《Why Did I Have to Enroll》 CH 1 Index. Congratulations on passing the document screening. As a child, when Ban Yu-won first learned about the existence of the fictional building called the Tower of Babel in the Bible, his respectable grandfather told him it was the tower everyone worked together to build when there was only one language in the world. ¡°The person who built the Tower of Babel was our ancestor, Won. Moreover, the Tower of Babel was completed without collapse, and people have the wrong idea.¡± That¡¯s what he said. If he had heard it after he got older, he would have refuted it, saying that it was absurd, but¡­ ¡°Really, Grandpa? So our ancestor was its owner? Not just any owner, but a building owner!¡± ¡°What did your father teach you¡­ahem! Not just a building owner, Won. What is important is our ancestors¡¯ ability.¡± Ban Yu-won, young and naive at the time, believed his grandfather¡¯s words without a doubt, and his grandfather continued on with a twinkle in his eyes. He told him that the Tower of Babel was built not because everyone spoke the same language but because their ancestors could enable everyone to communicate. That the story that God destroyed the tower and scattered mankind was just an ugly delusion of humans who were jealous of their ancestors. The master of language that interpreted and transformed all languages wielded a powerful force. He told him they were the descendants of such a great man and to never forget that fact. However, Ban Yu-won, who was more interested in houses and buildings than these vague abilities, asked. ¡°Then where did the completed Tower of Babel go? That¡¯s our building, hmph.¡± ¡°The Tower of Babel¡­.¡± For a fundamentally different reason from his grandson, already tainted by the world at a young age, that grandfather pursued the Tower of Babel. He replied with a distant glance. ¡°That¡¯s something that even Grandpa doesn¡¯t know. One thing is for sure, when we find it, our family will be able to regain all its strength and glory¡­.¡± The Tower of Babel, which the young Ban Yu-won was already eagerly looking for, couldn¡¯t be found. However, the ability they inherited from their ancestors did exist, and the proof was none other than Ban Yu-won himself. ¡°The light of my life, the spark of my life. My sin, my soul¡­.¡± ¡°Yu-won, what are you reading?¡± ¡°I¡¯m reading a book!¡± ¡°Haah, why does our son work so hard on reading a¡­honey, our kid, is reading the original edition!¡± Language is inherently memorized through continuous repetition. The conditions for speaking a language are met only when the ears, the mouth, and the eyes are open. ¡°This is apple, ringo, pinguo, mela¡­they¡¯re all apple!¡± ¡°Father, our Yu-won seems really strange, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°He can read a language he¡¯s never seen before and understands its meaning in seconds, Father!¡± However, Ban Yu-won ignored the learning process. From birth, he could understand and deal with the concept of language with a skill on par with any expert. ¡°It seems that Yu-won has the blood of our ancestors.¡± ¡°Father, it¡¯s not that much; it¡¯s just¡­.¡± ¡°Finally, a child who will fulfill the family¡¯s dream has been born! The child who will bring the Tower of Babel back to the family!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die than suffer that.¡± Yes. Ban Yu-won could understand and handle all languages ??on Earth. No, he was even better than that. [wjsckdnjschlrhdmldkzkepal¡¸dbsldhs¡¹dmltjfbwjsgudgkqrurdmfcnrgkemflqslek!] ¡°I mean, there is a limit. How can I interpret these words¡­?¡± [Congratulations on passing the document screening of ¡¸Union¡¹, the best academy in any dimension!] ¡°¡­Oh, I can?¡± In fact, he could even read crazy moon languages. Lesson 1. This is your status window ¨C 1 It was February, and the young Ban Yu-won was 20 years old. He was sitting in front of the computer, waiting to see if he was accepted into college, refreshing the page repeatedly. Suddenly, his eyes brightened, and a translucent glass window appeared in front of him. Even Ban Yu-won, who¡¯d mastered all the languages on Earth, had never seen these unfamiliar words before. [Congratulations on passing the document screening of Union, the best academy in any dimension!] ¡°It doesn¡¯t go away.¡± He was waiting for the announcement of his university acceptance, and suddenly a window with an alien language appeared in front of him. An alien language he could understand. Ban Yu-won, unable to convince himself this surreal phenomenon was actually happening, shouted the very first words anyone should shout in an unusual situation like this. ¡°Status window!¡± There wasn¡¯t such a thing, but the alien language text written on the glass window changed. [Candidates who pass the document screening will take the practical evaluation immediately. But rest assured! Since the dimension you are currently in is a sub-dimension whose name is unknown, your practical evaluation is also classified as a special sub-dimension. The difficulty level is very low compared to the normal high-level dimensions, so you can pass it easily!] ¡°I¡¯m going nuts. Seriously.¡± What was the practical evaluation, and what was the special low-level screening? The glass window didn¡¯t answer, but he could understand the basics thinking about it. This special admission system is referred to in university entrance exam systems using a selection that differed slightly from the general admission criteria. Specifically, it was probably to recruit special talents. So, Ban Yu-won passed the document screening of this academy called Union or something like that because of his special ability, and he could also take a practical evaluation that was easier¡­ [If you pass the practical evaluation, you will immediately become a pre-admitted student and move to the dormitory of Union Academy, so prepare yourself. We will start sending it in the next minute. 59, 58¡­] ¡°What bullshit is that? I¡¯ve never applied in the first place¡­!¡± When did he write the paperwork, and what was the practical evaluation? He had applied to only S. University. I mean, if you¡¯re going to show me such a strange message, give me a status window too! -Tap At that moment, the monitor screen was refreshed, and the announcement of successful applicants from S University¡¯s College of Social Sciences (scheduled to major in Political Science and Diplomacy) appeared. The result: he¡¯d passed! Yes, he must have been so nervous before the announcement that he hallucinated. Convincing himself of that, what welcomed Ban Yu-won, as he took a deep breath¡­ [1, 0. For the practical evaluation location, you¡¯ll be sent to the Blind Goblin Den!] ¡°Wai-¡° He teleported. ¡°-t¡­.¡± When he finished speaking, Ban Yu-won was already somewhere other than Earth. To paraphrase it with the most appropriate word, he knew¡­he was in a dungeon. * * * [The goal of the practical evaluation is simple. Reach the center of the Blind Goblin Den and destroy the dungeon core! As it is a special low-level archetype, you will pass as long as the dungeon core is destroyed!] Ban Yu-won wondered as he hid in a dark and damp corner of the cave. ¡®It¡¯s neither an illusion nor a hallucination. I¡¯m sure.¡¯ He had come to admit that he was in a terribly unrealistic situation. In fact, after he was dragged into the dungeon, he denied reality for about 30 seconds, but then, when he felt a ghostly presence of a monster approaching, it felt like someone had dumped ice water over his head. Since his own abilities were the product of a miracle, Ban Yu-won¡¯s strength was that he was quick to adapt to surreal situations. He stopped worrying and moved quietly to find a hiding place. ¡®Let me think.¡¯ Why was he in this place? Was there no way he could go home? There was no meaning in thinking about those things right now. Now, he had to consider how to safely pass this practical evaluation. Once he left this dungeon, he would have to meet the person in charge and argue with them. He wondered what he could do against a group that could forcefully teleport him. ¡®No, let¡¯s not chicken out. I will get out of here safely and enter S. University. A brilliant college life awaits me¡­!¡¯ To do that, he needed to find a way out. That was obvious; the goal was presented to him at the start. [Reach the center of the Blind Goblin Den, and destroy the dungeon core.] He¡¯d seen stuff like this a lot in games and novels. ¡®They just openly said that this is a dungeon. Is Union Academy like an academy that trains explorers? Then why the hell did I pass the document screening¡­let¡¯s think about this later.¡¯ Dungeon Core. What happened when you broke the core of an object? It¡¯d immediately collapse. At least that¡¯s what it was like in the novels he¡¯d read, and it didn¡¯t seem like it was any different here. In other words, Ban Yu-won was instructed to attack and clear the dungeon. However, the Goblins living in this dungeon wouldn¡¯t just stand by as the core was destroyed. It made sense that he must overcome the obstacles these monsters posed and destroy the core. ¡®Hmmm¡­I¡¯m sure I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ He was a modern man who couldn¡¯t be confident that he would win against a wild chihuahua. If those chihuahuas attacked in groups? Just imagining it sent chills down his spine. Thanks to his body being frozen with fear, he didn¡¯t flinch when a club passed his nose. ¡°dkslsrk!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Inhaling, he desperately resisted the sound that was about to squeak out. Perhaps it was because he was too absorbed in his thoughts that he wasn¡¯t aware of the existence of the monster that was approaching him. No, it wasn¡¯t that, and the monster had hidden its presence and approached. ¡°qnsauddurlsep!¡± Dark green with wrinkled skin and a little short compared to Ban Yu-won, but with muscular limbs and pointy teeth. A Goblin in a game was the weakest foe, but the one in front of him now was clearly a monster. ¡°Then right!¡± ¡°!¡± -Whoosh It was no luck that he dodged the monster¡¯s club twice a row. It was thanks to Ban Yu-won, who had already understood the monster¡¯s words, and moved in accordance with its stupid way of shouting attacks. ¡®This is crazy. I understand monsters.¡¯ Curiously, at that moment, Ban Yu-won gained a little confidence. Didn¡¯t he at least know that his language ability worked even in this unknown place? ¡°I can¡¯t catch him! It¡¯s right in front of me!¡± Meanwhile, the Goblin went mad and swung his club at random. Why would he do such a crazy thing without aiming straight at Ban Yu-won in front of him? It was because the Goblin was blind. ¡®This is an advantage because it¡¯s a special sub-division, right? It¡¯s so not comforting.¡¯ Thanks to that, he survived, but that and passing the practical evaluation was completely different. Ban Yu-won backed away little by little from the club-wielding Goblin, but that was a mistake. He ran forward and, bang! He lowered the club. ¡°I missed it agaaain!¡± ¡®Gasp! Gasp¡­! This bastard, he¡¯s tracking my movement!¡¯ Thanks to his reflexes, he just escaped the blow. He felt his physical abilities were strengthened compared to when he was on Earth. It wasn¡¯t enough to beat the monster, though, but barely at the level of dodging the obvious attack. Fortunately, his hearing wasn¡¯t that keen. Once he dodged, the bastard lost track of him. But. ¡°Is there a brother there? What are you doing?¡± My God, ancestors. A new monster appeared beyond the tunnel as he grew used to evading the first¡¯s attacks! He was equally blind but equally muscular and holding an equally terrifying club! The Goblin (let¡¯s call him G1), noticing the appearance of his kin, shouted. ¡°My prey keeps dodging my attacks!¡± ¡°Prey? Prey!¡± Yeah, he knew it would be like this, damn it! A new Goblin, G2, came running. At this rate, he would be surrounded. However, if he moved, he would be caught again. ¡®How? How the hell am I supposed to survive this absurd situation?¡¯ At that moment, a very stupid thought popped into Ban Yu-won¡¯s mind. However, there wasn¡¯t enough time to find another way, so he put the idea into practice. ¡°Come running and strike straight in front of you!¡± Ban Yu-won shouted in the language spoken by Goblins. At the same time, he threw himself to the side. ¡°The prey speaks our language!¡± ¡°Thanks for letting us know!¡± ¡°Wait¡­!¡± Unlike G1, who was stunned by Ban Yu-won¡¯s words, G2 had just come to this place, so he didn¡¯t care about the slight difference in voice and ran straight forward. Goblins were more ignorant than Ban Yu-won had imagined, but they were still powerful. They were less evasive, however. -Puck! G2 clubbed G1¡¯s head. ¡°I caught ¡®em¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± G1, hit with a critical blow, enraged, swung his club, thinking that it was his fellow who had hit him. Naturally, G2 couldn¡¯t dodge. Whack! ¡°It hurts! Why are you hitting me?!¡± ¡°You hit me first!¡± ¡°Die!¡± Ban Yu-won blankly watched as a fierce, bloody battle began. If he moved again, he might provoke them, so he had no choice but to stay still. G2 had an advantage from striking first, but G1 seemed stronger, so it was almost a tie. ¡°You idiot! It wasn¡¯t me!¡± ¡°Liar! Goblins do not forgive liars!¡± Their conversation level was on par with an elementary school student, but the battle itself was fierce enough to give him goosebumps. Hit! Whack! Pop! Puck! ¡®Who said goblins were the weakest monsters¡­?¡¯ If he only believed in the descriptions of the Goblins that appeared in novels and ran through the cave without any measures, then Ban Yu-won would¡¯ve been killed. ¡°Ugh, cough¡­.¡± While Ban Yu-won was trembling at the situation he was in, the battle finally changed. Surprisingly, despite getting the first hit, G1 succeeded in tearing a chunk out of G2¡¯s neck. ¡°Die!¡± ¡°Kyakh!¡± G2¡¯s club hit the ground, but it was then that he made his last effort. He threw himself at G1 and bit the tip of his nose. ¡°Put it away¡­!¡± ¡°Kueeek¡­¡± G2 couldn¡¯t move anymore. However, G1 was also fatally wounded and crushed under his weight, so he could only struggle. ¡°Whoop, whoop¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won picked up the club. ¡®If I can¡¯t even kill him this time, there is no chance I will clear this dungeon.¡¯ Since G1 was at death¡¯s door, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to run away like this, but why did he choose to approach him instead? This was because Ban Yu-won chose to move forward rather than run away blindly. No matter how unreasonable the situation was right now, to survive, he must eventually pass through this dungeon, and to do that, he had to face these guys. He couldn¡¯t run away, afraid of this dying Goblin. ¡°Hhhhup!¡± He was overly nervous, so he momentarily forgot to breathe, but it could be worse. He brought the club down. ¨DPuck! Ban Yu-won¡¯s blow went above the average physical strength of young Koreans. It certainly finished the dying Goblin. [Congratulations! Your first hunt in the dungeon was successful!] The translucent glass window appeared in front of him again. Ban Yu-won stared at the window while feeling his hands, arms, abdomen, and back throbbing due to tension. The message updated. [As a reward, higher-level powers and status windows will be provided. All students attending the academy can manage their abilities and efficiently develop them with the status window! This is the most advanced support system provided by Union Academy!] ¡°Huh?¡± A status window at this time?! Not long ago, he was the one who hated and cursed the school officials, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart flutter at the promise of a status window! [This is your status window.] And finally, it appeared¡­ [It has been confirmed that you attained higher powers.] The text had a different structure from the letters that appeared so far, more inorganic, although somehow, he could immediately recognize them before they vanished. [Retrieving the status window.] ¡°What, give me back my status window!¡± Ban Yu-won, disconcerted, forgot his current situation and screamed. Immediately after realizing his rashness, he covered his mouth, but fortunately, no new Goblins appeared. [Opening the power, Babylonian Code.] Instead, golden strings began to come out of the two Goblin corpses. CH 2 Lesson 1. This is your status window ¨C 2 People become rather calm when something too surprising happens. It wasn¡¯t something like a theory advocated by someone famous, but it was what Ban Yu-won was going through now. [With an external stimulus, the power Babylonian Code was opened. Select and display ideograms from among the languages ??most familiar to the power holder.] ¡®Ideograms familiar to me¡­Chinese characters?¡¯ That was the correct answer. It is a language in which the meaning was contained in the word itself, not in the phonetic alphabet that expressed the sound in text. The Babylonian Code was arranged in the form of Chinese characters and appeared before him. [The two Goblins share concepts: the Devil, the Life, and the Physique. Other concepts are insignificant or overly complex, so they cannot be absorbed with the level of the current holder.] [Absorbs 0.2 of Devil. The Devil is a concept that humans cannot possess. The power of the Babylonian Code can hold it in your body for a while, but you won¡¯t be able to handle this power. It is recommended to separate it or give it to another object or creature.] [By absorbing 0.4 of Life, the holder¡¯s Life became 10.4. The total capability and potential of existence were improved.] [By absorbing 0.2 of Physique, the holder¡¯s Physique became 10.2. Your body became stronger.] Messages written in a language clearly different from the academy¡¯s guidebook appeared one after another. Amid the chaos, Ban Yu-won could see three strings protruding from each of the two Goblins¡¯ bodies¡­, and they found their pairs, merged, and in turn, were pulled into his body. ¡®Ah¡­.¡¯ Indeed, mysteriously, he could see how the strings that entered his body moved, and the two-pronged character string¡­perhaps Life and Physique, were completely absorbed into his body. On the other hand, the other string, Devil, tried to run wild as soon as it entered him but was soon suppressed by a mysterious force and quarantined into a corner of his body. When the absorption was finished, the Goblins¡¯ corpses dried up and scattered. ¡®¡­My body has changed.¡¯ He felt it. He¡¯d never used this kind of expression in his life, but at this moment¡­he felt stronger. From his grip to his skin becoming tougher, it was clear to his senses. Arguably, this was the most surprising moment yet. [Revealing all bodily concepts recognizable by the current holder. Life 10.4 ¨C The concept possessed by all living things. Related to existence. Physique 10.2 ¨C The concept of body. Soul 300 ¨C The concept of the spirit. Complete Sight 100 ¨D The eye that reads everything. The unique concept of the holder only. Complete Hearing 100 ¨D The ear that hears everything. The unique concept of the holder only. Complete Speaking 100 ¨D The lips that say everything. The unique concept of the holder only. Devil 0.2 ¨D A concept possessed by unclean beings that originate from the Devil. Humans cannot possess it, but it is held by a powerful skill.] Even while Ban Yu-won examined his changed body, the messages kept coming. In fact, although he was surprised, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to accept this message window. It was because this Babylonian Code appeared in place of the status window and had a very similar structure. Because of this, he could understand why they took back the status window from him. Stealing the concept of language from the dead Goblins meant gaining experience, and this code showed the status window! ¡®Life, this seems to be the level that appears in games. As this grows, my level rises too. The things called Physique or Soul are the statuses. Why is only Soul so high? I don¡¯t know, so let¡¯s move on. Complete Sight or Complete Hearing must have something to do with my language skills¡­so this is a skill. Maybe these have something to do with the overly high Soul level.¡¯ At this point, it could be said that it was just a slightly unique status window. Let¡¯s just go with that! ¡®It¡¯s going to be too complicated if I try to figure out why I have this ability. I don¡¯t know! Knowing doesn¡¯t even mean I can do anything right now¡­.¡¯ No, that wasn¡¯t necessarily the case, was it? Ban Yu-won¡¯s gaze stayed on the concept that appeared in the last line, the Devil. Humans couldn¡¯t keep it, so they told him to get rid of it quickly. They also informed him that it could be separated or given to other objects or creatures. It was only after seeing this that Ban Yu-won had a glimpse of what his abilities were. ¡®That means that it is possible not only to understand words but also to grasp and classify the elements that make up a living being as a single linguistic concept.¡¯ He could strengthen himself by absorbing them or giving them to other things to strengthen or change them. If not, there must be a way to liberate the language and use it on its own. Words were actually power. ¡®Magic Thousand-Character¡­ahem!¡¯ Perhaps it was because he was the owner of these abilities, but Ban Yu-won understood and accepted the abilities without any hesitation. This likely was why the Union Academy accepted him as a special student. ¡®In other words, if I have this ability, there is a chance I will survive this crazy monster den¡­!¡¯ He had just awakened his powers and grown a bit by devouring the concepts the two Goblins possessed. However, he knew this wasn¡¯t enough to deal with Goblins head-on. So, what should he do now? Ban Yu-won thought that the answer might lie in the Devil. ¡®They said I could give it to others. Fortunately, there is something I can give to you.¡¯ He examined the club closer. It was sturdy and still stained with Goblin blood and brain fluid. Ban Yu-won was skeptical that he would be able to deal with a Goblin with a weapon he¡¯d never used before, but it would be better than his bare hands. ¡°Wait.¡± At that moment, Ban Yu-won made an involuntary sound at the realization. He looked around, startled, but there was still silence. This was probably because the areas of these two Goblins overlapped. ¡®If I can take away the concept of language from a body, couldn¡¯t I take it from an object as well?¡¯ Ban Yu-won hurriedly scanned the floor. G1 and G2 disappeared with their straw clothes, but their clubs remained. He placed his hand on G1¡¯s club and activated his power. He only realized it a few minutes ago, but once he realized it, he could handle it as though it were natural. [Now that you have taken ownership of a thing, it is possible to usurp its concept. Do you want to absorb Blunt Weapon 1?] ¡®I¡¯ll absorb it.¡¯ Blunt weapon? It was just a club. Ban Yu-won started the absorption with a bitter smile. The same scene as before unfolded. The club crumbled, and golden strings flowed into Ban Yu-won¡¯s body. However, it was a concept that Ban Yu-won, like the Devil, couldn¡¯t directly possess. [Attaching Blunt Weapon 1 to the object you touched. This object will have Blunt Weapon 2.] It was simpler than he thought. The string flowed out of his body again and into the club, and that was it. There was no change in its appearance. Did it mean that there was no big change by increasing it by one, or was it that the appearance wouldn¡¯t change? That was easier than expected, so Ban Yu-won tried the next thought that came to mind. [Because you have ownership of the thing, it can usurp its concept. Do you want to absorb Blunt Weapon 2?] ¡®Okay, it doesn¡¯t look like the amount is reduced by re-absorbing what I¡¯ve given.¡¯ This was more important than he thought. If you exchanged money, wouldn¡¯t it incur a fee? If you repeat the process of exchanging won into dollars and then converting it back to won, it will decrease from its original amount. However, his abilities had no concept of a fee, so he could grant or absorb at will. However, if he absorbed all the concepts that made up an object, the object would collapse, so he had to be careful. ¡®Then cancel absorbing Blunt Weapon¡­and let¡¯s give it the Devil.¡¯ Just before executing it, Ban Yu-won hesitated. He remembered the guide that said language could not only give but separate. And if that was the case, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to apply it directly to his body? ¡®Devil¡­could this be magic?¡¯ To be honest, it was very interesting. However, the reason Ban Yu-won expected the outcome but didn¡¯t try it was that he had no idea if it would make a dramatic change by acquiring roughly 0.2 Devil. He¡¯d also confirmed he could reabsorb the concept in case he needed it. ¡®Yes, this is right. Right now, a weapon should have Devil.¡¯ The urges from when he was a moody teenager were about to burst out, but he desperately suppressed them. Then, he pulled out all 0.2 Devil isolated inside his body and gave it to the Blunt Weapon. Of course, it didn¡¯t change at all even when it was given the Blunt Weapon 1, so it wouldn¡¯t change much if he gave it the concept of Devil 0.2. That¡¯s what he thought. But the result was very different from what he thought. [The thing has the Devil 0.2, so it has taken on the properties of artifacts. The destructive power was slightly amplified, and the durability was noticeably increased. An additional critical hit chance was given.] ¡°¡­What?¡± Stunned by the unexpected guidance, a message from the academy popped up. [Created temporary artifacts during the evaluation. It¡¯s amazing indeed. A large bonus was given to your evaluation! I recommend going to the Artifact Production Department!] ¡°Ha, haha.¡± He did it. But it was thrilling and given a large bonus? It was the moment when it was proved that this unique ability he was born with was an ability never before found in the Union Academy. ¡®I can do it. They¡¯re all dead now!¡¯ ¡­Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he could face the Blind Goblin one-on-one, so he had to keep walking the tightrope. It would still take a long time for him to use abilities that couldn¡¯t be confirmed with the Babylonian Code, such as deception and trickery, vocal imitation, and hacking, but he could go on to defeat the Goblins. But as he walked, considering this, he was faced with a large door that didn¡¯t suit the cave at all. CH 3 Lesson 1. This is your status window ¨C 3 ¡®This must be the Boss Room, right?¡¯ Ban Yu-won thought as he looked at the iron gate blocking his way. Until now, there weren¡¯t many crossroads, and the cave path continued until this point. Well, even if it weren¡¯t the Boss Room, it was natural to think there must be something in there. [Life: 13 Physique: 11.5 Soul: 300 Complete Sight: 100 Complete Hearing: 100 Complete Speaking: 100] Ban Yu-won read his body code. The Blind Goblins all had the same Life 0.2, Physique 0.1, and Devil 0.1. The current state of Ban Yu-won, who somehow managed to get rid of all the Blind Goblins he met, starting with G1, was truly remarkable. Now, just by clenching his fists, he could clearly feel the strength surging through him. Specifically, he was about 20% stronger. Judging from that, he thought that the basic strength of his body followed the Physique stat, but the concept of Life amplified it once again. ¡®The problem is that I can¡¯t fight the Blind Goblins one-on-one yet.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for his ability to listen to the Goblins, Ban Yu-won would have died already. His only hope was that he was holding a club with Blunt Weapon 15 and Devil 1.5. Although he devoured 15 Goblins whole, the change in the club was obvious, unlike himself, who still felt like something was missing. The more Blunt Weapon was added, the heavier the club became, and the more Devil was added, the darker it grew in color. Every time he hit a Goblin with a finishing blow, he could feel that the weapon was changing. ¡®Maybe the essence of my abilities lies in the creation and evolution of things rather than my own growth?¡¯ It was a bit premature, but he shook his head. It hadn¡¯t been long since he came to know the Babylonian Code, so it was kind of hasty to draw conclusions. ¡®More than that¡­what should I do?¡¯ Ban Yu-won was pondering what to do now with this door. To be honest, he really didn¡¯t want to go in. If he decided to, he would have to catch ten more Goblins¡­or if he felt greedy, he wanted to catch twice that before entering. The problem was that this cave wasn¡¯t wide, and there weren¡¯t many forks in the road, so if he turned around now, the chance of meeting more Goblins wasn¡¯t high. Worse than that, slowly, thirst and hunger were haunting him. If he spent a few hours trying to catch just one or two more Goblins, passing the practical test would become harder. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s go in.¡¯ He pondered for a while, but eventually, he made his decision. He¡¯d like to refrain from bumping into these monsters head-on, but what if his reason and instinct were united in their claim that ¡®that¡¯s the most advantageous?¡¯ He opened the door. What awaited him inside was a huge monster. ¡°Intruder¡­you are finally here.¡± This was a mistake. Ban Yu-won had that flash of intuition the moment he saw him. He was about half a size bigger than the Blind Goblins encountered so far. ¡°You¡­were you watching?¡± ¡°Even if I can¡¯t see, I have a way to know.¡± As the name Blind Goblin Den implied, he was blind, but to Ban Yu-won, it felt like it didn¡¯t really matter. Above all else, the long, single-edged sword in the Goblin¡¯s hand caught his eye. Its tip was pointed exactly at Ban Yu-won, proving he had excellent spatial perception. ¡°You took so long that I was getting bored. It took you a really long time to deal with those insects.¡± He even spoke as if he knew what had happened outside this room. Ban Yu-won, with a gut feeling that he couldn¡¯t win a fight with this guy, scanned the not-so-wide room for the core. But all he could find was a small door behind the boss. The core must be in that room. Shit! ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming? Of course. A coward who mimics the language of my people and stalks them wouldn¡¯t attack me head-on.¡± The guy bent his knees slightly, tensing to sprint forward. The moment Ban Yu-won intuited that and raised the club. -Clank! With a terrible crashing sound, pain ran through his hands, up his forearms, and across his shoulders. With just one collision with the guy¡¯s sword, Ban Yu-won was so shocked that he almost passed out. ¡°¡­You blocked?¡± ¡°Cough¡­.¡± The guy was surprised. Ban Yu-won had to be thankful for that. It took time to suppress the urge to vomit, grab the club about to fall out of his hands, and fix it. He was prepared to die when he suddenly fell here, but his resolve was clumsy. The pain shattered it. ¡®I can¡¯t do this, and there¡¯s no answer. Even if a miracle happens, I can¡¯t win.¡¯ He wanted to run away, and he had to run away. It was as if that was echoing in his head repeatedly, but his body moved oppositely. He raised his club again to block. ¡°That¡¯s surprising.¡± The Goblin swordsman nodded with admiration. ¡°I thought you were just a coward, but you¡¯re very talented¡­and above all else, that weapon is excellent. Where the hell did you get such a hard club?¡± From your people, you idiot. He would¡¯ve spoken like that if he could, but he didn¡¯t have the energy to waste speaking. Instead, he moved to block the bastard¡¯s sword again. -Clank! He had only blocked three times, but a feeling of exhaustion took root. His body was growing numb, and his hands were throbbing. Nevertheless, he never missed. He was sure that death would come when he did, so he desperately grabbed his weapon and moved based on his intuition. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s not a coincidence.¡± ¡®This son of a¡­!¡¯ After he succeeded in blocking, relying purely on his innate senses, he became aware of it. Ban Yu-won wasn¡¯t so bad with his innate sense of battle. However, if his practical experience and strength weren¡¯t supporting it after he blocked these attacks a few more times, he would be split in half. -Clank! Claank! While blocking the onslaught, there was a popping sound of his joints twisting. ¨DKyagagak! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± He could hold out thanks to his somewhat stronger body, but the clash quickly consumed his physical durability. ¡°I wonder how many times you will be able to block.¡± ¡®What do I do? What?¡¯ Ignoring the signals from his broken body, he desperately wracked his head. Before he entered the room, he assumed several targets were waiting for him and thought about how to respond accordingly. Of course, there was a possibility that an individual far superior to Ban Yu-won would be there. ¡®There will be no answer at this rate. Then¡­!¡¯ He had no choice but to implement the idea that came to his mind; whatever else happened. Clank! Aware that he was on the verge of reaching his limit, Ban Yu-won concentrated his mind on the weapon in his hand, and he separated and extracted only the Devil from it. [The Devil of 1.5 was divided into Magic and Spirit of 0.75, respectively. Absorbed 0.75 Magic.] A desperate will and concentration skipped all the intermediate steps necessary to express the ability. The essence of pure energy created by separating evil was accepted as a concept. The change that occurred in the next moment was more shocking than he expected. [You are aware of Magic.] ¡°Hmm?!¡± For a moment, a dazzling golden aura burst out of Ban Yu-won. Even though he couldn¡¯t see, it made the Goblin retreat. Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t attack him, even though the chance might not come again. He was too busy focusing on the changes he felt in his body. [You realized the concept of language in your body anew. You currently have 10.75 Magic Power. Activated Magic Power circulates through your body and energizes the Physique.] [During the practical evaluation, you became aware of Magic Power and learned how to use it! That¡¯s a big achievement for a lower-dimensional person who didn¡¯t even have mana before this. An extra point was given to the evaluation!] One was the notification window of the abilities he had, and the other was the notification window from the Academy. The funny thing was that there were far fewer points awarded than when he created an artifact¡­ Right now, Ban Yu-won was feeling a sense of upliftment that couldn¡¯t be compared with then. His mind and body weren¡¯t only fully recovered but qualitatively different from just a moment ago, thanks to the colorless and transparent energy flowing through his veins. ¡®Did I originally have this power?¡¯ He was dumbfounded. How could he have lived without feeling such radiant energy until now? But perhaps it was because Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t find a way to express it. ¡°No way¡­you realized Magic Power during our battle?¡± Meanwhile, the Goblin who was confronting him realized what had happened and now wore an absurd expression. ¡°Is it because you couldn¡¯t handle magic that you were so weak? But it¡¯s only at the level of an ordinary human being. You can¡¯t overtake me like that!¡± Claaank! Again, their weapons collided. The only difference compared to a while ago was his magic, but the difference was huge. It was much more tolerable. However, as the Goblin said, he couldn¡¯t be defeated at this level. Ban Yu-won was a novice who had never wielded a weapon before. ¡°You are growing fast, human. But before you surpass me, my sword will cut your throat!¡± ¡°Shut up, monster!¡± However, perhaps it was because he realized at least part of his ability. While Ban Yu-won repeatedly collided with the Goblin, his brain was spinning fiercely to devise the next plan. ¡®Is it possible to remove the concept of dullness from the Blunt Weapon?¡¯ Ban Yu-won had extracted concepts from 14 clubs so far. Each time, this message appeared: [Now that you have taken ownership of a thing, it is possible to usurp its concept. Do you want to absorb Blunt Weapon 1?] To usurp the concept of a thing, it was necessary to secure ownership. He suspected that meant to either kill the original owner or buy it at a fair price. That¡¯s why Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t usurp the concept of the sword in this foe¡¯s hands. But, what if, on the other hand, it was just to give a different concept to that sharp blade? [Attaching Blunt Weapon 1 to the object you touched. This object will have Blunt Weapon 2.] This was the message that popped up when he gave a concept to an object earlier. In other words, he didn¡¯t need ownership if he was just giving things a concept! From this point on, it was just Ban Yu-won¡¯s reasoning, but what would happen if he gave the concept of dullness to a weapon that was too sharp? Wouldn¡¯t the concepts cancel out if they had opposite qualities? ¡°Can you afford to be thinking about other things?¡± A sharp sword fell toward his head. Even though he intuitively knew that the attack had to be dodged, Ban Yu-won dared to raise his club. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Hmph, has even your judgment been dulled?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my judgment that will get dull¡­!¡± No matter how much Magical Power he now had, it wasn¡¯t wise to face it head-on. Ban Yu-won spat blood as he reached out to grab the guy¡¯s blade. Then, he divided the concept of his weapon into Dullness and Weapon of 7.5, respectively. ¡°It¡¯s your weapon!¡± The Goblin shouted in rage, thinking he was trying to steal his weapon. ¡°I¡¯ll tear your hand off!¡± The moment after Ban Yu-won pulled out 7.5 of Dullness from the club, it was delivered to the sword. The Goblin swung to cleave his hand off, but it couldn¡¯t cut Ban Yu-won¡¯s skin. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I did it.¡± Ban Yu-won laughed. He actually thought that if he succeeded only in dulling the blade, it would be a huge success. However, the result was not so little. As a result of the fierce clash of two opposing concepts, the weapon seemed to wrinkle. How great his ability was to exceed his expectations. ¡­Just when he thought that. [The concept of 0.75 Spirit and 7.5 Weapon left in the club was automatically synthesized.] ¡°Huh?¡± A change that Ban Yu-won hadn¡¯t expected occurred at the same time. He took out the Magic of the Devil and the Dullness of the Blunt Weapon, so only the residue concepts were left. ¡­No, the club that he thought to be just the residue made an amazing evolution! [Due to the great compatibility with the object, transcendental synthesis ignoring the depth of concept was accomplished, and Spirit Weapon 5 was completed. Tightly coupled concepts are difficult to separate.] Who would have thought that such a miracle would happen? A Spirit Weapon, or in other words, a vessel for spirits. Shaking off unnecessary concepts, his club evolved into a haunted weapon! [There is no substance, but it is an artifact that can influence physical substances, obeys its owner, and moves freely. The Goblin Club was born.] The club, escaping from his hand, gathered together with a puff of whitish smoke and drifted around. Ban Yu-won stared at it in amazement. It was clear that the Academy couldn¡¯t have foreseen such a situation as the moment the Goblin Club was completed, a message appeared. [During the evaluation, you created a higher-level artifact that has never been discovered. An outrageous achievement! Regardless of the content of the practical evaluation, you will pass the special screening! The Artifact Production Department professor who received the report eagerly awaits the examinee!] [The academy faculty unanimously decided to pay the examinee the inventory function, which is only available to students with special achievements!] [Do you want to go directly to the Union Academy dormitory?] Ban Yu-won, who had excellent linguistic comprehension, quickly grasped the situation. Only then could he relax. Go straight to the dormitory? He would have nodded without hesitation if it had been just a moment ago. But what about now? He had acquired this Goblin Club, and the only thing in front of him was a Blind Goblin who had lost his sword. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll finish the evaluation and go.¡± Ban Yu-won responded firmly, looked down at the Goblin, and gave an order to the Goblin Club. ¡°Kill him.¡± The Goblin Club immediately moved to obey. Whoosh! Puck! CH 4 Lesson 1. This is your status window ¨C 4 [Stealing Devil 1, Life 2, Physique 1, and Swordsmanship 3 from the Goblin Warrior.] The boss of the Blind Goblin Den, the Goblin Warrior, was a generous foe. He granted a whopping amount of experience worth ten Goblins, as well as 3 Swordsmanship, a concept Ban Yu-won hadn¡¯t seen before! Maybe it was because Ban Yu-won directly fought him and suffered enough to be able to establish his abilities. [Life: 15 Physique: 12.5 Soul: 300 Magical power: 11.25 Complete Sight: 100 Complete Hearing: 100 Complete Speaking: 100 Swordsmanship: 3 ¨D The ability to deal with enemies with blades.] Ban Yu-won immediately separated 1 Devil, gave 0.5 Spirit to the Goblin Club (Spirit Weapon became 5.2), and took the rest. It was only natural that his body became stronger once again due to the increase in Life, Physique, and Magic Power. But the moment he absorbed 3 Swordsmanship, Ban Yu-won realized that he was able to move swifter. Swordsmanship wasn¡¯t simply a skill dealing with blades but the ability to fight enemies. From then on, Ban Yu-won could assume how an enemy might move and react accordingly. ¡®What do I do with this?¡¯ He looked down at the iron ball rolling on the floor with a troubled expression. His eyes, able to see through the concept inherent in objects, could see that Sharpness, Dullness, and Spirit were mixed and harmonized in the metal. After thinking for a while, Ban Yu-won decided to take it with him. He wasn¡¯t going to bother originally, but didn¡¯t the academy give him an inventory? The inventory was exactly as it worked in most games, and if he called it, a hole appeared in the air for him to throw stuff in or take things out. Its capacity was also considerable, so there was no problem with putting a single piece of iron in. ¡°Then, next.¡± Ban Yu-won picked up the other piece of loot: a small key, its application immediately obvious. His eyes drifted to the door. ¡°Whoa.¡± The room inside the door was small. There was only an altar made of stacked stones in the center and a red marble that must be the dungeon core on top of it. Destroying the dungeon core ended the practical evaluation. Ban Yu-won wondered if he might be able to remove the core, but it was impossible. The core was stuck to the altar; even if it could be destroyed, it didn¡¯t seem like an individual could steal it. ¡°I¡¯ll have to break it.¡± He ordered his Goblin Club, which followed him from the moment he created it, to destroy the core. The moment it swung and shattered the red marble, a golden string flowed out of the fragments. [Stealing 10 Magic Core from the dungeon core. Magic Core is a concept that humans cannot possess. With the power of the Babylonian Code, you can hold it in your body for a while, but you won¡¯t be able to handle this power. It is recommended to separate it or give it to another object or creature.] Although he expected it, the concept of the core was something that Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t directly possess. So, when he was considering splitting the Magic from the Nucleus¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no way a nuclear weapon will form if I take out the Magic, right?¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t, right? Laughing at himself for thinking like a fool, he split the Magic Core. 5 Magic came out, bringing Ban Yu-won¡¯s Magic Power to 16.25. There was 5 Nucleus left¡­ Ban Yu-won pondered what to do with it and then took out the lump of iron he had kept in his inventory and gave it to it. [The thing with multiple language concepts acquired the Nucleus concept and now functions as a Code Core that contains language concepts. You will be able to stably store several concepts proportional to the concepts of the nucleus you have.] At that moment, another very small miracle happened. The crumpled iron was compressed into a smooth iron ball, and the various concepts twisted at random within it were completely separated and arranged one after another. The container could hold concepts that weren¡¯t to be used immediately but couldn¡¯t be absorbed directly by Ban Yu-won. It wasn¡¯t junk. It was a collection of concepts he¡¯d use someday, so it could never be considered junk! ¡®Defining and transforming things with language is fun.¡¯ They say that entering the bathroom and leaving was different, and that was what Ban Yu-won felt now. At first, when he fell into this unfamiliar environment, he was busy cursing at these bastards known as the Union Academy. Still, now that he passed the evaluation and realized the amazing abilities that were latent in him, all of this was wrapped up as a hard but good experience. Of course, he wanted to find the culprit who put him here and get revenge¡­ But judging by their technological prowess, it was unclear whether that was possible. ¡®Whew, it would be best if I could return to Earth after taking revenge, but considering the situation, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be the case. When I meet the person in charge, I¡¯ll calmly ask about this. Then¡­let¡¯s move on.¡¯ He wanted to prepare himself more here, but he couldn¡¯t. The moment the dungeon core was broken, the floor started to shake. If he didn¡¯t get out right away, he might be buried. After clearing his thoughts, Ban Yu-Won muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± His surroundings grew too bright to see. When Ban Yu-won returned to his senses, he was in a cozy room, not the den. It was much larger than his room, with an attached bathroom and a separate bedroom with two separate beds. However, he seemed to be the first to arrive as there were no signs of anyone else. No, but that wasn¡¯t what was important. [Once again, congratulations on passing the practical evaluation. Examinee Ban Yu-won will be staying here in Union Academy¡¯s Male Dormitory, Building D, Room 1303, as a pre-admission student. Room 1303 is a double room, and the person living with you is currently in the process of preparing for admission.] [The entrance ceremony is the day after tomorrow at 9 am. There is a guidebook with the basic rules of the academy, so please read it carefully. Also, if you wish to have a personal interview before the entrance ceremony, please fill out the documents provided.] Who would¡¯ve thought they would give him what he wanted right away? Ban Yu-won searched the room and soon found something resembling a questionnaire on the desk. It was a simple form in which you only needed to write down the time and reason for the interview. The time he put down was ¡®as fast as possible,¡¯ and the reason was¡­ ¡°¡­Let¡¯s be honest.¡± He didn¡¯t know Union Academy. He never received an application for admission in the first place. He was bewildered when he heard that he had passed the document screening and had to take the practical evaluation. While he did pass it somehow, he wasn¡¯t confident that he would do well in a school that required such practical skills, so he would like them to return him to Earth. After writing that, Ban Yu-won hesitated for a while before adding one more sentence. ¡®Payment of transportation expenses is required.¡¯ When he finished, the paper slowly melted into the air. By the way, what he wrote was in the language that popped up on the academy information window. The response came quickly. [Your request for an interview has been accepted. Magic Combat Science professor Yoo Mina will conduct an interview with the prospective student. After 1 hour, the student will be summoned to the professor¡¯s preparation room. In the meantime, please tidy yourself up and get ready.] Yoo Mina? Was she Korean? Ban Yu-won wondered for a moment and shook his head. Union Academy said it accepted students from many different dimensions, which he thought was no exception for the professors. ¡®More importantly.¡¯ Ban Yu-won, looking down at himself when he was told to tidy up his appearance, finally realized how dirty he was now. He was coated in blood, sweat, and dirt. His clothes, which were neat when he was dragged into the dungeon, were tattered. Ban Yu-won pondered what to do about his clothes, took everything off, and hopped into the shower. The shower room wasn¡¯t very different from those on Earth, and the only difference was that the temperature and pressure were controlled through magic tools. ¡°Whew¡­.¡± He let out a sigh as the hot water washed over him. His joints and muscles were screaming at him. As the concept of Life and Physique developed, his wounds disappeared. From the moment he awakened his Magical Power, an evasive action called self-healing took place in his body, so he was getting better little by little. ¡®If I return to Earth now, I think I could compete in the UFC.¡¯ After absorbing the concept of the Blind Goblin Warrior, Ban Yu-won was aware that his physical abilities had changed by one level. He had excellent basic physical capabilities, but he had also learned the basics of handling his body by adding swordsmanship. If he activated his Magical Power, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he might be able to go to the Olympics. ¡­In other words, he was already on the level of good athletes from Earth. ¡®What if I continue to collect language concepts in this way¡­?¡¯ The Blind Goblin Den was, so to speak, the den of the weakest. If he defeated those stronger than that, Ban Yu-won¡¯s growth would increase. If he continued getting strong like that, he would be able to stand proudly in front of the irresponsible academy officers who brought him here¡­ As he was thinking about that, he returned to his senses, raised a hand, and patted his cheek. ¡°Have I gone crazy?¡± He went through such hardship even though he fell into the den of the weakest, but so what? He wanted to take down people much stronger than that? It seemed he really had gone crazy. He didn¡¯t know there was this savage instinct in him. ¡®Let¡¯s just go home.¡¯ He needed no more power than this. He would return to Earth to attend a first-class university and save his youth, then he would become a diplomat in the footsteps of his grandfather and father to further the glory of his family. It would be boring, but he¡¯d lead a peaceful and quiet life. Yes, a very boring life¡­ ¡®Looks like I¡¯m really out of my mind.¡¯ After showering, he found a basket in front of the bathroom filled with a new set of underwear and a dark blue uniform. They were clothes made for him, without a doubt, and they fit creepily well. ¡°The clothes¡­are pretty.¡± It must be a school uniform. It felt like he graduated from high school yesterday, so he grumbled that he had to wear another school uniform already, but the moment he put it on, the complaints fled. There was no sense of constraint or stuffiness he normally felt wearing clothes, which was as comfortable as being naked. Ban Yu-won, with the basic understanding of Magic he acquired in the dungeon, noticed that Magic also resided in this uniform. [Are you ready for the interview?] ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®I¡¯m not going to go to school, but can I get this school uniform as a gift? If not, how can I sneak out only the concept of language?¡¯ Thinking about that, he responded to the message. * * * In a blink of an eye, Ban Yu-won was inside a large conference room with walls made of glass. ¡°Welcome, student Ban Yu-won.