I got into school for nothing - 43
I got into school for nothing (43)
Lesson 10. You are My Master - 3
A Trick Room.
It was a term used in the Tower to refer to a space governed by unique rules and order.
Though exceedingly rare within the Tower, it was hardly anything new for Ban Yuwon’s party during their explorations.
Within such a space, there existed an absolute rule that must never be broken, and anyone who dared defy it would incur severe penalties from the Tower.
Of course, just like all high-difficulty rooms in the Tower, clearing a Trick Room always guaranteed a substantial reward.
“Hmph, what an ignorant but remarkable human. To wield such monstrous strength even in the face of death...!”
Ban Yuwon surmised that the penalty As Light had incurred this time was the 'strengthening of the enemy.'
Was it just his imagination? Ban Yuwon gritted his teeth as he observed Kuro, the Orc Centurion, who appeared somewhat darker, as if stained black, compared to when he first appeared.
“Hah.”
Meanwhile, Dokgo Yeon, who had watched the seamless flow of events from As Light’s charge to his death, merely scoffed in utter disbelief.
“I knew that sword affected one’s mind, but I never imagined it would reduce someone to such a complete idiot.”
It was a scathing assessment.
Naturally, Ban Yuwon couldn’t possibly believe that As Light’s recent actions were those of a sane person.
Though he hadn’t known As Light for long, he was aware that As Light wasn’t typically so impetuous.
Slicing down the last orc in Room 15 without a second thought, and then ignoring the Trick Room’s rules to charge at the Orc Centurion—these were entirely uncharacteristic of his usual self.
Perhaps, Ban Yuwon mused, preventing him from wielding his sword throughout the exploration had resulted in an even greater backlash.
“As expected, that sword cannot be trusted. It’s bound to cause another mistake at a critical moment... He’ll need a harsh lesson once we get out.”
“But for now, let’s focus on that bastard.”
“No.”
Dokgo Yeon said firmly, taking a step forward.
At that instant, a deep thud—a heavy vibration—was accompanied by an immense pressure bearing down on her shoulders.
Ban Yuwon reached out his hand towards the 'Press' (壓) concept tormenting her, but Dokgo Yeon stopped him.
“Now that As Light is Lost, further exploration holds no meaning. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to seize this opportunity to experience firsthand just how great a price one must pay for defying the Trick Room’s rules?”
“You...”
Ban Yuwon wore a dumbfounded expression, unable to fully grasp her words.
He had thought he knew a great deal about Dokgo Yeon, but it seemed that, too, was a misconception.
“Cwahahahahahaha! Foolish, utterly foolish! Do you not know the order of this place, or do you perhaps harbor the thought of surviving by defying absolute order with that paltry body?!”
“Hmph.”
Seeing her footsteps immediately grow heavy, Kuro, the Orc Centurion, who realized Dokgo Yeon was no weakling, let out a cheerful laugh.
Dokgo Yeon scoffed, then twisted her shoulders as if relishing the pressure that bore down on her entire body.
And then.
“I’ll take my leave first. Ban Yuwon, good luck with the beast, just the two of you.”
“What...?”
Dokgo Yeon, enduring a terrible pressure that made it difficult to take even a single step, turned her head to speak to Ban Yuwon.
A faint smile played on her lips.
“Don’t forget what I told you before we entered the Tower.”
Perhaps she...?
Had she deliberately arranged for Ban Yuwon and Rucell to be left alone?
“Die, ignorant human!”
A massive halberd swung down towards Dokgo Yeon.
Ban Yuwon clearly saw the pressure on the halberd double the moment it neared Dokgo Yeon.
A portion of the immense 'Press' concept that had been crushing her flowed up the halberd, assimilating with it.
“...Hmph!”
At that instant, the halberd’s movement and the monster’s physical balance were inevitably warped violently, and Dokgo Yeon seized the opening that appeared, drawing her sword.
—Swish
—CRASH!
Immediately after the small sword’s blade gracefully arced through the air.
Her body was crushed and flattened by the halberd.
She, who could have easily fought one-on-one and overwhelmed her opponent, had been so helplessly defeated as the price for defying the Trick Room’s order.
‘No, she wasn’t helplessly defeated.’
After her death, Ban Yuwon, having collected everything that remained, dazedly raised his head to examine the result of her sword draw.
“Guh, Guhhhhhh!”
With just a single sword draw, a single decisive cut.
The Orc Centurion, suffering a deep, diagonal sword wound that stretched from his right hip all the way to his left arm, let out an agonizing scream.
“My arm, my arm!”
Unable to withstand the cleave, the monster’s left arm finally snapped off and tumbled to the floor.
Ban Yuwon could perceive the lingering aura of death, which hadn’t faded even after Dokgo Yeon had been Lost (the term for dying in the Tower), remaining in the Orc Centurion’s wound and tormenting him.
“That wretched, worm-like bitch...!”
The one-armed orc gritted his teeth and raised his remaining arm, but that arm too was heavily wounded by As Light’s sword strike, making his movements extremely awkward.
