I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 232: I tend to feel lonely a lot (2)

I had been following a regular routine since entering the Tower of Knowledge.

About half of my day was spent with Lady Ariel.

Though I studied diligently, I often found myself supplementing basic knowledge that was far from impressive in her eyes. At times, she would even teach me magic I hadn't touched before.

There were times when I would bang my head against a wall or strain my mind in magic lectures, feeling utterly lost. However, once Lady Ariel added her guidance, progress became smoother, like a sail catching the wind.

"With a solid foundation, it’s easy to build upon it," she had praised me on the third day.

"Relying on your innate affinity for magic, you could have overlooked the basics, but you have built a solid foundation. Excellent work."

After receiving instruction on mana and the basics of magic from Professor Riana, I had been tempted to skip through certain things, given the lack of time and resources. But resisting that temptation and studying everything thoroughly felt rewarding.

Now, I could save time by reinforcing my foundation before moving on, something that made my mood brighten immediately, considering the limited time I had in the Tower of Knowledge.

[Hehehe...]

I also liked the touch that patted my head.

Especially with how lonely I had been lately, that gentle gesture made me feel even better.

For about half the day—roughly 12 hours—I stayed by Lady Ariel’s side.

We would sit across from each other at the first floor’s table, or sometimes beside each other, studying.

At times, we would visit the practice room, where I would demonstrate magic in front of her, and she would watch with her perceptive powers.

As a result, my magical skills had been rising rapidly, far beyond what words could describe. Every day I could feel it growing visibly, and I couldn't help but smile.

It was no surprise, considering who was teaching me.

The Tower Master herself, Lady Ariel, was giving me her undivided attention for half of every day, offering lessons with utmost sincerity.

Even someone who wasn't gifted would undoubtedly see clear results under her guidance.

For me, someone not lacking in talent, if I wasn't showing significant growth, it would mean something was wrong with my attitude. In that case, I’d deserve to bury my head in the ground.

The other half of the day was for my personal practice.

Lady Ariel would sit at the first floor's table, quietly closing her eyes.

I didn’t know the exact reason, but whenever she did this, it felt like the atmosphere of the Tower changed, as though she was handling some task.

During this time, Lady Ariel hoped I would take short breaks and review what I had learned.

So, I invested time in reviewing and preparing for the next lessons.

After one of Lady Ariel's lessons concluded, I sat beside her and took time to reflect on what I had learned that day.

Her explanations were so clear that understanding them was easy, but I couldn’t quite say I had fully mastered them yet.

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So, I spent an hour or two going over the teachings repeatedly, digesting them in a way that fit me.

Once I felt I had absorbed it, I went upstairs to indulge in various books.

The Tower of Knowledge was full of books.

Books created through the Tower’s power didn’t require sorting by genre, but particularly, the magic books were vast and varied.

From basic magical texts that I no longer needed to read, to advanced books that were overwhelming at my current level—everything was here.

The information I had trouble obtaining outside was everywhere, free for me to consume.

If I had stayed here for a month without Lady Ariel’s teachings, I would have made remarkable progress by just immersing myself in the books.

‘Slow...’

The problem was the pace.

These weren’t just regular books, but chunks of information formed by power, making it difficult to quickly skim and store them through my observation ability.

If they were regular books, I would have quickly stored the information with my observation powers and then studied them repeatedly.

Instead, I had to pick up each book one by one, open it, and only then could I begin reading with my observation powers, storing the information in my memory.

Once I thoroughly read a book, I would channel mana into it to absorb it as information.

I compared what I read with what I had absorbed and analyzed the differences.

This process took time.

It was natural, but in terms of observation and information absorption, it was still far slower than the speed I was used to.

At the Shiyoram, I could read books through observation even while I was asleep, but now, reading with my own eyes felt excruciatingly slow.

Even though I maintained the habit of physically turning the pages of the book, the normal pace of reading made my whole body feel antsy.

Considering the growth adjustment, the speed of your growth is impressive.

Since entering the Tower of Knowledge, my growth rate had surprised Lady Ariel, whose expressions were usually quite stiff.

One reason for this rapid growth was that the path I was following resembled the one Lady Ariel herself had walked in the past.

The core of magic is to use mana to create spells and manifest phenomena.

How a spell is composed depends ultimately on the user.

Like the official spell formulas recorded in the Mage’s Council... there’s an original version, commonly known as the "basic rule," but it can be slightly modified by the user.

Some even alter spells within their family or faction, perfecting them into their own unique forms.

