I got into school for nothing - 47
I got into school for nothing (47)
Lesson 11. Apprentice Mage Ban Yuwon - 2
Sure enough, on Monday morning, an alert notifying all students of the week's special activity arrived on their pendants.
All necessary information was available, and connecting to the school intranet via Mirror provided even more detailed information.
Ban Yuwon, however, was dumbfounded when he realized the true nature of this special activity.
"We're going to another dimension?!"
Dokgo Yeon chided Ban Yuwon, who had cut off a pancake topped with fried chicken to exclaim loudly.
"Why are you so surprised? You're a student studying abroad in a top-tier dimension right now."
"Now that you mention it..."
Ban Yuwon froze, belatedly realizing the surreal aspects of his current environment.
Rucell, sitting close beside him, diligently cut the pancake for him instead.
Not only that, Rucell, who had speared a piece of pancake and chicken together with her fork and moved it to Ban Yuwon's lips, giggled bashfully under Dokgo Yeon's peculiar gaze.
But she certainly did not put the fork down.
"Yuwon. Say ah."
"Huh? Ah, ahh."
"Beast, that's enough."
Dokgo Yeon scoffed, utterly dumbfounded by Rucell's completion of her objective.
Rucell's reaction, however, was a sight to behold.
She tilted her head as if asking what Dokgo Yeon was talking about and replied,
"I am being moderate...?"
"Ban Yuwon, did you start dealing with mind control already after learning magic? Look at that beast brazenly talking back to me."
Ban Yuwon, who had been munching on his pancake, responded with a serious expression to Dokgo Yeon, who was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, putting on an exaggeratedly moved act.
"I didn't do anything."
In truth, Ban Yuwon also wanted to refuse Rucell's kindness, which felt a little burdensome.
But Rucell had put forth the argument that for her to perfectly control her Heart Furnace, she needed to adjust her usual behavior patterns to match a master-servant relationship, so he couldn't help it.
"Look at that..."
"Are those two, no way."
"Wow, look at the weakest ones clinging to each other."
"That bastard's unbelievably lucky. I wish he'd just explode."
"Then what about the videos from now on...?"
It was only natural that other students in the cafeteria would turn their attention to the two of them, who were acting in a sickeningly sweet manner, like a couple.
Among them, those who enjoyed watching 'Rebellion's videos even gasped or shot jealous glances at Ban Yuwon, or Rucell.
However, even this was a welcome development.
If they were still looked down upon as being from a lower dimension, they would have been met with a qualitatively different kind of scorn.
"Observing lower-ranked dimensions, and blocking monster waves on behalf of those poor souls incapable of self-defense, that's the goal of this special activity, huh."
"Light?"
Meanwhile, Light had his nose buried in the Mirror, reading the announcement for the special activity.
Ban Yuwon glanced at him and didn't miss the twisted smile forming on Light's lips.
Perhaps sensing Ban Yuwon's questioning gaze, Light spoke without bothering to hide his sneer.
"Ban, look at how they talk about lower-ranked dimensions as if they can't be sustained without the care of higher-ranked dimensions."
"You..."
Ban Yuwon was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond to the darkness in his voice, so Dokgo Yeon spoke instead.
"For someone aiming to become a god, that level of arrogance is perfectly normal. Don't overthink it, Light."
"Ha, right. All of this is just preliminary training for ascending to the God's Seat, isn't it..."
Light's bitter tone bothered Ban Yuwon deeply.
Recalling how Light had previously displayed such clear animosity towards higher-ranked dimensions, it wasn't difficult to realize that something must have happened to him in the past.
'Putting aside all the talk about seducing or whatever, I need to get a little closer to him.'
For better or worse, wasn't he a partner they would spend the next five years together with, through thick and thin?
Ban Yuwon made a fresh resolution.
"Yuwon, ah~."
"Ah~."
However, for now, he had to meekly open his mouth and accept the pancake as Rucell commanded.
* * *
Everywhere in the Academy, talk of this special activity could be heard.
Special activities happened frequently, but a mandatory all-grade special activity was said to be on the level of an 'event' that occurred only once per semester.
First-year students were excited at the prospect of seeing the upperclassmen's skills with their own eyes, and upperclassmen were also looking to discover promising talents among the first-years.
At the center of all this commotion, needless to say, was Rebellion.
It was only natural, as they were the ones who had pushed aside the scion of Ortima, one of the ten great families that ranked among the most powerful in all dimensions, and were now receiving the most attention among the first-years.
Especially after their exploration video uploaded last week revealed that they had even eliminated an intruder from the Tower, their fame grew in many ways.
This was also true in Professor Zenon's lecture, which they attended on Tuesday afternoon, as dealing with intruders was an issue actively promoted by the Academy and directly related to the safety of many students.
In particular, quite a few students attending Professor Zenon's lecture had contracted with Constellations, and as such, they often got involved with irregulars, making them sensitive to the presence of intruders.
