Chapter 172
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Lesson 34. Free Servitude - 7
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[Aneri — Dokgo Yeon secured safely, Lucelle safety confirmed]
“Phew.”
Ban Yu-won caught his breath in relief at Aneri's urgent alert flying in through the mirror.
The mercenary he'd summoned just in case had fulfilled her role perfectly.
He'd contacted Aneri Dedota right after becoming certain that Ryu Cheol-myeong would interfere in this special activity.
Her playful demeanor didn't inspire much trust, but Yumina's judgment in selecting her as a mercenary was reliable.
Of course, relying on a mercenary's power during a special activity as an academy student wouldn't earn high marks.
But that assumed the activity proceeded normally. Right now, dimensional pirates and an academy full professor, Ryu Cheol-myeong, were involved.
This wasn't the time to worry about scores, and the faculty wouldn't penalize them once they learned the circumstances.
'Finish off Ryu Cheol-myeong for good and bring back his head.'
He had no confidence in winning a head-on clash with Ryu Cheol-myeong.
But it was something he had to accomplish regardless.
That's why he'd prepared so diligently.
[Mira — Hang on just a bit longer, we're heading there soon.]
While checking Aneri's message, he also saw Mira's interim report that had arrived alongside it.
He hoped it was a joke, but considering her personality prone to rampaging in various ways, it left him uneasy.
[Me — No way you're finishing a two-week special activity in one day. Take it slow, don't push yourself.]
[Mira — It's almost done. Really, just wait a little longer.]
[Me — …….]
He was wrong. Once Mira set her mind to something, it was like self-hypnosis—no words from Ban Yu-won would sway her now.
With the student council president and Shati there, he could only hope they'd rein her in.
[Me — Don't overdo it.]
[Mira — Love you too.]
Why wouldn't she listen?
Ban Yu-won sighed, closed the mirror, and inspected the site.
All that remained after the fierce, brief battle were the corpses of four men who seemed to have been dispatched by Ryu Cheol-myeong.
He searched their pockets hoping for evidence, but found none.
The greatsword held by the warrior bore no traces of Ryu Cheol-myeong, unlike the previous relic he'd acquired.
“These guys are definitely professionals at this sort of thing.”
—Letting a full professor keep a shadowy organization outside the school without any punishment... There's a limit to standing by, Chancellor.
“The Chancellor's mindset is different from ours. Even if professors torment students, only those who survive and overcome it deserve to attend the academy.”
—I can't forgive that...
It was clear they belonged to some specific group—but secret organizations wouldn't carry identifying marks.
In the end, Ban Yu-won stripped them of all their concepts.
“It leaves a bad taste, but dealing with people really accelerates growth.”
Once Life surpassed 700, it barely budged no matter what he did. Yet extracting it from humans (or other intelligent species) who weren't even that strong compared to same-level monsters had raised its depth by 20.
The same went for Aura and the other concepts.
Judgment's depth had risen significantly too, after a long time. Realizing this, Ban Yu-won understood he hadn't utilized it effectively in this fight.
“I already knew these guys were villains through All-Reading Eyes... Was I the fool?”
—You were. Honestly, my holy light-enchanted Rainstorm Swords could've handled them, but you went berserk to show off that machine kin fusion of yours.
“True enough.”
Of course, it wasn't purely about showing off the robot.
Facing multiple enemies stronger in level (Life) than him, with unknown abilities, he couldn't afford hesitation. He'd deployed Abel, the safe and powerful weapon.
It was a perfect test run for Abel, and controlling it firsthand had taught him the knack. He'd wield it more skillfully and longer from now on.
Still, it felt a bit wasteful using it on these foes.
For all its short-term might, Abel had a clear drawback: 'charge time.'
“Lilith, charging started?”
[It'll be fully charged in about 2 hours, Master.]
“Two hours... Got it. Rest as is.”
If the enemies truly aimed to finish before day's end, Abel's next opponent would be Ryu Cheol-myeong.
Until then, he'd have to hold out with what he had.
He desperately wanted to confirm Lucelle and Dokgo Yeon's safety with his own eyes, but he couldn't.
—Whoosh...
—Awooooo...
“Tch, right on cue.”
The fierce wind made the forest trees tremble, leaves rustling.
Mingled with it: howls of beasts charging through, tormenting the trees.
The beastkin, learning all Forest Worms were gone (likely via Ryu Cheol-myeong's leak), seized the chance to assault.
Ban Yu-won couldn't block them alone, but he had to filter as many as possible here.
