Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 4

 Lesson 1. This is Your Status Window - 4

[You absorb 1 Demon, 2 Life, 1 Body, and 3 Swordsmanship (劍術) from the Goblin Warrior.]

The boss of the Blind Goblin Cave, the Goblin Warrior, was like a giving tree.

Not only did it provide experience points equivalent to ten goblins, but it also gave 3 points in Swordsmanship, a concept that Ban Yu-won had never possessed before!

Perhaps it was because Ban Yu-won had directly clashed with the creature, struggling and experiencing its abilities to the point where they could be linguistically defined? He speculated as much.

[Life 15

Body 12.5

Soul 300

Magic Power 11.25

All-Reading Eyes 100

All-Hearing Ears 100

All-Speaking Lips 100

Swordsmanship 3 - The ability to face enemies with bladed weapons.]

Ban Yu-won immediately separated 1 Demon, assigned 0.5 Spirit to the Goblin Club (increasing its Spirit Weapon to 5.2), and absorbed the rest into himself.

Naturally, his body became stronger once again with the increase in Life, Body, and Magic Power.

The moment he absorbed the 3 points of Swordsmanship, Ban Yu-won realized he could move more nimbly and intelligently.

Swordsmanship wasn't simply the skill of handling bladed weapons, but the ability to face enemies with them.

From this moment on, Ban Yu-won became capable of anticipating and responding to an enemy's presence and movements.

'What should I do with this?'

He looked down at the piece of metal rolling on the floor with a perplexed expression.

To his eyes, which could now see through the linguistic concepts possessed by objects, he could see that within the metal piece, concepts of Sharpness, Blunt, and Weapon were all mixed up in disharmony.

After pondering for a moment, Ban Yu-won decided to take it with him.

Originally, he hadn't planned to, but hadn't the Academy provided him with an inventory?

The inventory was exactly like the item storage in games, where you could summon a rippling hole in space, throw objects into it, and later summon that hole again anywhere to retrieve the items.

Its capacity was considerable, so there would be no problem taking along one piece of metal.

"Now, for the next thing."

Ban Yu-won picked up the remaining spoil rolling on the floor.

It was a small key, and he could tell what it was for without even examining it closely.

The small door visible behind this room, which the Blind Goblin Warrior had been guarding.

The key was meant to open that door.

"Oh."

When he opened the door and entered, the inside was truly small.

In the center was an altar made of stacked stones, and on top of it lay a modestly placed red orb - this must be the dungeon core.

The practical evaluation ends with the destruction of the dungeon core.

Ban Yu-won tried to see if he could separate the core, but it was impossible.

The core was firmly attached to the altar, and even if he could destroy the altar, it didn't seem like something an individual could possess.

"Then I'll have to break it."

He ordered the Goblin Club, which had been circling around him since its creation, to destroy the core.

As it swung without hesitation, shattering the red orb into pieces, golden text naturally flowed out from within.

[You absorb 10 Magic Core (魔核) from the dungeon core. Magic Core is a concept that humans inherently cannot possess. You can temporarily store it in your body with the power of the Babylonia Code, but you won't be able to handle this power. It is recommended to separate it or assign it to other objects or living beings.]

As he had roughly expected, the concept of the core was something Ban Yu-won couldn't directly possess.

So, thinking about splitting the Magic and Core, he wondered...

'Surely removing the "Magic" wouldn't create a nuclear weapon, right?'

It couldn't be.

If a nuclear weapon could be made that easily, it wouldn't be nuclear.

Laughing at himself for such a foolish thought, he split the Magic Core.

5 Magic came out, and when he absorbed it completely, Ban Yu-won's Magic Power grew to 16.25.

5 Core (核) remained...

Ban Yu-won pondered what to do with it, then took out the piece of metal he had put in his inventory and assigned it there.

He absolutely didn't think of it as a junk box.

[An object possessing various linguistic concepts has gained the concept of Core (核), allowing it to function as a 'Code Core' vessel for linguistic concepts. It can now stably store a quantity of linguistic concepts proportional to the Core concept it possesses.]

At that moment, another small miracle occurred.

First, the metal piece that had been crudely crumpled transformed into a smooth metal sphere as it compressed, and the various concepts that had been tangled inside were perfectly separated and neatly arranged!

A container was completed that could store concepts that Ban Yu-won couldn't directly absorb, even if they weren't immediately useful.

It's not a junk box.

It's definitely not a junk box because it's a collection of concepts that might be used someday!

'Defining and changing objects with language. This is interesting.'

They say you're different when you enter and leave the bathroom, and that's exactly how Ban Yu-won felt right now.

