1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

114. Undead (3)

If one were to name the leaders of our party, it would be Belman and Rix.

Yet Rix was lost in a daze, preoccupied with maintaining his shape-shifting magic.

Belman was no different.

If his focus wavered, the barrier would crumble, and we would be torn apart by the relentless tide of undead surging like a flood.

There was no time to ponder strategy.

Given the circumstances, the reins had to be handed over to another.

“Riamon would be perfect for the front line. If Rix could just conjure a great sword, that would suffice.”

The one who most fervently voiced his opinion was Erucel.

“Think about it. If I swing a great sword in the center of the corridor, those fiends won’t even dare to approach, right? Then we’d be safe.”

Riamon looked at Erucel as if he were a fool.

“Are you telling me to keep swinging a great sword? Do you really think I have the stamina for that?”

Erucel was, after all, a simpleton.

Wasting precious time with such nonsense.

Unable to bear it any longer, Belman spoke up.

“The barrier will last only about ten more minutes. In that brief time, you all need to gather equipment from the armory at the end of the right corridor and return. Some of you must also block the right staircase.”

Even as he spoke, Belman cast furtive glances at the three-sided barrier and the incantations.

Maintaining magic without a staff while trying to devise a strategy made his head spin.

“Uh, where was I? Ah, yes. Gather as many weapons as you can. The creatures in the main hall have no means to defend themselves. They might hold for a while, but that too is just a matter of time.”

To sum it up, we had to sweep the corridor and resupply with weapons before Belman’s magic ran out.

Failing that meant Belman would die.

Letting even one of the undead on the right slip through was equally dire.

If focus wavered for even a moment, the barrier would vanish.

But these fools…

“Ah, so that’s why we’re forming ranks, isn’t it? Role division is crucial.”

Erucel was getting agitated,

“Oh my, look at Belman. It’s the first time I’ve seen him speak so foolishly.”

Sila scoffed, and

—

“There’s a good way. If we throw Eruzel as bait, it’ll be perfect. From what I’ve seen, the undead seem particularly drawn to this one. I can’t help but think it’s because of that face that invites a beating.”

Riamon spoke a truth that was close enough, yet it muddied the point all the same.

Strangely, I found myself staring at them, lost in thought.

There shouldn’t have been a conversation like this to begin with, yet here we were, a hopeless trio formed by the mere addition of Eruzel.

Tick-tock—

The sound of the pocket watch’s second hand echoed loudly.

Time was still flowing.

If we didn’t decide quickly, I might end up dead too.

I felt a need to intervene, just a little.

“Let me give you a piece of advice. If you miss even one of those in the right corridor, Belman will die. So, Limbarton, it’s best if you stand here and protect Belman.”

As I said this, a flush of color spread across Limbarton’s face.

“Because I can provide support from a distance?”

“Exactly.”

Thanks to his keen eyesight, he could easily discern who was approaching even in this chaos.

“And as for the rest of the arrangement…”

I scanned the surroundings, offering what could barely be called advice.

“It would be best for Shilla to take the lead.”

Shilla shot me a slightly annoyed look.

“Now you’re giving orders? When you told us to think and judge for ourselves, where was this?”

“I’m merely suggesting. You can decide after you listen.”

Shilla narrowed her eyes, lips pressed tight.

Time was already tight.

I quickly continued.

“Right behind her should be Reyana and Asley. You two just need to take care of anything that slips through the sides.”

This time, Eruzel wore a look of suspicion.

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t I be better suited? A barbarian… no, ahem. Someone from the same Adel district would surely work better together than a foreigner. I’ve seen my share of things.”

Eruzel’s argument seemed reasonable enough, as the Adel district folks nodded in agreement.

Even if I had topped the midterms, I was still from the Shulafe district.

The intricacies of placement required understanding each individual’s style, so it was only natural to feel doubt.

I sensed the need to explain.

“In your case, the primary attack is a wide swing. The one at the forefront, Shila, could get hurt.”

It was dubious, but if that fellow had learned Lord Koulou’s swordsmanship, it was undoubtedly true.

“On the other hand, thrusting attacks and grappling have a smaller attack area, making them perfect for supporting allies. For the same reason, Riamon is no different. Just because he wields a longsword now doesn’t mean his swordsmanship has changed from handling a greatsword.”

Eruzel swallowed hard.

Though it seemed he was starting to grasp the concept, I sensed he would throw in some objection if I didn’t provide additional explanation.

To save even a little time, I blurted out everything I had organized in my mind all at once.

“Some of you can afford to miss. There will be those who ignore the three of you and charge ahead. Those are Riamon and Eruzel. It’s your responsibility. If you keep a reasonable distance from Leana and Asley, you can fight without feeling constrained, sticking to your original swordsmanship. That’s what we need to capitalize on.”

For this, Riks needed to step up his game.

“So, Riks, squeeze out the remaining mana and make swords for these two. The armory is just ahead, so it won’t take long. Once you gather your equipment, you can rest from that point on. When you return, focus solely on recovering your mana.”

