I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 250: Another mistake?

The exterior of Lee Ha-Yul may have appeared fine, but in reality, he was struggling.

He was maintaining the observation power on standby to prepare for any sudden threats. Instead, he focused more on manifesting his spatial abilities to detect the changes and fluctuations within the dungeon.

A green wave rippled in the black sea-like background. In the past, he could only recognize the outlines of objects, but now he was sensing much more.

The dungeon’s energy and the flow of space were being represented as waves. They were not simple lines or planes, but three-dimensional waves etched onto the map, hundreds of them happening simultaneously in space. Naturally, this created a buildup of fatigue as he processed the information.

‘Is that large wave the core? It’s wide and has a strong ripple, reaching this far. If I invest just a day, I might reach the core.’

Despite the fatigue, there were benefits. After a full day of using his spatial power, he was able to pick up on more of the spatial waves, the changes, and the fluctuations.

‘But I can’t use that for attack, can I? If I strike with a precise blow instead of just the wave, it might split the space itself.’

Lee Ha-Yul sensed the spatial waves that effortlessly passed through even the protective barriers he had set up. His face twisted as he noticed how the waves easily ignored high-tier defensive magic.

The magic he had applied was a high-level protective spell, yet the spatial waves couldn’t be blocked. The spell he had added was for “spatial magic interference,” not for resisting “space” itself.

No matter what, his perception of space was improving. Finding an entrance to the hidden dimension in this way might be more efficient. If a door needed to be opened, it would probably have to be done with spatial magic too.

Thanks to that, he had gained a little more certainty about an uncertain answer in just one day.

At least the primary objective of entering the dungeon was nearly achieved.

Nom nom.

For that reason, Lee Ha-Yul didn’t have much leisure time.

He had spent the whole day training spatial abilities, spirit magic, and necromancy. By the time the surroundings had grown dim, he had inscribed complex magic over the foundation of the outpost that Lee Ji-yeon had prepared.

Furthermore, even now, he was focusing his abilities with fine precision, leaving no mental space for trivial things.

To put it bluntly, engaging in casual conversation was difficult.

“How does it taste? Is it—”

[Tasty.]

“If you use a lot, then with this... what was it?”

Without much thought, Lee Ji-yeon handed Lee Ha-Yul the pill.

That action carried trust. He didn’t even bother using his observation power.

If it were someone he didn’t trust, the first thing he would’ve done would be to analyze the pill and identify its ingredients. If any harmful substances like poison had been detected, he would have investigated the situation using various methods.

But it was Lee Ji-yeon. She had no reason to harm him, so he simply took the pill she handed him.

Crunch crunch.

So, he enjoyed the texture of the pill in his mouth, feeling the vitality slowly seeping into his body with every small crunch.

The refreshing sensation, like rain falling on a dry desert, was quite enjoyable. If he had to compare, it was somewhat like a mint candy.

“...Junior.”

[Yes.]

As the aftertaste lingered, he responded, rubbing his cheek with his tongue.

Even without using his observation, he sensed her presence through other means.

The presence she occupied in space was clear. Like a solid rock, like pottery made of earth. The contours of the empty space where the wind couldn’t fill, her texture, breathing, and heartbeat—all of it was mapped onto his mental map.

Lee Ji-yeon was frozen, standing like a stone with her hand in her pocket.

[?]

What was going on? Lee Ha-Yul tilted his head.

[Senior, what’s wrong?]

“......”

Suddenly, Lee Ji-yeon’s energy shifted, and something felt off. He activated his observation power.

Lee Ji-yeon’s distinct appearance appeared clearly in his mind. Her face had gone pale, and the color drained from her skin—she didn’t look well at all.

[Are you feeling ill? Why all of a sudden... ?]

With a grim face, Lee Ha-Yul sprang up from his seat and approached her. He began a detailed observation of her body.

From her head to her toes, he inspected every part of her.

‘...There’s nothing strange, though?’

He couldn’t find any physical injuries. Lee Ji-yeon was physically fine. Despite planning to expose any anomalies like homogenization and treat her, Lee Ha-Yul was still unsure.

“Junior.”

[Yes... Eh?]

While responding, his body suddenly floated up. Lee Ji-yeon had inserted her hand under his armpit and lifted him off the ground.

Looking up at him with eyes full of uncertainty, Lee Ji-yeon set him down on her lap.

