episode_0013

There is a group that cannot demonstrate their true abilities when they are tense.

Psychologically deflated and unable to calm their minds, they make strange mistakes in actions they usually perform well.

I was just like that a moment ago.

I had been having a good conversation with the hologram so far, so why did I try to blurt out something just now?

I had adapted well to conversing with the hologram, so why did I try to open my mouth?

Previously, I could have easily brushed off attention and gazes, so why am I so nervous this time?

I don’t even know.

It’s just a mistake… I couldn’t say anything else.

It was an unforgivable mistake.

[I’m Lee Hayul, who entered through special admission. I will strive to prove my qualifications through results.]

Thank you.

When I projected the hologram, I received applause in response.

The reaction was moderate.

It wasn’t an explosive cheer, nor was it the worst kind of icy silence.

– So, it’s true that he’s blind. Can he move around as a detection type?

– On top of that, he’s mute…

– Hm…

Instead, I received peculiar looks. Pitying… there was a look of seeing something pitiful. The sneering was a bonus.

If it were jealousy or envy, I would have let it slide, but I don’t know how to respond to those kinds of emotions. I bowed my head and headed back to my seat, feeling disheartened.

“…….”

“Hehe… Well, well, let’s end the self-introduction here! Since we’ll be seeing each other often from now on, let’s avoid blushing. Next…”

The sentence “Let’s avoid blushing” struck my heart. I was already blushing…

First impressions are such an important factor, and I completely ruined it.

How will they see me? Think about it.

Standing at the lectern to introduce myself, suddenly looking like a weirdo who’s shaking and trembling. They’ll probably think I can’t even properly introduce myself.

It’s a pathetic feeling. I felt sorry for myself.

“Hayul, are you really okay…?”

[I’m fine.]

“I’m not swallowing it inside, am I…? If it hurts, you have to tell me no matter what…”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who had rushed out when I coughed a while ago, was making a strange expression. The pale face contrasted sharply with her red hair.

Her head felt even heavier under the gaze that seemed to be looking at a patient…

There was nothing to say because of the strange misunderstanding that had piled up.

I lay my head on the desk with a burning face.

“Ha-yul. Is it hurting that much…?

No, it’s not that.”

After Professor Riana left, the theory-focused public lecture continued.

The public lectures I attended in the morning were ‘Divine History’ and ‘Basic Magic Usage’.

Divine History taught history from about 200 years ago, and Basic Magic Usage taught the history and basic knowledge of magic.

I knew a little bit about history thanks to the original knowledge, but Basic Magic Usage was a bit difficult.

What I knew was only how to nurture a character, not how to use a character’s magic…

Fortunately, even among the basics, I was able to keep up by starting from the very beginning.

But the pace of progress was so fast. It seemed like everyone was just skimming through the content they already knew.

The problem is that I don’t know the ‘content that everyone knows’.

In the original work, I could skip and simply indicate ‘knowledge +1’ or ‘finished today’s lecture’ in one line, but in reality, it wasn’t that simple.

I lack common sense at the moment.

There is a difference in common sense between someone who has lived in this world since birth and me, who lived on a planet without abilities.

To bridge that gap in common sense, I need to consistently attend theory classes.

And also for grades, I need to attend.

In the original, unless you cause a major incident, you wouldn’t be expelled, but… in reality, I don’t know if that’s the case, so I need to manage my grades.

Because there were many confusing parts, I plan to review separately when I go back to the dormitory.

Looking at the time, it’s already around 1 o’clock.

If the lecture started at 8, did each lecture take up 2 hours and 30 minutes?

It’s almost lunchtime. I rummaged through my bag. I’m sure I put a calorie bar in here…

“Would you like to have lunch together? There are many recommended places to eat.”

“Lunch? ”

I turned my head at the sound that entered my ear as I rummaged through my bag.

Hong Yeon-hwa, who had packed her bags without me noticing, was looking in my direction.

“Aren’t you going to eat with Baek Ah-rin?”

“Baek Ah-rin? I’ll eat with her later or something…”

Even though I had my eyes closed, Hong Yeon-hwa turned her head as if avoiding my gaze and muttered an excuse.

‘Rice…’

Due to the curse of sensory deprivation, I have no sense of taste.

I’ve tried various experiments.

I can’t taste sweetness, saltiness, sourness, etc. I even heard that spiciness isn’t a taste, so I experimented with that, but I can’t taste spiciness either.

The only thing I somewhat feel is the fizzy sensation of carbonation? Even that felt unpleasant to consume.

