Chapter 52 – Combat Exams (1)

It was Monday. The last day of March, and the first day of Combat Exams.

It was also the busiest day of the week, since it was the day where Cube Cadets could show off their stuff in duels to the world at large.

And, of course, it would also be the day where everything went haywire despite Lee's preparations.

===

[Variable Stats]

(Up!) Strength: 5.75 => 7.50

(Up!) Stamina: 5.75 => 7.50

(Up!) Speed: 5.75 => 7.50

(Up!) Perception: 10.001 => 11.0

(Up!) Vitality: 5.75 => 7.50

(Down!) Magic power: 2.0 => 0.0

[Physique]

(New!) Heavenly Restriction Physique

- You cannot hold mana within your body.

- You cannot use magic.

- You are exempt from magical phenomena and disrupt it with your very presence.

- Your senses surpass human limits, even enhanced with mana

- All increases to Magic power are automatically reassigned in equal measure to other variable stats.

[Art]

Mana Manipulation (Proficiency 10% | 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.

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

- 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 external cores.

===

While Lee braided Evandel's hair to get ready for the day, he couldn't help but reread his updated stats, art, and physique.

'Is this because of my zero luck?'

It wasn't the worst case scenario. But it absolutely did not go the way Lee intended it to go.

Like he went over with Instructor Soohyuk, Lee grabbed everything he planned to use to increase his stats before Monday. And he spent the weekend doing his best to assimilate it all into his body to get stronger.

But the result of it...

Instead of getting more Magic power, he had lost all of it.

Not only that, but his physique had completely changed...

'I really am Toji now, huh?'

The world... No, the co-author was definitely trying to nerf Lee.

From how everything had been worded, and from the obvious conclusion, if Lee flooded his body with mana from various sources, since the nature of mana in his body trended towards chaos, it should all coexist peacefully, allowing him to do shenanigans.

But either the world or co-author had said no, forcibly purging all mana from his body instead.

...However, whatever did that failed to account for [Mana Manipulation].

The result of that...

Lee finished braiding Evandel's hair and then held out his hand, causing a blob of colorless mana the size of Evandel's head to gather into a perfect sphere.

Evandel noticed and let out a bright smile. "Daddy! Me too!" She held up her hands, causing Aether to gather into a glowing rainbow ball. "See?"

Lee laughed and kissed Evandel's forehead. "Yep. You're smart as ever, Eva."

Evandel giggled and then stuck her tongue out in concentration, tugging and pulling at Aether. Then she held out a... cup? Filled with swirling colors?

Lee blinked and said, "What's that, Eva?"

"Cup! Drinky!" Evandel giggled and then mimed drinking it before letting out a satisfied burp.

Lee laughed and patted her head. "You keep being you, Eva. Love you."

Evandel giggled and hugged Lee. "Love you too, Daddy!"

Lee let out a warm smile. But then he felt his smartwatch buzzing.

He didn't need to look at it to know what it was.

Evandel tilted her head and pointed at the watch. "Bzzt?"

"Bzzt." Lee nodded. "But don't worry, Eva. Daddy will sort it out. Wanna go stay with Auntie again for a bit?"

"Auntie Nayn?! Yay!" Evandel stuck her tongue out again, focusing on squishing Aether. Then she held out a chibi Nayun and said, "Play with Auntie Nayn!"

Lee laughed and scooped Evandel up in his arms. "You really like her, huh?"

"Auntie Nayn, Bestest Auntie!"

"Even more than Auntie Yeonha?"

"Mmhm! Auntie Nayn gives nom noms! And Auntie Nayn can cook!"

Lee burst out laughing as he walked out of his dorm room. "Well... can't deny that. Nayun actually CAN cook, unlike a certain Yeonha..."

===

"You're with me again, huh, Eva?" Nayun smiled and scooped Evandel up into her arms.

"Auntie! Yay!" Evandel cheered and handed Nayun a small star-shaped hairpin. "Gift!"

Nayun's eyes softened and she let Evandel put it on. "Wow... you're growing up enough to know how to give gifts, huh?"

"Yeah!"

