I got into school for nothing - 150
I got into school for nothing (150)
Lesson 30. Final Exam - 5
I had worried what would happen if the wave didn't end until Monday, but thankfully, the long, drawn-out defense battle met its final wave on Sunday afternoon.
Ban Yuwon could instinctively tell that this was the final wave because, amidst gleefully slaughtering monsters alongside his familiars, a creature appeared that, no matter how he looked at it, could only be categorized as a boss monster.
[Fools who dare to violate a taboo...]
“No, I think *your* existence is the taboo.”
A monster with the body of a human and the head of a bull.
Its massive, brass-colored torso gleamed black as it absorbed the surrounding mana.
Two horns, rising from its head, were shrouded in a flow of magical script composed of ancient runic characters, which even Ban Yuwon found difficult to interpret, making them extremely menacing.
Resonating with the script around its horns, its weapons glowed black, aimed not at Ban Yuwon, but at the Tower.
[Do you fools even know what you're doing right now?]
“Sorry, I actually don’t know either.”
I mean, how can I know when I can't even talk to the people inside?
They seemed to know that Ban Yuwon was trying to protect them, but building the Tower must have been more important than anything else, because at some point, they stopped even looking at him, ignoring all the swarming monsters and focusing solely on their work.
Thanks to that, the densely concentrated mana that had been continuously spreading throughout the area when the pillar of light first descended was gradually converging within the Tower.
‘That mana's form is definitely a light wave... in other words, light magic, right? There must be a reason why photon magic is considered a higher-tier magic. I still have no idea what's going on, but... at the very least, I know that the purpose of the Tower of Babel's construction is vastly different from what's written in the Bible.’
And that there were many groups targeting it.
The bull-headed creature posturing grandly before Ban Yuwon right now likely wasn't the mastermind either.
After all, this was merely a plausible recreation of a historical scene.
“Do you, by any chance, intend to explain what those guys are doing?”
[How preposterous! To defend the Tower without a single scratch amidst this assault...]
Ah, perhaps a proper conversation wasn't possible with this one either?
“So, I asked if you're going to explain why they're building the Tower?”
[In response to your audacity, I shall face you with my full power. I'll tear you down before I even touch the Tower. Now, take my axe!]
Right, I didn't expect anything else.
It seemed that the difficulty and composition of the boss battle changed depending on how much damage the Tower sustained during the waves.
Since Ban Yuwon had been able to defend all fronts with the power of his familiars, neither the Tower nor its builders had suffered even a hair's breadth of damage so far.
That's probably why the bull-headed creature's tongue had gotten so long.
[Kuaaaaaaaah!]
The bull, which had been pawing the ground as if about to charge at any moment, suddenly threw the axe it held in one hand.
That was likely a skill.
A skill that used the act of stomping its foot as a trigger to rapidly increase its attack power.
Of course, Ban Yuwon, wielding his Giwon Sword and reading the flow of the creature's concepts, could easily—
—Crash!
He didn't dodge; he raised his sword and blocked it.
Though he usually employed a combat style focused on deflecting enemy attacks and countering, he even used the concepts of Defense (防) and Solidity (堅固), which he wasn't very accustomed to.
Because he knew that the moment he somehow dodged its attack, the creature would turn its head toward the Tower.
“Hmph!”
Even though he had maintained the most steadfast stance possible while wielding his Giwon Sword, he couldn't fully absorb the impact and was pushed far back.
As Ban Yuwon was forced back, two lines carved by his feet patterned the ground.
Thump, the spent axe fell to the ground.
[Not bad.]
The bull gleamed its fangs, which protruded from its mouth, and chuckled sinisterly.
[I expected you to dodge, but you took it head-on.]
“Hah... Do you take me for a fool?”
Ban Yuwon endured the throbbing in both his arms and manifested his Authority.
He controlled his entire body to somehow disperse the terrible impact transmitted through the creature's axe, channel it away, and prepare for the next attack.
