Chapter 179
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: Lesson 35. The Final Changeling - 4
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“Uh...?”
The professor who had committed the unforgivable act of taking a student's life, Ryu Cheol-myeong found himself bound by the backlash of the curse and restraint in that instant.
Everything that had followed his transcendent will betrayed him, the tower of magic power he had built over centuries crumbled, and his body withered away.
His soul, shredded by the blade of the curse, shattered, tearing away even his final shreds of dignity and will.
“Why, you bitch...!”
In an instant, Ryu Cheol-myeong's face, which had come right up to her nose, receded with shock etched upon it.
Seized by a vulgar impulse unworthy of his lofty status, the man spat curses that could never come to pass from his lips, then vomited blood from every inch of his body. Finally, that tenacious thread of life snapped, and he plummeted to the ground.
Mira stared at it blankly, then slowly drew the greatsword from her abdomen.
Her clothes and the defensive spells cloaking her body had been torn apart in an instant, but the exposed skin of her stomach was smooth and unmarred, without a single wound.
“Changeling.”
No way, she muttered under her breath.
Raising her head, Mira traced the lingering trace of fairy tribe authority she had felt in the moment Ryu Cheol-myeong pierced her, directing her gaze upward.
There, a Crimson Spear fleet was spectacularly entering the atmosphere, descending in a straight line toward them.
“No way... Ketra. Were you really that foolish?”
No voice answered her murmur.
Doubt, shock, anger, sorrow, fear. A whirlwind of emotions churned through her mind.
“Mira—!”
A little later, Shati screamed as she flew to Mira's side and frantically checked her wound.
Realizing there was no injury, Shati pieced together the entire situation.
“That idiot.”
“You knew?”
“I just figured it out. ...So.”
Shati's eyes fixed on Mira's face.
“What are you going to do?”
It was a question born of anxiety that maybe she'd just pretend nothing happened and let it slide.
“...What should I do?”
Fortunately, Mira wasn't that far gone; she replied with an expression verging on tearful.
Shati spoke with a mix of relief and exasperation.
“Why ask me? Are you going to do whatever I say?”
“But it's too heavy.”
Of course it was.
Sometimes lighter than air, other times heavier than the world itself—that was the weight of a human life.
And right now, Ketra was—
Even Shati, who hadn't truly believed something like this would happen, couldn't hold back a sigh.
“Ahh, seriously. Let's land first.”
“Yeah.”
Dragging Mira—who had become doll-like, her mind blank from the onslaught of unexpected developments—they touched down on the ship's deck. There, a weary and exhausted-looking Dokgo Yeon greeted them.
Ghostly armor floated around her, gripping a greatsword in vigilant readiness, but Dokgo Yeon waved it off to signal they weren't enemies and greeted the two.
“You really came.”
“We survived thanks to you all—!”
A female mercenary as drained as Dokgo Yeon, Aneri Dedota, weakly waved in welcome to Shati and Mira.
If these two hadn't faced Ryu Cheol-myeong, wounding him and draining his strength, he wouldn't have died so pathetically.
Thinking that, Shati suddenly saw the junior before her eyes as monstrous.
“You...”
Dokgo Yeon's cold voice cut through Shati's thoughts.
She was staring piercingly at Mira, head tilted.
“You survived. How?”
Shati's face twisted horribly at the blunt question.
“That's the first thing you say? It's a changeling. You heard about it from the planning department head... Junior Ban Yu-won, right?”
“I know of it. But I didn't expect you'd successfully pull off such a bold ritual on that man's final strike.”
As she examined Mira, Dokgo Yeon narrowed her eyes, realizing something.
“It wasn't you who did it.”
“Dokgo Yeon, Junior.”
“Ah... I wasn't planning to pry. In any case, thanks to you, we easily exterminated the vermin. My gratitude.”
Dokgo Yeon bowed her head politely at Shati's firm tone.
As Shati and Mira gaped in shock at witnessing this miraculous moment unlikely to repeat in the century, Dokgo Yeon lifted her head again and said,
“Well then, I'm heading off to assist Ban Yu-won now... What about you two?”
“Eek.”
Mira, who had been downcast, snapped her head up.
