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EPISODE 171 – THE ROAD NOT TAKEN (2)
“Haa… haa…”
Cordelia profusely sweated and roughly breathed. She sat down on the floor as if she had collapsed, and eventually lied down on the ground.
“Haa…”
She closed her eyes as the fatigue overwhelmed her. She felt like she would fall asleep right away if it wasn’t for the fact that she was catching her breath.
“Haa…”
But she couldn’t fall asleep.
Around 5 minutes passed by.
Perhaps even longer than that.
Cordelia managed to calm her breathing before she raised her hands to cover her face, loudly breathing out and wiping off the sweat from her forehead with both hands. She swept aside the hair on her face as she opened her eyes.
“F*ck.”
It was an exclamation rather than a curse.
As proof of this, Cordelia’s sharp fang-like teeth became visible as the corners of her mouth went up.
“I won.”
I won. I won. I won!
Cordelia expressed her joy by stretching out her arms upward in a hurrah. But she struggled keeping her arms up due to her exhaustion.
“Hehehe. I’m so tired.”
She was so tired that she felt dizzy, and she was exhausted after her strenuous fight.
But she still felt good.
Because the pleasant feeling of satisfaction filled her entire body.
“I won.”
I’m not wrong. As I thought, Cordelia is a wizard. She is a wizard.
‘It’s a bit… different from the game.’
In reality, it was not a bit, but a lot.
The original Cordelia was a pure wizard, so it was impossible for her to do the same ‘high-speed movement battle’ that the present Cordelia did in this battle.
‘Well, back then in the game, I used <Haste> to move fast.’
But she had not overlapped its use three times as excessively as now.
She was just a wizard to the very end.
“Hehehe.”
The present Cordelia was not like that though.
‘Hmm, this is somewhat embarrassing.’
It’s like I’m talking about myself in third person.
Cordelia knew that no one was around, but she looked around nonetheless, covering her cheeks that had turned red from her excitement and joy of the earlier intense battle. She gave strength to her waist as she raised her upper body up and looked at the sight in front of her.
‘So strong.’
She had created that very sight in front of her, but she couldn’t help admiring it.
Because it was really strong like she had just said.
‘Arkeman’s treasure plus the Fallen Angel Mode…’
In exchange for maximizing her power, her mana consumption was also maximized.
There was a deep black hole in front of Cordelia’s eyes.
Its diameter was around 10 meters.
A sign of the destruction she caused by throwing the Black Lightning Spear.
But what she really referred to as strong wasn’t the destruction of the floor.
‘Was she almost… annihilated?’
The warrior Cordelia held down by <Gravity Pull>.
She awakened as a battle angel in her Angel Mode, and her magic resistance was terrifying.
Despite being hit by a hundred magic missiles, she could still move without any problems.
But such a warrior Cordelia disappeared with just one shot.
She had naturally resisted it for a while with her immense magic resistance, but the fact that she failed to overcome it and disappeared was important.
‘One shot.’
Her last shot consumed all her remaining mana.
She had obviously done a lot of things that consumed much of her mana, such as the <Shadow Clone> magic or the one hundred magic missiles, but Cordelia had always been a character with immense mana.
Moreover, if you counted the total amount of mana she used for her Fallen Angel Mode, a combination of her Angel Mode and Witch Transformation, her so-called mana pool was more than Adelia, one of the seven commanders of the Royal Guard Magic Corps.
However, she used up all of her mana in just one shot.
‘It’s a crazy bargain.’
Not a good one, but a bad one.
But not simply a bad one.
Because its power was really crazy.
‘It’s a complete bamboo spear.’
You, as well as me, can die from one strike of a bamboo spear.
She was at least confident about the power of that one shot.
Even if her opponent was a strong person on the level of the Ten Great Swordmasters, they would not be able to ignore the power of the Black Lightning Spear.
‘No, it’ll only take one shot.’
She was confident that she can even defeat someone on the level of the Ten Great Swordmasters if she could properly hit them with her strongest shot.
‘I have to use up all my mana though.’
And she also wondered if she could easily hit someone on the level of the Ten Great Swordmasters.
‘Still.’
There was a big difference between having and not having a skill that could knock down someone of that level in one shot.
Therefore, Cordelia was immensely satisfied.
“Hehehe.”
A laugh came out again.
She couldn’t help it.
‘In fact, this isn’t its full power yet.’
She lacked mana.
Cordelia’s mana was still too little to demonstrate the full power of the Black Lightning Spear.
‘It’s seriously crazy.’
Her mana pool was higher than Adelia, a commander of the Royal Guard Magic Corps, but it was still not enough.
But Cordelia was not disappointed or upset by it again. Because Jude was not the only one who had a gamer brain.
‘It’s easy to increase the mana pool itself.’
The most common way to increase one’s mana pool was through items that increased one’s mana.
‘Once I increase my mana.’
Once my mana pool greatly increases, it will become possible for me to unleash the full power of the Black Lightning Spear and to fire it at random too.
“Hehehe.”
It felt good imagining it, so she laughed like a fool again.
If I can increase my mana pool… if I can speed up my mana recovery…
‘Good, good. I can see the tech tree, I can see it.’
