Admission is a waste of time (19)
Lesson 5. The Tower is One Way – 2
“Why, why are there so many people staring at me?”
On a Friday morning, while desperately struggling to salvage something that resembled an indescribable coriander on top of rice noodles, Ruchel suddenly shuddered and muttered.
Ban Yu-won responded kindly, extracting all the concepts of the scent she was embarrassed by from Ruchel’s rice noodles.
“That’s because our channel grew into a major channel watched by one-third of the Academy’s audience in just two days.”
“One third?”
Light, who, like Ruchel, was struggling with the scent coming from the rice noodles, muttered in horror.
But Light had a penchant for teasing, so he left the guy’s bowl alone for the time being and instead responded to his mutterings.
“Yes, 500 people in numbers. Isn’t it amazing? In fact, the plan is progressing ten times faster than I thought. Everyone is losing their minds due to the different kind of stimulation. Probably, there will be far fewer fights like last time during lectures in the future. They will be able to avoid fights because they are concerned about what other people think.”
Ban Yu-won’s plan produced results far beyond his expectations.
Perhaps the reason is that the members’ appearances are exceptionally outstanding, even in this academy where all kinds of Kirin children from all dimensions gather.
In the first uploaded video of Dokgoyeon and Light sparring, the two of them showed off a splendid and terrifying power that was hard to believe they were freshmen, which was a big part of it.
But it wasn’t just because of that.
A video of everyone gathering together to eat.
Video of listening to a class.
After dinner and a shower, they gathered together and chatted while playing board games that Ban Yoo-won brought from Earth (this was a huge hit).
Above all, it was also important to use Ban Yu-won’s modern-day media editing skills to make the video much more interesting than the original, including videos of him drinking tea with Professor Yumina, one of the most powerful figures in the academy.
“It’s fun to grab and hold, and it makes you feel attached. I can’t believe that this kind of medium didn’t exist in my hometown, so it can be so effective and dramatic. It’s a really interesting result.”
“I guarantee you, it’s going to get more fun. We’re going to get more attention.”
In fact, their videos were gaining even more explosive popularity outside the Academy.
There was no rule prohibiting it from the beginning, but the academy students had never even thought of filming their daily lives and sharing it with the public.
But then, all of a sudden, four pretty boys and beauties got together and filmed a video of themselves going through their academy life and uploaded it, so it was bound to be a huge hit.
“Ugh, ugh… … . But… … .”
“Get used to it, Ruchel.”
And at this point, the one who is particularly noteworthy is Ruchel.
Although Dokgo Yeon and Light are outstanding in terms of looks, their skills are so overwhelming that they feel a bit distant, but Ruchel has only shown a puppy-like side up until now.
… … Her looks and physical condition are also overwhelming.
“I didn’t agree with that the day before yesterday… … Huh? Now the noodles don’t have that weird soapy taste! Ban, thank you… … !”
Feeling the gazes pouring down from those around her, Ruchel frowned and instinctively ate some rice noodle soup, her eyes sparkling with joy.
Ban Yu-won snickered, but Dokgo Yeon, who was slowly savoring the rice noodles next to him, chewed them thoroughly and swallowed them before snorting and scolding Ruchel.
“A strange soap taste? It’s like you don’t even know how to eat. This scent is what brings the dish to life.”
“Dokgoyeon, you know a thing or two.”
Ban Yu-won divided the concept of fragrance extracted from Ruchel’s rice noodles into half for his bowl and half for Dokgoyeon’s bowl.
Dokgoyeon squinted her eyes and observed him, as this was the first time he had shown the concept of language so openly.
“Are you okay?”
“Would you know if you saw it?”
“No, not at all.”
“It’s not like you can hide it. Do you have an answer now?”
“Excellent. Hiding while revealing openly is the ultimate in concealment.”
Dokgo Yeon, who had finished the ‘evaluation from above’ that he had become accustomed to for the past five days, took a sip of rice noodle soup and muttered, “Ahhhh,” with a satisfied exclamation.
“So that elixir was made like this… … .”
“I did add one more process though.”
“That, that half.”
As everyone was happily eating, Light cautiously handed him a bowl of rice noodles.
“Can you please take some from mine too… … .”
“what?”
“This, this strange soap… … .”
When Dokgo Yeon criticized Light in the soap part, Light stuck out his lips and protested.
“What do I do with the soapy smell!”
“Wow, you don’t know how to respect and accept cuisines from various cultures, and you even think of rejecting them outright. It’s a shame.”