They couldn't help but pay attention when first-year freshmen, not even the competing fourth or fifth-year students, encountered an intruder who 'hunted qualifications' and even killed him.
"Perhaps they aren't just lucky after all."
"Indeed, not just anyone can attend Professor Zenon's lecture."
"Hmph, they're still nobodies."
"I watched the video because there was so much chatter, but the intruder was just a low-level henchman of Exodus to begin with. It's ridiculous to make such a fuss over catching just one of those."
"But they received support from a Constellation, didn't they?"
"It must have been a low-ranked Constellation."
However, since the class was primarily composed of Special Class upperclassmen, a favorable opinion was not formed from the outset.
Given that Rebellion had sparked a flurry of criticism against the Special Class on the intranet, it was only to be expected.
...Though, this was only because they had initiated the discriminatory remarks in the first place.
Ban Yuwon's party, who had become the hot topic, didn't have time to worry about such things.
Dokgo Yeon was not the type to care about other people's opinions to begin with.
Light was too busy learning spear techniques (in a somewhat aggressive manner) from Dokgo Yeon.
Even Rucell, who used to be conscious of people's gazes, now only focused on Ban Yuwon.
And Ban Yuwon had to concentrate on the two tasks assigned to him.
[The depth of the Body (肉體), stimulated by Hyungi, decreases to 240. The concept of Body is undergoing change. You feel the accumulation of an unknown concept, but cannot yet define it.]
[Due to the cultivation of Hyunsingong, some negative concepts within the body have dissipated. A positive surplus of Life (生) is created. The surplus potential will accelerate the growth of other concepts.]
"Whew..."
Wednesday evening.
Ban Yuwon, who had been diligently cultivating Hyunsingong without a moment's rest since receiving it from Dokgo Yeon last week, read the Authority notifications that appeared before his eyes, feeling how long a journey still lay ahead.
'At the very least, I'll only be able to say I've accomplished something once the concept of Body has completely transformed.'
Originally, the depth of Ban Yuwon's Body (肉體) was on the verge of purely exceeding 300, but as he cultivated Hyunsingong, it was steadily decreasing.
However, this was not annihilation, but a process of transformation into something of a higher concept than the physical body.
He himself could feel his physique, muscle, and bone structure transforming into something stronger, sturdier, and more ideal. Once the concept was fully altered, the fundamental performance of his body would change.
He had initially hoped to complete this conversion work before this special activity... but now he realized how incredibly arrogant that thought had been.
'A massive undertaking to completely remodel my body from head to toe couldn't possibly be done in just one week. It will take at least a few more months. I wonder if I can even finish it before the first semester ends.'
Considering that he would continue to face monsters and repeatedly seize Body concepts, it was possible it would take even longer.
If Dokgo Yeon were to learn of his bodily changes, she would be astonished by his absurd speed, but unfortunately, he only believed his progress to be slow.
"Hmph, then..."
At any rate, one thing was certain: quick results from Hyunsingong were not possible.
Having realized that, he had no choice but to focus more on the 'other path' for now.
"If I fail again today, I'll break this thing."
At Ban Yuwon's murmur, the magic wand—the staff—placed before him trembled violently.
He was struggling to extract the concept of 'Magic Language' from this staff.
Perhaps due to the staff's highly solidified ego, it was being treated not as a mere object from which Ban Yuwon usually extracted concepts easily, but as a quasi-living entity.
Even so, from Sunday to Tuesday, for three days, he had stubbornly wrestled with extracting the concept, treating it as practice for his Authority, but it was ultimately futile.
"You hear me? Big brother doesn't have time anymore."
Perhaps if he became a little more accustomed to infusing Hyungi into his Authority, he might be able to extract it as is, but the problem was that tomorrow was Thursday, the day of Yumina's Magical Combat lecture.
After all, he had decided to attend her lecture, boasting that he had acquired an artifact that would make him a mage, so he couldn't possibly run out of the lecture saying, 'It was impossible after all!'
So, Ban Yuwon decided to implement his hesitant Plan B.
That was to threaten the staff's ego.
"I was going to see how long you'd throw a tantrum... but you've overdone it. If you're going to cling to it that desperately, I'll just have to snap it in half and absorb the concept from its remains..."
If its function as an artifact was destroyed, its soul would likely be unable to fully control the concept.
Yumina, after examining the staff, had said it was an incredibly good artifact, unexpectedly found in a lower floor, so he had resolved to try using it despite its embarrassing appearance, but if the soul acted so uncooperatively, he couldn't help it.
"So, if this staff breaks, it's not my fault, it's yours. Got it? Then, farewell—"
—Who exactly is trying to break me!
The moment Ban Yuwon actually gripped both ends of the staff and tried to snap it, the staff vibrated violently, and the voice of a young girl echoed in his mind.
It was a sensation he had already experienced through Dokgo Yeon's telepathy.
