Following her gaze, I looked up.
My mouth slowly opened in disbelief.
A black sun had formed in the sky.
It was absorbing the surrounding black smoke, growing larger by the moment.
Judging by how most of it was emerging from the ground, it had to be dark energy from underground.
Just then, a gust of wind carried some of the dark energy across my cheek.
I nearly gagged on reflex.
What is this?
It’s different from normal.
Ordinarily, it would just make me feel a little queasy.
But now, it was cold enough to chill me to the bone, and the ominous aura was enough to make me break out in a cold sweat.
"What’s with that reaction?"
"What… is that…?"
When I asked, Dorosian smirked.
"I warned you, didn’t I? Oh, wait… did you think my warning was about whales or something?"
She pointed her staff at me.
Feeling a sense of imminent danger, I quickly raised my hand to stop her, hoping to assess the situation.
"…Hold on, at least explain first. I need to understand before deciding whether to fulfill my end of the deal."
Dorosian half-closed her eyes and shrugged as if she would grant me that much.
"Do you remember when we got trapped on the staircase?"
When I nodded, she brought up a forgotten variable.
"The magic tome that was there—you said you felt some kind of will from it, right? It’s finally revealing its true nature."
***
When they were trapped in the staircase, the spirits claimed the grimoire was speaking. At the time, Dorosian could quickly discern the truth.
"Occasionally, there are objects that possess will."
True to the reputation of a family deeply engrossed in magical studies, many mysterious items had been brought in for research purposes—objects that imprisoned something within them, or ones infused with life through the attachment of a previous owner. Some were benign, exuding beneficial energy, while others were not.
“Mana and dark energy are often said to be just forces manipulated by living beings. But if you delve deeper, you'll find they have properties similar to paper.”
As Dorosian explained, Hersel let out a low hum.
“You said you sensed a will from the grimoire? And your comparison to paper suggests that traces of the caster's emotions remain?”
Dorosian smirked. She appreciated how quickly he grasped her point without needing detailed explanation.
“Exactly. Especially with dark energy—it has traits far more pronounced than mana. But something this extreme... It's the first I've encountered. The previous owner must have been truly twisted.”
Hersel exhaled deeply, as if something dawned on him, and asked, “So, is it dangerous enough that we need to run?”
Dorosian shot him a curt glance.
'How can he not feel this?'
The dark energy radiated a hostility so intense it made her skin tingle—a resentment so powerful, it seemed intent on destroying everything. Even the knights, struggling with their ailments, could sense the ominous presence. They gazed at the Black Sun with trembling eyes.
Dorosian found Hersel's obliviousness puzzling.
‘There’s a limit to being insensitive. These are things no living being should fail to notice.’
The murderous aura poured down like torrential rain, forcing even the lowliest ants to crawl in desperate lines, seeking survival.
Watching Hersel, who seemed unaffected by a threat even insects could perceive, Dorosian was certain there was a reason behind his indifference.
‘I’ll figure that out later. For now, we need to escape.’
Even now, dark energy was condensing around the grimoire. Dorosian focused her magical vision on the Black Sun, trying to decipher its intentions.
She spotted a single spell forming on the open page.
As she unraveled the magic at once, cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
‘...Is it planning to detonate that? Here?’
Gripping her staff tightly, Dorosian prepared to move.
“It’ll crash down and explode soon. If it does, not just this area but the entire mountain range will be obliterated.”
That should have been enough to convince him they needed to flee. Yet Hersel suddenly collapsed to the ground, gazing blankly at the sky.
Irritated by his carefree demeanor, Dorosian frowned.
“This isn’t the time to sit around so leisurely.”
“Give me a moment to think.”
He sighed repeatedly, as if deep in thought, though no answers seemed forthcoming.
Just as she thought he’d given up, Hersel lifted his head, a glimmer of determination in his eyes.
“If the problem is it falling…”
His muttered words were incomprehensible, and Dorosian snapped at him, her voice tinged with irritation.
“My patience is wearing thin.”
She had expected him to avoid a confrontation when faced with such overwhelming odds, like any rational person would. Yet his unexpected composure had made her hold back, thinking he might have a plan.
