Anemic Collapse and Magical Awakening
Sudden anemia hit me like a truck, and I blacked out. Some time later, I opened my eyes.
"A stranger's ceiling, huh."
The first thing I saw was a stark white hospital ceiling and an IV drip stuck in my wrist. Looked like I'd been carted off to the hospital.
"Sir, are you awake?!"
"He's come to."
"Just a moment, I'll fetch the doctor!"
I spaced out staring at nothing in particular. Before long, a nurse bustled into the room, spotted me awake, and rushed off to call the doctor. The doc arrived soon after, gave me a quick once-over, and said,
"Minor bruises and a fracture. You had severe anemia symptoms too."
"...."
"Everything's treated now, so no need to worry."
The doctor told me to rest up and left the room. I watched his retreating back in a daze—then flinched hard.
'Did they notice...?'
As you know, my body had turned full monster mode. And the doc must've poked around every inch during treatment... plenty enough to spot I wasn't human anymore.
"...."
Were there FBI agents lurking outside? Was I about to become a lab rat? Would smashing the window and bolting give me the best survival odds?
I mulled over wild scenarios and checked the mirror. Strangely enough, I looked perfectly human.
"What the hell."
For a split second, I even wondered if all the weird shit I'd been through was just a dream. But squinting closer, I saw my pupils slit vertically like a snake's. Only then did I relax, realizing I was still sane.
"Just a new trick, then."
I flexed my fingertips, and my nails split open, black monster claws popping out. Eased off, and they retracted to normal. Instinct told me this shift was powered by the mana I'd awakened to.
"Morphing the body with mana... something like that."
The root of magic, the bizarre force behind anomalies. Probably thousands of names for it out there, but I'd stick with "mana" for simplicity.
A gut feeling said using this would let me do all sorts of things I couldn't before.
"Got myself a neat power."
Or more accurately, I'd finally awakened to it. Shin-nim's mana had been inside me since my body first changed—that's why I'd been casting spells with just blood before.
"Hmm..."
With my thoughts sorted, I fired off quick updates to everyone around me. Family first.
Next up, work buddies.
Straightforward check-ins with Nam Bu-jang, and something sleazy-sounding from Kim Gwa-jang. But Yeon Dae-ri seemed off.
Got through to everyone somehow. Lounging in bed watching TV, two cops walked in, sat down, and laid out the "truth" of the incident—90% wrong.
"The guy targeting you seems to be the serial killer we've been chasing lately."
"Pardon?"
Here's the rundown from the cops: The intruder last night was a serial killer who'd targeted me. He panicked at my unexpected resistance, fell from the apartment during the scuffle, got injured, and fled. Suspected to be on the run.
"Checked nearby CCTV. Tracked his escape route."
"We'll nab him quick, so don't worry."
"...."
Could the cops actually catch him...? Recalling the killer's true identity that only I knew, I glanced at the earnest officers, stroked my chin, and saw them off.
'They didn't spot the summoner, huh.'
That misunderstanding stemmed from the summoner. He'd thrown up a gyeol-gye barrier right on entry—isolate space from reality, so nothing inside was visible outside. CCTV only caught me and the killer, so cops pieced it together into that story.
"Perfect."
For me, it was an ideal wrap-up—no corrections needed. Victim status meant insurance payout, and best of all, no one clocked me as a monster.
Yesterday's epic bad luck streak must've burned out; now all my pent-up good fortune was rolling in.
"Phew..."
Relieved my peaceful daily life was intact, I lay back and closed my eyes.
"...Man, I'm beat."
Body was mostly healed, but a mild headache lingered. Probably from chaining spells and summoning that heavy-hitter deep-sea entity at the end.
Time for a real break.
"Rest up."
Couldn't resist that paid sick leave as a working stiff.
The world we see is awfully narrow. We don't care or peek into the structures of visible buildings or what's lurking in dark alleys.
And naturally, societies and people exist there.
"Heard that story?"
"Which one?"
"Y'know, that Bug Freak bastard."
