100 Floors All Master - Chapter 235

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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All Master of 100 Floors Episode 235
The Second Universe Quest (1)
[Title: The Academy]
[Back when the world was still intact, I visited often. I feel nostalgic.]

* * *
[Damn it all!]
The flaming lizard revealed itself. Ultira spat out a curse.
[What in the hell is this!]
She was utterly bewildered.
The contract with Kang Jun-hyeok had certainly been a terrible thing. But in the end, she had given up and accepted it. There was no reason to be shocked, only depressed.
There was only one reason Ultira was panicking now.
[What is this! This damned world!]
She had awakened to the truth of the world.
Their world had been defeated in the Great War against the Victors.
Normally, it should have been utterly annihilated, but by the whim of the Master of the Universe, the Players were given an opportunity called the Tower.
And she herself was merely an existence trapped within that Tower.
Having grasped the truth, Ultira could only be shocked. Seeing her expression, Eldria murmured knowingly.
[So this is how spirit contracts within the Tower are formed. By making them aware of the truth and then sending them back outside. It’s cruel beyond measure. And how strange—does this mean there are now two Ultiras in the Spirit Realm?]
“That’s not the case.”
A being bound by contract within the Tower becomes the property of the Player. Ultira would become something that is Ultira yet is not Ultira. She could never return to the Spirit Realm.
Eldria let out a bitter laugh.
[So the Master of the Universe can do even that. Cruelty incarnate.]
[Damn it, damn it all. Damn it!]
Ultira trembled violently. Seeing her distress, Kang Jun-hyeok opened his mouth.
“It seems you didn’t reject the contract.”
When a spirit within the Tower contracts with a Player, all truths are imprinted upon their mind when leaving the floor.
And the spirit is given a single choice.
To accept the contract or to reject it.
Ultira appeared to have accepted the contract. She suddenly remembered something and asked.
[What would have happened if I had rejected it?]
“A duplicate of you would be created—one who has accepted everything, with emotions suppressed. Something like a machine, really.”
That duplicate would possess no emotions. It would be nothing but a faithful slave obeying the Player’s commands.
But Ultira now was deeply emotional. From that fact alone, he could discern that Ultira had accepted the contract.
Ultira grumbled.
[You speak nonsense. If I rejected it, I would be annihilated along with the floor. How could I refuse such a proposal?]
“Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. More than half chose to reject it.”
Countless spirits chose to forget everything rather than face the harsh truth.
Ultira fell silent for a moment, then spoke.
[It was shocking, certainly. But thinking about it rationally, it’s not so bad. After all, I was merely a servant guarding the back chamber by the King’s orders.]
Rather, if I could fight freely like this, that was fine in its own way.
[The truth is shocking, but that too is merely one outcome. I shall not be swayed by fortune or misfortune.]
At Ultira’s composed response, Kang Jun-hyeok smiled faintly.
“Good. I look forward to working with you. Living alongside a clone with suppressed emotions isn’t particularly comfortable, after all.”
[Hmph. I was a false existence bound to this Floor. To forcibly awaken me to that truth… how cruel. Is this what it means to be a Player?]
“I’m sorry about that. But we don’t have the luxury to worry about such things right now. This isn’t a joke—we’re in a situation where we need to borrow even the strength of an ant.”
[….]
At Kang Jun-hyeok’s words, Ultira fell silent for a moment.
He was right. The world was collapsing. The shocking truth Ultira herself had experienced held no value whatsoever.
[I see. Forgive me for speaking in such a questioning manner.]
“There’s no need to apologize one by one. We’ll be together for a long time from now on.”
[…Yes. That will be the case. Is there nothing to do for now?]
“Nothing. For now, stay inside.”
[Understood. This is quite something. I’m experiencing all sorts of extraordinary things.]
With that final murmur, Ultira vanished. Kang Jun-hyeok checked the contract window.
[Spirit Contract: High-Grade Flame Spirit Ultira]
[Grade: High-Grade]
[Summons a high-grade flame spirit. The duration of the summon varies depending on the spirit’s power. When the spirit’s power is completely depleted, it is automatically unsummoned and cannot be summoned again until its power recovers. Consuming nature affinity can accelerate the recovery speed.]
Unlike the Shadow Spirit Muu, Ultira could be summoned without nature affinity. It only affected the recovery speed.
A powerful spirit at the edge of the 2nd Tier had become his strength. It would be of great help in various endeavors. Kang Jun-hyeok’s expression was extremely satisfied.
‘I never thought I’d obtain a high-grade spirit.’
The 51st Floor had been a floor where I gained many things.
The Perfect Player title reward on the 51st Floor was a significant increase in the probability of gaining favor with the Elves. Considering the Elves’ rejection of other species, it was a beneficial effect.
Kang Jun-hyeok called Pixie and transmitted the memory to her. Pixie’s expression became curious.
[A Shadow Spirit? Such beings exist? I didn’t know either, since I don’t visit the Spirit Realm often.]
[330 Starlight.]
“Phew.”
Now, roughly ten days remained until the second Universe Quest.
Kang Jun-hyeok thought of the 52nd Floor.
‘Is that the one.’
The Floor itself was nothing special. It would take time, but clearing it wasn’t difficult.
However, what could be obtained there was quite significant.
Three days later, Kang Jun-hyeok entered the 52nd Floor.
