Why Did I Have to Enroll

Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 170

Lesson 34. Free Subordination - 5

From the beginning, I admit the intention was blatant. Anyone from the younger generation who saw Ban Yu-won creating mechanical minions would have thought of it. A combining robot made of five different robots, each with unique appearances and characteristics, merging into one! Of course, support wasn’t present here, but the large-winged support was always meant as an additional part for aerial combat, literally wings. Even without it, there was no problem in ground combat!

‘Of course, I also considered partial combinations where two or three could merge to shine in specific situations.’

The complete form is born the moment Lilith is inserted as the core in the center. Lilith, having absorbed all the electrical energy and the core overflowing in the 94th room of the tower, is more potent as an energy source enhancing other robots than as an offensive force of the main body. It’s obvious, but Lilith also serves as the cockpit, the control seat of the robot. Ban Yu-won is piloting the giant robot!

‘…To be honest, Lilith can move on her own without me.’

By sitting in the cockpit, Ban Yu-won can move more nimbly, enhance the robot’s performance with his Magic Power and authority, and most importantly, ensure his safety by being in the center of the combining robot.

“I don’t know what kind of magic you’re using…”

“Exposing such a gap in front of the enemy, first-year students are really naive!”

They charged at him, spouting lines straight out of a villain’s playbook. Each one of them had a deeper depth of Life than Ban Yu-won—put simply, they were higher level. Even if their roles were third-rate thugs, their strength couldn’t be ignored. He couldn’t guarantee victory in a one-on-one fight. That’s why he didn’t hesitate to reveal the ‘combination’ he had been saving as a trump card.

―Crackle

“Ugh!”

“Electricity… lightning?!”

In tokusatsu, magical girl shows, and robot shows, there are generally two types of transformations. One type fails if interrupted midway. The other type becomes invincible during the transformation. Naturally, Ban Yu-won’s design was the latter. He didn’t want to portray a pathetic scene where a minor interference from the enemy would cause failure! The transforming robot must be invincible! And he would never allow a scenario where the robot is stolen during the transformation and turned against him…!

“Damn it, break through!”

“I can break through, but my arm will burn if I do.”

“If it were Master, such a trivial magic would be…!”

The moment Ban Yu-won declared the combination, Lilith generated a unique spherical electric field shared only with the mechanical minions. The mechanical minions within it activated their pre-installed transformation functions, merging into a robot centered around Lilith. The maintained wave during this time served both offensive and defensive purposes. Even now, a sphere of lightning nearly tens of meters wide was forming, protecting the exposed Ban Yu-won and the mechanical minions. The enemies were riding on some unknown floating objects, but the lightning extending in all directions destroyed even those, causing them to crash to the ground.

“Damn it!”

“Can’t we use the bugs?”

“No, the control of the curse formula has already been taken by someone else… Is he really a first-year?! This guy isn’t even specializing in curses!”

“Calm down and retreat for now. There’s no way he can maintain such a large-scale magic for long. Prepare to attack.”

“True, that’s right? The lowly one is just trying to scare us… Getting scared and seeking refuge at the sight of us, what a coward.”

Regardless of what outsiders were saying, the combination was progressing swiftly. First, Lilith transformed into an oval, smooth cockpit and the head of the robot, enclosing Ban Yu-won within. The first to attach was the tank-like robot with a massive cannon, the Boom Sky Cannon. It attached beneath the head to form the torso, with the cannon protruding menacingly from the chest center. Next, the Frost Fortress became the right arm, wielding a shield that freezes and defends against everything. The Hell Drill became the left arm, holding a massive sword that rotated fiercely like a drill. The upper body was completed in an instant.

“Wait a minute, come to think of it, this already has a drill. Can’t we just add excavation to this?”

[This is a greatsword that gains piercing power through rotation, Master. It’s different from a digging machine.]

Lilith replied in a calm voice to the interruption that couldn’t be held back any longer. No, if the blade rotates, that’s a drill! Why did you even name it Hell ‘Drill’ in the first place?! However, it seemed not only Lilith but also Hell Drill didn’t want to get acquainted with the concept of excavation. Then there’s no choice. There’s a compatibility issue with concepts. Just like how adding a Blunt concept to a Sharp Weapon would only break it. Just like how you can’t give the concept of Giant or Ever-changing to a human. Hell Drill is a sword, not a drill, and can’t be given the concept of excavation.

‘Well, it’s about time for my romantic notions to be dashed.’

Ban Yu-won, who was realizing a man’s dream in real-time, wasn’t about to let that stop him. While he was having such unnecessary thoughts, the Black Wolf was attaching below the torso to form the two legs. The moment the humanoid robot’s form was completed, the electric field compressed and was absorbed into the body. The energy Lilith released flowed through the combined robot, amplifying all its functions.

[Code Name Abel―― Combination complete.]

Naming the combined robot with Lilith as the core ‘Abel’ was a terrible taste, but Ban Yu-won was quite satisfied with his naming. Especially the fact that he didn’t lazily compromise with Cain was something he thought was commendable. The mechanical giant, sparking with electricity, landed on the ground, its eyes flashing. The solitude formula was still in progress, but the bugs no longer cared about anyone else. They just tore each other apart, offering their blood and flesh to the central hand drill.

‘It’s more impressive than I thought. The overall depth is―― about 1,500?’

Abel’s size was roughly 12 meters, but finding a monster of this size wasn’t particularly difficult. For instance, the Mountain Giant that Dokgo Yeon commanded was much larger than Abel.

