Beep, beep.
The kind of beep you’d hear in a hospital room.
What’s that sound?
It’s so annoying.
I opened my eyes in frustration.
When I opened my eyes, what I saw was a white, unfamiliar ceiling.
Am I in a hospital?
Why am I in a hospital?
I was definitely at my studio apartment…
No, wait a minute.
I’m sure I went outside to get some fresh air and clear my head, but why am I here now?
What the heck happened?
“Ugh. My head hurts… Huh?”
As I grabbed my throbbing head and muttered to myself, I suddenly felt a strange sense of discomfort.
A strange emptiness.
And an unfamiliar voice.
That voice just now…
It didn’t sound like my voice.
“Huh? Ah? Ahhh!?”
A woman’s voice came out.
I quickly jumped out of bed…
No, before that, what’s with this ringer!?
Anyway, I looked around and searched for something where I could see my reflection.
I found it— the window.
And through the window, the reflection of myself made me gasp in surprise.
There was a woman with horns on her head.
Not just any woman, but a ridiculously beautiful one.
With soft, black hair that looked like silk and golden eyes that resembled those of a reptile.
And the most shocking thing was that the woman was moving as I moved… and the black horns spiraling from my head.
What… what is this situation?
I was suddenly informed about this absurd incident by the nurse and doctor who barged in.
The moment I witnessed something that resembled bright starlight, I realized I wasn’t the only one who had seen it.
And the people who saw it seemed to undergo a physical transformation, as though their bodies were being reshaped.
Around a hundred or so people, like me, experienced physical changes.
Some had their gender changed, and some did not.
And the most important thing is… that it’s already been three months since then.
Three months… that means the semester is over and it’s time for a leave of absence.
Then what about my assignments?
My grades?
“…Three months?”
“Yes.”
“Great, I’m screwed.”
“What?”
“Well, it was during the semester… looks like I have to retake everything.”
The doctor looked at me with a slightly bewildered expression as I sighed.
“Ah, well. I guess that could be important. But Seo-hyun?”
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you confused?”
At that question, I shook my head.
Confused?
I wasn’t particularly confused.
Maybe it’s because I’ve always had a narrow emotional range, or maybe it’s because what happened to me felt so unreal that it was hard to process.
But strangely, I was accepting the situation rather naturally.
I didn’t know why.
“Yeah. It’s strange. Normally, in situations like this, I’d be crying, throwing a fit, and grabbing the teacher by the collar.”
“Haha. Yeah, if other mutants were as calm as you, that would’ve been great.”
“Am I the only one like this? By the way, what exactly is a mutant?”
“Three months ago, suddenly, a light poured down all over the world. Those exposed to the light… they burned up and… their bodies began to mutate. Just like you, Seo-hyun.”
“Ah.”
“Those people are called ‘mutants.’ And usually… there are many who can’t accept the situation and are confused. In fact, when we came in, we were quite shocked too. There are security personnel waiting outside.”
“Security personnel?”
“Yes. Usually, mutants experience a dramatic increase in physical abilities. If they cause a disturbance, it could be a huge problem… So now, we need to have security personnel around mutants at all times.”
“Ah…”
At that moment, I wondered to myself, if my physical abilities were dramatically enhanced, wouldn’t bullets not be able to penetrate?
So, I asked the doctor.
“Then, does that mean bullets wouldn’t be able to pierce me?”
“Haha. Well, there is that kind of idea in novels or comics, right? But it’s not the case. Most mutants are stopped by a taser gun. In the end, mutants just have unique physical traits, but the basic foundation is still ‘human.'”
“Just like humans die when electrocuted, mutants are the same. Oh, of course, some mutants have tougher skin due to their species characteristics… But still, they can’t withstand military-level firepower.”
Military-level firepower…?
Hmm, was there some kind of terrorist attack related to mutants?
I’ll ask about that later.