It was the courtyard between the dorm rooms.

Lee had met up with Nayun to let Evandel hang out with her again since her duels weren't until later in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Lee had nonstop duels all throughout the morning, and Rachel had her duel sessions in the morning too.

Watching Nayun and Evandel interact, Lee smiled and said, "It's good that you two get along... Now, who was the one who was panicking about my daughter when we first met her?"

Nayun blushed and held Evandel close. "Hey! That's because she was a literal ghost girl!"

Evandel gave a serious nod and said, "Ghost! Boo!" She clapped her hands and Aether turned into a cartoony ghost bubble.

Lee laughed. "Well, as long as you get along now."

Nayun smiled. "Of course. Evandel's my cutest niece ever."

"She's your only niece."

"For now! When Oppa gets better, I'm not stopping from bugging him until I have another niece or nephew to spoil too! He's handsome though, so it probably won't be too hard."

Lee laughed and said, "Yeah. Probably not as hard as Hajin would have had if he didn't save Yeonha, right?"

"Wooow. Harsh. And Hajin isn't... too bad looking."

"Just say he's a squid." Lee paused. "That's the term for an unattractive face, right?"

"Hey, I heard that." Hajin walked over, looking amused.

...And also looking armed to the teeth.

Although he didn't have any armor on since Cadets were only allowed their uniforms in the duels, Hajin DID have a whole armory of weapons on him.

A pair of sawed off shotguns hooked on his belt to his left and right. A pair of pistols holstered on his chest for easy drawing. An elastic sling of some sort, along with a bag of glittering marbles at his waist. Then knives all along the front of his chest, along with enough steel needles to turn someone into a porcupine...

And that was only what Lee could see.

Evandel's blue eyes glittered as she looked at Hajin and said, "Uncle Haji! Cool!"

"It's Hajin, Evandel. And thanks." Hajin smiled. "At least you think I'm cool. Unlike your dad."

"I'll think you're cool when you can finish a NovelFire."

Hajin flinched and then did a double take at Lee.

Lee played dumb and said, "What? Aren't NovelFire authors cool? They write whole stories for people to enjoy and endure the hate comments that feel like cuts on their soul, don't they?"

"...Sure." Hajin gave Lee a strange look.

Lee was sure Hajin was trying to figure out if Lee knew Hajin was the author of this world or not...

Well, of 'The Returnee Hero.'

But Lee could always decisively answer with 'No, I don't think you're the author of this world.'

After all, to him, this was 'The Novel's Extra' and not 'The Returnee Hero.'

...In short, unlimited trolling potential. Unlimited.

Nayun looked over at Hajin and said, "Our Hajin here is going to show off for his contract fiancee, isn't he~?"

Hajin immediately blushed and said, "Yeonha isn't my fiancee! We're business partners!"

"Who definitely don't have a shared lease to an apartment in Seoul~" Nayun continued teasing.

Hajin turned an even darker shade of red and immediately clamped his mouth shut.

Lee gasped. "NO WAY."

Nayun let out an excited squeal. "YOU HAVE AN APARTMENT WITH YEONHA?!"

"It's an office space! Technically! And we don't live with each other! Stop shipping us!"

Suho's voice echoed from the male dorm's building. "Well aren't we energetic this morning?"

Yi Yeonghan, Suho's friend, a muscular cadet with a round face. He smiled as he walked over as well. "Good morning! Good luck on the exams, everyone! And hello, Eva-"

"STRANGER DANGER!" Evandel immediately shouted and ducked her head to hide against Nayun's face.

Yeonghan froze.

Nayun burst out laughing, holding Evandel close and tilting away from Yeonghan. "Sorry Class Pres. But I guess you're too strange for our Eva."

"...Maaan..." Yeonghan sighed and walked off, looking like a kicked puppy.

Suho shook his head, clearly amused, and said, "Well it looks like we won't have to worry about Eva going with strangers. Who taught her that anyway?"

Nayun shrugged. "Probably Yeonha."

Hajin nodded. "Definitely Yeonha."

Lee hummed. "Well, not Rachel. And not me... so yeah, Yeonha."

