Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Wolf
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Wolf
If hell existed in this world, this would be it.
Inside the dormitory.
My room.
Right here, right now.
[12 minutes]
Lunch with Han Si-hoo was delicious.
Seol Ha-jin, who was rambling about the slums or something, disappeared quickly.
I heard he was a High School Division student that Han Si-hoo beat in a duel back when he was in the Middle School Division.
No wonder they seemed to be on bad terms.
The afternoon class with Lee Yoo-ram was also informative.
But this damn command shows no sign of disappearing.
I can't attack a target unless it's designated by a superior.
If this remains, it will cause a major setback to the plan I had in mind.
A problem I might have taken longer to notice if it weren't for Seol Ha-jin.
Still, I found a solution.
The moment it hits 0, I'll use the drug.
The very instant the timer hits 0.
Even if I feel like I want to die, I can endure it for just a moment.
I already feel the unpleasant sensation of bugs crawling on my skin, but there's nothing I can do.
It can't be helped.
To break the command about a superior's orders, this is the only answer.
I have to let the drug's effect wear off.
The command the Doctor placed on me before also seemed to break after I overcame a near-death experience last time.
That's why this is the only way.
Blood seeps from the cut on my wrist.
"Just a little longer."
I cut my own arm.
Because bleeding makes the drug wear off faster.
But it would be a problem if it wore off too quickly, so I controlled the pace.
If I didn't want to bleed, I could have choked myself or used other methods.
This just seemed the easiest.
[7 minutes]
As the drug's effect fades, the pain becomes clearer.
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 the fourth attempt.
Any more than this, and I'll run out of syringes.
[4 minutes]
"Now."
*CRACK!*
I strike my fingers with the hammer I had ready.
I know this will make about 5 minutes evaporate in an instant.
It hurts.
[0]
I just have to inject the syringe at the same time.
Last time, I failed with about a minute left.
[4 hours 13 minutes]
I did it.
My hand is a bit bruised, but I think I succeeded this time.
Bandages are still a must.
"Haa, ha."
I'm out of breath.
I feel like I've been to the gates of hell and back.
It's better to die than to endure without the drug's effect.
"It's done. Anyway."
I immediately stop the bleeding from my wrist.
With the medical supplies sold at the Academy, I can stop the bleeding quickly.
After washing it with some water, all that's left is to wrap it well with a bandage.
This is the advantage of a private dorm room.
No one cares what kind of crazy things I do by myself.
"My whole concept... Can't have them telling me to take off the bandages..."
I guess I'll have to keep playing like this while I'm at the Academy.
It's a great excuse for the bandages.
It would be a pain if Han Si-hoo and Rena found out.
Since they both think of me as a friend.
I appreciate their concern, but deep down, it's also a hassle.
"Should I ask Lee Yoo-ram to heal me?"
That seems like it would be a huge bother too.
It'd be annoying if she asked how I got hurt.
Though, even if I said I self-harm for fun, I feel like Lee Yoo-ram would just accept it.
Time.
[4 hours 11 minutes]
Not this one, the real time.
07:46.
It's morning.
About time to go to school.
It's because I stayed up all night trying to get rid of the drug's effect.
But I succeeded, so it's fine.
How dare they try to put such a restriction on me?
I can attack whenever I want.
I have freedom.
Freedom.
"Alright, let's begin the morning class."
Lee Yoo-ram presses a button with a click.
A voice is heard along with some static.
Freedom, my ass.
The day repeats itself again.
-Listen after administration.
-Repeated listening is effective.
-The subject does not require psychological stability.
-Maintained only while the drug's effect lasts.
The same voice, repeating again.
I tried to cover my ears with my hands.
But I lower them when Lee Yoo-ram says she can't give me the drug if I do.
-[You cannot attack a target not designated by a superior.]
Son of a bitch.
-[You must attack the target designated by a superior.]
I have to find a way.
No, there is a way, but I did all that thinking it would be over after one time.
I never imagined she would play it every time I used the drug.
"Aha."
A laugh escapes me.
I feel so happy.
Teacher?
Teacher, what would happen if the sentences coming from that mp3 player were a little different?
It seems too all-powerful.
Can it make me do anything?
There must be some kind of limit, no matter what.
"The kids in the other classes will be moving on to practical application soon. Let's get ready too."
"Practical application?"
"The target is a magical beast. Clearing out dungeons or gates. That's what the Academy is for, after all."
"Am I supposed to be doing that kind of thing?"
That's what Academy students do.
But are they going to send me too?
"At least once."
At least once?
If it's once, it's once.
That sounds strange.
"What do I need to do?"
"We need to prepare first. We're going to practice fighting against a real magical beast, not a simulation. In the training grounds."
I wanted to try fighting properly at least once.
It's what all Academy students do.
"If the results are good, you'll be able to fight outside, too."
"I can't fight for long."
I can fight if I have enough of the drug.
But based on my combat experience so far, I can only handle short battles.
Quick, decisive battles.
Until the drug wears off.
"For now, take one more."
"Huh?"
"The military-grade drug. The more you use, the stronger you'll get."
"Wow."
Lee Yoo-ram took out another syringe.
[13 hours 58 minutes]
I'm getting another shot here?
