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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Lesson 2. This Is Your Roommate - 2
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"Yu-won, I don't know why you're making such a fuss, but you know Dad's a busy man, right? I've got a business trip coming up soon... Ow!"
"Ugh, you idiot. Today is Yu-won's college announcement day. Can't you even make time for dinner on a day like this?"
The moment they sat down at the dinner table, Mom smacked Dad on the back as he tried to set a serious tone.
Meanwhile, Grandfather, seated at the head of the table, was muttering nonsense.
"Babel Tower? You're talking about Babel Tower, aren't you?"
Dad and Mom were exchanging their usual banter while subtly glancing at Grandfather, their faces screaming, Who the hell dragged this old man out here?
"Alright, now that we're all here, spill it."
Ban Yu-mi sat calmly with a wooden sword within arm's reach.
If the agenda wasn't anything major, she looked ready to grab it and crack Ban Yu-won's skull open on the spot.
"Then I'll get straight to the point."
As Ban Yu-won set a bag of snacks on the table, Ban Yu-mi's expression turned icy.
She was clearly thinking something ridiculous like, Is this punk seriously calling a family meeting to snitch over something this trivial?
"Everyone, keep your eyes wide open."
"The snack bag?"
"Isn't this about Babel Tower?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Stolen language concept, Sealing Paper , from the empty snack bag.] [Absorbed Sealing Paper 0.1. This is not a concept humans can possess, so separation or bestowal upon another object is recommended.]
As Ban Yu-won absorbed the concept, the snack bag withered in an instant, eventually crumbling into dust that scattered with a faint hiss.
Dad jumped up in horror and shouted.
"It's turning to dust!"
"Honey, sit down. Yu-won, what was that just now? Can you do it to other trash too?"
"The ability to turn trash into dust...!"
"!!"
They all seemed surprised in their own ways... but somehow, the direction of their shock felt a bit off from what Ban Yu-won had expected.
He narrowed his eyes and said.
"Don't you guys have any other reactions? Like, 'Where the hell did you get a power like that?' or something."
The family's responses were a sight to behold.
"It's surprising, sure, but not as much as when you spoke ten languages at three years old..."
"Yu-won, can you get rid of Styrofoam too, by any chance?"
"So what's with that uniform you were wearing earlier?"
"Babel Tower!!!"
Amid the family each spouting their own thoughts, Grandfather suddenly raised his voice.
"You've found Babel Tower, my boy!"
"Huh?"
"Father, what's wrong?"
"Grandpa, go back to bed already."
How does turning a snack bag to dust lead to Babel Tower?
The rest of the family thought Grandfather's dementia was acting up again and tried to usher him back to his room.
But.
"No, everyone stay put. Grandpa really does know."
And ironically, that was spot on.
"I found Babel Tower. But apparently, some weird monsters have taken it over, Grandpa."
"What insolence!"
Grandfather bellowed.
Was it his imagination? The frail, shabby-looking old man seemed to be growing larger before his eyes.
No, the anger and passion forged into his flesh were swelling it up like bellows at a forge.
"So we have to take it back. Support me."
"Support you? Of course! How could this old man sit idly by when our Yu-won is set to fulfill the family's long-cherished wish!"
Grandfather, now fully lucid, shot to his feet, his eyes gleaming fiercely as he turned to Dad.
"Son, where's my cellphone?"
"Pardon? Father has so many cellphones... Oh, that old flip phone? It's safely stored in the warehouse."
"Bring it. I need that one."
"Father? Gah, you're still so strong!"
Grandfather dragged Dad away by the collar.
Mom and Sis could only stare at their retreating figures in stunned silence.
And understandably so—Ban Ji-won hadn't shown this much vitality in years.
"Father really loves Babel Tower to get this excited... So, what's the real story, Yu-won?"
Mom asked. Ban Yu-won answered honestly.
"I found Babel Tower."
"Even you, son? I don't know what game you're playing to fool your grandfather, but..."
"I found it."
