Han Shihu had one rule.
He had to be a righteous person.
Minimizing harm to others.
Contributing to society.
Risking his life to save others.
So, at least he kept the minimum line.
"I see now why the doctor used the drugs."
It must be incredibly convenient to control people.
Han Shihu began to understand why the doctor had been spreading the drugs everywhere.
Indeed, the drug is useful.
Though he's curious if it works on someone like the Saintess, who can cleanse herself.
He understands.
There's no need to trap or control anyone directly. Just give them the drug, and you can turn them into a dog that will do anything. It's so convenient.
How is this any different from what the doctor did to Seo Ah?
"Well, I won’t do anything too harsh. Seo Ah is here, after all."
There's really no need to put the collar on the Saintess.
He only did it because it would be bothersome if she resisted.
"Why... why is this happening?"
The Saintess tries to remove the collar, but it’s impossible.
"We’re going somewhere."
Han Shihu smiles as he speaks.
"Let me go."
"You only need to help me a little. I’ll finish this while Seo Ah is still asleep."
It’ll take quite a while before Seo Ah wakes up.
"Let’s move to another place."
With that, Han Shihu pulls her along by the collar.
He wouldn’t have done this if it were Seo Ah.
But with others, it doesn’t matter.
It’s all a fictitious story, isn’t it?
And they’re just characters in that story.
Even beyond that, Han Shihu doesn’t feel like the people around him are really human.
They’re all disgusting people and idiots everywhere.
He steps outside and walks a bit.
A building, once used as a police station, comes into view.
It’s half-collapsed, a characteristic of the place.
Bang.
He throws the Saintess onto the ground, like she’s a burden.
It’s a holding cell made of concrete floor.
It’s a place he had prepared beforehand.
It’s not too far from the new house.
"Ugh..."
It’s a space that could be used as a prison.
Creeeak.
He opens a locked shelf in the corner of the cell.
Inside, there’s a box.
It contains the various types of drugs that Seo Ah used.
He couldn’t store all the drugs at home.
There’s work to do here.
He pulls out a syringe.
"What are you going to do?"
The Saintess speaks with a voice full of fear.
This wasn’t the outcome she expected.
She thought she’d just help with Seo Ah’s treatment.
She thought she could pay back Han Shihu for what happened.
It was already coercive enough to bring her here against her will, but she never expected this.
"I’m going to use the drugs."
"I... I’m not affected by them."
The Saintess hurriedly speaks.
Treatment is possible, after all.
Someone with better healing abilities than Yoo Seo Ah is here.
"Just because of the healing ability? Just let me go. I’ll cooperate without doing this..."
"Hmm."
"It won’t work on me. I’m not affected by it."
That’s a lie.
She’s subtly addicted to the drugs.
The Saintess occasionally used the drugs when she was feeling bad.
It’s a mild level of addiction for the amount of drugs she took, but it’s not without effect.
Han Shihu controls her magic with the collar.
No one knows what will happen if he uses the drugs here.
"Are you scared?"
Han Shihu nonchalantly fills the syringe with the solution.
"Don’t do this..."
"Seo Ah must have been scared too."
The Saintess can’t look away from her own actions.
She sent Seo Ah to the lab in her place.
Han Shihu holds the syringe.
The Saintess shudders uneasily.
"I still think this isn’t right."
"What isn’t right?"
"This... this isn’t something Seo Ah would approve of."
It’s laughable for her to bring up Seo Ah now.
"What do you think I’m trying to do?"
Han Shihu sneers.
"What? You think I’m going to use the drugs?"
"Yes."
That’s the right answer.
But it’s a little different.
"But I won’t use it on you."
"Huh?"
Then who?
"If you can’t treat Seo Ah, I’ll have to do it myself."
"Uh?"
"And I don’t have the luxury of time to find a solution. According to that guy, we’re close to the end, but there’s been no progression in the story."
The Saintess couldn’t understand what Han Shihu was saying.
The conversation with the fake Han Shihu was the problem.
Han Shihu had changed.
"I’m going to inject the drugs into myself."
He says it without hesitation.
"...What?"
"I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. If your healing powers don’t work, how should I treat myself? I’ve found two methods, and this is Plan A."
Plan B isn’t ready yet.
The last resort.
If things go wrong here, he’ll use it.
"You’re going to inject yourself with the drugs?"
"Yes."
Han Shihu’s purification and recovery abilities could help block the effects of the drug to some extent.
"Why?"
"To find a way to treat Seo Ah, and if necessary, to use the drug’s power to save this world."
At this point, Han Shihu is too late.
He couldn’t do what he was supposed to do while trying to save Seo Ah.
What Seo Ah is expecting is the Han Shihu who is a hero.
Then he must go save the world.
He’ll fill the gaps in his strength with the drugs.
"No, no, Shihu. No matter what you heard from that fake, you shouldn’t believe it. Seo Ah is addicted..."
"It’s not just because of that."
"You saw Seo Ah, right? What if you become just like her?"
"If I can’t control the drugs I inject into myself... I won’t be able to cure Seo Ah’s addiction either."
