Chapter 141
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Lesson 29: The Substance Will Eventually Be Revealed - 1
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Whenever Rebellion stirred up trouble, the academy always buzzed with excitement, but this time it was on another level.
The million-strong Orc Wave that erupted in the lower dimension of Uraha was, just as Yumina had said, the kind of event worthy of a textbook.
Regardless of whether the dimension in question was lower or not, an Orc that had obtained a relic and become an Orc Lord was no monster a first-year could face head-on.
The fact that Ban Yu-won, with the help of his teammates, had defeated it and ended the Orc Wave was an unbelievable feat, even with certification from Full Professor Yumina.
"In the end, isn't it just a matter of taking down the lord? From the video, it didn't even look that strong. No need to make a fuss."
—Someone might say.
But setting aside the fatal misjudgment of the Orc Lord's power, which could be gauged by the number of Orcs it commanded, the mere act of creating a one-on-one situation against an Orc Lord leading a million strong and finishing it off was the greatest proof of Rebellion's prowess.
"Can't even one thing pass quietly."
"Don't talk like I'm deliberately dragging incidents around."
On Saturday afternoon, after returning to the academy and taking a day to rest, Ban Yu-won kept his promise to Mira by visiting a cozy wine bar in Ronica, just the two of them.
It wasn't a place recommended by the student council; it was somewhere he had come with Yumina before.
A place run very discreetly, expensive, but with excellent atmosphere, wine, and everything else.
"Next week, the number of people asking about you will spike again. I'm already depressed."
Mira lightly complained as she rubbed the lipstick mark on her wine glass with her finger.
Despite her words, she had a fairly pleased smile on her lips. She seemed to like this place.
Ban Yu-won replied in a half-teasing tone, as if he knew her true feelings.
"You have that many friends close enough to ask you directly?"
"Well, no. That's why it's depressing when even people who aren't close ask. Especially the seniors in their final year who are of marriageable age—they fear nothing."
"I'm scared!"
When he first heard that people were matchmaking at the academy, he had just thought, "Oh, really?" But hearing it now, it wasn't something he could brush off as someone else's problem!
Maybe on the day of special activities, when Lucelle linked arms with Ban Yu-won, it was really to ward off an unspecified number of female students...!
"Underneath the academy's surface, fierce battles of nerves among the women are always going on. Now do you get how much Lucelle and I have been suffering?"
"You're doing something behind my back. I don't know the details, but... thanks."
"Good, then treat me well. The more solidly we're seen together, the easier it is to fend off the nuisances."
Did she coordinate with Lucelle beforehand? Their words were eerily similar.
Ban Yu-won suddenly recalled a previous incident and asked her.
"How did you get close to Lucelle?"
"Did it look that way?"
Mira chuckled lightly.
The moment he met her smile, Ban Yu-won felt a chill run through his body and shuddered.
He couldn't fathom how she could create such a heavy atmosphere with just two words.
Was this a changeling thing too?
"Uh... it wasn't?"
"Of course it was."
Seeing Ban Yu-won tense up, Mira smiled as if her prank had succeeded and said,
"We did get close."
It didn't seem like it wasn't true.
But it was too scary to dare ask more.
He just resolved to engrave in his bones that he couldn't judge women's relationships based on appearances.
"Yu-won, I want to go flower viewing with you too."
"You saw that too?"
"The flower-viewing video has more views than the one where you beheaded the Orc Lord."
He had half-expected it, but hearing it directly made him annoyed.
The Orc Lord subjugation video was, of course, an awesome display of power, but it was actually getting more attention on the intranet than externally.
No matter how rare the appearance of an Orc Lord and the Orc Wave was, since it happened in a lower dimension barely F-grade, it couldn't appeal as much to users across all dimensions.
Don't get the wrong idea—it wasn't ignored.
It's just that viewers ate up things like Ban Yu-won's first attempt at seasoned chicken or Yumina's secret flower magic making every tree in the area bloom much more.
"Raising the status of my homeland Korea with seasoned chicken is satisfying, though."
"Don't make me laugh. Union is overflowing with similar chicken recipes."
As repeatedly stated, higher dimensions like Union were in no way inferior to Earth in culinary culture.
And the same went for Korea—feeding them kimchi or bibimbap wouldn't make them swoon and hit the like button.
However, there was one thing Union lacked: Korean-style seasoned chicken.
"This is different anyway. Even Dokgo Yeon praised me more for it than when I created swordsmanship for her. You'll know once you try it."
"Fine, then make it for me sometime. I'll judge after eating."
"Just you wait, I'll make it personally... Huh?"
Only then did Ban Yu-won realize he'd been hooked.
It wasn't easy to bait him verbally, yet she'd done it so naturally.
"It's a promise."
Mira giggled and lightly clinked her glass against Ban Yu-won's on the table.
A clear ching rang out.
A victory ceremony? Ban Yu-won pouted as he raised his glass and drank.
The wine, which had seemed bitter, now tasted sweeter.
"No, I properly learned from Lucelle this time, so it's no big deal... On the other hand, don't you have anything? Like fairy tribe traditional food."
"I do, but do you think I've ever cooked in my life?"
"No."
"You know me well."
Mira took a sip of her wine and added with a deeper smile for some reason.
"So from now on, I'll practice hard. Wait for me."
What a little vixen.
The 10th week at Union Academy dawned.
As Mira predicted, the Orc Lord subjugation caused an explosive reaction in the academy, with students even breaching Mira and Lucelle's solid guard to approach Ban Yu-won.
