Invincible
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#146
🕑 Added 2024-11-14 11:02:40 +0000 UTCSkull of the Incubus (4)
I know enough about Irte's background.
He approached humans amicably and made them an offer, but was betrayed by the king of Bellam at the time, which filled him with a desire for revenge.
Normally, such memories would remain as trauma, but for Irte, the events that took place here were far more horrifying.
As we neared the entrance, Leana spoke.
“This building... It feels familiar somehow."
"Perhaps you saw it in one of your textbooks."
Since this place trains Pathfinders, their textbooks contain detailed illustrations and descriptions of ancient ruins, including architectural styles.
"So, this is a ruin?"
"It seems so."
After answering, Leana inspected the building closely.
Unlike the illustrations in the textbooks, the smooth stone floor and walls were free of any moss.
The arched ceilings and statues were pristine, without a single crack, almost as if new.
"But it doesn’t seem like it’s that old."
That’s because in Irte’s memory, the labyrinth was still inhabited.
It’s something you learn firsthand in the later part of the scenario.
By then, the place will have fallen into ruins, worn down by time.
Irte’s age, at this point, was impossible to estimate—too ancient to fathom.
I nodded at Leana’s question, showing no sign of doubt.
"It’s possible."
"Oh, right. I guess it is possible."
Hmm, despite being aware it’s a dream, her perception remains cloudy.
I repeated my words as if casting a spell.
"It is possible."
With glazed eyes, Leana nodded.
"Yes, you’re right. It is possible."
Simple. I like that.
I stepped forward and entered the building.
At that moment, I heard a noise, and Leana grabbed my sleeve.
"Hersel, someone’s here."
"There’s no need to worry. They aren’t thieves."
I walked towards the center of the temple, my footsteps echoing.
Even so, they didn’t notice our presence.
They were merely replayed memories, no different from holograms.
"Let's move on."
I walked casually, and Leana followed, sword drawn, cautiously watching her surroundings.
At the center, there was a staircase.
At the bottom knelt a man with bat-like wings, gazing up at the stairs. It was Irte.
With a desperate voice, he said, "Ah, but Your Majesty, your loyal servant Irte will surely protect the things most dear to you."
I lifted my head.
I couldn’t see the face of the king Irte spoke to.
He lay on a bed at the top of the stairs, his face covered by a white veil.
Though I was curious, it wasn’t something I could touch, so I wouldn’t be able to see his face.
However, I could see the face of the woman standing beside him, smiling mockingly.
Leana must have recognized her too, because she muttered a name aloud.
"Dorosian...?"
It was, to be precise, Dorosian from the future.
Her makeup was slightly thicker, and her hair was styled in a rounded bun.
Dorosian looked down at Irte and said, "That's because your methods are wrong, aren't they?"
"Silence, wench! Your Majesty, please do not listen to that vile woman's words. I beg of you, please."
As Irte’s voice grew louder, a frail voice responded.
The white veil stirred, indicating that the man lying on the sickbed was the one speaking.
“Quiet, Dorosian. Irte.”
Even I, with all my experience, do not know the true identity of that man.
Moreover, whenever the future Dorosian appeared, it was always tied to the main scenario.
He certainly seemed like an important figure, but this part remained a mystery.
While I was mulling over these thoughts, the veiled man continued speaking.
“And Irte, as Dorosian claims, your methods are wrong.”
In response to the man's words, Dorosian gave a mocking smile.
“Is that all? Your values are wrong too. Demons can never embrace humans. Even the slightest misstep, and you look at things from an extreme perspective.”
As she spoke, Dorosian gently stroked the man's jawline.
To an outsider, she would appear as the wicked woman who bewitched the king and brought the nation to ruin.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Irte, who seemed like nothing but a loyal servant.
“Am I wrong?”
As Irte tried to say something, Dorosian scoffed.
“The moment you genuinely considered that insane plan, you were already wrong. You're nothing but a dreamer. If left to you, everything would certainly fall apart.”
Grinding his teeth, Irte responded.
“...You can't know that without trying, Dorosian!”
“Stop dreaming, foolish Irte. If the world you want to save were worth saving, do you think I’d have any reason to come here?”
Irte’s expression began to grow menacing.
Tired of their loud argument, the veiled man sighed deeply and spoke.
“Then, begin, Dorosian.”
Before his words had even finished, Dorosian’s hand pierced through the man’s stomach.
