1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

29. Monster (3)

Swoosh!

A feather, shimmering with iridescent colors, was sliced from top to bottom.

Mirsell bristled at the sight of the second feather disintegrating into dust.

Honestly, I was skeptical at first, but as Hersel said, the feather was there. And there was even a faint, swirling sensation.

“At first, the energy felt shallow, but now I’m starting to get a feel for it.”

Mirsell closed his eyes and concentrated aura in his right hand. Then he recalled his conversation with Aiol.

-In the Demon Realm, monsters ambush you at any time. Dad, have you ever been in danger?

-Not really. There’s a series of processes before entering. Like this.

Mirsell slapped his aura-filled palm onto the ground, just as Aiol had shown him.

“The magical energy is faint, but it reacts to aura and has the property of seeping into the ground,” he had said.

He heightened his senses until he could feel a single grain of dust settling on the back of his hand.

Then, from his palm, he felt the sensation of three thin threads.

It felt exactly the same as the feather.

“Let’s see, if the boss said there were five in total and I’ve dealt with two, that leaves three. Fits perfectly, doesn’t it?”

Mirsell surveyed the areas where the lines had extended. One to the annex, two to the training grounds. And then, to the direction pointed by the thinnest thread of all.

‘It’s the farthest from here, isn’t it? I’ll deal with that last. Time to go.’

That place was the servants’ quarters, tucked away in a corner.

* * *

With so many people, it seems to take some time for the servants to evacuate.

Still, there should be enough leeway, and once I reach the servants’ quarters, there shouldn’t be any danger.

As I’ve experienced in the game, it’s a secluded spot, the furthest from any battle with the monster.

And Mirsell, this admirable little one, who would have thought he’d do so well? My once faint hopes have changed.

‘…Oh no. Get ready, Hersel. It has started moving.’

“Already?”

In urgency, I turned my head to keep watch over the mansion. Seeing the building gradually cracking, I realized how futile my recent relief was.

I couldn’t see the creature behind the wall, but the sound of the crumbling building let me guess it had somehow recovered.

Boom───!

How could it still be so vigorous after I’ve drained all its venom…?

Behind the fluttering curtain, the monster’s red eyes glinted. It glared at me murderously as it approached.

‘The distance is close… And your strength hasn’t recovered yet. Do something, now!’

I wish I could. But right now, without the strength to dodge, what proper move could there be…?

Grrrr─

The monster growled like a beast as it charged. With its superhuman speed, all I could do was watch its fist swing at full force.

Bang───!

[A physical attack has been detected.]

[A trait has been activated.]

[1-second invincibility cooldown: 59 seconds]

x That’s it.

Even if its right arm exploded into liquid, it hardly mattered. Because the left fist, already cocked for a follow-up blow, remained!

Grrrrk!

“Hmm?”

What’s that sound?

It seemed to be a voice tinged with agony…

But why is my head still stuck to my body? When I opened my tightly shut eyes, I was greeted by an astonishing sight.

The brute who had tried to blow me up was clutching his portly belly with his left fist.

Gagging…

He crumpled to the floor on his knees, his eyes contorted in pain.

Then, from his mouth, he spewed a torrent of poison like a waterfall.

Fortunately, it seemed the poison had finally taken effect, albeit belatedly.

Wary of the poison splashing, I stepped back, looking down at him.

…Anyway, did I manage to survive?

* * *

“Look over there for a moment, please.”

At the end of the group following Jack and Rodel, a butler pointed shakily in the direction where Gwejo and Hershel were.

The crowd halted and murmured. Then, Jack and Rodel, who were at the front, walked back to the end to assess the situation.

“Why have we stopped all of a sudden? Why aren’t you hurrying?”

“No, look over there.”

“Oh, really. What on earth is going on?”

Jack’s eyes, which had been squinting into the distance, widened in shock.

“Gasp!”

The monster that had once terrorized the world was now on its knees, writhing in pain, spewing blood from its mouth.

And there stood Hershel, looking down coldly at the creature, taking a step back. It was the perfect opportunity, given the monster’s defenseless state, yet Jack’s mouth hung open at Hershel’s leisurely demeanor.

“Did the young master do this?”

“Ah, surely not…”

Overhearing the men’s conversation, Jack felt his head spinning. They were unaware of Hershel’s strength.

If he could raise Hershel’s reputation now, it might benefit those who had bet on him.

Having finished his calculations, Jack stroked his face with his hand and adopted a serious expression.

“Huh, so that was it. Yes, it wouldn’t have been visible to the ordinary eye.”

“What? What do you mean? Invisible, what is?”

“If it were me, I would have seen it. The young master’s lightning-fast punch.”

At Jack’s confident tone, the people around exchanged looks of disbelief.

“Talk sense. What kind of skill does the young master have?”

At the butler’s words, many nodded in agreement. Jack shrugged his shoulders at their unresponsive reaction.

Then, Celly, who had been just watching, sighed with a reluctant expression and said,

“You’ve all seen plenty of tricks. Even trying to kill him doesn’t leave a scratch.”

“…That’s true.”

“He was fine even after taking a kick from a warhorse.”

“And a stab wound.”

The flow returned. Jack seized the momentum and drove the point home.

“Yes, that’s it! That’s the proof of strength! It means the young master has reached the realm of indestructibility!”

With bulging eyes, Jack pointed at the still bleeding monster and passionately exclaimed,

“Can’t you see? Do you think the monster has some chronic illness? Even the drunks at the tavern wouldn’t spout such nonsense! If you had any common sense, you’d think it’s because of a powerful blow that he ended up like this!”

