A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

I lost count of how many times I fainted and regained consciousness.

My body was burning hot, as if it had turned into a ball of fire, and it felt as heavy as cotton soaked in water.

On top of that, every time I woke up, I coughed or vomited blood—everything was utter chaos.

The doctor and nurses seemed to rush in to handle it, but I doubted if it was of any use.

Anyway, I endured pain so intense that a second felt like an hour, doing my best not to die.

Although I frequently lost consciousness, I somehow managed to open my eyes again.

It had been a long time since I felt the boundary between life and death. I believed I would rise again.

Haven’t people always said that the will to live is crucial for survival?

Even in the forest, that will became my driving force, allowing me to survive until the end. A disease is no different.

“··· ···”

I don’t know how much longer I endured like that. I blinked and looked up at the ceiling.

My body still felt heavy, but unlike before, it was no longer hot. It was just in poor condition.

This meant that the fever had almost subsided. Although moving was still difficult, I could keep my mind clear.

“······Ah.”

My throat felt scratchy and dry. I had been sweating buckets and barely drank any water.

I wasn’t dehydrated, but I desperately wanted something to drink. I turned my head to look to the side.

“··· ···”

Kara was sitting on a chair. She was leaning against the wall while seated.

Judging by her shallow breathing and closed eyes, she seemed to be asleep.

Beside her, on the bed, Ellie was sound asleep, lying together with Luna.

It appeared that the three of them had been taking turns nursing me. That must mean my condition had been quite severe.

‘My body······ is too hard to move.’

Maybe it was because my mana was depleted, but my regeneration was absurdly slow.

No, it felt more like regeneration wasn’t happening at all. I took a deep breath in and exhaled.

Doing this seemed to help with regeneration, even if just a little. Still, I needed to eat something.

‘Aside from that, I don’t seem to have any other discomfort.’

Normally, when a high fever persists for a long time, it leaves permanent damage.

However, my senses were vivid. My limbs felt slightly numb, but there was no discomfort in moving them.

I blinked as I checked my surroundings and then turned my head. For now, I wanted to wake Kara and ask for water.

“Ka······ Keck.”

As I tried to speak, I coughed. My throat was so dry it was unbearable.

Moreover, I wasn’t fully recovered yet. The fever lingered, and I still couldn’t move my body.

“Mmm······? Sivar?”

Still, thanks to that, Kara woke up. It seemed she had only been pretending to sleep, ready to react to even the smallest sound.

She looked at me with a drowsy expression before quickly shaking her head to wake herself up.

Then, she carefully observed me in the darkness and spoke in a startled voice.

“Are—are you okay? How are you feeling? What’s your condition?”

“Wa······”

“Water? Got it. Wait a moment.”

When I asked for water, Kara moved busily.

Soon, she poured water into a cup and carefully brought it to my lips.

I wanted to sit up, but my body was too heavy to manage even that.

Gulp—gulp—

“Phew.”

I let out a sigh of relief. The lukewarm water felt as refreshing as cold spring water.

Meanwhile, Kara used the back of her hand and her palm to feel various parts of my face. She seemed to be checking my temperature.

“Your fever has gone down a lot. Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness.”

Confirming that my fever had subsided, Kara spoke with a slightly trembling voice. Hearing that, I stared intently at her face.

She was smiling in relief. Her eyes were slightly red, showing how much she had been worried.

Well, considering I had been vomiting intermittently, it was only natural for her to be concerned. I felt a little sorry.

“Are you okay?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that? You’re not fully recovered yet, so get some more rest.”

Kara gently stroked my face. Her touch was filled with affection.

Though her movements were clumsy, the kindness in her touch was unmistakable. I blinked and spoke to Kara.

“You should sleep too.”

“I will, after you sleep first.”

“Then I won’t sleep either.”

“Ha. Look at this stubborn one.”

Kara chuckled softly and pinched my cheek. But I remained firm.

Judging by the situation, she had been taking care of me all night without sleeping. She needed rest too.

Besides, I had just confirmed while drinking water that my body was slowly but surely recovering.

I could confidently say there wouldn’t be any more complications—unless I ate something strange, that is.

Shuffle—shuffle—

I moved my hips and upper body as much as I could to create an empty space.

Ellie and Luna were sleeping together on the bed beside me, so there was no room left there.

I didn’t want to make her lie on the other bed either. Being sick and alone had made me feel truly lonely.

“Lie down.”

“I told you, I can’t.”

“Then I won’t sleep.”

“Ugh. Fine.”

Kara was the first to give in. She glanced back to check on the sleeping Ellie and Luna.

Then, she moved quietly, careful not to make any noise, and slipped into the space I had made on the bed.

Despite sweating so much that I should have smelled bad, there was no odor. It seemed the sheets had been changed frequently.

“Now, go to sleep. Got it?”

“Okay.”

“Were you really lonely?”

“I was miserable.”

It wasn’t just loneliness; it was misery. I had been in so much pain, and there was no one by my side.

It had been a long time since I craved human warmth so desperately. They say familiarity makes you forget what’s precious, and it was spot on.

I wondered if I could stay alone in the dormitory from now on. Honestly, I wanted to live with someone else.