Not just female students—male first-years did too, and surprisingly, they said they wanted to join the club 'Union Wanderers,' represented by Ban Yu-won.
"Why?"
"Truth is, I want to climb the tower with you, but it seems impossible now."
Ban Yu-won nodded at the words from some guy in Class 3 whose name he didn't know.
They'd already been together for over two months, and with the Rebellion channel's existence, saying they wanted in now was shameless.
"But I want to get strong like you. All the students in the club are developing fast, right? There must be something there..."
"Huh? Oh, ah-ha. Thanks for thinking well of our club."
Only then did Ban Yu-won realize the excessive attention wasn't just from the special activities.
Last week, first-years did special activities, but returning students climbed the tower as usual.
The special admission seniors, who had trained intensely in the club for weeks, unleashed their full potential then.
Even the Pebble senior's fourth-year special admission team broke previous records and set a new one in just weeks—what about the others?
Especially, some seniors who couldn't properly handle their powers, with Ban Yu-won's help, now wielded them fully. Even before the first semester ended, their reputation in the academy had shifted dramatically.
And at the pinnacle of the envious gazes directed at them was Ban Yu-won.
"C-Can we join that club too?"
"You're the president, right? And proxy for Professor Yumina. If you want, we can join, yeah? Just talk to us once?"
Club applications poured in by the dozens daily, surpassing a clean 100 by Tuesday evening.
A handful of returning students and over 90 freshmen.
Essentially, a third of the freshmen wanted in!
Of course, Ban Yu-won politely rejected all.
'Taking them all would mean dominating the first-years... but our influence there was already overwhelming. No need?'
It didn't align with the club's purpose, and blindly accepting masses wouldn't ensure successful operation.
More cons than pros.
"No, why!"
But Pebble couldn't accept it and wailed.
"Who cares about the guys? You could've cherry-picked the pretty girls! Did rejecting them all really feel that good?!"
"I can't believe how transparent you are. Just roll around like the pebble you are."
"Jeeeenjaaang—!"
The Amplification concept from Pebble activates more strongly the more actively he moves, lasting longer the closer the relationship.
For example, Ban Yu-won, who only meets him during club time, gets only 2-3% power boost, club members training frequently get 4-5%, and those entering the tower with him get a whopping 7-8%.
No laughing matter at that level.
Ban Yu-won pondered how to increase this effect.
"It seems dependent on Pebble senior's perception too. No, that might be the biggest factor."
"Just make me a weapon! A dedicated one!"
Pebble returned from circling the training room, still energetic.
A dedicated weapon. Ban Yu-won thought again.
A weapon to spread his concept widely... a fan?
"Probably not... Let's think more. And senior, if you want something from me, work harder for better results. Got it?"
"You're not human...!"
"But you're a pebble."
"I'm not a pebble, I'm Kartro!"
Watching Kartro move today and the amplification emanating from him, Ban Yu-won realized anew that his ability was far from physical phenomena.
If he could consciously wield this amplification, strengthening many like the Orc Lord did its minions...
'Huh.'
Perhaps this amplification was also in the realm of soul power—soul force.
Soul force is a power based on the soul, distinct from pure magic or telekinesis.
Frankly, Ban Yu-won's Authority grew his soul too, closely related, but its scope was broader.
'Might be arrogant for an Authority holder to think this, but it feels like handling the root of all powers, whether telekinesis or soul force...'
He'd thought this researching telekinesis before: with his Authority, he could do anything telekinesis could.
Probably the same for soul force, but since it differed from his usual Authority use, he'd study soul force first to adapt.
Once fully adapted, absorb it cleanly and fuse its principles into his Authority for more complete control.
'Alright, let's try.'
Ban Yu-won reactivated the 'Soul Force' concept from the previous Orc Lord to reexamine Pebble's Authority mechanism, previously incomprehensible.
The results came quickly.
One expected fact, one unexpected, and a smile crept onto Ban Yu-won's lips.
"Kartro senior."
"I'm Kartro, not a peb—Huh?"
Called by name for the first time, Pebble blinked in confusion at him.
With an inscrutable smile, he said to Pebble,
"I'll make you a dedicated weapon."
"Ooooooh!"
"But it's consumable."
"...Huh?"
Pebble's Authority seemed beyond simple amplification.
Making a dedicated weapon for someone wielding soul power was impossible for current Ban Yu-won. Instead,
A consumable to let him wield it more actively and powerfully already existed among his inventions.
"A bundle of talismans! Infuse your soul force here, attach to targets, and they'll definitely amplify."
Incorporate the Origin Sword's secrets, make sturdy soul force talismans that amplify Authority themselves, add concepts to assist his power.
Then, when Pebble infuses and attaches them, 'Amplification' applies perfectly, all flaws resolved!
'Still time-limited, but not single-use 30-hour like study talismans—just recharge midway.'
Of course, creating items granting soul force and concepts with permanence would yield artifacts, not one-offs—requiring Artifact Creation department professor level.
Not yet.
"Wh-What is this? I don't want this; give me a cool weapon! Like the greatsword from the Orc Lord last time!"
"No backtalk; infuse power and spread it to us. Quick."
"Y-Yes..."
Pebble took the talisman bundle Ban Yu-won poured his qi and soul force into, looking reluctant but ultimately activated his power without refusing.
And Ban Yu-won's idea worked perfectly—not just Pebble's team, but all club members including Ban Yu-won got 10% 'Amplification'! A tremendous result!
Pebble became a superb totem amplifying everyone's abilities just by being there!
...Though he himself collapsed from overactivating his Authority.