“Ah, I see. But listening to what you’re saying, does that mean I’m slower than other mutants in terms of recovering consciousness? I’ve heard that some mutants woke up before me, and it seems like there were some big incidents…”
“Yes, that’s correct. Out of all the mutants worldwide, you, Seo-hyun, were the last to complete the mutation. And as you mentioned, there were indeed a lot of incidents. Mutant crimes, for example.”
“Ah.”
“So, honestly, I was quite worried. While most mutants are controllable, the later the mutation finishes, the more dramatically their physical abilities increase.”
“Wow.”
“So, do you feel any discomfort right now? Or maybe any areas where you’re experiencing pain?”
Pain…?
No, not really.
“No. I don’t feel anything in particular.”
“Well then… could you come with me? Let’s start with an examination.”
After the examination, it was time to test my physical abilities.
The doctor took me to a place that looked like it had sturdy walls and various structures scattered around.
There’s a place like this underground in the building?
It felt like a scene from a secret society movie, and I couldn’t help but gasp in awe.
“But, is it really necessary for hospitals to have these kinds of facilities?”
“It’s a sort of physical test. I think it’s called a medical check? Since mutants will eventually have to return to their everyday lives, they need to be aware of their strength and abilities. Honestly, I didn’t expect these kinds of structures to be in a hospital either.”
“Ah… I see. I guess if you swing something carelessly, it could cause a huge disaster.”
“There have been similar cases. When mutants first appeared and there were no guidelines in place, one mutant accidentally swung their hand and seriously injured someone.”
“Then it could be even more dangerous.”
“That’s probably true. So, please take this seriously.”
The medical check went quite smoothly.
And while it was happening, I realized something.
“If I don’t control my strength, I could end up clearing away several corpses.”
“Hahaha… Honestly, I’m glad you’re not violent, Seo-hyun. That could’ve been a disaster.”
Strangely calm…
Could it be some kind of safety mechanism telling me not to recklessly use my strength?
“That’s also possible.”
The doctor chuckled while looking at the scene I had created.
I followed his gaze, and I saw the reinforced wall I had lightly punched, now dented deeply.
The wall, as the doctor had said, was made of a very strong alloy…
Even I was taken aback by the result.
If I had been thrown into the everyday world without undergoing a medical check, I might’ve ended up as a wanted criminal.
This much power from just a slight swing of my hand…
By the way…
What’s the origin of the dark, spiraled horns on my head?
I fiddled with the horns and asked the doctor.
“By the way, what kind of animal do you think these horns belong to? They kind of look like a dragon’s horns from fantasy media.”
“Well, it’s highly likely that they really are dragon horns.”
“Really?”
“Yes, during your mutation process, scales were falling off, wings sprouted, and… Yes, a tail appeared as well. Eventually, after the final transformation… no, in this case, it’s better to call it shedding… you stabilized in your current form.”
“Wait, a tail and wings…?”
“Yes.”
“Huh.”
I was at a loss for words.
A dragon?
In 2018?
It felt like the world around me had turned into a fantasy.
No, it actually had turned into a fantasy.
I felt a slight throb in my head.
Something inside me realized that this change I was going through was huge, despite my calm demeanor.
Can I still live a normal life with this?
“Do you think I can go back to a normal life…?”
“We’ll work on it together. Many mutants have gone through a lot of effort to return to their everyday lives.”
“…Okay. By the way, how would I discover any other abilities I might have?”
“You’ll figure it out on your own. That’s what happened with all the other mutants.”
“Right.”
As soon as the medical check was over and I returned to my hospital room, I was suddenly faced with an unfamiliar person who had come to see me.
The man in a black suit exuded a different kind of vibe than simple security personnel.
The moment he looked at me, he smiled and said, “Yoon Seo-hyun. I’m from the National Intelligence Service.”
“…The National Intelligence Service?”
“Yes.”
The National Intelligence Service, out of nowhere.
Why are the people who should be catching spies here?