episode_0058

Shiyoram adjusts the curriculum slightly each year.

In the first year, the focus is on enhancing innate abilities.

For those students who may not know the basics or have not found their aptitude, they go through a few months of free study to cram various basic knowledge.

After completing the entrance exam and basic tests, students are finally given the right to choose their classes. In reality, this is the true free study period.

For one year, they cram knowledge, refrain from external activities, and cultivate their innate abilities in the safe cradle of Shiyoram.

In just one year.

Enabling Shiyoram’s students to undergo growth that is on a different level from the outside world.

There may be several reasons for this, but at its core is the existence of the Tower of Growth.

The guardian of growth.

The Tower Lord, Nerielle Claidia, bestowed the power of the tower.

“Perhaps the basic multiplier was five times?”

Just considering the basic multiplier, it was five times.

What others would take five years to achieve through hard work, they could accomplish in just one year.

Additionally, they regularly enter the Tower of Growth and receive education at the world’s highest level.

It is literally a space for growth.

On the 5th day of entering the tower.

From the 4th day onwards, apart from getting caught up in fights erupting from all directions as if to decorate the end, there was nothing special.

Before my skills excelled, it was difficult to get involved in risky situations while forming a team with Chaseok and Suseok protecting me.

To put it bluntly, I was carried.

The tough challenges were faced on the 1st and 2nd day, and the threat of elimination was overcome with the help of various connections, and now I am training moderately and pulling out the potential.

On top of that, I even obtained the wishful ore that I had given up on before.

It’s so sweet that it feels like my teeth will rot. In the end, I’m doing this with the help of connections… but what can I do. Shiyoram itself is positive about forming connections.

During the remaining spare time, I trained.

When I was blindly chasing after it, I didn’t know because I was too busy, but now, observing my body relatively calmly, I could feel the changes in my body in real-time as I moved my body, and my core and circuits grew as I used magic.

“Ugh…!”

At that moment, I heard a groaning sound nearby.

The source was Hong Yeonhwa. She was sitting on a rock, drooling. Baek Arin asked curiously at the untimely groaning.

“Why have you been like this since earlier?”

“My body feels a bit off. It’s probably because of overusing my abilities. Maybe I overdid it…”

Upon Hong Yeonhwa’s grumbling, I stopped training for a moment and focused on her magic.

I carefully examined the massive amount of magic that Hong Yeonhwa possessed.

It didn’t take long for me to notice the difference.

The magic, which seemed to contain a momentum to burn anything, was somehow dangerously twisted somewhere.

“Oh… I did raise the output too much during the boss battle. That’s why I told you not to use your expansion ability.”

“I had no choice but to go all out to kill it in one shot. I knew what would happen if I missed.”

“Ugh, so what now? Will you help me?”

Baek Arin raised one hand. A cold aura emanated from her palm. It was the manifestation of Changhae.

Most users of Geophwa experience the burden of persistent output.

It’s not a lack of output, but the burden. Geophwa, which boasts the highest output among innate abilities, often harms the user.

One way to reduce this burden of Geophwa is to seek help from Changhae.

With its healing nature of water and cold properties, Changhae is a special remedy for reducing the burden of Geophwa.

At Baek Arin’s question, Hong Yeonhwa drooled and pondered for a moment before shaking her head.

“It’s fine. I’ll handle it myself. Inside the tower, and besides, I should get used to managing these things on my own.”

“That’s true. It’s best to adjust it on your own if possible…”

With a family history of high and irregular output, Hong Yeonhwa’s burden is even greater.

Up until now, I’ve been suppressing it with my innate control, but this time, it’s coming on strong.

“I wonder if it’ll be the same this time.”

But if it follows the original closely, then that would mean it’s time for a growth spurt.

The stimulation of Hong Yeonhwa’s transformation by the synergy of using magic to squeeze and the blessing of growth.

It’s something that always happens in the original.

In any chapter, after experiencing the first awakening, Hong Yeonhwa’s transformation occurs.

Since the ability of transformation is a very special and unique ability, it is said that every time a change occurs, it feels like an inner test. The same goes for some of the top unique abilities like Changhae and Taesan.

In the original, Hong Yeonhwa herself stated that for her, it was a trial of overcoming and burning away the guilt and regrets accumulated throughout her life.

Anyway, Hong Yeonhwa will easily overcome the trial and evolve her unique ability once again.

“…Transformation.”

As I was thinking about this, the keyword “transformation” caught my attention. I casually flexed my right arm. Even though it was wrapped in a sleeve, I felt an unfamiliar sensation.

On the day of the freshman welcome party, I was able to distinguish Hong Yeonhwa because I felt her magic before hearing her voice.

Even though it was hidden within her body, the flames contained a fierce energy that seemed capable of setting the world on fire, so I couldn’t help but think of the word “transformation.”

That’s how I was able to distinguish her. The user of transformation holds fire within their body. Even if I wanted to look away, I couldn’t help but notice.

My right arm? My magic felt as clear as spring water. There was no sign of fire.

Yet, she used transformation. It was strange.

It’s a mysterious feeling that I’ve been experiencing frequently lately.

Will I also experience the trial of transformation?

While pondering this, I delved into the memories of the original. There was only one reference case.

“The third chapter.”

Character in the third chapter: Samjong

If the second chapter was a warrior character who skillfully utilized previous knowledge, the third chapter was a grand strategy character who actively used various tricks.

