Chapter 158

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 158

Chapter Title: Lesson 32. It's Progressing Too Fast - 2

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Ban Yu-won's prediction that a constellation might be intervening in this chain room was spot on.

To be precise, starting from Room 84, where the key component to unlock the chain room was buried inside an elite monster—that was already evidence of interference.

But things had only gone according to the constellation's will up to that point.

Against an army of mechanical bugs powerful enough to force even Dokgo Yeon, the absolute powerhouse, to retire, what Ban Yu-won had pulled off was...

And then there was how he'd taken control of the discharges starting from Room 94, bending them to his own will.

'A constellation was involved after all. No wonder something felt off...'

He hadn't expected one of his own sponsors to be among them, but it wasn't hard to accept.

After all, the Breath of Life had escalated step by step—from surprise, to shock, doubt, and finally rage—in response to his handling of their authority.

The decisive blow was undoubtedly the liberation of Cellon in Room 90, but even without that, the Breath of Life had already turned hostile toward Ban Yu-won.

'And the Clock of the Toy Legion... this one is...'

A bit ambiguous.

Still, its reaction during Cellon's unsealing had been just as suspicious.

Now that they'd been exposed for being able to manipulate their authorities at will, there was no reason to let them keep watching him.

Ban Yu-won ruthlessly severed his connections to the Breath of Life and the Clock of the Toy Legion.

The other constellations would probably hear about this soon too. It was a bit regrettable—he'd hoped to snag a couple more sponsors if possible.

"O-ohhh...! Ban, the base is going haywire!"

"No, this isn't haywire. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠This is..."

But right now, there was no time to leisurely ponder the constellations.

The moment the mechanical egg—Lilith—that had devoured the base's core components sank into the objet in the mechanical plaza, taking its place...

The objet contracted in an instant, enveloping the egg—and in perfect sync, vibrations surged through the entire base!

"Ban, that thing! Don't we need to rip it out?!"

"No need. Let's get out first!"

Ban Yu-won deciphered the golden strings overflowing from the objet.

Fusion, merging, absorption... and finally, hatching.

After all that reluctance to hatch and causing so much trouble...

It seemed the finicky one had finally made up its mind.

"If we stay here, we'll get fused too!"

"What?! Y-you, you—that's sexual harassment!"

"You idiot, this isn't the time!"

For some reason, Ban Yu-won grabbed the blushing Light and bolted.

Crackling electricity burst from the wires buried in the floor, unable to resist the objet's pull, erupting everywhere. Iron plates scattered in all directions, soon caught in the vortex.

And since everything was discharging, even a graze would trigger a chain reaction and draw blood!

"Hold on tight—wait, no, this won't work."

"Eek!"

Ban Yu-won scooped Light up in both arms.

Like a groom carrying his bride at a wedding!

"Ban?!"

"Moving fast."

The moment Ban Yu-won declared it and took a step, the scenery shifted.

Still inside the base, but he'd crossed at least several hundred meters... nearly to the 'limit of his vision.'

"Spatial transfer! This is—!"

"Yeah, Blink."

Among the concepts absorbed into the Origin Sword was spatial control.

The Origin Sword grasped everything around and exerted influence externally, so its compatibility with spatial control was perfect.

And what that completed Origin Sword enabled was short-range spatial movement—Blink.

He'd once heard from Yumina how difficult Blink was.

Instantly grasping spatial coordinates in combat to cast movement magic was so hard it was considered the domain of psychics...

But wielding the Origin Sword meant Ban Yu-won was constantly aware of the coordinates of every space in his vision. Adding spatial control made Blink inevitable!

"Y-you—this—."

"Still a secret. Truth is, I haven't mastered it enough for combat yet."

The problem was that right after using Blink, his spatial grasp loosened momentarily. He hadn't fixed that yet, so it was tough in real battles.

But escaping a collapsing base? Easy enough!

"Chaining them from now on."

"Wah! Wah, whoaaa!"

Light's cute screams with each scenery shift during the consecutive Blinks were adorable.

But there was no time to fuss over him now.

Calculating gaps between surging structural debris like iron plates and wires, and the web of electrical storms spreading everywhere, while spatial jumping— that alone took all his focus!

Yet this dramatic escape drama came to an abrupt halt.

"Lilith, just how much are you planning to devour— whoaaa!"

"Kyaa!"

Boom!

Without warning, something massive smashed through the base's ceiling and crashed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down!

But seeing the blue sky beyond the crumbling ceiling, Ban Yu-won’s eyes gleamed.

'Outside... now!'

The next instant, Ban Yu-won and Light were floating in midair.

Finally escaping the base, Ban Yu-won turned to see the massive mechanical centipede half-buried as it tore the base apart.

—Screeech! Screeeee!

Not dead yet, but the moment it touched the base, it was done for.

Lilith's fusion was reaching out to it too.

Spotting Ban Yu-won and Light above its head, it thrashed wildly, spewing venom, but soon its body ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tore apart under the pull and sank into the base.

"Ban Yu-won!"

"Yu-won, you're safe... Light?"

The party members who'd been pushing back the centipede rushed over upon spotting the two outside.

In the chaos, Light—who'd been clinging to Ban Yu-won’s neck with both arms—noticed Lucelle's blade-like gaze and hurriedly let go, planting her feet on the ground.

"Hmmm..."

"..."

But Lucelle's gaze didn't soften.

With Ban Yu-won right there, she couldn't react strongly, settling for jealous glares.

