Time passed, and the first day of the second semester’s entrance tower had arrived.
No matter if they were students, residents, staff, or professors, everyone was in a situation with a lot on their plate.
Thanks to preparations from the past, and the entrance tower activities about to unfold, the Shio-ram was buzzing with activity.
“What is going on? Why are the second-years gathering in the plaza?”
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had tightly hugged me to sleep last night, asked while looking around.
Just as she said, there were many second-years heading toward the plaza.
“It seems like this time it’s not a competition, so the first and second years are entering together. Next week, the third and fourth years will enter.”
“Oh, I see.”
Baek Ahrin, who was heading to the plaza with us, replied. Hong Yeon-hwa, who was nodding calmly, shot a disapproving glance at Baek Ahrin.
That day… well, ever since I treated Baek Ahrin to dinner, she had been coming around more often for free meals.
I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was just to eat with Hong Yeon-hwa.
Since there was no particular reason to turn her away, I made dinner without any complaints.
It was the same yesterday. She subtly appeared and sat at the table, so we naturally had dinner together.
But after finishing dinner, she didn’t go home and just stuck around.
Seemingly displeased, Hong Yeon-hwa gave several hints of when she would leave, but Baek Ahrin stubbornly persisted.
Then she occupied one of the rooms and spent the day there.
Thanks to that, we all moved together from the dormitory without needing to meet separately.
‘…I hope there won’t be any strange rumors?’
I scratched my cheek, recalling the gazes I received in the lobby on the first floor.
When I descended along with Hong Yeon-hwa, Baek Ahrin, and Elia, I caught a peculiar glance aimed this way.
Of course, I hadn’t done anything suspicious, but rumors often thrive on the essence rather than the truth.
I wasn’t overly worried.
If people gossiped too much, a letter sealed with Gop-hwa and Chang-ha’s stamps would soon arrive at my main house, after all.
So, I got on the bus without any particular worries.
.
.
.
The central plaza of Shio-ram was bustling with people for the first time in a while.
Had it been nearly half a year since the last gathering? Time flies—it’s already been that long since the first-semester entrance tower.
I stepped into the central plaza, feeling a strange emotion wash over me.
I observed the ivory tower that arose in the center of the plaza, constantly radiating the blessings of growth and helping my explosive growth, meant to deliver trials that would aid my growth yet again…
‘……’
I shifted my observation for a moment.
The authority of observation had become much more familiar than before. If I focused, there might be a glimmer of deeper insight.
…But there was no need to pry deeper. I still hadn’t forgotten the memory of fainting after bleeding while trying to uncover one of its secrets.
I didn’t want to risk ruining my entrance tower opportunity by acting foolishly here.
‘I should definitely consult the vice principal after this entrance tower.’
The atmosphere was just as chaotic as the first semester.
Students were arriving in droves, and under the guidance of professors, they were gathering by class.
With the second years here, it was even more crowded than last time.
‘Oh, there’s Lee Ji-yeon…’
She was among a group of students that appeared to be her friends.
She seemed quite popular, as many students approached her, and I also caught a glimpse of her teasing a nervous friend playfully.
She looked like a completely different person compared to her previous timid state.
I couldn’t understand why she showed such a timid side to me.
In any case, we headed straight to the Ipchun Class led by Professor Riana.
Since I had already been through this once, I was managing to find my way even without the giant hologram over Professor Riana’s head.
“Lee Ha-yul! It’s been a while!”
[I’m glad to see you too, Julia.]
As I joined the crowd in the Ipchun Class, I was met with many greetings and inquiries from those who had arrived before me.
Most of my messenger records were filled with messages asking if I was okay.
It felt oddly representative of me being a troublemaker, but since I was worried about them, replying to each one was quite a chore.
Anyway, I suppose it meant I had built a good reputation. Although mostly, they probably just wanted to have ties with me.
“I’m grateful that there’s no competition this time around. Thinking about competing with Lee Ha-yul is… ugh.”
“Competition? I don’t think I’m at a level for that anymore…”
“You know that, huh?”
One student, named Lorraine, sighed in relief while speaking. He was a male student with uniquely lavender hair… the very same student I had met during the first-semester entrance tower.
What was his name? Oh right, he was the one who got his head shaved during our first encounter when we teamed up and tackled one target together.
After briefly catching up with the Ipchun Class students, I approached Professor Riana.
With the students now effortlessly managing themselves, Professor Riana appeared to have some leisure, standing quietly with her arms crossed next to my mentor.
Upon my approach, both Professor Riana and my mentor welcomed me with warm smiles.
“Oh, right.”
[Yes? Huh? Hmm?]
At that moment, the smiling Professor Riana suddenly narrowed her eyes and poked my nose, pressing it down repeatedly.
[Whyy…?]
It didn’t hurt, but I had my doubts.
