1 Second Invincibility in the Game
Chapter 205

When the man with slicked-back hair opened his eyes menacingly, Scarlett’s nearby main characters stepped in to restrain him.

“Senior Maros, let’s stop here.”

“Right. If you cause any trouble here, you’ll get scolded.”

Despite the clean-cut man and woman trying to dissuade him, Maros didn’t seem inclined to back down.

However, that only lasted a moment.

When the man gripping his shoulder applied pressure, Maros’s expression quickly returned to a calm one.

“Ahem, well, that’s true. Hey, blue eyes, watch your mouth next time.”

Maros feigned composure as he glanced at us sideways.

He seemed to be scanning for any familiar faces.

“Hmm, Kerndel’s absence can be explained by graduation, but I thought Meldon would be here. Strange.”

“Meldon?”

When I asked, Maros gave me a puzzled look.

“You know, the Ten Elites. Your rankings are based on that, aren’t they? Don’t tell me you don’t know?”

Ah, the second-year student defeated by Erucel, the former member of the Ten Elites.

So his name was Meldon…

At that moment, Erucel puffed out his chest as if he were about to brag insensitively.

“Ah, Meldon?”

I quickly kicked his shin to shut him up.

“That guy—ugh!”

“Meldon is dead. He succumbed to a mysterious illness and died suddenly.”

There was no benefit in revealing that we defeated him with skill. At this moment, they needed to see us as nothing more than unworthy bugs unworthy of their attention.

Just stepping stones to crush underfoot…

Fortunately, Maros seemed to believe my bold lie.

“Meldon’s dead? That’s unfortunate. We had a bit of a connection.”

“Apparently, he caught something during the magic field training. It shows how harsh the Frost Heart environment is. They don’t even have a proper medical system.”

“Hmph, that aside, I see a mismatch in status. Instead of this arrogant loudmouth, have your leader come forward to handle this.”

By “leader,” he meant the student council president.

Our side’s eyes naturally turned to me.

Maros blinked incredulously.

“…Hmm, he looks vicious, but he must have deep faith.”

The Frost Heart student council president traditionally came from the Church of the Sun.

Maros, knowing this fact, seemed to mistake me for someone from that background.

Feigning sorrow, I shook my head.

“The student council is dead too. It was truly a dreadful plague. Though it did make becoming president easier for me.”

“What? That’s hard to believe.”

So this is how he views a student council president?

At least he’s not a complete fool.

To make my story more convincing, I tied Meldon’s death to the epidemic.

“It started with caring for Meldon.”

“Hmm, a contagious disease? Well, I suppose if it’s Ders, that would make sense. He did care about students.”

As I was about to get away with it, Maros narrowed his eyes and asked me directly.

“So you’re the student council president, are you? What’s your name?”

“Hersel Ben Tenest.”

When I revealed my name, his expression hardened.

“Hersel? And Tenest, at that… Don’t tell me, that scoundrel?”

Maros scanned us again, his gaze lingering longest on Mircel.

He looked at him enviously for a moment before scoffing.

“A group like this, with only one notable member, has such a leader?”

Seizing the moment, I got to the point.

“I’ll overlook your insolence. In exchange, would you allow us to observe your practice match?”

The main purpose of the field trip was undoubtedly the practice match.

Valiant, having decided to showcase their strength, generously offered participants the chance to experience their prowess firsthand in sparring matches.

Of course, it was customary for participants not to allow competitors to observe such matches. However, Frost Heart was the exception.

Unexpectedly, Maros’s expression twisted in displeasure.

“How dare a nobody like you criticize my attitude?”

I had generously overlooked his rudeness, yet he turned out to be quite the petty man.

I had no choice but to bow my head.

After all, we were the ones making a request here.

“If you don’t want to, forget it. We’ll just leave.”

As I swiftly turned my back, Leana whispered in a small voice.

“Are we really going to leave just like this?”

I raised my voice just enough for them to hear.

