[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 157

“Oh, right!”

“Yes!”

I suddenly shouted, causing Baekseol to look up at me while eating.

“No, eat a lot.”

“It’s delicious!”

Lily is important, but so is Man-wook, and I completely forgot about him.

Ding!

───

[Beginner’s Antidote]

An antidote effective against 100 types of poison.

It even detoxifies memories filled with pain.

[Recipe]

Holy Water

Mercury Chloride

Folic Acid

Magnesium Stearate

Ogre’s Horn

Lizardman’s Scale

Magical Fruit

..

..

..

..

───

Some ingredients can be found in reality or bought in stores.

The problem is the Ogre’s Horn and Lizardman’s Scale.

Those two items can’t be found in stores or in reality.

I thought I’d get the Lizardman’s Scale while visiting Lily’s place.

“Totally messed up.”

“Yes!”

“No, I’m just talking to myself.”

Baekseol, who was dipping flower petals in ramen broth, seems to be in a good mood, wagging her tail.

Whether she’s wagging her tail or her butt, I still can’t tell.

While Baekseol was eating, I went to the field in front of the porch and took out a chair.

─Click, click.

“Phew── Ah, bitter.”

Looking at the piece of paper in my hand, the cigarette I always enjoyed tasted bitter today.

<One-Time Use Ticket for Smelling the Great Return Pill>

“Ah·····.”

Is it really that hard to get time back on track?

If so, was the original reward supposed to be a multi-billion dollar Great Return Pill licking ticket?

“I want to lick it.”

“Lick?”

“Huh?”

Before I knew it, Baekseol was at my feet.

“Did you finish eating?”

“Yes!”

Baekseol, proudly showing off her full belly, climbed up onto my shoulder.

“Lick.”

Suddenly, she licks my cheek.

“Not that.”

Baekseol, who was diligently grooming my cheek, tilted her head.

“This.”

When I showed her the paper I received as a reward, she tilted her head again.

“It’s a ticket to smell the Great Return Pill. Want to smell it, Baekseol?”

Baekseol, who seemed to be examining the letters, sniffed at the paper.

“Use it and smell it.”

“Yes!”

When I rubbed Baekseol’s forehead with my thumb, she closed her eyes tightly.

I guess she just likes it, whatever it is.

“Use it.”

Ding!

The paper is engulfed in a dazzling light.

The gathered light soon burned the paper, and a wooden box slowly fell from the air.

The wooden box that fell onto my palm was just an ordinary wooden box.

I sniffed it, wondering if a smell would come through the cracks, but all I got was the scent of wood.

Click.

“Ah!”

When I opened the wooden box without any suspicion, a brilliant light poured out.

My eyes instinctively closed.

I intended to keep my eyes closed until the light disappeared, but the enchanting scent flowing into my nose made them open on their own.

“Wow, what’s this?”

On top of the wooden box was a single brownish pill.

The subtle scent must be coming from this guy.

Just smelling it makes me feel like the waste in my body is being removed.

I want to bury my nose in it, but I feel like the ticket will disappear if I do that.

“Baekseol, sniff it.”

Ever since I opened the lid, I’ve been…

Baekseol, who had been perking up her ears, turned to look at me.

“Just sniff it.”

“Lick?”

“Sorry, can’t do the licking.”

As I pulled the wooden box closer to my chest, Baekseol, who was nestled in it, carefully stuck her head out.

After a while, the wooden box disappeared in an instant, as if it had never been there.

“Did you sniff it?”

“Yes!”

“How is it?”

“Good!”

The legendary Great Return Pill vanished like a dream in the night.

She’s always so positive, I don’t even know what’s good about it.

“Well, if Baekseol likes it, that’s enough.”

“Yes!”

The little one nestled in my chest starts licking my chin.

When I lift Baekseol up, her fur feels strangely glossy.

“Is it really working?”

“Good!”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

As I stroke Baekseol while breathing in the fresh, cool air of the training ground, all my worries seem to disappear.

“Baekseol, can you show me the list of training grounds I can enter?”

Baekseol, who was lying on her back on my lap, pokes the air.

Ding!

───

[You can select a training ground]

1. Main Story

2. Song Training Ground

3. Sonata’s Lovers

4. That’s Love!

5. Secret Garden of Starlight

6. Nolbu’s Magpie and Jiknyeo’s Crow. That Secret Love Across Borders

7. The Return Pill, Tenderloin, and Peace of Mind

8. Earth

..

..

..

..

───

“What the heck are these suspicious things?”

The seeds and songs handed to me by the grandmother who suddenly appeared.

Except for the Song Training Ground, which is full of dizzying song selections, the tutorial was supposed to be over.

But now, there are a bunch of things I’ve never heard of.

Just looking at some of the titles makes my nose feel crooked.

An instinctive sense of aversion.

I don’t know why.

Why?

Is it some kind of sixth sense that comes with leveling up my physical stats? I have no idea.

“Hmm.”

They all seem a bit off.

Nothing catches my eye.

The rewards for clearing the training grounds seem pretty juicy, but right now, Man-wook’s antidote is more urgent.

“Seriously, nothing but crap here.”

I should try one of these as a test.

Still, number 4 seems the most normal.

What’s so great about love stories anyway?

“Baekseol, I’ll be back.”

“Yes!”

As I tap number 4 with my finger, the world flips in an instant.

When I open my eyes, which I had closed in a hurry, I’m in a house I’ve never seen before.

Looking down, I’m wearing a school uniform I’ve never seen.

Is this a student concept?

