Why Did I Have to Enroll

Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 153

Lesson 31: The Last Bite Is Always the Most Annoying - 3

―Boom! Boom!

―Boom boom boom boom boom!

The sound of explosions echoed all around. An overwhelming number of armored insects appeared, some charging at them, while others, equipped with what seemed like tank cannons, unleashed a barrage of firepower in their direction.

Despite the rule that climbers couldn't use machines, the monsters had fused with machinery, creating an absurd situation.

"Ban, these guys seem really pissed off…!"

"It looks like what Luciel destroyed was really important to them. That's why we've ended up in a defensive position against their attacks."

Ban Yu-won calmly analyzed the situation while using his power to conceptualize and neutralize the incoming shells. The shells were imbued with ominous concepts like Division, Explosion, Acid, and Poison, but fortunately, they were all physical rounds, not magical attacks.

"Those ladybug-like things we dealt with earlier are swarming in!"

"It would be nice if there was somewhere we could lean against and fight… but I don't see anything."

"If we summon the Mountain Giant…"

"There's not enough space to bring it out."

Dokgo Yeon sighed after surveying the surroundings.

"Let's form a defensive line around Ban Yu-won. Beast, focus on spreading as much electric current as possible to weaken them."

"Yes!"

The machines, doubled in strength due to the Trick Room's conditions, were being weakened by Luciel's electric discharge spreading in all directions.

Crackle.

The blue, wave-like electric current quickly halted the charge of the armored insects.

"Light!"

"I know!"

Taking advantage of the opening, Dokgo Yeon and Light charged forward. The enhanced armored insects were strong enough that even the mighty Dokgo Yeon couldn't take them down instantly, but Luciel's rampaging electricity disrupted their movements, allowing them to be defeated without much struggle.

"Tsk, they're still too tough… Ban Yu-won, any bright ideas?"

"No, Dokgo Yeon. We need to deal with the incoming shells first! Ban can't cover everything with his ability!"

"I'm thinking… Alright, let's do this."

At that moment, twenty-five Rain Swords shot out from Ban Yu-won's inventory, scattering in all directions. It wasn't a great choice for dealing with the incredibly tough armored insects unless he intended to imbue them with Aura, but Ban Yu-won had no intention of wielding them.

"Perfect."

"Oh, oh…?"

He used Resonance to activate the power of the Rain Swords spread around. As a result, all the incoming shells transformed into golden strings and were absorbed by the nearby swords. The twenty-five swords, arranged at regular intervals in the air, intercepted the barrage of shells, creating the illusion of a barrier surrounding the entire space.

"Wow, the shells are disintegrating as soon as they're fired."

"Now, please focus on weakening the main bodies!"

"Dokgo Yeon, do you think I'm omnipotent?"

Ban Yu-won grumbled but came up with an idea.

"Celon, lend me your Magic Power."

―Am I the backup? That means it's Language Magic.

"That's right."

Ban Yu-won held Celon and drew two concepts in the air: Corrosion and Diffusion. He combined the two language concepts, added his own imagery, and fixed the form of the magic, designating its location. Then, he poured all of his and Celon's Mysterious Qi into it!

"Since the electricity worked, this should be even more effective… Go!"

Boom!

A sound like a gas explosion shook the area. It was a similar sight. Corrosive gas erupted from the center of the approaching armored insect horde, rapidly expanding and engulfing them all! The insects at the epicenter melted away, and those within the affected area began to move awkwardly.

―Screech?!

―Screeeech――!

The concept of Corrosion was threatening even if the target wasn't mechanical, but it was especially deadly for machines made of delicate parts. Some of the insects, already affected by Luciel's electricity, went berserk and started crashing into their allies.

"Ban, isn't this dangerous for us too?!"

"Do you think I can't control my own magic? Just charge in!"

In truth, two of the Rain Swords were dedicated to absorbing any gas or shells that got too close to the group…

"Well done, Ban Yu-won!"

Dokgo Yeon charged forward fearlessly, smashing the machines to pieces. It was even easier than when they faced the insects in Room 84, as she added a touch of her own energy—Death—to the corrosive gas that was still infiltrating the insects.

