Climbing the Tower with Multidimensional Avatars - Chapter 84

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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 84. Galaxy Martial God Hall – Interaction with Seniors (3)

Even if I didn’t know exactly how typical exchange meetings proceeded, with 41 clubs on campus, each had at least dozens to hundreds of basic members.
Clubs like the Lightness Skill Club, which required prerequisite middle school training, had only 20 to 30 members, but clubs like the Sword Arts Club that dealt with universal weapons could have 100 to 200 members.
When the record-breaking sixth-year class from last year graduated, the overall numbers dropped significantly, but on average there were about 120 students per grade level, making the total enrollment around 700 students.
With so many club members, it was common for members to answer questions and spend hours doing so without realizing it.
But our club had only four members.
I always had Siu answer my questions, and for questions I was hesitant to ask her, I’d get answers through Cheon So-yeon, so I didn’t really have much to ask about.
Cheon So-yeon would naturally learn from her parents if she had questions, so she’d be in the same situation as me.
Or perhaps Cheon So-yeon’s level was already higher than all three of them.
According to Teacher Kim Do-hwa, the top tier typically enrolled having formed either third-rate or dantian cultivation, and by elementary school graduation, they’d be knocking on the first-rate wall.
They’d reach first-rate during middle school and knock on the peak wall by high school graduation. Since Cheon So-yeon could already create clear sword energy at three years old, she might already be at the peak level by now.
In that case, these three should have been asking Cheon So-yeon questions instead.
But that didn’t seem to be the case with Cheon Ga-ryeong.
“How strong are you seniors?”
Cheon Gong-hu was timid and couldn’t easily open up to people he’d just met, but Cheon Ga-ryeong was different.
More than cheerful, she was outspoken and meddlesome, enjoying mingling with people.
“How strong are we? Well….”
Normally, asking about someone else’s level would be rude, but Cheon Ga-ryeong wasn’t really asking about levels, and given her young age, it wasn’t particularly impolite.
It was fine to just show her the gap clearly.
But Cheon Bo-ryeon and Cheon Jung-hwa seemed to think this was a chance to appeal to Cheon So-yeon, so they drew their swords.
“We can do at least this much.”
Clear sword energy formed on both their blades.
Cheon Ga-ryeong and Cheon Gong-hu clapped in amazement, while Cheon So-yeon and I clapped out of courtesy.
Cheon Bo-ryeon and Cheon Jung-hwa tried various topics to catch Cheon So-yeon’s attention, while I quietly moved away and read a book.
Since we couldn’t make a big show of exercising or martial training with seniors present at an exchange meeting, reading was about all I could do.
Of course, reading in front of guests was also impolite, but since those guests had no interest in anyone but Cheon So-yeon, it didn’t really matter.
Thanks to telling them beforehand that flattery toward me would backfire, they showed no interest in me.
Of course, since it was true that I was close to Cheon So-yeon, they probably had no intention of making me dislike them.
Cheon So-yeon, knowing this, sat quietly with vacant eyes, nodding along so as not to cause any trouble for me.
“What book are you reading?”
Then a male senior named Cheon Cheol-young sat down beside me and asked.
I looked at him as if to say he hadn’t heard what I said earlier, and he smiled good-naturedly while shrugging his shoulders.
“It’s not me who wants to look good to your friend—that’s just our family’s stubborn old ways. Well, even without the old man’s words, I’m not without the desire to get along with a promising junior, but how close can we really get spending just one day together?”
He had a point.
