I got into school for nothing - 129
I got into school for nothing (129)
Lesson 26. Pushing Away Those Who Get Close - 4
Dokgo Yeon tamed the rock mountain... which the Tower named [Living Mount].
It wasn't intentional on her part.
The living mountain, thoroughly defeated by a being infinitely weaker than itself, managed to recall its memories of being a sturdy natural barrier protecting a human city. It then spontaneously swore loyalty to Dokgo Yeon, who helped it regain its good self.
No one would understand what this story meant even if they heard it, but Ban Yuwon couldn't make heads or tails of it either.
"How in the world?"
"Well, its size was so enormous that while I was agonizing over where to strike for the kill, a Tower notification for an 'Achievement' appeared. Then my Level rose, and this mountain began to follow me."
Achievement.
The party simply nodded with equally blank expressions.
Once again, they realized that Dokgo Yeon was a monster who operated on a completely different level than them.
If it had been Ban Yuwon, he would have thought of planting dynamite inside and blowing it up, long before considering killing the mountain.
"So, this... what are you going to do with it?"
"Is there, like, a shrinking function?"
"Ban, a mountain isn't a dragon. It can't polymorph into a human form."
"A stationary rock mountain can come alive and move, so why wouldn't it be able to polymorph?"
It couldn't.
But to abandon it here... Ban Yuwon looked up at the colossal rock mountain, whose peak he could only see by tilting his head back more than 90 degrees, and wore a troubled expression.
Mass multiplied by acceleration equals force.
Bluntly speaking, if this mountain merely toppled forward, it could crush everyone unless they were a monster like Dokgo Yeon. Discarding a weapon of mass that moved and obeyed their will was simply too wasteful.
"Ah, now that I think about it, there was a passage in a book I found in the library."
At that, Light, who was more knowledgeable than anyone else present when it came to useless Tower trivia, clapped his hands and spoke.
"It said that when you complete quests in the Tower, you can sometimes create friendly monsters. And there's a rare chance you'll encounter such monsters in other rooms later on, and they might even help you."
"When did you even research that?"
"I wanted to learn more about the people... NPCs inside the Tower. So, while the Study Talisman's effect was still active, I went to the library and skimmed through relevant books."
Though he would mercilessly kill Tower NPCs if they were hostile, Light's attitude towards them was quite serious!
Ban Yuwon nodded, acknowledging his words.
"The rooms we've cleared in the past affect the rooms that appear in the future... I expected that much, but even friendly monsters?"
"Hmm, so you're suggesting we don't kill it and just leave it?"
Dokgo Yeon swept her gaze over the rock mountain with a somewhat regretful expression.
Ban Yuwon said.
"No, let's take it with us after all."
Dokgo Yeon turned back to him with a puzzled look.
"Ban Yuwon? Surely you're not thinking of putting *this* into your inventory?"
"No, the inventory isn't omnipotent."
His vassals seemed to be able to enter somehow, but this Living Mount was not his vassal, and more importantly, it was far too enormous!
So....
"Take this. It's not Teacher's Day, but it's a gift."
Ban Yuwon handed Dokgo Yeon a bracelet with a sub-space attached, which the Constellation 'Immovable Controller' had personally said, "If it's that mountain, it can be put in somehow."
Initially, the bracelet, honestly not very pretty with its chunks of dazzling gems stuck to it, had been processed with the Constellation's power, becoming more slender and elegant, compressed to a size now suitable for a woman's wrist.
"Ugh?!"
"Ah, ahhh...?"
"Ban, you."
However, seeing it, Dokgo Yeon looked flustered, perhaps having misunderstood something, Rucell gasped in astonishment, and Light even trembled.
Ban Yuwon, dumbfounded by how perfectly they gave the expected reactions, said.
"Just check the information, Dokgo Yeon."
"...Ahem. I'll gratefully accept it."
