Evening At The Tavern

What was the best way to unwind after a battle in a dungeon?

Drinking until your eyes drooped and eating until your stomach was as fat as that of a noble, of course!

The tavern was alive with laughter and the clatter of mugs smashing together in celebration.

The scent of roasted meat, fresh bread, and spiced ale filled the air, mixing with the warm glow of lanterns hanging from wooden beams.

Adventurers packed the place, most fresh from their own quests, all eager to spend their hard-earned coin on the two things that mattered most — food and drink.

Zayn was having a good time.

Why?

Because Kara had taken it upon herself to make sure he drank.

"Come on, newbie," she said, sliding a frothing mug toward him. "First dungeon, first drink. It's tradition."

Zayn eyed the cup warily. He had drunk before — back in his old life, sure — but the alcohol in this world was different. It was far much stronger. He could smell the potency just from the foam.

Bran, already on his third drink, laughed and slapped him on the back. "What, scared? Didn't think you were such a lightweight, Zayn!"

Zayn scowled. "I'm not."

"Then drink," Kara challenged, leaning in with a smirk.

Zayn hesitated for only a second before grabbing the mug and taking a long gulp.

The burn hit immediately, but instead of the sharp sting he expected, it was smooth.

A warmth spread through his chest, and the flavor — slightly fruity, rich, and just the right amount of bitterness—made his eyebrows shoot up.

Kara grinned. "See? Told you it's good."

Bran raised his cup. "To the newest adventurers of D-rank!"

A chorus of cheers erupted from their table as they clinked their mugs together.

The evening carried on like that — drinks flowing, plates of meat and bread disappearing in minutes. Laughter filled the air as they recounted their first dungeon experience, with Bran dramatically acting out the moment the boss appeared, nearly flipping over the table in his enthusiasm.

Elisse and Tobias, however, weren't drinking.

Tobias had a glass of water in his hand, calmly sipping as he watched everyone with an amused expression. "You lot are going to regret this in the morning."

Elisse nodded, nursing what looked like a light fruit juice. "They're already a mess."

Zayn didn't care.

This world's alcohol was amazing.

Better than anything he had ever tasted in his old life. And besides — his body had some kind of alcohol resistance.

What could go wrong?

He shoved another piece of roasted meat into his mouth, savoring the taste. There was nothing that could go wrong now.

[Hours later…]

Something had gone very wrong.

Bran, still surprisingly steady on his feet, had taken on the noble duty of dragging both Kara and Zayn toward the inn.

Kara was beyond wasted. She had been the one feeding Zayn drinks earlier, but somewhere along the way, she had lost control of herself.

She was currently muttering something incoherent, her head lolling against Zayn's shoulder.

Zayn, meanwhile, had definitely overestimated his alcohol resistance.

His thoughts were swimming, the world tilting at odd angles, and his legs had decided they no longer wanted to cooperate.

"Bran," Zayn slurred, blinking blearily, "I think somethin's wrong with m' legs."

"Yeah, they're drunk," Bran said, hauling him along. "You'll live."

Tobias walked beside them, surprisingly also drunk, despite having sworn off alcohol earlier in the night.

"I told you all," Tobias muttered, pushing his glasses up, though his fingers missed and nearly poked himself in the eye. "I told you. And what happened? You didn't listen."

Bran smirked. "You're not exactly sober yourself, bookworm."

Tobias scoffed.

"I am — hic — perfectly fine. This isn't — this isn't even a house. Look at it. This is — this is just — a— " Zayn waved a hand vaguely at the inn's entrance, as if struggling to figure out what it was.

Bran sighed. "Alright, alright. Come on, let's get you all inside before you embarrass yourselves more than you already have."

The moment they stumbled through the inn's doors, they were greeted by a tired-looking innkeeper, who, upon seeing them, simply sighed and pointed to the stairs. "Rooms are ready upstairs. Third floor."

Bran nodded in thanks and continued his mission.

Kara had started sleep-talking about stabbing goblins in their "stupid green faces."

Bran groaned. "She's gonna be a handful in the morning."

Zayn, barely functioning at this point, just muttered, "M' legs 'r still drunk…" before Bran unceremoniously dumped him onto a bed.

The moment his head hit the pillow, sleep took him.

#####

Zayn woke up with the odd urge to throw up.

The moment his brain flickered back to consciousness, regret hit him like a war hammer to the skull.

His stomach twisted, his head pounded, and the room — no, the world — was spinning in three different directions.

Colors blurred together, and for some reason, everything was just a little too bright.

'What the hell did I drink last night?'

He groaned and rolled off the bed, his coordination failing him the moment his feet touched the floor.

His legs wobbled, barely keeping him upright as he stumbled toward the bathroom section of the inn room.

The closer he got, the worse he felt.

His stomach churned like it was trying to escape from his body, and his vision swam so badly that for a second, he swore he saw tiny floating goblins dancing around his head, laughing at him.

'Oh gods, I'm actually dying.'

Somehow, after what felt like a battle worthy of song and legend, he reached the sink and turned the faucet on. Ice-cold water rushed out, and he immediately splashed a handful onto his face.

Bad idea.

His eyes burned.

His nose burned.

Even his soul burned.

"Shit — " He coughed, blinking rapidly as his mind tried to realign itself with reality.

Then, out of nowhere —

DING!

A crisp, clear sound echoed in his head, and his blurry vision sharpened just in time for a glowing blue screen to materialize in front of him.

[Passive Skill: Alcoholic Resistance (LV.1) has been unlocked]

Zayn stared.

He blinked.

He squinted.

"…Are you kidding me?"

Of all the things he could have unlocked in this world full of magic, monsters, and legendary powers—his/ first passive skill was Alcoholic Resistance?!