I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 330: A mess (1)

He headed toward the core of the inner world, avoiding engagement with monsters.

I wish I could handle more here and continue, but...

[Pain]

‘I’ve sustained too many injuries, far more than I planned.’

Even while still, my body aches with sharp pain. Some areas have completely lost sensation. Even if I check, I’m in no state to be called fine.

[Drowsiness]

If it were up to me, I’d lie down on the ground and sleep for days.

[Frustration]

This wasn’t part of the plan.

The plan was to avoid injuries as much as possible, reduce the number of monsters, and approach the core to mitigate the impact of the rampage.

That plan was shattered when the Lord of the Purgatory Tower and the tenth summoning of his minions barged in.

Thanks to that, my body, which should have been enduring the aftermath of the rampage, was nearly destroyed.

Sorry, I caused trouble. I got really hurt, and we lost the Avatar of the Tower Lord.

[Confusion]

‘What a nuisance...’

I’ve gone and caused trouble once more. Now, the situation is utterly awkward.

[Fear]

Even with a healthy body, it’s uncertain how much I can bear from the aftermath, and in this condition, it’s undoubtedly dangerous.

[Resolve]

Still, after coming this far, I can’t just run away.

Boom!

A massive tremor shook my battered body. It was the pulsating force emanating from the core, which could be considered the heart of the inner world.

‘If I leave it alone, it will explode soon.’

The tremor carried an ominous and malevolent feeling. If I step back with the excuse of taking my time, it will blow up soon.

It needs to be done now.

Huh, ugh... huff...

As air passed through my throat, it felt as though I was swallowing a bundle of thorns. I endured the pain and performed some emergency recovery.

Healing magic. Then, I used homogeneity to imitate healing melodies, drawing vitality from Taesan and embedding it into my body.

Huh, phew...

For short-term action, this is the best I can do.

After catching my breath for a moment, I observed the proof of protection that was still feeding on magical energy.

A white prosthetic hand. As it consumed mana, circuits appeared on the surface, and golden waves spread around it.

[That side? You? You have a self, right?]

I gently tapped with my right hand, which had absorbed all of the proof of protection.

Purification possesses a form of self-awareness. Sometimes it pulses as if urging to be used, and when I let my thoughts drift, it taps me, so there’s no mistaking it.

The proof of protection is probably similar.

I haven’t directly commanded it, but thinking back, I did send it instructions.

[I don’t know how I was chosen. But, now I’m trying to do something good, so please lend me some strength if you can.]

I said this and involuntarily let out a small laugh.

Even if there’s self-awareness, depending on an artifact is a bit ridiculous.

I who voluntarily thrust my head into this situation, why should I rely on someone else?

The Tower Lords, Lady Ariel, have shown regret, thinking they pushed me into this predicament.

I didn’t really sympathize with that.

I could have run away at any time.

I could have pulled back to protect my life. I could have abandoned a few unfamiliar people without any regard.

But I didn’t.

I moved forward, and sticking my head out was ultimately my choice.

The environment may have pressured me into this choice, but I neither deny nor fully accept that.

There was a path to escape, but in the end, I rejected it.

‘I...’

I want to do what’s right and be proud of myself.

I wanted to be praised for not running away back then.

I wanted to prove proudly that I deserved to be loved.

That’s all.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

It’s not for others, but for myself.

Whoooom!

I stretched the proof of protection forward.

The preheating was more than enough. I had saved the authority for a while, so I could push the output beyond its limits.

‘Now, let’s break─’

A protector doesn’t mean sacrifice.

A clear voice echoed in my head. At the sound, I flinched, and the proof of protection trembled and spewed golden mana.

Therefore, a protector must also value their own life.

The powers of protection began to unfold automatically. The golden light spread around me. It was a more refined use than when it was first activated.

I opened my mouth in a daze.

‘...I didn’t expect it to help.’

The unexpected aid that responded to my grumbling was quite disorienting.

[Thank you.]

But help was necessary. Whoooom! A response vibrated back.

I chuckled and reached out.

The plan was simple.

If I compare the inner world to a swollen water balloon, the power of space would open a hole through which the contents can leak out.

I mustn’t pop it completely. The water must leak out little by little through the hole.

I need to reduce the aftermath when this happens.

The point where the aftermath starts is the core, and the role of blocking it falls to the powers of protection.

‘Manifest.’

The powers of protection.

The powers of space.

I poured mana into the proof of protection and pushed my heart’s energy into the powers of space.

The emergency measures cut off. The observation ceased, and the information that was coming to my head disappeared.

I sensed everything with the remaining senses and intuition.

With the power of space, I touched the core. The resistance was strong. I gritted my teeth, broke through it, and interfered.

Grrrk

The core swayed. Soon, it was crumpled as if I was squeezing it with my hands.

A small hole opened.

The backflow of the explosion rushed into the powers of protection.

Bang!

In an instant, a tremendous shock broke through the barrier and enveloped my body.

...

[Question]

[Sharp pain]

[Hungry]

[Thirsty]

[In pain]

[Exhausted]

[Slept... lonely...]

Consciousness and my body felt like they were floating.