At first, he was busy cursing and swearing at those bastards at Union Academy for dropping him into this unfamiliar environment, but now that he had survived and passed the evaluation, and even realized the amazing abilities latent within him, all of this was being packaged as 'a difficult but worthwhile experience'.

Of course, he still wanted to somehow find and take revenge on the culprits who had suddenly thrust him into this life-threatening situation, but...

Well, considering their level of technology, it was uncertain when he would actually be able to carry out that revenge.

'Sigh, forget revenge, it would be best if I could just return to Earth right away, but looking at the situation, that doesn't seem likely either. When I meet the person in charge, I'll calmly ask about the current situation then. So... shall we move?'

In truth, he wanted to take a bit more time here to prepare mentally, but that wasn't possible.

From the moment he destroyed the dungeon core, the floor had been subtly shaking.

If he didn't escape immediately, he might be buried along with the collapsing dungeon.

After composing himself while looking at the Goblin Club that was still floating and swaying around him, Ban Yu-won muttered softly.

"I'm moving now."

At that moment, everything brightened before his eyes.

When Ban Yu-won came to his senses, he was already in a cozy room, not in the cave.

It was much larger than the room in his original home, with an attached bathroom and shower, and a separate bedroom.

Seeing that there were two separate beds, it seemed it wasn't a single room after all.

However, there was no sign of anyone else, so it appeared he had arrived first.

No, but that wasn't the important thing.

[Congratulations once again on passing the practical evaluation. From now on, candidate Ban Yu-won will stay in room 1303 of the Men's Dormitory D Building at Union Academy as a prospective student. Room 1303 is a double room, and your roommate is currently in the admission preparation process.]

[The entrance ceremony is at 9 AM the day after tomorrow. There is a guidebook in the room with basic information about the Academy, please be sure to read it thoroughly. If you wish to have a personal interview before the entrance ceremony, please fill out the form prepared in the room.]

As if they would immediately give him what he wanted.

Ban Yu-won searched the room and soon found something similar to a questionnaire prepared on the desk.

A simple form where he only needed to write the desired time for the interview and the reason.

For the time, 'as soon as possible', and for the reason...

"...Let's be honest."

He doesn't know about Union Academy.

He never submitted an application in the first place.

He was surprised to suddenly be told he passed the document screening and had to take a practical evaluation, and although he somehow passed, he doesn't have confidence in doing well at a school that requires such practical abilities, so he'd like to be sent back to his original world.

After writing that part, Ban Yu-won hesitated for a moment but soon added one more sentence.

'Request for transportation fee reimbursement'

As soon as he finished writing, the form dissolved into thin air.

By the way, everything he wrote was in the language that appeared on the Academy's information window.

The response came quickly.

[Your interview request has been accepted. Professor 'Yumina' of Magic Combat Studies will conduct the interview with the prospective student. The time is in one hour, and the prepared student will be summoned directly to the professor's preparation room. Until then, please tidy yourself up and get ready.]

Yumina? Could she be Korean?

For a moment, Ban Yu-won thought so but soon shook his head.

Union Academy accepts students from many different dimensions, so there's no reason professors would be an exception.

'More importantly.'

At the mention of tidying himself up, Ban Yu-won looked over his body and finally realized how dirty he was.

Blood, sweat, and other secretions he'd rather not mention, along with dust, had left him in a mess.

His casual clothes, which had been clean when he was dragged into the dungeon, were now nothing more than rags.

Wondering what to do about a change of clothes, Ban Yu-won stripped everything off and entered the shower room.

The shower room in this other world wasn't that different from Earth's.

The only difference was that adjusting the water temperature and pressure was all done through magical tools, but their appearance was intuitive, so it wasn't too difficult to adjust.

"Haaaah..."

As he wet his body with hot water, a sigh naturally escaped.

Along with it, the parts injured during battle and the joints strained from overexertion all screamed out in pain at once.

As the concepts of life and body developed, many of his wounds had disappeared, and from the moment he awakened his magic power, a mysterious process that could be called self-healing had been occurring in his body, so he was gradually getting better.

'If I went back to Earth now, I might do pretty well if I entered the UFC.'

Since absorbing the concept of the Blind Goblin Warrior, Ban Yu-won was aware that his physical abilities had reached a new level.

Not only were his basic physical abilities outstanding, but he had also acquired the basic methods of handling his body through swordsmanship.

If he added magic power activation to this, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he might be able to compete in the Olympics.

...On the other hand, this meant that even after growing this much, he was only at the level of a top athlete on Earth.

'But, if I continue to collect language concepts like this...'

The Blind Goblin Cave was, so to speak, a den of the weakest.

