Chapter 43 – Teenaged shenanigans

Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Anti-Monster class.

Today, the objective was clearing a labyrinth. Or in other words, labyrinth exploration.

Because of that, the members of Team 2 (Lee, Rachel, Nayun, Yeonha, and Hajin) were gathered in front of the entrance to a pitch-black cave.

Like on Monday, Lee had brought Evandel along for class. But unlike Monday...

Hajin glanced at Evandel and the fact that their classmates were all looking over. "Uh... what did I miss on Monday?"

Nayun sighed. "A lot."

Rachel adjusted her rapier and smiled. "You didn't miss much, Kim Hajin. Just a lot of nosy girls asking about Lee and m- his daughter."

Hajin slowly blinked and looked between Evandel and Rachel, clearly seeing the similarity. "...His daughter."

Rachel smiled. "Yes. Lee's daughter. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Nope. Not at all." Hajin immediately shook his head. "If that's what you say, that's what it is. Right?"

Yeonha adjusted her whip on its harness and smiled at Hajin. "That's right, Hajin. Sometimes, it's better to not ask too many questions."

Nayun coughed. "Whipped."

Yeonha's eye twitched.

Lee chuckled and adjusted the harness holding Evandel to his chest. "Alright. Enough banter." He looked around the dark cave and said, "We're going to be starting in a bit. But we have a bit of prep time before Instructor Soohyuk gives us the signal. Any ideas?"

Nayun cracked her knuckles and then pulled the bow off her back, holding it in her hands. "Obviously we just run forward. I can lead the way."

Hajin blinked. "You can?"

Nayun rolled her eyes and said, "You really must have been living under a rock at the Agent Military Academy... Hello? Archer?"

Hajin's ears turned red and he said, "I know that! I mean, it's dark, isn't it?"

Rachel chuckled and said, "Don't worry about that, Kim Hajin. Nayun learned how to navigate the darkness recently."

"Ugh..." Nayun wrinkled her nose. "Don't remind me about that mountain cave. Too many damned-"

Rachel cleared her throat.

"...Danged undead."

Evandel raised a fist and said, "Dang dead!"

Nayun laughed. "That's right, Kid."

Hajin looked like he had a whole list of questions to ask. But seeing how Rachel, Lee, Nayun, and Yeonha were just rolling with it, he decided to do the same. Instead of asking more about Evandel, he said, "I can actually see here though. If you want, I can lead the way. I mean, not ACTUALLY lead the way. I think I'm a bit too weak for that. Physically. But I can point out the turns and stuff."

Lee blinked and looked over at Hajin. "You can see in the dark?" He paused. "...Oh wait, that makes sense. Your Gift would be pretty worthless if your eyes weren't powered up to compensate for it."

Yeohna's eyes widened and she looked at Hajin with sympathy. "So that's what happened..."

Nayun looked amused and said, "I think you're getting lost in your own conclusions against, Yeonha..."

At that time, Instructor Kim Soohyuk's voice echoed from somewhere nearby. "Begin!"

Lee cracked his neck, holding his halberd in front of him and casually walking forward. "Since this is an exploration mission, it doesn't matter how many of us reach the end first, as long as one of us does. So... How about you and Nayun rush forward to get to the exit and claim the spot? We'll follow."

Nayun laughed and grinned at Hajin. "Wanna make a bet?"

Hajin pulled out his pair of pistols and said, "What kind of bet?"

"I bet I'll get there before you do. If you win, I'll buy you a bunch of stuff so that you can finally stop being deadweight."

Hajin looked amused and said, "If I lose?"

"You have to take a picture of Yeonha while she's-"

*WHOOSH*

Before Nayun finished talking, Hajin was already sprinting away.

Nayun laughed, "You cheater! Get back here!"

Rachel giggled, shaking her head. After that, she looked at Yeonha and said, "It's a win-win for you, isn't it?"

Yeonha turned a bright red, not bothering to dignify Rachel's words with a response.

Lee just laughed and started walking forward. "Come on, we can't fall behind too much... Also, stick close to us, Yeonha. Rachel and I can see in the dark too, but-"

"KYAH!?"

Yeonha immediately stepped into a pitfall.

Evandel giggled and held out her hand, making Aether turn into a net to catch her. "Careful, Auntie!"

Yeonha trembled as she was reeled back onto the path by Evandel. Then she slowly nodded and said, "Evandel, Sweetie. Auntie Yeonha will buy you all the gifts you want later. Don't let Auntie fall again. Okay?"

"Kay~!"

Lee laughed.

===

A quiet journey through the dark, broken only by sudden monster ambushes.

Because Lee was on babysitting duty, that left the fighting to Rachel and Yeonha. But it wasn't a problem for either.

Rachel was experimenting with her elemental magic still, testing out how her mana changed in the darkness.

And Yeonha was venting her embarrassment on any poor soul who crossed her path.

But because of that, Lee was free to play with Evandel, molding his mana to match the shapes that she was making with Aether.

And after a while of doing that...

===

> Mana Manipulation has ranked up!

Mana Manipulation (Proficiency 0% | Intermediate rank) - An ability gained at the brink of death. You have forcibly awakened a physical sense for mana, as well as a method to control it utilizing biological processes.

- (Updated!) Can completely control one handful of mana and temporarily dominate/assimilate all forms of mana within your reach.

- (Updated!) Mana under your control will not dissolve, but instead return to the source after you utilize it.

- (Updated!) If proficiency is improved, can permanently dominate and assimilate other sources of mana into your body.

===

A soft chime echoed in Lee's head and some glowing message windows appeared in his field of view.

