“Let’s begin.”“……”A tension hung in the air — the kind that came before a storm.Elena gripped my wrist tightly, her serious eyes glowing with power.Buuuum—A radiant light burst from her hand — the holy power that annihilated all magi, the punishment of God itself.Under the pretext of “treatment,” she was confirming whether I truly was a demon.If I were what she suspected, this holy healing spell would definitely inflict damage.And right on cue—Khuk.The moment the divine power poured into me, pain like fire spread from my arm.Even if I was half-human, the blood of demons ran through me — and that meant holy power was poison.Before that pain could swallow me whole, I hurriedly adjusted the system settings.Ting—[ Sensory Synchronization has been reduced to 10%. ]A function I’d discovered while tinkering with the system window in the Student Council Office: Sense Sync.It allowed me to control how much sensation I actually felt.It seemed to be a mercy system added so that players wouldn’t die from shock when feeling in-game pain directly.Ting—Once I lowered the pain transmission rate, the agony from Elena’s holy power became bearable — the searing burn in my flesh dulled to a manageable heat, like a warm compress pressed against my skin.And in addition—– External magi emissions have disappeared.– Stabilizing mana flow.The vile magi that had leaked out under purification was completely erased by the effect of the Ring of Derode.The chaotic mana flow from physical damage was neatly concealed by Arin’s Pendant, and my pitifully low physical stat — far below average — was being compensated by Gehiron’s Belt.Yes.This was how Loen had survived until now.'Item carry.'Fwaaaash—Thanks to that, even as immense holy power poured out of Elena, I could endure it without showing much reaction.Of course, her divine energy wasn’t ordinary either.– The ring’s durability has decreased.– The ring’s durability has decreased.– HP decreased.– HP decreased.– All stats decreased due to HP loss.– All stats decreased due to HP loss.– HP is at a dangerous level. Treatment required.………System alerts filled my vision nonstop.In exchange for blocking Elena’s holy magic and suppressing the magi leaking from me, the ring’s durability and Loen’s HP were dropping at a terrifying rate.'So it really is a matter of compatibility.'I frowned as I watched Elena pour every ounce of herself into channeling that holy power.It hadn’t even been long since she’d started the treatment, and it was already this intense — truly befitting a Saintess candidate.The pain was tolerable, but if she kept going, my HP — or the ring’s durability — would hit zero.Before that kind of disaster happened, I had to stop her.Sssk—Watching the timing, I pried her hand off my wrist.“Elena. I think that’s enough treatment for now.”“Ah….”Elena, who’d been lost in the trance of releasing divine energy, blinked as she came back to herself and hastily let go.Shaaa—White particles of light scattered into the air.“Oh my.”Elena gasped softly at the sight of my reddened wrist.There was no trace of the distinctive reaction that appeared when a demon was purified.Only the red marks on my thin wrist, left from her too-tight grip.With that, Elena had failed to prove that I was a demon.I rubbed my stinging wrist and rose coldly to my feet.“That should settle everything. I’ll be going now.”I threw the words at her in a tone heavy with irritation and reached for my outer coat.As I turned away with an icy expression, Elena scrambled up in a fluster.“P-please wait!”She hesitated, then forced the words out with difficulty.“I… I’ve been terribly rude.”“……”Her earlier confidence was gone — now she was scrambling to mend the situation.Well, if it had been the original Loen, he would’ve been caught easily, so her play hadn’t been bad.But what she’d overlooked was that this body wasn’t Loen’s — it was mine.Either way, I had no intention of accepting her apology meekly. The situation favored me completely.'Might as well milk it for all it’s worth'.Keeping my displeasure on my face, I answered curtly.“No need for apologies. But I’ll make sure to collect proper compensation for today, Elena. It won’t be cheap.”“……”This round was my victory.She owed me now, and there would come a time I could use that.Flutter—Putting on my coat, I left Elena standing dazed behind me and walked out of the café.***'Whew. That was close.'Leaving the café quickly, I let out a sigh of relief.Pushing through the crowd, I checked the remaining durability of my items.The Ring of Derode, which I had restored to 22 durability, was now down to just 1.Loen’s HP had fallen below 10%, dragging all stats down with it.My legs trembled and my head felt foggy — side effects of the stat drop.If I’d been even a little slower, I probably would’ve collapsed on the spot.No point imagining what came next.Even though everything had been calculated, my heart still pounded like crazy.Once I’d walked far enough that Café Seraphium was out of sight, I finally relaxed — and smiled faintly.“Heh.”Whatever the process, my meeting with Elena had been a complete success.Not only had I escaped the suspicion of the most dangerous person who must never learn that I was Half-Human, Half-Demon, but I’d also won our bet and earned one granted wish.“What’s with that guy?”“So creepy.”Passersby muttered as they glanced at me laughing to myself, but I didn’t care.Still grinning, I stopped in front of a store.“Maybe I’ll buy one.”A little later—The evening air was still cool.Carrying a warm donut bag, I headed back toward the Union’s main building.***Elena. Elena Sion Celestia.President of Saintea, one of the Union’s four great academies, and princess of the Holy Kingdom of Celestia.She stared vacantly at the spot Loen had left, then turned toward the window.Through the glass, she saw him disappearing peacefully into the crowd.Watching his back, she murmured softly.“Why… No, saying that now ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) would be meaningless.”She didn’t understand what had just happened, but it had happened right before her eyes.There was no point pursuing it further.