The Giwon Sword was not merely a swordsmanship for fighting and winning; it was a style to confront enemies in the most effective way, no matter the situation.
‘Just because a boss monster appeared doesn't mean the battle's nature changes. This is, after all, a defense. I am fighting to protect the Tower from it.’
He had never for a moment forgotten the trick applied to this space.
It would be easier if he could fight the creature without a thought, but when had the Tower ever shown Ban Yuwon consideration?
“Hiss, shhh!”
“It's alright, Eve. You guys block the other creatures.”
Eve, Tikke, Livi.
Each of them was a powerful supporter, but in a wave where not only a boss monster but also a massive number of other monsters swarmed, he couldn't concentrate all his forces in one place.
That's just how defense games worked.
If he focused only on the powerful foe that appeared, his HP would slowly but surely dwindle from the endlessly spawning small fry, eventually hitting rock bottom.
But if he held the creature back for too long, he would eventually be overwhelmed, so it was best to deal with it as quickly as possible.
[You're distracted!]
The bull raised its remaining axe, adopting a throwing stance, and roared.
Ban Yuwon realized it was a feint, but didn't let on at all.
Instead.
“Are you giving this axe to me?”
He even picked up one of the creature's axes, which had fallen right in front of him, to provoke it.
At that moment, the creature's eyes gleamed sharply.
[You fool!]
The axe Ban Yuwon had picked up and the one still held by the creature resonated once more, emitting a black aura!
[That axe is not so foolish as to change masters so easily!]
With a terrible suction force, Ban Yuwon's body was sent flying.
The separated axes, like magnets with opposing poles, exerted a powerful attractive force (引力), launching Ban Yuwon toward the bull.
[Such arrogance and recklessness, just like those ignorant humans building the Tower! That will be what kills you right here...!]
However, just as the creature violently thrust its head forward, which it had powerfully pulled back, and charged, intending to attack Ban Yuwon who was flying towards it.
—Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab!
Ten Stormrain Swords, which had been concealing their presence with the concept of Concealment (隱), enhanced by Gwoeyeonggong, ever since the creature appeared, flew in and plunged into the creature's neck.
Of course, no matter how much the Stormrain Sword's depth had increased, it wasn't enough to instantly pierce this wave's boss monster. It merely scraped off a bit of skin and lightly tore some muscle.
“You're the fool.”
[Kuk...?!]
But that alone was enough to halt the creature's movements for a crucial moment.
—Swooosh
Far from being swept away by the axes' attractive force, Ban Yuwon used it as a springboard for Acceleration (加速), charging straight toward the creature.
The moment his sword surged toward the giant monster's crown.
Fifteen swords, widely dispersed in the air, simultaneously converged, wielding a sharp (銳) aura and raining down like a veritable storm.
—Swish!
A rain of gold descended.
The monster ultimately failed to stab Ban Yuwon with its horns, and unable to withstand the sixteen slashes that followed the precise aim, it had to yield its neck to Ban Yuwon.
[You have gained Life (生) 3, Mana (魔力) 1, Soul (靈魂) 2, Golden Body (金體) 3, Wildness (野性) 10, Deification (神化) 1, and Myriad Transformations (萬變) 1.]
Although the battle was short, and it was undeniably a fierce fight where Ban Yuwon's life was at stake, the rewards felt rather stingy, almost meager.
However, this was simply because he had grown.
Considering his Life stat was currently 752, one could hardly call it stingy.
[The concept of Golden Body is absorbed and analyzed. The Physical Body concept undergoes rapid conversion, and its depth becomes 7.]
Furthermore, gaining Golden Body, which seemed to be one of the higher concepts of the Physical Body, was a considerable gain.
Normally, acquiring such higher concepts of the Physical Body instantly granted him intuitive insight into the Physical Body and its superior concepts, thereby accelerating the conversion speed of the Physical Body concept, just as it did now.
As for Wildness, if he gave it to Rucell as always, she would gratefully show him some affection.
The problem lay with the other two.