Dokgo Yeon, sensing that Ban Yuwon had some other intention, obediently accepted the bracelet and checked it.
Then, she tilted her head and looked back at Ban Yuwon, her action clearly indicating her meaning.
"There's no immediate danger. We'll go out and have Professor Yumina confirm the sub-space too."
"In that case... I understand. I don't know if it'll work, but let's try."
Dokgo Yeon didn't wear the pair of bracelets separately on each hand; instead, she overlapped them and put them on her left arm.
Then, she extended the hand wearing the bracelets towards the Living Mount... and astonishingly, the mountain simply vanished!
"Ho."
"It actually worked."
It was Ban Yuwon, the one who had handed over the bracelet, who muttered in surprise.
Naturally, Rucell and Light looked even more astonished. Dokgo Yeon, after reaching out her hand to Light experimentally, withdrew it with a solemn nod and said.
"It seems things won't enter the sub-space if I don't have ownership. Ban Yuwon, I was hoping it might be able to block all incoming ranged attacks like yours... but I suppose that's asking too much."
"Dokgo Yeon, were you just trying to put me into a sub-space without saying anything?!"
"That's right. Just a little prank."
"You...!"
The enraged Light, and Dokgo Yeon toying with him.
Rucell groaned, looking extremely envious as she watched Dokgo Yeon, but then she calmly took a deep breath, stroking her own hands.
Ban Yuwon had a rough idea of what she was thinking, so he decided to leave her be.
"Great Mage!"
"The mercenaries who repelled the monster wave are over there!"
"Great Mage! Great Mage!"
It must have been at this point, with even the moving mountain gone, that they finally felt certain the monster wave was over. The soldiers guarding the city walls swarmed over, calling out Ban Yuwon's party's names.
Of course, the proportion of voices calling out 'Great Mage' was overwhelmingly high.
Ban Yuwon gave a wry smile and waved to them, and the cheers grew even louder.
Along with that, a notification that he hadn't noticed last time appeared before his eyes.
[The Great Mage's Achievement has been reflected, increasing your Depth of Honour to 200. Your Depth of Soul has become 800.]
"..."
That his Honour grew by 50 in an instant was understandable.
However, the fact that his Depth of Soul had also grown by 30 in a single bound was extraordinarily surprising.
The higher the Depth of a concept, the slower it grows.
Therefore, wasn't 150 Honour becoming 200 a completely different matter from 770 Soul becoming 800?
It meant that the achievement he had just made was that remarkable.
'Not only that... I don't know if it's because my Soul grew, or my Honour grew.'
Vaguely, he felt as if his magical power had become stronger than before.
Ban Yuwon experimented by creating and floating an orb of light in his palm.
He realized that the time it took, from imagining the orb to its creation, and the mana and mental power consumed, had all clearly decreased compared to before.
"Cellon, did you know about this?"
—That's what Achievements are. Why do you think the descendants of prestigious families, who have accumulated reputation over long ages, are so powerful? It's all the strength granted by the accumulated achievements passed down through generations of their family.
"You're quick to tell me now."
Ban Yuwon strongly realized why Honour was important.
If this was the case, then wouldn't the importance of the Rebellion channel, which was helping to raise his Honour little by little every day, become even greater?
Wait, then what was the achievement that greatly increased his Honour last time related to?
Since obtaining the Great Mage's achievement strengthened his magic, the achievement he earned last time must have also strengthened something.
—Perhaps something related to giants? The way you blew up the bracelet and defeated the monster just now felt a bit too smooth, didn't it?
"Is that so? We'll find out in time."
Ban Yuwon let out a low sigh.
In this room, he had simply used magic because he thought it would be more useful, yet he had achieved such an accomplishment.
From now on, should he try to resolve situations with his sword no matter what? Or should he just completely switch his specialization to magic?
"Great Mage!"
A middle-aged soldier rushed towards Ban Yuwon, who was once again contemplating a career path he thought he had already settled.