Thud!
Irte’s eyes shrank in horror.
“Ah, Your Majesty!!”
He quickly flew at Dorosian, tears streaming down his twisted face.
“How dare you, you wretched woman!!”
Dorosian flashed a teasing smile at the approaching Irte.
Then, she lifted one of her feet.
“Arrogant Irte. When I look closely, you do have a cute side, don’t you?”
The sharp heel of Dorosian’s shoe slammed into Irte’s forehead.
It was a murderous kick.
“Grrr!”
Irte’s eyes rolled back as his wings lost strength, and he plummeted to the ground.
As he tumbled down the stairs, Dorosian began drawing a spell.
“Now, sleep for a long time, Irte.”
As Irte’s eyes slowly closed, the characters faded into faint light.
All that remained were the temple and Dorosian’s mocking laughter.
“Ha ha, how amusing that the demon of dreams is falling asleep.”
That was the end of Irte’s memory. Since the source of the trauma had fallen asleep, there was no explanation for why Dorosian had pierced the man’s stomach.
What could be inferred was that she was trying to prevent the destruction in her own way, using time travel.
And while Irte had his own plans, they were thwarted by Dorosian, plunging him into a deep slumber.
Perhaps feeling pity for him, Leana spoke softly.
“He seems like a rather pitiful demon…”
“Indeed. Just now, Dorosian seemed more like a demon herself.”
“Right, she really did look like a wicked woman.”
Dorosian only becomes crueler as she ages.
It's a fact to keep in mind if you ever wish to live long.
***
He had been asleep for far too long.
When he awoke, the king had passed away due to that wicked woman’s schemes.
For reasons unknown, the demon race had vanished, and the land where they once lived came to be known as the Demonic Realm.
Nevertheless, he sought out humans to fulfill his mission. He learned modern etiquette and extended his hand to them, but he was ultimately betrayed by the king of Bellam.
Irte sat in his chair, biting his nails.
“A king is the title given to the greatest person in the world."
‘How dare that lowly insect call himself a king? How dare a mere worm interfere with my mission...?’
As he recalled the moment his body was severed, blood tears began to flow, and his fists clenched tightly. His nails dug into his skin from the bitterness, and blood dripped from the wounds that had reopened.
‘Revenge must come first.’
After losing his limbs, he couldn’t punish the perpetrator himself after all that time.
However, for a demon, betrayal was a crime heavy enough to bring about collective punishment.
Fortunately, his descendant was still alive.
‘Executing his bloodline as an example and making Bellam my base wouldn’t be such a bad idea.’
Irte considered this to be a quite rational decision. Revenge aside, humans are too foolish a species for any conciliatory gesture to work.
It diverged from the ways of the king he once served, but whether in the past or now, subjugation through fear was still a valid method.
‘My king... though I go against your will, this too stems from my loyalty. I shall gladly accept my punishment after death.’
Irte steeled himself and thought of the inevitable destruction and the prophet Dorosian.
‘Dorosian, wherever you are, I’ll make sure you can see clearly. I’ll show you that my way wasn’t wrong.’
Though she was a detestable woman, it was true that, as she had said, the world didn’t have much time left.
In fact, this had been predicted ever since the king had fallen ill.
With his heart ablaze with a sense of duty, Irte stood up.
“I must hurry.”
For Irte, who had lived through countless ages, it would pass by in the blink of an eye.
“I will turn the entire world into a dreamscape. I will put an end to destruction, for the king...”
If he could pull the entire world into the realm of his abilities, it was possible.
By manipulating reality, he could eliminate the very source of destruction.
But for that, he needed immense nutrients.
“I will guide all living beings into the world of dreams. I will become the god of dreams for the sake of the king.”
By making the world dream of a land full of hope, he would gain the power to sustain the world in return.
A life as livestock wouldn’t be so bad.
It would be far better than destruction.
The starting point would be Frost Heart.
“My king, I will surely preserve the world you gave your life to protect.”
As Irte stepped out of the room, someone cleared their throat.
“Ahem.”
Gomon put down the ancient tome he had been reading and shook his head.
He watched Irte’s retreating figure with a look of disdain.
‘Leading the world into dreams? Of all the dreams he could have, why this one…?’
To Gomon, he just seemed like a madman appearing in a dream.
***
The treasure was hidden beneath the temple.
