I got into school for nothing-220
I got into school for nothing (220)
Lesson 43. Too Popular - 5
As the group arrived before the Tower, the vortices that had been raging from all directions also quieted down.
They weren't losing power and disappearing.
They were merely beginning to focus their power on the Tower before their eyes.
“T-this wind, surely... is it the Merciful North Wind?”
“I-it’s over. Everyone will die. A god is about to descend directly!”
As they watched the wind, imbued with the power of the Constellations, fly in from the collapsing vortices scattered around and absorbed into the Tower at the center of the holy ground, the humans forgot that they had just fought their way through those very vortices and began to tremble in fear.
“Fear not! Those cowards are afraid of death, so much so that they can’t even reveal their true forms before us!”
Strangely, at his words, everyone snapped back to their senses and drew their weapons.
At this point, it was practically brainwashing.
“It’s strange. I personally think what Light just said makes sense... but mysteriously, I want to deny those words.”
Watching Light instantly captivate the NPCs and put them into battle formation, Rucell said with a peculiar expression.
Ban Yuwon patted Rucell, comforting her, and said,
“Your brain, which makes judgments based on accumulated data from your experiences with Light, is lagging, unable to cope with a sudden input error. In professional terms, it’s called ‘Light Syndrome’.”
“Professional terms, my foot. What nonsense.”
As Dokgo Yeon, who found the current Light equally unbearable, narrowed her eyes and spoke, Ban Yuwon shrugged and replied,
“Of course they’re professional terms. I majored in ‘Lightology’ and earned my doctorate over the last semester, you know?”
“Master, what about ‘Rucellology’? Huh?”
“Ehh, quiet! There’s no need for a whole field of study just to analyze that idiot!”
Even as all members of Rebellion, except for Light himself, were caught in ‘Light Syndrome’ and utterly flustered, Light raised his Holy Sword high and shouted again,
“All who have the will to defy a god, step forward! Let’s smash that monstrosity!”
“Whoooooosh!”
Light, leading the people and bravely charging towards the Tower, was as valiant as Don Quixote charging windmills.
And in the fact that he couldn’t even scratch his target and was bounced back, they were perfectly identical.
“Tch, a barrier, then!”
Light, unable to pierce the eerie energy surging from the Tower and forced to retreat, bit his lip and muttered.
Ban Yuwon heard his words and, dumbfounded, retorted,
“Well, would a holy relic of that magnitude *not* have a barrier?”
“Master, that...!”
At that moment, Rucell tugged his sleeve, pointing forward.
Wondering what was happening *now*, Ban Yuwon turned to the Tower and let out a sigh.
“Ha.”
Light had protected himself with the aura of his Holy Sword at the moment of impact, but the other humans had not.
Seeing Light, who was at the forefront, bounce back, they had perceived danger and tried to retreat again, but the Tower, conversely, exerted its gravity and pulled them in.
Unable to resist even once, they were dragged straight into the Tower....
―Gurgle
―Grrr...
The next moment, as if replacing them, monsters imbued with the Constellations’ magic appeared.
Perhaps this was the conclusion reached by transcendents who, overconfident, had tried to imitate the Tower of Babel.
Black skin, long claws and toenails, and faces that resembled a mix of lizard and monkey.
Hideously gleaming yellow reptilian eyes, swollen as if they might burst at any moment.
“Those things, surely...”
Dokgo Yeon bit her lip and murmured.
Even without anyone explaining, everyone was thinking the same thing right now.
Ban Yuwon, too, was certain after seeing that every single monster was enveloped in a wind born from the Constellations’ Authority.
That the current situation was an ‘Irregularity’.
“Damn it all... I intended to use them as the foundation for my nation!”
“Light, you can’t just arbitrarily establish a nation inside the Tower!”
―KWAHHH!
The very moment Ban Yuwon retorted to Light’s nonsense with more nonsense, the monsters swarmed them all at once!
“Die as humans!”
Light’s Holy Sword cleaved through space, slicing apart everything that entered its trajectory, while Rucell launched spheres of thunder and lightning conjured at the tips of her nine tails, paralyzing and incinerating the foes.
Meanwhile, Dokgo Yeon continuously fired concentrated bursts of death energy, cleanly killing the monsters one by one, and Ban Yuwon....
He used the opening created by his companions’ fierce fighting to charge towards the Tower.
“Ban Yuwon!”
“The core of this room is the Tower. To clear it, we have no choice but to deal with the Tower, come hell or high water!”
As Ban Yuwon, riding Lilyth, who had transformed from human to hoverbike form, reached the Tower in the blink of an eye, materialized magic surged towards him.
He thoroughly scanned the concepts contained within the magic, found the answer he sought, and smiled.
“I’ll be back in a moment. Don’t worry, just wait!”
“Go inside? Wait a minute, Ban Yuwon!”
“Master?!”
Having firmly declared his intentions to his companions, Ban Yuwon grabbed hold of the Stigmata tendrils that stretched out like tentacles to engulf him, and was sucked into the Tower.
What greeted him immediately after... well, perhaps ‘as expected’ would be the right phrase.
