Chapter 18

Let me share an amazing fact: not even a day has gone by.

I met Luna and Eli in the forest, arrived at the Academy, and had a duel with Elvin—all in just one day.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m dreaming.

‘When was the last time I felt like this?’

It feels like an extraordinarily long day. It reminds me of that time I stumbled into the forest and faced all kinds of hardships.

Is that why? Or is it the discomfort of a new bed? I just can’t seem to sleep.

Even when I was in the forest, I would sleep with my consciousness half-awake, but today I can’t seem to find any sleep at all.

I still can’t believe I managed to escape the forest and wonder if I’m really stepping into the story.

‘Direct intervention might be difficult.’

I lay on the bed Rod prepared, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Realistically speaking, enrolling is practically impossible. I still question when I’ll even learn to read, and I need to overcome the language barrier.

Even if I solve the language barrier, I wonder if I’ll be able to speak properly. So enrollment is probably not worth considering.

With that said, stepping into the story seems tough. However, while entering might be impossible, ‘intervention’ is still an option.

‘If there’s a noticeable event right after enrollment…’

It would be the duel. A friendly match where the fresh recruits can go head-to-head in a specially crafted dueling arena.

I can’t recall exactly, but I believe the duel happens rather soon.

Certainly, that’s when the main characters will emerge.

Among them, the princess of Tartar, Kara, will surely attract attention.

‘Will Luna win?’

The duel is an incredibly important event.

It’s closely tied to the ‘point’ system, which is a part of the Academy’s tradition, and it could change the rankings.

During the process, Luna will definitely clash with Kara. I bet Kara will be the one to challenge her first.

I overheard that Luna was accepted as the top student, so she must’ve drawn interest from the start.

‘It will surely attract some attention too.’

If she gets a good result in the duel, not only will she earn points, but her reputation will soar as well.

Moreover, her stats could permanently rise from it. The result of the duel with Kara is crucial for this.

‘But will she really rise?’

So far, every time I’ve ‘survived,’ my stats have permanently increased. My faith, on the other hand, has dropped every time I cursed at the god.

Looking at that, it seems like specific conditions could increase my stats. I need to set up a plan to investigate this.

‘I’ve heard there are hidden achievements here and there.’

Starting with breaking the magic circles set by the demons, there are various minor achievements.

The one I vaguely recall is reaching the highest building in the Academy, which is the monument.

It stands tall in the center of the Academy, making it eye-catching from anywhere.

If I remember correctly, it was built to commemorate the Academy’s establishment and to fend off demonic invasions.

In the game, reaching the top would increase your stats, but I’m not sure how that’ll play out in reality.

‘The real question is how much it will rise.’

Currently, all my stats are over 140, except for luck and faith. Furthermore, my physical strength is nearing 150.

Even if I complete an achievement, the chance of it rising is likely to be minuscule. This is a measure to prevent exploitative methods in repeated plays.

Still, from 140 onwards, even a single point is precious, so I can’t ignore it. Achievements can be vital, so completing them is usually beneficial.

‘Even now, I wish to go climb the monument… no.’

As much as I want to sneak out and ascend to the spire, there’s a very high chance Rod would catch me.

He probably took precautions thinking I’d try to sneak out. For now, he’s tied a bell to the door.

If I open the door, the bell will ring, and Rod will come rushing to check.

I could just disable the bell, but I can’t do that since it’s installed outside.

‘I’m tired too.’

Physically, I don’t feel tired. But so much has happened today that I’m mentally drained.

It might be better to just close my eyes and sleep. Roaming around at such a late hour would be troublesome.

Ah, of course, I’m sorry for the night guards who have to deal with such late nonsense.

“Wh-What the heck?! Why is that person climbing up there?”

“If that person falls, it’s going to be a huge problem…!”

“Professor! Professors, hurry, call for them!”

‘I can’t say I won’t do it in the morning.’

