I Became the Academy’s Disabled Student - Chapter 165
Chapter 165
Curse
***
It took some time to calm Seo-yul down.
“Now, Seo-yul? You shouldn’t act like that towards others, okay?”
-Grrr…
Seo-yul, held in Elia’s arms, bared its teeth. It even started growling deep in its throat.
The behavior was reminiscent of an animal threatening an enemy, and it left quite the impact on me.
‘Why is it acting like this?’
Seo-yul was showing an unusual amount of wariness toward Hong Yeon-hwa.
This was the first time Seo-yul had shown such strong caution.
Of course, Seo-yul wasn’t exactly friendly when it first met Elia either.
It had acted sulky and displeased, but it wasn’t to this extent.
When Seo-yul met Master for the first time a few days ago, there didn’t seem to be any strong rejection.
There was a small degree of discomfort, but it could easily be understood as a child’s natural wariness toward a stranger.
In contrast, Seo-yul had been surprisingly friendly to Professor Liana.
Instead of keeping its distance and staring, Seo-yul had approached Liana first, curiously circling around her.
Liana was the first person Seo-yul had quickly allowed to pet it, hold it, and even engage in physical contact.
‘Is it because she’s a Spirit Summoner?’
A fairy and a spirit… While it’s hard to pin down, they’re likely somewhat related.
Seo-yul is a fairy, and Professor Liana is a powerful Spirit Summoner with immense spirit affinity. It wouldn’t be strange for them to feel some sort of kinship.
The same could be said for Elia. She also has innate spirit affinity, which could explain why they became close so quickly.
‘…Kinship?’
Suddenly, I was struck by a strange feeling.
Kinship… a sense of familiarity and comfort…
‘Didn’t I feel something like that too?’
When I first met Elia… let’s just say my mental state wasn’t great.
I had been dragged from my comfortable life as a shut-in into a strange, game-like world.
Without my glasses, my blurry vision had turned nearly pitch-black, while spatial information had been forcibly crammed into my mind.
My sharpened senses picked up the murmurs around me with painful clarity, and I could feel every gaze piercing into me.
With a mind already weakened from years of isolation, it was impossible to handle all that attention.
There were people who tried to help me, but there were also times when I was so startled that I ran away.
But I didn’t react that way to Elia.
From the first moment I swept the area with my spatial perception, I hadn’t felt any resistance toward her.
Neither the sounds nor the gazes caused any discomfort.
Something about her presence felt calming… I had been tense, but I was able to receive her help without running away.
‘And Professor Liana…’
It had been similar with her as well.
From the start, I didn’t feel any discomfort; instead, there was a sense of ease and warmth.
Though she was the one who first apologized and offered her assistance, I had been the one to proactively ask for help with my mana training.
Looking back, it was rare for me to ask others for help first.
‘…’
It was hard to put into words.
“Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?”
Lost in thought, I must have made a sour face without realizing it because I felt a hand touch my cheek.
It was Hong Yeon-hwa’s hand, placed gently against my cheek as she leaned in close.
Startled by the warmth and concern in her touch, my body flinched involuntarily.
“Hmm?”
I observed her quietly.
The shadows under her eyes, the slight fatigue in her expression… I could see the traces of emotional stress.
Who had caused her that stress? Who had made her go all the way to China to suffer?
It must have been because of me…
Despite all that, she didn’t express any anger; instead, she showed concern first. The guilt washed over me.
Hong Yeon-hwa didn’t say anything further, she just quietly stroked my cheek.
After a brief pause, I carefully opened my eyes.
My heavy eyelids lifted slowly, revealing my dull, grey eyes.
My vision overlapped with the information from my Power of Observation.
The world appeared foggy, shrouded in mist.
And amidst the dreary fog, I could see the bright red figure of Hong Yeon-hwa.
“Hmm?”
“Huh?”
“…What?”
Various exclamations of confusion, surprise, and shock erupted from those around me.
Unfazed by the reactions, Hong Yeon-hwa stretched out her arms and lifted me into her embrace.
A soft, warm sensation enveloped me.
The scent of milk, which had been tickling my nose earlier, now filled my senses completely.
The warmth of her body was comforting, and I felt like I might melt away.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
As she lightly tapped my bottom, Hong Yeon-hwa asked, her striking red eyes fixed on me with a look that seemed to be asking for something.
I knew what she wanted. Nervously, I swallowed and spoke.
“I’m… sorry…”
My voice, awkward and stilted, stumbled out.
It had been so long since I had spoken that the words didn’t come out smoothly, stuttering as they left my mouth.
My eyes were the same. Keeping them open for too long made them sting, causing them to quiver slightly.
“Hmm. Does it hurt to keep your eyes open or speak? You’re not overexerting yourself, are you?”
“I’m… fine.”
It was slightly embarrassing, but seeing Hong Yeon-hwa’s bright, delighted smile made me feel better too.
I had been terrified that she might scold me severely or be upset, but thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Relieved, a small smile spread across my face.
At that moment, Hong Yeon-hwa slowly lowered her head.
Her breath brushed against my skin, and her scent grew stronger.
Her face filled my vision.
-Smooch.
A soft sensation pressed against my lips. It was moist and warm. There was no mistaking what this affectionate gesture was.
My body shivered.
“…Ugh.”
The warmth soon withdrew.
For a brief moment, I felt a pang of disappointment.
“…What the…?”
