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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Shouldn't Have Enrolled (1)
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From a young age, when the boy Ban Yu-won first learned about the mythical Tower of Babel from the Bible...
His respected grandfather told him this.
The tower that everyone built together back when the world shared a single language—Babel.
"The one who built that Tower of Babel was actually our ancestor, Yu-won. And what's more, it was completed without ever collapsing. Everyone else has it all wrong."
That's what he said.
If Ban Yu-won had heard that story after growing older and learning the truth about the Tower of Babel, he probably would have scoffed and argued back.
"Really, Grandpa? So our ancestor was a landlord? Not just a house, but the owner of a whole building!"
"What kind of education is your dad giving you... Ahem! It wasn't just some building owner, Yu-won. The important thing is our ancestor's power."
Innocent and young at the time, Ban Yu-won believed his grandfather's words without question. His eyes sparkling, the boy pressed for more, and his grandfather obliged with a few more tales.
The Tower of Babel could be built not because everyone spoke the same language, but because their ancestor had the power to let everyone communicate.
The story of God toppling the tower and scattering humanity? Just the ugly delusions of humans jealous of their ancestor.
The master of language, who could interpret and transform all tongues, wielding immense power through words themselves.
We are the descendants of that great one.
Never forget that, he said.
But Ban Yu-won, more interested in houses and buildings than vague powers, wouldn't let it go.
"So where did the completed Tower of Babel go? That's our building! Damn."
"The Tower of Babel, huh..."
For entirely different reasons than his worldly grandson—who had already grown jaded with the mortal world at such a young age—his grandfather sought the tower too.
With distant eyes, the old man replied.
"Even Grandpa doesn't know. But one thing's certain: find it, and our family will reclaim all its power and glory..."
The young Ban Yu-won desperately searched for the Tower of Babel, but never even found a trace.
However, the power inherited from their ancestor was real.
The proof? Ban Yu-won himself.
"The light of my life, the flame of my soul. My sin, my spirit..."
"Yu-won, what are you reading?"
"A book!"
"Good grief, what book has our boy so engrossed... Honey, our kid's reading the original text?!"
Language is something remembered through constant repetition and study.
Only once your ears attune, your mouth opens, and your eyes sharpen can you truly speak it.
"This is apple, apple, ringo, pingguo, manzana... all apples!"
"Dad, I think Yu-won's a bit strange."
"He reads languages from countries we've never even heard of and understands their meanings, Father!"
But Ban Yu-won skipped every step.
He understood and handled languages as if born knowing their very concepts.
Phonetic scripts, ideograms—it didn't matter.
"Looks like Yu-won inherited our ancestor's blood thick and strong."
"Father, it's not just that, this is..."
"At last, the child to fulfill our family's wish is born! The one who'll bring the Tower of Babel back to us!"
"I'd rather die than deal with this."
Yes.
Ban Yu-won could understand and wield every language on Earth.
No, it was even more impressive than that.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Congratulations! You have passed the document screening for the greatest academy across all dimensions, Union Academy!
"No way. There's a limit to this. No way I can interpret something like..."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Congratulations! You have passed the document screening for the greatest academy across all dimensions, Union Academy!
"...I can?"
In fact, he could even read alien languages.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Lesson 1. This is Your Status Window - 1
It was February, and Ban Yu-won, now twenty years old, sat at his computer endlessly refreshing, waiting for university admission results.
Suddenly, his vision brightened, and a translucent glass window appeared before his eyes.
Even Ban Yu-won, master of every Earthly tongue, had never seen the alien script written on it.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Congratulations! You have passed the document screening for the greatest academy across all dimensions, Union Academy!
"It won't even go away."
He'd been waiting for university results, yet here was an alien-script window that even translated itself.
Unable to accept this surreal event, Ban Yu-won shouted the first thing anyone should in an incomprehensible situation.
"Status window!"
Nothing.
Status, character window, stats window, inventory—none of it worked...!
Instead—or so it seemed—the text on the window smoothly changed.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Examinees who pass the document screening proceed immediately to the practical evaluation. But don't worry! The dimension you're in is an unnamed lower dimension, so your practical will be classified as Lower Dimension Special Admission. The difficulty is far lower than Upper Dimension general admission—you'll pass easily!
