I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 165 Clash with Gravity-Based Magic!
People seemed to be wondering what they had just heard. Was there too much information in that short sentence?

However, the store manager reacted quickly, saying that whether this was just playing with abstract concepts or going all out, it was not appropriate to let it escalate further.

"Oh, right! A reminder to all participants. Regardless of whether you win or lose this round, you've all received a free cocktail and beer tonight! Let's begin our duels one by one!"

It's not Tsukino Gen's turn yet, so I'll take some time to observe others.

The young man who was facing off against the black guy looked nervous from the start; sweat was already dripping down his face even before the match began.

The black guy just kept grinning at the other person in a silly, goofy way, showing off his big white teeth.

It looks like a streetlight over a truck.

Wait, he's a truck driver, so what is this guy?
"start!"

"Grumpy"

"Grumpy"

When the black guy finished two bottles of beer at an astonishing speed, put them on the table, and wiped his lips...

Everyone vaguely came to the conclusion that the guy across from them, who hadn't even finished his first drink, didn't seem to count as a speed bump.

They were completely crushed.

This was the most lopsided matchup in the entire process; the later matches were all about the same, with very minor differences.

Finally, it came to the order of the duel between Tsukino Gen and the man named Otani.

Otani is a young man who looks like he drinks often, and although he is young, he already has the potential to become quite overweight.

It was fine if he hadn't taken off his coat, but after he did, the buttons on his shirt couldn't hide the bulge in his stomach.

Gen Tsukino was very calm. Compared to his opponent, he seemed completely unprepared. He simply watched quietly as his opponent made various preparatory movements, such as taking deep breaths, unbuttoning clothes, and squatting down.
"Alright, are you two ready? Is there anything you'd like to say to each other?"

The store manager came over for an interview with a smile.

Ohtani grabbed the microphone and said to the audience, "I will fight for my girlfriend. I've been drinking beer since I was seven, and I will never lose!"

"it is good!!"

The enthusiastic spectators below cheered and jeered incessantly.

As expected of a nation with such immature tastes, it doesn't feel out of place at all when they say such things.

"And what about you, Mr. Tsukino?"

Gen Tsukino spotted Chinatsu Morita in the audience, who was filming with her phone.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and then said casually.

"Come on, let's drink to world peace."

"Hahahaha, so funny."

"Waaaaah, family members, does anyone understand? Are all handsome guys this kind-hearted? They're so different from those scoundrels."

Even the store manager was taken aback; the boy would say something like that.

It might not seem like a cringeworthy statement, but actually it's quite cringeworthy to say it in this kind of setting. Fortunately, the audience reacted very enthusiastically.

He didn't waste any more words.

"So, prepare."

The manager deliberately created a tense atmosphere. Otani placed his hands on the table, intending to reach the wine glass as quickly as possible, and stared intently at Tsukino Gen in front of him.

It's unclear whether it's an instinct between men facing off, or a tactic to put pressure on the boy.

His tense posture told everyone that he would not lose!
"start!"

When the manager gave the order, Otani grabbed the glass as fast as he could and frantically poured the wine in, relying entirely on his muscle instincts.

"Grrrrrr!"

Apart from the gurgling sound of liquid sliding in his throat, he could not hear any other sounds.

He didn't know how fast he was.

Really.

My adrenaline was surging, and I was so excited that I didn't even know what the world was like.

He was in such good condition that he didn't even realize that he had the slightest urge to refuse alcohol.

Even my own throat is showing its loyalty to me at this moment!

As for his enormous stomach, which he had developed from drinking and eating late-night snacks almost every day, it also showed its power at this moment. His belly swelled up rapidly, as if there was no limit, as if he wanted to swallow the whole world!
One cup finished!
One more!
Dude, I'm incredibly strong right now. I could easily have two more drinks.

As for the guy on the other side... sorry, I can only wish him good luck.

"Snapped!"

It seems like an illusion.

The sound of someone putting down a cup, which didn't belong to them, rang out.

Is it that young, easy-to-deal-with teenager on the other side?

No, he should have just finished his first drink.
吧.
"Congratulations to Mr. Yueye (number six) for finishing first and advancing to the semi-finals!!"

When Otani finally finished his beer and put down his glass, he realized that the other person had indeed finished his beer much faster than him.

Even with only a slight advantage, he still lost.

