I got into school for nothing - 135
I got into school for nothing (135)
Lesson 28. Doom's Flower Viewing - 2
It occurred to him that he hadn't yet heard of Rucell's home dimension. When he asked, she stated her Dimension Grade without much thought.
“It's the E-1 Dimension. In our dimension, ours is probably the only planet that has achieved a mana civilization.”
“E-1 Dimension?! Really?”
“Yes.”
While Rucell spoke calmly, As Light, surprisingly, made a fuss.
Why? Even if it's the top among E-grades, isn't it still far inferior to D-grades?
To Ban Yuwon, who tilted his head in confusion, As Light excitedly launched into an explanation.
“Indeed, seeing Rucell, who hails from that dimension, here makes it quite convincing.”
Yumina interjected again to add a further explanation to Ban Yuwon's words.
“There isn't a specific criterion for being selected through the Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions. But what's certain is that Ban Yuwon is the first student ever chosen from an 'ungraded' dimension.”
“That just shows how incredible Yuwon is. It's clear that Union Academy's Special Admissions program was made for Yuwon.”
Rucell nodded firmly.
While he appreciated the praise, hearing the term 'ungraded' repeatedly didn't feel great either. Ban Yuwon, sympathizing with Dokgo Yeon's feelings, changed the subject.
“What was the Dimension Grade of Gellas, where we went before?”
“That was D-39. Since Gellas was the only planet in that dimension to achieve a mana civilization, the dimension itself came to be called 'Dimension Gellas'. For the same reason, the F-138 dimension can simply be referred to as Ur-Aha.”
“Oh, is it rare for multiple planets in a dimension to develop mana civilizations, like in Light's home dimension?”
“It's rare, of course. Not to mention mana civilizations, even planets with any civilization at all are rare, aren't they?”
That's true.
Even when Ban Yuwon lived on Earth, it was clear that there were no civilizations in the solar system except for Earth. Even expanding the scope to their galaxy, it was merely 'presumed' that there might be others, but no traces of other civilizations had been found.
Before, he'd thought perhaps it was just a lack of observation technology preventing them from discovering aliens. But now, after hearing Yumina's explanation, he wondered if it was because they were blocked by a dimension wall.
“Wait, then Light's dimension is special, isn't it...? You said there wasn't just one or two mana civilizations, but several?”
“Even so, it's still a lower-rank dimension. A weak, worn-out dimension constantly plagued by alien invaders. ...And despite that, it doesn't get along well with other planets either. If *that's* what's special, then I don't want it.”
As Light sneered.
It was an expression Ban Yuwon hadn't seen much of since they'd grown close.
Feeling inexplicably annoyed, Ban Yuwon pinched As Light's nose.
“W-wha're you doin'?!”
“Just cheering you up.”
“But why pinch my nose?!”
As Light slapped Ban Yuwon's hand away, clutching his bright red nose as he protested.
Feeling considerably lighter, Ban Yuwon replied with a thumbs-up.
“I thought this would be the quickest way to lift your spirits.”
“That's the worst!”
“I think warm physical contact is good for comforting people, you know.”
“Then why *this* kind of physical contact...?!”
But despite his grumbling tone, As Light genuinely seemed to have cheered up a bit.
Thank goodness he's easy to handle, Ban Yuwon thought, feeling relieved internally, and decided to pull out his ultimate weapon at this point.
It was none other than a thermos filled to the brim with hot chocolate.
“There, there, drink this and let it go.”
“...Hmph.”
As expected, As Light silently reached out his hand and accepted the cup of hot chocolate.
“This time, it's an even more upgraded taste, imbued with the concept of [Blood Wine] that was flowing in Room 50, Eden.”
At that, the two women, who had been quietly watching him pour hot chocolate for As Light, swiftly interjected.
“Stop just explaining and give us some!”
“Blood Wine? Surely it's not actual alcohol?”
“Don't worry, I'll give it to you without you rushing me. Now that our discussion is pretty much over, let's all drink and relax slowly.”
Ban Yuwon chuckled and poured hot chocolate for them in turn.
At times like these, he often found Rucell, who quietly waited for her turn without rushing him, even more admirable.
But of course, he could never say that, or the other three would surely sulk.
* * *
Friday morning, the day of the special activity, the Academy became incredibly bustling.
Dozens of small spaceships were waiting at the Academy's dock, and some of them had already departed.
“After learning about the concepts of space and dimensions yesterday, there's something I'm even more curious about. What's the difference between a spaceship and a dimension ship?”
“It seems you were confused by the names. Both operate using technology that breaks through dimension walls. The only difference is that a spaceship appears outwardly like an ordinary aircraft, while a dimension ship hides its form within the rifts of dimensions, making its physical presence undetectable.”
