Yeonha walked around the small studio apartment, tucking the keys that Lee gave her to borrow. "So this is where our dear friend Lee lived until Cube..."
Nayun walked in after Yeonha and locked the door behind her. "Looks like it..."
Yeonha swept her gaze around the place and assessed it.
Since it had only been a week since Cube's semester had started, the apartment wasn't that dusty. It was also very tidy, with a bed still made, the sheets tucked in and the pillows fluffed and ready for anyone to hop in.
Nayun checked the nearby fridge and cupboards and said, "Huh. Empty. Lee really used everything up before he headed to Cube."
"Well, considering how diligent that one is, it doesn't surprise me." Yeonha looked around and saw a distinct lack of toddler clothes or indications of a toddler even living there. So she looked at Nayun and said, "Since we are here and in a place that is undoubtedly not under surveillance... Tell me. Just who is Evandel?"
"Hm?" Nayun closed the doors on the cupboards she was looking through and looked at Yeonha. "Isn't it obvious? She's the daughter between Lee and Rachel."
Yeonha slowly blinked. Then her face turned a bright red. "E-E-Excuse me?!"
Nayun quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.
Yeonha's eyes widened and she ran forward. "S-Stop! Delete that! Delete it!"
"Nooope~" Nayun laughed and jumped into the bed to avoid Yeonha. "Sending it to Hajin to see his reaction~"
"Don't you dare-!"
*ding*
Yeonha froze.
Nayun held up her phone triumphantly and said, "Hah! He thinks you're cute!"
Yeonha turned even redder and said, "You...!"
Nayun took another picture.
"STOOOOOOP!"
Nayun laughed and said, "Fiiine." She tucked her phone away. "But this trip was already worth it just for that."
Yeonha groaned and pulled out a chair near the kitchen table and sat down. "Did you bring me all the way here just to make fun of me, Nayun? Seriously?"
"Nah. Just wanted a private place away from everyone's eyes." Nayun idly kicked her legs and said, "I was planning to see if Dad could get us a place, or maybe your dad... but this works. I didn't think that Lee lived in Seoul though... isn't an apartment like this pretty expensive?"
Yeonha paused to consider that. Then she slowly nodded. "...It is. At least, far more expensive than someone our age who isn't from a family like us should be able to afford... Wait!" She pointed at Nayun and said, "You didn't explain it! What do you mean Evandel is the child of both Rachel and Lee?!"
"Oh, right." Nayun laughed and said, "Funny story. So, in Wonju, we found a dungeon in the mountains filled with a bunch of undead. Evandel was like a little girl ghost who was stuck in a hidden area. Lee felt bad for her and gave her his blood. Then Rachel joined in. And boom, magic baby."
"...Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Nayun rummaged in her bag and pulled out some crackers that she grabbed before they left Cube. "I don't know the details, but Lee mentioned that if they did a blood test, Evandel would be biologically his and Rachel's. So I dunno."
"That..." Yeonha slowly said. "...Is an international incident and scandal just waiting to happen."
Nayun nodded. "Yep. Lee doesn't care. And Rachel seems like she'd throw away the throne for her baby girl, so... I guess we'll find out?"
Yeonha sighed. "...As the person who's going to inherit the Essence of Strait, you realize this is information I could use as a blade, right?"
"Mmhm. And you realize the moment you do that Lee is absolutely going to start a guild and decide that taking over the world is a good idea, right?" Nayun ate a cracker and said, "Me and Rachel saw it first hand, you know? The only reason Lee isn't chowing down elixirs and ginseng left and right is mostly because he cares about Cube and being a Cadet. If he didn't, he could probably do mercenary work like, yesterday, and make a killing."
"...What?"
Nayun nibbled on another cracker and said, "Mmhm. Lee is like... How do you even describe it?" She waved the cracker around and said, "You know how Kim Suho has like almost impossible skill with a sword, right? Like he's so good even ranked Heroes praise his technique?"
Yeonha nodded. "I'm aware. Even Father is trying to pull him in before Creator's Sacred Grace does."
