LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 7 - A Better Drug
“What exactly did you do just now?”
Saying it like that makes it seem like something happened to me.
It makes me feel weird.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Brainwashing?”
Han Si-Hoo continued with his wild guesses.
Brainwashing, seriously?
I mean, sure, if your close childhood friend suddenly starts acting strange, it’s understandable to suspect something like that.
But it’s not like I just suddenly became weird, right?
I’d been strange for a long time; he just never noticed.
“I merely prescribed the appropriate drug.”
“…Is it a narcotic?”
“Sometimes, for patients in serious condition, narcotic drugs are necessary. Isn’t that right, Miss Seo-Ah?”
“Yes.”
I am indeed a serious patient.
If I hadn’t taken the drug, I would’ve quietly died on my own.
[99 hours 45 minutes]
There was still plenty of time left for the drug’s effects.
I felt happy.
My senses were on fire.
Everything I saw felt like a fun movie, and even the burnt smell in the air tasted good.
“You bastard.”
Han Si-Hoo bit his lip.
Maybe because I was here, he couldn’t easily make a move.
He must be flustered, having someone he cared about taken hostage in front of him.
Of course, I’m not really a hostage.
“If your friend was so precious, you should’ve protected her better. Now you’re learning a lesson the hard way.”
Yeah, why didn’t you protect me better?
“……”
Han Si-Hoo had a belief that he could protect everyone.
A protagonist’s belief.
But he abandoned his childhood friend.
Why did he do that?
He planned to protect everyone, so why did he throw away Yoo Seo-Ah?
Was it because he found it too bothersome?
Or had he grown tired of me?
I was the only friend who remembered his past, yet he couldn’t protect me.
“Oh, wait. Didn’t you say we weren’t friends anymore? Well, right, I guess.”
We ended our friendship for five million won.
So yeah, I suppose we aren’t friends anymore.
Han Si-Hoo stuck to his beliefs.
As expected of the protagonist.
“Let her go right now. Or else—”
“Haha, anytime.”
The doctor’s hand, which had been holding my shoulder, let go.
He let go of me, so what?
Nothing much changed.
I just stood still in place.
It was funny.
Did Han Si-Hoo think I was on his side?
Did he think I was a hostage the doctor brought along?
That’s impossible.
“I’d suggest you two have an honest conversation, but unfortunately, Miss Seo-Ah seems to be having difficulty speaking due to the drug.”
The doctor spoke.
“Shut up.”
Han Si-Hoo must be convinced that the doctor did something to me.
Could he really think I couldn’t speak because of the doctor?
“Hehe.”
A strange laugh escaped.
For some reason, my words weren’t coming out clearly, like my tongue was tied, as if I were drunk.
But if I really tried, I think I could still manage to speak.
“Seo-Ah, come over here.”
Han Si-Hoo called out to me.
“Huh?”
“Yes, Miss Seo-Ah. You can go to Si-Hoo.”
“Okaaay.”
Answering like that, I took a step towards Si-Hoo.
With every step closer, a surge of murderous intent boiled up.
“Miss Seo-Ah. You remember what I told you, right?”
“Yesss~”
Right.
It’s all the protagonist’s fault.
If I kill the protagonist, I can keep getting this drug.
I must kill Han Si-Hoo.
I must kill him.
How?
By becoming an Awakener.
By taking the drug.
If I had worried about addiction, it was already too late.
If possible, I’d want to live my entire life addicted to this drug.
What’s the harm in carrying around the title of drug addict?
There’s no reason to care about how others see me.
I’m thoroughly enjoying myself.
I want to kill Han Si-Hoo.
An inexplicable sense of omnipotence swelled inside me.
Of course, logically, I couldn’t become omnipotent, but I had a firm belief that I could do things I had never even imagined before.
“Han Si-Hoo.”
I stopped walking for a moment and called the protagonist’s name.
“…Seo-Ah?”
“How does it feel to be the only protagonist, huh? Haha.”
I tried to hold back my laughter, but it wouldn’t stop.
It’s fun.
So fun.
I wondered if I had ever been this high-spirited since arriving in this world.
My senses were so heightened that I felt like I could read the other person’s thoughts.
Well, maybe not thoughts, but at least I could sense the other person’s emotions.
Han Si-Hoo was clearly uneasy.
“Seo-Ah, you’re acting weird because of the drug. Let’s go. You’ll feel better after some treatment.”
I was already being treated, though?
And I’m perfectly fine.
In fact, I’m better than fine.
I’m enjoying myself and feeling great.
“…I’m perfectly sane.”
My mind was clearer than ever.
Everything I saw, heard, and sensed around me was coming through vividly.
And all I wanted was to kill Han Si-Hoo standing in front of me.
He’d been getting on my nerves for a while now.
I felt like I could fight him just fine.
I could kill him.
Would I be stupid enough to risk my life and rush at the protagonist?
Call me stupid if you want.
The rapid beating of my heart in anticipation of the fight felt exhilarating.
Whether he was an Awakener or the protagonist, it didn’t matter.
As long as I had this drug, I could do anything.
Could I kill him?
Even while under the influence of the drug, I knew I was perfectly sane.
I wasn’t going to act foolishly like the novel’s Yoo Seo-Ah.
I could fight properly.
“Seo-Ah. Snap out of it.”
Han Si-Hoo stood with his sword held firmly.
I wished I had a sword like that.
A strong and cool weapon.
I had always admired protagonists who wielded cool weapons to cut down their enemies.
Not the wreck that was Yoo Seo-Ah.