‘Myriad Transformations—I haven't obtained this in a while. It's a versatile power that can evolve a familiar with just 1 point. In order, Tikke would be the right fit.’
He glanced at Tikke, who was floating in the air, intercepting enemies by firing magic bullets in all directions.
Thanks to Mutation, one of Ban Yuwon's Authorities, she had already undergone a splendid transformation and evolution.
With the combination of a camera and a cannon barrel, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she had become a new species, the Sevenfold Magic Cannon.
Did he really need to give this to Tikke, who was still growing well without hitting any limits?
—Me, me!
As if sensing his dilemma, Cellon, who had done nothing in this battle, suddenly raised her voice to demand.
She had, even before this, harbored a deep interest in Myriad Transformations, a concept that seemed connected to the Tower's origin, so there was no way she would miss this chance.
—If I just had that concept, I feel like I'd be incredibly free! Maybe I could shed this frustrating staff form and become a person?
“No, that's unlikely.”
With the wave not yet over, Ban Yuwon had no leisure to calmly tally his gains, so he casually replied while hastily controlling the Stormrain Swords to herd and hunt monsters.
If there was one area where he had overwhelmingly grown during his solo explorations, it was his skill in wielding the Stormrain Swords with the Giwon Sword style.
From the moment he obtained the Giwon Sword, he had the foundation to control multiple Stormrain Swords, but he lacked experience and finesse.
In the urgent situation of numerous monsters swarming, in his efforts to perfectly defend the Tower, he had frantically manipulated the Stormrain Swords, and before he knew it, he could naturally wield all twenty-five swords.
Of course, if Dokgo Yeon saw this, she would surely lecture him again, saying it couldn't be called swordsmanship yet, but compared to when he first recklessly controlled the Stormrain Swords and couldn't unleash their full power, what he did now could distinctly be called a technique executed within the framework of the Giwon Sword.
If he continued to develop like this, someday he would surely be able to perform perfect swordsmanship with twenty-six swords.
If that day truly came, even Dokgo Yeon would no longer be able to treat Ban Yuwon lightly.
—I'm telling you, give it to me, please! We've been doing so well together, and I'm really good to you!
“I know, Cellon. I don't have a problem with you.”
It was just that he wondered if there was any real meaning in bestowing it upon her right now.
Myriad Transformations was a top-tier concept he'd rarely obtained before.
So to speak, it was a joker card that could completely turn a situation around, and just impulsively giving that to Cellon...
“Let's keep it for now.”
—Wah, waaaah! I hate you, Ban Yuwon, I hate you!
“I'll give it to you next time I get it. But I need to keep this one.”
—Look how firm he is. He's always firm only with me. I work really hard, too...
“I know, I know. Just bear with it this time.”
In truth, there was another reason why he wanted to keep Myriad Transformations.
It was another top-tier concept that had emerged alongside Myriad Transformations.
Deification (神化).
‘Not mythology (神話), but Deification (神化), meaning to transform (化) into a god (神). This implies that the Tower placed that much significance on that bull-headed creature.’
Perhaps it was even trying to hint at something to Ban Yuwon through the transmission of such concepts.
However, Ban Yuwon focused more on the very fact that the bull, a demi-human, possessed both the concepts of Deification and Myriad Transformations.
Wasn't there a figure close to him who could also be called a demi-human?
Rucell, to be precise.
‘If Rucell could absorb these kinds of concepts...’
Of course, he had no intention of just blindly bestowing them. He would have to research them meticulously.
But the potential was definitely there.
Ban Yuwon was that confident in his own Authority.
‘This will be interesting.’
For now, however, he needed to focus on ending the wave first, and completing his solo exploration.
Just as he thought that and raised his sword once more.
—Hey, something's left over there.
“Huh?”
He saw two black horns, left behind as the bull vanished, rolling on the ground.
Even the two axes, which had clearly appeared to be high-tier artifacts, had vanished the moment the battle ended, so he hadn't had high expectations.
It was a rare drop, something he never expected.
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