Of course, he was the only one who could see them. But...

"Huh. Neat."

Evandel tilted her head. "Huh. Neat!" She giggled, copying Lee's words.

Lee laughed and poked Evandel's cheek. "You like copying people, huh?"

Evandel giggled again and nuzzled against Lee's blazer.

Lee chuckled and said, "Well. As long as you don't copy any bad habits, I guess it's fine."

Rachel responded while kicking a skeleton down a pitfall and said, "You mean like your terrible habit of reckless training?"

Yeonha wrapped her whip around a ghoul and pulled it into a pitfall too. "Or your relentless teasing?"

Evandel giggled and then stuck out her tongue at Yeonha.

"...Dear god, she IS your daughter..." Yeonha sighed.

Lee ruffled Evandel's hair and said, "Yep. Daddy's little girl... right, Eva?"

"Yeah! Daddy!"

"See?"

Yeonha stared at Lee and said, "I can't tell if you're a wonderful father or a terrible father..."

Rachel sighed. "Both. Definitely both."

At that time, Nayun's voice echoed in the distance. "Hah! I told you I'd beat you!"

"What?! How?! You're literally running blind! I can see in the dark! What the fu-"

"Now! You have to take a picture of Yeonha while she's pouting. I want it by tomorrow."

"...Okay, that's not so bad. I thought it was going to be while she was changing or something..."

"Oho~? You're thinking of our Yeonha while she's changing, huh?"

"W-What?! That's not what I... Instructor Soohyuk! Back me up!"

As Lee rounded the corner with Rachel and Yeonha, he arrived in the center of the labyrinth, illuminated by bright LEDs hung from the ceiling.

There were only three people there. Nayun, of course, who looked like a being of pure mischief.

Hajin, who was red-faced and indignant.

And Instructor Kim Soohyuk, who looked like he wasn't paid enough to deal with teenaged drama.

Which, honestly, was fair.

Lee waved as he approached and said, "Are we first, Instructor Soohyuk?"

Instructor Soohyuk seemed relieved to have someone sensible to talk to as he nodded back and said, "Yes. Since these two arrived first, your record is 21 minutes and 21 seconds." He paused and looked at Evandel, strapped onto Lee's chest. "...Was everything alright on the way here with your daughter?"

Evandel squirmed around to look at Instructor Soohyuk and held up Aether, shaped in a heart. "Fun!"

Lee laughed and said, "Yeah. It's fine, Instructor Soohyuk. You don't have to worry about our performance. If anything, it's a necessary handicap for our classmates, right?"

At that time, Suho walked out from a passage on the other side of the labyrinth center, leading his own team. "Hey, I heard that." He laughed and said, "Do you think the rest of us are chopped liver or something?"

Instructor Soohyuk checked his stopwatch and said, "Team 1. 30 minutes and 42 seconds. Second place."

Suho sighed and said, "And here I was thinking we could get first this week."

Evandel waved at Suho and smiled. "Uncle Suho! Hi!"

Suho smiled back at Evandel and made his way over. "Nice to see you again too, Eva. Here, a treat." Suho reached into his pocket and pulled out a small chocolate square.

Evandel gasped and took it from Suho, holding it over her head like a grand treasure. "Choco!"

Rachel looked concerned. "Eva, you can't-"

Evandel quickly peeled the wrapped off and stuffed it in her mouth. "Nom! Thanky!"

Suho laughed.

Rachel gave Lee a pointed stare.

Lee shrugged. "What? Eva was good. She deserves a reward. Besides, I promised her fudge."

Evandel gasped and looked at Lee. "Daddy! Choco, fudge?"

Lee chuckled and wiped the chocolate from Evandel's face. "Yes, Eva. Fudge is chocolate. But not all chocolate is fudge."

Evandel scrunched up her face in concentration. But then she nodded and said, "Fudge is choco. Choco... is not fudge?"

Lee smiled and said, "You'll figure it out one day, Eva."

"Hm... Kay!" Evandel nodded, a bright smile on her face.

Meanwhile, Lee noticed that Hajin had a weird expression on and said, "Something wrong?"

"What? Oh, no. Not at all. Just. Uh... admiring how good of a father you are...?"

"...Alright?"

Lee could tell that Hajin was definitely hiding something.

The guy kind of had a look like someone who met a terminally ill patient by chance...

Mm.

Maybe his system was saying that Lee was a walking death flag?

Made sense. <Maverick> basically said that in its description, so it didn't surprise Lee at all.

Not that it would actually happen though.

"Tch." Shin Jonghak walked into the labyrinth along with his team. "Third? Oi." He turned back to his teammates and said, "Next time you run even if you're going to die."

Instructor Soohyuk raised an eyebrow. But he kept a neutral expression after that and looked at his stopwatch. "Team 3... 36 minutes and 40 seconds. Third place."

Shin Jonghak looked over at Lee. Then at Nayun who had come over to fuss with Evandel, his eyes flashing with envy.

And then Lee casually pulled out his phone, swiping to the picture he took of Shin Jonghak on his knees before.

Shin Jonghak immediately paled and turned on his heel stomping off.

Yeonha noticed and clicked her tongue. "How childish..."

Nayun noticed as well and nodded. "Yep. And to think you used to have a crush on him..."

"W-What?" Yeonha turned a bright red. "I didn't!"

Suho chimed in and said, "Definitely did. Everyone knew it except for Jonghak apparently."

Yeonha turned even more red.

Instructor Soohyuk watched it all happen and then let out a deep sigh. "...Teenagers..."