I got into school for nothing - Chapter 4
I got into school for nothing (4)
Lesson 1. This is Your Status Window - 4
[You seize Demonic Spirit 1, Life 2, Body 1, and Swordsmanship 3 from the Goblin Warrior.]
The Boss of the Blind Goblin Den, the Goblin Warrior, was truly a giving tree.
Not only did it yield experience equivalent to ten goblins, but also a generous 3 points in Swordsmanship, a concept Ban Yuwon had never possessed before!
Perhaps it was because Ban Yuwon had directly clashed with the monster, enduring immense hardship, and experiencing its abilities enough for them to be codified into language? He conjectured as much himself.
[Life 15
Body 12.5
Soul 300
All-seeing Eye 100
All-hearing Ear 100
All-speaking Lip 100
Swordsmanship 3 — The ability to contend with foes using bladed weapons.]
Ban Yuwon immediately separated Demonic Spirit 1, bestowing Spirit 0.5 upon his Dokkaebi Club (its Demonic Energy became 5.2), and absorbed all the remaining concepts into himself.
With the increase in Life, Body, and Mana, it was only natural that his body grew stronger once more.
The moment he absorbed 3 points of Swordsmanship, Ban Yuwon realized he could move with greater agility and cunning.
Swordsmanship wasn't merely the technique of wielding bladed weapons, but the ability to contend with foes using them.
From this moment on, Ban Yuwon could anticipate and respond to an enemy's presence and movements.
‘What should I do with this?’
He looked down at the lump of iron rolling on the floor, a troubled expression on his face.
To his eyes, now capable of seeing through the linguistic concepts inherent in objects, he saw the lump of iron contained a chaotic, discordant mixture of Sharpness (銳), Dullness (鈍), and Tool (器).
After a moment of consideration, Ban Yuwon decided to take that as well.
Originally, he hadn't intended to, but hadn't the Academy provided him with an Inventory?
The Inventory was identical to the item window found in games; if one summoned a shimmering sub-dimensional hole in the air and tossed objects into it, they could later summon that hole anywhere and retrieve its contents.
Its capacity was considerable, so taking one lump of iron wouldn't pose any difficulty.
“Next, then.”
Ban Yuwon picked up the other piece of loot rolling on the floor.
It was a small key, and he didn't even need to examine it to know what it was for.
The small door visible behind this room, which the Blind Goblin Warrior had been guarding.
The key was for opening it.
“Oh.”
Upon opening the door and stepping inside, the space within was truly small.
In the center stood an altar made of stacked stones, and upon it, a simple red orb rested; that was probably the Dungeon Core.
Destroying the Dungeon Core would conclude the practical exam.
Ban Yuwon tried to lift the core, wondering if he could separate it, but it was impossible.
The core was firmly affixed to the altar, and even if he could destroy the altar, it didn't seem like something an individual could possess.
“Then I’ll just have to smash it.”
He commanded the Dokkaebi Club, which had been continuously circling him since its creation, to destroy the core.
The moment it swung without hesitation and shattered the red orb, golden characters naturally flowed out from within.
[You seize Demonic Core 10 from the Dungeon Core. A Demonic Core is a concept that humans cannot originally possess. While it can be temporarily stored within your body due to the power of the Babylonia Code, you will not be able to wield this power. It is recommended that you separate it or bestow it upon another object or living being.]
He had somewhat anticipated it, but the core's concept was something Ban Yuwon couldn't directly possess.
So, when he considered splitting it into 'demon' and 'core'...
‘Surely if I separate the 'demon' part, I won't end up with a nuclear weapon, will I?’
No, it wouldn't.
If a nuclear core could be made so simply, it wouldn't be a nuclear core.
Mocking himself for such a foolish thought, he split the Demonic Core.
5 points of Demonic Energy (魔) appeared, and as he absorbed them entirely, Ban Yuwon's Mana grew to 16.25.
5 points of Core (核) remained...
Ban Yuwon pondered what to do with it, then took out the lump of iron he had placed in his Inventory and bestowed it upon that.
He absolutely did not think of it as a junk bin.
[An object possessing multiple linguistic concepts obtains the concept of Core (核) and will now function as an artifact for storing linguistic concepts, a ‘Code Core’. It will be able to stably store an amount of linguistic concepts proportional to the concept of Core it possesses.]
At that moment, another small miracle occurred.
First, the lump of iron, which had been haphazardly crumpled into existence, became more compressed and transformed into a smooth metal sphere, and within it, the various chaotically intertwined concepts were perfectly separated and neatly arranged!
A vessel was completed that could hold concepts that, while not immediately useful, Ban Yuwon could not directly absorb.
It was not a junk bin.
Since it was collecting concepts to be used someday, it was absolutely not a junk bin!