Together with Leana, I descended into the cavern made of rock.
In the center was a large dueling arena.
The walls were lined with armors and various weapons.
At first glance, it looked like an arena, but in truth, it was a training ground for someone.
Leana’s eyes gleamed as she looked at the rare swords.
“These... these look like some incredible items.”
As she said, they were all ancient artifacts of immense value.
But once the scenario ended, they would disappear.
The only thing I could take from this place was the treasure I was looking for.
Of course, in order to proceed, we first had to defeat the boss of the hidden room.
“Soon, the bandit leader will appear. But before that, we need to go somewhere for a bit.”
I led Leana into a room. Beyond the door was a waterfall within a cave.
Shhhaaahhh
I guided Leana to the edge where the ground met the water. Just one more step, and we would fall into the pool.
I grabbed Leana's hand.
"Hersel?"
Leana flinched, looking at me in surprise.
I pulled her hand and threw myself into the water with a splash!
"Wah!"
The water wasn’t deep, barely reaching halfway up our bodies.
Leana’s eyes widened as she asked, "What are you doing?"
“This water is filled with vital energy. Meditate on your aura here.”
This place is a training ground that you typically use later in the scenario.
For rookies in Frost Heart, this was a facility far too advanced.
Just by meditating in the energy-filled water, one could reach mid-game levels of strength.
Of course, once Irte dies, all of this power will vanish...
Leana, now in a near-hypnotic state, closed her eyes and obediently began her meditation.
If my energy center were intact, I would have joined her, but it couldn’t be helped.
I had entered the water just in case it might have some health benefits, but I didn’t feel anything of the sort.
Sploosh.
I stepped out of the water by myself, planting my feet on dry ground. Then I pulled out my staff and used telekinesis to dry off the water from my clothes.
“Hersel? Where are you going now?”
“I’m done. You stay here and continue meditating. In the meantime, I’ll pick out some useful weapons.”
With that, I headed back to the training ground.
The equipment on display was all end-game level.
I carefully examined which armor to dress Leana in and what sword to give her.
In the corner, a small dagger caught my eye.
Its design was unusually simple, which made it stand out.
Curious, I picked it up and wondered aloud, “Everything else is so extravagant, but this one is so plain.”
I wasn’t expecting an answer, but Donatan replied.
‘Hmm, it does look familiar.’
‘It couldn’t be the dagger that sealed you, could it?’
I joked, thinking he would be annoyed, but he responded with a serious tone.
‘That possibility can’t be ruled out. It’s been far too long since this body’s vessel has rusted. So long, in fact, that I don’t even remember its original form...’
‘Really?’
I focused on selecting appropriate gear for Leana.
I chose a longsword imbued with the energy of flames and a set of armor for her.
Given that she had the blessing of immunity to fire, she could wield them.
[Sword of Alkin, the Flame Spirit King]
Attribute: Fire.
-A divine sword that only those with extreme fire resistance can wield.
-When aura is infused into the blade, its destructive power increases greatly.
-When wrapped in the energy of fire, it grants an armor-piercing effect.
-This sword will never sustain a scratch.
For her armor, I selected something almost overpowered.
[Armor Imbued with the Breath of the Phoenix]
Attribute: Fire.
-An armor that only those with extreme fire resistance can wear.
-Significantly increases health regeneration.
-Greatly enhances defense.
-The armor instantly repairs itself if damaged.
-If the wearer dies, they are resurrected with an intact body.
-Upon resurrection, the armor is permanently destroyed.
Each piece had options worthy of end-game gear.
Having chosen Leana’s equipment, I looked for something suitable for myself.
Most of the items required extreme resistance to certain elements or the ability to use aura.
The best I could equip were items with base stats at their highest.
A weapon that ignored defense and armor that absorbed all damage were the best I could get.
“Hersel?”
Just in time, Leana had finished her aura meditation and appeared.
I used my fine-tuned telekinesis to remove the water from her clothes.
“Use this.”
Leana put on the armor I handed her.
It seemed difficult for her to handle it alone, as she wasn’t used to it.
I sat her down and fastened the buckles of the armor.
“Does it feel tight or uncomfortable?”
“It feels just right.”
Once we were prepared, I led Leana onto the training ground.
Then, a strange mist appeared from across the room and pulled the purple armor that had been hanging on the wall.
Clank, clank.
The armor began to equip itself automatically.
