Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 33

Lesson 8. This Skill is Mine - 3

'Is this... possible?'

Why had Ban Yu-won been agonizing over Luciel's mental state all this time? It was because he couldn't freely absorb concepts from living people.

But now it's suddenly possible?

Of course, it seemed possible due to the special situation of cutting off a part of the body, but it was truly a mind-numbing discovery.

'Of course, I can't apply this to Luciel.'

Ban Yu-won decided to borrow an expression from a game he used to play and call this 'part destruction'.

And he extracted all the concepts from that arm, leaving only 0.1 each of life and body.

He knew that if he extracted everything completely, the arm would disappear right away, but if even a tiny bit of concept remained, the entity wouldn't collapse.

It would be almost an empty shell, but that wasn't Ban Yu-won's concern.

[Absorbing Life 22.9, Body 27.9, Giant 14, Volcano 14, Super Strength 14. Giant and Volcano are concepts that humans cannot possess.]

It was no coincidence that the concept depths of Giant, Volcano, and Super Strength were all identical.

Presumably, based on the depth of that Giant concept, he drew out the powers of Volcano and Super Strength, and Ban Yu-won had cut it off entirely and seized it.

He had somewhat expected that he wouldn't be able to handle Giant and Volcano directly.

He was overjoyed because he hadn't even expected to be able to use Super Strength.

And what about the depths of Life and Body he had acquired?

Hadn't he achieved results equivalent to defeating two elite monsters in the tower?

As he was thinking this, Ban Yu-won suddenly felt a chill.

'What's this, am I a psychopath? I'm rejoicing over getting loot from cutting off a person's arm, not even a monster. ...Perhaps it's thanks to my deepened soul depth?'

The fact that he could make even such a speculation so coldly meant that his personality had indeed changed.

Well, he had gone from being an ordinary South Korean man to suddenly risking his life fighting in dungeons and towers, so it would have been problematic if his perception hadn't changed.

"Ugh, uuuuugh!"

Meanwhile, Erecto, who had lost his arm, was rolling on the ground, screaming in pain.

"Calm down, Student Erecto! We can reattach your arm!"

"Aaaaargh!"

"Stay still, I'll get you treatment right away!"

Entel, who had rushed over immediately, held him down to calm him, picked up the rolling arm, and teleported both Erecto and his arm somewhere at the same time.

Probably to the infirmary inside the academy.

Having finished the treatment in an instant, Entel turned to look at Ban Yu-won with cold, glaring eyes.

"That was excessive, Student Ban Yu-won!"

"I'm sorry, Assistant Professor Entel. But Erecto suddenly attacked me the moment the duel termination signal was given..."

"Surely you're not trying to say you couldn't avoid it? With your skills, you could have easily deflected it."

Entel snapped sharply.

It seemed like all the points he had earned through the Rebellion channel were disappearing.

With a bitter smile at that thought, Ban Yu-won still said what he needed to say straightforwardly.

"Of course not. I could have avoided it, but I thought a student who disregards a professor's authority and acts recklessly needed to face appropriate consequences."

"...What did you say?"

"Additionally, I felt the need to firmly impress upon everyone that students with such rotten minds, who arbitrarily ignore the rules in an official duel where rules must be strictly followed and attempt sneak attacks, should not appear in the future."

Ban Yu-won declared firmly, conscious of the cameras in the air that were still recording this situation.

Their duel had been broadcast live from start to finish, and many students would have been watching.

And in such a situation, a student blatantly ignores the duel termination announcement and acts out?

If Ban Yu-won had responded passively in this situation, the negative effects that would follow would be indescribable.

In the worst case, there was even a possibility that the perception that 'rules don't need to be followed when dealing with lower-dimension students' might spread.

Therefore, Ban Yu-won did not think his response was excessive at all.

He had simply done what he had to do as a representative of the lower-dimension special admission students standing here, to protect his own authority and the laws of the academy.

"Hah..."

"I believe my actions were entirely justified and necessary for the sake of the academy's order."

Listening to Ban Yu-won's words, Entel couldn't bring himself to refute.

If he were to deny Ban Yu-won's words here?

It wouldn't just be denying him, but denying all students from lower dimensions.

Moreover, it would also mean dropping the authority of himself and other assistant professors to the ground.

"Student Ban Yu-won's words... are correct. Students who ignore the rules of a duel should indeed be punished. However, that is not your role, but mine and the academy's."

"If there were any aspects of my actions that infringed upon your authority as a professor, I apologize. I had to act quickly in a situation where the duel was being broadcast live... I will gladly accept punishment for that part."

What was Ban Yu-won saying now?

To put it bluntly, it was 'I had to respond because you were standing there like an idiot'.

If he understood the meaning of those words, Entel's job was to at least take the responsibility onto himself.

