novelraw Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Spencer, you... you...
Watching Spencer twirl the now-empty bottle, An Le was on the verge of tears.
She abandoned the spilled drink on the floor and rushed to Spencer's side, clinging to the faint hope that it might have been Spencer's own water.
A quick sweep of the room killed that fantasy—there wasn't another bottle in sight.
"Why did you drink that?!"
The horrifying truth finally sank in: Spencer had gulped down An Le's tricked-out, accessory-packed potion to the last drop.
Caught red-handed, Spencer's eyes flicked away for a second—then she pouted.
"—ow? It was just a bottle of water. I thought it was some treasure. We've got tons in the clubroom; grab another."
"It's not the same, Spencer!"
"Huh? How's it different?"
Spencer's blank look left An Le speechless.
Of course it's different—but how do I explain?
That it's a literal "ascend-dua-lang" elixir?
And even if I tried, would Spencer even know what "dua-lang" means?!
On her shoulder, Xiao Muzi exploded.
"Brilliant. I thought I misjudged her, but turns out she was lying in wait! No—if anyone's supposed to drink it, it should be Yan Huan. What good does it do if she downs it?!"
"Xiao Muzi, what do we do? Will it work on a girl?"
An Le's face went white. She glanced at the tiny sprite.
"Of course it works!"
"Then—then what now?"
Xiao Muzi hesitated, equally lost.
One thing, however, was crystal clear:
"Get Spencer out of here! With her combat rating, you three will be bawling 'antidote' while watching Yan Huan get devoured right in front of you!"
An Le's brain blue-screened.
The awful scene flashed before her eyes. She blurted,
"But—after we move her, how do we cancel the effect?"
"There is no antidote! Just keep her away from people. Think, girl—no, stop standing there! Move, move!!"
Watching An Le freeze, Xiao Muzi screeched,
"Five minutes, tops! Once it kicks in, Superconducting Mode was supposed to be instant 'open-and-serve.'
"But Spencer likes guys; the potion clashes with the Mode.
"When the Mode fails to engage, you'll watch her treat the buffet line as an all-you-can-eat special!!"
An Le paled. Grabbing Spencer's wrist, she yanked.
"Spencer, let's skip today—come on!"
"Leave? Your plan flopped, so leave it to me. I'll help you!"
"I—I appreciate it, but don't help right now. Actually, following me is helping!"
Spencer let herself be tugged, baffled.
"So tell me—why are we running?"
"I, uh... it's, um... good for both of us!"
After thirty seconds of mumbled gibberish, Spencer's CPU fried.
"Speak plainly! Or did Sakuramiya Hitomi scare you soft?"
"N-no."
It's you I'm about to be scared soft by!!
Xiao Muzi, timing every second, watched An Le try to tow Spencer like a mountain.
"Now! No time left—she's about to start the feast!!"
"Spencer, please!!"
"Huh?!"
Yet Spencer's heart melted at the sight of tears shimmering in An Le's eyes. She allowed herself to be pulled toward the door.
"So what's really happening?"
"It's just—"
Even with Spencer half-cooperating, An Le strained every muscle to shove her out.
Just as they reached the threshold, the door swung inward—and Yan Huan stepped through.
His usually impassive face darkened the moment he saw Spencer.
"Done sabotaging? Finished the worksheet? Sit down and redo it."
Spencer pointed at herself, indignant.
"Who's leaving? I don't want to go anywhere. It's—"
She glanced back; the accusation died on her tongue. She clicked her tongue instead.
"Tch."
She marched back to her seat without ratting An Le out.
"Toast! The countdown's almost up!!"
Xiao Muzi slumped, out of miracles.
An Le's face drained of color. She checked the wall clock—four minutes fifty—and then the doorway where Yan Huan was stepping inside.
If Spencer won't budge, at least get Xiao Huan out!
"Xiao Huan, sorry—please step outside for a sec!"
She lunged to push him out, but her foot caught. She pitched forward.
"An Le!"
Yan Huan caught her shoulders and wrists instinctively.
