Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Self-Modification
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A curse slipped out of my mouth before I knew it.
To think I'd witness it with my own eyes.
Even for Rosé, I hadn't expected her to pull it off this soon.
Self-modification.
The ultimate realm of martial arts, where one could reshape and remodel their body through sheer will alone.
It was said that across the entire universe, the number of martial artists capable of self-modification could be counted on one hand.
But there was something even more astonishing.
Rosé had taken one look at my body, observed what she liked in less than three minutes, and applied it to herself.
How could I not swear?
"I get it."
Barton offered words of comfort to me as I stood there dumbfounded.
But I couldn't relate.
*You're no ordinary guy yourself.*
If it had been Sahim Mohaim offering the comfort, I might have understood.
To me, Barton was just another monster from a different class than Rosé.
Rosé's self-modification didn't take long to complete.
"Hee hee hee."
Pleased with her altered body, she let out a bizarre laugh and swung her fists around playfully.
Then she stared right at me and chuckled low and slyly.
*Don't tell me.*
Was I the one developing Rosé?
There had been relatively little description of Rosé and those around her at this early stage in the original story, long before her major appearances.
Even I, the author, didn't know every path she'd walked.
I'd only sketched out her rough contributions centered around major events.
*But what if Rosé could grow even more?*
I reconsidered.
What advantages would come from Rosé's rapid growth?
Obviously, it meant a key ally's combat power would rise for the upcoming battles against the Aliens.
Any changes to the story from her greater feats, or the resulting shifts in the power structure, were secondary to survival.
*Yeah, that's right.*
Maybe I'd been overthinking the "Miracle Generation" all this time.
Who would play the biggest role in preserving humanity during the Great Invasion ahead?
The Miracle Generation.
Guiding them right would be far more effective than most interventions.
"Count on you next time too, Lemon."
"Sure."
"Huh? Your voice suddenly sounds stronger. How about we go another round today?"
"What? Wait..."
Rosé's fist sailed right past my face.
That one blow scattered all my stray thoughts.
"Rosé. Lemon hasn't eaten since waking from three days of sleep."
"Oh? Then I'll make it quick! Food tastes better after a workout!"
Barton's rescue attempt ended in one note.
We finally headed to the cafeteria around midnight, three hours later.
***
Time flew by, and midterm testing season arrived.
The academy grew crowded with dignitaries from various sectors coming to observe and support staff preparing for the practical exams.
Even the cadets felt the mental weight, their moods turning restless.
I was no different.
After these tests, only three semesters remained—about a year and a half.
It felt far too short.
With the chaos fueling my impatience, even the surroundings seemed unhelpful.
I was in the mood to snap.
*I wonder if I'll do well on the tests.*
I'd studied hard.
In the two months or so since starting life here, I'd crammed more into my head than I'd ever studied in my original lifetime.
Yet the knowledge of this world felt endlessly deep, bringing a sense of despair.
But there was one field where I had absolute confidence.
*Aliens.*
Everything about Aliens.
I was the one who'd created their settings.
No one understood their habits, traits, and combat methods better than me.
Especially since my ability backed that pride.
The previous encounter with that Alien had given me a deeper understanding than anyone else.
*I could probably map out a Claw's genome right now if asked.*
No joke.
Alien cells were synchronized with me down to the cellular level.
This tied perfectly into the "Alien Military Science" classes, elevating me further.
"Hmm..."
But what was with these glances?
I entered the theory exam hall and realized I was drawing attention without trying.
This was a side effect of my recent changes.
Lemon had originally been so unremarkable.
Even when he first hung around Rosé, people dismissed it as "that won't last."
But as time passed, now he got looks of envy and jealousy like "How's that guy...?"
"There's a seat here."
"Oh, yeah?"
Childish.
Ignoring the petty jabs, I headed to the front row.
Right—model students sat up front.
"Leonard Monarch."
"Oh, Sahim."
Yeah. Model students sat up front...
Sahim's attitude toward me had changed noticeably since we first met.
He still eyed me suspiciously, but he acknowledged my transformation.
"Studied much?"
"Not sure about other subjects, but for this one? I'll take first place."
"Hoh, can't let that slide lightly."
Sahim had gotten top score overall in the midterms.
And he took immense pride in that ranking.
For me to claim first to his face? No way he'd stay quiet.
"Hanging with Rosé must've messed with your head."
"You're talking without knowing."
"There's people who don't know Sahim's better than most PhDs?"
The surrounding cadets let out awkward chuckles at my words.
A natural reaction.
