Reader of the Novel’s Extra

By the time noon rolled around, Lee had managed to drain, field dress, and cook the boar for lunch.

Rachel had managed to find multiple large ginseng roots, each at least five years old.

Nayun had managed to fine one or two larger ginseng roots, one even as big as her leg. But she mostly found a lot of smaller ones which she re-buried to grow some more.

But as they sat down for lunch, Nayun sighed and said, "Okay. I admit defeat." She looked at Rachel and said, "How did you find those big ones anyway?"

Rachel shrugged, huddled under a makeshift parasol that Lee had made from some sticks and his shirt. "I just listened. It's not really whispering, but I can kind of hear them?"

"...Huh. Are you an elementalist or something?" Nayun looked amsued. "What are you, descended from fairies?"

Lee rotated some makeshift boar kebabs on the fire and said, "Considering that Britain is known for fairies, high probability. Isn't King Arthur said to have gained Excalibur from the fairies too? If Rachel is a legitimate heir to Camelot, she might have some actual fairy blood. Or dragon blood. Either or."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You read too many fictional stories, Lee. And no, Nayun. I'm not descended from fairies." She paused. "But elementalist... Hm. I did take a test when I was young."

Nayun's eyes lit up. "And what did it say?"

"...It came out positive. But since information on elementals is rare, and since my elemental affinity hasn't increased since I was 10, I gave up on it..."

Lee tilted his head. "...But isn't it obvious on how to raise elemental affinity?"

Nayun side-eyed Lee and said, "Obvious, Mister Know-it-all says..." She paused. "...Wait. Do you really know something?"

"Well, it's just being one with nature, right? Like, not trying to force it, but asking it for help? Kind of like what you were doing with your magic power, Nayun. But instead of trying to paint the surroundings with your magic power, you let it paint you instead? If that makes sense?"

Nayun gave Lee a blank stare. Then she said, "What the heck are you talking-"

A pulse of magic power from Rachel.

Nayun's eyes widened. "Rachel?!"

Rachel didn't respond. Instead, her head was tilted, as if listening to something. Then she quietly held out her hand. Her mana gathered, forming a golden glow. But it slowly turned transparent before shifting into a calm green hue. Not the bright light of Nayun's mana, but like the soft greenery around them. "...Oh."

Nayun stared at Lee.

Lee stared back. "What?"

"You!" Nayun jabbed a finger at Lee. "Tell me honestly, are you a secret genius slumming at the bottom of the ranks just for clout!? What the heck?! How do you know these things?!"

"...I just do?"

===

Back at Cube. Saturday afternoon.

Hajin had just finished a long chat with Yeonha about testing his Gift after he made a plausible excuse about it evolving due to the life threatening incident last night.

"Yoo Yeonha really is scary when she's obssessed about something, isn't she...?" Hajin muttered under his breath as he headed back to the cafeteria to grab some lunch.

Hajin wasn't good under pressure, so he ended up blurting the fact that he could use any long ranged weapon with his Gift...

And that led to Yeonha telling him to prepare himself since she was going to bulk order all sorts of training weapons for him.

...Not that Hajin really minded. He had a sense that things were getting crazy soon-

> Notice: It has been judged that it makes no sense for Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak to be ranked first and second in Cube Cadet rankings due to combat ability alone.

> Modified setting: Cube Cadet ranking has been expanded to include an overall ranking.

> Modified setting: Rachel Elizabeth Louise is Rank 1 in Cube Cadet rankings and Chae Nayun is Rank 2 in overall Cube Cadet rankings. Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak remain first and second in combat ranking.

> Modified setting: Due to external factors, Rachel Elizabeth Louise has awakened to her Elemental Affinity early and Chae Nayun has developed a new Art <Mana Pulse>.

> Notice: It is suggested that the author utilizes his SP and knowledge efficiently to overcome the upcoming challenges!

"...You son of a-!"

===

Back at the Gangwondo mountains and completely oblivious to Hajin's plight, Lee, Rachel, and Nayun were exploring and training on the monsters that approached.