The sudden impact pressed something soft against his stomach; sparks flared, his spine snapping straighter.
An Le crashed into his chest like a wave against the shore, every curve mapping the coastline.
"!!"
In the corridor, Sakuramiya Hitomi and Bai Yi approached, a few steps apart.
The moment they saw Yan Huan cradling An Le, both froze.
Bai Yi muttered, "Wh-what's going on?"
"I wish I knew?!" Sakuramiya hissed through clenched teeth.
She watched An Le in Yan Huan's arms—an image that detonated like a bomb. A "bust shockwave" slammed into her.
Even Bai Yi clutched her own chest, feeling the altitude drop.
Clap—clap—clap.
From inside, applause.
Yan Huan looked up: Spencer stood in the doorway, clapping while eyeing the two stunned girls.
Whoever snagged Yan Huan, as long as it made those pretty birds squawk, she was entertained.
Her golden hair flared as if receiving a signal.
"Nice, nice—exactly like that! I misjudged you, An Le. Turns out you've got guts!"
Sensing Spencer's excitement—and the chill it sent—Yan Huan frowned.
He'd guessed wrong.
It wasn't about deepening childhood-friend bonds so Spencer could swoop in later.
Apparently letting someone else do the swooping worked too.
An Le wasn't a pawn—she was an accomplice.
Well played, Spencer.
"Eek!"
At Spencer's voice, An Le in Yan Huan's arms spun around, arms flaring protectively.
"S-Spencer... stay back, okay?!"
At these words, Spencer blinked in surprise, then smiled at An Le and waved her off.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna steal him from you. Enjoy your moment—I'm heading back to finish my worksheets~"
An Le stood frozen, watching Spencer skip away humming a tune, so absorbed in her worksheets that she'd already forgotten what she'd just been doing.
"An Le, you don't exactly look your best right now. If anyone else saw you like this... well, it wouldn't be good. So could you please get up?"
As she stood there dazed, a voice spoke up beside her—warm with amusement yet cold enough to freeze blood.
An Le turned her head sluggishly to see Sakuramiya Hitomi and Bai Yi standing like twin guardian deities, their smiles not reaching their eyes.
Only then did she realize she was still cradled in Yan Huan's arms.
The warmth of his body so close to hers made her instinctively want to stay there forever, to claim this space as her own.
But the next second, embarrassment flooded through her and she pulled away, murmuring softly, "S-sorry..."
Hitomi's smile grew even colder as she caught the lingering reluctance in An Le's eyes.
So timid on the outside, yet secretly so shameless.
Childhood friends—what an utterly pointless concept.
Anyone still hung up on their childhood friend after all these years is just a fossil who refuses to evolve, a relic trapped in the last century.
If you love clinging to someone you've known since diapers, Sis, why not crawl back into your mother's womb for a nap?
Hitomi kept these poisonous thoughts to herself, while behind her, Bai Yi's heart sank as she took in An Le's flushed cheeks.
There's another contender?
She'd come today all dolled up, planning to invite him for bubble tea after studying.
They'd sip sweet drinks while chatting about Saturday's MV shoot—harmonious and happy.
Why does trying to date Yan Huan have to be such a storm of disasters?!
Bai Yi bit her thumbnail, finding Jiang Uncle's words more prophetic by the minute.
"Spencer, you're getting too full of yourself. Have you finished your worksheets? Get back to work!"
"Why so angry? You secretly loved it when An Le pushed you down—don't pretend otherwise!"
Yan Huan rubbed his wrist and walked back into the classroom.
An Le instinctively reached out, worried Spencer might retaliate.
But looking closer, five minutes had long passed.
Spencer showed no signs whatsoever of being affected.
She was exactly the same as before!
Standing in the doorway, An Le glanced skeptically at Xiao Muzi and asked, "Xiao Muzi, didn't you say it would take effect in five minutes? Why does Spencer seem completely unaffected?"
"Hiss, five minutes is correct... this shouldn't be happening."
Watching Spencer bounce around with her usual carefree expression, Xiao Muzi began questioning reality itself.