Moreover, after Dokgo Yeon was Lost, the monster’s body had grown even darker, and only then did Ban Yuwon realize that this phenomenon was visible only to him.
‘Could it be an ability born from the Fruit of Good and Evil? To recognize sinners?’
If he thought of it that way, it made sense.
Why was the monster a sinner? Because he had killed people, of course.
Having killed his friend right before Ban Yuwon’s eyes, wasn’t it natural to call him a sinner?
He had darkened slightly after As Light was Lost, and then became even more deeply stained black after Dokgo Yeon was Lost.
But as for what meaning that held, he still didn't quite know.
Was it simply to recognize sinners, or was there something more to it?
—The weakest soldier charges first.
“I’ll find out when I face him directly.”
Listening to the Trick Room’s announcement voice, which remained unchanged despite two people having been Lost, Ban Yuwon sneered, finally taking a step forward.
Having lost an arm, sustained horrific injuries from his waist to his chest, and with his remaining arm also deeply pierced and far from intact.
No matter how much of a monster he was, surely at this point, Ban Yuwon would have a chance.
“You, you are the weakest one...!”
Kuro, the Orc Centurion, gritted his teeth as he saw Ban Yuwon step forward.
He must have known himself that Dokgo Yeon’s fatal blow had left him in a state where he couldn’t guarantee victory even against Ban Yuwon.
However, his expression soon became peculiar, filled with a gaze that held more doubt and delight than anger.
“Foolish beings, ignorant, reckless! But for me, this is a blessing!”
“What, you...!”
Ban Yuwon, frowning at the incomprehensible words, suddenly remembered something and turned around, only to see.
There was Rucell, lunging at him.
Every single strand of her hair was dyed pitch black.
“Ah, seriously, what impeccable timing,”
“GRAAAWL!”
Rucell charged, giving him no time to resist.
He felt her claws dig shallowly into his body.
“Ugh!”
“GRAAAWL...!”
Rucell instantly tackled him to the ground and mounted his chest.
Her eyes, stained with wildness, gleamed as she looked down at him, then she bared her jagged fangs.
‘Dangerous!’
His heart pounded as if it would burst.
He honestly couldn't tell in what sense he was dangerous right now, but he was definitely in danger!
It was fortunate, at least, that the Orc Centurion wasn’t acting.
Or perhaps, the Orc Centurion was unable to act because Rucell had attacked Ban Yuwon, not him.
‘No time to think about that now!’
Ban Yuwon pulled out all of her positive emotions that he had stored in his Code Core, unleashing them towards Rucell’s chest—not knowing if she intended to bite or suck his neck.
‘Absorb them! Let them neutralize you a bit!’
The moment Ban Yuwon’s will manifested strongly, and his Hyungi was absorbed into the string of concepts.
As if by magic, the concept of emotions was drawn into her being.
The flow of concepts hammered against her Heart Furnace, relentlessly pounding until its tip finally breached a part of that solid concept.
—CRACK!
Suddenly, everything turned crimson.
“Guh?!”
“ROOOOAAAAARRRR!”
Rucell let out a massive roar.
She flung Ban Yuwon aside, stood up, and charged in a straight line.
He realized belatedly that she had bitten his neck.
“So you’ve finally wounded your comrade, you’ve come... If I finish you off as well, then somehow... Guh?!”
The Orc Centurion’s shouts of exultation, groans, screams, and monstrous roars jumbled in Ban Yuwon’s ears.
But at this moment, his entire body felt drained of strength, and his head spun, making any normal judgment impossible.
Yet, the thought of needing to heal himself remained crystal clear, so he pulled out the ointment he had prepared for such situations.
An ointment crafted by bundling together a staggering 50 units of the 'Healing' (治癒) concept.
As he applied it to the wound, he could just barely feel the bleeding subside, but it was difficult to compose his already weakened body.
‘A panacea...!’
Peach jam made from the fruit of Eden.
He distinctly remembered verifying the description: it not only increased potential but also healed any current injuries he had sustained.
Ban Yuwon, his mind barely functioning, managed to recall it, retrieved it from his inventory, and took a small dollop with his finger to his mouth.
Strangely, at that very moment, he felt all his senses sharpen.
[You have gained 2 'Life,' 1 'Body,' 2 'Hyungi,' and 1 'Charm.' Your natural healing rate for wounds dramatically increases.]
Just a single bite had yielded astonishing effects.
While it wouldn't be like this every time, he could tell that the panacea's potential was boundless.
Though he still had no idea why his 'Charm' had increased.
More importantly, the bleeding had completely stopped, his wound was healing, and his mind had begun to function properly again.
“...Hah!”
Ban Yuwon hastily put the panacea back into his inventory and stood up, only then realizing he had experienced a "shift."
The Orc Centurion was already dead and gone.
The small comfort was that the concepts the monster had held were naturally left in a corner, alongside the Room 16 reward (a treasure chest).
But everything else was utterly terrible.
“ROOOOOAAAAARRRR!”
“SCREEEEECH!”
