Chapter 12 |
It was when I had procured various items from Selly and conducted clinical experiments. I intentionally got poisoned while in a cooldown state. Thanks to that, I was able to figure out how ‘1 Second Invincibility’ judged previously applied debuffs. Though it felt like dying from the stomach pain.
[1 Second Invincibility Cooldown: 17 seconds]
[Status Ailment: Poison]
[1 Second Invincibility: Usable]
[Poison detected. Type: Sariri Poison]
[1 Second Invincibility trait activates.]
The result was that when the cooldown ended, 1 Second Invincibility would activate again, removing persistent status ailments and continuous damage.
“Guh…” I tensed my entire body. My body, which had shrunk like a toy, was now caught in the grip of an assassin. The damp touch was unpleasant, but only for a moment. Once the cooldown of ‘1 Second Invincibility’ passed, the curse of miniaturization would also be lifted.
[1 Second Invincibility Cooldown: 14 seconds]
“Hup!”
“Hmm…. Crushing you like an ant is boring. I’ve done it before…… What would be more fun for a change? Right, I remember. I was once curious about the taste of human flesh.”
[1 Second Invincibility Cooldown: 5 seconds]
“Moreover, you don’t die easily, do you? It might even be good for my health.”
The assassin opened his mouth wide. I tightly gripped the broken blade of the dagger. Blood flowed from my hand, but I had to endure such pain.
“Aang~”
Just as my head was about to enter between his teeth, I thrust my fingers into the grip holding me with all my might. A groan escaped from his mouth. It seemed I had caused him pain akin to a bee sting.
“Agh!”
I felt his grip loosen. I could move my arms more freely. Gripping the lodged dagger firmly, I slashed it across his fingers. Blood spurted wherever the dagger passed. The more I cut, the louder his screams grew.
“Aaargh!”
It was just like a paper cut, but there were countless wounds. The fingers that had been clutching me opened like a blooming flower.
“You wretched little…!”
The assassin grimaced and opened his free left hand, readying it as if to swat a mosquito.
“Just die already!”
“Do you think that’s possible?”
The cooldown was almost over.
[1 Second Invincibility Cooldown: 1 second]
[1 Second Invincibility: Usable]
[Threat detected. Type: Curse of Miniaturization]
[1 Second Invincibility activates.]
Simultaneously with the system alarm, my body grew larger. The assassin’s face twisted in surprise as my body rapidly expanded. Not missing this golden opportunity, I thrust the dagger with all my weight straight into his neck.
Thud!
My hand was warm and wet. It was the blood flowing from the assassin’s neck.
“How… how did your body… grow, ugh… the knife?”
His bewildered face contorted in pain. He clutched his neck, screaming in agony. It all happened so quickly that even the assassin couldn’t react properly. And even I couldn’t realize at the moment that what I had just done was killing someone.
“S-save me… even now… get me a… doctor…”
His voice, close to a scream, was hoarse. The warmth of his blood hadn’t faded. The sight of the man’s life ebbing away reminded me vividly that this place, where I was possessed, was not a simple game but reality. Yet, I felt no guilt. Only relief and an inexplicable sense of accomplishment filled me.
“P-please… get me a doctor even now… if you do that, I can live…”
Looking down at the man growing colder, I spoke in a detached voice.
“Do you know something?”
“Huff… huff…”
“I am someone who knows how to kill in order to survive.”
Was this nature originally a part of my character, or was it due to the mental trait ‘Noble Blood’s Embers’? Either way, it was something to be happy about, so I smiled gently. I had overcome a trial that I had to face someday.
The minimum requirement for survival in the world of Asares, where the strong prey on the weak, was ruthlessness.
“Especially against someone like you.”
Thunk!
I pulled the sword out of his neck. The pool of blood on the floor spread wider.
Yesterday, despite having directly ordered the butler to dispose of the body during the night, the mansion was eerily quiet. The butler had been shocked when he saw the face of the corpse and said, ‘Se, Sevan?’ This meant the intruder wasn’t from outside.
This suggested that the assassin had been used as an attendant, and the mistress would want to keep this fact hidden from the public.
“Hmm.”
I clenched and unclenched my hand that had been cut while gripping the dagger. After applying some ointment and sleeping, the wound had healed, leaving a scar fainter than a wrinkle. As expected of an ointment made by a renowned wizard, it was far more effective than anything from my previous world.
I was lucky to have only ended up with such minor injuries. I thought back to when I had been hit by a crossbow bolt with only 1 second of cooldown left. If there had been even a 0.1-second error… the mere thought sent chills down my spine.
“I almost grew horns… But at least there was a material reward.”
I pushed away the image of a human unicorn from my mind and took out the spoils I had obtained yesterday.
[Cursed Giant’s Skull]
[Attribute Type: Curse.
When hit by light, the target becomes miniature.
If light is shone on the miniature target again, they return to normal.]
Although this item was classified as a C-rank item among users, it wasn’t that great. At first glance, it might seem like you could shrink any formidable boss and crush them like an ant. But if that were possible, I wouldn’t have needed to create cheat codes. It didn’t work on targets who had reached a certain level, and it wasn’t designed for combat in the first place, which was why it was rated C-rank.
Moreover, it was a rather useless item for me at the moment, so C-rank was already generous.
[Unavailable: Requires Mana.]
Essential for mages or magic swordsmen, mana was either an innate talent one was born with or could be acquired through rigorous training from the bottom up. Of course, Hersel had no talent, and there was no history of effort in his wasted years. If he had even a grain of mana, I would have reassessed Hersel.
“Why did I have to be possessed by such a pathetic guy, damn it.”
The more I thought about it, the more it gave me a headache, so I decided to just accept it.
