The check-in was straightforward.
Since Lee had prepaid and had the receipt, they were given the room keys and told how to get there.
For privacy, Lee had gotten the penthouse suite... or what they called a penthouse suite.
But when they walked inside...
"...Huh."
Cherry blossoms everywhere. Bottles of wine. Plush crimson silk blankets and pillows. A card saying 'Congrats to the Newlyweds...'
And a completely Japanese styled interior, complete with sliding doors, bamboo mats, and a bubbling hot spring in the back.
"Okay." Lee slowly said. "...I may have misunderstood the package."
Nayun burst out laughing as she looked around at the gaudy and CLEARLY meant for a honeymoon decor. "Okay, I was just joking earlier. But this is SERIOUSLY sending a message, Lee. Look at Lady Rachel~"
Rachel had placed one hand on her cheek, as if trying to prevent herself from fainting. Her face was a deep red, and she was fanning herself with her free hand. "L-L-Lee?!"
Lee chuckled. "Well, it's fine. Looks like a comfy room anyway." He walked around and opened the adjacent doors to reveal one master bedroom and a smaller room. "You guys can share the master bedroom and I'll grab this one. Then when Nayun leaves, Rachel, we can just stay in the separate rooms."
"Pft." Nayun looked at the thin walls and said, "It's practically the same room with these." She tapped on it and said, "It's barely any privacy."
Lee shrugged and said, "Even if it's 'barely' privacy, it's still privacy. Besides, we're probably going to have a trip at some point where we've to change around each other, right? We should get used to it."
Nayun slowly blinked. Then she looked at Rachel, who was as red as the few rose petals scattered around. Then she looked back at Lee and said, "You are sooo doing this just to tease Rachel, aren't you?"
"Guilty~"
Rachel gasped and then pouted. "LEE!"
"What? I have to make sure you know I mean business~"
Rachel huffed and grabbed a throw pillow from a nearby sofa, chucking it at Lee's head. "My reputation! The rumors! How are you going to take responsibility?!"
"Well-"
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT!"
Nayun laughed. She slipped her backpack off nearby and said, "Worth coming along just for this."
"Nayun!" Rachel pouted and said, "You're supposed to help me stop him!"
"What? Lee's just flirting... And you clearly like it~"
"That's not... I...!" Rachel's eyes started to spin and then she dashed into the master bedroom, slamming the sliding door shut.
Lee chuckled.
Nayun smiled and said, "You're evil. You know that Rachel's never had a proper suitor before, right? DEFINITELY not like this."
"Oh, I'm aware." Lee gave Nayun a thumbs up. "I'm abusing my audacious American privilege. Also, Britain owes America a tax refund anyway. I'm just claiming it back with interest."
Rachel called out and said, "I heard that! And also, we made proper reparations already, you scoundrel! And my heart isn't compensation you can get!"
"Oh, but your name is, right~?"
"STOOOOOOOOP!" Rachel let out a muffled scream.
Nayun shook her head and said, "Okay, enough bullying the princess." She raised her smartwatch and said, "It's already 2 PM. We skipped lunch to come here, so we'll get a big dinner later... but we should get going if we want to train. Since it's a weekday, it won't be too busy right now, but it will be when people get off work and stuff around 6 PM."
Rachel peeked behind the screen door. Seeing that Lee wasn't teasing her anymore, she took a breath to compose herself and then walked back over. "...I agree. We should hunt as much as we can right now and then get food later. Time is of the essence."
"Hm... Fair point." Lee nodded. "I wanted to pick up a few items first... but that can wait for tomorrow." He picked up his retractable spear, strapping it to his side. Then he said, "Let's just head out to the Field." He looked at Nayun and said, "You have the transport settled?"
Nayun laughed. "Did you think I'd let you do everything, Lee? Besides, aren't I the moneybag for you lovebirds?" She patted her chest and said, "Leave it to me... though I want to be the bridesmaid."
Rachel groaned. "...You two are going to tease me this whole trip, aren't you?"
"Maybe~" Nayun smiled.