Right after Ihayul entered the inner world.

The association issued a mobilization order for the area and began moving its defense and extermination forces.

‘They’ve gathered in large numbers.’

Maxwell, who remained at the scene, surveyed the surroundings.

Ihayul had already set up a foundation to encircle the entrance to the inner world.

Many forces were now clinging to it, checking and expanding the defenses and skirmishes.

It wasn’t only the association’s personnel. Superhumans from all over the world had rushed through gate terminals, racing to the site.

‘Well, it makes sense.’

The mobilization order was issued during the already boiling magical crisis in Africa, and the location wasn’t in a black zone but a gray zone.

That alone made the situation surprising, but the truly shocking aspect was the authority behind the orders.

The orders came directly from the "Association Head."

Since the establishment of the association, the position of the leader had never changed.

The Tower Lords of Coordination and Space. Figures who had been in seclusion alongside other Tower Lords for decades.

They were the ones giving the direct orders.

This meant that although there was no official announcement, a semi-seclusion had been broken.

Seeing this, forces that had already assessed the situation began to send supplies, and even forces not included in the mobilization order stepped in.

This wasn’t done out of duty or morals but was driven more by the need to directly understand the situation on the ground.

It had been expected. The association head’s directive likely indicated this move.

Thanks to that, such large numbers of forces were now gathering to stop the rampage of the inner world.

‘But I didn’t expect them to be this proactive...’

Maxwell’s gaze shifted toward a facility positioned in the rear.

A structure taller than the city walls. An observation tower where advanced equipment had been installed with great care.

This was a surprising action from the association.

While they had requested support from the observation tower, Maxwell had never anticipated they would remove equipment from other places and hastily set it up here.

Additionally, mages were moving frantically in every direction.

There were non-affiliated mages, not just from the association or the major forces.

These were battle mages sent by the Magician’s Guild.

On top of that, the Siyoram faction had also sent numerous forces and supplies, adding to the frantic activity.

Other factions, sensing the rising pressure, had begun contributing their own support.

And then...

“Could you please avert your gaze? Honestly, I’m really scared.”

The hostile gazes that seemed like they might pierce the air made Maxwell break out in a cold sweat.

“Why? Afraid your head might explode?”

“Atra, please don’t go that far. They’re just following orders, aren’t they?”

The most familiar face, Atra, had her arms crossed. Yet, she looked visibly uncomfortable, and Maxwell knew better than to provoke her.

Nearby, Liana was trying to calm Atra, though the oppressive atmosphere around them didn’t ease.

One was a current top-level hero, the other a practically top-tier military hero.

Both were superhumans who would be treated with the highest respect anywhere.

But they weren’t the only ones around.

“...”

“Wow, you told me not to worry, and now you’re crawling into a place like this? You’re not in a position to worry about me.”

“...I guess there’s a story behind it... Hmm...”

“I’m sure there’s a reason, but...”

Hong Yeonhwa, silently surveying the flattened battlefield, glanced toward the defensive line.

Baek Arin, who was inspecting the perimeter with a baffled look on her face, and Lee Jiyeon, hesitating as she defended Ihayul, exchanged uneasy glances.

This time, the three major families also lent their strength.

It wasn’t unusual. The three major families had a good relationship with the association.

However, this time the situation was different.

Not only had many of their elite soldiers arrived, but the heirs of the families had personally come to the frontlines.

Maxwell had been captured by them days ago and had no choice but to divulge information.

If it had been top-secret information, he would’ve died before revealing it, but with the situation as it was, there was no hiding it, so he spoke freely.

And since then, the situation had remained the same.

“...I’m going to check things out for a bit.”

Maxwell hastily made his exit.

Without a target to release her stress on, Atra furrowed her brows and turned her gaze toward Hong Yeonhwa.

The first to suggest gathering forces and offering aid was Hong Yeonhwa, having quickly realized the abnormal situation.

Despite agreeing to aid Ihayul, she still felt confusion.

Ihayul had kept his association with the Tower Lords a secret, so how did Hong Yeonhwa know?

I don’t know either. I wasn’t sure about it. So, I had a feeling, and it just happened to turn out that way.

Her answer was like that. Even she hadn’t been sure.

It sounded absurd, but given her expression, there was no deceit, so no one pressed further.

‘Damn... So that’s what was going on?’

In reality, it was exactly as she had said. Hong Yeonhwa stood frozen in astonishment and fury.

That night, she recalled the strange phenomenon involving Ihayul’s necklace.

It had responded mechanically, giving answers about the inner world when she asked.

And then, there was that strange term, “the cycle.”

Instinctively, Hong Yeonhwa had wanted to ask more, but she stopped herself.

She wasn’t sure if the necklace was filtering her questions.

If she pushed too hard, Ihayul might be cursed or restricted.

‘...I can’t ask more.’

There were also issues of loyalty.

Hadn’t she already regretted losing control of her emotions with Ihayul a few times?

Hong Yeonhwa wasn’t a superhuman who never made mistakes, but she was one who could reflect on her wrongs.

She decided to directly ask Ihayul later and swallowed her curiosity.

