A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

When is the most pitiful moment in life?

When your family goes on a trip without you? No.

When you accidentally drop your ice cream on the floor? No.

When you’re wrongly accused of something you didn’t do? No.

“Cough! Cough! Ugh······”

It’s when you’re sick. Right now, I’m lying in bed because I’m ill.

I was fine until last evening, but by dawn, I started feeling the symptoms of a cold, and eventually, my fever spiked.

When I lived in the forest, I didn’t even catch a cold. Even when I got seriously injured, I never developed a fever.

I ate all sorts of things, but I was sure it wasn’t because of that.

If it were, I would’ve died long ago. My poison resistance didn’t improve for no reason.

‘Still, moving is so hard.’

I wiped the sweat trickling down my face and placed my hand on my forehead.

Even though it’s my own hand, it feels like a burning hot coal. Why on earth did I catch this fever?

Since coming to this world, I’ve never been this sick. I’ve never been ill from a disease, only from injuries.

‘I have no strength left in my body.’

Cough. Cough.

I let out a dry cough and barely managed to lift my upper body.

My shirt was already drenched in sweat. It was so soaked that I could feel the dampness.

If I stay like this, I might get dehydrated. Staggering, I reached out toward the water bottle.

Gulp- Gulp-

“Haa······”

Drinking the cool water made me feel slightly alive. The burning sensation in my stomach seemed to calm down.

I roughly pushed back my sweat-soaked hair and returned to the bed.

When you’re this sick, the bed is the best place to be. Moving is too difficult anyway.

‘······I feel lonely.’

When I lived in the forest, I never got sick, so I didn’t know. I didn’t realize loneliness could feel this sorrowful.

I wish someone, anyone, would come to find me. But strangers, especially those of the opposite sex, can’t freely enter the dormitory.

The Academy has a long history, and all sorts of strange incidents have occurred, including inappropriate acts even among those of the same gender.

During the last Freshman Banquet, security was slightly lax, and given the atmosphere, some things were tolerated to an extent.

In other words, for someone to come find me, they’d have to go through a complicated process. And I have no way to let anyone know about my condition.

‘No cell phone······ no means of communication. What should I do?’

Going outside alone is also hard. Not only because of the sweat but also because my body feels as heavy as lead.

Is this what it feels like to have your blood boil? It hurts so much that I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep properly.

Usually, sleep is the best remedy when you’re sick, but even that was difficult. I felt like crying from the misery.

‘Why am I even sick? Can’t I do something with divine power?’

I don’t know why I’m sick, and I don’t know how to use divine power to fix it.

Even Chaos can use divine power. I don’t have to look far; Rize does it, doesn’t she?

But that thought didn’t last long because the pain overtook me, wiping away all my thoughts. I kept pondering and pondering.

How could I let someone know about my condition? How could I get my acquaintances to come to the dormitory?

‘I need to send a signal······’

But I couldn’t think of a suitable way. I had no cell phone or communication orb.

This meant I had to resort to the most primitive method of sending a signal, but I didn’t even know how to do that.

If only I knew Morse code, I could shoot death beams outside.

‘······Wait. Death beams?’

A good idea popped into my head. It wasn’t a proper signal, but at least it was still a signal.

Let’s shoot a death beam out the window. Of course, I’ll aim at the sky, not the ground.

If I shot at the ground, Rod might execute me on the spot. With that in mind, I wrapped myself tightly in the blanket and moved.

Even though sweat poured down, I couldn’t remove the blanket because of the fever. It was a chill I usually didn’t notice.

‘Can cold and heat coexist in one body?’

That’s exactly how I felt. Like a waterlogged cotton ball, I forced my heavy body to move.

After finally reaching the window, I opened it wide. The muggy summer air greeted me.

My dormitory was on the fifth floor. Since I had to shoot toward the sky, I stretched my arm forward.

‘I need to stretch further······ Damn it. I can’t aim properly.’

I realized anew how serious my condition was. Even my arm trembled so much that I couldn’t aim properly.