In fact, from the moment it fell into the category of ‘curse,’ it was pointless to consider such common sense.

It’s not that my tongue itself has no sensation… I just think that everything related to ‘taste’ is sealed off.

Thanks to this, since coming here, I’ve hardly had a proper meal a few times.

Remembering how my tongue used to be in good condition made me feel even worse.

“I’m okay with anything.”

Despite feeling strange, I’ve become a glutton who eats almost anything due to the absence of my sense of taste.

I didn’t particularly avoid certain foods before, but there were foods I didn’t actively seek out.

But now, since I have no taste, as long as the nutrients are fulfilled, I can really eat ‘anything.’

“R-really? Anything… Just a moment…?”

With that in mind, Hong Yeon-hwa tapped on her smartwatch with a perplexed expression.

After hesitating for a while, she cautiously looked in my direction.

“Pork… Do you want to eat it?”

“Okay.”

* * *

Throughout the learning center, there are restaurants where students can get free meals.

I remember it being a place highly favored by many students because they don’t charge money and the quality and variety change daily.

However, due to various reasons, some students eat separately outside, so there are various restaurants scattered around the area.

The restaurant we found this time was also like that.

For lunch, we solved it by finding a nearby pork restaurant with Hong Yeon-hwa.

It was within a ten-minute walk without needing to take the bus.

Hong Yeon-hwa and I each ordered a pork belly set.

Before the menu arrived, Hong Yeon-hwa, who was sitting across from me, engaged in conversation with an attitude that seemed to be struggling with something, as if she didn’t understand English no matter how hard she thought about it.

Rather than heavy topics like family matters, she asked about my preferences, whether I watched certain programs, or liked fruits, etc…

I couldn’t understand why she was asking, but I answered earnestly, which helped pass the time until the menu arrived.

Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes sparkled as the freshly cooked pork belly was served. Alongside the pork, there was also a steaming tofu stew.

It was a pork belly set that included both the pork and the stew.

As Hong Yeon-hwa eagerly took her first bite, I also picked up my utensils.

I scooped up a spoonful of tofu stew. The bright red broth shimmering under the light had a captivating appeal that made my mouth water involuntarily.

I put the spoon in my mouth, and the warm, flavorful broth filled my senses.

“…….”

I hadn’t expected much. It was something I already knew.

I sighed inwardly and mechanically played with my utensils. Thanks to that, I could keep up with Hong Yeon-hwa’s pace.

Perhaps due to courtesy or maybe out of consideration for my difficulty in engaging in conversation while eating, we didn’t exchange many words during the meal.

“How was it?”

[It was delicious.]

After finishing the meal, I gave a suitable answer to Hong Yeon-hwa’s question as she sipped her drink.

“Really?”

As Hong Yeon-hwa listened to my response, her twitching mouth betrayed her thoughts.

…I felt guilty for lying for no reason. Should I say now that I didn’t actually enjoy the taste? But is this the right timing to say that?

Continuing to hide it doesn’t seem right… I’ll find the right moment to tell her later.

In reality, I didn’t enjoy the taste, so I should apologize for lying at that time.

After the meal, we parted ways to attend our respective major classes.

Hong Yeon-hwa went to attend an advanced lecture in combat studies.

And I…

▶ Professor Rihanna: Special admission students will have 1-on-1 lectures with their professors during major class hours! Arrive at the designated location by 2 PM! (Today 13:03)

A 1-on-1 lecture.

I received guidance from Professor Rihanna in the morning and also received materials via text message.

This was different from the original. In the original, I was enrolled in the basic class and took classes with other students, but here, they say it’s a special one-on-one class with the professor.

▶ Professor Liana: And I’m sorry for this morning (⑅◞‸◟) (Today 13:05)

▶ Professor Liana: [Royal Candy Exchange Ticket] x10 (Today 13:05)

▶ Professor Liana: Buy something tasty with this (Today 13:06)

▶ Me: It’s my fault. Professor, you don’t have to be sorry. (Today 13:51)

▶ Professor Liana: I’m really really sorry! ? (T-T )ノ (Today 13:53)

Once again, I received an apology for this morning.

Professor Liana didn’t do anything wrong, I just made a mistake because I was nervous…

Even though I thought I didn’t need to apologize with a heavy heart, not long after, the tearful emoticon came back.

I sighed and thought about the special lecture.

“Is this better?”

I think teaching one person is better than one professor teaching dozens of people.

When I was first admitted as a special student, I thought there were no special benefits, but if this is also a benefit, is it a benefit?

