Why Did I Have to Enroll

Chapter 148:

Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 148

Lesson 30. Final Exams - 3

Truth be told, no matter how much Ban Yu-won had grown over the past semester, he still wasn't at the level where he could defeat Lucein Ortima one-on-one.

In other words, he stood here knowing he would lose...

Normally, Ban Yu-won wasn't one to endure humiliation by engaging in a battle with a known outcome, but this time he set aside his pride.

That was because Ortima's power had some overlap with Ban Yu-won's, and he believed there was something to gain from a direct confrontation with him.

Even if he couldn't win now, if he could use this experience to win next time, he was willing to endure a few defeats.

"Your eyes are not to my liking."

The certainty that he would surpass him someday made Ban Yu-won stand confidently even before a stronger opponent.

And Ban Yu-won had no intention of hiding that attitude, which made Lucein Ortima's eyes flash coldly with displeasure.

"If you knew your place, you would have tucked your tail and run before facing me. But I guess a worm can't help itself, can it?"

"Oh, did you know your place so well that you challenged Dokgo Yeon and got your arm cut off? Oh, you got it reattached, right? I ate that arm, so how did you stick it back on?"

"Worm??!"

Ortima, who had given a harsh retort, reached out a hand toward him, only to realize that the duel hadn't officially started yet.

He gritted his teeth and withdrew it.

It was a decent attempt at a disqualification, but unfortunately, it failed.

"Now that I look at you, one of your eyes seems different. Did you switch it out for another?"

"I won't fall for your low-level provocations anymore."

Since Ortima's ambush on the Rebellion members during the special activity was officially unacknowledged, getting caught up in Ban Yu-won's words any further could be akin to admitting his crime.

Ortima, belatedly regaining his composure, feigned calmness and stepped back, but Ban Yu-won, who remembered who started the quarrel, was dumbfounded.

"Did you swap out your body and catch short-term amnesia or something?"

"…!"

Just then, the start signal sounded.

Without any preparatory movements, Lucein Ortima unleashed his power.

A massive spear of mana appeared before Ban Yu-won's eyes and rushed toward him!

'Wow, using mana so crudely.'

What was insidious was that most of the mana attacking Ban Yu-won was natural mana.

To explain Lucein Ortima's power most intuitively, it was 'command.'

He possessed the power to forcibly control everything he suppressed with his rank, and natural magic power was no exception.

Therefore, he held an overwhelming advantage against those of lower rank but was powerless against those of higher rank, like Dokgo Yeon or Ayre.

'And that's probably the case for me too.'

There wasn't just one criterion for measuring rank.

The magic power within one's body would certainly play a role, and naturally, the level provided by the higher-dimensional system would be one of the criteria.

Not to mention the completeness of the body and the influence exerted externally, with 'charm' being a prime example.

However, Ban Yu-won knew one criterion more important than any other: the soul.

"Grovel like a worm."

Ban Yu-won's soul rank had likely surpassed Lucein Ortima's the moment he entered the academy.

Of course, everything else was inferior to him, so at the time of admission, he would have been helplessly at the mercy of his power...

But now, having recognized and grown many concepts, and with his soul having grown more steeply than any of his concepts to a staggering 850...

"Kneel, as befits your station!"

"You know it doesn't work."

There was no room for Lucein Ortima's power to invade his body.

At the same time, Ban Yu-won was elated because the movement of concepts when Ortima tried to exert force on him was similar to when he used his power.

'It's definitely helpful.'

He had thought this since he absorbed the concept of 'Divine Speech' from Ortima's arm.

Ortima's power was a lower-tier version of his own.

However, his proficiency was far superior (likely a result of a training method passed down through generations), making him appear more formidable.

'How to interfere with the concepts within others. How to manifest multiple concepts simultaneously.'

He intended to learn as much as possible from fighting Ortima.

To do so, first??.

Ban Yu-won raised the Executioner's Longsword and unleashed the Origin Blade, which was nearing completion.

He recognized all the spears of mana rushing toward him and created a 'flow of concepts' optimized for evading or destroying them.

Some concepts, like Flow and Counter, he had already mastered.

Others, like Step Left and Dash Forward, he could create on the spot.

Some concepts, like Cut and Pierce, were imbued in his weapon to enhance it.

"?Hup!"

Once he arranged all these in the optimal flow, all that was left was to let his body follow that flow.

The process of the Origin Blade, which involved recognizing all surrounding concepts, creating a flow of concepts, and acting accordingly, had become overwhelmingly efficient compared to when he first created it.

?Clang, clang, clang!

"…"

The result was clear.

With movements that were not only efficient but also beautiful, he sliced through the mana spears filling the surroundings, creating a path and dodging as he advanced.

Anyone watching might have thought Ortima had told him beforehand, "I'm going to shoot like this, so you move like that to break through."

“…You?”

But instead of charging at Ortima after elegantly breaking through the overwhelming barrage, Ban Yu-won sheathed his sword and quickly retreated. He knew that the closer he got to Ortima, the stronger his power became. As Ortima glared at him with a hardened expression, Ban Yu-won grinned and said:

“Let’s keep going. This is fun.”

“Do you think I’ll dance to your tune??!”

