Invincible
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#179
🕑 Added 2025-01-07 15:02:13 +0000 UTCOrca (3)
Ecok felt a sharp pain in his fist.
‘Pain? In this body?’
In Dordone's memories, such a sensation was unheard of.
A being who could crush stone into sand and flatten any metal like clay with overwhelming strength.
To him, the concept of hardness simply did not exist in the world.
"Hmph."
Hersel stared at Ecok with a calm yet faintly displeased expression.
For someone who had just been struck with an attack intended to smash his skull, his reaction was unnervingly composed.
'What... is this guy?'
The blow had been strong enough to shatter the air.
The ground where it landed was left with a deep, circular crater.
Yet something else became apparent at the same time, and Ecok's mind momentarily froze.
The soil beneath Hersel's feet remained utterly undisturbed.
When Hersel walked forward, the impression of his shoe's sole was perfectly preserved in the earth, a testament to the fact.
'He took that hit and didn’t even budge?'
Ecok struggled to comprehend the situation.
He hesitated, debating whether to confirm it with another strike.
But then, Hersel stopped in front of the barrier and let out a low sound, like swallowing something.
"Are you going to ambush me from behind again?"
Ecok had attacked casually, as if swatting a fly. Yet Hersel shrugged off the accusation of cowardice and shook his head, an unimpressed smirk on his face.
"Despite possessing the body of a Tyrant, you seem rather lacking in composure."
Hersel chuckled faintly and pointed at the barrier.
"Break it, Ecok."
"What?"
"I already told you—I don’t want to destroy it myself."
Ecok narrowed his eyes, glaring at Hersel.
Even with Dordone’s body, breaking the barrier was no trivial feat; it restored itself as quickly as it was damaged.
Yet here Hersel implied that, had he been less careful, he could have obliterated it entirely.
'So confident.'
Ecok’s thoughts churned in confusion.
Sure, Hersel’s power was undeniable when listing his achievements, but wasn’t he still a student?
Ecok had always assumed he was inferior to Arkandrick, the Frostheart Master.
'With this kind of power, why enroll in the academy at all?'
Though it made no sense, Ecok stepped closer to the barrier.
The ocean waters remained at bay, held back by Dorosian's control, but their vast expanse loomed threateningly.
There would be an opening to seize the upper hand eventually. For now, he resolved to prepare for a truly unpredictable opponent.
Bang!
Ecok's fist smashed into the barrier, creating a large hole that took several seconds to repair itself.
He stepped outside first, followed by Hersel.
Ecok's eyes narrowed as he twisted his body and struck at Hersel with his fist.
Unlike his earlier sneak attack, this punch was fully powered, aimed at Hersel's abdomen.
Crunch!
The sound reverberated, but Hersel didn’t even flinch.
Yet Ecok didn’t relent.
'This body has enhanced regenerative abilities. If I synchronize attack and recovery, I can unleash an endless barrage.'
Ecok’s fists flew, striking vital points—nose, jaw, chest—with incredible speed and force.
Each blow landed with a resounding impact, yet the results were the same.
'...Could it be that none of my attacks are working?'
Not a scratch, not even the faintest shift backward.
At that moment, Hersel moved his hand, gripping his sword.
The blade shimmered with light—unmistakably a mana blade.
Ecok’s heart sank as he quickly retreated.
Ping!
A beat later, the blade traced an arc through the air, sharp and precise.
Focusing intently, Ecok manipulated the seawater around him.
Though limited by Dorosian’s control, he could still wrest enough focus to act.
The water responded to his will, forming into a concentrated sphere in his hand.
Whoosh!
Compressing the sphere, Ecok created a razor-thin stream of water capable of slicing through metal.
He wielded it like a blade and slashed at Hersel.
But Hersel didn’t even try to dodge. Instead, he stepped closer.
Shhrrk!
The water stream passed over Hersel’s torso, shredding his clothes.
Yet the exposed skin beneath didn’t bleed a single drop.
Fixating the stream on Hersel’s chest, Ecok gritted his teeth.