“Do you really think it’s worth watching? Just one glance at this year’s Scarlet, and they already look weak. Let’s go check out Everblaze instead.”

“Huh? But since we’re already here, wouldn’t it be better to see everything…?”

“It’s obvious they’re weaker than Everblaze anyway. If you’re really curious, just observe their most incompetent member. That’ll give you an idea of their average skill level.”

The fact that they had pushed me to resort to such petty tricks made me feel like I had lost one percent of my pride.

But the trade-off was worth it.

“What did you just say?”

Maros’s chilling voice cut through the air, followed by the playable characters from Scarlett chiming in.

“You think we’re below Everblaze?”

“That was quite an outrageous remark.”

Scarlett and Everblaze had been bitter rivals for as long as history could remember.

Even during the academies’ founding period, there were endless disputes over land, and they had constantly vied to prove who was superior.

The animosity was so deeply ingrained that even the principals, who changed every few years, carried on the tradition of rivalry, passing it down naturally to the students.

“If you don’t believe me, go ask Everblaze yourselves. I only repeated what I heard from them.”

“W-Wait, you actually met them?”

“I did. We requested permission to observe their matches, and they seemed quite open to it.”

Of course, that was a complete lie.

“Heh… So it was true. They really did say you lot would just run away.”

Adding a sneer for effect, I drove the nail in deeper, making their faces flush red with anger.

Maros, fueled by rage, clenched his teeth and redirected his hostility towards his own team.

“I’ll prove Everblaze are nothing but amateurs. If you want to watch, be there on time.”

Now that the roles were reversed, I lazily tilted my head as if I had lost interest.

“Ugh, now it feels like a hassle. But if you really want me to come, at least prepare some snacks. Otherwise, I’m not going.”

“You arrogant bastard…!”

“Oh, by the way, Everblaze mentioned they have dried fruits. Apparently, it’s a regional specialty. But Scarlet… hmm, I suppose you guys don’t have anything like that?”

By expanding the rivalry to a regional level, I stirred them up even further.

Scarlet’s main figures immediately started boasting about their local specialties.

“We have them too!”

“That’s right! Scarlet’s empire-renowned dairy farms produce the finest cheese made from specially bred cows.”

“That’s not all! Our free-range beef jerky has a rich aroma unlike any other!”

Only then did I clap my hands and flash a satisfied grin.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

With our business with them concluded, we moved on.

Next target: Everblaze.

Using a similar method to provoke them would make negotiations much easier.

As we walked away, I overheard whispers behind me.

“At one point, I thought we’d lost our chance, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy…”

“It’s thanks to his reputation as a troublemaker. When your first impression is bad, even rudeness starts to seem natural.”

“Oh, I didn’t quite get what Hersel meant when he first suggested this, but now I understand.”

Led by Rix and Bellman, the others chimed in with similar remarks.

“I’ve known my brother for a while now—he’s surprisingly useful in moments like this.”

“No, Mircel, Brother wasn’t acting. I know firsthand.”

“If Erucel were my younger brother, I would’ve hit him a lot. And that’s not just because he’s a troublemaker.”

“…You insolent brat.”

What the hell are they even talking about?

***

Our negotiations with Everblaze also wrapped up smoothly.

Unlike Maros, the student council president of Scarlet, they scrutinized us with more suspicion.

But persuading them wasn’t difficult at all.

“The entire student council was wiped out by an epidemic?”

-That’s right.

-Let’s say that’s true. But how did someone like you—a mere scoundrel—become the student council president?

Fitting the reputation, I casually threw an arm around Leana and Edina’s shoulders, then conveyed a message to Aslay with just one line.

-Aslay, that guy’s mouth is unpleasant to look at. Don’t you want to fix it somewhere quiet? So his tone becomes more charming.

-Did you secure your position through money and threats?

Our family is wealthy.

And Hersel is the leader of a gang called Lethe.

