Time flowed, and the first day of the second semester''s Tower Entrance arrived.


    It was a busy time for everyone—students, residents, staff, and professors alike.


    Previously, the hustle was due to preparations, but today it was because of the schedule for entering the Tower. The entire Siyoram Academy was bustling with activity.


    "Why are the second-years gathering in the za?"


    Hong Yeonhwa, who had clung to me tightly before falling asleepst night, nced around and asked.


    As she mentioned, many second-year students were heading toward the za.


    "This time, instead of apetition, the first and second years are entering together. Next week, the third and fourth years will enter."


    "Ah, I see…"


    Baek Arin, who was walking alongside us, responded. Nodding casually, Hong Yeonhwa frowned sharply and red at Baek Arin.


    Since that day—when I treated Baek Arin to dinner—she began visiting asionally to join us for meals.


    For reasons unknown, it might have just been to eat alongside Hong Yeonhwa.


    Since I had no reason to refuse, I simply prepared meals for her withoutint.


    Yesterday was no different. She slipped in casually and sat at the dining table, so we naturally ate dinner together.


    But after finishing her meal, she didn’t leave and lingered instead.


    Despite Hong Yeonhwa’s pointed nces silently asking when she nned to go home, Baek Arin stubbornly endured and stayed.


    Eventually, shemandeered a room and spent the night as if it were no big deal.


    As a result, we all ended up heading to the za together straight from the dormitory.


    ''…I hope no strange rumors spread.''


    I scratched my cheek as I recalled the stares we received in the first-floor lobby.


    When Hong Yeonhwa, Baek Arin, Elia, and I descended together, curious and somewhat dubious nces shot our way.


    Of course, we hadn’t done anything to warrant such stares, but rumors tend to ignore the truth.


    Not that I was overly concerned.


    Anyone who dared spread baseless gossip would likely find a letter bearing the seals of the Guhwa mes and Changae delivered to their family mailbox.


    So, without much worry, I boarded the bus.


    The central za of Siyoram Academy was teeming with people, a sight not seen in a long time.


    Was it the first assembly in nearly half a year? Time had flown by so quickly; it was hard to believe the events of the first semester''s Tower Entrance were already so far behind us.


    Feeling a mix of emotions, I stepped into the bustling central za.


    My gaze naturally turned to the ivory tower that stood tall in the center.


    The enormous tower, continually bestowing the Blessing of Growth to fuel my rapid progress, would soon issue trials to spur my development further…


    ‘……’


    I briefly observed it with my Authority of Perception.


    My proficiency with this ability had improved significantly since before, to the point that, with effort, I might delve a little deeper.


    …But I chose not to push it. I hadn’t forgotten the time I bled out and fainted after identally revealing one of its secrets.


    I had no desire to risk a catastrophe like losing my Tower entry privilege by being reckless here.


    ‘I should probably schedule a consultation with the Vice President after this entrance.’


    The atmosphere was as chaotic as it had been during the first semester.


    Students continued arriving in droves, gathering into their respective groups under their professors’ guidance.


    With the inclusion of second-years this time, the za was even more crowded than before.


    ‘I see Jiyeon-sunbae is here as well.’


    She stood among what seemed to be her friends.


    Jiyeon-sunbae’s poprity was evident, as many students approached her. asionally, I observed her yfully reassuring a nervouspanion.


    Compared to the timid state she had been in before, she was like apletely different person.


    I still didn’t understand why someone so confident around others showed such a shy side to me.


    In any case, we soon headed toward the group led by Professor Riana for the Entry Spring ss.


    Having been through this once before, the students gathered efficiently even without the need for a massive hologram above Riana’s head.


    “Lee Hayul! It’s been a while!”


    [It’s good to see you too, Julia.]


    When I joined the group, I was greeted with warm wees and inquiries about my well-being from those who had arrived earlier.


    Most of my Messenger history consisted of messages asking if I was okay, reflecting my reputation as a troublemaker.


    While it felt a bit odd, I appreciated the concern and tried to respond to each message individually, though it was a daunting task.