While I was getting familiar with the academy along with Rod, I took the chance to start climbing the monument.

I had no idea if classes were starting today, but there were quite a few people coming and going nearby.

‘Doesn’t matter, really.’

I heard a commotion down below, but I chose to ignore it and climbed the monument barehanded.

The monument overall resembled a ‘clock tower’. It signifies that there’s a clock at its very top.

How do I know? Well, I’m nearly at the top now. There’s not much left to reach it.

‘It really is quite high.’

The monument is constructed with special materials that make magic usage impossible upon contact.

That means I have to climb it using only my own strength. If my stats were low, I could fall to my death midway.

Not to mention, with the height’s extreme nature and minimal places to grip, I’m practically climbing using just my grip strength.

In the game, you also had to meet certain stats to climb it, so I suppose it checks out.

I took a moment to catch my breath halfway up and finally reached the top.

“Wow.”

The height was unbelievable, so the view was stunning. What a sight to behold.

Just a little reach more, and it feels like I could grab a cloud. Of course, that wouldn’t happen, but that’s how high up I am.

‘Nothing changed though.’

Even upon reaching the top, nothing changed. Clearly, reality and the game are quite different.

Even in multiple rounds of the game, completing achievements wouldn’t raise your stats. I have to think this is something different.

It’s unfortunate, but the scenery is so beautiful that it compensates. I sat at the top for a while, taking in the surroundings.

Since the top wasn’t pointed, there was actually enough space for me to sit.

‘Isn’t this when the demon disables the tower first during the academy invasion part?’

Sharpen!

“Huh?”

As I was pondering with my legs swinging, I suddenly heard something slicing right above my head.

I looked up to see a round hole with ‘ground’ clearly in sight. Yes, I said ground.

Normally, I should be seeing the sky, so why is the ground visible? What’s that round thing?

Thunk!

“Huh?”

Before I could finish my thoughts, a hand suddenly popped out from the round hole and roughly tugged at my collar. It then pulled me hard.

With the speed being so fast and no space to right myself, I couldn’t even resist.

Crash!

Before I passed through the round hole, I felt like I was going upwards.

But after passing through it, gravity kicked in, and I landed on the ground in a heap.

‘What the heck just happened?’

I blinked and struggled to grasp the situation.

“Haha. So, while you were distracted, you pull off this stunt, huh?”

Then, I heard a voice I was all too familiar with.

I turned towards the direction of the voice.

Rod was smiling kindly at me. If you only saw his smile, you’d think he was a saint.

But if you looked at the sword he was holding, you’d quickly realize he’s not as kind as his smile suggests.

Slide—

As I surmised, the round hole I thought I escaped from slowly began to shrink before disappearing completely.

The fact that he’s holding a sword and the way I came here, I can put together a single conclusion.

Rod used his sword to connect spaces and pulled me out. He cast a sort of magic with just that sword.

‘If he can use that, he must not be too deep in toxicity yet.’

Rod’s ability usage level indicates how deeply he’s been poisoned.

To use that technique, he would need to hold 80% of his power intact.

During the academy’s collapse, he’d likely be using only 50% due to severe toxicity.

“I’ll give you some candy, so just follow me quietly.”

While I was trying to gauge Rod’s toxicity, he handed me some candy. Judging by the color, it’s a crispy rice flavor.

I popped the candy into my mouth as I followed Rod as he began walking ahead of me.

The location where the monument is located is the Academy plaza, right in front of the building now.

It seems he led me this far intentionally to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

‘Those in front of the monument…’

I turned my head towards the spire and saw clusters of people gathering.

They seemed to think I was still at the very top.

Yet, it wouldn’t be long before they’d disperse on their own. They would have to attend class too.

“Hmm.”

Before I knew it, we reached the building, and Rod turned to check if I was keeping up.

I was just mumbling about the candy. After seemingly satisfying his worry, Rod opened the door and went inside.