Ohtani was slightly disappointed; he had thought he could at least reach the semi-finals and get a bigger reward.
However, he still extended his hand to Tsukino Gen, saying, "Congratulations."

Gen Tsukino smiled and extended his hand to shake hands with the other person, saying, "You're amazing too."

As Otani walked off the stage somewhat dejectedly, he saw his girlfriend walking towards him and said with some regret.

"We were so close to winning, I'm sorry."

His girlfriend smiled and patted her boyfriend's head, "What are you apologizing for? You've already done a great job~ Also, I feel so sorry for you drinking so much, sit down and calm down."

"Ok!"

Did I lose?
Otani suddenly felt that he had won more.

Soon, only four players remained in the semifinals.

Another draw is about to take place, and this time Tsukino Gen drew a guy who is nearly 1.8 meters tall but looks like he's about 300 pounds.

The black guy named Andrei drew a bald man who looked muscular, clearly had signs of working out, and looked more like a fitness instructor.

"The format for this duel is simple. Since everyone has already had quite a bit of beer, we won't use beer this time. It'll be four shots of tequila and four lemon wedges!"

"All contestants are required to take a bite of lemon and a sip of alcohol, and the lemon must be completely eaten before drinking the alcohol. You can't just take a bite and leave it at that. The fastest one wins!"

Four shots of tequila may seem easy, but the problem is that after drinking so much beer, the strong tequila flavor can easily trigger a surge of alcohol in the stomach. This is why it's best to avoid mixing drinks. Not only does it make you get drunk more easily, but your body's natural resistance is also quite noticeable.

What's more, it has the sour taste of lemon. And you have to finish it all. Just thinking about this sour and tangy flavor makes one's scalp tingle.

Even Andrei repeatedly gasped and frowned during the process.

Looking at the fitness instructor across from him, it was even more unbearable. From the moment he ate the first lemon slice to the first glass of tequila, his saliva kept dripping down his face.

It's as if you finish drinking a glass and then wash the glass as well.

The excessive saliva production was unstoppable, but in the end, the black guy won.

By the end, his face was a dark reddish-brown.

Next up was Tsukino Gen's group, which was obviously more popular. Since we had already interviewed Tsukino Gen enough, this time we went directly to the chubby guy across from him who seemed very quiet.

"Mr. Yoshida, where is your support group? Will they cheer you on?"

The fat man shook his head. "I don't have a support group. I came alone. I don't have any friends."

"No, why does it feel a bit heavy?"
Upon hearing this answer, the store manager immediately realized, "So, it's quite classy of you to come out for drinks alone. Do you think you can beat your opponent?"

Yoshida's gaze fell upon Tsukino Gen across from him. Tsukino Gen seemed to see a volcano about to erupt, not out of hostility, but out of a strange fighting spirit.

He even felt that the fighting spirit wasn't directed at him.

Then I heard Yoshida say something.

"I have nothing left to lose in my life. When I was in school, my best friend won over the girl I liked. When I was working, I worked diligently, but my colleague who only knew how to flatter and fawn won over my promotion opportunity."

"Uh, this."

“A year ago, I weighed only 180 pounds. But illness took my mother away from me, and since then, I have been drinking day and night.”

"Wait a minute." The store manager was already sweating profusely.

But Yoshida gripped the microphone tightly, looking at Tsukino Gen and saying each word slowly and deliberately, "Right now I have no friends, my life is a mess, all I have left is alcohol. But on this one thing, I won't lose to anyone, absolutely not."

"."

After Yoshida finished speaking...

The silence and pressure in the room were palpable.

Even the experienced store manager didn't know what to say.

Damn, what kind of top-tier buff is this, super gravity? What kind of competition is this? Just give out awards already!
Even Chinatsu Morita, who was still filming with her phone, couldn't help but frown.

"If we beat him, won't he just die on stage?"

But at that moment, when the whole atmosphere seemed to be cooling down, Tsukino Gen took the microphone.

He looked at Yoshida in front of him and spoke clearly.

"Out of respect for you, I will do my best."

Yoshida paused for a moment, then nodded.

Then I heard Tsukino Gen say something.

"But I want to add a new bet to this showdown: if I lose, I'll personally give you 500,000 yen."

"Ouch!"

The crowd below was stunned.

Yoshida's small eyes lit up. Perhaps he thought there was no such thing as a free lunch, and asked skeptically, "What if I lose?"

Gen Tsukino smiled. "All you need to do is quit drinking and go back to a normal life."