    Still, I figured it meant I’d built a decent reputation—though, for many, it was likely an attempt to stay on my good side.


    “At least there’s nopetition in this Tower Entrance. Just thinking aboutpeting with you, Lee Hayul… whew.”


    “Competition? I don’t think it’s even possible anymore.”


    “That’s exactly why I said it.”


    Thement came from Lorraine, a secondary specialization student who sighed with visible relief.


    He was a unique individual withvender hair—a student I had met during the first semester''s Tower Entrance.


    He had been part of a group that had used the “three-on-one” strategy against me, only to have his head nearly lopped off.


    After chatting briefly with my ssmates, I approached Professor Riana.


    Thanks to the now well-organized students, she seemed more rxed than before. Standing silently next to her with arms crossed was my mentor.


    When I approached, both greeted me warmly.


    “Oh, right.”


    [Huh? What is it?]


    It was then that Professor Riana, who had been smiling and patting my head, suddenly narrowed her eyes and began pressing my nose.


    [Why…?]


    Though it didn’t hurt, I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.


    When I asked, she chuckled and replied.


    “It’s punishment for teasing your professorst time.”


    [What…?]


    Punishment for teasing her?


    I hadn’t done anything…


    …Well, actually, I had.


    Now that I thought about it, there were quite a few instances.


    It was karma, and I had no choice but to endure the nose pressing for a while.


    “Do your best in there.”


    “I know you’ll excel, but make sure to learn as much as you can.”


    Unfortunately, the entrance was imminent, so we couldn’t chat for long.


    After enduring the nose presses, I relished the affectionate gesture of her stroking my hair before returning to my ce.


    “…Hmm.”


    [Huh? What now?]


    In that brief time, Hong Yeonhwa had managed to puff up her cheeks and grab hold of mine.


    This time, I had to endure having my cheeks squeezed for reasons I genuinely couldn’tprehend.


    Those unjustified touches only stopped when the professor on the podium began delivering the announcement.


    "I will now provide details regarding the second semester''s Tower Entrance."


    The one making the announcement was none other than Professor Albert Carniazhel, the same professor responsible for the announcements during the first semester.


    Being one of the eldest and most experienced professors, it made sense for him to lead such events.


    "The theme for this Tower Entrance is ''Introspection.'' The goal is to ovee yourself, as implemented within the Tower."


    Oveing oneself… it was no easy feat. Even in a figurative sense, fighting against oneself was a challenging task.


    Actually fighting a replica of your own body, abilities, and techniques? That wasn’t going to be easy either.


    "The opponent you face will be based on your state at the moment you enter the Tower."


    There was, however, a silver lining. The replicas in the Tower only represented the state you were in upon entry. Any growth achieved within the Tower would not be reflected in them.


    In other words, as long as you grew stronger inside the Tower, defeating the replica wouldn’t be impossible.


    Moreover, the Blessing of Growth was amplified within the Tower. Eventually, after repeated attempts, the original self would surpass the replica.


    When you considered the conditions, it wasn’t an impossible challenge—just a difficult one.


    "The Tower Entrance willst five days. Those who ovee themselves may either transfer to a specialized training room for the remainder of the time or, upon request, face specially implemented opponents for simtedbat."


    If there was any time left after that, students could use it to train further or test themselves against other foes to maximize the amplified blessing.


    ‘I should make use of that if I have the time.’


    Although it wasn’t an impossible challenge, it wasn’t something you could breeze through either. Many students would likely finish with little time to spare—or not finish at all.


    Of course, with my heightened application of the Blessing of Growth, I should manage to pass without too much trouble.


    "—That concludes the exnation for this Tower Entrance. Reflect upon yourself from an outsider''s perspective, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and move forward. The Entry Spring ss will now begin their entrance."


    Professor Albert concluded his exnation sinctly and immediately began directing the students into the Tower.


    The arched entrance at the base of the Tower rippled with dark, swirling energy, and the students filed in without pause.