‘Isn’t there a dormitory rule about that?’

I couldn’t remember the details, so I wasn’t sure. If anything, the rules were probably strict, not lenient.

I turned to look at Kara. She was smiling softly as she gazed at me.

I stared at her for a moment, then closed my eyes and slowly leaned into her. Her body felt cool, perhaps because of my lingering fever.

Tap—tap—

As soon as I leaned in, Kara began patting my back. It felt like such a natural gesture.

Thanks to her, I felt at ease, and sleep began to wash over me. I relaxed my body and surrendered to the drowsiness.

“Good night. See you in the morning.”

“Mm······”

With Kara’s parting words, I drifted off to sleep.

I didn’t dream, nor did I feel any sense of vigilance. It was a truly deep sleep.

A deep sleep that helped wash away all my fatigue and pain. When was the last time I slept this soundly?

‘This feels nice······’

I burrowed deeper into Kara’s embrace.

As if to accept my clinginess, Kara slowly wrapped her arms around me.

*****

It felt like it had been ages since I slept so deeply. I also realized anew just how precious sleep was.

This indescribably refreshing feeling. My body felt a bit languid, but there was no pain, only comfort.

Although I had sweated profusely due to the fever, even that didn’t bother me. The heat was gone, and I no longer felt hot.

“The fever has completely subsided. Thank goodness. Now we can finally relax.”

“Is it true? Am I really okay?”

“We’ve overcome the crisis, but we still need to check for any aftereffects. After all, you had a high fever for four days straight.”

Following that, the doctor tested each of my five senses—whether I could hear properly, see clearly, speak without issue, and so on.

My hearing and vision were fine, but my speech remained the same. Since it had always been weak, I didn’t think much of it.

However, there was a more pressing issue. I dragged my now slightly lighter body off the bed.

Naturally, to be cautious, I was supported by someone else.

Sway—

“Whoa?”

“Careful!”

When I tried to put strength into my legs, it didn’t work well. According to the doctor, the prolonged high fever had likely damaged my muscles.

I was told I’d undergo about a week of rehabilitation therapy, after which my condition would be reassessed, and discharge procedures would follow.

It was a bit disappointing, but this was the best course of action. For now, it seemed wise to obediently follow the doctor’s advice.

Thud!

“Ugh…”

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Doctor!”

But this was something I couldn’t endure. Unable to bear the sudden pain, I collapsed to the floor.

As I fell, startled voices filled my ears. Everyone seemed to be in a panic.

“Where does it hurt?”

“My stomach… my stomach…”

“Your stomach? If it’s your stomach, then…”

Growl!!

Just as the doctor was about to speak in a serious tone, a loud sound erupted from my stomach.

It was an alarm-like noise, almost akin to thunder. The once frantic hospital room fell silent at the sound.

Amid the quiet atmosphere, I clutched my stomach and muttered softly.

“I’m so hungry…”

“… …”

“Feed me…”

In the end, rehabilitation and all that could wait. I sat back on the bed and took care of my hunger first. Since I hadn’t eaten anything, I had to start with porridge.

Normally, I would’ve eaten it myself, but even that was fed to me by Ellie. At first, I resisted.

“What if you eat too fast and get indigestion? Do you want to end up lying down again?”

“… …”

Unable to argue with her reasoning, I quietly let her feed me. It felt like I had become a baby bird being fed by its mother.

Of course, given my appetite, I managed to eat three servings despite having an empty stomach.

The doctor tried to stop me, saying I was eating too much, but I threw a small tantrum, and they let it slide.

Besides, the more I ate, the faster I seemed to recover. Calories were essential.

“Hmm… but this is strange.”

“What is?”

It was after I had finished my meal. Ellie, who had been feeding me porridge, spoke up.

She scrutinized my face closely, even touching it with her hands. She didn’t seem to care that others were around as she fiddled with my features.

Starting with my cheeks, then my jaw and nose, and finally my eyes. She examined me meticulously.

“Doesn’t Sivar’s face look a bit different?”

“Different? How so?”

“Yeah. Before you got sick, you really looked like a kid. But now, you seem a bit more grown-up.”

“Hmm… I think you’re right. Your face did look like a child’s before.”

Even Kara agreed, which meant my face must’ve changed. I asked Ellie for a mirror.

Ellie handed me a small hand mirror, allowing me to check my face. I was curious to see how it had changed.

‘…It’s changed quite a lot.’

Previously, my face had been almost girlish—more pretty than handsome.

But now, it was noticeably different. It was as if I was entering adolescence, with a hint of maturity starting to show.

Somewhere between a boy and a young man. My jawline had become sharper, and my nose bridge higher, giving me a more masculine appearance.

The so-called T-zone had become more pronounced. I had liked my previous face, but honestly, I preferred this one.

‘My body and face didn’t match before.’

But seriously, I wasn’t some kind of insect—how could I grow so much all at once?

I wondered if I’d be this sick the next time I grew. If that was the case, it was a bit depressing.

Anyway, now that I’d confirmed my face, the next step was to figure out the cause. I needed to know why I had been so sick to avoid it in the future.

“Patient, do you remember eating anything unusual recently?”