When I asked in confusion, Professor Riana chuckled and said, “That’s for teasing the professor last time.”
[What…?]
Teasing the professor, you say?
I hadn’t…
…Oh, I did something, didn’t I?
Thinking about it, I managed to pull off quite a bit.
It was karma, going around in circles. For a while, I had to endure this punishment to my nose.
“Have a good experience.”
“Of course, but come back having learned a lot.”
Sadly, since it was about time to enter, we couldn’t chat for long.
When it was time for my nose to be pressed, I relished the gentle hand that stroked my hair before returning to my spot.
“…Hmm.”
[Eh…?]
In that brief moment, Hong Yeon-hwa, now somewhat pouty, grabbed my cheek.
For once, I truly was at a loss as to why I had to endure such a squeeze on my cheek.
.
.
.
That unfair squeezing only ceased when the professor on the podium began to announce the guidelines.
“I will now relay the guidelines regarding this second semester’s entrance tower.”
The one making the announcement was none other than Professor Alberth Kaniazel, the same professor from the first semester.
It seems like he was leading this schedule due to being the oldest and most experienced.
“The theme of this entrance tower is ‘Self-reflection.’ The objective is to fight and overcome manifestations of oneself that are created inside the tower.”
Overcoming oneself… that’s no easy task. Even the simplest struggle described in mental theories can be challenging.
Moreover, I was meant to fight against the puppet that represents my body, abilities, and skills—it couldn’t possibly be easy.
“The enemies manifested at this time will be based on the strength present at the time of entering the growth tower.”
But there is some consolation. The self manifesting inside the tower only reflects one’s power at the time of entry. Any growth achieved inside doesn’t count.
In other words, if I manage to grow inside the tower, defeating the manifested self isn’t insurmountable.
Moreover, the blessings of growth would amplify within the tower, meaning if I kept pushing forward, the original self would ultimately win.
When listed out, the conditions weren’t insurmountably difficult.
“The entrance tower will last for five days. Students who overcome themselves will be moved to a separate training room for the remainder of the period, or upon personal request, can engage in mock battles against special enemies that will be manifested.”
If there’s still time left after that, they can either train separately to make the most of the amplified blessings or engage in more mock battles against other enemies.
‘I should try that if I have time left as well.’
As daunting as the conditions sound, they’re not the kind you can easily pass. Many students barely scrape by with just a bit of time left.
I might also end up just managing to pass or even being expelled if I can’t pass.
Of course, my blessings of growth apply at a higher rate than others’, so I should be able to pass as long as I don’t mess up too badly.
“─That concludes the explanation for this entrance tower. I encourage you all to view yourselves from someone else’s perspective, assess your strengths and weaknesses, and move forward. Now, we will start the entrance for the Ipchun Class.”
Having concluded his brief explanation, Professor Kaniazel promptly guided us to enter.
The arched entrance located at the base of the growth tower.
Students lined up and entered without pause through the dark, swirling entrance.
During the first semester’s entrance tower, we staggered our entries to avoid an immediate combat situation.
But this time, since space would be allocated anyway, we were entering without any delay.
Last time, the Gogu class entered first, but this time, the Ipchun class would take the lead.
“Ha-yul, do well!”
“Let’s grow a lot and meet again!”
“If you pass early, I’ll see you in the training room!”
[Yes, I’ll be cheering too!]
Thanks to that, I could stand before the growth tower without any waiting.
Smiling in response to the cheers coming from behind, I waved my hand back and immediately pushed my body into the entrance.
This was my second time entering a tower.
.
.
.
My fading consciousness suddenly became clear.
A moment where my dull senses sharpened.
A gritty wind hit my body. The sound of my clothes fluttering slammed into my ears.
I immediately checked my status.
‘No issues with my body. Core and circuits are normal. I entered properly.’
There was a slight feeling of alienation, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
I tightly clenched my right hand. No issues there, either.
My left arm, which was an artificial limb, was fine, and my wings of Sky were intact as well. During the first semester’s entrance tower, they would have confiscated my artifacts, but as this time it wasn’t a competition, there were no restrictions.
In the first place, since the original body brings artifacts, the copies would also come along.
The air is thick. As I felt the sensation of my lips drying, I tapped my toes against the hard ground, confirming it wasn’t grass or bushes, but a solid texture.
‘Activating power, observation.’
I activated the power I had set aside for a moment. A sudden ringing erupted in my head.
It felt like something was pressing down on my senses.
A counter-force. A space that constrains the range of observation.
During my last entrance tower, I couldn’t overcome this, causing my spatial perception to be suppressed, leaving me to navigate blindly.
But not this time.
With a thrust of perception, I threw off the pressure. Information from the surrounding area poured in like a flood, and the once-dark map was refreshed.
The place I stood was a wasteland. The vibrant green was hard to find against the dull brown horizon. The earth was cracked and appeared parched.