Her power was inherently strong, but it became even more potent against those facing Death!

"Ahahaha… Yes, now they break apart nicely!"

Dokgo Yeon, who didn't have a good match against machines, regained her overwhelming momentum by indirectly using the corrosive gas. Light, while not as effective as Dokgo Yeon, also easily shattered the insects, and Luciel returned to the front lines.

Meanwhile, Ban Yu-won recovered his Mysterious Qi through meditation and gathered the concepts of the absorbed shells.

"The question is how to utilize this…"

―Whirr

"Hmm, Tike? Sure, if you want… Wait a minute. Come to think of it."

While Ban Yu-won was contemplating an idea, the battle continued. The armored insects, with their clear mechanical traits, had distinct strengths and weaknesses, and the Rebellion party managed to annihilate the formidable insect horde without a scratch, a feat that would make even a senior class party gasp.

They easily cleared Room 85 and entered Room 86, but…

―In this space, all machines have 2.5 times their abilities.

"Uh…"

"…This is quite interesting."

The unexpected modification of the conditions and the terrifying increase in power left them speechless. While Corrosion and electricity were still effective, if the power continued to increase by 50% each time, what would happen in the final chain room, Room 95? They would have to face machines enhanced by 650%, which seemed impossible.

"Did I make a huge mistake…?"

Luciel shivered as she watched the insect horde, more aggressive than in Room 85, swarm toward them. Ban Yu-won thought the same, but he couldn't demoralize her now.

"It's fine. The stronger the enemy, the better the rewards. I'll figure out a way to win, so just focus on fighting."

"Yu-won…!"

"Do you guys have to create such an atmosphere every time?"

"For once, I agree with Light… Let's focus on the enemies in front of us."

One fortunate aspect was that the increase in their power was mainly in their long-range attacks. The types of shells became more varied and larger. But with twenty-five Rain Swords spread throughout the area, the chance of them harming the party was zero.

"Tike, are you ready?"

―Whirr!

Tike confidently responded, adjusting her aperture several times.

"Alright. Let's connect."

Resonance among the familiars centered around Ban Yu-won. He intentionally directed it so that the twenty-five Rain Swords connected with Tike. As the concepts of the absorbed shells flowed into Tike, her seven barrels vibrated and began to re-fire them, enhanced through Projection!

―Boom boom boom boom boom!

The front was being devastated. Considering that Luciel's electricity and Ban Yu-won's Corrosion hadn't even spread yet, it was even more astonishing.

―Boom!

"Huh?"

"What is this?"

The party, preparing for battle, was equally surprised. Tike's rate of fire and destructive power had increased dramatically compared to her original capabilities. It was partly due to the powerful concepts of the shells she absorbed, but that wasn't all.

"Ban Yu-won, could it be?"

"It seems Tike is classified as a machine under the Trick Room's conditions."

―Boom boom! Boom boom!

"Hah…"

When Ban Yu-won quickly revealed the answer, Dokgo Yeon sighed in disbelief. It was because using machines inside the tower was unthinkable. They hadn't considered that the condition 'all machines are enhanced' would apply to Tike, but unfortunately for the armored insects, Ban Yu-won was the only one in the tower who could operate machines!

"And with this…"

"Sssssssssss!"

As if waiting for this moment, Eve soared into the air. With the power of Ever-changing, Eve could transform into a machine! While it was challenging for her to transform into something she didn't fully understand, there were plenty of examples right in front of her…

"Eat this, Eve!"

―Swoosh!

Ban Yu-won had stolen the concepts that made up the insects and granted them to Eve, helping her deeply understand the essence of machines!

―Sssss, sssssss!

Eve's body swelled as she began her transformation. Meanwhile, Ban Yu-won and Celon combined their powers to unleash another burst of corrosive gas in the midst of the enemies, and Luciel released electricity to clear a path for the party.

And then…

“Go, Eve!”

―Rumble…

Finally, the transformation was complete, and Eve emerged as a massive armored vehicle. She was clad in a hard carapace like the ladybug they first encountered in Room 84, with spikes protruding and retracting at regular intervals. The sound of her motor was so loud it was like constant thunder.

