The face reflected in the mirror was anything but the handsome look of a womanizing heartthrob.
What stared back at him were dull, lifeless eyes; pale, dry skin; fiery red hair that looked slightly greasy; and cracked lips—strangely mismatched, like decorations placed on the wrong cake.
That was the face of Zack Stride.
Zack Stride was the son of a baron from the outskirts of the Kingdom of Rubrum. Despite his noble title, his life was barely different from that of a commoner. In a remote region like his, a noble name held little value.
Zack's reason for enrolling in Hopeful Academy had once been simple: to escape poverty.
But all of that disappeared the moment he encountered the academy's heroines. As if struck by amnesia, Zack abandoned his ambitions and devoted his entire existence to pursuing their affection—through all the wrong means.
He followed them everywhere. From the dormitories, to the classrooms, and back again.
Once, he was even caught red-handed stealing one of their underwear by a dorm supervisor.
And yet…
Zack was still allowed to remain at the academy.
"How are you even still allowed to study here?" Tara muttered, rubbing his forehead.
He still couldn't fully accept that all of this was real.
"Wait… all the bad events happened after Zack started attending the academy," he thought quickly.
"If the semester hasn't officially begun yet, there might still be hope."
In a hurry, Tara searched the dorm room. Eventually, he found a neatly sealed envelope tucked inside a desk drawer.
The name written on the front was unmistakable.
Zack Stride
His hands trembled as he opened it.
---
Dear Zack,
How are you, my beloved son?
How is life at the academy?
Have you made any friends? Are your classes difficult?
We're sad that you won't be able to come home during the semester break.
Even so, please remember that we love you, no matter how far apart we are.
Make sure you eat well and get plenty of rest.
With love,
Elmyra Stride
---
Tara stood frozen.
He had never received a letter like this before. Even in his previous life, he had never known such care—not even from his own mother.
And what tightened his chest even more…
He realized one painful truth.
He hadn't transmigrated into Zack's body before his downfall.
He had arrived after Zack had already become the enemy of every woman in the academy.
"Oh no… this has to be a nightmare."
He clenched his fist and slammed it into his own cheek.
THUD!
"WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH?!"
There was no dream. No awakening.
Only pain—and a cruel reality.
"Why am I always this unlucky…" he muttered weakly.
Since this was a game world, Tara desperately clung to the hope of a miracle.
"Status!"
"System!"
"Inventory!"
"Profile!"
There was no response.
"Come on… God… just this once."
No light appeared. No system window opened.
Only a mocking silence filled the room.
At last, Tara took a deep breath.
He had three choices.
The first was suicide.
Impossible—he had already died once and too coward to take his own life.
The second was getting expelled from Hopeful Academy.
Even worse—because that was the beginning of Zack's true ruin, when he would be abducted by a cult worshiping the Demon King and turned into one of their followers.
The third option…
Graduate from the academy.
The safest choice.
And the most difficult one.
Hopeful Academy was the most elite institution in the Kingdom of Rubrum.
But it was also the only place truly safe from the Demon King's cult.
At that moment, Tara noticed a sheet of paper lying beneath the desk.
---
First Semester Grades – Zack Stride
Swordsmanship: F
Magic: F
History: F
Alchemy: F
Biology: F
Combat: F
---
"What the hell is this…?"
"How is this guy even still allowed in the academy?"
Tara let out a long sigh.
And he realized one bitter truth:
The longer he stayed alive, the more misfortune awaited him.