Chapter 50
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Lesson 11. Apprentice Mage Ban Yu-won - 5
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Ban Yu-won had assumed the Chancellor always took the form of a scarecrow doll, but that wasn't the case.
Today, he appeared as a sharply dressed butler doll, staring intently at him.
"I enjoyed watching your ability to decipher the Student ID's code and alter its coordinates."
"Ah, sorry about that."
"Our academy doesn't block the actions of those with the ability to do them. The Student ID has already been given to you. Whether you handle it well and gain benefits or break it and suffer losses, it's all your right and responsibility."
It seemed the Chancellor didn't know exactly how Ban Yu-won had manipulated the Student ID.
If he did, he wouldn't have uttered the word "break."
The butler doll extended an arm, pointing at Ban Yu-won as it asked,
"First-years share common classes, but from second-year onward, you choose a major. Ban Yu-won, what do you plan to do?"
"Huh? Ah, well..."
Was this why he'd been summoned today? It didn't seem likely.
Ban Yu-won tilted his head but honestly shared his thoughts.
"I'll choose a major that lets me stay with my Class 11 comrades as much as possible."
"The academy has professors with abilities beyond your imagination, ones who could greatly aid your growth. Yet you'd ignore them to stick with your comrades?"
Hmm.
Of course, each individual's abilities were overwhelmingly beyond anything Ban Yu-won could imagine, but they were ultimately their abilities—far removed from his own traits.
"Yes. I know my abilities best and how to develop them. So I'm choosing my comrades. And if I had to say..."
"If I had to say?"
"No matter what major I pick, it feels like Professor Yumina will make time to teach me anyway."
"Professor Yumina? You plan to burden her?"
The Chancellor's voice held no inflection, but was it just his imagination? It almost felt a bit incredulous now.
Especially with the butler doll crossing its arms like that.
But Ban Yu-won nodded without hesitation.
"She wants something from me. If she wants something, she has to invest too."
"I see. Is that your way?"
The butler doll uncrossed its arms and plopped down right there.
"It's best not to view everything solely as transactions. Transactions are a rational means of communication, but not everything can be approached with pure reason."
"Yes, I know..."
"Professor Yumina is highly rational, but that doesn't mean she sees you purely as a transaction."
Only then did Ban Yu-won realize what the Chancellor was thinking.
He was worried about Yumina!
Confirming that the Chancellor—who he'd thought as devoid of humanity as the Tower itself—cared for Yumina brought Ban Yu-won a strange sense of relief.
"Same goes for me. Plus, you called transactions a rational means of communication... but I don't see it that way."
"If your convictions are firm, that's fine. We'll see about that part. Now, to the main topic."
So there was a separate main topic.
As Ban Yu-won listened attentively, the Chancellor continued,
"The selection of the destination for this special activity was heavily influenced by a certain family."
"Huh?"
Sudden special activity?
More importantly... influence from a certain family...?
"You can guess: the Ortima family."
His breath caught in his throat.
The moment he heard it, Ortima's face flashed in his mind—the one who'd asked Dokgo Yeon out last time.
Irecto came to mind too, since during the first timeline, Irecto had been close to Ortima.
Other possibilities surfaced, but he set them aside for now and confronted the Chancellor.
"Hold on. Isn't the special activity up to the Master's discretion?"
"An academy raising Absolutes draws endless attention. If I run things entirely my way without allowing interference, it invites backlash."
"But you can't let outsiders mess with the Tower."
"Exactly. So I fully protect internal activities, but allow interference from prestigious families of various dimensions in external ones. In exchange, they behave and even support the academy. A rational transaction you like."
"So Ortima's targeting us, set a trap, and the Master knew but sold us out anyway? Is that it?"
"If I'd sold you out, I wouldn't be telling you this now."
Ban Yu-won spoke in disbelief, but the Chancellor responded boldly.
What humanity? Forget it.
This being was beyond Ban Yu-won's comprehension after all!
His mind tangled in confusion.
What scheme was that bastard Ortima plotting?
Damn it, information was too scarce.
He didn't even know the specifics of the special activity yet—how could he prepare countermeasures?
"Won't you tell me more about the special activity...?"
"Telling you this much is already excessive interference due to my high expectations for you. I won't say more."
The Chancellor drew a clear line.
He'd let Ortima scheme freely without fault on his part, shared what he shouldn't have, and now expected thanks.
It was insane.
"Ha... Got it. Then I'll be going. I just remembered something urgent."
As Ban Yu-won tried to beat a hasty retreat, the Chancellor declared sternly,
"You're forbidden from relaying this to others. Academy secrets cannot leave this room."
"Just don't talk about it, right? So you won't even block discussions of potential dangers?"
"Correct. Fortunately, you understand well."
Of course—that was his specialty, after all.
Ban Yu-won grumbled inwardly since he couldn't say it aloud.
But as he focused solely on leaving, the butler doll spoke again.