“What is this, a golem? After all that fuss? It’s a bit big, but…”

“Maybe he used the golem as armor to protect himself. I’ve seen wizards do that sometimes. But Master said he wasn’t a wizard, but a swordsman…?”

“Anyway, the lightning’s gone. Now’s our chance!”

“Let’s smash that golem right away!”

Perhaps that’s why, even as Abel revealed itself after transforming within the electric field, the attackers in black robes weren’t particularly surprised or intimidated. But if they knew how much effort Ban Yu-won put into this combination and its potential, they wouldn’t dare show such an attitude.

―You know, the idea of creating multiple strong minions at the limit of your ability and then combining them to create an even stronger minion is honestly brilliant? It’s not something anyone can just imitate.

“Right? Right?”

―But I don’t get why it has to be in human form.

A wizard materializing the power of curses. A swordsman charging straight with a massive sword reminiscent of Ryu Cheol-myeong’s. A warrior armed with a sword and shield, blocking as if protecting the wizard. And the one with the calmest demeanor, presumably the leader, standing a step back with a hand extended toward the ground.

“――Phew.”

Ban Yu-won activated the Origin Blade, claiming the surrounding area as his domain, and replied in a much calmer tone.

“That’s… because, in the end, the strongest is human.”

―Are you okay?

No, he knew. In the vast universe, finding a species weaker than humans is easier than finding one stronger. Ban Yu-won’s words meant that the human form was the most perfect for manifesting his abilities.

“Lilith.”

[I’m sharing it.]

Lilith’s response was brief but reliable. Immediately, all the enemies stopped.

“――?!”

The wizard about to cast a curse. The swordsman thrusting a massive sword with the force to topple a mountain. The warrior holding up a shield with a tense expression. The wizard pretending to do nothing while subtly injecting Magic Power into the ground to ambush Ban Yu-won from behind. Maybe they hadn’t actually stopped, but Ban Yu-won’s perception had heightened so much, and his speed had increased to the point where time felt elongated, making it seem as if they had stopped. It’s the same logic as Star Platinum using The World!

“Let’s go―― in one shot.”

In reality, the Magic Power consumption was so high that if he didn’t finish it in one blow, it would be tough afterward. All of Lilith’s Magic Power was resonating with Ban Yu-won. He recognized all the preliminary information needed to kill the enemy and ‘input’ the optimal movement he should take next. Boom―― Abel stepped onto the ground and charged. Compared to his overwhelming perception, it felt sluggish, but from the enemies’ perspective, it was a monster.

‘Let’s start with one.’

Whirring― As the Hell Drill rotated fiercely, Lilith’s Magic Power flowed through it, forming a vortex of blue lightning. It looked like a drill no matter how you saw it, but since the parties involved denied it, let’s let it slide. He thrust it forward, grinding the head of the leading swordsman.

“What――”

The enemy wasn’t given the leisure to finish his sentence. Knowing the force, angle, and even the authority contained in the greatsword he wielded, there was no way that attack could graze Abel. The masterless greatsword lost its power and fell helplessly, but before it even hit the ground, Abel was already taking his second step. It wasn’t a step for a leap, but a step to gather strength.

―Boom!

Following what he learned from Dokgo Yeon, he executed a true step. All movements of the humanoid robot Abel perfectly matched those of a human. The moment he stepped on the ground, he concentrated all the kinetic energy that threatened to topple Abel’s body into his arm―― and threw the greatsword. ‘Two, three.’ The greatsword pierced through the warrior with the shield and the wizard casting curses in one go, and even after that, it maintained its rotation and continued forward. The discharged lightning drew a beautiful blue trajectory behind it.

“――Run?!”

The last member, who was about to use earth magic, barely reacted and changed his magic composition. He stopped his attack on Ban Yu-won and created an earthen wall to protect himself. However, the greatsword, which had already pierced two, struck the wall that was just beginning to rise and penetrated it.

―Slash, slash

The greatsword lost its momentum and stopped moving only after piercing the wall. Distracted by its overwhelming majesty, the enemy failed to notice Abel’s third step. “Ah.” The collapsed wall revealed a clear view. Under the moonlight, the mechanical giant filled the enemy’s sight. Without a chance to cast magic, the ice shield struck down on his spine, emitting cold air, slowly killing him.

“You guys kept mentioning Master earlier.”

Thinking it was quite effective to strike with the shield since there was no time to retrieve the greatsword, Ban Yu-won asked.

“Are you talking about Ryu Cheol-myeong? No, you must be, considering how that warrior swung his greatsword just like him. Were you not dimension pirates but Ryu Cheol-myeong’s personal hunting dogs?”

“Ha, haha. To think we were the bait…”

“What did you say?”

He was about to curse the dying man thoroughly, but the words he uttered before dying were unexpectedly unsettling.

“You’ve been had…”

Even if they didn’t know exactly what Ban Yu-won’s authority was, anyone who watched the videos on the Rebellion channel would have a rough idea of what he could do with it. The ability to uproot or plant trees. A superior detection ability than anyone else. If the enemy knew Ban Yu-won had these two abilities and planned accordingly, it became clear that the artificially formed clearing and the solitude formula were meant to lure Ban Yu-won. And one crucial fact remained. From the beginning, Ryu Cheol-myeong’s targets were Luciel and Dokgo Yeon.

“Damn it.”

“Those women… all…”

“No, you’re done.”

“Ugh!”

Listening any further would only frustrate him, so Ban Yu-won struck down with the shield, ending the man’s life. With that, the combination was undone. He wondered if he might have used his trump card too early.