036. Li Na’s Words
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Ever since Lin Nan got his own computer, he plays a few games with his team every day.
After some time, it was evident that the five participants had improved significantly. Although Tu Junhui and Xiong Da weren’t exactly at their level, after some intense training, they learned how to survive in the presence of masters.
Unfortunately, in the first two rounds of a game, Lin Nan could perfectly initiate team fights using support heroes and flawlessly protect Chen Yao, looking like an ultimate champion teammate. But after spending all his energy, Lin Nan’s skills would drop like a rock for the next few rounds.
Chen Yao seemed unconcerned about the earlier bus incident, likely thinking Lin Nan had just dozed off. Naturally, Lin Nan had no intention of bringing it up, instead savoring the refreshing magic that kept him cool whether basking in the air conditioning or under the blazing sun.
The next day, Lin Nan once again distributed flyers by himself. As expected, under the influence of magic, even though he was basically simmering in a sauna inside his mascot costume, he felt nothing. Touching his arm, the skin was at a steady thirty-seven degrees, and after an afternoon of handing out flyers, all he had to show for it was some tired, sore legs.
As he returned to school in the evening, Lin Nan noticed Li Na standing at the school gate looking sprightly—obviously waiting for him.
He crossed the crosswalk and walked straight towards her. Before he got close, the girl noticed him and smiled.
“What do you want now?” Lin Nan asked, feigning annoyance.
Li Na had practically become a stalker these days. As long as Lin Nan was on campus, he could feel her gaze. Sometimes, he’d even spot her across the dormitory with binoculars, peeping and poking around.
If gender-swapped, she’d absolutely be a creepy stalker.
“I noticed your magical scent was stronger yesterday,” she stepped closer and whispered, “Did you get into a fight?”
“I was handing out flyers,” Lin Nan replied, keeping his pace and heading deeper into the school, while Li Na hurriedly scampered alongside him.
Honestly, using magic this time didn’t seem to change his body much.
Unlike last time, when his fat distribution got unnervingly feminine, Lin Nan didn’t feel any difference this time around.
Seeing his impatience, Li Na frowned and continued, “Why does your magical scent smell completely different now?”
“Hmm?”
“Before, your magical aura was faint, so I couldn’t pick up on it, but last night you must have used magic, right? The scent… it’s like milk, different from Lilith’s.”
“???” Lin Nan turned to look at her, his face filled with confusion. Did she really think his sweat smelled magical?
Lin Nan had never seen her use magic, but judging by her intense demeanor and the fact that he could find her in Lilith’s memories, he figured Li Na was from another world. But right now, she looked more like a seasoned case of middle school delusional syndrome.
“Everyone has a different scent, determined by their soul. Yours was faint before, and at first, I mistook it for Lilith’s…” Li Na said, looking conflicted, “Could it be that Lilith really died? But this world…”
She suddenly realized, “Could it be that Lilith hasn’t taken over your body yet, just borrowing you to regain her strength?”
“No, she’s dead.” Lin Nan found the topic of magic tiresome. Even though he enjoyed the cheat code vibe he got from it, discussing it openly just made him uncomfortable.
“Dead?”
At this point, Li Na was finally starting to process the seriousness of his statement.
Lin Nan couldn’t be bothered to argue, making a beeline for the cafeteria. After a moment of shocked silence, Li Na caught up and pressed, “What’s going on with you?”
Lin Nan headed straight to the fast food area, grabbed some meat and veggie, plopped down at a table, and began recounting his recent experiences.
Although Li Na knew the story, it felt a bit embarrassing to admit to anyone else that he was turning more feminine. So he simplified that part, focusing instead on his theories.
After listening intently, Li Na hesitated and spoke to herself, “Could it be that Lilith reincarnated too many times and messed up her soul, causing her to fail with you?”
“Oh, look at you, picking up internet lingo so quickly,” Lin Nan deadpanned while focusing on his meal.
Li Na didn’t even flinch at the jibe, continuing her analysis: “The changes in you and the magic that needs unlocking might be similar to your guess—fundamentally, it must be a trap Lilith set. She knew her soul was faulty, so this reincarnation might not succeed…”
Finally, Li Na seemed to believe Lin Nan’s story. After observing him, she genuinely felt his personality was way too different from Lilith’s; even if he had experienced some trauma, he couldn’t possibly change so drastically in such a short time.
“So she wants your body to become more like hers—both in personality and physical form—ultimately changing your soul… I suspect Lilith’s soul is still hidden in you, but since you’re from this world, you can’t detect it.”
The term “from this world” rubbed Lin Nan the wrong way, but compared to the magical realm, maybe Earth really could be seen as having natives.
But it went both ways; the other world’s technology was also lacking, so without magic, it might be similar to the indigenous people of ancient America.
“So by that logic, you’re like half-Lilith now?” she suddenly exclaimed in delight. “I’ll help you suppress her soul! From now on, you should call yourself Lilith!”
“Yeah, right,” Lin Nan rolled his eyes. “People would think I’m nuts.”
“You’re throwing me those seductive looks just like Lilith!”
Lin Nan was struck dumb and decided to ignore her. Instead, he focused on booking a medical check-up for Tuesday afternoon at a nearby hospital.
Since his appearance hadn’t changed at all after using magic, Lin Nan felt a swell of anxiety. What if the changes were internal, like his unique male equipment gradually transforming into female parts?
Even knowing the situation wouldn’t help solve the problem, it was still better than being blissfully ignorant.
After scheduling the check-up, Lin Nan asked, “By the way, after we met on the playground last time, my stomach hurt for a whole day. Did you have any clues?”
“My magic!” Li Na beamed with pride. “What did you expect? You kicked me, and I thought you could handle it!”
“Ugh!”
He’d panicked, thinking it was “that time of the month,” and even searched for all kinds of info—only to realize that period pain and the stomach ache he had were two completely different beasts.
Lin Nan shot a glare at this disaster magnet: “Now that you know I’m not Lilith, aren’t you leaving?”
“I’m waiting for her to revive! Or for you to turn into Lilith,” Li Na replied with a grin. “Maybe she’ll become a good person because of your influence?”
You mean… issue a good person card?
“But…” Li Na’s pupils suddenly turned golden, nearly causing Lin Nan to drop his chopsticks in shock.
She scanned him from top to bottom, a smirk forming on her lips: “Even without my magic, you’re probably going to be in pain for a few days every month from now on.”
“What?”