The right corridor on the first floor was the final sprint of the weapon replenishment quest.

Maximizing efficiency meant draining all of Riks’ mana here.

Next was Edina’s turn.

I knew what abilities she possessed, but since I had no real connection with her, I feigned ignorance and asked.

“And you said your name was Edina? What’s the magic you handle best?”

“It’s a bit unusual, but it’s transformation magic.”

Edina had a peculiar form of transformation magic among the elemental types.

It wasn’t about transforming herself; rather, it was about altering the shape or texture of objects.

Compared to Belman and Riks, she had a naturally lower mana pool, so she had been saving this ability.

“Then, you just need to block the right staircase to prevent the undead from coming up. That should be enough time for them to gather their equipment from the armory. You can manage that, right?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem too difficult?”

My task was to ensure Riks and Edina made it safely to the staircase at the end of the right corridor.

If I could seal that off, a quick return would be possible.

“When you arrive, Riks, hand Edina the staff. Transformation magic consumes a lot of mana. Without a staff, the chances of instability are high.”

Riks nodded.

I scanned the faces of everyone to confirm they understood.

However, the expressions of those other than Belman, Asley, Limberton, and Riks, who were busy focusing on the barrier, were strange.

They were all tinged with confusion, and I couldn’t help but wonder…

“…I don’t have to explain everything from the beginning again, do I?”

The members of the Adel faction shook their heads.

Then, with a dazed expression, Eruzel turned to Riks and asked.

“That, that human… Is he really our brother?”

“Didn’t he act that way in the mansion?”

“Indeed, something must have changed within him. He was swapped out from the very day of enrollment. Where is our true brother? Of course, it wouldn’t matter if he’s dead.”

The others felt the same.

Riamon nodded in surprise, listening to Edina, while Leana and Shila whispered among themselves.

Perhaps my words were so unexpected, given their low expectations.

“Isn’t there a kind of madness that sharpens the mind?”

“Oh, that’s plausible!”

Yes, the reckless Hursel is merely a talented monkey to you all, ha ha ha.

“What are you chattering about when you’ve understood? Get settled quickly.”

The words were spoken with a scowl, a cold tone igniting the ‘embers of noble blood.’

The others flinched, hastily moving into position.

“Gah!”

“Ah, understood.”

As preparations swiftly concluded, I cast a glance at Bel, my gaze soft, for he was the crux of our strategy.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, not at all. I was just about to say it’s fine to lift the barrier in the right corridor now.”

As the barrier dissipated, the undead surged forward as if they had been waiting.

Crrrraaash—

The newly positioned fighters met the advancing horde of undead with a brutal counterattack.

Splat!

I followed closely behind Erucel and Riamon, hearing the crunch of severed limbs and the sound of Asley smashing through the undead.

The undead began to split and swarm from both sides.

Crrrraaaw!

As the first wave of Shilan’s troops was breached, the second wave, Erucel and Riamon, swung their swords wide, cleaving upper bodies from lower.

Splat!

Perhaps it was because the weapons were unfamiliar in their hands.

As expected, a few undead still broke through.

I unleashed a strike with my hundreds of gold, beheading the creatures as I pressed forward.

In the midst of it all, Edina gazed at Rix with awe.

“But Rix, is it really possible to advance at this speed while using magic?”

“I’ve faced that fool Makdal countless times, and that’s how it turned out.”

Even so, my mana was beginning to dwindle, and I was gasping for breath.

“Huff… huff…”

Seeing him in pain brought me a twisted sense of pleasure.

Just as I was grinning at the sight, I accidentally let one slip away.

Thud!

That one was taken care of by Limberton, so no worries there.

I tore my gaze away from the undead with an arrow lodged in its heart and quickened my pace.

“We’re almost there. Move faster.”

With every step, black blood splattered the ground.

The main players gritted their teeth and held their ground, and at last, the grand door at the end of the right corridor began to draw near.

Near the door, there was a staircase entrance, a task meant for Asley and Edina.

I spoke to the panting Asley.

“Asley, just a bit more strength. And Edina, make the stairs sticky. Asley can hold off any creatures trying to approach you. Oh, and you can ditch your shoes. I’ll get you new ones. Expensive ones.”

Asley stood firm against the undead climbing the first-floor stairs.

In the meantime, Rix passed his staff to Edina.

Edina began weaving her spell, turning the stairs into a sticky trap like a gluey snare.

Asley, too, was rooted to the ground, but all it took was to remove his shoes.

Wham!

Asley leaped up and landed on the corridor above.

Even if some undead tried to climb up, Asley would hold them back.

Once I confirmed their success, I turned my gaze toward the entrance of the armory.

The ones who had gone ahead were already gathering weapons inside.

As expected of a storage for rental weapons, there was a variety of types and a great quantity.

“I knew there would be greatswords.”

“Wait, Riamon. Are you really just going to grab that one and be stingy?”

I shot a glance at Eruzel.

“Let it be. There’s no guarantee the path ahead will be smooth. We need at least two soldiers to escort us.”

—

Originally, I would have had to face the creatures that crawled up the walls to the windows.