“Just getting to know your face and becoming the kind of people who won’t pretend not to know each other later would be a huge success.”
Cheon Cheol-young’s eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of the book I was reading.
“You! Is that Magremag Volume 108?! Where on earth did you get something so precious?”
What I was looking at was a reprint edition of a very old comic—in other words, a manga.
“Are you familiar with this?”
“Of course! The original edition is priceless among collectors. This seems to be a reprint, but even reprints fetch several million yang at minimum.”
This manga was so ancient that its copyright and publishing rights had expired two hundred years ago.
However, the publishing house that had released this manga back then had employed anti-counterfeiting printing techniques equivalent to military technology used only by the Major Sect, making it impossible to scan with current technology, and madmen had destroyed the originals as well.
The original editions had been almost entirely lost to time, and it was only eighty-seven years ago that a reprint was republished, but when the publishing house went bankrupt, even reprints and pirated copies became completely impossible, making it an ultra-rare manga.
Naturally, I hadn’t obtained it myself—I’d inherited it as a family heirloom.
It seemed my Father must have been a serious otaku.
The study was filled with rare manga like this. I was enjoying reading them thanks to that, though.
“Would you be willing to sell this to me?”
“Since it’s a family heirloom from my Father, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
“Oh! I-I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Then, would it be okay if I read it? I’ve really wanted to see this one.”
This senior was quite the serious enthusiast as well.
“I don’t mind, but this is volume 5. Have you read the earlier volumes?”
“Ah, just volume 1.”
“Would you like me to bring the earlier volumes?”
“C-could I really?”
Seeing the pure anticipation sparkling in his eyes, I called Siu and asked her to bring the books.
While waiting for the books, Cheon Cheol-young and I engaged in otaku talk about the manga we’d read and watched over time.
I had a feeling that Cheon Bo-ryeon and Cheon Jung-hwa were thinking something like “there goes that otaku again” while looking at Cheon Cheol-young, but was that just my imagination?
“Wow, you haven’t missed a single work at your age? You seem to know more than I do. Is it even physically possible to watch all of that?”
Cheon Cheol-young marveled at the sheer volume of manga I’d consumed.
Whenever I did simple exercise to build my body, I always had manga or movies playing in the background.
Siu didn’t think it was ideal since it scattered my focus, but she didn’t complain much since I exercised consistently.
If I downloaded everything onto my mobile device at once, I could continue watching even when Siu nagged me to grow up, often staying up all night doing so.
Though there was no day or night on Tower Floor 1, anyway.
I realized Cheon Cheol-young was serious about manga when Siu brought the books and he carefully put on white gloves before touching them.
I’d expected it to be boring, but meeting a senior whose hobbies aligned with mine made time fly as we chatted away.
When the exchange event ended, Cheon Bo-ryeon and Cheon Jung-hwa grew anxious about making no progress in getting closer to Cheon So-yeon, while Cheon Cheol-young was more satisfied than anyone and exchanged contact information with me.
“Would it be okay if I visited your house sometime? Ah, is it burdensome if a senior you just met today suddenly pesters you like this? Is it okay if I contact you?”
This person had no interest in Cheon So-yeon—he was just a genuine otaku.
If this gleam in his eyes was acting, he’d be worthy of an award.
“I’d appreciate having someone to share hobbies with too.”
Cheon So-yeon liked old martial arts films but wasn’t particularly fond of manga.
I was indiscriminate in my tastes, consuming films, manga, novels, and documentaries without preference.