In other words, magic, when delved deeply into, eventually reflects the individual characteristics of the caster.

For me, I focused on enhancing the intuitive output of magic through the purity of mana.

In the process, while the results were more intuitive, the spells themselves became more complex.

The burden on the caster and the risk of magical overflow also increased, but it was no problem for me because I could control it.

Thus, I preferred simple, intuitive magic that was also effective in combat.

In the past, Lady Ariel had used similar magic to deal with chaotic situations.

Thanks to this, I was able to efficiently receive answers to many of my own trial-and-error processes through Lady Ariel’s teachings.

Her magical knowledge, accumulated over more than a hundred years, was in a completely different league compared to my meager one-year knowledge.

I couldn’t help but admire it.

I was suddenly reminded of how, the person sitting in front of me, was a legendary figure who had played a pivotal role in history.

For some reason, a brief discomfort flashed across Lady Ariel’s face in that moment...

However, the fact remained that she had pursued a path similar to mine in the past, and there was a certain level of alignment in that.

"Though I cannot be sure, it might be possible to pass on my unique magic within the allotted time."

Unique magic.

Just like certain martial arts develop unique abilities and expand their capabilities, magic can also gain unique status, becoming a special form of magic.

Those who master unique magic are sometimes called "mage-sorcerers" rather than simply mages.

It’s a title given to those who forge their own unique path, not following in the footsteps of others.

Regardless of the terminology, Lady Ariel’s words were enough to inspire me.

The unique magic of the Tower Master herself.

After seeing it demonstrated so closely, I strongly desired to learn it and take it with me.

I had to put in the effort.

I wasn’t sure if Lady Ariel could also learn it, but I had to try.

If I failed to learn it due to my own shortcomings, and if that led to a significant mistake later... I would regret it deeply.

So, I was doing my best, but honestly, it didn’t feel satisfactory.

I felt frustrated, like my limbs were bound.

That’s why, naturally, I felt that sleeping was a waste of time.

Once I left, I didn’t know when I would be able to return, so wasting time on sleep, which wasn’t necessary anyway, was something I wouldn’t allow.

So, I eliminated sleep and spent that time reading books instead.

With more time on my hands, I felt a little bit of relief.

I didn’t need to focus on meals since I had no sense of taste.

I just chewed on a calorie bar I had in a spatial pocket, finishing my meal in 10 seconds, then went back to reading.

By cutting out unnecessary things and focusing solely on training, I felt a certain lightness.

It was almost like being in a meditative state, where my consciousness felt sharper, focusing intensely on the task at hand.

In truth, the reason I cut out everything else and focused on my practice was perhaps to calm the loneliness and impatience weighing on my heart.

Even though I had only been in the tower for ten days, I already felt the heavy longing building inside me.

I couldn’t help but acknowledge that feeling.

‘And besides, I feel like I might have nightmares if I fall asleep.’

Nightmares.

That word had lost its significance lately, but on the first night in the Tower of Knowledge, I had realized it.

Ah, if I fall asleep now, I’ll probably have a nightmare.

It could just be a feeling, or perhaps paranoia.

But the feeling of unease, rising from the soft bed, was real.

I didn’t want to have a nightmare.

Tap

The information injection finished.

I closed my eyes for a moment to process it, then placed the book back in its place.

I wiped the blood from my upper lip and went down to the practice room.

Once I felt ready, I headed to the practice room, where I exhausted my mana through magic experiments.

Crash!

In the practice room, there were magical creatures—golems from floating islands—that I could freely summon and command.

I set them up as targets, trying out various spells, draining my mana in the process.

My mana was vast, so it took some time to exhaust it completely.

After releasing a burst of magic, I let out a breath and wiggled my fingers.

Without stopping, my circuits, constantly expelling mana, felt fatigued, and I could sense the emptiness in the core of the floor.

I could recover my mana easily through mana absorption, but I was holding back to build my recovery ability.

Normally, I would have experimented with the fifth-tier technique, but after hearing Lady Ariel’s concerns and critiques, I’ve been holding back.

Frankly, there’s no need to complete it yet.

I’ll improve my mana manipulation skills first, and then I’ll try again.

I shook my aching arm, sat down on the messy floor, and meditated quietly.

Though my body didn’t need sleep, my mind still felt vulnerable, complaining about the exhaustion.

I didn’t want to resolve it with a nightmare, so I chose to use this time for some meditation and review.

The curses applied to Iha-yul are three in total. Two were placed by the invaders, and... the other is the curse he was born with.