This is the best.
My mind feels elevated.
*-Shik.*
[21 hours 14 minutes]
It's been a very long time since it went over 20 hours.
"Haha."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm perfectly fine."
How about just one more?
"Good, then again. Attack the target. It'll be stronger than the last scarecrow."
If she tells me to attack, I have to attack.
I approach the target.
The target looks like a pillar made of steel.
First, I form a handle, then the head of a hammer.
I swing.
[20 hours 2 minutes]
It's a one-hour weapon.
*BAM.*
A crack forms on the target.
If it were a scarecrow, it would have already broken.
*BAM, BAM, BAM.*
I remembered the bruise on my finger.
I went through all that trouble to make the drug's effect wear off.
Why did I end up just following orders again?
*CRUNCH.*
I guess that's why I unconsciously formed a hammer.
[15 hours 36 minutes]
The target shattered.
"Your attack method has changed. Can you create weapons freely?"
"I don't know."
It seems I can make any weapon I've used once.
Or maybe weapons I've been hit with.
Knives, awls, hammers, scissors...
"I have a rough idea of its power now, so that's enough. If you fight at this level, how many minutes can you last?"
"About 5 minutes? 3 minutes? Maybe even less."
"Then you can just keep using the drug whenever you're running low."
"Ah, huh? Yes. That's right."
It seems she plans to shower me with drugs.
I'm fine with that.
I know the drug is expensive.
Do they even make a profit giving it out like this?
"You can just keep using it. Yes. Even though you've already passed the lethal dose. It's what you chose. To stay at the Academy."
"L-Lethal dose?"
"Even an ordinary animal would die quickly if it took this much. A lethal dose varies from person to person, but... it's still dangerous to use too much."
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.
A problem would arise if a non-patient kept using drugs.
But I am a patient, so there's no problem.
Does she have any idea how much of this drug I've used?
There's no way I'll die from this much.
"That aside, have you ever killed a magical beast?"
"A monster?"
"You can call it whatever you want, but yes, have you ever caught a monster?"
Have I?
I saw Han Si-hoo catch and kill one.
I don't know if Yoo Seo-ah killed one herself.
"Umm...?"
Have I killed one before?
The problem is that my past memories are a jumbled mess.
I feel like I might have.
The only memories I can properly recall are the parts where Yoo Seo-ah's memories and the novel's plot overlap.
No, there must be more.
There's something else.
"Um, hmm?"
"Right, you can just learn from now on. Magical beasts are, fundamentally..."
***
Fundamentally ferocious and aggressive.
Fundamentally loathe humans.
Fundamentally hostile creatures.
Fundamentally, it's best to avoid them.
"...It's docile."
What in the world is that?
Lee Yoo-ram is flustered by a sight she has never seen before.
A wolf-type magical beast, about the size of a large dog.
Although it's on the smaller side, it should be so ferociously aggressive that getting close is impossible.
"Wow."
She's petting it like a pet.
It's resting on her lap.
The magical beast also looks content.
Could magical beasts feel emotions other than rage?
When Lee Yoo-ram approaches, wondering if it's not a magical beast, it growls and bares its fangs.
Even that is an incredibly restrained show of aggression.
In a normal case, it would have already charged and started tearing at her.
'Magical beast affinity? There's no way this happened just because she used some drugs.'
The original plan was to record the process of Yoo Seo-ah killing a magical beast.
Now it looks like I'll be recording the process of her making a friend.
They look strangely good together.
Is it because they both have black mana?
"Its fur is a bit coarse."
Even when Yoo Seo-ah strokes the magical beast's head, it remains calm, as if it were just an ordinary dog.
I'm curious how far this goes.
What about something other than a low-level magical beast like this?
A question arises as to how large of a magical beast this affinity works on.
It would be best to suggest changing the direction of the experiment.
Magical beast affinity, in a way, might be the best trait for dealing with them.
They seem to get along well.
The same Yoo Seo-ah who was reluctant to meet people.
Kids tend to like animals, after all.
"It's cute."
It's not cute, not even as an empty compliment.
Still, a magical beast is a magical beast. If let loose, it's just a monster that could kill dozens of people.
It can't be raised like a pet.
If she wants to raise something, she should get a real animal.
Yoo Seo-ah must know that well.
The reason she has no parents is likely because of a magical beast attack.
Lee Yoo-ram also has memories of losing people she was close to to magical beasts.
"That's enough. Take care of it."
*Shunk.*
A black blade pierces the wolf.
"Eh."
Yoo Seo-ah looks down at her own hand with bewildered eyes.
The blade emerged from the hand that had been petting it.
The blood is the same red color.
She checks on the wolf as if it wasn't her intention, but it's already dead.
She stares blankly at the wolf's corpse.
Because it's a magical beast, it evaporates quickly.
Leaving behind a few processable items.
"Yes, that's a really good ability. It will be very useful for dealing with magical beasts."
Pretend to be friendly, get close, and then stab.
It's efficient.
"It seems to have worked because it was an animal-type magical beast. Maybe I'll bring a golem-type for the next one. There should be a recently captured specimen."
Yoo Seo-ah is staring blankly down at her hand.
"Seo-ah?"