I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 257: Spirits and Fairies? (3)

A puppy instantly comes to mind when thinking about pets.

I had often thought that they were cute when I encountered one on the street or saw them on screen.

The wagging tail, the cute tongue sticking out, the fur I just wanted to gently pet in my hands.

I’ve thought about raising one.

They are cute, and regardless of who their owner is, they give affection and are intriguing creatures, so I must have also wanted that affection from a puppy.

But I never raised one.

I didn’t have the confidence to take responsibility.

When my life was just getting a little bit better, I thought about it, but I doubted whether I could take care of one until the end. I didn’t raise one.

I feared the parting too.

Would I die first, or would the pet die first?

I imagined being left all alone after my pet passed away.

If that happened, I thought I’d want to die with it, and I couldn’t bring myself to raise one.

Woof woof!Growl...Hehehe...

[......]

My wish to have a pet was fulfilled in an unexpected way.

The forest, which used to be lush and green, was now full of color. The spirits that ascended to the mid-tier were now emerging one by one.

A mid-tier spirit is at the stage where it blossoms into its own individuality. That means their forms are all different.

...But for some reason, my spirits have a particularly high proportion of dogs.

The colors are somewhat limited to five, but their forms are all a little different.

There are spirits that look like common dog breeds, and others that look like a dog but aren’t exactly one.

Woof!

Even the lightning spirit, which had just ascended, looked the same.

I picked up the puppy-like spirit with a strange expression on my face.

Tada-da-da! The tail at its backside spun like lightning. It crackled with electricity as it twirled around, making it seem a little dangerous, but fortunately, it didn’t hurt me.

I looked at its form. Its ears were wide, and its legs were stubby.

It resembled a Welsh Corgi.

“Oh my goodness, a lightning Welsh Corgi...”

Hehehe!

[Huh... it’s ticklish.]

The spirit, panting with its tongue out, suddenly licked my cheek. It didn’t feel awkward. By now, I had ascended over half of the spirits to mid-tier, and I had already been bombarded with affection from most of them.

The spirits that were now quietly sitting on the ground once approached me, rubbing their bodies against me and licking me as a form of affection.

Honestly, it didn’t feel bad.

Hehehe...

At the same time, it made me feel a bit complicated.

The reason I learned spirit magic was because spirits are a major force in large-scale battles.

Spirits are incredibly helpful in battles, especially in dungeons or in places like the cursed lands, where multiple spirits are vital to gaining strength.

There is also a high chance that large amounts of monsters will surge from the depths. In such cases, necromancy, along with spirits, would be very useful.

In short, the reason I contracted spirits was to use them in battle.

...And now I had to use spirits, which were supposed to give me affection, in battle.

When I realized this, it felt like my heart was being squeezed.

“Hoo...”

I decided to push the complicated thoughts aside for now. I’d think about it later.

Growl...

I rubbed the spirit in my hands against my cheek and then gently set it down on the floor. It looked a little awkward as it shuffled its legs before eventually sitting down, belly up, a little further away.

Around 200 spirits were now in place.

At first, each ascension took about five minutes, but later it became quicker, only taking about one minute per ascension.

[This is probably going to take longer than a day...]

Even considering that, it still seemed like it would take longer than a day.

Professor Liana, a bit flustered, pushed her hair behind her ear.

“You’re right. I forgot to account for the time spent sharing the vision...”

[Is that so...?]

I nodded, then suddenly noticed her other arm moving repeatedly.

One of the spirits, a puppy—no, a wind spirit—was receiving her affectionate pets.

‘......’

I subtly turned my gaze. Elia, who was sitting right next to me, was also gently petting another spirit nearby.

“Oh... now that they’ve ascended, the texture seems clearer.”

“They’ve become more distinctly formed, so it probably isn’t just a feeling.”

“Do they also change their appearance when they become high-tier spirits?”

“Yes, many of them change again when they ascend to high-tier.”

As I concentrated for a moment, I noticed the two of them chatting in a cozy manner.

I understood. When I’m bored, I also tend to grab anything and fidget with it.

Poo...

“...Hah-Yul?”

“Student Iha-Yul?”

I understood, but honestly, it was impossible not to feel awkward.

As a gust of wind brushed my cheek, both of their gazes locked onto me.

They seemed taken aback by my puffed-up cheeks.

[Jealous]

[Jealous]

[Jealous]

The confession necklace clacked away.

The emotions that spilled out with the sound were a little embarrassing, but more than that, I felt a strong desire for them to understand my awkwardness.

“Well... here, come here.”

After a brief moment of embarrassment from my puffed cheeks, Professor Liana scooped me up and sat me on her lap, patting my back.

“I’m sorry for being distracted. I didn’t want to bother you while you were focused.”

Elia also redirected her attention to me. She gave me a warm smile and patted my shoulder gently.

The warmth grew closer, and the soft touch made my embarrassment melt away as their attention poured onto me.

[Hmm...]

...A little later, I felt the sting of shame. I realized how childish my actions had been just now.

But still, I didn’t want to escape from this moment. I subtly let out a sigh, letting go of my puffed cheeks as I changed the subject.

[My magic feels a little drained. I didn’t expect to use this much magic.]

“Oh, that’s a natural part of it. The more magic the contractor has, the more magic the spirits take during ascension.”

[Aha...]