¡± A young and beautiful woman welcomed him. He looked at her name and thought she might be Korean, but she wasn¡¯t even human, let alone Korean. Her skin was green, and instead of hairs, petals grew from her head, and two red jewels took the place of her eyes. However, I was surprised that she seemed so beautiful despite her odd appearance. ¡°You know that you caught the interest of all the professors during your exam, right? Oh my God, of all the special and general archetypes, it is the first time in five hundred lifetimes that a new artifact was created during evaluation¡­student Ban Yu-won? Where are you looking?¡± However, even in front of such a weird and beautiful alien, and despite coming here to make the important request to return himself to Earth, Ban Yu-won¡¯s gaze was fixed outside the window. Professor Yu Mina, noticing this, smirked. ¡°Is this your first time seeing our academy? Huhu, I¡¯m glad you like it. How do you feel about going to Union Academy?¡± ¡°Yes¡­yes?¡± ¡°Well, you must be surprised since you were suddenly drawn into the practical evaluation. Did you say Earth? How low is their dimensional rank that you don¡¯t even know the existence of the Union Academy¡­ahem! I can answer any questions you have. How the entrance examination of Union Academy will be conducted, and how the students develop their aptitudes¡­.¡± ¡°Professor.¡± Ban Yu-won asked, looking through the window as if possessed. He looked over the academy buildings to the huge tower on the hill beyond them. It was a tower so high that it seemed to pierce the sky. ¡°What is the name of that tower?¡± ¡°So, it is true that you do not know the Union Academy. To think you don¡¯t even know of the Tower of Babel¡­.¡± It was the Tower of Babel. Seeing Ban Yu-won scoff, the professor kindly continued to explain. ¡°The origin of all the mysteries and dangers of the world, the dungeon of dungeons. That Tower of Babel is the reason why our Union Academy was built. Helping students reach the top of the tower by nurturing the most talented. That is our Union Academy¡¯s wish and the last hope shared by all dimensions¡­student Ban Yu-won? Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just¡­I¡¯ve changed my mind a bit.¡± His building was here. Ban Yu-won decided to enter Union Academy at that moment. CH 5 Lesson 2. This is your roommate ¨C 1 Professor Yoo Mina was as kind as she was beautiful and taught the academy¡¯s common sense to Ban Yu-won. In conclusion, the student selection system of Union Academy drew Ban Yu-won here. The Union Academy¡¯s student selection system targeted all dimensions, selected students who met the necessary conditions, and automatically provided the appropriate type of evaluation. Therefore, the professors learned the name of the planet Earth for the first time today, and it seemed they were quite surprised that Ban Yu-won came from a lower dimension where even the existence of Union Academy was unknown. But after seeing the Tower of Babel, Ban Yu-won had already cleared his desire for revenge and decided not to care about it anymore. Professor Yoo Mina, unaware of that, tried to cheer him up. ¡®Is that the artifact you made? It¡¯s amazing; even though the power it contains is poor¡­still, it¡¯s an offensive artifact that moves completely autonomously. Oh my, I can feel its ego! Huhu, I look forward to seeing student Ban Yu-won¡¯s development.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean you want to return to your hometown before the entrance ceremony? Hmm, well, you didn¡¯t know about Union Academy¡¯s existence¡­okay. I¡¯ll give you special permission.¡¯ ¡®Ah, they just told me that the other low-level special admission candidates passed the evaluation. There are four people, including you, and you will share a room with one of them.¡¯ ¡°Then, Ban Yu-won, go back to your room and tear this piece of paper when you¡¯re prepared to return home. We will request a summon on the date of the entrance ceremony, so please respond after all preparations have been made.¡¯ When Ban Yu-won returned to his room after his interview, another person was already there. ¡°Who is it?¡± When he noticed Ban Yu-won, the good-looking man drew a shining sword from thin air and aimed it at him. If it had been only half a day ago, he would have sat down in shock, but Ban Yu-won was no longer surprised to come face to face with a blade. In fact, the Goblin Club had already reacted, blocking it. ¡°Can¡¯t you see the clothes I¡¯m wearing? I¡¯m a new student here. And your roommate.¡± ¡°Uh? Oh, oooh. My bad. I was taking a practical evaluation until now, so I¡¯m still on edge¡­.¡± After understanding Ban Yu-won¡¯s clear explanation, the man realized his mistake and hurriedly bowed his head in apology. He had a bit of a quick temper, but he didn¡¯t seem like a rude person. Since he decided to stay, the character of the person living with him was important, and it seemed there was no need to worry about this. ¡°I heard you are also a special low-level archetype.¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, you, I mean, you, ahem¡­are you also from a lower dimension?¡± ¡°Ban Yu-won. Feel free to call me by name.¡± ¡°What? By name? No, I can¡¯t. Ban, please. Call me Ace Light; no, I am Ace Light. You can call me Light¡­.¡± It seemed that in the world where Light lived, calling someone by their first name was very rude. Ban Yu-won observed Ace Light, the colleague he¡¯d be living with. ¡®I thought I looked good¡­but it¡¯s ridiculous to look at him.¡¯ He had a slender and small face, sharp and sparkling blue eyes, and wavy blonde hair fluttering down to his shoulders. Combined with his high-bridged nose and delicate lips, he almost looked a little artificial. He looked like a prince straight out of a cartoon. ¡®I mean, do I have to be describing some guy¡¯s beauty like this? This is so annoying, seriously.¡¯ So, he stopped. Instead, he asked him. ¡°You just finished the practical evaluation? Then you came after fighting the Blind Goblins too?¡± ¡°What? Blind Goblin?¡± However, his response was unexpected. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. Such low-level monsters can be easily hunted by soldiers who have received a basic education. I dealt with Trolls and Ogres, and I¡¯m tired after moving through the swamp for hours. Whew.¡± ¡­Ogres and Trolls? While he wasn¡¯t sure how similar they were to their game counterparts, weren¡¯t they much stronger than Goblins¡­?! Ban Yu-won moved his lips without sound. It was then that something caught his eye: the Goblin Club used to block Light¡¯s sword. It was hanging helplessly by Ban Yu-won¡¯s shoulder. It seemed that it had used all its energy, no, Spirit Strength, to block Light¡¯s sword. ¡°Is that so? Then Ban, are you a special ability type? That must be it. The artifact that just blocked my sword was unusual.¡± Light nodded as if he had noticed something in Ban Yu-won¡¯s bewildered look. ¡°I do not meet the other conditions, including the dimension of birth, but I am confident in my combat power. Passing the practical evaluation, which was higher than the general admissions, was the condition for my admission.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± He thought that all the low-level special admissions were for students who lacked strength, but there were apparently other cases. He couldn¡¯t help but feel pathetic for having felt he could relate a bit to this man with inhuman beauty just by hearing that he was a certain archetype like himself! ¡°Hey, hey, Ban! Don¡¯t be gloomy. After all, we all entered this academy to get a proper education and grow, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Light, noticing Ban Yu-won was down, tried to cheer him up. He was even a good-natured guy! The only factor that he could beat him at was language. However, he couldn¡¯t brag about it without disgracing himself. Ban Yu-won, who could no longer stand it, decided to retreat. ¡°You said you were tired from going through the swamp. Take a shower and rest. Actually, I decided to go back to my hometown for a while before the entrance ceremony. See you then.¡± ¡°What? Did you get permission to return to your hometown during the waiting period for admission? From the academy?¡± ¡°What? Oh, yes.¡± ¡°Unbelievable.¡± He thought it was no big deal, but Light looked startled. ¡°Ban, you seem to have some really great abilities. To think that the professors of this snobby academy granted that level of convenience to a student who has entered through the lower-level special admissions system¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Is it that great?¡± ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t know how great it is. You don¡¯t know how much higher-dimensional beings look down on and ignore the lower-level dimensions as if they were gods¡­have you never experienced such meanness in an interdimensional exchange?¡± Light¡¯s expression was bitter as he said those words. Ban Yu-won responded awkwardly. ¡°Sorry, actually, I first learned about other dimensions today. I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s so great about the higher dimensions.¡± ¡°The resources, knowledge, and magic you can have from birth are different¡­but what? Did you learn this for the first time today?!¡± ¡°Oh, was there such a difference? But let¡¯s talk more about it later. I couldn¡¯t tell my parents I was brought in for a practical evaluation, so I think I should go back first.¡± ¡°O-Okay. All¡­right.¡± ¡°Then.¡± Ban Yu-won took out the paper the professor handed him earlier and tore it. Without any delay, he was teleported to Earth. * * * ¡°Oh, you scared me! Ban Yu-won, where did you go? I thought you were so happy about being accepted that you ran out¡­.¡± Returning to his room, his older sister, Ban Yu-mi, was now standing in front of him. Wearing a loose sleeveless shirt and hot pants, she was the unemployed woman rolling on the bed in his room, reading a comic book. ¡°Why are you doing this in my room?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t spill cookie crumbs on my bed.¡± ¡°Get out. Go away.¡± He noticed the empty chip bags left on his floor. His bed must be coated in crumbs. Ban Yu-won sighed and tried to kick his sister, but she rolled away. Of course, he did it, knowing she would dodge. She was a national fencer preparing for the Olympics, after all. But she jumped up and said: ¡°Hey, Ban Yu-woni.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that.¡± ¡°No, I am not joking. You suddenly changed.¡± Ban Yu-mi¡¯s eyes flashed. Ban Yu-won stared at her as if to ask if only now she noticed. ¡°Can¡¯t you see the gorgeous clothes I¡¯m wearing? Your brother has matured. You¡¯re not on my level anymore.¡± ¡°My¡­ass!¡± Ban Yu-mi, raising her hand like a sword, attacked. At that moment, Ban Yu-won moved half a step to the side and dodged her attack, then raised his hand to poke her. But she reacted quickly and turned around so he couldn¡¯t hit her, and instead, she noticed his right hand approaching from the side and swung to block it. ¡°No¡­what is it? What is this?¡± All her attacks were blocked, and while she managed to dodge his attacks, she couldn¡¯t hide her shock. Ban Yu-mi, dumbfounded, fell back onto the bed. ¡°Listen.¡± ¡°Talk.¡± ¡°Actually, I always thought you weren¡¯t from our family, you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± Ban Yu-won continued as he grabbed his sister¡¯s hand ¡°But it turns out that I had a similar talent.¡± ¡°No, can this be explained by talent? I¡¯ve been swinging my sword for years!¡± Ban Yu-mi was born as a monster with an empty head, unsuitable for the Ban family, who lived by their brains. She had been good at everything physical since she was young, but with the barbaric desire to beat people with weapons, she chose to become a fencer. She had returned with three gold medals and one silver medal in the team event from the last Olympics. So, Ban Yun-won had thought since childhood that she was definitely not from his family lineage, but when he entered the dungeon, he found that he had a similar talent for fighting, and it just took his life at risk to discover it. ¡®And now Swordsmanship 3 has been added to that.¡¯ However, as he knew, he couldn¡¯t surpass an Olympic athlete at this level. There was still a long way to go to overcome monsters like Light and proudly claim ownership of the Tower of Babel. ¡°Ban Yu-won! So, what happened?!¡± ¡°Shut up! Let¡¯s have a family meeting.¡± Ban Yu-won declared, pushing his older sister away as she yelled. ¡°Haah, you¡¯re looking down on me just because you¡¯ve blocked me once.¡± ¡°Hurry.¡± ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re dead if it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± While Ban Yu-won¡¯s one-sided explanation disconcerted her, Ban Yu-mi meekly followed. It seemed her brother had gone through something, and he would tell them at the family meeting. Ban Yu-won shouted at her as she left the room. ¡°Sister, call grandpa too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Call him.¡± ¡°Gosh, whatever, I¡¯ll call him, so you take care of it. The men in the Ban family are so exhausting¡­.¡± Ban Yu-mi shook her head and went out to collect the family. Ban Yu-won watched her go and sighed. Without a second thought, he started cleaning the mess she had left. [Are you sure you want to usurp the concept of the Bag from the bag of finished chips?] ¡°¡­Look at this.¡± A smile crept onto his lips. Apparently, they needed to talk about a budget during their family meeting. * * * As Light, left alone after Ban Yu-won¡¯s departure, was still in shock. Eventually, realizing the state he was in, he decided to take a shower. He threw away all he wore except the cross-shaped necklace against his chest. ¡°I guess I can take it off now¡­no, no. I will have to get used to it.¡± Light decided to take a shower with the necklace on. During the shower, what naturally came to his mind was the face of Ban Yu-won, his new roommate. ¡°I knew I had to get a single room. Haah, what do to¡­?¡± Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. Moreover, he was sorry to think this, but he seemed much weaker than himself, so he could subdue him quickly no matter what happened. However, the artifact with him was quite surprising. It wasn¡¯t a swing at full power, but it could still block his Holy Sword. He could tell because he was the owner of a great artifact, but that ghostly sword wasn¡¯t your usual stuff. ¡®It¡¯s not all about collecting artifacts. Dealing with them also requires absurd talent. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s a connection type, maybe he¡­it must be a talent that the faculty is paying attention to. A complete talent, not half like me.¡¯ Ban Yu-won¡¯s talent had already bloomed and would develop further in the future. It was different from his own. ¡°No¡­no!¡± He ground his teeth as if to deny the thought. His fists pounded against the shower wall. ¡®If I get soft, I will be swallowed up. I can¡¯t break. Because somehow, I managed to get into the academy. No matter what¡­I¡¯ll surely climb to the top, and I will gain the strength to protect my own world.¡¯ Ace Light gathered his resolve and washed his body thoroughly. Then he realized something. ¡®When I talked to him earlier, I didn¡¯t recognize it because it was so natural¡­but that man, I think he was speaking the Union language.¡¯ The languages ??of everyone who set foot in the Union Academy were integrated into one language called the Union Language. Teachers, students, and of course, the books in the academy were unified. This power was applied over many areas so every individual could use it. However, strictly speaking, this could be seen as a simultaneous interpretation. Even if you speak in your native language, it was translated naturally into the Union language. If you heard the Union language, you could recognize it as your native tongue. The same went for reading text. Therefore, everyone communicated in the Union language. However, there were some unavoidable drawbacks to this. That was, the movement of the mouth and the pronunciation didn¡¯t match. It was only natural since they would be speaking in their own tongue, and it would come out of their mouth changed to the Union language. For people with great senses like Ace Light, it could bother them quite. But why did the man¡¯s mouth and pronunciation match perfectly¡­? It was bothering him, given he also said that he learned about the different dimensions only today. ¡®Is his mother tongue similar to the Union language¡­?¡¯ That was the most convincing conclusion Light could come up with. There was no way he could¡¯ve learned it as soon as he heard about the Union Language. But, above all, this wasn¡¯t as important as the artifact he possessed. Ace Light shrugged, dried himself, and grabbed his sword. Two days left until admission. To be recognized in this academy filled with high-level dimensional residents, even that short period couldn¡¯t be wasted. CH 6 Lesson 2. This is your roommate ¨C 2 ¡°Yu-won, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re bothering me, but you know that I¡¯m a busy person, right? I have a business trip soon¡­ouch!¡± ¡°Haah, you idiot. Today is Yu-won¡¯s university announcement day. Can¡¯t we take the time to have dinner together?¡± As soon as he sat at the table, his mother slapped his father on the back while he was talking. On the other hand, grandfather was sitting at the head of the table. ¡°Tower of Babel? You¡¯re talking about the Tower of Babel, right?¡± And talking nonsense. His father and mother kept glancing at him while they chatted, but they each wore an expression that asked, ¡°Who brought this old man out?¡± ¡°Okay, now that we¡¯re all gathered, speak.¡± Ban Yu-mi sat with a calm expression and a bamboo sword within reach. If the meeting¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t a big deal, she was ready to raise her bamboo sword and smash Ban Yu-won in the head. ¡°Then I will tell you from the end.¡± Ban Yu-mi¡¯s expression went cold as Ban Yu-won placed the chip bags down on the table. Would this bastard call a family meeting for such a trivial matter? ¡°Everyone, watch with your eyes wide open.¡± ¡°At the bag of chips?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you talking about the Tower of Babel?¡± [Stealing the concept of the Bag from the finished chips bag.] [You absorbed 0.1 Bag. It is not a concept humans can possess, so it is recommended to separate it or give it to other things.] When Ban Yu-won absorbed the concept, it dried and twisted, then scattered into powder. When his father saw it, he stood and shouted. ¡°Powder flying!¡± ¡°Honey, sit down. Yu-won, what was that just now? Can you use it on other garbage as well?¡± ¡°The ability to turn garbage into dust¡­!¡± ¡°!!!¡± Everyone seemed to be quite surprised, but¡­for some reason, he felt that the direction of their surprise was a little different than what he expected. ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone have a different reaction other than that? Like where I got this ability?¡± Then his family¡¯s response was even more spectacular. ¡°It¡¯s surprising, but it¡¯s not as surprising as speaking ten languages ??at three¡­.¡± ¡°Yu-won, can you get rid of styrofoam?¡± ¡°So, what was that uniform you were wearing earlier?¡± ¡°Tower of Babel!!!¡± While all the family members were talking about what they wanted, Grandpa raised his voice. ¡°You have found the Tower of Babel, Won!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Father, why are you acting like that?¡± ¡°Grandpa, you should hurry up and go to sleep.¡± How the hell did he come up with the words Tower of Babel after seeing the bag of chips turn into dust? The others thought Grandpa¡¯s dementia had worsened and tried to take him to his room. ¡°No, everyone. As expected, Grandpa knows.¡± It was ironic that it was the correct answer. ¡°I found it. But strange monsters are occupying the tower, grandpa.¡± ¡°Such a dreadful thing!¡± Grandpa shouted. It could be his imagination, but the old man, who moments ago looked small and untidy, seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. His anger and passion blew the bellows, causing that old body to inflate. ¡°That¡¯s why I have to get it back. Support me.¡± ¡°Absolutely! Our Won will fulfill the family¡¯s dream; how can this grandfather stand still?¡± The old man abruptly stood up, his eyes twinkling, and asked his son. ¡°Hey, where did you put my phone?¡± ¡°Yes? ¡­Oh, that old-fashioned phone? If it¡¯s that one, it¡¯s in the warehouse.¡± ¡°Come. I need to use it.¡± ¡°Father? Whoa, you¡¯re still as strong as ever!¡± Grandpa dragged his son out. Yu-won¡¯s mother and older sister just stared at them, dumbfounded. It was probably the first time in years that Grandpa, Ban Ji-won, showed such lucidity. ¡°How much does Father like the Tower of Babel to be that excited¡­so what is the truth, Yu-won?¡± His mother asked. Ban Yu-won answered honestly. ¡°I found the Tower of Babel.¡± ¡°Are you going to do this too, son? I don¡¯t know why you deceived your grandfather, but¡­.¡± ¡°I mean it.¡± Ban Yu-won opened his inventory. The Goblin¡¯s Club, which had fully restored its energy after a few hours of rest, jumped straight out, spun around in the air a few times, then went behind his mother and patted her lightly on the shoulder. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± ¡°Trust me. So, Mom, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t go to college.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you lying after you failed to get in?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t, Mom. I saw that this bastard passed the S. college exam for sure.¡± Ban Yu-mi explained, then she turned to Ban Yu-won. ¡°Can¡¯t you take me to the Tower of Babel? It looks like it¡¯s going to be really fun.¡± ¡°You are not ready. No, don¡¯t clench your fists. It¡¯s true. Give up.¡± ¡°Damn¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain it, so sit down and listen.¡± Ban Yu-Won explained to them what happened to him today. His mother was terrified to hear that her son had been on the verge of death without her knowledge, and Ban Yu-mi¡¯s eyes twinkled at the existence of monsters and Mana. And when he said that the Tower of Babel was called the Dungeon of Dungeons. ¡°No!¡± His mother screamed. ¡°How can I send you to such a dangerous place!¡± ¡°I will go, Mom. It¡¯s a place where I can best utilize my talents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different from what you used to say! You wanted to live comfortably and hoped to become a diplomat!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because working as an archaeologist or a linguist would make my achievements visible. But not there. Our building is there!¡± ¡°Haah, I should have known that since you were a kid, you only followed your grandfather!¡± Ban Yu-mi asked as their mother pounded her chest, frustrated. ¡°Can I handle that Magic Power too?¡± ¡°What? No way¡­wait.¡± What was the reason Ban Yu-won was able to deal with Magic Power? The moment he accepted Magic from the outside, it must have stimulated the Magic Power sleeping in his body. And if so, Ban Yu-mi could also have the potential. ¡°Sister, give me your hand.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re embarrassing me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start that again.¡± As he grunted, his sister grabbed his outstretched hand, and Ban Yu-Won took 0.05 of his 16.25 Magic Power and gave it to her. At the moment when it flowed through his hand, Ban Yu-mi flinched. ¡°W-What is this?¡± ¡°Magic Power. Did you feel it?¡± ¡°This, just now¡­!¡± Ban Yu-mi, hastily shaking off Ban Yu-won¡¯s hand to retreat, stared down at the floor. She sat down in a typical kendo stance. Unlike Ban Yu-won, who realized the Magic Power as soon as he absorbed some, she had to sit like that for quite a while. Maybe it was because she absorbed only 0.05? Ban Yu-won was pondering whether she should take a little more of his Magic Power because it was taking too long, but then a brilliant red light rose from Ban Yu-mi¡¯s body. ¡°Done! It¡¯s this, right?!¡± ¡°Oh, this works.¡± Her presence swelled. Since she was already pretty strong, the change was dramatic once she awakened her Magic. Her strength and stamina grew. Meanwhile, their mother covered her forehead and lamented as she watched her daughter do a handstand with one finger to test her strength. ¡°Oh my, even my daughter has become weird.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give Magic Power to you too, Mother. When you realize this, your body gets stronger.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°No!¡± Perhaps she was strangely scared by seeing her daughter emit red light from her body, but their mother blindly refused. Meanwhile, Ban Yu-mi, realizing her new strength, grabbed Ban Yu-won and dragged him away. ¡°Ban Yu-won, let¡¯s fight!¡± ¡°I never learned swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie, you bastard. You got the posture down. Your sister will take good care of you, so hurry up and follow me. Quickly!¡± ¡°Wait, before that, grandpa¡­.¡± ¡°Won.¡± As he resisted his sister, their father and grandfather returned to the living room. ¡°I told them to come by around noon tomorrow. They¡¯ll bring something.¡± ¡°Who did you call?¡± ¡°The banker, who did you think I would call?¡± Banker? Ban Yu-won remembered a glimpse of his family have an account in a Swiss bank. Looking at his father, he nodded, still bewildered. ¡°You had an account in a private bank that looks like something out of a movie. And you haven¡¯t even told your daughter¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the talent! The account was originally going to be handed over to Won!¡± ¡°Oh, Dad. And grandpa too.¡± Ban Yu-won gave his father and grandfather 0.1 each of his Magic Power. Even if it wasn¡¯t right now, if they could awaken Magic Power someday, it would benefit their health. In particular, he thought it would be great if he could delay his grandfather¡¯s dementia. ¡®Now my Magic Power is exactly 16.¡¯ It was an investment in his family, so he didn¡¯t feel like it was a waste. He also wanted to give some to his mother, but she adamantly refused. ¡°You can feel the energy in your body, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good for your body, so focus on it and feel it. Then since we¡¯re done talking, we¡¯ll be going!¡± ¡°Wait, I have to explain the academy to grandpa too¡­.¡± ¡°Explain to him, mom!¡± Ban Yu-mi dragged Ban Yu-won down the road, and she forced him to become her rival. If there was a positive realization he had gained from this, it was that confrontation with a powerful person that made the various concepts he possessed grow. In particular, the growth of swordsmanship was shockingly fast, and through only a few hours of fighting, it rose from 3 to 5.6. ¡°What the heck, you? Why are you getting strong so quickly!¡± ¡°Oh, this is what talent is.¡± ¡°I really want to kill you.¡± Even though Ban Yu-mi became stronger after she realized the Magic Power, it was the same with Ban Yu-won, and he was ahead of her in the amount they possessed. But more than anything else, Ban Yu-won had a higher level of Life. While her life spent training gave her an initial edge, he was catching up in no time. ¡®Well, I guess it¡¯s too much to describe simply as talent?¡¯ Ban Yu-won also felt suspicious about his growth. Then, he suddenly realized that he had his unique concept of Complete Sight, Complete Hearing, and Complete Speaking. It seemed that this might not only apply to language. ¡®What is the reason why my swordsmanship is developing so quickly now? That¡¯s because I¡¯m looking at my sister¡¯s movements, interpreting them, and applying them to myself. It¡¯s not just about reading language.¡¯ Ban Yu-mi, who had never lost to her little brother when it came to sports all her life, held some resentment toward him. Thanks to her renewed efforts to defeat him, Ban Yu-won grew his swordsmanship to 7.2 and was able to develop his other body concepts a little. However, he slept until noon the next day from the resulting exhaustion. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°Oh, grandpa¡­are you okay?¡± Ban Yu-won was slightly worried, looking at his grandfather Ban Ji-won, who waited for him to get up. But he nodded, putting on a strong face to dispel his grandson¡¯s worries. ¡°I can¡¯t lose my mind at a time like this, right? Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not going to do anything weird until our Won makes sure it¡¯s ready. More importantly, check this.¡± As he turned his head following his grandfather¡¯s pointing, he saw, to his surprise, a pile of ingots made of pure gold. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± ¡°I took some gold out of my account. Gold works anywhere in the world, so take it with you.¡± ¡°What will you do if you give me all of this?¡± ¡°Boy, there¡¯s still a lot left, so don¡¯t worry. You can¡¯t underestimate the family wealth that our ancestors built up. Ahem, more than that, this is the real thing.¡± A large trunk in the corner of the room came to Ban Yu-won¡¯s notice after he took his eyes off the dazzling gold. Although it first appeared as a common trunk, it strangely caught his attention and didn¡¯t let go. Ban Yu-won realized that it was because of the Magic Power he felt inside. Magic Power! Wasn¡¯t there no Magic Power on Earth? ¡°T-This¡­?¡± Ban Yu-won got up, opened the trunk, and found all objects. He knew well that his ancestors had traveled worldwide, and he remembered that even his grandfather, Ban Ji-won, had been an experienced diplomat and returned with souvenirs in his spare time. However, what was contained in this trunk weren¡¯t small souvenirs but real relics containing history and tradition. Even the gold paled by comparison. ¡°Grandpa, how did you¡­?¡± ¡°These are the traces of ancestors who tried to find the Tower of Babel. It¡¯s all yours now, Won. Will this help?¡± Ban Yu-won picked up one of them, a slingshot that looked very old. It was carved from a sturdy branch, with strange characters written on the surface, and with a tendon from an unknown animal in place of a rubber band. [Are you sure you want to steal Magic Gun 5, Shooting Gun 17, Hunter 21, and Wild Beast 8 from the slingshot that pierces the eyes of a lion?] ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Ban Yu-won nodded frantically. ¡°It will be very helpful.¡± CH 7 Lesson 2. This is your roommate ¨C 3 From then on, for the entire day, Ban Yu-won moved with haste. The relics in the trunk were classified into ¡®things to steal concepts from¡¯ and ¡®things to keep complete,¡¯ In addition to items that could be encountered daily, he purchased vast quantities of items that could be extracted for concepts. In the process, he ran out of Code Core capacity, so he urgently searched for something with the concept of Nucleus, and the answer he found was very simple. It was possible to extract about 0.05 Nucleus from the seeds of any kind of fruit. As a result, he bought so many fruits that he could be mistaken for a grocer and extracted a total of 155 Nucleus. Then, the concept that remained¡ªthe Fruit Flesh¡ªwas collected together. At first, he tried to see if it could be divided into fruit and meat, but it was impossible. With that, Ban Yu-won realized that not all the concepts of Chinese characters could be divided and that it wasn¡¯t easy for a lower concept (Flesh) to exceed the limit of a higher concept (Fruit). The point was that no matter how much language concepts could be divided, they couldn¡¯t go against the rules. ¡°How about putting this concept into one watermelon? Wouldn¡¯t it be delicious?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even going to eat it right now, so why not just can it?¡± ¡°Hey, sister, are you a genius?¡± Ban Yu-mi, observing Ban Yu-won¡¯s work, said something that made him open his eyes. He immediately took out a jar of strawberry jam from the belongings he packed (presumably, he would not be able to return to his hometown for a while, so he was planning to store a lot of canned food and ramen) and put the concept of Fruit in it. ¡°Why a jar and not a can?¡± ¡°Once you open a can, you have to eat it all, but this I can eat in small portions.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you just trying to get rid of the leftovers?¡± He added one at a time and looked at the progress, but there was no big change on the outside, so he daringly added five. After pushing it in like that, he realized that the 570 pieces of pulp obtained by extracting Nucleus 155 were all concentrated in one bottle! ¡°Shit, that wasn¡¯t supposed to¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s shining.¡± Just as he was about to throw the bottle, thinking it might explode, the contents inside started to emit dazzling light. As the light dimmed, a notification window with the Babylonian Code appeared in front of Ban Yu-won. [You have prepared Beginner¡¯s Elixir 5. The vitality of the flesh was compressed to the limit and sealed. With just one bite, your vitality will be greatly boosted and hugely impact Life¡¯s growth. However, now the seal is very loose, and the vitality can escape.] As soon as he heard those words, Ban Yu-won took the concept of Seal separated from the chip bag and gave it to the bottle. The change was immediate. [You have prepared Beginner¡¯s Elixir 10. Due to the perfect sealing, the contents were stored perfectly, and its efficacy was amplified. It is also effective in healing wounds but can also induce the growth of the concept of existence through constant use.] ¡°Wow, I made an elixir.¡± ¡°What, what happened?¡± Instead of replying, Ban Yu-won opened the sealed bottle, took a large spoonful of the contents, took one bite, and gave his sister the next. Her eyes were filled with stars. ¡°Ummm, this¡­is tasty! This is crazy, so good¡­!¡± ¡°No more.¡± ¡°Wow, wow!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not happy, you can make your own. Grandpa! Come here and take a bite of this jam!¡± ¡°Aww, Grandpa likes sweet bean jelly better¡­.¡± With this, he succeeded in disposing of both the Nucleus and Flesh. Even if it seemed like a simple concept, he also learned that he could transform concepts into something completely different by collecting and compressing them. Now it was time to set off to the academy. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged, son. And don¡¯t register for the S. University for now. Come back anytime!¡± ¡°Yeah, I can see that dad doesn¡¯t have any expectations of me.¡± His mother hugged him tightly after he received his father¡¯s discouraging goodbye. ¡°Take care, my son.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll go even if you might die?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die, and I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Haah¡­.¡± ¡°Won.¡± Ban Ji-won approached Ban Yu-won after he had barely escaped from his mother¡¯s arms. Surprisingly, he had been acting sane since he first heard about the Tower of Babel, and he was still standing in neat clothes, reminding him of the times he used to work. He was just like the grandfather Ban Yu-won had longed for and followed. ¡°I¡¯ll entrust you with our family¡¯s secret.¡± ¡°Before I graduate, I¡¯ll call you to the Tower.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± This strong longing and desire for the Tower only grandpa and grandchild could share. They hugged, and Ban Yu-won said goodbye to his older sister, who was staring at him. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t get caught for doping when you compete.¡± ¡°You moron, why would I compete if I wanted to cheat?¡± Her attitude didn¡¯t change even when her brother went to a different, unknown world. It was reassuring, though. ¡°Yeah, do well. Then, I¡¯ll be going.¡± Ban Yu-won smiled and took a last look at his family, then responded to the message that appeared before his eyes a moment ago. [The entrance ceremony for Union Academy will begin soon. Summoning student Ban Yu-won.] * * * When he closed his eyes and opened them again, he was already in a huge auditorium. Surprised by his sudden appearance, the people on either side of him flinched away, but when they saw the school uniform he was wearing, they frowned. ¡°What, are you from the bottom? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Go away, go to that side.¡± ¡°Yeah, thank you.¡± They were such kind friends that they told him where to go. Ban Yu-won waved to the freshmen, who informed them of where his seat was, and then headed to the area where the students who passed the special low-level screening were. He didn¡¯t think they would discriminate even with the seating, but, according to Light, it seemed that the coming days would be a bit tough. ¡®Besides, the aura from all directions¡­are they all really freshmen?¡¯ Although still a beginner, Ban Yu-won learned how to pass through a dungeon, gained insight into the concept of Magical Power, and learned how to read a foe¡¯s power while battling with Ban Yu-mi all night long. However, even the weakest of those around him now seemed ten times stronger. If he could touch them, he could try to interpret their concept of language, but there was no way he could ask those guys emanating such hostile energy, ¡®Can I hold your hand?¡¯ For now, he had no choice but to pretend to be bold, walk with his shoulders straight, and find his seat as quickly as possible. ¡®If grandpa hadn¡¯t supported me, it would have been really difficult. Fortunately, thanks to that, I have faithfully collected the treasury¡¯s means.¡¯ There were only four chairs in the assigned place, and it felt like he had been exiled from the other incoming students. ¡°Ban!¡± ¡°Light, hello. So, these are our seats. The special seats are lit, huh?¡± ¡°L-Lit? Haha¡­.¡± There were two other girls besides Light, who smiled bitterly at Ban Yu-won¡¯s comment. ¡°Oh, hello.¡± ¡°Yeah, hi.¡± One was a girl with unusual bright pink eyes and hair like bubblegum, with only the tips of her bangs highlighted in black. Ban Yu-won tried to prevent his gaze from leaving her flashy and glamorous hair to her chest. Her basic posture was to curl up as much as she could as if she knew how eye-catching the size of her chest was, and even though it was sad, Ban Yu-won focused on suppressing his instincts. ¡°Um, hello to you too.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± The other one was also flashy. Her long hair was strangely shiny, and her eyes were all black except for a silver cross in the center of her pupils. Here, she slightly deviated from the concept of humanity that Ban Yu-won knew. He got a bit scared, wondering if that was a magic eye like those in comics. ¡®I mean, but are they really the special low-level type? All three seem like they could easily win over the regulars¡­.¡¯ He wondered if the eerie atmosphere emitted by the black-and-white woman (because she had white hair and dark eyes), as well as Ace Light, could surpass even the professor he had met before. Even this girl trembling like a lamb was far stronger than Ban Yu-won! The fortunate thing was that, worthy of its reputation as the best academy in all dimensions, all kinds of bizarre-looking races were admitted, but at least they appeared to be mostly human. They all looked attractive! ¡®This one doesn¡¯t look human, but¡­still, if you look at her, there¡¯s some creepy charm to her appearance. Yes, creepy charm works perfectly.¡¯ As someone with the ability to speak languages, Ban Yu-won was satisfied to have found the perfect word to describe them. Then he suddenly realized that her cross pupils were pointing straight at him and flinched. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°That thing¡­floating around you. It¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, are you talking about the Goblin Club?¡± When Ban Yu-won called it over his palm, she leaned her head out and looked carefully, without blinking. Then, she laughed. He could feel her intimidating presence greatly diminish at that moment. ¡°My name is Dok Go-yeon, the daughter of a martial arts society. What is your name?¡± ¡°Uh, you just said your¡­.¡± ¡°Only now I¡¯ve learned your name¡­even though we¡¯re in the same room. We¡¯ve been there for a few days together.¡± Given the pink-haired girl¡¯s reaction, it seemed that this was the first time she had introduced herself. But Ban Yu-won had more to worry about than that. ¡°I¡¯m Ban Yu-won. But you said Martial Arts Society? Do you use something like martial arts? With the flying?¡± ¡°Pfff.¡± The girl named Dok Go-yeon burst into laughter. Ban Yu-won¡¯s face went ashen, thinking he had said something rude, but then Light and the pink girl, listening next to them, burst into laughter as well. ¡°Your perception is so¡­pfff, you¡¯re not wrong, though.¡± ¡°Really? After all, there is this world, so things such as Martial Arts Society must exist too.¡± ¡°Among the countless dimensions, Martial Arts Society¡­in other words, it is known that the number of dimensions in which Mana training methods and martial arts with religion, philosophy, and other ideas are systematically established exceeds ten thousand, Ban.¡± Light, looking for a chance to socialize with the same special type as himself, explained. ¡°Ten thousand?!¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Ban Yu-won was genuinely astonished, but Dok Go-yeon gave Light a slightly stern look. Depending on who heard him, it might sound like he was undermining the dimension of her origin. Light backed away, sensing he had made a mistake. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to look down on your birth dimension. I just wanted to tell him that fact¡­.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Light, you better just stay quiet.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± Fortunately, the angry Dok Go-yeon didn¡¯t see fit to demonstrate her martial arts then and there. Instead, she turned away, ignoring Light, and held out a hand to Ban Yu-won. ¡°Ban Yu-won, please take good care of me¡­I feel a connection with you.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, take good care of me too. If you have anything to gain from me, don¡¯t forget to give me something too.¡± ¡°Huhu.¡± She didn¡¯t seem as scary as he first thought. After making that judgment, Ban Yu-won shook her hand, and the crosses in her eyes rotated. He didn¡¯t know if that was something positive, but he grew terrified again after it went so well! ¡°Excuse me!¡± As the two of them were having a rather friendly conversation, the pink-haired girl intervened. ¡°Take good care of me too¡­! Ruchel, I don¡¯t have the last name, so just call me Ruchel.¡± ¡°A-Ahem. I am Ace Light. Just call me Light. Take good care of me too, Ruchel, Dokgo.¡± ¡°Dokgo?¡± Dok Go-yeon¡¯s good mood faded. She frowned and said: ¡°Just call me Dok Go-yeon.¡± ¡°Ah, hahaha¡­it looks like the ceremony is about to begin.¡± Light, rebuked, pointed to the front with a bitter smile that Ban Yu-won was getting used to. Nine professors were coming up on the podium at the auditorium¡¯s center. Ban Yu-won, noticing Professor Yoo Mina with her green skin and red hair petals, felt happy for no reason. And the professor, as if she noticed, flashed a small smile in his direction. ¡°The interview?¡± ¡°Yes. It was with that professor.¡± When he was talking to Light¡­suddenly, there was the sound of fireworks exploding in the air. As everyone reflexively raised their heads, they could see the auditorium¡¯s ceiling had opened, and two huge pupils waited beyond it. ¨DI see everyone has gathered. An unrecognizable existence manifested above them. Because it was too high, just by looking directly at its existence, fragile life would fade away. Ban Yu-won was terribly shocked when he managed to recognize those eyes. [Your understanding of the concept of Sight has deepened. The depth of the Complete Sight has been increased to 105. You will be able to see more and more clearly.] [The depth of the Soul has been increased to 320. Your spirit became stronger, and your resistance to evil became greater.] At that moment, Ban Yu-won re-opened his eyes. It could be his imagination, but the huge eyes seemed to look at Ban Yu-won. But maybe it was an illusion. ¨DThen, we will begin the 2,557th entrance ceremony of Union Academy. It should be impossible for such a great being to individually recognize the existence of the tiny Ban Yu-won. CH 8 We got the opportunity to increase the upload rate for this series if there is enough interest. Lesson 2. This is your roommate ¨C 4 ¡°It was impressive, wasn¡¯t it? The congratulatory message from the Principal.¡± ¡°Principal?!¡± Confused by the sudden appearance of the huge eyes, the entrance ceremony passed quickly. In front of the four members of the special sub-dimensions was Professor Yoo Mina, with her impressive red petals fluttering in front of their eyes. Why was she here? No, more than that, what did she just say? ¡°Really, those huge eyes¡­no, is it okay to call them by the friendly word Principal?¡± ¡°Did you see his eyes?¡± At Ban Yu-won¡¯s question, Yoo Mina was startled and asked back. What was this now? How could someone not see those huge eyes? Thinking like that, as he looked around, he saw that Light, Ruchel, and Dok Go-yeon were all staring at him. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even look up.¡± ¡°I-I was scared.¡± ¡°That existence was completely obscured by special means. But¡­how?¡± Light, Ruchel, and Dok Go-yeon spoke in turn. In particular, the way that Dok Go-yeon was staring at him through constricted cross-pupils was too frightening. ¡°Uh¡­.¡± ¡®Oh man, I saw something I shouldn¡¯t have again.¡¯ Ban Yu-won decided to gloss over it. ¡°It was just the way I felt. It felt like giant eyes were looking down at us¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so? You have great¡­senses, and I¡¯ve heard that people with the ability to create really great artifacts are born with delicate senses. You may also be expected to grow in combat ability.¡± Prof. Yoo Mina nodded her head with admiration, seemingly convinced by Ban Yu-won¡¯s excuse. But Dok Go-yeon was still staring at him like he was interesting¡­! ¡°Anyway, he is the Principal. Considering the nature of the academy, it is right to call him the President, but we aim for a friendlier expression.¡± ¡°Friendlier.¡± ¡°You probably won¡¯t see him much in the future, though¡­that¡¯s right. If you make notable achievements in the academy or do something really bad, you will meet him again.¡± Having said that, the professor looked at Ban Yu-won with a mischievous smile and added: ¡°I think student Ban Yu-Won will one day be alone with the principal.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a curse, Professor?¡± ¡°Fufu, the achievements of the students I¡¯m in charge of, are also my achievements. Please work hard.¡± The four members, including Ban Yu-won, flinched. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°Are you the professor in charge of us?¡± In response to Light¡¯s question, Professor Yoo Mina nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°One of the only nine full professors in the academy? For us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let me introduce myself to you right now. My name is Yoo Mina, and I¡¯m in charge of combat magic; and I became the professor in charge of the class of the four of you for the next five years until your graduation.¡± ¡°Five years?!¡± Fortunately, Ban Yu-won was well aware of what a full professor was because he took a guide of the academy and read it through when he was back home. The professors of Union Academy, the best academy in all dimensions, weren¡¯t ordinary beings. The nine full professors from Union Academy passed the Principal¡¯s rigorous examination, and each possessed an absurd force capable of bringing entire dimensions to their knees. All academy matters were their responsibility, and the other faculty members, the associate professors, were merely assistants who managed the students. Union Academy consisted of five grades, with about 300 students each, so even if you grouped a class with 30 students, 50 classes would come out. Of course, most of the classes were taught by associate professors, except for the special classes, which gathered only the best in each grade level. But Professor Yoo Mina said she was in charge of only four people who passed the special low-level screening?! ¡°Students, are you misunderstanding something? The lower-level special admission students in each grade are always subject to separate management. It is not intended to discriminate or give special treatment but rather to protect them from the malice of other students. We have no choice but to do so to ensure a proper education.¡± ¡°But the associate professors could¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I am in charge of you because the students who passed the special selection this year are too special.¡± Professor Yoo Mina blatantly stared at Ban Yu-won. ¡°It really makes you wonder how these people were chosen.¡± It was lucky those here weren¡¯t jealous, as Ban Yu-won himself was ashamed of her blatant interest and wanted to hide it. Then an unexpected movement occurred. As if to protect him from Professor Yoo Mina¡¯s gaze, Light snuck out to cover him. It hadn¡¯t upset him but rather annoyed him. ¡°But, professor, if you show excessive interest, the general admissions students may come to check in on us¡­.¡± ¡°I believe that you guys can overcome that on your own.¡± Professor Yoo Mina responded sharply. ¡°I¡¯ll block all external pressure. We also crack down on bullying that isn¡¯t conducive to your academic studies and growth. But I can¡¯t do anything about the internal competition protected by the rules.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°If I can give you a simple piece of advice, from now on, stay together. You are both special selection classmates, and simultaneously, you are members of a party that will climb the Tower together for five years until graduation.¡± Party members? The Tower of Babel was a dungeon, so it was only natural. ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s much better than climbing the tower with all those lousy delusional people¡­.¡± Instead of Light, exhausted as he took on Professor Yoo Mina¡¯s pressure, Dok Go-yeon sarcastically muttered. Her disapproving gaze scanned Light and Ruchel. It was fortunate that this terrifying gaze didn¡¯t reach Ban Yu-won. ¡°P-Professor.¡± Ruchel said timidly, avoiding her gaze. ¡°E-Everyone is looking at us. Can¡¯t we go¡­somewhere else?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The eyes of other incoming students weren¡¯t friendly. However, as Professor Yoo Mina, a full professor, talked to them, it was a mix of interest and hostility. Ban Yu-won sighed, not getting what the fuss about higher and lower dimensions was. ¡°Then let¡¯s go right away to our classroom.¡± When Professor Yoo Mina snapped her finger, their surroundings melted away, and walls appeared all around them, locking them up. ¡®No, did we move to a closed space instead of being locked?¡¯ There was a wall made of glass, similar to Professor Yoo Mina¡¯s room. Beyond that, the various facilities of the academy, the surrounding forests, lakes, small spaceship docks, and towers could be seen. Interestingly, there was no door. ¡°All future training and announcements you receive from me will take place in this room. It¡¯s a room you can¡¯t get into by normal means. First, I will hand out student IDs.¡± The student ID was a pendant with a jewel at the end of a thin silver chain. The jewel wasn¡¯t too large nor too shiny, giving it a sophisticated look. A mysterious character string was swirling inside the exquisitely crafted jewel, and when he focused on it, it felt like his eyes might fall out. [Instant conversion to Chinese characters is impossible because there are too many complex concept character strings. It¡¯ll take a long time to fully recognize and accept the new language system.] It was the first time he had failed to interpret with his language ability. However, it was surprising that it didn¡¯t seem impossible to interpret them. Maybe this was an opportunity to get into Magic? While Ban Yu-won confirmed this and smiled, Light asked another question on behalf of the party. ¡°Is there any other way to deal with it?