Climbing the Tower with Multidimensional Avatars - Chapter 42

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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 42. Galaxy Martial God Hall – Android Teacher (1)

The Martial Arts Director, who had personally tested Cheon Ji-woo at the Principal’s inquiry, spoke up.
“I conducted the test myself, and I was surprised by what I saw.”
“Kim Do-hwa personally administered the exam?”
Had the evaluation been genius or prodigy level, it would have warranted her direct involvement, but anything below that could have been handled by other teachers.
“Looking at the paperwork, his age shouldn’t even qualify as third-rate, let alone second-rate, yet it was marked as third-rate. I thought it might be falsified information, so I tested him directly. Given the special circumstances, I felt it necessary to administer the test myself to avoid any gossip.”
“Special circumstances? Ah!”
Cheon Ji-woo’s special circumstance noted that his grandfather was Cheon Gyeong-ho, the external clan head and one of the candidates for the position of minor clan head.
“Hmm! If he’s the grandson of that person, it’s certainly worth testing regardless of his aptitude. But you said he was marked as third-rate? Here he’s second-rate?”
“Actually, at the time of the test, he was still third-rate. More precisely, he was at the threshold of breaking through to second-rate.”
“That means….”
The Martial Arts Director nodded.
“He achieved a breakthrough during our test. The wooden sword shattered from the unstable energy. There’s video evidence as well.”
When she played the footage for him to see directly, the Principal was impressed.
“Regardless of his aptitude, his combat instincts are quite remarkable. Did he deliberately conceal his limits and bait me into lowering my guard before attempting that strike?”
“Precisely.”
As a supreme martial artist, she could have easily blocked the attack with Protective Rigid Energy or the lower technique Protective Energy Armor, even if she had allowed it through.
After reviewing the footage a couple of times, the Principal sighed genuinely.
“Alas… what a waste of combat instinct. Had his aptitude been even moderately adequate, I would have concentrated on nurturing him alongside Cheon So-yeon.”
Displaying such combat sense at that age was extraordinarily rare.
However, regrettably, in martial arts, one could say that physical aptitude was everything.
Regardless of what rigorous training Cheon Ji-woo had undergone to achieve results comparable to a prodigy at such a young age, now that he had merely reached second-rate, he would be surpassed by the time he graduated elementary school.
And not by children with prodigy-level upper evaluations, but by those with merely average-level middle evaluations.
That was what mediocre talent meant.
The evaluation of lower-level lower-rank for Cheon Ji-woo was determined in consideration of his current level at lower-level middle-rank, but in truth, the aptitude metrics displayed by the machine showed Cheon Ji-woo’s talent at approximately lower-level middle-rank of mediocre talent.
The evaluations of the remaining students concluded concisely.
“Now for class assignments. Is there anyone with special circumstances?”
At the Principal’s words, the Android Teacher raised her hand.
“There is one special circumstance.”
“What is it?”
“It concerns student Cheon Ji-woo.”
“Cheon Ji-woo? Why this student again?”
In response to the Principal’s question, the Android Teacher answered.
“This student is a prodigy. Not in martial arts, but intellectually. Looking at his test results, they are quite remarkable. His mathematics and science are at the level of a specialized high school first-year second semester. Moreover, examining his solution processes, he hasn’t merely memorized formulas—he clearly understands the underlying concepts. And most notably, he completed all language problems in just two hours. This is a result at the level of a doctorate in linguistics.”
It was an extraordinarily impressive level.
As the world advanced, subjects like mathematics and science were divided between general schools and specialized schools, each teaching different content.
General high schools taught only up to calculus at most to cultivate logical and critical thinking, while specialized high schools provided foundational education for cultivating mathematicians and scientists, including algebra and advanced mathematics.
It was a specialized school of sorts.
“According to the submitted records, Cheon Ji-woo has never received private tutoring or advanced instruction. He merely gathered information from the internet! This student should be sent to a gifted academy where his talents can truly flourish, rather than here at this martial arts-specialized school.”
At the android teacher’s words, the Principal examined the records.
“Hmm… Riven’s point is absolutely valid. But that’s simply not possible. You understand why, don’t you?”
“…Because he’s the Outer Clan Lord’s grandson?”
The Principal nodded at the android teacher Riven’s conjecture.
“Without legitimate grounds, I cannot send the Outer Clan Lord’s grandson to another school. It’s not something a sacred institution should concern itself with, but politics must be considered as well.”
Cheon Gyeong-ho, who was contending for the position of Clan Master, would never permit anything that could become a blemish on his record.
If Cheon Ji-woo had been a dull student who couldn’t properly master martial arts, there would be merit to the argument of identifying his talents elsewhere—but his level was second-rate, the realm of a gifted prodigy.
The Cheon Family Clan was not a scholarly house, but a martial clan.
The android teacher Riven understood this fact, which is why she had broached the subject with a principled argument first.
“Then please allow me to provide education for this student during the time allocated to me. And I request corresponding support as well.”
With principle established, the grounds for making demands naturally emerged.
The Principal pondered the android teacher’s request before nodding.
“…Very well. If Riven teaches him, the facilities may fall short of a gifted academy, but the education will be no less rigorous.”
On the surface, it appeared to be special treatment.
Yet the Principal’s philosophy was that since the child’s future was being constrained by adults’ circumstances, such consideration was necessary.
Even in the Principal’s assessment, Cheon Ji-woo was a talent who should walk the path of a scholar, not a warrior.
This was the bare minimum conscience of an educator who had yielded to politics.

