This story takes place on the last day of entrance exam preparation.
For the past two days, I've been cramming everything I could possibly learn into my brain — how to handle a dagger, how to cast a basic spell, how to properly roast monster meat without dying from it.
It wasn't much… but it was more than I expected from myself.
Still, was it enough to pass the entrance test?
Probably not.
But honestly? I didn't care anymore.
I had a daughter now — a floating, mischievous, cloud-shaped daughter. And taking care of her had turned out to be a far greater challenge than learning combat magic.
"I never thought being a father would be this hard..."
I sighed and picked up one of the study papers scattered across the floor. My once-clean desk had become a battlefield of notes, books, and magical sticky tabs. I rolled up the futon I'd randomly found while cleaning up one of Bi Hong's messes and shoved it onto the sofa.
Then, I walked over to the broken TV and set it by the door. I'd decided to sell it before the entrance test started. Even if it only got me a few spare coins, that was better than nothing.
"Well, at least the house doesn't look like a warzone anymore," I muttered proudly.
Bi Hong squirmed in my arms, puffing up like a small cotton marshmallow. She'd been unusually hyper the past few nights — bouncing off walls, knocking things over, and somehow short-circuiting three appliances just by existing.
"I said take it easy today, okay?"
"Bibi..." she answered softly, nestling into my arm.
It was rare for her to be this calm. I took it as a good omen.
Just one last thing to test before I could fully relax.
I extended my hand toward the ceiling, channeling a small burst of mana. "Fireball."
A flicker of heat swirled at my fingertips — controlled, stable… until it wasn't.
The moment I released the spell, it exploded upward.
BOOM.
The ceiling cracked, smoke filled the room, and the once semi-clean apartment turned into a smoldering mess in a matter of seconds.
I stood frozen in the chaos, staring at the destruction I had just caused — again.
Then it hit me.
"…You didn't just buff me, did you?"
Bi Hong floated beside me, glowing faintly pink.
"Bibi~!" she said cheerfully, proud as if she had just helped me ace a national exam.
I turned to her slowly, eyes twitching.
"You buffed a beginner fireball…"
"Bibi!"
"…without telling me…"
"Bi~!"
"…directly into my ceiling..."
"BIBI~!!" she spun with joy, clearly expecting praise.
I sat down cross-legged in the middle of the smoky ruin that was now my living room.
"This is going to be a long day."
The amount of money I had to pay for property damage was so outrageous, it did more damage to my bank account than the fireball did to the ceiling.
No — seriously. My finances took a critical hit. A super effective, soul-crushing, wallet-destroying hit.
I stared blankly at the repair bill in my hands.
I didn't even know numbers could go that high without becoming math problems.
"This fireball was supposed to be weak enough to only hurt a speck of dust…" I muttered, dead inside.
And yet, here I was. With a scorched ceiling, a melted light fixture, and a landlord who was this close to turning me into a test dummy for demolition magic.
All because Bi Hong thought it'd be funny to secretly buff my spell.
At this rate I might die from debt rather than monster.
Filler End.
Like what I say in advance that I cannot upload for the day, with this chapter I hereby close this filler.