Climbing the Tower with Multidimensional Avatars - Chapter 76

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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 76. Galaxy Martial God Hall – Fateful Encounter (6)

Cheon Ga-ryeong and Cheon Gong-hu exchanged nervous glances, while Cheon So-yeon and I followed the Principal and Kim Do-hwa’s lead without hesitation.
-That’s enough. This isn’t an official visit, so there’s no need for excessive formality. Make yourselves comfortable.
“Understood!”
The two of them sat down awkwardly, their bodies rigid with tension.
The Principal yielded his seat of honor to Riven.
-So a sinkhole appeared behind Cheonmu Hall, causing part of the hall and the Sewage Treatment Facility to collapse. The four of you sitting there are responsible for this?
At the Family Head’s question, Cheon So-yeon shot to her feet.
“It was all my doing! The others are completely innocent!”
The Principal and Kim Do-hwa were startled by Cheon So-yeon’s sudden outburst, and I released a quiet sigh before raising my hand.
“Family Head, I am Cheon Ji-woo from Class 1, first year. May I have permission to speak?”
-Permission granted.
“While I cannot claim Cheon So-yeon bears no responsibility, neither can I say it was hers alone. It was I who gathered various rumors and guided her to the Sinkhole Area. Without me, she would never have visited that place. Furthermore, the ground there was already fracturing due to some prior disturbance. Cheon So-yeon merely added a small crack, ultimately only accelerating a collapse that was inevitable.”
The Principal and Kim Do-hwa stared at me as if questioning what I was doing.
Yet they dared not speak, for the Family Head had granted me the right to address him.
By shifting blame for the collapse to the Family Head, I could create an opening for escape.
However, since the Family Head might take offense, I deliberately avoided explicitly mentioning him as the cause.
The Family Head’s wrath was far more terrifying than responsibility for the sinkhole incident, so I had to be careful.
The Family Head seemed pleased by my words and laughed with genuine delight.
-Hahaha! “Gathered various rumors,” you say. Did Riven teach you that?
“I taught only what was within the curriculum.”
-Then it’s innate talent. Hmm… so this is what it means to be my great-grandson?
Yes. I am the Family Head’s great-grandson.
Though this is our first meeting.
“If I may be frank, Family Head, you were not particularly exceptional during your school days.”
The Principal and Kim Do-hwa were horrified by Riven’s remark.
Yet the Family Head laughed with amusement.
-Ahahaha! That’s rather hurtful to hear. You’re too much, Riven.
The Family Head had once been one of Riven’s students.
-I see. So it merely accelerated an inevitable collapse. Understood. Then I ask you, Cheon So-yeon—what did you feel in that place?
At the Family Head’s question, Cheon So-yeon fell silent in thought before composing her answer.
“…It was sorrowful.”
It was a sentiment I did not understand.
I had felt only beauty and wonder.
Yet it seemed to resonate differently with the Family Head.
-Ahahaha! Truly, the Heavenly Martial Physique. Though one of my cherished memories has crumbled, I am delighted to have encountered a kindred spirit, regardless of age. This is a blessing upon our clan.
The Family Head, laughing with joy, turned to address the Principal.
-I will cover all costs for clearing the collapsed sections and repairing the damaged buildings. Ensure that the children suffer no harm from this incident.
“As you command.”
The Principal simply accepted the order.
-However, accelerating the collapse was also a mistake. Mistakes must be punished accordingly.
Everyone tensed at the Family Head’s words.
-I will grant Cheon So-yeon the Vibrant Heavenly Divine Art. Demonstrate achievements of 3-star rank or higher before graduation. Should you fail to show results, I will personally wield the cane, so work diligently.
Everyone gasped in shock at the Family Head’s declaration.
The Vibrant Heavenly Divine Art, bearing the name of a divine technique, was a martial art containing the very essence of the clan—one that could not be learned casually.
This was a reward, not a punishment at all.
-Cheon Ji-woo will forfeit all vacations until graduation and receive two hours of tutoring daily from Riven. Riven, you may teach freely for one hour, but use the other hour to instruct in administration, strategy, and tactics. I will permit the time ratio up to the legal maximum.
Meanwhile, I received a severe penalty: forfeiture of my vacation.
What?! Why?! My vacation!!