“…I should formally apologize later.”She had grabbed someone and treated him like a demon — a clear mistake and grave discourtesy.Even if his behavior hadn’t always been exemplary, that didn’t justify her actions.If possible, she would have to visit him later and offer a proper apology.'Still…'Because of their little wager, she now owed him a wish.It had only been a verbal promise between them, but Elena wasn’t shameless enough to pretend it hadn’t happened.As long as his request was within reason and didn’t violate her principles, she was willing to grant it.It was, after all, the least she could do for the rudeness she had just committed.'To think my intuition was wrong.'Elena gave a faint, self-mocking smile and clenched the fluttering sleeve of her clerical robe.Her ability to sense demonic energy had never failed before.Though she wouldn’t say it aloud, she had enough divine aptitude to be considered for sainthood.Of course, she hadn’t acted only on intuition. She’d had reasons she thought were solid.Elena narrowed her eyes, recalling them.'Since his enrollment a year ago, Loen has never once received healing from the Holy Knights.'Every academy student had, at least once — during combat tests, field practice, or from personal incidents. It was nearly impossible to go a whole year without treatment.Yet he had none.What’s more, when the Holy Knights were dispatched to treat him during his last hospitalization, he’d expelled them outright.Whatever the reason, he clearly avoided holy healing magic.'Suspicious indeed. And on top of that…'There was one more reason she’d been so convinced.An incident that had occurred a few weeks ago, on the day of the General Student Council inauguration.Elena exhaled deeply, recalling that day.It had been the end of the long winter break — the reopening ceremony and Loen’s inauguration as Student Council President in the grand auditorium.During Loen’s speech, a massive mana explosion erupted.Fragments rained down, choking dust filled the air, and chaos broke loose.Students screamed and fled as high-level monsters appeared amid the confusion.It had been an absurd, terrifying scene.And amid that panic—A mysterious light burst from Loen’s side, annihilating every monster in an instant.Even through the chaos, Elena had seen it clearly — Loen throwing himself forward to protect Freya.In the aftermath, he’d suffered serious injuries and spent weeks in the infirmary.Anyway.'That mysterious power…'Elena bit her lip softly.Just remembering it brought back that odd, unpleasant sensation she’d felt from the light that day.If that energy was magi — the force opposed to holy power — then all his other actions made perfect sense.That was why she’d concluded he was involved in the incident, and likely had strong ties to demonic forces.'But… I completely misjudged him.'Elena stared at the hand that had grasped his wrist.There wasn’t a single demon alive who could endure her divine healing and remain unscathed.“Haa.”Letting out a long sigh, Elena stopped thinking.Brooding over it wouldn’t help, and more than anything, her mood was soured.She needed a distraction.After some thought, she came to a decision.“…It can’t be helped. Excuse me.”At her call, a waiter hurried over.“Yes, may I take your order?”“This one, and that one, ah — and this too. It’s a limited edition, right?”Holding the menu, Elena ordered an array of her favorite slice cakes.Soon, colorful cakes filled the table.She grabbed a fork and set upon them with remarkable speed.Pababat—In an instant, the cakes vanished into her mouth.True to Café Seraphium’s reputation, each piece melted on her tongue like divine bliss.'…Delicious. But still.'For some reason, the sweetness carried a faint bitter taste.Before she knew it, the plates were empty.“……”Staring blankly at the bare plates, Elena began to grow angry at herself for losing control.'I need to go on a diet.'Creak—Her fist clenched unconsciously — and the metal fork bent like a candy stick.“Ah…”Replacing a fork wasn’t a big deal, but if word spread that she’d broken tableware, it wouldn’t look good.She quickly straightened the fork and set it neatly on the table.Clatter—Her brief rebellion over, Elena stood up slowly.Then she stepped out from her private booth and addressed the Saintea students gathered there.“Everyone, let’s go.”Creak—“Yes, President.”At her words, the Saintea students all rose together.After paying, they followed behind Elena as she left the café.Only after the Saintea group had all departed did the owner of Café Seraphium finally let out a sigh of relief.***Chirp, chirp—Waking to the sound of birds, I emerged from the sleeping room.Last night, after meeting Elena, I’d collapsed into bed the moment I returned to the Student Council Office.Yesterday’s chaos over, today marked Day Two.And no — I hadn’t woken up back in the real world.Shwaa—I pulled open the curtains. It was still early; the sky outside was dark, washed in bluish dawn light.Looking around the office, I noticed the donut bag on the table was gone.“Hm.”I hadn’t eaten any, but as long as Ciel enjoyed them, that was fine.I opened the window wide and took in the cool morning air.“Fuu.”Fresh air — and mana — filled my lungs.Shaa—Invisible, yet unmistakably present — the mysterious energy of this world.For a modern man like me, learning to sense and handle mana required mastering mana breathing.Even with the system assisting in magic and skill activation, understanding this flow directly would be crucial in the long term.“Fuu.”I closed my eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply with the mana-infused air.It felt good, but not enough.Sitting on the floor, I crossed my legs like in those old martial arts comics — hands resting neatly near my lower abdomen. Qi cultivation, right?I shut my eyes again, clearing my mind and steadying my breathing.“Fuu.”Somehow, doing this made my head feel clearer.If I kept at it, maybe the system would eventually throw me a hint, just like it had for Alchemy.With that thought, I continued for a while — until—Ting—Just as I expected, a system alert appeared.Though it wasn’t quite the type I’d been hoping for.[ Path of the Martial Artist. ]– You have successfully opened your lower dantian and fulfilled the conditions to train in martial arts.– Would you like to change your class to Martial Artist?

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