Chapter 184
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Lesson 36. What Are You Feeling Right Now? - 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ban Yu-won never felt more grateful for having mastered the Yu-won Gong and the Origin Sword than he did in this very moment.
In the extremely brief time it took for others to blink once, he conceptualized and analyzed all the information around him, confirming that the space he and Lucelle had been transported to was the exact same spot where he'd departed from Earth with his family's send-off.
In other words, it was right in front of his house!
'What's going on? Why are there so many people gathered in front of my house?! Is it because dimensional transfer magic leaves such a massive trace that people flocked here...? No way!'
He hastily scanned for life signs inside the house and detected his mother's.
But...
'Huh?'
He felt a sense of incongruity.
He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but it felt different from when he'd checked on her before...
'My abilities have grown.'
Satisfied with that explanation, Ban Yu-won nodded and expanded his detection range.
He immediately sensed the life signs nearby and the changes in nature.
"Master, there's mana in the air."
"Yeah. It wasn't like this before."
In fact, it was something he could confirm just by breathing.
Mana was flowing through Earth!
And in considerable concentration... If he had to compare it to dimensional ranks, it was on par with the mana levels of Jeddah, Lucelle's home planet!
"Did you hear that?! He really called him Master!"
"Did you record it? Record?"
"It's definitely not Korean, but why does it feel so natural understanding it?"
"Just how powerful are these aliens? How do they stack up against top ability users?"
That's because our Lucelle is a Union student.
Ban Yu-won sighed as he watched the crowd stir every time he and Lucelle exchanged words.
It seemed Earth had undergone massive changes while he was away at Union, and he could roughly guess what kind.
But what bothered him was why they already seemed to know not just about him, but Lucelle too—
'Hold on?'
Ban Yu-won recalled seeing Earth on the list of dimensions accessing YouTube back then.
He'd discussed it with his companions at the time, speculating that changes might be starting on Earth ever since he was selected for Union—
And sure enough, Earth had begun transforming like other higher dimensions...
If Union Net access had spread and people subscribed to the popular Rebellion channel on YouTube?
Reaching that thought, Ban Yu-won urgently pulled out his mirror to check. He discovered that out of the channel's 60 million subscribers, a whopping number were from Earth!
'Kyahhh!'
60 million—that's more than Korea's population!
To think that many people knew he was an Earthling enjoying life at Union!
Wait, at this point, his older sister must have definitely seen YouTube too— which meant the video of him and Lucelle right before they got intimate...
"I'm done for."
"Master?!"
"Lucelle, don't stop me. I've shown my lifelong nemesis my greatest weakness in life... All that's left for me is to end it all...!"
"No! I'll do something about it somehow!"
Just before causing a suicide scene in front of all these people, Ban Yu-won was subdued by Lucelle and barely regained his senses.
That's when someone came out from the house to greet him.
"If you're here, come inside already. What are you doing out there?"
"Mom, don't you have something to say first? Why are there so many people around our house...?"
"Come in and talk. Ignore those guys."
As Ban Yu-won's mother, Kang Eun-young, glared and spoke, the crowd scattered like frightened mice.
"Come here, my dear."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Lucelle's face lit up at the perfectly natural use of "my dear," while Ban Yu-won's turned pale.
Come to think of it, he'd only been worried about his sister, but if she'd seen it, of course his mother had too...
Considering Earth's SNS sharing culture, probably everyone he knew...
"I really want to die..."
"Master, no! You can't say that. If you die, at least Mira unni and I will definitely follow you!"
"Sorry, I won't..."
The inside of the house was surprisingly unchanged.
Noticing his gaze darting around, Kang Eun-young chuckled.
"When we first learned changes were coming to Earth, I thought about building a bunker somewhere safe and moving all the appliances and furniture in one go. But once the dimensional evolution actually happened, it wasn't that big a deal. Of course, unlucky areas got wiped out entirely."
"How many died?"
"About 2 billion worldwide."
"That's still a super save."
"Thanks to you."
"Me?"
Tap tap. Kang Eun-young knocked on the table.
It meant sit down and talk calmly.
Ban Yu-won nodded to Lucelle and sat side by side across from Kang Eun-young.
Seeing their couple-like demeanor, she gave a wry smile.
"Seeing you bring my dear here, Yu-mi will throw another fit."
"I don't even want to think about sis. How much she'll tease me this time..."
"But to explain the changes on Earth, we have to start with your sister?"
"...Huh?"
* * *
Ban Yu-won grasped Earth's current situation in just five minutes.
He already understood mana and mystery, so he just needed to learn how people had coped with the changes.
The key point: Ban Yu-mi had become the first Earthling to obtain Union Net early access rights. Thanks to that, Grandfather Ban Ji-won predicted the changes and led Earth's dimensional evolution countermeasures, minimizing damage and properly elevating the Ban family.
"And sis is running the strongest guild as a beneficiary."
"She's strong herself, but honestly, she's riding Dad's coattails a lot."
"Well, she's been practicing mana even before Earth changed, so of course she'd get stronger."
Ban Yu-won had a headache.
He'd planned to rest completely without a thought during summer break, so why had Earth turned out like this?
"Then those people outside our house earlier?"