I see.
A spaceship, then, was an ordinary vessel equipped with the technology to break through dimension walls, 'dimension travel'.
And a dimension ship, from the moment of its creation, applied dimension travel technology to allow for perfect boarding and navigation.
Ban Yuwon, who had initially thought of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon when he heard the word 'spaceship,' quietly put that image aside.
“But are we going without even eating?”
“Breaking through a dimension wall using a spaceship takes a little time, you see. Let's have our meal inside the spaceship.”
“In that case, Ban Yuwon, please make the elixir jam into candies.”
“I already finished that yesterday.”
And those were Candy of Life, made from the fruits of Room 50, which he had most recently obtained and were most effective.
Though they were called candies, they were merely spoonfuls of jam, rolled into spheres, with syrup poured over them to harden. Still, Ban Yuwon knew that Dokgo Yeon preferred to bite into them as candies rather than eat the jam directly.
“Here.”
Just as Ban Yuwon finished distributing the candies, wrapped in pretty packaging, to all the members, Yumina clapped her hands and said.
“It's our turn. Shall we go?”
As the Rebellion members walked forward with Yumina in the lead, gazes flew at them from all directions.
They were gazes they felt every Friday when entering the Tower, but the group knew those gazes were growing hotter with each passing day.
“It's Rebellion.”
“Hey, there's Rebellion. Professor Yumina is with them alone again.”
“Dokgo Yeon...”
“Ban Yuwon and Pink Hair are together again.”
“Tch.”
Now, truly and undeniably, Rebellion had surpassed the Special Class to represent the first-year students of Union Academy.
Their recognition was palpable, as people no longer called them 'Special Admissions' or 'Lower-Rank Dimension' students, but by their team name, 'Rebellion'.
Indeed, their skill and notoriety were beyond question. Only their Tower ranking had lagged slightly, but this week alone, they had swiftly cleared a remarkable 20 rooms, pushing even that into the upper ranks.
While they still hadn't surpassed Ortima's team or Aire, who was undertaking a Solo Exploration, their progress was rapid compared to other students. Moreover, the Chain Room strategy videos released every week were astonishing not only to their Yuni-tube subscribers but to their fellow students as well.
“Where are they going?”
“Are you an idiot? The first special activity always goes to F-grade dimensions.”
“Looks like they're going back home. Don't ever come back.”
“If they can't make it back, we wouldn't even leave behind dust.”
“That guy wouldn't even be able to squeak if he faced them head-on.”
“You know, lately, I've been finding that guy, Light, strangely pretty...”
“...You too?”
In reality, Rebellion had already moved beyond the competitive structure with their fellow first-year students.
Even Ban Yuwon, who had the lowest overall combat ranking among the group, was 8th.
Even that was due to unfavorable matchups, and he was still rapidly growing at this very moment.
Furthermore, as Ban Yuwon began to manage and lead the Special Admissions seniors through his sub-channel, he gained the added image of a group leader.
“Ban Yuwon, he joined the Student Council, right?”
“I heard it's not official yet?”
“I'd recruit him too if I were them. He's grown incredibly fast, and his abilities are so diverse.”
“It seems he's completely dominated the Special Admissions group. I even saw seniors saluting him.”
While they hadn't yet produced any distinct achievements, the eyes of professors, who only valued results, and the eyes of students, who were easily captivated by appearances, were two different things.
No matter how despised the Special Admissions students might be, they were still undeniable seniors to the first-year students.
And since Ban Yuwon had gathered and was controlling such individuals, he couldn't help but appear special.
“Why are they whispering back there instead of getting on the spaceship?”
“Students who've given up on reaching the top ranks sometimes try to make an impression on other classmates, hoping to become team members or get assistance later.”
“No, on purpose...?!”
He never imagined there was such a profound meaning behind it.
Rucell moved closer to the astonished Ban Yuwon and said.
“There's been a noticeable increase in female students talking about Yuwon on the intranet. ...So, me linking arms with Yuwon right now is entirely to keep strange bugs from swarming around you.”
“Thanks, Rucell.”
Despite Rucell's remark, which clearly revealed she was using a plausible excuse to satisfy her own desires, Ban Yuwon merely smiled sweetly and replied.
Hadn't Mira recently grumbled to him, asking him not to constantly push her away?
However, Ban Yuwon was trying his best to maintain an appropriate distance in his relationships with Mira and Rucell.
Not just constantly pushing them away, but also accepting them to an appropriate degree, keeping things in check.
‘Since I hold the initiative in our relationships... I need to be careful not to go too far.’