"I'm losing my mind here."
Practical evaluation? Lower Dimension Special Admission? What the hell?
The window offered no answers, but pondering it, he could guess.
In typical university admissions, special tracks recruit students with unique backgrounds or talents outside standard criteria, to diversify the student body.
So, thanks to his special ability, he'd passed the document screening for this Union Academy place, and his practical would be easier than most...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Pass the practical, and you'll become a provisional enrollee, teleporting straight to Union Academy dorms. Prepare yourself. Teleporting in 1 minute. 59, 58...
"What kind of bullshit is that? I never even applied...!"
When did he submit documents? What's this practical?
He'd only applied to S University!
At least give him a status window with weird messages like this!
Pop.
Just then, his monitor refreshed late, displaying S University's College of Social Sciences (Politics and Diplomacy major planned) admissions results.
Of course, he passed!
Yeah, he must've been so stressed waiting for results that he hallucinated.
That was it. Convincing himself with deep breaths...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [1, 0. Teleporting to practical evaluation site: Blind Goblin Cave!]
"Wait."
It was his first experience with spatial teleportation magic.
"A sec..."
By the time he finished...
Ban Yu-won was no longer on Earth.
Or, in the most fitting words he knew...
He was in a dungeon.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The practical evaluation goal is simple. Reach the center of Blind Goblin Cave and destroy the Dungeon Core! As Lower Dimension Special Admission, destroying the core is enough to pass!
Huddled in a dark, damp corner of the cave, Ban Yu-won thought.
'No illusion, no hallucination. It's real.'
He'd finally accepted his utterly unreal predicament.
He'd denied reality for about thirty seconds after arriving, but the chilling monster presence—detected just from breathing sounds beyond the passage—jolted him awake like ice water.
His own ability being miraculous made adapting to the surreal his strength.
Stopping all thought, he moved silently to find cover. That's how he ended up here.
'Let's think.'
Why was he here?
Way back home?
Useless questions for now.
He needed to safely pass this "practical evaluation."
Escape first, then confront whoever was responsible.
Though against a group that could drag him here by force, what could he even do?
'No, don't go weak-minded. I'll get out alive and enroll at S University. A brilliant college life awaits...!'
To do that, find a way out.
The goal was given from the start.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Reach the center of Blind Goblin Cave and destroy the Dungeon Core.
A straightforward sentence, no language skill needed.
He'd seen it plenty in games and novels.
'Straight-up calling it a dungeon. Union Academy trains explorers for dungeon raids? Then why'd I pass documents... Later.'
Dungeon Core.
Core means heart.
Destroy an object's core, and it collapses.
...At least in the novels he'd read. Probably the same here.
So, he was ordered to conquer and clear the dungeon.
But the goblins living here wouldn't just watch.
He'd face unknown numbers of unknown monsters,
reach the unknown cave center,
overcome their interference, and smash the core.
'Suuuuuck... Yeah, I'm dead for sure.'
Modern folk like him couldn't confidently beat even wild Chihuahuas, let alone packs.
Terror froze him—
letting him endure as a club whistled past his nose from thin air.
"Kreek!"
"...!"
He desperately stifled a gasp.
Lost in thought, he'd missed the monster closing in.
No—that thing had hidden its presence.
A monster far scarier than any Chihuahua.
"Hunt prey! Where?"
Dark green wrinkled skin, shorter than Ban Yu-won's 182 cm frame.
But muscled limbs, a vicious face baring sharp teeth.
Game goblins were fodder for Lv.1 newbies; this one clearly outclassed him.
"Then right!"
"!"
Whoosh.
Dodging two swings (air-ripping horror sounds) wasn't luck.
Ban Yu-won now understood the monster's words, hearing it foolishly announce his moves aloud.
'Crazy, I get the monster's language too.'
First time meeting a talking monster, naturally.
Oddly, it gave him confidence.
His language power worked here too.
"Can't catch! Right in front!"
The failed hunter raged, swinging wildly.
Why not target the obvious prey?
Its eyes were blind.
'The advantage of Lower Dimension Special Admission? Some consolation.'