It was a space filled with light, something he had experienced once before.
Sanctuarization.
A space of choice, temporarily created within the Tower by the converging powers of countless Constellations.
“Ugh, kh-uh...”
“I can’t... breathe...”
The NPCs who had been sucked into the Tower earlier were writhing on the floor, groaning in pain.
The NPCs and the monsters were distinct entities.
In fact, Ban Yuwon had been certain of this from the moment he scanned their concepts with his Giwon Sword, but he had kept his mouth shut, seeing no need to elaborate.
“Is this place... a space created to contact me?”
Ban Yuwon found his answer.
―Something similar.
The owner of the voice, from which a powerful force emanated, replied.
Seeing a brightly shining orb of light hover before him, Ban Yuwon nodded and responded,
“You are the Merciful North Wind.”
―?! How did you know!
―Indeed, his Authority is most aptly named ‘Root Seeker’.
―He showed signs of deciphering the Tower from the very beginning. He holds the greatest potential among mortals.
―He must be burned to death.
―Yes, thanks to you, everyone has once again carved his existence, and his secret, into their minds.
Orbs of light, imbued with the wills of the Constellations, arose from everywhere... yes, truly from all directions, surrounding Ban Yuwon.
The sight of the NPCs writhing in pain on the floor, unable to withstand the aura emanating from the Constellations, seemed to go completely unnoticed.
Well, of course.
Because the Constellations had only intended to summon Ban Yuwon from the start; they wouldn’t have cared about anyone else.
‘It was strange how all the monsters emerging from the Tower were enveloped in wind, and *only* wind. Room 145 definitely had many other Constellations gathered there... So, this is what happens when I come in person.’
Finishing his thoughts, Ban Yuwon clicked his tongue and replied,
“The Tower won’t be fond of this kind of stunt.”
―We aren’t particularly fond of the Tower ourselves.
―But there are times when, no matter how much we dislike or fear something, we cannot retreat. Tiny human, you made us step forward.
―Ah, my beloved child! To see you again at last!
With so many Constellations gathered, Ban Yuwon wondered why Kira (Observer of All Things) hadn’t appeared.
Ban Yuwon waved his hand as if to shoo away the massive cluster of light that instantly surged from the floor and filled his vision, letting out a sigh.
“I heard that pulling off something like this requires a significant expenditure of Authority share.”
―Designing a meeting from scratch isn’t easy. But creating a crack in an already plausibly formed room is simple. Yes, the Tower you saw from outside was originally a component of the room.
The Constellation governing the desert region that served as the background for this room... in other words, the Merciful North Wind, who could be considered the host of this gathering, explained to him in a rather polite tone.
However, upon hearing his words, Ban Yuwon couldn’t help but cock his head.
“But you made the Tower, didn’t you?”
―Yes, I made it.
“No, you just said it was originally a component of the room. How is that possible... Wait a minute.”
It felt as if he had just, quite nonchalantly, stumbled upon a major secret regarding the Tower.
The Merciful North Wind stated that he had created the Tower before Ban Yuwon’s group entered it... that is, before this Room 149 was generated.
This meant that the Tower, as suspected, wasn’t creating new environments each time, but rather copying environments from other dimensions!
―No, no. It seems you’re misunderstanding something, so let me correct you.
“Hmm?”
―No matter if it’s considered a failure, this Tower isn’t something that can be easily replicated. It’s the original.
Perhaps the Merciful North Wind was one of the more moderate Constellations among the many.
After all, he was politely explaining things to a human, whom the other Constellations uniformly scorned.
However, the content was so shocking that Ban Yuwon couldn’t properly respond.
“So... the original?”
―That’s right. The original.
“Not copied and pasted, but cut out and pasted?”
―Exactly. Otherwise, no matter how grand the Tower, it couldn’t possibly control countless virtual spaces.
“Hahaha...”
A dry laugh escaped him involuntarily.
While it struck him as rational, saving resources and being easier to manage, The thought of what would happen to a world from which a part of a dimension had been cut away made his vision go dim.
No, perhaps even the cries of ‘the end is nigh’ from the people in this room...
‘I guess I can’t upload this information to the Rebellion channel.’
As he shook his head, lost in foolish thoughts, a different orb of light from the Merciful North Wind flew before him, flashing loudly.
―Hey, this isn’t the time for trivial explanations. Didn’t we gather here, expending precious Authority share, to decide this human’s fate?
―He must be burned to death, I tell you!
―If you wish to kill my child, you must first find a way to escape my sight!
―What an interesting human. It can’t be easy just enduring the sanctuary, yet he faces us squarely...
“Quiet!”
At Ban Yuwon’s roar, the sanctuary, which had been buzzing with the murmurings of the Constellations, instantly fell silent.
The Constellations must have felt the Authority contained within his voice, the Won-gi (원기) that could influence even beings far greater than himself.
―A mere human, how dare he...
“If you have something to say, say it quickly.”
When Ban Yuwon declared in a cold voice, some of the Constellations raged anew.
But Ban Yuwon merely scoffed.
“I already know you can’t significantly affect me in your current state. So, if you have something to say... no, wait. You need me right now, don’t you?”
