Chapter 318
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 318
Chapter Title: Lesson 62. Change - 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
On the Monday when the two-week long-term expedition began, marking the grand finale of not just one semester, but an entire school year, among the students about to enter the Tower...
As always, Rebellion drew tremendous attention.
It was because of Aire, who had finally taken Dokgo Yeon's spot.
"Aire actually joined that team..."
"You could kinda guess from the recent videos on the Rebellion channel."
"Still, it's unbelievable. Aire's like the symbol of the upper dimensions. And yet she's teaming up with those from the lower dimensions—no, the special admissions students."
"Forgot that one of those special admissions kids took top spot this time?"
The Rebellion team calmly accepted the flood of attention directed their way.
They had no desire to make a fuss or show off.
To Ban Yu-won now, and to every member of the team, their fellow first-years—no, all the students at Union Academy—were no longer rivals.
In the recent expedition, they had achieved tremendous physical and mental growth.
It was growth too profound to simply laugh and chat amid the crowd of students.
"A team that climbed all the way to 300 rooms in one school year, and they're retiring now? What a shame."
"Can't be helped. With a core member gone, who knows when they'd have to retire anyway. Restarting with a full-strength team is the smarter choice."
"Aire, who had solo exploration privileges, switching to a team. What could the Dragon's Heir be thinking?"
"Who knows? Maybe she's trying to take them as her vassals or something."
At those words overheard from the crowd, Aire couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
Vassals—there couldn't be a less fitting word to describe the bond between her and Ban Yu-won.
"Aire?"
"It's nothing."
She shook her head at the concern in the man's eyes as he looked at her, then carefully reached out and grasped the sleeve of his robe.
The moment she touched him, a seductive yet repulsive impulse began to creep up unbidden.
The instinct that had awakened within her during the battle with Xenon was urging her toward reckless actions against her will.
Gritting her teeth and shaking her head to dispel the impulse, Aire tightened her grip on Ban Yu-won's sleeve and spoke.
"Let's go."
"Yeah. We should."
As always before the Tower, Yumina was there waiting.
Having taken over as Union Academy's Vice Chancellor in Xenon's place, she had been subtly avoiding Ban Yu-won lately, for reasons that were all too clear.
There was no fault of hers in this incident, yet simply having accepted the position on the Chancellor's orders—the mastermind behind it all—left her uneasy.
Poor thing.
"Professor."
"Everyone..."
There was much they wanted to say to each other, but none of it was suitable for this moment.
Yumina met each member's eyes in turn, then finally locked gazes with Aire and reached out to grasp her hand tightly.
"Aire, take care of our team."
"Yes, Professor."
Aire, who held Yumina in high regard, straightened up rigidly at the request delivered with such a personal touch.
Yumina seemed satisfied with that and moved to step back, but Ban Yu-won wouldn't let her.
His hand rested firmly on her shoulder, freezing her like a cat dressed in doll clothes.
"I know everything, so it's fine."
"Yu-won, ah..."
"We'll save everyone. All of them."
You know what I mean, right? Facing Ban Yu-won, who stared at her with that unspoken question, Yumina was at a loss for words. After a moment, she slowly nodded and gripped his hand on her shoulder before letting go.
"Thank you. I'm counting on you."
"Got it."
Ban Yu-won gave her a faint smile and passed by.
The other team members followed, each tossing a word her way.
"The tomato's gonna call you sis."
"Five centuries..."
"Leave Yu-won to me, Professor."
Yumina debated yanking Lucelle's ponytail for blatantly referencing her age under the guise of muttering to herself, but Lucelle had slyly latched onto Ban Yu-won's left arm by then.
And so, amid countless gazes of curiosity, envy, jealousy, and concern, Rebellion entered the Tower.
With a new member joining, their conquest record reset, forcing a restart from Room 1—but no one worried about falling behind others.
And for good reason.
"Elite monster... The Tower's really stepping it up."
"Incoming, multiple shift."
"Stay sharp and let's go. The Constellations are probably—watching us too."
Ban Yu-won's authority to find the fastest path forward.
The multiple shifts the Tower prepared for skilled conquerors, along with the heightened difficulty.
The Constellations' attention on the Rebellion members who had directly confronted and erased their true bodies, becoming central to this crisis.
All of it was welcome now.
How far had they climbed? Unable to tell time without entering a field-type room, but around evening, perhaps...
—Groooooaaarrr!
"Oh, even on a low floor, stacking nine layers produces a monster this horrific."
Upon exiting Eden and entering the room, a multiple shift merged nine rooms into one. Facing the result, Ban Yu-won murmured in admiration.
Elite monsters born from multiple shifts typically followed one of two patterns: a chimera-like fusion of skipped rooms' beasts, or a true powerhouse transcending its species limits due to a specific Constellation or world's intent.
For Ban Yu-won, who sought to contact and collect various language concepts, the latter was preferable—but low floors tended to spawn the inferior chimera types.
"It's like the Tower wants us up higher fast. Hiya!"
—Kekek!
Lucelle dispatched the grotesque chimera—resembling a centipede with dozens of eyes, arms, and chitinous armor—with a lightning-charged flick to the forehead, offering a plausible theory.
