Chapter 9
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Lesson 3. This is Your Pet - 1
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The very moment he was dragged into the secret room, Ban Yu-won unleashed a cockroach imitation that surpassed even what he'd seen from Lucelle earlier.
A desperate life-saving technique to somehow protect his head and heart even in a sudden ambush!
—You can look straight at me. My true form isn't here.
But the Chancellor's voice, flying right in front of his face, instantly broke his stance.
Ban Yu-won cautiously lifted his head and peered ahead.
A doll sat on the desk, utterly devoid of any sign of life.
Yes, this ugly scarecrow doll was sitting there of its own volition.
And the voice had come from the doll too.
…Though its mouth hadn't moved at all.
"Principal... no, Chancellor?"
—Ban Yu-won, I permit you to call me Master.
With that tone, it sounded less like an ordinary Master and more like some Dark Flame Master.
Ban Yu-won swallowed his urge to tackle it and nodded.
"Understood, Master."
—Then I should explain why I called you here.
"Ah, yes."
—Normally, I don't interfere in students' growth.
A roundabout way of speaking, as if waiting for him to speak up.
But since he'd expected as much from the Chancellor, Ban Yu-won just listened quietly.
—Whether they're weak or strong, I leave them be. I don't care if they die in the Tower or survive to claim power and glory.
Then what are you doing as Chancellor?
The answer came without him even needing to ask.
—My sole purpose is to witness with my own eyes the one who reaches the Tower's peak. All others—weak or strong, ugly or beautiful, evil or good—are worthless.
At that, Ban Yu-won couldn't help but ask.
"The Tower... what is it?"
Ban Yu-won was convinced it was Earth's Babel Tower, the building owned by his Ban family, descendants of its ancient creators.
He'd even heard from Grandfather that reclaiming Babel Tower would restore the family's full power and glory.
It was half-engraved in his mind, and though he hadn't fully believed it, the moment he'd faced the Tower, he'd resolved to stake his life on climbing it.
But to the Chancellor? To the other students? What was Babel Tower?
—The Tower is the path to godhood, and a trial. That's why I don't meddle in students' ordeals.
The Chancellor replied curtly.
Strangely, hearing it, Ban Yu-won felt a sense of of course.
From the stories of his ancestors, they'd wielded near-divine powers.
And now Earth's Babel Tower was here in this inexplicable dimension.
If a divine throne awaited at its peak, it made perfect sense...
—But.
If that had been the end of it, there'd have been no reason to summon Ban Yu-won.
—This time, I'm making an exception.
"Uh..."
—Because I see potential in you. The greatest I've ever seen.
The doll on the desk floated up, meeting Ban Yu-won's eyes.
—A frail body, yet a remarkably resilient spirit. It reveals your boundless potential.
"..."
—But that imbalance between body and spirit will provoke others in unfortunate ways. Left as is, interference is certain before you can bloom. I couldn't stand by.
The doll extended a hand toward the pendant around Ban Yu-won's neck, causing it to vibrate faintly.
Soon, the flow of strings inside the pendant shifted.
Though he didn't fully understand it yet, Ban Yu-won silently observed and memorized every detail.
How much time passed? When the pendant finally stilled, the Chancellor spoke.
—This isn't direct aid for climbing the Tower. Just a minor measure to prepare you.
"What is it?"
—I've granted you permission to explore external dungeons.
"External? Outside the Academy?"
—Yes.
This world, where Union Academy stood, was filled with dungeons.
Special caverns teeming with monsters and traps, sustained by Dungeon Cores—much like the one from his Practical Exam.
There were countless of them, but since their difficulty was too low for Academy students to bother with, the Chancellor occasionally sent forces to clear them en masse or used them for incoming freshmen evaluations.
—I've added a function to your Student ID for exploring external dungeons via spatial transfer. Use the time before entering the Tower to hone your skills in them.
"Ah...!"
Only then did Ban Yu-won realize the immense consideration the Chancellor had shown him.
Despite his great potential, he was still holding back his classmates.
The Chancellor had given him access to low-level dungeons to grow his abilities before tackling the Tower.
—Of course, external dungeons aren't always easy or safe. Guard your own life.
"I wouldn't dream of expecting more than that."
Ban Yu-won had no intention of swinging at a scarecrow, and external dungeons were generally easier than the Tower anyway.
Perfect for him right now.
—Chant the spell to teleport to a dungeon. Chant it again after exploring to return here.
"Ah..."
It sounded familiar somehow.
But.
—The spell is 'Drown in the embrace of infinite darkness.' Memorize it.
The incantation itself was even more messed up than Professor Yumina's!
—Now go. Ban Yu-won, keep advancing without stopping.
"Thank you, Master."
He couldn't bring himself to ask to change the spell, so he bowed and retreated.
The Chancellor added one last thing.
—If your achievements are impressive, I'll unlock the next permission.
"Next permission?"
—Solo exploration of the Tower.
Ban Yu-won snapped his head up at the unexpected words.
—Until next time, then.