¡± ¡°Sure. When the student ID accepts your Magic Power, registration will be completed. After that, you can simply infuse Magic Power to prove your identity, and with it, you can exercise most of the powers granted to you within the academy. Best of all, it¡¯s possible to go directly to this room from anywhere within the academy.¡± An artifact with the ability to teleport! No, it was possible to teleport by tearing a single piece of paper, so there was no need to be surprised. ¡°To teleport, you can put Magic Power in your student ID and issue a special keyword. Well, let¡¯s say, ¡®Professor Yoo Mina is beautiful.¡¯ I decided that just now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, the same goes when you leave this room. If you inject Magic Power into your student ID and chant the same spell, you will return to where you were before entering this room. It¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± Unlike Ban Yu-won, who could bear this because she was a beautiful person, Light and Dok Go-yeon couldn¡¯t control their expressions. He couldn¡¯t tell if Light had manners or was rude. Fortunately, Professor Yoo Mina ignored her students¡¯ agitation and continued. ¡°And this is the most important part: you can¡¯t enter the Tower without your student ID. Dimensional pirates sometimes try to steal student IDs, so be very careful.¡± Ruchel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°D-Dimensional pirates are invading even this highest dimension¡­?¡± ¡°If they can get into the tower, some people are willing to go to crazy lengths.¡± Ban Yu-won felt a bit anxious. He didn¡¯t know what dimensional pirates were, but they didn¡¯t sound nice. Russian playwright Anton Chekhov said if you start living with a roommate whose behavior is suspicious in the first act of the play, in the third act at the latest, the fact that the roommate is actually a woman disguised as a man should be revealed! Or something like that. Unable to contain his worries, Ban Yu-won raised his hand carefully and asked: ¡°What happens if I lose my student ID?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question. First, you will receive an academic warning for whatever reason you lost it, and you will have to pay a fine to the academy to have it reissued.¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± It was overly harsh and realistic! Ruchel, terrified, crouched even further around her ID. Meanwhile, Dok Go-yeon grabbed the chain and swiveled it, her black eyes flashing. ¡°That means there may be people who come after us, huh?¡± ¡°The act of stealing or hiding someone¡¯s student ID results in an immediate suspension.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t steal.¡± When Professor Yoo Mina warned her, Dok Go-yeon responded with a tone like she had heard something unpleasant. ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate to use force to protect what¡¯s mine.¡± Her remarks were a declaration of war that would lead to bloodshed in the future. ¡°All right, I just hope you act within the limits of the school rules.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Dok Go-yeon¡¯s smile was truly sinister. Ban Yu-won restrained himself from looking into her eyes, which seemed to draw him, and touched his own student ID. ¡°What was left? ¡­Yes, the timetables haven¡¯t been distributed.¡± Were they using the analog method of handing out papers? As soon as he thought about it, several holograms appeared on their student IDs, causing Ban Yu-won to close his mouth. ¡°Classes run from Monday to Thursday. Except during the examination period and during the week of special activities, unconditional exploration of the Tower must be carried out on Friday. It is possible to adjust this expedition schedule to three days and two nights by discussing it with your party members. So, you must adjust your schedule appropriately with the rest, right?¡± ¡°Tower¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won¡¯s eyes twinkled. As an academy built solely for the Tower, the proportion of investment in exploring the Tower was enormous. The moment the Tower was mentioned, each of them looked determined. ¡°If you touch the subject on the timetable, you¡¯ll find out where the classroom is and how to move there. Textbooks for each subject will be readied for you when you return to your dorms. So, do you have any questions?¡± ¡°Professor, if we ever enter the Tower alone-¡± Unexpectedly, Light asked the question they had all been waiting for. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Professor Yoo Mina responded immediately with a smile. ¡°Exploration must be done on a party basis, and only on truly special occasions can a student¡¯s solo expedition be allowed with permission from the Principal. Did I answer your question?¡± ¡°Uh¡­yes. Everyone, I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to test my individual strength, not because I don¡¯t like being in the same party with you guys.¡± ¡°Haah.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± If that were the case, it would have been better to ask that later when he was alone with the professor. Ban Yu-won created Light¡¯s nickname in his mind at that moment: Zero Sense. There was the possibility that this guy was unaware of the very existence of the concept of wits! But what could he do? At first, he thought things would go smoother than he worried about seeing the classmates who looked much better than him, but¡­ A terrifying and strong girl who he couldn¡¯t read. A roommate who seemed to be nice but had a strangely self-centered personality and no wits. A timid puppy who seemed to want to compete with a pill bug to see who could curl into themselves more. And then there was him, who dreamed of becoming a diplomat but was dragged here. Wasn¡¯t it a huge variety?! ¡°Now, there isn¡¯t much left to discuss, so let¡¯s all focus.¡± Professor Yoo Mina clapped her hands, banishing the chilly atmosphere. ¡°From the moment you receive your student ID, you have access to most of the facilities inside the academy. Student cafeteria, library, canteen, cafes, and the training center. The most important thing is the training center. Do not neglect your self-discipline even when there are no classes. General admissions students may look down on you right now, but if you prove your worth with overwhelming grades, they will eventually be forced to recognize you.¡± ¡°I like that.¡± Dok Go-yeon replied and hung the pendant around her neck. ¡°Then, are we disbanding like this today?¡± ¡°No, I prepared refreshments for you, so let¡¯s get to know each other¡­oh, my.¡± At that moment, Professor Yoo Mina¡¯s pendant vibrated with a faint light. She looked perplexed as she examined it. ¡°Should I become a prophet?¡± ¡°Professor?¡± ¡°Ahem. I¡¯m sorry, but the social gathering will be held another time. You can just go back. It would be nice if you looked around the academy¡¯s facilities.¡± Yoo Mina turned to Ban Yu-Won. ¡°Student Ban Yu-won, follow me.¡± ¡°Yes? What is that¡­uh.¡± Now, he had adapted to the rapid change of space without even having the time to prepare. He was dragged into a quiet hallway where he couldn¡¯t see his classmates. He stared at Yoo Mina, her jewel eyes glimmering. ¡°I told you earlier that you might be alone with the Principal someday, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you did¡­?¡± ¡°That prophecy has come true.¡± ¡°What?! No, why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps¡­.¡± Yoo Mina smiled mischievously and pushed him. Ban Yu-won, unable to resist the unexpectedly strong force, was thrown into a secret room through a solid wall in the middle of the hallway. Yoo Mina¡¯s voice seemed to echo from far away. ¡°The Principal also felt your gaze.¡± -That¡¯s right. The voice I heard at the entrance ceremony replied. On his first day at the academy, Ban Yu-won received a personal interview with the President. CH 9 Lesson 3. This is your pet ¨C 1 At the very moment when he was brought into the secret room, Ban Yu-Won tried to surpass Ruchel in mimicking a pill bug. His arms wrapped around his neck to protect himself. ¨DYou can look directly at me. My true body is not here. However, the headmaster¡¯s voice caused him to raise his head. Ban Yu-won looked ahead, cautious. A doll without vitality sat at a desk. It was sitting on its own and emitting sound through its mouth, but it didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°Principal¡­I mean, President?¡± ¨DBan Yu-won, I will allow you to call me Master. Given the way he spoke, he was no ordinary master. But Ban Yu-won nodded, holding back the urge to say it. ¡°Okay, Master.¡± ¨DI should tell you why I called you here first. ¡°Oh, yes, sir.¡± ¨DActually, I don¡¯t normally interfere with the growth of students. He seemed prone to beating around the bush. However, Ban Yu-won quietly listened. ¨DIf it is weak, let it be weak. If it is strong, let it be strong. I don¡¯t care if they die in the Tower or survive to gain power and honor. Then why are you the President? The answer came before he asked the question. ¨DMy only purpose is to watch those who reach the end of the Tower. All other beings, whether weak or strong, ugly, beautiful, evil, or good, are all equally worthless. Ban Yu-won had to ask. ¡°What is the Tower?¡± Ban Yu-won was convinced that this was the Earth¡¯s Tower of Babel, a building owned by the Ban family¡¯s ancestors and, consequently, him. At the same time, he heard from his grandfather that if he regained the Tower of Babel, he would regain all the power and glory of his family. It was already engraved in his mind as a possibility, so even if he wasn¡¯t sure if it was true, from the moment he faced the Tower, he was ready to risk his life to climb it. But to the President and to the other students, what was the Tower of Babel? ¨DThe Tower is the road to God and the ordeal sent by heaven. That is why I do not interfere with the students¡¯ asceticism. The Principal gave a short answer. Oddly enough, Ban Yu-won felt it rang true. Listening to the story of his ancestor, didn¡¯t he have almost godlike powers? The Tower of Babel was even in this unknown dimension. If there was a divine seat waiting at the end of the Tower, then he couldn¡¯t help but understand¡­ ¨DHowever. If that was all the President had to say, there would be no reason to call Ban Yu-won to his office. ¨DBut this time, I decided to make an exception. ¡°Um¡­.¡± ¨DBecause I see the potential in you. The greatest possibility I have ever seen. The doll floated into the air and locked eyes with Ban Yu-won. ¨DA weak body but a surprisingly strong mind. It reveals your limitless potential. ¡°¡­¡± ¨DBut, the instability between body and mind will stimulate others badly, and if left as is, others will surely get in the way before you flower. I can¡¯t just stand and watch. When the doll reached out and pointed to the pendant hanging from Ban Yu-won¡¯s neck, a slight vibration shook the chain. The flow of characters inside the pendant morphed. Although Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t fully understand it, he memorized the differences. After some time, the pendant calmed down, and the Principal said: ¨DBut I won¡¯t help you climb the Tower. I just took the measures for you to be ready to climb the Tower. ¡°What is that?¡± ¨DI gave you permission to explore the dungeon outside. ¡°Outside? Do you mean outside the academy?¡± ¨DYes. In this world where Union Academy was located, there were dungeons. They were special areas infested with monsters and traps and maintained by a dungeon core, similar to where Ban Yu-Won took his practical test. There were so many it was pointless to count them, which was why the Principal sometimes used students to clear them out. ¨DYour student ID has a function that allows you to teleport and explore external dungeons, so be sure to explore in your spare time before entering the Tower. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Only then did Ban Yu-won realize the Principal¡¯s consideration. Even though he stood to grow a bunch, Ban Yu-won was currently holding back his classmates. The Principal allowed him to develop his abilities by exploring the dungeons of a lower difficulty before entering the Tower. ¨DOf course, an outside dungeon isn¡¯t always easy or safe. It will be on you to survive. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask for anything else.¡± The difficulty of the external dungeons was generally lower than that of the Tower. It was just the right conditions for the current Ban Yu-won. ¨DIf you cast the spell, you can go directly to the dungeon, and if you cast the spell again after exploring, you will return to where you were before. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± This was the same as what he had heard before. But. ¨DRemember that the spell¡¯s chant is ¡®Drown in the infinite darkness.¡¯ The spell was a little more serious than Professor Yoo-Mina¡¯s! ¨DGo now. Ban Yu-won, don¡¯t stop and keep moving. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t ask him to change the spell, so he bowed his head and backed away. The Principal added a word as he left. ¨DIf you do well, I¡¯ll unlock the next permission. ¡°Next permission?¡± ¨DSolo exploration of the Tower. Ban Yu-won raised his head, shocked. ¨DThen, I look forward to the next meeting. However, at that moment, the Principal ordered him to get out, and Ban Yu-won was thrown out of the room by an invisible hand. His landing was surprisingly soft, as something cozy and fragrant cushioned his landing. ¡°How was the interview with the Principal?¡± ¡°Professor?!¡± Ban Yu-Won backed away from Yoo Mina in embarrassment. However, Yoo Mina didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°The Principal always kicks out his guests that way. He has a unique personality.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I was waiting to catch you here from the beginning.¡± Yoo Mina, laughing at her joke, suddenly looked at the pendant on his chest, and her eyes twinkled. ¡°It seems the Principal has high expectations for you. That¡¯s an outside entry permit.¡± ¡°He told me to quickly develop the skills I lack by exploring the dungeons outside.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good method. But be very careful. Outside of the academy, our eyes won¡¯t reach you.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Yoo Mina said, clapping her hands as if she had suddenly remembered something. ¡°If you have some spare time after exploring the dungeon, stopping by an outside city wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I think the food and drinks inside the academy are boring, whether at the restaurants or the canteen. They don¡¯t even sell liquor, and I¡¯m telling you, they don¡¯t.¡± Ban Yu-won could guess what Yoo Mina wanted. ¡°Do you want me to bring some to you? It will be limited to if there is a shopping mall that I can walk to by the dungeon, but¡­.¡± ¡°Thank you! Can I entrust it to you, then?¡± He was just offering out of courtesy, but Yoo Mina immediately accepted and started spouting specifics. ¡°The priests of the God of Spring¡¯s Temple still brew their own fruit wine during the fasting period. The Honeymoon of the Spring¡¯s Temple in Ronica is famous for its fantastic fruity aroma, rich foam, and sticky but refreshing aftertaste. Can I ask for two bottles if you find yourself in Ronica?¡± Yoo Mina pulled something out, walked over to Ban Yu-won, and hung it on his shirt. Ban Yu-won, stunned by the scent of flowers intensifying, then suddenly, pulling away, belatedly noticed the jeweled brooch carved into the shape of a colorful flower. ¡°If you wear this, they will give you the bottles without asking. While buying them, feel free to grab some snacks, and I think that¡¯ll be all.¡± Yoo Mina winked at Ban Yoo-won. It wasn¡¯t hard for him to realize that Yoo Mina, and the Principal, were showing him excessive kindness. ¡°Thank you. Then I¡¯ll be off.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too late.¡± Yoo Mina smiled. It looked like she was expecting him to leave right away. Of course, that¡¯s what he intended too. If there was one problem, it was the spell. ¡°Drown¡­.¡± ¡°Drown?¡± ¡°D-D¡­.¡± ¡°D-D?¡± Unable to overcome the shame, Ban Yu-won mumbled the spell in his mind and cursed the President. But the moment he gathered the courage and forced himself to say it aloud, he realized that his surroundings had already changed. He was in a dungeon. ¡®Oh, so I could just say it in my head?!¡¯ While he didn¡¯t know what to do, with mixed feelings of relief for not shaming himself in front of the professor and anger at the President who deceived him, something poked his shoulder. The Goblin Club twirled in the air ¨C it had been rather quiet lately, scared of the people with their strong presence. ¡°Thank you. I should be careful.¡± He couldn¡¯t relax here in the dungeon. He opened his inventory and took out a long sword with a shiny blue blade. Beheader¡¯s Longsword [Magic Sword 12, Murder 19, Blood Poison 9] This was made by gathering the energy of things with the concept of Sword among the relics in the trunk (all the remaining concepts were buried in the Code Core). Simply put, the weapon was a hard and sharp sword that contained Magic Power, which was more lethal when dealing with a human-type enemy, and it bled poison whenever it cut an enemy. To Ban Yu-won, it was more powerful than the Goblin Club he made during the practical evaluation, but in fact, artifacts with this level of ability weren¡¯t uncommon to see. ¡®Can¡¯t forget my defenses either.¡¯ Few of the artifacts brought by his grandfather held the Armor concept. However, several with the concept of Amulet worked to prevent their owner¡¯s harm, and Ban Yu-won pulled out all of them and gave them to his school uniform. As a result, the defensive power of his uniform matched a suit of armor. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Ban Yu-won walked with confidence as it was his second dungeon expedition. The Goblin Club escorted him, waving through the air threateningly. He¡¯d hardly started walking when a volley of arrows sailed from the darkness ahead! ¡°This is a little different from what I imagined?!¡± Ban Yu-won dropped down, and the Goblin Club spun in the air to deflect the arrows. ¡°It¡¯s a human!¡± ¡°A weak human¡­how long has it been?!¡± The monsters that appeared were the Goblins he fought in the practical evaluation. But they weren¡¯t blind, and above that, they all wielded bows and arrows! A dungeon where cowardly monsters come attacking with bows right from the start? It was a bit discouraging to Ban Yu-won, who tried to test the power of swordsmanship he had practiced with his sister. ¡°Shoot!¡± ¡°The weak human has no shield! Tonight¡¯s dinner is human skewers!¡± The Goblin bastards were chattering and nocking arrows. However, if they thought Ban Yu-won brought only a sword to the dungeon, they were dead wrong. ¡°Club.¡± He knew his greatest weapon was the miraculously-born weapon, the Goblin Club. The two days he spent on Earth hadn¡¯t only been spent on self-improvement and saying goodbye; he¡¯d also researched improving his artifact. ¡°Transform.¡± Ban Yu-won declared. The Goblin Club compressed into a sphere, and in the next moment, it transformed into a firearm familiar to all Korean military servicemen. To be precise, it was a Magic Gun version of that and, simultaneously, a Spirit Gun. ¡°Start shooting!¡± ¨DDoo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo When Ban Yu-won¡¯s command was issued, the Goblin Club ¨C no longer a club ¨C aimed at the Goblins and fired. This shining moment for the concept of Transformation made collecting and dismantling all those toys he collected worth it! CH 10 Lesson 3. This is your pet ¨C 2 After learning that the Goblin Club was a piece of equipment that even the beings of the higher dimension admired (although he still couldn¡¯t quite figure out what was so good about it), Ban Yu-won wondered how he could make the most of this artifact¡¯s power. So, he arranged the characteristics of the Goblin Club. First, it could float and move freely. It had an ego and acted with the highest priority in protecting its owner. It was also invisible to most people. ¡®I can¡¯t use it like this.¡¯ Of course, he could tell it was a good artifact in that it automatically protected him and remained hidden from enemies, but it was just a transparent club. Its strength as a club could be improved by absorbing other concepts, but the problem was that it had no versatility. That was it, Versatility. If this club, which could move freely and had an ego, also had the versatility to adapt to new situations, it would be nearly unstoppable. ¡®In other words, I could transform it freely.¡¯ Ban Yu-won searched for a concept related to changes around him. Thanks to his sister, who had just gotten (very late) into slime toys and action figures, he could plant the concept of Transformation 50 without difficulty in the club. He tried to plant more than that, but a message appeared that the Goblin Club couldn¡¯t handle a concept deeper than that. In fact, 50 or so was rather a lot already. Goblin Club [Spirit Gun 5.2, Storage 10, Transformation 50, Blunt Weapon 11, Magic Gun 9, Defense 5, Chain 3, Ax 3, ¡­) Shooting 17] After that, it all happened very fast. Shield, ax, spear, and all kinds of tools needed in an emergency were fed into the Goblin Club. There were more than 30 in all the big concepts, but he took only one because it was enough if it just imitated the shape. The total couldn¡¯t exceed 50, the depth of Transformation, but that was enough. Actually, there were still about five left. ¡°Hmm, now this deserves to be called Goblin Club.¡± Ban Yu-won nodded with satisfaction as the Demon Gun mowed down Goblins. ¡°And the bullets? Is this enough?¡± Upon Ban Yu-won¡¯s confirmation, the Goblin Club, returning to its original form, swung vigorously. As a result of stealing the concept of Storage from items such as safes and bags, including the trunk brought over by his grandfather, it became possible for him to store a considerable amount of bullets inside the club. ¡°Then, I guess it¡¯s time to harvest.¡± After taking a deep breath, Ban Yu-won approached the Goblin corpse pile. The club kept guard around Ban Yu-won in case of an emergency, but no more enemies were approaching. ¡°I see some are still alive.¡± ¡°Kyek, Kyeee¡­!¡± Thanks to the concept stolen from the relic slingshot, the Goblin Club¡¯s shooting ability was amazing, but it wasn¡¯t as deadly as he would like. Ban Yu-won finished off those only injured himself, and he wasn¡¯t too shocked. Rather, what surprised him was the moment he saw the golden character string flowing from their bodies. [The concept of Devil 3.4, Life 6.8, Physique 3.4, Murder 0.34, and Shooting 0.57 was stolen from multiple Goblins.] ¡°Oh, oh¡­?¡± The concept of Devil, Life, and Physique stolen from these was surprisingly twice that of the blind Goblins! But there was something even more surprising: the concept of Murder and Shooting. He hadn¡¯t gotten those when he¡¯d hunted Blind Goblins before. Shooting made sense, but what about the concept of Murder? Maybe unlike the Blind Goblins, these guys had killed people? Of course, the depth was too low, especially considering he¡¯d just slain 17 of them. ¡®Maybe it was too weak before, so I couldn¡¯t check it, but it¡¯s because I¡¯ve learned these two concepts from other places I can extract now?¡¯ Recognizing that his abilities still had many areas he needed to study, he organized the concepts. The number of Devil extracted from the seventeen was 3.4, and if he separated the Spirit from it again, that made 1.7. When he gave it to the Goblin Club, his Spirit Gun grew to 6. The absorption rate on that one seemed a bit bad as it lost a little in the process. Maybe it was a late bloomer? Anyway, if he kept growing, he¡¯d be able to create artifacts with great potential. [Life: 21.3 Physique: 16.3 Magic Power: 18] With one battle, Ban Yu-won¡¯s Code had changed drastically, to the extent that the concept he raised while training all night with his sister seemed ridiculous. Of course, it was thanks to science (modern firearms) and magic (Magic Power, Spirit Gun) intersecting in the Goblin Club. However, one thing bothered him: the moment the concept of Life broke through 20, the absorption efficiency from the Goblins was reduced by half. ¡®Still, this is something I was prepared for. Even in games, as the level increases, the experience points obtained from low-level monsters decrease.¡¯ But it happened sooner than expected. Thinking that he might not be able to obtain experience (Life) from the Goblins for much longer, Ban Yu-won felt a bit impatient. ¡®No, let¡¯s not rush it. I haven¡¯t caught a lot of monsters yet, and at least there are still Blind Goblins and Goblins with these bows. Moreover, there are many other concepts I can obtain even if Life isn¡¯t available.¡¯ He cleared his mind, took the concept of Bow from the bows on the floor and Arrow from the arrows, and put it into the Code Core. It would be unlikely that he would ever pick up a bow with guns, so he kept only the concept. ¡°Shall we go on? Don¡¯t shoot unless I¡¯m in big danger.¡± -Boo-woong! In response to Ban Yu-won¡¯s words, the Goblin Club spun around in the air. Of course, he used his grandfather¡¯s connection to secure a large amount of live ammunition, but the quantity was still limited. There was nothing wrong with saving where you could. ¡®It seems like I can make it with my abilities, but¡­I¡¯ll do that later.¡¯ Ban Yu-won made the Goblin Club go first as they explored the dungeon. It seemed a special opening event that 17 Goblins had united to attack, as the rest of the dungeon only had two or three moving in groups. Most of them had bows, but a few wielded swords. In those cases, he would have the Club harry the archers while he dispatched the swordsmen. It was doable. No, beyond that. ¡°I see they¡¯re weak, huh?¡± ¡°Blaaaarghh!¡± Ban Yu-won, dodging the Goblin¡¯s blade, stepped forward and stretched out his sword, piercing the monster¡¯s throat. It was accompanied by a rushing sense of emptiness. He was very nervous about the Goblin Warrior, the boss of the Blind Goblin den, but this Goblin¡¯s swordsmanship was hardly anything to worry over. ¡®Is that the difference between a Warrior and a regular Goblin?¡¯ However, as he absorbed his Code, he found they had a Swordsmanship of 0.05! This probably wouldn¡¯t have happened if Ban Yu-wan hadn¡¯t known about Swordsmanship. ¡°I think we can move faster, right?¡± -Boo-woong! Ban Yu-won increased their speed. The Goblin Club was in front of him, so his heart and steps became lighter when he realized there was no need to be afraid. Five minutes later, he noticed a golden character string fluttering from the ground. ¡®This¡­?¡¯ On the surface, there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. However, when he examined it closer, he felt it was unnatural compared to its surroundings. He couldn¡¯t point out what it was, but it felt dangerous. When he reached out, the end of the character string slipped over and touched his hand. [Are you sure you want to steal the concept of Skewer and Trap from the Skewer Trap?] ¡°Ooh.¡± Ban Yu-won realized that he would have become a human skewer if he hadn¡¯t seen the string. When he took the concept of a Trap, the ground flattened out, returning to normal stone. ¡®It was a mistake not to consider traps, but¡­this much can be considered good out of evil.¡¯ Ban Yu-won immediately attached the concept of Skewer to the sword in his hand. He now put the Trap into the Code Core and hurried down the road. Realizing he could detect and neutralize these dangers ahead of time, he had no reason to procrastinate. [Absorbed 0.6 Devil, Life 1.2, Physique 0.6, Murder 0.06, Swordsmanship 0.1, Shooting 0.3.] [Absorbed Arrow 1.5, Trap 1.] [Absorbed 1.5 Devil, Life 3, Physique 1.5, Murder 0.15, Swordsmanship 0.2.] Ban Yu-won¡¯s dungeon exploration speed was only growing faster. Compared to the Blind Goblin Den during his practical evaluation, the length of this dungeon was considerably longer, and there were ten times as many monsters. Still, even with that in mind, he was approaching the dungeon¡¯s core much faster! He looked at his classmates and wondered how he would grow quickly and catch up with them, but they would be astonished if they saw his growth. It wasn¡¯t simply about the stealing of concepts thanks to his power. The more he battled, the faster he grew in general. As he fought for his life, his potential was awakened, and his powers were added and harmonized. ¡®Hey, I think my sword¡¯s becoming clearer.¡¯ In fact, Ban Yu-won firmly believed that it was thanks to the swordsmanship he had stolen from the Goblins, but what if he found out that it was due to his own understanding growing from practice? ¡°Here.¡± About two hours after entering the dungeon, Ban Yu-won reached the Boss Room. He felt stronger than the Goblin Warrior he had fought before, but he had to wonder what awaited him here. He tensed up and read his own internal Code again. [Life: 35.5 Physique: 23.8 Soul: 322.5 Magic Power: 26.4 Swordsmanship: 12.5 Complete Sight: 105 Complete Hearing: 100 Complete Speaking: 100] It had grown almost 2.5 times compared to before entering the dungeon. While it was still low compared to his classmates, he decided to be purely delighted with the extent of his growth. ¡®By the way, Soul. I really don¡¯t know about this one.¡¯ It was 300 when he first checked the Code, and after resisting the Principal¡¯s eye attack, it went up by 20. He didn¡¯t know what he did after entering this dungeon, but somehow it went up another 2.5. There was no way to check that ability, so he decided to leave it alone for now. ¡°Club, are you ready?¡± -Bo-oong. The Goblin Club, changing into a large shield, rotated as if to tell him to believe in it. The Spirit Gun had already grown to 9.9. After clearing the boss, it would likely exceed 10. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± When he pushed it, the door creaked open. What kind of Goblin would appear this time and become part of Ban Yu-won¡¯s blood and flesh? ¡°How dare a human to invade our village!¡± ¡°Shoot, kill! We will catch him and roast him whole!¡± ¡°Catch him!¡± Ban Yu-won closed the door again and tried to back away, but it started to reopen on its own. The Goblins in the Boss Room seemed to exceed 100. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ban Yu-won murmured, pulled a shield from his inventory to fend off the archers¡¯ volleys, and sat down. ¡°Club, take care of it!¡± After all, his value lay in the creation of artifacts, not in combat. The Goblin Club swelled. -Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo ¡°No, no machine guns. It¡¯s a waste of bullets!¡± The problem was that there were too many Goblins. His Goblin Club knocked down five or more Goblins within moments of shooting, but there were so many they could just hide behind their comrades¡¯ corpses. Ban Yu-won thinking that if mixed with them, he would at least be safe from the Goblin Archers, stood and started swinging his sword. He could think while he fought. ¡®Isn¡¯t there a way to make the fire faster and more powerful without taking out the machine gun?¡¯ Ban Yu-won cut down the Goblins as they approached. What was it, what¡­right! ¡®Wild Beast! This was it!¡¯ One of the concepts was dormant in the slingshot, which was now kept in the Code Core. Of these, if he took the Wild separately and combined it with Shooting, Wild Shooting would be born. He hurriedly pulled out the Code Core and removed the concept from it. Since he didn¡¯t have time, he took out the whole Wild Beast and injected it into the club. In that state, as he separated the Wild and the Beast inside it¡­ [Wild 4 and Shooting 18.35 were automatically combined. Due to the excellent compatibility, transcendental synthesis was achieved, and 20 Wild Shooting was completed. As a perfect concept, it is inseparable now.] He thought it might be necessary to separate the Shot from the Shooting, but fortunately, he could skip that step. It was good because he would have to focus hard to separate the concepts. ¡°!!!¡± The moment the concept of Wild Shooting was successfully synthesized, The Goblin Club, which couldn¡¯t speak, spun violently in the air. -Doo-doo-doo-doo It killed more than 30 Goblins in an instant with a wave of gunfire that combined the unbelievable speed of a machine gun with the accuracy of a rifle! ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°Monster! A monster that vomits iron balls!¡± The Goblin Club, which until a while ago was just a formidable enemy, was reborn as a monster that could deal with hundreds of Goblins at the same time! CH 11 Lesson 3. This is your pet ¨C 3 Why were there over a hundred Goblins in the dungeon Boss Room? It wasn¡¯t because this dungeon relied on a mass of grunts to defend itself, but because there was an entity with the special ability to command Goblins in the Boss Room. His name was Hobgoblin. In fact, the Hobgoblin, in British folklore, wasn¡¯t a Goblin-like wicked creature but rather a household faerie who helped with chores. It could be a modified or minor version of a Brownie from Scottish folktales. But various media (particularly games) that Ban Yu-won had encountered described the Hobgoblin as the brain of the Goblins, a reinforced version of your standard Goblin. That was closer to this version before him now. ¡°You¡¯re all garbage!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you who uses your comrades as a shield who¡¯s garbage.¡± Awakening the concept of Wild Shooting, the Goblin Club swept the Goblins from the Boss Room. The Hobgoblin¡¯s commands fell on deafened ears, and it was only after more than half of them had fallen did the Hobgoblin come out to attack Ban Yu-won, using the other Goblins as a shield¡­ ¡°As expected, from a technical standpoint, the Goblin Warrior is better. Is it because you¡¯re different types?¡± ¡°How dare you compare me with those inferiors!¡± ¡°You are different, but you¡¯re just as strong as a Goblin.¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaaah!¡± Ban Yu-won, who had robbed the dead Goblins of all their concepts, was ready for the Hobgoblin¡¯s assault. His abilities had grown a lot since then, but his opponent was inferior to that Goblin Warrior boss, except for his enormous strength, so it would be weird if he lost. ¡°Ha!¡± Ban Yu-won deflected the sword the Hobgoblin was holding, then rushed forward and swung. The Magic Sword pierced the side of his neck and began spreading the Blood Poison. ¡°Keak!¡± ¡°Was it shallow?¡± ¡°Kueeeeeek!¡± The Hobgoblin¡¯s skin was too tough to cleave directly through. But as Ban Yu-won prepared to stab him again, the Hobgoblin dropped his sword and clutched at his neck. ¡°Kyek, keeeeeeeek¡­!¡± ¡°Oh¡­?¡± ¡°Puhek!¡± He hacked up purple blood. Only now did Ban Yu-won start looking at his surroundings and notice that all of the Goblins in the Boss Room were dead. The Goblin Club approached him and moved like it was waving and hoping for praise. Ban Yu-wan laughed. ¡°Yeah, now it¡¯s only you¡­and you¡¯re gone too.¡± The Hobgoblin collapsed on the floor, his face going purple. He¡¯d killed all the other Goblins too quickly to get a sense of how Blood Poison worked, but it wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. ¡°We¡¯re finished. You worked hard, Club!¡± Ban Yu-won patted the Goblin Club and rejoiced. It felt a bit dangerous initially, but clearing this dungeon proceeded quickly and smoothly. This was mostly because of the Goblin Club¡¯s proper support ability and strong firepower, but it was also thanks to Ban Yu-won¡¯s awareness and use of his abilities. Above all, Ban Yu-won felt the pleasure in growth and the desire for more rather than fear of clearing the dungeon. It was as if he had proved that he could adapt to the academy. ¡°Whew, I should collect the loot since I¡¯m done.¡± He had collected quite a bit of the Goblins¡¯ concepts during the battle, but there were still about 50 left he needed to extract. He collected them, then turned to the Hobgoblin, the most important loot. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± This guy had looked down on the Goblins as inferior species, so he must have something greater. With that thought in mind, he pulled out a character string from his corpse. [You stole 5 Life, 3 Magic, 5 Wicked Spirit, 3 Physique, 2 Soul, 1 Leadership, 1.7 Murder, 0.05 Family from the Hobgoblin.] It really was a lot of stuff! ¡®No, wait. Life and Physique are what all monsters have, so I guess¡­but Wicked Spirit instead of Devil? I got Magic separately. What is the difference between them?¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t know. But the important thing was that all of these figures were absurdly high! Goblins deserved to be looked down on as inferiors. It was more than twice that of the Blind Goblin Warrior, who had a pretty awesome presence! But more importantly, this was the first time he directly absorbed the concept of the Soul. Ban Yu-won thought that this might be an indicator of the level of a monster and absorbed the rest. ¡®The Leadership is just as it says¡­it¡¯s a mediocre level. Let me have this for now. But what about Family? What is this?¡¯ After absorbing the concept of the word, it turned out that it meant the original form of a Hobgoblin, the helpful house creature. Given it was otherwise fairly distant from that idea, the number was pretty low¡­was it there because he knew about their folktales? ¡®It means I must study hard to properly get the concepts out of the monsters. Haah, then that¡¯s my situation. Even if I don¡¯t go to college, I¡¯ll have to study¡­.¡¯ He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned his head to see the Goblin Club spinning intricately in the air as if to say something to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± It pointed to the golden string getting sucked into Ban Yu-won¡¯s body. ¡°Oh, do you want it?¡± When Ban Yu-won asked, the Goblin Club turned around in an affirmation. Although it was weak, it had an ego growing with its concepts. ¡°Of course, I should. Wait a minute. I¡¯m going to take the Spirit now.¡± But its request wasn¡¯t so simple. The club transformed itself into a pen in front of Ban Yu-won and started writing on the floor. ¡°Huh? What, why¡­?¡± Ban Yu-won was speechless as the pen wrote Life on the ground. This was by no means a coincidence, and maybe he read the history of the code that Ban Yu-won absorbed! ¡°How did you know?¡± The Goblin Club, without hesitation, raised the nib and pointed at him. Was he able to read it thanks to his ability? They were connected from the moment he was born, so it was understandable that he was affected by his master¡¯s abilities. ¡°Okay, Life. I never thought of doing this before, so how much can I give you?¡± The Goblin Club, waving the nib back and forth to tell him to wait for a while, drew the number one next to Life. Even so, it was cute to see him shaking the nib as if afraid of Ban Yu-won¡¯s response. ¡°I can give that much to you. I can give you more, actually.¡± ¡°!!!¡± Fortunately, that seemed to be enough. The club, relieved by Ban Yu-won¡¯s affirmation, continued to move. Soul 1, and Wicked and Spirit. He could understand why he asked for Soul since it felt like it was of the same set as Life, but what was curious was that he¡¯d asked for Wicked and Spirit. He could take it whole, but it must have a meaning to mark them separately. ¡°First, Life and Soul.¡± Of the codes he just collected from the Hobgoblin, he gave the Club 1 Life and 1 Soul each. Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t do so lightly, but the results were more devastating than he expected. The moment he finished, a dazzling golden light burst from the Goblin Club! [This artifact gained new and infinite possibilities and will continue to grow in the future. This is a miracle made possible by the perfect harmony of the synthesized concepts! This enlightenment will increase your ability to use the Babylonian Code.] Even the Babylonian Code marked it as important, so how could he not be grateful? They couldn¡¯t know because it was now separated from the academy¡¯s management system, but the Professors would be impressed if they saw the current Goblin Club. ¡°Whew, fine. After that, I just have to give you Wicked and Spirit, right?¡± The Goblin Club reacted fiercely as it floated closer. Separating the 5 Wicked Spirit yielded a depth of 2.5 each. First, adding all the Spirit he¡¯d obtained, his Spirit Gun broke through 10 at once and grew to 15. But it was Wicked that produced the more important change. [Wicked 2.5 and Beast 4 were automatically synthesized. Due to the perfect compatibility, a transcendental synthesis was achieved, and Wicked Beast 10 was completed. As a perfect concept, it is inseparable now.] ¡°Ah.¡± Right. The concept of Wild Beast was separated earlier to make Wild Gun, and the concept of a Beast was left in the Goblin Club! Ban Yu-won, stunned, watched in awe as the Goblin Club changed in appearance. A Wicked Beast. It referred to animals that reached the realm of mystery, and now, the Goblin Club was transforming into a living beast by borrowing the power of the concepts of Transformation, Life, and Soul! ¡®This can change to a Magic Gun or a shield later, right¡­?¡¯ The Goblin Club, ignoring Ban Yu-won¡¯s thoughts, breathed for the first time. ¡°Shhhhh.¡± Ban Yu-won, worried about the form of the monster that would pop out because he was a Wicked Beast, was relieved to see a snake appear. He was a beautiful snake with fine white scales. His eyes flashed blue light, emanating the Wicked and Magic Spirit inside. ¡°Can you make yourself transparent?¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± Flicking his tongue, his body became transparent. Then, he morphed into a club, then a gun, and finally a shield. Changing back into a snake, he swam through the air and wrapped around Ban Yu-won¡¯s arm. ¡°Shhh, shhhh.¡± ¡°Good. Hmm¡­from now on, your name will be Eve.¡± ¡°Shhhhhhh!¡± It couldn¡¯t be called the Goblin Club forever, and it was better to give it a name sooner rather than later. He was happy with the unexpected name and tightened around Ban Yu-won¡¯s arm. How did he come up with the name Eve? The snake¡¯s white scales made him think of the story of Satan turning into a serpent and giving the fruit of knowledge to Eve in the Garden of Eden. ¡°Let¡¯s break the core and leave. It¡¯ll be lunchtime soon, so I should go back to school¡­no.¡± It was a little late for lunch, and he wasn¡¯t sure if the cafeteria was still open. If so, how about looking around for that city Yoo Mina mentioned? ¡®If I pay attention to the geography, I can navigate my way back to the school.¡¯ Determined, Ban Yu-won first destroyed the dungeon core and organized all the concepts. After pushing those he didn¡¯t need right away into the Code Core and giving himself the concepts he needed¡­ [Life: 45.1 Physique: 32 Soul: 324.5 Magic Power: 38.7 Swordsmanship: 14.2 Leadership: 1 ¨D The ability to lead a group. Complete Sight: 105 Complete Hearing: 100 Complete Speaking: 100] The concept of his body had grown incomparably to how he was this morning. ¡°So, do you think I¡¯m at the same level as my classmates?¡± ¡°Shhhh¡­.¡± When Ban Yu-won, who was happy to see the change in his body code, asked the question, Eve shook his head apologetically. Ban Yu-won knew that already, but the firm denial left him bitter taste in his mouth. ¡®What about it? Isn¡¯t it the speed of growth that matters?¡¯ The entrance ceremony was held on Monday, and the day he would enter the tower was Friday. By then, Ban Yu-won decided to show his ability by growing to a level where he wouldn¡¯t hold back his classmates. With that settled, he stepped outside the dungeon. CH 12 The Hunter Who Does Not Age Is So Strong or Why Did I Have to Enroll will be getting 3-5 Premium chapters per day and 5-8 Free chapters per week. Which ever one gets more readers will get this increase. Along with the increase, the cost to unlock a chapter will be decreased. Lesson 3. This is your pet ¨C 4 Yoo Mina told him there was a road near the dungeon to find the city, but she didn¡¯t say anything else about finding his way, and Ban Yu-won realized the reason behind her silence as soon as he left the dungeon. ¡°Is the President supposed to be the ruler of this world?¡± ¡°Shh, shhh.¡± The exit of the dungeon he left through took the form of a very small crypt coming out under the mountain. Looking around, he found piles of similar crypts. It was clear that each of them was a dungeon, but he¡¯d expected their placement to be arbitrary. Considering Union Academy conducted practical evaluations on them, it was easy for him to conclude that the Principal was behind this. ¡®Even if he can¡¯t control the creation of dungeons, he can specify where the dungeons will be created.¡¯ If you collected the dungeons this way, it was easy to get rid of them in an emergency. And, of course, there was a road right outside this dense dungeon area. ¡°I can already see it¡­.¡± The towering buildings were obvious ahead, and already the faint noise of civilization reached his ears. It¡¯d take around 30 minutes to get there by walking. Professor Yoo Mina must have known this from the beginning, so of course, she asked him to visit the temple in that city. ¡°Shhhrr.¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah¡­.¡± Eve squeezed Ban Yu-won¡¯s arm. When he looked at him, his eyes immediately settled on a distant object¡­ There was a huge island floating up there. It was so high that it was hard to see, but he could vaguely make out the shape of a tower. ¡°Isn¡¯t that our school?¡± ¡°Shhhhhh.¡± After Eve took the form of a beast, Ban Yu-won could understand his intentions easier. Apparently, they were looking up at the Tower of Babel. If the academy was in this area, the Tower of Babel should be visible, so it confused him a bit that he hadn¡¯t been able to see it on the horizon. ¡°I was deceived. I didn¡¯t notice when I was in the Professor¡¯s room¡­.¡± There was also the possibility that his field of vision wasn¡¯t sufficient or hidden by magic. In any case, there was nothing that wasn¡¯t fantastical in this new world. He was so absorbed by the floating island that he didn¡¯t realize he was almost in the city. For a moment, he thought the 30 minutes had flown by, but he didn¡¯t consider his improved physical abilities. ¡°Wait there! That¡¯s a face I haven¡¯t seen.¡± A person jumped out of the large building installed at the border between civilization and nature to block his way. Before they could finish speaking, Eve made his body invisible, but it seemed that this person¡¯s senses were superior to Ban Yu-won¡¯s. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Prove your identity! Are you a monster disguised as a human?!¡± Ban Yu-won exclaimed at the person blocking his way. He was wearing a suit of spandex tightly adhering to his body and an unusually-shaped layer of armor that protected vital parts such as his chest and crotch with matte metal. ¡°No, I¡¯m human. Union¡­.¡± ¡°No, you asshole! He¡¯s a Union Academy student!¡± Just as Ban Yu-won was about to reveal his identity, another man in the same outfit jumped out of the building and smacked his colleague¡¯s head. He frowned slightly when he noted the blue stripes on Ban Yu-won¡¯s uniform (it was a pattern that revealed he was a special student), but then he looked at the brooch on his chest and fell into thought. Finally, he saluted. ¡°Hello! My name is Milton, the 3rd Superintendent in charge of the western border of the Academy City, Ronica!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Dallon, the post guard¡­!¡± Judging from the reaction to Milton, they probably knew very well what Union Academy¡¯s special admissions students were and even looked down on them a little. Still, the brooch that Yoo Mina gave him blew away that prejudice. He thought there would be no need to show such a precious-looking brooch to buy a couple drinks, but Professor Yoo Mina was looking out for him. Should he be happy about this, or should he prepare himself? Ban Yu-won held back a sigh and greeted them. ¡°Uh¡­hello? I am Ban Yu-won, a first-year student at Union.¡± ¡°How did you come down here¡­? If you are a first-year student, did you enroll today? Do you have official permission to go out¡­?¡± ¡°You idiot, how can an academy freshman leave without the approval of the President?!¡± It seemed that Dallon¡¯s head would roll after Ban Yu-won left. ¡°Sir Ban Yu-won, are you here after clearing a dungeon?¡± ¡°Sir¡­yes, I am. They said that I could explore at my will.¡± ¡°Thank you. I can¡¯t raise my head before the Academy officials who block the threat of the dungeons.¡± ¡°Is that why there is a guard post like this here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Milton, who was noticeably looking more friendly when he said that he cleared a dungeon, laughed. ¡°Although the President¡¯s power controls their creation, we do not know when the overflowing dimensional energy will create an irregular dungeon. There are many guard posts on the outskirts of the city as such. It¡¯s too difficult to use any machines as long as it¡¯s dungeon-related. Haha.¡± Difficult to use a machine as long as it¡¯s dungeon-related? Were there machines in this world in the first place? Ban Yu-won, who was about to ask that stupid question, immediately shut his mouth. This was a world that treated the Earth as a lower dimension. Even if they weren¡¯t machines Ban Yu-won knew, there was nothing strange about them being developed in this world. ¡°Now, you should go inside. Do you need any guidance¡­?¡± ¡°Then, can you show me the way to the Temple of Spring?¡± Ban Yu-won, setting aside his doubts, decided to accept their guidance. Milton had mentioned Ronica earlier, so he should find the Temple of Spring here. Milton again looked at the brooch on his chest and then nodded. ¡°I will take you there myself. Dallon, don¡¯t fall asleep and stay alert.¡± ¡°Chief?¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± If the other person treats you well, there is no reason to refuse. Ban Yu-won accepted his request to accompany him, thinking that a human of his size would be more than appropriate as a bodyguard. After passing the post, the road expanded to accommodate heavy traffic. He wondered if the buildings would appear sporadically, but after walking for five more minutes, a modern city like Seoul appeared before him. Surprisingly, streamlined cars that seemed to have been made for moving inside the city were floating above them, driving on roads made by flickering holograms. ¡°I want one.¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, you mean the hovercars.¡± Hovercar? This really was a scene out of some sci-fi flick. ¡°Haha, you probably won¡¯t be able to ride them on the floating island.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t I just put it in my inventory and ride it only when I come down?¡± ¡°¡­Were you already given an inventory? Isn¡¯t this your first day?¡± Oops, they said that the inventory was only given to students with special academic achievements! As Ban Yu-won gradually felt a little uncomfortable with Milton¡¯s attitude of reverence. ¡°So¡­how much is that?¡± ¡°If it is a low-cost entry-level model, you can buy it for about 200,000 Ronia, including the cost for the safety education.¡± It was Ban Yu-won¡¯s first-time hearing about the concept of money in this world. