The Novel's Extra: Scrapped

With the exams starting next week, the fitness center was filled with cadets. 

Spirited shouts echoed all from the sparring rooms while clashin of magic power created sharp sonic booms.

Even Minori, who was intensely against crowds, was forced to come in order to stay at the top of his game.

Today, like many others, he was clashing against Kim Suho. The only difference this time was that Yi Yeonghan had joined.

After a bit of warming up Yi Yeonghan decided to challenge Minori Nii.

He got up and assumed a battle stance, it was steady and without any glaring weaknesses.

"Suho says a lot of good things about you, Minori. Like how you're a lot stronger than what your rank says."

[Rank 150 Cadet Minori Nii]

"Is that so? Well, he's not entirely wrong. I'd say I'm much stronger than you though."

Minori put his hand on his shortsword's handle, not unsheathing it.

[Rank 6 Cadet Yi Yeonghan]

"I doubt that. In fact I doubt it so much, I'll let you have the first hit." He smiled like a clown as he lowered his center of gravity.

[Begin]

"Are you sure?"

"Sure su-keuk!"

Before he could even finish his sentence there was a knuckle buried in his ribs, the sensation transformed from blunt force to searing heat as he was pushed back by the force.

Molten orange mana crackled around the fist that hit him. Minori had crossed a distance of 20 metres in less than a second and had sent the rank 6 cadet, skidding across the floor, gasping for air.

"Ready to fight seriously?" Minori finally took out his sword. 

Kim Suho chuckled off to the side as if he expected this.

"Yeah- ough dude, you hit so hard. Point taken." Yi Yeonghan held his ribs pitifully.

Minori stood there, staring blankly before Yi Yeonghan raised his fists again, this time with a serious expression. 

Yeonghan dashed forward, without hesitation, planning to land a hit on Minori's ribs as payback. 

Only for Minori to close the distance without fear and bat Yeonghan with the pommel of his shortsword.

No magic was infused this time, allowing the hit to be swift and undetectable, even though it didn't do as much damage, it was still unexpected.

It caused Yi Yeonghan to roll to the side, faltering in his attack.

This moment of hesitation is what would lead to Yeonghan's loss.

Minori took the opportunity in stride and swung at the rolling Yeonghan, his blade covered in fiery orange sword qi.

Although Yeonghan blocked it with his hands at the last moment, his mana began burning up in order to protect him.

If he didn't roll away or deflect, his mana would run out.

But, so what if he rolled away, Minori would simply do the same again and again until his mana ran out.

Yi Yeonghan tried to sweep Minori's legs out from under him but was calmly hopped over, forcing Yi Yeonghan to focus his mana back towards blocking.

It was then that the heat became unbearable, the searing in his palm hurt like hell and anything he did other than blocking would result in the flames getting closer.

Ssssp-pa

The mana fizzled out before letting out a light crackle, dispelling the flaming heat in an instant.

Yi Yeonghan let out a tired laugh before relaxing onto the floor.

"Rank 150 my ass. How the hell have I never seen you before this year, Minori?"

Minori sheathed his blade and held out a hand to Yi Yeonghan.

"I'm a transfer from Japan. I got a scholarship quietly and then focused on my studies."

"Wouldn't a talent like yours have guilds scrambling to get to you?" Yi Yeonghan tilted his head and took Minori's hand.

Minori only remained silent as he pulled Yeonghan up.

"I wouldn't know." He lied as easily as he breathed.

He knew exactly why no guild knew of him.

It was because before enrolling as a cadet I was a cashier in a Lawson, working my ass off for minimum wage.

But I'll be caught dead before I let anyone know that.

Minori's watch then buzzed, so he lifted his wrist to check it.

[Kim Hajin: Hey, you owe me one. I need you to do something for me.]

Narrowing his eyes, Minori excused himself.

"Something came up. I think I'll have to retire tonight. Sorry guys." Minori bowed and made his way out.

"That's a shame. I wanted to fight a few more times before the midterms. Guess you'll just have to challenge me in Duels then." Suho smiled and waved.

