1 Second Invincibility in the Game-Chapter 211
The woman inside the crystal orb was sitting on a chair, engrossed in reading.
Dorosian, as usual, was absentmindedly immersed in her book.
Another version of herself, watching that scene absentmindedly, felt a peculiar mix of emotions.
It was certainly not a pleasant feeling.
‘Just as the theory suggests…’
The future Dorosian recalled the Doppelgänger Theory, an idea based on the delusion that another version of oneself exists in the world, with the implication that they would try to kill each other.
It was a notion she had dismissed as nonsense.
But now, finding herself in a similar situation, she began to see its validity.
The sight of her other self sitting there stirred a wrong kind of desire.
Although they were not people of the time she had originally lived in, they had the same faces as those who laughed, chatted, and fought alongside her, ultimately celebrating their hard-won victories together.
Their personalities were also mirror images, making it difficult to view them as strangers.
She wondered if they could share the same memories again, or experience futures she had never seen with them.
These thoughts were elements that made her empathize with the Doppelgänger’s feelings.
She came to understand why a Doppelgänger would seek to kill its counterpart, and the current moment was no different.
If she could only kill her other self, that comfortable seat would become hers.
She felt a pang of guilt, but the root of her desire—perhaps the loneliness of becoming an outsider—pushed her toward accepting it.
“……”
Dorosian glanced at Irte’s soul, which was lying sprawled on the floor, snoring.
Thinking back, she had no particularly good memories with this demon.
Yet she had brought Irte, who was basking in peace, back to the present world.
It must have been for reasons like these.
Before traveling back in time…
In other words, before splitting the timeline in two, she had met this acquaintance.
Although an Irte from the timeline where Dorosian did not travel back might exist somewhere, the Irte before her now was the one she had known.
Though their connection was flimsy, it was better than having nothing.
Dorosian thought about how she at least had this much and tried to shake off her darkened mood.
However, perhaps due to her fundamentally villainous nature, her brow furrowed when she saw her counterpart in the orb staring out the window.
The Dorosian of this world had disappeared.
She had used magic to move elsewhere.
It was so obvious where she had gone that there was no need to speculate.
When she shifted the scene within the orb, she saw the faintly glowing golden hair of her counterpart.
In her hands was a box.
A thought surfaced and led her to murmur softly,
“…Why do I have to be the one to sacrifice?”
It was an utterance close to resentment.
It was natural—after all, she had lost everything and worked hard to keep this place alive. Yet the rewards would ultimately go to that woman, which was enough to make her feel disillusioned.
The more she remembered that she had almost nothing to gain, the deeper her envious feelings grew.
No matter how positively she tried to frame it as serving a greater good, her twisted mood made such thinking nearly impossible.
‘She’s just lucky, that’s all…’
She cursed inwardly, but it didn’t change the fact that this timeline belonged to the other woman, not her.
Dorosian forced herself to adopt her usual self-awareness and tried to suppress her emotions.
But the accompanying feelings were unavoidable.
It was a dirty sensation, as if she had become a mere surplus tool.
Feeling this in real-time as if to prove it herself, Dorosian could no longer see the Doppelgänger Theory as just a theory.
However, she clenched her fists, forcing herself to keep it at the level of a mere hypothesis.
The man in the orb let out a faint smile.
“My efforts aren’t for you. They’re for him.”
Dorosian brushed her fingers against the smile spreading on her lips, seeking a shred of comfort.
Perhaps it was closer to a mental victory, and the pathetic feeling might surge stronger later, but for now, it was the only small happiness she could grasp.
This was the unsavory life of a Doppelgänger.
***
After finishing student council duties, I returned to the temporary dormitory.
The air wasn’t exactly pleasant due to the dust kicked up by the workers, but the setting sun was at least worth appreciating.
It wasn’t even bedtime yet, but the warm sensation on my skin seemed to stimulate my sleep hormones.
It seemed the aftereffects of exhausting my energy entirely yesterday were still lingering.
The matter of the joint training session could be left to Dorosian.
As long as the combat power of the Magic Division increased, defeating Ever Blaze and Scarlett should be manageable.
I decided to spend the remaining time today resting my mind completely.
***
Donatan’s eyes snapped open.
The body’s rightful owner had finally fallen into a deep sleep.
It was free time, granted to the demon sword.
Even he was beginning to grow tired of nightly physical training.
But just in time, a group of promising individuals had appeared, asking to be taught swordsmanship.
He couldn’t deny it was a joyous moment.
Among them, the only one who could understand him properly was Hersel.
