1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

12. The Cursed Sword (1)

It must have been when I had procured various items for clinical trials from Selly.

I had intentionally become poisoned while in a cooldown state.

Thanks to that, I learned how the ‘1-Second Invincibility’ judged the debuffs that had been previously applied.

The stomach pain was killing me, but that’s beside the point.

[1-Second Invincibility Cooldown: 17 seconds]

[Status Ailment: Poison]

…

…

…

[1-Second Invincibility: Available]

[Poison detected. Type: Sariri Poison]

[1-Second Invincibility trait activated.]

The result was that once the cooldown ended, the 1-Second Invincibility would reactivate, erasing persistent status ailments and continuous damage.

“Kuhuk…”

I tensed my entire body. My body had shrunk to the size of a toy and was now in the grasp of an assassin.

The damp touch was unpleasant, but it would only be for a moment.

If only the ‘1-Second Invincibility’ cooldown would run its course, the curse of miniaturization would also be lifted.

[1-Second Invincibility Cooldown: 14 seconds]

The grip that was constricting me grew increasingly strong. I bit down hard and pushed with all the strength in my body against the fingers.

“Suck!”

“Hmm… Fighting with ants is rather cliché. I’ve done it before… On rare occasions, I wonder what else might be better? Ah, that’s right. I’ve been curious about what humans taste like.”

[1-Second Invincibility Cooldown: 5 seconds]

“Besides, you don’t die easily, do you? It might even be good for your health.”

He opened his mouth wide.

I clutched the broken blade of the dagger firmly. Blood flowed from my hand, but I had to endure such trivial pain.

“Aah~”

In the moment when a head was about to enter between the teeth, I stabbed the fingers that were clutching me with all their might. A groan escaped from his mouth. It seems I inflicted pain akin to a bee sting.

“Ouch!”

I felt his grip weaken. The range in which I could move my arm expanded. Clutching the dagger I had planted firmly, I slashed his fingers with a swish—slicing them.

Wherever the dagger passed, blood spurted. With it, his screams grew louder.

“aaagh!”

At best, it was a cut like a paper slice.

But there were countless wounds. The fingers that had been clutching me bloomed open like flower buds.

“You, you damned wretch!”

With a grimace, he spread his empty left hand. He took a stance like he was about to smash a mosquito with a volleyball spike.

“Just die!”

“Is that even possible?”

The cooldown was about to end.

[1-second invincibility cooldown: 1 second]

…

…

…

[1-second invincibility: available]

[A threat has been detected. Type: Curse of Diminution]

[1-second invincibility activated.]

As the system alarm sounded, my body grew massive.

The assassin wore a bewildered expression at my sudden growth. Not missing this golden opportunity, I thrust the dagger, weighted with my body, straight into his neck.

Thud──!

My hand felt warm and damp. It was the blood flowing from the assassin’s neck.

“How, how did your body… grow, gurgle······. The, the knife?”

His dumbfounded face twisted in pain. He let out a scream and clutched at his own neck.

It all happened in an instant.

Even the assassin was caught off guard, unable to react properly.

And I, too, was so fast that I didn’t even realize that what I had just done was murder.

“Sa, save me······. Now, even now, a do…doctor······.”

A hoarse voice close to a scream. Blood that hadn’t lost its warmth. Twitching veins and bloodshot eyes.

The sight of the man’s life fading away seemed to prove all too clearly that this place I had possessed was not a mere game, but reality.

Yet, I felt no guilt.

Only a sense of relief and an inexplicable feeling of accomplishment.

“Please, I beg you… Take me to a doctor now… Then, maybe I could live…”

I looked down at the man, growing colder by the moment, and said in a tone devoid of emotion,

“Do you know?”

“Heugh… Heugh……”

“I am someone who, if it’s for my own survival, knows how to kill.”

Was this temperament inherent to me, or was it due to the mental attribute ‘Noble Blood’s Last Ember’?

Either way, it seemed a joyous occasion, so I allowed myself a quiet laugh.

For I had overcome a trial that I would have eventually faced.

The mercilessness required to survive in the world of Asares, where the law of the jungle prevails.

“Especially towards someone like you, without hesitation.”

Snap!

I pulled the sword from the man’s neck. The pool of blood on the floor spread even wider.

* * *

Despite having ordered the night-shift butler to dispose of the body yesterday, the mansion was eerily silent.

The butler’s startled exclamation upon seeing the corpse’s face, “Se-Sevan sir?” suggested that the intruder was not from outside.

