Chapter: 111
Once upon a time, dozens of days ago, general students raised their glasses in cheers, proclaiming, “Finally, we’re free from tentacles!” upon hearing the news of the mad wizard embarking on a long business trip.
Meanwhile, some curious students were left wondering what exactly that ‘Tower of Trials’ he left as a class substitute was all about.
There was Bennett, the representative of the Three Heroes Faction.
Gordius, the leader of the Golden Faction and the Tower Master’s prized pupil, affectionately called Goldie.
Then there was Enbus Redburn from the “General Student” faction, which was more a collection of random stragglers.
Lastly, there was Princess Baekryeom, the spiritual leader of the Rose Emblem Faction, accompanied by twenty loyal noble followers. Quite a crowd.
Bennett asked with a tone of dignity,
“Aren’t we supposed to have representatives come out one at a time for a look?”
“I-I was going to come alone…”
As Princess Baekryeom hesitated, the entourage of Rose Emblem members erupted, shouting like wildfire.
“Are you suggesting we leave the Princess alone? What do you think we might do to her? Waaaaah!”
“I won’t step back! I’ve sworn with my soul on this shield to carve any path for the one I serve!”
“Our loyalty takes precedence over any manners or laws!”
These folks are crazy.
With a look of pity, Bennett gazed at Princess Baekryeom. Their excessive loyalty wasn’t something new. She also gave him a grateful look, as if to say thank you for your concern. Aside from the Princess, the rest of that faction seemed a bit off.
Noticing this eye contact, a follower of the Princess jumped in front of her.
“Where are you looking!!”
“I’m looking nowhere.”
“You must have set your gaze upon the Princess’s broad heart, you scoundrel!”
“Why would I be distracted by the Princess’s heart when Niolle is right next to me?”
“………!!”
At Bennett’s reply, an avalanche of jeering broke out from the Princess’s entourage. It seemed Tara, having somehow wedged herself in, started shouting things like “Bennett should die!”
She seemed a bit miffed over the chest comment.
Watching that commotion, the Tower Master shook her head in disbelief as she pointed to her wristwatch in frustration.
“Did you know the jeweler has lost 30 gold coins during your fun and games? I can’t stand this! If this goes on, I—”
“Here, have 100 gold, Gordius.”
“I could wait indefinitely, my Princess. Please continue your lovely conversation.”
That one wasn’t entirely sane either. Rumor had it that he had a grand vision to create a gigantic fully-ridable suit of armor bigger than the Academy’s dinosaur, and that the research cost was so high he had to cut down on food expenses.
After reading the sign that said ‘Instructions’, Bennett summarized briefly.
“It seems you can do it alone or as a team. If you stand on the magic circle and say the activation words, you can enter the Tower of Trials. But if one team is using it, others can’t.”
“What kind of trial will it be?”
“I heard it’s to test combat ability. The Tower of Trials has 10 regular floors, and your record is etched on the dashboard beside it. Also, students who conquer the 10th floor will be granted… a wish token.”
“How valuable do you think this wish token is? Bennett, do you think it’ll sell for money?”
Bennett recalled the precious purple Tower Master’s token he was keeping in his pocket. The mad wizard was quite the generous man who would hand out such rewards. If one could wish for something from someone like that…
“I would never sell it.”
“That’s an interesting remark. If someone with your level of skill judges it that way, then certainly the trial is worth taking on. I’ll be the first to enter the Tower of Trials!”
“Wait! The Princess is glaring at you—are you crazy enough to just go in there?”
“…I don’t mind if you go first.”
While a verbal skirmish unfolded between the Rose Emblem team, who had ignored the Princess’s wishes, and the Golden Tower Master’s beloved pupil, Tara pulled Bennett’s collar and shook him slightly, suggesting,
“Hasn’t that one already entered? You know, the scruffy one from the Duke’s family. Redburn!”
“…?!”
“What, he went in without any starters?!!”
“Then let’s settle the order peacefully with rock-paper-scissors…”
Students flocked to determine the order before the magic circle in a chaotic clamor.
===============================================================
Ten minutes later.
Enbus Redburn stumbled out from the magic circle, completely charred. All eyes turned toward him from the students waiting in line.
As he emerged, words slowly started appearing on the floating slate beside the magic circle.
1. Enbus Redburn / Reached Floor 3 / Clear Record 0 Days 1 Hour 32 Minutes
“…So that’s how it displays?”
“The flow of time inside and outside is… different.”
“Get up, Enbus Redburn, and quickly share any useful information! I’ll give you 10 gold!”
“…Wasn’t that the gold I gave you?”
Still gasping, Enbus Redburn took a sip from his canteen and managed to collect himself. He then recounted what had happened inside.
“The first floor was a large circular space, and an orc appeared. Not your average one, either—massive muscles and a heavy axe. It was slow enough that I managed to win.”
“An orc, huh…”
“The second floor was a forest, and a ogre appeared. There were ballistae set up throughout the forest. I, uh… embarrassingly used the surroundings to take it down. If only I had been a little stronger. No, if I hadn’t over-exerted the orc’s strength…”
“…? You had to rely on objects to beat an ogre? Shouldn’t it have been a fair fight?”
Enbus Redburn frowned, realizing how embarrassing it was to depend on outside tools rather than face it head-on.
“And the third floor was… a chain sickle, the chain sickle’s Jenny…!”
“A chain, what?”
“I panicked upon seeing a weapon I had never seen before and lost my rhythm. It was a weapon with a sickle attached to a chain that wrapped around my weapon and disarmed me. But it didn’t seem that powerful. I think it was just using centrifugal force to amplify its strength. If I fought again, I’d be cautious of the lower attacks this time.”
With that, while musing about the fights he had, Enbus Redburn saw the other students deep in thought about the information they had just gathered. Seizing the opportunity, he dove back into the magic circle to re-enter the trials.