However, Hersel knew nothing about swords and wasn’t particularly interested.
With the thought of finally showcasing the knowledge he had learned from the Sword Saint, Donatan smirked.
“These guys are different from those insects. Their thinking is straight and pure.”
Ultimately, he decided to accept them on impulse.
Of course, he took a few precautions to ensure Hersel wouldn’t find out.
“Do you remember the precautions?”
He asked the five individuals in the now-dark thicket. Originally, there had been three, but somehow the number had grown to five. He decided to deal with the mystery later and listened to Riamon.
“Yes. Keep it a secret from others, and don’t show off the results carelessly. Right?”
“You’ve forgotten something important.”
“Oh, and never talk about swordsmanship with you during the day.”
Satisfied with the answer, Donatan nodded.
“But you’ve already broken the promise.”
Donatan glanced at Limberton and Aslay.
Riamon hastily explained.
“I just thought these two would be fine. After all, they’re on the same team as you, so it doesn’t matter if they know, right?”
But a promise was a promise.
Once broken, he was no longer obliged to fulfill it.
“That’s true.”
If they weren’t talents he didn’t want to lose, that is…
“I’ll make an exception for those two. But remember, what you’re about to learn must never leave this group. If anyone breaks this promise, I will stop teaching immediately.”
Silla gave him a suspicious look.
“Why is his speech so weird lately, like yesterday?”
Donatan coughed awkwardly, imitating Hersel.
“Ahem, normally, this would be something you’d have to pay for. Don’t complain when you’re learning for free.”
“Oh, he’s back.”
Only then did Silla’s expression return to normal.
Donatan glanced at the two uninvited guests.
The archer Limberton and the grappler Aslay. They had no apparent connection to swordsmanship.
‘Why are they here?’
For a moment, he thought they might just be tagging along for fun, but their serious demeanor suggested otherwise.
“I don’t know how to shoot a bow. I only know a few strike-based martial arts techniques, far removed from your expertise.”
Bows and martial arts were at best auxiliary concepts to swordsmanship.
He expected them to grow disappointed and leave soon, but both Aslay and Limberton seemed to know that and still came.
“We know that. But we came because we believe you’ll teach us more than just swordsmanship.”
Intrigued, Donatan raised an eyebrow.
‘If not swords, they must hope for physical training or aura mastery.’
Neither man had any talent with swords.
However, in their respective fields, they were exceptional, as if born to do exactly that.
‘Training is the foundation of all warriors. It applies to archery and martial arts alike.’
Although they wouldn’t reach the level of the other three, their participation in training could still yield new results.
At that moment, Leana asked a practical question.
“Hersel, I want to ask. Is it really possible to beat Valient after just three months of training?”
He had never said such a thing.
It seemed to be a misunderstanding that arose from their chatter.
However, since it was an important goal to them, Donatan gave it serious thought.
From what he had observed during their sparring sessions, their skills were at least two steps above those from other academies.
On the other hand, Frost Heart, apart from a few individuals, was at the bottom. Even compared to the relatively weaker Scarlett and Ever Blaze.
‘Geniuses shine because of the average. If everyone is a genius, they all become average. That’s the way of the world.’
Their growth rate would undoubtedly be remarkable.
But the others wouldn’t stay idle, either. It was obvious they were growing stronger even now.
“Impossible.”
Perhaps because they had witnessed the skill disparity themselves, they didn’t argue.
They just averted their gazes.
“Unless you’re learning from me.”
Their eyes slowly widened.
Donatan sparked static electricity at his fingertips and confidently declared,
“At the very least, I’ll raise you to their level. Surpassing them will depend on your determination.”
And the method lay in the static electricity at his fingertips.
“First, I’ll unblock your aura flow.”
Donatan decided on the direction.
He would minimize swordsmanship lessons and focus solely on aura manipulation and training.
“Good. Let’s begin. Everyone, take a seat.”
Each person sat in their most comfortable way on the ground.
“Clicking your tongue and sitting on your knees is proper etiquette.”
Once again, someone frowned.
Of course, it was Silla.
“There he goes again, talking like an old man.”
“There must be a reason for it.”
Once they corrected their posture, Donatan’s shoulders rose.
It was a day that reminded him of the time the Sword Saint taught his disciples long ago.
‘The world has become so kind. Back then, if you dared to argue with your master’s words, a punch would fly immediately.’
Donatan believed they needed discipline, though he chose grueling training over violence to instill it.
To read Chapters ahead 👇
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
CH 241-245 (Finals) $3
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