But last time, he had chosen to fight, an act of desperation that had nearly cost them both. She had tried to retreat with him, only to be struck by the whale's massive fist.
“I get that it’s powerful. But everything has its limits. Have you heard of self-destructive magic?”
The ultimate forbidden magic, used as a last resort by those who delved into cursed sorcery. It was potent enough to take down even the strongest foes.
The sheer amount of dark energy involved here was overwhelming, far surpassing the limits of any human caster. It combined the strength of a monstrous entity worthy of historical legend with the power of a dungeon buried deep underground.
“With that much dark energy, this won’t just be a volcanic eruption—it’ll be a catastrophe beyond comparison.”
Even if they survived, the aftermath would be no less devastating. The blast would scatter oxygen far and wide, leaving a vacuum in its wake for several minutes.
In an environment so hostile, survival was impossible. No matter how strong a predator might be, it would starve without food, and it would suffocate without air.
"Stop spouting nonsense and just follow me."
Dorosian couldn't let Hersel die. There were too many questions, too many things she needed to know.
The notion that he was destined to fall to his death from a cliff now seemed laughable. That was less than two years ago—a span too short for someone to grow this powerful. She had briefly considered the possibility that her future self might have lied, but Dorosian believed there was one explanation that made sense of everything:
—Once you run away, it becomes easier the second time. And after the second, there’s a third. That’s how this world ends.
Hersel was looping through time, accumulating knowledge from countless apocalyptic futures. This foresight allowed him to master the methods to grow stronger at an extraordinary pace.
‘But how do I make him come with me?’
Dorosian couldn’t think of a way. He was a man who had easily slain a monster that could have conquered the entire continent. If someone like that decided to stay put, stubbornly refusing to budge, there was nothing she could do.
The only way was to secure his promise: if defeat became inevitable, he would follow her without resistance.
“You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“I remember.”
Hersel rose from his spot. A faint smile appeared on Dorosian's lips. She was convinced he would follow her without complaint.
But then he asked, “Do you really think this situation is hopeless?”
“…If you’re planning to break our agreement, that would be quite disappointing.”
She prodded his pride gently, watching as Hersel’s expression grew resolute, his gaze brimming with confidence.
“Break my promise? Not a chance. I guarantee I can handle this.”
At that, Dorosian contemplated forcing him. She aimed her staff at him but stopped when he suddenly spoke her name.
“Dorosian, do you remember what I said when we went to find the mana stone? That you should reconsider?”
“Stop with your tricks and just come with me.”
She sharply dismissed his words, yet Hersel continued, undeterred.
“Didn’t I you once, like a certain someone, not to give up after a single failure? That if it wasn’t over, you should try again?”
Dorosian’s annoyance flared.
‘At the time, I thought it was just a passing remark, but now it’s clear—he was talking about me.’
Someone who gave up after one failure = Dorosian.
Her scowl deepened, but she was startled when Hersel leaned in close, flashing a self-assured grin.
“Now’s the time. I’ll make you rethink everything.”
Hersel’s gloved hand reached toward Dorosian’s face. She flinched and stepped back but stopped as his hand drew closer.
Then her body froze.
“What… what is this? My body—”
“A paralytic powder. Just in case, I had one of Luon’s gang whip it up for me. It’ll wear off in time, so hang tight.”
Without looking back, he bolted.
***
Living in this body was nothing short of exhausting.
Every time one problem was resolved, another would erupt, often in rapid succession. This time, the frequency of crises was so overwhelming that my mind felt on the verge of burnout.
Yes, I knew the black-blooded grimoire was a wild card.
It had once belonged to Felia the Wrathful, the final boss of Frost Heart. No wonder it was so volatile.
Her sole goal was to destroy every trace of her master, and she was the most vicious will among all the Felia series.
Given her deranged personality, it was no surprise that her grimoire carried remnants of her twisted intent.
‘Donatan, I’m so tired these days.’
‘Tch, tch. It’s all karma. You sealed your fate the moment you started deceiving people.’
‘No, not that. It’s the people. The ones around me are all so warped.’
The future Dorosian, who had brought things to this point, was one problem. The current Dorosian, who was trying to kidnap him, was another.
Those who threw me into deadly situations fueled by mere expectations were devils in disguise, and all my enemies were heartless psychopaths without a shred of humanity.
