Climbing the Tower with Multidimensional Avatars - Chapter 151

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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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Chapter 151. Galaxy Martial God Hall – School Excursion (5)

A Formation Technique is a skill with special effects applied to a specific space through the use of formation objects.
Even without the use of Qi, patterns that induce dizziness, repetitive structures that cause loss of direction, or soundproof chambers could be considered types of Formation Technique.
While Formation Techniques fall into the category of Heterodox Path Methods, unlike talismans, Method Arts, Daoist Arts, and Immortal Arts, they were not lost transmissions and continue to be passed down and actively used to this day.
In the early age of the Vast Universe, around the 22nd century, Formation Techniques were integrated into space technology; however, they were quickly abandoned because their efficiency was far inferior to electrical space technology.
Techniques utilizing Qi, including Formation Techniques, primarily employ dynamic Qi, but the Qi found in the vacuum of space, where there is no atmosphere, is static Qi and thus difficult to harness.
For this reason, even Qi Circulation Breathing proves inefficient in space.
Even though Formation Techniques are not used in space technology, in the early age of space exploration when terraforming technology was still crude, Formation Techniques were used fairly often.
Formation Techniques would extract Qi from a planet’s Dragon Veins and use it to maintain artificially created atmospheres, conserve energy, or improve nutritional efficiency in food production.
From a more macroscopic perspective, electronic circuits through which electricity flows could also be considered a type of Formation Technique.
Typically, Martial Arts Specialized Schools do not primarily teach Formation Techniques.
Usually history classes mention in passing what Formation Techniques were used in certain historical events, and to learn even at a basic level, one had to enter university.
To study it properly, one had to attend architecture programs or schools that specialized in teaching Formation Techniques.
Incidentally, architecture departments list Formation Techniques and feng shui geography as required subjects in their major.
Although one should properly attend university or specialized schools to study Formation Techniques, I was already learning it—not of my own will.
The reason an elementary schooler like me was learning difficult Formation Techniques was simple.
It was because of the Family Head, Sword King Cheon Ja-su.
When I was a first-year student, I discovered a secret stone tablet containing the Sword King’s teachings with Cheon So-yeon, and because I destroyed that tablet, the Family Head assigned me supplementary lessons during the holidays as punishment.
What I mainly learned then was political administration, strategy and tactics, and Formation Techniques.
It seemed the Family Head intended to groom me as a strategist.
Not necessarily intending to hire and use me, but more like thinking that since I showed promise, it would be useful to develop me for something or other.
As I thought about what I was forced to learn because of the Family Head, I suddenly recalled the opportunity for advancement I had gained during my first year.
According to what Teacher Riven told me, the reason the foundation beneath the building was not concrete back then was that in the early stages of terraforming, establishing self-sustaining ecosystem circulation was paramount, and concrete hindered ecosystem development.
The most important element in an ecosystem is life—specifically, an environment where plants can survive.
Plants are necessary to produce oxygen properly.
Since plants needed carbon dioxide to produce oxygen, the carbon dioxide ratio was critical in early terraforming environments.
However, the primary component of concrete is lime.
Lime has the property of capturing carbon dioxide, which sharply reduces the carbon dioxide ratio in the air.
Because of this, it became impossible to create an environment where plants could survive due to carbon dioxide deficiency, making concrete strictly forbidden in the early stages of terraforming.
When unavoidable use was necessary, concrete had to be sealed as quickly as possible to prevent air contact, using special paint and other methods.
I’ve digressed for a moment, but thanks to the Family Head, I understood Formation Techniques better than ordinary undergraduate majors—perhaps even at a master’s level.
So well that Teacher Riven would sometimes jokingly say I was the clan’s foremost Formation Technique master.
“Could this possibly be the Golden Prison Chain Maze Formation?”
No, this isn’t the Formation Technique I thought it was.
Usually, the Formation Techniques installed in resorts like this are designed to aid survival in emergencies or to provide comfort and vitality in ordinary times.
But this was a Formation Technique typically used only in prisons—specifically, high-security facilities housing extremely dangerous criminals, the kind so vicious that even shattering their dantian or severing their limb meridians would be too risky.
Martial artists raise the level of their physical bodies themselves through Internal Qi Cultivation.
A martial artist at Fire Realm Stage or above who has undergone Bone Replacement Shedding becomes an extremely dangerous existence even without Internal Qi.
Of course, being unable to leave from inside meant being unable to enter from outside, which sometimes made it the best defensive formation.
So important military facilities often installed the Golden Territory Chain Maze Formation, a modified version of the Golden Prison Chain Maze Formation, to prevent external intruders.
“Now that I think about it, they said colonies and asteroids located at the outer edges of star systems can be used as military facilities in emergencies.”
If that’s the case, it’s not incomprehensible.
Still, something feels off. Should I have tried to figure it out?