Yoshida looked at the boy in surprise, clearly not expecting such a request.

Even the store manager didn't expect Tsukino Gen to put on such a show at this time. This was something outside of the event, and to be honest, it shouldn't have happened here.

But he was just about to speak.

The area below was already in a state of uproar.

"Holy crap, this is a saint, bro!"

"They give you gravity, and this is the first thing you do, huh?"

"I know this move, a magical clash!"

Chinatsu Morita paused, looking at the profile of the boy on stage, illuminated by the light. It seemed that his expression hadn't changed at all.

However, it exudes an indescribable charm.

It was as if the brilliance of humanity was fully embodied in him.

Was he such a noble person? Obviously not. She felt that Tsukino Gen, facing such a gravity-defying opponent and hearing such a declaration, was morally at a disadvantage in front of everyone.

It seems that even if you win, it's somewhat inhumane and cruel.

That's why he said those words, to show that he was more considerate of the other person; he won in order to save someone who was on the verge of ruin and whose life was almost destroyed.

If that's the case, then the reaction was so fast that she became somewhat wet and couldn't help but want to tighten her grip.

Yoshida didn't know if Tsukino Gen was thinking that way, and he was completely unaware of how much pressure his words would put on others; he was just saying what he wanted to say.

Under the daily ravages of alcohol, his self-control weakened, leaving him seemingly only with indescribable madness and endless exhaustion.

Returning to a normal life? Is it really possible to actually earn 500,000 yen?
What's the point of going back to that kind of life?

He nodded. "I agree."

Gen Tsukino didn't waste any words.

"let's start."

The store manager had no choice but to proceed, hoping nothing would go wrong.

"Prepare."

"start!!"

While drinking, Yoshida displayed an agility that belied his physique.

His actions after receiving the first slice of lemon were even more astonishing.

"Holy crap! He chewed it up, skin and all!!"

"My teeth ache just looking at it, bro!"

That's right, Yoshida stuffed a whole slice of lime, peel and all, into his mouth, chewed it thoroughly, then downed a whole glass of tequila before moving on to the next one.

He didn't stop.

There's no need to stop.

This seems to be a muscle memory he developed after his mother left.

He drank numbly, hoping the dizziness would come quickly so he could forget the pain and suffering in his life.

He clearly remembered that when he first drank alcohol, his friend told him...

'God wants people to be happy, and alcohol is the best proof of that.'

Are you happy?
He felt numb.

He has nothing left to lose in his life, so he can only win.

He didn't dare to speak up for the girl he liked right away, so his best friend won her over. He hated himself for not giving it his all.

He gave it his all when faced with a promotion opportunity, but his colleague won in a different way. He hated himself for not being smart enough and for not understanding social dynamics.

Faced with his mother suffering from illness, he tried everything he could to save her, but this time God told him that there is something in the world called fate, which leaves people powerless.

Can a lemon, no matter how sour, have the same bitterness as one's own life?

Could even the strongest tequila have the same intensity of my current resentment?
No!

Therefore, he will definitely, absolutely win!!

And the moment he swallowed all that bitterness and picked up the last glass of tequila.

"Clap."

But it was precisely the moment when Tsukino Gen put down the last cup.

He was a little dazed.

I drank the tequila almost numbly, even though it seemed to have no taste at all.

It wasn't until the store manager breathed a sigh of relief and announced Tsukino Gen's victory, along with the fact that the loser himself would receive a voucher worth nearly 100,000 yen, that things continued.

He finally put down his wine glass.

At this moment, he was somewhat confused, seemingly at a loss, or as if his soul had been extracted from his body.

Then, amidst the cheers from below the stage, he heard other voices gradually becoming clearer.

"Keep going, bro! You haven't lost yet!"

"Yeah, quit drinking! We need to pull ourselves together and live on!"

"Think about it carefully, would your mother in heaven want to see you so dejected!"

Screw alcohol! Live life to the fullest!

"Screw alcohol, live your life, you bastard!"

In the midst of a wave that arose inexplicably.

What Morita Chinatsu found somewhat amusing was that this group of people drinking in the bar were all chanting "To hell with alcohol!"

But what dazzled her was the spotlight beneath the stage.

The boy, bathed in light, clasped his chubby hand together.

On Gen Tsukino's face was a compassionate smile, as if he were God.

My personal charm was so overwhelming at that moment that I almost trembled.

……

(End of this chapter)