"Sorry, Rachel. At this point, it's just natural to me~"
Rachel rolled her eyes, though a warm smile was on her face. "Fine... But don't blame me when the Rachel International Fanclub puts a hit on your head, Lee."
"A bounty? Before I even graduated Cube? Bet."
"...You would think that." Rachel sighed.
Nayun laughed. "Face it, Rachel. You can't win against someone as shameless as an American."
"Counterpoint: Korean housewife."
Nayun raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying something, Lee?"
"I'm stating it~"
"You...!" Nayun laughed and lunged at Lee.
Rachel's eyes sparkled and she lunged at him too.
Lee laughed and carried both over his shoulders. "Fools! You may have the high ground, but now I AM the ground!"
"L-LEE!" Rachel squealed, blushing a deep red.
Nayun cackled and said, "You're SOOOO dead later! Watch out for stray arrows, Lee!"
===
After calming down and properly gearing up, Lee headed towards the edge of the city with Nayun and Rachel.
True to Nayun's word, she had already arranged transporation: a sleek blacked out van with professional looking agents in black suits who said nothing and pretended they didn't see anything.
And after around ten minutes of driving, they had reached the open fields.
Lee hopped out of the van and took a look around.
It was a vast grassland. Because of it, you would think there would just be animal-like monsters around... and there were.
Lee saw a few Iron Hogs, some Black Pelicans flying in the sky, and a few Vorpal Hares hopping around.
But there were also undead too, both of the animal variety and the poor Heroes and others who had died on the Field only to be reanimated.
Altogether though, it did seem to be mostly on theme.
Nayun walked out of the van and stretched. After that, she said, "Looks like we're lucky. Not any other Heroes or Cadets out right now to steal our kills." She drew her bow and said, "What are you thinking, Lee? Should we have a competition?"
Rachel stepped out of the van next and drew her rapier. "We DO need to pay for our food later. I am expecting fine dining to deal with all of the hassle you two put me through in teasing me."
Lee laughed. "Alright." He pulled out his phone. "I'll reserve a Five Star Michelin restaurant for 9 PM... Done. Since it's a random Friday, and since it's off-season, looks like it wasn't a hassle. Down 20 million won, but worth it."
Nayun's eyes widened. "A-Are you sure you should be throwing money around like that, Lee?!"
Rachel looked concerned too and said, "I was just joking, Lee. A normal restaurant is fine..."
Lee cracked his neck and then pulled out his spear, extending it to its full length. "What are you two talking about? Money? Pft. Money's walking around all over the place right here. Let's go get some."
Nayun paused. Then her eyes lit up and she laughed. "Good point! Then... Competition?"
Rachel wrapped herself with wind, casting a silent spell. "Competition. Thirty minutes, whoever earned the most wins. And pays for the night shopping spree."
Lee grinned. "You're on. I've got a ton of things I want to buy."
Nayun started running. "Then you'd better work hard, Lee!" As she sprinted, arrows were already flying, piercing into a small group of Iron Hogs.
Rachel took off in a flash, aiming at a small pride of... silver lions?
Huh.
But as for Lee...
He eyed the undead and said, "Well. I guess I should test a theory..."
They weren't the most well-paying targets for obvious reason. There wasn't anything to gain from killing them... normally.
Undead just dropped mana crystals, but they were tainted with corrupted energy. Not quite dark magic that djinn and demons were associated with, but still a form of negative and very bad energy.
To most people.
But for Lee...
'Let's test it.'
He immediately rushed towards a group of undead and skeletal boars roaming around.
===
The undead were reanimated corpses or remains. Because of that, they were functionally the same as automatons and golems. Things that were constructed with mana and held together with magic power.
And considering Lee's Arts...
> No Second Strike (Rederived) activates!
> The target is stunned!
> Your proficiency increases a little!
> Mana Manipulation activates!
> You have stolen mana from the stunned target to use in No Second Strike (Rederived)!
> A portion of the expended mana lingers!
> Your proficiency increses a little!
...It was a beautiful symphony of growth.
Stab the core of magic power with his spear.