Suddenly held in her arms, Lee Ha-Yul tilted his head, his body trembling slightly at the soft touch of her skin brushing his nose.

He’d been held by Lee Ji-yeon before, but it wasn’t the kind of familiarity that would allow him to comfortably bury his face and act spoiled.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Pbb? Bwee...

As he tilted his head back, Lee Ji-yeon’s hand grabbed his chin. It wasn’t harsh, but there was an odd sense of pressure mixed with gentleness—a strange gesture, as if she wasn’t expecting resistance.

In an instant, her hand took hold of his chin, halting his movements.

Lee Ji-yeon pressed her fingers against both his cheeks, squeezing them roughly. Naturally, his cheeks were pushed together, and his mouth opened slightly.

Beee...?

Lee Ji-yeon examined the inside of his mouth. With his mouth slightly open, his small pink tongue wriggled.

Lee Ha-Yul, suddenly having his mouth inspected, flushed with embarrassment and squirmed.

Ugh, bweee, eee...

[U-Um, why are you doing this all of a sudden... Wait, it smells... ]

“Just stay still. It only smells sweet.”

Lee Ji-yeon’s response immediately shut down any further objections.

She wasn’t lying. Right now, she wasn’t paying attention to any smell, but the only scent she could feel was the sweet honey-like aroma.

“......”

What should he even say to that? He’d said before that he liked the smell when burying his face in someone’s embarrassing parts, but now that it was his turn, he didn’t know how to respond.

Unable to come up with a proper answer, Lee Ha-Yul ended up resting his chin against Lee Ji-yeon’s chest and obediently opened his mouth.

‘...It seems fine on the surface.’

This allowed Lee Ji-yeon to calmly check Lee Ha-Yul’s mouth and his tongue.

‘No, this isn’t something that should be visible...’

Most medicinal herbs have a strong bitter taste. It’s because the raw material itself is bitter, or sometimes bitterness is intentionally added to keep it from being taken carelessly.

Of course, that’s not always the case.

Precious herbs have a certain aura to them, and one can often tell it’s a medicinal herb just by looking at it, so no need to taste it. For those types, the added flavors are just enough to make them palatable.

Especially for children, the medicine can taste sweet.

In fact, the medicinal herbs Lee Ha-Yul had encountered were mostly sweet-tasting ones. Although he hadn’t tasted them directly, the tonics passed to him were always made with care about the taste.

Hong Yeonhwa always brought him sweet ones, worried that he might dislike the bitter ones. Athara had done the same after noticing him whining about medicine in the hospital.

Others also knew that Lee Ha-Yul didn’t like the taste of bitterness, so they’d give him sweet-toned tonics.

But the pill Lee Ji-yeon had given him wasn’t like that. It was made from the root of the Beast Tree cultivated by Taesan’s main family.

The root of the Beast Tree is naturally very bitter. Even after processing it with other ingredients, the bitter taste remains strong.

That’s why Lee Ji-yeon gave him the pill first, planning to follow it with sugar, just in case he complained about the bitterness.

Tasty?

Could it really be... tasty?

Lee Ji-yeon bit her lip, pondering.

Did Lee Ha-Yul actually enjoy the bitter taste? Even so, would he say it was tasty?

‘...Poison.’

A very ominous thought flickered through Lee Ji-yeon’s mind.

Poison harms living beings.

Before the Great Cataclysm, that had always been true. Poison, in this world where the concept of uniqueness had emerged, came in many forms, some very toxic and vicious.

Poison could easily take a life and, if not immediately fatal, could torment the poisoned soul, dragging it on for a long time.

‘Twin-headed poisonous dragon.’

When thinking of a monster with poison, the twin-headed poisonous dragon immediately came to mind.

The poison from one of its heads was so filthy and powerful that it was considered a death sentence.

During the hunt for the twin-headed poisonous dragon, many superhumans had perished from poisoning, and many others suffered lingering effects.

The symptoms varied. The body might rot from the extremities, shrivel up, or the skin might crack like a drought-stricken field...

It could also steal one’s senses.

‘......’

Had Lee Ha-Yul fought the twin-headed poisonous dragon and barely survived?

Could he have been poisoned in the process?

Even if he tried to think optimistically, it didn’t seem out of the question.

‘Ugh...’

Suddenly, nausea surged within him.

Coo coo coo...

A vibration rang in his head. It felt like the solid rock in his mind was shaking.

His head ached.

The weight of past karma seemed to press on him again.

It might not even be the case.