Anyway, receiving individual instruction from a high-level professor at Siyolam.

I walked to the place I was directed to, to digest and receive guidance.

If I had time, it wouldn’t be bad to walk, as most of the facilities used by first-year students were concentrated in one area.

When you think of Siyolam, you mostly think of state-of-the-art facilities incorporating advanced technology.

In reality, that’s true. Just looking at the dormitory building, most things are automated.

The training facilities are the same.

Because of the presence of the Tower, the light faded, but the facilities equipped with technology such as augmented reality, training dolls with different movements according to difficulty, and gravity chambers with enhanced internal gravity are all technologies never seen anywhere on Earth.

“Is this it?”

The place I arrived at on foot was far from the advanced facilities.

As I tapped the ground with my toe, a rough texture was felt. It was a hard and dry earth floor that was difficult to find even a single weed.

The term “playground” seemed more fitting than a training ground. In fact, a large white stripe was drawn around the large field.

It was letting me know that rough traces were occasionally used here and there. Thanks to spatial perception, it feels even more keenly.

Not only simple traces of digging and filling the ground, but also straight lines drawn in a row, traces of being burnt and soaked in water, and traces of the ground being turned over were read.

It feels far from advanced technology, more like an old-fashioned sports ground.

“You came out quite early.”

“?!”

As I knelt down and touched the straight lines, I felt a presence from behind and immediately followed by a voice, causing my hair to stand on end.

Startled, I jumped up and backed away. A woman with her arms folded was looking at me from where I had just been.

“What?”

She definitely wasn’t there just now. Especially while surveying the surroundings with spatial perception, I was even more certain.

“Hmm.”

Whether I was confused or not, the woman, with her arms folded, approached briskly.

As she came closer, I could tell she was very tall. Almost 180? No, even taller.

To look at her face at my eye level, I had to tilt my head up.

“You sensed my presence before I spoke. Is that correct?”

[Yes.]

Although it was a minor difference, it was clear that my presence was sensed before I spoke. It was different from the Vice Principal’s spatial teleportation.

The Vice Principal would say ‘I’m going in’ and then it felt like he entered.

This woman felt as if she had been lying on my bed, watching over me at some point.

“Sensory type. It took about a month after awakening to sense my presence… Not bad.”

Mumbling something, the woman estimated on her own, and when I nodded, her blonde hair swayed down to her shoulders.

“Atra Clyde. I am the professor who will teach you combat-related classes.”

[I am Yi Ha-yul, admitted through special admission. Please take care of me.]

This time, it was an unfamiliar figure. Seeing her stop talking, it seemed she had no intention of revealing her rank.

After a short pause, she bowed her head, and I felt a slight squint from Professor Atra at the mention of special admission.

‘Oh, this doesn’t seem good.’

If the professor is against special admissions, it’s awkward.

“…Let’s start with the basics for now.”

Thinking something, as I raised my head, Professor Atra, who had let out a deep sigh, opened her mouth.

“I don’t have any particular thoughts about special admissions. I don’t have any intention to deny it, but on the other hand, I don’t have a purely positive view either.”

Professor Atra, with narrowed eyes, looked down at me.

“It’s the selection made by the president, so I’ll do it for now, but it’s true that there are doubts because nothing has been proven yet. Understand? If you were an ordinary student, it might be different, but as someone who entered through special admissions, there are considerable expectations placed on you.”

With narrowed eyes, Professor Atra sent a penetrating gaze my way.

“Everyone, not just me, sees it that way. Regardless of the circumstances. You are the first and only special admission chosen by the owner of the cradle.”

The first and only.

That’s why special admissions are receiving so much attention.

I was an entrance student of the 121st class. So, in 121 years, there had been a system, but there had never been a special admission student even once.

“…That was a long talk. It’s about time. Let’s start the training.”

– Thump, thump

Professor Atra moved his steps toward the edge of the field and pointed to the ground. There was a white line drawn there.

“Run.”

“…”

Using spatial perception, I followed the white line. The line that encircled the large field… in other words, the running track.

[How many laps should I run?]

“Until I say stop. Or until you faint.”

Professor Atra nodded his head.

“It’s a physical test. Since you came in through special admissions, there are no recorded data, so we have to measure it this way. Be─”

Start.

As Professor Atra spoke heavily, I hesitated to speak, then nodded quietly.

It wasn’t the kind of class I had imagined, but I suppose there are methods like this too.

Thinking that, I pounded the ground.

And I ran until I almost fainted.