An Le shot a sympathetic look at the stunned Modifier and offered, "Maybe... people's constitutions differ. That's why it didn't work on Spencer?"
Ever diplomatic, An Le avoided saying anything that might hurt Xiao Muzi's feelings like "Were you lying to me?" or "Are you completely useless?"
"Impossible! Is she some kind of cow? 'People's constitutions differ'—ridiculous!"
Xiao Muzi bristled at having its abilities questioned.
"But... Spencer really didn't react at all..."
The facts were undeniable, no matter how stubborn Xiao Muzi tried to be.
This left its protests stuck in its throat, unable to explain what had happened.
Spencer had definitely drunk that water right in front of her—An Le could still sense the Modifier's energy in it.
Could An Le's theory actually be correct? Do people really have different resistances?
Seriously?
An invasive Modifier like itself, rendered completely ineffective?
Xiao Muzi spiraled into chaos, beginning to wonder if it was truly worthless.
Meanwhile, the study group resumed its usual activities, though everyone now directed their resentment toward Spencer.
Yan Huan and Hitomi launched a perfect "mixed doubles" attack, making the already study-challenged Spencer cry for mercy.
As time ticked by, lunch break ended quickly.
Though Spencer grumbled about the torture, she couldn't help but feel secretly pleased—An Le had, in a way, helped her claim some of Yan Huan's attention.
The others, however, suffered varying degrees of defeat.
Yan Huan had put on a brave front saying "bring it on," only to be outmaneuvered by that idiot Spencer.
Failure~
Hitomi had been stolen from by both An Le and Bai Yi, leaving her feeling thoroughly robbed.
Failure~
Bai Yi's cozy MV planning had been crashed by countless interruptions, and she'd learned everyone around her was an enemy with no allies.
Failure~
An Le's entire poisoning plan had collapsed—no prize and left shaking with fear.
Failure~
Xiao Muzi's self-esteem lay in ruins, beginning to suspect it might be the most useless Modifier ever.
Failure~
So for today's study group...
Spencer's victory~
Ding-ding-ding~
As the sun set, the dismissal bell echoed across campus, signaling the day's end.
After finishing her elective class, An Le sighed and began packing up to leave.
She glanced at Xiao Muzi drooping listlessly on her shoulder and, not wanting to see it so dejected, offered encouragement.
"It's okay, Xiao Muzi. This time didn't work, but next time—next time there'll be another chance."
"Mm... yeah."
The response came out weak and lifeless.
For a mighty Modifier to be defeated by an ordinary human in this world...
Wasn't this a betrayal of the great god of seduction?! Utter humiliation!
Seeing it still couldn't rally, An Le forced a smile and tried another approach to comfort Xiao Muzi.
"Maybe some external factor interfered? Like how snake venom has antidotes..."
"Maybe Spencer ate or drank something today that counteracted the effect?"
An Le's words barely registered until Xiao Muzi suddenly latched onto a keyword, perking up.
"External factor?"
"Yeah, external factors—um, coffee? Tea? Or perhaps..."
Xiao Muzi blinked, a lightning bolt of realization striking its mind.
External factor.
Yes, that could definitely explain what happened.
But not the mundane things An Le suggested—something far more terrifying.
In Xiao Muzi's mind, a colossal entity of overwhelming power materialized.
Even thinking its name felt like staring into an abyss.
"Big... Big Thumb?!"
After a long silence, Xiao Muzi finally whispered the dreadful name.
"What? Big what?"
An Le couldn't make out what Xiao Muzi had said, only seeing the Modifier tremble like a leaf.
Where Xiao Muzi's movements had been smooth before, now its body was rigid as iron.
Turning slowly to look at An Le, it sucked in a breath and said, "If... if that's the case, then it wasn't ineffective."
"Huh?"
An Le couldn't follow Xiao Muzi's spiraling thoughts, which had raced far beyond her comprehension.
Only Xiao Muzi understood that every Modifier in existence granted its host some resistance to other Modifiers' effects.
This passive attribute existed beyond the Modifier's listed [Characteristics], and every Modifier possessed it.