"Seeya." Yi Yeonghan's impression of Minori had gone up.

…

Yoo Yeonha was currently detained in the penthouse room of Cube's second year dorm.

No matter how much of an elite Yoo Yeonha was, she couldn't do anything against a Djinn who was loved by Lilith. Yun Hyun easily subdued Yoo Yeonha before storing her in an extradimensional pocket and moving her here. 

He couldn't show the meticulousness he usually did in hiding his tracks and Yoo Yeonha's struggle was surely caught on CCTV, but since he planned to leave Cube once this matter was finished, he didn't care.

"Oh, this is him? The quick-witted one who said I was a Djinn?"

Yun Hyun looked at Yoo Yeonha's smartwatch he just snatched and grinned. The message Yoo Yeonha sent Kim Hajin was displayed on the smartwatch screen.

"Looks like I'll need to kill him later… Anyways, what's this? 9? That's all you sent to ask for help? Who would understand something so cryptic?"

Yun Hyun dropped the smartwatch and stomped on it. Cube's proud smartwatch was shattered easily.

"Of course, even if he understood what you meant, he wouldn't be able to come in here. There's a barrier around this place you see."

Yoo Yeonha fiercely glared at Yun Hyun while clenching her teeth. Seeing Yoo Yeonha's glare, Yun Hyun trembled in ecstasy.

"Ah, amazing. Those eyes are amazing. It's okay, Yeonha. Soon, you'll come to like me too."

Tap. Tap.

Yun Hyun slowly approached Yoo Yeonha, who was tied to a chair. She struggled fiercely, but the restraint spell prevented her from moving.

"You have beautiful skin."

Yun Hyun put his hands on Yoo Yeonha's thigh. A faint handprint was left behind on her white skin. At the disgusting sensation akin to a snake licking her, Yoo Yeonha teared up.

"Once is enough. You won't be able to escape afterward. Lady Lilith allowed it for today too. That's right, Lady Lilith wants you too."

Yun Hyun spoke leisurely. The Devil of enchantment bewitched people on a fundamental level. Once Yun Hyun had his way. Yoo Yeonha would become a different person.

"Yeonha, weren't you lonely? I know that feeling too."

Speaking persuasively, Yun Hyun placed his hand on Yoo Yeonha's neck. A mind-muddling magic power was imbued in his breath. Yoo Yeonha trembled. No matter how powerful her mental power was, ecstasy forced by magic power wasn't something she could resist. If she could, she would not have hesitated to bite her own tongue to end her life.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"This is Minori Nii from the first year Djinn investigation squad. Please comply and open the door. I have some questions to ask. If you don't open the door in three seconds I'll let myself in." A tired and apathetic voice rang out.

Someone…!

Yoo Yeonha's muddled mind managed to stay lucid due to the interruption.

Yun Hyun's eyes widened in confusion and anger.

"Tch… now?" Yun Hyun grit his teeth before walking to the closet, grabbing Yoo Yeonha by the hair and throwing her into the closet forcefully.

Yoo Yeonha let out a gasp as she was thrown, her mind still reeling from the effects of bewitchment. She felt violated but never so thankful to be thrown into a closet.

Yun Hyun shut the door and locked it, letting Yoo Yeonha sit in the dark. 

She caught her breath slowly as thoughts raced through her mind.

…Minori POV…

—I'll give you a run down one more time. Once you make it up there, rip the barrier open with the Omen blade and nothing else. 

A voice talked into the side of my skull through an earbud.

"Uhuh." 

—Then, you go in and bring him to the window. Make sure not to give him any time to put Yeonha into the pocket dimension. It has a one minute wind up time.

"Got it."

—Once he's at the window, I need you to hold him still until I get a clean shot. I'm not up the mountain yet so you need to stall for as much time as possible.

"And if I can't?"

—Then you have to kill him yourself. If it comes to that, at least make sure Yeonha doesn't get in the crossfire or taken hostage. That's all.