As if suddenly reminded of her top priority, she widened her purple eyes and declared,
“I'm going too.”
“...I see.”
Dokgo Yeon nodded as if she had expected it, then glanced toward the spaceship beyond the sky.
Her insight and judgment, beyond her years, even told her who was aboard that ship.
With only the now-dead Ryu Cheol-myeong as the villain here—her response left a bitter taste in Dokgo Yeon's mouth.
“The heart is such a complicated thing... Hmph.”
Startled by her own unguarded mutter, Dokgo Yeon clapped a hand over her mouth.
As if to pull herself together, she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, pretending nothing happened as she addressed Aneri.
“Can you pilot this ship?”
“Of course. That's why I killed only the crew and left the ship intact... Ah, you know loot seized during a commission goes to the mercenary unless specified otherwise, right? Of course, if Yu-won gives me a deep kiss as promised, that's a different story...”
“Ban Yu-won already has a ship, so he doesn't need this one.”
Dokgo Yeon snapped back at Aneri's joke and issued another order.
“Then pilot it now. We're going to help that brute of a man.”
Exodus had already retreated, and the remaining enemies were being handled by the beastmen without issue.
There was a small fleet lingering in the sky, but they weren't foes.
So on this planet, the only one still fighting was Ban Yu-won.
Buoyed by the thought of going to meet Ban Yu-won, Aneri replied briskly.
“Yep!”
“Ah, before that.”
Dokgo Yeon leaped from the deck.
Wondering what she was up to, they soon saw her return dragging Ryu Cheol-myeong's withered upper body, a strangely satisfied look on her face as she stored it in her bracelet.
Noticing the stares fixed on her, she cleared her throat awkwardly and straightened her expression.
“I was worried the lower half had melted away, but luckily, I have a gift left for Ban Yu-won.”
“I get the intent, but you're kinda scary...”
If she meant to make excuses, it was a total failure.
Shati shook her head, thinking Dokgo Yeon might suit Evil One better than she did.
Ban Yu-won thought he already knew how immense the beastmen's loyalty was, but that was a misconception.
How to deal with Ryu Cheol-myeong? He didn't even have time to worry about Dokgo Yeon amid the frenzy of enraged beastmen charging from all sides the moment the descent body died.
At least it was fortunate he'd contacted Mira and asked her to help over there.
Acquired depths: Life 32, Origin Body 20, Vital Energy 30, Soul 13, Charm 30, Monstrous Strength 50, Curse 50, All-Reading Eyes 20, All-Hearing Ears 20, All-Speaking Lips 20, Judgment 50, Dominion 30, Star Mark 15, Rebellion 20, Adamant 5.
Yu-won Gong depth: 264, Monstrous Shadow Gong depth: 172, Genesis Sword depth: 1,030, Command depth: 60.
Rebellion is a unique concept awakened by repeatedly achieving the feat of antagonizing higher beings and successfully usurping their power. The higher the Rebellion depth, the more abilities amplify against higher beings.
Adamant is a unique concept that reinforces mind and body to make them unbreakable. Concepts of Solidity and Resistance are absorbed into the superior Adamant concept. Adamant depth has reached 20.
Feat of Descent Prevention reflected. Fame depth: 300. Soul depth: 950.
“Huuu... Is it over?”
“Yeah, somehow...”
The short yet interminable battle ended.
Ban Yu-won and Lucelle lay sprawled on the ground in identical poses.
The drill Abyss, freely burrowing underground to pulverize enemies.
The combined robot Abel, boasting absolute might for a mere 3 minutes as it crushed foes.
Tike, unleashing magic bullets while guarding its master's side, and the versatile familiar Eve, shifting forms freely to support the battle.
Twenty-five razor-sharp blades becoming the Genesis Sword's edge, slicing through the battlefield like a downpour of swords—Stormblade.
“If even one of those was missing, I'd really be down an arm right now...”
“Uuu, I burned so much ferocity that my whole body still feels scorching.”
Too drained to stand, Ban Yu-won lay face-down like Yamcha after the Cultivator Man's self-destruct. Lucelle overlapped her body atop his.
“Lucelle?”
“Ah, so refreshing...”
Her entire body was genuinely hot enough to cause burns.