This meant that the assassin had been employed as a servant, and it was likely that the lady of the house, fearing public exposure, had covered it up.

“Hmm.”

I gripped the dagger firmly then opened and closed the hand that had been cut.

After applying the ointment and sleeping, the flesh had adhered and the scar had faded to be less noticeable than a wrinkle.

As expected of a potion made by a renowned magician, its efficacy was incomparably faster than anything from the world I came from.

I was fortunate that it ended with just a minor wound. Sitting in a chair, I touched the spot on my forehead where I had been hit by a crossbow bolt with one second left on the cooldown.

Had there been even a 0.1-second discrepancy… The thud! sound ringing in my ears as an auditory hallucination was something I didn’t even want to imagine.

“I almost grew a horn…”

Still, there was a material gain.

I erased the image of a human unicorn from my mind and took out the spoils I had acquired yesterday.

[Cursed Giant’s Skull]

● Attribute: Curse.

Those struck by the light shrink in stature.

Once shrunken, shining light upon them restores their normal size.

Among users, it was classified as a C-grade item, nothing particularly remarkable.

Just hearing the description, one might think, “Can’t you just shrink some overpowered boss and squash them like an ant?” But if that were possible, I wouldn’t have had to create a cheat code.

Even targets who have reached a certain level of skill are immune, and since it wasn’t designed for combat, I agree with its C-grade classification.

Moreover, it’s currently like a chicken rib – valuable but useless, so even C-grade is generous.

[Unavailable: Requires magical power.]

“……”

Magical power, essential for mages and magic swordsmen, isn’t something you’re born with unless you’re a silver spoon; it’s acquired through a grueling process of training from the ground up.

Of course, Hershel has no talent, and his wasted years hold no history of effort.

Had he even a speck of magical power, I would have reassessed him.

“Why on earth did I have to possess such a worthless guy…”

Damn it.

The more I think about it, the more it hurts my head, so I might as well accept it.

“I got the ticket quite quickly.”

I’ll save the skeleton for a future scenario and carefully store it in the box.

Thump─

I rose from the chair.

Having been lucky yesterday, I survived, but from my perspective, it was a close call without exaggeration, a sobering event.

With professional assassins possibly breaking in at any time, I too had to be fully prepared.

“Ah… I wish I had a machine gun. Just to shoot everything down.”

My next stop was the armory.

* * *

The top-tier weapons were all in the treasure house.

Only the head of the house could enter there, so my only option was the armory.

But it wasn’t to be underestimated; there was a separate high-grade armory just for the children, not the knights or soldiers.

Amidst the metallic stench, I gazed at the displayed armors and weapons, my eyes gleaming.

The roughly 120-centimeter-long swords boasted their sharpness, and the spears taller than me and the massive axes capable of felling a giant tree exuded an intimidating presence, as if they could part the seas on the battlefield.

True to a rich family, they were hard to come by.

But there was no machine gun.

First, I avoided the axes and spears, and in line with my modest specs, I grasped a longsword.

But it felt as if my shoulder would dislocate from its weight.

It would be fortunate if I didn’t throw it while swinging, but it seemed impossible to use as a weapon, so I put it back in its place.

“Phew… The weight of this lump of iron is no joke.”

With each new sword I tried, I ended up choosing something shorter and lighter.

The heaviness when swinging remained the same.

Finally, setting aside my crumbled pride, I moved my hand to a medium sword about 60 centimeters long.

Suddenly, my skin tingled as if shocked by static electricity.

‘Watching you is just pitiful…’

A voice?

No, is it right to call it a voice?

It felt as if it was transmitted through my skin.

“……”

I looked around. There was no one else in the armory but me. It was probably a hallucination, but still, I asked.

Embarrassing, but what does it matter if no one’s listening.

“Who are you?”

‘Wait… Can you actually hear my voice?’

The voice was as startled as my tingling skin.

“So, it wasn’t a hallucination…”

Normally, I would have run away from such a suspicious voice, not followed it.

But it was different because it was in the armory. I was intrigued because it was a voice without a single mouse in sight.

If one hears human speech in such a place without another soul around, there’s no other explanation.

‘I asked you… Can you hear… my voice?’

“I asked because I can hear you, didn’t I?”

Ego, one of the top-tier options.

Even the most insignificant item becomes precious if it possesses ‘self-awareness,’ rated three grades higher for that alone.

It was clear that it was the best item among all the weapons here.