For instance, Xiao Muzi had two characteristics:
First, it possessed intelligence and could manifest a physical form to influence reality within a certain range.
Second, its abilities could pierce through some other Modifiers' resistances.
Unlike every other Modifier that carries at least two traits, Thumb has only one.
It boasts complete, one-hundred-percent resistance to every other Modifier in existence.
In other words, the abilities of ordinary Modifiers simply don't work on its host.
Little Thumb is the lone exception.
Because Little Thumb can fracture that very resistance, its power exerts a certain suppressive effect on Thumb's host.
So—if Spencer truly is the host of that terrifying Thumb...
Little Thumb's eyes snapped wide open. It whirled toward An Le and shouted, "An Le! Hurry! Go find Spencer now!"
"Eh? Right now?"
The tiny serpent wrapped around her neck, frantic. "Yes, right this second! My potion didn't fail—it's just taking partial effect!"
"P-partial? What does that even mean?"
"Never mind! If it's only half-triggered, the onset, duration, and intensity could all go haywire!"
Little Thumb stared hard at An Le, voice cracking. "She might have drunk it hours ago and feel nothing—then it could kick in any time today. And if that girl starts devouring people on the spot—"
An Le's face drained to the same pallor as Little Thumb's white scales.
Both of them were frantic, though for very different reasons.
If that happened, Spencer's innocence was doomed!
If that happened, Thumb would grow bigger and stronger in minutes!
"I—I'll find her right away!"
An Le didn't even sling her backpack; she just dumped it on a desk in the elective classroom.
Then she opened Plane and called Spencer.
"Beep... beep... beep..."
No answer!
"Uuu... it's all my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish—"
Tears spilled over. Spencer had been her first real friend since Yan Huan, someone who looked after her, and now she'd dragged that friend into this mess.
If only she hadn't—
If only she hadn't used her ability—
"Crack-crack-crack!"
The instant that thought formed, Little Thumb's face contorted in agony.
Pain.
Excruciating pain!
"Master—Master, stop! I can't take it—ahhh!"
The tiny serpent slid off An Le's shoulder and writhed on the floor as if shot, scales glowing like cracked porcelain while searing pain flooded its body.
"An Le, this isn't your fault! Please—don't think about it! I'm begging you!"
"B-but—"
Watching the unanswered call, An Le's guilt surged again like a mortar round slamming into Little Thumb's skull.
"Sss—!"
The serpent flipped over, rolling wildly.
"W-what's wrong, Little Thumb? Don't scare me—waaah!"
"An Le, sis—no, Mom! Ancestor! Just calm down—ow ow ow! Breathe with me—hiss—one, two, three—good!"
As An Le slowly emptied her mind, pushing the Modifier-triggered remorse aside, Little Thumb gasped out instructions while still thrashing.
"Regret is useless right now. Using my power wasn't your mistake. If that idiot hadn't stolen your drink, none of this would've happened. Blame her, not you! The fact you still want to save her is already saint-level kindness!
"So stop blaming yourself. Ask whether other people screwed up!"
An Le stared at the tiny serpent lecturing her so solemnly, her thoughts screeching to a halt.
Right... it was Spencer who drank the water on her own.
She herself was only... a little careless.
"But now—"
Before she could finish, Little Thumb cut in.
"So stop thinking! Find her first, everything else later!"
"Okay, okay—I'm going!"
With a steadier heart, An Le scooped up the serpent, pressed its cracked scales back into place, and set it on her shoulder. Then she sprinted toward the athletic field where Spencer had her elective class.
At the same moment, in the club building.
Yan Huan stepped out of the computer-club server room, USB drive in hand. Hashimoto had stored the Club Wars inventory there, so Yan Huan had come to copy it.
A translucent black cat materialized on his shoulder. "We underestimated Spencer, meow. She pulled a fast one at lunch—I felt her Modifier siphon power."
"Yeah."
Yan Huan was still mentally replaying the noon fiasco. Spencer's moves had looked clumsy, yet somehow she'd landed a critical hit.
Could she be playing the pig to eat the tiger?