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not from this world. How much is that in gold? I brought quite a bit, but I don¡¯t know the price conversion¡­.¡± ¡°Gold?!¡± Was there something wrong with gold? Was gold a cheap mineral because this dimension was too high-level? Or were there negative elements of gold that hadn¡¯t been discovered on Earth¡­? While Ban Yu-won¡¯s thoughts went out of control in response to Milton¡¯s sudden fuss, the guard trembled and asked: ¡°You¡¯re carrying quite a bit¡­how much would that be?¡± ¡°Uh, can I go to the bank first?¡± Ban Yu-won, reading something in his tone, suggested that instead of answering, Milton nodded. * * * To jump to the conclusion. In this world, or at least in Ronica, gold was worth ten times more than it did on Earth. Gold was, of course, a precious metal on Earth, but if you moved to higher dimensions that dealt with mana, it grew exponentially in value. It was the preferred material for magic tools and efficiently dealt with mana. ¡°Your account has been opened. Please check your balance.¡± After leaving Ronica¡¯s bank to open a personal account (unusually, they registered with his Magic Power, which was possible because the magic of all beings was unique), Ban Yu-won received a small crystal politely presented by the banker. This was to serve as both an account and a payment card, so even if it was stolen, it seemed that he could rest assured that it couldn¡¯t be used if the thief¡¯s Magic Power structure was different. [Ban Yu-won¡¯s account balance: 7.53 million Ronia] Ban Yu-won handed over a one-kilogram gold bar to the bank. After deducting various fees such as account issuance, the total amount of money obtained was 7.53 million Ronia. At this point, he could see that 1 Ronia was worth 100 won, so he¡¯d made 750 million won by selling a single gold bar, and he still had 99 more in his inventory. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Thank you for using Central Bank. Have a good day.¡± His grandfather wasn¡¯t wrong in saying that gold went anywhere in the world. Ban Yu-won nodded to himself and left the bank. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. I will take you to the best hovercar store!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m making you do this much. You must have lots to do¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. But I will be grateful if you buy me even a simple snack.¡± Soldiers starving was the same between the lower and the higher dimensions. But Ban Yu-won was also interested in the snacks of this world, so he followed his guide on a walk through the city¡¯s shopping streets. It was just an ordinary city in these parts, except for hovercars above them, people who looked more like monsters than humans, and the holograms popping up here and there to advertise goods. ¡°Hmm, the chicken skewers taste similar.¡± The stalls were also floating in the sky, looking for customers. ¡°It¡¯s not made from chicken, but from the leg flesh of the monster Meruda. Oh, there it is!¡± ¡®Did I just eat a monster?¡¯ Milton, excited, dragged Ban Yu-won to another huge building before their meal was done. All types of magic tools were sold on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors, but Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t help but think of Yongsan Electronics Market when he saw them. Milton smiled as Ban Yu-won stared at everything. ¡°Haha, a lot of interesting things are released every year. I¡¯ve heard these machines work well on the floating island where the academy is located, so you might want to buy a few.¡± And finally, he learned that each device powered by magic was called a machine in this world! ¡®I-I see. I¡¯m used to electronic devices, but the raw power of this world is mana. Magical machines are natural.¡¯ It was an extraordinary realization. Following Milton¡¯s recommendation, he selected several interesting ¡®machines,¡¯ reaching a whopping 300,000 Ronia. ¡°It¡¯s expensive.¡± ¡°Hahaha, this is a top-notch store¡­.¡± The 4th floor was finally the hovercar store, but when he heard that the 5th floor displayed cutting-edge off-road hover bikes, Ban Yu-won¡¯s hurried there as if possessed. ¡°A bike would have a better sense of speed, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh, but it¡¯s more difficult to ride. Besides, it¡¯s nice to hear that off-road bikes are fun outside of the city, but if you accidentally enter a dungeon, you¡¯d be throwing it away¡­.¡± ¡°Our Lipod¡¯s state-of-the-art off-road bikes are designed to withstand dungeon mana waves for extended periods unless you go directly inside!¡± It seemed news had spread that Ban Yu-won happily paid 300,000 Ronia for magic tools at the store downstairs. An employee of the hovercar shop approached them, saw the brooch hanging from Ban Yu-won¡¯s chest, and broadly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s even designed with a replaceable core, so you can replace it if it¡¯s damaged. We¡¯re actually doing a special. If you purchase now, you can exchange mana cores for the production price up to two times within three years!¡± ¡°I mean. We have to be prepared for damage, right?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just insurance in case something goes wrong. In the case of the new model Onyx announced this month, ten units are already scheduled to be delivered to the Dimensional Border Force. It is conclusive proof that our Lipod¡¯s development ability is ahead of the military¡¯s! What do you think, sir? Would you like to see it?¡± He didn¡¯t know who the Dimensional Boundaries people were, but seeing Milton suddenly shut his mouth, it seemed pretty credible. Ban Yu-won followed the staff and paid for the Onyx almost as soon as he saw it. He liked everything about it, including the streamlined and sleek body and the sharp front fender. ¡°3.5 million Ronia¡­no, it will be 3.2 million Ronia with the discount. Oh my God, in a lump sum payment! Thank you!¡± Converted to Korean Won, it was 320 million. It was the biggest spending spree of Ban Yu-won¡¯s life. But why was he looking at the brooch on his chest when he said there was a discount? Ban Yu-won decided that when he returned to school, he would ask Professor Yoo Mina about that. ¡°If it flies in the sky, there will be no dust, so why did you put fenders on it?¡± ¡°You have misunderstood, sir. These sharp parts are reinforced sections, not fenders. It is designed to accept mana so it may break down obstacles in the way or, conversely, to block attacks.¡± ¡°Why does it need the ability to attack enemies?¡± Ban Yu-won bought the bike, but Milton was still grumbling. The professionalism of the staff who went along with him to the end felt great. ¡°As I said before, it¡¯s a premium product for situations when you¡¯re in combat. Dimensional Frontiers, huh? Now, here¡¯s the number engraved! A total of 50 units were produced, and this is the 7th of them.¡± ¡°I suppose I should check the device description later by looking at the manual.¡± At this rate, the question-and-answer section would become endless, so Ban Yu-Won changed topics and asked: ¡°Can I get some driving lessons?¡± ¡°I was going to tell you anyway. Our company can issue the certificate for you, and you can take the exam right away, or you can get training first.¡± ¡°Then I will take the test tomorrow.¡± ¡°All right!¡± There were relics brought from Earth that could be put to good use. If done right, he might be able to enhance the bike past what its creators could do. ¡®It was nice to stop by the city.¡¯ After a pleasant shopping experience, Ban Yu-won could finally head to his original destination, the Temple of Spring. However, the special treatment he received elsewhere in the city was nothing compared to this place. As soon as Ban Yu-won stepped into the temple made of white stone, the priests reacted as if lightning had struck. ¡°Someone wearing Yoo Mina¡¯s brooch has come!¡± ¡°What? Take him inside the temple!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stand there this way!¡± ¡°Now, sit down!¡± The priests didn¡¯t pay any attention to his uniform. Bring this and that, drink this, eat that. Isn¡¯t the seat uncomfortable? It took him about five minutes to introduce himself. ¡°I am an academy student, Ban Yu-won. Today, I came to see you at the request of Professor Yoo Mina. I want to buy two bottles of Honeymoon, the fruit wine produced in this temple¡­.¡± ¡°We have already prepared it.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There is only one reason she would seek this temple.¡± It was the moment when the image of Yoo Mina in Ban Yu-won¡¯s mind changed. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a bottle as a gift, so please enjoy it.¡± ¡°Yes? No, I¡¯m still underage¡­.¡± He was about to say he was underage, but after thinking about it, he realized he was about to enter college. Wasn¡¯t that old enough? ¡°You can¡¯t enter the academy unless you turn 17, right? In Union, you are an adult if you are over 17.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only 18 years old, but¡­.¡± ¡°No problem then.¡± Moreover, since the priest said this, Ban Yu-won, thinking it was a good opportunity, decided to start drinking this bottle of Honeymoon. ¡°Thank you for coming here today. Please say hello to Yoo Mina for us.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Of course, looking at their appearance, he could see why they were so devoted to Yoo Mina and himself, who came with her brooch. Blue or pale skin, hair made of leaves, occasionally wearing a crown of flower buds. They appeared to be from the same race. He should have noticed it when she said this was a temple dedicated to the God of Spring. ¡°Then, I will¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won stood up as soon as he got the bottles, unable to stand the attentiveness of the priests poised to feed him. Then, the priests handed him a box full of refreshments they had made at the temple, saying that they couldn¡¯t let him leave with just that. ¡°You¡¯ll come again soon, right? I will give you more if you tell me the sweets you like.¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± What the hell was Yoo Mina to them? Those words came up to his throat, but Ban Yu-won swallowed them, realizing it would be more troublesome if he got entangled in this. But what? Would he be back soon? CH 13 Lesson 4. Rebellion ¨C 1 Dawn, dormitory. With a table between them, Ban Yu-won and Light faced each other. ¡°I¡¯m a little disappointed, Ban.¡± Ban Yu-won wondered if this was like that guy from the meme who was good at acting disappointed. In fact, he was still a bit drunk, and his head wasn¡¯t working properly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would stay overnight. I wouldn¡¯t have been worried if you had at least told me in advance.¡± ¡°Sorry. I drank for the first time in my life yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Light¡¯s eyes grew even colder. It was natural for him to look like that since he said he stayed out overnight after drinking, and not for some proper reason. But when he found out about the true circumstances, Ban Yu-won wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything. ¡°Professor Yoo Mina asked me to drink with her, and I couldn¡¯t say no.¡± ¡°What, the Professor?! You¡¯re¡­not lying.¡± Light, glancing at the brooch hanging from Ban Yu-won¡¯s chest, shook his head. ¡°No one at the academy will believe you if you say you¡¯ve got a job appointed by a Professor after a drink.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± Did this mean that the brooch symbolized a job? Not only when he got the brooch, but while he was having a drink with Professor Yoo Mina yesterday, she hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about it! ¡°Oh, more importantly, the drink was really good. I got my own bottle, so let¡¯s open it later.¡± ¡°You¡­haah, no, never mind. I¡¯ve never drank before.¡± ¡°I drank for the first time yesterday myself.¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not going to drink. Just hurry up and take a shower. You smell like flowers.¡± It was true he smelled like flowers. Honeymoon, the fruit wine made by the priests of the Temple of Spring, was a rare drink that was warm and sweet and made the body smell of flowers. And not only did it taste good, but Ban Yu-won¡¯s body codes grew by three or four each while he was drinking. The most surprising thing was that Complete Speaking increased by 2. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a pseudo-elixir, but a real one.¡¯ After delivering the bottles to Professor Yoo Mina, he wanted to return to his dormitory and prepare for the day, but he was caught on his way out, and time flew by once they started drinking. Anyway, he was glad it ended well, but he didn¡¯t want to have another drink with Professor Yoo Mina ever again. ¡°Then I will take a shower. We still have some free time, right?¡± ¡°The first class is Comprehensive Real-Life Combat, in the gym, so you must eat and hurry up a bit. One class¡­it¡¯s a joint class with the first year¡¯s special class.¡± A special class was the elite class that was deliberately gathered with only the best talent in that grade. But they were tying them together with the four members of the special lower dimension? What kind of crazy idea was that? ¡°Hey, for some reason, I feel bad intent in that composition.¡± After taking off the brooch and putting it in the inventory, Ban Yu-won wore a gloomy complexion as he threw on his uniform. Light responded by turning away. ¡°So do I. That means our enemies aren¡¯t just among the students. And if you¡¯re going to get naked, go into the bathroom.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯ll just take a shower first.¡± ¡°Ban.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Ban Yu-won had taken off the shirt he was wearing before looking back, revealing the absurdly strong abs he¡¯d developed over the past couple of days. Light turned his head away in disgust and asked in a slightly hesitant voice. ¡°You¡­weren¡¯t drinking all day yesterday, right?¡± ¡°No way. How can a person drink all day?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. Sorry, go on.¡± ¡°Okie.¡± Ban Yu-won waved and walked into the shower room. Apparently, Light noticed his change. In fact, at the time of the entrance ceremony, Ban Yu-won had a concept of Life of about 15, but now with the Honeymoon¡¯s effect, it was 50. Of course, it was still a small figure compared to Light, but even considering that, it was a large change. ¡°Oh, I left my clothes out there. Light, I¡¯m sorry. Can you bring them to me?¡± ¡°You, don¡¯t walk out of there! I¡¯ll bring them!¡± Ace Light. Something smelled fishy here. So, when is the third act? * * * During breakfast, Ban Yu-won and Light headed to the student cafeteria built by the dormitory and joined up with Ruchel and Dok Go-yeon. Ignoring the stares focused on them, he grabbed the breakfast menu and told them about the drink he had with Professor Yoo Min yesterday. ¡°A job¡­.¡± ¡°I-It is beautiful.¡± This was the reaction of Dok Go-yeon and Ruchel, respectively. Of course, Ruchel¡¯s gaze was directed at the brooch hung from Ban Yu-won¡¯s chest. Pointing to it, Light said. ¡°Professor Yoo Mina is in charge of the four of us right now, so Ban, having helped her, can be seen as the head of our class.¡± ¡°Hmm, if there is someone that should represent the four of us, I think it should be me.¡± Today¡¯s breakfast was western-styled, and Dok Go-yeon looked at Ban Yu-won before pushing aside the soup plate. ¡°Because I am the strongest. You agree with me, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Before Ban Yu-won could respond, Light beat him to it. He wiggled his eyebrows and pointed at Dok Go-yeon with his fork. ¡°That¡¯s a weird thing to say, Dok Go-yeon. I didn¡¯t want to say this because you¡¯re a colleague I should get along with, but¡­no, that¡¯s even more of a reason for me to say it. That attitude of looking down on everyone else like you¡¯re the best isn¡¯t good, even for future Tower climbing. I can¡¯t even agree with you saying you¡¯re the strongest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny. I remember the first thing you said yesterday, looking down on us. Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to enter the Tower alone?¡± ¡°Ugh?! You¡­!¡± Ban Yu-won laughed. He was going to suggest planning a strategy ahead of time since they¡¯d be facing the special class during the first period, but these guys were already devolving to infighting. ¡°Shaaaah.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± At that moment, on behalf of Ban Yu-won, Eve took off her invisibility and revealed her presence, calming the heated atmosphere. The effect was instantly amazing. Dok Go-yeon, who looked at Eve, lowered her killing aura, then reached out to the snake wrapped around Ban Yu-won¡¯s arm. ¡°That artifact from yesterday?¡± ¡°It changed quite a bit, right?¡± ¡°No way since yesterday¡­no, no. It indeed changed in one day. How did this¡­?¡± ¡°Shaah.¡± Eve raised their head and boasted. Dok Go-yeon, realizing it understood what she was saying, opened her eyes wide and sighed as if she had lost the energy to be angry. ¡°So cute¡­okay, you left me in awe, so let¡¯s listen to you first.¡± It was a strange logic, but Eve¡¯s move worked. Ban Yu-won sighed. In fact, he didn¡¯t want to be something like the class president, but if he were to choose a representative out of these four, he was sure that it should be himself¡­ ¡°Actually, the class leader doesn¡¯t have to be the strongest. No, the strongest shouldn¡¯t be the leader.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because when the strongest person becomes the class leader, they will make all the decisions. But the class leader can¡¯t do that.¡± Dok Go-yeon rotated her cross pupils to tell him to keep going. He wished she hadn¡¯t because it was really scary. ¡°You seem to misunderstand one thing. The class leader isn¡¯t the ruler. They don¡¯t lead according to their own will, but they have the talent to synthesize the opinions of the rest of the class and choose a method that is fair and good for everyone. In other words, a person who is objective and neutral should be the class president.¡± ¡°It sounds very boring.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a class leader. There¡¯s no real benefit, and they just get stressed out. But that¡¯s why it¡¯s important, as an individual who sacrifices for the group¡­.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the class leader as you think they should be, right?¡± Tsk, I got caught. Of course, it was true that most of the class leaders selected in the elementary, middle, and high school education courses in Korea didn¡¯t deviate from the type that Ban Yu-won described. But wasn¡¯t this an academy made up of talented people? In a society where power was important, power was law. As Ban Yu-won said, there might be representatives who considered everyone¡¯s positions to make fair and objective choices. But there could also be any number of representatives who led with overwhelming power and charisma. Moreover, it couldn¡¯t be said that this was absolutely wrong. ¡®However, if we were to choose a representative from among the four of us, it would be troublesome if that was Dok-Fire-General.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a question of scale. Rather, charismatic leaders tended to lead small groups better than large ones. The problem now was these four personalities. Even looking at Light, he was so proud of himself that he was raring for a fight with Dok Go-yeon as Ban Yu-won spoke. In fact, even if Dok Go-yeon could suppress Light by force now, he wouldn¡¯t be easily bent, and more problems would arise later. In Ruchel¡¯s case, it was even more problematic. It had only been two days since they met, but it was surprisingly clear that she didn¡¯t have any opinions. So, should they ignore her because she has no opinion? That would completely ignore the academy¡¯s essential theme of student growth. This type of person needed a leader who calmly waited and listened to them so that they could show their abilities. It was obvious as even Ban Yu-won could see through to her dazzling potential. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m the easygoing type, so it¡¯s fine, but, still, I think I¡¯d be better off being the class president than you to preserve the individuality of all four of us.¡± ¡°Easygoing? You?¡± For some reason, Dok Go-yeon snorted. But maybe she was convinced because she nodded immediately after. ¡°All right. After all, the appointment of the class president seems to be by the authority of the Professor. And the only person I honestly want to follow is you.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± That creeped him out. But before he asked her what she meant, she continued. ¡°I just hope you don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯ve only acknowledged that you are the class president, but I don¡¯t intend to listen to your orders.¡± ¡°I have no intention of ordering you around either. However, I would like some degree of communication and cooperation with each other for the growth of all of us. What do you think of that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dok Go-yeon looked at Light and Ruchel without a word, then snorted as if she wasn¡¯t happy about it. But. ¡°He who stands above must be able to see far¡­even if you don¡¯t like some people, you must embrace them to get what you want. All right. I agree.¡± Somehow, he ended the war of words with Dok Go-yeon in a win-win fashion. There was still the minor problem that Light was angry at Dok Go-yeon, but Dok Go-yeon was indeed stronger than Light¡­so this pride problem would have to be resolved over time. As expected, the biggest bomb was this bastard Light. Ban Yu-won let out a sigh. ¡°Err¡­um.¡± But when he contemplated how to defuse it, Ruchel, who had been quiet until now, chimed up. ¡°The snake¡­can I touch it too? It¡¯s so cute¡­.¡± ¡°Feel free!¡± Let¡¯s be fair. This school was full of bombs. * * * In this way, the problem of recognizing Ban Yu-won as their representative was somehow solved. Light just didn¡¯t like the fact that Dok Go-yeon had taken a step forward, saying that the strongest should be the representative, but he had no problem with Ban Yu-won being chosen by Professor Yoo Mina. Dok Go-eon openly admitted that she liked Ban Yu-won (she made it clear that her feelings were that of a corporate executive who was headhunting talented people). She was outspoken in her position to step down in consideration for him. Ruchel said Eve was too cute, and it was the first time she had looked delighted since Ban Yu-won met her. She was surprisingly cute, but he had no idea what was going on in her mind. ¡°The first class is going to be a light match. What do you think, everyone?¡± ¡°Professor, the dregs¡­no, I¡¯m curious about the skills of the students who passed the special screening!¡± ¡°I want to have a match with them too!¡± And for Ban Yu-won, who became the class leader representing these four, his hardships started with the first class. ¡°That weakling dared to receive a brooch from Professor Yoo Mina, the Goddess of Flowers? I can¡¯t accept that. I¡¯ll have to check his skills myself!¡± A very great hardship. CH 14 Lesson 4. Rebellion ¨C 2 ¡°Come, Ban. It¡¯s a battle with Electo.¡± He was confused for a second, not knowing who he was referring to with that fancy name, but Ban was his last name. Ban Yu-won raised his hand and spoke to the Professor instead of stepping into the ring that formed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to gain anything from these battles because my fighting skills aren¡¯t enough yet¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm? You just lost three points.¡± Was it possible that they also played the meaningless ranking game with something like a dormitory score? Would they also humiliate the last position? ¡°Come, Ban. That is no excuse.¡± The Professor ordered Ban Yu-won. He felt great malice in that order, but maybe this associate Professor was also a fan of Yoo Mina? Ban Yu-won sighed as he looked at the guy named Electo, clashing his two huge fists threateningly, and spoke again. ¡°It is a fact, not an excuse. I was chosen as a special archetype not because of my fighting ability but because of my unique talent. If you¡¯re curious about my skills as a passing student, wouldn¡¯t it be better to find another way instead of making me fight?¡± ¡°Are you teaching a Professor now?¡± ¡°Anyone, a Professor or a student, has to learn what they don¡¯t know. And aren¡¯t you an associate Professor?¡± ¡°¡­! I think it¡¯s you who doesn¡¯t know something. You just lost another five points.¡± Negative points were accumulating. This led to a direct battle with the Professor, not the student. And, of course, there was a hole in Ban Yu-won¡¯s logic. Union Academy was an academy that existed only to climb the Tower. No matter if Yu-won¡¯s unique ability was recognized as meeting the entry requirements, in the end, he was in a position to enter the Tower. That¡¯s why. ¡°Why don¡¯t we use this week as preparation and compete next week? Once I enter the Tower, I feel I will be ready when I come out.¡± ¡°Are you ignoring your Professor and setting your own schedule? Another¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won was also diligently preparing a compromise plan. He didn¡¯t expect that this Professor would have the ears to hear it, though. He sighed heavily and shrugged. ¡°Whatever punishment you will give, do it after the results next week. Again, I¡¯m not ready yet, so no matter what you say, I won¡¯t be fighting this week.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, that¡¯s great.¡± Ultimately, the associate professor, failing to bring out Ban Yu-won, gritted his teeth. How could he like this bold attitude of refusal? But what could he do? Ban Yu-won was indeed not ready yet. If he fought a match in this state, the results could be disastrous. He wasn¡¯t the main character of some passionate novel, so he wouldn¡¯t just let himself get smacked around. ¡°Next Tuesday, Ban and Electo will have a match. It would be better to open it to the public if possible.¡± It seemed he accepted Ban Yu-won¡¯s proposal, but the Professor sneakily added a condition. To the public, so did that mean they would broadcast it inside the academy? ¡°You said you would like a week of preparation, so you must show your growth. If you fail¡­.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Ban Yu-won nodded indifferently. Of course, it was a long way to catch up with Light or Dok Go-yeon, but he calculated that his current growth rate would be enough to catch up with the high-level general students in a week. However, the problem was that the people he was facing now weren¡¯t just the general type but a special class that selected excellent students. ¡°Your name is Electo, right? After the official match next week, let¡¯s shake hands as a commemoration.¡± Knowing that all the hostility of the special class was directed at him, Ban Yu-won took a bold step forward and extended his hand to Electo, a student whose respect for Yoo Mina was so great that he became ill-intentioned toward him. He was over two meters and fifty centimeters tall, and the joints of his arms were covered with unusually hard keratin while the tips of his fists were strangely steaming. If he weren¡¯t wearing a school uniform, he could easily be mistaken for a monster. ¡°You lower thing.¡± ¡°Woah.¡± Electo slapped away his hand. It was excruciatingly painful, but Ban Yu-won wasn¡¯t an idiot, and he couldn¡¯t show that here. Instead, he looked at the Professor and asked. ¡°I get a negative point just by making a suggestion, but doesn¡¯t he get a negative point for swearing?¡± ¡°¡­Electo, you lost one point.¡± ¡°One point? Let¡¯s see, the negative points I got¡­.¡± ¡°Ban Yu-won, don¡¯t forget that you were rude to him first. Another three points from you.¡± ¡°Is it rude to ask for a handshake? I¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t know the rules of etiquette in this world.¡± ¡°You¡­! Electo, you lost three points.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Associate Professor and Electo both gritted their teeth. All the other special class members were also staring at Ban Yu-won with cold eyes. That was when Ban Yu-won was clearly established as the public enemy. ¡®What are you going to do if you give me negative points? You¡¯re an associate Professor, so you can¡¯t kick me out of the academy.¡¯ However, Ban Yu-won, who didn¡¯t intend to be friendly with them from the beginning, paid no attention to their gaze or negative points. He clenched his teeth as he checked the character strings he saw from Electo in their brief moment of contact. [Life 250, Physique 300, Magic Power 120] The concept that he could read was this much, and it was ridiculous. ¡®I guess it will be hard to raise my ability to this extent in a week.¡¯ To be honest, he was stronger than expected. However, there was a high possibility that asking for two weeks in that situation wouldn¡¯t work, and there was no mistake in Ban Yu-won¡¯s plan because he would have to face them someday. ¡®Then I have to do it¡­.¡¯ He didn¡¯t intend to beat his opponent head-on from the start. As he told the Professor, his abilities weren¡¯t specialized in combat. In a week, he should be able to find a way. ¡°Shhhhhh.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Eve, who understood his will, cried out that he was confident, so he shouldn¡¯t worry. He stroked the snake and looked around in surprise, thinking it would be troublesome if they got attention this early. Surprisingly, he found that no one was paying attention. ¡°Why? Is no one here?¡± The reason was simple. This was because, while everyone¡¯s hostility was focused on Ban Yu-won, Dok Go-yeon suddenly stepped forward. Her bizarre cross pupils gleamed eerily as she scanned the special class. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about the skills of the special admission students? Unlike the class leader, I specialize in combat and gladly accept a fight.¡± ¡°Dok Go-yeon¡­.¡± This was fun. Even though Ban Yu-won hadn¡¯t asked for anything yet, Dok Go-yeon had taken the next step to take care of all four of them. He had guessed from her greed for talent, but maybe she was in a position to rule the crowd even in the Martial Arts Society. ¡°If no one is confident, I¡¯ll name one. Hey, did you say your name was Electo? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a sensitive person who looks at his opponent and attacks. Come out¡­I will step on you.¡± ¡°What?!¡± There was a thing called the atmosphere of the strong. Ban Yu-won, who only recently realized his Magic Power, knew there was a far-off difference between himself and Dok Go-yeon, but would Electo not be able to read her strength? Perhaps it was for Ban Yu-won that Dok Go-yeon chose Electo. If his guess were correct, she would give Elect such serious injuries that he couldn¡¯t fully recover in a week or so. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dok Go-yeon, but it¡¯s decided that Electo will fight with me in a week, so if you want to fight with him, ask him the next time.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± But she shouldn¡¯t do that. Ban Yu-won had to prove his worth with his abilities, so he dared to intervene and object. ¡°Will you really be okay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­Ho, I thought you were only full of tricks. You look a bit like a man now.¡± Looking at Dok Go-yeon, who gave a satisfied smile, Electo snorted, nervous after he guessed that this would put his life at risk. ¡°It¡¯s funny that the strongest among you came forward after barking that much just to shame herself. Just go away.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s barking now?¡± Someone pushed Electo aside and came forward. It looked like they were wearing a crown on their head, but when Ban Yu-won looked closer, it was a set of horns that protruded like a crown, and their shiny gold hair fluttered up and down. ¡°No way, Ortima, the ruler of the Ketius dimension¡­!¡± Next to him, Light kindly revealed their identity. ¡°What is that place?¡± ¡°Y-You mean you don¡¯t know? Except for Union, ten dimensions are considered the highest hierarchical dimensions. Ortima is the family that rules one of them, Ketius! Its symbol is the horn that rises like a crown like that.¡± ¡°So, in a word, that¡¯s the son of a family that ranks among the top ten of all these dimensions?¡± ¡°Right.¡± He was from a lower dimension but strangely knowledgeable about this. Conversely, Ban Yu-won might be too ignorant of dimensional news. ¡°There are always a bunch of stupid and weak guys. It¡¯s fun to see someone like you growling at us to protect your horde.¡± ¡°Did you come out here to babble with that tongue? Or are you protesting that your tongue is too long and you want it to be cut off?¡± Ortima was already amidst a fierce war of nerves with Dok Go-yeon. Ban Yu-won admired that Ortima¡¯s energy didn¡¯t fall behind Dok Go-yeon, but Light seemed to feel the opposite. ¡°Dok Go-yeon, what is it? You¡¯re definitely a special low-level archetype, but how can you be equal with Ortima¡­!¡± ¡°Can you feel the difference in power only now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want even you making fun of me.¡± Light got upset. It was hard to believe he was a real man when this pretty guy swelled up his cheeks. He didn¡¯t believe it, but¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. We¡¯re only at the starting line now and can go beyond.¡± ¡°Do you really¡­think so?¡± ¡°Of course. Dok Go-yeon won¡¯t be still either, though.¡± ¡°Can you decide whether you¡¯ll comfort or make fun of me?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do one.¡± So, while Ban Yu-won was teasing Light, the Professor finally authorized the fight, and the guy named Ortima and Dok Go-yeon clashed. Before the fight started, something flashed in the air, and Ban Yu-won saw that it was close to the shape of a drone with an attached lens. In fact, it was also one of the items he had seen at the store yesterday. ¡°Full disclosure. That is to say, they are shooting a video with that.¡± ¡°Video¡­are they recording it now? It¡¯s shared on the academy intranet¡­but I still don¡¯t know what an intranet is.¡± ¡°No, even the internet? It¡¯s natural when I think about it.¡± Among the items he bought in the city yesterday, there was a communication tool, that is, a mobile phone, that enabled real-time communication with a designated person using the magical communication network. They called it a telepathic mirror, or a mirror for short. It even had functions like a real smartphone, including video viewing, calculation, calendar, and alarm. While drinking with Professor Yoo Mina yesterday, they exchanged their Unique Codes or phone numbers. ¡°Ban, do you know what an intranet is?¡± ¡°Simply put, it refers to a communication network established by organizations such as businesses and schools to exchange internal information. Let¡¯s see, the school intranet¡­found it.¡± Light watched with curiosity as Ban Yu-won pulled out the mirror skillfully manipulated it. ¡°How can you be so skillful when you said you¡¯re from a low-level dimension that didn¡¯t know of the Union¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mainly because we developed in this direction.¡± The academy intranet had a structure in which access and membership registration were possible only after authentication of a student ID. Accessing the intranet without the mirror, even with a student ID, was possible. Instead, in that case, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use complex services such as video viewing. When Ban Yu-won connected to the intranet with the mirror, Light and even Ruchel, who was quietly listening to him, snuck closer. ¡°Here¡¯s a live channel. Even our classes¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen it well, Ruchel.¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± There were even live broadcasts. It seemed that the Professor was determined to humiliate us. But it didn¡¯t look like things would go as the Professor wished. ¡°Bring it on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let the noob make the first move.¡± ¡°Noob? Let¡¯s see for how long that cheeky attitude will last. Kneel!¡± The fight began. When Ortima shouted to kneel in anger at Dok Go-yeon¡¯s provocation, Ban Yu-won saw a flash of mysterious power from him crushing Dok Go-yeon. It wasn¡¯t everyday magic, nor was it the power of language that Ban Yu-won handled. Just as water flowed from top to bottom, natural providence seemed to force Dok Go-yeon to kneel before Ortima. [Successful in observing the distortion of providence, the depth of Complete Sight was increased by 1.] ¡°Distortion of Providence.¡± ¡°D-Did you see it¡­?!¡± ¡°Ah, aaahhh.¡± Light was startled at Ban Yu-won¡¯s muttering, and Ruchel shook as if she could feel it. ¡°Hmph.¡± However, despite the pressure that would have crushed Ban Yu-won on the spot, Dok Go-yeon calmly raised her energy. It was just that, but the energy that suppressed her¡­ ¡°What¡­!¡± It was dead. All he could say was that it was dead. In it, though faintly, Ban Yu-won could feel a new concept: Death. Could there be another concept as simple and terrifying as that? Ban Yu-won felt a sense of fear at the fragments of power Dok Go-yeon showed. ¡°Ah, aaaaaaaahhhhh¡­.¡± ¡°Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.¡± Even worse, Ruchel was trembling and squeezing Ban Yu-won¡¯s arms. Eve, fearful of him being hurt, slapped Ruchel¡¯s cheek, but she was still gripped by panic. ¡°Hmm, so you had some skills.¡± ¡°And you have a ridiculous ability like that horn. If that¡¯s all, it¡¯s disappointing.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± As Ortima took a step forward, the same but denser pressure hit Dok Go-yeon. The result was the same, though. ¡°Does it get stronger the closer you get? If you thought I would run away¡­.¡± Dok Go-yeon¡¯s feet lightly crossed the floor. In the next moment, Dok Go-yeon, smashing down in front of Ortima, threw a kick as sharp as a razor. Ortima seemed unprepared, but a golden shield appeared just before the collision. Crash. With an unpleasant sound, the shield exploded into fragments of light and scattered. Beyond that, Ortima had his arms crossed to block Dok Go-yeon. ¡°In the end, you have to use your own hands.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they say your body suffers if you have a bad brain. Or if you¡¯re bad at judging situations.¡± ¡°Cheeky!¡± Bang! The same pressure that Ortima had tried to use to bring Dok Go-yeon to her knees earlier was concentrated and delivered more than tenfold. However, Dok Go-yeon lightly dodged it, spread out her palms, and pushed his forearm aside. At the same time, her kick scratched across Ortima¡¯s chin. Claank! Ban Yu-won doubted what he heard. Was that the sound of a person¡¯s foot and chin colliding? ¡°You bitch¡­!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the way you move your body is awkward. Don¡¯t tell me that someone else has to feed you.¡± Which one came out to brag about having a long tongue? Dok Go-yeon constantly cursed her opponent while she fiercely drove him back. One violent crash after another sounded out. Ortima¡¯s blows were heavy but too slow to hit. ¡®That guy must be used to hitting an immobilized opponent, but that didn¡¯t work with Dok Go-yeon.¡¯ As Dok Go-yeon said, Ortima had transcendent physical abilities, but his lack of experience in moving his body was clearly visible even to Ban Yu-won, so he was just getting beaten back. However, even though Dok Go-yeon was unilaterally pressing the attack, it bothered him that each collision made a metallic sound. ¡°¡­Ugh, I will no longer forgive your rudeness. I will kill you as you please!¡± ¡°Death is not a concept that a kid like you can easily put into words.¡± Baaaang! Terrible energy exploded from Ortima¡¯s body, and Dok Go-yeon was forced to retreat. They exchanged a glance, and each radiated their own bloody aura. At that moment. ¡°Now, now, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Professor Yoo Mina, who suddenly appeared in the middle between the two of them, declared. Ortima and Dok Go-yeon seemed unable to comprehend, but they were both disarmed when Professor Yoo Mina smiled and lightly opened her powers. ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°Whew, whooh.¡± The fragrance of flowers spread everywhere. It quenched their fierce fighting spirits and calmed their beating hearts. She forcibly calmed down their energy, so they couldn¡¯t fight even if they tried. Ban Yu-won felt the concept of Flower and Harmony in it and then burst into laughter. Even Yoo Mina, the possessor of that ability, wouldn¡¯t be able to understand why he was laughing. ¡°Our academy doesn¡¯t want our students to fight to the death. I wish you would fight like that only in the Tower. All right, both of you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡± Ortima silently stared at Yoo Mina and returned to his place, while Dok Go-yeon shook her head and turned back to her party. ¡°Hyeek.¡± ¡°Haah.¡± When Dok Go-yeon returned, Ruchel, who was terrified, flinched and hid behind Ban Yu-won. Dok Go-yeon glared at Ruchel as if she didn¡¯t approve, then turned her gaze to Ban Yu-won and smiled. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°It was very helpful.¡± ¡°What.¡± Dok Go-yeon, surprised by Ban Yu-won¡¯s sincere response, smiled deeper. Ban Yu-won only then realized that he had given the wrong answer. He should have said he didn¡¯t recognize anything, but now he was getting more and more attention from this psycho! ¡°Associate Professor Farrell. It is a big mistake to make them fight during the first class and to sit still without tempering their bloodlust. Be prepared.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going¡­ah.¡± On the other hand, Yoo Mina turning around after harshly rebuking the associate Professor saw Ban Yu-won, walked over, and fixed his wrinkled collar. ¡°The class leader must have dignity. Then, have a nice day.¡± ¡®I appointed him as the class president, so if I catch someone provoking him, they¡¯re dead.¡¯ Well, Yoo Mina, who roughly expressed her meaning, disappeared from the spot without any warning, just as she had appeared. However, Ban Yu-won noticed that Farrell and the members of the special class were staring at him. He sighed. CH 15 Lesson 4. Rebellion ¨C 3 Rumors quickly spread throughout the school. The match between Dok Go-yeon and Ortima was being broadcast on the intranet in real-time, so by lunchtime, no one in the academy didn¡¯t know Dok Go-yeon¡¯s name. ¡°It seems that Ortima was the most highly expected first-year student. But since she had a close match with him, her name¡¯s worth is bound to go up.¡± ¡°No, there was at least one more worth watching in that class.¡± As Ban Yu-won synthesized what students were saying on the free bulletin board, Dok Go-yeon, taking the seat next to Light, countered. ¡°I thought you could find the one.¡± ¡°I was focused on your fight.¡± ¡°Then there is nothing I can do.¡± Dok Go-yeon and Ban Yu-won got closer after the morning class. Ban Yu-won wanted to secure an appropriate distance, but it was accurate to say that Dok Go-yeon ignored it and narrowed their distance. Thanks to that, only his distance from Ruchel grew further. It was because Ruchel was now openly afraid of Dok Go-yeon. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how the two of them were living in the same room. ¡°More importantly¡­they¡¯re talking a lot about you too.¡± ¡°Yeah, they can¡¯t say mean things about you, so I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s about me instead.¡± One desperately fled from the fight, and the other pushed the most promising first-year student back. Since these two were the same lower-dimensional special archetypes, how much could people talk?! ¡°Indeed, many people here do not know how foolish it is to judge without seeing with their own eyes¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you acknowledge me, but, indeed, I¡¯m still a weakling. Tell them to see me in a week.¡± Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t say much and spread the jam he brought on the crispy baked bread. Dok Go-yeon¡¯s gaze softened as she sniffed the air. ¡°It smells very sweet.¡± ¡°Want some?¡± Instead of answering, Dok Go-yeon nudged the bread on her plate closer. As Ban Yu-won smiled and spread a spoonful of jam on it, Dok Go-yeon carefully took a bite. ¡°¡­!¡± The moment she tasted the jam-coated bread, the crosses in her eyes turned round and round. It was scary at first, but after watching it a few times, he got used to it. Dok Go-yeon held out the remaining bread and asked. ¡°Can you give me more?¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not very expensive.¡± In fact, it was a concentrated extract of tens of thousands of fruits, so the price was higher than he could imagine, but it was cheap if it was to buy her favor. It was so sweet that even a teaspoon was enough to feel ecstatic. ¡°This is really¡­I¡¯ve tried all kinds of sweets, but this one is especially¡­is it your ability?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting¡­very interesting.¡± ¡®No, can¡¯t you just simply say thank you? I can¡¯t understand why every time you look at me with that kind of lion-like expression like I¡¯m prey!¡¯ But what was even funnier was Light and Ruchel, who were sneakily pushing their bread toward him from the other side. ¡°I¡¯ll give you both some, so don¡¯t look so desperate.¡± ¡°Sorry, it just smells so sweet.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­!¡± As soon as they tried some, Light and Ruchel drooped their shoulders as if they had reached paradise simultaneously. ¡°What taste¡­!¡± ¡°Fruit, the essence of the fruit itself. The essence of an incredibly delicious fruit¡­!¡± Ban Yu-won flinched at Ruchel¡¯s unexpectedly sharp remarks. Of course, the jam he just took out and shared with his classmates was the elixir he made at his house. He already calculated that there was nothing wrong with giving some out to his classmates as they eventually had to grow with him. ¡°I feel like I got something too precious.¡± ¡°We¡¯re a team, so we should share good things. You can see it as a reward for the kindness you showed me this morning.¡± ¡°Hmm, still, that¡¯s too much¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won thought he should share the jam with his classmates daily. Even if it were just a beginner¡¯s elixir, it would be helpful if they ate it steadily. More than anything else, he was able to leave when he wanted, so he thought he would be able to try making more here. ¡®It might be possible to increase the effect by adding several other concepts. Shall I look around the market today and find a material with a good concept?¡¯ With that thought in mind, he closed the jam and put it in his inventory, and Dok Go-yeon clapped her hands. ¡°Okay, let me teach you a lesson.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying I will teach you a few martial arts in return for the elixir.¡± ¡°Elixir?!¡± ¡°Cough.¡± Light started coughing, and Ruchel nearly jumped. As expected, did she notice? Even though he was surprised, Ban Yu-won refuted it. ¡°It¡¯s not very valuable. The effect is negligible.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s insignificant. However, it is extremely rare to find an elixir that has no side effects and increases one¡¯s potential. Of course¡­I won¡¯t teach you for free, and can I get a little bit of that from now on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was going to do anyway.¡± ¡°I knew it. So, shall we start right away¡­it could be there.¡± Dok Go-yeon, who stood up after emptying the plate, took her student ID and disappeared. She went away without even hearing an answer, so he couldn¡¯t just make her wait. Ban Yu-won wolfed down the remaining ham and hurriedly followed her to Yoo Mina¡¯s classroom. Light and Ruchel suddenly left alone and went silent for a while as they looked at the plates they had left without cleaning. They sighed and took them when they remembered the elixir they had tried. * * * ¡°There is no one here. It¡¯s also wide enough to move your body.¡± Dok Go-yeon, who arrived first, muttered with satisfaction, then looked back at Ban Yu-won and said: ¡°I know you are growing fast, maybe even in battle. I decided not to ask where the battle was held¡­was it your ability or talent to change your posture in one day?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more the ability. Maybe talent¡­I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a talent for you or not.¡± ¡°It is often said that ¡®A word is enough to the wise¡¯ is a talent, but those who want to practice martial arts need only the talent of remembering what they see. There¡¯s too much education that needs to be preceded to teach martial arts with a fixed type and formality¡­.¡± Dok Go-yeon raised her index finger and poked toward Ban Yu-won. ¡°First of all, this one.¡± Slowly, softly. However, as her powerful fingers cut through the air and reached his eyes, Ban Yu-won dared not move and just watched. [Sewing] A movement focused on passing through a single point. He could be sure his head would be pierced if they continued forward. Ban Yu-won was so immersed in the depth of the concept derived from human motion that he couldn¡¯t come to his senses. ¡°Liar.¡± She pulled back and smiled. ¡°Are you going to underestimate yourself when you have the talent to understand the Martial Arts Control that I¡¯ve only shown you once?¡± ¡°¡­All right, I¡¯ll start bragging from now on.¡± Ban Yu-won, who had barely come to his senses thanks to her talking, retorted with a joke. Dok Go-yeon chuckled and continued to explain. ¡°Stabbing. It doesn¡¯t matter if you do it with a sword, a dagger, or a spear, but what I just showed you is the most basic and ultimate ¡®meaning¡¯ of stabbing. There may be countless applications, such as how many times to stab, where to start, and what kind of energy to use, but this is the ultimate in basics. Do not forget it.¡± ¡°Ultimate in basics¡­.¡± Maybe that was a concept? The concepts Ban Yu-won dealt with also started with one central meaning, but mixing or adding other things to it could create many others. However, ironically, in Dok Go-yeon¡¯s movements, the ultimate in basics, that is, only one concept trained to the extreme, he felt a much deeper power rather than a concept created by mixing many things. ¡®It means I can¡¯t just focus on mixing concepts too much.¡¯ Of course, what shouldn¡¯t be misunderstood was that the move that Dok Go-yeon just showed wasn¡¯t a general technique but one specialized to her. There were many Chinese characters with the meaning of stab, but why did Ban Yu-won capture the term Sewing in her movements? That must be because, for her, stabbing was a fatal move that pierced through her target. ¡®This is better for me. Being strong is the best.¡¯ Ban Yu-won pulled out his sword and took a stance. Dok Go-yeon nodded her head and stepped aside, beckoning at him and again showing the movement of Sewing. It gave him another flash of realization to see the attack approach. ¡°You can do it now, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do it completely.¡± ¡°If you could follow me completely, the years I had accumulated would be meaningless.¡± Dok Go-yeon smiled as if she was making a funny joke. When she smiled quietly, she looked so beautiful that he didn¡¯t even care that her pupils were crosses. ¡°Whew.