I got into school for nothing - 23
I got into school for nothing (23)
Lesson 6. A Teacher's Grace is Like the Sky - 2
Just as Ban Yuwon finally caught his breath, the space began to shift once more.
The rather high ceiling slowly descended, and the torches hanging on the walls flickered out one by one.
From the atmosphere alone, it seemed as if a ghost-type monster, similar to those encountered on the second floor, might emerge.
—Scritch-scratch
The moment the sound of something crawling across the floor, up all four walls, and over the ceiling began to reverberate, he knew his initial guess was wrong.
"Tower Spider."
As Light, having guessed the enemy's identity, unnecessarily lowered his voice and muttered.
Between his booming battle cries and the very nature of his weapon, Ban Yuwon was utterly convinced that no one was less suited for stealth operations than As Light.
‘Well, Tower Spiders, then...’
Tower Spiders were monsters unique to the Tower, frequently appearing on both its lower and upper floors, making them one of the creatures that symbolized the Tower itself.
Why would mere spiders become such a symbolic monster of the Tower? Because their abilities and strength varied randomly every single time they appeared!
As they could never be truly defined, they were arguably the most fitting monster to embody the Tower's enigmatic nature.
‘If they're appearing in Room 4, they shouldn't normally be that strong. But after enduring such a brutal barrage of traps in Room 3, I can't be certain of anything anymore.’
After confirming that his party members were ready for combat, Ban Yuwon signaled Eve.
The entity, having just transformed into a rifle, unleashed a volley of bullets, each brimming with Acid that had just received an additional supply, reaching a Depth of 17, spraying them in every direction.
—Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat
"Kieeeeeee!"
"Kiggit, Kieeeeeee!"
Eve's omnidirectional barrage forced horrifying screams from spiders all around them.
What was truly astonishing was that the Acid bullets, which had instantly melted the monsters in Room 2, failed to kill even a single one of the Room 4 spiders.
They couldn't pierce them even with magic bullets imbued with Sharpness, nor could they melt them despite being drenched in Acid.
He couldn't tell if this was a normal difficulty for Room 4, but for Ban Yuwon, at the very least, it meant these creatures were far from pushovers.
"Eve, keep firing. Dokgo Yeon, it seems you'll have to step up this time."
"Of course."
As Dokgo Yeon spread her palm and thrust it forward, a colossal current of pressure erupted in the otherwise still air, sweeping away all the spiders in front of them.
What Ban Yuwon could discern from her movements was simply overwhelming Wind.
In the process, Eve's Acid bullets mingled with the blast, their fragments embedding themselves in the spiders' bodies and inflicting even greater wounds.
"This is the Palm Wind you were so eager to find."
"It really is Palm Wind..."
"Hoo."
Dokgo Yeon, having unleashed an absurd feat of power, then brushed it all off with nothing more than a light sigh.
Ban Yuwon was utterly dumbfounded by that single move, which would have been better described as a giant's palm bursting forth and thoroughly sweeping all four walls of the Tower.
"I shall cede the act of ending their lives to you. Ah, could there possibly be another monarch as benevolent as I?"
Dokgo Yeon retreated, speaking as if she were bestowing an immense favor.
Ban Yuwon couldn't help but laugh.
"You're not my monarch, but yes, thank you. As Light, take the rear. Rucell, cover above."
"Understood."
"Calm, calm...!"
He entrusted the entire rear to As Light, who wielded an area-of-effect weapon no less potent than Dokgo Yeon's, and tasked the sensitive Rucell with sealing off any potential attacks from the ceiling at unexpected moments.
Naturally, after issuing commands to his companions, Ban Yuwon himself surged forward.
Eve had blocked and injured the Tower Spiders, and Dokgo Yeon had stunned them en masse, so shouldn't he, too, be capable of delivering the finishing blow!
And yet.
—Clang!
"Wait, it blocked that."
It was utterly preposterous.
He had charged straight at a creature already on the verge of death, one that would vanish if its head were merely crushed, plunging his sword down—yet the sound it produced was a defiant clang.
Of course, he wasn't currently employing the Concept of Penetration he had learned from Dokgo Yeon, and since the target wasn't humanoid, the Concept of Murder accumulated within the Executioner's Longsword would be ineffective. Moreover, Blood Poison likely wouldn't work either.
Even so.
"No, what in the..."
Repeatedly uttering the denying Codeword, 'No,' wouldn't improve the situation.
Ban Yuwon hastily shifted his stance and unleashed a rapid thrust. Fortunately, this time he managed to crush the creature's head, killing it.
[Plundering Life 0.5, Physique 0.6, Demonic 0.4, Carapace 0.2 from the Tower Spider. Carapace is a concept that humans cannot possess.]
Despite Dokgo Yeon's assistance, language concepts of a completely different caliber than the monsters from Rooms 1 and 2 were absorbed by Ban Yuwon, granting him a temporary sense of satisfaction.