Sighing that he should have done this sooner instead of wasting time, Ban Yuwon said,
"Finally you're speaking."
—You! Human! You brazenly tried to mess up the inside of a precious artifact, and you thought I would talk to you?
Perhaps because its main body was on the verge of breaking, its voice was incredibly hysterical.
When the opponent is agitated, one must remain calm.
Ban Yuwon replied artfully,
"The inside of an artifact? Are you talking about concept retrieval?"
—Yes, that brute force! Why would I acknowledge someone wielding such a vicious Authority? You're no mage! The Way of Magic (魔道) is a path walked by truth-seekers who follow noble, elegant, and absolute principles!
"You won't know until you've tried. So hand over the concept quickly."
If it said it was impossible, he would break the staff this time for real.
At Ban Yuwon's serious tone, filled with such resolve, the soul (靈魂) residing in the staff finally burst into tears.
—How did I end up with such a brutish fellow...? *Sniffle*, *sniffle*, if I allow your tyranny, I'll be completely ruined. I'll lose all my functions as an artifact.
"I guarantee that won't happen, so don't worry."
How many times had he used his Authority?
He'd not just extracted concepts from artifacts, but added, mixed, and synthesized them, and they were all perfectly fine.
As Ban Yuwon snorted in reply, the soul's wailing grew louder.
—What do you know! What do you know about the delicate and complex structure of this artifact! All the information and functions of an artifact are complexly interconnected, so if even one is missing, the entire structure will become tangled, and in that case, even I, who am speaking now, might not be able to maintain my sanity...
"Quiet, hand it over if you don't want to break."
—WAAAHHH!
Although he knew it wouldn't actually happen, Ban Yuwon somehow felt like he had become trash.
—Take it, you wretched human! I was hoping to raise a grand mage who would shake the heavens and earth, but to end up in the hands of a ruffian and meet such a miserable end...! Ah, my sorrowful life (人生)...
What 'life (人生)' are you talking about, you're not even a person.
Ban Yuwon realized that the thick defensive mechanism the artifact had constantly emitted had disappeared, allowing him to easily extract the concept with the power of his Authority.
At this point, there was no need to hesitate.
He immediately pulled out the entire concept of Magic Language (魔法言語), with a depth of 100, and bestowed it upon himself.
As a bonus, he also extracted and absorbed 50 of Elemental Magic (元素魔法).
[You have absorbed Magic Language (魔法言語) 100. You fully understand and accept the concept of Magic Language, and the depth of your Soul (靈魂) has become 500. The depth of Life (生) has become 360. The depth of All-Reading Eye (萬讀眼), All-Hearing Ear (萬聽耳), and All-Speaking Lip (萬言脣) has become 165. Complete Sinicization (漢字化) of Magic Language is now possible.]
[You have absorbed Elemental Magic (元素魔法) 50. The depth of your Soul has become 510. You can now artificially create, amplify, and control the power of various elements such as fire, water, wind, and earth.]
The moment he absorbed the two concepts, a lightning bolt struck Ban Yuwon's mind.
How could this not be a marvelous thing, to finally be able to embrace the linguistic system he had been unable to understand until now, through his own laws!
The concept of Magic Language, upon acquisition, fulfilled its role and melted away within his body, but the knowledge itself had not vanished; it was all etched into his mind and profoundly influenced his soul and his Authority.
'Now I can completely decipher my student ID card. No, not just that, I might even be able to manipulate it if I do it right.'
Now that he could accept all types of Magic Language as Hanzi, and manifest them as Hanzi, no one could object if he proudly called himself a mage!
The Elemental Magic he had absorbed along with it was not to be underestimated either.
A depth of 50 was, for a single skill, second only to his swordsmanship at 78.
And he had absorbed it completely, without any degradation of its depth!
"Whew, now I can attend my sister's... Professor Yumina's lecture without any worries."
How delighted Yumina had been that he could attend her lecture!
He felt a sense of relief that he wouldn't betray her expectations, but at the same time, a worry arose: wouldn't he have little to learn from her now?
—What... is this.
But the artifact's reaction was strange.
The artifact itself was also emitting an odd light and trembling.
"Why? Surprised I'm perfectly fine?"
Ban Yuwon teased in a mischievous tone, but the artifact seemed to be in no mood to play along with Ban Yuwon.
—It can't be, why, why would they do this to me...
"...Eh?"
The artifact was displaying signs of emotional instability, as if it had suddenly recalled memories forgotten for hundreds of years.
—Yes, that's right, I was never meant to be the ego of this kind of, this kind of weapon...!
"Hey, you, don't say anything more about that backstory and just wait a second."
Ban Yuwon realized something was wrong and immediately called a timeout.
His head was already complex enough, trying to organize the knowledge he had just gained, and he had a feeling this thing was about to launch into a grand story like 'The Deep Secrets of a Burdened Artifact ~From a Promising Young Mage Girl to a Mere Ego Trapped in a Staff~'!
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