¡± Next to her, Ban Yu-won raised his sword, took a deep breath, and thrust it at a point in the air. Once again, and again and again. At first, it was at such a disastrous level that he couldn¡¯t even feel the fragments of the true meaning, but the second time he suddenly felt the force of stabbing, and by the third, he could clearly feel the concept of Sewing. ¨DWhoosh! And on the fourth, the air ripped open. However, compared to what Dok Go-yeon showed him, Ban Yu-won thought it was just a drop in the ocean. He frantically drew his sword again¡­! ¡°Stop. You can¡¯t control the strength yet, so you will hurt the room like this.¡± Before he could, Dok Go-yeon grabbed his arm. Seeing the cross in her eyes grow and shrink repeatedly was very strange. Dok Go-yeon asked Ban Yu-won as she took his sword away. ¡°You remember what I showed you? Try the rest later in a wider area or against enemies you can kill.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ban Yu-won frantically nodded. Then, before his eyes, several notifications from the Babylonian Code appeared. [You have succeeded in observing and understanding the concept of movement and are getting used to it. The depth of the Complete Sight has become 110.] [You recognized and acquired the concept of Martial Arts. Swordsmanship was absorbed as a sub-concept of Martial Arts.] [You recognized and acquired the concept of Sewing. The depth of Sewing has been increased to 16.] ¡®16?¡¯ Ban Yu-won hurriedly perused his body code. Martial Arts: 36 [Swordsmanship: 20, Sewing: 16]] He groaned. Sewing became a separate concept from Swordsmanship, and the two combined to form a martial art. It was surprising that Swordsmanship had grown close to six more, but¡­to put it bluntly, his combat skills had more than doubled at this moment. However, unlike Ban Yu-won, who was very happy, Dok Go-yeon seemed to have mixed feelings. ¡°I never imagined that you would show from the beginning the True Meaning of not being swayed by the shape of a weapon.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why.¡± Ban Yu-won, who realized the reason why Swordsmanship and Sewing were separated by the words of Dok Go-yeon, nodded with admiration. But she was still puzzled. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°No, nothing. I think I could accept it as it is because you showed a movement independent of weapons.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t only fully understand that just because I showed it, you¡¯re even starting to use it yourself. You took my soul out of me two days after we met.¡± ¡°It was a really good lesson. Leave the elixir to me.¡± ¡°It was an unexpected loss.¡± She groaned and backed away. Then. ¡°So, I will make up for that loss in the future. Be prepared.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± She left those fearsome words and vanished. Ban Yu-won realized their lunch break was ending and hurriedly left the classroom with his student ID. ¡®We¡¯re going to the same classroom anyway, so she could¡¯ve waited for me¡­hmm, the afternoon lectures seem to be focused on writing. I¡¯ll be just sitting and listening to the Professor¡¯s lectures, so there won¡¯t be any quarrels like in the morning.¡¯ Of course, Ban Yu-won knew well that things would happen only when he thought they wouldn¡¯t, so he decided to make some minimal preparations for now. CH 16 This series is currently in second place to The Hunter Who Does Not Age Is So Strong by less than 10 readers. Since it¡¯s so close, we will wait another week before finalizing the upload rate for this series. If there is enough interest from readers, we can upload up to 20 chapters a week. Lesson 4. Rebellion ¨C 4 The low-level special selection group normally took classes with others, and that afternoon was with class 7. The overall atmosphere was chaotic because they were primarily male students, and the low-level special students were very good prey. Their first target was Ruchel. ¡°Whew.¡± ¡°Really.¡± The person in charge of the lecture was the oldest among the associate professors, an old professor who had served at Union Academy for more than 80 years. Their subject was 100% handwriting, which was rare in Union Academy, and surprisingly, the old Professor, who committed the horrific atrocity of starting a new topic on the first day of the semester, focused only on reading the textbook. His drowsy voice slowly lulled them to sleep from the first sentence. And because of that. ¡°Isn¡¯t it going to explode if it¡¯s that big?¡± ¡°Why did she enter the academy to climb the Tower when she¡¯s just garbage? There must be something far more suited to her aptitude. For example, my¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯d hire her if she did.¡± ¡°You idiot, I¡¯m first.¡± The Professor didn¡¯t notice the students blatantly looking toward Ruchel and talking about vulgar things. Ban Yu-won wondered if the Professor was deaf since he didn¡¯t call them out even though they were talking so loudly that everyone in the classroom could hear. ¡°Ugh, uh¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won was worried that Ruchel might be crying. But Ruchel¡­perhaps she had heard it many times because of her natural physical condition or slender appearance. She seemed, unfortunately, used to it. Ban Yu-won was so proud of her that he gritted his teeth. ¡®I should beat those bastards instead of staying still like this!¡¯ -Bang! Just when Ban Yu-won was swinging his fist in his mind, there was a loud noise nearby. Light, sitting next to him, slammed his fists on the desk and stood, looking extremely angry. ¡°Professor!¡± ¡°Uh, uuuh? What¡¯s wrong? So¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ace Light from Class 11!¡± The four members of the lower-level special type were grouped together and officially called Class 11. However, it was said that there were cases where the special admission students who became seniors weren¡¯t assigned a class¡­ Perhaps if it weren¡¯t for Yoo Mina, who claimed to be in charge of them, they might have been in the same situation. ¡°Class 11? Ah, yes. Do you have any questions?¡± The Old Professor must be fully aware of the concept of Class 11, seeing the four members sitting apart from the others. Still, seeing him gently say that without changing his face, he didn¡¯t seem to have any prejudice against students from the lower dimensions. ¡°The other students are talking too loudly, so it¡¯s difficult to concentrate on the class. I want you to discipline them!¡± ¡°Hmm, you are a very admirable student. Did you all hear that? Be quiet during the class so that you can focus on my voice. And I¡¯ll give three points to Light.¡± The Professor nodded as if moved by Light¡¯s words and declared so that all the students in the classroom could hear. For reference, according to Ban Yu-won¡¯s survey during lunch time, those additional points were one of the criteria for selecting ten outstanding students per grade in the first semester. In addition, if one had too many negative points, surprisingly, they wouldn¡¯t get permission to go out! Those points were meaningless for Ban Yu-won, who had already received permission from the Principal. ¡°Wow, look at that nerd bastard.¡± ¡°He only has that pretty face. Didn¡¯t he pass the practical evaluation with his face too?¡± ¡°No, you idiot, how can someone pass the practical evaluation with their face?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe his test was with a succubus¡­.¡± ¡°That¡­makes sense!¡± And, of course, the old Professor¡¯s declaration meant nothing to the students. Instead, it temporarily shifted the students¡¯ target from Ruchel to Light, but that didn¡¯t last long. ¡°¡­¡± Ban Yu-won thought as he looked at Ruchel, whose ears reddened, and Light, who was furious at seeing Ruchel like that. If someone who didn¡¯t know the circumstances saw them, they would think he was a boy trying to protect the girl he had a crush on. And Ruchel and Light were both good-looking, so they suited each other even more. ¡®But Light must be genuinely angry at those words. He¡¯s a really unique kid.¡¯ Ban Yu-won poked Light, acting like he was about to get up again. ¡°Ban, are you going to stop me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like meaningless actions.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± He was staring at him with a sad expression as if to say, ¡®I didn¡¯t think that even you would do this,¡¯ but expecting something special from someone you¡¯ve just met was only troublesome for Ban Yu-won. Moreover, Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t like fighting head-on. With his natural ability, he liked to use words if he could, and even if that didn¡¯t work, he preferred non-violent methods. Like this. ¡°Look at this and calm down.¡± ¡°?¡± What Ban Yu-won held out to Light was a crystal smaller than his palm¡­it was the mirror. On the mirror¡¯s screen, the academy¡¯s intranet, a live broadcast, was captured. Light, who instinctively looked at the screen, was stunned. What was being broadcast was the scenery of this classroom right now. That, too¡­it had been focusing on shooting places close to the boys swearing at Ruchel and Light. It was truly clever real-time editing. ¡°What, what is this¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best to respond equally to those who talk cowardly from behind.¡± Ban Yu-won showed Light the comments in real-time during her live broadcast. Of course, most of them were seniors, and they only paid attention to the fact that they were uttering vulgar obscenities, as they didn¡¯t know that the ones they were swearing at were students of the lower-level special type. ¡°They¡¯re really mad at them.¡± Dok Go-yeon, with her head sticking out from behind Ban Yu-won, looked at the screen and spoke with a smile on her lips. Ban Yu-won turned back to Light. ¡°I learned it in the morning, but the academy students check the intranet very often. So, I thought it was worth a try.¡± ¡°Of course, if they knew they were swearing at the students of the lower-level special type, these people wouldn¡¯t be this mad. But the focus of the broadcast is only on those guys and their voices.¡± ¡°From the point of view of the people watching it, it would indeed be better to focus only on the bullies.¡± ¡°Besides, they are ranting unilaterally. Even if they knew that the ones those guys are bullying are lower-dimension students, only a few people would take their side.¡± Only a few didn¡¯t mean that there were none. However, another advantage here was that those guys were mainly talking about sexual abuse. Leaving the lower and higher dimensions aside, girls had to get angry with this. Even Professors would be watching this video, and if this didn¡¯t get deleted, it would spread throughout the school. ¡°Then what could happen to them? I guarantee you won¡¯t have to deal with them anymore.¡± ¡°But you, how did you¡­.¡± ¡°Shh.¡± At that point, the live broadcast was stopped. Light¡¯s jaw dropped at the sight of Eve coiled up on Ban Yu-won¡¯s shoulder, a small camera in the snake¡¯s mouth. ¡°You really don¡¯t have enough training. Didn¡¯t you notice it moving right next to you?¡± Even though Dok Go-yeon looked through Eve¡¯s movements, Light couldn¡¯t reply. But he didn¡¯t seem that upset. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it wrong. Ban¡­I¡¯m so glad you are the class leader.¡± ¡°What the heck? You won¡¯t get anything even if you praise me.¡± ¡°Ah, uh. Thanks¡­.¡± Ruchel, who realized the situation late, lowered her head, blinking her big eyes like a puppy. Ban Yu-won just looked at her and smiled. ¡°I am not strong yet. So I had prepared a couple of things.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you going to get scolded? Live broadcast during classes¡­.¡± ¡°Look at the title.¡± Ban Yu-won pointed to the posting title on the screen, which was written ¡®Class Recording_Union History_01¡¯. No matter how ignorant Light was about the Internet, he could notice the intention of this title. ¡°Your excuse will be that you recorded the class to review later, but then you clicked something wrong, and it went live broadcast!¡± ¡°Bingo. It is an excuse that can only be used for first graders. In fact, it¡¯s a flimsy excuse, and I might still be penalized, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± If nothing serious happened, Yoo Mina could deal with it. After the explanation, Light just looked at Ban Yu-won with admiration. Dok Go-yeon¡¯s cross pupils sparkled, but now he was used to this reaction. Ruchel, who continued to be shy, thanked him, looking straight at his face. He could say that the greatest outcome of this incident was that. ¡°Hey, hey. It¡¯s being broadcast!¡± At that moment, one of the people tired of provoking their group saw the uploaded video anonymously on the intranet (Administrators could identify it themselves, but ordinary members, students, could not identify them). He turned pale and informed his friends. ¡°What? Huh? What! What is this?! Who shot this?! ¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Naturally, the students, who saw that they were being hated in the hundreds of comments, screamed and glared around them. But what could they do? The video was already online, and the only one that saw Eve moving was Dok Go-yeon. ¡°Students, you really don¡¯t have a good class attitude. You guys are the ones that were talking loud before, right? Give your name and affiliation. I have to talk to your Professor!¡± Their bold behavior provoked the old Professor into action. ¡°Yes? No, Professor. It¡¯s not that, this video¡­.¡± ¡°Video? You were on the intranet during class!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, but someone took a video¡­.¡± ¡°No, you idiot!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Wasn¡¯t he confessing his own crime?! Ban Yu-won expected it from the moment they started bullying them, but it seemed that people weren¡¯t more mature just because they were from higher dimensions. He snorted and watched them. ¡®Indeed, the criteria for selecting a general candidate for general screening are pure in the order of power, so no matter how many gems they¡¯ve chosen before from that dimension, it doesn¡¯t prove their personality.¡¯ Light spoke as if he had guessed what was in Ban Yu-won¡¯s mind. ¡°The higher dimension is just a world that evolves faster than the lower dimension, leading to a world rich in resources and mana. But they think they are special just because they were born in such a world¡­.¡± ¡°It can be faster than in a world where mana is insufficient. But there is no weight on the power that is easily gained. They don¡¯t know that they were just lucky, so they will eventually fall on their faces.¡± For the first time, Dok Go-yeon sympathized with Light. Although, rather than sympathy, it was just that her thoughts naturally came out of her mouth. After talking, the two looked at each other, then scoffed and turned their heads. In the meantime, the Professor, who checked the video on the intranet and saw what they had said in his class, was so angry that he couldn¡¯t keep still. ¡°You can¡¯t watch my classes from now on! I will give you an F in all the classes you have taken throughout the year! I¡¯ll have a very serious conversation with your Professor about this, so be aware. What are you doing? Get out!¡± ¡°But Professor, they are just garbage, I mean, from the lower dimensions¡­.¡± ¡°I said get out!¡± As he shouted, the closed window swung open with a strong gust of wind. Then, before anyone could do anything else, the students who were bullying Ban Yu-won¡¯s group were thrown out the window! ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ban Yu-won shuddered as he heard the screams of the distant boys. They wouldn¡¯t die, but¡­they would be stuck eating porridge for a while. ¡°Whoa.¡± ¡°I guess we can¡¯t see the Assistant Professors lightly either¡­.¡± ¡°Ruchel, Light, is this enough?¡± Ruchel and Light just nodded. Since that day, the attitudes of the students taking Union¡¯s history classes improved. It had to improve if they didn¡¯t want to fly out of the window. CH 17 Lesson 4. Rebellion -5 It was unexpected, but the ultimate goal of Union Academy was to send students into the Tower and create a god in them. In a few words, it was an academy that created students to nurture God. Therefore, students had to take lectures related to culture, politics, and diplomacy, and in summary, be generally educated in addition to the extremely practical classes necessary to conquer the Tower. In addition to the real battle class, lectures included weapons, magic, exploration, and special environmental response. The characteristic of these lectures in the gym or training grounds was that it was easy to get provoked as it was a time to actively move. ¡°Hey, you, the pretty guy. Come here.¡± Indeed, following the first day of the semester, the second day, Wednesday, was time for the Basic Weapon Squadron class. In this class, which was only held for freshmen, students could take some free time to try their hand at various weapons and find one that suited their aptitude in the presence of a Professor. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Light frowned at the voice containing Magic Power and raised his head. A boy from class 5 was aiming his sword, a real sword, toward Light. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Come here and explain in detail what happened yesterday, garbage.¡± Not only was it rude to point at people with a real sword, but he was resorting to name-calling. It was easy to forget when faced with someone with common sense, like Professor Yoo Mina, but usually, the people from higher dimensions despised those from the lower dimensions. ¡®Instead of changing their attitude with what happened yesterday, did they only increase their hatred of us? They aren¡¯t even teenagers, but do they have to provoke us like that?¡¯ While Ban sighed and envisioned more fundamental measures, Light realized he was being provoked and scoffed. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°Ha, bastard. Are you scared?¡± ¡°I meant for you to come and politely ask if you have something you want to hear from me, savage.¡± ¡°What?¡± Looking at that pretty face, it was easy to be mistaken, but Light¡¯s temper had a short fuse. ¡°You, a mere being from a lower dimension, dare to call me a savage-.¡± The moment when the boy stepped forward, something Ban Yu-won wouldn¡¯t forget happened. A sword of light appeared in Light¡¯s empty hand, and when he pointed it at the boy. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Light. Hero. Warrior. World. Guardian. Forever. Ambition. The concepts were too heavily layered! ¡®¨CWhat the, he¡¯s completely different. Concepts I couldn¡¯t even feel¡­!¡¯ Yes, when he thought about it, he got that feeling from him on the first day they met. Even then, he was holding that glowing sword! ¡®I thought his way of talking was strangely ancient, but it wasn¡¯t like that since the entrance ceremony. Is it because of that sword? ¡® Ban Yu-won withdrew, feeling terrible that something was out of place. So how was the boy who had to take that energy head-on? He was struggling, unable to approach or step back, and he wanted to move, but he staggered and gave up. ¡°Are you learning to walk? Why are you so slow?¡± ¡°You-¡° Light, his pressure overwhelming, taunted his foe. The boy clenched his teeth and took another step to reach Light. At that moment, he looked to be bowing to Light with his posture bent, unable to stand. ¡°Did you come to greet me? Hello. You can go now.¡± ¡°How dare this inferior¡­insect!¡± It was that moment. The boy, overcoming the pressure, raised his head and swung the sword in his hand at Light! ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Ugh?!¡± When Light swung the sword wrapped in golden light, the trajectory of the sword the boy had swung diverted and stuck to the glowing blade. The boy sat on the floor groaning, clasping at his arm while the sword was moving on its own. Light, looking at him as if he was looking at trash, scoffed and raised his head. ¡°Professor.¡± People have been paying attention to them since the beginning, anyway. Light might have intended to humiliate them, but now he looked at the Professor, who was ignoring the situation. ¡°How does the academy evaluate a student that suddenly charges their fellow with a real sword?¡± ¡°Ahem, our academy recommends practical sparring,¡± ¡°I never agreed to fight him.¡± His tone was as sharp as his sword. While Ban Yu-won sighed, the Professor scolded Light. ¡°But you can¡¯t deny that you first released your energy.¡± ¡°Indeed, then, how is the verbal abuse this man uttered at me treated?¡± ¡°Hmm? Haha, I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t hear that¡­.¡± Light¡¯s expression became even scarier at the Professor¡¯s obvious lie. The sword of light in his hands emitted a brighter glare than before. A deeper, more violent concept was about to pop out. ¡°You¡¯re a fool.¡± ¡°Ugh?!¡± Before they knew it, Dok Go-yeon appeared in front of Light and flicked his forehead. ¡°Dok Go-yeon, you¡­! ¡± ¡°Why are you acting so proud when you¡¯re at the mercy of the sword?¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± At her thundering cry, Light returned to his senses and dropped the sword in his hands. It melted into the air and disappeared, and the boy¡¯s sword that clung to it clanged against the ground. ¡°What was that just now?¡± ¡°What just happened? Very huge energy¡­.¡± The gaze of everyone, including the Professor, was focused on them. Ban Yu-won sighed, thinking about how they could escape this situation. ¡®As expected, Light was the biggest bomb¡­.¡¯ * * * ¡°You know, at this rate, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be favored during our days in the academy.¡± ¡°You say that now?!¡± Light was astonished at Ban Yu-won¡¯s comment while eating fried rice at lunch. But Ban Yu-won smiled and replied. ¡°The problem you caused earlier was bigger, you know? I know you were about to fight with the Professor if Dok Go-yeon hadn¡¯t stopped you, and there was a way to solve it smoothly.¡± ¡°That¡­but, smoothly? How could I solve that smoothly?¡± ¡°Haah.¡± Ban Yu-won sighed as he looked at Light, who seemed to haven¡¯t understood. ¡°Instead of humiliating him, not letting him get near you with that pressure, you could¡¯ve just fought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worth it to swing a sword against that fool.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just sparring. When that bastard provoked you earlier, you could¡¯ve told him to ask for a fight through the Professor instead of reacting to him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°You can step on him without using that bothersome method.¡± Light flinched under Ban Yu-won¡¯s cold eyes. No matter how fast he was growing, Light knew he was far from getting close to him, so he couldn¡¯t understand why he was intimidated by Ban Yu-won¡¯s energy. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you chose that way even though you¡¯re strong. Why did you have to question the Professor there? You should have just dragged him into an official fight. The Professor also said it, right? Practical battles are recommended.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I remembered what you showed me yesterday, so I tried to solve the situation without using violence¡­.¡± ¡°So you almost stumbled into a more violent situation as a result. It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s with a student, but if you get involved with a Professor, that¡¯ll be real trouble.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He decided not to delve too deeply into the strange changes caused by holding that sword. Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t think Light would tell if he asked. However, it would be troublesome if it continued like this. Ban Yu-won gave him a serious look and asked. ¡°Light, I wish you could be honest with me. That power is controllable, right?¡± ¡°O-Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have passed the entrance exam. I was angry at the Professor earlier, so I inadvertently¡­it¡¯s just that I hate lies.¡± Light avoided his gaze and lowered his head slightly in response, revealing an elegant neckline below his soft, curving blonde hair. Excessively elegant. ¡°You hate lies.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He resisted the desire to snort. Ban Yu-won and Light weren¡¯t close enough to confide in each other the truth, so it was rude to question him any further. He had no choice but to be satisfied with this today. ¡°I¡¯ll trust that you can control it, okay?¡± ¡°Trust me. There will never be another nuisance like today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you know it was a nuisance. It was great to see him being swayed by an artifact.¡± Dok Go-yeon, who was happily eating a spoonful of the jam Ban Yu-won had given her with the yogurt that came out for dessert, heard this and sarcastically responded. ¡°By the way, Ban Yu-won.¡± The cross pupils turned upon Ban Yu-won. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of something for all of us, right?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I am trying to understand you.¡± That¡¯s why you¡¯re scary! But now was the time to get over Dok Go-yeon¡¯s creepiness, staring at him, and get to the matter at hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t we create our own channel?¡± ¡°Channel?¡± ¡°A video channel on the intranet. We used it yesterday, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we would use it only when we had no power?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m already going with the flow.¡± After eating all of the fried rice, Ban Yu-won took a sip of the colorless carbonated beverage that could be drawn infinitely from the water purifier, pushed it away, and decided to eat yogurt like Dok Go-yeon. Ruchel had already put her head down in the yogurt with jam, but her ears were perked up to listen to Ban Yu-won. That was cute. ¡°That¡¯s how things are. Once we have asserted the rules, others will try to accuse us similarly. In other words, they will tackle every single action we take. As if to challenge us, ¡®Are you so good at obeying the law? I¡¯ll be watching you!¡¯¡± ¡°Hmmmm.¡± Dok Go-yeon nodded. ¡°At that time, there will be a limit to the position that we can secure simply with force. Oh, except for you, Dok Go-yeon, and I¡¯m talking about the position of all of us.¡± ¡°I got it, so go on.¡± ¡°In preparation for that, I felt the need to create our image. Not only does it make it impossible to underestimate our individual abilities, but it also serves to secure emotional sympathy with an unspecified number of people in advance to prevent those who hate us from attacking us.¡± It could be said to be a very common art of living in Korea or the Earth, building a fictitious good image to raise awareness of the person and to give trust to their words and actions. This was what chaebols or members of the National Assembly intended when they deliberately used the subway or took pictures of them wearing shoes with the soles off. Although it was trying to deceive the public with transparent guile, it was actually very effective. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± Contrary to Dok Go-yeon, who quickly grasped it, Light and Ruchel tilted their heads. ¡°In a nutshell, it¡¯s about making the Academy officials feel friendly to us. Maybe something like this is also in the Academy¡¯s curriculum?¡± ¡°If that were possible, those things wouldn¡¯t have happened yesterday or today!¡± ¡°Indeed, learning and practicing are two different things.¡± But Ban Yu-won was confident. In the past few days, looking around the Internet of this world (of course, besides the intranet, there was an internet communication network that most people used in this dimension), Ban Yu-won realized that the media in this world wasn¡¯t so developed compared to Earth. Thinking about it carefully, it was natural since Union was the highest-level dimension, and there were too many interesting elements to focus on instead, such as dungeons, the Tower, real gods, and so on. ¡®In other words, since the Earth has been stagnant for a long time without obtaining Magic Power, it can be said that the only way to attract people¡¯s interest is the abnormally developed world.¡¯ And Ban Yu-won was a favorite of modern civilization. It was embarrassing to say this, but his language comprehension wasn¡¯t just at the level of understanding and handling language well. He also had a natural talent for processing language to create interesting things. ¡°You just have to give me the right to film you. I¡¯ll take care of all the rest. From now on, we¡¯re building a solid image of ourselves in this academy and this dimension. So that no one looking down on people from a lower dimension can say anything to us.¡± ¡°How are you so confident? Of course, I don¡¯t mean to ignore your abilities¡­.¡± ¡°The first is our appearance.¡± As if Ban Yu-won was waiting for Light¡¯s point, who was still ignorant, he responded: ¡°The three of you, your faces aren¡¯t bad to look at. Of course, I don¡¯t have an ugly face either.¡± ¡°I-I think you¡¯re handsome. Very¡­.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Ban Yu-won scratched his cheek at Ruchel¡¯s sudden compliment and continued. ¡°The most powerful factor that attracts people¡¯s attention is their appearance. I wondered if that wouldn¡¯t work since the culture is different or the dimension is different, but that¡¯s not the case. With this alone, the basic conditions have already been passed.¡± ¡°The second is the skills, right?¡± ¡°Bingo. In the end, the most important thing here is a skill. If everyone can accurately recognize our abilities, there will be no needless fights in the future. I still lack a bit, but I¡¯ll catch up quickly, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Fufu.¡± Dok Go-yeon laughed meaningfully. Maybe it was because she noticed that Ban Yu-won had changed quite a bit today compared to yesterday. When convinced that everyone was listening to him seriously, Ban Yu-won sighed. ¡°Actually, I figured we won¡¯t be able to take our classes easy if it goes on like this, so I came up with a special measure. I don¡¯t have enough time, so I can¡¯t be held up with those provocations.¡± ¡°Ban Yu-won, don¡¯t fret. It¡¯s fast enough now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ban Yu-won smiled. ¡°Anyway, if we have a channel, we won¡¯t lose anything. First, let¡¯s decide on a name. Actually, I thought of many good names to attract attention, but I still have to get your consent¡­.¡± But he shouldn¡¯t have said that. At the word ¡®name¡¯, even Ruchel, who had been quiet, raised her head, and Light and Dok Go-yeon began to frantically spit out candidates. But collectively decided, their channel name was Rebellion (Treason). Everyone wondered why it had become a name overflowing with so many teenage feelings, but it was the only one they all agreed on. Ban Yu-won despaired that they wouldn¡¯t be able to attract anyone¡¯s attention with such a name, but the channel managed to secure 100 subscribers on the intranet within that day. In the same way, the channel they opened on a video site got a whopping 1,000 subscribers! ¡­Maybe the first video on the channel, where Dok Go-yeon beat on Light, was too effective. CH 18 Lesson 5. The Tower is one-way ¨C 1 [You stole 0.1 Devil, 0.05 Life, 0.03 Physique, and 0.2 Archery from the Goblin Archer.] Thursday after school, outside the dungeon, Ban Yu-won examined the amount of concept absorbed from the Goblin he had just killed. ¡®As expected, I wasn¡¯t mistaken. It decreased.¡¯ When Ban Yu-won¡¯s concept of Life exceeded 50, the efficiency of absorbing the Goblin¡¯s Life was halved again. Nevertheless, the Goblins still had concepts of decent quantity and quality, so he worked hard on Tuesday and Wednesday to the extent that he conquered two or three dungeons a day. But today, not only general Goblins but also the Warriors and Archers gave less. ¡®Maybe this is¡­is it because I got too many concepts from the Goblins?¡¯ He thought the Babylonian Code had no limits, but he was mistaken. Having already killed many Goblins and collected concepts, it was a natural change for them to gradually decrease. If he compared it to a game, it could be said, ¡®If you kill a lot of the same monsters, the experience points you get will decrease.¡¯ ¡°I think it will become zero at some point.¡± Ban Yu-won cleaned up the scene, sighed, and read his body¡¯s code. [Life: 99.74 Physique: 66.21 Soul: 334.8 Magic Power: 75.36 Martial Arts 49 [Swordsmanship 27, Sewing 22] Lead: 6 Riding: 15 ¨D The ability to control horses, cars, and other vehicles. Complete Sight: 110 Complete Hearing:100 Complete Speaking: 102] After three days of classes, his code showed the results of his diligent efforts. Of course, Life was the one that developed the most, but Ban Yu-won was prouder of his Magic Power and Martial Arts. This was because these two codes had grown by themselves more than he had absorbed them from the Goblins. ¡®Especially Martial Arts. Every time I stab, Swordsmanship grows along with Sewing.¡¯ To put it bluntly, the Goblins¡¯ combat skills were poor. Zatoichi, no, the Blind Goblin Warrior he met in the first practical evaluation dungeon, was at the most respectable level. In the other dungeons, most bosses were just these Hobgoblins with regular Goblins. Fortunately, one of Eve¡¯s core concepts, the Wicked Beast, grew to 18 thanks to the Hobgoblin¡¯s unique code. ¡°I may have to try another dungeon soon. Is it okay, Eve?¡± ¡°Shhhhhhhhh.¡± Eve reassured him that, despite Ban Yu-won¡¯s concerns, there might be many monsters with the concept of Wicked if he went to a higher dungeon. ¡°¡­Yes, tomorrow is the day we enter the Tower, so let¡¯s go through one more dungeon. From the beginning, the goal is to gain more than 100 Life.¡± ¡°Shhhh.¡± ¡°Do you want to go on a drive? Okay. We have some time left, and it wouldn¡¯t be bad to improve my riding skills.¡± The vehicle Eve was talking about was, of course, the hoverbike Onyx he had bought on Monday. The qualification exam? He passed easily. It was thanks to absorbing the concept of Riding from a very old saddle among the relics that his grandfather brought him! As a result, Ban Yu-won could handle the bike like it was part of his own body and even grew the concept by three. ¡°And I¡¯m going to do that too. I¡¯ve promised you, right? I would make younger siblings for you if your Spirit Weapon reached 30.¡± ¡°Shhhhhh.¡± ¡°Great. Then let¡¯s go.¡± As a result of experimenting for a few days, Ban Yu-won realized that the effect of a concept increased greatly with each increment of 10, so he decided to grow Eve¡¯s core concept to 30. Currently, it is 29.5. No matter how little the Goblins offered now, there was no way that he couldn¡¯t collect this much. * * * ¡°Human, I will curse you¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah, sure you are. I know you don¡¯t have the concept of Curse.¡± Ban Yu-won¡¯s sword pierced the Hobgoblin¡¯s neck. When he turned around, the hundreds of Goblin corpses were already dissolving, and each one was slain by a sword. Ban Yu-won, who could now deal with the Goblins without difficulty, decided to get hands-on experience clearing the boss room. ¡°I still don¡¯t feel it. I guess it would be right to stop now.¡± To think it was only a few days ago he was struggling to survive. He reached out his hand and absorbed the codes from the corpses. [You can no longer absorb the concept of Life from the Goblin species.] As expected, when his Life passed 100, that message appeared along with a feeling of tightness in his body. He absorbed the Life of the Hobgoblin that was still valid, reached 101, and inspected himself. ¡°Um, hmmm¡­!¡± He couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what had changed. However, a strange sense of upliftment swirled around him. What should he say about this feeling? Confidence? Or presence? Yes, it was a feeling that convinced him that he had a bigger role in the world. ¡°Raise yourself, lower your enemies. So that¡¯s what it is.¡± Visible growth was fun. He could see why people were so obsessed with the status window. Ban Yu-won smiled at this new sense of pleasure. ¡°Shhhh.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the rest of the Life, so wait. No, I¡¯ll leave your sibling¡¯s share¡­.¡± Eve, too, was able to grow by gaining Life. Although since it was able to grow Life on its own, of course, Ban Yu-won wasn¡¯t able to give Life over directly, and it couldn¡¯t go higher than the depth of the Devil, which was its first core concept. ¡°Okay, are you done with this?¡± It ate up not only the Hobgoblin but also the other Goblins and their weapons. Only after coming out of the dungeon did Ban Yu-won start today¡¯s plan. ¡°Onyx.¡± The streamlined black motorcycle didn¡¯t respond to Ban Yu-won¡¯s call since it was a normal hoverbike. But that would soon change. Didn¡¯t Ban Yu-won already have experience in bringing things to life? ¡°However, it has better compatibility since you were a club¡­all right, let¡¯s get insurance.¡± Ban Yu-won drew several concepts from his Code Core. Implanting Spirit into any object didn¡¯t make it an artifact. Just as the Goblin Club inhabited a club-shaped object, it was necessary to carefully examine the compatibility between objects and concepts and their combinations. Still, he had been thinking about synthesizing concepts for a few days, so he organized how to successfully turn this bike into an artifact. Today¡¯s core concept was Wicked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t give you everything, Eve.¡± ¡°Shhh, shhhh.¡± Eve wrapped up his arm, telling him not to worry. Ban Yu-won gently stroked the snake¡¯s head, then looked at the hoverbike. [Floating Car 30, Magic Core 30, Speed 30, Magic Resistance 20, Hardening 10] Floating Car literally meant a flying car, and the Magic Core was the Mana core that drove this motorcycle, just like a dungeon core. Speed was the movement ability given by the motorcycle¡¯s design, and Magic Resistance was probably related to the ability to resist the magic waves of the dungeon¡­and lastly, Hardening was probably a function of the motorcycle¡¯s reinforced front fender. ¡°Leave Floating Car as it is. Speed and Hardening are good for now. The important thing is¡­haah.¡± It was the Magic Core. The thought that a 3.2 million Ronia worth hoverbike would be wasted if he made a mistake made even Ban Yu-won nervous. But if he took a step back, he would miss the opportunity to grow as the master of the Babylonian Code. There were times when you had to push ahead and risk failure. That was right now! ¡°Separate Magic and Core, and synthesize 2 Wicked and 5 Spirit with them, respectively.¡± With one hand, he touched the motorcycle and split the Magic Core in half, and with his other hand, he injected Wicked and Spirit to combine Wicked with Magic and Spirit inside the Core. The moment the concept of the Magic Core was split, the motorcycle vibrated terribly as if it might explode. But the next moment, the synthesis started, and Ban Yu-won stepped back to watch. ¡°Please, please work¡­!¡± At that moment, an unusual pattern engraved itself on the motorcycle¡¯s Mana core, burning red and emitting smoke. [Hoverbike Onyx Core 15 was combined with Spirit 5. It is a concept that cannot be synthesized.] [Hoverbike Onyx¡¯s Magic 15 was combined with Wicked 2. Due to the perfect compatibility, transcendental synthesis was completed, and Wicked Magic 20 was completed!] [Due to the presence of Wicked Magic, the synthesis of Core 15 and Spirit 5 was successful. Spirit Core 20 was completed! Wicked Magic resides in the Spirit Core and provides power. You have succeeded in creating a higher-level artifact!] He did it! [Due to the excellent expression of abilities, the depth of Complete Sight, Complete Hearing, and Complete Speaking increased by 5 each! [The depth of Life has been increased to 110.] [The depth of Magic Power has been increased to 82.] [The depth of Soul has been increased to 340.] ¡°Whoa.¡± Due to the completion of the artifact, his abilities had also grown significantly. It was different from when he created the Goblin Club accidentally. This was possible because he thought deeply about the concept of language. ¡°You are Lilith.¡± -Vrooom The first was Eve, so the second was Lilith. It was a weird name to give a motorcycle, but the engine rumbled with delight. But it wasn¡¯t over yet. Ban Yu-won also gave it 1 Life, 1 Soul, and, as a bonus, a collection of Sharpness drawn from many knives. It could even attack with the front fender, so there was no harm in making it sharper. And what was born as a result was¡­ [Floating Car 30, Magic Resistance 20, Spirit Core 20, Life 1, Soul 1, Speed 30, Magic Resistance 20, Hardening 10, Sharpness 20] Instead of analyzing the flow of the completed code, Ban Yu-won patted Lilith¡¯s handle and asked. ¡°Hmm¡­you don¡¯t need Magic Resistance anymore, do you?¡± -Vroooom It rang the engine in affirmation. Why was Magic Resistance necessary? Why did machines, or magical tools, break down in places like dungeons? That was because the refined magic inside the magic tool was shaken by the magic wave of the dungeon and ran wild until the internal structure was destroyed. This was prevented by giving magic tools the ability to resist magic or making those that moved and controlled their own magic, like Eve and Lilith. In other words, Artifacts were unaffected by the dungeon. ¡®So, this guy will be able to enter the dungeons from now on, and of course the Tower¡­.¡¯ Ban Yu-won suddenly thought about his student ID card. This was a magic tool, but why had it been fine in the dungeons so far? He didn¡¯t know the internal structure of the student ID because the analysis hadn¡¯t been completed yet. But once it was, he knew his abilities would grow once more. ¡®For now, let¡¯s take out Magic Resistance. Can it be divided into Magic and Resistance? I don¡¯t think so.¡¯ However, it was possible to extract only the Resistance from the Magic Resistance, but the conversion rate was atrocious. Ban Yu-won became confused when he saw that the 20 Magic Resistance turned into only 1. ¡°For now¡­should I keep it with me?¡± He put it into his body. [You have gained 1 Resistance. You gained resistance to all negativity.] But, surprisingly, it made a huge difference. Not only did his body and mental strength become stronger, but he also felt the power gathering somewhere in his body. ¡°Is it because it is a concept that can be applied regardless of body and mind? This was a huge benefit.¡± It was enough that Ban Yu-won considered selling the rest of the gold ingots and buying a dozen more motorcycles to take their Resistance, but he shook his head. If he searched, he would surely find more objects with the concept of Resistance. ¡°Then let¡¯s go on a drive, Eve asked.¡± ¡°Shhhhhh.¡± He got on Lilith with Eve wrapped around his arm and acting cute. Although there was no change in appearance, it felt strangely comfortable, like Lilith softly embraced him. ¡®I can¡¯t just go around talking about it. I¡¯ll be treated like a madman.¡¯ ¡°But it¡¯s not enough if only the ride quality is good. Then¡­shall we fly?¡± -Vroooooom! At that moment, Lilith accelerated even though Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t start the engine, at a markedly different rate from yesterday, even faster than the top speed he¡¯d experienced before! Ban Yu-won grabbed the steering wheel before he fell off. ¡®This is so cool¡­!¡¯ His flying over the past three days was just a joke compared to this. Now, Ban Yu-won was truly galloping through the sky! However, at that moment, he flew so high that he could see a part of the floating island where the academy was located. He noticed a black shimmer near the huge tower that strictly controlled students¡¯ entry into the Tower of Babel. Maybe he had seen it wrong. It would be easier if he thought about it that way, but Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t help but grumble. ¡°Something is sure to happen tomorrow¡­.¡± He decided to consult with Yoo Mina first. He was a man who never overlooked trivial events, after all. And the next day, the day to enter the Tower of Babel finally arrived. CH 19 Lesson 5. The Tower is one-way ¨C 2 ¡°W-Why are there so many people looking at us?¡± On Friday morning, while desperately struggling to eat something similar to coriander on top of the rice noodles, Ruchel suddenly trembled and murmured. Ban Yu-won responded kindly by extracting every concept of scent she was uncomfortable with from the noodles. ¡°That¡¯s because, in two days, our channel has grown a huge following watched by a third of people at the Academy.¡± ¡°A third?¡± Light, struggling with the smell of the noodles just like Ruchel, muttered in awe. Given Light was someone fun to tease, Ban Yu-won left his bowl be, and instead, he answered: ¡°Yeah, 500 people. Isn¡¯t that awesome? In fact, the plan is moving ten times faster than I thought. Everyone is taken aback for different reasons. Perhaps in the future, there will be fewer quarrels during lectures, and no one will be able to bully us because they¡¯ll be mindful of other people.¡± Ban Yu-won¡¯s plan far exceeded his expectations. Perhaps the reason was that the appearance of their members was exceptionally excellent even in this academy where talented people from all dimensions gathered. The fact that Dok Go-yeon and Light showed off their splendid and terrible power must also be a big part of it. But it wasn¡¯t just for that. A video where everyone gathered to have a meal together, their classes, them playing a board game Ban Yu-won brought from Earth after dinner (this was a huge hit). Above all, it was also important to mobilize the media editing power of Ban Yu-Won¡¯s modern Earth to make the tea time video with Professor Yoo Mina, one of the academy¡¯s powerhouses, much more interesting than it actually was. ¡°We will hook them with entertainment and make them stick around. There was no such medium in my hometown, so I can¡¯t believe how fast and dramatic the response was. It¡¯s really interesting.¡± ¡°I bet it will be more fun in the future. We¡¯re going to get more attention.¡± In fact, their videos were gaining more and more popularity outside the academy. There were no regulations prohibiting it, but the academy students hadn¡¯t come up with the idea of ??making videos of their daily life before. But suddenly, four handsome boys and girls gathered to film and upload videos of their lives at the academy, so it had to be a hit. ¡°Uh, uuuuuh¡­but¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it, Ruchel.¡± And in this current moment, it was Ruchel who received most of the attention. Of course, Light and Dok Go-yeon were very good-looking, but they were too overwhelming in terms of skills, so people felt distant from them. But Ruchel had only been exposed as a puppy, and she was beautiful. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree with this two days ago¡­huh? Now the noodles don¡¯t have that weird soap taste! Ban, thank you¡­!¡± Ruchel, frowning as she felt the gazes upon her, dug into the rice noodle soup with a happy gleam in her eyes. Ban Yu-won smiled, and Dok Go-yeon, slowly savoring the rice noodles next to him, then snorted and scolded Ruchel. ¡°Weird soap taste? It seems you don¡¯t even know how to eat it. This scent is what enhances the taste of this dish.¡± ¡°Dok Go-yeon, you know how to eat.¡± Ban Yu-won divided the concept of scent extracted from Ruchel¡¯s rice noodles in half and divided it into his own bowl and Dok Go-yeon¡¯s. It was the first time he¡¯d shown the concept of language so blatantly, so Dok Go-yeon narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Will you be okay?¡± ¡°Do you think they would know this even if they saw it?¡± ¡°No, not even a bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something I can hide. Do you have your answer now?¡± ¡°Yes. Hiding it while showing that blatant attitude is the best method of concealment.¡± With that satisfied evaluation he had become used to over the past five days, Dok Go-yeon sipped the broth and exclaimed with satisfaction. ¡°So that¡¯s how you made the elixir¡­.¡± ¡°I added one more step to that, though.¡± ¡°Err, Ban.¡± As everyone ate to their satisfaction, Light cautiously held out the bowl. ¡°Could you take out some from mine too¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°T-The weird soap¡­.¡± As Dok Go-yeon glared at Light when she heard the word soap, Light pouted his lips and protested. ¡°What can I do if it smells like soap?!¡± ¡°Haah, you don¡¯t know how to respect and accept cuisines from different cultures. It is deplorable.¡± ¡°You also threw away the potage that came out last time.¡± ¡°The level of the chef was just poor that day.¡± They were indeed fun to watch. Ban Yu-won ignored them as they started fighting and took out only the concept of the scent Light didn¡¯t like from his bowl. ¡°Ban¡­!¡± He had the eyes of someone looking at their savior. ¡°But why don¡¯t you try a little bit? The academy won¡¯t show this variety at every meal.¡± ¡°Ugh, indeed. I¡¯m always learning something from you.¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m different from you, who is swung by a sword.¡± ¡°Why are you the one proud of that?¡± In the end, they continued to fight. Ban Yu-won wondered if they knew they had to enter the Tower after their meal or if he should be glad they were maintaining their normal condition. At this point, he gave up on intervening and decided to just enjoy the meal. To be honest, from his perspective, he thought that he was just lucky to be eating for free. * * * ¡°You know, right? Today is the day you¡¯ll enter the Tower.¡± Yoo Mina, who gathered them into the doorless classroom, explained. ¡°Actually, people have been entering since dawn. The 5th graders, the seniors, entered first, and now the sophomores are entering.¡± ¡°Of course, we must be last even among the first years, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± At Ban Yu-won¡¯s question, Yoo Mina looked at him and shook her head with a smile. ¡°Student Ban Yu-won¡¯s plan worked well for the faculty as well. I made a proposal to have you guys, since you are attracting attention within the academy, enter first among the first years¡­surprisingly, it passed.¡± ¡°Professor, I love you.¡± Yoo Mina smiled as Ban Yu-won made a heart with his fingers. Next, Ban Yu-won asked an important question. ¡°Is it possible to film the inside of the Tower?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check it out, but you know cameras break down quickly inside the Tower, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± But he also knew how to keep those machines from breaking down in the dungeon. Thus, Ban Yu-won was accompanied by Tyche, a drone with a camera created after Eve and Lilith! He wouldn¡¯t admit that he chose a random name since he couldn¡¯t think of a more plausible one after Eve and Lilith. ¡°I guess that means you¡¯ve created something else. Well, that¡¯s the answer to your question, but it¡¯s not forbidden. The Tower¡¯s internal structure changes every moment, so filming is meaningless. And since it¡¯s pointless, there¡¯s no need to stop you.¡± He had already confirmed that while preparing to enter the Tower. The interior was a space similar to a dungeon with monsters and traps. At this point, he felt like calling his ancestors and telling them that these would lower the price of the building, but sadly, that was their reality. However, the Tower of Babel was completely different from the dungeons Ban Yu-won had explored for the past few days. The key difference was internal volatility. The structure changed each time, and one could never reach the same place twice. Once they left, it was over, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn¡¯t go back. Naturally, the composition of monsters and traps constantly changed, and the difficulty level was amped up a little each time. ¡®It is the perfect condition for testing and nurturing humans.