But this wouldn't do.
‘In this chaotic free-for-all, am I just supposed to keep blindly thrusting and retreating? Even my sister wouldn't make do with just that.’
While thrusting was more powerful than slashing, it also accumulated greater physical fatigue and, due to its larger movements, made transitioning to the next action less fluid compared to slashing.
If only he had a concept related to slashing, he wouldn't need to worry about this... wait, he did!
‘I just absorbed it!’
It was preposterous.
Hadn't he absorbed Severance 20 in Room 3, to the astonishment of his other party members!
Of course, since it was a concept an individual couldn't directly possess, he couldn't use it himself. But then, he could simply imbue it into his sword.
Ban Yuwon immediately imbued it into the Executioner's Longsword.
[Due to excellent compatibility with the target, the Depth of Severance imbued into the Executioner's Longsword has become 30. The Demonic Sword's Depth has become 30.]
"How fortunate."
He had never considered the possibility of such synergy, but come to think of it, this Executioner's Longsword he wielded was a true Demonic Sword, possessing the most fearsome history among the relics his grandfather had brought.
Since a relic with "Decapitation" in its very name was now imbued with the Concepts of cutting and severing, how could the synergy be anything less than excellent!
In fact, he was rather puzzled as to why concepts like Decapitation or Severance hadn't been intrinsically embedded within it from the start.
‘Well then.’
No matter how many spider swarms Dokgo Yeon swept away with her Palm Wind, if left unattended, they would eventually awaken from their stun and surge forward once more.
Ban Yuwon gritted his teeth, advanced, and swung his longsword once more.
At that instant, Ban Yuwon felt a peculiar sensation seize control of his body.
The overwhelming baptism of Severance, which he had felt in Room 3, flashed through his mind.
Immediately thereafter, the longsword, drawn down from above, decapitated the spider.
"Phew."
It wasn't a particularly pleasant feeling.
Because just now, he had been as good as controlled by his weapon. rANO\b;es
But if he could grasp the sensation even like this, he might be able to realize the true meaning of Severance on his own, without needing to borrow Dokgo Yeon's strength.
‘Shall I try?’
With a gaze hardened by resolve, Ban Yuwon charged towards the spider horde strewn across the floor.
He struck down, then cut horizontally.
The powerful will of Severance imbued within the sword forcibly adjusted his movements, slashing and cleaving through the spiders.
Ban Yuwon didn't forcibly resist it; instead, he complied, attempting to follow the path the sword violently dictated as naturally as possible.
‘Good, I can feel the burden on my body decreasing. Next, let's try to decipher the will contained within the sword itself.’
As Ban Yuwon diligently strove to read the sword's intent, he noticed something.
His movements, which from an outsider's perspective appeared as if someone were violently yanking him, gradually corrected themselves, and his hunting speed began to accelerate in tandem.
Though he couldn't compare to As Light, who unleashed slashes of light that swept away several spiders at once, or Rucell, who crushed spiders with casually executed hand and foot gestures, Ban Yuwon was undeniably pulling his weight, cleanly severing the spiders' necks with each precise strike.
"Hmm."
Dokgo Yeon observed Ban Yuwon's actions with profound interest.
She had seen Ban Yuwon falter when he first failed to cleave through a spider's carapace, and then, immediately after doing something, she watched him transform completely, severing the spider's neck with ease.
Since the momentum emanating from the sword in his hand was far more intense than before, it was easy to surmise that he had done something to it.
‘An intuitive and overwhelming ability, but one that is easily swayed.’
Dokgo Yeon dared to define Ban Yuwon's overwhelming Authority in precisely that manner.
However, what was truly intriguing was that what Dokgo Yeon witnessed was not the full extent of Ban Yuwon's ability.
And that his ability was not all that Ban Yuwon was.
‘I thought with the sword enhanced, I might see him swayed by it, like that foolish lass. Instead, he calmly assessed his own state and quickly began to adapt.’
It was almost as if he were re-enacting the scene she had witnessed earlier in Room 2.
Of course, the speed of his sword strikes had significantly decreased, but in turn, they had gained considerable weight, and his stance, which had previously appeared swayed by the sword, was steadily growing more stable.
Though it might be impossible for now, he would soon, on his own, reach the true meaning of Severance.
Without any room for Dokgo Yeon to intervene.
‘How long did it take me to master the Three Talents?’
She, who was called the greatest genius of Murim.
But watching Ban Yuwon, she felt an urge to punch her past self, who had once been even slightly smug about her own talent.
Of course, the person she most wanted to punch was that man.
"Ugh, this also drains my strength. At this rate, how long will it take to finish all of these..."
Dokgo Yeon, looking at Ban Yuwon's face—a face whining about his own weakness, despite repeatedly wounding her delicate pride—reaffirmed her resolve.
‘I must have him after all.’
"Huh?"
Feeling a sudden chill, Ban Yuwon widened his eyes and scanned his surroundings, wondering if another elite monster had appeared, but there was nothing.
