Chapter 19
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Lesson 5. The Tower is One-Way - 2
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“Why... why are so many people staring at us...?”
On Friday morning, as Lucelle desperately fished out the indescribable something akin to top-tier spices from her pho bowl, she suddenly shuddered and muttered.
Ban Yu-won, having extracted every concept of the scents that bothered her from her pho, kindly replied.
“Because our channel has grown into a massive one that a third of the Academy students watch in just two days.”
“A third?”
Light, struggling with the aromas rising from his own pho just like Lucelle, gasped in shock.
But since teasing Light was fun, Ban Yu-won left his bowl alone for now and responded to his mutter instead.
“Yeah, that's 500 people in numbers. Impressive, right? Honestly, things are progressing ten times faster than I expected. Everyone's losing their minds over this novel kind of stimulation. Probably, incidents like last time—people picking fights during lectures—will drop way down. They'll be too self-conscious with everyone watching to start trouble.”
Ban Yu-won's plan had yielded results far beyond his expectations.
The reason was likely that his team members' looks were exceptionally striking, even in an Academy filled with prodigies from all dimensions.
And the first video uploaded—the duel between Dokgo Yeon and Light—where they displayed flashy, terrifying power utterly unbelievable for freshmen, played a huge part.
But that wasn't the only reason.
Videos of them all eating together.
Videos of them attending classes.
Videos of them gathering after dinner showers to play board games Ban Yu-won brought from Earth (these hit big).
Above all, using his modern Earth media editing skills, Ban Yu-won had made clips like them drinking tea with Professor Yumina—one of the Academy's real powers—that much more entertaining than the raw footage.
“Draw them in with fun, make them attached. There's no such media in my homeland, so I can't believe how quickly and dramatically effective this is. What a fascinating outcome.”
“I guarantee it'll get even more fun. We'll draw even more attention.”
In truth, their videos were exploding in popularity outside the Academy even more.
There were no rules banning it originally, but Academy students had never even thought of filming and sharing their daily lives externally.
Then suddenly, four gorgeous hunks and beauties upload videos of their Academy life? It was bound to blow up.
“Ugh... ughhh... But...”
“Get used to it, Lucelle.”
And right now, Lucelle was drawing special attention.
Dokgo Yeon and Light were outstanding in looks too, but their overwhelming skill created some distance. Lucelle, on the other hand, had only shown her puppy-like charm so far.
...Her beauty and figure were overwhelmingly captivating too.
“I didn't think agreeing back then was... Huh? The weird soap taste is gone from the noodles now! Ban, thank you...!”
Feeling the stares pouring in and frowning deeply, Lucelle reflexively slurped some pho broth, then her eyes sparkled with joy.
Ban Yu-won chuckled, but Dokgo Yeon, savoring her pho slowly beside him, chewed and swallowed thoroughly before scoffing at Lucelle.
“Weird soap taste? You don't even know good food. This aroma brings the dish to life.”
“Dokgo Yeon, you get it.”
Ban Yu-won split the scent concepts he'd pulled from Lucelle's pho and added half to his own bowl and half to Dokgo Yeon's.
This was the first time he'd so openly displayed his language manipulation, so Dokgo Yeon narrowed her eyes and observed him.
“Is that okay?”
“Think you can figure it out just by looking?”
“Not a chance.”
“It's not something I can hide anyway. Satisfied now?”
“Brilliant. Hiding in plain sight—that's the pinnacle of concealment.”
With the 'overlooking evaluative gaze' she'd grown accustomed to over the past five days, Dokgo Yeon scooped some broth, let out a satisfied “Ahhh,” and murmured.
“You made that elixir like this too...”
“Added one more process, though.”
“Um, Ban.”
As everyone enjoyed their meal contentedly, Light cautiously offered his pho bowl.
“Could you take some out of mine too...?”
“What?”
“The, weird soap...”
At “soap,” Dokgo Yeon glared at Light, who pouted and protested.
“What am I supposed to do if it smells like soap!”
“Sigh. Rejecting cuisine from diverse cultures outright without respect or acceptance. Truly lamentable.”
“You dumped that potage from last time untouched.”
“The chef was just incompetent then.”
Always so entertaining.
Ban Yu-won ignored the two starting another energy clash, extracting just the disliked scent concepts from Light's bowl.
“Ban...!”
It was the gaze of someone beholding their absolute savior.
“But you should try a little at a time. The Academy doesn't serve varied dishes every meal for nothing.”
“Ugh, true. I'm always just learning from you.”
“Hmph, unlike you, who's enslaved to the sword.”
“Why are you the smug one?”
Even without the scents, they still bickered.
They knew they had to enter the Tower soon after eating, yet maintaining peak condition like this was a relief.
Ban Yu-won gave up intervening cleanly here and focused on enjoying his pho.
Honestly, from his perspective, getting free food from countless cuisines was pure profit.
Of course, this breakfast was being recorded entirely too.
“You all know, right? Today we enter the Tower.”
Yumina, gathering Class 11 members in the doorless lecture hall, spoke with a smile playing on her lips.
“Entry has actually been underway since dawn. Starting with the fifth-year graduates, then sequentially—right now, second-years are going in.”
“So we're dead last among first-years, naturally?”
“No.”
To Ban Yu-won's question, Yumina met his eyes, grinned, and shook her head.
