I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 275: Birth Festival (5)

The punching machine already had some previous customers.

A man and a woman were there, with several people watching from the back, indicating that they had been using the machine for a while.

"Yahp."

The woman turned her wrist and threw a punch. Her arms were slender, and she didn’t seem to use her whole body to throw the punch. She didn’t look like she’d score anything particularly impressive.

Bang!

Contrary to the ordinary expectations, a huge shockwave reverberated through the air. It was a punch that didn’t seem ordinary at all.

The soft target hanging from the ceiling shook violently, and some of the onlookers flinched, their shoulders trembling.

After a brief moment, the scores were displayed.

[Set value: 777.777]

[㉮Ⅰ: 787.671]

[㉯Ⅲ: 772.991]

“Ah, agh! If I had just scored 10... just 10 points less...!”

“Ha! Perfect score, right on the money. Absolute victory.”

The holographic score displayed above the punching machine.

The man, with a tense face, clenched his teeth after seeing his score, while the woman, with a triumphant grin, raised her fist.

“Haha! Where do you think you're trying to act tough, huh? Don’t know your place, huh? Heehee, now, where should we go to eat today~”

“Hey, hey, wait a second, let’s settle this with a talk, okay?”

“Big bro? Stop acting so lame, promises must be kept, don’t they? Now, hurry up and follow me.”

“Oh please, I barely have any money left after buying materials for my equipment...”

“That’s not my problem, and it’s your problem for betting with that lousy skill of yours.”

‘... They’re having fun.’

The woman, playfully nudging the man who was trailing behind her with a defeated look, caught my attention. Their appearance seemed unfamiliar, but their energy felt strangely familiar.

Aiden and Atilla. They were childhood friends, and it seemed they were meeting again and having fun during the festival, just like they did during the birth ceremony.

The reason for using an identification-blocking magic tool was likely the same as mine – to enjoy without unnecessary attention.

‘Everyone’s getting their hands on magic tools.’

There were many people in this area with appearances that didn’t match their true selves. They weren’t like Baek Ah-Rin, who wore a mask but wore an identification-blocking magic tool instead.

From the Siyoram students to the superhumans who had come from outside, many people didn’t want to draw attention, and they had hidden their true appearances.

“What score should we set as the standard? Like the people just now, 777?”

With the previous customers leaving, Baek Ah-Rin approached the punching machine and began adjusting it. She skillfully tapped the hologram as she spoke, and Yeonhwa, who had been stretching her arm behind her, shrugged.

“How about exactly 500?”

“Then, let’s set it at 500.000... Other people will want to try it too, right?”

[Yes, I’ll give it a go too.]

“I’ll join in too!”

Elia eagerly agreed, and even my mentor, who had his arms crossed, nodded. I waved at Seo Yul, who was holding my hand, with warmth radiating from her little fingers.

[Seo Yul, do you want to try it too?]

“Me?”

Seo Yul, who had been quietly fidgeting with my hand, blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected to be asked herself.

[Yes, it’s technically for superhumans, but regular people can try it too. Since it’s just for fun, how about giving it a try, Seo Yul?]

“...Yes! I’ll try it!”

Seo Yul hesitated for a moment, blinking, then nodded firmly.

Her cute, determined expression made me smile.

“Then, with Seo Yul, that makes six people.”

Ding!

[Set value: 500.000]

[Participants: 6]

[Number of attempts per person: 3]

Wooom...!

Once Baek Ah-Rin had completed the setup, the various protective spells embedded in the punching machine activated.

This machine was designed for superhumans, not regular people. It was built with sturdy materials and even had magic engraved during its design process.

Of course, since it was still mass-produced, it would break if a certain level of superhuman hit it with full force.

That’s why most superhuman punching machines measure control of power, not just the impact force.

In other words, instead of simply swinging a punch with all their might, the goal was to control the force to get as close as possible to the set score.

The score Baek Ah-Rin had set was 500.000.

“Well, I’ll go first.”

“Haha! Why so serious?”

“Ah, how can I approach such a holy match lightly?”

Baek Ah-Rin stepped forward with an air of seriousness, and Elia, who had been watching, chuckled.

Seeing this, Baek Ah-Rin smiled back and shook her shoulders, readying herself at the punching machine.

The onlookers, who had started to disperse, began to gather again, sensing that something was about to begin.

“Hm-hm, 500, huh...”

Baek Ah-Rin raised her right arm. The target, dangling from the ceiling, was fairly close. With a swift motion, she extended her fist and struck the target.

Paaang!

The heavy sound of impact was a stark contrast to her light movement. Baek Ah-Rin checked the score displayed on the hologram.

[㉮Ⅰ: 532.855]

“...Well, the first one was just for checking.”

Baek Ah-Rin shrugged nonchalantly after confirming her score. To her, the difference in score seemed big.

She shook her wrist and took her stance again, sending another punch, this time much closer to the target.

Pah! Pah!

Two quick punches hit the target one after another.