Ban Yu-won repeated firmly as he opened his inventory.
The Dokkaebi Bangmangi, having rested inside for hours and fully recovered its energy, shot out, spun around in the air a few times, circled behind Mom, and lightly tapped her shoulder.
"Eek!"
"Have some faith. So, Mom, sorry, but I can't go to college."
"You're not just lying after getting rejected, are you?"
"No, Mom, I saw it myself—he definitely got into S University."
Ban Yu-mi spoke calmly, then turned to Ban Yu-won with serious eyes.
"Can I come to Babel Tower too? Sounds fucking fun."
"You're not ready. No, don't clench your fist. I'm serious, give it up."
"Shit..."
"I'll explain, so sit down and listen calmly."
With that, Ban Yu-won recounted everything that had happened to him that day.
Mom paled at the story of her son facing death without her knowing.
Ban Yu-mi's eyes sparkled at the mention of monsters and mana.
And when he explained that Babel Tower was called the dungeon of dungeons.
"No!"
Mom shrieked.
"How can I let you go to such a dangerous place!"
"I'm going, Mom. It's the place where I can make the best use of my talents."
"That's not what you said before! You wanted to live easy and be a diplomat!"
"Ugh, that was just because becoming an archaeologist or linguist here would yield obvious results. But that's not the case there. Our building is there, I tell you!"
"Ugh, I should've known when you followed Grandpa around like a puppy since you were little!"
Mom clutched her chest in frustration at her stubborn son, while Ban Yu-mi asked.
"Can I handle that mana stuff too?"
"What? No way... Hold on."
What had made Ban Yu-won able to wield mana?
Clearly, when he took in external mana, it had stimulated and awakened the mana dormant in his body.
And if so, Ban Yu-mi had potential too.
"Sis, give me your hand."
"Aww, this is embarrassing."
"Cut the crap."
He grabbed her grumbling hand and separated 0.05 of his perfectly integrated 16.25 magic power, bestowing it upon her.
Ownership wasn't required for bestowal anyway.
The moment 0.05 mana flowed through his hand into hers, Ban Yu-mi jolted.
"Wh-what is this?"
"Magic power. Feel it?"
"Right now, it's like... sleep...!"
Ban Yu-mi yanked her hand away and retreated, sitting cross-legged on the floor in concentration.
In wuxia novels, it was usually full lotus, but her kendo-honed form looked authentic enough.
Unlike Ban Yu-won, who had awakened instantly upon absorbing mana, she took much longer—maybe because she only got 0.05, or perhaps lesser talent. Hard to say.
As Ban Yu-won wondered if he should give more, a brilliant red light emanated from Ban Yu-mi's body.
"Got it! This is it, right!"
"Oh, it worked."
Her presence swelled in an instant.
Maybe because she was already strong, but awakening magic power brought a dramatic change.
Her strength surged, stamina bolstered, aura entirely renewed.
But Mom just sighed, forehead in hand, as her daughter tested her new power by handstanding on one finger.
"Oh no, now my daughter's gone weird too."
"Mom, I'll give you some magic power too. Once you awaken it, your body gets tougher and healthier."
"No thanks, Mom doesn't want it."
"It doesn't hurt."
"No!"
Mom flatly refused, spooked by her daughter glowing red.
Meanwhile, Ban Yu-mi, fully awakened, dragged Ban Yu-won off, itching to test her power.
"Ban Yu-won, spar with me!"
"I've never even learned kendo."
"Don't bullshit me, punk. Your stance was solid. Come on out, quick! Hurry!"
"Wait, before that, our grandpa..."
"Yu-won."
As he resisted Ban Yu-mi's forceful pull, Dad and Grandfather returned to the living room.
"They said to come by noon tomorrow. Bring whatever you need."
"Who?"
"The banker, who else?"
Banker. As in, bank employee.
Ban Yu-won vaguely recalled the family having an account at a Swiss bank.
Dad nodded, still rubbing his sore neck.
"Turns out he had an account at one of those movie-like private banks. Never even told his own son..."
