Chapter 10 – A Tower Requiring Effort Is Not My Tower

The All-Inclusive.

To put it simply: dharma.

The innate ability to declare a domain as hers and for all things and phenomena to be under her rule.

Such is one of the reasons for Yoo Hayeon becoming an S-Rank hero.

“Why’s he not moving?”

The students who are seated far away from me are buzzing.

It’s only natural.

As soon as Hayeon began and declared her domain, Kim Kiok became unable to move.

Back in the days when she just awakened her ability, I became the toy for her ability for a while.

It’s dizzying just thinking about it.

How can she have the right of mind to stop me from moving while I was in my sickbed, then start playing doctor?

Even now, it’s incomprehensible to me. 

While I look back on my messed up past, the game was almost over.

“You were so close to her! What are you doing not even swinging your weapon?!”

They’re going off on him for not moving.

I’m pretty sure on the inside, he’s frustrated to death too.

Why isn’t this mov…?!

Something along those lines.

In the domain she declares as hers, anything she wants to do is possible so long as she has the mana to allow it. Due to her rule over all things and phenomena, everything is possible in the domain she wants to act on.

“Yoo Hayeon’s mana stat right now is about 8?”

At that level, hm…

She can stay like that for at most three hours.

She’s not called the Blessed S-Rank in the future for nothing.

She’s a beast even among the blessed.

That Hayeon is approaching Kim Kiok, her steps carrying dignity. 

Clack.

The sound of her shoes echo through the stadium.

A match where there are two players, yet only one is moving.

Can we even call this a match?

He’s within her reach if she swings the sword.

Hayeon whispered to her opponent from there.

“Sorry, I got someone watching. I don’t wanna be made fun of.”

After Hayeon looks at his wrist, she made a wide swing with both hands on her sword.

Slash!

A magic barrier simultaneously expanded with the attack.

That means the match is settled.

“Oh…”

That’s the barrier.

Did she have enough impact in her blow to penetrate the barrier with a single swing?

From what I remember, her power level is also high.

As for the outcome, the victor of the match is Yoo Hayeon.

The loser, Kim Kiok, ended the game without having done anything.

I don’t think I’ll get expelled?

Rather than being happy that Hayeon won, I feel elated because there is someone besides me that didn’t show much.

Truly.

For real.

When the match is over, Kang Suho begins to give feedback to the students.

“Yoo Hayeon. That ability of yours is, without a doubt, splendid and frightening.”

“Of course.”

“…You’re quite frank. Except, keep polishing your sword skills. That wasn’t frightening whatsoever.”

“Hehe…”

His words were right.

Even for an average person like me, it looked like Hayeon just lashed out with a sword swing.

It was a sword wielded only by strength, devoid of technique. 

That was a fatal flaw of the young Yoo Hayeon.

“And Kim Kiok. Just…think of it as you having no luck.”

Who would find fault in him for facing a natural disaster?

Kim Kiok’s match came next to the worst because he just didn’t have luck.

Suho continued to call out the students’ names, and their spars went on.

Can’t it rain so that the matches can get canceled?

The sky is extremely sunny.

The ticking time gradually makes me feel anxious.

***

“Next up is, No. 5 Na Yoona. No. 38 Han Sijoon.”

It seems no rain is falling.

Should I have at least slept with a raincoat on the night before?

The weather’s a real shame.

“How about shooting yourself in the head? Bang! That’ll end things right away.”

“Get lost if you’re gonna pick a fight. I’m not in a good mood.”

I’m already annoyed as it is that it had to be Yoona, but seriously. 

Is there a disease that will kill her if she doesn’t bother me for a single day?

Yoo Hayeon snickered and made fun of me.

“Who knows this might be for the best. She’s famous, you know.”

“I know.”

“R-Really? So you do have some interest in girls after all…?”

“Say what now?”

Na Yoona.

I’ve even heard the name before.

The granddaughter to the chairman of NAVI, a corporation renowned in the world.

She’s even notorious in V. AGE. 

And she’s a character I knew well.

Money, power, strength. What’s the point in all of that? When I have nothing left.

How can I forget?

Na Yoona’s route was notorious for how dark it was.

Her route had a lot of flags that were difficult to handle even for a pro like me.

She was reliable as an ally, but the embodiment of hell itself when she turned into a villain.

Of all things, her chances of becoming a villain was disgustingly high.

If clearing the world of V. AGE is the objective, I have to prevent her from turning evil somehow.

Don’t take Na Yoona’s route, and prevent her from becoming evil.

It’s easier said than done.

Haa…

Thinking about my impending future, I let out a sigh and went down to the stadium.

“Hey, Han Sijoon!”

“If you’re gonna make fun of me, I’m just gonna head down.”

“That’s not it…”

I stopped and waited, but I didn’t hear Hayeon’s voice coming.

What is it that you want to say that you’re pausing like that?

But I didn’t have time to dawdle.