One by one, people began to agree. The monster, once called a disaster, couldn’t possibly have a stomach ache.

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“If it wasn’t for a heavy hit, that situation would be unexplainable.”

Jack smiled with satisfaction. However, the atmosphere he wanted didn’t last long. The old butler shook with fear and chimed in.

“Now is not the time to be at ease… We must move quickly. You haven’t truly experienced his terror yet.”

“Mr. Harden, why again…”

“That’s not his true form. He just hasn’t shown his ferocious teeth yet. So hurry up. Before the disaster strikes!”

At the old butler’s frightened words, people turned pale.

The mood, which had been rising in favor of Hershel, suddenly deflated. Jack, feeling it was blown, turned his back and spoke sharply.

“Alright, let’s go. Move it, move. Yes, we should listen to the one with experience.”

Jack was nothing but annoying to the old butler.

* * *

I had taken a sufficient break.

Arriving at the third location to buy time, I had just finished preparing.

This place was an arboretum filled with flowering trees.

The precious tree flowers that should have been shown to the guests were crushed under the clothes of Aol that I had hung.

Having ruined the flowers that were hard to see even for a price, I hoped the timer seal attached to the fabric would work well.

[Rotational Magic Talisman]

The attached object rotates. It can be torn and used, and the timing can be adjusted according to the area of the paper. However, it is limited to light objects.

It was an item that suppressed the action of force until the set time, then activated.

“Here it comes.”

“Perfect timing, huh?”

Hidden behind a rock, I flashed a triumphant smile.

I might just be able to end it here.

Especially since the third barrier has just been erased.

I shifted my gaze from the now fainter purple sky and focused on the monstrous bird. The third feather had vanished. The next phase was about to begin, as the conditions had been met.

Gurgle-

The scattered liquid gathered, forming a slender body this time. Arms transformed into wings, and it became a complete bird.

【Phase II: The Nest Guardian】

One must be wary here; if the aggro breaks even once, Mirsel will die.

Now that more than half of the barriers are gone, a pattern to protect the feathers has been added. The creature no longer overlooks the presence of a saboteur trying to unlock the fence.

I used to hand over the aggro to a tank character and get surprised by a game over every time I searched for the feathers.

But now, it was different.

This place was plastered with the scent of Aol, which it so desperately wanted to kill, and I was hidden behind a rock, invisible to the naked eye.

Moreover, luckily, the timer seal was about to activate. With these conditions, Phase 2 was practically a giveaway.

As I waited leisurely, one of the timer seals activated.

Whirr!

As a set of Aol’s clothes spun in mid-air, the monstrous bird soared up with a flap of its wings and pierced through with its sharp beak.

Next, the clothes I had thrown into the bushes spun around, rustling. With a single wingbeat, the creature shot out sharp feathers.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

They were powerful enough to penetrate trees but not thick enough to pierce through the rock.

Aol’s clothes, scattered here and there, drew the creature’s attention like a flying squirrel moving from branch to branch, shaking the twigs and bushes.

Everything was going smoothly. The clothes were torn to shreds by its feathers, but the fourth barrier had just been erased, leaving only one more.

And then, the creature’s final form.

【Phase III: The Diving Crow】

The creature’s body bubbled and boiled. Its sinews began to wriggle, its size grew, and its bulging muscles boasted their form.

Having completed its transformation, it exerted so much force that its eyes bulged, and it let out a roar.

Keeeeeaaah───────!

The eerie scream resonated to the bone. The final form boasted a power unlike any before, so much so that even wielding the ‘Holy Sword’ and controlling it wouldn’t be enough to capture it.

In front of this monster, seemingly created just to be fled from, my only option was to hold my breath and run away.

But it wasn’t always easy. The one consumed by rage seemed to have his intelligence heightened along with his fury, as the sharp wind pressure from his kicks alone was enough to slash all the trees here, shshsh! Even the rock I was leaning on.

Shshshsh!

As the wooded shelter turned into an open space in an instant, Donatan gasped in horror.

“…With that kind of force, he must have played the role of a landowner in the demon realm.”

The monster loosened its neck with a breath.

Crack!

With my whole body exposed, I sprinted towards the monster. It too, with steps angry enough to cause an earthquake, charged at me with a menacing gait.

Be it a punch or a kick, it didn’t matter. I would burst its torso with a body slam and then move to the next place to buy time.

Soon, the last barrier would disappear. If I could just squeeze out the recovered stamina and flee outside, it would be clear.

Finally, the end was in sight.

“……”

But there was something strange about its eyes. The fierce gaze that seemed determined to tear me apart now appeared calm. Was it just my imagination?

No, it wasn’t a mistake.

Thump!

Instead of striking, it snatched my ankle and threw me into the sky with all its might.

Whoosh!

It had definitely learned.

That it couldn’t kill me with the usual methods.

That’s why it had used its head.

“Ah……”

As I pierced through the air layers and reached the peak altitude, the monster passed by me. Using the ceiling of the barrier as a fulcrum, it kicked off and then drove its feet, charged with recoil, into my stomach.

Thud!

In the blink of an eye, my body was slammed into the ground.

Boom!

[A physical attack has been detected.]

[A trait has been activated.]

[1-second invincibility cooldown: 59 seconds]

I had to escape as quickly as possible and quickly got up. But as I realized where I had landed, my mind went blank, and I couldn’t move a step.

Because I had fallen in front of the servants’ dormitory. And it was also the place where the last floating feather was.

It had gathered everything it needed to protect, to kill, and to eat in one place.

Even I, who had retried countless times, had never experienced such an anomaly, and it sent shivers down my spine.

······Somehow, I felt that everything in my fate was going smoothly.