Combining all the hidden pieces of information and unexpected luck discovered in the first two chapters, this character possessed three unique abilities: transformation, Changhae, and Taesan.

Just as Changhae alleviated the burden of transformation, I wondered if the three unique abilities would synergize and alleviate each other’s burdens.

In reality, things did progress similarly. They complemented each other, reduced their weaknesses, and as a result, their output increased.

While the third chapter was overall mediocre compared to the early chapters, its output could rival that of the later chapters.

The problem was that they couldn’t handle such output and ended up self-destructing.

When creating the character in the beginning, they adopted unique abilities as a “vessel” to extend their limits, but their body ended up weak and failed miserably.

There was no event of the trial of transformation for the third chapter.

Of course, being only half-formed and a minor reference point, it’s hard to say how things will turn out in reality.

This matter was first brought up to Hong Yeonhwa.

Just in case, let’s go together to the main house and get checked.

I accepted because I didn’t know English either.

To be honest, I felt uneasy. From the perspective of the Geopwa family, an outsider suddenly appearing with their unique abilities was suspicious.

When I hinted at this unease, Hong Yeonhwa reassured me that everything was safe and there would be no problems, so I nodded.

Come to think of it, didn’t the professors responsible for the tower’s trials observe them in the original? I wonder if they saw me using transformation…

“They probably did…”

There’s no way they wouldn’t witness the scene of the chief and the deputy boss taking down the boss.

Still, since this is a sensitive matter, I silently prayed that they would keep it a secret.

The professors wouldn’t go crazy and spread rumors about some guy using transformation, right?

After putting my worries aside, I resumed my training.

That’s how I passed the time.

Hong Yeonhwa controlled her transformation, while Elia and Baek Arin each engaged in their own personal training.

It was an eerie atmosphere.

How much time had passed?

– Clang

Suddenly, a sound of something breaking echoed in my ears. I tried to turn my head in the direction where the sound originated.

Time slowed down. The perceived time decelerated. My actions were so slow, it was frustrating.

I intuitively realized. It was time to exit now.

‘I’m leaving now.’

At the same time, consciousness faded away. It felt like my consciousness was being forcibly sucked in.

It was both long and short. Life inside the tower, and the moment I was currently experiencing.

It was contradictory, but that was the feeling.

– Clang!

Consciousness was engulfed in darkness.

* * *

– Clang!

[Passing through the Trial of Growth (1st floor)]

[Number of eliminated participants: 18]

[Score obtained: 750 points]

[Survival until the 5th day will reflect the full score]

[Player(?) is exiting the Tower of Growth]

[“Protection of Growth (Entry)” is being retrieved]

* * *

– Whoosh

The wind brushed against my cheeks. My hair faintly swayed. It was different from the wind I felt just a moment ago.

The air touching my skin was also different. Unlike the moisture-filled atmosphere before, it was relatively dry weather.

Consciousness that had been fading returned. Standing on the ground, countless vibrations were transmitted through my legs.

‘……’

I absentmindedly exhaled and clenched one fist.

– Gasp…

The grip in my hand felt awkward. Compared to before entering the tower, it was several times lighter.

Negative aspects released from the tower, such as wounds and fatigue, all disappeared, leaving only positive changes.

As I awkwardly checked my physical condition, the relieved gestures of the eliminated participants echoed in my ears.

“Oh, I made it out.”

“Damn, got cocky on the first day and got slaughtered for it.”

“Yeonghwa, you b*tch! Why did you kill me too–!”

Disappointment, satisfaction, anger, and more. Various emotions swept through the square.

Those who were relatively early eliminated and spent time in the training room seemed gloomy, while those who survived until the end had a relatively cheerful atmosphere.

I exited the tower.

The moment I realized that, my spatial perception that had been suppressed so far suddenly expanded.

As the pressing pressure disappeared, confidence surged, and I confidently expanded my territory.

My unstable mental map regained its color. It was only spatial information, but shapes were visible, and colors were clear.

‘……’

Nevertheless, from the perspective of someone who had endured all sorts of hardships inside the tower, it was still unsettling and unsatisfactory.

When it first manifested, it almost killed its owner, and when it was actually important, it was useless…

The radius expanded to 100m, 200m, 300m… Slowly unfolding.

400m, 500m, 600m… In between, the size increased. Despite being suppressed, had it steadily grown all this time?

700m… 800m…

‘Huh.’

It kept expanding. As if a spring that had been suppressed to its limit had been released, the amount of information increased exponentially.

It surpassed 1km. It didn’t stop.

Not only that.

The range didn’t just expand.

The density of information increased. The quality of observed and transmitted information rose.

The Tower of Growth was engulfed in the range. Observations flooded into the mind.

The axis of space, walls, resilience, restraint and silence, internal expansion rate and protective outer walls…

Inscriptions scattered throughout the place. Modified inscriptions, manifesting inscriptions, total amount of supplied mana and circulation…

Human, outerwear, skin, muscles, skeleton, blood, nerves, circuits, core, heart, mana, internal organs…

Space was observed.

– Drip…

My head ached. My mind flashed. The speed of thought unable to handle the amount of information gradually slowed down.

It was a familiar sensation. A faint but vivid memory.

A sensation similar to the one when I almost died on the first day shook my head.

My blood ran cold.

“Ah.”

What the hell is wrong with this bastard?

I gritted my teeth and adjusted my spatial perception.