Yet Light calmly met Lucelle's eyes instead of making excuses despite everything.

Naturally, it escalated into a fierce staring contest.

"What's the situation, Ban Yu-won?"

Ignoring the tense exchange between Lucelle and Light, Dokgo Yeon spoke up.

Her eyes were fixed on the mechanical base collapsing as it drew in the giant centipede.

Ban Yu-won slipped away from the two and replied while moving to Dokgo Yeon.

"Combat's over. I conquered the secret hidden in Room 95."

"And that's the result? Honestly, it feels like a massive monster's about to emerge from in there."

"It's on our side, so it's fine."

"Our side?!"

Meanwhile, the horrific pull emanating from the base's core steadily widened its range.

The entire mechanical field of Room 94... no, Room 95 was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crumpling, compressing toward the center.

Even the surviving mechanical bugs were no exception.

Bugs with their bodies torn by the pull affecting only machinery writhed grotesquely on the floor before dying. A gruesome sight.

"Ah, you guys head in first."

Ban Yu-won stored Tike and the five mechanical familiars in his inventory.

Eve, mid-transformation into a massive armored tank, shifted to a broad-backed wyvern instead, loading up the party and soaring into the sky.

"Can... we upload this?"

"What are you saying now? The moment you sent out the mechanical familiars, it was already heavy editing."

"True enough."

For a Room 95, the scale was overwhelmingly vast—no surprise there.

But the scene of that vast room compressing into a single point was utterly unbroadcastable.

"Just how monstrous is it planning to become."

"Hiss..."

Eve scowled at Ban Yu-won's mutter.

It knew Lilith—who'd once been inferior—had devoured everything and would emerge stronger for sure.

"It's fine. You're still the firstborn."

"Hiss."

"There, there, good girl."

As he stroked Eve's neck to comfort her, the moment arrived.

All of Room 95—blanketed in metal and wires—condensed into a single point inside the base.

Light exploded once more, dyeing the world white!

And emerging from within was—

A colossal spaceship.

After the chain room lost its origin and collapsed cleanly, the exploration became refreshingly smooth.

Even with mechanical familiars, the grueling battle up to Room 95 made Rooms 96 onward feel like child's play.

The Rebellion party pushed nonstop to Room 100, rested fully in Eden, then resumed—clocking a record of 30 more rooms in just ten days.

Considering rooms grew larger higher up and shifts took longer, their pace was overwhelming.

"How much time left?"

Dokgo Yeon sat smack in the center of the king-size bed in Room 130's Eden, legs crossed, looking every bit the lazy, arrogant beast as she popped grapes one by one.

Ban Yu-won thought the haughty pose suited her perfectly as he replied.

"About 12 hours. The chain room ate up a lot of time."

"...That's what bugs me even more. I thought Room 100 would at least have a treasure chest."

When the silver chest appeared in Room 90, everyone assumed Room 100 would top it with gold or platinum trim. No such luck.

Ban Yu-won suspected Lilith absorbing all of Room 95's elements had voided Eden's rewards, but he kept quiet.

"You don't care what comes out of treasure chests anyway."

"Still."

Dokgo Yeon rolled a grape in her mouth, pouting.

Ban Yu-won knew she sparkled with excitement like the rest when chests opened, no matter how she played it cool.

But he didn't say that aloud.

Shed get mad.

"Haaa..."

If Dokgo Yeon claimed the bed, Light had the sofa.

After a refreshing bath in Room 130's bathroom, lounging in revealing pajamas, Light exhaled languidly—looking utterly seductive.

"Hm? W-what're you staring at? You see it every day in the dorm..."

Light shyly smiled, noticing Ban Yu-won's gaze.

His vision went dark instantly.

Lucelle, giving him a lap pillow, covered his eyes with one hand.

"Staring at that will ruin your eyes, Yu-won."

"That?! Lucelle, did you just call it 'that'?!"

"I don't get why you're excited, Light. Were you trying to show off? ...A washboard?"

"Y-you! That's not it! I used to be much more—!"

This won't do. These two.

Ignoring that Light's a guy, they're amicably exploding.

But just as Light's meltdown threatened to reveal his own identity—

Dazzling light poured from his chest.

"What, another seizure?!"

"Eek! L-Light, sorry, it's because I said something unnecessary...!"

"You idiots! Instead of resting quietly when we should, you stir up drama and this happens!"

Everyone jumped up toward Light, but he clutched the necklace at his chest and shook his head.

"Not a seizure. It's... a rescue signal."

"Rescue signal?"

"Yeah. From my world—a rescue signal."

Everyone froze at Light's words.

They recalled his dimension was always under external threats.

"Sorry, guys. Looks like special activities... are off."

"Light."

"Sorry, Ban."

Light spoke without lifting his head, even at Ban Yu-won's call.

"Invited you all, but can't take you now."

"...Next time's fine."

"Yeah... really sorry."

Light vanished.

The remaining three exchanged brief glances, sighed, and stood.

"Shall we head out too?"

"At least it didn't happen early on."

"Wonder what happened. Hope he returns safe..."

12 hours left, but proceeding without Light meant instant retirement.

No way they'd waste the remaining time like fools.

But as the three exited the tower, Yumina was waiting.

"Professor, Light..."

"I approved that. It's fine. But that's not the issue now."

Yumina pointed urgently at their student IDs, face tense.

"Special activity location's set, but..."

Ban Yu-won checked his student ID.