“Fine. Let’s see how long you can hold out!”
By concentrating his attack on one point, Ecok believed he could eventually pierce through.
For now, there was still time to observe.
No matter how close he came, Hersel’s speed only appeared sluggish to Ecok.
If necessary, he could retreat at any moment when the distance closed.
Ecok couldn’t help but question the disparity between Hersel's speed and defense.
‘Why is that? His body is so durable, yet his speed is such a disappointment.’
The gap between them was narrowing.
It was time to pull back.
Just as Ecok moved his foot—
Tap!
In an instant, Hersel was right in front of him, thrusting his blade toward Ecok's heart.
The speed was incomparable to anything Ecok had seen before, leaving him no time to react.
Thud!
The sensation of the blade piercing flesh.
Though Ecok barely managed to twist his body to avoid a fatal blow, the weapon still struck deep.
Ecok leaped backward, crashing into a wall of seawater.
As crimson blood spread across the surface, Ecok felt a chill.
‘His blade can reach me…?’
If Hersel unleashed that sudden burst of speed again, Ecok realized he could die instantly.
He needed thicker armor.
Ecok transformed into his orca form, using his massive body as a natural shield.
Watching the attack unfold, Donatan couldn’t help but voice his admiration.
‘Incredible speed…’
Hersel had expended an enormous amount of life energy, far surpassing the amount he used during his last high-speed attack, where a single day of his lifespan was consumed.
Even so, his speed exceeded all expectations.
Donatan began to see the potential in this body.
‘He was born with an exceptional amount of life energy. Its quality is leagues above the norm.’
With such a strong foundation, inherited from superior lineage, it was no wonder he had such latent potential.
If his aura had remained intact, he might have reached unimaginable heights.
Yet Hersel’s expression showed dissatisfaction.
‘I should have poured everything into that one strike…’
His regret was understandable.
The previous blow had cost him thirty years of his life.
Even with a calculated strategy meant to catch Ecok off guard, the attack had ultimately failed.
While his opponent was visibly tense, Hersel felt the weight of disappointment bearing down on his shoulders.
‘Hersel, listen carefully. You can use that attack twice more—no more than that. And even then, I can’t guarantee its full power, so use it wisely.’
Still, two chances to aim for a vital spot weren’t bad.
At least, that’s what Donatan thought—until Ecok completed his transformation into an orca.
‘Well, perhaps not… This might have been our last chance.’
‘Damn it…’
Ecok’s body, now submerged in the ocean, had grown massive.
Reaching his vital points would now require slicing through layers of thick flesh.
It was inevitable that more than two attacks would be consumed.
As the seemingly hopeless situation unfolded, Hersel spoke.
‘One strike. I’ll put everything into a single blow.’
‘What? You’re saying you’ll spend all that energy on one attack?’
‘A slash. That’s the only way.’
Donatan was stunned at the mention of a slash.
A technique that focuses power into the blade to unleash a sharp, cutting wave of energy.
It was similar to what Hersel had used to defeat the bone dragon in the past, but replicating it in this situation was a tall order.
‘If you miss, it’s over. Wouldn’t it be safer to rely on guaranteed strikes?’
The problem was that a slash, being a projectile, traveled slower than a direct blow. Against an opponent as fast and relentless as Ecok, this was a critical flaw.
But Hersel laid out his reasoning.
‘Look at his body now—it’s massive. That means he’s slower too. The key is whether we can hit a vital point with one strike.’
‘That’s true… And water resistance will also play a role.’
‘Most importantly, we have no other options. Stop complaining and focus. The precision will ultimately be up to you.’
Faced with the mounting pressure, Donatan couldn’t help but grumble.
‘You’re delusional if you think I can control this level of energy precisely. Do you have any idea how rarely I’ve handled such power? Even the previous master only used it three times in their lifetime, and only sparingly at that. And now you expect me to direct a slash at his vital point in one go?’
When Donatan protested, Hersel let out a deep sigh.