Now that he looked closely, it was the very same soldier who had greeted them when they first entered Room 39.
With an expression of extreme emotion at the monumental victory—a feat unimaginable when they had initially braced for a defensive battle—he opened his mouth, speaking in a tone as if he would kneel before Ban Yuwon at any moment.
"We have prepared the payment! We also plan to hold a festival to celebrate the victory, so please, do join us...!"
"Ah! ...Are you leaving right away again this time, Ban?"
"No way."
Ban Yuwon shook his head at Light's question.
Last time, he had something weighing on his mind and fled without a second glance, even when offered an audience with the king, but this time was different.
"Anyway, it's about time we took a break. Rather than going to Room 40, Eden, to sleep, let's just relax here and rest for the night."
"Ban...!"
Light's eyes sparkled, his face filled with emotion.
Ban Yuwon smiled back at him, then raised his head, directing his gaze at Tikke, who was still filming the ground.
A video capturing the festival taking place in the city after successfully fending off the monster wave...
This will sell!
* * *
After the festival, which burned through the entire night, Team Rebellion headed to the mansion where the lord resided, following the captain of the guards.
However, the lord was nowhere to be found. The captain of the guards checked several times to ensure no one was around before leading them to a secret room hidden within the mansion.
"This... this can't be..."
"Woah..."
There, an enormous amount of gold was piled up.
"It's a secret that our city possessed gold. The truth is, the lord had embezzled gold from a mine that was in dispute with a neighboring city over territory..."
"And yet, he still dared to expect support from that neighboring city."
Indeed, they could roughly guess how the story had unfolded from Room 35 onward.
Perhaps it involved a detective novel-like plot regarding the whereabouts of the vanished gold?
But thanks to Team Rebellion bravely forfeiting support and tackling Room 39 head-on, the gold remained in its secret location, and the neighboring city, incidentally, was ruined.
"So, what about the lord who embezzled this gold?"
"He died suddenly. Even if this gold remained in our territory, it would only be a source of conflict, so we hope the mercenaries will take it all."
"We're thankful for that."
It was probably the captain of the guards' unilateral decision to offer the gold.
Deciding not to inquire, out of politeness, about the sudden circumstances of the lord's death, Ban Yuwon quietly gathered the gold.
It was a staggering 200 kilograms.
An enormous treasure, roughly seven times the amount of gold Ban Yuwon had used up during his spectacle of trying to turn a copper box into a gold one!
"I think I understand why people are so obsessed with the Tower of Babel now. To have such wealth just pop out so casually..."
"I'll collect all the gold for now. Tell me if you need any later."
"Ah, all of mine is yours, Yuwon."
"I'll take it back home during vacation. With this much, wouldn't it help our king... our family?"
He decided to ignore Rucell and Light's remarks for now.
Dokgo Yeon also looked bewildered by the gold abruptly thrust before her eyes.
"This is surprising. As compensation for skipping five entire rooms, I expected a Tower reward that would lead to direct growth—I never thought it would come in physical goods."
Dokgo Yeon was dumbfounded, but Ban Yuwon found it somewhat understandable.
"We gained plenty of experience and achievements while clearing the rooms, so isn't this actually a pretty good balance?"
"That's a very results-oriented statement. ...Well, I did Level Up, so it's fine."
"Me too!"
"Me too... Ah, Ban."
"Don't look at me with that 'What will you do, you can't Level Up?' kind of expression, Light. I've also become incredibly strong."
For reference, the heap of Concepts that Tikke had gathered from all directions was, unfortunately, too low in purity for Ban Yuwon, who had grown significantly by absorbing a large amount of Depth from a Constellation, to fully absorb.
So, Ban Yuwon neatly adjusted his Life to 650 and his Hyungi to 400, then distributed the rest to his vassals. Any remaining Concepts such as Life, Mana, and Carapace were temporarily stored inside the Code Core.