"No rush. As long as she stays with the Doujin Club until Club Wars ends, we'll have plenty of chances."
"Meow~"
Yan Huan pocketed the drive and started downstairs.
A glance at his phone showed a chat with Bai Yi on Plane.
"We didn't finish the MV talk at lunch. Are you free later, Yan Huan?"
"Sure, let's pick a spot."
"Great! How about the Light-Yan Milk-Tea shop on the commercial strip?"
"Deal. I've got some student-council stuff first, then I'll head over."
"See you~"
They'd agreed to meet once he finished his errands. Yan Huan was on his way when—
"Oh? President Yan, you're here too, aow?"
A voice that grated on his nerves floated down from the second floor. His expression chilled as he turned toward the staircase where Spencer was descending.
"Spencer?"
Hearing him, Spencer seemed to remember something and grinned. "Did you enjoy being hugged by An Le at noon?"
"...Are you sick?"
"Tch, so righteous, yet you reacted the moment I hooked you, aow."
She spread her hands, then lifted her chin and taunted, "Trash~"
"."
Yan Huan's face darkened; seeing her smug look made his fists itch.
Spencer shrugged—then her slow brain finally clicked.
Wait, hadn't she still had five chances to corrupt Yan Huan left unused?
At lunch she'd focused on helping An Le and let the opportunity slip.
But wasn't this a perfect moment now?
She licked her signature fang and eyed the handsome boy, scoffing, "If Sakuramiya Hitomi knew the president she likes is such trash that even I can make him react, what would she think?"
With that, she advanced step by step, ready to make her move all over again.
Perfect—today she was wearing that skin-tight tracksuit. Taking down Yan Huan should be effortless.
That thought made her expression even more confident. She flashed a wicked grin at Yan Huan and spoke each word deliberately.
"Afraid she'll be very disappointed in you, small fry~"
But the next second, scorching heat shot up from her lower abdomen. It surged straight into her chest, stealing her breath before flooding her brain.
The feral face she'd kept twisted in disdain flushed a delicious crimson. Then, as if that blush siphoned away all her strength, her body simply folded.
She was mid-step toward Yan Huan when her legs gave out. She crumpled, kneeling before him with a soft thud.
"Thump~"
Eyes wide, she stared at the suddenly lower vantage point, then looked down in disbelief at her body—sinking into what felt like cotton.
Huh?
What was...
happening?
No strength?
And—
her heart was racing.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Face burning, she watched the world tilt around her. Her sluggish brain finally caught up. She lifted her head.
Even someone as composed as Yan Huan had limits. After enduring Spencer's endless taunts, his anger finally surfaced.
His handsome face wasn't cold or stern now—it twisted into a smile born of pure irritation.
Yet somehow, in Spencer's warped perception, that smile looked dangerously appealing.
This guy...
why did he seem even more—
Besides that tiny instinctive flutter, what she felt most was panic.
Because moments ago she'd unleashed her "Taunt" skill on Yan Huan.
Critical hit!
Yan Huan's expression had gone completely dark. He drew a slow breath and stepped toward her.
"You think I forgot about lunch? And now you show up to rub it in my face."
"W-wait, Yan Huan—"
His shadow loomed over Spencer as she sat on the ground, scrambling backward. But her body felt like water—she couldn't retreat far.
"Now it's 'Yan Huan'? What did you call me earlier?"
"N-no—"
The humiliation from lunchtime, the fury at being called "small fry," the hostility toward the Modifier threatening the world—all of it merged in Yan Huan's cold expression. He looked like the most terrifying demon imaginable.
Dark aura poured from him, blurring Spencer's vision until she couldn't even see his face clearly. All she knew was that punishment was coming.
"P-please—"
She tried to speak, to beg, but her mouth felt thick with saliva. The words came out sticky.
So cocky before? Thought you won at lunch?
Bring it—let's settle this one-on-one now!
Yan Huan's hand reached toward her. In Spencer's eyes, it became a mountain-sized palm blotting out the sky, covering her entire world.
Done.
Absolutely done!