"No, that's not it. The fault lies entirely with Student Erecto who ignored my declaration and moved. Moreover, Student Ban Yu-won's actions were self-defense. This doesn't violate the academy's rules, so it's not something I should blame."

Words are such interesting things that the same situation can be explained in truly diverse ways.

Ban Yu-won had composed his words using only the terms most favorable to him, and by doing so, he had expanded the problem from being between himself and Erecto to involving the entire school.

By thoroughly packaging his position, he had made it impossible for anyone in a professorial position to deny his words.

"Professor! That guy's disrespect just now..."

"Enough. Everyone, refrain from unseemly behavior. We're still on air."

Having reached a silent agreement with Ban Yu-won, Entel firmly restrained the protesting Class 1 students.

"We'll end this matter here. Reattaching Student Erecto's arm isn't a difficult task, and originally, it was Student Erecto who violated the academy's rules."

Entel gestured for Ban Yu-won to join the ranks, and he bowed politely as if conscious of the video before joining his group.

"That was amazing! So..."

Luciel's eyes shone with sincere admiration.

"Ban, you really... That skill you showed at the end, completely blowing off that arm."

"Once I understood the concept, I found a way to forcibly twist the direction of the opponent's power."

Counter had reached a different level from simply violently plucking off a spider's leg.

Light, roughly guessing how sublime that skill that blew off Erecto's arm was, was dumbfounded.

And Dokgo Yeon.

"How interesting, you've gotten stronger again, haven't you?"

"You noticed?"

Among those present, she was the only one who realized that Ban Yu-won had devoured the giant's arm.

"Wait, if that's the case, we could deliberately go around slicing off the arms of those so-called Special Class students..."

"Are you trying to make me the academy's public enemy? That would completely destroy the image I just carefully crafted."

"I'm just saying it's a shame. While you were at it, you could have cut off the left arm too."

Ban Yu-won had thought his emotions had dried up in just a week, but listening to Dokgo Yeon's words, he realized he was still at a novice level.

"I hope everyone watched the duel well? Then, let's start the class."

After the broadcast ended and the commotion had somewhat subsided.

Thanks to Ban Yu-won, Entel, who had unintentionally gained the upper hand over the students, finally started the class.

But even as the lecture progressed, most of the Special Class were watching Ban Yu-won and his group with ominous gazes, and among them, the gaze of the guy named Ortima, who had previously dueled with Dokgo Yeon, was so intense it could have been used as a heater.

So what happened after the lecture ended was even more shocking.

"Dokgo Yeon, right?"

"Hm?"

The man with horns protruding from his head like a crown, Ortima, directly approached them.

As Dokgo Yeon slightly furrowed her brow and looked at him, he swallowed and said.

"I have something I want to say to you."

"Is this another duel request? If you want to die, I won't stop you, but a fight to the death inside the academy seems difficult."

"It's not a duel request."

Ortima extended one hand towards Dokgo Yeon.

In that hand was a flower made from carved jewels.

"I'd like to ask you out on a date."

"......?!"

*

Ban Yu-won muttered with a tone that showed he genuinely didn't understand.

"What kind of perversion does one need to have to ask out a woman who kicked him in the chin?"

"Didn't you just answer your own question?"

"Come to think of it, I guess I did."

The members of Class 11 had finished all their other assigned classes and were now moving to Room 3 on the west corridor of the 8th floor in the Academy's main building to attend Professor Xenon's class called 'Babylon and Constellations'.

The conversation that had just taken place was simply Ban Yu-won, who had been continuously pondering Ortima's intentions due to the shocking events of the morning, carelessly blurting out his thoughts, to which Light responded with a disgruntled expression.

"What am I supposed to do when a man says he doesn't understand another man's heart? I was the one who wanted to ask you that."

Meanwhile, Dokgo Yeon, who had received the date request, retorted with an exasperated tone before changing her expression and saying:

"Don't be so stupid. It's obvious he has other motives. There wasn't even a hint of romantic interest in his eyes."

Although Dokgo Yeon dismissed the morning's incident with a snort, Ban Yu-won tilted his head as he recalled Ortima's attitude.

"I don't think that's entirely true... Can you really be so sure? You're incredibly beautiful, after all."

When does a statement have the greatest effect? When it comes at a moment one least expects it.

Even the great Dokgo Yeon was startled by the sudden compliment, her body trembling slightly.

"Ban Yu-won, I really can't tell if you're just oblivious or if you have no sense of shame."

"That's Ban's skill. Don't fall for it, Dokgo Yeon."

"Hmph, I already know that much, so there's no need to tell me."

Seeing how well these two got along, it was clear that they had also become close through physical interactions.

However, no matter how you looked at it, it seemed just like girls whispering among themselves, which was quite something.

At that moment, Luciel cautiously raised her hand and said:

"I also agree with Ban."