Honestly, I wanted to burn this hellish place to the ground, but that could wait until the story concluded.
‘By the way, where are we headed?’
At Donatan’s question, I pointed to the high-rise building.
“Rockefeller’s office.”
"...Why there? No, never mind. It must be another one of your bizarre ideas."
Bizarre idea… Not entirely wrong.
What I planned to do involved an item stored in my inventory:
『Ring of Dark Energy』
Allows external dark energy to be used as energy.
Enables resonance between external and internal dark energy.
This was how I intended to prevent destruction.
Even to me, it felt like a reckless approach.
***
Limberton and Aslay had been placed under isolation. Rockefeller, who had been monitoring them, let out a bewildered exclamation.
“Hersel Ben Tenest's influence extends even to shielding you from disease, it seems.”
Limberton scratched his head and asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean the reason you haven’t been infected is absurdly simple,” Rockefeller said, glancing at the bow strapped to Limberton’s back. “You’ve avoided direct contact with spirits and haven’t mingled much with the crowd.”
Then he turned to Aslay.
“And you, Aslay Torta… ahem, that name is a mouthful. Anyway, I can’t figure you out. Nomads are typically vulnerable to diseases.”
“I’ve been healthy since I was a child.”
“You’re saying that’s why you haven’t been infected? The Cordae virus is guaranteed to infect anyone without immunity.”
Rockefeller gritted his teeth as he glared.
“My guess? You’re all infected by Hersel Ben Tenest. That man must be such a walking cesspool of germs that even foreign bacteria can’t survive in his presence.”
Thinking his theory sound, Rockefeller’s voice brimmed with confidence.
Aslay leaned toward Limberton and whispered, “It’s obvious he usually dislikes the boss, but he’s especially harsh today.”
“Oh, that? Apparently, Hersel made some kind of promise with Dorosian. Something about the two of them fleeing if things got dangerous.”
Aslay chuckled. “The boss would never abandon us. Even if he promised, he’d stay to the end.”
Rockefeller snapped, “You don’t get it, you fool of a savage! By now, Hersel and Dorosian have likely left the academy far behind.”
Limberton tilted his head.
“Wait, didn’t they deal with that… whale thing? Isn’t it over?”
“...You’ve been stuck in here too long to know. A new threat has appeared outside.”
Limberton's expression turned serious as he asked, “Professor, what’s the problem out there?”
“…Students dying, I can accept. But now they’re leaving the entire school population to perish without offering any help. We’ve done nothing to deserve this—why are we being treated like death row inmates?”
Rockefeller didn’t respond, avoiding Limberton’s gaze in silence.
“So, what’s the issue this time?” Limberton pressed.
Rockefeller began explaining: the Black Sun outside, a force with the explosive potential to leave no trace behind, poised to fall upon Frost Heart.
At Limberton’s relaxed demeanor, Rockefeller raised an eyebrow. “What are you so calm about?”
Limberton grinned. “Hersel will handle it, as always.”
Rockefeller scoffed, but at that moment, Hersel’s voice echoed throughout the stronghold:
“All mages, assemble immediately. I know it’s tough with the disease, but whether you die here or out there, the result is the same. At least aim for a death that offers a chance of survival.”
Grinding his teeth, Rockefeller muttered, “He’s taken over my office…”
“Quiet, will you? I can’t hear properly,” Limberton said.
“You insolent fool! You’re growing as impertinent as that man!” Rockefeller growled, glaring daggers at Limberton.
But then Hersel’s voice called out: “Limberton, Aslay, report to my office immediately.”
Rockefeller sighed heavily, a faint smile of relief creeping onto his face. Without a word, he gestured for them to leave.
Limberton saluted him before sprinting off with Aslay.
Bursting into the office, they found Hersel drawing his staff from its holster.
“Time to explain the plan,” Hersel said, pointing to the Black Sun outside the window.
“Aslay, you’ll throw me directly into the Black Sun. Limberton, your job is to measure wind speed and angles to ensure I hit the target precisely.”
Limberton’s eyes widened at the outlandish plan.
“Wait, what are you trying to do?”
Hersel’s lips curled into a grin.
“Detonate it in midair.”