“You also threw away the potage that came out last time.”
“Back then, the level of chefs was just poor.”
As expected, it’s fun.
Ban Yu-won ignored the two people who started fighting again and just pulled out the concept of the scent he disliked from Light’s bowl.
“half……!”
It was a gaze that looked at the savior without adding a single lie.
“But wouldn’t it be better to try a little at a time? There’s a reason the Academy serves a variety of dishes at every meal.”
“Ugh, that’s true. I always have something to learn from you.”
“Huh, you’re a different breed from the one swinging a sword.”
“Why are you so happy?”
Even if you take away the scent, a fight will break out in the end.
I wonder if he knows that he will have to enter the tower soon after eating, or if he should be thankful that he is maintaining his usual condition.
At this point, Ban Yu-won decided to give up on his intervention and just enjoy some rice noodles.
To be honest, from a non-Japanese perspective, I thought it was a huge win-win since it allowed me to eat cuisine from many countries for free.
Of course, this whole breakfast was being recorded right now.
* * *
“You know, right? Today is the day to enter the tower.”
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Yumina, who had gathered the members of Class 11 into a classroom without doors, spoke with a smile on her face.
“Actually, the entrance itself has been taking place since early in the morning. Starting with the graduating fifth-year students, they entered in order, and now the second-year students are entering.”
“We’re obviously at the bottom of the first year class, right?”
“no.”
In response to Ban Yu-won’s question, Yumi looked at him, smiled, and shook her head.
“It seems that the plan of the half-students has worked well with the faculty. We proposed that we let the first-year students who are gaining attention within the academy enter first… … and surprisingly, it was accepted.”
“Professor, I love you.”
Yumina laughed heartily, seeming to like Ban Yuwon’s finger heart.
Next, Ban Yu-won asked an important question.
“Is it possible to take pictures inside the tower?”
“I’ll check it out, but you do know that the cameras inside the tower can break down quickly, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
But he also knows how to make sure those very machines don’t break down in dungeons and towers.
He is accompanied by Tike, a camera-equipped drone that followed in the footsteps of Eve and Lilith!
I will not accept any criticism that I just came up with random names because I couldn’t think of a more plausible name after Eve and Lilith.
“You’re saying you made something again? Well, to answer your question, it’s not prohibited. In the first place, the tower’s internal structure changes every moment, so filming it is meaningless. If it’s not meaningful, there’s no need to block it.”
That was something I had already confirmed a few days ago while preparing to enter the tower and reading the basic materials.
The interior of the Tower of Babel is a space similar to a dungeon.
There are monsters and traps.
At this point, I wanted to call my ancestors and ask them what they did to make the building value drop, but unfortunately, that was the reality.
But the Tower of Babel was completely different from the dungeons that Ban Yu-won had explored over the past few days.
The key is internal volatility.
The interior of the tower changes its structure each time, and you can never reach the same place twice.
Once you pass it, that’s it, no matter how hard you try to go back, you can’t go back.
Naturally, the composition of monsters and traps is constantly changing, and naturally the perceived difficulty level also changes slightly each time.
‘These are the perfect conditions for testing and growing humans.’
You may think that the conditions are too harsh for explorers, but that is not necessarily the case, because the tower is filled with a mysterious aura and is a place where you will never die.
To be exact, in ‘most’ areas, challengers will not die when they die, but will simply return to the entrance of the tower.
That is why the students of the academy can continue to attend the academy and challenge the tower without dying in droves.
“I hope you all have your student IDs safe. They are not only your entrance ticket to the tower, but also a token of how far you have explored the tower, so you should never forget them.”
After hearing her words, I took out my student ID and saw that the number 0 had appeared on it.
A new feature of the student ID card has been revealed ahead of the entrance to the Tower of Babel.
“I think you all know this from class, but this is an indicator of how deep you are in the tower. It starts at 0 room, and as you progress through the tower, the counter increases by one.”
“Room… … .”
The unique structural change that occurs in the tower is called a shift, and the more shifts it experiences, the deeper it can be said to have invaded the tower.
And the unit and room number written on your student ID will go up by one each time you go through this shift.
“Do you know the best record, Professor?”
Yumina nodded with a satisfied expression in response to Ban Yu-won’s question.
“Of course. The all-time record is 561 rooms. Is that helpful?”
The group is shocked by the unbelievable record that suddenly appeared.
Among them, Ban Yu-won raised his hand again and asked a question.
