Chapter 7

Once upon a time, it seems I heard such a story.

God gave water to humans, and the demon gave alcohol.

This alcohol was made from grapes that bloomed from the blood of various animals as fertilizer.

When one drinks it for the first time, they become as gentle as a sheep.

If they drink a little more, they start dancing and singing like a monkey.

If they drink more, they become fierce like a lion, and if they drink even more, they resemble a pig, vomiting and rolling around anywhere.

A drink that literally turns one into a beast.

Alcohol.

It is a curse bestowed in exchange for the power to deny reality.

Naturally, such behavior in actual human relationships is a very effective way to make those around you disappear.

“Ugh…”

Yeah, I definitely like alcohol.

But that doesn’t mean I want to drink until I throw up.

I just want to get tipsy enough to feel good and comfortably sleep without any issues.

The best is to enjoy it just enough.

“Damn curse…”

Still, I drink the contents from the bottle once more and chase away the headache that enters my mind.

The side effects from drunkenness and the headache from the curse are both terrible, but I’ve chosen the least bad option among the worst.

“Ah, why is my life like this?”

The world is overwhelming.

There’s nowhere to stand, and I’ll probably live alone for the rest of my life.

Yeah, what should I do in this state of being TS?

Well, at least I’m relieved I didn’t have people around me in my previous life.

Ah… what method will I use to die later…

.

.

.

Glug.

“Ugh… Haa.”

Yeah, I tried to endure the headache and the curse once, but it seems I couldn’t manage.

If it were just a physical curse, it would be fine, but since it’s a mental curse, I can’t even think straight properly.

It feels like all my dark history from kindergarten to adulthood is desperately banging to get out at once.

A nonsensical curse that leads me to self-destruction, buried under negative memories.

Yet it’s a curse that can be solved just by drinking alcohol.

“Damn it!! What kind of curse is this?!”

I chose it, but I don’t even know why such a curse exists.

“Phew…”

But there’s some gain as well.

First, the curse is absolutely not something that can be endured with mental strength or normal means.

You can feel it sensually.

In typical shonen manga, you often see lines like ‘Surpass your limits!!’, but is that really so easy?

Limits are, literally, the highest points that a person can reach.

If you can break through that, it means you simply had a higher cutoff—was that really a limit?

Because of this, the limit time during which I can endure without being drunk is roughly 5 minutes.

Even at the absolute maximum, it’s 10 minutes.

“Is there another way~?”

There are countless pieces of equipment that increase combat power, defense power, divine power, magic power, etc., and there are also equipment that adds traits, but equipment that allows one to endure drunkenness?

“…Not easy.”

Since it’s essentially an entertainment trait, I wonder if there is any supporting equipment.

Even if there were, I likely wouldn’t have even shown interest…

Rather, it seems I should investigate equipment related to mental strength or items that weaken curses.

That being said…

To get a mental strength item, I need money, but the empty balance in my bank account only lets out sighs.

It wasn’t just a money problem.

Yesterday was when the entrance ceremony started.

Scholarships are awarded at the very least after the first semester ends.

By that time, my bank account has already hit rock bottom.

At least I can stay at the school dormitory for a cheap price, which has solved the housing issue to some extent…

‘If this continues, I won’t even be able to afford alcohol…!’

Since most of the money I spend goes to alcohol, a situation could arise in which I truly can’t prevent the curse later on.

For now, I am diluting high-proof alcohol with water and sacrificing taste, but I can’t keep doing this forever.

I’m even considering buying industrial-grade alcohol at this point, but…

“That tastes awful…”

That’s going to be difficult to handle, and I felt that every time I drink it, I’d experience mental stress, so I keep delaying it.

At that moment, someone asks me from somewhere.

“Didn’t you win your duel yesterday?”

“Ah… is that what you mean?”

And responding to that is human nature!

To understand this, I had to go back a day.

.

.

.

A day ago.

After defeating my opponent at the entrance ceremony, I was cooking a large amount of pancakes.

“Ugh…”

The Exercise Professor looked at me with a face that seemed to say, ‘How do I clean this up?’ and since I had suddenly consumed a large amount of alcohol, my head was still spinning even if I tried to vomit.

“Student! Are you okay?”

“Ah… yes.”

At that moment, a male student supported by the medical team stood up and approached me, and surprisingly he admitted that I had won.

And…

And!!! An incident occurred.

At the moment I was thinking about the alcohol I was going to buy, I saw someone walking towards me from a distance.

I still can’t properly remember their appearance and face.

Maybe I was so terrified by the overwhelming fear that I erased that part of my memory.

The only sentence that I remember is one.