Rucell thrashed wildly, covered in various wounds, both large and small.
All the monsters that appeared as Room 17 unfolded rushed towards her.
It seemed as though Ban Yuwon was invisible to them, but that wasn't the case.
Even in her berserk state, Rucell was protecting him, prioritizing the monsters that tried to approach him.
“Rucell!”
“Grrrrrr!”
However, that didn’t mean she could communicate with Ban Yuwon.
Although Rucell had turned to look at him after hearing his call, she immediately attacked the monsters instead of approaching him.
‘Damn it!’
Observing Rucell, Ban Yuwon realized her Heart Furnace was wildly out of control, a complete mess.
Tampering with the Heart Furnace externally wasn't something achievable merely by growing awkwardly close to her, or by isolating and storing her emotions.
Ban Yuwon's misguided stimulation had thrown everything in her Heart Furnace into disarray, causing Rucell to rampage without a moment to spare for her own well-being.
‘Even in this state, she’s trying not to hurt me.’
Biting his neck was likely the consequence of being unable to suppress her surging wildness for a moment.
Rucell, intuiting that she would inflict further harm upon him if she continued, hastily threw him off and charged towards the Orc Centurion—.
The result was the current calamity.
‘I failed.’
It was his fault for not checking beforehand.
Not a single one of his assumptions had been correct.
Was it wrong to have too complacently relied on his own abilities?
Was he arrogant to arbitrarily judge Rucell’s concepts and try to manipulate them?
Ban Yuwon bit his lip, reproaching himself.
One thing was certain: he couldn't leave her like this.
“Rucell, stop now! If we move on to Room 18 like this, it’ll truly be the end!”
“Grrrk!”
As expected, she wasn't listening.
So ferocious was the power of the berserk Rucell, devoid of reason and heedless of her own body, that the monsters of Room 17—which would have been challenging even for four people—were all being swept away by her alone.
However, Rucell's physical condition was far from good; she had borne the penalty for violating the Trick Room’s rules, slain the Orc Centurion, and was now fiercely battling the monsters of Room 17.
To Ban Yuwon’s eyes, it was clear that her body would soon collapse.
But with no way to stop her, what was he supposed to do?!
‘That beast seems to prefer a strong hand.’
It was then that Dokgo Yeon’s parting words flashed through his mind.
‘...Wait, what did you say?’
‘Don’t pretend you didn’t understand. It means don’t compromise ambiguously when dealing with a beast that can’t be reasoned with.’
Don't compromise ambiguously?
Perhaps it was her way of scolding him, telling him not to be hypocritical with Rucell when he was already planning to manipulate her emotions as he pleased?
‘Don’t forget what I told you before we entered the Tower.’
No.
Dokgo Yeon wasn't one to issue such reproaches.
Given her intensely pragmatic and cynical nature, it was highly probable that she had meant it literally... yes, she had been discussing a more effective method for Ban Yuwon to handle Rucell.
‘If, according to her words...’
Ban Yuwon raised his head.
Rucell was currently swinging her half-broken claws against the last few monsters—Masked Goblins.
“Rucell!”
“Grrk?!”
His shout, imbued with Hyungi, echoed throughout the entire room.
Rucell flinched and froze in place.
The problem was that the monsters were still not stopping.
A solution to deal with both Rucell and the monsters flashed through his mind.
He had the necessary material for it... the 'Press' (壓) concept, a string of characters that had been crushing Dokgo Yeon and was on the verge of disappearing, but had been caught squarely in his hand.
“Rucell, sit!”
“Yelp!”
The pressure, extending from his hand, bore down on both Rucell and the entire horde of monsters.
It was an incredibly vast power, yet slightly insufficient to extinguish life.
Which made it all the more appropriate.
“Stay still!”
“Whimper, yelp...”
Rucell, who had been struggling to resist the pressure, suddenly became docile upon hearing his voice.
He could see her Heart Furnace, which had been wildly rampaging within her body, strangely beginning to calm down.
Really? Was it truly this simple?
Even having done it himself, he couldn't quite comprehend the current situation, but still.
He acted precisely as the situation demanded.
“Come here, Rucell.”
“Yelp!”
He withdrew the pressure solely from her and ‘commanded.’
As if she had been waiting for those very words, Rucell sprinted forward and stopped abruptly before him.
Here and there, streaks of pink hair had begun to mingle with what had been entirely black hair.
It blended with her vibrant, beautiful pink eyes.
Fleetingly, yet purely beautiful, like countless cherry blossom petals fluttering between branches on a spring day.
“...Ban.”
Her reason returned.
The rampage caused by her Heart Furnace was resolved with astonishing simplicity.
But the real problem was just beginning.
“My, Master!”
“No, seriously, cut me some slack. Please. Really.”
Ban Yuwon shuddered, seeing the new concept of 'Subjugation' (隸屬) taking root within her body.
‘This means Rucell has become a being of me, by me, and for me...!’
It was a thought that would make President Lincoln, who declared the emancipation of slaves, sit bolt upright in his grave and spray bullets from a Gatling gun.
Comments