“Welcome… oh my. Chancellor?”

As soon as we entered, the woman sitting at the desk recognized Rod and spoke.

Rod lightly greeted the woman and quickly got to the point.

“I was hoping to check this kid’s health.”

“This kid, you say…?”

At Rod’s words, the woman’s gaze turned towards me. In the meantime, I figured out where I was.

This is a hospital. A general hospital with a mix of features from various countries.

At first glance, it may seem like any ordinary hospital, but that’s not the case.

The Hwan Empire, which means that Eastern acupuncture and herbal medicine co-exist.

To put it simply, think of surgeries as Western style and internal medicine as Eastern style.

“By any chance, that…”

“You are right; it’s someone you know. I just came from living in the forest, so I’m a bit worried.”

“I understand. Please wait a moment.”

The female staff member quickly left her seat to report. Rod and I sat quietly on nearby chairs, waiting.

To prevent me from getting distracted, he handed me another piece of candy. It was starting to get a bit tiresome, but I accepted and ate it.

“I hope there aren’t any issues, but the chances are low.”

While we waited, Rod muttered as he glanced at me.

I was equally curious about my health. Sure, I took deworming medicine, but beyond that, I was in the dark.

There could be worse issues than parasites. I sincerely hope everything is fine.

“Are you sure you just came from living in the forest?”

“That’s what I believe.”

“Hmm. Interesting. Except for your basal metabolic rate being exceptionally high, there don’t seem to be other issues. The language issue should resolve itself as long as you practice talking. Children usually resolve that, don’t they?”

I was in exceptionally good health.

Given that a highly advanced country exists in science, a variety of tests were conducted, but in the end, everything was completely normal.

For having lived in the forest, there were no hygiene-related diseases to report. However, they mentioned that I need to regulate my diet because my basal metabolic rate is too high.

That’s going to cost a fortune in food. They say it’s cheaper for students, so now I have a reason to enroll.

“Does that mean I just have to eat well from here on out?”

“Yes. All I can say is that you’re physically healthy, and there’s nothing out of the ordinary, like minor ailments you’d expect.”

“Hmmmm.”

Rod stroked his chin, gazing at me with fascination. I too found it surprising that I was deemed healthy.

I was the one who survived in the Chaos Forest by eating all kinds of wild stuff. It wouldn’t be surprising if I got sick.

Yet, if I’m healthy, it suggests that I’m far from being an ordinary person.

“I see. Health is paramount. Since we’re on the subject, I’d like to meet the herbalist.”

“The herbalist, you say? They asked me to pass along their request.”

The doctor said this and handed a bottle filled with herbs to Rod.

I stared intently at the herbs inside the bottle.

Those are the herbs Rod always puts in his tea. The herbs slowly eating away at Rod’s health.

The herbalist mentioned by the doctor is a physician from the Hwan Empire and also a pawn of the demons.

The one practically serving as the family doctor is the very one harming Rod’s health.

‘How can I alert him?’

Rod would never suspect that it’s poison. Of course, since it was prescribed by the Academy, that’s only natural.

To be precise, they are herbs. But the moment they’re brewed in water, they become poisonous herbs, making it hard to identify.

“Has your cough gotten a lot better lately?”

“It’s gotten better recently. But with my age, there’s a limit, you know.”

“That’s a relief. I’ll mention it to the herbalist too.”

While pondering how to stop it, the examination came to an end. Rod stood up, and I quietly followed.

Just before we stepped out the door, I stole a glance at the doctor who handed the herbs to Rod.

The doctor seemed unaware of my gaze, scribbling something on the chart.

‘I need to learn to speak as soon as possible.’

I can’t just keep mumbling nonsense. It’s essential to lower the story’s difficulty level.

While I was contemplating how to progress the story smoothly, the mental health screening report came in.

“Your intelligence seems to be normal. However, due to your growth environment, your sociability is severely lacking.”

That hit straight to the heart and made me feel bad.

