If this were some trashy erotic novel, Lancer would've kicked Amon out, grabbed Mado Akira and Kirishima Touka, shouted, "You're both my wings!", and then started the clichéd "hospital-care AV" scenario.
Yet reality was different… Upon realizing his backup had already retreated under the excuse of "branch office emergencies," he decisively retreated into his turtle shell.
No matter how you looked at it, getting involved would only spell trouble. He'd be leaving soon anyway, so why not just let things take their course?
Since a nurse had immediately notified Amon and the others when he woke up, Lancer hadn't yet had a chance to properly examine his own condition. Now, a glaring status caught his eye.
[DEBUFFS]:
WEAKNESS LV6 | DURATION: 47:25:17
ALL ATTRIBUTES -60%
Initially, when he saw his so-called "attribute screen," he'd thought he'd transformed into something akin to a "game character." Yet after truly experiencing it, he realized he wasn't much different from an ordinary human.
There was no HP bar; he couldn't survive a pierced heart simply because his HP wasn't fully depleted. Likewise, Weakness wasn't just some simple attribute—it was actually decreasing over time! Lancer clearly remembered his status had read Weakness LV9 right before he passed out.
He really had put everything on the line this time. He was not only still weakened, but had even blown up his own weapon. The only silver lining was that CCG headquarters would likely compensate him for the Quinque he lost.
Still, he had gained plenty from this battle. Besides the mask—which offered decent base stats and could keep him alive at critical moments—the biggest gain was the Secret Technique he'd unexpectedly learned at the very end:
[SECRET TECHNIQUE · WEAPON OVERLOAD]
[EFFECT]:
CONSUMES STAMINA/MANA/VITALITY TO STRENGTHEN WEAPON.
DEGREE OF ENHANCEMENT DEPENDS ON ENERGY INJECTED.
GREATLY REDUCES WEAPON DURABILITY.
Unlike previous offensive skills, this newly comprehended Secret Technique functioned as a sort of buff. While it didn't appear flashy, stable abilities like this were exactly what battles demanded—after all, you could never rely solely on landing a lucky critical hit at the last second.
Additionally, he'd also found his other skills had grown unnoticed. All three basic skills had leveled up, and even his Ghoul Predator had reached rank D after killing more than five Ghouls.
Earlier, he'd worried why nothing changed after defeating over 50 ordinary Ghouls, even suspecting these special skills couldn't be upgraded at all. Now, at least, he had his answer: these skills could still improve, just under much stricter conditions compared to ordinary skills, which simply required frequent usage.
Lancer, completely absorbed in examining his own attributes, was oblivious to how awkward the room's atmosphere had become. Thankfully, Touka had initially acted merely out of stubborn defiance rather than genuine feelings. After all, neither her gratitude toward Lancer for protecting the Fueguchi mother and daughter, nor appreciation for him sharing crucial intelligence, was anything she could openly discuss given her identity. Thus, she quickly prepared to leave. But just as she was about to depart, the previously "daydreaming" Lancer reflexively made some polite small-talk...
"You're leaving already? The coffee tastes great, as always. Oh, right—anything I can help with? I remember you were preparing for your college entrance exams, right? I'm not bragging, but when it comes to exams, I'm definitely top-tier!"
Initially, this was merely polite conversation—but midway through speaking, Lancer completely went off track. For students from China, before and even after university, they practically spent their lives locked in grueling battles with countless test papers—at least nine years at minimum, sixteen years if longer, or perhaps their entire lives if unlucky.
In fact, right before mysteriously arriving in this world, he'd still been locked in battle with exams. Mentioning it now inevitably stirred up mixed feelings.
When Kirishima Touka heard Lancer's offer, her immediate reaction was to decline—but when she opened her mouth, she reconsidered, thinking this might actually be a good idea.
Her original plan today had been to visit Lancer briefly, then head straight to the library to study with Yoriko.
She initially attended school only to fulfill her father's wish and to try integrating into human society. This hadn't gone well at first. Having never attended school before, she had no clue how to socialize, which quickly led to isolation from her classmates—despite secretly yearning for connection.
At that moment, Yoriko had appeared in her life, always smiling gently, reaching out first, and teaching her how to interact with others. Even though Touka still didn't have many friends, at least she wasn't deliberately isolated anymore.
That was exactly why she'd decided to advance her studies—to attend the same university as Yoriko, so she could remain close and protect her!
Yet there were many things in this world mere passion and determination couldn't solve. Her grades had never been good. Already struggling just to keep up, Touka would need far greater effort to get into the same university as Yoriko, who excelled academically.
But here was the problem: while some students could attend cram schools, Touka couldn't—because, simply put, she had no money.
Cram schools in Japan weren't cheap. But right now, wasn't there a perfect tutor right in front of her? After all, Chinese students were world-famous for their exam-taking skills. Results aside, they were undoubtedly ranked number one at tackling exams!
"Well then… I'll be counting on you!"
"Ah… No problem. But I probably won't be any help with subjects like history."
Lancer hadn't expected her to accept his offer so readily. Still, now that she had, he wouldn't go back on his word. He only had a dozen days left anyway, and given his condition, he'd likely spend most of it bedridden. At least tutoring would kill some time.
Their sudden "agreement" was abrupt yet oddly logical—but someone else nearby certainly didn't see it that way!
She'd been watching quietly from the sidelines—so how did these two suddenly become so close?!
Only after Kirishima Touka finished bowing politely and said, "See you tomorrow," did Mado Akira, who'd remained seated with arms crossed all this time, finally stand up and approach Lancer's bedside.
"Rank 1 Investigator Lancer, I must remind you—it's illegal to make moves on a JK."
Isn't compensated dating pretty famous in Japan?
Lancer desperately wanted to retort, but considering Akira's serious temperament, he wisely decided against it. After all, jokes had to be carefully tailored to the person.
"Ahem. Rank 2 Investigator Mado, is that how you see me?"
Of course not! You're just a blockhead! A weirdo whose only love is fighting Ghouls!
"Hmph!"
Of course, Akira never actually voiced these thoughts. Instead, she only gave a dismissive snort expressing her opinion clearly enough. As for exactly what that opinion was—well, Lancer would have to guess for himself.