* * *

Excellent! I’ve reached second-rate!
I should climb The Tower with this level of cultivation!
…or so I thought, but unfortunately, there was currently no way to absorb my Reincarnation Clone.
So my Tower Clone’s body also needed to reach second-rate, but it was impossible to advance my Tower Clone to second-rate when my Reincarnation Clone’s body hadn’t even grown accustomed to second-rate yet.
The fortunate part was that I was gradually becoming more familiar with second-rate through time, and permission to resume cultivation practice—which had halted upon reaching second-rate—had been granted.
I hadn’t reached second-rate by grasping enlightenment and breaking through the realm; rather, my body had transcended the realm through a transitional period while in a state of vague enlightenment, which is why permission was granted.
It was proof that my body had grown to match the realm.
Now at second-rate, I finally began training with a practice sword instead of a wooden sword that shattered whenever I infused it with energy.
As I infused the practice sword with energy and trained my swordsmanship, I realized when I had gained the enlightenment to advance to second-rate.
It was when I cut down Captain Hapi on Floor 14 that I grasped the sensation to advance to second-rate.
As a martial artist, enlightenment wasn’t some grand opportunity or profound realization like in martial arts novels—it was closer to a kind of instinct.
That’s why martial artists are always running around looking for fights.
Instinct activates most vividly in moments of life and death during combat, and there’s no moment of greater focus on the martial way than that.
Come to think of it, the moment I grasped the sensation to reach second-rate was precisely when I was covered in blood and dying.
To advance to first-rate, I’d need to fight, wouldn’t I?
In that case, there was no place better than The Tower.
With that thought, I spent each day faithfully—training as usual, playing, eating, and sleeping.
And as another year passed, I turned seven and entered elementary school in earnest.
I gradually became accustomed to second-rate, and I evolved from a preschooler into an elementary school student!
On my first day of school, Siu handed me the school uniform that had been distributed by the school not long ago.
“Time really flies. The day has come when you’re wearing a school uniform, Young Master.”
“Indeed. Elementary school uniforms from the start—not even middle school.”
The uniform, consisting of blue pants and a white top, was the sort of outfit a child model might wear.
“They say it’s made from synthetic fibers processed with the latest technology to be more similar to spider silk, so it should be better than most bulletproof or blade-resistant clothing. At least it’s far superior in performance to that adult combat suit you impulsively bought not long ago.”
“Oh! Really?”
I had recently purchased a new combat suit after my old one was reduced to tatters fighting Hapi’s group.
When Siu asked why I bought it, I simply said I’d lost the old one.
The combat suit I bought fit too tightly and was quite uncomfortable, but this school uniform felt like a normal fit—just slightly snug.
Money really is wonderful. Expensive items are worth their price, but as a small child living on pocket money, it was nothing but a pipe dream.
Is there any way to get adult versions cheaply?
Dressed in my uniform and contemplating this impossible wish, I set out for school.
Naturally, Siu drove me in her personal vehicle.
The school operated a school bus for students commuting from home, but we decided to use a private car for safety reasons.
That safety was my safety, certainly, but it was also for the safety of the students who would ride the bus.
That was because…
“Ji-woo! You came early!”
I would be commuting to school with Cheon So-yeon.
The driver of the school bus and the teacher assisting with boarding and alighting wouldn’t be at a particularly high level, so there was a possibility that the entire bus could be caught up in an attack by kidnappers targeting the Heavenly Martial Body.