"Dokgo Yeon, look. Every single raindrop of the Stormrain Sword now holds Concepts equivalent to 200 Life and 200 Demonic Sword. Isn't that cool, huh?"
"I have no way of knowing how amazing that is."
If Ban Yuwon from when he first arrived at the Academy with a Dokkaebi Club with a mere 5 ghost energy were to see this, he would be shocked speechless.
Ban Yuwon, lamenting the reality that he had no one to boast to about the greatness of his carefully nurtured vassals, left the city with his party.
He harbored a faint mix of worry and expectation that they might be held back, but the city's inhabitants were all sprawled out in a drunken stupor, allowing them to leave quietly.
"Ah--- look at that, Ban!"
Room 40, Eden, was equipped with everything that had been in Room 30, which they had visited earlier.
What Ban Yuwon's party faced there was a reality they absolutely did not want to acknowledge.
Light cried out as if in despair.
"The copper box's trim is silver!"
"No, Light. This isn't just silver, but..."
Dokgo Yeon, who calmly inspected the box's surface, declared.
"It's platinum."
Platinum, in other words.
In fact, by Earth's current standards, platinum was a less expensive precious metal than gold, but Ban Yuwon was more accustomed to a system that measured strength by game-like tiers—Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum—rather than the actual market price of precious metals.
"It's a rare metal. More importantly, it's a concept that wasn't present in the Tower's reward system we learned about."
In response to Dokgo Yeon's meaningful gaze, Ban Yuwon nodded in agreement.
This treasure chest, with a copper box and platinum trim, was even higher-ranked than the reward from Room 30!
"Tikke, are you filming properly? Good. This is going to cause a stir again."
"Ban, can I open it? This time, I *really* get to open it, right?"
He saw the illusion of a tail wagging from Light's rear, even though Light wasn't a beast-kin.
If he had mastered Changeling, he might have attempted it himself, but this time he wasn't confident in bypassing the Tower's security, so Ban Yuwon readily allowed Light to open the treasure chest.
"Ah... shoot."
But Light, who had been incredibly excited, looked distinctly disappointed upon seeing the box's contents.
"Why?"
"It's armor. And a Full Plate Armor, at that."
Ban Yuwon couldn't understand why armor would be a cause for disappointment.
This was because Light was the only member of Team Rebellion who always made sure to wear armor every time they entered the Tower.
Metal armor that, even if not Full Plate, certainly protected all vital areas.
To Ban Yuwon, who was tilting his head in confusion, Light explained the history of the armor he was wearing.
"This is our king's... our family's treasured armor."
Everyone knows, so just say 'kingdom'.
"So I have no intention of wearing anything other than my own armor. Which means the armor from the box... Ban, it would be best if you wore it."
"Huh?"
"I've been feeling uneasy about it for a while now. All three of you just wear your school uniforms every time you enter the Tower! Dokgo Yeon probably won't get hurt anyway, and Rucell grows enormous whenever she fights, so armor would only get in her way. But Ban, you're different, aren't you? It looks like a good item, so you should wear it."
"Light..."
In truth, Ban Yuwon had secretly been drawn to the idea of armor, so he felt grateful to Light for so readily offering it to him.
He looked back at his party, as if asking if it was alright for him to take it. Rucell subtly sparked, indicating she had already claimed a reward from Room 30, and Dokgo Yeon simply flicked her left hand with an annoyed expression.
She was gesturing to the Immovable bracelet she wore on her wrist.
How cute.
"Thanks, Light. I'll definitely make sure to get you the next reward we find."
"Just try it on already."
"Ah, no."
Ban Yuwon shook his head in denial.
Light tilted his head, not understanding what he meant by "no."
Ban Yuwon checked the condition of the armor he had received, then grinned and said.
"No one's going to wear this."
Just then, he had wanted to create something ever since he acquired the Concept of Evil.
A good item had appeared at precisely the right moment.
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