I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

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If there is a hell on earth, it would be here.

Inside the dormitory.

In my room.

Right here, right now.

[12 minutes]

Lunch with Han Si-Hoo was delicious.

Seol Ha-Jin, who was going on about the slum, disappeared quickly.

From what I heard, Han Si-Hoo defeated him, a high school student, in a sparring match when he was still in middle school.

No wonder they didn’t seem to get along.

The afternoon class with Lee Yu-Ram was also beneficial.

However, this damn command doesn’t seem to disappear.

I can’t attack unless the target is specified by a superior.

If this continues, it will seriously mess up the plan I had in mind.

If it weren’t for Seol Ha-Jin, it would have taken me longer to realize the problem.

But I found a solution.

As soon as it hits zero, I use the drug.

Right when the time hits zero.

Even if I feel like I want to die, I can endure for just a moment.

I already feel an unpleasant sensation as if bugs are crawling on my body, but there’s no other choice.

There’s nothing I can do about it.

This is the only way to break the command about following orders from a superior.

Lower the drug’s efficacy.

The command the doctor placed on me seemed to lift when I narrowly escaped death last time.

So, there’s no other way but this.

Blood seeps from the wound on my wrist.

“Just a little more.”

I’ve cut my wrist myself.

The blood will make the drug’s effect wear off faster.

But if it wears off too fast, that’ll be a problem, so I adjusted the speed a bit.

If I hate the sight of blood, I could choke myself or find some other method.

But this seemed like the most convenient option.

[7 minutes]

As the drug’s effects wear off, the pain becomes more vivid.

I must have been born to suffer.

That’s the only thought that comes to mind.

“Not yet.”

Should I just give up?

Four empty syringes lie on the desk.

This is my fourth attempt.

If I keep going, I’ll run out of syringes.

[4 minutes]

“Now.”

Bang!

I smash my finger with the hammer I prepared.

I know that this will make about five minutes vanish instantly.

It hurts.

[0]

At the same time, I immediately inject the syringe.

Last time, I failed because I had about a minute left.

[4 hours 13 minutes]

It worked.

My hand is a bit bruised, but it seems like I succeeded this time.

Bandages are still essential.

“Hah, hah.”

My breathing is rough.

It feels like I went to the gates of hell and came back.

I’d rather die than endure without the drug’s effects.

“Done. Anyway.”

I immediately stop the bleeding from my wrist.

With the right medicine sold at the academy, I can stop the bleeding quickly.

After rinsing it with some water, I just need to wrap it up properly with bandages.

This is the advantage of having a private dormitory.

No one cares about whatever weird things I do by myself.

“Pretending… as long as they don’t ask me to remove the bandages…”

I’ll keep playing this game while I’m at the academy.

It’s a great excuse for the bandages.

It would be annoying if Han Si-Hoo or Rena found out.

Both of them treat me like a friend.

I appreciate their concern, but it’s also a bit bothersome.

“Should I ask Lee Yu-Ram to heal me?”

That seems like a hassle too.

It would be annoying if she asked why I got hurt.

Even if I said it was just for fun, Lee Yu-Ram would probably just accept it.

The time.

[4 hours 11 minutes]

Not this, the real time.

07:46.

It’s morning.

It’s almost time to go to school.

I stayed up all night trying to neutralize the drug’s effects.

But since I succeeded, it’s fine.

Dare to place such restrictions on me?

I can attack at will now.

I have my freedom.

Freedom.

“Well, morning classes are starting.”

Lee Yu-Ram pressed the button with a loud click.

A crackling noise is followed by a voice.

Freedom, my ass.

It’s the same day repeating again.

– Please listen after administration.

– Repeated playback enhances effectiveness.

– The subject does not require psychological stability.

– It lasts only while the drug’s effects persist.

The same voice repeats again.

I tried to cover my ears with my hands.

But I lower them, remembering what Lee Yu-Ram said—that I wouldn’t be able to get the drug if I did that.

– [You cannot attack a target that has not been designated by a superior.]

What a load of crap.

– [You must attack the target designated by a superior.]

I have to find a way.

No, there is a way, but I thought it would end with just one time.

I never imagined they would play this message every time I use the drug.

“Aha.”

I start to laugh.

I feel happy.

Teacher?

Teacher, what happens if the sentences from that MP3 player were a little different?

It seems like it’s all-powerful.

Can you make someone do anything with it?

No matter how effective it is, there must be some kind of limit.

“The other classes will start moving to practical training soon. We should get ready too.”

“Practical training?”

“The target is monsters. Clearing out dungeons or gates. That’s what the academy is for.”

“Am I supposed to do that?”

That’s what academy students do.

But are they really sending me too?

“At least once.”

At least once?

Once is once, isn’t it?

That sounds weird.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“You have to prepare first. You’re going to practice fighting real monsters, not simulations. In the training field.”

I’ve wanted to have a real fight at least once.

It’s what every academy student does.

“If the results are good, you might even get to fight outside.”

“I can’t fight for long.”

If I have enough drugs, I can fight.

But from my experience so far, I’m only good at short-term battles.

Fast and decisive.

Until the drug’s effects wear off.

“Take one more dose.”

“What?”

“Military-grade drugs. The more you use, the stronger you’ll get.”

“Wow.”

Lee Yu-Ram pulled out another syringe.