"Right." Nayun nodded. "Kim Suho is just that good. But Lee is impossible. Like... he does things that don't make sense like it's running out of style." She paused and said, "I completely forgot until now with Evandel, but that guy even evolved his Gift while we were out there, you know?"
Yeonha slowly blinked. "Evolved his- Wasn't <Lightning Thrust> supposed to be a static Gift?"
"Yep. But apparently, the rules don't apply to Lee. And don't get me started on how he can see where spirit ginseng are buried."
"He can-" Yeonha paused and massaged her temple. "No. Of course he can..." She looked around the apartment again and said, "...I suppose that would explain his mysterious source of income..."
"Nope~. The reason Lee has money is because he did deep sea fishing on rigs as well as hunted game and monsters in his free time back in the Agent Military Academy. Apparently, he did a lot of dangerous stuff for training and happened to use it to make money too."
Yeonha gave Nayun a blank stare.
Nayun burst out laughing and pointed at Yeonha. "Yep! That. Right there. That's the expression I wanted to see. Finally, someone else reacts to how ridiculous Lee is."
"...I knew that our teammate was outlandish. But even this is a bit much..."
Nayun popped another cracker in her mouth and said, "Isn't Kim Hajin supposed to be crazy too? He can do weird stuff with guns, right? Like, the ceiling for him isn't as low as everyone thinks?"
"Well, yes." Yeonha nodded. "Especially since his Gift applies to multiple long ranged weapons, like spears, bows, throwing knives... even more esoteric and niche long ranged weapons like rope darts."
"...Really?" Nayun blinked. "Then why the heck is he using a gun?"
Yeonha sighed. "According to Hajin, awakening to his Gift made his stats return to an average of 1.5."
"...Yikes." Nayun winced. "...No wonder he's struggling so much."
Yeonha nodded. "Yes... Although it shouldn't be an issue in the real world. With proper equipment, he should be able to make full use of his Gift. But in Cube... I do plan to supplement his training with elixirs to help expedite his progress, and Kim Suho is helping as well. But it seems that it may take a while for proper results..."
"Mm..." Nayun took out another cracker and said, "You say that. But it sounds more like you're making sure he's staying under the radar so you can scoop him up for yourself~"
Yeonha turned a bright red and said, "I-I am not! Even if he somehow knows what I like to eat and gives me gifts, I'm not enamored with him! I'm not!"
"...That reaaally sounds like someone is in denial~"
"You...!" Yeonha clicked her tongue and turned her head, looking away from Nayun. Then she noticed something on the floor. A piece of paper. "Hm? What's that?"
Nayun looked over. "Huh? Dunno. Probably something Lee forgot? Maybe it's just like his acceptance letter or something. You can probably just tuck it in a drawer somewhere."
Since the rest of the apartment was clean, seeing the paper bothered Yeonha. So she got up to put it away like Nayun suggested. But then she saw what was written on it. "...Huh?"
===
[Daily training Log]
Kicks: 10,000/10,000
Spear thrusts: 10,000/10,000
Staff techniques: 10,000/10,000
Sword slashes: 10,000/10,000
Striking: 10,000/10,000
Bajiquan techniques (look up names, I forgot): 10,000/10,000 (elbows, knees, hips, shoulders, fists)
To-do: Research mana manipulation techniques
===
Nayun looked over and said, "What is it?"
Yeonha flipped the page over to show Nayun, a wry smile on her face. "...I suppose this explains Lee's combat prowess."
Nayun read the paper. Then she blinked and said, "You know. That doesn't surprise me- WAIT. DAILY?!"
"Yes." Yeonha laughed and tucked the paper into a nearby drawer. "Daily. It would certainly explain his ease walking around Cube. Someone who has trained to this level doesn't have much to fear, do they?"
Even the top ranking Heroes in the world didn't train this obssessively.
Yeonha knew that for a fact since she was acquainted with quite a few through the Essence of Strait.
Nayun laughed. "Well. I guess that explains how he just shrugged off a bullet to his back without any magic power."
"...I beg your pardon?"
"Oh right!" Nayun smiled. "I didn't get a chance to go over our trip yet, huh? You might want to sit down for this one..."
