Academy’s Drunk Fighter

Rustle.
"Ugh..."

Blinded by the bright light, I sat up and looked around.
"Strange ceiling."
With a chuckle, I quoted a line I had always wanted to use, while trying to figure out where I was.

The clean clothes on my body and the curtains surrounding me suggested a possibility.
It definitely looked like... a hospital room?
The last thing I remember before losing consciousness was using the counterattack and then getting hit on the head with my liquor bottle.

"Ow."
As I remembered, I rubbed my head where indeed, a small bump had formed.
So, what happened after that?

Did I fail? How much time has passed since then? What should I do now?
These worries briefly filled my mind before a headache started to set in again.
Damn the curse.

That damned curse of alcohol dependency had relapsed as soon as I woke up.
"Need... alcohol..."
But scouring the hospital bed and various drawers, I found nothing resembling alcohol.

Of course, which insane hospital would keep alcohol in a patient's room?
Even if I left here, I wouldn’t be able to buy alcohol without money.
I wasn't even sure if there was a convenience store or a supermarket nearby...

"Ugh..."
This was dangerous. As I realized this, my eyes caught sight of a hand sanitizer on a table by the door.
"Surely, that's alcohol-based, right?"
A thought crossed my mind that no sane person would typically entertain.

"...No way, that's not right."
Right, hand sanitizer isn't meant to be ingested...
[Mental strength decreases...]

Damn it, this isn't the time to be weighing pros and cons.
Just like before using Fajing, I could feel my mental strength rapidly declining.
It would be nearly impossible to go about daily activities without being drunk, at least while awake.

Dragging my stiff body, I quickly squeezed the hand sanitizer into my mouth.
Squeeze.
"Ugh!"

As expected, hand sanitizer tasted horrendous.
But at least it seemed to perform somewhat the role of alcohol...
Creeeak.

Just then, a woman dressed as a nurse opened the door and our eyes met.
"Ah." "What, what are you doing!!!" "No, it's just..." "Throw up right now! Do you think hand sanitizer is made for people to eat?" "Well... thought it might be a bit like alcohol..."
I felt a murderous intent from the nurse and promptly shut my mouth.

"What are you even..." "But it tastes really awful." "Of course, it does!! What are you swirling around in your mouth!! Spit it out!!!!"
Soon, a group of people who seemed to be doctors and nurses gathered around me to check my health and scolded me severely.
Fortunately, they said my health hadn't suffered too badly.

"I've been watching during the exam, but why do you keep drinking? You're still at a student's age." "If I don't drink, my head hurts." "Hmm... Alcohol dependency? Or something else..."
The doctor seemed to ponder upon hearing my explanation but diagnosing it wasn't going to be easy.
It was a curse, after all.

I vaguely remember something from the description about the curse being engraved on the soul itself.
"Anyway, never eat that again. If you need alcohol, ask for something with a lower alcohol content. It's better for your health." "Yes, can I get something with lower alcohol content, then..." "...Yes."
The doctor looked at me with a slightly sad expression.

...
So, while sipping on some alcohol brought by someone else, I listened to them talk about what happened after the competition.
"Unfortunately, after the competition ended, you did not receive a pass token." "Hmm."

I guess it turned out as expected.
Directly knocking down the Red Giant with just a pressure burst from a counterattack was a long shot.
Having higher-proof alcohol might have helped, but at that time, all I had was diluted alcohol, and thinking of another strategy was also difficult.

Anyway, this meant I had to look for another smaller academy instead of the Central Academy.
The standards there would obviously be lower, but they would have doctors too.
"But, there was an exception this time."

However, what the doctor in front of me said next was quite unexpected.
"What?" "Twice a year, in the first and second halves, the professors can recommend a participant they liked from the exam. It's kind of like saying, 'You're mine, come here!'" "Oh, okay."
What did that have to do with me?

The alcohol was slowly starting to hit, and I was still too sleepy to think straight.
"And... this time, that recommendation was for you."
"..."
This was unexpected.