Use <Mana Manipulation> to disassemble the mana and dominate it.
Use the dominated mana in <No Second Strike> to stun the next target.
Profit.
Lee laughed as he quickly cleared out the group of undead. "Well, this helps a lot."
He had over thirty mana crystals now to work with. They were corrupted and corrosive, so they were usually worthless.
But for him...
In the distance, Nayun laughed and said, "If you're just killing undead all day, you'll be paying for both of us girls, Lee~!"
Rachel's voice echoed as well and she said, "I plan to buy jewelry, so prepare yourself!"
"These guys are planning to run up the tab, huh? Well..." Lee chuckled and pocketed the dozen or so mana crystals he got from the undead. "...Time to see if this works like how I thought it did." Pointing his spear at a Black Pelican in the sky, Lee wrapped it in mana and then chucked it.
And true to his hunch...
> Lightning Thrust activates!
...A thunderous boom echoed as his spear flew at supersonic speeds, piercing through the bird.
Then, because his spear had been wreathed in mana under Lee's control...
> Mana Manipulation activates!
> The mana utilized in Lightning Thrust returns to you!
> The mana imbued in your spear pulls it back in the path of the mana's return!
...It flew back.
At a snail's pace.
Like a sad paper airplane drifting in the sky.
Lee groaned.
Nayun burst out laughing somewhere in the distance.
Rachel's giggles echoed too.
Lee sighed and started walking. "Note to self: invest in a retrieval function."
He had overestimated how effective Mana Manipulation was... but in hindsight, it WAS Low Rank. Only a step up from Lowest.
"...At least it's homing."
Lee noticed that the spear was pointing at him and slowly drifting back even as he walked.
Fine.
At least he didn't just throw away 4 million won.
Did his lack of weapon flag him as defenseless to the nearby monsters?
A Vorpal Hare lunged forward, turning into a white blur.
But...
"I'm faster."
...Lee burned another mana crystal and stepped forward, his hand pointed into a spearhand. The moment he did...
> Lightning Thrust activates!
...Time seemed to slow down.
The Vorpal Hare moved like it had been trapped in molasses.
Lee, meanwhile, was moving at normal speed... though only in one direction.
'Huh. This isn't bullet time, but it's close to what Hajin has, isn't it?'
It wasn't quite temporal manipulation, but it was affecting Lee's passage through time.
While Hajin was blatantly cheating by skipping frames, Lee had accelerated his body in one movement and his mind to keep up with that movement.
He had a vague sense he could cancel it.
...His body would DEFINITELY scream at him for doing that though.
So instead, he kept in mind the updated intel on how his Gift worked and then pierced the Vorpal Hare with his hand.
Time went back to its normal pace...
*splat*
...And Lee was drenched with blood from the Vorpal Hare being pierced through.
"...Well." Lee sighed. "...I suppose I DID need to pick up some new clothes..."
He cracked his neck and looked at an Iron Hog charging towards him.
"Screw it! Moneybag! Get over here!" Lee charged as well and burned another mana crystal.
The moment just before the Iron Hog's tusks would run Lee through...
> Lightning Thrust activates!
...He moved first, accelerating in an instant and piercing his hand through the Iron Hog's skull, punching into its body down to his shoulder.
"Ugh." Lee pulled out his arm, grimacing at the squicky flesh sound. "...They make it look so much cooler in shows."
The old donuthole technique was always dramatic in stuff like Anime, but in real life it was SUPER messy.
Still.
'Guess I have a useful trump card.'
It was good to know that in a pinch he could DEFINITELY murder someone just by taking a backstep and thrusting with his empty hand.
'Wonder if Lee Shin knew about this?'
Probably not.
That guy... From what Lee could tell based on the various memories drifting in his head, Lee Shin had been a straightforward sort of guy. Very much devoted to the spear too.
Very much not well-versed in murder techniques like Lee was.
For reasons.
But anyway...
"OH MY GOD! LEE?! DID YOU MURDER THAT IRON HOG WITH YOUR FINGERS?!"
...Nayun's voice boomed in the distance.