My arm wavered up and down as if I were drunk. If I accidentally shot at the ground, it would be a disaster of epic proportions, so I stretched my arm further.

As I stretched my arm forward, my body naturally leaned forward, with most of my upper body hanging out the window.

Wooong!

I barely managed to stretch my arm toward the sky. At the same time, mana began to gather at my fingertips.

But the color of the mana was a bit strange. Until yesterday, it had been a vivid red, but now it looked somewhat murky.

It felt like there were foreign substances mixed in. I couldn’t tell what color it was, but I knew my condition was terrible.

‘Just shoot······’

Stagger-

Just as I was about to shoot, my strength gave out. A dizziness unlike anything I’d felt before hit me.

To be safe, I dispersed the mana I had gathered at my fingertips. The mana naturally scattered into the air.

“Cough! Cough! Ugh······?”

As I let out a harsh cough, my balance began to tip forward.

Because most of my upper body was hanging out the window in preparation for the shot.

In other words, my body slipped out of the window and began to fall downward.

If I had been in good condition, I would’ve regained my balance and landed safely. But even that was impossible.

‘Ah. Just······’

The only consolation was that my dormitory was on the fifth floor and that my durability was decent despite being sick.

As I looked at the window growing distant, I closed my eyes to brace for the impact.

‘I just want to sleep.’

Thud!

A strong impact radiated from my head. Maybe because the fever was so intense, it didn’t hurt as much as I expected.

I’d been hit on the head more than a few times before. This kind of pain was something I could easily endure.

“Kyaaah!!”

“S-Someone fell!”

“Call a doctor! Call a doctor!”

As the voices shouting around me pierced my ears, I slowly closed my eyes.

For now······ I just wanted to sleep.

‘But it hurts too much to sleep.’

When was the last time I felt this miserable?

******

The incident of Sivar’s fall spread throughout the Academy. And it was even reported as a suicide attempt.

Even an ordinary student attempting suicide would leave a significant mark on the Academy. A single incident could tarnish its reputation.

A suicide attempt at an Academy renowned for gathering the world’s brightest talents? That would make things incredibly complicated.

If it were a commoner with no background, they might try to handle it politically, but not a noble. It could escalate into an international dispute.

Of course, Sivar was closer to a commoner than a noble, and the attempt itself was questionable. But curiosity is curiosity.

“How is Sivar’s condition?”

“He’s okay, right?”

“What on earth happened······”

These were the reactions of Luna, Ellie, and Kara respectively. Sivar’s acquaintances who rushed over upon hearing the news.

The doctor, unfazed by the diverse charms of the women, answered bluntly. Now was the time to fulfill his duty as a doctor.

“The external injuries themselves aren’t a major issue. However······”

“However?”

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

It’s a miracle he’s alive. Hearing those words, everyone’s expressions hardened.

Especially Ellie, whose face turned pale, and tears began to well up in her eyes. She asked in a trembling voice.

“C-Can’t a fever reducer help?”

“We already tried. But strangely, the patient seems resistant to the medication. Even using stronger drugs hasn’t improved the condition.”

It’s highly likely to be due to Poison Resistance. After all, Sivar even eats poisons with a tingling sensation and finds them delicious.

In other words, natural recovery is the only answer. The doctor glanced at the somber faces of the acquaintances before shifting his gaze.

Behind the women stood Rod, wearing a similarly worried expression. He had rushed over as soon as he heard the news.

“I’ve heard rumors about the patient. They say he lived in the wild?”

“That’s correct.”

“Has anything similar happened to him before? In the wild, even mushrooms can cause similar symptoms.”

“He eats so many random things that it’s hard to pinpoint.”

“Ha······”

It was an answer that could only elicit a hollow laugh. Even for a doctor with decades of experience, this was a first.

Eating random things to the point where the cause is indiscernible. Truly, it’s a situation without a solution.

“For now, lowering his body temperature is the priority. We’ve taken emergency measures, but······ I’m not sure if it’ll be enough.”

“W-What happens if his condition doesn’t improve?”

Luna asked in a trembling voice. Something about Rod and the doctor’s conversation had struck a nerve.