    Unlike the first semester, where students entered in staggered intervals to avoid immediatebat scenarios, this time entry was simultaneous, as individual spaces would be allocated.


    Also, unlike the first semester, where the Rainfall ss entered first, the Entry Spring ss was now at the forefront.


    "Hayul, do your best!"


    "Grow a lot, and let’s reuniteter!"


    "If I finish early, I’ll see you in the training room!"


    [Thank you, everyone! I’ll be cheering for you, too!]


    Thanks to this, I was able to stand at the entrance of the Tower without much waiting.


    Waving enthusiastically at the cheers from behind, I stepped into the entrance, ensuring I didn’t hold up the line.


    This was my second Tower Entrance.


    My consciousness, which had been fading, abruptly sharpened.


    The dulled senses turned razor-sharp in an instant.


    A stale wind battered my body, and the pping of my clothes rang loudly in my ears.


    I immediately checked my condition.


    ‘No issues with my body. Core and circuits are stable. Entry was sessful.’


    There was a slight sensation of unfamiliarity, but nothing ufortable.


    I clenched my right hand tightly. No problems there either.


    The prosthetic on my left arm was intact, and the Sky Wings were still with me. Had this been the first semester, such artifacts would have been confiscated, but this time, with nopetition, there were no restrictions.


    After all, if the original brought artifacts, the replica would carry them too.


    The air was dry and stale. As I tapped the ground with my toes, the hard surface sent a rigid sensation back—definitely not grass or soil.


    ‘Authority activation: Observation.’


    I reactivated the Authority I had briefly set aside. For an instant, my head buzzed sharply.


    It felt as though I was bearing the weight of something enormous.


    There was resistance—an oppressive forcepressing the range of my Observation.


    During my previous Tower Entrance, I couldn’t ovee this pressure, which suppressed my spatial perception, leaving me to navigate blindly.


    But not this time.


    My Observation expanded in an instant, shaking off the pressure. Information flooded in, updating the previously darkened map with rity.


    I was standing in a wastnd. The horizon was a dull brown, devoid of the lush greens of vegetation. The ground was cracked and dry, evidence of theck of moisture.


    ‘So this is the default setting? I heard it varies by student…’


    I stroked my chin in thought.


    This wasn’t a ce abundant in vitality. While I could extract some by squeezing the earth dry, it wouldn’tpare to what I’d get in a dense forest.


    It wasn’t an ideal environment for spirits to thrive.


    It suited earth spirits well, and the ample wind meant wind spirits wouldn’t struggle, but other spirits wouldn’t find this ce particrly weing.


    ‘Hmm…’


    I prepared myself while standing still. I cast severalyers of defensive spells, activated basic body-enhancing techniques, and even released several spirits as a precaution.


    At the same time, I considered strategies for facing the "me" that would soon appear.


    ‘First…’


    I evaluated the abilities I had manifested: versatility, magical affinity.


    From that foundation, I had mastered martial arts, weapon techniques, and countless forms of magic—gleaned from indiscriminately observing and storing information from magical texts.


    Necromancy, learned haphazardly.


    Spirit arts, epassing five elements, hundreds of spirits under mymand, and the ability to perform Spirit Fusion.


    Techniques and unique abilities I could replicate using my extended ability, <em>Thousand Variations.</em>


    Abilities such as Guhwa mes, Changae, Taesan, White Night, Illusory Dream, Thorn, Body Amplification, Hardening, Radius, Force Compression…


    wless movement precision and situational responsiveness, thanks to the Authority of Observation.


    A plethora of tools stored in subspace, implemented through the Authority of Space.


    Durability enhancements and protective abilities granted by the <em>Proof of Protection</em>…


    ‘How annoying…’


    I frowned.


    It was an overwhelming array of capabilities. Blocking one option wouldn’t suffice, as countless alternatives were avable.


    Aprehensive countermeasure didn’t exist. The only way to deal with such a variety was to overwhelm it with brute force before it could act.


    Or topletely cut off mana flow… No, that wouldn’t work either. <em>Thousand Variations</em> could mimic techniques that relied solely on mental energy.


