Chapter 185

When’s the most miserable moment in life?

Is it when my family goes on a trip without me? Nah.

Is it when I drop my ice cream on the ground? Nope.

Is it when I’m unfairly accused of something I didn’t do? Not quite.

*“Cough! Cough! Ugh…”*

It’s actually when I’m sick. I’m lying in bed feeling miserable right now.

I was fine until last night, but as dawn broke, the chills started creeping in, and sure enough, I developed a fever.

I didn’t even catch a cold while living in the wilderness. Even when I got severely injured, I never ran a fever.

I stuffed my face with all sorts of food, but I’m positive that’s not the cause.

If it were, I’d have kicked the bucket long ago. My poison resistance didn’t just get better for nothing.

*‘Aside from that, even moving is a struggle.’*

Wiping the sweat off my brow, I laid my hand on my forehead.

It feels like it’s on fire, even though it’s my own hand touching it. What on earth is making me feel this awful?

This is the first time I’ve felt this sick since coming to this world. I’ve never been sick from a disease, just injuries.

*‘I’ve got no strength at all.’*

Cough. Cough.

Struggling, I propped myself up, even if just a little.

My shirt was already soaked through with sweat. I could feel the dampness from how much I had sweated.

If I just stay here, I’m going to get dehydrated. I reached out for my water bottle, swaying unsteadily.

*Glug-glug-*

“Ahh…”

Drinking the cool water made me feel slightly better. It soothed my burning insides.

I carelessly tossed my sweat-soaked hair back and returned to bed.

When you’re sick like this, the bed is the best place to be. Besides, moving around is too exhausting anyway.

*‘…it’s lonely.’*

I hadn’t realized how lonely it was living in the wilderness because I’d never gotten sick. I didn’t know loneliness could be this sad of an emotion.

Honestly, I wish someone would come to visit me. But other people, especially those in the same dorm, can’t just waltz in unannounced.

With the Academy’s long history, all sorts of bizarre incidents have occurred, including some weird stuff happening between same-gender students.

At the last freshman banquet, security was a bit lax, and the atmosphere was the sort where certain things were overlooked.

In other words, if someone wants to visit me, they have to go through a complicated process. There’s nothing I can use to communicate my situation.

*‘I don’t have a cell phone… no way to contact anyone, what do I do?’*

It’s hard to even go outside by myself. Between the sweat and my heavy, leaden body, it feels like a monumental task.

Is this what it feels like when blood is boiling? I’m in so much pain that I probably can’t even sleep.

Usually, when you’re sick, sleep is your best medicine, but even that’s hard to manage. I want to cry from frustration.

*‘Why on earth am I sick? Can’t I do something with my divine power?’*

I don’t even know why I’m sick or what I can do with divine power.

No matter how chaotic it gets, there must be a way to use divine power. Look at Rize; she can do it without going far.

But even that thought vanishes quickly since the pain is too overwhelming. I was stuck in my own mind, fretting over how to let my friends know my condition.

*‘I need to send a signal… but how?’*

There didn’t seem to be an obvious method. No cell phone and no communication orb.

That means I have to signal using the most primitive method, but I don’t even know how to do that.

If only I knew Morse code, I could shoot a deadly beam outside.

*‘…Wait a minute. Deadly beam?’*

An idea struck me. It might not be a proper signal, but it would be some kind of signal, right?

First off, I’ll shoot a deadly beam out the window. Obviously, I’m aiming at the sky, not the ground.

The moment I fire at the ground, it wouldn’t be surprising if I got executed on the spot by Rod. I wrapped the blanket around me tightly and began to move.

Even though the sweat was pouring down, the chill of the blanket made it hard to remove. It was a cold I’d never felt before.

*‘Can cold and heat coexist in one body?’*

That’s what my state feels like right now. I forced my waterlogged body to move like a wet sponge.

After what felt like an eternity, I reached the window and threw it open. The humid summer air welcomed me.

My dorm is on the 5th floor. Since I need to aim at the sky, I stretched my arm forward.