Then, a sound comes from the table next to me.

Ding ding-!

Seeing that it’s a smartphone, it seems like modern society.

Looking at the screen, it’s not a call but an alarm going off.

Ding ding-!

7:00 A.M.

As I move my finger to turn off the alarm, a strange feeling washes over me, and the world freezes.

It feels like everything is filling up with a grayish hue.

───

1. Turn off the alarm and go to school.

2. Skip school without permission.

3. Lie to the teacher, saying I’m sick.

───

‘Seriously, what the hell. Is this a dating sim?’

Everything else is frozen, only my eyeballs barely move.

As I roll my eyes, the arrow follows.

Click!

───

▶

1. Turn off the alarm and head to school.

2. Skip school without permission.

3. Lie to the teacher, saying I’m sick.

───

They even implemented a weird part where everything stops when a choice pops up.

“Still, the first time should be the royal road, right?”

Trying to find meaningful answers in a game I’ve never played is a waste of time.

If I keep showing elementary-level moral norms, I might just follow the solution.

Moving my gaze, I choose option 1, and light floods back into the world.

My body moves.

Grabbing my phone and throwing myself onto the sofa in the living room, the world flickers, and in an instant, I’m transported to the table.

It’s like they ripped out one frame and stitched it back in.

Or maybe it’s like a save-load system.

Information is crucial in any game.

This game seems to force you into the chosen action once you make a decision.

Reluctantly, I grab the backpack next to me, find the door, and step outside. A cool breeze hits me.

It must be spring around here. Cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

─Click, click.

“Phew─ Where’s the school?”

As if it was waiting, a guideline appears on the ground.

“Tsk.”

As I slowly walk, cherry blossom petals flutter from the trees.

At least the scenery is nice.

Enjoying the falling cherry blossoms, I keep walking until the guideline curves at the corner.

Just as I’m about to turn right following the dotted line.

Thud!

“Ahh!”

A red-haired, muscular guy holding toast crashes into me and falls flat on his back.

The fallen man was a giant, easily over 190cm tall.

Even at such close range, I didn’t sense his presence. It felt like the training ground itself blocked it.

“Oops. Sorry, sorry. I’m so clumsy.”

He taps his head with his fist.

Why is he sitting like that? Even though he fell backward, he’s in what’s commonly called the W-sit, usually associated with girls.

And his pants are so skinny that his crotch is bulging.

As he dusts himself off and stands up, his size makes his crotch directly in my line of sight.

“Hehe, you okay? Didn’t get hurt?”

He bends down to my level, his trapezius muscles bulging.

“Can you move your face away, please?”

“Ah! Sorry, sorry. It’s a habit.”

There’s something called etiquette, where you dress appropriately for the time and place. It’s something you should be aware of, not forced to do.

His appearance is one thing, but there’s no behavioral restriction just because he’s big. Still, it’s way too much.

With that body and such a girly vibe, it’s like a reverse gag reflex.

“I’m fine, so go on your way.”

“Hehe, they say even brushing past someone is fate. We’re probably from the same school, so why not get along?”

“Student… you say?”

“Yeah!”

No wonder he’s been using informal speech this whole time.

So those explosive skinny pants are his uniform?

Good grief.

My eyes are about to rot.

“Seriously, stop messing around. And you should be drinking protein shakes, not eating toast. Why are you making a fuss over that?”

“Haha! Just kidding! I don’t drink that stuff!”

He sticks out his tongue and taps his head again.

If he did that to someone else, their head would probably split in half.

“Grumble grumble.”

“Huh? What’d you say?”

“Red—”

A giant man with dyed orange hair bends down again.

“Don’t do it, you bastard!”

“Gah!”

*Ding!*

<It's Love! Failed>

<Would you like to retry?>

“No! Hell no!!”

<Returning>

The world flips upside down.

Thanks to that, a sigh of relief escapes naturally.

If I stay here any longer, I might go insane.

I didn’t learn how to love today.

If that’s love, I don’t want to love.

Love is too disgusting.

When I open my eyes, I see a white cotton ball.

“Sniff, Baekseol…”

“Yes!”

Hugging Baekseol and rubbing my face against hers, the disgust slowly fades.

“It’s okay.”

Baekseol pats my cheek with her tiny paw.

As time passes, I start to feel a bit calmer.

“Sniff. I want to try again.”

“Yes!”

But I can’t do what I just did right away.

Even if I do, I think I need some time to handle it.

Among the things I see, I touch the title that seems the most normal.

Just looking at the text, I still can’t grasp it.

*Ding!*

<Earth>

“I’ll be back.”

“Come back safe!”

As Baekseol’s voice fades, the world flips upside down again.

When I open my eyes, a place I never expected appears.

“My house?”

Even though it’s clearly the rooftop room I live in, it feels strangely unfamiliar.

The cheap chair and table where I always sat and smoked are nowhere to be seen.

Looking around, other things seem off too.

When people live somewhere, it’s natural for traces to be left behind, but this feels awkwardly too clean.

─Screams!

While looking around the rooftop room, a scream comes from outside.

Looking down, it’s a young woman shouting.

“P-please save me…”

She seems so scared that her legs have given out.

She falls backward, dragging her butt and trying to crawl away using only her arms.

Following her is a grotesque creature with bulging muscles all over its body, drooling as it approaches.

From above, it looks over 3 meters tall with dark brown skin.

*Thud.*

Jumping down from the roof, the ground rushes up in an instant.

*Crash!*

“What the hell is this? Do you like toast too?”

─Growl.