Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Lesson 13. I Need to See You on Your Knees - 1
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The basics of magic—what are they?
It's slyly deceiving the world to create gaps in truth, then substituting the caster's imagery for that truth.
That's why even the same spell can produce wildly different results depending on the caster's magic power, will, and imagery.
―KUGUGUGUGUGU!
"Kueeek!"
"Kirruk, run! We're all gonna die!"
―KWAAAAANG!
......Which was why the volcano now erupting on the surface was proof that its caster wasn't just perfectly deceiving the world—but bending the world's very will to his own.
'Just a couple days ago, all he could manage was summoning a breeze on his palm.'
Aire stared in stunned amazement at the erupting volcano, realizing she'd unwittingly helped perfect his magic.
Her attempt to interfere hadn't stemmed from mere jealousy.
Of course, half of it was resentment toward Yumina for so rashly choosing her proxy.
But the other half was pure curiosity about him.
How had he interfered with the incantation on a student ID infused with the Chancellor's power?
What magical talent had he drawn from that artifact?
A presence so faint it barely registered during their first class—how had he gained power worthy of the Special Class in just three weeks?
'But.'
The magic she'd unleashed to test him had lost control, feeding back into his spell instead.
His magical aptitude surpassed hers.
'No, that can't be. It's physically impossible. It must be the artifact.'
―Yet it was undeniable that he'd been acknowledged as the master of an artifact with such extraordinary power.
No artifact she'd heard of could handle both spell incantation and mana disruption flawlessly—so he'd crafted that magic himself.
'Unyielding imagery that repels intrusion, magic power that manifests it into reality...... How did he build such a profound magic framework in so short a time? What experiences forged such growth?'
Aire gnashed her teeth, tasting unfamiliar defeat.
Her sharp senses picked up the voices of classmates scorning and belittling Ban Yu-won's feat.
"That's the magic from that lowborn trash?"
"Why would the Tower give such a worthless parasite an artifact that amazing......?"
"Hmph, you think a low-floor artifact could wield high-level magic arts like that? Professor Yumina must've secretly tweaked it for him."
Aire snorted in disdain.
Yumina tweaking it? What fools.
Could magic arts with such rigid structure be completed under another's imagery?
She wanted to snap back at them—but recalling her own interference in his magic made defending his honor feel absurd.
Wasn't she the most loathsome of all?
'Testing him without properly gauging his ability—I'm no better than those pathetic idiots. That's why I suffered this humiliation, you fool Aire.'
To avoid becoming like them, she decided to acknowledge what deserved acknowledgment.
Ban Yu-won's ability was real.
Having tested it herself, she had no grounds to act arrogant.
'Professor Yumina was right after all. I was wrong......'
......So now, she owed him an apology.
How flustered must he have been by interference from an ally, not even an enemy?
The outcome made her look foolish, but she'd been rude regardless—she needed to explain and apologize properly.
'For my own growth, too......'
She hoped he'd forgive her petty jealousy and discuss magic with her properly.
And if possible, share even a fraction of the attention he got from Yumina—but that thought felt so shameless she tabled it.
'Right after this battle ends, then?'
A sudden massive mana surge made Aire squint skyward.
A dimensional rift was opening.
* * *
[The depth of Elemental Magic has reached 97.]
A volcanic eruption spell that poured everything into one blast, sweeping the entire area with peak destructive power and range.
Ban Yu-won teared up in感動 before the result, incomparable to his sword-swinging days.
Not only had he slaughtered thousands of monsters directly, but the utter devastation threw their formation into chaos—practically ending the battle single-handedly!
[Acquired concepts of Life 121, Body 45, Shadow Ghost 55, Demonic Beast 42, Murder 17, and Assassination 65 from an enormous number of monsters.]
[Shadow Ghost, Demonic Beast, and Murder are concepts humans cannot possess.]
And the golden strings flying toward him from thousands of monster corpses or remnants—how breathtakingly beautiful!
But the notifications as they absorbed weren't so pretty.
[Life's depth increases by 27, Body's depth by 11, Shadow Energy's depth by 5.]
'Why's it halving—not even half—now......'
Of course, he knew shadow ferrets weren't that strong as enemy mainstays, and concepts from the same monster type had limits!
But seeing the intake plummet after getting hyped over Life past 100 made him feel like a fool!
At least non-core concepts absorbed at full depth.
Most being ones he couldn't take was the issue, though.
'Murder 17—all to the Executioner's Longsword. That's 72 now. Wonder what happens at 100?'
The ~20 depth Beast left after stripping magic power—he'd give to Eve later, storing it in the Code Core for now.
Shadow Ghost, core to shadow ferrets' identity, was naturally off-limits—but splitting into shadow and ghost revealed a compatible body concept: shadow.
His stealthy, swift footwork hiding in shadows—Stealth Shadow Step.
[Stealth Shadow Step's depth has reached 20.]
'Oh...... Oho!'
Perfect synergy with shadow ferrets? Despite admixtures, its depth jumped to 20.
Plenty usable in real combat.
Ban Yu-won closed his eyes, grinning as he reviewed the firmly imprinted secrets of Stealth Shadow Step.