‘Is this the default background? I heard it varies based on the student…’
I scratched my chin for a moment.
It wasn’t a lively setting. While I could squeeze out some vitality from the ground, it wouldn’t compare to sucking energy from a lush forest.
In short, it wasn’t exactly a pristine area for spirits to thrive.
It was a good environment for earth spirits. Judging by the ample breeze, it wasn’t a bad place for wind spirits either.
But for other spirits, this space wasn’t very friendly.
‘Hmm…’
I stood still for a moment, making my preparations. I laid out some magic in anticipation of an ambush while also operating my basic body enhancement spells.
Although it wasn’t a space for spirits to act freely, I released spirits for the sake of securing some control.
Meanwhile, I contemplated how to handle the ‘me’ that was about to appear.
‘First…’
The abilities I activated were Jack of All Trades and Magic Affinity.
Based on those, I drew from my solid body enhancement spells and mana-related techniques. I had trained in various forms of martial arts and weapon techniques to a substantial level.
I had indiscriminately observed and stored countless spells from magic tomes.
I cobbled together the necromancy techniques I learned haphazardly.
With five attributes and hundreds of spirits at my command, I could use them freely and implement spirit transformations.
I had abilities that could realize countless techniques through my expansion ability, and unique abilities that could be realized through homogeneity…
Gop-hwa, Chang-hae, Taesan, Baek-ya, Hwan-mong, Thorns, Physical Amplification, Reinforcement, Radius, Gravitational Force, and more.
Thanks to the authority of observation, I had comprehensive reaction abilities and impeccable accuracy in my movements.
Through spatial power, I had various tools stored in the spatial realm, along with applications of spatial walls and more.
With the defensive boost from wearing the Guardian’s Mark, even considerable attacks were warded off…
‘What a hassle…’
My expression twisted.
Dealing with this was going to be tricky.
There are far too many things I can do. Crafting a counter-plan for one piece only leads to another being drawn out.
Is there a countermeasure for all these tricks? The only way to suppress them all would be with overwhelming strength before anything else could proceed.
Unless I drain their magic completely. Ah, but then the techniques mimicking skills that consume psychic energy would likely come back at me with a vengeance.
Would the powers even manifest?
The Guardian’s power seemed feasible, but I was uncertain about spatial and observation powers.
‘…In any case, I’ll just charge in.’
No more pondering here would yield better answers than experiencing the situation outright.
More often than not, desk-wringing ends up in disaster on site.
Let’s experience it firsthand, and I’ll think of countermeasures then.
That’s what having a resurrection feature is for, right?
At that moment, I spotted a creature at the edge of my expanding field of observation.
‘Is it coming out…?’
Just as I was about to react, my body stiffened. Information surged into my mind… I examined it closely.
The creature was incredibly tall, nearly 2 meters. Despite its ragged clothing, its muscles were defined.
The male was clad in armor that looked like junk.
His helmet must have been long gone, as his head was completely exposed.
The armor clinging to his body was at a state where it could barely be called armor at all.
The black robe draped beneath it was tattered and torn.
His arms were wrapped in bright red bandages.
He held a sword in one hand, dragging its tip along the ground.
The state of the sword looked grim, with a lifeless black blade that appeared to be severely worn and corroded. It seemed like something you’d toss in a scrap yard.
‘……’
My train of thought abruptly screeched to a halt.
Right now, I was having some sort of thought—or hypothesis—and I wasn’t sure if it was correct.
The armor, barely intact… the Jin Cheol Armor.
A high-level artifact. It’s not the most powerful in defense, but it boasts excellent recovery and can block an attack at least once.
A useless black robe… the Black Wind Garb.
Another high-level artifact. It boosts agility stats and has a built-in mana storage and release function that could come in handy.
The bright red bandages… the Blood Restraint. A mid-tier artifact. It absorbs blood to prevent bleeding and status abnormalities while extending in length as it gathers more blood.
The sword dragging on the ground… a standard-issue black iron sword.
This was a unique combination of items.
And there was a familiar face lingering in the back of my mind.
‘Uh… don’t tell me…’
As the man, who had been holding his head low, slowly raised it.
His face was plastered with all sorts of injuries.
In that moment, my breath caught.
It looked different, but… unmistakably familiar.
‘My face?’
Given the moment-to-moment observation, it looked strikingly similar to my own.
At that moment, the lifeless eyes of the man, bewildered and vacant, suddenly contracted.
The dark pupils, as if pulling from the depths of an abyss, reflected my distant figure.
A signal rang out—a primal instinct for survival stirred within me.
I acted immediately.
At the same time, the man held his sword. The blade he lifted carelessly suddenly blurred like it was shrouded in mist.
‘This piece of—’
My curse never got a chance to escape.
– Scratch
The warning signals went silent.
The head that had been cut off a moment too late soared through the air.
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