Perhaps it was due to breaking his concentration, but he felt a dull ache spreading through his arm.
If he hadn't been plundering the Concepts of Life and Physique from the spiders in real-time during the battle, he might already be lying exhausted on the ground.
He skillfully severed the neck of a spider lunging at him, feeling satisfied that he could now cleanly execute slashes even against moving targets, when a thought suddenly struck him.
"Dokgo Yeon, why are you just standing there? You should be using Palm Wind!"
"Because you were doing perfectly fine on your own. It helped with your growth, didn't it?"
Dokgo Yeon replied with an air of nonchalance.
Hearing that, he inadvertently checked his internal Code and found that his Martial Arts had grown to a whopping 70.
While he hadn't yet fully mastered the Concept of Severance, his swordsmanship had been explosively reignited, influenced by his fundamentally transformed sword strikes and his deepened understanding of them.
He wondered if he would reach 100 by the time he exited the Tower, and a pleased feeling swelled within him.
"Still, I suffered alone, so no sports drink for you."
"Wha—!"
But that was that, and this was this.
Dokgo Yeon's lips silently parted, as if unable to comprehend, which was quite adorable, but a promise was a promise, and there was nothing to be done about it.
"It seems they're dwindling. Eve, conserve your bullets now."
—Hiss.
Even in its magical rifle form, Eve inexplicably let out a snake-like hiss and transformed its appearance.
The entity, having reverted to its innate club form, directly thrashed the few remaining spiders. Perhaps because it still carried the essence of Acid, it was quite smoothly smashing their heads in, wasn't it?
And commendably, it was even autonomously collecting the spent casings rolling across the floor!
"As expected, it's stronger than you."
"Eve is soon to be an extension of my combat power."
After instructing Eve to capture a few without killing them, he plundered all the remaining Concepts on the battlefield and reviewed the changes in his internal Code.
[Life 148
Physique 87.9
Mana 114
Soul 365]
‘Good, with this, I've perfectly surpassed the average.’
Should he mock the general admission students who had looked down on him for a difference in specs that he would bridge in less than a week?
Or should he marvel at his own potential, having leaped over a wall that ordinary people could never cross, in a single bound?
But this wasn't the end.
The Tower's exploration had only just begun.
If he delved deeper into the Tower on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, awakening his potential, he could surely contend even with the Special Class...!
"It's an external communication."
"External? Why at this timing?"
As Light, who had been marveling while drinking the sports drink Ban Yuwon handed him, suddenly frowned and muttered.
Belatedly, Ban Yuwon also noticed his student ID, hanging around his neck, vibrating.
"They're telling us to come out of the Tower...?"
"What? I haven't even warmed up yet. And I haven't even had my sweet treat!"
"Already..."
Dokgo Yeon looked dumbfounded by Ban Yuwon's bewildered murmur after he read the message.
Meanwhile, Rucell, who had been engaged in combat in Room 4 and whose hair was already about a third dyed black, seemed uninterested in their conversation, her gaze fixed blankly on the void.
"Is there no further notification?"
"It'd be difficult to send a long message from outside. Besides, this isn't Professor Yumina's personal message; it's one sent by the Chancellor."
"Meaning it's for all students."
"I don't like it."
Dokgo Yeon stated flatly.
"They're telling us to leave when less than two hours have passed since we started. They aren't even explaining why; I can't accept..."
"Kh-t."
"Rucell?"
Just as Dokgo Yeon was indicating her intention to ignore the message and continue the exploration, Rucell let out a faint whimper.
"Kuh-hut."
"Rucell, ugh?!"
"Grrr..."
Rucell, letting out strange groans, violently pulled Ban Yuwon toward her.
Ban Yuwon, who had long been certain that there wasn't a single normal person in this party but had never expected Rucell to go this completely off the rails, cast a pleading glance at As Light and Dokgo Yeon. Yet, both of them were staring past Ban Yuwon, into the encroaching darkness.
Perhaps the two of them also shared a similar sensation with Rucell.
"So this is why they told us to come out."
"Let's go. Come to think of it, it was strange from the beginning. That 'Irregular' the professor mentioned before we entered the Tower..."
"But my student ID isn't working."
At Dokgo Yeon's calm interjection, Ban Yuwon reflexively checked the functions of his student ID.
It truly wasn't working.
The sense of crisis instantly intensified.
"Grrr... It's coming."
Rucell said, pulling Ban Yuwon behind her.
—Scritch.
Only then did he realize that Rucell pulling him earlier had merely been an act to protect him.
—Scritch-scritch-scritch.
—Scritch-scritch-scritch-scritch-scritch-scritch-scritch.
From the floor, from the ceiling, from the walls, On a scale incomparable to anything they had encountered before.
The sound of swarms of Tower Spiders surging forward filled the air.
Ban Yuwon had to concede that this space had become Irregular-ized.
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