It would be great to cut through anything standing in my way like the protagonist did.
I was never interested in a tragic childhood friend’s story, to begin with.
I wanted to be the protagonist.
So…
Oh, drug,
Please grant me a sword, too.
Then, a sword appeared.
Fwoosh!
A black sword materialized in my hand.
A sinister black aura swirled around it.
“What the?”
Han Si-Hoo was flustered.
Was he surprised because a sword appeared in my hand?
Would he believe me if I told him the drug made the sword?
“Black mana…?”
Han Si-Hoo muttered something under his breath.
“Haha, it looks like Miss Seo-Ah wants to fight you, Si-Hoo. I’ll handle the others getting in the way, so take your time with your conversation.”
The doctor said, then disappeared somewhere.
He was probably heading toward the Academy people who had been following Han Si-Hoo.
I swung the sword that the drug had created.
The blade blended well with the darkening evening sky.
Shhk.
I swung the sword where Han Si-Hoo had just been standing.
The only thing cut was a random sapling.
Was it something an Academy employee had planted?
It didn’t take much effort to slice through it, so the cutting power seemed impressive.
“Yoo Seo-Ah, put that down.”
“Hehe.”
Shing.
This time, the sword slashed through a pile of dirt.
I was just an ordinary person who had never learned swordsmanship.
More than that, my fundamental physical abilities were too weak.
But there was no need to worry.
The drug would solve all my problems.
“Because I have the drug.”
“Huh?”
“It’s fine.”
The black aura enveloped my body.
This is what they call mana.
The color of a person’s mana varies greatly from individual to individual.
Maybe because I took the black drug, the mana surrounding me was black.
The basic power that every Awakener knew how to use.
The biggest difference between a normal person and an Awakener.
Even the sword in my hand was made entirely of mana.
What happens when mana covers your body?
According to the novel, you get the benefit of physical enhancement.
Crack!
The sword I swung sliced through the base of a tree.
My stance was awkward, but I was much faster now.
I saw Han Si-Hoo’s expression darken.
“Haha.”
The doctor had been right—fighting made it even more fun.
Maybe because it was a military-grade drug, the effect was incredible.
It seemed to synergize well with the Awakener’s drug.
My body instinctively craved combat.
Clang.
Han Si-Hoo easily blocked my sword.
Even with my body enhanced by mana, I was losing in terms of strength.
As expected of the protagonist.
Or maybe it’s just because Yoo Seo-Ah never fought before.
“Sorry, just bear with me for a bit.”
Han Si-Hoo struck my arm with the hilt of his sword.
Crunch.
“Huh?”
I heard a cracking sound from my arm.
Did it really break?
I dropped the sword I was holding.
The fallen sword flew through the air and stuck into the ground.
Thud.
Afterward, I was pushed down to the ground.
A small cloud of dust rose up.
“Haah…”
Even collapsing felt good.
The pain was transformed into another kind of pleasure that surged into my brain.
Alright! I’ll continue from where we left off.
*
I should’ve passed out when my arm broke, but I could laugh as if nothing had happened.
“Sorry.”
“Haha.”
“I should’ve noticed when you started acting strange.”
“Hahaha.”
To be honest, even if you had noticed back then, it would’ve been too late.
It doesn’t matter now, though.
The only thing I care about is wanting to take more of the drug.
[83 hours 12 minutes]
Maybe because I had been using the drug so much, a lot of time had passed.
Han Si-Hoo destroying my right arm definitely played a part in that.
I’m torn.
If we keep fighting, the drug’s effects will wear off.
But if I kill Han Si-Hoo, I’ll get a lifetime supply of the drug for free.
“Haah, not yet.”
The resolve to kill Han Si-Hoo flared up again.
Even if the drug’s effects wear off a little, it’s fine.
The pleasure of fighting was far greater.
It felt like fireworks were exploding in my brain.
Fwoosh!
Mana shot out from my still-functioning left hand.
This time, a smaller, sharper sword formed.
“Tch!”
The protagonist twisted his body to avoid the blade.
Even though I was close, he managed to dodge the attack without any issues.
“Are you going to break this arm, too?”
I glanced at my right arm, which wasn’t moving well.
If both arms became useless, I’d have to wrap bandages around myself using my mouth.
“……”
“Not going to?”
Well, that’s fine by me.
“Put down the sword. We don’t need to fight.”
The protagonist took a step back as he spoke.
On the surface, it didn’t seem like there was any reason for us to fight.
Honestly, I was so out of it from the drug that I didn’t know what was what anymore.
Murderous intent was boiling within me, though.
“Hahaha.”
Holding the sword in my left hand, I approached Han Si-Hoo.
I knew.
With Han Si-Hoo’s skill, he could cut down everything around him at this distance.
But he wasn’t cutting me down.
It wasn’t because he couldn’t kill someone.
Han Si-Hoo had experience killing people.
He just couldn’t bring himself to harm his childhood friend.
“Sorry… I’ll save you soon.”
He’s saying weird things again.
If he really wants to save me, he should just let me kill him.
Everything would be fine as long as I had the drug.
“Are you going to give me more of the drug?”
“Huh?”
“No, right.”
Then there’s no reason not to fight.
He should finish this as the protagonist, fighting with a sword.
Han Si-Hoo looked at me as if he couldn’t understand.
Why was he looking at me with eyes full of guilt?
I felt sorry for everyone who hadn’t experienced this sensation.
If anyone took this drug even once, they would understand me.
“—Si-Hoo!”
A woman’s voice.
The bystanders had already shown up.
How annoying.