‘I don’t want to risk everything on this either. But look at the situation. I’ve ended up facing someone I’d rather not fight. Life is like that—you sometimes have to do things you don’t want to do. And when there’s only one way forward, even if it’s reckless, you just have to go for it.’
Donatan couldn’t argue with that logic, even if it annoyed him.
If they failed, so be it. There wasn’t much else they could do.
If it doesn't work after trying, then it's just not meant to be.
‘Oh, and just so you know, if I die, I’ll curse you for eternity, even from the grave. After all, this whole mess would be the result of your incompetence.’
‘This bastard…’
Hersel sheathed his sword and assumed a quick-draw stance.
Despite the tension, Donatan managed to regain some composure and began channeling the dormant power deep within Hersel's body.
Pure, concentrated energy swirled around Hersel like a raging storm.
His clothes fluttered, and his hair whipped about as the orca’s eyes gleamed ominously.
Clearly, the creature had sensed the extraordinary energy radiating from Hersel.
Donatan kept his focus, aiming precisely at the tip of the orca’s nose, intending to cleave it in two.
Clink!
As the blade slid just one centimeter out of its sheath, electric currents—not merely static—began crackling around Hersel.
Crackle!
When the blade was fully unsheathed, it sliced through the air, unleashing a torrent of energy.
A massive wave of power shot from the blade, hurtling toward Ecok.
In that instant, the world was bathed in blinding light.
And then it was over.
As Donatan stared at the blood-red sea, despair filled him.
‘It failed…’
The strike had landed squarely on the tip of the orca’s nose.
However, it seemed Ecok had twisted his body mid-attack, causing the angle to deflect slightly.
The orca’s massive body was already beginning to heal.
‘Just as expected.’
Donatan assumed Hersel was muttering something sarcastic.
But that wasn’t the case.
‘Donatan, check inside me again. I think the energy is back.’
Donatan, puzzled, examined the internal reservoir of life energy.
He gasped audibly.
The energy that had been entirely depleted was now fully replenished, as if it had never been used.
‘What… What is this…?’
‘It’s probably the potion I drank earlier.’
‘Hersel, you bastard! You knew this and still put me under all that pressure?!’
‘Well, it wasn’t guaranteed. What if it didn’t work? You should always give your best, thinking every failure could be your last.’
‘You—! You arrogant…!’
Donatan was too exasperated to even come up with proper words.
Forget the fight—he just wanted to kill Hersel on the spot.
[Elixir of Dreams]
Attribute Type: Illusion.
Crafted meticulously by the Dream Lord Irte.
Duration: 3 minutes.
Upon consumption, all conditions occurring during the duration are rendered fictional.
Even cooldowns of abilities are reset to their initial state.
Upon death, the death itself is erased as if it never happened, at the end of the duration.
The potion's description was simple.
But why hadn’t the life-energy depletion resulted in death?
The answer lay in the system notification.
[Threat detected: Critical exhaustion level lethal.]
[1-second invincibility activated.]
[Cooldown for 1-second invincibility: 60 seconds.]
[Effect of "Elixir of Dreams" resets cooldown.]
The potion’s ability was merely to convert all states into fiction temporarily.
When the results accumulated to a point of death, that death was simply erased after the potion's duration expired.
However, the "1-second invincibility" trait outright nullified the outcome of death without delay.
Of course, this was likely never tested experimentally due to the risk of unintended results.
But with the "Elixir of Dreams" in effect, they could afford to test boldly—and they had just proven it.
The "1-second invincibility" even negated death caused by life-energy depletion.
As a result, the restoration of life energy was a natural outcome.
If death from exhaustion was nullified, the system also had to negate the life-energy depletion leading to it.
It was a logical byproduct of maintaining the consistency of the game’s mechanics.
This loophole in the system was an unintentional bonus.
“Alright, then. Let’s wrap this up.”
The potion’s duration was nearly over.
[Elixir of Dreams duration: 30 seconds remaining.]
But even that was more than enough time.
Because from now on, Hersel could pour everything into each and every strike.
