It had been twenty minutes since Erison found the narrow dirt path, yet there was still no sign of a river—let alone a settlement. He kept walking, eyes sharp, scanning every shadow between the trees.His face was pale, sweat dripping down his temple, each step heavy but cautious.
"If this really is a world with mana and magic," he muttered under his breath, "then there should be monsters here… goblins, orcs, or something like that, right?"
He swallowed hard, unease creeping up his spine.Erison knew this pattern all too well—it was exactly like the stories he used to read. In those tales, the protagonist would reincarnate and almost immediately run into a monster… or a woman's scream echoing through the forest.
"That… won't happen to me too, right?" he said nervously, scratching his head for no reason.
He called the blue screen back up, and a soft digital hum filled the air. Lines of text appeared before his eyes.
[Player Profile: Erison Gray]
[Species: Human — Reincarnator]
[Physical Status: Imperfect (Double Handicap)]
[BODY UNABLE TO PRODUCE MANA]
[CONGENITAL HEART CONDITION]
[Stamina: 1/10 — Highly susceptible to extreme fatigue]
[Element: Unknown]
[Innate Skill: Absolute Luck (Only active ability)]
Erison stared at the screen, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"Forget fighting monsters—I could die fighting a squirrel at this point…"
He exhaled deeply.Then his eyes caught the single bright line in that depressing list.
[Innate Skill: Absolute Luck (Only Active Skill)]
"So… the only thing remotely good about me being here is this so-called 'Absolute Luck,' huh?" he murmured.
He knew that power—it had already saved his life twice.
Once, during the accident.
And once again, when his heart had nearly failed him.
"The only thing that's ever saved me… but how does it even work?"
A soft ding! echoed.
[Absolute Luck activates only when the Gambling System is active.]
Erison frowned. "Gambling system? You mean… like an actual gambling system?"
[Correct. Absolute Luck activates only when the player is engaged in gambling.]
His face went stiff. A vein pulsed at his temple.
"So you're telling me that if I'm not gambling… my Absolute Luck doesn't even work!?"
[Correct. Definition: 'Gambling' refers to wagering through the Gambling System.]
He froze. His breathing grew uneven."So… if I'm not using the system, I can't rely on my luck at all?"
[Correct.]
Slowly, his hands rose to his head, gripping his hair. Then—
"WHAT KIND OF TRASH SYSTEM IS THIS!?"
His voice rang through the forest, sending flocks of birds scattering into the sky. He stood there trembling, panting, his face flushed with a mix of rage and despair.
"And what about the downside, huh!? You said there's a negative effect too!"
[Correct.]
His entire body stiffened. A chill ran down his back."D-Don't tell me…"
He recalled it clearly—those two impossible jackpots.
[Jackpot Probability: 0.0004%]
He'd hit it twice in a row.
That could only mean one thing: Absolute Luck had already activated.
The blue screen flickered violently, words shifting like a machine processing data.
[Since the player has achieved consecutive jackpots, the side effect will now be applied.]
The air grew heavy.Erison swallowed hard, feeling his pulse spike.
[Status Penalty: Cursed Social Existence]
[Effect: The world's perception of the player will become abnormally distorted]
"…What the hell does that mean?" he muttered.
[Other beings will subconsciously perceive the player as unpleasant or suspicious.]
[Positive attention will invert into disgust, fear, or hostility.]
He froze on the spot.
"So you're saying… everyone will see me as—"
[Correct. The player will appear unattractive, untrustworthy, and emit an unpleasant odor within close range.]
[Effect duration: 24 hours.]
"W-What!?" His voice cracked, eyes wide. "You've got to be kidding me!"
No response.Only the pulsing blue glow before him, flickering like mockery.
His head hung low, eyes hollow.
Memories from his old world flashed in his mind—
how women avoided him without reason, how disgusted stares followed him wherever he went.
And now, even here… the curse had followed.
"Damn it… this is just a sick joke," he whispered, tears glinting in his eyes.
Yes, he knew—this was a cruel lie.
The one thing that could save him… had become his greatest curse.
"So the effect only triggers when I use Absolute Luck, right!?"
[Correct.]
He took a deep breath. That was fine.
He just had to not use it.
Simple.
Or so he thought.
With Absolute Luck active through the Gambling System, he'd always hit the jackpot—which meant he could never avoid its negative side effects.
Then the screen shifted again.
[That is impossible.]
[When the player encounters a living being with hostile intent or killing intent, the system will activate automatically.]
His blood ran cold. Sweat dripped down his neck.