In a dim office lit by fancy chandeliers, scented candles flickering atmospherically, a man and woman chatted.
"What about him now? Slaughtered some back alley again?"
"Nah. Word is he's dead."
"What? Why the hell?"
The woman was dressed to the nines in a gown; the man a slovenly middle-aged guy. She lounged on the leather sofa; he lit a cig and shrugged.
"Beats me. Probably bit off more than he could chew with an anomaly."
"...Him? Without a peep?"
"...Yeah, that's weird even for me."
They recalled: A mage wielding bug magic, no qualms using anomalies. Strong in the shadows, his creepy spells amplified his nasty rep alongside his personality.
Countless back-alley massacres, groups that tried and failed to take him down.
"Hmm... Where was he last spotted?"
"Incheon. Gathering sacrifices there."
"Then we steer clear of Incheon."
"Smart. No needless risks."
The woman stood; the man followed, cig in mouth. Opening the fancy office door revealed a long, dark hallway. Flickering lights on-off repeatedly.
"Guh, guhuh..."
"Save me, save me, save me."
"Mom... it hurts..."
The lit stretches were pure hell. Bodies melted into red sludge, fused with walls. Limbs hacked off, rolling like logs.
"....."
"Fuck... my leg!"
"Please save me. Please... please...!"
Two figures kicked through gore amid the strobing lights. At the exit, the woman turned.
"You can eat now."
"Reeeallyyy~?"
A weirdly drawn-out voice echoed from the shadows, thrilled like a kid eyeing snacks. She nodded; lights cut out completely.
-Gaaahhh!!
-Save me! Save me!!
Beast-like shrieks at death's door, squeezing out final strength.
-Crunch, cruuunch! Smash!
Then tearing, crushing sounds—and silence blanketed the hall.
Lights flickered back: spotless corridor, just one girl standing.
"C'mon, Mirae. Snack time when we get home."
"Yay! So exciting!"
"Jeez, going soft on the monster kid."
Man, woman, child exited the hall, vanishing into the back alley. The fuss in Busan's underbelly ended just like that.
Three days into hospital life. Body normalized right after waking; solid rest eased the headache. Got some doctor warnings, prescriptions, and successfully discharged home.
"Home sweet home. Feels too damn good."
Of course, the place wasn't pristine. While I was out, pros fixed the door and windows, but trashed interior and smashed furniture? All on me.
"Goddamn it."
Just discharged and facing a deep clean. Swept up floor dust and trash first, stuck "free" stickers on broken furniture and hauled 'em out.
Then spotted a familiar item.
"Long time no see."
[Bzzz!]
Dusty stone slab abandoned on the floor. Last I'd seen, it was just a slab; now vibrating like it had a motor, scolding its neglectful owner.
"Sorry. Couldn't be helped, really."
[Humm...]
"Who could've predicted the break-in?"
I wiped off the dust, stroked and soothed it. Seemed appeased; it quieted down.
Another 30 minutes of tidying, and the place looked normal again.
"Alright then..."
Lunch was hospital food already; no plans. Plenty of time to invest in myself.
I was ready to act on what I'd pondered in bed.
"Time to learn some magic."
Into the room, flipped open the grimoire on the desk. Some spells I knew, some skimmed before. Insights from mana made others click now. Black ink faded to reveal more.
"...."
I focused, memorizing every spell one by one.
This fight taught me plenty.
'Too complacent.'
I'd underestimated anomalies—mere annoyances I could beat easily. But stripped of counters, facing a foe wielding magic and anomalies head-on? Showed how naive and stupid I'd been.
'No more mistakes.'
Luck and Shin-nim saved me this time; no guarantee next round.
'Above all.'
Born a man, begging the wife for help twice? Pride won't allow it. Next crisis, I'd handle solo.
That was my vow.
"Urgh...! Guh?!"
Chanting half-faded text, ignoring the brain-stabbing pain as spells hammered in. The path to knowledge was pain and endurance indeed.