[A Dragon Showed Up at Our University]
I thought there was an earthquake or something, so I looked out of the classroom—
and it looked like some demon guy was fighting a dragon-type mutant.
The demon was shooting fireballs, but she just absorbed them and then suddenly transformed into a dragon…
And the size.
She was bigger than one of our campus buildings.
Wow… what even was that?
I pinched myself thinking I was dreaming, but nope—totally real.
– Really?
– Yeah, for real lol;; it’s already in the news.
– So dragon-type mutants actually do turn into dragons?
– I mean… isn’t that why they’re called dragon-types?
– No but seriously, how does it make sense for something to be the size of a monster from a kaiju movie?
– Why not? lol Have you seen that High Elf chick growing the World Tree right now?
– This world’s gone way past “normal,” man…
[But why did she even transform into a dragon?]
Did something happen?
From that interview before, she didn’t seem like the type to go wild for no reason…
– Apparently that demon freak attacked first?
– Oh that guy? That psycho still hasn’t been caught?
– You think he can be caught? LOL Not even the National Intelligence Service could stop him. A bunch of other mutants tried and died too.
– True. So what happened?
– What happened? lol I heard he basically turned into a vegetable.
– A vegetable? How does that even happen?
– I don’t know;; that’s just what the article said.
[Didn’t that demon guy already kill a bunch of other mutants too?]
I heard he was super dangerous, but if he turned into a mindless husk the moment he saw her, how strong is she, seriously………
Honestly… It’s kind of scary.
Someone like her—if she ever lost it and breathed fire just once, it feels like half of Seoul would be wiped out on the spot.
– Uh yeah, shouldn’t there be some kind of safety measure?
– But like, how would you even restrain her? Honestly, if you had that kind of power and didn’t do anything wrong, and people still treated you like a threat and tried to suppress you, wouldn’t you snap too?
– I mean, yeah, I get that;; I’m just saying it’s scary, you know? I’m a mutant myself, and I find it unsettling—imagine how regular people feel.
– I guess they’ll find some kind of compromise;; she did say in that interview she didn’t want to use her power recklessly.
– Honestly, it’s a relief that she’s at least got her head on straight.
– If the government’s smart at all, they’ll try to work with her—not threaten her.
– Have we ever seen the government act rationally, though?
– Let’s be real, the only reason mutant rights have gotten slightly better is because Seo Jin-ha’s the daughter of a powerful National Assembly member.
[I believe in our dragon friend…!]
Dragons are supposed to be guardians of the middle world, right?
So I believe our dragon buddy won’t turn Korea upside down and will just enjoy a peaceful, happy-go-lucky campus life!
– But like… after seeing that, do you really think happy-go-lucky campus life is possible?
…Maybe? It’s not like she’s a bad person.
– Is she? How would you even know? lol That interview could’ve just sounded nice on the surface.
– Come on, if she really were the type to go wild, do you think Seoul would still be standing? No way—not even military firepower would work on her.
– …You’ve got a point. Maybe if the government acts even slightly reasonable, there’s nothing to worry about?
“Looks like it’s chaos out there,” I said, letting out a bitter smile.
Well, of course it is.
After what they just witnessed in the middle of Seoul, how else could people react?
Agent Choi gave a similar sour smile, as if he felt the same way.
“There’s no helping it. They saw what happened with their own eyes.”
“I do wonder if I overdid it a bit… But I still think it was the right thing to do. Either way, people were going to talk about me eventually.”
“You’re right. And it sounds like some discussions have already started among the higher-ups.”
“Are they seriously talking about putting shackles on me or something?”
“Hard to say. But if something like that did exist, that demon-type mutant wouldn’t have been able to run wild the way he did, would he? As irrational as those higher-ups can be, they’re not stupid enough to risk their own lives. I doubt they’ll try to physically restrain you, Ms. Seo-hyun.”
“That’s… kind of a relief.”
“They’ll probably try to avoid provoking you as much as possible. That’s actually why we reached out to you today, Ms. Seo-hyun.”
“So… it’s kind of like, ‘Handle her gently,’ huh?”
At my words, the agent gave an awkward smile.
“Haha, it’s not quite like that. We actually wanted to make a proposal.”
“A proposal?”
“Yes. If you’re open to it, how would you feel about officially joining us? Of course, if you’d like to keep attending university, you’re welcome to balance both.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. To be honest, ever since the demon-type mutant incident, there’s been growing talk of creating an official government agency made up of mutants. And we’d like you to lead it.”