* * *

The call with the Family Head was brief.
It seemed Cheon Ja-su had never intended to impose serious disciplinary measures on us.
It was exactly as I had anticipated.
The clan was showing tremendous interest in Cheon So-yeon, who possessed the Heavenly Martial Body, so I thought this matter would be quietly swept under the rug.
I hadn’t expected the Family Head himself to intervene and defuse the situation, but it worked in our favor.
Since the Family Head had ordered that we suffer no harm, the Principal would do his utmost to protect us.
The only lamentable thing was that my precious vacation had vanished until graduation.
Once the call with the Family Head ended, the Principal seemed to relax, melting into the sofa like a puddle of ice cream.
“Ah… this is exhausting. I never expected to meet the Family Head while assigned to this remote post.”
“Ahem! Principal.”
Kim Do-hwa cleared her throat and pointed out his posture, prompting the Principal to quickly straighten up.
“Ahem! Ahem! Kim Do-hwa, see that the children are sent home. They must be quite shaken, so comfort them well.”
“Yes, understood. Everyone, let’s go.”
Kim Do-hwa led us out of the Principal’s Office.
I positioned myself beside Kim Do-hwa and spoke.
“Teacher, I have something to discuss regarding the club.”
“What is it?”
“I intend to recruit new members for the club.”
At my words, Kim Do-hwa glanced at Cheon Ga-ryeong and Cheon Gong-hu following behind us.
“Those two?”
“Yes.”
“Suddenly?”
Kim Do-hwa appeared surprised by the sudden recruitment of new members.
I briefly explained the circumstances to Kim Do-hwa.
From my explanation, Kim Do-hwa seemed to grasp who they were and frowned.
“It’s certainly a difficult matter. However, it’s not an unsolvable one. As you know, the school’s affairs are being closely monitored by the family. If we raise the issue formally, it can be resolved sufficiently—so why not? Of course, I appreciate not having to escalate things.”
“Of course, I received an advance payment.”
At my words, Kim Do-hwa frowned.
“A guy from a wealthy family taking money… wait.”
Sensing something odd, Kim Do-hwa stopped in her tracks.
“Could it be…?”
“Those two are the sources behind the rumors.”
“And the Family Head actually had his insight there?!”
I quickly gestured for her to lower her voice at her loud exclamation.
No matter how shocked she was, what was she thinking speaking so loudly here?
After I cautioned her, Kim Do-hwa closed her mouth.
This was extremely dangerous information.
There were indeed rumors that the Family Head’s insight existed somewhere in the school, and students and teachers often searched for it believing those rumors.
“Shh! I didn’t say there was an insight there. It was just a secret base where the Family Head played when he was young. There were only rotted, broken toys scattered about. Well, there were traces that looked like they’d been carved by a sword, but how would someone at my level—or Cheon So-yeon’s level—recognize them as anything significant?”
Cheon So-yeon was officially at the second-rate level.
Even if I believed Cheon So-yeon’s level was first-rate or higher, first-rate was still too low a level to comprehend the Family Head’s insight.
Now that I think about it, how did Cheon So-yeon even understand that insight?
Wasn’t it excessively remarkable, even for the famous Cheon Martial Body?
“The sinkhole formed because Cheon So-yeon tried to imitate it and clumsily scraped along the traces with her sword. She must have touched something wrong, causing it to collapse. Even if those traces were an insight, we gained nothing from it.”
At my words, Kim Do-hwa looked exasperated, yet seemed disappointed that such a precious insight had crumbled and vanished.
“Did you at least take any photographs?”
“How would we have time for that? The cave was collapsing—we were just focused on escaping.”
Of course, it was all lies.
Cheon So-yeon had obtained the insight, and watching her, I had gained my own opportunity. We’d taken not just photographs but videos as well.
“Since it’s certain that place was the Family Head’s childhood secret base, we should acknowledge the club membership as promised. Even if there was an insight, we lacked the ability to comprehend it, let alone recognize it.”
I added one final point.
“You remember the Family Head’s order to ensure no one suffers harm from this incident, right?”
At my question, Kim Do-hwa looked at me as if dumbfounded.
“You cunning thing.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
The sinkhole incident was so massive in scale that most teachers knew about it.
Kim Do-hwa spread the rumor that it had originally been a natural cave with severe fractures from construction thirty-eight years ago, and that we had simply become caught up in it by accident while secretly playing near the Sewage Treatment Facility.
I had set the rumor’s framework, but Kim Do-hwa and Riven had worked out the detailed specifics.
Most teachers believed the rumor while remaining somewhat skeptical.
Our club’s nickname among the teachers inevitably became the “Trouble-Maker Club.”
After all, crowd psychology dictates that people remember the one mistake, no matter how many things you do right a hundred times.

* * *

“Do you understand what you did wrong?”
At Siu’s stern voice, I prostrated myself obediently.
I told Siu everything that had happened in the Underground Cave.
I even showed her photographs and videos.
If I didn’t trust Siu, whom could I trust?
If my master Siu said I was wrong, then I was undoubtedly wrong a hundred times over.
“I, I just thought I might be able to try it…”
Still, I was afraid of being scolded, so I had to make excuses somehow.
At my excuses, Siu let out an exasperated sigh.
“The fact that you could even attempt that is strange in itself. Most people cannot.”
Cheon So-yeon, who stood beside Siu watching me get scolded, nodded in agreement.
“There’s no helping it. At this rate, we don’t know when you’ll slip and trigger a demonic cultivation backlash, so I’ll completely seal your inner energy for about two years.”
Siu drew out a sharp needle to place the seal.
“A seal?”
“Young master, you understand this well enough yourself.”
I did. I understood well enough that my current state was dangerous.
My condition was like a balloon filled with too much air.
The more air you blow into a balloon, the thinner it becomes, until it bursts.
I had thought about sealing myself, but I figured it wouldn’t be necessary if I just didn’t use power above second-rate level.
Of course, I understood what Siu was worried about.
Even if a person decides not to use their inner energy, they might unconsciously use it out of habit.
The seal wouldn’t make the inner energy itself disappear, so there would be no problem in promoting physical cultivation.
“For two years, think of yourself as having lost your inner energy and focus entirely on physical cultivation. However, since your sword sense shouldn’t dull, I’ll allow you about thirty minutes a day to practice.”
“Only thirty minutes?”
“Who told you to accumulate inner energy to near-transcendent levels with such a fragile body?”
Siu infused energy into the needle and asked in a stern voice.
“Any last words?”
“P, please be gentle…”
“I’ll do my best. The pain is only bad at first.”
“Kyaaaah!”
Siu unhesitatingly placed the seal on my body.

[Name: Han Ji-woo (2-Slot Avatar) / Age: 7]
[Strength: 14 / Agility: 19 / Stamina: 15 / Intelligence: 24 / Mana: 1(-59)]
[Status: Mana Sealed]

Farewell, my comfortable daily life powered by inner energy.

(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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