"Probably. They're targeting us. They don't want us grinding down here."
"That's exactly what we want. Let's climb to the heights fast."
"Damn right."
Listening to their exchange, Aire felt a slight dizziness.
Even climbing the Tower anew, such rapid shifts were rare—yet Ban Yu-won and Lucelle treated multiple shifts as routine, leaving Aire flustered.
"Asha."
Feeling the monster vanish and the shift to Eden, Aire quietly called her friend's name.
Asha, bored without swinging her sword, turned with a "Hm?"
"How many multiple shifts have you guys been through?"
"How many? It's like this every time we enter the Tower."
"..."
That very day they entered the Tower, enduring several multiple shifts, the group finally reached Room 40 in a single day.
"Ah!"
"Finally!"
Seeing Ban Yu-won exclaim upon arriving in their fourth Eden of the day, Aire tilted her head and scanned around. It was indeed astonishing.
Even among Union Academy students steadily climbing the Tower, few ever saw Eden's fruit before graduation if unlucky.
One bite fills the belly, heals all wounds, and rarely even boosts abilities. Those Fruits of Life dangled in clusters from vines creeping along the ceiling.
Even Aire, with her stellar solo records, rarely saw so many, her eyes sparkling—when suddenly Ban Yu-won reached into the air.
"Yu-won?"
"Ah, you haven't seen this yet, Aire."
"They always edit it out of the Rebellion channel videos."
What followed was a scene hard to believe even seeing it.
Golden threads of mana extended from Ban Yu-won's hand, transforming the opened Fruits of Life in Eden into golden strings that flowed toward him.
His destination: a jam jar in his other hand.
Aire knew it well.
"Ah, that's..."
She had guessed his authority was an omnipotent type interpreting and handling all things as his own.
But to think he could freely manipulate even the Fruit of Life, limited to one per person!
Watching him harvest all but one per member into jam, Aire muttered in disbelief.
"So that's why those candies were so amazing..."
Just one day with them, yet she'd been shocked more than in a lifetime.
Ban Yu-won effortlessly finding ways to clear rooms swiftly.
Multiple shifts skipping from 1 to 9 rooms.
Welcoming rare Eden fruits as if anticipated, sweeping them all.
Things no ordinary climber could dream of.
As expected, Yu-won is different.
No wonder the Chancellor fixated on him.
Yumina had no choice but to rely on him and pin her hopes there.
Aire thought she knew him well, but she'd only grasped half—or less.
"Wish there'd been Blood Beads too, but guess low floors can't manage that."
Finishing up, Ban Yu-won bit into his apple share and lounged on Eden's plush bed.
Fruits of Life boasted an unmatched sweetness.
Enough to nod at climbing the Tower just for them.
'Ah, fruit has formed. Hm... Well deserved after such exploits. Hm, hmm.'
She'd tried not to think of it.
But seeing Dokgo Yeon's delighted smile upon spotting the fruit in Eden was unforgettable.
Her struggle to hide that joy from comrades was adorable.
Her insight piercing others' hearts sharper than Ban Yu-won's All-Reading Eyes, yet so clumsy at concealing her own.
So strong, yet so endearing.
"Shall we call it here for today?"
Seeing him lost in thought, Lucelle smiled faintly and suggested. Ban Yu-won jolted up in surprise.
"No, let's go a bit further. Dinner, short rest, then clear to 50 clean."
"I wanna rest with Master, hehe."
"You."
Lucelle coquettishly clung to Ban Yu-won.
As Aire furrowed her brows to speak up, Asha blocked her and shook her head.
Then, stretching exaggeratedly, she chimed in.
"Ah, I'm tired too! And starving, can't explore more today."
"What?"
"Yu-won, wanna eat that thing from last time. Shrimp stir-fried in oil..."
"Ha, you spoiled brats."
Ban Yu-won wore a wry smile at his clinging teammates but yielded to their whims.
Seeing the worry and sorrow fade from his face, Aire realized they acted for his sake.
She wanted to melt into that too.
She couldn't replace Dokgo Yeon, nor did she want to.
She wanted to be Rebellion's Aire, not a stand-in.
"...I'm curious too, about Yu-won's cooking. Feed me."
"Nothing but whiners. Fine, rest today, push hard from tomorrow. Goal: back to 300 in two weeks."
At Ban Yu-won's renewed declaration, Lucelle smiled and joined in.
"Even way weaker, we broke 250 to 300 in three days. Piece of cake now."
"Gonna run hard, better prep leg massages. Yu-won, won't you massage me?"
"Light?"
"Nah, what’s a massage."
"Eh, you'll really do it?! Wait, then here, here, and here too..."
"Light?!"
Despite focusing on meshing with the swapped member over two weeks, Rebellion blitzed to 250.
Not quite 300, but absurd speed—already first-years' lead.
Difficulty spiked higher up, future breakthroughs unlikely. This run felt tougher than last...
But no time to dawdle, no matter the difficulty.
To avoid that, someone to ask for help.
Ban Yu-won resolved to seek the Heavenly Demon.