“Wow, this is…”

“…Reassuring.”

Though her size couldn’t compare to the Mountain Giant, now Dokgo Yeon’s pet, her presence was just as intimidating! Transformed into ‘the strongest machine Ban Yu-won could imagine,’ Eve thundered into the enemy ranks!

“Crush them all!”

―Rumble!

Already the strongest among Ban Yu-won’s familiars, Eve, now enhanced by the Trick Room’s buff to 2.5 times her power, literally trampled the weakened insect horde underfoot. Like the insects in Room 84, her carapace spun rapidly, and spikes erupted to pierce and explode upon contact with enemies. Her charging speed was unmatched, as the engine, modeled after the insects, was further enhanced by Eve’s arrangement, making her a unique monster on the battlefield!

“There are so many things I want to question… but let’s follow Eve for now.”

“I’ve thought this before, but couldn’t Ban conquer the tower alone?”

“…Be quiet.”

“Dokgo Yeon, you thought so too… Ouch!”

With the enhanced power of Tike and Eve, the party managed to break through to Room 89 (where machines were 4 times stronger) without violating the Trick Room’s conditions. They then moved to Room 90, Eden, for a long rest. They had considered the possibility that Eden might not appear in the middle of the chain rooms, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

However, they couldn’t just relax and celebrate.

“In Room 89, even with Corrosion and electricity, the enemies weren’t significantly weakened.”

“Consider that they were weakened to that extent. It’s going to be tough from Room 91 onwards…”

“If it weren’t for Tike and Eve, we would have definitely retired.”

“I’m sorry, everyone.”

“It’s fine. Let’s focus on how to proceed.”

Despite the double debuffs from Ban Yu-won and Luciel, the enemies’ power began to surpass the party’s. No matter how much Tike and Eve were strengthened by the Trick Room’s conditions, they couldn’t handle all the armored insects alone. Considering there were still five chain rooms left, it was clear that continuing like this would lead to inevitable defeat.

“We should stay here for a while and come up with a plan.”

“Yes, I agree.”

“Thank goodness it’s a long-term exploration.”

Staying too long could disrupt their strategy, but there was no time limit on their stay in Eden. If rushing forward would only lead to retirement, it was a rational choice to take advantage of the long-term exploration period to devise a plan.

“Hmm? Is that from Room 84?”

“I’m going to study it further. We were in a hurry before and couldn’t examine it properly… Anyway, the reason they’re attacking so desperately is probably because of this.”

The core device powering the giant machine. What would have happened if they hadn’t destroyed it? They likely wouldn’t have had to fight those insects so fiercely. It was that important to them, and naturally, they would encounter something related to it in the remaining five rooms.

‘There must be a way to use this… If I can’t figure it out through analysis, maybe I should try using the language magic of Restoration. Hmm, it seems possible, but I’m lacking Magic Power.’

Ban Yu-won attempted to restore the parts to a level he could manage by drawing on Celon’s Mysterious Qi, but he could only restore about 4% of the total, which was quite impressive. Moreover, this wasn’t something that could be solved by repeatedly using restoration magic; it required an absurdly high level of depth in the concept of restoration itself.

“Do you think it’s possible, Celon?”

―If I forget about erosion and focus for about twenty days, maybe?

“Are you teasing me?”

―Casting magic beyond one’s level requires risking one’s life. But saying it’s possible in about 20 days, even with my help, is actually a huge compliment to you.

“Is that so…”

But they couldn’t afford to spend 20 days on this. Ban Yu-won sighed, ate the Life Fruit in Eden to recover his Magic Power, and managed to restore the parts to about 10%, storing the junk in his inventory for now.

If they couldn’t find the key immediately, the only option left was brute force. During the process of breaking through Rooms 84 to 89, they had collected a considerable amount of parts dropped by the armored insects, and the amount of concepts absorbed from them was also substantial…

“Alright, let’s see…”

“Ban!”

Just as Ban Yu-won was about to enter inventor mode, familiar words from Light reached his ears.

“There’s a treasure chest here!”

“An artifact appeared!!!”