When I hinted at the secrets behind how I dominated the academy, Everblaze dropped their suspicion.

-Scarlett promised to serve their regional specialties like cheese and jerky. You should prepare something too.

-W-what? That’s the snack we brought for ourselves! Don’t be ridiculous.

-Ah, my mistake. I didn’t mean to take even a flea’s liver.

And that concluded the persuasion.

Today marked the start of the practice matches.

The first day was Everblaze.

With time to spare, I pulled out a sheet of parchment in my room.

It was inscribed with unfamiliar symbols and intricate formulas—magic I had specifically requested to learn from Rockefeller’s grimoire.

-Interesting. You’ve chosen something utterly useless from the start.

-That depends on how the caster utilizes it.

I had been training continuously since learning magic from Rockefeller and coming to Valiant.

This spell, however, was particularly challenging.

While Hetherson’s Inventory Magic was well-documented and easy to grasp, this one differed entirely, from its symbols to its interpretation formulas.

Thanks to Rockefeller’s insights, I managed to get a foothold.

Although it required considerable time to master, its value was undeniable.

Because this magic wasn’t just a spell—it was…

-Said to affect not only magic but also authority. I’m unclear on that part, though. It likely refers to mystery. But I would need to possess something like that in the first place.

It was a spell capable of influencing one’s innate traits.

“Hah…”

I concentrated so hard that my back was drenched in sweat.

Drops of sweat dripped from my staff, and Donatan asked,

“Did it work this time?”

Clenching my fist, I grinned.

“Finally, it did.”

Though I hadn’t completely mastered it, I could now use it.

Feeling the warmth of the etched formula in my core, I headed for the shower.

By the time I was done, it was already time.

“It’s about time to get moving.”

Gathering in the lobby as agreed, Limberton asked,

“Hey, Hersel, doesn’t the match format seem a bit strange?”

He unfolded a record of last year’s matchups, showing who fought whom.

And here I thought it was something serious.

“Why does Valiant only compete in one match?”

“Because they won the last Integrated Tournament. It’s a form of respect.”

Valiant only participated in the finals.

The other four academies competed against each other.

For example, if Frost Heart won in the first round, they’d face the winner of another match.

Winning again meant progressing to the finals. Losing confirmed third place.

The remaining fourth and fifth places were determined by a match between the first-round losers.

“Think of it this way: a win in the first round guarantees third place, a second-round win means second place, and winning all three rounds gets you the championship.”

Limberton nodded in understanding.

“Then should we apply to observe Wisdom as well?”

“Probably.”

Most agreed with Limberton, though observing Wisdom wasn’t truly necessary.

Having played in Asares multiple times, I already knew the matchups.

Frost Heart’s first opponent was Scarlett.

With third place as my primary goal, everything else was irrelevant—except for Everblaze, given their rivalry with Scarlett and my knowledge of how to deal with them.

Still, I’d have to apply to observe Wisdom.

Voicing my modest goal of third place would infuriate my peers, and I lacked a good excuse not to observe.

“We’ll handle Wisdom after today’s observation. Let’s get going.”

Navigating past the solemn academy buildings, we arrived at the training hall’s door.

Standing prominently were statues of knights crossing swords.

The name of this place was Arcadia Hall.

I stepped inside, leaving behind the familiar scenery of Valiant’s grounds.

The Everblaze student council president approached, making his presence known.

“You lot can watch from over there.”

He pointed to a table draped with a tablecloth, baskets exuding a rich fruit aroma.

-They really prepared something.

Tomorrow, perhaps, there would be fine meats and cheese.

To read Chapters ahead 👇

CH 206-210 (Troublemaker Vs Troublemaker) $3

CH 211-215 (Graduation) $3

CH 216-220 (Integrated Academy Tournament) $3

CH 221-225 (The Underdog) $3

CH 226-230 (Who am I?) $3

CH 231-235 (Frostheart Vs Wisdom) $3

CH 236-240 (I want to lose) $3

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