I was already aware of the recommendation system in Dreaming World, but the actual likelihood of it being used on a player was extremely low. The community forums were filled with speculative posts about how to secure such recommendations, but no one had managed to pinpoint a working method.
There were ridiculous theories—like being the last one standing, swearing at a professor, or dancing naked. All of which, of course, were ludicrous.
Given the slim chances, I hadn't seriously considered it as a possibility.

"Typically, the participants who catch the professors' eyes enough to earn a recommendation are those who already have the skills to pass on their own. It's an uncommon occurrence," the doctor explained.
That made sense; if someone was getting a recommendation, they were likely capable of passing the test through their own merits anyway.
"But this time, the performance you showed? It must have been quite impressive."

Was that really a performance?
I had just scrambled together whatever I could think of in a frantic situation.
Nevertheless, the news that I had barely made it through to Central Academy was quite uplifting, so I asked the doctor with a hopeful tone, "Oh. Who recommended me then?"

"Uh... that would be..." The doctor hesitated before revealing the names, which made me smack my forehead when I heard them.
"Professor Philia from the Physical Training Department and Professor Noel from the Literary Studies Department." "Oh."
I sighed because there were reasons for my reaction.

First, Professor Philia.
She valued physical training above all else, believing that the body's strength alone could move mountains and cross seas, and that physical training could outright dominate all other disciplines.
She also valued martial arts highly, having a keen interest in the long traditions of boxers and fighters.

It was clear why she might have recommended me. Likely because of Fajing.
Though Fajing is a 'skill' others can't use, from an outsider's perspective, it seemed like a simple movement that caused tremendous destruction—understandable to someone like her.
Especially since the target was the Red Giant, the visual impact must have been significant.

She probably thought, 'If a girl without proper muscles can send the Red Giant flying with that technique, what could I do with it?'
"Phew..."
I could almost see a future filled with intense physical training.

Either she would want to learn the skill from me or train me further.
"A muscle-packed future...?"
No, that couldn't be part of my future.

I had undergone TS; muscles were out of the question.
As for the other recommender, Professor Noel.
He wasn't particularly difficult to get along with.

He contributed to the magical departments by understanding and researching ancient texts and interpreting various traditions, an indispensable figure in the academy and a renowned decipherer worldwide.
Annually, the fees just for the commissions he refused in order to focus on academy duties would amount to billions.
However, that's what was known publicly.

While Philia might just be someone I'd prefer not to deal with due to her personality, Noel was someone to be wary of.
Yes, Noel tends to become almost invariably hostile to players in the latter stages of their paths.
He's often found involved in various incidents.

It's puzzling why he would recommend me.
As I pondered this, the doctor approached again.
"You seem to be fine now, so you're free to leave the hospital. You can stay if you prefer." "Is that okay?" "Our hospital is affiliated with the Central Academy, so as long as you're enrolled, you can use the facilities here for free!"

With that kindly offer, the doctor left.
I watched his retreating figure and thought.
'Is this world just a game?'

No, considering everything, the scenario of being possessed seems more credible, but the game called Dreaming World was just too realistic.
Every NPC in Dreaming World responds differently every time they are asked the same question, almost as if they could think for themselves.
Though unlikely, what if the characters in the game were actually alive?

It changes nothing, but after such an absurd event as possession, I'm left to entertain such ordinary theories.
"If they were alive, then..."
"My actions could change the outcome."

I don't believe in fatalism, but I do think that people's futures are somewhat predetermined.
Yet paradoxically, I imagine that fate can always be changed by choices.
"Umm... I don't know."

There are no destined villains.
Just paths that are set to be chosen.
But all this is a story for another time.

Gulp, gulp.
"Ah... comfortable."
For now, slipping into sleep in a comfy hospital bed was the priority.

With the alcohol setting in, I closed my eyes.
...
...

...
And time # Nоvеlight # sped on until the day of the matriculation ceremony approached