Lee idly twirled a set of bone picks he made from the boar's ribs earlier and then flicked a pair at some Black Pelicans in the distance.

> Mana Manipulation activates, dominating the ambient mana!

> Lightning Thrust activates!

> The targets are stunned!

Nayun gave Lee a side-eye and said, "...You know. At this point, aren't you more of a sniper than Hajin is, Lee...?"

Rachel nodded. "Cheat. You're definitely a cheat."

Lee looked amused and said, "That's a web novel term... have you been reading them recently, Rachel?"

Rachel's cheeks blushed and she said, "N-No! Of course not! A-A princess like myself... I-I mean the heir to the Kingdom of Britain would never...!" She stared at Lee.

Lee stared back.

Then Rachel sighed. "...Okay. A little. The Tower climbing stories are interesting."

Nayun laughed. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Rachel. At least you don't read trashy romance novels like Yeonha."

Lee looked amused and said, "Yeonha reads trashy romance novels? That explains a lot."

Rachel giggled. "It does... So does this mean she's going to make Kim Hajin sign a fake engagement contract soon?"

Lee chuckled. "More like she's going to make him sign so many documents that he'll be so indebted to her she might as well be his wife."

Nayun gasped. "Lee! You are... absolutely right!" She laughed and said, "Yeonha has a habit of overthinking on the wrong things, so that might happen... A million won it happens by the end of the semester."

Rachel let out a teasing smile and said, "That's giving Yeonha a lot of credit... I say mid-terms."

Lee looked amused and said, "Considering you two texted Yeonha about how Hajin is 'definitely not useless' and that he could 'totally be strong with an armory of guns...' I say by the end of the month."

The three shared a laugh as they kept hiking along the mountain trail.

Nayun reached up to stretch and said, "This is fun... Hanging out in nature, talking with friends, making money... mostly the making money."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Of course you would emphasize that..."

"Hey." Nayun looked at her and said, "Some of us don't get to automatically inherit a whole country, you know?"

"You're the Immortal's granddaughter. Isn't it basically the same thing?"

"Eeeh. Not really." Nayun kicked a rock out of the way and said, "I get the prestige, sure... And I get some money. But since I'm not a guy, I don't get everything. You know?" She looked at Rachel and said, "Honestly, you're pretty lucky. The fact that your kingdom lets a Queen rule is pretty progressive."

Lee spoke up and said, "Wait. What do you mean you don't get everything, Nayun?"

Nayun blinked and looked hesitant. Then she said, "You know. Since Oppa is still alive... I mean, not that I want him to... you know. But since he's in a coma... it's complicated."

"Ah." Lee nodded. "That makes sense. They're still holding out for a miracle."

Nayun nodded. "Yeah. It's..." She sighed. "I don't know. I miss him. I really want him to wake up too. But..." She pursed her lips and looked at Rachel and then Lee. "...Is it bad? That sometimes I wish he would have died instead? Because like this, there's hope. But that hope's always dashed..."

Rachel was quiet and moved over to Nayun's side in support.

Nayun gave her a grateful smile.

But as for Lee...

"Huh." Lee paused. "Actually..."

Nayun looked up at Lee, confused. Then her eyes widened and she said, "Lee. Don't tell me that you miraculously have a solution for this too?" She quickly moved to him and grabbed his shirt. "Because if you do... if you really do...!" Her eyes started welling up with tears.

Lee shook his head. "I'm not too sure. But I have a pretty good eye for things like this, so I might be able to help?"

What was it again...?

A devil seed or something, right?

Lee didn't remember the details of it from the book... but judging from what he DID know after studying Cube's materials and being in this world, it was probably something along the lines of the proof of possession by a devil?

Like the advanced step of a djinn, but done by force.

Hajin had killed Nayun's brother because he was convinced that it was impossible to resolve.

But...

'Hm...'

Lee checked on <Mana Manipulation> again. Specifically, the last line.

===

If proficiency is improved, can dominate and assimilate other sources of mana into your body.

===

"...Not yet though. I'm still too weak."