“I got the admission ticket rather quickly.”
I decided to save the skull for a later scenario and carefully placed it in a box.
Tap─
I stood up from the chair. It was fortunate that I survived yesterday, but it was a near-death experience that heightened my sense of caution. Since there was no telling when another professional assassin might attack, I had to be fully prepared.
“Ah…, it would be great to have a machine gun. So I could shoot them all.”
The place I was headed to now was the armory.
The highest-grade weapons were all in the treasure house, which only the head of the household could access, so my only option was the armory. But it wasn’t something to be dismissed, as it was a high-grade armory reserved for the children, not for knights or soldiers.
In the place reeking of iron, I looked at the displayed armor and weapons with bright eyes. Sharp swords around 120 centimeters long showed off their edges, and huge axes capable of felling giant trees exuded an imposing presence, enough to demonstrate a miracle on the battlefield like Moses.
As expected of a wealthy family, it was filled with difficult-to-obtain items. However, there was no machine gun.
I avoided the axes and spears and picked up a long sword befitting my feeble stats. But it was so heavy that it felt like my shoulder would dislocate. It was fortunate if I didn’t throw it away while swinging it; it was impossible to use it as a weapon, so I put it back in its place.
“Phew… the weight of this metal is no joke.”
I picked up shorter and lighter swords, but even those were heavy to swing. Eventually, I moved my hand to a medium sword about 60 centimeters long, leaving my pride in tatters.
Suddenly, I felt a prickling sensation, as if I had been shocked by static electricity.
-Pathetic…
A voice?
No, was it right to call it a voice? It felt like it was transmitted through my skin.
I looked around. There was no one else in the armory but me. It was likely a hallucination, but still, I asked the question. There was no one to hear me, so why not?
“Who are you?”
-W-wait a minute, can you hear my voice?
The startled voice made my skin tingle.
‘So, it’s not a hallucination….’
Normally, I would have run away from a suspicious voice. If it weren’t the armory, I would have done just that. Since the voice was coming from a place where not even a mouse was seen, I was curious. If I could hear a person’s voice in such a place with no one around, there was only one possibility.
-This body asked…. c-can you hear my voice!
“I can hear you, that’s why I’m asking.”
One of the highest-grade options, Ego. Even the most worthless item would be considered three grades higher if it had ‘Ego’ attached. Just that alone made it the best item in the armory.
-I can’t believe my voice can be heard… it’s a fateful connection after so many thousands of years.
It seemed that others couldn’t hear its voice. That bothered me a bit, but I didn’t care much.
“Really?”
I answered nonchalantly on purpose. When an ownerless Ego item speaks, it’s always a plea for help. It makes sense, given they spend their lives stuck in dusty places for long periods. They must want to enjoy some fresh air and freedom.
“It was nice meeting you. I’ll wait for our next encounter.”
I pretended to examine other weapons that I couldn’t even lift, just to tease it a bit more.
“Hmm…. there’s nothing useful here. I guess I won’t be coming back.”
As expected, the begging began.
-W-wait! Don’t go! My name is Donatan. I once served the world’s strongest swordsman and was the incarnation of lightning. If you take me with you, many good things will happen! So please, take me out!
Incarnation? Probably a spirit. They always exaggerate. Is that their racial trait?
“A talent, huh…. You look like an ordinary sword.”
The one you’re holding is not my true form. I am—
Creeeak—
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. I turned my gaze from the sword to the entrance. A man with an intellectual appearance, Deisel, approached me, his silver hair gleaming as he spoke coldly.
“What are you doing here?”
His dry tone and sharp eyes were a stark contrast to the polite demeanor I had seen during the family meal. But it wasn’t surprising. I had already exposed my true feelings to the mistress and wasn’t on good terms with him. It made sense that he would reveal his true nature in a place with no onlookers.
Avoiding a pointless confrontation, I looked back at the sword. I didn’t have much to say since I didn’t fully understand Hersel’s relationship with him.
However, Deisel seemed unwilling to leave me alone. He narrowed his eyes, observing my actions.
“Are you trying to learn swordsmanship now… have you already forgotten how badly you were beaten?”
It seemed Hersel had been thoroughly beaten by him in the past. Annoyed by his arrogance, I responded half-heartedly.
“There are people who carry swords around. If I want to play with them, I should have one too, right?”
“You’re going to die anyway, it’s a meaningless struggle. Besides, these things here aren’t yours. Put them down and get lost.”
His remarks were crossing the line. Watching him act as if everything here belonged to him, I ignited the ‘Embers of Noble Blood’.
“Pathetic attempt at control. The mistress must be trembling with anxiety, like a stray cat.”
Finally, I saw his face twist into a fierce expression, just as it had when I probed the mistress’s intentions at the dinner table.
“Hersel…, watch your mouth. If you don’t want your limbs broken like before!”
Was it the confidence from defeating the assassin? Or was it the certainty that he couldn’t do anything to me right now? I felt no fear. One thing was clear, I couldn’t afford to be looked down on here, nor did I want to appear that way.
I smirked and taunted him.
“Go ahead and try.”
Deisel’s expression cooled as he stepped back. My relief was short-lived when I saw him grab a rusty dagger from the display. I regretted provoking him.
No way… Is he really going to do it?
“I will, eventually. But not right now.”
Then, why don’t you put the dagger down?
Ping!
A sharp sound pierced my ears. The dagger brushed past my hair and embedded itself in the wall.
“Did you say you needed a weapon? For someone like you, a piece of trash that can barely cut meat is suitable. You can take that.”
Deisel sneered, wiping his hands with a handkerchief. I said nothing as his cold, murderous gaze bore into me. The difference in our skills was evident from the fact that I couldn’t even see his movement.