Mingled with shadow ferret concepts, it differed greatly from his prior intruder-derived version—but that made it better.
'And left is Assassination...... Right, it folds into Martial Arts. Makes sense for movement techniques.'
65 depth Assassination concept intact—a huge win.
Shadow ferrets struck stealthily from shadows to kill; their habits and skills crystallized as Assassination, absorbed by him.
With Stealth Shadow Step mimicking their moves, he'd maximize it.
'Assassin...... Stroking my chuuni soul again......'
―Hey, more enemies incoming.
Cellon spoke sourly as Ban Yu-won tallied gains with a giddy grin.
'What? Aire still picking fights?'
―Not that pitiful girl—real enemies. Dimensional rift opening.
"What......?"
Ban Yu-won looked up.
A black hole tore in the sky, revealing a massive—enormous—warship emerging.
Its flank bore the emblem of a bird with vast wings; spotting it from the adjacent rooftop, Light gnashed his teeth and shouted, audible even here.
"Exodus......!"
"Exodus?"
A familiar name—the dimension pirate group of that Tower intruder.
Raiders across dimensions, harboring deep enmity toward Union.
He recalled warnings to watch for Exodus and pirates during off-dimension ops.
'But why here, now, at this perfect timing....... Wait.'
Lightning flashed through his mind mid-thought.
No way—Ortima went this far?
This transcended personal revenge against him!
[To claim the price of our comrade's spilled blood, we have come to this place, arrogant and selfish slaves of the Tower!]
Was that a giant speaker on the ship? A sharp male voice blared across the ground.
The warship's immense mana waves widened the rift in real-time; smaller ships poured out like ducklings after their mother.
"No!"
Yumina rocketed skyward with a sharp cry, unleashing vast magic power.
Thorny vines erupted around her, spanning dozens—hundreds—of kilometers, coiling around and squeezing the black hole.
Incredibly, it halted the rift's expansion, binding the ships!
[Monster's foster daughter! You overstep your bounds and rush to your death!]
Purple lightning spewed from the flagship, incinerating vines—but Yumina's mana endlessly regenerated them, stalling the fleet!
Ban Yu-won gaped at the unimaginable majesty.
―Plugging a dimensional rift solo? What kind of woman is she? That mana ain't human.
"Can't tell with petal hair? Obviously not human."
―Idiot, that's not what I meant!
As he blankly watched his professor's heroics, bickering pointlessly with Cellon, a shout rang from the city-center building: Kantone deploying a massive hemispherical barrier centered on herself.
"Everyone, stay put! Reinforcements requested—the Vice-Chancellor will arrive soon. No one move!"
"What the hell is she on about?"
Ban Yu-won muttered in disbelief.
With Yumina charging the fleet heedless of his group's safety in this crisis, now Kantone was babysitting students—with a barrier so heavy it hindered movement.
"Yu-won!"
"You okay?"
"Ban!"
Perfectly timed, Lucelle, Dokgo Yeon, and Light leaped from the adjacent rooftop, landing beside him.
But he had to ask.
"How'd you get here?"
"Worried about you......"
"Saw Dokgo Yeon move."
Not answers.
He'd asked how they overcame the barrier's load—and they acted like it wasn't there......
Then.
"I followed the Guide's words—he said you were in danger......"
Dokgo Yeon trailed off, realization dawning—
As Aneri Dedota, who'd snuck up behind Ban Yu-won, thrust out a hand!
"What—"
A dagger shot from her palm.
Ban Yu-won widened his eyes, desperately twisting away.
If Kantone and Aneri were colluding to assassinate him, it was a solid attempt.
The barrier's burden left him barely mobile.
But the dagger never aimed at him—slicing empty air to—
Embed in the Guide's arm, who'd landed on the rooftop with Dokgo Yeon!
"Kuh!"
"Must kill him!"
Aneri screeched birdlike, hurling more daggers.
Dokgo Yeon swiftly pivoted, swinging at the Guide.
Despite their quick reactions, Kantone's barrier hampered them—their attacks missed.
He succeeded in drawing an item from his bosom unhindered.
"That?!"
A blue-glowing orb.
The Magic Core was in his hand.
Ban Yu-won watched his body blacken.
All-Reading Eyes, judging good and evil, deemed him a sinner.
Quick on the uptake!
"For Exodus."
His murmur triggered it.
All his mana surged into the Magic Core.
―Constellation! He's using constellation power to spawn a dungeon!
As if hearing Cellon, Dokgo Yeon urgently kicked him; Aneri's daggers flew at the core.
But the Guide's corpse, role fulfilled, tumbled limply; the floating core birthed a black hole, vanishing before the blades struck.
If only that—but no.
"Wait, what—"
The black hole's horrific pull, like a singularity, swallowed nearby Dokgo Yeon without resistance—then Light, Lucelle, and Ban Yu-won!
"Lord Yu-won!"
He couldn't recall whose voice called him then.
Just a sensation of someone embracing him tightly, and—
In his blurring vision, two figures rushing toward him.
When his eyes opened, he was already inside the dungeon.