However, by then, she had already heard that the “inner world” was a mysterious phenomenon, and that Ihayul was trying to solve it.

She didn’t know if it was true, but she had pried into enough to assemble her forces and learned that the association had issued a mobilization order.

‘Damn.’

That crazy fool. She couldn’t stop the grim expression from forming.

“Is there no way we can get in through the entrance?”

“It’s hard to make a hole big enough with ordinary space magic.”

“Goldfoot can probably tear through it, considering how well he handles space magic.”

“Sigh...”

The sound of sighs mixed with emotion echoed through the area. Hong Yeonhwa joined in and checked her gear.

Whooooom!

“Hmm?”

It was then. A vibration that could be felt by everyone around the defenses.

[This is Lianier, a member of the Association’s Disintegration Specialist team. Our observation equipment has detected signs of the rampage of the phenomenon called ‘inner world.’ Please head to your assigned positions. Once more, we repeat: currently─]

The voice echoed in their heads. Everyone around looked at each other, nodded, and then quickly stood up to move.

The entrance to the inner world could not be seen with the naked eye.

Even those with exceptional spiritual sensitivity could only feel a sense of unease, but they couldn’t pinpoint its exact location.

Something’s there. A dungeon... no, there’s something more. What exactly is this?

Even those who had been skeptical, after opening the observation equipment, had their faces turn pale when they confirmed it.

Kuuu...!

“Is that the entrance to the inner world...?”

Now, it could be seen with the naked eye.

A large area surrounding the entrance to the inner world. In what seemed like an ordinary space, a black sphere had appeared, shaking violently.

The eerie sensation emanating from the sphere froze everyone’s expression.

Some were shocked by the fact that someone had actually entered such a place.

[Rampage warning: Measuring levels 20, 19, 18...]

The voice of a disintegration specialist relayed the data from the observation equipment.

Even those who had come just to gather information for the association head now gulped nervously at the ominous readings.

[2, 1...]

KWA-BOOM!

The countdown ended in an instant.

A massive wave of pressure overwhelmed the area. Boom! Cracks appeared in the protective barrier surrounding the battlefield, and some people collapsed, struggling to breathe.

“Mages! Reinforce the barrier!”

A panic-stricken mage quickly raised his staff to reinforce the defense and counterattack.

But the rampage had just begun.

The swollen black sphere ruptured, and black energy poured out in every direction.

Krrrrrr!

A flood of energy consumed the battlefield in an instant.

The black energy surged like a wave, slamming against the city walls and barriers, coloring the air with an ominous darkness.

“Space control confirmed!”

It was just like the rampage in the dungeon. The space was being dominated. Inside this zone, monsters were being empowered, while all other entities were suppressed.

But that wasn’t all.

From within the black energy, monsters that had been swept up in the rampage began emerging.

Countless monsters appeared in the blink of an eye. According to the association’s information, this phenomenon could last for several days.

If this had been a sudden disaster, it would have been a hopeless catastrophe.

“Flood of monsters confirmed! Long-range artillery ready!”

“Form up! Destroy the monsters approaching the frontlines!”

“Detection teams 1 and 2, monitor monsters of rank 4 or higher, and count the number of monsters appearing!”

Under normal circumstances, this would have been impossible to deal with.

The erosion would have come in an instant, destroying all defensive efforts.

The monsters from the inner world would have flooded out and spread throughout the world.

But now, it was different.

The erosion would occur over a prolonged period, and the monsters were emerging slowly from a limited entrance.

Thanks to the early warning and preparations, the forces gathered here were ready.

The forces and manpower gathered here were incredible.

Arrows of magic were continuously striking the area, and spirits and summoned creatures engaged directly with the monsters threatening the defenses.

Monsters of high rank, who could not be contained by ordinary forces, were efficiently taken down by the superhumans.

Prepared thoroughly and with great restraint, the rampaging disaster could be handled.

Grrrk, screeek...

Thrown out of the inner world’s rampage, Ihayul couldn’t grasp the exact situation unfolding in such a positive scenario.

Boom! Boom!Krark!

He was rolling away from the monstrous attacks coming from all directions, his face contorted in pain.

There was no need to think further. His body had become useless. His consciousness was drifting, on the verge of completely fading.

All his mental energy was drained. The observation and space abilities were cut off.

His senses were dulled or severed. It was difficult to gauge the external situation.

All he could do was guess that he had been swept away by the rampage through the sudden spatial changes.

‘I need to reduce the damage...’

Amid the fading consciousness, the thought echoed—he had to minimize the damage.

The disaster was something everyone would have to deal with, but in the end, it was his actions that had summoned it.

He couldn’t avoid feeling responsible for the casualties that would come from this.

With that instinctual judgment, Ihayul acted quickly.

‘Manifest... Homogenization...’

With a thud! His fingers dug into the ground. The earth trembled, and cracks began to form, from which spirits surged upward.

“...!?”

From atop the city walls, Lee Jiyeon, who had been coordinating the spirits, looked up sharply at the familiar sensation amidst the monster wave. She was startled and raised her head.

Taesan.

The spirits Ihayul had stored in pocket dimensions, now enhanced by Taesan, poured down into the heart of the battlefield.