"They crowd around all the time. Dad's famous, your father's in a key government position, and your sister's the leader of the world's top guild, [Oculus Ruber]. Even a tiny scandal is jackpot news."
"And today, my return got exposed, hitting the jackpot big time."
Kang Eun-young turned on the TV in the living room. No need to change channels—Ban Yu-won's face filled the screen.
Switching channels showed the same: him and Lucelle. Pointless resistance.
If he weren't used to attention from Union life, he might have lost it by now.
"This is gonna be a huge hassle from now on..."
"Hard to just brush off. You're humanity's rep right now, son."
Ban Yu-won sighed along with his mother's.
If he hadn't run the channel, or edited videos to hide he was from Earth (his looks were average for trans-dimensional intelligent species), there'd be no issue.
Earthlings' vain belief they'd stay isolated from Union Net had led to this self-made minefield.
"At least no one's dragging you off by force."
"Without Grandpa or sis, I'd probably be fighting special forces or armies worldwide right now."
Earth, just starting to accept mana and change.
But could they leave Ban Yu-won—who'd gone to superior dimensions, tasted countless civilizations, mingled with aliens, and gained vast info—alone?
Those trying diplomacy were the decent ones; others wanted to capture and squeeze him dry—probably still do.
But the Ban family was too strong to touch him.
Father Ban Joo-seok held government posts, Ban Ji-won influenced the world government, Ban Yu-mi handled new-world military might. Who'd dare touch their kin?
'Of course, I'd fight back in my own way...'
His personal power likely dwarfed even the Ban family's.
No need to go far—with Lilith-centered combined robot Abel, he could wipe out most armies in three minutes.
Rebellion viewers probably realized that.
Or... like higher-dimensional folks who'd dismissed him, did Earthlings think his videos exaggerated?
"Ah, whatever."
After pondering the changed Earth, his family's elevated status, and his situation, Ban Yu-won concluded agonizing alone was pointless.
"No matter how Earth changed or how many watch Rebellion. I'm here for break. I'll rest thoroughly for two months. Perfectly recreating a college freshman's summer vacation!"
"You're my son, but Yu-won, you're really something."
Amazed or exasperated, Kang Eun-young shook her head.
"Your sister won't let you, but rest for now."
"Mom, please don't bring up nightmare memories. Why does sis only torment me instead of hanging with friends during breaks? Surely not even now as guild master..."
"See the essence, Yu-won. Her guild's just her usual rampage with a fancy sign. Oh, and it has three more mini-Yu-mis."
"I really hate that..."
Her cold insight made him feel she was half-prophesying his future torments.
Why had heaven given birth to him and then Ban Yu-mi?
Siblings aren't programmed to kill each other.
They're programmed to torment each other without killing...!
"Um, ma'am."
Lucelle, who'd been quietly gauging the mood, spoke cautiously as their talk ended.
"Is there anything I can help with around the house? I-I have basic housekeeping skills...!"
"How admirable."
Her daughter was a tyrant who was lucky not to turn people into housework, and her son had left for Union at twenty without proper filial piety after all her hard work.
Now her future daughter-in-law (confirmed) offered this sweetly!
"We have people for cleaning and laundry... How about helping with dinner tonight?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Lucelle wagged her tail happily at the warm, unreserved treatment.
(Thanks to this incident, she'd fully awakened as a beastkin, able to manifest dog ears and tail anytime.)
Her combat and senses greatly enhanced, she kept them out; Ban Yu-won found it cute and was inwardly pleased.
"By the way, son."
"Yeah?"
"How many more daughters-in-law besides Lucelle?"
"Well, first there's Mira, a fairy... elf."
She'd seen him with multiple women on Rebellion, hoping to prick his conscience, but he answered nonchalantly.
Stunned, Kang Eun-young listened as Ban Yu-won, equipped with universal dating/marriage views from experience, continued casually.
"Plenty more like me, but I'm rejecting them for now. Two's already tough..."
"You're splendid, Master. Taking a wife is momentous; choose wisely."
Absurd to monogamous Koreans, but Lucelle was proud he didn't play around.
His Union exploits warranted pride.
Since gaining fame, subtle or bold advances weren't few!
With average willpower, he'd have succumbed multiple times.
"And if possible, consult with me a bit before adding new girls... I'd be happy."
Subtly asserting principal wife status, but Ban Yu-won latched elsewhere.
"What did you hear from my words, Lucelle? Two's already tough?"
"But Master will become even greater. Enemies inevitable, so marriage alliances for strong allies too."
"You're thinking marriage alliances?!"
"Our marriages are already alliances with Wolf Fang Tribe and fairies, right?"
"Like that?!"
Kang Eun-young stared blankly at their incomprehensible talk.
Her son was beyond her reach now.
Lucelle unbelievably pretty, plus an elf—already two. And more possible.
"Son, want a codpiece at least?"
"Mom, why assume I'll get stabbed by a girl?"
Ban Yu-won grumbled and stood.
"Gonna soak in the home bathtub after so long."
"Ah! Ma'am, sorry, but may I attend to Master's bath first, then help in the kitchen?"
"Bath attendant..."
That was when Kang Eun-young's mind fully left Earth.
No matter how she tried, translating Lucelle's love and loyalty Earth-style was impossible—so she stopped thinking.