“This is a claim bill for the damage to academy equipment.”

“Uh.”

He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me, then walked away.

The claimed amount was exactly 900,000 won.

It was a compensation claim for the wall that was broken when I used Power Release and sent the man flying.

“Th-this is ridiculous!!!”

“Uh… that’s unfortunate…?”

Professor Philia watched that desperate scene with pity and handed the still staggering student over to the academy hospital, and I was left alone in despair.

That was the end.

And now, from the 1,000,000 won I received from that male student, only 100,000 won remained in my bank account after deducting the 900,000 won.

I never imagined that it would cost that much, and I can’t even control my counterattack skills in the first place.

It’s literally set to react automatically when the opponent attempts to attack.

Of course, such an excuse wouldn’t hold up to anyone.

Who would believe that my skill was used automatically?

After that, here I am now, but I can’t live on the mere 100,000 won I barely earned.

That said, I already know that my current mother would also be in a bad situation to ask for money.

“I need fate…”

Isn’t there something buried in the back mountain of the academy like elixirs or something?

No, at the very least, there should be something like wild ginseng…

But to my recollection, there are no such hidden treasures here.

Only the traits and choices made by the player govern everything in this world.

Just lamenting my current situation and my past choices.

“…No.”

But.

I won’t give up.

Since I’ve already been reincarnated into this game and turned TS, I can’t just sit around drinking alcohol in a corner.

“I need to make money.”

Living a life like my past life has become unbearable.

If you think about it, I’ve been given one more coin.

No, I’m much younger and have more potential than before.

I’m young and bouncy!!!

My current life has clear value. And… I also have a reason to live.

“Ha!”

So, with the cold bottom of the bottle pressed against my head, I got up and set out to find a job by any means necessary.

***

“Hm, is this the list of this year’s new students?”

A woman with black hair slowly began to look over the list of freshmen.

Documents listing each student’s individuality, characteristics, prestigious family backgrounds, and more.

Some students had positions and powers that could even overshadow third-year students.

Some students had such plain aspects that it was hard to tell why they were exceptional.

But all of them were certainly freshmen.

“This time, there are quite a few new students, huh?”

“Yes, this year, children of major sects or those who were responsible for past golden eras suddenly took the exam.”

“It’s amazing to think that it has never exceeded three thousand when adding up all the previous years.”

“Was it like that in the past too?”

“Ah… yes, I set the difficulty of the exam high when I first came here as well.”

“For the first time…”

Upon hearing the woman’s words, the being in front of her extended their words as if imagining a distant past.

“By the way, the Mage Tower Association. I wonder why those old men are here?”

“I don’t know well, but it seems they feel there’s nothing more to teach. Or perhaps they want something from us?”

“Want something… an elixir? I already drank that, ugh… I don’t really know.”

“You drank that? You know how expensive…!!”

“Just kidding, just kidding~”

“……”

The individual’s pupils trembled at the woman’s claim of having drunk the elixir, but she simply laughed it off as a joke.

“Anyway, I’m really looking forward to this class! It’s been a long time since I’ve been excited like this!”

“You say that every year, don’t you?”

“Well, that’s because all students are important. And a woman’s heart changes every time, you know.”

“Ugh.”

“What’s with that expression of holding back laughter!”

As she controlled her smile, the woman continued to flip through the pages, carefully inspecting the students.

As if admiring a collection of treasures.

And among them, she seemed to have discovered something of great worth, her eyes sparkling.

“Oh! Is this friend Yoon Si-woo?”

“Yes, that student is the top of this exam.”

“Let’s see~ As expected, no background or known information!”

“Unfortunately, that’s correct.”

“It’s okay. I wanted a mysteriously enigmatic student like this! But I’d still like to learn a little more about him…”

Like a hunter seeking prey, her gaze lingered on the face of the student named Yoon Si-woo.

“Oh, there’s also the next page.”

“Hmm? It’s not finished?”

However, right after the document of Yoon Si-woo, there was a student who entered as a recommended candidate for this year.

“Hmm…?”

A girl with white hair, looking as if she was drunk, with loose blue eyes, wearing ordinary jeans and a white T-shirt.

[Hernia Aesha]

“What about this friend?”

“She is a student recommended by Professor Philia and Professor Noel. They mentioned she used an interesting technique towards the end of the exam.”

“Hmm… No outstanding background nor notable talent, and why is the photo so blurry?”

“After looking through the related documents, it seems all the pictures were blurry… Oh, and recently she filed for compensation for damage to the equipment.”

“…I-I see?”

The woman appeared startled, glancing briefly at the girl’s face before closing the document.

She couldn’t read the last line.