I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 361: Breaking the seal?

The actions of a famous person, whether they like it or not, are bound to spread as rumors. The same applied to Ihayul, who attended Shinyoung Academy.

First Semester of the First Year.

Ihayul received professional training from the top-tier hero, Atra Clyde, who had been brought in from outside.

Although it wasn’t officially confirmed, rumors suggested that the training focused on physical growth and combat techniques.

The results of this training were proven through the first Tower entry and the Shifnah incident.

During his first Tower entry, Ihayul not only kept up with the renowned students of Shinyoung but also excelled, even standing out in the face of intense competition.

Caught up in the chaotic rampage of a Level 4 dungeon without warning, he single-handedly hunted numerous monsters and Alpha-class creatures.

Second Semester of the First Year.

Ihayul began to dabble in magic. While he had previously been familiar with it, it wasn’t until the second semester that he formally started attending magic lectures.

Once again, his results were proven.

One of the key pieces of evidence was during the Birth Ritual Tower entry. The unprecedented scale of the battle, centered around a magical conflict, remains a frequent topic ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) in community discussions.

And now, in the current First Semester of the Second Year.

“......”

This year's new professor, Tigreen.

She was watching Ihayul as he attended her "Crafting Major" lecture, her eyes trembling slightly.

A gentle beam of sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her pure white hair, her neatly curled eyes, and the distinctive wings on her attire.

There was no mistaking the overwhelming presence she exuded.

She’s really here...

There had been signs. In this free semester, Ihayul had already “conquered” several crafting major lectures.

How was it...? Seriously, it didn’t make sense... Don’t know what I mean? Kick, you’ll probably see it too soon.

See it for yourself then.

The chuckles of a professor, who had become quite familiar in a short period of time, lingered in his ears. He was also a professor in the crafting major and had been in charge of the courses Ihayul had previously attended.

“Ugh, ahem!”

Tigreen cleared her throat, trying to regain composure as the students’ attention focused on her.

As expected of Shinyoung, the classroom was spacious and comfortable. More students gathered than expected.

The unique, fluctuating student body typical of the free semester reflected both interest in the course and the students who had followed their peers.

“...I’d like to greet all of you attending this class. I am Tigreen Wyler, the new professor of the 122nd class, and I will be teaching the lecture titled ‘The Subtleties of Precision Crafting.’”

Clap clap clap clap!

The polite applause followed Tigreen’s introduction. She briefly lowered her head and then glanced up.

Among the applause, Ihayul was present. His polite clapping seemed to ease Tigreen’s earlier tension.

Although Ihayul’s actions had been playfully referred to as “conquering,” it wasn’t meant negatively. In fact, his actions had only enhanced his reputation.

“...Thank you.”

The applause died down, and Tigreen lifted her head, scanning the classroom.

“As you all know, this course is newly established. It may not have the deep history of older, more established classes.”

Shinyoung Academy had been established over a century ago. While some classes had come and gone, a few had remained, having survived the test of time.

These long-standing courses carried history with them. Some had existed since the chaos of the past, and the accumulated data and experience were vast.

“But for me, newness and unfamiliarity are all part of it. I believe that’s the reason you all chose to take this course.”

There’s no clear ranking between the classics and the newest teachings, but each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

“This class aims to actively share the insights and experiences we’ve gained. From what I’ve heard, that’s the case with most new courses.”

Newness, unfamiliarity, and the untried nature of modern methods—these are things that historical courses, with their massive experience, cannot provide easily.

That’s the goal Shinyoung has for new courses.

Clap clap clap clap!

The applause returned, this time louder and more enthusiastic than before. Tigreen smiled, feeling a sense of pride in the smooth first session. She picked up the materials she had prepared.

“Now! For the first session, we will begin with this!”

Thud! A large box was placed on the nearby table. Tigreen rummaged through it and pulled out the prepared item. The students’ eyes were drawn to her hand.

“A Twisty Puzzle?”

“Yes, a puzzle.”

It was a puzzle commonly known as the 3x3x3 cube, though it wasn’t a perfect cube—there were many more pieces, almost resembling a deformed sphere.

“This is a training tool I personally designed and created.”

At her words, the students’ curiosity heightened. Tigreen nodded happily, accepting their interest.

“Now, if we infuse magic into it...”