What skills she should learn for the future. What equipment she needed to get.
‘The other skills were good too.’
Shadow Clone and Fallen Angel Mode.
In the former case, it was actually an application of illusion magic and not a fictional ninja technique, but nevertheless, she was highly satisfied with it.
‘Cordelia’s talent.’
A new power Yellow Storm gained after she reincarnated as the current Cordelia.
Cordelia was born with excellent magic sensitivity, which allowed her to learn almost any kind of magic.
‘Thanks to the Witch Transformation and Angel Mode, I can use evil or angelic magic which are difficult for ordinary humans to use.’
She’d become an all-rounder in the field of magic.
A literal archwizard.
‘And a fallen angel.’
It would truly be Cordelia’s own specialty and a change from her game self.
‘What will Jude say when he sees it?’
Come to think of it, he’s been saying for a long time ago that he wants to see the Fallen Angel Mode.
‘Will his face just turn red?’
Will Jude be embarrassed and speechless?
I want to see it.
I want to see Jude like that.
‘Jude must have won too, right?’
Perhaps for Jude, a wizard Jude will appear, but I don’t think he’ll lose.
‘He’ll win it somehow.’
By using all sorts of wicked, mean, and insidious schemes.
He wouldn’t be my Jude otherwise if he didn’t.
“Haa.”
Cordelia sighed before she lied down on the floor again and looked up at the sky.
A shiny skill book was floating in the sky.
‘My level has risen, my stats have also increased due to unlocking my latent skills, and now I’ll even acquire a skill book?’
Since her mana had been all consumed, Cordelia forced herself to stand up again instead of using her telekinetic power, and she touched the skill book with her hand.
A-rank skill – Battle Meditation.
‘Woah, this is good.’
As its name suggested, it was a skill that allowed her to meditate even in the midst of a battle.
Obviously, it was ridiculous to close your eyes and meditate while in the middle of a fight. So rather than a real meditation, the skill allowed you to enjoy the effect of mana recovery through meditation.
‘I guess it’s like a movement skill.’
Something like directing the energy in your body through a breathing technique while also moving around.
‘Hmm, good. It’s not bad.’
Cordelia used Battle Meditation as soon as she got the skill book, and she slowly recovered her mana before she healed the wound on her shoulder.
‘But I still have a long way to go.’
She was very satisfied with this and that, but she also thirsted for more.
What Cordelia herself wanted.
What she was secretly practicing in the Temple of Life in order to beat Jude.
It was not the Fallen Angel Mode.
It was not the Black Lightning Spear either.
It was something else.
Something that she had not even attempted in the game, but she could try now because the present Cordelia had the memories of her past and present lives.
‘Let’s not be too hasty.’
Let’s do it one step at a time.
After all, I still want to get ahead of Jude.
‘I can’t wait to show it to him.’
The Fallen Angel Mode.
Shall I show it to him once we get back to our room?
I think his face will really turn red.
‘I want to see it.’
A blushing Jude.
No, just Jude himself.
“Ahem, ahem, what am I thinking?”
Cordelia cleared her throat to somehow get rid of her sudden embarrassment. She took a potion from her waist pocket and drank it, taking a deep breath afterwards.
“Okay, shall I go?”
To the waiting room beyond the door.
Cordelia took a step.
***
“Pink- I mean, Cordelia.”
“Lady Cordelia.”
Scarlet and Lucas were already in the waiting room where several stone pillars toweringly stood.
“Oh, did you both win?”
“Of course.”
“It was a good lesson.”
At Cordelia’s question, Scarlet haughtily replied while Lucas answered with a bright smile, and Cordelia spontaneously smiled at the answers of the two.
‘They’re like a cat and a large dog.’
Is Scarlet a Russian Blue while Lucas a Golden Retriever?
Cordelia lightly imagined it as she looked at Scarlet and Lucas with warm eyes.
It seemed like she could see Scarlet pricking up her cat ears and Lucas wagging his dog tail.
“It seems like you’re thinking of something really rude.”
“Lady Cordelia?”
Scarlet crossed her arms and spoke in a low voice while Lucas furrowed his brows with a worried expression, and Cordelia said after coughing a bit.
“What about Jude?”
“He just arrived.”
Cordelia quickly turned her head when Scarlet answered. Indeed, a messy-looking Jude walked out from one of the four doors in the room.
“Oh, did everyone win?”
“We won. But what happened to your clothes?”
“Well… it was a bit hard.”
Jude looked at himself when Cordelia asked, and he smiled bitterly.
Because his clothes were seriously tattered.
“But the Palace of Mirrors is more like image training. My clothes will go back to normal once we go outside.”
“That’s a relief. Did you get hurt?”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
‘Because I have a regenerative ability.’
At his voice and look that seemed to be hiding something, Cordelia widened her eyes in surprise and sent him a message via <Message> magic.
[What? Did you really get hurt?]
[Eh? Uh… but I’m fine. Because I have a regenerative ability.]
In fact, he didn’t have any wounds or scars now.
Jude showed his skin by opening a gap in his torn clothes, and Cordelia drew her face closer to see if he was really hurt.