No matter how smart, knowledge had limits in a short time.
Sahim, however, had received top-tier education before others even started kindergarten, reaching PhD level at his age.
Meanwhile, I'd gotten middling scores in the midterms.
Common sense said a bit of hard studying wouldn't surpass him.
But I wasn't the old Lemon anymore.
"I don't care for empty words."
"Impressive confidence. Your eyes show you're serious."
"Haha."
"Leonard. You've changed so much I'd believe you're a completely different person. Fine. Here's a proposal."
Sahim closed the book he'd been reading, set it aside, and turned to face me directly.
"If your score beats mine in this subject, I'll grant you one request."
"And if not?"
"You always put the same on the other side of the scale in a deal."
"Deal."
No loss for me.
If I lose? Oh well.
The important part was being close enough to bet with Sahim.
The test began soon after.
It was free-response format, three hours.
And the key question was...
*Uh, this is...*
Screwed?
I reread the prompt.
[Assume a scenario where an infantry company, led by one superhuman and including one more, encounters a large Claw pack during underground exploration. Detail required armaments, supplies, and response tactics...]
Tactical map *see below*
Available budget and resources *see below*
Etc...
-All answers can be written freely within the user's knowledge.
-High creativity improves scoring.
Way harder than expected.
Did test questions normally cover this much?
At least it involved Claws—lucky break.
*For now, write as much as I can.*
Three hours given.
I poured my best into the answer sheet.
***
Three days into testing.
Theory wrapped today.
Grading was fast; scores for earlier tests were already posted.
"Hee hee hee."
Rosé was in high spirits.
Sour-faced until this morning, she brightened instantly after theory ended.
Well, tomorrow's practicals were a party for her.
"Did you do well on the test, Barton?"
"As well as my skills allowed."
"What about me? Aren't you gonna ask?"
Why wouldn't I.
Barton and I shut our mouths in unison and headed to the cafeteria.
Rosé clung persistently, but one whiff of food smells and she'd forget.
But midway, we spotted an unexpected figure.
"Huh? It's Sahim. Coming this way?"
Sahim, exiting the cafeteria, spotted us and walked straight over.
His pace seemed much quicker than usual.
For royalty who always maintained dignity, it was highly unusual.
"Found you. Leonard Monarch."
"Uh... hi?"
"Alien and Military Science. Seen the results?"
He asked me directly, ignoring everything else.
I'd checked Alien and Military Science scores before the last afternoon test.
I'd won, but by a razor-thin margin.
Was he refusing to accept that tiny gap?
"Yeah, but..."
"This formula. Where did this come from? And what's this content in paragraph 24?"
Rosé jumped in, sensing his odd demeanor.
"Hold on, what's wrong?"
"Rosé. I'm talking to Leonard right now."
"Lemon's with our group, and we're heading to eat. Can't it wait till after?"
"...My apologies. Won't you come to my quarters? I'll treat you to a formal dinner as amends."
"Formal dinner? Sounds tasty?"
"Better than cafeteria food."
"Awesome!"
Sold on food.
Well, his personal chef was probably from the palace—rare delicacies.
At that level, no complaints.
With the interrupter handled, Sahim latched back onto me.
"From what I know, this formula hasn't been published in academia. I searched related papers, but nothing. How did you derive it?"
"That's from my answer sheet?"
"Yes. I asked the principal; he handed it over. But more importantly—this. Your answers had application errors, but assuming correct use, it could revolutionize personal gear efficiency against Claws. And in large-scale battles..."
I'd never seen Sahim this excited.
When writing, I'd just dumped everything I knew.
What he pointed out came from analyzing Claws via my ability.
My biased knowledge made linking to the prompt tough, but it apparently worked.
"Is it that big a deal?"
"Big? It's an achievement. No—a monumental discovery. Can't you imagine what happens if this gets out properly?"
"Ooh, sounds impressive, Lemon, whatever it is."
Rosé clapped.
Barton, shocked by Sahim's uncharacteristic praise, took the sheet and started scrutinizing it.
*Is this really that amazing?*
I spent the whole meal in deep talk with Sahim.
I asked what I didn't know; he quizzed me on mine.
Some of my responses included info not in the answer sheet.
"It wasn't luck."
He looked genuinely stunned.
But my shock matched his.
This was an outcome I hadn't anticipated.
When checking scores, I'd just felt good about winning the bet.
A nice card for later—fortunate.
But hearing this, it was way more.
*Pulling a joker here? Out of nowhere?*
I felt a sudden ray of light break through.