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

Whirr! The puzzle began to glow, its once dull gray surface turning a brilliant blue.

“The color changes. Typically, it turns blue with standard magical energy. However, it’s not always consistent.”

Indeed, it wasn’t consistent. Some pieces were bright blue, while others were a duller shade.

“The saturation changes according to the density of the magic. Pieces with more magic glow brighter, while those with less appear darker.”

The function didn’t end there. This magical tool was still a puzzle.

Click!

The complex puzzle turned once. The pieces mixed. The blue color of the surface rippled, like waves crashing together, mixing in a chaotic pattern.

“When you mix the puzzle, the magic also gets mixed.”

“Oh, I see.”

“You probably guessed it right. Now you know why I called it a training tool, right?”

Most of the students realized the purpose of the tool. Tigreen shook the puzzle with its chaotic color mix.

“You put magic into it, and then you need to balance the saturation on each side. That is, make the magic density uniform.”

“Ahh...”

The explanation caused a hum of admiration to ripple through the classroom.

The students were in awe of the complexity and precision of the magical tool.

“Ugh...”

A sigh escaped some, thinking about how difficult it would be to match it properly. Tigreen smiled wryly at their reactions.

“In this day and age, crafting doesn’t just mean hammering away at metal. Magic is more essential, and many mass-produced armaments are made by machines.”

It wasn’t just about using a forge and an anvil by the side of a hot furnace—machines made mass-produced items much faster and more efficiently.

Despite her own skill in traditional methods, Tigreen couldn’t deny this fact.

“However, we’re not here to settle for common, mass-produced items, are we? Masterpieces, grand works, world-changing inventions. I want to create those kinds of things.”

Tigreen smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

“That’s why I created this course, ‘The Subtleties of Precision Crafting.’ To make masterpieces, one needs the necessary skills. Now, everyone...”

She placed the box down on the table with a thud.

“Alright, I’ll pass these out. Feel free to handle them. Don’t worry, this is just the beginning.”

The contents of the box were all identical puzzles, crafted by Tigreen herself. Creating these in bulk was a difficult task, but Shinyoung had helped her produce them in large quantities.

Click, click, click...

“The fluidity is too much. The more you turn it, the messier it gets...”

“That’s the difficulty setting. You can adjust the speed to your level.”

“Ah, definitely. It’s easier if you don’t care about matching it and just manipulate the magic. Oh, I see. This is how the difficulty adjusts. The mechanism and the magic formula must be pretty complicated.”

“No wonder she’s a Shinyoung professor.”

Hmmm...

The sound of the puzzle pieces clicking filled the room. Occasionally, there were murmurs of admiration and praise. Tigreen’s lips curled upward.

It was clear that she had created something impressive. This puzzle required intricate craftsmanship.

Each piece had a different resistance, requiring precision in turning it. The manipulation of magic was even more demanding.

And with every turn of the pieces, the artificial magical waves disrupted the carefully adjusted magic, causing it to get mixed up.

“Ugh...! It’s mixed up again...”

“No, you idiot. Don’t rush and try to take it slow. Your temper’s the issue...”

The groans that occasionally echoed proved the difficulty of the task.

It’s really hard...

Even Tigreen, who had made the puzzle, struggled with turning it quickly. If she slowed down a bit... maybe she could get it right in three minutes?

...

Just as she thought that, a sudden idea came to her, and Tigreen glanced toward the corner of the classroom.

That’s where Ihayul sat.

Not just Tigreen, but everyone else had noticed. While concentrating on the puzzle, the students occasionally glanced toward Ihayul.

He was still, his hands gripping the puzzle.

Wasn’t his left arm a prosthetic? Oh, his prosthetic arm is the only part that’s not regenerated...

Tigreen, who had been curious about the white prosthetic arm, sighed softly.

But what is he doing?

Instead of attempting the puzzle, Ihayul remained still. His eyes closed, it was difficult to guess what he was thinking.

Tap, tap

At that moment, Ihayul made a small movement.

His fingers twitched slightly, and he brushed the puzzle, almost as if feeling its surface.

The strange behavior didn’t last long, though.

Woosh...!

The puzzle, infused with magic, began to vibrate.

The surface, once white, now glowed as magic spread, and soon the saturation began to vary according to the magic density.

Click!

The puzzle clicked once. The pieces mixed, and the colors began to swirl together. White and gray mixed and swayed.

