episode_0036

I dislike alcohol and cigarettes.

Alcohol turns a person, except for their intellect, into nothing more than an animal. It’s a vile substance that effortlessly erases the minimal decency one might have.

Cigarettes turn people into idiots. They’ve ruined my already sensitive nose and throat. I couldn’t understand why anyone would pay money to buy trash and poison themselves.

As childhood passed, I eventually had to work to make a living.

It was a tough time, but it wasn’t unbearable.

With no proper education, all I could do was manual labor or part-time jobs.

However, due to my frail body, I was rejected from manual labor jobs, and the only job I managed to get was at a convenience store.

At the convenience store, the most popular items were always alcohol and cigarettes.

I dislike alcohol and cigarettes. I dislike the sight of them, their smell, and taste. I simply dislike their existence.

However, that’s just my opinion based on my experiences.

Others may think differently. Many caused trouble after drinking or smoked themselves to death.

There were also those who could handle drinking or smoking and still lead successful lives.

I dislike consuming them. I dislike the smell and the sight.

I didn’t impose my thoughts on others. If they weren’t advising me, I didn’t care.

Even if Professor Atra drank alcohol or smoked heavily, it wasn’t my concern.

Sure, the smell might repel people, but I didn’t bother warning against it.

Moreover, I wouldn’t faint just from a slight smell. While I used to have seizures before, now I’ve adapted to feeling uncomfortable and nauseous.

Then what just happened?

Disregarding spatial awareness, I curled up under the blanket and pondered.

When I first woke up, panic almost set in, but as I shut out my surroundings and enveloped myself in the warm, soft blanket, I gradually relaxed.

Memories flooded back from right before I passed out. Parting ways with my party members in the dungeon, meeting Professor Atra on the way to the library.

And… a particularly unpleasant memory.

‘Ugh…’

My stomach churned. The pain was an added bonus. Fortunately, there was nothing left to vomit. I had already emptied everything on the street earlier.

I struggled to breathe. My body, out of control, trembled on its own.

I curled up tightly, minimizing my body size, pulling the blanket closer to eliminate any gaps and create a comfortable space.

‘Adaptation.’

It hurt to endure the pain. So, I adapted. It hurt to hear insults, but gradually, it became bearable.

I could adapt to blurred vision. I adapted to the pain in my arms. I could even adapt to the difficulty of speaking due to a sore throat.

Even when my leg was temporarily disabled after being hit by a drunk driver, I gradually got used to it as time passed.

Adaptation.

Living beings always adapt to their environment. Since the environment changes constantly, organisms must change along with it.

I was no different. Complaining about my current situation would achieve nothing. I had to accept and adapt.

And that’s what I must do now.

“Phew, hoo…”

I take a deep breath. Consciously filling my lungs with air, I slowly exhale. Repeat.

‘It’s okay.’

The current pain, the throbbing headache, the churning stomach, the disgust…

I can adapt to all of it. It’s a task I’ve done countless times before. If I don’t adapt, I’ll just wither away. To survive, I must overcome.

As I repeat deep breaths, the trembling subsides little by little. Steeling myself, I push aside the blanket.

“Yihayul, are you awake…?”

‘Ugh…’

Through the cracked crevice, Professor Liana’s voice seeped in.

Even though I had closed off my spatial awareness, the sensation of the past crept in involuntarily, making my body feel heavy.

“It’s okay…”

It was merely something I had already overcome in the past. For some reason, it felt like a relapse, but once you’ve crossed a certain threshold, you can’t cross it again.

Carefully, I expanded my spatial awareness, not overly broad, just enough to encompass the interior of the infirmary.

The first thing I saw was Professor Liana standing slightly away from the bed, gazing in this direction with a subtle expression.

“Are you okay? You didn’t look well just now.”

Her voice carried concern. Inwardly sighing with relief, I discreetly pulled my head out from under the covers.

Just moments ago, I instinctively recoiled before realizing my error. It was rude to show such behavior to someone who was worried about me.

[I’m fine. I apologize for earlier.]

“No need to apologize. As long as you’re feeling better.”

After glancing in my direction, Professor Liana spoke cautiously.

“May I ask what happened earlier?”

It was the question I had anticipated. After pondering for a moment, I tapped on my smartwatch.

[May I ask one thing before that?]

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Did you happen to drink alcohol yesterday?”

Professor Liana froze in place. After blinking her eyes for a moment, she tilted her head as if embarrassed.

“…A-alcohol? I did have some yesterday… How did you know?”

I paused momentarily at this point.

How did I know… What should I say in response?

Did I smell it? No. My sense of smell was sealed due to a curse.

[I just knew.]

“Oh… Just knew?”

But I did know. I couldn’t smell it, but my body reacted faster than spatial awareness and magic affinity.

At my answer, Professor Liana’s face stiffened. Then, she subtly brought her wrist to her nose.

“…Did you smell something?”

[I didn’t smell anything.]

Since my nose couldn’t function properly to detect scents, it wasn’t a lie. Professor Liana seemed skeptical, scanning my body with a stern expression.

“I took a shower as soon as I came in…? I used plenty of cleansing magic too…”

[I didn’t smell anything.]

As magical waves shimmered around Professor Liana’s body, a purification spell was being cast. The cleansing magic manifested around her body multiple times.

I absentmindedly sensed it through spatial awareness before turning my head discreetly. I deliberately avoided looking in a certain direction.

Facing the front of the bed, there was Professor Atra leaning against the wall. His expression was subtly different from his usual nonchalant demeanor. It was a minor difference, but thanks to spatial awareness, I could tell.

‘…….’

Cold sweat trickled down. Memories of almost fainting resurfaced.