¡¯ It could be said the conditions were too harsh for explorers, but that wasn¡¯t necessarily the case because the Tower was full of mysterious energy, so people inside couldn¡¯t die. To be precise, in most areas, the challengers wouldn¡¯t die but would return to the entrance of the Tower instead. ¡°Everyone has their student ID, right? You should never forget it, as it is not only your ticket to the Tower but there¡¯s also a tracker for how deep you¡¯ve explored.¡± Ban Yu-won took out his student ID and quickly found the number 0 on it. This new function of the student ID was opened ahead of entry to the Tower. ¡°As everyone knows from your classes, this indicates how deep you have reached inside the Tower. It starts with room 0 and counts up by one as you progress.¡± ¡°Room¡­.¡± The characteristic structural changes that occurred in the Tower were called Shifts, and it was said that the more Shifts you experienced, the deeper you were in the Tower. For each one they experienced, this number would tick up. ¡°Do you know the best record, Professor?¡± Yoo Mina responded to Ban Yu-won¡¯s question with a satisfied nod. ¡°Sure. The all-time high was Room 561. Is that helpful?¡± The party was stunned by the unexpected record. Ban Yu-won raised his hand again and asked. ¡°Room 561 isn¡¯t a depth that can be explored in a few days.¡± ¡°As long as they don¡¯t die inside the Tower, the challenger can record their achieved position. And the next time they enter, they can start from there through their student ID.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why this was essential to climbing the Tower¡­.¡± This academy was also insane for distributing items with teleportation, keys, and save functions for free to all students. But more than that, what surprised Ban Yu-won right now was¡­ ¡®It¡¯s like a game with an intermediate save function.¡¯ Of course, the conditions were tougher than the games he¡¯d played. The map changed every time, and the monsters changed too. If he died, he would have to start all over again. But, on the contrary, maybe it was better since their abilities weren¡¯t reset. ¡­Although there was a time limit of five years to clear it. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Dok Go-yeon smiled bewitchingly while examining her student ID. Ban Yu-won shuddered at the subtle spread of her fighting will. Light, on the other hand, was holding his student ID without saying a word. And Ruchel was¡­staring at Ban Yu-won, unsure what to do. ¡®I mean, there is nothing I can do even if you look at me like that.¡¯ But Ban Yu-won¡¯s desire to climb the Tower wasn¡¯t inferior to theirs. ¡®If I wanted to live peacefully on Earth, I could¡¯ve. But this is my choice. I¡¯m determined to fight, even if it means risking my life.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t tell what kind of feelings his colleagues, who were in the same position as him, had or whether they were hesitant. However, they could never feel lighthearted as they were about to climb the Tower that was said to turn people into gods. Perhaps when they learned of Ban Yu-won¡¯s simple reason for ??climbing the Tower, they might find it absurd and ridicule him. However, Ban Yu-won¡¯s desire for the Tower was one he cherished since childhood. Although worldly and simple, it was just as pure and intense and enough to convince him that he was ready to throw away his life when he saw it. ¡°I think everyone is mentally ready. But I have one last thing to say.¡± Yoo Mina, making eye contact with Ban Yu-won again, nodded. ¡°It has to do with the dimensional pirates I mentioned the other day. In registering new students as Tower Climbers, a gap is revealed in the Tower¡¯s barrier. This is when the success rate of a dimensional pirates¡¯ invasion is highest.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Irregular phenomenon can occur due to their intrusion. In a nutshell, it means you can encounter dimensional pirates inside the Tower.¡± It was as if Ruchel¡¯s heart had stopped, but Professor Yoo Mina continued. ¡°What you should be wary of is the irregular phenomenon itself rather than the intruders. There is no death inside the Tower, but that isn¡¯t absolute. Especially regarding Irregulars.¡± The Tower couldn¡¯t absolutely guarantee the safety of its climbers, and to say that it was safe in ¡®most¡¯ areas meant that there were also unsafe areas. With Irregulars, the Law of the Tower was disturbed, and the students involved were at risk. ¡°So, for your safety, it is my judgment as the professor in charge that it is better to finish this expedition as soon as possible and return. Then I¡¯ll ask¡­class leader, for how many days do you plan to be on this expedition?¡± Ban Yu-won turned to his colleagues. In fact, this had already been communicated to them. He looked back, thinking that maybe someone had changed their mind in the meantime, but Dok Go-yeon, Light, and even Ruchel nodded quietly. In the end, he shrugged and looked back at Yoo Mina. ¡°Three days and two nights.¡± ¡°Okay, now it¡¯s your turn. Bye.¡± The moment Yoo Mina clapped her hands, they found themselves standing in front of the entrance to the huge Tower. Behind them were all the first-year students who had lost their lead to Class 11. Many of the academy¡¯s associate Professors and the nine full Professors, including Yoo Mina, were all paying attention to them. ¡°Are you all ready?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­Certainly.¡± ¡°Uh, uuuh.¡± He wasn¡¯t happy with those answers, but Ban Yu-won suppressed the desire to say something and pulled out the camera drone. The Professors¡¯ eyes grew large as they saw it move as if it were alive and zipping around Ban Yu-won. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go in.¡± The four rebels and the artificial creature that followed them entered the Tower as the first freshmen this year. It was noisy, but would they find prosperity in the end? ¡®Ancestors, just wait.¡¯ Prosperity or not, Ban Yu-won was certain it would continue to be noisy. CH 20 Lesson 5. The Tower is one-way ¨C 3 A hallway with plenty of space even when four people entered abreast. The wall was lined with torches at regular intervals, but as they approached, they didn¡¯t exude any heat. The Tower was a space that turned fantasy into reality, and Ban Yu-won realized that now he was inside. ¡®But the funny thing is there is a clear concept of Fire in that torch.¡¯ He considered taking it out, but it was impossible because Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t have ownership of this torch. However, in the dungeon he entered, it was possible to extract the concept from the obvious trap even though it wasn¡¯t his, so what could be the difference? Perhaps realizing this would help him to embody his abilities more deeply¡­ ¡°Ban?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I spaced out for a second.¡± Leaving his thoughts at Light¡¯s call, he saw Dok Go-yeon giving him a fierce scowl. ¡°We¡¯re in hostile territory. I won¡¯t forgive even you if you lose it.¡± ¡°They said that the battle doesn¡¯t start until the Shift happens, that is, until we get into Room 1. Don¡¯t be too harsh on Ban.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± After entering the Tower, Dok Go-yeon was acting a bit more sensitive. It was Ban Yu-won¡¯s fault, so he apologized to both of them, and the four of them grouped together and decided to explore the Tower in earnest. But when the atmosphere subsided and they started walking, Dok Go-yeon suddenly asked him. ¡°So, what did you check on the torch?¡± ¡°You knew and yet scolded me? You really¡­it¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you trying to see if you could extract that flame?¡± This woman was too sharp, but Ban Yu-won pretended to be calm and nodded. ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°But it didn¡¯t work. If it were possible, we would have been able to freely utilize the topography of the Tower¡­.¡± ¡°Stop thinking one step further than me about my abilities. It¡¯s scary, and this isn¡¯t the only thing I can do, so just wait and watch.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± At that moment, Ruchel let out a weak groan and grabbed Ban Yu-won¡¯s arm. At the same time, Ban Yu-won watched as the concept of the Tower filling the air was transformed into something else. ¡°¡­Shift.¡± ¡°We¡¯re now in Room 1.¡± Light checked the number 1 flashing on the student ID hanging around his neck, bit his lip, drew the Sword of Light, and hefted it. ¡°Light, I¡¯ll trust you, okay?¡± ¡°Just trust me.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± The sword made of golden light was an artifact of a high level that the current Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t even imagine. Light¡¯s behavior and personality changed from the moment he grabbed that sword was unsettling, but looking at the depths of the concepts overflowing from the sword, those worries seemed unfounded this time around. ¡°Ruchel, don¡¯t hide and come out too.¡± ¡°Ah, uh, but¡­.¡± ¡°If needed, I will kill them for you.¡± Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t understand half of the conversation between Dok Go-yeon and Ruchel. However, after hearing those words and seeing that Ruchel¡¯s posture had straightened out, there seemed to be a connection between the two. They did share a room, so there was nothing strange about their relationship progressing. If so, Ban Yu-won and Light, who shared the same room, must also understand each other in some ways¡­there seemed to be a high probability that it was one-sided. ¡°Up.¡± Ruchel muttered as huge drops of water fell from the ceiling where there were nothing moments before. As Eve hurriedly transformed into a shield to block it, Light leaped forward and swung his sword. The water evaporated and disappeared with a pop. ¡°Cloth Eater. It¡¯s a monster notorious for disarming explorers by devouring their equipment.¡± It was a monster he had seen in a textbook that analyzed the various monsters appearing in the Tower. There was a high probability their equipment would become unusable if they weren¡¯t scraped off in time. If unlucky, there were cases where they could end up naked. If it had happened without them noticing, it would be a disaster. That¡¯s why Ban Yu-won wasn¡¯t disappointed. Not¡­disappointed¡­! ¡°Room 1, a Cloth Eater¡­fortunately, I think it will be advantageous for us. We¡¯re all people with sharp senses.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that nothing else will appear. Everyone, keep an eye out.¡± If there was one other characteristic difference between the dungeon and the Tower, the monsters randomly jumped out from the walls. The party set the areas each would be in charge of, up, down, left, and right, and went out of the room, diligently popping the Cloth Eaters. Compared to their stealth and speed, they lacked endurance, so there was no need to waste power. ¡°Hyahh!¡± ¡°Quiet. Are you going to be that loud every time you swing your sword?¡± ¡°Hap! Ugh¡­! And you, you are too quiet!¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Light fired off light from his sword, and Dok Go-yeon seemed to just snap her fingers, and water droplets in the distance burst by themselves. ¡°Hyaaaah!¡± -Bang! Surprisingly, on the other hand, Ruchel was an Infighter type, unimaginable given her slender body, but she smashed the enemies with her bare hands! Whenever a drop of water flew in her direction, she ran in at a startling speed and left no trace. [You absorbed 0.8 Life, 1.3 Devil, and 1.1 Melting from many Cloth Eater corpses.] ¡®No, she does leave some traces.¡¯ Ban Yu-won smiled as he saw the chunk of code. In fact, before he entered the Tower, he had two concerns. One was whether he could extract the codes from the monsters in the Tower just like the monsters from the dungeon, and the other was whether he would be able to extract the code from monsters his comrades had killed. In terms of the results, both were affirmative. Thanks to his increased ability, the codes could be released and absorbed without even approaching the corpses. ¡®Of course, there are significant differences. The absorption of Life is significantly lower compared to when Eve or I directly kill them.¡¯ However, he could absorb all other concepts and wouldn¡¯t whine since he didn¡¯t feel right stealing from his companion¡¯s kills in the first place. He couldn¡¯t tell them right now but considering that his ability would further strengthen his colleagues in the future, this was acceptable. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± At that moment, Dok Go-yeon, handling everything with a snap of her fingers, suddenly looked back at Ban Yu-won. He flinched, wondering if she had noticed that he was absorbing the codes, but she pointed to Eve. ¡°Is that what it looks like in battle?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, well, yes.¡± Claaank! Eve had now turned into a bundle of chains and was floating in the air, shooting out whenever it saw Cloth Eaters. He gave Eve the whole 10 remaining Sharpness from what he had given Lilith yesterday, and since the act of shooting chains also fell into the category of Wild Shooting, it was brutally effective. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. It¡¯s also fast¡­.¡± Even as she said so, her eyes clearly suspected it shouldn¡¯t be that much. Ban Yu-won shrugged, stabbing the Cloth Eater that just rose by his feet. ¡°There are stronger ones, but they can be noisy.¡± ¡°Louder than them?¡± At that, Dok Go-yeon snorted and pointed at Light and Ruchel, who were running wild ahead. ¡°Ha! Hyaah! Die!¡± ¡°Hahhhhh!¡± Unlike Ban Yu-won, who knew that it was better not to make excess noise during a dungeon exploration, and Dok Go-yeon, who was naturally quiet, Light and Ruchel practically shouted their presence every moment. You know, the sounds that come out whenever we hit basic attack commands in a game? It was just like that. ¡°Light seems to have a lot of combat experience, so why¡­.¡± ¡°Not all combat experiences are directly related to these special environments.¡± After the battle, Ban Yu-Won let out a small sigh, deciding to tell them himself. But putting aside Light, Ruchel was¡­for some reason, it felt like she was driven by instinct, so he felt that she wasn¡¯t going to get any better in the future. After they advanced a bit while fighting like that, the Cloth Eaters started to decrease. ¡°Do you think the Room will be changing soon?¡± ¡°No. I feel a strong energy gathering, and a monster with a different level is about to appear.¡± ¡°It sounds like an elite monster will appear, but from Room 1¡­.¡± Elite Monster. Like a dungeon Boss Monster, it was a Tower monster with strong abilities. Unlike normal monsters that disappeared, leaving nothing behind when they died (that¡¯s why Ban Yu-won could absorb the codes without hesitation), these guys often left something behind, so Elite Monsters were one of the ways that students could earn money in the Tower. The problem was that in most situations, encountering an Elite Monster meant getting kicked out of the Tower. ¡°¡­!¡± As soon as he heard Dok Go-yeon¡¯s warning, Ban Yu-won looked around. A stream of golden strings shone brightly on one side of the wall and gathered together! It was closest to Ruchel. ¡°Ruchel!¡± ¡°!¡± Ruchel also seemed to have noticed it. She swung one hand, sweeping away the Cloth Eaters around her, and then dashed straight toward the thing that had just sprung from the wall. ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± Was it the sound of the monster? Ban Yu-won, who tilted his head, soon realized it was Ruchel¡¯s voice. Baaang! -Gaaaaaah Ruchel pounded hard against the wall. Something huge and amorphous that was welling from within the wall was smashed and destroyed without even being able to escape. Small, black glass crystals fell between them, probably Magic Cores. Ban Yu-Won hurriedly extracted the codes from the scattered monster¡¯s corpse and looked at Ruchel. ¡°Pant, pant, pant¡­whew.¡± After killing the monster, Ruchel was bent over and panting, but after her breathing calmed down, she picked up the Magic Core and returned to her party. Light looked at her with astonishment, and Dok Go-yeon, with a gaze that understood everything, nodded, but Ban Yu-won focused on her body. Precisely, her bangs. ¡®I thought she had highlighted them, but no.¡¯ The overall color of her hair was pink, and only a part of her bangs was dyed black, but now that part dyed in black was slightly stretched out. Moreover, a part of her body code that he hadn¡¯t seen was clearly visible. [Mental Brazier] It combined the concepts of Mind and Fire. To interpret it, it could be said that she gained strength by burning her emotions like fuel. ¡®What the hell? She¡¯s a normal Berserker.¡¯ Ban Yu-won, reaching that conclusion, smiled when he suddenly felt Ruchel pulling at his sleeve. ¡°W-Was that s-scary?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That, just now¡­.¡± She must have misunderstood the reason Ban Yu-won was staring at her. He shook his head, denying her concerns. ¡°Not at all. It was rather reliable.¡± ¡°Still, if I¡­get worse.¡± ¡°I said it was okay.¡± Perhaps Dok Go-yeon didn¡¯t like the way Ruchel hesitated and pulled at Ban Yu-won¡¯s sleeves as she spoke in a cold tone and slapped away her hand. ¡°If you lose your mind completely, I will kill you.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t, Dok Go-yeon. If even one person dies, our exploration will have to start over from Room 1.¡± ¡°If you think you¡¯ll keep going on like this, there is no choice but to climb with only us three. No, climbing only with Ban Yu-won wouldn¡¯t be bad.¡± ¡°Uhh, uuuh.¡± Indeed, Dok Go-yeon was Dok Go-yeon. Connection, my ass, she was only thinking about taking others out mercilessly! Ban Yu-won smiled bitterly as he looked at Ruchel, who trembled even more at Dok Go-yeon¡¯s cold attitude and gently grabbed her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it one more time.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Because I know why you are being more timid than necessary. We just need to find a solution.¡± ¡°Ah! T-Thank you¡­!¡± Ruchel was so moved that she grabbed his hand and trembled. Seeing her like that, Ban Yu-won thought she was really like a puppy. Meanwhile, Dok Go-yeon still wore a sulky expression. ¡°Were you just an ordinary man? Drooling over others¡¯ appearances¡­.¡± ¡°Such a misunderstanding. There¡¯s just no need to help you.¡± ¡°Heh, there¡¯s no point in changing your stance like that.¡± Although Dok Go-yeon coldly kicked away his blatant flattery, Ban Yu-won, the owner of Complete Sight, was able to reaffirm the truth (at least to the extent that he experienced) from her subtle changes in expression that she appreciated the praise. Ban Yu-won wasn¡¯t particularly attracted to Ruchel¡¯s beauty, and he did that just to make her feel better. To reiterate, the reason he held Ruchel¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t that he wanted to have close contact with a pretty girl. [Mental Brazier 5 ¨D Anger 2, Maniac 3] He was just analyzing her codes and thinking about how to get rid of the side effects of her ability. CH 21 Lesson 5. The Tower is one-way ¨C 4 ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t do anything else and focus. A Shift is taking place, and we¡¯re now in Room 2.¡± Light, who had taken a step back from the commotion, said as he looked around. It must have been the aftermath of killing an Elite Monster, as the surrounding environment was changing, and the grass was growing across the floor. In the meantime, Ban Yu-won put together all the concepts he took from the Cloth Eaters that he and his companions had caught and the Elite Monster that Ruchel hunted. [Life 8, Devil 11, Melting 12, Acid 5, Resistance 1] ¡®I¡¯ve been wandering around the dungeons for nothing.¡¯ Ban Yu-won thought so jokingly. Of course, it would have been impossible to explore the Tower like this now if he hadn¡¯t been diligently raking in the concepts while walking around the dungeons, but the income in Room 1 was unprecedented. Not only did he get enough Life to get close to ten Hobgoblins (i.e., 10 minimum dungeons), but it was also a great amount of concept to grow Eve and Lilith, and also the first time he found Melting and Acid. And even Resistance! ¡®As with Resistance, I got Acid from the Elite Monster Ruchel killed¡­maybe it means Acid Properties. Could it be possible to extract Pure Acid from here? Is that too much?¡¯ However, it was clear that Acid and Melting were also attributed that melted enemies, so it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to acquire. However, he was a little worried that any weapon he applied it to would melt. ¡®¡­It¡¯ll be fine, right? This also has blood poison anyway.¡¯ To test it, he took about 3 Melting out and applied it to an ordinary knife. The blade was fine, so he took it back and gave all 12 Melting to the Beheader¡¯s Longsword. Then, he would give it Acid too, but at that moment, Eve, who returned to the form of a snake, playfully bit Ban Yu-won¡¯s hand. He thought they were just acting cute, but their eyes were serious. ¡°You want it?¡± ¡°Shhhhhh.¡± Acid looked to have more combativeness than Melting¡­but he had not lost anything by following Eve¡¯s advice, so he boldly gave it away. Of course, nothing had changed outwardly, but he figured it would come up later. ¡°That thing, it got stronger.¡± Dok Go-yeon exclaimed. Ban Yu-won flinched and responded. ¡°Can you stop sneaking up behind us like that?¡± ¡°Train your senses more.¡± Of course. Ban Yu-won resolved his anger by not responding to Dok Go-yeon. Instead, Eve hissed and acted cute to Dok Go-yeon. ¡°Really¡­so cute.¡± He wanted to believe that she hadn¡¯t meant him. ¡°Stop playing around! There¡¯s another one!¡± Light shouted harshly and swung his sword. Maybe it was because he realized it was okay to directly attack the wall before the monster showed up from Ruchel¡¯s performance since now he was also swinging his sword directly at where he felt the energy flowing. ¡°But honestly, it¡¯s boring. No matter how much the lion lets his guard down, an ant will not bite and kill him.¡± ¡°We never know when we¡¯ll get hit if we let our guard down.¡± ¡°Ban Yu-won, I will yield my share. It¡¯s an opportunity to quickly develop your skills, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dok Go-yeon, who turned around, ignoring Light criticisms, looked at Ban Yu-won. Their eyes quietly met. Ever since they entered the tower, he felt she was keeping an eye on Light, and now it seemed he was also a target. ¡°Is that a good offer for you?¡± ¡°You¡­.¡± Given his position as class leader, who must lead everyone in harmony, he couldn¡¯t help but say a word about her attitude. But realistically, it was right for Ban Yu-won to take more monsters than her to help his growth, especially since he didn¡¯t know when stronger monsters would appear. ¡°Haah, okay. That¡¯s right. But as you¡¯re saving stamina now, can I trust that you will cooperate with us later?¡± ¡°Ban! Don¡¯t make such an absurd¡ª¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Dok Go-yeon¡¯s calm voice cut down the interference coming from Light. ¡°That you will at least not die from overdoing it now.¡± ¡°Good then. Eve.¡± ¡°Shaaaah!¡± Ban Yu-won conveyed his will to Eve. Transforming into a bundle of chains, Eve started slaying the monsters even before they took shape. When the chains struck them, they began to melt. So, that was Acid. ¡®You used it really quickly.¡¯ Again, Eve wasn¡¯t wrong. The concept of Acid was effective. Except for Life, the concepts flowing from them were mainly Magic Ghosts and Human Spirits. A spirit type then, and he guessed that the other one meant a monster in human form. ¡°Like Room 1, it¡¯s a monster with special abilities but no real shape.¡± ¡°Seeing it explode, I thought it would be the same. Rather than that, how about dealing with, if possible, even a portion of that beast instead? That will delay her breakdown a little bit.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Dok Go-yeon! You really¡­!¡± It was, of course, Ruchel that Dok Go-yeon called a beast. Light, who had been diligently cleaning the direction he was assigned alone, grew angry again, and the timid Ruchel also took up her courage and refuted it. ¡°But Ban said he would f-find a solution¡­.¡± ¡°Um, Ruchel.¡± Ban Yu-won, understanding Dok Go-yeon¡¯s intentions, opened his mouth. He was grateful that Ruchel believed in him, but unfortunately, he had to betray her feelings. ¡°Of course, we will find a solution, but as Dok Go-yeon said, I need to grow a little faster, you know?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°It feels like taking a sledgehammer to crack a walnut for you guys to be fighting already, so can I try it alone for a while?¡± ¡°Uhh. If you say so¡­.¡± Ruchel understood, but she backed away with a look that showed she wasn¡¯t yet convinced. Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t like seeing Dok Go-yeon looking at Ruchel and snorting, but this wasn¡¯t a chance he could waste. ¡°Light, you too.¡± ¡°What¡­Ban, are you serious?¡± ¡°Right now, I think it is urgent to somehow fill the gap between us. I think I can deal with this much on my own. Can you help me?¡± ¡°Help you¡­.¡± If Ban Yu-won was succumbing to Dok Go-yeon¡¯s force, Light wouldn¡¯t have given up either. But given Ban Yu-won seemed to really want it, Light couldn¡¯t just ignore him. He retreated to give Ban Yu-won room. ¡°Okay, do it. But if you look to be in any danger, I will intervene.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­Dok Go-yeon, is this what you want?¡± Ban Yu-won was also looking through her. Dok Go-yeon was just petulant since he seemed to be hiding his skills. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Was I too greedy?¡± He snorted as Dok Go-yeon played innocent and sent a message to Eve to start hunting in earnest. However, Dok Go-yeon, who ordered him to reveal his skills, was the most surprised by Eve¡¯s transformation from a chain to a Magic Gun. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± ¡°The weapon of my world. It is said that in this world, it cannot normally be used against monsters with Magic Power.¡± The first thing Ban Yu-won did when he realized that the world was full of machines was to find out if the magic tools and machines made with the highest level of technology could be used in the dungeon. However, as he discovered, they couldn¡¯t. In the end, people didn¡¯t try to develop many machines that overcame the magic of dungeons and the Tower but instead developed things to protect human territory and enhance convenience. At least, that was what the clerk at the high-end magic tool store explained. ¡°But you¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little different for me. Eve!¡± -Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo Eve, taking the form of a rifle it was accustomed to, spun around in place and shot Magic Bullets that contained the properties of Sharpness and Acid. The bullets fired far exceeding the reaction speed of the monsters pulling themselves out of the walls. A steady clinking sound reached their ears as the empty shells settled on the floor. ¡°Uh¡­.¡± ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± ¡°It feels like it¡¯s emitting airwaves.¡± Eve spewed out about 100 bullets while spinning around. Aside from the power, the speed at which the monsters were defeated was enough to earn admiration even from Dok Go-yeon. ¡°Ejection of iron beads? It can be used in Martial Arts, except that it is too linear and has a strong sense of energy. Maybe against a third-rate, or with assassination, I might be able to fight a second-rate¡­.¡± ¡°Weapon? Is this purely the power of the weapon? Or did you add more power by making it into an artifact? Even if it¡¯s half the original power, it doesn¡¯t matter. If only soldiers could be armed with this!¡± As Dok Go-yeon admired the structure of the Magic Gun, Light clenched his fist with thoughts that the rulers of the earth would undoubtedly have if they saw this weapon. Meanwhile, Ban Yu-won was moving with his sword. He would directly deal with those closer foes while Eve gunned down the farther. ¨DKyaaaah! Due to the challengers who were too strong for the Room level, the ghosts were only now able to pull themselves fully through. However, as soon as Ban Yu-won charged with his sword, they all melted. ¡®So, Melting also works!¡¯ The difference with Acid was that this melted more slowly, and they stuck slightly to his sword, but in the end, nothing remained once it took effect. ¡®If it goes like this.¡¯ If you could kill the enemies with one shot, it was more important to keep swinging the sword non-stop instead of swinging it with all his might. The moment he realized it, the momentum contained in Ban Yu-won¡¯s sword changed. He bent his knees slightly, relaxed his arms, and raised his head to see in all directions. After changing his overall posture to be lighter, he started slashing the ghosts that appeared close to him with jab-like thrusts. ¡°You cut those that come into your shadow and leave that outside to that thing. Is that really your tactic?¡± Ban Yu-won gave a slight nod, recognizing that the lighter he tried to be, the more concise his movements were. Lighter, faster, more accurate. His every move was different, so he had to focus on the change. [The depth has reached 31 by realizing the various aspects of Swordsmanship.] [You found a way to utilize a lighter and sharper sword strike. The depth of Swordsmanship has been increased to 33.] [A more lethal stab is now possible. The depth of Sewing has been increased to 25.] The best evidence of his growth was the concept of Swordsmanship, which continued to deepen. Dok Go-yeon¡¯s cross pupils widened as she watched. ¡°It is certain that you haven¡¯t wielded a sword until not so long ago. You¡¯re also growing incredibly fast¡­and if you¡¯re deceiving me, that¡¯s even more impressive.¡± Despite this fierce battle, Ban Yu-won¡¯s field of view didn¡¯t narrow. From quick situational judgments to a rapid attack, under the protection of Eve¡¯s Magic Bullets, Ban Yu-won continued his sword dance without a break. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s because of the situation that you¡¯re focusing too much on the rapid sword, but it¡¯s still much better than a moron who swings it like it¡¯s a stick.¡± Dok Go-yeon, realizing that Ban Yu-won was in no mood to respond to her, teased Light again. Light exclaimed in a rage. ¡°I did fine today!¡± ¡°Well, is it possible for an idiot who shouts each time to perform such a dazzling move? Moreover, you¡­.¡± ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°Today, compared to directly slashing the enemy, you only fought from afar, right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Light was dumbfounded. He had to admit that she had learned much about himself in this short time. It was also clear that she wasn¡¯t talking about it simply to tease him. As Ban Yu-won showed, she was urging Light to change and grow. However, as he swept through Room 2 alone, Ban Yu-won listened to Dok Go-yeon and Light¡¯s conversation, and he couldn¡¯t help but think: ¡®What is she, our teacher?¡¯ That image of Dok Go-yeon took root in Ban Yu-won¡¯s mind. CH 22 It appears that The Hunter Who Does Not Age Is So Strong is in the lead, while this series is in second place. However, the number of readers is so close that we will wait another week before finalizing the upload rate. If there is enough reading this series, we can upload up to 20 chapters a week. For the goodness of the teachers is as high as the sky is- 1 Fortunate or not, no Elite monsters appeared in Room 2. When Ban Yu-won felt that the monsters were no longer appearing, he took his sword and backed away, and as Eve noticed him, they changed into a chain and tied up the few remaining enemies. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If we kill these ones, the Shift will happen immediately. So, we will tie them up instead of killing them and rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fun idea.¡± Ban Yu-won only observed the Shift condition from Room 1 to Room 2. But when the monsters completely disappeared, the condition was met, and the Shift occurred immediately. If that were the case, then if you¡¯re a Korean who¡¯s played some games, you¡¯d probably choose to take a break by tying up the monsters before the Shift! ¡°It¡¯s an idea that any student familiar with the Tower would immediately think of. I¡¯m just curious that you, a freshman, came up with it.¡± ¡°As I said before, the world I was in had so many different kinds of games¡­I feel like people have plenty of petty tricks to enjoy them.¡± Ban Yu-won pulled out a sports drink from his inventory and drank it. After the success of the Elixir Jam, this was one of the successful works he made after trying this and that. By taking a sip, he recovered his condition at an unexpectedly fast rate. Moreover, as with the Elixir Jam, it was pure energy concentrated, so there was no worry about side effects. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± But just as he was about to take a sip and put the bottle away, he sensed a gaze on him. Turning his head, he saw Ruchel staring, Light glancing, and Dok Go-yeon pretending not to look at the bottle. Flustered, he defended himself. ¡°Uh¡­this is not an elixir.¡± ¡°But it smells good.¡± ¡°They sell something like this outside too.¡± ¡°You can go out, but we can¡¯t, Ban.¡± Come to think of it, they were right. Moreover, everyone was guessing until now, but they were secretly trying to hear about Ban Yu-won¡¯s permission to go out, which he hadn¡¯t talked about publicly! Ban Yu-won lamented his stupidity but firmly shook his head. ¡°This is something to drink when you¡¯re tired, so you can¡¯t do it now.¡± ¡°Tired¡­then I¡¯ll handle Room 3.¡± Dok Go-yeon, who liked sweets, rolled up her sleeves and stepped out. She seemed to have forgotten what she said earlier about making him hunt alone. ¡°Calm down; it¡¯s not even Friday afternoon yet. If we can solve Room 3 alone, I want to hunt by myself.¡± ¡°I want that sweetness!¡± ¡°That drink was brought by Ban, Dok Go-yeon.¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± ¡°What, why me?!¡± While Dok Go-yeon, annoyed but unable to express it openly, was letting off her steam at Light, Ban Yu-won read his internal code. [Life: 129 Physique: 72.8 Soul: 350 Magic Power: 101 Martial Arts: 62 [Swordsmanship 36, Sewing 26] Leadership: 7 Riding: 15 Resistance: 2 Complete Sight: 115 Complete Hearing: 105 Complete Speaking: 107] It was a feast of codes that had him thanking his luck. ¡®This is madness. I think this is already at the academy¡¯s average level.¡¯ In fact, that was a bit exaggerated. According to what Ban Yu-won gathered while in contact with students at the academy for the past week, the average Life of most students was 140-150, their Physique was 70-80, and their Magic Power was about 90-100. It could be seen that most of them were from a higher dimension with abundant Magic Power, so they tended to have more Magic Power than Physique. ¡­Of course, it would be very chaotic if the other students discovered his abilities had grown over the past five days. ¡®But more than that¡­.¡¯ After all, instead of the basic set that increased in hunting monsters, Ban Yu-won was more attached to the martial arts that he had grown on his own. Wasn¡¯t this enough to have surpassed his sister¡¯s kendo skills, even if he excluded the Sewing he learned from Dok Go-yeon? He wondered if the result of the fight next Tuesday would ultimately be decided by this martial art. ¡®Electo¡¯s Physique was a whopping 300. To be honest, whatever I do, I can¡¯t reverse that difference over the weekend.¡¯ On the other hand, his Magic Power was only about 120. Compared to the academy average, it was quite low, but compared to the number of Life of 250 and Physique that reached a whopping 300, he felt it was by no means small. To defeat him, Ban Yu-won must aim for that gap. That meant training with his sword. ¡®If Dok Go-yeon taught me one more thing¡­no, no.¡¯ Finding himself trying to rely on Dok Go-yeon, he returned to his senses and shook his head. Of course, she had an overwhelming force, but that didn¡¯t mean he could rely on her unconditionally. Ban Yu-won must be on an equal footing with her, and if the scale accidentally tilted toward her, nothing good would happen. ¡°So, are you satisfied with your growth?¡± ¡°I said it before, but it¡¯s not enough.¡± Dok Go-yeon talked to him at a scary time, as if she read his mind. Ban Yu-won responded firmly and stood. ¡°Now, let¡¯s move onto Room 3.¡± ¡°We are ready.¡± After Ruchel nodded, Ban Yu-won sent a signal to Eve, and the chains tightened around the ghosts. The Shift started at that moment. First, the ceiling and floor were turned upside down. ¡°Eve!¡± Except for Ban Yu-won, they wouldn¡¯t suffer so much as gravity reversed. Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t even have to call Eve, but they wrapped around him to prevent him from getting hurt. Dok Go-yeon had her feet on the floor (i.e., hanging upside down from the ceiling), Light spread some wonderful wings of light and rose into the air, and only Ruchel was thrown helplessly. When Ban Yu-won noticed, Eve, reading his thoughts, shot out a chain to grab Ruchel. ¡°Kyaah! T-Thank you¡­.¡± ¡°I mean, seriously.¡± She could kill the Elite Monster that appeared in Room 1 without Dok Go-yeon even having to move a finger, but I think she was helpless in this situation¡­Ban Yu-won wanted to say something, but as he looked at Ruchel¡¯s innocent expression, no words came out. ¡°If you stay there, you will die.¡± Dok Go-yeon, hanging from the ceiling (he couldn¡¯t quite understand why her hair didn¡¯t fall), spoke casually. At that moment, Ban Yu-won saw a string of gold falling over his head as the right and left walls were reversed. ¡°Haah¡­!¡± Eve¡¯s power couldn¡¯t match the speed, but they quickly unleashed the chains and threw them into the air while Ban Yu-won took out his secret weapon. -Vroooooom! ¡°Iron¡­flying in the sky?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?! What is that?!¡± Lilith erupted with the rumbling sound of the exhaust and moved under Ban Yu-won and Ruchel. A blade descended from the ceiling and clattered uselessly off its chassis. Ruchel grabbed his waist and clasped her fingers behind him, clenching tighter as they mounted the bike. ¡°Okay, I think Room 3 is a trap section. Let¡¯s deal with it calmly as we were taught by Professor Yoo Mina.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important! That! I want to know about what you¡¯re riding right now!¡± ¡°Is this your first time seeing a hoverbike?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of it!¡± While the party was having such a conversation, they moved away from the traps floating around them. Usually, traps would wait for people to approach, but in Room 3, there were spears, poison arrows, huge blades, and poison gas approaching from all sides as if someone was operating the traps. They all were ridiculous. ¡°Ban, poison!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± He couldn¡¯t absorb the blade that fell earlier. However, as soon as he became conscious of the poison gas sprayed into the air, he immediately turned it into a golden string and sucked it into his hand. ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t figure him out.¡± In fact, Ban Yu-won riding on Lilith, was nothing but a king in this trap section. His ability made it possible to observe the concept before a trap appeared, and Lilith was able to read his thoughts, so they zipped around, disarming the threats. ¡°But how do I end this?¡± ¡°According to the textbook, you must endure for a certain time. So, how can that iron float?¡± God, did she just ask him to teach her how a hoverbike flies? He thought he would be able to give an answer if Dok Go-yeon stopped eating and drinking from now on and focused only on analyzing the concepts, but he decided to just go with the word magic. ¡°It¡¯s magic.¡± ¡°Oh, wow¡­.¡± On the other hand, Ruchel sat upright and leaned against Ban Yu-won¡¯s back. Light, watching them as if he found it absurd (the sight of him fluttering his wings of light and avoiding traps effortlessly was equally absurd), suddenly furrowed his brow and asked Ban Yu-won. ¡°Ban, did it say there are occasions when the trap section appears so early?¡± ¡°The Tower changes every time, so there¡¯s no point in questioning it.¡± ¡°You said that the absolute difficulty according to the room¡¯s depth doesn¡¯t change much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ban Yu-won agreed with Light and nodded. Although the appearance and abilities of the monsters were different, their absolute strength was the same. If such a basic premise were violated, the act of climbing the Tower of Babel would be more like a lottery. ¡°However, according to the manual, it is said that traps start to appear after at least 20 rooms.¡± ¡°And what about the sections completely made up of traps?¡± Unless one possessed an unreasonable force like Dok Go-yeon (even now, she was lightly slashing all the blades that flew at her), or they had wings like Light or could ride a hoverbike in a dungeon like Ban Yu-won, an ordinary freshman would never be able to withstand this trap section. ¡°It should be after at least 50 rooms¡­shit! They don¡¯t even let me talk!¡± It seemed that Light also changed a lot in just a few days. Ban Yu-won thought about that as he drove Lilith into the air to dodge the surge of acid about to swallow them. ¡°Shrrr!¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes.¡± Ban Yu-won reached out for the waves about to seep back to the bottom. The black waves disappeared, and he received 10 Acid and the same amount of Wave as a bonus. ¡®Wave? Hmm, a Wave¡­.¡¯ This was an unexpected bonus. He thought it would be something like Water, but the concepts changed significantly depending on their state at the moment of absorption. Perhaps this was an important realization in his future development¡­ ¡°Ban, up!¡± Light urgently shouted. When Ban Yu-won raised his head, he noticed the ceiling was closer than he thought. [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] A string of gold characters densely protruded from it. ¡°Really, you should break that habit of getting distracted!¡± ¡°Ban, I¡¯ll break it, so go back down as quickly as possible¡­!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaah!¡± When he intuited his death to come, there was no sound in Ban Yu-won¡¯s ears. He knew by reason there was no way he could die to this. Dok Go-yeon had already promised to help him, and even the beam of light emitted by Light¡¯s sword was powerful enough to destroy the blades. Above all else, he was convinced that Ruchel, clinging to his back, would use her powers if it was really dangerous. ¡®What can I do? What¡­oh!¡¯ But when presented with the possible death, he couldn¡¯t look back on the situation so calmly. Ban Yu-won focused only on the flow of the string in front of him, and he realized he could move even if it were a string he couldn¡¯t absorb. [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] The strings of Snaps were tightly packed on the ceiling, reaching out and overlapping with others. He wondered what he was doing against a group of concepts that were about to trigger, but instinct, not reason, controlled him now. [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] The number decreased as fragments flew around him. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The trap¡­¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaaaah¡­!¡± Someone was talking loudly around him, but he didn¡¯t listen. Instead, he focused on guiding and merging the concepts quicker. [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] [Snap] Weaving and weaving concepts. Finally, by combining the two remaining concepts, he could cut down the entire room. [Nested concepts were compounded into parent concept references!] In the end, all of the blades were scattered, leaving only a single composite concept in its place. The concept, which had already completely mutated, no longer functioned as a trap but simply floated there. Ban Yu-won reached out his hand and secured it. [The concept of a newly synthesized language was created by interfering with an external concept. The depth of Complete Sight has increased to 120. Soul depth is now 360. The depth of Magic Power has increased to 105.] [Absorbed 20 Snapping. It is a concept that humans cannot possess.] Each time he used his abilities to create new achievements, his Soul and Magic Power grew together, which meant those two key concepts were making an impact. Once Ban Yu-won had safely absorbed the concept, he sighed in relief and noticed Dok Go-yeon was looking at him bewildered. She was holding out one hand toward the ceiling. ¡°If that was always possible, you should¡¯ve done it already. I just made myself tired.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really too much.¡± ¡°It was very close, Ban. Perhaps it was a new awakening of ability, but¡­.¡± Light and Dok Go-yeon grumbled, but Ban Yu-won only smiled, knowing that he was the cause of their worries. Now, this team seemed to be running quite efficiently, so he felt proud as their class leader. ¡°It was a chance to get some sweetness and drink it.¡± ¡°The space is changing again. Room 4 will give us more opportunities to perform.¡± ¡­They were worried about him, right? CH 23 Lesson 6. For the goodness of the teachers is as high as the sky is ¨C 2 Once Ban Yu-won had a chance to catch his breath, the space began to change again. The ceiling, which was quite high, gradually lowered, and the torches hanging on the wall were snuffed out one by one. Just looking at the atmosphere, it seemed like a ghost-type monster similar to the ones they encountered before would reappear. -Clatter As soon as they heard the sound of something crawling on the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, they knew that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Tower Spider.¡± Light, guessing the enemy¡¯s identity, muttered. What was the point since he was already showing a striking presence with his sword radiating brightly from him? Ban Yu-won was convinced that there was no person less suited to stealth than Light with his loud shouting and glowing weapon. ¡®By the way, a Tower Spider¡­.¡¯ The Tower Spider was a unique monster that frequently appeared regardless of the level and was one of the monsters that symbolized the Tower. Why were spiders the monster that symbolized the Tower? It was because their abilities and strength were randomized every time they appeared! Since they couldn¡¯t be defined, they were the most appropriate monster to describe the Tower. ¡®If it appears in Room 4, it¡¯s normal that it¡¯s not that strong. But after going through that trap room, I can¡¯t be sure anymore.¡¯ After confirming the rest were ready for battle, Ban Yu-won sent a signal to Eve. Eve, changing into a rifle, just received an additional Acid supply and was ready to use it. -Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo ¡°Kyeeeeeeh!¡± ¡°Kyigit, kyiiiiiiiiiigh¡± Eve¡¯s bullets rained down upon the spiders. Surprisingly, the Acid Bullets that melted the monsters in Room 2 at once didn¡¯t kill a single spider in Room 4, and it wasn¡¯t able to pierce their hide nor melt it. He couldn¡¯t tell if this was suitable for the level of difficulty of an ordinary Room 4, but at least for Ban Yu-Won, these guys didn¡¯t seem easy. ¡°Eve, keep shooting. Dok Go-yeon, I think you should act this time.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± As Dok Go-yeon spread her palms and pushed them forward, a huge pressure flow swept away the spiders. The only thing Ban Yu-won could read from her movements was an overwhelming Wind. In the process, the bullets Eve fired were also sent flying, exploding into bits of shrapnel that shredded the spiders¡¯ legs. ¡°This is the strong wind you have been looking for.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really windy¡­.¡± ¡°Whew.¡± After that display, Dok Go-yeon only let out a light sigh. Meanwhile, Ban Yu-won was stunned by her attack that would be appropriately described as a giant¡¯s palm sweeping across the Tower. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you to take their lives. Oh, there is no other queen as merciful as me.¡± Dok Go-yeon gracefully backed away, eliciting a laugh from Ban Yu-won. ¡°You are not my queen¡­ but yes, thank you. Light, take the rear and Ruchel the top.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Relax, calm down¡­!¡± Light, who wielded a wide-area weapon comparable to that of Dok Go-yeon, could easily cover their backs, and Ruchel, who had keen senses, was able to watch out for any hidden foes. Ban Yu-won ran forward after giving instructions to the rest. Since Eve could knock away the spiders, shouldn¡¯t he be able to finish them himself?! But. -Clank! ¡°This won¡¯t go through.¡± He was disconcerted. He struck the disoriented spider laying in a heap at the front, but his blade was handily deflected just by its carapace. Sure, Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t use Sewing, and the concept of Assassin and Blood Poison wasn¡¯t effective here, but still. ¡°I mean, what¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won hastily changed his stance and fired a quick stab. Luckily, this time, he could smash its head and kill it. [You stole 0.5 Life, 0.6 Physique, 0.4 Devil, and 0.2 Carapace from a Tower Spider. Carapace is a concept that humans cannot possess.] Despite Dok Go-yeon¡¯s help, the concept of language was at a level that left Ban Yu-won satisfied. But it shouldn¡¯t keep going like this. ¡®Do I have to just repeatedly stab and fall back like this? Even if it were my sister, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do that.¡¯ It caused a lot of fatigue, and there were also disadvantages in that the transition to the next movement wasn¡¯t as easy as compared to slashing. If he had a concept related to cutting, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about this¡­oh wait, didn¡¯t he? ¡®I¡¯ll just absorb it now!¡¯ Ban Yu-won laughed at himself. He had a total of 20 Snapping from Room 3! Of course, since it was a concept that couldn¡¯t be possessed by an individual, he couldn¡¯t use it directly, but if so, he could just give it to his sword. Ban Yu-won immediately affixed it to the Beheader¡¯s Longsword. [It has excellent compatibility with the target, and the depth of Snapping granted to the Beheader¡¯s Long sword has been increased to 30. The depth of the Magic Sword has increased to 30.] ¡°I¡¯m lucky.¡± He never considered the possibility of such harmony. Still, looking back, the Beheader¡¯s Long Sword he was holding was a real Magic Sword with the most terrifying history among the artifacts his grandfather brought over. Since he put the concepts of Snapping and Cutting into the relic that contained Beheading, how couldn¡¯t it be harmonious? Rather, he wondered why the concept of Beheading or Snapping hadn¡¯t been combined already. ¡®Then, shall we?¡¯ Even though Dok Go-yeon swept away the spider swarm with a wave of her hand, they would wake up and attack again if left be. Ban Yu-won gritted his teeth and moved forward, swinging his long sword again. At that moment, he felt a strange sensation that took over his body. The overwhelming Snapping he felt in Room 3 passed through his mind. Shortly after, his swing decapitated the spider. ¡°Whoah.¡± It wasn¡¯t a very good feeling, but more like he¡¯d just been wielded by the weapon. However, he might be able to realize the true meaning of Snapping on his own without having to borrow Dok Go-yeon¡¯s power this way. ¡®Let¡¯s try it.