[52nd Floor Quest.]
[Esper Academy. Graduate from Saitoria without issue.]
The 52nd Floor involved enrolling in and graduating from an Esper Academy.
It seemed that Players without Superpowers wouldn’t even be able to enroll, but that wasn’t quite the case. Numerous Skills were themselves Superpowers. Most Players enrolled by utilizing their Skills.
But Kang Jun-hyeok did the opposite—he concealed his Skills and displayed his Telekinesis instead.
“Telekinesis, is it? The output isn’t particularly impressive. You’ll need to focus your training on precise control. You’re accepted.”
Kang Jun-hyeok successfully enrolled in the Academy.
[What are you planning to do this time?]
Manbyeonggi asked with barely concealed anticipation.
Kang Jun-hyeok had cleared the Tower through extraordinary means thus far. Knowing that he had even regressed to the past, Manbyeonggi couldn’t help but anticipate how he would strategize this time.
However, contrary to Manbyeonggi’s expectations, Kang Jun-hyeok showed no particular initiative.
He simply practiced telekinesis—practiced and practiced and practiced again. Manbyeonggi asked, sounding disappointed.
[Are you not doing anything special this time?]
“The 52nd Floor is designed to help master Superpowers.”
True to its name as the Esper Academy, the environment was structured to provide various forms of assistance in learning Superpowers. It was ideal for elevating nascent abilities.
Manbyeonggi asked as though unable to comprehend Kang Jun-hyeok’s approach.
[Your Superpowers are nothing remarkable right now. They help control Pixie’s magical reserves, but they’re hardly growing anymore.]
As the Proficiency of the magical reserves increased, the auxiliary role of telekinesis had diminished considerably. Currently, if there was one power that held the least significance for Kang Jun-hyeok, it was undoubtedly his Superpowers.
[Does raising that Proficiency even matter?]
“It matters.”
Quite significantly, in fact.
Rather than explain in words, Kang Jun-hyeok demonstrated.
‘It moves.’
Whoosh.
In sync with his will, Kang Jun-hyeok’s body moved with startling speed.
That velocity was qualitatively different from anything before. The moment his mind moved, his body followed. Kang Jun-hyeok’s expression grew satisfied.
“Perfect.”
[What do you mean, perfect? Your movements are smoother than usual, but…]
Eldria hadn’t noticed. But Manbyeonggi grasped it immediately.
[The Realm of Heart-Intent?]
All mammals governed by the Universal Law moved by having their brains send electrical signals to their bodies, which then responded to those signals.
A sequence of processes existed. That duration was at most on a comma-unit scale—hardly any time at all. Yet the stronger one became, the higher one’s Realm, the more pronounced this limitation became.
Thus, Martial Arts had devised an answer to resolve this problem.
When heart and will move, the body follows.
The Realm of Heart-Intent.
That was what Kang Jun-hyeok was demonstrating now.
[How? Your Enlightenment shouldn’t reach that far.]
Manbyeonggi was bewildered. The Realm of Heart-Intent represented a considerably high level of attainment in Martial Arts. It was a Realm achievable only by reaching the upper echelons of the Profound Realm, just below the Realm of the Sword Heart.
Kang Jun-hyeok’s Martial Arts were at best at the tail end of the Transformation Realm, barely scraping the bottom of the Profound Realm. His victory over the Bloody Demon Sect Leader stemmed entirely from his overwhelming superiority and the uniqueness of his Martial Arts. He shouldn’t have been capable of comprehending Heart-Intent.
“Look closely.”
Kang Jun-hyeok moved his body once more. Only then did Manbyeonggi belatedly understand.
[It’s not the Realm of Heart-Intent.]
“Right. I used telekinesis.”
Superpowers are forces wielded through heart and will.
The approach itself was fundamentally different. Precisely because of that, Kang Jun-hyeok could now achieve the Realm of Heart-Intent—something that would normally require reaching a considerable level in Martial Arts.
[Now that I think about it, that’s true. That was the uniqueness of Superpowers.]
Manbyeonggi had known this fact, but had simply forgotten it in his mind.
Because he was a martial artist.
He had no intention of learning Superpowers, nor any desire to do so.
But Kang Jun-hyeok was a Player.
By utilizing diverse abilities, he could compensate for the weaknesses of each power. He was aware of this fact, but to think he could follow the ascending Profound Principle like Shim-ui so effortlessly was quite astonishing.
“Conversely, Superpowers have the disadvantage of struggling with things like physical enhancement. Since mind and will are the primary forces, there’s also the aspect that if one is mentally broken, the output of power itself becomes corrupted.”
The strongest Esper of his previous life had been unable to overcome that weakness and had collapsed.
And Kang Jun-hyeok was solving that very weakness through Martial Arts instead.
He lacked talent.
Reaching the pinnacle with a single ability alone was a distant dream.
That was why he wielded each ability to compensate for weaknesses and took only the advantages. That was his true strength.
Whoosh.
Kang Jun-hyeok moved his body with blinding speed. Moving in tandem with mind and will, it was a velocity with not even a comma unit of delay.
Kang Jun-hyeok continued training his Telekinesis afterward. After about a week had passed, he could move his body with his mind as naturally as breathing.
Since the gap of a comma unit could never be considered small, it was an enormous advantage in future combat.
And finally, it was time for the second Universe Quest to begin.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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