As well as another boom. One from her firing off an arrow wreathed with spiraling emerald mana.
Huh. She definitely picked up on the drill properties Lee mentioned last time.
But anyway...
Lee flicked his right arm, sending the blood on it scattering. Then he said, "Lots of time left! Keep up!"
After flagging the people Nayun brought along to deal with the Vorpal Hare and Iron Hog corpse, Lee burned another mana crystal, wrapping his body with mana. This time though, instead of just moving straight forward, he jumped in the air first, and then...
> Lightning Thrust activates!
...He immediately started airdashing, his Gift propelling him before gravity took over.
"Hah! Take that, physics! Who's the boss now?!"
"HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?!" Nayun's stunned voice.
"LEE?!" Rachel's concerned but also giddy voice. Like a girl who just saw something utterly adorable, but something that could also go terribly wrong any second. In other words, like a toddler trying to do a front flip.
Lee just laughed and kept moving.
'Over twenty magic crystals left. Plenty.'
It was a shame that he wouldn't be able to do this at Cube... After all, he was practically doping himself.
But one day, he'd be able to do this under his own power.
...He just needed around 5.0 in his Magic Power stat first.
Which currently was...
> Magic Power: 1.3 => 1.35
...Increasing barely any with all of his shenanigans.
Lee sighed.
One step at a time...
===
[Status Screen]
Name: Lee Shin (Hanja read as 'Different' 'Belief')
Age: 16 (Biological, Western standard)
[Variable Stats]
Strength: 5.15 => 5.25
Stamina: 5.15 => 5.25
Speed: 5.15 => 5.25
Perception: 10
<You are well-versed in tropes, fiction, and other areas. No matter the circumstance, you can perceive at least a vague root of its existence.>
Vitality: 5.15 => 5.25
Magic power: 1.3 => 1.4
<Your body does not naturally generate magical power. Additional methods are necessary.>
[Invariable Stats]
Intelligence - 10/10
<You possess knowledge that does not exist and cannot exist in this world. This collection of knowledge across numerous fields in your previous life have been synthesized and converted as raw intelligence.>
Perseverance - 9/10
<You have been driven to the brink and faced the abyss of death numerous times. You have been presented the choice to end it all numerous times and yet chosen life. Moreover you have turned your life around and bounced back further each time. This has been recorded as great perseverance.>
Luck - 0/10
<You are not accepted by the rules of this world, and you do not accept them in turn. Any luck-based events are converted to 'causality' events. Without sufficient plausibility, outcomes cannot occur when they involve you.>
Charm - 8/10
<You have a natural ease and charisma around you from knowing who you truly are at your core and accepting all of it in its totality.>
[Gift]
Lightning Thrust <Static Gift> - Wreathing oneself in mana, lunge forward at a blinding speed for a thrust.
Maverick <Static Gift> - You do not abide by the world's rules. Luck will never be on your side. In return, you are not constrained by the world's limitations.
[Arts]
Self Command (Proficiency 100% | MAX)- You are able to always control your actions. You cannot be manipulated by external powers.
- Immunity to abnormal mental conditions
- Immunity to mental control abilities, magic, skills, and authorities
- Can ignore physical limitations at the cost of critical damage to the body
Mana Manipulation (Proficiency 35% | Low 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 droplet of mana
- Mana under your control will not dissolve, but instead return to the body after eliciting the magical effect
- If proficiency is improved, can dominate and assimilate other sources of mana into your body.
(New!) No Second Strike [Rederived] (Proficiency 2% | Lowest Rank) - Taking the premise of Li Shuwen's no second strike as a core combat philosophy, the principle of 'engulfing the opponent with Qi' has been applied with mana. Every physical strike has a chance to stun the opponent. Effect amplified against opponents utilizing mana reinforcement or magic power. At High Rank, mere killing intention may be fatal due to shocking the opponent's parasympathetic nervous system.
[Physique]
Disruptive Mana Physique
- The nature of mana within your body trends towards chaos.
- You are unable to use magic.
- You ignore the magical aspect of magical attacks.
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