And Scarlet and Lucas, who didn’t understand the conversation between Jude and Cordelia, looked at the two with strange expressions.
‘Wha-what kind of play is this?’
“Ahem, ahem. Ehem, ehem, ehem.”
Scarlet stared at Cordelia with a cold look before she turned to Lucas who had reacted by clearing his throat. Having turned red because of Jude and Cordelia, Lucas then faced Scarlet.
And Cordelia saw the moment when the two turned to each other and thought.
‘Ooooh, is something going on between them?’
Is this the case of a younger man and a haughty beauty, who is actually a kind and innocent woman, whispering sweet nothings to each other naturally?!
[Uh, I don’t think it’s that.]
[You always say it’s not.]
Jude did not respond to Cordelia’s complaint as he turned to Lucas and asked.
“Lord Lucas. Have you made any progress?”
Being here now meant that he had won the battle against himself who had gone on another path.
And it wasn’t just level-ups, increased stats, or a skill book that one could get as a result of that fight.
‘Self-confidence and conviction.’
Confidence that you had taken the right path as you go straight ahead.
Confidence that your choice was not wrong.
When asked by Jude, Lucas nodded with a bright expression.
“Yes, Mr. Jude. Thanks to you, I had a very good experience. Thank you very much.”
“I’m glad to be of help.”
Lucas shyly smiled at Jude’s answer while Scarlet’s eyes turned cold again.
Because it felt strange to see a scene that usually appeared in youth novels.
“What? Do you want to have a conversation like that? Shall I do it for you too?”
“No need.”
Scarlet rejected Cordelia’s offer, and Cordelia pouted her lips several times before saying.
“Anyway, since we’re all here, we can go out now, right?”
“Okay.”
After his short answer, Jude stretched out his hand to Cordelia who automatically held his hand.
Being escorted had pretty much became a norm.
“Shall we go then, Princess?”
“Yes, Milord.”
Jude and Cordelia exchanged words in a natural manner before they took the lead as they headed out of the dungeon, while Scarlet and Lucas saw them and unconsciously looked at each other.
They exchanged glances.
Somehow, they sympathized with each other.
Both of them shrugged their shoulders and headed towards the exit afterwards.
***
Unfortunately for Jude, Cordelia chose to wash and sleep instead of showing him the Fallen Angel Mode as soon as they returned to their rooms.
Because when she arrived at their room, the thought of lying down on her bed and sleeping had dominated her mind.
And a few hours later.
Cordelia only slept less than half the usual time because of their midnight exploration, and she smacked Jude in the shoulder with a tired face.
“Why are you not tired?”
“Because I have a regenerative ability.”
The Sphere of Life did its part.
Jude carefreely replied and attended the Banquet of Swords with Cordelia, and they spent their time easily answering the questions directed to them.
‘Because we’ve accomplished all our goals.’
They met Duke Spencer and became acquainted with First Sword. They also got him to agree in going to the founding anniversary ball.
As a bonus, he even won in the Banquet of Swords, increased their stats at the Palace of Mirrors, and gave Lucas the opportunity to grow, so it was not exaggeration to say that their visit to Duke Spencer was a great success.
“By the way.”
“Yes?”
Inside the carriage that was leaving Duke Spencer’s estate.
Jude raised his head at the call of Cordelia who was sitting across him, and Cordelia said as she slightly tilted her head.
“You really didn’t hide your skills at this Banquet of Swords, huh?”
“Yeah.”
There’s no reason for me to hide it.
“But didn’t you say that we had to hide it last time?”
Last time.
When they defeated the chimera in Arkeman’s Dungeon.
At that time, Jude pretended to be injured and said that they had to hide their skills.
Cordelia herself blindfolded her eyes with a bandage to pretend that she was temporarily blind.
“I did?”
“You did, right?”
“Well, things are bound to change. I also needed to win to impress First Sword.”
“Hooooh.”
Cordelia’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Jude spoke about something else while maintaining a calm expression like usual.
“But Cordelia, how was the Cordelia you fought in the Palace of Mirrors? Was she a warrior?”
It was obviously a diversion, but it was too attractive to refuse.
So Cordelia immediately replied to Jude’s words.
“Yes, yes, it was a warrior Cordelia. She was like ‘roar-roar’ when she used Lion’s Roar.”
Cordelia pretended to roar as she acted like a lion with her hands, and Jude’s eyes widened before he asked.
“Roar-roar? Did she roar like a real lion when she used Lion’s Roar?”
“Eh? Uh. She did? Isn’t it strange?”
“No, well… it’s just like Cordelia.”
Because it was normal to roar like a lion when doing a spirited shout.
‘But…’
A smile spread on Jude’s face when he thought of Cordelia going roar-roar like a beast, and her roar-roar soon turned into rawr-rawr and then growl-growl in his mind.
“What? What are you thinking?”
“Something nice and proper.”
“No, you won’t even show me your face.”
“Anyway, how was your fight? How did you win?”
Jude pretended to be calm and spoke again, and Cordelia replied to Jude’s words again.
And two days later in the afternoon.
The tea party of Princess Daphne, the so-called Jewel of the Royal Capital, finally began.