“The teacher is calling. I’m going…”

“B-Be…careful when you fight! I won’t let it slide if you get hurt!”

When I turned around, Hayeon’s face was turning red, a color which clashed against her usual fair white skin.

“Are you worried?”

“W-Who’s…worried?! Don’t flatter yourself! It’s because I’ll be ashamed to face your parents then…”  

Yeah. Yeah.

Sure, you will.

I answered Hayeon with a smile then headed to the stadium.

 “…Did something good happen to you, Han Sijoon? Why are you smiling like that?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

The smile just came out.

My childhood friend was a tad cute today.

Just a tad bit.

 ***

But my smile didn’t last long.

“You two, this is a match and a test. Don’t hold any hard feelings. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

There were apparently many students who weren’t content with the spar’s outcome and often held ill feelings afterward.

I can’t believe they’re not accepting the results like a man.

You should just cleanly admit defeat when it’s done.

I’m not saying this because I’m definitely going to lose.

I mean it.

“Move to your spots.”

After listening to Kang Suho, we moved to our respective positions at the end of the stadium.

“You. There.”

“…Me?”

Why’s she calling out to me?

Na Yoona doesn’t even react in the slightest to stuff she’s not interested in.

She’s on the taciturn side.

I’m curious about what she’ll say.

“That thing. Do you know how to use it?”

“Ah, this?”

The reason she called me was due to the pistol in my hand.

Its model name is Desert Eagle.

It’s a gun that could be called differently in this world.

This is a recreation made for the academy’s cadets.

“Of course, I know how to use it.”

It hasn’t been long since I was discharged as a sergeant in the Korean army after all.

Although I didn’t use the pistol in the army, a gun is a gun.

Instead of brandishing a sword, I at least have confidence in shooting.

“Really…? That’s strange…. It wasn’t in the data though…”

No way, did she investigate me?

You’re investigating me, who’s merely just Hayeon’s childhood friend?

It’ll be ridiculous for her to select just me to investigate. She probably looked into the entire class.

Because NAVI treasured Na Yoona… I suppose it could be that they classified and separated dangerous people.

She didn’t look like she had anything more to say and as she was about to head to her spot…

“Wait. I got something to say too.”

“Get to the point.”

Yoona, with hair the color of a tiger butterfly, looked at me with an apathetic expression.

For starters, let’s take one step here.

“Did you like building blocks when you were little? I did.”

“…I thought I told you to get to the point.”

What’s he saying right now? He’s boring.

She clearly is thinking that and is disinterested.

“Was it back in kindergarten? I liked building blocks during playtime. I get to see what I built up and other people can see it too, isn’t it fun? To see the results of what I built?”

“Hmm, so?”

“Higher, higher. The higher I go, the more eyes are on my block tower. Then all of a sudden. Maybe someone didn’t like my tower, but they destroyed it with a kick. The thing that I painstakingly built.”

For your information, it was Hayeon who had destroyed it.

Where did she even learn a drop kick at that age?

Anyway…

“I immediately cried there. It was embarrassing, but I was sad that my efforts were instantly destroyed. Seeing me bawl like that, the perpetrator came and rebuilt it for me. Exactly as how the tower was before.”

“Enough. That’s it. I won’t hear any more of it.”

“But when someone else builds it for you, it’s not fun, is it?”

What about you, Yoona?

I threw her a small question, to her, who only listens to what others say, and was a chess piece to her company.

“……”

The expressionless Yoona went back to her spot without an answer.

Originally, Yoona did not have that kind of flat personality. She used to be outgoing and a free spirit like a butterfly.

But when she was born, she was trapped in a cage, unable to even fly.

Her own world was destroyed and she created a new world and was under someone else’s oppression.

If that’s destroyed too, there is absolutely nothing left for her.

“Well, it looks like you got my message, so I’m done.”

I went back to my spot, and looked at Yoona leaving.

For some reason, from her shoulder, it looks like she lost her composure.

 ***

What would you know?

Na Yoona was unusually perturbed.

A male who talks as if he knew everything about her.

His name is Han Sijoon.

His body is sticks and bones, and his health doesn’t look that great either.

A guy with only his face going for him.

He’s lucky enough to even be admitted here, and yet he’s talking like he’s lecturing me; me, who’s well-educated in all sorts of fields.

I know myself the best.

Who do you think you are to say that in front of me?

The two of them walked completely different paths.

A child from an elite household as opposed to a child from an ordinary family.

Someone like you is telling me you understand my life?

Before the match began, Yoona had thoughts while pulling out a spear.

Let’s hit him with enough power that could even penetrate that barrier.

Let’s make him pay for running his mouth at me.

So that he never patronizes me ever again.

But why?

Why does that guy’s talk about the tower keep coming to my mind? 

Yoona kept erasing the thoughts from her head.

I’m Na Yoona, the granddaughter of NAVI’s chairman. It’s not wrong for me to inherit the family business.

Yet without her realizing it…

The built tower was shaking.

By the weak winds that were slowly pushing it.