¡¯ Ban Yu-won rushed the swarm of spiders on the floor, swinging his sword. The intense will of Snapping in the sword slashed and split the spiders by forcibly modifying his movements. Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t force himself against it but conformed and tried to follow the path the sword violently led him to. ¡®Okay, I can feel the weight on my body getting lighter. Next, let¡¯s read the will contained in the sword.¡¯ So, Ban Yu-won was trying to read the meaning of the sword. His movement that seemed to be dragged along was gradually corrected, and his speed increased. Although he couldn¡¯t be compared to Light, who threw a slash of light that wiped out a few spiders at once, or Ruchel, who crushed swathes with a single blow, nevertheless, Ban Yu-won was definitely doing his part. ¡°Hmm.¡± Dok Go-yeon watched with interest. She saw Ban Yu-won failing to cut through the spider¡¯s carapace for the first time, and then immediately after doing something she couldn¡¯t see, he could cut down one. The momentum emanating from the sword in his hand was stronger than before, so it was possible to guess what he might have done. ¡®Intuitive and overwhelming skill, yet so easy to wield.¡¯ Dok Go-yeon dared to define the overwhelming power Ban Yu-won wielded as such. But what was interesting was that what Dok Go-yeon saw wasn¡¯t all of Ban Yu-won¡¯s abilities. ¡®Since the sword has been strengthened, it was swinging him around, but he calmly understood his condition and started to adapt.¡¯ It was as if he was recreating what they saw in the room earlier. Of course, the speed of his attack was much slower, but it became heavier, and his posture stabilized. Although it might seem impossible right now, he would sooner or later arrive at the true meaning of Snapping. There was no room for Dok Go-yeon to intervene. ¡®How long did it take me to learn the Three Disasters?¡¯ She was said to be the best prodigy in the Martial Arts Society. However, seeing Ban Yu-won made her want to beat her past self, who was proud of her talent. Of course, it was him she wanted to beat the most. ¡°Ugh, this is exhausting. At this rate, we¡¯ll take forever to¡­.¡± When Dok Go-yeon saw Ban Yu-won acting weak, when he was the one hurting her soft heart, she grew determined again. ¡®I should have it.¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± Ban Yu-won, feeling a chill, thought that another Elite Monster had appeared, so he opened his eyes wide and searched around the walls, but there was nothing in sight. But as his concentration broke, he felt his arms were getting stiff. Had he not been taking the concepts of Life and Physique from the spiders during battle, he might already be lying down. Well, he could be satisfied with this much. ¡°Hey, Dok Go-yeon, why are you standing still? You have to shoot that wind again!¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing well on your own. Did it help you grow?¡± Dok Go-yeon responded calmly. Hearing those words, he unintentionally read his internal code and now noticed his Martial Arts had grown to a whopping 70. Although he hadn¡¯t yet mastered the concept of Snapping, he had grown explosively as his swordsmanship was influenced by his growing understanding. He was pleased, wondering if it could reach 100 by the time he left the Tower. ¡°Still, I won¡¯t give you the sports drinks because I¡¯m doing it all alone.¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± But those were separate things. It was pretty cute to see her pout as if she couldn¡¯t understand, but it was still a promise, so it was unavoidable. ¡°There are fewer now. Eve, save the bullets.¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± Even though Eve was in the state of a Magic Gun, for some reason, they hissed like a snake and changed back to their natural club form. They knocked around a few more spiders, smashing their heads. Surprisingly, it was even recovering the spent bullet casings! ¡°It¡¯s stronger than you.¡± ¡°Eve is part of my fighting power.¡± He asked Eve to keep a few of them rather than kill them all and then claimed the concepts left on the battlefield. [Life: 148 Physique: 87.9 Magic Power: 114 Soul: 365] ¡®Okay, this is perfectly above average.¡¯ Ban Yu-won wondered if he should laugh at the general students who looked down on him for the difference in specs he overtook in a week. Or should he admire his potential? But it wasn¡¯t just that. The Tower exploration had only just begun. On Friday and Saturday, if he dug deep into the Tower and awakened his potential, he¡¯d be able to get close to the special class¡­! ¡°It¡¯s an external call.¡± ¡°External? Why at this time?¡± Light, admiring the sports drink Ban Yu-won handed out, suddenly wrinkled his eyebrows and murmured. A second later, Ban Yu-won noticed his student ID vibrating. ¡°They¡¯re telling us to come out of the Tower¡­?¡± ¡°What? I still haven¡¯t had the chance to warm up. Besides, I haven¡¯t had any of that sweet drink yet.¡± ¡°This early¡­?¡± Ban Yu-won muttered in surprise, and Dok Go-yeon shook her head. Meanwhile, as they battled in Room 4, with about a third of her hair darkened, Ruchel was staring into the air, seemingly uninterested in their conversation. ¡°Are there no more notifications?¡± ¡°It would be difficult to send a long message from outside. Besides, this is a message from the principal, not Professor Yoo Mina.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for all students.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Dok Go-yeon responded sharply. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been two hours since we started. It doesn¡¯t explain why; I can¡¯t understand¡­.¡± ¡°Kuh.¡± ¡°Ruchel?¡± When Dok Go-yeon showed her intent to ignore the message and continue their exploration, Ruchel let out a weak moan. ¡°Kuhh.¡± ¡°Ruchel, huh?!¡± ¡°Krrr¡­.¡± Ruchel violently pulled at Ban Yu-won¡¯s and let out a strange moan. Ban Yu-won was convinced early on that there were no normal people at this party, but he didn¡¯t think that Ruchel would completely go mad. He signaled to Light and Dok Go-yeon to help, but they were looking beyond the dark, not toward him. Maybe they felt something similar to what Ruchel had. ¡°That¡¯s why they told us to leave.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. If you think about it, it was strange from the beginning, and the Professor warned us before entering the Tower about Irregulars¡­.¡± ¡°But my student ID isn¡¯t working.¡± In response to Dok Go-yeon¡¯s calm reply, Ban Yu-won reflexively checked his student ID. It really wasn¡¯t working. The sense of crisis amplified all at once. ¡°Grrr¡­it¡¯s coming.¡± Ruchel said, pulling Ban Yu-won behind her. ¨DClattering It was then that he realized that Ruchel was trying to protect him. ¨DClatter, clatter ¨DClatter, clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter. On the floor, on the ceiling, on the wall, on a scale that couldn¡¯t be compared to before. The new swarm of Tower Spiders drowned out any other sound. The room had turned into an Irregular. CH 24 Lesson 6. For the goodness of the teachers is as high as the sky is ¨C 3 ¨DClatter, clatter ¡°Oh, my.¡± Ban Yu-won could swear it was the first time he had heard Dok Go-yeon¡¯s voice sound tired. Indeed, even a human made of iron like her would be exhausted, shooting that strong wind repeatedly at the spiders that constantly flocked to them. ¡°It really is endless.¡± ¡°Dok Go-yeon, don¡¯t rest!¡± Light, who stood opposite her and swung his sword at the swarm, shouted anxiously at the sound of her languid voice. Dok Go-yeon responded with a snort. ¡°Just do well yourself. You¡¯ve been throwing energy however you please since earlier¡­and Beast, can you stand it?¡± ¡°Krr¡­¡± Ruchel, in charge of the rear with Light, answered with a growl. More than 70% of her hair was already dyed black. It wasn¡¯t clear what would happen, but it wouldn¡¯t be very pleasant when it was all dyed black. ¡°She¡¯s completely out.¡± ¡°Haah.¡± Ban Yu-won sighed in agreement with Dok Go-yeon. He had given up prematurely from confronting the swarm of spiders, instead focusing on assisting Dok Go-yeon with Eve so that she felt as little burden as possible. ¡°Damn it. There must be a limit.¡± ¡°Krr?!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean you, Ruchel, but the Tower.¡± Ruchel had already lost her human voice, but she seemed to still understand what they were saying. It was clear with the way she glared at Ban Yu-won, who had unintentionally gone along with Dok Go-yeon, with tears in her eyes. She was still very cute, but it was also a bit scary to watch the spiders disintegrate under her angry strikes. [Mind Brazier 71 ¨D Anger 22, Madness 38, Pity 6, Delight 5] Ban Yu-won frowned, examining all the negative and intense emotions that filled her internal code. ¡®Right now, I can¡¯t even touch it. Thanks to the realization I got in Room 3, I could touch the outside concept, but I can¡¯t touch that.¡¯ Even though she was busy stopping the spiders, he was worried about Ruchel¡¯s gradual changes, so he tried a few times. However, he couldn¡¯t touch her Mind Brazier with his powers, and every time he tried, it only startled Ruchel and stimulated her wild nature. ¡®Damn it. There must be a way.¡¯ Of course, he couldn¡¯t afford to search for a new method now. Dok Go-yeon was stepping back with an annoyed expression. ¡°Ban Yu-won, I need to breathe.¡± ¡°Okay, step away!¡± Immediately after Dok Go-yeon unilaterally declared her intent, Ban Yu-won pulled out a small grenade from his inventory. Pulling out the safety pin, he threw it forward in the swarming masses. ¨DClink, Clink, Clink¡­ It was one of the trump card consumables that he took from Earth. It contained the concept of a grenade and Magic, alongside Ban Yu-won¡¯s secret to making firearms usable even in the Tower, Spirit. With this, he could not only block disturbances from the Tower¡¯s magic waves but also detonate the grenades any time he wanted! ¡°Eve, block it!¡± ¡°Shrrr!¡± Eve transformed into a giant iron shield around Ban Yu-won and Dok Go-yeon. The grenade was obscured by the wave of black legs skittering across the floor. ¡®This is the third. There¡¯s still a lot left, but I hope it ends at this point.¡¯ The price of the special hand grenade that he painstakingly crafted was unimaginable, and considering the concept of Magic and Spirit that could be used, it was really bad to use such a weapon in the long run. But for now, Ban Yu-won¡¯s life is at risk. ¨DBang! ¨DKyeeehhh! The grenade exploded, killing dozens of spiders in an instant. It was a pleasing sight, but seeing the vacancy immediately filled by a swarm of newly hatched spiders took away his smile. [Stealing 5.4 Life, 7.6 Physique, 4 Devil, and 7 Carapace from multiple Tower Spiders. Carapace is a concept that humans cannot possess.] A string of gold characters rose from their dissipating corpses. It wasn¡¯t a figure that could be ignored, but it was disappointing to think that this was obtained by killing a dozen Tower Spiders. It meant that after stealing so many concepts from them, the depth was now starting to diminish. Just in the case of Life, it was already just half. [Life: 182 Physique: 138.5 Magic Power: 156.4 Soul: 372] He mentally sighed, calling out and checking the four key elements of his body¡¯s code. ¡®Compared to before this damned raid started, I¡¯ve grown a lot. The problem is that I still cannot defeat that swarm head-on at this level.¡¯ This was too annoying. He entered the Tower and grew fast enough to exceed the average level of the other students, but despite this, he couldn¡¯t play an active part in the current situation! Even the concepts that could be extracted from the Tower Spider began to decrease, so Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t help but grow a little nervous. ¡°Good job, Ban Yu-won. Thanks to you, I enjoyed a little break.¡± Dok Go-yeon, who had recovered her stamina and perhaps sensed his nervousness, stepped forward with a more relaxed complexion. But Ban Yu-won stopped her, took out the sports drink, and handed it over. ¡°Take a little break and drink this. You must make sure you recover.¡± ¡°But it can¡¯t be made easily, can it? If our community had one of those¡­.¡± ¡°Just rest.¡± ¡°What?¡± When Ban Yu-won spoke firmly and turned around, Dok Go-yeon laughed. But she quietly agreed to rest and drink as he told her while Ban Yu-won threw another Magic Bomb over Eve¡¯s barrier and summoned Lilith. ¡°When they get caught up in the explosion, we will cut down as many as possible and fall back. Got it?¡± Vroom- Lilith answered with confidence. A magnificent explosion occurred beyond the shield, and golden character strings were pulled into Ban Yu-won, strengthening him again. ¡°Here we go!¡± Eve, reading Ban Yu-won¡¯s mind, momentarily lowered the shield, opening up a space for Lilith and Ban Yu-won to pass. Ban Yu-won, holding the Beheader¡¯s Long Sword, rushed in, aiming for the spiders scattered by the explosion¡¯s force. ¡°-Hup!¡± He couldn¡¯t tease Light since he, too, made a loud sound at the decisive moment. It was only for a brief moment while the spiders were disoriented, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about making noise. ¡®Cut as many at once¡­!¡¯ Relying on Lilith¡¯s speed, he laid down and swung his sword as far out as possible. He hoped that the power of Snapping contained in the sword would cut everything that fell in its path. ¨DSwoosh The moment his strong will dominated the sword, the Beheader¡¯s Long Sword emitted a faint red light. Ban Yu-won felt something being sucked into the sword from his body, and when he saw the energy forming around his sword, he noticed it was blood. ¡®This¡­?!¡¯ ¨DKueeeeeek! ¨DKeeheet! At that moment, the red sword stretched and split the monsters caught in its wake. While Ban Yu-won was still stunned, Lilith made a quick U-turn and returned to the safety of Eve¡¯s shield. Ban Yu-won felt his head throbbing as he saw the notifications in front of him. [The depth of the Blood Poison of the Beheader¡¯s Long Sword was increased to 15.] [You understood and acquired the concept of Cutting at least slightly. Depth of Cutting has increased to 2.] Did it mean that the Blood Poison didn¡¯t spill poison into the blood but consumed his own blood to create poison? No, no. Perhaps the poison of Blood Poison did not mean venom but was poison in the sense of harm and kill. It was too much to consider that reddish strike as poison otherwise, so this interpretation felt justified. ¡®I am still far.¡¯ Come to think of it, Blood Poison hadn¡¯t been particularly active since he killed the Goblin Warrior. Maybe it was because of his wrong understanding of the concept. Perhaps there was an attack that consumed Ban Yu-won¡¯s blood even then, but without realizing it, he was letting this treasure rot! Thanks to the late realization of this concept, he realized what it meant to cut an enemy. ¡®I¡¯m exhausted from having my blood drawn, though.¡¯ He always felt like this after donating blood, but he didn¡¯t even have a Choco Pie to enjoy. While Ban Yu-won was breathing hard and feeling the injustice of it all, Dok Go-yeon passed by him as he sat down and threw an empty bottle over. ¡°That was a good sight, and I enjoyed this drink.¡± ¡°Did you drink all of this?!¡± ¡°It tastes unique but not bad. No, what wasn¡¯t bad was the sight you just showed me¡­.¡± Dok Go-yeon glanced at the longsword in his hand for a moment, then rolled her shoulders and turned her gaze forward. It was only then that Ban Yu-won noticed something unusual was happening. After the grenade and Ban Yu-won¡¯s attack, it would be natural for the spiders to rush in, enraged, but instead, they were slowly retreating. It meant something was coming, probably something strong. ¡°So, from now on, I¡¯m just paying it back.¡± ¡°You¡­?¡± Ban Yu-won was surprised when he saw the short black sword in her hand. Had she ever used a sword? If it were her, she would be able to deal with anything that appeared in front of her bare hands. He would be really impressed if she held up the sword just to show off. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to get my hands dirty, so don¡¯t be mistaken.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Ban Yu-won soon calmed down at Dok Go-yeon¡¯s cold tone, but he kept his eyes wide open and watched her movements. Although he had already gained the Cutting concept, he knew it was far from the true meaning. If he gained anything from her movements, it would be a great help in handling his sword in the future. -Boom, boom It wasn¡¯t the creepy clicks of the Tower Spiders that followed but the sound of something heavy stepping closer. Ban Yu-won could see the room was expanding in real-time. ¡°Elite Stage.¡± Ban Yu-won murmured, recalling what he had read in the textbook. ¡°It said it¡¯s a room that pressures Climbers, changing to match the characteristics of the Elite Monsters that appear. It was supposed to appear after at least¡­Room 50.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been telling us that all day. My ears are going to sting.¡± ¡°It said that the Tower will reward us if we defeat him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of that, though.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t know what would happen since they were now caught in an Irregular, but Ban Yu-won hoped the rewards would get better, not worse. ¡®Besides, the appearance of an Elite means that this damn battle is over now¡­!¡¯ However, perhaps the problem was that Ban Yu-won was too relieved by such thoughts. ¡°Ban!¡± ¡°What, Light?¡± ¡°How many Elites do the Elite Stage usually come with?!¡± ¡°Damn, I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Ban Yu-won, understanding the situation with Light¡¯s comment, glanced back and let out a sad sigh. ¡ªBooom ¡ªBang, bang! Suddenly, white dust settled across the room. No, it wasn¡¯t dust; it was spider webs. The room was completely taken over by the appearance of the Elite Monsters, the three giant spiders that now loomed over them. ¡°Ban Yu-won, look at me.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m looking¡­¡± -Swoosh ¡­And now there were two left. CH 25 Lesson 6. For the goodness of the teachers is as high as the sky is ¨C 4 The sight unfolding before Ban Yu-won stopped his breath in his throat. It was because he found Death when Dok Go-yeon¡¯s shortsword cut through the air. He remembered when she confronted Ortima, she killed his power with just her spirit. That was essentially the same force as what she had now exerted. ¡®The action of slashing with the sword, the Form. The heart is contained within, the meaning of Snapping. But this goes one step further. It¡¯s a willingness to cut a person to death¡­.¡¯ At that time, he was just vaguely surprised. But now that he had a better understanding of martial arts, he could see how miraculous and terrifying her sword was. How could Death be contained in human action, and more so, in such a simple sword strike? Not to mention it was also such a pronounced and dense Death. Ban Yu-won was just thankful that the sword wasn¡¯t directed at him. ¨DHowever, it was definitely worth facing that fear head-on. [Understanding advanced techniques for dealing with emotions and phenomena, the grip of power has been increased. The depth of Complete Hearing, Complete Sight, and Complete Speaking have increased by 5.] [Successfully captured some concepts of very powerful and complex martial art. The depth of the Soul has increased to 390. The depth of Martial Arts has increased to 97. The extra depth not attributed to the sub-concepts will help you acquire and develop Martial Arts in the future.] [The depth of Swordsmanship has increased to 52.] [By observing and understanding the essence of Snapping, the depth has reached 15.] Now, when Dok Go-yeon asked him to call her teacher, he should comply. Where was a teacher as good as her who could raise Ban Yu-won¡¯s level just by showing him a single sword strike? And his realizations didn¡¯t end there. ¡®Maybe Ruchel¡¯s Mind Brazier is similar to the technique Dok Go-yeon showed.¡¯ The ability to instantaneously generate concepts not inherent in the body to boost one¡¯s power or achieve desired results, wasn¡¯t that an active skill in a video game? However, if there was a difference between Ruchel and Dok Go-yeon, it was that she could control the concept as she wished, while Ruchel could not. ¡®Then the only way I can help Ruchel¡­.¡¯ ¡°Ban Yu-won.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± When he returned to his senses and looked up, he saw Dok Go-yeon¡¯s cross pupils peering at him. Her face was so close that he almost fainted with surprise. ¡°Did you see it? I don¡¯t want to show you twice this time. I¡¯ve used all my strength, you know?¡± ¡°Well¡­I think I managed to.¡± The giant spider was cut in half with a single strike and disappeared. But no matter how great Dok Go-yeo¡¯s abilities were, there was no way she could casually fire such an attack off. If that were the case, that would be terrifying. Moreover. [Life 3, Physique 11, Devil 12, Carapace 15, Spider Web 10, Resistance 1] Considering the significant amount of Life he gained from the monster, Ban Yu-won recognized how terrible they truly were. Ban Yu-won was momentarily embarrassed because it felt like he had robbed her of her income, but Dok Go-yeon smiled in a way that seemed to say, ¡®I know everything about you.¡¯ She became scarier as he became more aware. ¡°The two of you, stop messing around! Hurry up and help me!¡± Light¡¯s urgent voice at that time pulled Ban Yu-won¡¯s attention away from Dok Go-yeon. ¡°Grrrrrrr!¡± ¡°Ruchel is going crazy!¡± One of the two giant spiders was confronting Light, and the other was writhing in pain with some of its limbs torn off. The mucus and carapace fragments on Ruchel¡¯s hands showed that it was her achievement, but¡­ [Mind Brazier 84 ¨D Anger 27, Madness 40, Pity 9, Delight 3, Kill 5] Compared to when he checked it just a moment ago, the depth had jumped sharply. And he couldn¡¯t miss this new concept he hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Grrrr, grrrrrrrrr¡­!¡± ¡°Ruchel, you idiot! Focus on the monsters!¡± ¡°Oh my, this is going to be so much fun.¡± Most cases where Dok Go-yeon said it was fun weren¡¯t actually very fun. ¡°Not at all! It¡¯s no fun!¡± ¡°Hehehehe!¡± ¨DScreeeeeeech! In fact, the situation right now is a good example. If they pushed it further, they could end the spider that lost its limbs. However, Ruchel was instead rushing toward Light, leaving the spiders behind. Hence, Light was faced with a dilemma where he could neither deal with the giant spider properly nor defeat Ruchel. Ban Yu-won looked back. ¡°Dok Go-yeon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯ve done enough in this battle.¡± Everyone knew that she was limiting her capabilities to some extent to match the average range of their party. Actually, it was also necessary for everyone¡¯s growth that she didn¡¯t do anything. But right now, they were caught up in an Irregular. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen if one of us dies right now. Do you? It¡¯s an Irregular.¡± ¡°¡­Irregular, huh? Right, you¡¯re right about that.¡± Perhaps she wanted Ban Yu-won to convince her. Sometimes these cumbersome but transparent procedures were needed to move people with firm standards. Dok Go-yeon, who was persuaded with relatively little effort, nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take care of that Beast.¡± ¡°Whatever, just hurry up!¡± Dok Go-yeon stretched out her fingers at Light¡¯s cry, and Ruchel, who was attacking him, was thrown into the air and against the far wall. ¡°Grrrrrrrr!¡± However, she jumped back up and, this time, ran toward Dok Go-yeon. Dok Go-yeon knocked back Ruchel again as if she had been waiting for the chance. Ruchel jumped up and rushed forward again¡­only then did Ban Yu-won realize that Dok Go-yeon was ¡®playing¡¯ with her. ¡°When her reason is completely blown away, she¡¯ll attack whoever she sees as strong.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me why she left the spider and rushed to me?!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Light turned to the giant spider attacking him as if he had just remembered its presence. By now, Ban Yu-won realized what Dok Go-yeon wanted from him. Wasn¡¯t there one guy lying around without any opponent to face right now? ¡°Teacher, the assignment is a bit tough.¡± ¡°If you looked at my sword movement properly, then you can do it.¡± Dok Go-yeon responded with a smile to Ban Yu-won¡¯s complaints. Even while dealing with Ruchel, whose eyes had turned upside down, she had an extremely relaxed attitude. Maybe it was a lie that she used all her strength in that attack earlier. Ban Yu-won sighed and turned to his opponent, guessing this was her best compromise. ¨DKhieeeeeeek! The giant spider let out a pained cry. Of course, its condition wasn¡¯t normal because it was missing three of its eight legs, but because time passed, it had recovered to some extent and was now scrabbling back up. And even with its legs gone, that hardened carapace remained the same. Ban Yu-won would be crushed to death just from its size if he attacked. But he knew from the beginning that he would have to cut this guy down since Dok Go-yeon¡¯s teachings were Spartan. ¡°Shh.¡± ¡°No, Eve.¡± Eve stepped forward, transforming their body into a rifle, but Ban Yu-won shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of bullets. Please turn into a chain.¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± This time, Eve transformed into a bundle of chains. Using that as a signal, the giant spider charged at Ban Yu-won! ¨DKhieeeeeek! ¡°Tsk!¡± It was fast but huge, so Ban Yu-won could avoid it by passing through the blind spot created by the pulled-out legs. However, the unexpected thing was the silver threads scattered in the air following his movements. The sticky threads were placed to interfere with Ban Yu-won. [You stole 0.3 Spider Web. It is a concept that humans cannot possess.] ¡°Just like with Spider-Man?¡± ¨DKiiiiek?! Of course, the spider web that had already been released couldn¡¯t escape Ban Yu-won¡¯s power. When all the spider webs were replaced with golden strings and absorbed into Ban Yu-won, the giant spider reared in confusion to attack again. ¡°Eve!¡± ¨DClank! But by then, Eve¡¯s stretched chain had already tied down one of its legs. Because the other side of the chain was put into the wall, it could hold on for a while despite the giant spider¡¯s resistance. That was enough time for Ban Yu-won to attack. ¡®Eat this!¡¯ Although it was impossible to follow Dok Go-yeon¡¯s attack, which contained Death, at least he was confident that he could handle a sword strike with Snapping in it. The concept of Snapping resonated with his movements, and if he added the power of Blood Poison to this- ¨DSlash It was possible to cut off one of the spider legs. ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± ¡°It was cool. But you have to split its head to kill it.¡± However, Dok Go-yeon wasn¡¯t satisfied with that alone. Ban Yu-won released a devastating sigh as he saw the spider lying on the floor again, with half its leg cut off. He could cut off the leg because he aimed at the joint, but could he cut through that thick head? ¡°Haah¡­¡­all right, I¡¯ll do it.¡± The spider couldn¡¯t even move properly. When else would he cut it down? Ban Yu-won charged it with the protection of Eve¡¯s chains. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with!¡± He brought his sword down on its head. ¨DClank-clank! But he failed. There were two reasons: his lack of strength and skill, and Blood Poison didn¡¯t work this time. ¨DKrieeeeeeeek! ¨DBaaaang! If it weren¡¯t for Eve, who quickly turned into a shield, there would be a hole in the center of his torso as the angry spider swung one of its remaining legs. ¡°You should¡¯ve used that ability to draw blood and load it onto the sword.¡± ¡°Kuuuurgh!¡± Dok Go-yeon said as she threw Ruchel to the ceiling. However, Ban Yu-won, who knew he was unlikely to cut its head even if the Blood Poison worked properly, only clicked his tongue in response and adjusted his posture. ¡®It¡¯s hard to use Blood Poison continuously. It¡¯s obvious when you think about it, damn it.¡¯ While organizing his thoughts, the spider¡¯s legs swung for him again. However, the space was already narrow, and if he stepped back any further, he could cause damage to Light or Dok Go-yeon. ¡®I can¡¯t back down. If I want to be equal with these guys from now on¡­!¡¯ ¨DKrieek! He swung his sword desperately in response and slashed the spider¡¯s leg. However, if he hit it straight back, his arm would break under pressure. He had to drain the enemy¡¯s power as much as possible first. Of course, knowing that didn¡¯t make it any easier. ¨DKrieeeeeeeeeek! ¡°How come¡­!¡± The spider, who had completely given up on moving, tried to attack him with its remaining legs instead. Some of them were blocked by Eve, but they were reaching their limit. In the end, Ban Yu-won had to knock most of them aside. ¡°Uugh¡­!¡± His arm was about to break, but Ban Yu-won never let go of his sword. Rather, he was getting more and more immersed in the battle. The four legs rushed at him irregularly. Ignoring the creaking sound of his arms and the fact that his body was about to crash to the floor at any moment, he struck back. Frankly, it was¨D it was a bit of a fun challenge. ¨DClank! Clank! Krieeek! Before he knew it, Ban Yu-won forgot his current situation and the pain he felt and focused only on striking the legs. In the process, the spider gradually lost strength, and the impact caused by its attack decreased. Did the weight of the attack decrease because the spider was exhausted? That was undoubtedly the case, but it wasn¡¯t the only one. Ban Yu-won had begun to successfully drain the power from its legs, and he truly had a formidable ability to adapt. ¨DKrieeeeeeeeek! How many more times did he dodge its attack? However, suddenly, Ban Yu-won realized he was no longer afraid. A little lighter. A little faster. When Ban Yu-won¡¯s sword bounced off the spider¡¯s leg, a mysterious force took hold. [In the process of dodging the enemy¡¯s attack, you realized and acquired the concept of Flow. The depth of Flow has been increased to 5.] Perhaps his simple realization of this new martial arts concept was influenced by the remaining depth of what he obtained from Dok Go-yeon¡¯s sword strike earlier. However, even considering that, his realization was sufficiently amazing, though it didn¡¯t end there. ¡®The moment the attack comes, the enemy¡¯s power is loaded; I can drain it if I move my sword properly. Then wouldn¡¯t it be possible to reverse the enemy¡¯s power and send it back?¡¯ The so-called Parrying concept. To be honest, this was a mix of ¡®game thinking¡¯. However, the power of the concepts he dealt with was in how he perceived them. Contrary to the natural dodging of the enemy¡¯s attack, the concept of Flow was obtained. This time, he first moved with the concept of ¡°Return¡± and ¡°Anti¡± in his mind. ¡°Now!¡± ¨DKrieeeek! It was a bit of a failure at first. To use the enemy¡¯s power to inflict a blowback, it was necessary to take advantage of the minuscule gap when the enemy¡¯s attack reached its peak, which was harder to get the hang of. But then it got a little better. After that, the backlash made its leg cringe away for a moment. And then¡­ ¨DClash! The moment when the power of the spider¡¯s legs that stretched toward him reached its peak, he succeeded in reversing the direction of the force by deflecting it with his sword. The concept of Reverse that made its leg cringe in an instant was born. ¨DKrieeeeeeek! The spider, its leg now completely bent and broken, struggled. However, Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t have time to care as he checked the notifications in front of him. [You have engraved the self-defined concept of Reverse into your body. The depth of Reverse reached 10! In the process of learning high-ranking martial arts, the depth of Martial Arts has reached 120. The extra depth not attributed to the sub-concept will help you acquire and develop Martial Arts in the future.] [The depth of Soul has increased to 400.] Ban Yu-won looked back at Dok Go-yeon with shining eyes. It was clear from the beginning that she had hoped for Ban Yu-won to attain this realization by creating an opportunity for him. And it was to face a strong opponent whose limbs weren¡¯t intact! ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°¡­What? You¡¯re scaring me.¡± ¡­Or maybe not. CH 26 The Hunter Who Does Not Age Is So Strong has secured first place. Translating and editing takes a lot of time and money, so it may not be feasible for us to continue posting new chapters at such a fast pace. We want to upload as many chapters of this series as possible, but it will not be a top priority until it gains more readers. We still plan to upload 4 free chapters and 6 advance chapters a week but our goal is to reach 25 new advance readers, allowing us to upload 2 chapters a day. If we can reach 50 new advance readers, the translator and editors agreed to fully dedicate themselves to do 4 chapters a day. In the case that we reach that goal, the chapters will be discounted to 30 cents from the current price of 60 cents. One way to show support for this series as a free reader is by leaving a review on Novel Updates. This not only expresses your appreciation for our work, but it also helps boost its rankings. Thank you for everything! ______________________________________________________________ Lesson 7. I swear I¡¯m not doing this because I like him ¨C 1 ¡®What was that just now? It doesn¡¯t seem like he consumed a lot of Magic Power.¡¯ While Dok Go-yeon watched Ban Yu-won smash the spider¡¯s leg, her mouth was wide open in disbelief. ¡°Crrrr, khang!¡± ¡°Thank you, Beast.¡± She threw her thankful friend (Ruchel) to the far wall again for pointing out how ugly she looked and looked back at Ban Yu-won. As expected, there was no sign of him consuming Magic Power. That was a matter of course; he still didn¡¯t know how to properly handle Magic Power in the first place. He was just at the level of activating his body. ¡®But how just now? That¡­.¡¯ Even Dok Go-yeon recognized that it was a movement that used the concept of Reverse. But if she asked herself if she could do that, that would make her tilt her head a bit. The Martial Arts she dealt with were subversive and destructive, pushing with a strong and overwhelming force. On the other hand, Ban Yu-won just showed a technique that was only possible by grabbing and moving in a fleeting moment equal to 1 in 100,000. Whether she could do it or not wasn¡¯t the problem, it was a skill that didn¡¯t fit her Martial Arts. ¡®I heard there is a sect that focuses on counterattacking like that¡­I don¡¯t know if they teach that, though.¡¯ However, that skill resided in the realm of talent rather than skill, and naturally, the clan had no choice but to choose their disciples carefully, which made it difficult for them to grow. That was the reason why clans that dealt with that kind of skills couldn¡¯t become the majority. That is to say, originally, Dok Go-yeon didn¡¯t care about deflecting an opponent¡¯s attack or using their power to inflict damage, but she changed her mind a bit after seeing Ban Yu-won¡¯s strike. ¡®When I return to my hometown, I¡¯ll have to look for it. I can¡¯t handle it, but¡­.¡¯ It was interesting. He looked so cool that she unwittingly clenched her fist the moment he broke the monster¡¯s power. ¡®It¡¯s not that I fell for him; it¡¯s just that his beautiful movements and profound technique were cool.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s enough, Ban Yu-won.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Your progress is enough¡­huh?¡± ¨DKyeekikikikikikgh! However, it was the moment that Dok Go-yeon, satisfied with seeing more than expected, was about to declare his achievement¡­ The giant spider, which had lost its legs from Ban Yu-won¡¯s counterattack and was writhing in pain, suddenly inflated its body and let out a bizarre cry. ¡°Damn, Irregular¡­!¡± ¡°Crrrraaaar!¡± ¡°This Beast is a bother even at moments like this!¡± Dok Go-yeon, sensing the abnormality of the situation, tried to run to help but was blocked by Ruchel. She couldn¡¯t really kill her just because Ruchel was annoying, so accepting that, Dok Go-yeon glanced at Light and let out a sigh. ¡°What were you doing that you couldn¡¯t even catch that thing?!¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s annoying to deal with the threads all over the place¡­! My sword gets caught by the thread!¡± ¡°So incompetent!¡± * * * As soon as the spider started to swell, Ban Yu-won intuited that a bad change was taking place due to the Irregular phenomenon. ¡®I have to cut it now.¡¯ He rushed straight towards it. ¡®The Reverse that I just realized will have no meaning now. It must be stabbed or cut to death. But it is absurd to think I can kill that huge spider with this sword.¡¯ So, it had to be cut, but he couldn¡¯t cut it with his current power. Still, it must be cut down immediately! Still, as some time passed, he could use Blood Poison again. However, Ban Yu-won himself knew that it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡®What should I do? What?¡¯ Taking out the Magic Bomb right now was suicide, and there were limits to the attacks he could use with Eve. Trying to get away with Lilith was futile; the distance was already too close. ¡®¡­If this!¡¯ The only realistic possibility was the concept of Wave that he had acquired in Room 3. ¡®It was absorbed into the body because it said humans could possess it. So that means I can use this concept in any way.¡¯ The moment he became aware of that concept, he suddenly felt his sword vibrating in his grip. The Beheader Long Sword was emitting light from the several golden threads rising from it. Seeing those separate concepts resonate, Ban Yu-won intuitively realized the combination. ¡®Ugh?!¡¯ When Ban Yu-won concluded, the concept of Wave that had been randomly thrown into his body was activated and began to consume his Magic Power. -Vrooooom The Wave concept, now expanded and full of Magic Power, began to vibrate as if claiming its existence to Ban Yu-won. ¡®¡­I see.¡¯ The Babylonian Code was the power to understand a concept as a language and thereby manipulate its true meaning. With it, Ban Yu-won realized what he could do with this concept. ¨DKyigigigigh! ¡°Haah¡­!¡± Ban Yu-won believed in his intuition and took a decisive step forward. Just as he realized and was taught by Dok Go-yeon, he put the concept of Wave in his sword and slammed it down. ¨DBoooom! It was like watching the wrath of a god rushing across a bloody sea. The power of his swing, strengthened with blood, was amplified and stretched out with the wave. ¨DKyheeeeh! It didn¡¯t just split the giant spider; it spread vibrations through its body and shattered it! ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­!¡± Ban Yu-won just laughed as he watched the giant spider drop a single Magic Core and disappear. A feeling of exhilaration that he had completed something splendid and a feeling of emptiness that he¡¯d emptied himself of energy warred in him. Finally, he slumped down and started to laugh, feeling his surprise at his own actions melting away. Of course, he had to draw his blood and Magic Power, but that feeling of exhaustion didn¡¯t last long. [You realized how to create a more powerful concept by temporarily synthesizing concepts inside and outside the body. The depth of Complete Sight, Complete Hearing, and Complete Speaking increased by 5 each.] [The depth of Life is 195, the depth of Physique is 160, the depth of Magic Power is 170, and the depth of Soul is 420.] [The depth of Swordsmanship has increased to 55, and the depth of Snapping has increased to 20.] [The depth of Wave has been increased to 15.] There was a change in his body code. He came to realize naturally that the skills of his Martial Arts were important, but the realization of his original abilities was more important. But there was one more important thing left: the mass of golden strings that flowed from the slain giant spider. [You stole 15 Life, 13 Physique, 16 Devil, 12 Carapace, 2 Resistance, and 10 Splitting from the Tower Spider of Compound Eyes.] ¡°Huh?¡± Ban Yu-won narrowed his eyes when he saw the concept of Resistance at 2 and the Splitting that appeared next to it, unlike the other Elites. ¡®Was Splitting what he was trying to do? So he gave up on fighting and tried to increase his Resistance to buy time to split¡­that¡¯s convincing enough.¡¯ However, it couldn¡¯t win against the concept combination Ban Yu-won put everything on. If it had ended with just cutting it in half, the Splitting might have taken place regardless, but the power rode on in waves and caused it to explode. He couldn¡¯t believe that, at Eve¡¯s urging, he could create such a special move from the concept of a trap he absorbed without thinking. ¡®Yes, I activated it by infusing it with Magic Power, so this is an Active Skill¡­no, let¡¯s call it an Active Concept.¡¯ Contrary to Martial Arts, Riding, and Resistance, which always showed their power, Wave showed its power only after absorbing a large amount of Magic Power. To be honest, he forgot about the status window and skill for a while, but only after using the concept of Wave did Ban Yu-won think, ¡®Hey, doesn¡¯t this look like a skill?¡¯ Ban Yu-won sorted the codes according to the idea he just came up with. [Core] Life: 210 Physique: 173 Magic Power: 175 Soul: 422 [Manual] Martial Arts: 130 [Swordsmanship 55, Sewing 26, Snapping 20, Flow 5, Reverse 10] Leadership: 7 Riding: 17 Resistance: 5 Complete Sight: 130 Complete Hearing: 115 Complete Speaking 117 [Active] Wave: 15 ¨C The force of flow and vibration. This was how it was arranged. ¡®Okay, I¡¯m satisfied.¡¯ This tremendous growth was achieved in just one day after entering the Tower. He hadn¡¯t caught up with Electo, but¡­having mastered Reverse and Flow, he gained confidence that he could win their match. ¡®If I train here on Saturday and Sunday, that conviction will deepen.¡¯ From the looks of it, he would spend his entire weekend here. When Ban Yu-won picked up the Magic Core left by the spider and looked back with a sad smile, he could see Light, who had just defeated his spider, gasping for breath. ¡°B-Ban¡­.¡± With spider webs all over his body, Light could not move and dreadfully called out his name. Ban Yu-won sighed, wondering why the boy who was so talented looked that miserable. It was a disaster that happened in the opposite direction of what he was worried about at first. ¡°What, you are strong and good at swordsmanship.¡± ¡°The spider web! I got caught in that spider¡¯s web by mistake once, so it got harder to properly draw Magic Power from the sword¡­!¡± Even Ban Yu-won noticed the special debuff ability in the spider webs. However, since he removed it before he was hit by it, he wasn¡¯t able to conceptualize it. ¡°All right. Don¡¯t fall over struggling. Stay still.¡± Ban Yu-won reached out and took the concept from the giant spider that Light had just killed and then pulled out not only Light but also the concept of the spider webs scattered around him. The whole area cleared in an instant, and Light was freed. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you decide what to do with this Beast?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Crrrrrrr¡­!¡± Dok Go-yeon, who had been dealing with Ruchel until now, spoke in a tired voice. In fact, it was also partly because she was nervous. After all, she couldn¡¯t help Ban Yu-won, but when she saw him take care of that spider alone, Dok Go-yeon felt drained. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she get tired?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just hurt her either¡­.¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± Ban Yu-won learned about dealing with emotions and having an ¡®active¡¯ concept, but interfering with other people¡¯s concepts was another story. However, as he looked troubled, Eve again tapped Ban Yu-won on the back to convey their intention. ¡°You want the spiderweb?¡± ¡°Shhhhhh.¡± It was a concept that Ban Yu-won couldn¡¯t deal with anyway, so he handed over all of it to Eve. But he didn¡¯t just give that; he gave Spider and Web as Eve requested. [The depth of Wicked Beast that Eve possesses has been increased to 25. Absorbed 16 Net.] Perhaps because the spider wasn¡¯t normal, the depth of Wicked Beast also increased considerably, but the core was the Net. Eve, who finished absorbing the concept, turned into a bundle of chains and threw itself at Ruchel. ¡°Crrrr?!¡± Ruchel noticed them approaching and swung her hand, but Eve released its body and wrapped it around Ruchel. And surprisingly, it split into dozens of strands and became a web of iron! ¡°Ugh, crrrrrrrrr¡­!¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve done that right away.¡± The web was originally a concept that wrapped around the body the more you tried to get out. Eve tightened even harder as Ruchel twisted, struggling, and as Ban Yu-won watched¡­and watched¡­ ¡°¡­Light? Why are you covering my eyes?¡± ¡°Y-You can¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°And what about you? You!¡± ¡°I can!¡± ¡®Well, he doesn¡¯t want to hide his identity!¡¯ ¡°Phew, it¡¯s over anyway. The Shift to Room 5¡­it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s happening either.¡± ¡°Ugh, crr¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, mana seems to work normally on the student ID¡­should I activate it?¡± ¡°Stop covering my eyes.¡± ¡°Right. Then now¡± ¡ªLet¡¯s go out and ask the Principal or anyone about this. When Dok Go-yeon was about to say that, her words were cut off, and a voice echoed above them. ¡ªChildren who passed the test. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This.¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone, from Dok Go-yeon, who was convinced she was the best in the world, to Ruchel, who had lost her sense of reason, stopped moving. ¡ªI will reward you. The master of that absolute presence made them even breathe hesitantly. ¨DI¡¯ll allow you to become a contractor of the Observer of Complete Sight. From the empty void, it spoke again. ______________________________________________________________ To entice more readers to read ahead, we are offering a discount for the next few releases. CH 27 Lesson 7. I swear I¡¯m not doing this because I like him ¨C 2 ¡°I¡¯m glad everyone is safe!¡± Seeing Ban Yu-won and the party coming out of the Tower, Yoo Mina¡¯s shoulders drooped in deep relief. Not only her but all the faculty and staff of the academy around them, including the professors and associate professors, and the students, were gathered around. The one thing they shared in common was that they were all restless. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°That, wheeew¡­let¡¯s go somewhere else first.¡± When Ban Yu-won asked, Yoo Mina let out a loud sigh and fiddled with the pendant hanging around her neck. The next moment, the party entered the doorless classroom. ¡°It¡¯s not a good thing, and we can¡¯t talk about it loudly, so I brought you all here. I also want to hear about your first expedition.¡± ¡°So?¡± Dok Go-yeon gave her an annoyed look. ¡°Why did this happen on the first expedition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the Irregular.¡± They knew it before they even heard the answer. Knowing that this wasn¡¯t the answer they wanted, Yoo Mina nodded and continued. ¡°I told you about the intruders in the morning, right? We found the presence of an intruder, and a student¡­died at their hands.¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Ruchel, now gloomy but otherwise calm, startled and reflexively grabbed for Ban Yu-won¡¯s forearm. Ban Yu-won, who had been prepared for the worst, asked to make sure. ¡°It¡¯s not that they just died, but they weren¡¯t able to leave the Tower, right?¡± ¡°Right. Those in the same party as the student testified and missed the intruder.¡± It hurt as Ruchel held his arm even tighter. Still, Ban Yu-won let out a laugh. ¡°Then what will happen to the intruder?¡± ¡°Well. They could have been recognized by the Tower as a Climber.¡± Yoo Mina¡¯s expression was very bitter as she said that. Ban Yu-won saw that what she said was the truth, not an assumption. A flash of intuition struck him. ¡°Did the Tower intentionally induce it? To make an intruder kill an existing Climber?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± If he hadn¡¯t looked at Yoo Mina closely, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed her slight nod. Ban Yu-won gritted his teeth. It was at that moment his view of the Tower changed. ¡°It was a qualification test, so. That kind of test recognizes you if you kill a Climber, and if you can¡¯t, you die.¡± If they couldn¡¯t beat an existing Climber, the intruder didn¡¯t even have the minimum qualifications. Conversely, if they defeat the Climber, they are given a chance to climb the Tower because they have proven they were better than the previous Climber. That¡­was an incomprehensible test for Ban Yu-won from an ordinary human perspective. ¡°Is that why there were more intrusion attempts on the day freshmen entered the Tower? Intruders want to be recognized as Climbers by killing relatively easy freshmen.¡± Yoo Mina didn¡¯t answer his question, but her expression was enough. ¡°What a great place, this Union Academy.¡± After listening to the conversation and understanding the situation, Dok Go-yeon sat at a nearby desk. ¡°The fact that there are intruders in the Tower, which is the reason for the Academy¡¯s existence, and you cannot even prevent the Tower from convincing the intruders to kill a student¡­it is ridiculous to say that this is the most prestigious school across all dimensions.¡± ¡°There is a misunderstanding, student Dok Go-yeon.¡± Yoo Mina said with a sad smile. ¡°Union Academy must protect students, but once you enter the Tower, you are responsible for yourself. What¡¯s more, if the Tower chooses an intruder instead of a student, that¡¯s not something we can interfere with. Because that is the Tower¡¯s meaning.¡± ¡°The meaning of the Tower¡­.¡± Dok Go-yeon muttered blankly and looked out the window. Even though one student had died in it, the Tower remained unchanged. Was the intruder, now a Climber, still inside? Perhaps they were. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, student Dok Go-yeon¡ª¡± Dok Go-yeon, mumbling like that, put her hand on her student ID. Yoo Mina, who knew what it meant, called her name, but Dok Go-yeon was already gone. ¡°Haah, really.¡± ¡°Please understand her, Professor. Something bad happened inside the Tower.¡± Ban Yu-won comforted Yoo Mina as she looked depressed. She raised her head. ¡°A bad thing? What?¡± ¡°A strange voice identified itself as an Observer of the Complete Sight¡­.¡± ¡°A Constellation?!¡± Yoo Mina¡¯s reaction was really intense, enough to startle Ban Yu-won. But Ruchel and Light only smiled bitterly as if they were expecting her reaction. ¡°It¡¯s the first time in the academy¡¯s history a student has contacted the Constellations on the first day of entering the Tower! No matter how irregular they are, even with the boundaries of the Tower loosened, still!¡± Her reaction was in stark contrast to her prior depression, which raised Ban Yu-won¡¯s doubts about whether she had been acting this whole time. Ban Yu-won shook his head and asked. ¡°So, what is a Constellation?¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± At Ban Yu-won¡¯s question, Yoo Mina let out a weird sound. She glanced at Ruchel and Light, asking if they didn¡¯t know, but they shook their heads to indicate that they already knew. Yoo Mina, slightly relieved there, looked back at Ban Yu-won. ¡°Unbelievable¡­I heard that some lower dimensions have no Mana, but to think they are blocked from accessing Constellations, what kind of underdeveloped area is that?