It could all be Lee Ji-yeon’s misunderstanding.

The truth was, Lee Ha-Yul might not even taste the medicine... Or maybe it wasn’t even her fault.

...To confirm this, he’d need to ask her, but the answer might be too frightening.

Fwoosh

At that moment, a warm energy enveloped him.

His body, which had been stiff as stone, loosened and became soft.

Lee Ji-yeon lowered her head in a daze.

[I'm not sure what's going on, but it's okay.]

She stretched her arms out, pulling Lee Ha-Yul into a tight embrace, burying him in her chest.

The warm, comforting feeling was enough to make him calm down.

Unlike regular fire magic, this warmth wasn’t threatening at all.

It only gently burned, giving off a pleasant warmth.

[Even though I don’t know what’s going on, how about calming down for now?]

[...Yeah, it feels nice and warm, and when we’re like this, I always feel better.]

Lee Ha-Yul stammered, not knowing how to explain.

He didn’t know what was wrong with Lee Ji-yeon either. Some things couldn’t be understood even with observation.

But he could feel her mood plummeting, so he tried hugging her, thinking that it would make her feel better.

It was a simple thought: when he was hugged, it made him feel good, so maybe it would help her too.

Snug...

Bwee

Luckily, it worked. Lee Ji-yeon held him tightly in her arms.

Her body pressed firmly against his, and his face was buried in her soft chest.

Lee Ha-Yul felt a bit out of breath, but he gently patted her back as she trembled in his arms.

“Haah... Hoo...”

Lee Ji-yeon, who had been breathing heavily, gradually started to calm down.

The temporary outpost was illuminated by the lights from the magic tools and the glow of the comforting fire magic.

The colors were warm and cozy.

For a while, Lee Ji-yeon held Lee Ha-Yul in her arms, soothing her mind and body.

‘Hugging really is a great form of therapy.’

Having directly experienced it, Lee Ha-Yul realized that this truth applied to Lee Ji-yeon as well.

Sharing body warmth and resting together was truly a wonderful way to calm the mind.

Nodding, he exhaled deeply.

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

...Though, with his face buried in her chest, he found it difficult to nod properly. His nose was pressed into her soft flesh, making it hard to breathe.

‘...It’s huge...’

He couldn’t help but compare her body to others.

Lee Ha-Yul, with his face still buried in her chest, noticed something rather surprising.

‘...It’s huge...’

He realized this only now, but Lee Ji-yeon’s chest was undeniably large. It was bigger than his head, and even through the thick clothes, he could feel its softness.

It wasn’t as large as Professor Liana’s, but definitely larger than Hong Yeonhwa or Athara’s. It was perhaps a little bigger than Baek Arin’s, but smaller than Elia’s.

Without realizing it, Lee Ha-Yul started to compare their body sizes.

More importantly, after carefully observing earlier, he had gathered quite a bit of information about it.

But soon after, he realized this was a thought that would be inappropriate to act on, and he immediately discarded the information, throwing it out like trash.

Please, someone, help...!

At that moment, a voice rang out in his mind, like thunder.

His eyes snapped wide open in response to the sudden sound.

This was a new and unusual sensation.

He had experienced voices in his head before. Thoughts infused with magic, words transmitted through sound waves, the unique ability from his demonic lineage, or even visions from the spirits.

But this one felt far more direct, as if the voice had struck him.

The voice echoed in his head, not just words or sentences, but also the desperation and urgency, a quiet wish for hope.

And the exact location of the voice reached him as well.

Inside the dungeon, from a place far away... near the core?

It came across as a rescue signal, a precise set of coordinates that pinpointed the source.

‘Manifestation, Spatial Leap.’

Instinctively, he activated his power.

“Ah, ahh...?”

Lee Ji-yeon, still holding him and calming her emotions, watched as the surroundings seemed to ripple like water.

It was a phenomenon that Lee Ha-Yul had once experienced with her, back in China.

“No, wait, Junior... damn it, not again...!”

The wave of space swallowed the two of them, along with the cry that followed.

[Player Adjustment System: Affinity]

Lee Ha-Yul → Lee Ji-yeon

●●●●●●○○○○(66/100)

‘Affinity’, ‘Rock’, ‘Reliability’, ‘Stability’

▽Changes▽

●●●●●●○○○○(66 → 69/100)

‘Affinity’, ‘Rock’, ‘Reliability’, ‘Stability’, ‘Soft’