“Your scheme worked on the faculty too. I proposed letting you—the most spotlighted first-years—enter first... and surprisingly, it passed.”
“Professor, I love you.”
Yumina giggled delightedly at Ban Yu-won's finger heart.
Next, he asked the key question.
“Can we film inside the Tower?”
“I'll confirm, but you know cameras break down fast inside, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
But he also knew how to make those machines survive dungeons and the Tower.
Accompanying him was Tike, the camera drone born after Eve and Lilith!
He wouldn't accept complaints that it was just a random name since nothing better came to mind after those two.
“Sounds like you've made something new again. Answer's yes—it's not banned. The Tower's interior shifts constantly anyway, so filming's pointless. No point in banning it.”
He'd confirmed that while preparing over days and reading basics.
Babel Tower's interior resembled a dungeon.
Monsters, traps.
At this point, he wanted to summon his ancestors and demand what madness they'd wrought to cheapen a building's worth, but alas, reality.
But Babel Tower differed completely from the dungeons he'd explored lately.
The core: variability.
The Tower's interior changed structure each time; you'd never reach the same spot twice.
Pass once, it's gone forever—no turning back.
Monsters and traps shifted endlessly too, naturally varying perceived difficulty each run.
'Perfect conditions to test and grow humans.'
Harsh for explorers, but not quite—the Tower brimmed with mystical energy; you wouldn't die there.
Precisely, in 'most' areas, challengers respawned at the entrance upon death.
Thus, Academy students could keep challenging without mass wipeouts.
“Everyone has their Student ID? It's your entry ticket and proof of depth explored—never forget it.”
Pulling out his ID at her words, a '0' now glowed on it.
A new function unlocked ahead of Babel Tower entry.
“You know from class, but this shows your deepest Tower progress. Starts at 0 Rooms, increments per advance.”
“Rooms...”
The Tower's unique structural shifts were called 'shifts.' More shifts meant deeper penetration.
The Student ID's unit, 'Room,' tallied per shift.
“Know the record, Professor?”
Yumina nodded satisfiedly at Ban Yu-won's question.
“Of course. All-time high: 561 Rooms. Helpful?”
The group gaped at the unbelievable figure.
Ban Yu-won raised his hand again.
“561 Rooms is impossible in 2-3 days.”
“Don't die inside, and you record your position. Next entry resumes from there—via your Student ID.”
“So it's essential for climbing...”
Teleport, key, save functions—all free to every student. This Academy was insane.
But more shocking to Ban Yu-won now...
'This is just a roguelike with mid-save.'
A bit harsher than games he'd played.
Maps, monsters reshuffled each time.
Death reset to start.
But stats didn't reset, so better than games maybe.
...Though clear had a 5-year limit.
“Looking forward to it.”
Dokgo Yeon gripped her Student ID, smiling seductively.
Ban Yu-won shivered at the fighting spirit emanating faintly from her.
Light silently clenched his with a hardened expression.
Lucelle... stared blankly at Ban Yu-won, face full of hesitation over something.
No, staring won't help.
Ban Yu-won wanted to climb no less than them.
'Could've lived peacefully on Earth. But this is my choice. I'm resolved to stake my life.'
He couldn't know their motivations for climbing—or hesitating.
But those ascending this god-like Tower couldn't have light hearts.
They might scoff if they knew his simple motive: climbing to inherit what his ancestor built.
Yet Ban Yu-won's Tower desire, nurtured since childhood—mundane, simple, but pure and intense.
The moment he saw it, he knew; he abandoned his life, ready to hurl himself into the unknown.
“Everyone seems prepared. But one last thing.”
Meeting Ban Yu-won's eyes again, Yumina nodded and spoke.
“About the dimension pirates, like I mentioned. Registering freshmen creates gaps in the Tower's barrier. Highest success rate for their intrusions.”
“So?”
“Irregular phenomena from abnormal intrusions possible. Simply: you might encounter dimension pirates inside.”
Lucelle's breath hitched briefly.
Yumina continued.
“Worry more about the irregulars than intruders. Tower doesn't guarantee no death—especially with irregulars.”
The Tower didn't absolutely protect climbers.
'Most' areas safe meant some weren't.
Irregulars warped rules; caught students risked real danger.
“For safety, end this expedition quickly and return—that's my judgment as advisor. Now... Class President, how many days planned?”
Ban Yu-won glanced at his team.
They'd already discussed this.
Checking for changes, Dokgo Yeon, Light—even Lucelle nodded firmly.
He shrugged, turned to Yumina.
“Full 2 nights, 3 days.”
“Good. Your turn now. Go.”
At her clap, they finally stood before the massive Tower entrance.
Tower piercing the heavens.
Behind: first-years who'd lost lead to Class 11, all lined up.
Many associate professors, nine full professors including Yumina, watching them.
“All ready?”
“Obviously.”
“...Definitely.”
“Ugh... ughh.”
The responses weren't satisfying.
Ban Yu-won suppressed the urge to retort, pulled out his camera drone.
It hovered lively like alive, sparkling around him; professors' eyes widened, and he grinned at the expected reaction.
“Then, let's go in.”
The four rebels and their trailing artificial lifeform became this year's first freshmen to enter the Tower.
Starting flashy—could the end be grand?
'Ancestor, just wait.'
Grand or not, it'd be noisy to the end for sure.