===
Back at Cube, Lee was playing with Evandel in a park by the dorms. Seeing his daughter expertly mold Aether to various shapes, he got curious about his mana and tried to do the same.
Evandel giggled as she watched Lee fail to make a tiny pyramid from his mana. After that, she spoke in Korean and said, "No, Daddy! Like this!" She held out her hands and squished Aether, turning it into a glimmering blue pyramid. "See?"
"...I see, Eva. It's just hard for Daddy." Lee chuckled and tried again.
He had managed to get a bit more mana after all the mess in the past few days. Instead of a tiny drop, he had around the size of a golfball.
Definitely enough for proper combat applications... but since there was more, it was also a bit harder to mold. A fact he was finding out in real time.
Of course, if he spread it out super thin, it would be fine. And he could definitely still use it like a tether and retrieve his spear. A whip too should be possible.
But maintaining a rigid shape like Evandel was doing with Aether...
'This is harder than I thought.'
It was like trying to hold water in his hands- No, like cupping mist into shapes?
Either way...
"Pft." Rachel laughed and spoke in English. "So there are things that even you can't do, are there?"
...Lee had to endure messing up in front of both Evandel and Rachel.
Seeing Rachel laughing at him, Lee rolled his eyes and said in English, "If you think it's so easy, why don't you do it, Princess?"
Rachel's blue eyes twinkled and she held out her hands. Golden light shimmered before turning transparent. Then it turned a soft green, like the grass around them, before turning into an emerald pyramid. "See? Easy."
Evandel gasped and tottled over to Rachel. "Mommy! Pretty!"
Rachel let out a warm smile and then dispersed it, scooping Evandel into her arms. "Not as pretty as you, Eva."
Evandel giggled.
Lee watched the two with a warm smile as well. But he focused.
After all, he couldn't keep messing up in front of his daughter and the girl he liked, right?
'Why is this harder for me now?'
Lee stared at the blob of transparent mana floating in his hands and did some thinking.
Then a thought came to mind and he opened up <Mana Manipulation> to check on the Art.
===
Mana Manipulation (Proficiency 75% | 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.
===
'...Ah.'
It was a simple misunderstanding.
In fact...
Lee pulled out that droplet of mana that he had originally. And when he did, he found that he could freely control that.
But the rest of the mana, while it was definitely 'his,' it wasn't completely under his control.
'So Mana Manipulation isn't high enough to control all this yet... meaning I have to do it manually.'
Arts were basically shortcuts granted by whatever system was involved for Gifts. A way to reward actions that you learned on your own and also record it for others later on.
If Lee had to describe it... Arts were basically like a 'floor' that you could fall back on. While you could definitely operate beyond the levels of what the Art said you could, when you had an Art, you could ALWAYS operate on the level it said you could.
'That's why Hajin's <Parkour> skill had been so broken...'
After Hajin had made that Art in the story, terrain was basically optional for him. He could scale cliffs, run off walls, and do all sorts of crazy things without thinking, leaving him free to fire and focus on other things during combat.
'So this is the same way.'
Lee would always be able to perfectly control the minimum quantity that <Mana Manipulation> listed, but more than that... it was on him.
Which meant no shortcuts.
'Well. I always did enjoy grinding skills...'
He had been doing that basically since he arrived in this world as Lee Shin anyway. And he was already thinking about mana manipulation exercises even before he got his Art.
So...
'Let's put theory into practice.'
Instead of perfect geometric shapes, he could start with a rough glob. Then work on smoothing it into a sphere. Then from that, progressively sharper polygons-
'Wait.'
Lee tilted his head.
Evandel noticed his action and tilted her head too. "Daddy?"
Rachel looked over and said, "Is something wrong, Lee?"
"...No. I just feel like I forgot something."
Was it something to do with the traveling club? Hajin?
"...Meh." Lee shrugged. "It's probably not a big deal."
If it was, Lee would have remembered it. Since he didn't remember it, whatever it was didn't affect what Lee cared about.
Mostly because what he cared about was in front of him right now.
Speaking of which...
"Eva, come over here and show Daddy again how you squish that thing into a shape."
"Okay, Daddy!"
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