* * *

At four forty, an announcement came through the speakers instructing everyone to gather in the Central Hall Floor 1, warning that latecomers would be penalized.
Students scattered throughout the resort gathered in the central hall in perfect order.
“Teachers, please compile the scores for your respective classes.”
At the Vice Principal’s words, the assistant teachers tallied our scores.
“We’re definitely winning first place, right?”
“Of course! Look how much Ji-woo found!”
Cheon Ha-sung and Cheon Bu-hyeon grinned widely at the prospect of winning first.
But from what I could see, Cheon So-yeon’s group would take first place, so they should wake up from that dream.
My target is second place.
“Alright, compilation is complete. I’ll announce from tenth place. Tenth place goes to Class 3, Group 4! Total score: 15 points!”
From fourth place onward, the scores were in points.
Tenth place didn’t earn many points, but the kids who placed tenth were thrilled, as if wondering where they’d gone wrong.
“Next up, ninth place: Class 8 Group 1! Total score: 17 points!”
As the rankings continued, Cheon Ha-sung and Cheon Bu-hyeon chuckled to themselves, convinced we’d take first no matter what.
“Eighth place: Class 1 Group 1! Total score: 21 points!”
“What?”
The Vice Principal’s announcement left me stunned. Class 1 Group 1—that was Cheon So-yeon’s group.
I glanced over at her, surprised, and found her smiling and clapping for them.
Having been close to Cheon So-yeon for so long, I could read what lay beneath that smile.
She simply hadn’t bothered to participate seriously in the treasure hunt for the sake of the other kids.
It seemed she’d just killed time somewhere and picked up a piece or two on the way back.
“…First place: Class 1 Group 3! Total score: 123 points!”
Class 1 Group 3 was my group.
Of the 123 points, I’d found 103 myself.
“Yaaay! We’re first! First!”
“Woohoo!!”
“Yeah!”
Cheon Gong-hu, Cheon Ha-sung, and Cheon Bu-hyeon grabbed me in their arms and bounced up and down.
Wait—didn’t you guys just say the treasure hunt was kid stuff? So why are you so genuinely excited about this?!
“Lift him up! Lift him up!”
“Lucky man! Long live Cheon Ji-woo!”
“Long live Cheon Ji-woo!”
The three of them hoisted me into the air and tossed me high.
“Ahhhhh!”
As I fell from that dizzying height, I instinctively tried to deploy the Weightless Lightness Skill but failed.
It was because this body had no Astral Body.
After being thrown into the air a few more times, the Vice Principal came over, handed us an oversized Treasure Hunt 1st Place Sign, and dragged us to the center for a photograph.

* * *

After the treasure hunt ended, there was a brief rest period before dinner.
During the break, everyone was free to rest in their rooms or relax in the resort’s café or lounge.
Before everyone dispersed, I approached Cheon So-yeon with a question.
“Is something wrong?”
At my words, Cheon So-yeon smiled wryly and turned the question back on me.
“What do you mean?”
It was an innocent-sounding answer, but perhaps because I’d known her so long, I could detect a faint nervousness beneath the composed expression.
“If something’s bothering you, tell me anytime. Don’t suffer alone for no reason. I’ll help if I can. And if you don’t trust me, you can always talk to Teacher Kim Do-hwa instead.”
“…Okay.”
“Good, then get some rest.”
I yawned and headed back to where my group mates were.
After dinner, a few kids from the class gathered and went to the karaoke room—one of the resort’s facilities—where we sang our hearts out and had a blast.
Usually, teachers would restrict access to these kinds of facilities and keep them for their own use, but with so many assistant instructors around, they gave us quite a bit of freedom.
Of course, a few students got caught sneaking in alcohol and had their freedoms curtailed accordingly.
Tsk, tsk—elementary school kids getting into that kind of trouble.
These so-called martial artists actually brought something that reeked like a dead rat.
No matter what era it is, troublemakers stay troublemakers.

* * *

The morning of the second day of the field trip… hadn’t yet broken.
Whether the rotation period of this asteroid had been slowed or quickened during terraforming, I couldn’t say, but the clock ran roughly the same as always.
However, because the orbital period differed, the sun still hadn’t risen.
Altering a planet’s rotation period is one of terraforming’s core technologies, but changing the orbital period was something even 50th-century technology couldn’t accomplish.
You could split a planet in half, but you couldn’t make it orbit faster or slower.
When I dropped the Sound Isolation Magic, I found Cheon Ha-sung beside me snoring away with all manner of awful noise.
“If that’s the level of snoring he’s doing, doesn’t that count as sleep apnea?”
Since the school conducts health and vitals checks every month, any issues would have been corrected long ago, so his snoring probably wasn’t serious.
Following my usual habit of waking before dawn for light exercise, I left the room alone, only to find a teacher on night duty yawning as he sat in a chair, with several students sprawled beside him, drenched in sweat.
Had they been caught trying to sneak out at night?
“What are you doing out here, Cheon Ji-woo?”
“I came down to exercise. I wake up at this time every day and train until morning.”
Skip a workout and muscle loss sets in.
I was ashamed to admit when I’d become so obsessed with training, but there was no help for it—I needed to break through the seal strangling my dantian.
The teacher looked at me with admiration at my answer.
“No wonder you maintain such high grades.”
“As you know, I’m notoriously slow, so while others take one step, I need ten or twenty. My grades might suffer if I slack off for even a moment, so I can’t afford to be careless.”
“That’s the spirit. I’m rooting for you.”
I accepted the duty teacher’s encouragement and made my way down to the Underground Gym.
That teacher had once disapproved of me—worried that a slow learner like me would drag down Class 1’s reputation—but somewhere along the way, his attitude toward me had shifted to something genuinely supportive.
Was it because I’d maintained my grades?
As I entered the Underground Gym, the janitor jumped in surprise and turned toward me.
“Oh! Student! This is still cleaning time—you shouldn’t come in right now!”
“Ah, I see. When will it be done?”
“Just wait outside for a bit! Just a moment! I’ll be finished in no time!”
The janitor waved me away frantically while mopping the floor.
The way he panicked made me wonder—was he up to something strange?
I decided to wait outside for now and stepped back out of the gym.

(To be continued in the next episode)

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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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