"C-Calm down, Erison. Calm down…" he whispered shakily.
"It's fine. I just need to avoid trouble, right? Haha… hahaha…"
He laughed—a hollow, broken laugh.
"Yeah! I'll find a village, be a farmer, a merchant, even a trash collector if I have to!"
He tried to piece together a plan from the fragments of his panic.
"Right… I'll gather info, maybe find a way back to Earth. Maybe… see Yuki again."
A stiff smile tugged at his lips. "And if not… fine. I'll start over. Find a new partner. Hell, maybe build a harem while I'm at it!"
But deep down, he knew he was lying to himself.
He wasn't laughing because it was funny—he was desperate.
Even in his old life, he'd had money, comfort, entertainment… yet still felt hollow.
He wasn't a machine. He was human— someone who longed for warmth, for love not bought with cash.
That was his true wish. Not fame. Not power. Just a quiet, normal life—a home, a family, and a peaceful death.
He looked up at the sky, his eyes burning with defiance and sorrow.
Then, with every ounce of strength left, he screamed:
"DAMN YOU, GOD!!! YOU THINK YOU CAN BREAK ME THAT EASILY!?""JUST WATCH! I'LL GET MARRIED!!! I'LL DO IT!!! I'LL HAVE KIDS!!! YOU HEAR THAT, YOU DAMN GOD!!!"
His voice thundered through the forest, echoing between the trees. The wind brushed against his face, as if laughing at his madness.
When the echo faded, only silence remained.
Then—the faint sound of trickling water.
Erison froze. The sound pierced through his spinning thoughts. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward it—his throat parched, his body screaming for water.
A few moments later, he burst through the last line of bushes. Before him flowed a small river, clear enough to see the pebbles beneath. Sunlight slipped through the canopy, making the surface shimmer like glass.
Erison's face lit up. A pure, boyish smile spread across his lips. He dropped to his knees, scooping the water with both hands. Cool liquid slid down his dry throat—relief so pure it nearly made him cry.
He drank again, greedily, water dripping down his chin and soaking his tattered clothes. Then he splashed his face, washing the scratch left by that damn squirrel earlier. The sting faded beneath the chill, a small comfort in the chaos.
He looked down into the water. The reflection staring back was that of a boy—around sixteen, messy black hair with faint gray at the tips. Slightly handsome, yet deathly pale, with dark bags under his eyes.
But his irises… they were still black.
Just like back on Earth.
"…So this really is me, huh," he murmured, touching his wet cheek. "But this body looks younger… did I reincarnate into someone else's?"
He stared for a while longer, then glanced at the flowing current.
"What the hell happened to this body before I got here? Why's it so dehydrated?" he muttered, half to himself.
But the calm didn't last. As he was lost in the reflection, a piercing scream shattered the silence.
A woman's voice.
Erison's body went rigid. He turned toward the sound—it came from the west. Birds scattered, the river rippled.
"…Ahh, it's really happening," he whispered bitterly. "The classic setup—a girl screaming for help in the woods. And me, the idiot protagonist, getting dragged right into it."
He shook his head rapidly. "No. No, Erison! You're not the protagonist! You're just a side character! Don't do something stupid!"
He slapped his cheeks. "Yeah, right. If I go there, there's danger—monsters, bandits, or worse."
His gaze flicked to the floating blue screen. "And if that happens… the Gambling System activates automatically."
He groaned. "Which means jackpot. Which means another curse. Perfect."
He forced a laugh, hollow and exhausted. "Yeah, let's just pretend I didn't hear anything. Probably just the wind. Or a bird screaming for help."
But even as he said it, his eyes trembled—the curiosity refusing to die.
"…Still, if I did go… and hit another jackpot…" he muttered, staring at his hands. "Would my stamina skyrocket? Or my muscles explode? Or maybe I'd awaken mana?"
He sighed, then waved the thought away. "Ahhh, screw it! I'll fight something only after this effect wears off!"
He laughed again, empty and tired. "Yeah, twenty-four hours. That's the plan."
He smacked his cheeks once more. "Good thinking, Erison. Survive first, gamble later."
He looked toward the trees, taking a deep breath. "Right now, just find somewhere safe. Don't cause trouble."
But no matter how hard he tried to calm himself, the scream still echoed in his ears—clearer now,
laced with panic and the faint clang of metal.
He clenched his jaw and covered his ears.
"Shut up… please… just shut up…"
But the voice wouldn't stop.It was calling him—dragging him toward the very fate he wanted to avoid.