―Need? *We* need *you*?
“If not, you wouldn’t have tried again after failing once in Room 145, would you?”
Divine subservience testing humans, gathering clusters of light, rampant Stigmata.
Without needing to think deeply, the Coliseum of Room 145 was a space perfectly suited for Sanctuarization.
However, before their intentions could be realized, it was miserably shattered by Light’s Holy Sword.
The flustered Constellations had reshuffled the deck and summoned Ban Yuwon with a slightly more blatant method.
“For beings that have lived so long, you aren’t particularly profound or wise. Meaning, your intentions are utterly transparent. So, I’ll ask again.”
“What do you want from me?”
The Constellations remained silent for a moment at Ban Yuwon’s question.
No... exactly one, an orb of light presumed to be the Follower of Ten Thousand Kalpas, the patron Constellation of Prominence, thrashed wildly, but no one paid him any attention.
―Make a contract with me and let us conquer the Tower.
―Step back, old woman. This isn’t the time to satisfy personal desires.
―Hmph, but everyone here wants to contract with him anyway. How could we possibly destroy the Tower if we’re this disunited?
“Destroy the Tower? Is that your ultimate goal?”
―As you can see, opinions are divided. It’s also why Constellations fight among themselves. But what’s clear is that all of us see a uniquely great and definite potential in you... yes, even compared to when you first entered the Tower.
“Then you’ve come to the wrong address.”
“I have no intention of destroying the Tower, even in my wildest dreams, though reclaiming it is another matter.”
“...Although the talk of cutting out parts of dimensions and pasting them into the Tower’s interior gives me something to think about.”
―KWOOSH!
While Ban Yuwon and the Constellations were in a strange standoff, the space vibrated violently.
The Merciful North Wind laughed awkwardly and said,
―That woman, who acts like a man, is surprisingly strong, isn’t she? She’s raging wildly, trying to demolish the Tower.
―Tsk, we still have so much to tell this fellow!
―Force her to retire!
―That’s why we’re doing this; it’s difficult. Or does anyone here intend to expend more Authority share?
―Exactly, we should have gotten to the point sooner.
Another Constellation stepped forward.
―Hand over the Starlight Player. Then we will make you the master of a new world. The vast majority of Constellations will support you.
―You will tear down the Tower and establish a new order. We will be satisfied merely with regaining our freedom.
―These are unimaginable terms. No one will ever dare to oppose you!
“Oh, listen to them. Sneakily tampering with the scales.”
He knew without even having to ask who the ‘Starlight Player’ referred to.
Cellon, she even had a rather fitting nickname.
“The Starlight Player, you say.”
―Don’t feign ignorance. We don’t know what methods you used, but we know you’re together. The Starlight you and that woman created on Earth spread throughout the entire universe.
―It’s a simple condition. If you nod, we’ll deal with that struggling fellow out there somehow. Whether inside the Tower or out, we’ll support you without sparing any Authority share.
―This is the first time so many Constellations have gathered to pledge their support since the Tower was erected. No matter how great your potential, looking only at your current abilities, this is a contract where we suffer immense losses.
―We hope you won’t refuse. We truly... truly do not wish to lose talent like you.
―The flames of the Follower of Ten Thousand Kalpas will be far too hot for you to face alone.
Now he understood perfectly why the Follower of Ten Thousand Kalpas was present here.
His presence was the whip, amidst the carrot and stick.
A simple yet effective means of subtly threatening Ban Yuwon while coaxing him with kind words and reminding him of a powerful enemy’s existence.
Ban Yuwon scoffed.
“Sorry, but I don’t sell out my subordinates.”
―Foolish!
KWOOOOOOSH!
As if it had read his mind, the Tower vibrated again, precisely coinciding with his refusal of the offer.
No, it wasn’t just a mere vibration.
Cracks began to appear one by one in the space, which had been filled with the light emitted by the Constellations, and it started to distort!
“Ha, there’s no way Light would be this perceptive. Could he actually be leaving it like this?”
―You! Did you think we were a joke just because we treated you well?!
―We showed the utmost sincerity possible! We bowed our heads so low!
Ban Yuwon, while pondering seriously, also conjured a barrier with a flick of his hand, fending off the Constellations’ threats and physical assaults.
Soon, the space completely tore apart, and the desert’s sandstorms blew in.
Just as he was about to exit, clearing away the unspeakable curses and fragments of minor Authorities with his barrier, an orb of light “transcended the instant” and flew towards Ban Yuwon.
―I will keep my promise from then. It seems we will meet again next time. I look forward to the day I get to fight you.
“You...!”
The crystal of Authority, which had flown in without any conditions, was absorbed by Ban Yuwon.
Ban Yuwon’s eyes, having recognized its true nature, were filled with emotion.
The moment he acquired ‘Gap (間隙)’, the absolute spatiotemporal Authority that allowed him to tear open rifts in time and pierce through an enemy’s weaknesses.
‘He Who Measures the Instant,’ who had long ago promised Ban Yuwon an Authority if another opportunity arose, had finally placed the “pass necklace” around his neck!
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