[13 hours 58 minutes]

Am I taking another hit here?

This is the best.

I feel my mind sharpening.

-Poke.

[21 hours 14 minutes]

It’s been a long time since I’ve gone over 20 hours.

“Haha.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Should I take just one more?

“Alright, then again. Attack the target. This one will be stronger than the scarecrow last time.”

If they tell me to attack, I’ll do it.

I approach the target.

It looks like a steel pillar.

First, I form a handle, then the head of the hammer.

I swing it.

[20 hours 2 minutes]

A weapon that lasts one hour.

Bang.

A crack appears on the target.

If it were a scarecrow, it would have broken already.

Bang, bang, bang.

I remember the bruises on my fingers.

I had gone through all that pain to reduce the drug’s effects.

Why am I following commands again?

Crunch.

That’s why I unconsciously grabbed the hammer.

[15 hours 36 minutes]

The target is destroyed.

“Your attack style has changed. Can you create weapons freely?”

“I’m not sure.”

It seems I can make any weapon I’ve used once.

Or a weapon that I’ve experienced being hit by.

Swords, drills, hammers, scissors…

“Now that I have a rough idea of your power, how long can you fight like this?”

“About 5 minutes? Maybe 3? It could be even less.”

“Then, just keep using the drug when you’re running low.”

“Ah, ah? Yes. Right.”

It looks like they’re trying to pump me full of drugs.

Fine by me.

I know how expensive the drug is.

Do they have anything left to give if they’re just handing it out?

“You can keep using it. Yeah, even though you’ve already exceeded the lethal dose. But it’s your choice. Since you decided to stay at the academy.”

“L-lethal dose?”

“Normally, even animals would die pretty quickly from this much. The lethal dose varies from person to person, but… using too much is always dangerous.”

But I didn’t die.

[15 hours 33 minutes]

I’m fine.

I’ll die if I don’t use the drug.

Ah, that’s it.

If someone who’s not a patient uses the drug, problems arise.

But since I am a patient, there’s no issue.

How much do they think I’ve been using this drug?

I’m not going to die from just this much.

“Putting that aside, have you ever killed a monster?”

“Monster?”

“You can call it whatever you want, but yeah, have you ever killed a monster?”

Have I?

I’ve seen Han Si-Hoo kill one.

As for whether Yoo Seo-Ah has killed one herself, I don’t know.

“Hmm…?”

Have I killed one?

My memories are so jumbled, that’s the problem.

I think I might have.

The only memories I can recall clearly are those overlapping with Yoo Seo-Ah’s or the parts I’ve read in novels.

No, there must be more.

There’s something more.

“Hmm, hmm?”

“Well, you can learn now. Monsters, by nature…”

***

By nature, they are fierce and aggressive.

By nature, they hate humans.

By nature, they are hostile creatures.

By nature, it’s better to avoid them.

“…It’s tame.”

What is this?

Lee Yu-Ram looks bewildered, seeing a sight she’s never seen before.

A wolf-like beast, about the size of a large dog.

Even though it’s on the smaller side, it should be so wildly aggressive that no one could get near it.

“Wow.”

I’m petting it like it’s a household pet.

It’s lying on my lap.

The beast looks satisfied.

I didn’t know monsters could feel anything besides rage.

When Lee Yu-Ram tries to approach, the beast growls and bares its teeth.

But even that aggression is incredibly restrained.

In a normal case, it would’ve already lunged and torn into someone.

‘Monster affinity? There’s no way this is just because of the drug.’

The original plan was to record Yoo Seo-Ah killing the monster.

Now, it looks like we’ll be documenting her making friends with it.

Oddly, they seem to suit each other.

Is it because they both have black magic?

“Its fur is so rough.”

Even as Yoo Seo-Ah pets the monster’s head, it remains calm, as if it were just an ordinary dog.

I wonder how far this ability extends.

What about a stronger monster?

How big of a monster can this affinity work on?

It might be a good idea to propose changing the direction of the experiment.

Monster affinity could be, in some ways, the best trait for dealing with them.

They look like they’re getting along.

Yoo Seo-Ah, who avoids meeting people, looks happy.

Well, kids generally like animals.

“It’s cute.”

Even as a joke, it’s not really cute.

At the end of the day, a monster is still a monster. If you let it loose, it could kill dozens of people.

You can’t raise it like a pet.

If you want a pet, you should raise a real animal.

Yoo Seo-Ah knows that too.

Her parents probably died because of a monster attack.

Lee Yu-Ram also has memories of losing loved ones to monsters.

“That’s enough. Finish it.”

Thunk.

A black blade pierces through the wolf.

“Huh?”

Yoo Seo-Ah looks down at her hand in shock.

A blade extended from the hand that had been petting the wolf.

The blood is the same red.

As if it wasn’t intentional, she checks the wolf, but it’s already dead.

She stares blankly at the wolf’s corpse.

Since it’s a monster, it soon evaporates.

Leaving behind only a few usable items.

“Yeah, that’s a really useful ability. It’ll be great for dealing with monsters.”

Pretending to get close, only to stab it.

Very efficient.

“It probably worked because it was an animal-type monster, but for the next one, maybe we should bring in a golem. There should be one we captured recently.”

Yoo Seo-Ah is still staring blankly at her hand.

“Seo-Ah?”