“Room 561 is not something that can be explored in two nights and three days.”
“As long as you don’t die inside the tower, the challenger can record where he or she came from. Then, the next time you enter, you can start from there. That’s right, with the student ID you’re wearing right now.”
“So this was essential for climbing the tower… … .”
This academy was out of their minds, giving out items with teleportation, key, and save functions to all students for free.
But what is surprising Ban Yoo-won more than anything else right now is… … .
‘This is just a roguelike game with an intermediate save function.’
Of course, the conditions are somewhat tougher than the games he played.
The map changes every time, and the monsters change too.
If you die, you have to start over from the beginning.
Rather, it might be better than the game since abilities are not reset.
… … Although there is a time limit of 5 years until clearing.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Dokgo Yeon smiled seductively while holding her student ID.
Ban Yu-won shuddered at the fighting spirit that was gently spreading from her.
On the other hand, Light was holding his student ID with a stern expression and not saying anything.
Ruchel… … stared at Ban Yu-won with an expression that seemed at a loss as to what on earth he was hesitating about.
No, even if you look at it that way, there’s nothing I can do.
Because I was a half-student, my desire to climb the tower was not inferior to theirs.
‘I could have lived peacefully on Earth, but this is something I chose. I am prepared to fight for my life.’
I don’t know what kind of mindset my colleagues in the same position as me have as they try to climb the tower, or if they are hesitating.
But the hearts of those who climb the tower, which is said to be the gateway to becoming a god, can never be light.
Perhaps they would be dumbfounded or laugh if they learned of Ban Yu-won’s simple idea of climbing the tower and inheriting it because it was built by his ancestors.
However, the desire for the tower that Ban Yu-won had harbored since childhood―even though it may have been worldly and simple, it was pure and strong.
The moment he saw the tower, he was convinced and was ready to throw away his life and throw himself into the unknown.
“I think everyone is mentally prepared. But there’s one last thing I need to tell you.”
Yumi met Ban Yuwon’s eyes again, nodded, and opened her mouth.
“It’s something to do with the dimensional pirates I mentioned last time. During the process of registering new students as climbers of the tower, a crack is revealed in the tower’s barrier. That’s when the success rate of dimensional pirates’ infiltration is the highest.”
“so?”
“There may be irregularities caused by their abnormal intrusion. In simple terms, this means that you may encounter dimensional pirates within the tower.”
Lucelle’s breath seemed to stop for a moment.
Professor Yumina continued speaking.
“What you should be wary of is not the intruders, but the Irregular phenomenon itself. It is said that there is no death in the Tower, but that is not absolute, especially when it comes to Irregulars.”
The tower does not absolutely guarantee the safety of climbers.
The fact that ‘most’ areas are safe means, conversely, that there are also areas that are not safe.
If irregulars get involved, the rules of the tower can easily become distorted, and the students who get caught up in it can also become endangered.
“So, for your safety, as the professor in charge, I think it would be best for you to finish this expedition as quickly as possible and come back. Then, I would like to ask… … Class president, how many days is the expedition planned for?”
Ban Yu-won looked back at his colleagues.
In fact, this story has already been conveyed to them.
I looked back to see if anyone had changed their mind in the meantime, but Dokgo Yeon, Light, and even Ruchel just nodded silently.
Eventually, he shrugged his shoulders, turned to Yumina, and answered.
“I’ll go for 2 nights and 3 days and come back fully booked.”
“Okay, now it’s your turn. Have a good time.”
The moment Yumina clapped her hands, they finally stood in front of the entrance to the huge tower.
A tower so high that it seems to pierce the sky.
Behind them, all the first-year students who had lost the lead to Class 11 lined up.
Many associate professors at the academy and nine full professors, including Yumina, were all paying attention to them.
“Is everyone ready?”
“There’s no need to say anything.”
“……certainly.”
“Ugh, ugh.”
Why don’t I like the answers?
Ban Yu-won suppressed his urge to tackle and took out the camera drone from his bosom.
The professors opened their eyes wide when they saw it moving vividly as if it were alive and sparkling around Ban Yu-won, and Ban Yu-won smiled brightly at the expected reaction.
“Okay, let’s go in.”
Four rebels and a group of artificial lifeforms followed them as the first freshmen to enter the tower this year.
It was loud from the beginning, but can the ending be as grand?
‘Ancestor, just wait.’
It may be grand, but it was certain that it would be loud until the end.