But in that instant, the Chancellor issued his dismissal, and Ban Yu-won was flung out of the room as if someone had yanked the back of his head hard.
He didn't hit the floor rolling, though—something soft and fragrant caught him from behind.
"How was your meeting with the Chancellor?"
"Professor?!"
Ban Yu-won panicked and pulled away from Yumina.
But she seemed utterly nonchalant.
"He always sends guests packing like that. Quirky personality."
"Sorry about that."
"I was waiting to catch you from the start."
She grinned mischievously, teasing him, then glanced at the pendant on his chest. Her eyes sparkled in surprise.
"Even the Chancellor has high hopes for you. An external access permit."
"He said to explore external dungeons and build up my lacking skills quickly."
"Smart approach. But be extremely careful. Outside the Academy is beyond our watch."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Oh, right."
Yumina clapped as if suddenly remembering.
"If you have time after dungeon exploring, swing by the outer city. Wouldn't hurt."
"Oh?"
"Academy food and drinks—whether cafeteria or vending machines—get boring fast. And they don't even sell booze. Can you believe it?"
Ban Yu-won got the feeling he knew what she wanted.
"Want me to bring back some booze? Only if there's a shop I can walk to near the dungeon, though..."
"Thanks! Mind doing that?"
She'd jumped on his offhand offer and promptly chanted a spell in alien tongue.
"Priests at the Temple of the Spring God still brew fruit wine during fasting periods. Among them, the Honeymoon from Ronica's temple is legendary for its fantastical fruit aroma, rich foam, and sticky yet refreshing aftertaste. If you go to Ronica, could you grab just two bottles?"
With that, she pulled something from her pocket, stepped close, and pinned it to his chest.
Dazed by her sudden floral approach and retreat, Ban Yu-won refocused and saw it was a gem brooch carved in vibrant petal shapes.
"Wear this, and they'll hand over the booze no questions asked. Grab some snacks too while you're at it. This'll cover everything."
Yumina winked at him.
It wasn't hard to see that, following the Chancellor, she was showing him excessive favor.
"Thank you. I'll be off then."
"Don't stay out too late."
She beamed at him, clearly expecting him to head out right away.
And he planned to.
One problem, though: the incantation.
"Infinite..."
"Infinite?"
"In, in..."
"In-in?"
Unable to overcome the shame, Ban Yu-won muttered the spell inwardly while cursing the Chancellor.
But as he mustered courage to speak it aloud, he realized his surroundings had already changed.
A dungeon.
'It works if I say it in my head?!'
Mixed relief at avoiding an embarrassing moment in front of the professor and fury at the Chancellor's trick left him flustered when something tapped his shoulder.
It was the Dokkaebi Club, which had been meek amid all the intimidating presences.
"Thanks, club. Time to focus."
He might slack off before entering, but not in a monster-filled dungeon.
He opened his Inventory and drew the longsword with its gleaming blue edge.
A masterpiece crafted by fusing the essences of sword concepts from the trunk's artifacts (with the resulting scraps dumped into the Code Core).
In simple terms: a sturdy, sharp blade infused with magic power. It turns deadlier against humanoid foes and injects poison into wounds via their blood.
To Ban Yu-won, it outclassed the Dokkaebi Club he'd made during the Practical Exam, but artifacts of this caliber weren't rare—hardly a full showcase of his powers.
'Armor too.'
Grandfather's artifacts lacked proper armor concepts.
But there were plenty of talismans that blocked threats for their holder. Ban Yu-won extracted their essences and infused his uniform.
Now its defense rivaled heavy plate.
"Let's go!"
Stepping forward boldly for his second delve.
Whoosh. The Dokkaebi Club menacingly sliced the air, escorting him.
At that moment, arrows shot from the distant corridor, swarming him!
"Wait, this isn't what I imagined?!"
Ban Yu-won dodged frantically as the Dokkaebi Club spun wildly, batting arrows aside.
"Humans!"
"Weak human... how long since?!"
The emerging monsters were goblins, just like in the Practical Exam.
But these weren't blind—and every one clutched crude bows and arrows!
A dungeon starting with cowardly ranged ambushers? For Ban Yu-won, eager to test the swordsmanship honed sweating through nights with Sis, it was a total buzzkill.
"Fire!"
"Weak human has no shield! Human skewer for dinner tonight!"
The goblins jeered, nocking arrows.
But if they thought he'd entered with just a sword, they'd be mistaken.
"Club."
He knew his greatest weapon was this miraculous treasure, the Dokkaebi Club.
Those two Earth days were training for him—and exhaustive research maximizing the club's potential.
"Transform."
Ban Yu-won declared.
The floating Dokkaebi Club compressed into a sphere, then morphed into a firearm familiar to any Korean vet.
Precisely, a Demonic Gun—or Ghost Gun.
"Commence firing!"
—Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
The instant he commanded, the no-longer-club unleashed dozens of magic bullets at the goblins.
The Transformation concept, extracted from countless slime toys collected and dismantled with his family's help, shone here!