Chapter 3: The Girl Who Didn't Hit Softly
Morning in Spirit Hall arrived quietly.
Sunlight crept over white stone roofs, spilling into courtyards and corridors like a hesitant visitor. Training bells rang in the distance, steady and rhythmic, calling disciples from their beds.
MC ignored them.
He was still asleep.
Not peacefully—no, that would imply dignity—but sprawled across the Spirit Hall rooftop like a corpse that had given up halfway through life.
One leg hung off the edge.
An arm covered his face.
Breathing slow. Comfortable.
Ding.
Slacker System Notification:
"Host has successfully skipped morning training."
Reward:
Luck +2 (Permanent, Minor)
MC smiled in his sleep.
Below the roof, chaos was quietly forming.
A group of Spirit Hall attendants stood gathered, whispering urgently. At the center of their attention stood a young woman dressed in Spirit Hall robes trimmed with silver.
She was beautiful in a sharp, clean way.
Not soft.
Not gentle.
Her long dark hair was tied high, her posture straight, eyes cold and observant. She radiated the kind of pressure that made people lower their voices without realizing why.
A genius.
An asset.
And currently—very annoyed.
"He's where?" she asked.
One attendant swallowed.
"…On the roof."
Her eyebrow twitched.
"…Again?"
MC woke to the distinct feeling of being stared at.
Not watched.
Judged.
He slowly uncovered his face.
Above him, blocking the sun, stood a girl.
Shadowed. Silent.
Looking down at him like a mistake she was debating whether to erase.
"…Good morning?" MC offered.
She didn't reply.
She simply grabbed his collar.
And threw him off the roof.
He screamed on the way down.
Mostly out of surprise.
He landed hard, rolling across the tiles, breath knocked from his lungs.
Pain flared.
Not fatal.
Perfectly calculated.
Ding.
Beaten by Girlfriend Candidate (Preliminary): Valid
Pain Level: Educational
MC lay there, staring at the sky.
"…I feel like I earned that," he said weakly.
She landed beside him lightly, dustless.
"You skipped morning training," she said flatly.
MC coughed.
"I… emotionally trained."
Silence.
Then—
BAM.
Her foot pressed against his chest, pinning him down.
Not crushing.
Just enough to make a point.
"You are under Spirit Hall protection," she continued.
"That does not mean you are exempt from responsibility."
MC nodded seriously.
"I will reflect deeply."
Her foot pressed harder.
"…While lying down."
She inhaled slowly.
Clearly.
Deliberately.
Not to kill him.
But to not kill him.
Around them, elders pretended not to see.
Guards pretended not to hear.
This was allowed.
She was allowed.
Her name was Ling Yu.
Spirit Hall elite.
First-tier genius.
Assigned—unofficially—to "observe" MC.
In reality?
To keep him from becoming a public disaster.
"You slept on the roof," she said.
"Yes."
"You skipped training."
"Yes."
"You provoked a disciple yesterday."
"Technically, gravity did that."
Her eye twitched.
Ding.
Affection Detected:
"Source: Extreme Frustration"
MC blinked.
"…That counts?"
She removed her foot.
MC sat up slowly, rubbing his chest.
"You know," he said casually, "most people introduce themselves before throwing someone off a building."
Ling Yu looked at him.
"You survived."
"…Fair."
They walked through the courtyard together.
MC walked.
She marched.
Every step she took was purposeful.
Every step he took looked optional.
"You're wasting your potential," she said without looking at him.
"I'm pacing myself."
"For what?"
He thought about it.
"…Burnout prevention?"
She stopped.
Turned.
Stared directly into his eyes.
"You think this is funny."
MC hesitated.
"…A little?"
She punched him.
Not in the face.
In the shoulder.
Controlled.
Sharp.
Pain bloomed instantly.
Ding.
Beaten by Girlfriend Candidate: Confirmed
Bond Status: Established
Relationship Type: Volatile
MC winced.
"…Okay," he admitted.
"That one was deserved."
They reached the training field.
Ling Yu pointed.
"Demonstrate."
MC followed her gaze.
"…What?"
"Your spirit," she said.
"Show me why Spirit Hall protects you."
MC sighed.
"So much pressure."
He stepped forward.
Closed his eyes.
And did the bare minimum.
Spirit power stirred.
Not explosive.
Not overwhelming.
But unnaturally smooth.
Like water flowing downhill.
The air shifted.
Subtly.
Ling Yu's pupils contracted.
"…That's it?" she asked.
MC opened one eye.
"What were you expecting? Fireworks?"
She didn't respond.
But something changed.
Her expression wasn't annoyed anymore.
It was… careful.
"You're hiding," she said.
MC shrugged.
"Everyone needs hobbies."
They stood there in silence.
Then Ling Yu spoke quietly.
"Do you know how many people would kill for this?"
MC looked at her.
Really looked.
Not as an enemy.
Not as authority.
But as someone who carried weight.
"…Sounds tiring," he said gently.
She turned away.
Didn't answer.
Didn't hit him.
Which somehow felt more dangerous.
That night, MC returned to the roof.
This time, she was already there.
Sitting.
Looking at the stars.
He lay down beside her.
Didn't speak.
Didn't joke.
For once.
"You're trouble," she said.
He nodded.
"I've been told."
She glanced at him.
"…If you waste this," she said softly,
"I'll beat you myself."
MC smiled.
"Deal."
Ding.
Main Female Lead Locked
Future Status: Girlfriend (Confirmed)
Threat Level: High
MC closed his eyes.
Somewhere far away, Tang San trained.
Here, under Spirit Hall's shadow—
A villain was being watched.
And occasionally beaten.