‘That you can hear my voice… It’s been tens of thousands of years.’

It seemed that others couldn’t hear its voice.

That bothered me a bit, but it didn’t really matter.

“Really?”

I responded nonchalantly on purpose.

An ownerless ego item speaking up means one thing for sure: it’s a stray cat’s choice.

It made sense, given they spend their lives cooped up in dusty places for a long time.

They must want to enjoy some freedom and breathe the outside air.

“It was a pleasure meeting you. Wait for the next connection.”

I toyed with another weapon I couldn’t even wield, just to tease a little longer.

“Hmm… There’s nothing particularly useful here. Looks like I won’t be coming back.”

As expected, the interview began.

‘Wait, hold on! Don’t go! My name is Donatan. I once served the world’s strongest swordsman as my master and was the incarnation of the thunder god. Many good things will come from being with me! So please, take me out!’

Incarnation? Must have been a spirit.

They always exaggerate when they talk. Is it in their nature?

“Skill… For that, it looks like a pretty ordinary sword.”

‘What you’re holding is not the main body. I am─’

Creak─

The sound of a door opening interrupted our conversation. I shifted my gaze from the sword and looked towards the entrance.

A man with an intellectual demeanor, Daysel, approached me with his silver hair flowing and spoke coldly.

“What brings you here?”

His indifferent tone and the sharp look in his eyes were a far cry from the polite demeanor I saw at the last family dinner, but it wasn’t particularly surprising.

After all, I had already laid bare my heart to the mistress, and my relationship with him wasn’t exactly cordial.

It was understandable that he’d show his true colors in a place without prying eyes.

I looked back at the sword to avoid the petty squabble, especially since I couldn’t think of anything to say about his relationship with Hersel.

But Daysel seemed unwilling to leave me alone, narrowing his eyes as he observed my actions.

“Are you considering learning swordsmanship now… Have you already forgotten how badly you were beaten?”

It seems Hersel had been beaten to dust by this guy on a rainy day in the past.

Annoyed by this insolent man, I responded carelessly.

“People come here wearing swords, so if I’m to join in, I should have one too, right?”

“Your life is already forfeit, such futile resistance. More importantly, these things here are not yours. Put them down and get out.”

His remarks were increasingly crossing the line.

Watching him act as if everything here belonged to him, I ignited the ‘noble blood’s last ember.’

“Such petty rivalry, as if a thieving cat trembles in unease?”

Thieving cat = the hostess.

Only then could I see his fiercely twisted expression once more.

The same expression he had when I probed the hostess’s intentions at the dinner table.

“Hershel… watch your mouth. Unless you want your limbs broken like old times!”

Was it the confidence from defeating the assassin?

Or the certainty that he could do nothing in this moment?

I had no fear.

One thing was certain: I couldn’t be underestimated here, nor did I want to appear so.

I provoked him with a sneering taunt.

“Go on, try it now.”

Daysel’s expression calmed as he stepped back.

The relief was brief. I regretted my choice as I saw him grip a rusty dagger from the display case.

Could it be… he’s really going to try?

“Soon enough, but not just yet.”

Then why not put the knife down and say so?

Ping!

A sharp sound pierced my ears. The dagger grazed only my hair and thudded into the wall.

“Did you say you needed a weapon? Such trash might befit your level, only good for slicing meat. You can take that.”

Daysel wiped his hands with a handkerchief, his face venomous. I said nothing before the intense malice emanating from his eyes.

The disparity between us was clear; I couldn’t even see the motion of him throwing the dagger.

“Well then, big brother, let’s see how well you do.”

With those words, he left.

I calmed my tense heart and summoned the ego item I had seen earlier.

“The uninvited guest has left. So, Donatan, was it? Where’s your real body?”

‘That, that is…’

“Out with it, or should I just leave?”

‘Now! Right now, the one stuck in the wall is me!’

Huh?

In disbelief, I pulled the dagger from the wall.

This was hardly a dagger, more like a knife one might use to slice steak. Moreover, its teeth were all but gone, and it was rusted to the core.

It had no place in an armory.

“Really, this is your true form?”

‘The, the shell doesn’t matter…’

That’s true.

It’s an ego sword, after all.

I stared blankly at the spot where Dacel had left. His words from earlier echoed in my ears.

– Did you say you needed a weapon? For someone of your caliber, only trash that might be able to slice meat would suit you. You can take that.

“……”

My worth = Ego sword?

That b*stard.

Is he actually a good guy?