I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 302: The fear is a bundle of accidents (1)

After the cross-dressing contest ended, I kept my disguise on and wandered through the streets for the experiment on the growth of my jack-of-all-trades ability.

The festival, which had lasted about three days, was still bustling with people.

There were many outsiders, and quite a few cadets who had just finished the Tower of Growth and were leisurely strolling around.

As expected, this meant there were many eyes on me as well.

Walking around in disguise, without using any magic to alter my appearance, was a rather challenging task...

If it were just yesterday, I wouldn’t have done it, but since my unique ability might be involved, I had no choice but to take the step.

‘This seems to be a form of external influence...’

As a result of enduring the embarrassment and walking around, I could feel my jack-of-all-trades ability growing due to external factors.

It was both a blessing and a curse.

It was good to discover the direction of growth, but the method was tricky...

Now, I had to figure out how to utilize this growth. My mind was in a tangle.

“...Yeon-hwa, when are you going to take that off?”

The reason I was so confused wasn’t just the ability.

I glanced at Yeon-hwa. Just like me, she was still in disguise.

Meaning, her chest was still wrapped in bandages...

“Why? Since you’re in disguise, I thought I should stay disguised too.”

“I have a reason for it... but you don’t have any reason, do you?”

“Well, I don’t need a reason. I’m just enjoying it.”

Yeon-hwa shrugged casually. On the surface, she appeared nonchalant. But her smile made it clear she was teasing me.

That made my cheeks puff up automatically.

“...Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

“I’ve been doing this all the time.”

“?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?”

Yeon-hwa giggled and reached out her finger, poking my swollen cheek.

“I used to get uncomfortable with my chest in battle, so I would comfortably wrap it with magic tools. Didn’t you do the same, Baek Ah-rin?”

“Yeah, I did. When I was moving around a lot, it was uncomfortable, and it would get in the way when wearing armor. I think you can even buy those magic tools specifically, or have them custom-made.”

Baek Ah-rin, walking alongside us, chimed in.

It was true that having a large chest could be uncomfortable while moving.

Baek Ah-rin also hadn’t removed her disguise. She glanced at me, then squinted her eyes with a smile.

“Hmmm... I definitely don’t wear them ‘just’ anymore... Should I start wearing them regularly?”

[No...]

"Hehehe, why not?"

Though it seemed like she was just talking to herself, I reflexively responded. At that, Baek Ah-rin mischievously smiled and pinched my cheek.

“Oh, Ha-yul, would you prefer not to wear them?”

[Please don’t tease me...]

“I’m not teasing you, I’m just asking.”

From both sides, teasing remarks came. One was warm, the other cold.

I had exposed a weakness and was now being playfully teased. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was hard to handle, so I couldn’t help but make a sulky face.

[Hm?]

It was then.

Among the crowd a little farther away, a small child, probably with parents, waddled toward me.

After some hesitation, the child’s eyes were fixed on me, and in its hands, it tightly clutched a letter.

Surprisingly, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

Despite my disguise, people were still approaching me without any form of recognition-blocking magic.

“That...”

The child mumbled, its mouth twitching as it hesitated. I stopped for a moment, patiently waiting for the child to gather the courage to speak.

Finally, with resolve, the child bowed its head and held out the letter with both hands.

“Hero Ha-yul... Thank you for saving me back in Shipnaha...”

Shipnaha. The name brought a shiver down my spine, reminding me of the near-death experience, but hearing this kind of thank you gave me a warm feeling instead of the usual dread.

‘But I’m not a hero yet... Or did I receive the honorary title from the association after that?’

Either way, I couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on my face as I bent down to the child’s level.

[Thank you.]

“Ah...!”

Not being very good with words, I couldn’t manage a long reply. I simply took the letter with both hands, and the child’s face lit up.

Seeing that, my smile deepened.

[Would you like to look here for a moment?]

I didn’t just want to take the letter and send the child away. I wiggled my right hand, and the child’s attention was fixed on it.

[Ta-da?]

“Wow!”

Suddenly, a flower bloomed between my wiggling fingers. It was a deep red rose, almost universally recognized, and I had plucked it from the pocket dimension.

The child, having no idea what had just happened, widened its eyes in disbelief. It giggled and handed me the flower.

[It’s a gift.]

“Thank you!”

The child brightly responded, carefully taking the flower and holding it. Around us, people’s warm gazes followed.

‘So that’s why they told me to walk around without the recognition-blocking magic...’