[㉮Ⅱ: 503.112]

[㉮Ⅲ: 500.879]

The crowd around us reacted in awe as the scores appeared on the hologram.

Three attempts, and she had scored 500 in all of them. Although she hadn’t hit the decimal place exactly, it was an impressive feat to control the force so precisely to hit 500.

“Mm...”

“I’m going to crush this miserably.”

But Baek Ah-Rin didn’t seem fully satisfied as she narrowed her eyes. Yeonhwa, standing with her arms crossed, confidently stepped forward.

Her eyes were burning with determination, and Baek Ah-Rin, looking a bit taken aback, took a step back.

“Eh... take it easy. And remember, you’re hitting the target, not me. Got it?”

“What, are you calling me a dog or something? Ugh.”

“Wait, the filter’s already reset...!”

Baek Ah-Rin, who had been stepping back from Yeonhwa’s glare, cleared her throat awkwardly and prepared herself.

“Hoo...”

A soft breath escaped from Yeonhwa as she relaxed her body and concentrated the power in her fingertips. With a light yet firm movement, she extended her fist toward the target.

Paaang!

The target shook roughly after being struck lightly. Yeonhwa didn’t even glance at the shaking target, immediately checking the score on the hologram.

[㉯Ⅰ: 504.446]

“Hm.”

Yeonhwa muttered quietly and narrowed her eyes. Her expression showed a hint of frustration, but I kept my mouth shut.

After a brief pause, the target came to a stop, and Yeonhwa immediately sent another series of punches.

Pah! Pah!

Two more punches followed, each with a slight delay between them.

[㉯Ⅱ: 501.210]

[㉯Ⅲ: 500.871]

“871!”

After confirming the score, Yeonhwa’s eyes sparkled. With a mischievous grin, she compared her score with Baek Ah-Rin’s.

[Set value: 500.000]

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

[㉮Ⅲ: 500.879]

[㉯Ⅲ: 500.871]

“879 and 871! It’s clear who won! Ha ha!”

Yeonhwa laughed triumphantly, her earlier frustration disappearing as she beamed at Baek Ah-Rin. Her playful look was too cute to resist.

“Oh, I see, I lost.”

“?”

But Baek Ah-Rin, who received Yeonhwa’s triumphant gaze, shrugged casually. Yeonhwa’s face twisted in annoyance.

“Hey, didn’t you lose?”

“Yeah, I lost by 0.008 points~ What a shame~”

“No, you lost! Pay up for the bet.”

“Eh? A bet?”

Baek Ah-Rin’s surprised look at the mention of a bet made Yeonhwa clench her fist.

“What’s with the denial? I told you to bet with this, and I won, you lost!”

“Uh?”

Yeonhwa’s previously frustrated expression melted away as she blinked, clearly recalling something.

I also remembered the conversation earlier.

How about a bet after a long time?

That? Ha, you’re really bad at distracting, sea lion.

Baek Ah-Rin’s suggestion and Yeonhwa’s teasing.

Hah, I’ll let you off the hook just this once. Be grateful.

Follow me, damn it.

After Baek Ah-Rin’s taunt, Yeonhwa had agreed to the bet.

But after that, they never really mentioned what they were betting.

I had no doubts, considering the memory processing power from the Knowledge Domain.

“......”

Realizing what had happened, Yeonhwa stood frozen for a moment. Her mouth hung open as Baek Ah-Rin casually covered her own mouth with her hand.

“Pfft.”

“Ah... What should I do? I’m such an idiot...”

While I comforted the dejected Yeonhwa, Elia stepped forward.

“Mmm.”

Elia, looking awkward, prepared herself. Unlike the experienced Yeonhwa and Baek Ah-Rin, Elia seemed to be using the punching machine for the first time.

Tilting her head slightly, Elia held her breath and swung her fist backward before letting it fly. Unlike the others, she put a lot of force into her punch.

Pah! Pah! Pah!

The target and chest shook violently with each punch.

[㉰Ⅰ: 612.569]

[㉰Ⅱ: 571.497]

[㉰Ⅲ: 441.332]

“Ah... this is harder than I thought...”

Seeing the scores, Elia was surprised by how much her accuracy lacked compared to the others.

She walked up to me, shaking her head.

“I really feel the difference in physical levels. They barely had to try and easily surpassed 500, but I had to put some real strength into it...”

Come to think of it, when a soldier with specialized physical training gives their all, they score around 100, right?

Which means that Elia’s punches were five times stronger than one of those soldiers...

Even if she looked delicate, if Elia really tried, she could probably kill a few people easily.

“Hmm.”

Now, it was my mentor’s turn. Without any tension, he stepped forward and tapped the target with the back of his hand.

Pah! Pah! Pah!

[㉱Ⅰ: 500.083]

[㉱Ⅱ: 500.041]

[㉱Ⅲ: 500.030]

“Wow!”

After his turn, Elia and Baek Ah-Rin, along with the growing crowd, were all wide-eyed in amazement.

All three attempts scored exactly 500. Everyone marveled at his incredible control.

“Three 500s... amazing!”

