Chapter 187
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Lesson 37. Since It's Vacation, Let Me Rest - 2
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The next morning, before dawn at 5 a.m., Ban Yu-won woke up and carefully slipped out of his room toward the living room, making sure not to disturb Lucelle, who was sleeping soundly on his bed with gentle breathing.
The house was quiet, as if everyone else was still asleep, but from the garden outside came the steady sound of wind slicing through the air and faint grunts—Ban Yu-mi practicing her swordsmanship.
Now it finally feels real that I'm back.
Even after he'd become a student at Union Academy, monsters had appeared on Earth, and his family had developed some secretive circumstances.
His older sister was still up early in the morning, swinging her wooden sword in the garden.
That brought a small comfort to Ban Yu-won's anxious heart.
"Alright, then..."
He quickly washed his face and boiled some water.
He brewed black tea, poured it into a fancy mug, and added thirteen sugar cubes.
Clutching the cup filled with what was more like black tea-flavored syrup than actual tea, he slumped onto the sofa.
He turned on his smartphone—which he hadn't touched in months, not since Mirror—and connected to the internet.
What he wanted to look into was the story his grandfather had told him yesterday about myths and scriptures.
It's hard to believe all myths have vanished. And even if they did, how could they erase what's already embedded in people's minds...?
Besides, religion had profoundly influenced Earth's cultural development.
Human history was essentially the history of religion.
Even names of people, places, and games were heavily influenced by Greek or Norse mythology.
All of that was destroyed? And they could control everyone who's already encountered it?
No way—
"There it is."
An hour later, Ban Yu-won set down his empty teacup with a sigh.
Almost every popularly recognized religious scripture and mythology-related book had been converted into unreadable characters, just like his brother Ban Ji-won's Bible.
Videos wouldn't play, games wouldn't run, and comics were distorted as if the ink had smeared.
Fortunately, traditions, customs, and names influenced by religion remained intact—but there was no way to explain their connection to religion anymore.
People's memories weren't tampered with, but they couldn't convey what they knew to others.
Whether speaking or writing, it turned into a language even they themselves didn't understand. It was enough to evoke the biblical story of the Tower of Babel collapsing, leaving people unable to communicate.
It's definitely related to Babel Tower.
Ban Yu-won easily reached that conclusion, then checked the reactions from various religious groups as a final step.
With scriptures corrupted and doctrines impossible to articulate, proselytizing was out, and even worship services couldn't proceed properly.
Not official stances, by any means, but some devout believers outright blamed dimensional evolution on the devil's work, cursing the Ban family and others who rose to prominence because of it.
On the flip side, radicals even claimed this horrific disaster amid Earth's changes was just false gods being purged by the "true gods" that emerged with dimensional evolution.
"Haa..."
It had only been about three months since dimensional evolution began.
Too short a time for followers of religions with thousands of years of history to accept reality.
Even Ban Yu-won, the new master of Babel Tower—the one entity unaffected by this—couldn't understand why it had happened.
Would he learn if he conquered the tower?
Until then—and hopefully—he'd better keep quiet about any connection between this tragedy on Earth and Babel Tower.
"Ban Yu-won."
"What."
Suddenly, Ban Yu-mi appeared behind him and spoke.
Ban Yu-won, who had been tracking her movements via Origin Sword, responded naturally, but her eyes narrowed at his reaction.
"Since when did your senses get that sharp?"
"You watched all my videos, right? I learned martial arts from that girl who popped out of the Murim world. Pretty badass, huh?"
"Speaking of her, that's what I wanted to talk about."
Ban Yu-mi leaned in close to his face.
"She didn't ask for anything in return for teaching you martial arts, did she?"
"Like what?"
"...Your body or something."
Ban Yu-won rubbed his ears, but Lucelle had cleaned them spotless last night, so they were perfectly clear.
He glared at his sister with narrowed eyes.
"Ban Yu-mi, you reading webnovels these days?"
"No, you punk! It's weird, okay? That's advanced stuff no matter how you look at it! She wouldn't teach that to just any classmate!"
"What are you talking about? Didn't you watch the videos? She taught martial arts to the other classmates too."
To Lucelle, the heretics of the Murim world—those with beast blood—probably the same root as the monstrous arts Ban Yu-won learned.
To Light, not just military spear arts but later interpersonal spear techniques too.
Ban Yu-won explained kindly, but his sister's reaction didn't change.
"Feels different. What she taught them wasn't her own style, but what she taught you... yeah, like a prized disciple!"
"Good eyes."
It was undeniable that Manifestation Arts formed the foundation of Dokgo Yeon's martial arts.