Since the description said 'if proficiency is improved' then that meant he wasn't at that level yet.

But if he improved more, then it should be possible.

...Though he needed to do more research into it.

After all, it would be disastrous if Lee got too cocky and thought he could resolve it but ended up either corrupting Nayun's brother entirely or killing him.

Nayun stared into Lee's eyes. Then she let out a long sigh. "...Right. Of course. Just because you're smart doesn't mean you can do it right now. But..." She smiled. "...Thanks. For at least considering it."

Lee chuckled and said, "You're giving me a bit too much faith, Nayun. I'm just me, you know?"

Nayun rolled her eyes and said, "I'm just me... says the guy who randomly knew how to help me breakthrough with archery and also help Rachel learn how to train her elemental affinity."

Rachel nodded. "Lee's rank is a lie."

"Right?!" Nayun laughed. "Rank 999? That's definitely just bait. Whoever signed off on his entrance is going to end up raging in despair or telling people 'I told you so' when the exams come around."

Lee smiled. "Well, you know me." He swept his eyes across the terrain. And then he saw it.

A flicker of light in the middle of a cliff, buried behind some vines.

"...Hey, Nayun." Lee pointed at it and said, "Do you see something there?"

"Hm?" Nayun tilted her head to look. "What are you pointing at- Wait. Is that a cave?"

Rachel tilted her head too, listening. "...I heard a young girl."

Lee paused. "...A young girl?"

Rachel nodded, confused. "She's saying... it's lonely?"

Nayun frowned. "Is a girl trapped in that cave?"

Lee cracked his neck. "Well. Either way, since we're already here... we might as well explore, right? Either it's a dungeon and we get in proper training, or it's a rescue mission and we save a trapped girl."

He wasn't sure if this was the place where Hajin found Evandel and Aether, but even if it wasn't...

If Rachel was hearing a young girl's voice with her awakened sensitivity, and if that young girl was saying she was lonely, they might as well confirm it.

Nayun looked at Lee and said, "Wait. Lee. How are we even going to get there?"

"Well." Lee smiled and said, "How much do you two trust me?"

Rachel gave a serious nod and immediately said, "With my life."

Nayun blinked and said, "Uh... A lot? But seriously, what are you-" She paused. Then her eyes widened and she said, "...Are you going to do that thing again? Blasting through the air with your Gift?"

"Yep. Lend me a few ginseng. Rachel, let me carry you in my arms, and Nayun, you hop on my back."

Rachel looked amused, but did as Lee suggested.

Nayun, however, stared at Lee. "...Are you serious?"

"Unless you have a better idea. If Rachel's right, there's a little girl trapped in there, you know?"

"...Ugh. Fine!" Nayun's ears turned red and she hopped onto Lee's back, hugging his neck. "But we are NEVER telling anyone about this!"

"Deal."

Rachel giggled and pulled out a ginseng, shoving it in Lee's mouth. "There. Ginseng provided."

Lee nodded, biting into the ginseng like it was a sword. Then he concentrated.

> Mana Manipulation activated!

> You have dominated the mana in the 3-year old ginseng!

> Lightning Thrust activates!

> !!!

> You have been enlightened!

> Lightning Thrust has become Lightning Rush!

===

Lightning Rush <Static Gift> - Wreathing oneself in mana, move at a blinding speed.

===

Was it because he'd already been messing around with the limits of his Gift's wording?

It seemed like either the system gave up or he bruteforced an evolution on what should have been static.

Either way...

'This works.'

"What the heck?!" Nayun let out a gasp as transparent mana flared around Lee's body, wrapping around herself and Rachel as well. "Did your Gift just evolve?!"

"Mmhm!" Lee couldn't respond since he had the ginseng in his mouth still. But since it seemed to be working like he thought it would...

Rachel seemed to get the message though and clung to Lee's arms. "Hold on tight, Nayun!"

"Argh...!" Nayun wrapped her arms tight around Lee's neck and said, "I swear to god, Lee, if you drop us and we die here...! KYAAAAAA!"

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