Chapter 76
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Lesson 17. How to Clear the Trick Room - 1
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"I've decided to call it the Monstrous Shadow Technique."
Ban Yu-won walked lightly under the pitch-black night sky, where not even the moon had risen, murmuring to himself.
The black shadow rippling at his feet was infused with eerie magical power.
It was the very monster itself, hiding sharp claws within a hazy presence that seemed both there and not.
"No leopard, no weasel? Not even a beast, really."
Dokgo Yeon read the essence of the martial art from the energy he emitted and replied in a tone of disbelief.
Ban Yu-won merely shrugged in response.
"In organizing my mental image, I kept the shadow's stealth and the beast's ferocity while cutting out all the unnecessary bits, and all that was left was this weird monster."
The newly born martial arts concept, Monstrous Shadow Technique, had a depth of 100—combining Shadow Stealth Step (38) and Assassination (65), minus 3.
However, the overarching Martial Arts depth itself had skyrocketed from just over 420 to 500, and since Monstrous Shadow Technique was a higher concept akin to Incarnation Art, it was overwhelmingly powerful compared to things like Shadow Stealth Step or Assassination.
'Of course, it's not complete yet, but that just means there's room to grow.'
Monstrous Shadow Technique was merely the beginning.
Having grasped the flow of internal energy (vital energy) and the harmony of forms (body), Ban Yu-won now harbored an ambitious dream: to create his own martial art based on Incarnation Art, just as Dokgo Yeon had suggested.
Creating Monstrous Shadow Technique had given him that much confidence.
Of course, he didn't delude himself into thinking he had some extraordinary talent for inventing martial arts.
'It's all thanks to building my foundation with Incarnation Art. My insights into internal energy and the body from it made this bold creation possible.'
He had drawn sources from various places—like Dokgo Yeon's unique escort martial art and the concept of the shadow weasel—but in the end, Monstrous Shadow Technique was born on the foundation of Incarnation Art.
It was a martial art like Eevee, capable of evolving uniquely based on the practitioner's growth direction.
Ban Yu-won even suspected that the chilling martial art Dokgo Yeon wielded, which emanated the energy of death, was also rooted in Incarnation Art.
"Dokgo Yeon, I've got a serious question..."
"Shh. We're at the walls."
As Ban Yu-won couldn't hold back his curiosity and was about to ask, Dokgo Yeon coldly cut him off.
Before long, her entire body was shrouded in darkness, becoming invisible.
Vowing to ask later no matter what, Ban Yu-won fully activated Monstrous Shadow Technique.
It felt like his body was sinking into the shadow.
He had transformed into a shadow monster lurking in the darkness, targeting the prey's nape.
—Impressive. I want to show it to my escort.
—Sorry, but I'd rather not meet that person if I can help it.
She might try to tear him apart the moment she saw him for learning her unique martial art without permission and modifying it to his taste.
Dokgo Yeon let out a small laugh at Ban Yu-won's serious expression and turned her gaze away.
—But there are... no guards on watch? What was all that strict vigilance during the day?
—What? There really aren't any.
Ban Yu-won scanned the top of the walls following Dokgo Yeon, utterly baffled.
There should have been at least a couple of sentries, but it was completely silent.
Without hesitation, the two leaped over the walls and entered the city.
Just like the walls, the city interior was eerily quiet.
—We waited for the dead of night to move, but... no patrols at all?
—Maybe magic?
—If the enemy can deploy a large-scale spell like this, they won't be easy to deal with.
Exchanging telepathic messages (not language magic—he could now do it naturally after creating Monstrous Shadow Technique), the two delved deeper into the city.
The city was a mix of stone and wooden buildings, and from their architecture, one could roughly guess the era.
If Earth was the benchmark, it felt like Europe from 500-600 years ago.
'Maybe they transplanted a civilization from some other dimension at this level of development here?'
As Ban Yu-won's thoughts wandered, Dokgo Yeon sensed a change and sent him a telepathic message.
—Something's starting to move stealthily.
—Sounds just like us... Oof!
Even with Monstrous Shadow Technique active, Dokgo Yeon ghosted over and flicked his forehead, then led him up to the roof of a nearby building.
—See?
—Whoa, that looks seriously suspicious.
A hooded figure was scurrying across an alleyway.
It kept glancing around warily, but it didn't have the skill to detect Dokgo Yeon or Ban Yu-won.
This debunked Dokgo Yeon's '23rd Floor Monster Group Theory.'
"Lord, please help me find the culprit tonight..."
The voice leaking from under the hood carried on the night breeze to Ban Yu-won's ears.
It was the voice of a young man, neither angel nor girl.
—Culprit? Hunting for whoever's behind incidents in the city? At this hour?
—Let's watch a bit more.
The cautious man soon stopped in front of a fairly large stone building.
As the two watched, he knelt on the ground, clasped his hands in front of his chest, and began to pray.
"Lord, answer me."
A small voice, like sobbing.
Ban Yu-won guessed it was magical incantation.
"Is the murderer inside here?"
'...Huh?'
Ban Yu-won's eyes widened in that instant.
But regardless of his thoughts, the magic activated successfully.
A pure white cross appeared in the air, stabbed into the building, and then vanished.
The man despaired at the sight.
"Ah, failed to find them again...!"
"......"
The man rose in despair.
Seemingly low on mana, he panted as he headed back into the alley he'd come from.
Ban Yu-won watched his lonely retreating figure with an increasingly bitter expression.
—What's wrong, Ban Yu-won?
—This feels like a game I know. But not sure yet. Let's wait a sec.
—Game... as in play...? This situation?
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait thousands of years.
Just a few minutes later, they sensed movement from within the city.
