I got into school for nothing - Chapter 3
I got into school for nothing (3)
Lesson 1. This Is Your Status Window - 3
‘This must be the boss room, right?’
Ban Yuwon thought, staring at the iron door blocking his path.
Until now, there had been few forks, just a continuous cave passage, but now an artificial door appeared.
It was only natural to think that something was behind it, even if it wasn't strictly a boss room.
[Life (生) 13
Body (肉體) 11.5
Soul (靈魂) 300
Myriad Hearing Ears (萬聽耳) 100
Myriad Speaking Lips (萬言脣) 100]
Ban Yuwon reviewed his internal code.
Every Blind Goblin possessed the same Life (生) 0.2, Body (肉體) 0.1, and Demon (魔鬼) 0.1.
From the very first goblin he encountered until arriving here, Ban Yuwon had somehow (the details would bring tears to his eyes) defeated every Blind Goblin and absorbed all their language concepts. His current state was truly remarkable, a complete transformation.
Now, even just clenching his hand, he could distinctly feel the increase in his grip strength.
Specifically, around 20%.
From this, he surmised that while basic physical strength followed the Body (肉體) concept, the Life (生) concept might be further amplifying his overall stats.
‘The problem is, even with this much, I still can’t take on a Blind Goblin one-on-one.’
Seriously, if he hadn't possessed his unique ability to understand and speak the goblins' language, Ban Yuwon would have died long ago.
His only hope lay in the club in his hand, which now held Bludgeon (鈍器) 15 and Demon (魔鬼) 1.5.
Unlike himself, who still felt somewhat lacking even after devouring the concepts of 15 goblins whole, the club's transformation was evident.
As Bludgeon was added, the club grew heavier; as Demon was added, its original brown color gradually turned black.
Each time he delivered a finishing blow to a goblin, he could keenly feel his weapon distinctly changing.
‘Perhaps the essence of my ability lies more in the creation and evolution of objects than in my own growth?’
The thought felt somewhat premature, but he soon shook his head, dismissing it.
It hadn't been long since he'd awakened to the Babylonia Code; jumping to conclusions already was rushing things too much.
‘More importantly... what should I do?’
Ban Yuwon pondered before the door.
Honestly, he really didn't want to go in.
If he absolutely had to enter, he wanted to catch at least ten more goblins—twenty, if he were greedy—to secure more concepts before proceeding.
The problem was that this cave wasn't very wide, and there weren't many forks, so turning back now wouldn't significantly increase his chances of encountering more goblins.
An even greater problem was that thirst and hunger were starting to torment him.
If he wandered for hours just to catch one or two more goblins, passing the practical exam would undoubtedly become a distant dream.
‘...Let’s go in.’
His deliberation was long, but his decision was instantaneous.
He truly wished to avoid a direct confrontation with these monsters, even as a joke, but what could he do when both his reason and instinct united to declare, "That is the most advantageous course of action"?
He opened the door.
Inside, a massive monster awaited him.
“Intruder... you’ve finally arrived.”
This is wrong.
The moment Ban Yuwon saw the creature, he knew instinctively.
It was about one and a half times larger than any Blind Goblin he had encountered so far.
“You... were watching me?”
“Even without sight, one can know.”
As the name Blind Goblin Den suggested, its eyes were blind, but to Ban Yuwon, whether it could see or not seemed hardly to matter.
More than anything, the weapon in its hand was menacing.
A long, single-edged blade, honed to a razor edge.
Its tip was aimed precisely at Ban Yuwon, proving the creature's exceptional spatial awareness.
“I was getting bored waiting so long anyway. It really took you a while to deal with those wretched creatures.”
Even its tone suggested it knew what had transpired outside the room.
Ban Yuwon, instinctively knowing he couldn't defeat it in combat, quickly scanned the not-so-large room for a ‘Core’, but all he could find was a small door visible behind the creature's back.
The Core seemed to be in that room. It was a truth that to claim a reward, one first had to fight and defeat the boss.
Damn it!
“You won’t come? Of course not. A coward who mimics the words of my kin and ambushes them from behind wouldn’t dare to charge head-on.”
The creature slightly bent its knees.
It’s coming.
The moment he instinctively raised his club.
—CRANG!
Along with a horrifying clang, excruciating pain shot through every part of his body that had absorbed the impact: his grip, forearm, and even his waist.
With just a single clash against the creature's blade, Ban Yuwon had taken a blow that brought him to the verge of unconsciousness.
“...You blocked it?”
“Kh-hck...”
The creature expressed surprise.
For Ban Yuwon, this was a moment to be grateful for.
He needed time to suppress his nausea and regain his grip on the club, which threatened to slip from his hand.
He had been prepared for death since being abruptly dropped into this place, but his resolve was clumsy.
The excruciating pain, which he experienced for the first time in his life, cowed his spirit.
‘This is no good, there’s no answer. Even a miracle wouldn’t be enough to win.’
I want to run away. I have to run away.
Such thoughts seemed to echo repeatedly in his mind.
Yet, his body moved in the exact opposite direction.