Normally, meditation is about calming thoughts and finding peace of mind.

But, perhaps due to my inexperience, numerous thoughts kept popping up unexpectedly.

As those thoughts emerged, I frowned slightly.

After wiping my upper lip again, I focused on calming myself.

‘Huh?’

As I tried to calm myself, something unusual came into my field of observation.

Click, click

Footsteps echoed softly near me. The sound of light footsteps gradually drew closer.

In the Tower of Knowledge, golems occasionally wandered, but they never made such a soft sound.

[Ariel?]

It was Lady Ariel, stepping into the practice room.

Her pure white eyes stared down at me.

‘??’

A question mark floated in my mind.

Considering the time, she should be managing the tower by now.

But strangely, her outfit seemed a bit disheveled.

Her front, which should have been neatly covered, was now exposed.

It seemed that she had moved about carelessly, revealing some rather embarrassing parts of herself.

‘...She’s been alone for so long; she might not be thinking about this kind of thing.’

It seemed plausible.

If no one was around to notice, there wouldn’t be any reason for her to worry about it.

She’d been alone for so long, after all.

[Um...]

But still, I couldn’t just ignore it since we were spending time together.

Before I could point it out, her voice interrupted.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Lady Ariel spoke as she walked over and, without warning, reached out to lift me up.

[Huh?]

I was taken aback as I was lifted into the air.

At the center of the first floor, Lady Ariel sat down in her usual chair, placing me gently on her lap.

[H-hey?]

I tensed as her soft flesh pressed against me.

Her warm, sizable body brushed against my face.

[W-Wait a second!]

I struggled at the unexpected action, but her gentle embrace kept me still, and her hand pressed down on my head.

"Rest is something that varies from person to person, I know, but it seems you haven’t rested at all, Iha-yul."

With her chest exposed and soft skin around my face, I felt my body shiver from the warmth and sensation I hadn’t felt in nearly ten days.

Her touch, warm and comforting, slowly melted away my tense body.

"True training should come with mental stability. I don’t recommend pushing yourself too hard."

Lady Ariel looked down at me as I slowly relaxed in her embrace, and she gently placed her hand on my head, stroking me softly.

The hand that had been petting my head slowly slid down my face, calming me further.

"...Manifest."

Her delicate fingers brushed across my nose, and the moment she whispered a magical incantation, a strange aura filled my body.

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, warmth spread throughout my body.

A feeling of emptiness being filled, and my consciousness floated upwards.

...Sniff, sniff?

At that moment, I involuntarily twitched my nose.

The faint scent of books I had imagined, the smell of old paper, fresh ink, and dyes all mixed in the air.

An overwhelmingly sweet, nutty aroma filled my nose, as if it were right in front of me.

"...Please, for once, allow me to help you rest. Just for a moment, sleep peacefully in my embrace."

Her hand, which had been on my nose, now rested on my head again, gently pressing me into her chest.

"Though I may be incompetent and unreliable, I can confidently promise this. No one will harm you while you rest here with me."

Her arms encircled my waist as her warm, soft body enveloped me completely.

"Ah... hhh..."

Taking a deep breath, I could smell the rich scent of milk filling my nose.

Sniff, sniff...

I didn’t know what was happening.

But I could sense that my consciousness was fading, overwhelmed by the rich scent of milk.

My body, soaked in exhaustion, felt comforted by the soft embrace and the soothing voice above me.

The loneliness and pressure that had been weighing on my heart were soothed, slowly being replaced by a warm, gentle feeling.

That feeling made me relax completely.

‘Sleepy...’

My consciousness gradually faded away.

For once, I accepted the feeling of sleepiness.

I nestled deeper into Lady Ariel’s embrace and quietly drifted off to sleep.

I didn’t have nightmares.

[The "Tower Master of Knowledge" interferes.]

[The "Curse of Loneliness" weakens conditionally (Ariel Segnis Ternovcia, olfactory, temporary).]

...

[Player Adjustment System: Affection]

Iha-yul → Ariel Segnis Ternovcia

●●●●●○○○○○ (51/100)

"Tower Master of Knowledge" "Head of Mage's Council" "Complicated" "Confusion" "Doubt" "Gratitude" "Normal?"

▽Changes▽

Iha-yul → Ariel Segnis Ternovcia

●●●●●●●○○○ (51→70/100)

"Tower Master of Knowledge" "Head of Mage's Council" "Hmm?" "Complicated" "Confusion" "Doubt" "Trustworthy" "Gratitude"