*‘I need to stretch further… dammit, I can’t aim.’*

Realizing just how serious my condition was hit me like a ton of bricks. My arm was shaking like I was drunk, unable to aim even the slightest bit.

My arm swayed up and down. If I’m not careful, I could end up shooting the ground, causing a catastrophe, so I forced myself to reach further.

As I extended my arm, my body naturally leaned forward, and most of my upper body dangled out of the window.

*Whoosh!*

I practically forced my arm skyward and, at that moment, magical power began to gather at my fingertips.

But the color of the magic power looked a bit off. Just yesterday, it was a bright red, but now it was duller.

It looked like it had impurities mixed in. I couldn’t tell what color it was, but I could tell my state was a mess.

*‘Just shoot it…’*

But a wave of dizziness swept over me as my body relaxed.

I let go of the magical energy I had gathered at my fingertips. It dispersed into thin air.

*Cough! Cough! Huh…?*

As I coughed harshly, my balance started to tip forward.

I had leaned out of the window too much in case something went wrong.

In other words, it meant my body was starting to tumble out of the window.

If I were healthy, I’d have regained my balance and landed without a hitch. But given my condition, that was impossible.

*‘Ah. Just…’*

At least my dorm being on the 5th floor meant I had some luck. Even if I was sick, my physical durability was still okay.

As I watched the window recede into the distance, I shut my eyes in preparation for impact.

*‘I just want to sleep.’*

Thud!

A heavy shock reverberated from my head. Maybe because my fever was so intense, I didn’t feel it as much as I thought.

This wasn’t the first time I had a hard knock to my head. I could easily brush off this kind of pain.

*“Aaaah!!”*

“Someone fell!”

“Get a doctor! Get a doctor!”

As the sounds filled my ears, I slowly closed my eyes.

Right now… all I wanted was to sleep.

*‘But I can’t sleep because I’m in pain.’*

When was the last time I felt this miserable?

******

Sivar’s fall quickly spread throughout the Academy. It was even referred to as a suicide attempt.

Even an average student’s suicide attempt would be a major event in the Academy. Just one incident can leave a significant stain.

To attempt suicide at an Academy filled with world-class talents? That complicates matters significantly.

If it were a commoner with no background, they might try to exert political influence, but Sivar wasn’t a noble. There’s a high possibility it could lead to international disputes.

Of course, Sivar was leaning closer to a commoner than a noble, and the very attempt left plenty of questions. But curiosity is curiosity.

“How’s Sivar doing?”

“He’s… okay, right?”

“What on earth happened…?”

These were Luna, Eli, and Kara’s reactions as they rushed over upon hearing the news.

The doctor responded stiffly, despite the variety of charms the ladies possessed. Now was the time to fulfill his duty as a doctor.

“The external injuries aren’t a major concern. However…”

“However?”

“The patient’s condition is very serious. His basic body temperature is extremely high, and his muscles are compromised. Honestly, it’s a miracle he’s still alive.”

It’s a miracle he’s alive. Those words caused the faces of everyone present to harden.

Especially Eli, whose complexion paled to the point tears welled in her eyes. She stammered out a question.

“C-Couldn’t we use a fever reducer?”

“We’ve already tried that. But strangely, he has a resistance to the medication. Even using stronger drugs didn’t improve his condition.”

The chances of it being due to his poison resistance were very high. After all, Sivar had been known to enjoy eating things that tasted like mild poison.

In other words, that meant the only option left was natural healing. The doctor glanced at the gloomy expressions of his companions before shifting his gaze.

Behind the women stood Rod, equally worried. He had also rushed over upon hearing the news.

“I’ve heard the rumors about the patient. You’ve lived in the wilderness, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Did anything similar ever happen to you? Even mushrooms in the wild can show similar symptoms.”

“It’s hard to pinpoint anything since I’ve eaten a mishmash of things.”

“Ha…”

A hollow laugh came out. For a doctor with decades of experience, it was the first case he’d ever encountered.