¡± The Earth was being treated like some shady place! Just because there was no Constellation or whatever! ¡°So, what is a Constellation?¡± ¡°A sponsor or observer.¡± The answer came from Light. For some reason, with a very contemptuous look, he explained: ¡°The term refers to the transcendental beings who observe countless dimensions, find a being they like, make a contract, and exercise influence in that dimension through that contractor.¡± ¡°They give them Magic or power¡­or something like an artifact. In return, they demand a lot.¡± Ruchel added to his explanation with a similar expression. Ban Yu-won nodded, remembering what had happened in the Tower earlier. A higher being arbitrarily observed the existence of other dimensions and gave abilities at their leisure. Didn¡¯t that fit pretty well? ¡°It really feels like a fantasy. Looking around the dimensions as if looking at a neighboring country. Besides, how can they give abilities away that easily¡­?¡± ¡°Student Ban Yu-won really talks funnily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really a fantasy.¡± From what Ban Yu-won knew, for example, was Daddy Long Legs [Note: 1955 Film] similar to this? If everyone had diligently read Daddy Long Legs, they would know well that there was no unpaid support in the world. After all, wasn¡¯t a young girl¡¯s life, with a bright future ahead of her, taken as mortgage by an uncle who was 14 years older just because she received some tuition assistance? ¡°They are doubtful contracts, and we don¡¯t even know what they can ask for.¡± ¡°The needs of the Constellations are different, but to borrow their power, plenty of people are willing to pay the price. That¡¯s how much power is needed. Especially¡­in the Tower.¡± Yoo Mina¡¯s gaze turned to the Tower. ¡°The Tower is the space with the most Constellation contractors, and it is also the space that attracts the most attention from Constellations.¡± ¡°What is the Academy¡¯s position on these contracts?¡± ¡°Even though they advocate for neutrality on the surface, the reality is that if an opportunity comes up, they will suggest taking it.¡± Yoo Mina added: ¡°I told you that you can¡¯t enter the Tower without your student ID, right? But how else would an intruder appear? What kind of method would they use to do that?¡± ¡°No way¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, it is the power of a Constellation. If it allows you to dream of being a Climber, is it still strange that some bet their fate on the Constellations?¡± But to become a Climber, they inevitably had to kill other Climbers. The Constellations, of course, knew that and supported the intruders. Ban Yu-won felt even more disgusted. Yoo Mina adjusted her sparkling jewels and asked: ¡°What were the demands of the Observer?¡± ¡°Murder.¡± ¡°Oh¡­?¡± Professor Yoo Mina¡¯s expression hardened in place as she leaned closer. Ban Yu-won pushed her away. ¡°They said: I will make a contract with two out of four of you, so whoever wants to sign a contract must first kill the others.¡± It was actually a little different from that, but that would be a little too much to talk about here. The Constellation¡¯s voice was still ringing in Ban Yu-won¡¯s ears. ¨DOnly hot blood, full of vitality, will earn my praise. You children of amazing potential, when you cut off a colleague¡¯s head and offer it to me, I will make you my closest children. My love will not leave you until you reach the end of this Tower and get what you want! Who would trust and follow the maniac who asked them to kill their friends for strength? Fortunately, before anyone could react, Dok Go-yeon became angry and ¡®kicked it out.¡¯ To show it wasn¡¯t an easy opponent, Dok Go-yeon struggled a fair deal, but they could escape from the space safely and leave the Tower thanks to her. ¡°Oh, my¡­.¡± It seemed that the prize was worse than she had imagined. Professor Yoo Mina grabbed her forehead and sighed, then murmured as she looked at Dok Go-yeon¡¯s empty seat. ¡°That¡¯s why she reacted like that¡­.¡± ¡°She must have been fed up with dealing with someone who saw our death as if it were a fun prank or a test. In fact, so am I.¡± Whether it was the Tower or a Constellation, he had feelings about those who tried to control humans. Maybe somewhere, there was a Constellation that was very friendly to humans and wanted to give unconditionally, but today¡¯s experience was enough to impair Ban Yu-won¡¯s trust. ¡°Professor, we can¡¯t enter the Tower this week, can we?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, it¡¯ll probably be hard. Sorry. Still, they¡¯ll watch the Tower over the weekend, trying to find the intruder¡­.¡± ¡°You have nothing to apologize for.¡± It meant Ban Yu-won, who was about to face off against Electo on the coming Tuesday, was in trouble. If it turned out like this, the only choice was to explore the external dungeons with greater difficulties¡­ ¡°What happened at the Tower? I would like to present it in a simple report format. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Umm. If possible, I¡¯d like to hear it in person¡­yes, do you have time tonight? Let¡¯s talk about it over dinner.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yoo Mina clapped her hands as if she had a good idea, and while Ban Yu-won grew still, Light and Ruchel stared at her. Then, Yoo Mina blushed slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you all wanted to have dinner with me too. But since the class leader is already suffering a lot, I have to take care of it myself¡­I¡¯ll have dinner with you guys next time!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­forget it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In response to Yoo Mina¡¯s response, which seemed to have missed the point, Light shook his head and gave up on saying anything. At least Yoo Mina didn¡¯t seem interested in Ban Yu-won as a man, so that seemed enough to him. On the other hand, Ruchel, still staring at Professor Yoo Mina with suspicion, glanced at Ban Yu-won, sighed, and placed her hand on her student ID. The next moment, she disappeared. ¡°Then students Ban Yu-won and Light, you¡¯ve worked hard. From next week onwards, we¡¯ll be careful not to let this happen again, so I hope you don¡¯t view the academy too badly.¡± ¡°I understand the professor¡¯s position. Anyway, thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°Haha¡­then, I¡¯ll go take a rest. Have a good weekend.¡± Light, out of energy, left the room first. Ban Yu-won watched him go with his head bowed and was about to leave the room after him. ¡°Student Ban Yu-won, one thing before that.¡± Yoo Mina caught him first. ¡°I have something to ask.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you ask it in the evening?¡± ¡°No, I want to be done with the depressing talk now.¡± At her sad voice, Ban Yu-won realized that his shallow tricks wouldn¡¯t work on her at all. Giving up, he shrugged and turned around. Yoo Mina asked, looking straight at him. ¡°I will be straightforward. The Observer¡­didn¡¯t it actually point out a sacrificial lamb?¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± After hesitating, Ban Yu-won closed his eyes tightly and nodded. If you want to become a contractor, kill the others? No, they weren¡¯t that kind. * * * ¨DIf it¡¯s the two of you, you can definitely reach the top of the Tower. Absolutely. Yes¡­if you get rid of the useless luggage. The Observer tied two of the party to the spot with those words. ¨DCome on, my dear children. Kill them. Then I promise you, you will have the brightest possibilities of all Climbers. Then, they asked Dok Go-yeon and Ban Yu-won. ¨DKill and win. I¡¯ll let you know that¡¯s all there is to the world. They offered power for killing Ruchel and Light. CH 28 Lesson 7. I swear I¡¯m not doing this because I like him ¨C 3 When Ban Yu-won returned to the room, he found Light with a chair pulled out of the table just a little bit. After a moment, Light slipped through the narrow gap and crumpled into himself. ¡®When I go to a friend¡¯s house, the house cat always does that.¡¯ Somehow, they find a narrow space and crumple their bodies into it. People said they felt a sense of stability there or something, but Ban Yu-won could never understand it. Who would¡¯ve thought he would find someone who could understand it here? ¡°¡­¡± As he was thinking about it, their eyes met. Ban Yu-won opened his mouth first, unable to stand Light¡¯s characteristic gaze that seemed wretched and angry. ¡°You are impressive; how did you fit?¡± ¡°Ban, are you trying to make fun of me, saying that my physique is too small for a man?¡± He hadn¡¯t thought that, but Light¡¯s body was small. But Ban Yu-won thought it was normal, so he didn¡¯t intend to make fun of him¡­wait a minute, did he think he still hadn¡¯t been caught? ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry. Actually, I¡¯m just lashing out. You can curse me.¡± ¡°I have no intention of cursing you either¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won sighed, pulled out a chair on the other side, and tried to sit down, then realized that he had just returned from the dungeon and hadn¡¯t washed up yet. Light noticed why he was uncomfortable and said: ¡°I don¡¯t mind; I haven¡¯t washed up either.¡± ¡°I do mind. It smells.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like you a bit.¡± He¡¯d get upset if Light said he didn¡¯t like him here. But while Ban Yu-won hated irrationality, he knew that some absurdities had to be accepted and overcome. If he didn¡¯t acknowledge that, it would be impossible to converse with this ¡®man.¡¯ So, that¡¯s the way it was in his experience. ¡®Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡¯ Realizing there was no way to escape, Ban Yu-won quietly pulled out a chair and sat down. Light stared straight at his face like he wanted to sigh, but he held it back. ¡°If you want to say something, say it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a complaint.¡± ¡°It must be a complaint that you want someone to hear.¡± ¡°Are you only satisfied after nitpicking every single thing?¡± Ban Yu-won decided to zip his mouth. Acknowledging the absurdity¡­he was acknowledging it. As Ban Yu-won silently waited for him to speak, Light started talking with a pout. ¡°You may not believe it, but I was one of the best geniuses in my world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am not lying. F¡­Father, mother, brothers, and many others. Everyone admired and praised my talent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So I signed a contract with our heirloom holy sword. Everyone had expectations of me, and everyone believed in me¡­.¡± His Majesty the King of an unknown country of an unknown dimension, will you be all right? It seems that your daughter is leaking her identity! Also, what family would pass on their holy sword as an heirloom? Just say it¡¯s a country! You can say it¡¯s a small country! ¡®You¡¯re making me even more curious about what country it is if you try to hide it like that!¡¯ ¡°But what is this?¡± Light¡¯s voice grew a little louder and then quieter again. ¡°What the heck was that, treating me like trash¡­.¡± ¡°They¡¯re losers who think everyone will listen to them if they say they are Constellations.¡± ¡°You can say that. You¡­.¡± ¡®Oops, I made her talk even more while trying to comfort her!¡¯ ¡°Because you were chosen, you can ignore it. But me? I became a burden for the two chosen by the Constellation. An extra that will die right away!¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t happen, and the choice was ultimately that Constellation bitch¡¯s. If you are swayed by those words, you are weak.¡± ¡°Yeah, I have a soft heart.¡± ¡®I ruined it. ¡® There was no bottom to Light¡¯s self-deprecation as he plunged into his negative mode! ¡°It¡¯s a Constellation. A transcendent which is far stronger than a human and knows much more. I don¡¯t understand how you and Dok Go-yeon could easily ignore it.¡± Desperately sad, Light muttered as he crumpled deeper into himself. ¡°But I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m sorry, Ban. There¡¯s no point in telling you this.¡± ¡°What is a good friend? This is nothing¡­.¡± ¡°Are we friends?¡± As soon as Ban Yu-won heard those words, he stopped moving and thought: I knew this bastard was oblivious, but really¡­can I just give him one punch? But looking at Light¡¯s expression, he realized it wasn¡¯t the right mood to say, ¡®Did you think we were friends? Go and buy me some bread, you bastard.¡¯ To put it bluntly, Ban Yu-won felt moved. ¡°You thought of me as a friend¡­thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, my friend. If you¡¯re thankful, don¡¯t think such nonsense in the future. You¡¯re much stronger than me in the first place.¡± ¡°In just one day, you caught up with a third of my entire life; you¡¯re the one who shouldn¡¯t be talking nonsense.¡± Light grunted at Ban Yu-won. It seemed as if waves were swirling within his deep blue eyes. ¡°With the giant spider too. While I was struggling with it, you grew in the middle of your own battle and ended up finishing it much easier than I could.¡± Light faced a sharp decline in combat power during today¡¯s battle from when his sword was caught in the spider¡¯s web. It was from then on that the young swordsman¡¯s pride and confidence fell. Unless he was an idiot, he could see that the problem Light was carrying was serious, but maybe that¡¯s why the Constellation chose Light as a sacrifice. Ban Yu-won decided not to discuss that for now. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about your sword being entangled in a spider¡¯s web, it¡¯s purely because of my ability that I didn¡¯t get hit, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s usually called talent. You¡¯re full of it, a diverse and overwhelming talent¡­.¡± Light¡¯s expression as he said those words looked very pained. If it were a matter of talent, Light, the contractor of the holy sword, possessed plenty. But for some reason, he was looking at Ban Yu-won, longing for what he didn¡¯t have. Maybe it had something to do with his disguise as a man too? ¡°Even if I were chosen in that situation.¡± Light said to himself. ¡°Would I have been able to reject the offer as resolutely as Dok Go-yeon?¡± ¡°You¡­.¡± ¡°I have no confidence. Because I have no talent, I have to do something. If I climb the Tower, even a devil¡¯s contract¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won listened quietly. ¡°So¡­my body trembles at the thought that if it were me, I might have casually sacrificed you.¡± Light closed his eyes and lowered his head. He murmured, folding into himself in a gesture that reminded Ban Yu-won of Ruchel. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s the most annoying and scary thing.¡± * * * When Ban Yu-won finished taking a shower, Light was already lying in bed. Ban Yu-won smiled as he recalled how his older sister also relieved her depression by eating or napping. ¡°I will make a mug of hot chocolate, so if you want some, come out and drink. It¡¯s warm and sweet.¡± Hot chocolate, when the cold wind blows, whether it be outside the window or in the heart, was very effective. He put the hot chocolate in a mug and then smiled as he watched Light grab it without answering. Then, he left the sad swordsman to his thoughts. ¡°You came out. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t have to go in.¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Ban Yu-won was startled as he found Dok Go-yeon waiting for him in the hallway. He thought his heart was going to drop. ¡°Why are you here? This is the men¡¯s dormitory¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a crime if you don¡¯t get caught. Don¡¯t you know that?¡± Dok Go-yeon said it like it was just something she had heard before and, with a bewitching smile, pointed to the ceiling. ¡°You want me to follow you to the roof?¡± ¡°Actually, I went to a tea shop located in the annex, but there were too many people to have a leisurely chat. So¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you just came in here.¡± ¡°Right. Then let¡¯s go.¡± Of course, he had no way to veto. The two headed to the roof, and fortunately they didn¡¯t meet anyone along the way. The rooftop was also decorated quite nicely, with flower beds and benches, but no one was there. Did everyone go to the library, training room, cafe, or restaurant? Maybe with what happened today, everyone was shaking in their rooms. While thinking about it, Dok Go-yeon picked a bench and sat down, then tapped the seat next to her. He sat down and quietly asked: ¡°So¡­what did you want to talk about?¡± ¡°I came here because I wanted to know about the luggage¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°You really¡­.¡± It was surprising that she cared about Light¡¯s condition, but it was shocking to hear her call him luggage. What was in this woman¡¯s head? Her eyes became sharp as he looked at her with suspicion. She was already terrified because of her unusual eyes, but when she glared at him, it was at a level that could kill him. ¡°It¡¯s a rude gaze.¡± ¡°I was just surprised by your choice of words.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the truth. A pathetic thing that only knows how to wield power like a fool but has no talent or idea of the application.¡± Ban Yu-won grabbed his forehead. If Light heard this now, he would be willing to sacrifice Dok Go-yeon. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Light? He is also good at swordsmanship and has many other abilities.¡± ¡°The problem is that it¡¯s all that sword¡¯s ability.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you want me to list them one by one? It was the sword that controlled the opponent who provoked him in class, and it was also the sword that created those wings. His keen senses and combat skills are also thanks to the sword. Did you see it? The moment it was caught in the spider¡¯s web, its movement slowed dramatically.¡± Of course, he knew it. His eyes caught the concept around the holy sword. But Dok Go-yeon, who didn¡¯t have his eyes, still caught it all. Wasn¡¯t this amazing observation ability really from a teacher? But Dok Go-yeon¡¯s thoughts weren¡¯t over there. ¡°It¡¯s already a mess, but it¡¯s over if we lose our courage there. It really makes no sense to be together.¡± ¡°Hey, worry or curse, just do one thing.¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll just curse. It¡¯s a waste of a sword on that ignorant swordsman who only relies on Form and can¡¯t even grasp the meaning.¡± ¡°I was wrong, so stop.¡± Dok Go-yeon grinned. ¡°Still, seeing you stick up for him like that, I think you have comforted him well. But with words¡­or your body?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± Dok Go-yeon laughed again as Ban Yu-won replied, disgusted. But she couldn¡¯t laugh any longer as she watched Ban Yu-won pull a thermos from his pocket and pour the contents into the lid. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Take your hands back first and ask. It¡¯s hot chocolate.¡± Smelling the sweet scent of cocoa, she had already reached out for the cup. If he said he would drink alone, she might drag him back into that Tower and ask the Constellation if it was too late to sacrifice him, so Ban Yu-won poured her a cup. ¡°Ho, hoooo¡­.¡± The crosses in her pupil turned round and round. He could tell, without even having to say it, that she was deeply impressed. ¡°So, you comforted him with this¡­!¡± ¡°Well, I wish I did¡­but are you okay?¡± ¡°Are you worried about me now?¡± Dok Go-yeon, looking at Ban Yu-won as if it was a pity, calmed down after drinking the hot chocolate. She then asked with a deep sigh. ¡°Did you find out by your powers?¡± ¡°No. Just because your face looked like that.¡± ¡°To think I was weak enough to be read by someone who doesn¡¯t even know me.¡± Didn¡¯t these guys make a promise as a group? Why were they so anxious about treating their classmates as friends? ¡®I should have gone to S. There was also a girl I knew who promised to join S University too¡­though we were just classmates.¡¯ As he recalled the past grimly, Dok Go-yeon let out a soft sigh. ¡°I¡¯m blaming myself, so there¡¯s no need for you to be gloomy. Did you say hot chocolate? I can get another one, right?¡± When Dok Go-yeon¡¯s cup was refilled, she couldn¡¯t hide her joy. After another sip, she casually confided in him: ¡°I was slightly annoyed that I had similar thoughts to the Observer.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± Ban Yu-won frowned. Dok Go-yeon turned around to hide her face before replying. ¡°It was essentially the same. I was thinking of removing them if they didn¡¯t help.¡± ¡°How could you agree with that maniac¡­!¡± ¡°That made me even more annoyed. If I had thought more radically if I had become engrossed in the thought of bringing only capable people up, if I had let myself be swayed by the magic of the Tower¡­.¡± Even if she didn¡¯t kill them directly, she might¡¯ve let them die. So, as soon as they heard the Observer¡¯s offer, she became even angrier and rejected it, Dok Go-yeon confessed. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then you are stupid too.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± At that moment, Dok Go-yeon turned around and put a hand out to him. Ban Yu-Won saw Death approaching his very nose, then it vanished before her great control. He thought his heart was going to explode, but at least he didn¡¯t show it, and Dok Go-yeon continued with a snort as if she knew how he would react. ¡°You mean you think those two have talent, right?¡± ¡°¡­Of course. No matter if the artifacts are good, how could they get here if they didn¡¯t have their own talents? Your standards are weird, and that Constellation didn¡¯t have the eyes to see.¡± ¡°Their standards are strange.¡± ¡°Nearly all of the talents you are talking about are confined to the realm of the mind and spirit, right?¡± Dok Go-yeon didn¡¯t answer. She continued to point out that Light could only wield a sword, but in Ban Yu-Won¡¯s eyes, Light had an innate talent for wielding a blade. His tendency to rely too much on the holy sword was a weakness, but it could be overcome. The same went for Ruchel. Although all of her potential, including her physical abilities and combat skills, was absurd, she had no control over her own psyche. That made it, so she didn¡¯t stand out much, but her natural talent was dazzling. In this way, when Dok Go-yeon called the two of them incompetent, their evaluation in the spiritual aspect rather than their talents was the deciding factor. ¡°¡­All right, let me trust you.¡± In the end, Dok Go-yeon nodded and took a step back. ¡°If you want to train, you will know the results sooner or later. From now on, I will sincerely teach you, and you will have to work together.¡± ¡°Sure. Still, there are things that Ruchel wanted to try.¡± ¡°If, as you said, they can overcome and grow, then I¡¯ll admit you were right.¡± But, Dok Go-yeon said, with her cross eyes wide open and looking straight at Ban Yu-won. ¡°If I don¡¯t like the result, then you will be held accountable.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Please think carefully about the cost of breaking my expectations and letting that idiot waste my time.¡± ¡°Huh? Hey, wait a minute.¡± Dok Go-yeon didn¡¯t answer but disappeared on the spot. Ban Yu-won, left alone, realized that despite her complaining, she had agreed to help. That day, Dok Go-yeon and Ban Yu-won made a secret contract. CH 29 Lesson 7. I swear I¡¯m not doing this because I like him ¨C 4 Saturday morning, all the Rebellion members were gathered in the training room in the second annex of the academy. It was allocated for each class to practice together, and surprisingly, they, treated as outcasts, could also use a very large training room exclusively set aside for them! If they had not been recognized as an official class, these benefits wouldn¡¯t be theirs. It was all thanks to Professor Yoo Mina. ¡°B-Ban, I have a question for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± And Light was now lying flat on the floor like a frog while Ban Yu-won kindly came close to listen to him. ¡°Since when did the word teaching¡­became synonymous with the phrase ¡®beating to death?¡¯¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fool.¡± But Dok Go-yeon, not Ban Yu-won, answered. Unlike Light, who looked like a dried-up frog, she stood gracefully like a crane with her legs outstretched. ¡°Since it¡¯s teaching the body, isn¡¯t it natural to inject? It¡¯s a different story if you¡¯re a thief like Ban Yu-won, who sees something once and steals the true meaning. But you¡¯re not, so don¡¯t be lying around like that and get up quickly.¡± ¡°Sword, give me¡­my sword¡­.¡± Of course, from the beginning, there was quite a difference in power between Dok Go-yeon and Light. Even so, this was the first time that Light had been defeated so unilaterally, and the reason was that his sword wasn¡¯t in his hands right now. ¡°You must first learn to fight without that sword. Until then, you¡¯re not allowed to use it. The same goes for entering the Tower.¡± ¡°I am a swordsman!¡± ¡°Then do you plan to die if you lose that sword?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lose it¡­.¡± ¡°Do you want to try to come at me with your sword? I¡¯ll take it from you in three seconds.¡± Light didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he resentfully glared at Dok Go-yeon, but she scoffed back. ¡°It¡¯s something Ban Yu-won also agreed to.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Light regarded Ban Yu-won as if he were a traitor. Ban Yu-won scratched his head and replied. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t know it would end up this way¡­still, we indeed discussed it for your growth.¡± ¡°For my growth¡­.¡± ¡°And if Dok Go-yeon chose this, I think it might be right. Light, can¡¯t you just trust me once?¡± When Ban Yu-won gave him a serious look, Light bit his lips, then nodded. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t think he would agree to it that easily. It seemed that the hot chocolate he made yesterday did a great job¡­or maybe the words of that Constellation worked like shock therapy. ¡°You¡¯re right on these things¡­so I¡¯ll trust you this time.¡± ¡°Ho.¡± Dok Go-yeon smiled softly as Light raised himself back up. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s start again.¡± ¡°Whew¡­.¡± When Dok Go-yeon prepared to attack, Light positioned himself. For Ban Yu-won, still at a low level, watching their fight greatly helped, so he sat down and observed. ¡®I expected it to a certain extent, but that guy gets really weak without a sword.¡¯ The fight was really one-sided. Dok Go-yeon constantly struck Light from up, down, and the sides with her fingertips raised. Light was trying to avoid Dok Go-yeon¡¯s attacks somehow, but his movements were noticeably dull and sluggish compared to when he was holding that sword. ¡°Kek, cough¡­!¡± ¡°All you need to see is the starting point of my breathing and attack! You have to feel it. If you follow where my hand is going only with your eyes, you won¡¯t be able to stop it in 100 years!¡± ¡°I¡­know that!¡± ¡°If you know, do it. You could do it holding the sword, right? Have your senses rusted without it?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Indeed, the holy sword¡¯s ability seemed great. It sounded like it raised Light¡¯s body specs and, at the same time, acted as an assistant in battle. If so, it was highly likely that Light relied on his sword rather than developing his senses in tandem with it. The mishap yesterday during the expedition, when the web blocked his powers, proved as much. ¡®That must be the part that Dok Go-yeon wasn¡¯t happy about.¡¯ He activated the Babylonian Code and observed them. Of course, reading the concept of two people¡¯s bodies at a distance in real time wasn¡¯t easy, but he believed that something would change if he constantly tried. It produced a half-success. Although it was impossible with Dok Go-yeon, he succeeded in reading the changes in Light¡¯s concepts. ¡®Light¡¯s Life, Body, Magic Power, and Soul¡­everything is decreasing?!¡¯ All four concepts, which Ban Yu-won called [Core], slowly fell. Light¡¯s Life, which easily broke the 500 mark (Light holding the holy sword was a monster nearly three times higher than the special class Electo), was cut in half in just three minutes. Even without a sword, he thought Light was strong, but his situation turned out to be quite serious. ¡°You are getting weaker! Is your body the sword? Is it the sword?¡± ¡°Uuugh!¡± Dok Go-yeon also seemed to have noticed and fiercely criticized Light. ¡°Are you here to protest because you can¡¯t do anything without a sword? If that¡¯s the case, say so!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t look for a sword you don¡¯t have, and face me with your bare hands!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± When Light clenched his fists in anger at Dok Go-yeon¡¯s words, surprisingly, the deterioration of his concepts stopped. It did not recover, but it was maintained at around half. ¡®What did Dok Go-yeon say now? Did she tell him not to look for the sword?¡¯ Perhaps Dok Go-yeon, who was fighting Light, saw him inadvertently making movements that assumed the existence of a weapon in his hands. But if the deterioration stopped the moment Light came to his senses after hearing those words, could it be that some other factor, which Ban Yu-won could not possibly guess, was influencing the contract between them? ¡°Ah.¡± At that moment, Ruchel, watching their battle with Ban Yu-won, opened her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ruchel?¡± ¡°Light¡¯s¡­face.¡± ¡°Face?¡± ¡°It¡¯s changing.¡± He looked at Light, and to his surprise, he saw that his face had changed. Specifically, the face line became softer, the eyelashes grew, and the chin slimmer¡­ ¡°Have you given up hiding?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I gave up; it feels like I let go of the things I had been holding back¡­.¡± It went without saying that all of Class 11¡¯s members were aware of Light¡¯s true identity. But wasn¡¯t that different from Light revealing her true identity? At that moment, Ruchel and Ban Yu-won exchanged glances while thinking that way. ¡°Ugh!¡± Suddenly, something bright gleamed from her chest, and Light screamed and fell to the ground. Dok Go-yeon¡¯s face turned slightly serious as she looked down at Light. ¡°I guess it won¡¯t be that simple.¡± ¡°Cough¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Light, you know that too, right?¡± ¡°But¡­I have to overcome it.¡± Light clenched her teeth and replied as her seizure subsided and her face changed again. It was different from when she was overtly feminine but still gave a significantly different impression from before. But each Class 11 member could recognize her at once, though it might be an issue for those unfamiliar with her. ¡°Ban, and you are right. Because I thought it couldn¡¯t be like this too¡­can I ask for another fight?¡± ¡°¡­I must apologize. I¡¯m sorry, I misunderstood you.¡± Dok Go-yeon apologized to Light. Light smiled sadly and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay because I couldn¡¯t tell you either. Maybe, from now on¡­.¡± ¡°I thought you were just an ignorant idiot who didn¡¯t know your place, but you were an idiot with a bomb in your body. I hope that your weird sickness does not activate in the Tower.¡± ¡°I really hate you!¡± ¡°Then get up now. You said you wanted to fight, right?¡± ¡°Your veins must pump poison instead of blood.¡± It was true that Dok Go-yeon¡¯s attitude toward Light had softened even though her evil words were still there. Light also realized that Dok Go-yeon was sincerely trying to improve her, so her antipathy diminished slightly. Ruchel, who was usually afraid of Dok Go-yeon, giggled at the sight of their bickering. ¡°Ban, we too¡­uuh.¡± Seeing the dramatic improvement in their relationship, Ruchel, mustering her courage, spoke. However, Ban Yu-won could not answer Ruchel because he was concentrating on the concept he had just seen for a brief moment. ¡®What¡¯s that? Did I see it wrong?¡¯ It would be better if that were the case, but somehow that didn¡¯t feel likely. [Holy Spirit, Magic Spirit] At the moment when that small burst of light beamed from Light¡¯s chest, two concepts appeared before Ban Yu-won¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t a concept from Light¡¯s body but something she was probably holding. However, the fact that two opposing concepts resided in one thing, and those two were related to the Soul¡­moreover, considering that it was the probable cause of Light¡¯s seizure, it was impossible to ignore it. If only he could do something about that, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to solve Light¡¯s problem? ¡®But she¡¯s not the kind to easily answer if I ask.¡¯ They shared the same room, at least. He would have many opportunities to talk about it in the future, so he didn¡¯t need to be in a hurry. As the class president of Class 11, Ban Yu-won could only think of it as one more task he had to solve. Light wasn¡¯t the one that mattered the most right now; it was Ruchel. ¡°Ruchel, did you call me? I¡¯m sorry, I was thinking about something else.¡± ¡°Gasp?! N-No. That¡¯s not it¡­.¡± After being ignored by him and giving up on talking, Ruchel was startled and backed away a bit. But she soon cautiously approached. ¡°Actually, I wanted us¡­to fight too.¡± ¡°Will you be okay?¡± Of course, Ban Yu-won wasn¡¯t declaring something like, ¡®Can you surpass me?¡¯ He worried that she would succumb to the same madness as yesterday. ¡­As a matter of fact, this party was really full of landmines. ¡°No.¡± Ruchel shook her head. Then, with a slight blush, she glanced at Eve wrapped around his forearm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­if you have to, you have the means to restrain me.¡± ¡°Shhhhhh.¡± Eve hissed as if to say to trust it. Ban Yu-won, embarrassed for no reason, cleared his throat and nodded. ¡°Fine. Shall we do it then?¡± ¡°Yes¡­um, please.¡± Ruchel nodded shyly. Ban Yu-won felt an indescribable pride at her smile. Could it be that the fragment of youth he wanted was here? Although the direction was slightly different! ¡®Okay, this is it. A young man and a woman cheering each other up and doing everything right! This is real school life!¡¯ Of course, Class 11 was an environment that was a majority female. However, there was a slight problem with the composition of the members. There was Professor Yoo Mina, who clearly showed that there was something she wanted while giving him uncomfortable support, and Dok Go-yeon, who he thought of as a teacher because of the huge difference in their abilities. Than Light, who was hiding her identity, was oblivious and indifferent¡­wasn¡¯t it a composition that wasn¡¯t even close to youth? ¡®The only hope is Ruchel. It¡¯s not that I want to do something; I¡¯m just trying to feel the atmosphere of youth!¡¯ But his last hope was shattered in just five minutes. ¡°Crrrrrrr!¡± ¡°Eve!¡± ¡°Shhhhhh!¡± Was it because she took his word that he would solve it somehow? Shortly after starting the match, Ruchel started showing signs of going rampant. As she embraced her emotions and burned her heart, she initially ignited emotions such as Fun, Exhilaration, and Joy and fought to win. Ban Yu-won, who had now become quite strong, skillfully evaded or Reversed her attacks several times. Then, she went mad as the Anger and Rage started piling up inside. ¡°Kaaaaah!¡± ¡°Eve, hold on tight!¡± ¡°Shrrr!¡± At the moment when Madness and Death appeared, she became a perfect beast. ¡®It seems that the degree of activation of the body and the effect on reason are different depending on the type of emotion.¡¯ For now, it was best to observe the changes in her heart, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t bring out or change them. Ban Yu-won thought of as one of the countermeasures to calm her by bringing his own feelings into a concept and giving it to her, but this also failed. The confrontation couldn¡¯t be resolved if they kept going back and forth like this. ¡°Krrr¡­ha!¡± But this wasn¡¯t a battlefield where blood, flesh, and bone littered the ground. He bound her with Eve¡¯s chains and left her alone for a few minutes before she was able to regain her sanity. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I said I¡¯d help. I was prepared for this much.¡± ¡°Ban¡­!¡± ¡°While I was teaching him, I see that you were able to smoothly seduce the beast.¡± Dok Go-yeon intervened as soon as Ruchel could speak. ¡°Seduce? Didn¡¯t you see me struggling against Ruchel?¡± ¡°I saw you whisper sweet words to an innocent beast.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± While Dok Go-yeon was making fun of Ban Yu-won, Ruchel defended him. ¡°Ban was really worried about me¡­.¡± ¡°Then the indecent desire is from the beast¡¯s side?¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Innocent Ruchel blushed, having a hard time responding. Ban Yu-won smiled as he checked the message that had arrived in his mirror. ¡°Done.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Yesterday, while having dinner with Professor Yoo Mina, I asked if I could take one of you along when I left the Floating Island.¡± And he had just received permission in the name of the president. It was normally impossible to get, but perhaps the video on the uploaded channel had a positive effect on the president. ¡°Nice, I thought it was frustrating to be stuck in this place¡­.¡± ¡°So, Ruchel, let¡¯s go outside.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± Not only Dok Go-yeon, who was sure he was going to take her, but also Ruchel, who didn¡¯t know that her name would appear there, and even Light blinked their eyes repeatedly. Ban Yu-won frowned at Ruchel and pointedly ignored Dok Go-yeon¡¯s gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go on a date.¡± ¡°¡­What?!¡± It wasn¡¯t because he liked her. It was only to deal with Ruchel¡¯s abilities, so he hoped she didn¡¯t misunderstand. CH 30 Lesson 7. I swear I¡¯m not doing this because I like him ¨C 5 The reaction to Ban Yu-won¡¯s declaration, which shocked everyone in Class 11, was finally calmed down after about 10 minutes of commotion. Dok Go-yeon and Light¡¯s gazes, as if they were looking at garbage, were truly impressive. Moreover, even once the reason was sufficiently explained, why was Ban Yu-won told to prepare himself after returning? It was still a mystery. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Y-Yep!¡± Ruchel was frozen stiff when she was told they were going on a date. She nodded her head and didn¡¯t respond. Ban Yu-won asked if she would be okay; she panicked and rushed back to the dormitory to change clothes. ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± So, the clothes that Ruchel had changed into were none other than the school uniform. Well, it was much better than her gym uniform in the training room, but¡­Ban Yu-won, who thought of several possibilities, realized that the question itself could be rude and just suggested: ¡°Let¡¯s go look for clothes that suit you first.¡± ¡°I have no money¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Gasp.¡± Ban Yu-won grabbed Ruchel¡¯s hand and activated his student ID. Originally, they were supposed to move to a nearby dungeon by chanting the spell given by the Principal. Still, after studying the student ID, Ban Yu-won found it somewhat possible to adjust the teleport position. As a result. ¡°Kyah¡­!¡± ¡°This way.¡± It became possible to move directly into the city without going through the dungeon. They were moved to a quiet alley, and Ban Yu-won immediately dragged Ruchel into the crowd. ¡°I-I¡¯m dizzy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because there are a lot of people and a lot of buildings.¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± When Ban Yu-won grabbed her hand, Ruchel clung to him so she wouldn¡¯t be lost in the crowd. The way she was trembling and clinging to him felt so much like a puppy that it made him laugh. ¡°It will be easy to achieve our goals.¡± ¡°Is this really possible? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to¡­!¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s possible. Now, I think there¡¯s a department store over there.¡± Located just below the Floating Island where the Union Academy was, Ronica, the free city, was the best metropolis of the Union. The city was very large, with several distinct residential and commercial districts and several department stores. Ban Yu-won had been exploring the city from Monday, so he guided Ruchel without difficulty. And while they were walking. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm? Do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Yes, but.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Ruchel¡¯s eyes turned to a fried food shop on the corner. In Earth terms, it was close to croquettes. The main dishes were meat such as pork or shrimp (something similar to them) coated in a dough made from potatoes (a vegetable like a potato) and deep-fried. ¡°Welcome!¡± ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± After looking through the various options, Ruchel stopped in contemplation for a while, but soon she chose a fried dish called ¡®Ellone.¡¯ He wondered if she was hesitant since it was his treat, but the one she chose was the most expensive, so it seemed she was getting over it. ¡°Then one Ellone¡­and a shrimp.¡± ¡°It¡¯s 90, Ronia, sir.¡± Shrimp was 20 Ronia, and Ellone was 70 Ronia. When he asked why there was such a price difference between them, the shop owner explained it was monster meat. ¡°It¡¯s monster meat¡­is that okay?¡± ¡°This is what I wanted.¡± As soon as Ruchel nodded, the fried Ellone was ready. Ban Yu-won stepped in front of the shop owner, who was blatantly glancing at Ruchel¡¯s voluptuous chest, warning him indirectly before taking her away. They could go inside and eat, but street food¡¯s beauty was eating it while walking around. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s delicious.¡± After taking a bite, Ruchel, with a happy expression, reached out and grabbed Ban Yu-won¡¯s hand. Then, realizing her own actions, her eyes widened in bewilderment. Then¡­ ¡°B-Ban. Thank you very much. But¡­.¡± Her voice grew cautious. Ban Yu-won succeeded in reading the emotional concept of anxiety that sprung up from her. ¡°Will we getting close¡­really help me control my abilities?¡± Ban Yu-won thought that if a stranger heard her, they would think he was trying to seduce her. But this was true; he was sincere. Ban Yu-won thought his condition to interfere with another person¡¯s internal code was how well he knew them. It was easy for him to give a concept to his sister and his family, but it was impossible to give even a very simple one to Ruchel. Of course, the same was true for Dok Go-yeon and Light. Now that things were like this, it would be too hard to inject a negative concept directly into an enemy¡¯s body to defeat them. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s just that it can¡¯t be used against someone stronger than me, but¡­.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t think his abilities were so simple. In fact, it wasn¡¯t long ago he couldn¡¯t properly read the concepts of his classmates, including Ruchel. But what about now? The more time he spent with them, the clearer their concepts became. Hadn¡¯t he been able to even read the concept of emotion from her? ¡®¡­Although it¡¯s a change, I made it after treating her to some food. But if the condition for using my powers is to observe that person for a long time rather than to become close with them, there is nothing better than the method I have chosen now.¡¯ Above all else, his instinct said so. If he wanted to change a person¡¯s internal code directly, it was best to understand the person in detail and deepen their relationship. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a possibility it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± However, Ban Yu-won didn¡¯t dare put his thoughts into words. He thought doing this would allow him to get to know her more naturally. ¡°Still, I think it¡¯s advantageous if I get to know you. Oh, if you don¡¯t want that, tell me now.¡± ¡°No!¡± At Ban Yu-won¡¯s remark, Ruchel shook her head. ¡°I do, absolutely.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m just not a very interesting person. I¡¯m not as friendly as Dok Go-yeon¡­and Light.¡± Aside from Light, was Dok Go-yeon friendly? Was she okay? When Ban Yu-won gave her a genuinely puzzled look, Ruchel replied with a sad smile. ¡°I mean relatively. She¡¯s a scary person to me, but¡­she likes you a lot.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t say we ¡®like¡¯ in her case; we say we want. In the same way we want to have a sword or shield that works well.¡± ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± When Ban Yu-won said that with the deepest sincerity, some of the tension in Ruchel¡¯s shoulders loosened. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little relieved.¡± ¡°About what?¡± Ban Yu-won, unable to understand why she was saying that now, tilted his head. He knew from the beginning that the most difficult thing to understand was another¡¯s heart, but this one was the hardest level of them all. ¡°I thought you knew everything¡­but it doesn¡¯t seem so. You¡¯re just like me.¡± ¡°Hey, wait a minute. I don¡¯t think I should be happy about that.¡± ¡°I will try hard.¡± ¡®How will I feel if you say you will try hard? How?¡¯ ¡°I want to¡­get closer to you too. Like those two.¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling anxious just hearing that.¡± He wanted to get to know Ruchel, but not like the two. However, Ruchel, who seemed to have already sorted everything inside herself, grabbed his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I want to look for clothes.¡± ¡°Shit¡­I¡¯m going.¡± The direction was slightly different from what he initially thought, but it wasn¡¯t a bad atmosphere. Ban Yu-won went to the department store holding hands with her, and he ran into a problem he hadn¡¯t ever considered. ¡°I mean, are you seeing me as a pervert?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that only these clothes suit me.¡± Two hours had passed since they entered the department store clothing store. When the clerks saw Ruchel, they tried to control their expressions and struggled to choose clothes that fit her, but most of them were revealing outfits that were too tight under her chest. ¡°How about an ordinary dress or something like that?¡± ¡°If I wear a full suit like that, it makes me look fat.¡± ¡°My bad.¡± Ruchel, who¡¯s good proportions gained the envy of all women worldwide, suffered through these difficulties. If she dressed normally, she would look fat, and if she tried to flatter her body, her breasts would inevitably be emphasized. There would be a way if it were any other woman, but she wasn¡¯t any woman. Ban Yu-won realized why she caught people¡¯s attention like that, even when she only wore a school uniform. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t like them.¡± Ruchel told Ban Yu-won, who was starting to think about whether she had him pegged as an unscrupulous man. ¡°I¡¯m used to those gazes¡­you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°When I hear things like that, I feel like I¡¯m being treated like a fool again¡­okay, then, let¡¯s take these.¡± Ban Yu-won chose five or six sets Ruchel liked and paid 50,000 Ronia for them. ¡°It¡¯s expensive!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not expensive! So, don¡¯t try to take it off!¡± She was wearing the blouse and skirt she liked the most among what they bought. ¡°Still, it¡¯s enough money to buy 714 fried Ellones!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is a gift for a friend¡­and you¡¯re surprisingly quick with that calculation, huh?¡± ¡°Still, this is too much¡­is there anything more you want from me?¡± Ruchel made a questionable expression as if to say, ¡®there¡¯s no way Ban would.¡¯ Ban Yu-won winked at her, taking the bag from the clerk and putting it in his inventory. ¡°If you feel uncomfortable, you can think of receiving the channel revenue in advance, right?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ban Yu-Won informed her that the video channel he was running would soon generate revenue and that he would pay them an appropriate proportion. Of course, Ban Yu-won was in charge of filming, editing, uploading, and channel management, so his proportion was about half, but looking at the way the channel was running now, it was a considerable amount even if the other half was divided among the three of them. ¡°You mean you can make money with that?¡± ¡°Yeah. Traffic is money. Even if you put just one advertisement on the video, the countless people who see that advertisement will make you money.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an alchemist¡­! Making gold out of nothing!¡± It seemed she didn¡¯t understand properly, but Ruchel was very impressed! After hearing that, she seemed happier than when she received the clothes. Ban Yu-won thought there was no way to understand a woman¡¯s feelings, shook his head, and took her hand. ¡°Then let¡¯s go eat now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± At that moment, Ban Yu-won noticed the concept of emotions overflowing from Ruchel. The golden strings signified Delight and Fun. As he stretched out a hand just to check, they were pulled in. It felt like lightning had struck him. ¡°Ban¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, ah. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Glossing Ruchel¡¯s confusion, he quickly moved them to the code core lest they disappear. Ban Yu-won was sure he had just found a way to deal with her problem. * * * It was actually a fun date. She was already pretty, but now that she was well-dressed, she caught people¡¯s attention wherever she went. Yet when they saw Ban Yu-won, who had become quite a celebrity in the city over the past few days, hanging next to her, most of them backed away. After they ate, they went to look for new clothes for Ban Yu-won, and thanks to Ruchel¡¯s good eyes, Ban Yu-won got a few nice plain outfits. Meanwhile, they ran into some of their channel¡¯s subscribers and were asked to sign autographs. Of course, Ruchel was puzzled by this as well. ¡°How do these people know us?¡± ¡°The number of our subscribers has increased considerably. Of course, compared to the size of this world, it¡¯s not a lot, but now¡­uh¡­.¡± Ban Yu-won, who turned on the mirror and checked the channel, lost what he would say. When he uploaded the video yesterday, it was definitely less than 50,000, but now it was heading toward a million. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°What? Did something go wrong? It¡¯s okay. You are still growing, so you can fail¡­.¡± ¡°¡­We hit the jackpot.¡± When he refreshed the channel, it was definitely over a million. Moreover, the first exploration episode, which was becoming a hot topic, had already been viewed by close to five million. Thanks to that, attention was drawn to the other videos they uploaded so far. ¡°It seems like your clothes are already paid for.¡± ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Ruchel¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked at Ban Yu-won. It was as if there were hearts in her eyes. ¡®If you respond honestly to capitalism like this, I¡¯ll be embarrassed.¡¯ ¡°A male full of power¡­!¡± Ban Yu-won doubted his ears for a moment. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Oh, I just thought you were a capable man!¡± ¡®That¡¯s right. I heard it wrong, right?¡¯ Ban Yu-won laughed ??and exchanged a smile with her. He considered that the Ambition overflowing from Ruchel was something he saw wrong. ¡­He collected them all, though.