I let out a curse without realizing it.

To think I would actually witness that.

Even though it was Rose, I didn't expect her to be capable of it already.

Self-modification.

The highest level of martial arts, where one can transform and alter their body through sheer willpower.

It's said that across the entire universe, the number of martial artists capable of self-modification can be counted on two hands.

What’s even more astonishing is something else.

Rose, after observing my body for less than three minutes, was able to identify what she liked and apply it to herself.

How could I not curse at that?

“I understand your pain, Leonard Monarch.”

Barton offers me words of comfort as I stand there, dumbfounded.

But I can’t empathize.

'You're quite the extraordinary human yourself.'

If Barton had offered these words to Sahil, he might have understood.

To me, Barton is just another monster, different from Rose.

Rose's self-modification doesn’t take long to complete.

“Hehehe.”

She lets out a bizarre laugh, clearly pleased with her new body, and casually swings her fists around.

Then she stares straight at me, laughing low and menacingly.

'No way.'

Am I actually helping Rose develop?

Given that Rose and her associates from this period were from way before the main plot of the original story, their descriptions were relatively sparse.

Even as the author, I didn’t know everything about her past.

I had only sketched out her major exploits around key events.

'What if Rose can grow even more?'

I reconsider.

What are the benefits of Rose's rapid growth?

Obviously, it means our core strength in the upcoming fight against the aliens would increase significantly.

The shifts in the story and the resultant changes in the power dynamics that would follow Rose's increased performance are secondary to the value of survival.

'Yes, that’s right.'

Maybe I had been overthinking the “Generation of Miracles.”

Who has the greatest influence on the preservation of humanity during the upcoming grand invasion?

It’s the Generation of Miracles.

Guiding the Generation of Miracles correctly could be far more effective than any other intervention.

"Next time, I'm counting on you, Lemon."

"Sure."

"Oh? Your voice suddenly sounds more confident! Shall we go for another round today, then?"

"What? Wait a minute…."

Rose's fist strikes my face precisely.

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That one blow knocks all the distracting thoughts out of my head.

"Rose, Lemon hasn't eaten anything since he slept for three days."

"Really? Then I'll make it quick! Food tastes better after a workout!"

Barton’s attempt to save me is cut short as I receive another punch from her.

We finally make it to the cafeteria around midnight, after three hours of sparring.

***

Time flies by, and the first semester test period approaches.

During this period, the academy becomes bustling with visitors from various fields and staff preparing for the practical tests.

As a result, the cadets are full of thoughts, feeling the nervousness and excitement in the air.

I am no exception.

After this test, there would be three semesters left, about a year and a half.

To me, this time seems incredibly short.

'Will I do well on the test?'

I have studied really hard.

In the two months I have spent living here, I have crammed more knowledge into my head than I had in my entire previous life.

Despite that, the depth of this world's knowledge is endless, filling me with a sense of despair.

But in one particular field, I have absolute confidence.

‘Aliens.’

Everything about aliens.

I’m the one who created the lore about aliens.

There’s no one who understands the habits, peculiarities, and combat methods of each alien species better than I do.

Especially since my ability supports this knowledge too.

Thanks to my previous encounter with that alien, I’ve been able to understand them on a deeper level than others.

‘I could probably map out the genome of a Claw right now.’

I’m not joking.

Aliens are synchronized with me on a cellular level.

This is elevating me to a higher level in the ‘Alien Military Studies’ class I’m currently taking.

“Hmm…”

But what are these stares about?

As I enter the theory test hall, I notice I am drawing subtle attention.

This is one of the secondary changes that has happened to me.

Lemon originally didn’t have much presence.

When I first started hanging out with Rose, people dismissed me, thinking it wouldn’t last.

But as time went on, now they look at me with envy and jealousy, wondering, ‘How did he…?’

“There’s a seat here.”

“Oh, thanks?”

Childish.

I head to the very front to avoid their petty glares.

Yeah, model students sit at the front anyway.

“Leonard Monarch.”

“Oh, Sahil.”

Yes, a model student in the front...

Sahil’s attitude towards me has significantly changed since our first encounter.

He still looks at me with some suspicion, but he at least acknowledges that I have changed.

“Have you studied a lot?”

“At least in this subject, I’ll be number one.”

“Oh, I can’t just overlook that claim.”

Sahil’s midterm test score was the highest in the academy.

Moreover, he takes great pride in being number one.

So, to boast about being number one in front of him, there’s no way he’d let that slide.

“Have you lost your mind from hanging out with Rose lately?”

“He probably doesn’t know who he is talking to haha!”

“Hhehe!”

Upon hearing my words, the cadets around us chuckle.

It’s a natural reaction.

No matter how smart you are, there’s a limit to how much knowledge you can accumulate in a short period.