The Saintess realizes that Han Shihu has been consumed by madness.
He wants to use the drugs too?
It’s no wonder that he and Seo Ah were friends.
"It seems like you don’t understand, but with my abilities, it’s possible."
Han Shihu continues explaining.
"My skills improve the more I use them, and when I need them, the skills I require will suddenly appear."
The number of skills has grown and grown, surpassing one hundred.
Han Shihu has a decent understanding of his abilities.
It’s not just a skill that makes him good at sword fighting.
It’s a power that maximizes rewards for effort.
"If I use the drug, I’ll develop a skill to control it. If you help me, it’ll be safer."
With that, he removes the collar from the Saintess.
After all, he just needed to bring her to the holding cell.
The entrance to the building is locked.
Han Shihu rolls up his sleeves.
The audience is just the Saintess.
Preparation for using the drug.
Why is he doing this? That question floats sporadically in his mind.
For Seo Ah.
That’s why.
The syringe, filled with the drug, is aimed, but nothing happens.
"Are you really going to do this?"
Han Shihu doesn’t answer.
The Saintess tries to stop him, but she can’t.
Her body seems to have frozen.
She can’t comprehend the situation.
Maybe Han Shihu didn’t bring her here with any other intention.
"...Was this how Seo Ah felt?"
What was it like when Seo Ah used the drugs for the first time?
Now, Han Shihu can finally understand Seo Ah on the same level.
The needle of the syringe touches his skin.
"......"
"I might never be able to go back."
I already know several people who met a tragic end due to drug addiction.
Seo Ah is an extraordinary case as well.
"When I give the signal with my hand, use the healing skill."
Without waiting for the Saintess's response, I push the needle in.
Thrust.
It only takes a few seconds before the effects hit.
The drug components break through the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain.
A shiver runs down my spine.
Instead of blood, pleasure flows through me.
Everything seems perfect.
I don't even know what I was worried about until now.
A dizzying euphoria takes over as every worry fades away.
It's intoxicating.
My vision blurs.
At the same time, it feels like my eyes are wide open, like I can see everything more clearly.
A new world opens up.
So what if this world is fake? As long as I have the drug, I can fulfill the purpose of life.
What I need isn’t a skill to block or eliminate the effects.
What I need is a skill that amplifies the pleasure.
[Purification]
It neutralizes the effects of the drug.
"Is this it...?"
But it wasn’t enough.
I need to fend off the overwhelming pleasure that's still coming.
I have to stop it.
The truth is, there are plenty of ways to stop it.
I just don’t want to.
It’s clear that this isn’t something that can be dealt with through willpower.
Even my feelings for Seo Ah are starting to blur.
I can understand why Seo Ah betrayed me now.
This messes with the very essence of being human.
Ninety-nine percent of my thoughts are just wishing that this moment would never end.
[Enhancement] [Augmentation] [Purification]
I used the skills three times in succession.
The pleasure fades away.
"...This is dangerous."
I’m back to normal.
The aftereffects are pretty intense.
Is this what it’s like after just one injection?
"Are... are you okay? Huh?"
The Saintess didn’t need to help yet.
Not yet.
"I’ll keep doing this until I get the skill."
"Repeat? You’re going to keep using them here?"
"Yeah."
Is this the early signs of addiction?
I can feel myself starting to lose my resistance to using more of the drug.
There’s no hesitation anymore in using it again.
It’s not a painful thing, it’s something enjoyable.
"Once I get the skill, I’ll send you home. You just have to help me until then."
The Saintess listens fairly easily, so this is the situation.
If she resisted more, killing her would be an option.
I don’t want to, but I do consider it sometimes.
I grab the syringe again.
Thrust.
I won’t get addicted.
In fact, even if I do, it doesn’t matter.
I’m doing this to figure out how to completely quit while still being addicted to the drug.
I succeeded in purifying it.
But I didn’t get a new skill.
Thrust.
I think about Seo Ah.
I’ve been hurt by the thought that Seo Ah tried to kill me because of the drug.
But now, I understand.
This isn’t a matter of mental strength.
Purification.
The drug’s effect disappears.
I still didn’t get a new skill.
I’ve only used it three times, and each time, I’ve just been getting rid of the drug’s effects immediately.
But the pleasure that overwhelms me every time I use the drug—it’s impossible to get used to it.
How many times did Seo Ah use this kind of drug?
A lot.
It’s no wonder her condition couldn’t possibly be normal.
Thrust.
I inject again, four times in succession.
[Drug Tolerance I]
I’ve gained a skill.
The skill I wanted.
Building up tolerance will let me use stronger drugs.
In the end, the Saintess’s healing ability wasn’t necessary.
Even without her, I could’ve done it on my own.
She was just a safety measure, in case anything went wrong.
In the end, the Saintess was nothing more than an observer.
"...Huh? Are... are you okay? Huh?"
There's no way I'm okay.
It’s impossible to react like that to a drug the first time you use it.
Even after using the drug four times in a row, I just stumbled for a moment and that’s it.
I’ve crossed way beyond what should be considered normal.