"I've watched your activities over the past fortnight with great interest. Proving your skills and building recognition flowed perfectly, like water. It's a lower-dimensional method, but undeniable."
"Uh, thanks."
"I had expectations for you, and you've exceeded them. As such, I'll give you a small gift."
A gift?
Ban Yu-won never refused gifts, so he turned back with feigned reluctance.
By now, the butler doll was floating in midair. Suddenly, its stomach split wide with a rip, cotton stuffing bursting out and devouring the doll entirely.
Ban Yu-won was speechless at the grotesque sight when lines etched across the stuffing again...
And eyes opened.
The world seemed to stop.
"It shall come to pass as I desire."
It.
Spoke.
"You shall become firm."
Ban Yu-won sensed that what he faced was qualitatively identical to the eyes from the entrance ceremony.
Thus, the words it uttered differed in quality from the doll's prior speech.
And he naturally accepted its exertion of power over him.
'An overwhelming concept blooms within me the moment it speaks.'
Perhaps this was what his linguistic authority looked like at its peak?
No, it wasn't.
This was merely the Chancellor's personal will piercing worldly interference to act directly on Ban Yu-won.
He couldn't resist that absolute will.
You deeply experience and internalize the concept of Firmness. Firmness depth reaches 10.
The moment that power acted on his flesh, he intensely recognized the concept of Firmness itself within and extracted a fraction of it—his sole act of resistance.
The Absolute's will acts very positively on your body. Body depth reaches 285.
His Body depth, reduced to 235, shot back to 285!
Yet this didn't mean his Incarnation Technique had failed—it simply indicated his body had strengthened by 50 in depth.
Even more shocking came next.
Influenced by the Absolute's will, Incarnation Technique undergoes momentary Transcendent Acceleration.
Body (肉體) depth, greatly stimulated by Incarnation Energy, drops to 250. Body concept is changing. Accumulated unknown concepts can't be defined yet, but their depth has surpassed 100.
Stimulated by the command to become firm, the Incarnation Technique accelerated impossibly, converting his body! Days of grueling effort yielded only 5 depth reduction, yet it converted 35 at once!
Even better, the accumulated unknown concepts had broken past 100.
The fluctuations had been disorienting, but now his mind eased.
Through Incarnation Technique training, a significant amount of negative concepts in your body vanish. Positive surplus of Life (生) is generated. Surplus potential will promote growth in other concepts.
Soul depth reaches 520.
Resistance depth reaches 15.
Incarnation Technique depth reaches 40 through Transcendent Acceleration. Incarnation Energy depth reaches 200.
Incarnation Energy provided the finale.
Having been influenced, the energy it produced was inevitably affected too...
Magical Power hadn't broken 200 yet; it had dipped to 150 upon conversion to Incarnation Energy, then surged toward 200 through Tower conquests and training.
One word from the Chancellor achieved the goal!
'Incarnation Energy... it's completely different. Just a 1-2 point numerical increase, yet its quality rivals Magical Power's.'
Unbelievable.
Numerically unchanged much, yet he felt it flowing 1.5 times faster and stronger than before.
It would positively impact his Incarnation Technique training immediately.
"Impressive."
The Chancellor spoke.
The eyes had vanished, replaced by a new maid doll on the desk.
"I merely intended to directly engrave this power into your body to make resisting it easier. You've gained more than I imagined."
This power.
Ban Yu-won realized it had been exercised with Ortima in mind.
Ortima wielded a similar force, imposing his will on the world.
Structurally far weaker and clumsier than the Chancellor's, but still something current Ban Yu-won couldn't withstand.
Thus, the Chancellor let him experience something greater first, building resistance to Ortima's power.
The "more than imagined" likely referred to the additional changes from the Incarnation Technique.
"I have a good friend. The ability he gifted me synergized well with the Master's will."
"Thank that friend. The price he paid must have been considerable."
"Of course."
"And..."
The broom the maid doll held pointed at Ban Yu-won.
"You smell. I'll clean the filth."
"Ah."
The Transcendent Acceleration had recreated the situation from when Dokgo Yeon first taught him the Incarnation Technique.
But the moment the broom pointed at him, all grime on his body and gear vanished.
"Thank you."
"Come back alive."
With business concluded, the Chancellor gestured dismissively.
Time to leave.
Ban Yu-won turned with a small smile, but then,
"What will the next video upload be about?"
The question flew at him.
Ban Yu-won doubted his ears and asked back.
"...You watch it? Our channel?"
"Enough. Go."
"Gah!"
Should've just told him.
Asking pointlessly got him bounced from the room again.
"Oh my."
Of course, Yumina was waiting to catch him this time too.
The soft, warm sensation and blooming spring floral scent.
Blissful enough to drift off right there, but he couldn't.
"Urgh."
"Are you okay?"
"No. We need a strategy meeting."
"Strategy meeting?"
Ban Yu-won pulled out his mirror and messaged all of Class 11.
[Rebellion Assemble!]
[ASAP!]