Invincible
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#65
🕑 Added 2024-08-26 09:17:47 +0000 UTCWraith (4)
By the time the tea cup was empty, the mistress stamped the final document. The moon was already high outside the window. Seeing that she had finished her work, the head maid finally spoke up.
"Madam, have you heard the news?"
"News?"
"It seems that the eldest son of the Banas family has been admitted to Frostheart."
The head maid cautiously watched the mistress’s reaction. Bringing up the man who had often irritated her since the day of the festival. However, it was all in the past now. As expected, the mistress replied nonchalantly.
"I knew. He was destined to go there from the start."
The Banas family mansion was infamous for a series of unfortunate events. Tragedies such as people suddenly becoming vegetative, going insane, or dying of heart attacks. The common thread among the victims was that they were all half-siblings of the eldest son, Luon.
Though there was no concrete evidence, the suspicion was enough. Luon’s fate was sealed. The only plan was to erase him honorably.
"So, he achieved his wish after all."
"Indeed."
The mistress pretended to be deep in thought, then chuckled.
"Thinking back, it’s a bit regretful. I considered it a kind of amusement, but in the end, it feels like he won."
The head maid remained silent, wisely. The mistress seemed to recall how he persistently tried to communicate, even when cut off from the outside world. He sent countless carrier pigeons and even tried to sneak letters through the supply wagons entering the mansion. There were also attempts to infiltrate the Tenest estate with members of the shady Lethe club.
Eventually, when he crossed the line, the mistress contacted the Banas family to have him confined, ending the matter.
"To plan an invasion of the mansion, that was too much."
"Indeed, a man who did not know his place."
The head maid smirked and nodded.
**
The mystery was quickly unraveled.
Luon Al Banas, now free at night, was aware of Fela in the special hall. Seeing another person brainwashed by a wraith would have piqued his curiosity, leading him to follow them. It was plausible that he would be found in the Forbidden Library.
One thing remained puzzling: this place was an ideal maze for hiding. Despite these perfect conditions, he showed himself willingly, almost confessing.
...What if I reported him?
"I never imagined meeting you here."
Luon approached with relaxed steps. Though a sense of vigilance rose within me, he wouldn’t make a sudden attack. If any injuries or bodies were left behind, it would only serve as evidence.
Just to be sure, I looked at the woman slumped against the wall.
"Did you do this?"
"I just choked her until she fainted. She’ll wake up soon."
I sighed in relief. Luon asked with a curious face.
"So, what brings you here, Hersel?"
Red alert. How should I explain this?
Should I say I’m also here to uncover the secrets of the Forbidden Library?
"Well..."
"Hm? Does that staff have a purification spell to break brainwashing?"
Damn, this guy has sharp eyes.
"And the mana scent is foreign, almost like it belongs to someone else."
And a sharp nose.
"......"
“It must be a professor’s spell.”
Damn, he figured it out. I had no choice but to answer honestly, facing Luon's questioning gaze.
"I’m here at the professor’s request to subdue the two missing students."
He smiled warmly.
"Ah, it seems we have the same goal. What a fortunate turn of events."
Why does he look so happy? His voice carried a hint of excitement.
"Why are you so happy about being with me, given my connection to the professor?"
"It’s been a long time since we were together. We used to play a lot as kids."
Luon's face showed a bit of life, which made me curious about what connected these wicked men.
I needed to understand his goodwill more precisely.
"Don’t you resent me for leaving Lethe?"
When I prodded, he blinked as if puzzled.
"Do I have the right to blame you? I couldn't even contact you for the past year."
"Contact?"
"The meddling of that stray cat was quite significant."
By “stray cat,” he meant the mistress. He must have tried to reach out but was blocked by her.
"So, I think I should be the one feeling guilty. I can understand why you decided to leave Lethe."
So, he’s blaming himself for my departure from Lethe.
"Really?"
That’s convenient for me.
The second-year knight from Burger Hall is manageable, but the first-year mage from Adele Hall is a tougher opponent.
If he plans to continue showing goodwill, I might as well use it.
Finding the location of the Forbidden Library was only a matter of time for him anyway. I just needed to ensure he didn’t take anything from there to mess up the scenario.
Though I had to make a risky demand first...
"In that case, don't think about taking anything from the Forbidden Library. That’s the condition for accompanying me."
I boldly made this demand to the Act 1 boss. But he nodded willingly.
"I intended to do that regardless of your request. I’m only here to explore what’s hidden today."
It seemed like unnecessary worry.
Of course. If anything disappeared from the Forbidden Library, the professors would search for it intensely. He wouldn’t want to take that risk either.
He added another reason.
"Besides, I wouldn’t want to trouble you."
That made me uncomfortable.
"If I took something, you’d take the blame."
-Too friendly.
Now I was curious. Why was the boss treating a weakling like me so kindly?
I remembered that he wasn’t like Bidon, but...
"Ahem."
Luon always had a demeanor suggesting he’d give his all. There seemed to be some story behind it.
For now, I decided to put off setting boundaries with him.
"We’re late. Let's hurry."
We followed the crow without further delay. I asked him how he subdued the woman.
"You said you choked her. What did you use?"
He opened his mouth in surprise.
"Thought Paralyzing Powder. So..."
He muttered his plan to subdue the enemy.
"That was my plan."
He also realized that the enemies learned.
"Alright, I’ll match your strategy."
We ran through the maze, choosing the correct path thanks to the crow. I saw the man standing at the door, summoning a spell with his palm.