It seemed they had expected this outcome.

Indeed, receiving a thank-you like this in person didn’t feel bad at all.

“Thank you!”

The child thanked me again. I nodded in return...

“Big sister!”

[I’m not a girl.]

“...?”

The child, who had been smiling brightly, tilted its head in confusion. At that innocent question, my chest swelled with pride but also felt a sting...

[We’re heading back now.]

At the chuckling reaction from behind, my face flushed. The experiment was over, and I wanted to return and remove my disguise...

...

Even though the Birth Festival was still going on, I didn’t skip my training.

In fact, I spent even more intense time training because I had skipped some.

Crack!

In the mansion’s underground training hall, I stood in the center, slowly catching my breath.

I recalled the memories and sensations. The moment was from yesterday—the battle in the Tower of Growth.

I had learned a lot, but I focused mainly on the memory of the fight with the 5th round.

Whoosh! Books containing memories unfolded one after another.

The memories I had collected through observation and recorded with knowledge were as vivid as if I were experiencing them again.

As I recalled them, I also worked through my thoughts. I analyzed the parts I had missed and made adjustments.

I studied the techniques that the 5th round had shown and applied them to suit my needs.

The brief recollection ended.

I exhaled deeply and manipulated my mana.

Whoosh! Sparks of mana flew from my right arm. The circuits twisted and reassembled. If anything was missing, I created a new path. My arm twitched from the internal changes.

Mana flowed through my right arm. Boom! Dozens of spells shot out, crashing into the walls.

Magic of various attributes. The protective shields on the wall cracked, were soaked, frozen, electrified, and shattered.

‘Whoa...’

The attack that had erupted in an instant. After resetting the circuits in my right arm, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp.

‘I’ve really grown...’

I couldn’t help but be in awe. I ran my left hand over my right arm.

The skin? Perfectly fine. The inner muscles? No problem. The bones hadn’t cracked, and neither the veins, nerves, nor circuits had broken.

There was no injury. The cross-section of the circuits that had shown on the surface was like a tattoo, but it would naturally fade with time.

Compared to when my arm nearly split in half while using magic, this growth was almost a reversal of that situation.

‘How long would it have taken to get this comfortable on my own?’

Of course, with my talents, it wasn’t impossible.

But reaching this level would have required a lot of time and injuries.

I would have gotten lost, hit dead-ends, bounced off obstacles, and tripped over barriers...

That’s how pioneers operate. Those who forge paths without the records of their ancestors face tough challenges.

‘Thanks to the 5th round, I got here quickly. The remaining parts should be the same.’

It wasn’t as hard now.

I had gained a wealth of teachings from the 5th round, the one who had pioneered the unknown.

Paving a path and walking the path you’ve paved.

Follow current novels on ƒreewebηoveℓ.com.

The difference in difficulty is hard to describe.

Why would you want to learn and use that technique... Circuit Spellcraft?

...The original creator of the technique wasn’t using it himself, but I had confidence I could.

I chuckled quietly and sat back down in my spot.

I calmed my mana for a moment and then stretched out my right arm again.

I drew up the mana from my core. I didn’t touch the circuits, but instead focused on raising my internal unique ability.

‘Manifestation, Homogenization... Changhae.’

The body and mana, influenced by the swelling unique ability, shifted.

Creeeak... crackle...

Frost formed on the surface of my outstretched arm. Cold and moisture swirled around, and a new unique ability took its place.

Changhae. A unique ability that mimicked Baek Ah-rin’s.

‘If Changhae could be integrated into my unique abilities...’

The Homogenization technique had allowed me to replicate the Fire of Fear, which wasn’t originally mine, but it had naturally settled into me.

In addition, it had begun to develop its own unique characteristics, different from the typical Fire of Fear.

If Changhae could also be integrated like this into my unique abilities, it would be amazing.

The benefits and advantages of making Changhae part of my unique abilities were obvious.

Also, I personally needed to deeply understand Changhae to resolve Baek Ah-rin’s issues.

‘...But what happens if both Changhae and Taesan get integrated?’

As I was lost in thought, I suddenly felt a coldness in my right arm, and I nervously adjusted it.

"..."

Hong Yeon-hwa blinked her eyes. The door on the opposite side, which was directly visible when the underground training room door opened, was ajar.

The door was open.

Among the view through the door, one particular spot caught her attention.

"Potions?"

The test tubes, standing upright, contained a pink liquid that swirled enticingly.