“Wow... I noticed it when we were doing the class earlier, but you really are impressive.”

[Hmph.]

“Ugh, why are you happy for him, Ha-yul?”

At the surrounding reactions, I raised my shoulders. After seeing me clapping, Elia chuckled.

[Well, praise for my mentor is praise for me too.]

“Haha, you’re a special disciple who loves your mentor, huh?”

“...Ahem, who’s next?”

Unmoved by the surrounding admiration, my mentor turned red at my reaction and stepped back from the punching machine.

“Hmm?”

He then locked eyes with Yeonhwa, who had been staring blankly. After a brief moment of silence, my mentor checked both his and Yeonhwa’s scores, then chuckled.

“...Your punching technique needs work.”

“You little...!”

[Alright, alright! Seo Yul, it’s your turn!]

I smiled as I quickly scooped Seo Yul up into my arms. The target on the punching machine was high up, and Seo Yul couldn’t reach it on her own.

“Hehe... I’ll grow up fast!”

Seeing her puff her cheeks in frustration, I couldn’t help but empathize. I too knew what it was like to feel small because of my height.

‘So Seo Yul will grow up big...’

As her guardian, I didn’t want her to feel frustrated because of her height. I nodded firmly and cheered her on.

[You’ll grow up big, Seo Yul. Make sure to sleep well and eat balanced meals!]

“...Yes!”

[And maybe some protein-rich chicken and eggs...]

“Baaaahh...!”

[Ah, sorry, sorry, I won’t make you eat it, don’t grab my head...!]

There was a small ruckus. With her cheeks puffed out, Seo Yul suddenly threw a punch.

Her tiny fist cut through the air and struck the target.

Pah!

A thunderous sound echoed.

[㉲Ⅰ: 314.002]

314 points. It was a score that clearly surpassed the average person.

The onlookers, who had been watching with smiles, were left speechless, gazing at Seo Yul, who still looked like a child despite the magic blocking her true age.

Pah! Pah!

[㉲Ⅱ: 332.883]

[㉲Ⅲ: 355.091]

“Phew.”

After two more swift punches, Seo Yul broke into a refreshing smile.

Seo Yul was no ordinary fairy; she was a protector, a battle-born knight. Even though she was still a young one, she had already grown stronger than her appearance suggested.

I had been monitoring her physical condition for a long time, and I wasn’t surprised by the results.

“...I’m not going to lose to her in an arm-wrestling match, am I?”

Even though I had expected it, it still made me uneasy. Seo Yul seemed so adorable and sweet, it was hard to imagine her being this strong.

Elia, who had been watching, threw out a rare joke, and I couldn’t respond.

[Well, I’ll go next.]

With that, my turn had come. I placed Seo Yul down next to Yeonhwa and walked up to the punching machine.

The attention of my companions, who had just finished their turns, as well as the growing crowd, was now fully on me.

As the group took their turns, their attention had naturally shifted toward the machine.

There were many superhumans among the crowd, including students from Siyoram and some outsiders. They were probably attracted to the spectacle, and the little fairies that had accompanied us were also catching the attention of many.

I had cast a spell on them to avoid any unwanted attention, but still, I couldn't help but notice the occasional drone buzzing past us.

It seemed some people were keen on observing what was going on here.

I noticed two figures, standing from a distance, looking in our direction.

It was the same emotionless woman standing next to Lee Jiyeon. A strange, unfamiliar aura surrounded her, and I tensed up slightly, instinctively aware that something was off.

"Ha..."

I let out a deep breath, getting ready. I extended my right arm and prepared to strike the target.

Normally, the first punch would be a test, to gauge the right amount of force. After that, I'd adjust based on the results.

But, unlike usual, I didn't need to do that.

Having observed the previous attempts closely, I had already gathered plenty of information. I had also studied the punching machine’s features and figured out how to hit the right score.

I already knew the capabilities of my own body inside and out.

Using my observational powers, I moved with precision, adjusting my strength to the smallest degree possible.

In combat, when seconds counted, such precision could be considered wasteful, but for this particular task, it was necessary.

Pah! Pah! Pah!

I sent three swift punches, each hitting the target with a solid, resounding sound.

I took a deep breath and checked the score that followed.

[㉳Ⅰ: 500.000]

[㉳Ⅱ: 500.001]

[㉳Ⅲ: 500.002]

"Mm."

I had achieved the exact scores I aimed for. A subtle sense of satisfaction filled me as I nodded in acknowledgment.

The three scores — 000, 001, and 002 — were incredibly precise, all climbing smoothly and incrementally.

There was no way this was just a coincidence.

The spectators, who had been watching from the sidelines, stared at me in awe.

Hong Yeonhwa, whose jaw dropped at the numbers, quickly turned her gaze elsewhere and caught Atira’s stunned expression.

"......"

For a moment, Yeonhwa looked at the situation in disbelief before poking Atira in the side with her elbow.

"Did you see that? That’s how it’s done."

"... I don’t get why you're acting all proud of it."

Atira, her pride bruised, frowned deeply.