It kept him alive now, but passing required more.
Backing from the mad clubber was a mistake.
It charged, slamming down.
Thud!
"Missed againnnn!"
'Gah! Huff...! Bastard reads my movement cues!'
Dodging that blow was thanks to miraculously improved reflexes.
His physical abilities seemed enhanced beyond Earth norms.
Not enough to fight back—barely evading obvious attacks.
Luckily, it couldn't sense him mid-swing.
Post-dodge, it flailed blindly.
But then.
"Kin there? Something?"
Ancestor help him.
Just adapting to one, another appeared from the passage!
Blind too, but equally muscled, equally terrifying club-wielding.
Goblin 1 (G1) greeted its kin happily.
"Prey keeps dodging!"
"Prey? Prey!"
Knew it. Damn!
New Goblin 2 (G2) bounded over.
This way, pincered.
Move, and detected.
'How? How to survive this BS?'
A ridiculous idea hit him.
No time for better—he acted.
"Charge straight and smash in front!"
Ban Yu-won yelled.
In goblin tongue.
Throwing himself aside desperately.
"Prey speaks goblin!"
"Thanks for tip!"
"Wait...!"
G1 froze in shock at his words; fresh G2 ignored the voice oddity, charging.
Goblins stupider, stronger than imagined.
Worse evasion than him.
Crack!
G2's club half-smashed G1's skull.
"Caught pre...!"
"Kill!"
"Grahk!"
Mortal blow, but G1 swung back, knowing it was kin, in rage.
G2 couldn't dodge.
Splat!
"Hurts! Why hit?!"
"You hit first!"
"Die!"
Ban Yu-won stared blankly at the brutal brawl.
Moving might provoke; best stay put.
G2 had first hit, but G1 stronger; evenly matched.
"Stupid! Not me!"
"Liar! Goblins forgive no liars!"
Elementary talk, but fight chillingly fierce.
Thwack! Crack! Boom! Bash!
Heads, chests, legs, arms—each exchange boomed beyond imitation. Mind-blowing.
'Who called goblins weakest...? Lies.'
Blind faith in novel fodder goblins would've smashed his head already.
"Guh, urk..."
Trembling at the harsh reality, the fight decided.
Shockingly, first-hit G1 tore G2's nape!
"Die!"
"Kyak!"
G1 clubbed G2's head.
Torn throat gushed; G2's club dropped.
G2's final spasm: lunging to bite G1's nose.
"Get off...!"
"Guheuk..."
Truly final—G2 stilled.
G1, mortally wounded, pinned under corpse, flailed helplessly.
"Huff, huff..."
Ban Yu-won picked G2's dropped club.
Stood over G1's head.
'Can't kill this, no hope clearing dungeon.'
Could flee from dying G1, but he approached.
Why risk? He chose advance over blind flight.
Unfair or not, survive by conquering dungeon.
Conquer meant facing them.
Couldn't flee from near-dead ones.
"Huuuuuuh!"
Over-gripped club from tension, breath held—decent for newbie swing.
He brought it down.
Splat!
His above-average Korean youth strength ended the dying goblin surely.
⚔ SUCCESS ⚔ Congratulations! First dungeon hunt successful!
At that utterly unexpected timing, the translucent window reappeared.
Arms aching from tension, he glared.
Message updated.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ As reward, granting higher-dimensional authority: Status Window. Academy students manage abilities and grow efficiently via Status Window! Union Academy's cutting-edge support system!
"Huh?"
Status window now?!
He'd cursed the academy moments ago, but his heart raced at the words!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ This is your Status Window.
And finally, Ban Yu-won's Status Window...
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️
[Target possesses superior authority.]
Right before it appeared.
Colder, more inorganic, higher-dimensional text—structurally unlike before.
'Yet somehow instantly recognizable.'
⚠️ RECALLING ⚠️
[Status Window recalled.]
"What?! Give back my status window!"
Panicking, forgetting danger, he yelled.
Clapped hand over mouth—thankfully, no new goblins.
🔓 AUTHORITY UNLOCKED 🔓
[Unlocking Authority: Babylonia Code]
Instead, golden strings of text began emerging from the two goblin corpses before him.