The blade, flying as if sucked in, clashed once more against the club he had instinctively raised, again creating shock and a thunderous roar.
“Remarkable.”
The Blind Goblin Swordsman nodded in admiration, still composed.
“I thought you were just a simple coward, but your talent is outstanding... and more importantly, your weapon is magnificent. Where did you get such a sturdy bludgeon?”
From your kin, you idiot.
If he could have, he would have shot back with those words, but at this moment, he begrudged even the energy spent on speaking.
Instead, he moved his body, blocking the creature's incoming blade.
—CLANG!
He had only clashed three times, yet a fatigue as if he had been beaten for three hours already dominated his body.
His body gradually growing numb, his grip throbbing.
Nevertheless, he never let go of the club.
He was certain that death would approach the moment he released it, so he desperately clung to it, moving his body guided by instinct.
He was dumbfounded by himself, having somehow adapted to such an absurd situation.
“Indeed, it’s no coincidence.”
‘This bastard...!’
After successfully blocking the creature's blade, whose trajectory was invisible, relying solely on his innate senses, he realized.
His innate combat sense wasn't bad at all.
However, without sufficient real-world experience and strength to back it up, he would eventually get lucky a few more times blocking its attacks, but the moment his energy waned, he would simply be cut in half and die.
—CLANG! CRANG!
As he parried a continuous barrage of sword strikes, thwack, a sound of his joints twisting echoed.
If it had been his pre-dungeon self, his bones would have already shattered, leaving him sprawling.
—KAGAGAGAK!
“Kugh...!”
Although he was holding on thanks to his somewhat strengthened Body, the clashes with the creature were rapidly depleting his physical durability.
“I wonder how many more times you can block it.”
‘What do I do? What do I do?’
Ignoring the signals sent by his deteriorating body, he desperately racked his brain.
Before entering the room, he had imagined various entities that might be waiting for him inside and considered corresponding response strategies.
Among them, of course, was the possibility of a single entity far superior to Ban Yuwon himself appearing.
‘As I am now, there’s absolutely no answer. Then...!’
He had no choice but to try the idea that had just occurred to him, come what may.
CLANG! The Bludgeon and the Sharp Weapon clashed once more.
Aware of his approaching limits, Ban Yuwon focused his mind on the weapon barely clutched in his hand.
And from within it, he separated and extracted only the Demon (魔).
[1.5 Demon (魔鬼) is separated into 0.75 Demon (魔) and 0.75 Ghost (鬼). You absorb 0.75 Demon (魔).]
His desperate will and concentration entirely bypassed the intermediate steps necessary to manifest his ability, quickly yielding results.
He separated all other malevolent energies, then absorbed the pure essence of energy, the concept, into his body.
The change that occurred the next moment was more shocking than he had anticipated.
[You awaken to Demon (魔).]
“Hm?!”
For an instant, a dazzling golden aura erupted from Ban Yuwon, and he felt the goblin retreat in bewilderment, as if it sensed something despite its blindness.
Although this might have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in this battle, Ban Yuwon couldn't attack the creature.
He was too busy concentrating on the changes happening within his body.
[You newly comprehend the language concept within your body. You currently possess 10.75 Mana (魔力). Activated Mana circulates through your body, invigorating your physical strength.]
[You awakened to Mana and understood how to use it during the practical exam! This is a considerable achievement for someone from a Lower-Rank Dimension, where Mana wasn't even present. A minor bonus score will be awarded to your evaluation!]
One was the notification window for his own ability, the other for the Academy.
What was amusing was that the bonus points were far fewer compared to when he had created an artifact with a weak ability earlier....
Right now, Ban Yuwon was experiencing an exhilaration incomparable to before.
His mind, his body, were not only completely recovering but were also qualitatively changing compared to just moments ago.
By the colorless, transparent energy flowing through his veins.
‘This kind of power was originally within me?’
He was utterly dumbfounded.
How could he have lived until now without ever feeling such a brilliant energy?
But perhaps it was because Ban Yuwon hadn't properly found the language to express it.
Ban Yuwon had succeeded in separating the Demon (魔) and purely recognizing its mystery, and stimulated by this, the concepts within his body had finally activated!
“No way... you awakened to Mana during combat?”
Meanwhile, the goblin confronting him, realizing what change had occurred to him, wore an incredulous expression.
“Was it because you couldn’t even wield Mana that you were so weak? But even so, it’s merely the level of an ordinary human. You can’t overcome me with that!”
CLANG! The Bludgeon and the Sharp Weapon clashed again.
The only thing that had changed compared to a moment ago was Mana, yet the difference was enormous.
He could withstand it much better.
However, as the goblin said, he couldn't defeat it with just this much.
From the outset, Ban Yuwon was a novice who had never properly wielded a weapon, let alone surpassed the goblin in physical ability.
“You are growing quickly, human. But my blade will cleave your neck before you can surpass me!”
“Shut up, monster!”
But perhaps it was because he had recognized at least a part of the true nature (眞體) of his ability; even as Ban Yuwon’s body repeatedly clashed with the goblin, his brain furiously spun, formulating his next plan.
