Chapter 30: Ch.30 : The War Prince
Nic sat in the chair in his room, staring at the system screen floating in front of him. After finishing his first date with Vivi, the system gave him a special reward.
"Congratulations, Mr. Nic. You successfully completed your first date. As a token of appreciation, you've received the following two rewards," echoed the voice of the system.
1. New System Skill: Love mark
Nic can now automatically place an invisible mark on all his girlfriends. When any of them are in danger, the mark will light up and instantly show Nic their location.
2. Special Passive Gift: Physical Immunity
The system now ensures Nic's body is immune to any disease or virus.
Nic smiled, satisfied. "This'll help me worry less in dangerous situations," he muttered while stretching.
---
The next day, after his suspension ended, Nic returned to school. But something was different. As he walked through the gate, students backed away from him, eyeing him with a strange mix of fear and admiration.
"That's him! The guy who took down the Deathly Gang all by himself!"
"With Nic around, I doubt that gang will ever mess with anyone again."
Nic just shrugged it off and kept walking, trying to ignore the attention.
When he arrived at the principal's office, he was handed an envelope and told to deliver it to the school's laboratory before heading to class.
"The lab?" Nic raised an eyebrow. "I barely even remember that place being mentioned."
The laboratory was tucked away at the end of a hallway nobody really used. When Nic got there, the atmosphere was… weird. The hallway lights flickered dimly, and the lab door was shut tight. Through the small window on the door, Nic spotted a faint glow from the back of the room.
He knocked. "Excuse me, I was told to deliver a letter from the principal."
No answer.
He knocked again, harder this time. Just then, the light inside the lab flicked off.
"What the…?" Nic took a small step back.
After a few seconds, the door creaked open slowly, sending a chill down Nic's spine. A soft female voice came from behind it.
"What is it?"
Nic leaned in, but the person inside was deliberately hiding her face. He held out the letter. "From the principal. I was told to bring it here."
A slim hand reached out from behind the door and quickly snatched the letter without revealing the person's face.
"Thanks," the voice said flatly, and the door shut again without another word.
Nic stood there for a moment, trying to make sense of what just happened. "Was that a science lab or a haunted house?" he mumbled before turning and heading to class.
---
Inside the lab, the mysterious figure opened the letter. Her eyes widened as she read the contents. Her hands trembled as she clutched the paper.
The letter read:
"Subject: Staff Reduction Notice
You are hereby officially removed from the laboratory roster, effective next week. Thank you for your service and dedication."
She crumpled the letter, eyes glassy with tears. "So… they're kicking me out?" she whispered, voice heavy with disbelief.
The room fell silent, save for her shaky breathing.
---
Meanwhile, Nic walked into class. His eyes were immediately drawn to Leona, who was sitting near the window, looking bored. She gazed outside and mumbled to herself, "Is Nic back yet? His suspension should be over…"
Nic smiled and quietly snuck up behind her, gently covering her eyes with his hands.
"Shhh," he whispered to the curious classmates watching.
"Huh? What the—? Who dares to cover my eyes? Vivi?! If this is you, I swear I'm gonna punch you!"
"Let go or I'm counting to three!"
"One… two… three!"
She yanked his hands off and spun around—then froze.
"NIC?!"
Nic just stood there, grinning. Leona's shock turned into frustration as she started hitting him.
"You jerk! You disappear for days, then pull this kind of prank?!"
Their classmates burst out laughing. "Even the 'War God' can't handle his girlfriend!"
Nic laughed and dodged her playful punches. "Sorry, sorry! I told everyone else I was back… just not you. Wanna know why?"
Leona paused mid-swing. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"
Nic shook his head, laughing. "Nah. I just felt like teasing you."
Leona scowled and resumed hitting him while everyone laughed even harder.
---
During lunch break, Nic and his girlfriends gathered in the Unity Clubroom. As usual, the room was buzzing with chatter and laughter.
"By the way," Nic suddenly asked, "who gave me the nickname 'War God'?"
Everyone turned to look. Mika, lounging on the couch, pointed at Lily, who was busy munching.
"She did."
Lily gulped down her drink. "Yup, that was me! Right after the news aired about you beating the Deathly Gang, I ran around school telling everyone you were the 'War God!'"
Nic stared at her. "You ran around? Seriously?"
Lily nodded proudly. "Of course! And next, I want you to be a prince on a horse too!"
Nic raised an eyebrow. "Prince on a horse? Where's the horse?"
Jenny suddenly stood up. "I can be your horse, Nic."
The room fell into stunned silence. Even Eliz and Raina, who had just walked in, froze at the comment.
Fanny walked over and patted Jenny's shoulder. "Hey… don't say weird stuff like that. People might get the wrong idea."
Nic just sighed and said, "Alright, fine. Let me show you something cooler."
He activated his God of Illusion skill, allowing everyone to see whatever image he wanted.
"Close your eyes," Nic instructed.
When they opened them again, the room had transformed. Nic stood tall in royal attire, mounted on a magnificent white horse. He dismounted, bowed elegantly, and spoke with warmth in his voice.
"I am your prince, here to protect all of you with all my heart. You mean the world to me."
Lily was completely swept away. Tears welled in her eyes. "This is… so beautiful… what even is this…"
The rest of his girlfriends were just as stunned. Vivi slapped her own cheek, unsure if she was dreaming. "So this is what it's like to hallucinate like Lily…"
Nic clapped his hands, ending the illusion. The room blinked back to normal.
"So? Pretty cool, right?" Nic chuckled.
Everyone remained speechless, still trying to process what they had just experienced.
"That felt like… another world," Violet murmured.
Nic laughed heartily, thrilled with their reactions. "Well hey, if you want me to be a prince, just say the word. Let's all hallucinate together!"
Everyone burst into laughter again, the warmth returning to the room—nobody bothered asking how Nic pulled it off.
To be continued...