Back at his dorm in Bluetide Academy, Christopher flopped onto his bed, feeling the weight of the day sink into his bones. He'd just finished his first proper meal in ages at the cafeteria — courtesy of his first paycheck.
A steaming bowl of fresh beef stew, a side of soft-boiled eggs, and a platter of assorted meats to keep his body in top shape.
Because if he was going to be a parasitic leech off other arcanists for the foreseeable future, then at the very least, he needed the physique to do it well.
"Man… I'm absolutely tired…" he groaned, stretching out on the mattress as the post-meal drowsiness hit him. His muscles ached in that deep, satisfying way that came after hours of strain.
Which made sense. Hunting for five hours straight wasn't exactly gentle on the body.
"Maybe…" his voice trailed off as his eyelids grew heavy, "just a little nap."
That 'little nap' turned into full-blown, dead-to-the-world sleep.
A few hours later — 10 p.m.
"Ughhh…"
Christopher sat up slowly, feeling as though someone had replaced his bones with rusted iron rods. His body throbbed in protest at every movement — a harsh reminder of how unused he was to such intense physical work.
"I'm parched…"
He muttered it more to himself than anyone else, dragging his feet toward the door. A glass of water from the cafeteria sounded like the only thing that could keep him from keeling over again.
"I overslept… wasting so much time. There's only a few days left until the mana exam…" he mumbled, rubbing at his eyes, still bleary from sleep.
Unfortunately, that brief moment of blocked vision was all it took for him to collide with something — or rather, someone.
THUD.
He stumbled back, blinking in surprise at the distinctly feminine voice that followed.
"I'm sorry! I wasn't being careful." He finished rubbing his eyes and looked up… only to find Yurei standing there.
Simple shirt. Shorts. Barefoot. Wandering the halls of Bluetide like she owned the place.
"Y–Yurei? What are you doing out this late?"
"I could ask you the same thing," she replied coolly.
"I just wanted some water," Christopher said quickly, as though trying to head off whatever strange conclusion she might leap to. "You?"
"Couldn't sleep," she answered simply.
"I see." He stretched his arms overhead, feeling his joints pop. Then, without much thought, he started walking toward the cafeteria — only to feel a light tug at his sleeve.
He turned, raising a brow at the mild annoyance on her face.
"Are you not going to ask me why?" she said.
"It's none of my business," he replied bluntly.
Her mouth fell open slightly, eyes narrowing. "Aren't you supposed to be a genius? A former prodigy?"
Christopher chuckled. "Academic genius, not social genius. I know the difference."
"Still as punchable as ever."
"I appreciate the compliment."
His grin didn't quite reach his eyes, though. Because despite his aloofness, Christopher wasn't oblivious. He could tell when someone wanted something from him.
"Do you want to come with me, then?" he asked abruptly.
She hesitated — but only for a moment. "If that's fine with you."
The cafeteria was empty and silent when they arrived. Just the two of them. Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they walked side by side without looking at each other.
"So… how's life?" Christopher asked, holding a glass of water like it was a peace offering.
"Fine?" Yurei answered, unsure why he'd suddenly gone for small talk.
"Good, good…" He sipped his water, dying inside from the awkwardness. Then, something popped into his head.
"Hey, what's your elemental affinity again?"
"Water. Why?"
"Can you hurl a spell at me?"
"…Did you become a masochist while I was gone?" she deadpanned.
Christopher sighed. He had zero intention of explaining his system — the last thing he wanted was anyone knowing about his unfair advantage.
"Let's go with that explanation."
[Real smooth.]
'Shut up.'
"That just makes me want to say no," Yurei said, looking at him like he'd grown an extra head.
"Just once," Christopher insisted, raising a single finger.
She eyed him suspiciously, still unsettled by the idea… but reasoned that a single weak spell wouldn't hurt.
"Fine."
She raised her palm, conjuring the weakest [Waterbeam] she could manage. The thin stream shot forward — and Christopher met it with his open hand, smiling.
[Devour]
'Replace wind slash.'
[Replaced]
The moment the spell vanished, Yurei froze. No splash. No dampness. Not even a drop of water on the floor.
"How… what did you do?!"
"Wind magic," he said without missing a beat.
It was the dumbest, most illogical explanation possible. But technically, it wasn't a complete lie.
"Just one more time," he added, setting his empty glass on a nearby table.
"O–okay?"
Another [Waterbeam].
[Devour]
This time, he replaced the poison spell he'd absorbed from the stag.
[Replaced]
Then came another command:
[Combine]
[Water Lance]
'Water Lance!? That's an A-Rank spell!'
His grin widened at the notification, which only confused Yurei further.
"Are you okay?"
"More than okay."
Without warning, he pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "Got a pen?"
"…Yeah? What for?" she asked, handing it over.
Christopher scribbled out an IOU and passed it to her without ceremony.
"For your trouble."
Then he simply walked away, leaving Yurei alone with more questions than answers.
And the part that annoyed her most? Christopher had just left a pretty girl like her alone in the cafeteria without a second thought.
Her of all people.
"Still as dense as ever…"