The mist was the commander who led the dream knights.
With glowing blue eyes, he drew his sword.
Sling-
***
"Hey, you. That guy may be a fool, but he's not that much of an idiot."
What does it matter? It's a dream, thought Silla, speaking without restraint.
At her sharp, irritated voice, the woman from the Buerger household shrank back, her eyes trembling, and took a step back.
"S-Silla..."
Silla was a woman who lived in a completely different world from the average noble's daughter.
She was always at the center of young people's balls and had even recorded top scores at the Adele Hall, so it was only natural that the Buerger girl was nervous.
"If you have nothing to say, then move aside."
The Buerger woman retreated silently.
Silla clicked her tongue as she glanced at Limberton, who had reached out to the woman.
"Don't go, Serda..."
"You really have a talent for making me want to take back everything I just said within seconds."
Silla grabbed Limberton by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to a chair.
As soon as they sat down, she began spewing venom.
"You're an idiot, even in dreams. I must really have seen you as a fool."
At this, Limberton perked up his ears.
"A dream? Right, this is all a dream. There's no way Serda would abandon me."
Silla briefly considered smacking him on the head.
Sigh
"Forget it. It's all fake anyway."
The realization that everything was an illusion made her let out a hollow laugh instead.
"You're really something. If you'd just kept your mouth shut and done well, women would be naturally drawn to you."
Though she didn’t show it outwardly, evaluating men was a secret pleasure for women.
Not all of them, of course, but among close friends, it was a common activity.
Even Limberton's name would come up sometimes, and it wasn’t always negative.
"Maybe it's because you work out, your physique looks pretty good, and your style is decent, not flashy. But the problem is your mouth."
Silla offered him some advice, thinking it might help.
But Limberton seemed to come to his senses and expressed his displeasure.
"Who do you think you are, picking a fight with me even in dreams?"
Silla suddenly felt irritated.
Thinking back, he was always shamelessly flirting with other girls.
Yet he acted rude and rebellious only towards her.
Whether in dreams or reality, that was always the same.
'Does this guy discriminate between people or something?'
Silla sank into her chair, sighing.
"Whatever. What's the point of talking to you here?"
As she stood up, ready to leave, Limberton stared at her in silence, his gaze filled with frustration.
"Why? You start something and then walk away?"
"You got something to say?"
"A lot. I just haven’t said anything until now."
Silla sat back down, as if giving him permission to speak his mind.
"Alright, let's hear it."
"...You don't understand my situation at all. You just say whatever you want."
"Hmph, what don’t I understand?"
Limberton suddenly stood up from his seat.
"Look at me. I'm short, my face is average, and I don’t come from a good family. This is the life I've lived. Sure, I’ve tried keeping my mouth shut, like you said. Because every time I spoke, I killed the mood."
His voice carried a sincerity that made Silla's eyes twitch slightly.
"And do you know what happened then? Nobody noticed me. People didn’t even know I existed. I'd rather be remembered as an idiot than go back to that. Honestly, do you think you'd have remembered me at all if I had acted normal at the ball that day?"
Limberton was panting heavily by the time he finished.
Silla averted her gaze.
She probably wouldn’t have remembered him. He would’ve just been another one of the countless men she rejected and quickly forgot.
'Come to think of it, I’ve never really considered things from his perspective. Who would've thought he had such struggles…?'
Her moment of reflection was brief.
Silla relaxed her expression and looked at Limberton with a soft gaze.
She couldn’t tell whether this man’s sincerity was real, given that it was all a dream, but for some reason, she didn’t feel too bad about it.
A slightly gentler tone slipped from her lips.
"For the first time, it feels like I'm having a conversation with the real you. Not the fool."
His ridiculous words were just his way of desperately acting out.
His approach was misguided, but it was like the courtship display of a male peacock.
Realizing this, Silla stood up and spoke softly as she turned to leave.
"But you know, if I could go back to that time..."
With a shy smile, she left behind a final remark.
"I might consider dancing with you."
As Silla walked away, she was relieved it was all just a dream.
Though she felt lighter, it would forever remain a dark, embarrassing memory she would never share with anyone.
She didn’t even glance at Limberton, fearing her face might betray her emotions.
After a few steps, she heard the sound of quiet sobbing.
It was Clave.
"I... I understand..."
Clave, who happened to be passing by, had tears in his eyes as he looked at Limberton.