‘Defining and transforming objects with language. Interesting.’
They say you're a different person when you go into the bathroom than when you come out; that perfectly described Ban Yuwon right now.
At first, having been dropped into this unfamiliar environment, he had been busy cursing and reviling the 'bastards' of Union Academy. But now that he had actually survived the evaluation and realized the astonishing power latent within him, all these things were being framed as 'a difficult but worthwhile experience.'
Of course, he still desperately wanted to find the culprits who had arbitrarily thrown him into a potentially fatal situation and exact his revenge...
Well, honestly, considering their technological capabilities, it was uncertain when he would actually be able to enact that revenge.
‘Hoo, revenge or not, it would be best if I could return to Earth immediately, but from the looks of things, that doesn't seem likely. When I meet the person in charge, I'll calmly ask about the current situation then. So... shall I move?’
In truth, he wished to prepare himself mentally a little longer here, but that wasn't an option.
From the moment he destroyed the Dungeon Core, the floor had been subtly shaking.
If he didn't leave immediately, he might be buried alive with the collapsing dungeon.
After seeing the Dokkaebi Club still floating languidly around him and composing himself, Ban Yuwon murmured softly.
“I’ll move.”
At that moment, his vision brightened.
When Ban Yuwon came to his senses, he was already in a cozy room, no longer in the cave.
It was much larger than his room back home, with an attached bathroom and shower room, and a separate bedroom area.
Seeing two separate beds, it seemed it wasn't a single room.
However, there was no sign of another person, so he seemed to have arrived first.
No, but that wasn't the important thing.
[Congratulations again on passing the practical evaluation. From now on, examinee Ban Yuwon will reside as a prospective student in Room 1303, Dormitory D of Union Academy's male dormitory. Room 1303 is a double room, and your roommate is currently undergoing the admission preparation process.]
[The entrance ceremony is scheduled for 9 AM the day after tomorrow. There is an informational booklet in the room containing basic knowledge about the Academy, so please read it thoroughly. Furthermore, if you wish for a personal interview before the entrance ceremony, please fill out the provided document in your room.]
He hadn't expected them to immediately grant what he wanted.
Ban Yuwon searched the room and soon found something resembling a questionnaire on the desk.
A simple form requiring only the desired time and reason for the interview.
The time: ‘As soon as possible.’ The reason...
“...Let’s be honest.”
He didn't know Union Academy. He had never submitted an application in the first place. He was flustered when he was suddenly told he'd passed the document screening and had to take a practical evaluation. While he had somehow passed, he wasn't confident he could succeed at a school that demanded such practical abilities, so he wished to be sent back to his original world.
After writing up to that point, Ban Yuwon hesitated for a moment but soon added one more sentence.
‘Request for travel expenses.’
As he completed the form, the paper slowly dissolved into thin air.
For reference, all the text he had written was in the same language that had appeared in the Academy's notification window.
A response came quickly.
[Your interview request has been accepted. Professor Yumina, of Magical Combat, will conduct the interview with the prospective student. The time is one hour from now; students who are ready will be immediately summoned to the Professor's preparation room. In the meantime, please prepare yourself and maintain a presentable appearance.]
Yumina? Could she possibly be Korean?
Ban Yuwon, who had thought so for a moment, soon shook his head.
Union Academy was said to accept students from many different dimensions, so there was no way a professor would be an exception.
‘More importantly.’
At the instruction to maintain a presentable appearance, Ban Yuwon, for the first time, scanned his own body and finally realized how filthy he truly was.
With blood, sweat, unspeakable bodily fluids, and dust, his condition was a complete mess.
His casual clothes, which had been clean when he was dragged into the dungeon, had long since become rags.
Ban Yuwon wondered what he should do for a change of clothes, but for now, he stripped everything off and entered the shower room.
A shower room in another world wasn't actually all that different from one on Earth.
The only difference was that the water's temperature and pressure were all controlled via magical tools, but their appearance was intuitive, so he could adjust them without much difficulty.
“Huuuuuh...”
As the hot water soaked his body, a sigh naturally escaped him.
In addition, the areas he'd injured during combat and the joints strained from overexertion screamed in unison.
As the concepts of Life and Body developed, many of his wounds had disappeared, and since the moment he awakened Mana, a mysterious process that could only be called self-healing had been occurring within his body, so he was gradually getting better.
‘If I returned to Earth now, I think I could do pretty well even in the UFC.’
Ever since absorbing the Blind Goblin Warrior's concepts, Ban Yuwon had recognized that his physical abilities had entered a new league.
His basic physical abilities were already outstanding, and with Swordsmanship added, he had even acquired fundamental ways to control his body.
If he even activated Mana, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he might even compete in the Olympics.
...Conversely, even with such growth, it only meant he was at the level of a successful athlete on Earth.