* * *

After the seniors left, I began communicating frequently with Cheon Cheol-young through messenger.
Our conversations mainly consisted of recommendations for newly serialized manga, discussions about old manga, and impressions of recently read manga—nothing more—but that’s precisely what made our exchanges so comfortable.
When I subtly probed whether I might become a connection point to Cheon So-yeon, Cheon Cheol-young showed no interest in such matters and instead talked incessantly about manga.
He seemed like someone starving for otaku conversations, as if nothing else mattered.
Come to think of it, at school everyone maintained friendly relationships while simultaneously engaging in cutthroat competition, so it was likely difficult for anyone to have genuine heart-to-heart conversations.
Especially after entering the First High School and maintaining Class 1 status, the time investment required for cultivation must be enormous, so other students probably had no energy to spare for things like manga.
Still, if I looked hard enough, I imagined there might be a few others.
“Well, having one senior I know doesn’t hurt.”
As I went about my daily life, frequently exchanging messages with him, a message suddenly arrived from Cheon Cheol-young that was completely different from before.

-Is it possible to meet tomorrow? If you can, could Cheon So-yeon come too?

Cheon So-yeon too? Had he been acting all this time, waiting for the right moment?
Yet throughout our exchanges, he showed absolutely no interest in Cheon So-yeon.
If he’d been gradually bringing up Cheon So-yeon in conversation from the start, I wouldn’t have grown suspicious, but suddenly asking to meet with her like this naturally raised red flags.
Though it had only been a couple of months, the Cheon Cheol-young I’d been in contact with wasn’t this reckless or foolish.
If that’s the case, there’s only one possibility.
“…Has he been hacked? Siu!”
I called out to Siu, who was preparing my dinner in the kitchen.
“What is it?”
“I think the messenger account of a senior I’ve been communicating with recently has been hacked by the kidnapper targeting So-yeon.”
I’m not foolish enough to agonize over something like this alone.
A strong sense of duty to report—that’s who I am.
As I showed her the messenger and explained, Siu, having reviewed our conversation history, nodded.
“The circumstances are certainly suspicious.”
From around the time I was three years old and kidnapped, a covert protection unit had been assigned to me for approximately three years, but now they’d been withdrawn and replaced with increased police presence in the area where Cheon So-yeon and I lived.
According to Siu, when the covert protection unit was present, the roots of those attempting kidnapping hadn’t been completely eradicated yet, but now, under the strict orders of the Family Head, they’d been completely eliminated, which is why the unit was withdrawn.
Nearly a year had passed since the covert protection unit disappeared, so it was about time for the kidnappers to test the waters.
“I’ll contact the family immediately. However, these messenger records may be submitted to the family—is that acceptable?”
“I don’t mind.”
Though Cheon Cheol-young might be in trouble.
“But can I go watch?”
If I get to watch them beat up the kidnappers, what’s it to me?
To my question, Siu answered immediately.
“That’s not possible.”
“If I don’t show my face, the kidnappers might not reveal themselves either. And if you go with me, there won’t be any danger. Right?”
To miss watching such an interesting incident unfold!
As I pleaded with sparkling eyes, Siu let out a small sigh.
“…Very well. There’s no helping it.”
“Yes!”
Siu muttered, “Maybe I really should limit internet access,” but I deliberately ignored her.
I wish she wouldn’t blame everything on the internet.
How am I supposed to enjoy my hobbies without it?

* * *

The next day after school, Siu informed me that she had indeed discovered traces of Cheon Cheol-young’s messenger account being hacked.
The message she had sent to me had already been deleted from Cheon Cheol-young’s account, so he had no way of knowing about it.
Therefore, the family acknowledged the possibility that this was truly bait for a kidnapping and issued an official cooperation document to me.
It was a request for me to serve as bait, just as I had suggested, and I received the corresponding compensation in advance.
“Is the person hiding over there my escort sent by the family?”
At my words, the hidden escort revealed himself.
“How did you know?”
“Well… Siu happened to glance in your direction.”
That was a lie. I noticed because the flow of qi in that area felt strange.
Ever since my inner power was sealed, my qi sensitivity has developed further.
I suppose it’s like how senses become more acute when something is taken away.
Though it wasn’t Siu’s intention, the sealing of my inner power has been quite beneficial for my training in other ways.
“I see. Understood.”
The escort disappeared again, fading like a phantom.
He hadn’t actually become transparent, but the concealment technique was more impressive the more I observed it.
“I will also provide escort while concealed.”
“Very well.”
Siu vanished, drawn into the shadows as if absorbed by them.
Unlike the escort fidgeting and moving behind me, Siu’s presence was nearly imperceptible.
Siu was far superior to that escort.
With that thought, I boarded the bus and headed toward the meeting place.
Of course, I hadn’t informed Cheon So-yeon.
As I rode the bus and paid attention to my surroundings, I sensed people moving to follow the bus from quite a distance away.
More precisely, I felt the flow of their qi.
One, two, three, four… a total of fifteen people. It seemed three squads from the Military Force Unit had been assigned.
When I arrived at the meeting place, I was startled by who was waiting there.

(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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