*****

Sivar’s comprehensive health examination wrapped up. The results were incredibly straightforward.

Physically, he was in perfect health. His senses were developed even more than that of an ordinary person.

His mind seemed devoid of sociability, yet his intelligence itself was fine. Right in line with his age.

So, at the end of the day, he’s considered normal. However, having lived in the wild, being highly sensitive was unavoidable.

His body bore the evidence of that—large and small scars that made even Rod frown.

So as long as no one would startle him out of nowhere, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Although he did emphasize that he must develop his sociability.

Otherwise, it’d be unpredictable when another incident might occur.

“With fundamentally high comprehension, he should have no trouble grasping language. Just ensure you avoid triggering his sensitivities.”

“Thank you. Is there any prescribed treatment?”

“None. Just be cautious with the candy. He might pick up a bad habit from it.”

“I’ll be careful.”

And with that, Sivar’s comprehensive health examination came to an end. Rod exited the building alongside Sivar.

Once outside, the students passing through the hospital greeted Rod or shot curious glances at Sivar.

Before long, we stepped outside, and students finishing their classes came into view.

Checking the time, it seemed to be lunch hour just right. Meals could be had not just at the administration building but also in the plaza.

‘Sociability, huh…’

Rod turned around to see if Sivar was keeping up. And it seemed like the candy helped, as he was following along pretty well.

There’s a saying that humans are social animals. Forming a society is a part of human instinct.

Humans that can’t form a society find it difficult to survive. But Sivar had managed to survive alone.

So, for him, sociability is not just foreign—it could even be repulsive.

He may not feel the need for it. If things don’t work out, he might even return to the forest again.

‘There’s a lot to teach.’

They said he has high comprehension, so he shouldn’t have too much trouble learning to read.

But separate from that, I’m left questioning how well he’ll actually adapt. Rod found himself pondering.

Should he enroll him first to develop sociability, or develop sociability first and then enroll him?

‘Is it really in my fate to raise a child?’

It was comical enough to leave Rod smirking at the absurdity of it all.

Swoosh—

It was a slight sound, but it clearly reached Rod’s ears. It was the sound of Sivar picking something up.

When he turned to see, Sivar was holding a stone about the size of a fist.

Just as Rod was perplexed by the sight of Sivar picking up such a rock, Sivar looked somewhere and took his position.

His left hand, holding the stone, pulled back, while his right arm stretched forward.

Before long, he extended his right leg forward and threw the stone.

“Wait a second…!”

Boom!

Before Rod could even stop him, the stone broke free from Sivar’s hand. It flew at a speed far exceeding what he had shown in the duel.

If anyone got hit with that throw, it would cause serious injury. Rod hurriedly looked in the direction the stone flew.

He almost drew his sword just in case he needed to slice the stone mid-air. However, fast as it was, that wouldn’t matter if it were aimed at a person.

But thankfully, the stone was not headed for anyone. But where was it going?

Ding!

A sudden, clear bell sound resounded. Rod looked at the place the stone struck, utterly dumbfounded.

It wasn’t the monument, but it was still a rather tall tower. And at the very top, a bell was suspended.

The bell-tower symbolizing religion. Even from a distance, Sivar had managed to hit the bell with his throw.

“Why is the bell ringing?”

“Indeed.”

The unexpected tolling of the bell left the students puzzled as they gazed toward the tower.

Typically, a bell rings on the hour. Unless something is amiss, of course.

Consequently, it was only natural for most passersby to pause and stare at the bell-tower.

“Damn it!”

“…”

Ironically, the one responsible for the ringing, Sivar, raised his hands in victory but Rod covered his face with one hand over his second unexpected debacle today.

It was a prank that could leave him speechless even if lightning struck. Even someone like the emperor would be terrified of the wrath of the gods.

‘This is troublesome…’

Regardless of anything else, it seems I need to instill some common sense into him.

---