‘But, if I continue to collect linguistic concepts like this...?’
The Blind Goblin Den, so to speak, was a den of the weakest creatures.
If he defeated stronger monsters than those, naturally, Ban Yuwon's growth potential would also increase.
If he continued to grow stronger like that, he could stand tall even before the irresponsible Academy officials who dragged him here...
While entertaining such thoughts, he came to his senses and raised a hand to slap his own cheek.
“Am I insane?”
He had been dropped into the Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions, a den of the weakest, and endured such immense suffering, so what? Defeat monsters stronger than that?
What was he going to do by getting stronger that he would risk death?
It seemed he was well and truly insane.
He never imagined such barbaric instincts lay dormant within him.
‘Let’s just go home.’
He didn't need any more power than this.
He would return to Earth, attend a top-tier university, and enjoy his youth.
Then he would become a diplomat, following in his grandfather's and father's footsteps, and uphold the family's honor.
A very uninteresting but peaceful and tranquil life, yes, a very boring and uneventful life...
‘I must really be out of my mind.’
After repeatedly hitting his head and finishing his shower, as he dried himself, he saw new underwear and an outer garment that looked like a navy uniform in a basket by the bathroom door.
Clothes clearly prepared for him.
As he put them on, one after another, they fit perfectly, chillingly so.
“The clothes are... nice.”
It was probably a school uniform.
It felt like only yesterday he had graduated high school, and now he had to wear a uniform again; he grumbled as he put it on, but the moment he finished dressing, his complaints vanished.
There was no sense of restriction or stuffiness typically felt when wearing clothes.
It was as comfortable as being naked, and even felt pleasant.
Having entered and exited a 'dungeon,' Ban Yuwon, who had gained a basic understanding of 'Demonic Energy' (魔), noticed that this uniform also harbored Demonic Energy.
[Are you ready for your interview?]
“Yes.”
I won't enroll, but can't I have this uniform as a gift?
If not, could I discreetly extract only its linguistic concepts?
Even as he pondered such things, he responded to the message.
* * *
He blinked and found himself in a large room, different from the dormitory.
Beyond the desk set in the center, the wall was entirely composed of a glass window, offering a clear view of the outside, which was quite striking.
“Welcome, student Ban Yuwon.”
A young, beautiful woman, seated grandly at the desk, greeted him warmly.
He had considered, upon seeing her name, that she might be Korean, but she was not Korean, nor even human.
As if to prove it, her skin was green, luxuriant flower petals bloomed in place of her hair, and two crimson jewels, sparkling luminously in place of her eyes, stared directly at him.
Yet, despite such an alien appearance, it was truly astonishing how beautiful she felt.
“You know, student Ban Yuwon, that you firmly seized the interest of all the professors during your examination, don't you? Good heavens, whether special admissions or regular admissions, it's the first time in my five hundred years of life that someone created a new artifact during the evaluation... Student Ban Yuwon? Where are you looking?”
However.
Even with such an alien and beautiful being before him.
And despite having come to make a crucial demand — to be sent back to Earth.
Ban Yuwon’s gaze was fixed outside the window.
Professor Yumina, who soon noticed his gaze, let out a laugh, her violet lips twisting into a smile.
“Is this your first time taking in our Academy with your own eyes? Hoo-hoo, I’m glad you seem to like it. How about it, do you want to attend Union Academy now?”
“Yes... what?”
“Of course, you must have been surprised, being suddenly dragged into a practical evaluation. Was it Earth, you said? Just how low-ranked must a dimension be to be unaware of Union Academy, which boasts the greatest renown across all dimensions... Ahem! I can answer all the questions you have, student. From how Union Academy’s entrance exams are conducted, to how much specialized education you’ll receive to blossom your aptitude, and beyond...”
“Professor.”
As if enchanted, Ban Yuwon kept his gaze fixed beyond the window and asked.
More precisely, he was looking at a colossal tower built on a hill beyond the Academy buildings.
A towering structure, soaring so high it seemed to pierce the sky, its pinnacle too distant to truly behold.
“What is the name of that tower?”
“So it was true that you didn’t know Union Academy. To not know the Tower of Babel.”
The Tower of Babel, she says.
Seeing Ban Yuwon let out a hollow laugh, the professor tilted her head in confusion but kindly continued her explanation.
“The origin of all mysteries and dangers in the world, the dungeon of all dungeons. That Tower of Babel is precisely why our Union Academy was founded. To nurture students with the greatest talents from all dimensions and help them reach the top of the Tower. That is Union Academy’s greatest wish and the last hope shared by all dimensions. ...Student Ban Yuwon? Why are you laughing like that?”
“Oh, no. It's just... my mind has changed a bit.”
So our building was here.
On the spot, Ban Yuwon decided to enroll in Union Academy.
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