“You want me to head a government agency?”
“There’s really no one else fit for the job. Very few mutants are willing to step in for others like you do. In many ways, we think you’re the perfect person for it.”
“…Sounds like a hassle. And the pay’s probably terrible too.”
It wasn’t just about the money.
I just had this feeling they’d try to work someone with special abilities like a mutant
into the ground for cheap.
It rubbed me the wrong way.
Not everyone who works hard needs to be showered with praise, but if they expect mutants to fight on the frontlines, they should at least be compensated fairly.
I’m not exactly struggling for money.
I’ve got endless ways to earn it if I want to.
But still, there’s such a thing as dignity, right?
I want to be treated like someone important.
Like someone who matters.
That desire for recognition—it’s something everyone has.
And proper compensation is the most basic way of satisfying that.
“That won’t happen. If anyone tries to push weird conditions, I’ll shut it down myself,
so don’t worry.”
“Wait, you seem to have more authority than I thought, Agent.”
“Oh, I’m directly connected to the Director of the National Intelligence Service. So yeah, my voice carries some weight. You don’t have to worry. None of the things you’re concerned about will happen. But in return…”
“CHAI?”
“Would you be willing to do a press conference?”
A press conference?
Why that all of a sudden…?
“Why the sudden press conference?”
“The way things are phrased can drastically change how the public reacts. If you stay silent, it’ll only make people more anxious.”
“But even if I do say something at a press conference, some people are just going to say it’s all lip service anyway.”
I mean, seriously—how many people would actually believe me if I stood up and said, ‘I’m totally safe!’? More likely, they’d be even more afraid.
“That’s true. But even just hearing you firmly say that you have no intention of hurting anyone will reassure a lot of people. There’s a reason they say ‘a good word pays off a thousand debts.’ Sure, there will be people who twist everything no matter what you say. But honestly, they’re a loud minority. If we really had to, we could even manipulate public opinion.”
“That’s… not a little shady, isn’t it?”
“Haha, just kidding. Still, we do need to boost your public image a bit. We don’t want people thinking of you as some monster that could destroy Seoul at any moment.
We want them to see you as a hero, someone who protects people from dangerous mutants.”
A hero, huh.
That word feels way too much for someone like me.
“‘Hero’ sounds… kind of embarrassing, don’t you think?”
“Just from what you’ve done so far, you could win multiple ‘Brave Citizen’ awards. You’ve already taken down three dangerous mutants. And one of them… well, you didn’t just subdue him. But that was a situation that called for an immediate resolution. A lot of people would probably cheer you on with both hands in the air.”
“So this is where we’ve ended up…Changing how people see mutants, huh.”
“This was probably inevitable. Like it or not, from the moment you became a dragon-type mutant, you were bound to draw attention. But the fact that you’re the one influencing how people view mutants, well, that’s honestly a huge relief for us.”
“…Now that you mention it, I’m curious. Who was the last person to mutate before me?”
“Ms. Choi Si-ah.”
“Ah.”
“If we’re being honest, her abilities are amazing too. But your powers… are on a whole other level. It’s fascinating. Three months just doesn’t seem like enough time to develop abilities like yours.”
“I think the same thing. I still wonder—what was that light in the sky back then?”
“I’d like to know that too. Anyway… what will you do?”
Becoming part of a government agency, huh.
Isn’t that a bit too much success for a Korean Lit major?
It’s a department people usually call the “starvation track,” and here I am, about to land a pretty high-ranking position just because I happened to mutate over the course of three months, while everyone else is still prepping for civil service exams.
Suddenly, I remembered yesterday.
The moment I revealed my true form, the shocked, worried looks from Han-gyeol and Seo-ah.
And in their eyes, there hadn’t been a trace of fear.
That’s what gave me the push to step out in front of the public.
If people come to know me, then maybe… they won’t feel the need to be afraid.
I’ve come too far to turn back now.
A hero, though?
That’s such a cringe-worthy label.
I was never cut out to be one.
It’s not like I’m driven by some grand sense of duty.
I just… acted this way because it made my life easier.
So instead of a hero…
Yeah.
Maybe something more like, everyone’s neighbor, someone who just wants to get along.
That’s more my style.
And I think people would understand that.
“I’ll do it. The press conference.”
“Excellent.”
Agent Choi smiled.
…Is it just me, or does he look weirdly proud, like a veteran happy about recruiting a solid rookie?