But Sahil had received advanced education since before others ever since kindergarten and had reached a doctoral level of knowledge at his current age.

In contrast, I had only scored average in the midterm tests.

It was common sense that a little extra studying wouldn’t let me surpass Sahil.

But I’m not the old Lemon anymore.

“I don’t like empty words.”

“Your confidence is astonishing. And your eyes show you’re serious.”

“Haha.”

“Leonard, you’ve changed so much that it’s hard to believe you’re the same person as before. Alright then, I have a proposal.”

Sahil closes the book he is reading, pushes it aside, and turns to face me directly.

“If your test score in this subject is higher than mine, I’ll grant you one request.”

“And if it’s lower?”

“It’s only fair to put something of equal value on the other side of the scale.”

“Deal.”

I have nothing to lose.

If I lose? Well, I lose.

What’s important is that I’ve become close enough to make a bet with Sahil.

The test begins.

The format is free response, with a time limit of three hours.

And the most crucial test question is:

‘Oh, this is...’

I’m screwed.

I reread the question.

〈Assume a scenario where an infantry company, including one superhuman, encounters a large group of Claws during an underground exploration. Describe the necessary armaments, supplies, and countermeasures.〉

Tactical map *see below*

Available budget and resources *see below*

Additional...

- Answers can be freely written within the scope of the user’s knowledge.

- High creativity in answers will be awarded extra points.

It's much harder than I expected.

Do test questions usually cover such a wide range?

At least it is fortunate that the question is related to Claws.

‘Alright, let’s write down as much as possible.’

I have three hours.

I do my best to write down my answers.

***

It’s the third day since the test began.

The theory part is over today.

The grading is done quickly, and for some subjects, the grades are already out by the time the test is over.

“Heeheehee.”

Rose seems to be in a good mood.

Until this morning, she was as gloomy as ever, but as soon as the theory part ended, she brightened up like magic.

Well, from tomorrow onwards, the practical test starts and it’s just a feast for Rose.

“Barton, did you do well on the test?”

“I think I did as well as my abilities allowed.”

“What about me? Aren’t you going to ask about me?”

Why would I ask?

Barton and I head towards the cafeteria without a word, as if we have made some kind of agreement.

Rose is clinging to my side persistently, but she’ll probably forget about it as soon as she smells the food.

But on the way, we encounter an unexpected figure.

“Oh? Sahil. What brings you here?”

Sahil, who has just left the cafeteria, spots us and walks straight towards us.

He seems to be walking a bit faster than usual.

Considering he’s royalty and always maintains his dignity, it’s quite unusual.

“I found you, Leonard Monarch.”

“Uh… hello?”

“Alien and Military Studies. Did you check the test results?”

Sahil suddenly asks me, as if he has no other business to attend to.

If he’s talking about the test results for Alien and Military Studies, I had already checked them before the afternoon test.

I did win, but the difference in scores must be very slim.

Could it be that he can’t admit that difference?

“Oh, but…”

“This formula. Where did you get this formula? And what is this content described in the 24th paragraph?”

Sahil’s attitude seems unusual, so Rose intervenes.

“Wait, why are you asking that?”

“Rose. I’m talking to Leonard right now.”

“Lemon is part of our group and we were on our way to the cafeteria. Can’t we discuss it after eating?”

“…I apologize. Would you care to join me at my quarters? As an apology, I’ll treat you to a proper dinner.”

“A proper dinner? Is that tasty?”

“It’ll be better than eating at the cafeteria.”

“Alright!”

She’s sold on the idea of food.

Well, if it’s Sahil’s personal quarters, being of royal descent, we might get to taste food we wouldn’t normally have access to.

That should be worth it.

After dealing with the interloper, Sahil sticks to me again.

“For now, I know this formula has never been published in academia. I even tried to find related papers, but I couldn’t find them anywhere. How did you come up with it?”

“Did you check my answer paper?”

“Yes. I requested it from the principal and he gave it to me. But more importantly, your answer may have had many wrong applications, but if used correctly, it could dramatically increase the utility of individual tactical equipment in large-scale Claw battles. Also, in large-scale combat…”

Sahil seems unusually excited.

When I wrote down my answers, I just wrote down everything I knew.

Among them, the things Sahil points out were all things I learned through my ability while analyzing Claws.

But connecting that knowledge to the test question was a bit of a struggle due to my biased knowledge, so it’s surprising that it was accepted.

“Is that really so amazing?” Rose questions, flipping her crimson hair.

“Amazing? This is an achievement. Not just any achievement, but a discovery of a scale that can be called an epochal event. Do you really not know what could happen if these things are used properly?”

“Ooh, I don’t know what it is, but it’s amazing, Lemon, you are indeed my first disciple!”

Rose applauds.