“…!!!”
“Hey, you can’t just keep using it alone like that!”
“Prepare the binding ropes! We’ll tie him up if he comes out again!”
Again, ten minutes later…
1. Enbus Redburn / Reached Floor 3 / Clear Record 0 Days 1 Hour 32 Minutes
2. Enbus Redburn / Reached Floor 3 / Clear Record 0 Days 1 Hour 53 Minutes
“…Ugh! I didn’t expect him to aim for my ankle this time. But this time…!”
“Grab him!”
Enbus Redburn was tightly bound.
And amidst that chaos, the Tower Master’s favored pupil dived into the magic circle.
“…!!!”
Reflecting on it, the first day was like the wild age. Capturing those who emerged from the magic circle while needing to jump in first. Pure chaos.
As the commotion ensued and the rumors spread, even factionless general students crowded around, turning the front yard of the Tower of Trials into utter mayhem.
Time was limited, and the mindset that anyone who wasn’t oneself was nothing but competition led to catastrophic results. The lecture hall was a whirlwind of plots, betrayals, and cunning tricks flying around.
The one who calmed that tumultuous situation was none other than Professor Alexon, who appeared like a shooting star in the classroom.
Having heard the rumors, Alexon sprinted over barefoot, believing that such delightful content shouldn’t be left solely for the students to enjoy.
Professor Alexon monopolized three hours of real-time.
The students had to wait like elementary schoolers with their arcade machines snatched away by middle schoolers—twiddling their thumbs in anticipation and hoping that someday order and law would blossom here…
1. Alexon / Reached Floor 10 / Clear Record 1 Day 3 Hours 10 Minutes
2. Gordius / Reached Floor 5 / Clear Record 0 Days 5 Hours 25 Minutes
3. Enbus Redburn / Reached Floor 3 / Clear Record 0 Days 1 Hour 32 Minutes
…
===============================================================
Afterward came the era of peace and order.
Blocked at the wall of the tenth floor, Professor Alexon monopolized the early morning hours and fairly distributed the remaining time. Students could now challenge it equally, regardless of their abilities.
Of course, there were also transactions for the challenge tokens. Those who preferred playing and relaxing over enjoying fights or improving themselves sold their chances without a second thought.
Alternatively, there were those who clambered up the tower with their peers only to feel a ‘wall’ at some point, quickly losing interest. Once nearly half of the participants dropped out, the students divided predominantly into the following groups:
※ The top-ranking party striving to break through the next floor.
“Bennett, how about recruiting another party member? We seem to be lacking in firepower.”
“That’s true. It’s consuming too much mana to beat the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ on floor 7. A wizard who has trained in fire magic might just be the right fit.”
“Oh, if that’s the case, I know a friend! Selvier, my roommate…”
※ The pursuit party that’s keeping track of the information captured by the strategy party.
“Princess, according to the information I bought with my money… it seems there’s a beggar on floor 8. Can we bribe him?’
“…Do we have any information about his combat style or any special strength?”
“Uh, no. Just that he’s a beggar.”
“Hmm, even with plenty of cash, I think we shouldn’t waste it…”
※ The challenge party purely wanting to elevate their or their party’s skills through climbing the tower.
“I’ll take on Jay with my unarmed combat. Don’t get in the way.”
“For heaven’s sake, Enbus. Why do you keep challenging when you get totally wrecked every time!”
“Hey, just leave him be. Consider him just a ticket to Jay. Let’s check our tactics before we go. If Enbus gets cut in half by Jay, we’ll swallow that follow-up with an Ice Wall…”
And then, out of nowhere, twisted students started appearing, completely left out of all this.
“About that boss on floor 5…”
“That guy, the gunslinger Jay?”
“Doesn’t he seem to have some practical applications?”
“?”
Those who were deeply impressed by the enemies appearing in the Tower of Trials… the training crew!
“Gun Kata, if you hold an artifact with magic missiles in both hands, it’s totally possible. I can see the angles clearly…!!”
“I’ve decided to train in unarmed combat from now on. I can’t forget that romance.”
“I really like being stomped by the whip witch… Once I go up to the fourth floor again, will she make me squish underfoot? So happy.”
“Get a grip, you guys!!”
The mad wizard unleashed chaos upon the academy.
===============================================================
In the midst of that, the illegitimate child of Redburn, Enbus, kept training.
Raised without proper care and deprived of sunlight in a dark room, he had only received the surname Redburn, tossed to him like a charity. Power became both a means and a goal for him.
To grow stronger. To prove himself to those siblings and family who looked down on him, to the father who had cast him aside claiming, “You’re completely useless.” To show them all that he was someone of worth.
And make them regret it. For abandoning him and for abandoning his mother as well.
Carrying such thoughts, he came to the academy. He hadn’t skipped even a day of training. All he focused on was becoming stronger.
He had no talent. Even with hands torn and bloody, his skills wouldn’t improve. No matter how hard he bled, he could barely maintain a mid-low ranking.
But there, he saw a shining star.
During the raid when the Golden Faction declared that they would assault the tower with a quantity-over-quality strategy, rallying as many academy students as possible, Enbus climbed the tower and met a ragged beggar on the eighth floor.
The beggar subdued attacking students with just a wooden stick. The technique was simple yet profound, holding thousands of intricacies with minimal effort and producing amazing results.
Enbus watched the beggar’s movements, breathless.
After all other students had been defeated, when he asked what that was called, the beggar replied that it was a piece of the vast ocean of martial arts called the Dog-Beat Stick Technique.
He granted Enbus three seconds and, after three exchanges, Enbus found himself hit on the head by the stick and ejected from the Tower of Trials.
Martial Arts.
The two characters etched themselves in his mind like a brand.
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