Invincible
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#169
🕑 Added 2024-12-21 05:53:05 +0000 UTCStrategy Meeting (2)
Hersel smirked.
As the tip of his cane flashed, Rockefeller involuntarily gulped.
"You… you bastard… In a life-or-death situation on the battlefield, especially in unfavorable conditions, it’s essential not to hold back any cards. But now, things have become a bit ambiguous."
“He himself is talking like that, so shouldn’t Kerndel also be given a chance?”
“It would add to his experience, wouldn't it? Don’t you think?”
“As if! With an incident like this, do you really think it can be hidden? The main headquarters will obviously hear of it.”
Supporters of Kerndel were voicing their opinions.
“Exactly. With an army of that size invading, hiding it would be like trying to cover the sky with a hand.”
Undoubtedly, word would reach the ears of the elders at headquarters, and they’d demand a full report of everything that happened here. The names of the students who stood out would naturally receive greater recognition.
Nearby, Professor Gomon, who recently had his severed arm reattached, addressed Professor Ildiran, who wore a splint.
“Hmm, is it because graduation is approaching? Everyone seems overly concerned about their future.”
“They’re probably thinking that if Kerndel takes a high position, they might get something out of it. Anyway, it’s sycophants like them who are making him even more arrogant.”
“But it’s strange, isn’t it? There used to be a lot of students who disliked Kerndel. Why are even they supporting him now?”
Hearing this, Professor Ildiran closed his eyes in contemplation.
“...Could it be that they’re hoping he might perish in this mission? It is quite dangerous, after all.”
“Haha, what a devilish bunch. No matter how much you dislike someone, how can they wish such a thing?”
Rockefeller was convinced that it was Hersel who had crafted these rumors to manipulate the students.
Hersel was the first to suggest that morale would drop unless Kerndel was made the focal point for the students.
‘Something did feel off even before entering the auditorium…’
He had no idea what he's planning. But one thing he knew for certain, as clear as his gritted teeth, was that he's no ordinary tough guy. Despite all sorts of pressure, he stubbornly stayed at the Schlaphe Hall and even ascended to the Adele Hall — an unusual man indeed.
‘Ugh. With that guy, I wouldn’t be surprised if he storms in with just his cane.’
As Hersel leaned against the wall, seeming to wait for a response, Rockefeller felt even more unsettled.
‘Calm down, calm down. Put aside that annoying fellow for now.’
Rockefeller took a few deep breaths, calming his nerves.
“Phew.”
Clearing his mind, he began weighing his options with a cool head.
First, he considered the repercussions of not placing Kerndel at the forefront in the high-ranking spirit assault.
“Hmm…”
It was clear that it would be problematic in various ways.
The students' morale would drop, and only useless, spare forces would emerge, barely worthy of being called magicians. 'What would happen if they were sent out?' Even with Bellen there, relying on him alone wasn't reassuring. At least one senior professor needed to accompany them. Strong individuals who could slaughter mid-level spirits were scarce, making this a headache of an issue. When the barrier opens, enemies will surely surge from all directions, so the troops needed for defense were no small matter.
‘Damn... and we've got a lot of injured already.’
They were struggling with a shortage of manpower, but there was one small relief: the core room in charge of the barrier, essential to defense, had none other than Arkandric stationed there. Rockefeller wiped his face with his hand and pointed at Professor Gomon.
“I’ll have Kerndel join the assault on the high-level spirits. And Gomon, you’re going with him.”
“M-me? Uh, yes. Understood.”
The students in the auditorium beamed with joy, except for one man whose expression turned heavy under the weight of the situation.
“Kerndel, this is your big chance. Perform well here, and you might just be assigned to Headquarters right after!”
“Hey, don’t forget us when you graduate! You know you’ve got to watch my back, right?”
Kerndel opened his mouth to reply but ended up only mouthing words silently.
***
[With great bluster comes great responsibility. -Hersel Ben Tenest]
It was a phrase I had etched into my notebook to include in my memoirs one day before I die. Donatan, having read it, let out a sigh of admiration.
‘Hmm, I get it. Those words suit you well enough.’
It was the life I had lived, after all. I'd long been a veteran in this field. My ample experience allowed me to turn this crisis onto Kerndel, securing my safety yet again.
‘Although... that man might actually die, you know?’
‘Donatan, you seem to misunderstand. I'm fundamentally a kind person, but I’m flexible enough to join hands with the devil if it means survival.’
‘Why do you even throw in words like "flexible" in that context?’
‘Fine, let's call it "yielding." Flexibility often feels like that.’
With that trivial banter, we left the auditorium. The squad leaders, each with their orders, split into two main groups. Kerndel’s group was the assault team, aiming to breach the spirit gates.