If he defeated stronger ones than that, naturally Ban Yu-won's growth would increase even more.

If he kept getting stronger like that, he might be able to stand proudly even in front of the irresponsible Academy officials who brought him here...

In the middle of such thoughts, he came to his senses and raised a hand to slap his own cheek.

"Am I crazy?"

Lower dimension special admission, struggling so much in the weakest den, and now what?

Defeat stronger ones?

Why would he risk his life to get stronger?

He must have gone completely mad.

He never imagined he had such a barbaric instinct hidden within him.

'Let's just go home.'

He doesn't need any more power than this.

He will return to Earth, attend a prestigious university, and enjoy his youth.

And then he will become a diplomat, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, continuing the family's glory.

A very boring but peaceful and comfortable life, yes, a very dull and monotonous life...

'I must have really lost my mind.'

Tapping his head several times, he finished his shower and came out to dry himself. As he did so, he noticed a basket in front of the bathroom containing new underwear and what looked like a navy uniform.

Without a doubt, clothes prepared for him.

As he put them on one by one, they fit perfectly, sending chills down his spine.

"The clothes... are pretty."

Probably a school uniform.

He had just graduated from high school, and now he had to wear a school uniform again. He grumbled as he put it on, but once he was fully dressed, his complaints disappeared.

There was none of the usual constriction or discomfort typically felt when wearing clothes.

It was as comfortable as being naked, and even felt pleasant.

Having gained a basic understanding of magic from entering and leaving the dungeon, Ban Yu-won realized that this uniform was also imbued with magic.

[Are you ready for the interview?]

"Yes."

He wasn't going to enroll, but would they give him this uniform as a gift?

If they said no, was there any way he could secretly take just the language concept?

While pondering such thoughts, he responded to the message.

*

When he blinked, he was already inside a large room different from the dormitory.

It was quite impressive that the wall beyond the desk placed in the center was entirely made of glass windows, allowing a clear view of the outside.

"Welcome, student Ban Yu-won."

A young and beautiful woman, who was sitting at the desk with an air of authority, greeted him warmly.

He had thought she might be Korean based on her name, but she wasn't even human, let alone Korean.

As if to prove this, her skin was green, lush flower petals bloomed in place of hair, and two red jewels that served as her eyes sparkled brilliantly as they gazed directly at him.

But it was truly surprising that despite such an alien appearance, she still seemed beautiful.

"You know that student Ban Yu-won caught the interest of all the professors during the exam process, right? My goodness, whether it's a special admission or regular admission, creating a new artifact during the evaluation is a first in five hundred years... Student Ban Yu-won? Where are you looking?"

However.

Despite having such a different and beautiful alien right in front of him.

Despite having come to make the important request to be sent back to Earth.

Ban Yu-won's gaze was fixed outside the window.

Soon realizing where he was looking, Professor Yumina also smiled, her purple lips curving.

"Is this your first time seeing our academy with your own eyes? Hehe, I'm glad to see you seem to like it. So, do you want to attend Union Academy now?"

"Yes... Pardon?"

"Well, I suppose you'd be surprised if you were suddenly dragged into a practical evaluation. Earth, was it? Just how low must its dimensional rank be for you not to know about Union Academy, which boasts the highest reputation across all dimensions... Ahem! I can answer all the questions you might have. How Union Academy's entrance exam works, what kind of specialized education you'll receive to develop your aptitude in the future, and of course..."

"Professor."

As if mesmerized, Ban Yu-won asked while gazing beyond the window.

To be precise, he was looking at a massive tower built on a hill beyond the academy buildings.

A tower so tall it seemed to pierce the sky, its top barely visible.

"What's the name of that tower?"

"So you really don't know about Union Academy. To think you don't even know about the Tower of Babel."

The Tower of Babel, she said.

Seeing Ban Yu-won burst into a hollow laugh, the professor tilted her head but continued her explanation kindly.

"The origin of all the world's mysteries and dangers, the dungeon of all dungeons. That Tower of Babel is the very reason our Union Academy was established. To nurture students with the greatest talents from all dimensions and help them reach the top of the tower. That is the secret wish of our Union Academy and the last hope shared by all dimensions. ...Student Ban Yu-won? Why are you smiling like that?"

"No reason. It's just... my mind has changed a bit."

So our building was here.

Ban Yu-won decided to enroll in Union Academy right then and there.

Translator Note:

핵(核) can be translated as a nucleus of an atom, it also the first character for the word nuclear 핵무기(核武器). That is why MC thought that removing the character Magic 마(魔) from 마핵(魔核) will create a nuclear.