I Became the Drug-Addicted Childhood Friend

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: SemiPickle

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The phenomenon known as “Awakening” can be found in most living organisms.

However, when an Awakening occurs in beings other than humans, it is generally referred to as a monster.

That was the content of the presentation.

“This is also a type of science. It’s called magic because we haven’t yet uncovered the principles behind it.”

The presenter spoke again.

About fifteen people were watching from the front.

“In fact, when we dig deep into modern science, we eventually reach areas we don’t understand. There’s a world we don’t know.”

Why am I here?

It feels like quite a long time has passed.

My consciousness kept drifting back and forth.

My bangs slightly obscured my vision.

Even though I had roughly cut it with scissors, it wasn’t long enough to poke my eyes.

It seems a lot of time has passed, judging by how much my hair has grown.

“Anyway, various opinions have emerged on how we should view this Awakening phenomenon.”

A presentation on Awakening?

I don’t know why I’m here.

I’m not sitting in a chair, but standing.

It doesn’t seem like I’m a participant in this place.

I’m not sitting in a chair.

I’m just standing.

Waiting, as if I’m the next presenter.

Waiting for my turn.

What turn?

“The appearance of gates and dungeons often affects nearby creatures, producing what we call monsters, awakened beings. There are also beings suspected to have crossed over from another world.”

So they say.

“Then what exactly are human Awakeners? Should they be treated as ordinary humanity?”

Awakeners are, of course, human.

What else would they be?

“Should we understand it as simply unlocking hidden potential within humanity, or should we consider them different from existing humans?”

They say they’re different from existing humans.

Well, that’s true.

“Considering there are those who awaken and those who don’t, even under the same conditions, it’s concluded that Awakening only happens to a select few.”

Obviously.

If it were just a matter of environment, Seo-Ah would have awakened like Si-Hoo.

“The rate of meaningful Awakening is extremely low, with clear differences from existing humanity…”

They keep mentioning humanity over and over again.

“Therefore, it’s been decided not to grant them the usual human rights…”

No human rights?

Did I hear that right?

“In order to preserve and develop humanity, awakened entities will be utilized and treated on par with other monsters. However, considering they were once human, we’ve established criteria for this…”

They seem to be saying something terrifying.

“First, they lack human reasoning and judgment.”

I feel their gaze on me.

“Second, if they cannot survive without relying on others.”

I tried to speak, but it’s impossible.

“They are to be understood as equivalent to regular monsters.”

Move.

Do something.

No, my body refuses.

“The state allows full breeding and experimentation on human-shaped monsters, and grants full authority over experiments to ensure public safety…”

Applause.

It seems the presentation is over.

“That concludes the presentation. Now then.”

What’s next?

“Before we move on to the next topic.”

The person sitting in the center spoke.

The lights were all focused on the stage, making it hard to see.

I couldn’t clearly see who it was.

“What is that thing next to you?”

They pointed at me.

So why am I here?

I don’t know either.

“It’s an Awakened being.”

“What, was it bred?”

“It’s nothing special. I brought it to show something in the next topic.”

I’m not used to all the attention focused on me.

But I don’t show any sign of it.

No change in expression.

I don’t move.

I’m in standby mode.

“Alright, next topic.”

“Next, we’ll discuss the control of Awakened beings. By using the [Command Word] we’ve developed, we can perfectly control those who understand language.”

“Doesn’t the Command Word require prior drug administration?”

“It’s troublesome if they don’t understand the language.”

Ah, commands.

Once the drug was administered, you had to follow orders.

So, they call it a Command Word.

“While shock collars that deliver physical pain have shown some results, the most effective method was found to be devices that directly stimulate the nerves.”

That sounds terrifying.

Are they casually discussing such topics?

“How did you conduct the experiments?”

“First, we collected brainwaves, and the moment there was a sign of aggression, we inflicted pain…”

“No, I mean, where did you release the test subjects?”

“Monsters, you mean? We released them near the Academy. We received requests for skill evaluations from Academy personnel.”

Academy.

Oh, the place where students fight.

Right.

I remember now.

“Do you know how much land I own over there? If you’re going to do such things, at least consult with me first.”

“Ah… yes. Well, the government authorized it, so…”

“Are we going to keep talking about this nonsense?”

“Anyway. The point is, we confirmed that the control devices work. If you look here…”

The white screen, which had been displaying images from the projector, was rolled up.

Something hidden behind the screen was revealed.

“Gasp.”

There were sounds of people sucking in their breaths from all over.

“Oh my.”

“A wolf?”

Standing behind the screen was a wolf monster.

It stood still, neither baring its teeth nor moving.

“What, so it’s just a wolf.”

“It’s rare to see a wolf behave like that.”

It’s not dead.

It’s breathing.

But it’s not attacking.

“Yes, this is it. I can control it with the remote I’m holding. Let me show you.”

-Grrr.

It bared its teeth.