“A beetle?”

“…A beetle?”

“Some of them are poisonous. They make your mouth tingle.”

“… …”

The doctor gave me a truly exasperated look. The comment about how lucky I was to have survived was just a bonus.

But that alone wasn’t enough to mess up my body this much. I’d consumed plenty of bugs and poisons before.

There had to be a definite trigger. Ignoring the doctor’s advice, I started thinking.

‘If I had to guess…’

I turned my head. As soon as I did, I locked eyes with Luna.

It was the artificial eye Luna had given me last time, claiming it was an “eyeball candy” to excuse herself. Ever since I ate that, I’d been in this state.

Luna seemed to have a similar thought because the moment our eyes met, she quickly looked away. I’d have to talk to her later.

For now, rehabilitation was the priority. The claim that my muscles had been damaged by the fever wasn’t an exaggeration—it was hard to even walk.

Was this what a newborn calf felt like? In the end, I had no choice but to walk with support.

“Careful. Careful. Let’s at least go wash up.”

“Okay.”

With Kara supporting me, I headed toward the restroom. I planned to at least wash my face.

When we finally reached the restroom door, I spoke to Kara.

“I’ll walk on my own now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

Gradually, strength was returning to my legs. Walking should be manageable now.

Kara still seemed doubtful but cautiously let go of her support. I stood upright, putting as much strength into my legs as possible.

Thankfully, I didn’t lose my balance or fall clumsily. All I had to do now was walk forward.

‘Slowly…’

I could feel the worried gazes behind me. It was like they were watching a baby take its first steps.

Step by careful step, I moved until I stood confidently in front of the restroom door. Now all that was left was to open it and go inside.

When I grabbed the handle firmly, it happened. Was it because I used too much strength, or was there another reason?

Creak!

“Huh?”

The moment I grabbed it, the door handle bent. To clarify, it didn’t break—it bent.

It seemed to be a wooden handle, which explained it. I didn’t think much of it as I opened the door.

Sway—

“Ah.”

I must’ve let my guard down. As soon as I opened the door, my legs gave out, and I lost my balance.

Kara, startled, rushed toward me from behind, but it was too late. To stop myself from falling, I grabbed onto something—anything.

What I ended up grabbing was the wide-open restroom door. I tried to hold on with all my might to prevent myself from falling, but…

Crack!!

The door came off entirely. Why was it so weak?

In the end, as the door detached, I landed on my butt. The detached door came along with me as a bonus.

“Are you okay? I told you to be careful.”

“Sorry.”

Kara dusted off my clothes and helped me back to my feet. We left the detached door lying around haphazardly.

She seemed to think it was just because the door was weak. I had a similar thought.

Clatter!

“Ah.”

But when I applied just a little force to the sink, it completely shattered.

Crunch!

“Sivar. Don’t play around with the utensils.”

“I’m not playing around······”

Even when I ate alone, the utensils would get bent.

“Luna.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Shake hands for a moment.”

“Why a handshake······ Aaaaah!!”

When I gave her hand a slight squeeze during the handshake, Luna winced in pain.

Overall, my strength had become abnormally powerful. It should have weakened, but the opposite happened.

Watching Luna clutch her hand in pain, I glanced at my own hand. Something felt off.

‘What the hell is going on?’

I figured it would be best to check my status window first. There must have been some kind of change.

[Sivar]

[Possessed Traits]

• Wild Instinct (???)

• Rampage (Ex)

• Tenacity (SSS)

• Iron King (SS)

• Poison Resistance (SS)

• Digestion (S+)

• Dexterity (A)

[Possessed Techniques]

• Ambush (Ex)

• Throwing (Ex)

• Combat (B+)

• Weaponry Skill (B)

[Possessed Abilities]

• Red Mana (Ex)

• Regeneration (SSS)

• Thunder (S)

What is this? Why does my status window look like this?

Among the basic abilities, all the stats related to my body had disappeared.

They didn’t just turn into ???; they vanished entirely, as if they’d never existed in the first place.

What on earth had happened to make my physical abilities so bizarre? I couldn’t understand it.

“Ugh······”

“Luna? Are you in pain?”

“M-My eyes suddenly······ feel like they’re being pierced.”

Then, something strange happened to Luna. She pressed against her eyes, complaining of pain.

The handshake I could understand since I had intentionally gripped her hand a bit harder, but I hadn’t touched her eyes at all.

“W-Wait a second. My eyes hurt so much.”

“How bad is it?”

“It feels like they’re being stabbed with needles. Ugh······”

Now it seemed Luna was the one experiencing a problem. She held her eyes, groaning in pain.

In the end, Luna had no choice but to lie down next to me on my bed. Ice packs for her eyes were an added bonus.

“C-Could this be some kind of punishment?”

“··· ···”

That mouth of hers just never stops running, does it?

Watching Luna groaning beside me, I turned my head toward the ceiling. There was something I needed to check.

‘Lord Chaos. If you’re there, please raise my faith.’

[Faith Increases!]

Thank goodness. Chaos is still around. It would’ve been boring without them.

[Faith Decreases!]

Don’t give and then take it back. That’s just cruel.