Glorious Vanity (SI LitRPG)

The moment the light died down, I raised my shield. As soon as I did...

*CLANK*

...An arrow bounced off it.

"I freaking knew it." I cursed and then quickly scanned the surroundings.

It was an open battlefield. Arrows flew from the distance and screams echoed all around. The sharp tang of iron filled the air, freshly spilled blood, and I could hear people crying in fear, agony, and despair.

But I didn't have the luxury to think that over.

If this was anything like a typical story... No, from the setup this was similar to Korean webnovels. Then, if this was like that, this entire place would be a death trap and hidden pieces would be scattered all about to make things easier in the long run.

But before that, I had to get out of danger.

I glanced to the side and noticed a person collapsed onto the ground, already dead. A young man no more than sixteen. Someone who got too excited about the situation and chose a sword, resulting in him becoming nothing more than a pincushion.

And I would suffer a similar fate if I lingered around.

"Tough luck." I muttered and grabbed his sword before running off... or tried to. The sword wouldn't budge from his dead hands though, almost like it was completely glued to it.

And then I remembered why.

"Dammit, Ego Weapons. Right. So-"

A faint whistling.

I flinched and quickly ducked behind my shield again, crouching behind it.

A stacatto of metallic notes echoed, arrows crashing against my shield.

My arm went numb from the impact, but my shield held up.

"Good job, Avalon. Knew I called you that for a reason."

I grinned, but quickly wiped that off my face to focus.

Think. What would those Korean web novel protags do? What was the usual result here?

"...Well, if this place is anything like that, then..."

I DEFINITELY wasn't the protagonist. After all, if I was then my 'cheat' would be a lot better and I'd also be first pick.

But that didn't mean that there weren't any protagonists. Rather...

A sudden surge of 'energy' flooded the surroundings. A sensation that I had never felt before, and could only liken to standing next to a strong magnet or static electricity... only not.

At the same time I felt that sensation, thunder erupted and a bolt of lightning struck down.

I hesitated, but then peered out from my shield to examine the situation.

Like I thought, it was a fierce battlefield. Me, along with hundreds of other people that I could only imagine were the other 'chosen' were standing on an open plain surrounding an obsidian fortress. And guarding that fortress were an armored group of men in a tight formation, raising a black flag with a golden sun on it.

Corpses already littered the ground and the green grass was already beginning to be stained red. A lot of people had been caught off guard by that initial volley. But a lot hadn't. Most of the people on 'my' side were still standing.

And in the middle of the battlefield, standing fearlessly against the hundreds of long bows aimed at her, a young woman had taken center stage. A true beauty with flowing silver hair and glittering silver armor. Blue electricity crackled around her body, coalescing in her outstretched right hand.

From that, it seemed that she was the source of that attack.

A lull in the battlefield. Everyone had come to a halt, turning to look at the young woman.

Everyone except for me.

I immediately hefted my shield, holding it parallel to the line of sights of those archers and started to run.

That young woman's appearance confirmed it. I *definitely* wasn't anything special. After all, other than my somewhat useful skills, I was just an ordinary human. That woman, on the other hand...

Handling bare electricity? No, being able to channel it and do a lightning strike on the enemy forces?

If that hit me, I'd be dead! Charred! Ashes in the wind!

Nope, I was absolutely getting out of dodge ASAP while she was distracting everyone.

There was a copse of trees in the distance, with some bushes and undergrowth to hide in.

Readjusting my shield and raising it high enough to block the important bits and my head, I made my way over towards cover. Let those other crazy 'Chosen' with cheats deal with the enemy. I'd just bide my time and wait-

"What are you waiting for?!"

I flinched, quickly glancing back.

For a moment, I was worried that I was being singled out for running away. But nobody was looking at me, still focused on that young woman.

And speaking of her...

"We were chosen by the gods themselves to defend Babel! Fight! Fight and ascend!"

A charismatic and courageous female voice, like a valiant valkyrie. Somehow, she had drawn a sword and pointed it towards the army of soldiers surrounding the fortress. Our supposed target.

Silence. But then roars echoed as people ran forward.

It was a ragtag group, some ordinary humans just like me, but a few strange ones were mixed in too. Elves, beastmen, some beings that I could only call 'monsters'.... All of them ran forward at the woman's words. At the same time, light splashed across the surroundings along with that weird sensation of pure energy.

Probably magic or mana, come to think of it.

But that was them. As for me, I never stopped running.

Just as the sky lit up with countless spells and superhuman phenomena, I jumped into the bushes, quickly concealing myself. As I did...

[Your wise actions have been acknowledged. Intelligence +1]

I glanced at the message and sighed. "...I thought so."

Just as I said that, I felt it.

A wave of energy- No, that was definitely mana.

A wave of mana welled up in the distance. A towering amount that was almost stifling. Not only that, but it felt almost... reverent. Divine.

[Divine Anathema activates!]

"Hm?" I blinked, confused at the sudden message. "Divine Anathema? But then-"

A deep and resonant male voice reverberated through the air. "So there are still mortals that seek to ascend Babel in this age. Foolish. I may not be able to do much in this pathetic avatar... But I will at least teach you a lesson. Surtr."

My eyes widened and then I quickly ducked down behind my shield. But that wouldn't be enough.