Then it happened.
A dreary voice, so chilling it made me tremble, invaded my ears.
I turned my head toward the source of the sound, but all I saw was the dense fog.
However, my Power of Observation picked up on Master’s expression, filled with a mixture of disbelief and devastation.
“Hmph.”
For some reason, Hong Yeon-hwa had a triumphant smile on her face.
-Crack!
A chilling sound escaped from Master’s clenched jaw.
***
“…So, after a kiss, your sight returned, and you were able to speak?”
A while later.
Having regained her composure, Master listened to my explanation with a baffled expression.
It was as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
The reactions of those around her were similar.
Elia tilted her head, a giant question mark practically hovering above her, while Baek Ahrin seemed deep in thought, her brow furrowed in confusion.
“If it’s a psychological issue, I guess that could make some sense… maybe?”
Professor Liana offered her thoughts, though she didn’t seem fully confident in her own explanation.
‘Hmm…’
I understood why they were reacting that way.
If I were in their shoes, I’d find it hard to believe too.
But even I couldn’t explain exactly what had happened.
I still didn’t know why the curse had loosened, even if only a little.
At the time, my emotions had been all over the place, and I had been too overwhelmed to think about it clearly. But even after reflecting on it, I couldn’t come to a definitive conclusion.
The best guess I had… was that the kiss had somehow triggered my senses to return.
The room grew quiet.
Everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts.
I had plenty to think about, too. Or rather, to agonize over.
‘…Should I reveal the curse?’
At the very least, I could pass it off as some kind of disability, and admit that my sense of taste and smell were sealed.
It was the same dilemma I had faced at the beginning of the semester, when I ultimately decided to keep it hidden.
The Curse of Shortened Lifespan.
Even if I told people about it, I had no way to prove it. Not even the association’s thorough medical examinations had been able to detect the curse.
There was the Curse of Sensory Sealing and the Curse of Silence.
I could demonstrate these phenomena, but I had no way to explain them as curses rather than disabilities.
And how could I tell Hong Yeon-hwa, who had so eagerly offered me sweets and meals and asked if I had enjoyed them, that I couldn’t taste anything?
So I hid it.
I decided there was no need to cause unnecessary confusion.
After all, I planned to lift the curse in the future. If I couldn’t… well, I’d die quietly somewhere, and it would remain my secret.
But I was starting to regret that decision.
It had been a carefully considered lie, but in the end, it only led to regret.
And if I kept my mouth shut this time, the regret might be even worse in the future.
I steeled my resolve.
I couldn’t keep living with this secret.
Even if I couldn’t reveal everything, I had to be honest about the curse.
There were people who would believe me, even without proof.
[The truth is…]
-Bzzz!
I couldn’t open my eyes because of the curse… That’s what… happened…?
‘What?’
My words came to an abrupt halt.
The Necklace of Confession froze.
No, had the world itself stopped?
‘What just froze?’
My senses went haywire. I couldn’t feel anything. The warmth disappeared. There was no sound. Nothing at all. It was empty.
Everything around me was pitch-black.
I couldn’t see.
My Power of Observation activated.
-Crack, crack, crack─!
A grinding noise echoed. The gears that had been turning smoothly were now tangled and stuck. Harsh screeches and sparks erupted. My brain felt like it was burning.
My thoughts slowed─down. The gears─in my mind─stopped turning. My cognition dulled. My overheated brain felt like it was melting.
─Some─thing──
Is─wrong─…─…?
My thoughts became jumbled and incoherent.
[Stop]
A faint sensation brushed over me. Gentle hands covered my ‘eyes.’
Something enveloped me.
[Recover]
The chaotic thoughts ceased. My melting brain cooled down, and the halted gears began to turn once more.
An instant… or perhaps an eternity I couldn’t perceive passed in that fleeting moment. I couldn’t fully grasp what had just happened.
‘What was that?’
My mind felt fuzzy. I had no idea what had just transpired.
[…Child]
A voice spoke from behind me.
At least, that’s how I perceived it, but I wasn’t entirely sure.
It was less a voice and more like… intent. The intent struck my mind directly, like telepathy.
It was a sensation I was somewhat familiar with. It felt like when I communicated with spirits, transmitting intent telepathically.
But this was much higher in level.
[Child]
Whose voice is that?
[Don’t be reckless with your body]
Who is speaking to me?
[…And don’t wander into dangerous places]
Why does this feel familiar?
***
My head was spinning.
The mana around me swirled chaotically.
“─?! …! ─!”
“─! …! …! …!?”
“…! ─! …!? …!”
My head pounded. The sounds entering my ears were a tangled, incomprehensible mess.
What’s going on? What’s been happening since earlier…?
I moved my body.
‘Huh.’
It wouldn’t move. Now that I thought about it, my body felt sticky, drenched with something.
And inside, I felt hollow, as though my insides had been scooped out…
I activated my Power of Observation.
I saw my own bloodied form, and the people around me desperately using every healing method they could, crying out in despair.
‘What is this?’
It was happening again.
***
[The Curse of Silence is activated]
[The Curse of Loneliness is activated]
…
[The Master of The Tower of Growth intervenes]
[The Curse of Silence(?) is activated]
[A large amount of points is consumed]
…
End of Chapter.
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Anonymous
Can you please have the chapters be in order on NovelUpdates? It says the latest chapter is 145, even though its 165