“Hey, Kerndel, it’s not that way.”
“Over here, here.”
“Ahem, I must have mistaken it.”
And I went in the opposite direction—the defense team. While they moved out, the barrier would remain open. Our job was to eliminate any spirits trying to enter the fortress in the meantime. Risk-wise, my position was certainly much safer. There was a reason I had been assigned this cushy role.
With archers like Limberton, whose attack count was limited, Aslay, who could only do grabs but couldn’t handle spirits, Dorosian, who watched on with powerful strength yet no inclination to help, and me, who had declared I’d fight with a staff in hand or nothing at all, the decision to place us in the defense team instead of the assault team was probably for the best, given our utility.
Of course, there were concerns.
“It would’ve been better if we were all assigned to the assault team, but it seems that didn’t happen,” said Bellman, who was on the assault team. In fact, aside from those on our team, all the main players had been assigned to the assault team. The threat of the high-level spirits made me worry about their safety, but as for that…
"The Ten Elites is competent enough. Besides, we have Grand-Aunt too.”
Originally, Bellen was supposed to oversee the core room in this scenario. Thanks to Arkandric replacing her, we were able to allocate strong forces to the assault team. The spirit gate should go down without much trouble. Even so, I thought it would be a waste to let this scenario pass without giving it proper effort.
“Bellman, don’t treat this as an insignificant mission just because it’s not central to the operation.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. But why are you saying that?”
“It just seems like an ideal trial for growth.”
The main players usually grow stronger through hidden trials within the scenario. Though it might feel heavy for them to face this challenge early on, if they gain something from it, it will accelerate their growth. This would give them more time to train and might even enable them to reach levels previously unattainable.
“Well, whether you see it as a valuable opportunity or a storm you hope passes quickly is up to you.”
As I turned away, Bellman responded, “I’ll pass it along to the others.” There was a hint of determination in his voice. I waved briefly and turned the corner. There, crouched in the corner, were Aslay and Limberton, who stood up to greet me. Limberton’s face was oddly soot-covered.
“What happened to you?”
Aslay answered for him. “Limberton tried to talk to Dorosian.”
“...Did he try to hit on her?”
“No, he just introduced himself.”
Since Aslay was saying that, it seemed Limberton hadn’t behaved as obnoxiously as he usually did. Limberton stroked his chin in contemplation.
“Hm. I thought I spoke normally this time. Why do women dislike me so much?”
“The issue wasn’t you but Dorosian herself. Anyway, where is she?”
“Oh, she went back to her room, saying there’s no point in tagging along if she has nothing to do. She said she’d take a quick nap.”
That was indeed very typical of Dorosian. But honestly, as long as she wasn’t participating in the battle, her absence didn’t bother me much.
“Well, if that’s how she feels, there’s not much we can do.”
It seemed, though, that she had left behind some cryptic words before leaving.
"Right, Hersel, there was something I was supposed to pass along to you. She asked if you could sense anything from the demonic energy.”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head, puzzled by the question. Just as air gives a natural feeling, demonic energy has its own distinct, unpleasant, and tainted sensation. I could have answered that it merely felt foul and polluted, but what was odd was that this question came from Dorosian. She was a woman who could probe deeper into the essence of things, even mana. Perhaps she’d sensed something others might easily overlook within the demonic energy. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time to ponder it.
“We’ll deal with that later. Everyone, get some rest and prepare immediately.”
“Already? I still haven’t heard what the operation is about.”
“I’ll explain on the way, so listen up.”
The battle would begin in thirty minutes.
***
The first to notice the anomaly was the bat. When he perked up his ears, the slug spirit asked, “Jurette, what’s wrong?”
“The enemy is moving with greater force,” he replied.
Jurette possessed the ability to sense vibrations through ultrasonic waves. The faint tremors reaching him here confirmed the start of the attack.
“They’ll be here soon. We need to get ready too.”
Hearing this, the slug spirit replied in a concerned tone, “What? I thought it’d take at least three days, but now?”
Jurette felt the same way. With the current situation and wounded among them, they’d expected a few days’ respite, which was why they’d stationed forces around the barrier. It wasn’t the best moment to mobilize... but…
“They’ll likely target the spirit gate first, won’t they?”
“We should expect that.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I’ve already buried myself.”
With her ability as a slug spirit, she could even turn the enemy’s best-laid plans into blunders.
“Then, let’s get moving,” she said, beginning to burrow into the ground. Jurette looked over at the plague doctor and voiced his thought.
“I plan to follow Merdilla. I have a bad feeling.”
“Hmm. Doesn’t seem like the enemy will advance here just yet. Go ahead, Jurette.”
With that, Jurette opened the door to the demon chamber and soared into the sky.