With all that ferocity from the horde of beastmen injected into her alone, it was only natural.
Her stats, permanently amplified by the ferocity core today, wouldn't pale against Dokgo Yeon's.
Factoring in the temporary stat boost from wielding the ferocity core, he might not be able to beat her anymore.
“Am I heavy?”
“No, you're warm and just the right weight—like being under a winter blanket.”
“Hee-hee, then stay like this a bit longer...”
Lucelle's closeness was intensely tempting, but the unique concept Adamant, acquired from smashing and absorbing the constellation's descent body, fortified his mind enough to resist.
Of course, being able to resist didn't mean he had to.
Moreover, after jointly defeating the constellation's descent, perfectly resolving Lucelle's chronic issue, and fighting a fierce battle, the two now shared a strange euphoria and sense of unity.
“...”
“...Maaaster.”
“Lucelle...”
With all the beastmen dead, no one remained around except Ban Yu-won's retainers.
Their gazes met, faces naturally drawing closer...
—Ahem, the kids are coming?
“Argh, the timing sucks.”
She'd ruined a perfectly good moment earlier too!
After a mere lip-touch butterfly kiss to placate Lucelle, Ban Yu-won raised his head to see a ship dangling Exodus's broken mast descending toward them.
“Yu-won!”
“Whoa there.”
He urgently stood to catch Mira as she jumped down calling his name. She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck.
“Yu-won...!”
“I'm fine, Mira. Thanks for coming. Is everyone safe?”
“Eek... Yeah. No enemies left now.”
Dokgo Yeon landed lightly next, Aneri rose from her shadow, and finally Shati descended leisurely, flapping her magnificently spread wing-like membranes.
As Ban Yu-won gave a wry smile at his colorful comrades, Aneri saluted cutely and reported.
“We seized the ship, but no chance to shine. Still, Yu-won! Mission accomplished!”
“Good work. Thanks.”
“Then the promised kiss...”
“Ban Yu-won.”
Dokgo Yeon boldly blocked the oblivious Aneri and thrust Ryu Cheol-myeong's upper torso before him.
“A gift. Only the upper body remains...”
“Dokgo Yeon, you... Thank you!”
Not content with ending the arch-enemy's life, she even brought the corpse!
Ban Yu-won inwardly sang praises to his master's grace as he drained every concept from it.
Acquired depths: Life 25, Origin Body 33, Vital Energy 12, Soul 17, Judgment 24, Star Mark 11, Rebellion 3.
Yu-won Gong depth: 270, Genesis Sword depth: 1,124.
Even after devouring vast concepts like Life from the constellation's descent and countless beastmen, and despite the corpse being incomplete, the harvest was substantial due to his immense rank.
No doubt, two pre-Jeda Ban Yu-wons couldn't beat the current him.
Explosive growth in just one day.
Learning he could gain Rebellion even from higher enemies he didn't personally kill was good intel, but more impressive was the Genesis Sword's progress.
Ryu Cheol-myeong was inferior to Dokgo Yeon in swordsmanship, yet the centuries of experience wielding a blade weren't negligible—proof in the Genesis Sword depth nearing 100!
From over 1,000, it rose another 94. Truly worthy of an academy full professor.
“Dokgo Yeon, I said it again, but really... thank you...!”
“Hee-hee, at least you know gratitude. As long as you claim to be my disciple, I can't tolerate your sloppy appearance. Just think of it as an elixir.”
“Ughhh...”
“I can't understand these two anymore...”
Lucelle, jealous of the peculiar master-disciple bond between Dokgo Yeon and Ban Yu-won, clung to one of his arms.
Shati struggled desperately to keep her sanity watching it all.
“So... Mira.”
“Yeah?”
Amid the commotion, Mira showed no sign of leaving his embrace. Ban Yu-won asked with a wry smile,
“Can you tell me what happened?”
He couldn't fathom why someone who came to help looked like she needed help herself, but she couldn't fool the All-Reading Eyes.
“Y-You know.”
“Of course. I know everything.”p>
So tell me.
Gazing at another spaceship slowly descending from above, Ban Yu-won prompted.
Mira slowly nodded at his reliable demeanor and opened her mouth.