Meeting Professor Atra… Vomiting on his face. Unconsciously showing disgust, taking a step back, vomiting in front of a concerned person, and then fainting.

How humiliating it must have been for Professor Atra. Just imagining it was dizzying. What a rude act. It was a display of lacking even a shred of decency…

[I’m truly sorry.]

I stopped writing here. What more should I apologize for? Should I apologize directly for vomiting in front of him?

“You don’t need to apologize.”

As I pondered, those words reached my ears. Unintentionally, my shoulders trembled. Did that mean apologies weren’t necessary? Honestly, hearing such words made things easier.

While I was gauging the situation, Professor Atra, who seemed to be scrutinizing my face carefully, turned away and asked.

“…Is your body okay?”

[Yes, I’m fine.]

“Alright then. If anything feels off, let me know immediately.”

[Yes.]

An unexpected conversation ensued. Perplexed, I observed Professor Atra more closely. Though his expression differed from usual, he didn’t seem visibly upset.

‘What’s going on?’

“If you’re awake, that’s good. I’ll take my leave now, so if you have anything to say, contact me.”

Professor Atra turned around. After asking about my condition, he promptly walked out of the infirmary without lingering.

He didn’t even ask for the reason behind my recent actions.

…What’s going on?

After casting the purification spell more than a hundred times, Professor Liana finally regained her senses. I briefly explained the situation to her.

There were unpleasant memories associated with alcohol and cigarettes, but for some reason, this time the resistance was strong, and I couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact cause.

“Um… could it be a mental issue then? Do you have the results of a psychological evaluation? Most likely everything came out fine.”

[What is that?]

“What?”

[What?]

During the conversation, I learned a few things. Normally, psychological counseling is conducted alongside the entrance exam, but I did not undergo that process.

It was meant to identify any mental issues, yet for some reason, I skipped that part and entered directly.

“…Huh?”

Professor Liana tilted her head.

“Oh… didn’t I mention special admission? Well, even so… skipping such a standard procedure…? Ugh, I don’t know.”

Unexpectedly shaking her head vigorously, Professor Liana let out a sigh. It was a sigh filled with complexity.

“Let’s do some tests together next time. It won’t hurt to have them done.”

With those words, Professor Liana suddenly checked the time on her smartwatch.

It was already past lunchtime.

“What would you like to do? You can leave right away, but would you like to rest for a bit?”

[Yes, I’ll rest for a moment and then go back.]

“Alright. I’ll head out first then. If there are any issues, make sure to contact me immediately, okay?”

With a farewell urging to contact her in case of any problems, Professor Liana also left the infirmary.

“……”

Finally, I was alone. I released the tension I had been holding onto precariously. My body slumped backward. A soft sensation enveloped my entire being.

“Ugh, ah…”

I barely held back. I tried not to show any signs outwardly, but internally, my emotions were intense enough to make me want to run away immediately.

Professor Atra’s demeanor. It still felt intimidating and unpleasant. As for Professor Liana… she was less so than Professor Atra, but I still felt a sense of aversion.

‘I’m exhausted…’

It hadn’t even been a few hours since coming out of the dungeon, and this was the state I was in. I let out a deep sigh. Grumbling, I grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly.

Turning the blanket inside out was an added touch.

I calmed my mind for a while. Slowly, my condition improved as both individuals disappeared little by little.

‘…What should I do.’

I was planning to go to the library right away, but this is how things turned out. I was mentally exhausted. It was too much to walk all the way to the library. I was in no condition to faint halfway there.

Still, I didn’t have the luxury of just passing the time.

The dungeon training had just ended, but there was a much more important event scheduled for the following week.

Entering the Tower of Growth.

An event where we would start rolling the Snowball properly in the original. Depending on how well we took advantage of it, the shape of our growth curve afterward would differ.

I was planning to check magical anomalies first and then prepare immediately, but… the schedule got messed up badly.

Today is Tuesday, and the entry into the Tower of Growth is next Monday.

I barely had a week left. Time was running out.

Most likely, other students were in the same boat. They were probably preparing for next week’s schedule with a mix of worry and anticipation.

But I had to prepare even more than that. All because of the label of special admission student.

This time, all first-year students would enter the tower.

The problem wasn’t everyone participating.

Competition among students was allowed inside the tower. Inside, only a tiny amount of pain was felt, and all wounds were nothing but illusions, encouraging us to compete properly.

The issue lies with the label of special admission.

In essence, it was an extension of what Aidan did last time.

Aidan apologized and asked about his motivation.

Special admission student? What makes you so special? What kind of person are you to get in through special admission? I don’t really know.

So, let’s check it out once.

Those thoughts will pour down on me like a flood from the students who harbored them.

That’s how it was in the original work.

Main Story Part 1. In the early stages, there were events that tested the players’ likability by the students who initially had low opinions of them…

If you succeed here, the growth curve will soar. If you fail… it will be delayed.

With such an important event less than a week away, to see this kind of situation is just…

A deep sigh escaped me.

I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing, so I projected the magic book I had downloaded onto my smartwatch as a hologram.

– Beep beep… swish.

“Heyul, are you feeling okay…?”

‘Ah.’

Hong Yeonhwa’s visit for well-wishing came shortly after Professor Liana left.

Through a cautious knock and a slightly ajar door, Hong Yeonhwa extended her upper body sneakily.

The bag she held was filled with nutrient supplements imbued with magic.

I felt no discomfort or aversion at all from her appearance.

From her blinking red eyes, I clearly sensed overflowing worry, warmth, and a cozy aura.

It was a fluffy and elusive emotion that was hard to pinpoint.