Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Researcher A
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Researcher A
In truth, it's all a matter of perspective.
I don't know who said it, but they were right.
You can't change anything that happens on the outside.
No matter what chaos unfolds, no matter what bad things happen, as long as you're stable on the inside.
Then everything is fine.
Some people who seem unhappy on the outside are actually living quite happily.
There's no guarantee that someone who eats delicious meals in a fancy house and sleeps in a comfortable bed is happier than someone in the slums.
It's the same even when I'm locked up in a place like this, a prison of sorts.
Because I'm having fun.
"You're here again."
It's a male researcher whose name I don't know.
He looks to be in his thirties.
He sometimes comes by to talk to me before leaving.
He talks to me even when I don't respond.
"Here, a snack. I snuck this in again."
Milk and bread.
If he gives it to me, I eat it gratefully.
"You're the only one who listens to me here."
The bread is tasty.
The red bean paste inside is delicious.
People who give you food are usually good people.
Right?
My train of thought seems very simplistic.
It looks like my intelligence has dropped.
Wasn't I smarter before?
Anyway, the bread was delicious, and the researcher's lamenting soon came to an end.
"Should I cut your bangs like last time?"
My bangs are a bit long.
My hair used to be short.
"They won't even let you bring a pair of scissors in here without permission... I'll try to bring some next time."
This hairstyle isn't bad either.
Honestly, I don't care.
"Ah. Give me the trash."
He collects the empty milk carton and the plastic wrapper from the bread.
He sneaks it in, so it would be a problem if there was any trash left.
I can't help but think this researcher is a bit dense himself.
There are definitely surveillance devices in this room.
Everyone is watching everything, everywhere.
That must be it.
That's why I can't do anything.
I don't know if there's a listening device on the researcher's collar or if a camera is filming me.
In fact, his kindness might just be an act.
Everyone here is strange.
Well, the snack was good, so that's all that matters.
[384 hours 7 minutes]
There's a lot of time.
Perhaps this is how much longer I have to be locked up here.
I have a gut feeling that's the reason my intelligence has dropped.
"I'm heading out for today. I have to work tomorrow... I should be able to come the day after."
It doesn't matter to me either way.
He opens the door and leaves.
I'm left alone in the white prison.
[384 hours]
7 minutes have passed.
[383 hours]
An hour has passed.
A white wall.
A closed door.
[382 hours]
Another hour.
Whirrr.
The sound of the generator stopped.
A little while later, the lights go out.
Time to sleep.
I close my eyes.
I open my eyes.
[371 hours 23 minutes]
10 hours have vanished.
I slept a lot.
"Come out."
Someone is here.
I follow them out.
[522 hours 27 minutes]
Wow, the time increased.
What did I do this time?
I'm back in my room, lying down, but I feel strange.
Strange is fine.
A pleasant sensation washes over me.
What did they call it?
They used some weird machine for what they called a pressure test.
It didn't seem like a machine meant for humans.
Besides me, everyone else there was either an animal or a magical beast.
I have a guess.
I might be the only person locked up in this prison.
It's a prison filled with monsters, like a zoo.
I think the researcher might have told me that once.
"Oh, dear."
It's the researcher who gives me snacks.
"Are you okay?"
I'm perfectly fine.
In fact, I'm happy.
I'm blissful.
"Heh..."
I try to smile.
I heard it's good to smile every once in a while.
The researcher helps me up and lays me on the bed.
The floor wasn't bad, but the bed is definitely softer.
"The snack... you can't eat it."
I can eat the snack.
Or can I?
My body won't move properly.
The recovery potion helped a little, but maybe not enough.
Then again, I haven't been able to move since they threw me back into the room.
But the floor was warm after lying still for a while, so it was fine.
"I'm sorry. I'm powerless, too. I guess I should be glad I can even get into this room under the pretext of cleaning."
I'm not even sure if he's really a researcher.
He doesn't seem like just a janitor.
Probably a low-ranking employee.
I just assumed everyone who worked here was a researcher.
Let's call this kind person something different.
Like Researcher A.
If another kind person shows up, I'll call them B.
"...I don't understand this place. I just don't..."
I can see his anguish.
In his hand is the bread he was going to give me.
"I'll give you the snack later. Next time."
[522 hours 20 minutes]
Time flows.
In the blink of an eye.
[504 hours 14 minutes]
At some point, Researcher A is gone.
I think he said something to me, but I didn't hear it.
I wasn't in my right mind.
But my body can move again now.
Or maybe it was always moving.
I've just come to my senses now.
You know, this is what's truly amazing.
It's amazing that I'm still alive.
Anyway, I'm glad I feel good.
I feel good.
Always.
It's like my brain has melted.
Or maybe it has rotted away.
In any case, I'm glad my body is moving.
I get off the bed.
Thump.
I'm down.
Or should I say, I fell.
There's no strength in my legs.
But I used a recovery potion.
It's strange that I'm still not healed.
Something feels wrong here.
Ah.
I don't know.
Every day is more or less the same.
There's no driving force for growth, no potential, nothing.
This is what survival is.
Crawling on the floor, somehow staying alive.
But even this doesn't feel bad.
In fact, it's all good.
I don't care about any of it.