And it wasn't just that.
Dokgo Yeon had firmly implanted the essence of the sword in him, and through daily spars disguised as lessons, she'd hammered her own sword arts into his body.
All those movements had been conceptualized one by one, now fully integrated into Ban Yu-won's Origin Sword.
Calling him her prized disciple wasn't wrong.
"Like you said, it does feel like prized disciple treatment. Honestly, I don't even know why she was so good to me..."
"That's why I'm saying she wanted your body as payment!"
"What would she even want with me!"
Unable to stand his sister's nonsense so early in the morning, Ban Yu-won snapped at her. Instead, she pointed to her eyes as if frustrated he didn't get it.
"The way she looks at you! Those weird cross eyes are super thirsty!"
"Says the one who's never even dated."
"Ugh...!"
Ban Yu-mi shut her mouth, struck right in the heart.
Ban Yu-won sighed deeply at the sight and stood up.
"Spar with me. That's why you came over, right?"
"Your instincts are annoyingly sharp..."
"Faster than yours."
Of course—who wouldn't notice her approaching with wooden swords in both hands?
Ban Yu-won took the wooden sword she offered and headed to the garden with her.
"Going for real."
"When have you ever held back with a sword, sis?"
"I've never tried to kill you."
Of course not—you don't try to kill family.
"But now I think I could."
"Hey."
"Here I come!"
Was she really trying to kill him? She thrust her wooden sword straight at him with killer intent!
He'd known her talent was exceptional since she won Olympic gold as a high schooler, but he hadn't expected her to grow even faster after Earth's upheaval...!
"Huh?"
Dodging her familiar trajectory, Ban Yu-won blinked.
"Isn't this Dokgo Yeon's swordsmanship?"
"Learned it from your videos."
"You're kidding...?"
The videos of Rebellion members' exploits would include Dokgo Yeon swinging her sword, sure.
But they weren't filmed as tutorials assuming she'd teach others—mostly spars with other members or swings while climbing the tower.
And she learned swordsmanship from that?
If Dokgo Yeon's swordsmanship was that easy to pick up, Ban Yu-won wouldn't have had to take so many beatings to learn it!
"Not kidding. I studied it obsessively, dead set on beating you someday. And it clicked. Plus, unlike fencing or kendo, it 'meshes well with mana.'"
"—Ha!"
Her sword came at him again, familiar yet brimming with explosive heat ready to burst.
Now Ban Yu-won finally understood why Ban Yu-mi had grown so fast.
The perfect 'form' of the sword that Dokgo Yeon taught him.
Ban Yu-mi had replicated it from videos alone, then infused it with her own intent—an absurd feat.
Of course, it wasn't as profound as building from the realm of nothingness, but turning a form into credible martial arts showcased her bizarre talent.
Not just swordsmanship. She's naturally gifted at handling mana too—and that unique authority is straight-up broken.
As he parried her wooden sword, the transferred heat tried to scorch not just it but his body too.
Of course, the 'Adamantine' concept he'd gained fighting the constellation's avatar blocked it effortlessly, but having to rely on his unique concept in a mere wooden sword spar was odd.
Uquenchable flames. If we're just talking that authority, sis could join Union no problem.
Lucelle's unique concept, Wildfire Heart—born from Ban Yu-won twisting a constellation's authority and blending it with feral instincts—granted her master immense strength, stamina, and infinite growth potential.
A similar, or even greater, power blazed within Ban Yu-mi.
Literal unquenchable flames endlessly generating energy, strengthening her even now.
"Union's age limit is twenty. What a shame."
"I know what you're thinking, but I never planned to enter as your underclassman anyway?!"
"I think it'd be fun."
"Eeek...!"
Teasing her made her swings even faster.
She was aiming straight for his vital spots!
"If you're embarrassed, just say so."
"Stop dodging and stand still—I can't land a hit!"
"Jeez."
Ban Yu-won parried her strikes for about thirty minutes.
She'd absorbed Dokgo Yeon's swordsmanship, evolved it her own way into independent martial arts—but its foundation was undeniable, and against Ban Yu-won, who'd perfected Yu-won Arts and Origin Sword synergy, she couldn't win a battle of attrition.
She deserved praise for relentlessly probing the absolute superior without backing down, finding openings and swinging ceaselessly.
[The depth of Origin Sword increases by 2.]
"Eek, h-heugh...!"
"Good spar. Geniuses are geniuses, alright."
Ban Yu-won looked at Ban Yu-mi, who hadn't landed a solid hit and had tossed her wooden sword to the ground, catching her breath.