“I sent the signal earlier—when's Sloti arriving?”
“Here.”
As he muttered anxiously, someone landed lightly behind him with a cool reply.
Turning in surprise, he saw a wild beauty in full combat mode, eyes seemingly sharper—maybe his imagination.
“Sloti? Your face looks...”
“Gear Second, Berserker—!”
“Got it, no need to explain why your face changed.”
Perhaps her combat mode activation varied with the forest she guarded.
That underscored the Wolf Fang Tribe's dire straits.
Her tousled blonde hair made her striking transformation even more beautiful.
“Planting trees?”
“Can't fill it all. Plant what we can and lure them one way?”
“Let's start.”
As the forest warden raised her magic, she glanced at the massive hole writhing with Forest Worms' remnants, realized its nature, and blinked in shock.
“Leave that as is?”
“It'll be done soon. Ace in the hole—watch.”
Tree-planting was simpler than Ban Yu-won expected.
Sloti tossed prepared branches into the ground; he infused them with tree concepts.
She chanted a spell, and they sprouted massively in 3 seconds, matching the original forest.
“You aren't some world tree turned beastkin?”
“Solo planting takes ten times longer, weaker too. Can't do many at once. My kid will be the ultimate forest warden.”
Her certainty about having his child irked him, but her work was flawless.
Knowing beastkin swarmed from all sides, he focused instead of bantering.
Scattering branches, infusing concepts, chanting growth—they filled three-quarters of the clearing with sturdy trees.
“They noticed.”
Sloti, sharp-faced, smirked while scanning outer trees.
The forest warden's key abilities: defend territory, then manipulate outer trees.
Sloti excelled at both.
“Now, lure them as you said.”
“How?”
“Limit info to unfilled areas. Fool their wardens.”
She'd restrict outer tree info to guide them, despite more empty space.
“Can't trick them all.”
“We can't fight them all. Our tribe's strong.”
They chatted while planting.
Just as enemies neared the boundary, the Solitude ritual completed.
—Yu-won, it's ready!
“Perfect—we've won!”
All those Forest Worms sacrificed for Solitude.
He'd thought material limits would cap concepts, but post-ritual, its components were replaced by their bodies and magic.
Or rather—a new divine material born from the curse ritual, infused with venomous grudge.
Ban Yu-won picked up the black-purple hand drill, obsidian-amethyst carved, and sighed in satisfaction.
[Interfered with the curse ritual to seize it, ultimately altering its intent to create a higher artifact. Curse depth has reached 200.]
If not pressed for time, he'd celebrate the 80-depth Curse surge.
But from stars' worth of worms, this was expected.
—It turned out as intended... Can you use it now?
“Why do beastkin fear Forest Worms? They're weak underground.”
—That works?
“Watch.”
The completed artifact: [Abyss].
Its name would make sense soon.
Ban Yu-won smiled, tossing it to the ground.
It writhed like a living thing, burrowing out of sight.
With his soul fragment, it moved on its own.
“Was it a worm after all?”
“Not quite. Anyway, I'm heading to the clearing. Guard the forest.”
“Want to come too.”
“Block invaders as much as you can. I'll handle the rest.”
Sloti manipulating trees outside the forest was pointless.
He waved to her wistful face and leaped off.
Her lure worked; with dense new growth blocking most areas, nine-tenths headed to the empty clearing.
“Frost Fortress.”
Exiting the forest, at his command, it extended, blocking the path to Wolf Fang territory.
Slamming its shield down raised a high ice wall along the boundary.
—They're coming.
“Yeah, I see them.”
Beastkin poured from the forest onto barren ground, charging boldly.
Their fearlessness confirmed collusion.
“Enemy there!”
“Just one?! Kill him and break the wolves' fangs!”
He'd placed Frost Fortress visibly for this.
Twenty-five Rainstorm Swords stood ready in a line to slice invaders.
But one man against a full tribal assault was reckless.
“No worms! Step firm, no fear!”
“That's the human who attacked our tribe this afternoon—kill him!”
Tens of thousands landed in the clearing.
Confirming no worm eruption, victory smiles spread.
—The vast ground collapsed with a boom.
The beastkin atop shared its fate.
“Kaaaaaaaagh!”
“Ooh, drops nicely.”
A sinkhole dwarfing any natural one yawned wide and deep.
Ban Yu-won waved to the beastkin halting in horror just before it, then nodded appreciatively at its depth.
“Now this deserves the name Abyss.”