Chapter 72
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Lesson 16. The Tutorial is Over - 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Light, light, light.
Endless hot and eerie orbs of unquenchable light filled every direction.
—You stopped the tower.
—Your feat has truly astonished countless stars.
—We have all gathered here to propose a contract to you.
—The miracles of the Stellar Sanctuary are not infinite, so do not hesitate—take my hand.
Stellar Manifestation.
No professor had ever taught them about a phenomenon like this.
Of course not. Even most full professors had never witnessed it themselves.
But Ban Yu-won's Authority, especially when intertwined with the tower, produced results beyond imagination—so it wasn't entirely surprising.
They had been the historic party to encounter a constellation on their very first exploration, after all.
"Can't upload a video of this, huh."
"Obviously."
Ban Yu-won snorted in response to Light's remark when one particularly bright orb among the lights shot toward him with a voice.
It was the Omniscient Observer.
"My beloved child! My proposal still stands. Stab the useless thing beside you and accept my blessing. With your talents, you will surely reach the top of this tower! Become a god of the new world with me!"
"No, I said I'm good."
From today on, the Omniscient Observer's nickname was Kira.
Ban Yu-won, who had no desire to become a human wind-up toy, openly showed his disgust and took a step back. Then two orbs carrying a familiar presence flew in and began circling around him.
—Daring to propose a contract so brazenly now that the Stellar Sanctuary has opened? To the rising star who halted the tower and gathered all these constellations? Omniscient Observer, have you finally lost your mind after driving all your contractors to ruin?
—We've already approached him once today. He said he'd take both our sponsorships. Everyone, get in line or back off if you don't have the resolve.
"That's right. I'm just here for the sponsorships. Anyone trying to trick me into a full contract can leave."
His declaration had a decent effect.
—What arrogance, piercing the heavens.
—And well-earned at that. Who else possesses an Authority that pierces the tower's seams?
—A mere human without even a constellation's power... yet demanding sponsorship, and multiple at once? Hubris beyond measure. I'll observe from afar for now.
—I need to see if he can truly handle it.
The orbs wavered all at once, and most of them retreated.
But one stubbornly refused to withdraw, still pressing him for a contract: the Omniscient Observer.
—Heed the words of your great mother, child. The abilities of these mongrels are worthless even in bundles. To reach the tower's peak, you must choose your companion wisely and with utmost caution.
—Omniscient Observer! He refused your contract!
—Buzz off, you nagging hag!
—Step aside, Omniscient Observer. I have a proposal for your bastard child.
A few words exchanged among the constellations, and in the blink of an eye, Ban Yu-won had become the illegitimate child of a new world god.
As he straightened up to retort, the Omniscient Observer erupted in a burst of brilliant light and declared:
—Remember this. When that child sheds the rightful amount of blood to prove his dominion, I shall purge all corrupt influences and stand by his side!
And with that, her orb vanished completely.
Ban Yu-won had to admit he now had a vicious stalker on his tail.
"She showed interest in Dokgo Yeon last time too, so why..."
"Probably because I personally blasted away its influence. That's how I slipped out of its sight."
Dokgo Yeon replied calmly, her expression unruffled despite knowing Ban Yu-won was the star of this show.
She had always despised any connection to constellations, so it made sense.
"Alright, with the stalker gone, let's get down to business."
No way he could let these chattering constellations keep dragging things out.
Ban Yu-won cleared his throat with a cough to draw the disorganized group's attention, then held up two fingers.
"My stance hasn't changed. I'll take unconditional sponsorship from exactly two of you. If that's not good enough, go home."
—Arrogant.
—A human who's barely reached Floor 17, demanding to house two constellations' powers?
—Ha, to think the first human in centuries to pique my interest is such a blockhead.
Reading the ironclad sincerity in his Authority-infused declaration, the constellations finally withdrew.
In the end, only three remained: the two who'd already met him today and offered sponsorship—'Breath of Life' and 'Clock of the Toy Legion'—plus one unnamed bright orb.
—I am 'The Measurer of Instants.' Arrogant dwarf, dare you withstand even a fragment of my Authority?
—Hold on. He's already agreed to my sponsorship.
—He hasn't committed to anyone. And I'm not backing out.
—You shady old geezer, this one's mine. Hand him over.
The reason the Stellar Sanctuary opened: competition among constellations!
Ban Yu-won eyed the three orbs with interest.
The one who'd named itself the Measurer of Instants spoke again.
—Little human, you've noticed it, haven't you? The brighter the light, the higher the status it holds. Need more time to think?
—Age isn't something to brag about. Kid, if you don't take my hand as an artifact crafter, you'll regret it big time.
—A child who knows the value of life will make the wise choice.
"No, hey. Stop with the sales pitch."
Ban Yu-won sighed.
Constellations who couldn't even grasp his priorities.
To the ones just flexing, he stated his demands firmly.
"If you're selling something, at least explain what it is."
—Something? Calling our sponsorship 'something'? That's a first.
—Yeah... forgot this guy's a weirdo for a sec.
—Hahaha, entertaining, very entertaining!
Accepting his business mindset, the constellations eagerly described the Authorities they'd grant him.
—Child, the Authority I'll give you is 'Seed Planting.' It will greatly amplify the effects when you share your power with others. As long as your life endures, you can become the father of all things.
—'Artisan's Hand.' It will enhance everything born from your hands. I told you—no one's a better match for you than me.