"Beast, have you been openly taking Ban Yu-won's side since Saturday? If you want to court him, could you do it when I'm not around?"

"That's not it...!"

Luciel exclaimed, beating her chest as if frustrated (Ban Yu-won quickly averted his gaze).

"His eyes were different, I'm telling you. Although it did seem like he had other calculations in mind as well."

"It doesn't matter. I rejected him anyway."

Dokgo Yeon said coldly.

That's right. She had firmly rejected the date request as soon as she received it.

'You are my enemy. There is no room for compromise.'

With such an iron-clad declaration.

"But if what Luciel says is true... Wouldn't there have been a chance to make it work?"

To Light's question, Dokgo Yeon shook her head.

"Even if that man truly had romantic interest in me, 'we' would lose just by me meeting with him."

"Huh?"

"Ah... That's right. You mean Rebellion."

Ban Yu-won explained with a bitter smile to Light, who didn't understand.

"Our reputation has skyrocketed in just a week. It's not something to brag about, but even me destroying Erecto in class today will contribute to that. Now, in this situation, if it becomes known that Dokgo Yeon personally met with Ortima, who could be considered the pinnacle of the Academy's established power, how do you think others would view it?"

Light, who had been quiet for a moment, slumped his shoulders and said:

"Internal conflict..."

"That's right. From the moment Ban Yu-won filmed that video featuring the four of us, we became a community of fate. People no longer think of us as individuals. To protect this artificial perception, we must move as one body from now on."

The four-person group formed under the name Rebellion must continue to act as one body from now on.

Even if it means infringing on individual freedoms, they cannot separate.

This was that kind of contract.

"Then, Dokgo Yeon, are you saying you agreed to Ban's plan from the start, considering all of this?"

"Of course. How many times do I have to say it?"

Dokgo Yeon replied irritably to Light's words.

"From the beginning, I was only interested in Ban Yu-won. I agreed to us four being bound together because Ban Yu-won was part of it. Do you understand now? That's why I cannot tolerate any attempt to interfere with my plans. Much less listen to the words of a man who dares to try and use me."

"...I see."

Light seemed a bit depressed at Dokgo Yeon's cold words.

Ban Yu-won thought it was quite cute, but apparently it wasn't just his thought, as even Dokgo Yeon couldn't completely hide the smile on her lips as she comforted him.

"Light, if you want me to acknowledge your worth, try harder."

"Hmph."

Light turned his head away, seemingly embarrassed at having his true feelings exposed.

Ban Yu-won knew that Dokgo Yeon had already begun to respect Light as an individual from the moment she started calling him 'Light' properly, but he left it alone because Light looked cuter when he was sulking.

"Ah."

At that moment, Luciel made a sound.

They had already arrived in front of the lecture hall.

"We're not late, are we?"

"They must have already had classes last week. I wonder what the senior students will think when first-years like us, especially those from the lower dimension special admission, join in the middle."

"They'll think that juniors with extraordinary talent have arrived."

The group, 'including Dokgo Yeon', flinched and turned around at the voice from behind.

The person standing behind them was a young man with brown hair and a heart-shaped earring on only one ear.

His skin was darkly tanned, and his pointed ears reminded one of a dark elf from fiction.

The badge on his uniform indicated that he was a fourth-year student.

"Hello, juniors. I'm delighted to meet the ones who have been causing such a stir in the Academy. But for now, let's go into the lecture hall."

The man winked and entered first, opening the door.

"Come on in."

"Well then..."

Light entered first, and Dokgo Yeon followed with narrowed eyes.

Ban Yu-won entered last with Luciel and quietly asked Dokgo Yeon.

"Didn't you notice?"

"I was aware of him until he approached, but I lost track for a moment. ...He must be an ability user specialized in stealth attacks."

It seemed clear that he was a skilled individual that even Dokgo Yeon couldn't ignore.

It was astonishing.

Dokgo Yeon already seemed to have transcended the framework of a student, yet there was a student who could make even her tense.

It's not like only the senior they just met would be strong, so it would be safe to assume that the students gathering in this lecture hall were generally incredibly skilled.

Ban Yu-won finally realized just how dangerous a place they had been thrown into.

'Professor Yumina, I'm going to resent you.'

He let out a grand sigh as he entered the lecture hall.

Luciel gripped his arm tightly as if to say he would do well, which was oddly comforting and amusing at the same time.

But in reality...

The scariest thing in this lecture hall wasn't the senior students.

"I see many new faces. I should introduce myself. I am Xenon. I am in charge of this class, 'Babylon and Constellations', and I also serve as the vice-chancellor of the Academy."

"...Ha."

[Disparity]

[Incomprehensible]

[Darkness]

A monster in human form.

Was holding the teaching staff, claiming to teach students.