Now was our chance as he tried to open the entrance to the Forbidden Library.
I picked up speed, though Luon overtook me.
The man opened the door and aimed his staff.
Whoosh!
The air swirled, showing the faint shape of a giant transparent spear. I grabbed Luon’s collar and pulled him behind me.
"Huh?"
As he fell, the wind spear hit me full force.
Bang!
[Impact detected.]
[Trait activated.]
[1-second invincibility cooldown: 59 seconds.]
"Hersel?"
Ignoring Luon's surprised voice, I ignited the 'Noble Blood Ember' and faced the man.
"That won’t work on me. Show me something else, maybe a real trick."
Fela’s specialty was curses. He learned that brute-force spells wouldn’t work on me. I hoped my tactic had worked.
The man began drawing a curse spell with his staff. I sighed in relief, turned slightly toward Luon, and reached for my staff.
'Donatan, be ready.'
- You may proceed.
As I ran forward, a black mist of curse magic engulfed me. My heart raced, and the world turned red.
[1-second invincibility cooldown: 43 seconds.]
[Status abnormality: Blood Rage curse.]
My hand, guided by Donatan, drew the staff. The hidden white light emerged. As it touched my head, my heartbeat normalized and my vision cleared.
I quickly touched Luon’s head with the staff too.
Tap!
Luon sprinted toward the man as he threw the white powder. As the flour-like dust spread, the man smirked.
"Did you think the same trick would work twice?"
His staff was charged with a wind spell.
Whoosh!
The gust blew the powder away, covering Luon. He stood paralyzed. The man aimed his staff at Luon, drawing a curse of explosive death.
"I’ll get rid of this leech first."
But Luon moved.
Snap!
He grabbed the man’s staff with both hands.
"What?"
Luon quickly disarmed him and put him in a joint lock. His arm choked the man. A mage couldn’t match Luon’s strength in close combat.
"Why..."
The man asked. Luon smiled softly.
"The powder was ground stone."
I approached the subdued man and tapped his head with the purified staff.
"It’s over."
Luon released the unconscious man and smiled.
"I’m glad you came, Hersel. I would have died alone."
Lies.
If he were really in danger, he would have ditched the restraint of subduing and killed the man. Luon always found a way to win, his most terrifying trait.
"I doubt that."
Luon flinched. I pointed to the Forbidden Library.
"Shall we take a look?"
He eyed the keyhole curiously.
"Why are there two ways to open the door?"
The man had used a spell on the wall to open it, yet there was a keyhole too. It was puzzling.
The spell to unlock it was lost over time, hence the keyhole.
Frostheart was full of such hidden elements unknown even to professors.
"Who knows."
I feigned ignorance. These secrets were meant for the protagonists and him to uncover themselves.
**
Luon carried the mage and the knight on his shoulders. After exiting the maze, he handed them over to me. He gave me extra 'Thought Paralyzing Powder' as a gift and hid.
As I left the north entrance, I approached the injured professors to draw attention. The area was a mess.
"Huff, huff. Hersel Ben Tenest."
I ignored Rockefeller's struggle with Leana, treating him like he was invisible.
"You dare ignore my orders?"
"I brought them."
The professors stared at the subdued students in shock. Luon took the chance to slip away.
With the task done, I planned to return to Schlaphe Hall and sleep. But the professors' urgent voices stopped me.
"Where are you going without helping Professor Rockefeller?"
"I did what was asked. The rest is up to you."
"Hersel Ben Tenest, comply or face a curse of control."
"Do as you wish. You professors expect a lot from a student."
As I pretended to leave, Rockefeller’s dying voice called out.
"Hersel... Ben... Tenest, help me."
His stubborn refusal to summon Akandric...
He was persistent.
"Who threatened to punish me for breaking curfew?"
My joke made Rockefeller glare at me murderously. Briefly, before Leana charged with her sword, forcing him to concede.
"I rescind it."
"I can’t hear you."
"I said I rescind it!"
I smirked and drew the purified staff.
The professors shook their heads.
"It won’t work."
"It didn’t work?"
"Professor Rockefeller tried, but she quickly reverted to brainwashing."
So, it didn’t work on Leana. This was troublesome.
"Professor, I don’t think I can help."
"Just buy me 3... no, 2 seconds!"
"I can do that."
With '1-second invincibility' and 'Thought Paralyzing Powder,' it wouldn’t be hard.
I approached Leana, stopping to ask the plan.
"What do you intend to do?"
Squeezing out his remaining magic, he answered.
"Memory Reading, a mental spell."
He hid in the snowstorm, quickly blown away by her sword wind.
"It fixes the weak mind from the inside. It’s the only way to prevent re-brainwashing!"
He steadied himself with telekinesis.
"Sending you in is the only way."
"Me?"
His scolding response answered my dumbfounded question.
"Who else? Only you have a connection with her!"
It might have the opposite effect, but...
Leana aimed to pierce Rockefeller, so I hurried.
As she appeared before me, attacking invisibly,
Ping!
[Impact detected.]
[Trait activated.]
[1-second invincibility cooldown: 59 seconds.]
She had likely aimed to cut my neck horizontally. The sword was split in two. I threw the 'Thought Paralyzing Powder' given by Luon, looking at Rockefeller’s prepared blue spell.
"Remember, Hersel Ben Tenest. You only get one chance."
With a trembling staff, he touched Leana's head and smacked mine.
This bastard.