—The Authority to measure instants and pry open gaps in time: 'Rift.' With me, you could dominate space and time itself.
The answer was obvious from the start.
"Sorry, Measurer. You won't be coming with me..."
—What...?!
—Knew it!
—Child!
The two who'd eyed him from the beginning claimed their victory necklaces.
Ban Yu-won explained briefly.
"My traits synergize best with their Authorities, but more importantly, 'Rift' is too powerful for me to handle properly right now. So, next time."
—Next time? You think there'll be a next time even after taking two sponsorships?
"Of course."
Was it exasperation or admiration at his confident reply?
The Measurer of Instants flickered rapidly to express its feelings.
—Fine. If there truly is a next time, I'll give you pure power with no strings attached.
—As if we're the ones pulling strings!
—There won't be a next time. Once you feel life's power, you'll crave no other.
—Until next time, then.
The two still seemed convinced they could claim him eventually.
Scoffing at their antics, the Measurer vanished from the scene.
At the same moment, the surrounding lights began to flicker.
The Stellar Sanctuary was reaching its limit.
Just as Ban Yu-won had proposed, the two sponsorship constellations rushed to him without time for complaints.
—I never intended... to risk you like this. But your potential today deeply moved me, Breath of Life. Trust in your possibilities as I share my power. Listen closely to my voice from now on, and...
—Jeez, just say it's beyond your league to gauge honestly. Look, as I said before, your talents align perfectly with my Authority. One day, you'll cut off the others and sign a full contract with me. Just hold out until then.
The two orbs charged at Ban Yu-won simultaneously.
Dokgo Yeon tensed, hand drifting to her dagger at her waist, but he shook his head and accepted them calmly.
He'd already guessed these orbs weren't the constellations' true bodies, and he was confident he could escape unscathed even if the worst happened.
His Authority didn't betray him.
[Absorbing ………… , …………]
[Detecting identical structure to existing conceptual Star Mark. Initiating analysis.]
[Depth of All-Reading Eyes, All-Hearing Ears, and All-Speaking Lips has reached 190.]
[Depth of Soul has reached 615.]
'This is going exactly according to the best-case scenario.'
Ban Yu-won felt his ears, eyes, and lips burning like fire.
His Authority was activating at full capacity to analyze the constellations' power, pushing past a minor limit just like when he'd absorbed the prior divine utterance.
[Refining the two concepts has raised Star Mark depth to 4.6. You can now comprehend stellar power more deeply and wield pure star power.]
[Acquired Soul Flame 10. Transform your soul into flames and divide it among many. This divine blaze devours souls, leaving only you in the world.]
[Acquired Mutation 10. A power to create new, potent factors and infuse them into your creations. Mutation direction can be guided by greater Authorities.]
'These crazy bastards really went all out.'
Ban Yu-won fully purified the parts of the two Authorities now lodged in him where the constellations could interfere, extracting them as Star Marks. He smirked as he examined the pure concepts left behind.
For starters, the names didn't match what they'd described... and both Authorities seemed designed to assist him while ultimately corrupting his mind and body!
'Soul Flame is literally a flame made from a fragment of Breath of Life's soul. Without separating and purifying the Star Mark, my soul would've eventually been tainted by its will. Mutation's even worse—it doesn't just apply to my creations; it affects me too... Were they planning to remodel me to their liking? What a delirious combo.'
Of course, that was all in the past now.
Both Authorities remained only as pure power, fully his own, free from any constellation interference.
Far from being corrupted, thanks to the Babylonia Code, these powers would evolve into even stronger, uniquely Ban Yu-won forces.
—...Hm?
—Oh, settled already? Guess I gave too little power.
They sensed something off but never imagined Ban Yu-won could decompose and absorb a constellation's power like a monster.
They just figured it was because two had granted power to one person at once!
—Anyway, the connection seems solid. Remember from now on that I'm always with you—rely on me.
—Looking forward to working with you!
The Stellar Sanctuary vanished.
The orbs filling the space disappeared all at once, and the party found themselves back in Floor 17, staring blankly at the rippling portal of light before them.
"Yu-won, are you really okay...?"
Facing Lucelle's cautious question and her near-tearful expression, Ban Yu-won didn't even feel like teasing.
She'd nearly had her life toyed with by a constellation, after all.
He gently took her hand and spoke firmly.
"Don't worry, Lucelle. I'm above them."
"You're insane, Ban. Two actual constellations!"
"I saw... You pulled that off even against constellation powers. Were you certain?"
Light stomped in disbelief at the impossible scene, but Dokgo Yeon, having witnessed everything, calmly pierced right through what he'd done.
"Obviously. I don't gamble."
As he replied confidently, Ban Yu-won suddenly felt a tickle in his ear.
―Constellation [Breath of Life] wishes to see you wield the power it granted.
―Constellation [Clock of the Toy Legion] anticipates more inventions.
The stellar power he'd extracted and refined into Star Marks.
Through them, the constellations' wills indirectly flowed into his mind.
But purified into Star Marks, their soul-eroding intent felt no more intrusive than in-game whispers.
'I could probably block these whispers if I wanted.'
It was possible because he fully controlled the Star Mark power.
But feeling no need right now, he let it be.
"Ban... you serious?"
"I said I'm fine. Let's go."
Light still looked uneasy.
Ban Yu-won barely held back from blurting out that he was the most anxious one here.