Of course, Ban Yuwon couldn't possibly dislike Rucell and Mira.
Why did Mira rely on Ban Yuwon? Wasn't it because she believed he fully affirmed her?
The same went for Ban Yuwon.
Someone who didn't ask him to change but simply affirmed him, and was even beautiful — there was no way he could dislike them.
However, there were areas where he hesitated, as he hadn't completely shed his modern Korean sensibilities or views on romance. He also wanted to be cautious, lest they be hurt in an overly one-sided relationship.
Would they truly even know of his efforts?
The only minor problem, however, was that he, being a man, sometimes felt the limits of his self-control with the increasingly frequent physical contact these days.
That was true even now.
‘No, thinking useless thoughts just makes me more conscious of it. I should ponder these issues when I'm alone.’
When Ban Yuwon finished his contemplation and turned his gaze to Rucell, she happened to be staring intently back at him.
How could he tell her of this dilemma? As Ban Yuwon merely offered an ambiguous smile, Rucell, too, opened her mouth with a subtle smile.
“I'm fine with whenever, so please don't make me wait too long...?”
?!
Could she have possibly read his mind?
The flustered Ban Yuwon wanted to ask what she possibly meant, but it was just then time to board the spaceship, so he couldn't bring himself to ask and had to let it pass.
* * *
As they stepped inside the spaceship, the first thing visible was the concept of gravity control filling the space.
It was a concept he hadn't seen in a dimension ship, so Ban Yuwon observed the concepts with curiosity.
Who was to say that one day he wouldn't also leap between dimensions by himself?
Even for that future, he had to diligently recognize and collect the necessary concepts.
“Ban Yuwon, over here.”
Yumina called Ban Yuwon and led him to the control room.
“From now on, you'll often be undertaking special activity missions with just the four of you. Unless something exceptional happens, you'll keep using this spaceship, so make sure to check its registration number carefully now. I'll issue you temporary captain authority, so your student ID, please.”
Ban Yuwon diligently followed behind her, registering their team on the spaceship, learning various operational procedures, and understanding emergency response guidelines.
Naturally, since the spaceship operated automatically, there wasn't much for them to do.
At most, they would input the destination into the spaceship, give commands for takeoff or landing, or deploy defensive shields.
“You have to be careful. If even one character is wrong, you could fly off to a completely different place.”
“You don't have to worry, my memory for characters is impeccable.”
However, the moment after Ban Yuwon replied, he felt a slight unease.
Why exactly were they having such an ominous conversation?
“Ah, you just doubted me, didn't you? But I'm not careless when it comes to things like this. Besides.”
Yumina input the coordinates, her eyes curving into a slender smile.
The spaceship calculated the coordinates and pinpointed the destination, which was unmistakably the F-138 Dimension—Ur-Aha.
“Even if you get the coordinates wrong, you'll know instantly by looking at the result, so always double-check the destination when taking off. Understood?”
“Yes, Captain.”
At his playful address, Yumina also guffawed, looking pleased.
And then, she boldly pressed the takeoff button.
In that instant, they were in space.
“...Professor Yumina, didn't you say it was like a normal aircraft, except for breaking through dimension walls?”
The pitch-black expanse of space was visible through the large window.
Gazing at the Union planet, the only thing visible far below, brimming with mana and glowing like a star, Ban Yuwon was utterly dumbfounded.
What made him slightly annoyed was that the other members, inexplicably, maintained calm expressions amidst all this.
And Yumina was no different.
“Yes. Isn't it the same?”
“Ah, I see, it's the same.”
Indeed, Union.
So this meant that the average speed for an aircraft was to break through an atmosphere, whether it existed or not, and enter space in a single breath.
‘I had underestimated Union's level when I saw them selling what they called the latest hoverbike model. What a ridiculous misconception. That was outside the Academy; the inside was a different matter entirely.’
Ban Yuwon thought of Lilyth, his familiar, who was still only at the level of traversing land and air, and realized he still had a long way to go.
Of course, even amidst all this, he didn't forget to memorize all the fixed concepts the aircraft held and the fluid concepts it emitted in real-time.
“Alright, we're about to enter the dimension wall. Although I said 'break through' the dimension wall, to be precise, we'll be moving along the dimension wall to reach the F-138 Dimension.”
“So it's a wall and a pathway at the same time?”
“Dimension ships, however, don't require such a process.”
He knew that.
Ban Yuwon shook his head in amazement at Union's capabilities, which seemed to pop up just when he thought he was getting used to things, and gazed out the window at the increasingly distant Union planet.
Perhaps because what he always saw in pictures was Earth, he felt it bore a peculiar resemblance to Earth.
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