“Attack.”

Then the wolf attacked.

Who?

Me.

Why me?

There are plenty of other people.

It pounced, aiming to bite my shoulder.

Thud.

I fell to the ground under the weight of the wolf.

Crunch.

Crack.

There were ominous sounds.

“Stop.”

The wolf immediately stopped attacking.

And backed off.

“As you can see, we can control it without the need for the Command Word.”

It doesn’t hurt.

Thankfully.

It seems I’m bleeding, but it doesn’t hurt.

Is that fortunate?

“Safety is guaranteed. The only issue is that the control doesn’t extend to monsters without a brain, those that are too large or small, or those immune to pain.”

“So?”

“I’ll let you know when it’s ready for military supply. It’s still difficult to mass-produce, and the process is complex.”

“When it comes to control, isn’t it important to preserve the monster’s original functions? If the wolf attacks on command, can we say it retains its original attack power?”

Its attack power seems strong.

I know because I experienced it.

But more importantly, it feels like I’m losing a lot of blood.

Can someone stop the bleeding?

It feels like I have a heavy stone lodged in my body, preventing me from moving.

“Since we’ve suppressed its ferocious nature, it’s true that its attack power is slightly reduced. There’s room for improvement as technology advances.”

“Isn’t it just broken? I don’t see how this is different from beating something into submission. Even the one behind me listens well after a good beating.”

Behind the person who spoke from the audience, I could see the faint shape of a large figure.

I hadn’t noticed while standing.

But now that I’m lying down, I can see it a bit.

Is that a monster too?

It’s hard to see because of the backlight.

“We’re nearing technical completion. It’s a project involving major corporations. Technological advancements using magic are impossible without government cooperation.”

“Move on to the next topic.”

I wish someone would care about me.

“Yes, the next topic is the disposal of the dragon we captured last time.”

A dragon?

So there are dragons in this world.

Ah, that’s right.

I saw it on the news once.

They said Awakeners killed a dragon.

“We captured it alive, but we’ve already harvested all the items. It’s awkward to keep it confined since it continues to grow stronger…”

So dragons grow stronger just by doing nothing.

What an absurd ability.

“Release it near the Academy again and see what happens. You’re trying to drive down land prices? Don’t even think about buying up land for cheap.”

“Ah, that won’t happen. We’ve found a special use for the dragon.”

The person sitting in front opened their mouth.

“Tell me.”

“Look at this fallen Awakened being, for example.”

Once again, all eyes turned to me.

Are they going to save me?

Treat me?

No, it’s not a friendly gaze.

“Oh, it’s hard to see. Then, [Stand up.]”

It’s the Command Word.

I stagger and stand up.

I can’t get up.

Blood drips from my clothes.

Why am I here?

For what purpose?

Yeah. I can’t get up.

Suddenly, I can feel that my hair has grown longer.

What was once short now hangs below my shoulders.

Because of that, my hair is also stained with blood.

“As expected, it can’t stand up at all. But even in such a critical situation, there’s now a solution.”

Thud.

A needle was inserted into the back of my neck.

It’s a familiar sensation.

“If there were a healing-type Awakener nearby, that would be fortunate. But the problem is there are very few of them.”

He continued speaking.

“That’s why we always face limitations when utilizing Awakeners.”

Hot liquid flowed through my veins.

“Of course, a good healing potion could heal this level of injury. But it’s expensive, and the supply is limited.”

I could feel the bleeding stop.

Even the places where it seemed like bones were broken were getting better

.

“It looks like the healing is complete. Now, [Stand up.]”

I had to follow the order to stand up.

I didn’t want to, but I had to.

I somehow stood up and returned to my original standby position.

I stood.

Still, with no change in expression.

“Of course, this drug is expensive too… but with the amount we obtained from killing a dragon, we can supply the Academy for the time being.”

“Are you planning to supply the Academy first?”

“Since the military moves in groups, we thought it better to supply the Academy, where individual survival is more critical.”

“Syringes seem rather inconvenient.”

“This form is for immediate effect. We can also produce pills or general potion forms for public distribution.”

The Academy.

They plan to supply this to the Academy.

It seems like a good drug.

But did they really need to show it like this?

Logically, no one would do such a thing.

Did they have to set someone up in front and attack?

Ah.

Are they not people?

I don’t know.

The wolf, which had stopped attacking, had its mouth covered in blood.

I was covered in blood too.

Regardless, both of us had no choice but to stand still.

We had to obey the command.

I felt a sense of kinship with the wolf.

My heart pounded.

Is it because of the drug they injected?

I felt dizzy.

A ringing sound echoed in my ears.

I couldn’t hear what people were talking about anymore.

[405 hours 22 minutes]

Time.

What was that time again?

Didn’t it just increase?

It seems like it did.

“…Heh.”

A slight laugh escaped me.

I feel pretty good.

I’m not scared.

It must be because of the drug.