At that time, heels clicked and Yeonha's voice echoed. "Just why is my name in everyone's mouth so early in the morning?"

Lee clamped his mouth shut, physically restraining himself from making a comment about how it was better her name instead of her.

But Nayun clearly didn't have that restraint.

Rolling her eyes, she said, "At least it's just your name and not any other part of you... which you clearly want to happen with Hajin since you have an apartment with him."

Yeonha turned a beet red and rounded on Hajin. "HAJIN! YOU PROMISED!"

"I-I didn't say anything! They guessed it!"

Lee spoke up and said, "Just make sure you don't share a bank account, otherwise you're constructively married according to common law."

A tense silence filled the air.

Hajin slowly turned pale.

Yeonha turned a deep dark red.

Suho doubled over laughing.

And then Nayun let out a long and suffering sigh. "...Dang it. Fiiine. I'll send you the money later, Lee. You win."

"No need. Just spoil Eva."

"Bet."

Yeonha finally recovered and said, "I'M MARRIED TO HAJIN?!"

"I mean." Lee shrugged. "Not explicitly. But you keep calling yourself partners, share an apartment, share a bank account, have a contract... Like. Are you TRYING to be the whirlwind Hero romance of the century?"

Hajin's eyes went blank-

Ah, no. He was definitely reading a bunch of messages popping up in front of his eyes right about now.

Lee wasn't sure what they were, but if he had to guess, it'd probably be something like...

===

> Luck activates! Yoo Yeonha's clumsiness has resulted in a contractual marriage!

> Luck activates! Yoo Yeonha's stubbornness ensures she will not dissolve it to keep face!

> Luck activates! Your wife, Yoo Yeonha, is determined to make sure you are worthy of being her husband and plans to stuff you full of elixirs!

===

...Or something like that.

Suho wiped his tears away and said, "Man. You guys are the best. Never boring around you. Never boring."

Nayun raised her hand and said, "I call dibs on the biography rights!"

Evandel copied Nayun and said, "Dibs!" She paused and looked at Nayun. "Auntie. What dibs?"

"Oh, dibs are like saying 'first.' We get to do it first, Eva."

"Oooh!" Evandel nodded. "Dibs on choco!"

Suho laughed and handed Evandel another square of luxury chocolate. "Alright, Eva. Here."

"YAY!" Evandel immediately unwrapped it and shoved it in her mouth. "Uncle Suho! Bestest!"

Hajin finally recovered and looked over at Evandel. "I'm not bestest uncle, Evandel?"

Evandel shook her head. "Uncle Haji, coolest!" She pointed at Suho and said, "Uncle Suho, bestest! Uncle gives choco! Choco is best! So Uncle Suho bestest!"

Yeonha frowned and said, "But I give you chocolate too."

Evandel stuck out her tongue. "Blegh! Auntie Yona gives icky choco! Bitter!"

Nayun laughed. "You heard her, Yeonha."

Yeonha huffed. "And why is Auntie Nayun better than?"

"Auntie Nayn gives nom noms! Tumtum full!"

"..."

Lee laughed and said, "Alright, alright." He wiped Evandel's cheeks clean and said, "Rachel's up first, so let's hurry to the stands so Evandel can cheer her on. I think I can catch the first bit of it too, but I'll need to get ready for my gauntlet of duels..."

Suho chuckled. "That's right, huh? I saw the list... you have a hundred duels lined up already."

Hajin's eyes widened. "A HUNDRED?!"

Evandel pumped a fist in the air. "Hund'ed! Daddy, fight!"

Lee laughed and then adjusted the halberd on his back, along with the latest training weapon he had picked up just for this, hidden within his uniform.

The others didn't notice it, but Hajin did. And when he did, he laughed. "Stealing from my playbook now, huh?"

Lee chuckled and said, "Hey, I'm American. Gotta use it, right?"

Nayun tilted her head. "Use what?"

"Don't worry about it~ Now, come on. Let's see how my wifey's doing."

Suho shook his head. "And casually calling Rachel that word is the exact reason you have a hundred duels lined up today..."