"Got it, I'm coming up to the penthouse now. So just tell me when."

I got silence in return.

With the Omen blade gripped in my hand I knocked on the door three times, feeling the barrier dissolve along with a bit of my mana. I put the blade in my sheath and then spoke.

"This is Minori Nii from the first year Djinn investigation squad. Please comply and open the door. I have some questions to ask. If you don't open the door in three seconds I'll let myself in." 

I waited.

1…2…3-

Click-creak.

"Ah, hello Minori-ssi, what brings you here today." 

A handsome man with ash gray hair greeted me. He had a gentle smile and a kind disposition.

Yun Hyun.

When looking at him through the stars, I saw him with roots growing from his mouth and nectar pouring from his pores.

Definitely a Djinn. Guess Hajin was right. Strange how he knows these things. 

"Let's go take a seat." I said and pointed to the couches near the window.

Yun Hyun nodded and turned away, walking to the couches and lighting a candle that emitted a sweet scent.

Same trick as Noona. Is he a Djinn of Lilith?

My eyes observed the room slowly, scanning it. I glossed over a broken watch on the ground to make sure I wasn't suspicious.

Yun Hyun sat down on the couch, moonlight coating his features.

I looked at him coldly and stood in front of the window.

"So, you wanted to ask some questions right? As the representative for the second year Djinn investigation squad-"

I saw a flicker of light from a far away place.

"It's nice isn't it? The second year dorms, I mean. You have such a nice view of the mountain tops." I looked back at him with a calm expression.

He stood up impatiently and walked behind me.

"Listen, I'm very busy preparing for the midterms and I don't appreciate you wasting my-" 

—Go ahead.

I grabbed him by his hair and slammed his head against the window without a word.

It only cracked.

"What- You bastard!" 

He struggled against me, tendrils exploded from his back as he let out a howl. They cut at my skin violently, some wrapped around my limbs and tried to crush them.

I simply held him tighter, my grip not releasing. 

I let crackling orange mana burn away unwanted tendrils and then activated wild blood. The tentacles held strong against the searing heat but Yun Hyun let out a pained screech.

1…2…

My wounds felt insignificant as I smiled. I slammed his head against the glass again.

3…4…

The glass broke and I looked to the mountains.

I cut off wild blood and backed off, seeing as how my hand would be blown off if I didn't.

A bullet drilled into the flesh of Yun Hyun's face, he couldn't even scream as, with a flash of radiant light, his head was cleanly disintegrated.

His now fresh corpse slumped down against the window, leaving a splatter of quickly evaporating blood. His corpse was also decomposing quickly.

"Phew, I was almost a little worried there. Did it really take you that long to get up a stupid mountain? The more I'm in here the more I feel sick." I spoke with just as much calmness as I watched the gore evaporate off my hand.

—Yeah, yeah. Now go get Yeonha. She should be in that closet to your left.

Hajin switched to the speaker in the room.

"Oh yeah." I walked to the closet and snuffed out a candle on my way.

When I opened the door I heard a squeak, coming from a Yoo Yeonha on the ground, still tied to a chair and gagged.

I lifted up the chair and set it upright before cutting her out with the omen blade, making sure to get rid of any magical constraints.

"If that's all, I'm leaving now." I spoke to Hajin through the ear bud before taking it out and burning it to a crisp.

—Sure. Oh, take Yeonha with you, she can barely walk.

I looked back to see her remaining barely conscious.

—And Yeonha, you better pay me back for this.

"Sure…" She looked at the speaker on the ceiling 

I kneeled down in front of her with my back facing her.

"What are you…?" She looked confused.

"I'm not carrying you bridal style all the way to the infirmary."

She blushed and got on.

"By the way… I messaged Hajin… why are you here?"

"Because he asked me to come. I owe him a favour after all."

"...favour…?" Was all she managed to get out before slumping and going silent.

"Oh… when you wake up make sure to report this incident and explain it in detail."

"..."

She fell asleep? 

Her breath felt warm against the back of my neck as I grimaced.

Maybe that's for the better…