Chapter 267
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 267
Chapter Title: Lesson 52. The Back Side of the Tower - 3
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A strange silence hung over the lecture hall, prepared solely for the once-a-week class.
Ban Yu-won, sensing a familiar tension in the air where everyone seemed on edge, thought to himself, Well, that's only natural.
Today was the mock Constellation Battle for 'Babylon and the Constellations,' led by Vice-Chancellor Xenon.
"There are no new students this semester. It's regrettable we couldn't scout fresh talent, but at least I don't need to explain the Orb again."
At the mere mention of the word "Orb," students gulped nervously here and there.
Whether it was déjà vu or not, just last semester—right after midterms, during the class they returned to—the atmosphere had been exactly like this.
The tension grew even thicker once the Orb activated, completely isolating them from the outside world.
"But do you all remember last semester's practical results? Astonishingly, two out of the handful of first-years who took the class made it into the top five. The other two even surpassed the average of the returning students."
His voice wasn't loud or soft, grand or meek, yet it rang clearly in the ears of every student filling the room.
He wasn't accusing anyone, but his words alone were enough to mercilessly scratch at the pride of the returning students.
Dokgo Yeon snorted amid the heated glares from all directions.
"If glaring like that could win us the battle, your jealousy might actually mean something."
"I love your confidence, but maybe tone it down for the other students' sake...?"
Dokgo Yeon's voice, neither too loud nor too soft, echoed through the entire hall, drawing even more eyes in a splendid display.
As for Dokgo Yeon herself, who had said it...
"Y-Yeah? This guy's just... spouting nonsense again. If you've got time for that, focus on the lesson."
She stammered awkwardly, avoiding his gaze.
Ban Yu-won tilted his head at her unusually meek demeanor when whispers reached him from behind.
Glancing back, he saw Mira squeezed between Lucelle and Asha, gossiping away.
"You heard that too, right, sunbae? She's only hearing what she wants from Yu-won."
"Hmm, this is serious. That proud, arrogant warrior has turned into a girl who doesn't know what to do with her first love. It's good that Yu-won can rein her in now, but... this feels off."
"What's wrong with it? She's adorable. I seriously want to show this Dokgo Yeon to the one from a few months ago who boldly declared she'd sworn off men."
"You're the scariest one, Lucelle."
Ban Yu-won desperately ignored them and turned his attention to Xenon, only to lock eyes with him by chance.
Xenon spoke again.
"All of you."
True to his reputation—not built on gambling, apparently—a single word from Xenon instantly settled the rowdy atmosphere.
"Instead of envying others... use that time to etch into your minds where this gap came from."
As Xenon's signature languid yet captivating voice filled the hall, even the students who hadn't caught on straightened up.
Satisfied with the silence, he continued with a faint smile.
"Climbing the Tower isn't just about mindlessly solving room tricks or killing the monsters and people that spawn. It's about the countless changes in the world that appear there, the chemical reactions from their components combining, and above all, the creative inspiration gained from their appearance and disappearance repeating endlessly――."
A chill ran down his spine.
Could this guy have figured out what happened during my solo exploration?
Ban Yu-won pondered the new question, but of course, it wouldn't be answered.
"If you don't strive to observe and internalize them, you'll graduate from the Academy without gaining anything—not even climbing the Tower."
"Does that mean those first-years are different?"
A brave student asked.
Though from the Special Class that disliked Rebellion, Xenon replied without caring about the student's dimensional origins.
"Of course. If you have eyes, you can see it—especially with the broadcasts. They're excelling in the mock Constellation Battle precisely because of their Tower achievements. It proves everything I've said to you in the most straightforward way."
Gilding Rebellion's name was fine, but coldly speaking, it wasn't entirely relevant.
Ban Yu-won aside, the other three had bulldozed through with their innate abilities in the previous mock battle.
Dokgo Yeon had at least maximized her authority in the Orb's space by wielding the power of death through her martial arts, putting up a good fight. Lucelle, who hadn't awakened as a divine beast then, and Asha, who could barely control her holy sword, had somehow scored above average.
Now that Lucelle has awakened as a divine beast and ideally draws out her primordial mystery, and Asha has solidified her dragonkin identity to wield the True Dragon Sword... it's no exaggeration to say no seniors stand a chance against us.
Sorry to the glaring, nitpicking upperclassmen, but the rest of the semester—no, their entire time at the Academy—would be Rebellion's turn.
"――! But Professor, they turn off the broadcast at crucial moments...!"
Cowed by Xenon's sharp words, a returning student played their last card.
It was a point that had come up before.
Whenever Rebellion swiftly cleared or skipped rooms, Ban Yu-won's abilities shone—but showing them outright wouldn't convince anyone, and letting others understand them was even worse, so they always had to cut it.
"You're not suggesting first-years must politely report everything they discover in the Tower to the students, are you? Or do you plan to dismiss their achievements just because you can't comprehend the process?"
"That's――! ...No."
The Special Class student slumped back into their seat.
Xenon let out a soft sigh.
"I mentioned the first-years to show that changing how you approach the Tower like they do is the path to growth. Not to envy, deny, or imitate their feats. And this mock Constellation Battle exists for that purpose."
Hmm, to me, it all sounds the same.
Ban Yu-won agreed with Xenon's intent to shatter the naive students' perceptions, but knowing even a fraction of the Tower's secrets made his words feel like deception.
Pursuing the Tower's mysteries and chasing fragments of its power might indeed lead to unique growth.
However... the authorities composing the Tower, the principles cycling within.
All of it ultimately――arrogant as it might sound――belonged to the Ban Yu-won clan's power, an other's power that could not be conquered.
Preaching not to mimic others' feats while circling back to contradict himself.