It was a normal move.

Tigreen swallowed nervously. The laughter and rumors from the professors echoed in her ears.

Click, click

A few more pieces mixed. Tigreen tilted her head, puzzled. The movements were smooth, far from nervous. The puzzle was being handled quite normally.

...Am I overreacting?

Tigreen briefly thought this, as the pace seemed unusually calm. She wondered if her initial overreaction was due to the exaggerated rumors she had heard.

After all, he’s probably not just trying it for the first time... After thinking for a moment, she realized not much time had passed, so there was no reason to expect him to perform some strange behavior yet.

Click, click, click, click, click...!

But no.

Her thoughts were shattered by the sound of rapid clicks.

The students’ eyes widened as they watched Ihayul.

It was fast. So fast that the afterimages seemed to stretch as the puzzle spun.

That wasn’t what surprised them.

What is that?

The puzzle pieces spun, and, naturally, the magic should have mixed and created waves.

...But it was stable. The surface didn’t change color.

This wasn’t a mistake. It was clear there were changes, but the colors were evenly spread, each piece’s saturation clearly separated and settled into its respective area.

Crazy.

Tigreen’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.

As the person who knew the puzzle best, she knew exactly how impossible it was to manipulate it that way.

She had designed it herself, after all.

Click!

Before her shock could fully settle in, the puzzle’s spinning stopped.

Tigreen blinked as she watched it, stunned.

The puzzle on the desk was completely solved—every side filled with a uniform saturation of color.

Her lips sealed tight as she checked the time.

It hasn’t even been a minute?

Not even the minute hand had moved. The absurdity of the situation made her eyes widen.

How was it... really, it didn’t make sense...

The words of the professor, who had been chuckling earlier, echoed in her head.

...I really don’t know what to say.

She couldn’t say anything. It just didn’t make sense.

Could this even be real? She had doubts, but after witnessing it firsthand, she was left speechless.

Woosh...!

Woosh...!

“Hmm...?”

Just as she was trying to swallow her shock, she heard the familiar sound of the puzzle moving again.

The puzzle was moving normally. The only odd thing was that the sound came in two distinct bursts.

Tigreen, who had been shaking her head secretly, finally looked up.

Her gaze fell on the same corner where Ihayul was sitting, his hands still gripping the puzzle.

...And beside him, another puzzle hovered in the air, its surface glowing white.

Click, click, click...!

Click, click, click...!

One puzzle spun in his hands, while the other spun in mid-air.

It was almost as fast as before.

“Insane...”

Tigreen couldn’t hold back her amazement this time.

Her mouth hung open as she praised Ihayul’s skills.

It seems like he’s trained.

Her astonished gaze followed him as she walked out of the classroom.

She absentmindedly twitched her fingers, feeling the lingering sensation of the puzzles.

So, it can be made in the form of a puzzle like this. Of course, this kind of creativity is needed.

New courses—objectively speaking, they lacked the density and experience of older, traditional courses.

But they certainly offered new perspectives and insights. After all, it was hard to find new realizations in something you're already used to. The lessons learned from embracing the new were definitely valuable.

That’s why she had been sampling various courses recently, especially those related to the crafting major, with so many things to make this semester.

Thanks to the free semester, she had the freedom to hop around different classes.

The gift from Daera, and... I want to finish everything before the meeting of the Three Great Families.

The meeting of the Three Great Families would take place soon. It hadn’t happened yet, as each family had its own issues, but it was inevitable.

The main topic of that meeting would be her.

It would be nice to have some gifts prepared beforehand.

Though there was no immediate threat, she hoped things would proceed smoothly.

Perhaps it could be seen as a bribe? Her true desire was to leave a better impression by presenting a small gift.

To do that...

She quickly checked her schedule and reviewed her plans. It looked manageable.

With a few swift taps on her smartwatch, she sent a message.

[Message sent]

[Contact: Baek Ah-Rin]

[Contact: Lee Ji-Yeon]

[Me▶: Would you be able to meet for a bit?]

[Me▶: (Emoticon of a puppy peeking from a corner)]

[Player Adjustment System: Exploration Level]

[Subquest “Breaking the Seal” completed]

[Points accumulated]

...

[Unique Ability “Magic Affinity” growing]

[Unique Ability “Charismatic All-Rounder” growing]