The Cheon Family Clan had supposedly assigned distant protection to prevent Cheon So-yeon, who possessed the Heavenly Martial Body, from being kidnapped, but if the entire bus were abducted and the number of hostages increased, that protection might fail to function properly.
And more than anything, one Hwagyeong expert protecting from up close was far superior to several inferior martial artists guarding from a distance.
By the way, in exchange for escorting Cheon So-yeon to and from school, the Cheon Family Clan bestowed quite generous rewards upon me.
They showed such keen interest that the Cheon Family’s martial arts legacy must have been truly remarkable.
“Please take good care of our So-yeon, Siu.”
Cheon So-yeon’s Mother asked me to look after Cheon So-yeon, and I responded with a smile.
“Don’t worry. It’s only a fifteen-minute drive.”
Cheon So-yeon’s Parents were commanders of the Military Force Unit, so naturally they had to report for duty.
The parental leave granted when Cheon So-yeon’s younger sibling was born had apparently already ended.
As our car arrived at the school, I could see students of all sizes, from first grade to sixth grade, streaming through the gates.
Like me and Cheon So-yeon arriving by car, there were students using the school bus, and others walking or cycling to school.
“I’ll call you when school ends.”
“Understood. I’ll be here on time.”
Siu watched as I and Cheon So-yeon entered the school building, then departed.
Cheon So-yeon looked around curiously, as if the school fascinated her.
“You came during the entrance exam and the opening ceremony.”
At my words, Cheon So-yeon’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she replied.
“But back then, I didn’t get to freely explore the buildings like this. Wow, Ji-woo! What’s that!”
Cheon So-yeon marveled at the anatomical model visible through the classroom window.
So they still use those things even in the 50th century.
Wait, is it for martial arts training rather than scientific study?
Typically, acupoint studies begin in middle school, but advanced learning could start earlier.
It made sense that Cheon So-yeon, attending school for the first time, would find everything fascinating, but this was my second time starting elementary school, so nothing particularly impressed me.
My body may have shrunk, but my mind remained unchanged.
“If you keep sightseeing like that, you’ll be late.”
“Oh! Right! I can’t be late on my first day! Let’s hurry!”
I followed Cheon So-yeon toward Class 1-1.
Upon entering the classroom, the Female Teacher who had tested me during the entrance exam greeted us both.
“Cheon So-yeon, Cheon Ji-woo. Sit wherever you’re comfortable.”
The spacious classroom contained a total of twenty-one large sofas.
I knew it was a wealthy school, but placing sofas without desks? Really?
Thinking this, I took a seat by the window in a corner, and Cheon So-yeon immediately claimed the seat beside me.
“Oh, this is a Virtual Reality device.”
Cheonmu Elementary School wasn’t just a wealthy school—it was absurdly wealthy.
Rather than setting up a computer lab, each student had their own Virtual Reality device?
This was a price I could never afford with my allowance or living expenses.
Of course, even if I could afford it, Siu would object, so I couldn’t buy it anyway.
When I manipulated the device attached to the sofa’s armrest, a dome-like lid rose from behind the seat.
“Student Cheon Ji-woo! Don’t touch things without permission!”
“Oh, yes.”
I quickly restored it to its original state.
Once all the students had arrived and taken their seats, the middle-aged Female Teacher standing before the podium wrote her name on the electronic blackboard.
-Kim Do-hwa
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. From today onward, I am Kim Do-hwa—your homeroom teacher and the instructor who will guide you in martial arts.”

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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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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