Enraged by the excellent provocation, Ortima unleashed even more intense magic power.

“Kneel????!”

Instead of manipulating the surrounding mana again, he focused all his efforts on directly interfering with Ban Yu-won. Of course, that was exactly what Ban Yu-won wanted?he smiled and activated his power.

*

The duel ended in Ban Yu-won's defeat.

The fact that he hadn't lost immediately in a direct confrontation with Lucein Ortima, whose Life was estimated to be close to or over 1,000, was remarkable in itself.

Of course, this was possible because Ortima's power was a perfect lower-tier version compared to Ban Yu-won's.

In the end, Ortima, realizing he might actually lose if things continued this way, switched to a brute-force strategy, and Ban Yu-won held out as long as he could before declaring defeat.

[Through in-depth exploration of lower-tier powers, your application of power increases. The depth of All-Reading Eyes, All-Hearing Ears, and All-Speaking Lips increases by 20 each.]

[The depth of Mysterious Body Technique has reached 225. The depth of Hyun Gi has reached 470. The concept of Body has rapidly transformed, and its depth has reached 10. You realize that the depth of the transformed unknown concept has surpassed 600.]

[In a high-level battle with a superior ability user, your existence grows significantly. The depth of Life has reached 750.]

The fruits of defeat were incredibly sweet.

Not only did his power, which had almost stopped growing recently, receive a good stimulus and grow significantly, but in the urgent battle where concepts were constantly being transformed, the Mysterious Body Technique grew rapidly, bringing him to the brink of completing a new martial art.

He even wanted to ask Lucein Ortima for another duel, even if it meant losing again, but of course, the atmosphere wasn't right for that.

"You…"

After the duel ended, Lucein Ortima's feelings toward Ban Yu-won were truly miserable.

The way he defeated Ban Yu-won was, by anyone's standards, 'unimpressive.'

He had merely relied on his innate strength to push through and win, but anyone who examined the details would realize that Ban Yu-won's combat ability had overwhelmed Ortima.

If Ban Yu-won continued to grow at this pace, what about in a month?

If not a month, then two months?

Would Ortima still be able to defeat Ban Yu-won then?

Perhaps not.

This duel was enough to instill such anxiety in him.

Therefore, no matter how self-satisfied Ortima was, he couldn't mock or boast about his victory over Ban Yu-won.

"Worm."

"Why, trash."

He could have ignored it and walked away, but since he lost, he thought it wouldn't hurt to listen to the victor's words.

He could already guess what Ortima would say.

It was probably what everyone at the academy thought about Ban Yu-won.

How do you grow so strong so quickly? Who is helping you? Share your secret with me. If you join my family, you'll be treated well. What do you know about the Tower…?

“With Dokgo Yeon.”

“Huh.”

“What is your relationship with Dokgo Yeon?”

Ban Yu-won blinked his eyes. Wait, isn’t that completely unrelated to the duel? Hold on… could it be that he was still caught up in that romance he was filming alone before?!

“I sensed Dokgo Yeon in your sword.”

Ban Yu-won desperately wished for a crushing defeat. If he could only scratch the goosebumps on his skin caused by Lucein Ortima’s serious and lonely expression as he said that, he felt like he could do anything.

“Well, that’s because I learn swordsmanship from Dokgo Yeon. We spar for about 30 minutes a day…”

“Thirty minutes a day. You spend thirty minutes a day with her.”

Oh, wow. That’s intense, sir. Overwhelmed by the atmosphere Lucein Ortima was exuding, Ban Yu-won could only open and close his mouth while Ortima continued speaking.

“The reason I’m not killing you right now is that I’ve realized my previous approach to her was inappropriate. Remember that you’re alive because of my mercy… know your place and don’t dare approach her.”

“Oh, come on. Was that your approach? To us, it was attempted murder.”

“She doesn’t belong with you. Her overwhelming strength, will, and beauty suit the mistress of the Ortima family. Once she realizes where she belongs, she’ll naturally come to me.”

Is he an alien?

He doesn't seem to understand human speech.

That's strange; Ban Yu-won's power should work on aliens, but it's not effective here.

He thought he understood Ortima well enough through the duel, but now he's completely lost.

Ban Yu-won hated meaningless actions more than anything, so he interrupted Ortima's nonsense, which seemed like it would go on forever.

"Stop rationalizing. You're just a criminal and trash."

Of course, it's Dokgo Yeon's freedom to like someone.

Ban Yu-won had no right to interfere with that.

But having spent even a short semester with her at the academy, Ban Yu-won was certain?Lucein Ortima was not someone Dokgo Yeon would ever choose.

"Then I'm off. Keep digging your own grave."

"……"

Perhaps tired of calling him a worm, Lucein Ortima just stared at Ban Yu-won.

Maybe he realized that the more he used his power, the more Ban Yu-won grew by observing it?

"And congratulations on third place. Who knows what will happen next semester?"

"……!"

Seeing his eyes waver at that light provocation, it seemed Ortima wasn't so foolish as to overlook Ban Yu-won's potential.

Satisfied with that, Ban Yu-won confirmed his fourth place in the year and left the duel room.

Incidentally, the first place in the comprehensive evaluation duel for the first semester was Dokgo Yeon.