"You have no talent for it! The account was always meant for Yu-won anyway!"
"Dad, Grandpa too."
Ban Yu-won bestowed 0.1 magic power each to Dad and Grandfather.
Even if not immediately, it might help their health if they awakened it someday.
Especially to slow Grandfather's dementia, even a little.
'Nice, magic power's neatly at 16 now.'
Investing in family wasn't a loss.
To other academy students, it'd be negligible anyway.
He wanted to give some to Mom too, but couldn't force her when she refused so vehemently.
"Feel that energy inside you? From now on,"
"It's good for your body, so focus and sense it well. Anyway, we're heading out!"
"Wait, I need to explain the academy to Grandpa too..."
"Mom can do that!"
Ban Yu-won was dragged out by Ban Yu-mi and forced into being her sparring partner.
The silver lining? Sparring with a skilled opponent rapidly grew his various concepts.
Swordsmanship grew shockingly fast—from 3 to 5.6 in just hours.
"What the hell, you. Why are you getting stronger so fast!"
"Ah, this is what they call 'talent'."
"I wanna kill you for real."
Ban Yu-mi had grown stronger with magic power, but so had he—and he had more.
Above all, his Life concept—level, simply put—was higher.
Her lifelong honed skills kept her ahead, but he was catching up fast!
'Hmm, this growth can't just be chalked up to talent, can it?'
Ban Yu-won, sparring and growing in real-time, questioned his own progress.
Then it hit him: his unique concepts, Omniread Eye, Omnihear Ear, and Omniloquent Lips.
They weren't limited to language.
'Why is my swordsmanship improving so fast? Because I'm observing Sis's movements, interpreting them, and applying to myself. So it's not just reading language.'
Ban Yu-mi, never bested by her brother in physical pursuits, held him all night out of frustration.
Thus, Ban Yu-won pulled an all-nighter swinging a sword, raising swordsmanship to 7.2 and inching up other body concepts.
But the overexertion left him sleeping from morning till nearly noon.
"Awake now?"
"Oh, Grandpa... You okay?"
Ban Yu-won eyed Grandfather Ban Ji-won, who seemed to have been waiting for him to stir, with slight worry.
But Grandfather nodded vigorously to dispel the concern.
"Can't afford to lose my mind at a time like this. Don't worry—until I've properly equipped you, no foolish slips. Now, take a look."
Following Grandfather's finger, Ban Yu-won saw stacks of gleaming gold bars.
Roughly a hundred kilograms.
"Wh-what is this...?"
"Pulled some gold from the account. Gold's good anywhere in the world, so take it."
"What about you if you give me all this!"
"Plenty left, don't fret. I'm not underestimating the wealth our ancestors amassed. Ahem, but the real treasure's this."
Tearing his eyes from the gold, Ban Yu-won spotted a large trunk in the corner.
Plain-looking, yet it irresistibly drew his gaze.
He realized it was the magic power emanating from within.
Magic power! On Earth, where none existed!
"Th-this is..."
Standing and opening the trunk, it brimmed with artifacts.
He knew his ancestors had traveled the world.
Grandfather Ban Ji-won alone had collected souvenirs from everywhere as a diplomat.
But these weren't trinkets—they were genuine relics steeped in history and legend.
Treasures that had even sprouted mana they shouldn't possess.
Invaluable beyond the gold.
"Grandpa, how did you get these...?"
"Traces of our ancestors' efforts to find Babel Tower. All yours now, Yu-won. Will they help?"
Ban Yu-won picked up an ancient-looking slingshot.
Carved from sturdy wood, etched with strange runes, sinew from some beast replacing rubber—frayed and unusable, but its feral aura was dizzying.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Steal Magic Rifle 5, Marksmanship 17, Hunting 21, Fierce Beast 8 from the slingshot that pierces lion's eyes?]
"...Yes."
Ban Yu-won nodded eagerly, admiring this true artifact lingering on a magic-less Earth.
"This'll help a ton."