Thanks to our swift advance, we had not seen them, but now, armed and ready, they would soon make their appearance.

I grasped the massive shield, nearly my height, and hurried to the stairs, passing it to Asley.

“Asley, it’s just like before. You remember?”

“I remember.”

With a heavy might, Asley slammed the shield down onto the floor at the entrance of the stairs.

Crack!

The undead wedged their hands into the gap between the shield and the wall.

Though it looked precarious, it seemed it would take them some time to break through.

Eddina, having exhausted her mana reshaping the stairs, let her staff droop in her hand.

With a bit of breathing room, we filled our packs with what we needed from the armory.

The small-framed Silas primarily gathered light, short staffs, while the heavier weapons were left to Asley.

The rest of us divided the load simply, with Riamon and Leana taking only the bare essentials for mobility in their guard duties.

With this, we had cleared the first gate.

“Now, we’ll take Belman and Limberton and head to the main hall to distribute the weapons.”

The time taken thus far was 28 minutes.

Considering the usual duration is at least 40 minutes, we had nearly halved it.

With that, we had gained some leeway.

“Once we arrive, let’s take a moment to rest.”

At the mention of rest from my lips, a glimmer of relief spread across their faces.

* * *

As we stepped into the corridor, the undead parted to make way.

Yet, amidst them, there were still swarming figures, their backs turned to us.

Then, from the gaps in the undead, a white lightning burst forth.

Crackle!

The clustered undead erupted into a cloud of smoke, vanishing into a handful of ash.

Luoan stealthily blended among the undead pressed against the wall, hiding his form.

With a finger, he pointed the direction of the advancing undead.

Crrrraaawww!

From beyond, a human voice echoed.

—

“···Damn it, there’s just too many.”

A familiar voice.

It was unmistakably one of the professors who had watched him every time he stepped outside.

Luoan mixed into the throng of the undead, gripping the sparrow statue lightly.

Crack!

With each swing of the professor’s electric whip, limbs of the undead flew through the air.

As he drew closer, Luoan thrust his firmly gripped sword into the back of an undead creature.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

From the sound of his groan, it seemed the piercing blade had punctured its belly.

As the undead he had stabbed crumbled to dust, Luoan locked eyes with the professor.

“···Luo, Luoan al Banus. I had anticipated that you would cause trouble sooner or later.”

Luoan smirked.

“If you had known earlier, you should have stopped me.”

The professor swiftly swung his staff.

Whoosh!

Flames erupted from his body, fierce enough to incinerate the area.

Luoan tightened his grip on the sparrow statue, using it as a shield to block the onslaught.

Yet the professor showed no signs of surrender, gritting his teeth and continuing to weave his incantation.

“Ugh!”

Luoan quickly dispelled the shield and swung his sword, severing the professor’s head.

Thud!

The professor’s head rolled to the ground.

With that, all the professors wandering within were dead.

As he shook the blood from his blade, a wet, tearing sound echoed in the air.

Luoan examined the sparrow statue in his hand.

“Hm.”

Had he pushed it too far?

Cracks had formed in the sparrow statue.

“I won’t be able to use this much longer.”

Luon slipped it into his pocket and made his way toward the entrance of the descending stairs.

Then he encountered Kurel.

“Did you, uh, take care of all the professors?”

“According to the schedule, there are four of them. Unless there are variables, that’s probably the case.”

Luon averted his gaze from the lined-up corpses of the professors in the hallway and asked Kurel.

“But, Kurel. What are you doing here, not playing around?”

He had told the three men to enjoy themselves thoroughly until the b*stards arrived.

Those trapped within the fortress’s barrier were confined to the dormitory or the faculty building, just a few floors in total.

At this hour, there would still be some lingering on campus, and they would serve as delightful playthings for them.

Kurel hesitated before responding.

“No, it’s just… about the escape route…”

Luon fixed his gaze on Kurel’s eyes and spoke in a low voice.

“Have I ever lied to you until now?”

When the time comes, everyone here will die.

They had prepared their own means of survival, as they had no intention of dying here.

Yet, judging by Kurel’s reaction, it seemed he did not doubt that.

“No, what I mean is…”

Kurel trailed off, shaking his head.

“No, it’s nothing. Well then, let’s meet on time.”

Kurel awkwardly smiled and descended the stairs.

Luon approached the window and looked down at the ground.

The first thing that caught his eye was the fountain beneath the stairs.

The writhing undead had avoided that spot, making it stand out.

Next, his gaze shifted to the training ground.

The undead lined up on either side, parting to form a path as if welcoming the emperor’s procession.

The woman walking at the center was none other than Pheldira.

Luon watched intently, not blinking, as he observed what Pheldira intended to do.

“There won’t be many chances like this.”

The ancient dragon that once made Frost Heart its domain.

Pheldira was set to be reborn as an undead.

Of course, it was a breach of the game’s balance, but there was no helping it.

If Hershel was an entity that could change the tide, then we had to prepare something fitting in return.

“Indeed, the terrace is a fine place for contemplation.”