I didn't know who that was or what he was doing, but it was definitely going to be a high grade seige spell or something like that. And my tiny shield wouldn't be enough. So...

[Activating World Creator (Minor)]

Right. I didn't have anything on me, but I had that. And while I definitely didn't have any means of creating magical items, the only limitation was non-magical items, right?

Then.

A small bunker made of stainless steel that was buried ten feet into the ground. Over the steel walls, a layer of liquid nitrogen to cancel out that inevitable heatwave. An inch of ice to keep that liquid nitrogen trapped against the steel. And over that, another layer of stainless steel.

It happened in an instant. I found myself suddenly falling down, trapped in darkness. But at the same time, a frosty chill surrounded me, like I was inside a freezer.

And then I heard it.

A terrifying sound, like a high-powered hose spraying against the bunker. Only, it was different. Rather than the sound of water, I could hear it. The distinctive sound of scorching flames crashing against metal. Not only that, but it was accompanied by the hiss of steam as well as crackling fire.

A deafening cacophony. But also one that meant that I was alive.

Still, I was worried.

"It... will hold up, right?"

I stared at the ceiling and suddenly had a sinking feeling.

It was definitely a flame spell. And from the name that person said, Surtr, it was one that was bound to eradicate the landscape and bathe it in fire.

I wasn't sure if other people had means to defend against it... knowing that woman's actions, she was probably fine. And there were definitely at least a few others with broken cheats that could guard against it. But most people were definitely dead.

And as for me...

A faint glow began to form above. A tiny orange dot that was slowly spreading.

My eyes widened.

That wasn't good.

I was underground, and surrounded by thermal resistant material, as well as low temperature insulation. And even then, the steel was still heating up?

I nervously stared at the dot and wondered if I should try to make something else. But something told me that the moment I did, the bunker would vanish.

And I'd be dead.

So then I couldn't do that. Instead, I just had to wait. Wait, and pray that my plan worked.

The temperature began to rise. The feeling that the bunker was a freezer changed into feeling like it was a refrigerator, then a relatively cool room, and finally one that was starting to get uncomfortably hot, enough to where I'd open a window to let in some fresh air.

Except that I'd be scorched alive.

Thankfully, it seemed like my creation had somehow accounted for the lack of air that would result from an airtight bunker. I didn't have any difficulties breathing, at least.

But...

"...Is this it?"

I sat in the center of the bunker and looked around.

The sides had all turned a faint orange, illuminating the surroundings.

Heat radiated from them, and I was sure that I'd burn myself if I touched them.

Fortunately, I had the foresight to keep the floor just dirt, which didn't conduct heat as well as the steel. But even that was getting uncomfortably warm, like beach sand on a sunny day.

Just as the ground got too hot to sit on...

It stopped.

Silence.

The deafening stream of fire came to an end.

I didn't know how long it had been, but I knew that it was over. And the reason for that...

[Your quick wit and determination has lead to surviving Surtr's Wrath. Intelligence +5, Luck +5]

[You successfully judged and analyzed a Divine Being's authority and intent. Divine Anathema seizes a fragment of Surtr's Authority.]

[Obtained Flames of Muspell (Heavily Degraded)]

[Flames of Muspell (Heavily Degraded) - A miniscule spark of the flames that will harken the end in Ragnarok. However, though miniscule, it is still an authentic spark of the world-consuming flames. Immune to all but extreme temperature changes. Mild resistance to Absolute Zero or Absolute Flame. Can summon a tiny ember of Ragnarok's flames.]

"...Thanks, Yu Ilhan. Your lesson about not lowering your guard until the system message pops up has been well-received."

-V-

[Status Screen]

-Biography-

Name: Vain Glory

Age: 20 (Adjusted)

Race: Human (Heaven Defying)

Current Condition: Healthy

-Racial Traits-

Divine Anathema - Those not only forsaken by their gods, but those who have killed their gods and constructed their own. Drastically reduces effectiveness of Divine Attacks. Minor probability of obtaining partial Divine Authority through analysis and perception. Greatly increased hostility by Divine Beings.

-Traits-

Man of a Thousand Faces (Can filter emotions and experience through personas)

Well-Read (Increased intelligence growth)

Self-Determined (Luck is treated as 100 for calculations)

-Titles-

World Creator (Minor) - Allows construction of non-magical items through one's will

Hero Creator (Minor) - Removes growth limitations on user and their allies

-Parameters-

Level: 1

Strength: 8

Agility: 6

Vitality: 5

Intelligence: 19

Luck: 15 [100]

-Skills-

No One's Story - A gambit that defies the gods through sacrificing one's identity and very memory. All attempts to scry your status are denied. Removes skill requirements. Memory and visualization abilities are enhanced.

A Different Path - Direct interference with a hero's fate, granting him a new path and divergent futures. Allows reproduction of 'conceptual weapons' provided the requisite materials. Allows reproduction of 'sword skills' provided the requisite understanding.

Flames of Muspell (Heavily Degraded) - A miniscule spark of the flames that will harken the end in Ragnarok. However, though miniscule, it is still an authentic spark of the world-consuming flames. Immune to all but extreme temperature changes. Mild resistance to Absolute Zero or Absolute Flame. Can summon a tiny ember of Ragnarok's flames.