If my legs don't move, I can just use more potions.
Then I'll get better.
I'm alive because I'm constantly healing.
They said it was made from dragon's blood or something.
A new drug under development.
So I guess some of the doses might be less effective.
Still, I feel good.
I'll feel better after I eat.
There's a button on the wall.
When I press it, food drops onto the floor.
It's usually something like a chocolate bar.
It's like that thing.
The one that automatically dispenses food for dogs or cats.
The kind where you just keep pressing the button and food comes out.
Thud.
Something like an unwrapped energy bar comes out.
I crawl with just my arms to pick it up from the ground and eat it.
How pathetic.
But it has this unique taste.
The taste of feed?
No, I can taste pleasure.
[505 hours 54 minutes]
The time increases when I eat.
There's probably medicine mixed into this, too.
It just looks like a snack on the outside.
But inside, there's something that feels good.
Pressing the button more doesn't make anything come out.
I have to wait a bit.
That makes sense.
If it gave me food every time I pressed it, I'd overeat.
I managed to pick up what was on the floor.
The button was also low on the wall, so I could reach it.
But it's hard to stand up.
Someone is probably watching.
Right?
They must have installed a surveillance camera.
So they must be watching.
Then please help me.
[505 hours]
I can see the floor in front of me.
I can clearly see the lightly settled dust.
[500 hours]
5 hours have disappeared.
What I see doesn't change.
I can still only see the white floor.
Why isn't anyone coming to help?
Come to think of it, it was the same when I was bitten by the wolf.
They have no intention of saving me.
Actually, it's fine if they don't help.
I'm just doing this because I'm bored.
Staring at the same thing is making me feel strange.
Am I worthless?
Not even worth monitoring?
No matter how you look at it, I'm being treated as disposable.
Nice to have, but fine to lose.
Still, I hope they keep giving me the medicine.
[499 hours 59 minutes]
Clank.
The door opened.
A researcher?
"Come out."
Another experiment.
Still, I feel even better when I get the medicine.
The problem is that my body won't move.
My limbs only twitch a little.
"Can't you move?"
If it were Mr. A, he would have given me a snack.
"[Come out.]"
I have to go.
No, it's impossible.
I can't obey a command that's impossible from the start.
There's nothing I can do about this.
"I'm sure you were injected with the drug."
He mutters something.
Are all researchers experts at talking to themselves?
"Well. You've been used for a long time."
I've been locked up here for quite a while.
Does this mean I can go outside now?
But I don't know if that's a good thing.
More importantly, why am I here?
I've asked this question hundreds of times, but I don't know the answer.
My memory gets more jumbled by the day, and my intelligence keeps dropping.
At least I'm happy.
The researcher takes out his phone and makes a call.
"Yes, yes..."
What's the call about?
I can't hear well.
"Ah, it's not moving even with the Command Spell."
Just drag me out.
Why do I have to walk?
You always just tell me to stay still anyway.
Is not being able to stand up that big of a deal?
"Should I just dispose of it?"
Ack.
Dispose of me?
That sounded like a scary word.
"Ah, but it's been alive all this time..."
What are they planning to dispose of?
Why are you looking at me while saying that?
"Sir, even if you ask why it's still alive... Yes, I understand. Have a good day."
The researcher hangs up.
He ruffles his hair in annoyance.
"What do they expect me to do?"
Right.
What are you going to do?
"Should I just put it in the incinerator?"
Incinerator?
He says he's going to burn me.
I don't want to die, not after coming this far.
I don't want to die.
I don't want to die.
"According to the manual, I should kill it then put it in."
What kind of manual is that?
"But doing it with my own hands feels... off."
He grumbles.
"Why does it have to look so human..."
I am human.
I don't just look human.
Well, I guess I do look human, but anyway.
I'm human.
"Got to do what you got to do."
He drags me out of the room.
A white hallway.
Last time, a trail of blood was left behind as I was dragged.
This time, the hallway is clean.
Someone cleaned it.
I can see that someone wiped the floor.
It was probably Researcher A.
[499 hours 58 minutes]
My body won't move at all.
It's gotten worse since I ate the pellets.
Maybe there was an ingredient that didn't agree with me.
Or maybe it was the last experiment.
"What are you doing?"
It's Researcher A's voice.
"Oh, hey. I was told to dispose of this. It's not moving."
The hand gripping the back of my neck lets go.
"Dispose?"
"Perfect timing. You do it. Just kill it and throw it in the incinerator."
"What are you talking about..."
"You've disposed of other monsters, haven't you? Just take it. They said it's weird that thing is still alive anyway."
'That thing' seems to refer to me.
Researcher A looks at me.
It looks like there's a snack in his pocket.
He probably brought it for me.
I'm grateful, but I can't eat it.
"...Yes. I understand."
"Great. Thanks."
He flees as if he's glad to have passed on an annoying task.
Once the researcher disappears from view, the hallway becomes quiet.
I can only hear the sound of breathing.
There are no words.
As if coming to his senses, Mr. A speaks.
"...Dispose?"
The silence was broken by his trembling voice.
I want to say something too.
But my mouth won't open easily.
"Incinerate?"
I can see the snack wrapper peeking out of Researcher A's pocket.