A rough, ferocious, undisciplined energy.
A group reeking of blood was prowling the city.
—Let's go.
—Yeah.
As Dokgo Yeon and Ban Yu-won exchanged telepathic signals and prepared to leap, a new rule from the Trick Room appeared as if waiting, blocking their path.
Those not contracted with a Constellation cannot act within the city at night.
"Kugh?!"
"......!"
Their vision clouded white, and a horrific coercive force launched them high into the sky.
Dokgo Yeon regained balance mid-air, and Ban Yu-won summoned Lilies for a brief ride, but they couldn't re-enter the city.
"It's completely sealed off. ...Feels like cheap power mimicking a Constellation's authority."
Dokgo Yeon tapped the transparent barrier blocking their view a few times, clicked her tongue, and said.
The barrier enveloped the entire small city in a perfect hemisphere, leaving no gaps, and a foggy mist rose, obscuring the interior.
"Sneaking in at night was against the rules, huh? I thought it'd be fine..."
Ban Yu-won sighed in reply.
They'd managed to hold out for a few minutes without being ejected because their stealth was top-notch.
But when the real 'change' began in the city and they rushed to pursue it, they got caught.
"Sorry, my fault. If I'd let you go alone, you could've gathered plenty of intel."
"Don't talk nonsense, Ban Yu-won. I allowed you to come because I judged your stealth skills equal to mine. Our abilities were both insufficient. Hmph!"
Dokgo Yeon spoke firmly, tapped the barrier a few more times, then let out a soft sigh and landed on the ground.
Ban Yu-won maneuvered Lilies to land beside her and said,
"Thanks for saying that."
"It wasn't consideration for your feelings, so don't worry about it."
Gazing at the small city shrouded in mist, Dokgo Yeon flashed her cross-shaped pupils.
"When day breaks, we'll challenge it head-on again. At least we learned one more trick."
"Constellation, right?"
Ban Yu-won picked up her words, his eyes gleaming.
Dokgo Yeon nodded and continued.
"Those not contracted with a Constellation can't act at night. This isn't demanding climbers contract with one... "
"It's a hint that the ones moving at night are tied to Constellations."
The city's residents rejecting outsiders, the unnatural silence blanketing the city at nightfall.
And those slinking about in the sleeping city.
The 23rd Floor's theme wasn't a simple trick—it tested how climbers coped in a space under Constellation coercion.
Ban Yu-won couldn't help but smile wryly.
'As expected, the Tower and Constellations are in cahoots. No surprise there.'
From the Sanctification incident and various Constellation-related events in the Tower, he'd thought:
Not just Constellations using the Tower, but the Tower using them too.
And now on the 23rd Floor, the Tower openly used Constellations to test climbers.
But beyond that insight, he'd realized something about this floor's events.
'The city's atmosphere changes completely between day and night. Normal citizens can't act, but a few do... One has a special way to hunt murderers. The murderers move in a group.'
"Isn't this straight-up Mafia—Werewolf game?!"
"That game again. Explain in detail."
"Well..."
Ban Yu-won briefly explained the werewolf game he knew to Dokgo Yeon.
Night is the murderers' (Constellation contractors') time—they rampage freely, slaughter citizens, create innocent victims, then slink back into the shadows pretending innocence.
When day comes and citizens awaken, they know a new victim appeared but not who the murderers are.
Yet they must find and lynch the murderers.
Before all citizens fall to them.
"There are ability users (other Constellation contractors) countering the murderers, but like we saw in the city..."
"A pathetically weak ability that only tells if a murderer is in a designated spot."
"Yeah. If they could instantly find and eliminate murderers, citizens would be too OP. It's well-balanced overall."
Ban Yu-won recalled playing Mafia with friends on a high school trip and smiled faintly.
As he'd emphasized, his silver tongue was beyond normal people, so his team always won at Mafia.
It got so bad that later, the rule became to lynch Ban Yu-won first, whether mafia or citizen!
'Still pisses me off thinking about it. Those bastards are dead when we get back to Earth.'
Dokgo Yeon looked a bit queasy at his murderous smile.
"A game like that exists in your world... The more I learn, the creepier it gets. I thought you'd never killed before coming here. I'm a little shocked."
"No, crazy."
Don't look at me like a death game survivor!
"It's a game, a game. Not actual murder—just people gathering, setting rules, role-playing a scenario for fun."
"That's even weirder. Anyway... so tomorrow, we enter the city as citizens, find the murderers, and kill them?"
"Exactly."
Ban Yu-won nodded, thinking to himself.
'This feels like I can solve it right away with my ability.'
—Told you so.
Cellon read his mind and grumbled sulkily.
—Plus, you can spot Constellation contractors now, right?
'Unless they're way stronger than me, probably.'
With backing from two Constellations, Ban Yu-won's fundamental understanding of them had deepened.
Especially with his Mark of Divinity at 5.
Unless the opponent was Dokgo Yeon-level, spotting their Mark of Divinity would be easy.
Even if All-Reading Eyes' good/evil distinction was ambiguous, cross-verifying those with Marks would perfectly identify the murderer group!
"Hmm..."
But hearing this, Dokgo Yeon looked conflicted, then...
"...No."
She glanced at Ban Yu-won's calm face, as if resolving something.
"Your ability could end it in seconds, sure. But that won't grow the other party members' crisis response skills. We can't just rely on you one-sidedly."
"But clearing fast and clean lets us taste the Fruit of Eden on the 30th Floor."
"...Still, let's try. Once won't hurt."
"Alright, got it."
About 5 seconds.
He decided to pretend not to notice Dokgo Yeon seriously agonizing over possibly missing the Fruit of Eden, for her honor's sake.