    Could the Tower even replicate such Authorities?


    It seemed likely that protective Authorities like the <em>Proof of Protection</em> would carry over, but what about Space or Observation?


    ‘…Might as well dive in and find out.’


    Sitting here debating wouldn’t yield any further insights. Most ns developed at a desk tended to fall apart in the field anyway.


    I’d experience it firsthand and formte countermeasures then.


    Wasn’t the revival function here for precisely that reason?


    At that moment, my expanded Observation picked up a lifeform at the edge of its range.


    ‘It’s here…?’


    Just as I prepared to respond, my body froze. The information flooding my mindpelled me to focus intently.


    It was a tall figure, nearly two meters in height. Despite the ragged appearance, their physique was robust and muscr.


    The man wore what could only be described as scraps of armor.


    The helmet was missing, exposing his head. The armor covering his body was so damaged it could barely be called armor.


    Beneath the remnants of his armor was a tattered ck robe.


    Blood-red bandages were tightly wound around his arms.


    In one hand, he held a sword, its tip dragging along the ground, the weapon’s condition as poor as his attire.


    The dull ck de was chipped and worn, practically scrap metal—not something even a junk dealer would find value in.


    ‘……’


    My thoughts, which had been flowing smoothly, suddenly halted.


    I was processing an idea—an inference—but I wasn’t sure if it was correct.


    The fragmented armor… <em>Irond of the Iron Will.</em>


    A high-grade artifact. Not exceptional in defense but excellent in self-repair, capable of withstanding a single attack.


    The shredded ck robe… <em>ck Wind Garb.</em>


    Another high-grade artifact, enhancing agility stats while featuring integrated mana storage and release functions.


    The blood-red bandages… <em>Bloodbinding Shackles.</em>


    A mid-grade artifact that absorbed blood to prevent bleeding and status ailments, extending in length as it absorbed more blood.


    The sword dragging on the ground… a mass-produced <em>ck Iron de</em> with no special features.@@novelbin@@


    It was a uniquebination of equipment.


    And the sight of it triggered a familiar memory buried deep in my mind.


    ‘No… it couldn’t be…’


    The man, whose head had been bowed, slowly raised it.


    His face was marred with scars of all kinds.


    For a moment, I stopped breathing.


    It wasn’t identical, but it was unmistakably familiar.


    ‘That’s… my face?’


    It was, of course, simr to my own, as I observed myself constantly.


    At that moment, the man’s vacant, lifeless pupils abruptly contracted.


    Within the ck depths, which seemed to embody the abyss itself, my distant figure was reflected.


    A primal survival instinct—a visceral warning—sounded within me.


    I moved instantly.


    At the same time, the man lightly flicked his sword. The motion was so casual it seemed almost indifferent, yet the de blurred as if enveloped by mist.


    ‘Son of a—’


    The curse never left my lips.


    —Swoosh.


    The warning signal vanished.


    A split secondter, my severed head soared into the air.


    <strong>Thousand Variations Expansion Technique</strong>


    <strong>Harvest sh: Celestial Flight of White Wings</strong>


    <strong>[Authority "Growth" is manifesting.]</strong>


    <strong>[The Trial of Growth is activating.]</strong>


    <strong>[Authority "Knowledge" is manifesting.]</strong>


    <strong>[Authority "Observation" is manifesting.]</strong>


    <strong>[essing the internal observation record of the Tower of Knowledge: "Second Instance."]</strong>


    <strong>[Authority "Harmony" is manifesting.]</strong>


    <strong>[Linking the Tower of Knowledge and the Tower of Growth.]</strong>


    <strong>[Authority "Space" is manifesting.]</strong>


    <strong>[Connecting to the internal observation record of the Tower of Knowledge: "Second Instance."]</strong>


    ...


    <strong>[Recreating the recorded entity.]</strong>


    <strong>[Iplete Recreation.]</strong>


    <strong>[Second Iteration.]</strong>


    <strong>[Path of Struggle: Asura.]</strong>