Unless Xenon himself thinks differently.
What if Xenon firmly believed someone else could claim all the Tower's hidden secrets and powers, separate from Ban Yu-won's abilities?
Then the meaning of this lecture would change entirely.
Like... a gathering of rebels trying to drive out the landlord inspecting his long-vacant property.
No matter how the Chancellor insisted he was on Xenon's side, Ban Yu-won couldn't fully trust him—let alone Xenon.
In the end, only those whose concepts he could read allowed true judgment.
No... I'm starting to think like Lucelle lately.
Rubbing his throbbing forehead and glancing at Lucelle, her innocent smile—oblivious as ever—irritated him for no reason.
He was reminded anew of how her insistence on remaining his slave was a ridiculously clever, mischievous ploy.
"Good. I see a slight change in your eyes. Please keep what you just heard in mind once you're inside the space I create."
Xenon clapped, wrapping things up.
"Today, like last semester's first class, is free time. Use it to explore your potential. Everyone, come out."
What followed was exactly like last year.
The students gathered around the Orb, and with Xenon's simple declaration, they all moved into the virtual Tower interior.
Left alone, Ban Yu-won sharpened his gaze when Xenon suddenly appeared before him.
He wasn't surprised; he'd half-expected it.
Outside might be different, but in this virtual space where he could manipulate all ambient energy like his own, sensing Xenon's presence was easy.
"Not startled."
"Something you want to say to me?"
"My attitude must have been obvious. Yes, I wanted to talk with you in my space, where no one else can eavesdrop."
Perhaps he'd been waiting for this moment for quite some time.
Not from last semester, since there'd been opportunities then.
So maybe...
As Ban Yu-won organized his thoughts, Xenon hesitated briefly before speaking again.
"The Chancellor is worried. He thinks you obtained a means to control the Constellations and revealed it too easily."
"A means to control the Constellations..."
"You know what I mean, Ban Yu-won. I'm talking about the magic to draw power from the stars."
Xenon lowered his voice as if discussing a forbidden topic casually, conjuring sparkling starlight in his palm.
Of course, it was a cheap imitation, not even a fraction of true starlight, but Ban Yu-won didn't point it out.
Instead, he considered the possibility of the Chancellor's will influencing his encounter with Cellon in the Tower.
The staff housing the sealed Cellon had been far too advanced for a mere 10th-room treasure chest.
Perhaps it was the Chancellor's intent to draw out significant power from the Tower――.
No, that can't be.
If he could alter room contents, the Chancellor's position wouldn't be what it was.
Everyone in or out of the Academy saw him as absolute, yet no one considered him the Tower's master.
A clear limit to his influence over the Tower.
Thus, if the Chancellor had influenced Ban Yu-won's meeting with Cellon, it was most likely manipulation of the staff that sealed her, not the room itself...
What did that imply?
...No way.
Shaking off the worst possibility, Ban Yu-won replied.
"You meant starlight? You said I revealed it easily, but in my current situation, there's no point hiding or enduring. I'm not the type to hide things anyway."
"A misunderstanding. By 'reveal,' I mean you allowed another to wield it."
Ban Yu-won narrowed his eyes, glaring at Xenon.
Without a word, Xenon seemed to know and defended himself.
"Don't be wary. I'm just concerned for you. You don't think the Chancellor is unaware of Professor Yumina's abilities, do you?"
"That's not what you want to say. You're implying starlight was originally Professor Yumina's power."
The word "another" from Xenon's lips grated unbearably.
Playing Tower administrator was one thing, but arbitrarily defining and managing the authority linking Ban Yu-won, Yumina, and Cellon was overreach.
"Without you, Professor Yumina would have spent her life――."
"I just gave a little help. Starlight was always inside her. Satisfied?"
"My conclusion remains the same."
"Your conclusion? Just Professor Xenon's?"
Even Ban Yu-won's sharp retort didn't faze Xenon's expressionless face.
"Ban Yu-won, you need to grasp how extraordinary your abilities are, how rare what you hold, and how many covet it. Only then can you protect it."
"Professor Yumina is my ally. An ally unshaken even if the Tower crumbles."
"Even if the Tower crumbles—a fitting metaphor."
Xenon sighed and stepped back, his form fading into the virtual space's flow.
"I hope my advice helps. The Chancellor wants you to forge your path unswayed by anything."
"Thank you for your concern, Professor Xenon."
Though he had much to say, Ban Yu-won chose not to argue and let him go.
Once Xenon vanished completely, Ban Yu-won scoured his assigned space with the Origin Sword, confirming he was alone.
"――Hah."
He sighed, scratching his head.
Two opposing thoughts dominated his mind.
First: Xenon, who seemed to smoothly shift topics after Ban Yu-won's point, had actually exposed the concept of 'fluster.'
In other words, Ban Yu-won had briefly read his emotions with the All-Reading Eyes.
The man who once seemed absolute was now gradually descending into Ban Yu-won's reach.
The mental ease from incorporating Xenon into his authority's domain was indescribable.
Second, ironically the complete opposite.
Mina-noona as an ally.
His true feelings, blurted out in anger at Xenon's presumptuous words.
No matter how deep their bond, Yumina remained a mighty being he couldn't fully read. Yet, despite relying solely on his authority, he genuinely trusted her.
Proof he partially denied Lucelle's past words, and evidence of his heavy reliance on Yumina.
――Isn't that just the marital alliance Lucelle pushed? She's head over heels for you――.
Quiet, Cellon. Don't pour cold water on my relief over my remaining humanity.
Silencing Cellon—who only now piped up after staying quiet during Xenon's meddling on his own starlight authority—Ban Yu-won finally began his training in the virtual space.
Training to create something from nothing.