‘Could I perhaps extract only the concept of bluntness, that is, Blunt (鈍), from the Bludgeon?’
Ban Yuwon had extracted concepts from 14 clubs so far.
Each time, a message like this appeared:
[As you have secured ownership of the object, it is possible to seize its language concepts. Would you like to absorb 1 Bludgeon (鈍器)?]
To seize an object's concept, one had to secure its ownership.
Presumably, by killing the object's original owner, or purchasing it for a fair price.
That was precisely why Ban Yuwon couldn't seize the concept of the blade in the goblin's hand.
But what if, conversely, he merely imparted a different concept to that Sharp Weapon (銳器)?
[1 Bludgeon (鈍器) is bestowed upon the object touched. The said object will now possess 2 Bludgeon (鈍器).]
This was the message that had appeared when he had bestowed a concept upon an object earlier.
In other words, if it was merely bestowing a concept upon an object, not necessarily owning it was fine!
And from here, Ban Yuwon's deductions began.
What would happen if he bestowed the concept of bluntness (鈍) upon a weapon that was obviously nothing short of sharp (銳)?
Wouldn't the concepts cancel each other out if opposing properties were held simultaneously...?!
“Do you have time for other thoughts?”
A sharp blade descended vertically, aiming for his head.
Although he instinctively understood that this attack should be dodged or deflected, Ban Yuwon deliberately raised his club and honestly blocked it.
“Kugh!”
“Hmph, has even your somewhat useful judgment grown dull?”
“What’s growing dull isn’t my judgment, but...!”
Even with his Mana activated, taking the full brunt of such brute force impact was not a very wise choice.
Ban Yuwon coughed up a mouthful of blood and reached out, grabbing the creature’s blade.
And then, he divided the concept embedded in his weapon, 15 Bludgeon (鈍器), into 7.5 Blunt (鈍) and 7.5 Weapon (器).
“My weapon!”
The goblin, believing he was trying to seize its weapon, roared in fury.
“I’ll tear your hand off!”
The next moment, after Ban Yuwon transferred the 7.5 Blunt (鈍) he had extracted entirely from his club, through his hand, to the creature’s Sharp Weapon.
Even though the goblin furiously swung its blade, intending to sever his hand, Ban Yuwon’s hand was merely pushed away without force, perfectly intact.
“...What?”
“It worked.”
Ban Yuwon grinned.
In truth, he would have considered it a massive success just to nullify the blade’s sharpness.
But the result was far beyond that.
Bluntness and sharpness.
As a result of the fierce clash between these two opposing concepts, the blade in the creature's hand became something that was once a blade, now miserably crumpled.
To even gain the realization that one should never take concept bestowal lightly—what an incredible boon!
...Just as he thought that.
[The remaining concepts of 0.75 Ghost (鬼) and 7.5 Weapon (器) in the club are automatically synthesized.]
“Huh?”
A change Ban Yuwon had not anticipated at all occurred simultaneously.
The club, left with only residual concepts because the Demon (魔) from Demon (魔鬼) and the Blunt (鈍) from Bludgeon (鈍器) had been stripped away.
...No, the club he thought was left with only remnants had undergone an astonishing evolution!
[Due to an immense compatibility with the base object, a transcendental synthesis that disregarded the depth (深度) of concepts has occurred, completing 5 Ghostly Vessel (鬼器). The firmly bound concepts appear difficult to separate again.]
Who could have imagined that such a miracle would occur just by stripping away the Demon (魔) and the Blunt (鈍)?
Ghostly Vessel (鬼器)—in other words, a vessel for spirits.
His club, having shed other unnecessary concepts, had evolved into a haunted weapon!
[An artifact with no physical form, yet capable of affecting physical reality, obedient to its master, and moving freely, the ‘Dokkaebi Club’ has been born.]
The club, now freed from his hand, drifted around him, coalesced into a whitish, smoky form.
Ban Yuwon merely stared at it, dumbfounded.
The Academy clearly hadn't foreseen this situation.
Because the moment the Dokkaebi Club was completed, a torrent of messages appeared.
[You have created a superior Artifact never before discovered during the exam. An absurd achievement! You pass the special admissions regardless of the contents of your practical exam! The professor of the Artifact Production Department, having received the report, eagerly awaits the examinee!]
[The Inventory function, typically provided only to students who achieve special feats, will be pre-granted to the examinee by unanimous decision of the Academy faculty!]
[Would you like to immediately move to the Union Academy dormitory?]
Ban Yuwon, with his exceptional language comprehension, instantly grasped the situation.
His body's comfort returned along with that understanding.
Move to the dormitory immediately?
If it had been his self from just moments ago, he would have nodded without hesitation at the offer to move to a safe place.
But what about now? He had gained a wondrous object, the Dokkaebi Club, and before him lay only a single Blind Goblin, crestfallen and slumped, having lost its blade.
“...I’ll finish the exam first, then go.”
Ban Yuwon replied with a noticeably resolute voice, then looked down at the goblin and commanded the Dokkaebi Club.
“Kill it.”
True to the description of being obedient to its master, the Dokkaebi Club immediately responded to his command.
WHIZZ!
THWACK!
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