“I struggled with this too, at first. My magic reservoir is huge, and spirit magic doesn’t consume that much, so I never really felt magic depletion.”

Professor Liana, shrugging, rubbed my stomach.

“I’ll ask again, though—are you feeling any pain? A headache, or your chest feeling tight? If you’re exhausted, you need to speak up right away.”

[Yes, I’m really fine. I even brought some elixir to help.]

“Elixir?”

Professor Liana blinked in surprise. I quietly pulled out a wooden box I had been carrying in my arms.

[It’s an elixir I got by chance. I heard it helps with magic depletion, so I brought it to take.]

“Elixir... wait a moment.”

Professor Liana tilted her head, examining the box.

“Oh my, this is from the Taesan family? And the ingredients are...”

Professor Liana paused as she examined the source and ingredients engraved on the box. Her green eyes widened in surprise.

“Fairywood?”

[Yes, it’s made from the root of the fairywood.]

The elixir’s main ingredient is the root of the fairywood. After checking with my abilities, I confirmed it was a genuine product from the Taesan family.

“Fairywood... Is it safe for you to take?”

Professor Liana, looking a little uncertain, carefully asked. It was probably a concern related to my race. I nodded, reassuring her.

[Yes, I’m sure it’s fine.]

[It’ll actually be better for my body.]

Professor Liana looked worried, but after my repeated assurances, she finally nodded.

“Well, I suppose if the tree bears fruit, the fairies will be the first to pick it...”

Luckily, I convinced her.

The fact that this elixir had been processed for safety helped with the persuasion.

It wasn’t like I’d collapse from taking it.

...Though, in my case, I did collapse and vomit blood back then, but that was different from now. Back then, I didn’t even realize I was a fairy, but now my body and awareness have changed.

Even if something similar happens, I can stop it. Besides, Professor Liana is right here, so I’ll be fine.

‘Fairywood...’

A tree species created for fairies to live and dwell in.

I wonder if the elixir made from the roots of the fairywood had something to do with the influence of my race when I collapsed after drinking it before.

Back then, I had no idea.

So, today, I’m going to drink it again to check.

Since my magic had nearly been depleted, it’s the perfect moment to replenish my energy with it.

Click

When I opened the box, the fresh magic within it emanated through the forest.

The spirits that had been lazily lying around all perked up. The box contained a brilliant, sparkling blue elixir.

‘Hmm...’

I nodded as I felt the magic pulsating in my senses.

It looked similar to the elixir Hong Yeonhwa had given me before. While the manufacturing dates are different, it seems to be a similar type of elixir.

[So, should I drink it now?]

With Professor Liana holding me in her arms and Elia watching me intently by my side, I nodded and placed the elixir in my mouth.

It felt just like before.

The elixir, melting on my tongue, slowly flowed down my throat.

At some point, my consciousness began to fade.

The forest, where sunlight poured through the leaves, was eerily calm.

Hoo...

A soft breath echoed through the stillness.

“He’s fallen asleep.”

“He’s asleep now.”

It was Iha-Yul’s breathing.

Professor Liana gazed down at Iha-Yul, who had fallen asleep in her arms, with a strange expression.

His relaxed face, his cheek pressed against her chest, his arms tightly wrapped around her, and the soft breathing of his sleep...

He had fallen into such a deep sleep that no one would notice if he was kidnapped.

Fortunately, the spirits scattered around had been summoned back, so there wasn’t much noise to disturb Iha-Yul’s sleep.

Hoo...

[Ticklish]

Professor Liana, with a peculiar expression on her face, gently pressed Iha-Yul’s cheek. The puppy-like spirit, still flapping its wings faintly, buried its face deeper into her arms.

“No problems, huh... He’s just asleep.”

“Hehe, he’s so cute.”

Elia, who was sitting quietly next to them, giggled.

Reaching out, she gently patted Iha-Yul’s head. He made a low sound, rubbing his head against her.

His cute, puppy-like behavior, combined with how often Iha-Yul denied being associated with puppies, made Elia laugh even more.

‘What a greedy little one.’

At the same time, I thought of Iha-Yul puffing his cheeks earlier, complaining just because he petted some spirits.

Here he is, surrounded by women and throwing a tantrum, while Elia, who just petted her own spirits, looks just as greedy.

Of course, Elia didn't mind this possessiveness.

“Hmm... Is the spirit ascension over for today?”

“I think so. Since he fell into a deep sleep after consuming the elixir, he won’t wake up easily if we try.”

It’s common for the body to fall into a deep sleep after consuming an elixir.

After closely examining Iha-Yul, Professor Liana saw no issues, so this was probably one of those cases.

Iha-Yul would likely sleep soundly today and replenish his magic tomorrow.

Crack

“Hmm?”

“Hmm?”

An unusual sound, like something breaking and tearing, echoed in their ears.

The sound was not pleasant.

Both of them froze, their eyes meeting in surprise. At the same time, they turned their gaze to the source of the sound.

Crack

The sound came again.

The source of the sound was Iha-Yul, nestled in Professor Liana’s arms.

His body, which had been peacefully lying in her arms, suddenly shuddered and trembled, and his wings, which had been relaxed, stiffened.

[Sharp pain]

[Burning]

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[Flames]

[Pain]

Click click

The confession necklace clacked as it resonated, expressing the user’s emotional state.

“......”

“......”

The two of them paled, their faces turning white as they realized something was wrong.