With the myriad of things Sivar had eaten, he couldn’t even identify the cause. It was a truly hopeless situation.

“First, we need to bring down his temperature. We took emergency measures, but… I wonder if it will be enough.”

“If his condition doesn’t improve, what happens then?”

Luna asked, her voice trembling. The conversation with Rod and the doctor had stirred something in her.

To keep a secret, they had treated the medication like it was candy. Unfortunately, that medication had been administered to Sivar.

After that incident, Sivar fell ill, leaving Luna with guilt.

“If the high fever persists for a long time, it could cause various complications. In the worst-case scenario, it could result in death.”

“…”

“For now, we can only lower his body temperature with lukewarm water at regular intervals. Since the medication isn’t effective, this is our best option.”

The doctor stated this and stepped aside. Current circumstances had Sivar admitted to the intensive care unit.

One might question why a simple fever required such care, but the consistency of the fever was a significant issue.

Most importantly, he had fallen headfirst from a height of 5 stories. Admitting him was the safest course of action in case anything went awry.

*Cough! Cough! Ugh…*

Upon entering, I could see Sivar coughing harshly.

He even had a damp cloth on his forehead to cool his temperature. Despite that, he looked severely unwell.

The moment Eli saw him, she rushed over. She placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

“How is he?”

“…It’s way too hot. It feels like it’s on fire.”

Eli answered Kara in a gloomy tone, and Kara sighed heavily.

Sivar had always been healthy. Even when injured, he’d recover quickly thanks to his regeneration.

But it seemed he was just as susceptible to sickness. He had never shown such weakness before.

“Hmm…”

In that moment, Rod walked up to Sivar. With a worried expression, he looked down at Sivar, gently holding his wrist.

He then let out a small amount of magic power to check on him. The doctor might have done it, but he could examine it more finely.

“…Hmm?”

“Did you find something?”

“His magic power… it’s boiling.”

“Pardon?”

His magic power was boiling. Everyone’s expression turned perplexed at Rod’s words.

“I don’t know the reason, but the magic power is boiling. It feels like it’s clashing with another energy… Could it be divine power?”

“Can divine power and magic power clash?”

“Sometimes that happens. It’s commonly referred to as divine fever. Kara, you should be aware of this.”

“Ah. I’ve experienced that once. But it was never this severe…”

Just like caterpillars enter the cocoon stage before transforming into butterflies, most priests and martial artists undergo a similar process.

Especially when their magic power changes color or when their divine power increases. Rod shared his own experience.

“When it’s not divine power, changes in magic power can also lead to this. I’ve gone through such an experience myself.”

“…”

The mention of changing magic power made Luna’s face harden.

Just like Sivar’s eyes turned purple yesterday, could his magic power have temporarily changed colors too?

If that was the case, it could explain the current situation. After all, it was the opposite color.

Even a slight change could lead to significant effects. Luna’s heart felt heavier.

“Ugh…”

“S-Sivar?”

At that moment, Sivar let out a soft groan, regaining some consciousness. Slowly opening his eyes revealed his red pupils.

Perhaps due to the intense pain, his eyes looked slightly clouded. It felt like another color was mixed in.

However, given Sivar’s condition, no one thought much about it. They just assumed he was in pain.

“Rod and… everyone’s here…”

“Yeah. I’m right here…”

*Cough! Cough!*

Just as Eli was about to reply, Sivar coughed again. It sounded like a dying person’s cough.

If it had just been a cough, everyone might have brushed it off with worry. But what came out of Sivar’s mouth was far worse.

*Cough! Cough! Kugh!*

*Poof!*

Thick, dark blood spewed from Sivar’s mouth.

Fortunately, he had turned his head just before, preventing an embarrassing mess on his face.

“Ah… aah…”

“Hey! Stay with us! Get a grip!”

But watching it unfold made Eli faint from shock.

Although Kara tried to support her, it was already too late; she had passed out, making it pointless.

Rod checked on Sivar once again before rising to call for the doctor.

“…”

Only Luna remained frozen in place, as if pinned down.

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