To keep a secret, they had treated the Artificial Eye like a piece of candy. And they had placed it into Sivar’s mouth.

Sivar’s eyes had briefly turned purple, and even Rod had been wary of the strange atmosphere.

The day after that incident, Sivar had collapsed, leaving them riddled with guilt.

“If the high fever persists for an extended period, it could lead to various complications. In the worst case, he could die.”

“··· ···”

“For now, the only option is to lower his body temperature periodically with lukewarm water. Since medication isn’t effective, this is the best we can do.”

With that, the doctor stepped aside. Given Sivar’s condition, he was currently admitted to the intensive care unit.

One might question why someone with just a high fever would be in the ICU, but the persistence of the fever was the real issue.

More importantly, he had fallen headfirst from a height of five stories. Hospitalization was the safest course of action in case of unforeseen complications.

“Cough! Cough! Ugh······”

As soon as they entered, they saw Sivar coughing harshly.

A wet towel had been placed on his forehead to lower his temperature. Even so, his condition appeared severe.

The moment Ellie saw him, she hurried to his side. She then placed her hand on his face to check his temperature.

“How is it?”

“······It’s too hot. Like he’s on fire.”

Ellie responded in a somber voice to Kara’s question. Kara let out a heavy sigh.

Sivar, who had always been robust. He even displayed remarkable Regeneration, quickly recovering from injuries.

But even he seemed vulnerable to illness. He had never shown such weakness before.

“Hmm······”

Meanwhile, Rod approached Sivar’s side. With a concerned expression, he carefully grasped Sivar’s wrist.

He then gently released a trace of Mana to examine Sivar internally. While the doctor had already checked, Rod could conduct a more detailed inspection.

“······Hmm?”

“Did you find something?”

“His Mana······ it’s boiling.”

“What?”

His Mana is boiling. Everyone looked puzzled at Rod’s words.

“I don’t know why, but his Mana is boiling. It feels like it’s clashing with another energy······ Divine Power, perhaps?”

“Can Divine Power and Mana clash?”

“It happens occasionally. It’s commonly referred to as Divine Fever. Kara, you should know about it.”

“Ah. I’ve experienced it once. But it wasn’t this severe······”

Just as a caterpillar enters a cocoon to transform into a butterfly, martial artists and clerics often undergo such a process.

Especially when the color of their Mana changes or their Divine Power advances to a higher stage. Rod shared his own experience aloud.

“Even without Divine Power, this can happen when the color of Mana changes. I’ve gone through it myself.”

“··· ···”

The color of Mana changes. Hearing those words, Luna’s face stiffened.

Just like how Sivar’s eyes had turned purple yesterday, could his Mana have temporarily changed as well?

If that caused his current condition······ it would make sense. After all, it’s a completely opposite color.

Even a minor change could have a significant impact. Luna’s heart grew heavier and heavier.

“Ugh······”

“S-Sivar?”

At that moment, Sivar groaned faintly as he regained consciousness. Slowly opening his eyes, his red pupils came into view.

Perhaps due to the intense pain, his pupils appeared slightly clouded, as if mixed with another color.

However, given Sivar’s critical state, no one questioned it. They merely assumed it was due to his illness.

“Rod and······ everyone’s here······”

“Yes. I’m here······”

“Cough! Cough!”

Just as Ellie was about to respond, Sivar began coughing violently. It was the cough of someone on the brink of death.

If it had been just a cough, they might have passed it off with concern. But what came next shocked everyone.

“Cough! Cough! Gah!”

Splurt!

Thick, blackened blood spewed from Sivar’s mouth.

Fortunately, he turned his head just in time, preventing the blood from splattering on anyone’s face.

“Ah······ Ah······”

“H-Hey! Snap out of it! Hey!”

But Ellie, who witnessed it all up close, collapsed in shock.

Kara tried to support her, but Ellie had already fainted, making it a futile effort.

Rod, after reassessing Sivar’s condition, stood up to call for the doctor.

“··· ···”

Only Luna remained frozen in place, as if nailed to the spot.