He wasn't mocking her—facing her innate sword sense had let him collect high-quality sword concepts after a long time.
The result: Origin Sword's depth +2.
Growing this much from one spar was truly impressive.
"What are you? Your movements creep me out...!"
"Reading every situation and move to respond. That's my style—no helping it. My sword talent's lacking, so I compensate elsewhere."
"Lacking my ass...!"
Whatever his abilities, swinging the sword was still her doing.
Just as Ban Yu-won gained from her sword, Ban Yu-mi learned much from his exquisitely beautiful technique.
"Rest a bit and go another round. I won't lose this pathetically next time."
"I'd love that, but not now."
"Why! ...Ah."
"Yu-won, bro."
Lucelle had come out to the garden and handed Ban Yu-won a cold, wet towel.
"You were cool, Yu-won."
"Thanks."
"You too, bro. Breakfast is ready, so wipe off the sweat and come in."
"Ah, uh, thanks."
Lucelle handed a towel to Ban Yu-mi too, smiled brightly, and went back inside.
As she wiped her sweat, Ban Yu-mi felt an odd sense of defeat.
"Her... is she always like that? Total Confucian wife vibe...!"
"Nah, she wasn't even this much before. Just feeding me sometimes..."
"Feeding you?! That's slavery!"
Well, she was a slave.
But after taking down the constellation in Jeddah, whenever she wasn't glued to Ban Yu-won for days, she'd served at his mother's side.
She must've picked up that newlywed act then...!
"Ban Yu-won..."
Ban Yu-mi had picked up her wooden sword again.
Her eyes held 70% anger and 30% indescribable envy.
"Pick up your sword."
"Nah, time for breakfast."
"Then just take one hit!"
"So clingy. How'd you survive without me?"
"On the will to kill you!"
"Anyone hearing that would think I'm your parents' murderer..."
At 7:30 a.m., the Ban family froze before the breakfast table where Lucelle had shown off her skills.
Needless to say, it was because of Lucelle.
"Yu-won, ah~."
"You're really doing this? Lucelle, think carefully—two months. You gonna do this every meal for two months? Feeling all these stares mercilessly? You sure?"
"Hee-hee, ah~."
"...Ah~."
Apparently, it was what she wanted.
Even Ban Yu-won yielded to Lucelle's iron will, unyielding before anyone.
As she fed him meticulously with a smile of ultimate bliss, she asked,
"Tasty?"
"Yeah..."
"I'll master Korean food completely over these two months. Then even back at the Academy, I can make meals perfect for your taste, right?"
Watching the slave dictate to her master, his family gradually pieced together their relationship.
So that's their kind of play...!
—Crack
Seeing Ban Yu-mi's chopsticks snap, Chairman Ban spoke.
"Honey, your chopsticks broke."
"Quiet, Dad."
Crack—Ban Yu-mi pulverized them entirely in response.
Chairman Ban turned teary eyes to his wife.
"Dear, hasn't our daughter been cold to me since yesterday?"
"She's acting like this because you don't even know why."
"Everyone's so mean..."
As Chairman Ban sniffled, Ban Ji-won, elegantly deboning dried mackerel, suddenly said,
"Didn't you have a press conference today, Yu-mi?"
"...Right, Grandpa. You joining? We'd be grateful if you did."
"An old man sticking his nose into young folks' business never ends well. Can't steal Ori's spotlight."
Ban Yu-won tilted his head at that.
"You're in the guild too, Grandpa?"
"Honorary advisor, for now."
Indeed—when they push this blatantly, what could anyone say?
Admiring his grandfather's subtle lesson on wielding power, Ban Yu-won nodded—when the doorbell rang from the entryway.
"What's this so early? Delivery?"
"Nothing coming... Maid's day, dear?"
"No?"
"Ah."
Ban Yu-mi, snapping her second pair of new chopsticks, facepalmed.
"This crazy bitch takes rushing too far..."
"Who?"
"Vice Guild Master."
Ban Yu-mi stood, glancing at Lucelle.
"Lucelle, guard your man."
"A woman?"
"Treat 'em all as enemies."
"Guild's all women?"
How did they communicate with so few words?
As Ban Yu-won marveled, the front door finally opened, and the guest entered.
"Whoa, jackpot. He's even hotter in person...! Oh, she's prettier up close too... Damn it."
"Good morning, sis! Gasp, the whole family's here?! I'm screwed, what do I do! Sorry, and during breakfast too!"
"Sorry for the early morning racket. Mind if I borrow her for guild business?"
"H-Hey? Wait, wait wait!"
And there were three of them.