***
Ten seconds left until the barrier would open. Bellman, deployed with the assault team, checked the backs of Leana and Sila before glancing at Bellen’s squad, the core of this mission. Bellen, Professor Gomon, and Kerndel—those three stood at the center of the formation, ready to draw their weapons when the high-level spirit appeared. Amidst the tense atmosphere, Professor Gomon started counting down.
“Eight.”
As time dragged on, the squad leaders nearby gripped their weapons tightly. Even in the midst of this, Erusel gave Ricks a piece of advice.
“Don’t overdo it.”
“Oh, uh, yeah,” Ricks replied awkwardly, while Mircel, standing behind him, pouted her lips.
“Three.”
Professor Gomon’s voice continued counting down.
“Two.”
The moment everyone’s feet dug into the ground, ready to launch.
“One.”
As the barrier dissipated, the assault team charged forward with intensity. The spirits, in a rush, scrambled to gather their forces, but the difference between those prepared in advance and those reacting hastily was evident.
“Take them all down!!”
The professors led the charge, shattering the spirits’ forms. The students, now far more adept than during the defense, moved skillfully. Among them, those whom Bellman knew personally were especially noticeable on the battlefield, impressing him.
“Have they really grown this much from just one battle?”
The mages restrained the more formidable spirits. The swordsmen hacked off their claws and teeth. The spirits that managed to revive were swiftly finished off by the knights, who unleashed their aura to end them decisively. The mages empowered the swords of those unable to do so, and with each spirit corpse that piled up, their advance quickened.
Half the distance to the spirit gate remained—quicker than anticipated.
“At this speed, that door will be destroyed in no time.”
But a strange unease rose within him. It was likely due to the absence of a certain presence he’d expected to encounter.
‘Strange. Wasn’t there supposed to be another high-level spirit?’
Of course, if there weren’t, it would be a good thing. Even if there was, it might have been caught off guard and unable to respond immediately. However, the serious expression on the elderly veteran’s face kept Bellman from feeling entirely optimistic. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. Bellman glanced back at Bellen as he ran, noting that Professor Gomon, who was beside her, was looking at her curiously.
“Lady Bellen? Why have you stopped?”
Scanning her surroundings thoroughly, Bellen fixed her gaze on the ground. Then, with a grave expression, she shouted loudly, “Everyone, assume defensive positions!”
At her shout, an earthquake began to rumble. The ground shook, and walls of earth began to rise up. As they started to encase even the sky, Bellman’s gaze was drawn to the moon shining above. A lone bat flapped within its yellow circle. When the earthen walls finally covered it, the soldiers grew anxious.
“What... what is this?”
“I can’t see anything! Someone, turn on a light!”
Bellman cast light from the tip of his staff, revealing a complex network of walls surrounding them.
“What is this? A cave?”
“...Are we trapped?”
Then someone banged on the wall. When their iron-clad fists struck, the earth peeled away, revealing a surface that looked like the squishy insides of some creature.
‘It’s like being inside an animal’s stomach.’
Bellman looked around to assess the situation, and then a woman’s voice echoed throughout the space.
“Hello? It feels like a maze, doesn’t it?”
The voice was strange, slightly removed from a human’s tone.
“Don’t worry—it’s not an actual maze. This is my stomach. Welcome to becoming my meal.”
It was undoubtedly the voice of the high-level spirit who had set this trap.
***
Defending was nothing new. The defense team swiftly repelled the spirits that had entered during the brief opening of the barrier.
“It felt much easier than before, didn’t it?” Limberton remarked.
I agreed with him. “They came in briefly, so there were fewer of them than before. Still, it was simpler than expected.”
Now, all that remained was waiting for the assault team to complete their mission safely. The defense team, having finished their task, began making their way back to the fortress. But a trembling voice came through the loudspeakers.
“All defense team members, gather immediately.”
Seeing Rockefeller’s alarmed expression, it was clear something had happened. A sense of urgency quickened our steps. Just as we reached the fortress, someone shouted.
It was a commander from the assault team.
“Walls rose up from the ground, trapping everyone!”
“Huh? But why are you fine? Where’s your squad?”
“I was in the rear, so I wasn’t caught. But we need to move fast. Who knows what’s happening in there right now.”
Something big had occurred. I let out a small sigh and recalled an item I’d carefully stashed in my inventory.
[Elixir of Dreams]
Type: Illusion.
A potion painstakingly crafted by Irte, Lord of Dreams.
Duration: 3 minutes.
Upon consumption, it turns all status effects experienced during its duration into illusions. Even the cooldowns of attributes are constantly reset.
If death occurs, even death itself becomes an illusion at the end of the duration.
My last-resort trump card, saved for a truly dire situation.
Hopefully, I won’t have to use it in this scenario…
