Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: No, How Did It Get Sulfuric Acid?
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"Okay, put this here... A-hyeon. You done with the calculations?"
"Uh... no. Just a bit longer..."
"How much longer?"
"…."
No answer came, so I found myself running a hand through my hair and snapping at her without thinking.
"Hey. Kim A-hyeon."
"Yes, Senior…."
"How much is left?"
"Well, um... you see…."
How did a girl like that even make it to grad school? Sure, they were short on slaves—er, assistants—but dragging in just anyone like this? Unbelievable.
I wasn't exactly a genius myself, but come on, she was on another level.
"Converting to normal concentration is that hard, but you somehow aced the exam?"
"…."
"Forget it, screw this. Get out. I'll do it."
"S-Sorry…."
"If you're sorry, go find the paper like last time. Don't just print it out, run off, and call it a day—do the experiment yourself and bring back footage."
"Yes, sir…."
I was swamped with my own experiments, and the "help" they stuck me with was this useless. It was enough to make me want to scream. Better to just do it myself. I grabbed a calculator and pen, sat down, and started crunching numbers.
"Equivalent weight is 3... damn, 1.8."
Much better doing it myself. Realizing she'd just wasted my time only made me more pissed.
Couldn't yell with my own seniors around, so I figured I'd just wrap up the experiment quick. I picked up the beaker.
...That was when everything went wrong.
"...Senior!!!"
"Do-yun!!"
"??"
Sudden frantic shouts erupted from all sides. What the hell? I turned my head and saw—
"No, what the...?"
A beaker was flying through the air straight at my face, like something out of a bad dream.
Splashing its contents everywhere, wildly.
What was in there again...?
Far as I remembered, sulfuric acid. Undiluted, too.
No time to wonder how it got flung like that or which idiot did it. Agonizing pain hit, and I blacked out.
"Ugh..."
I came to what felt like moments later. First thing I did: run my hands over my face.
Gotta be a mess... right?
Sulfuric acid. One of the big three acids. The stuff some psycho once used in a face-terror attack.
Taking a full splash to the face and body? No way I'd be fine.
"...Huh?"
I'd braced for scarred, bumpy horror. But my fingertips met smooth, soft perfection.
Even better than my usual skin. Baby-smooth, practically.
"What the hell?"
That's when I noticed something else off. The ceiling I'd woken up staring at wasn't a hospital's.
Just ordinary beige wallpaper.
In other words, a stranger's ceiling. Not my room, not a hospital—some weird place.
"Where am I?"
I sat up from the unfamiliar bed. The room came into focus. Definitely not mine.
Stumbling to my feet, I opened the door and stepped out. The living room, which should've been empty, had...
"Oh, y-you're up? It's vacation, but aren't you sleeping too much? Academy starts soon..."
".......??"
A total stranger—a girl—staring at me, talking awkwardly. What the fuck. Who are you?
"Make your own food. I'll... be in my room…."
"...Uh, okay."
Alright. Let's figure this out. I'm a top grad student, handpicked by professors. I can deduce this easy.
Lab accident—sulfuric acid to the face, blacked out, woke up unscathed in some unknown place.
And not alone—with some random girl...?
I got nothing, fuck...
Still passed out? Dreaming? Maybe splashing water would wake me.
In a real dream, I wouldn't feel it.
I headed to the bathroom. Cue more shock.
"What."
Lights on, mirror check. That wasn't me.
"Who the hell is this...?"
Hair was longish before—lazy fashion choice, but it suited me.
Never grown it bobbed like this, silky as satin.
Skin was pale from lab life, but not this glowing, porcelain soft.
Face... average at best. Not the cute, dazed pretty-boy vibe staring back.
"Me? This?"
First time I hoped it wasn't a dream.
"Kinda shorter, too."
Not tall before, but this screamed "still growing."
"Not the time."
Splash water first. Clear my head...
"Pha."
Cold, wet reality hit my face. No dream.
"...Yeah, no way this is a dream."
Truck-kun skipped me. No rooftop fall. Yet here I was, isekai'd to some weird world.
"Should I be happy or pissed...?"
Computer in the room. Powered it on. Needed intel on this place.
Portal site up. Headlines were wild.
📰 Breaking News
[S-Rank Hunter Lee Yun-ha Drops Bombshell: "Chinese Hunters Are Too Weak. Don't Need Their Support." China Fires Back: "She'll Pay for Her Reckless Words."]
[Hanseul Academy Sees Drop in New Students Again. Is This Sustainable?]
"Hunters?"
Those hunters? Like in webnovels?
"Wiki... need wiki...."
Not some dumb forum. Real encyclopedia.
[Another term for superhumans. Also called Awakeners. Their main job is hunting monsters and clearing Gates. Graded F to S per American standards. China uses its own system.]
"What the...?"
A legit encyclopedia confirming hunters existed.
[Hunters' abilities vary wildly, viewable via 'Status Window.' Mostly combat-related...]
"Status Window?"
⚔ STATUS ⚔
👤 Name:Sado Yun
🛠 Skills:Precise Analysis, Instant Calculation, Refining, Extraction, Fusion, Synthesis
✨ Mana Rank:F
"...What is this?"
Absurdity peaked; I wasn't even shocked anymore. Text popped up, info flooded my brain.
Told me exactly what I could do. Result?
"This is badass."
Joy and euphoria washed away the panic. At least as a researcher.
I never liked fighting anyway. Monsters? I'd scream and run in a second.
Or get eaten instantly.
Non-combat skills suited me perfect. Clear applications, too.
"Yeah, this world's way better."
Once I leaned positive, adapting was quick. Staying home meant scarred face and body forever.
Better short and cute. Worst case, stream online—plenty of demand.
"Voice sounds higher, too…."
Puberty hit? Or not even secondary traits yet? ID on the table.
"Born 00, huh."
Calendar said February 3019. Academy like college, probably. This body was an adult.
No more changes.
"Even better."
Grad school again? I'd off myself. Got a perfect face and skills for business or streaming—beats slave life.
Somehow excited, I flopped on the bed.
"Academy, huh…."
Looking forward to it. Felt like fun times ahead.
"Oh, fuck. Military again?"
Hate that. Hope no army here. Or gender-reversed, girls go.
...Later I'd learn the wiki had more below. Should've read it.
[Superhumans have long lifespans, rapid growth, staying youthful into 20s—new human evolution? Awakening rate: women 9.9:1 men. Women dominate, peak physique lasts, mostly combat awakenings → stronger sex drives than same-age men.
Men: non-combat skills common, sex drive dips, prefer emotional love.
Few men can handle women's needs. Rising crimes: female Awakeners on normal men.
Worse at academies for new Awakeners. Law requires Awakeners live in Awakener City absent reason.]
[Early discrimination against low-awakening-rate men. State let Awakeners take key roles. Population drop worsened; gov made Male Awakener Protection Act—but backlash intensified...]
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Time passed.
Soon it was the day of the academy entrance ceremony.
After checking the address, I was surprised to find it quite far from my current home.
But apparently, once you enroll in the academy, they give you a house.
Amazing welfare.
It was just a studio apartment, but still.
So I decided to move early.
“…See you later.”
“Yeah.”
I also learned a bit about the girl I had been living with.
Her name was Choi Ju-eun.
Since our surnames were different, I thought it was strange.
But it turned out she had been living there as a lodger because she had no money.
Recently she awakened, paid back her debt, and enrolled in the academy like me.
I still remembered the joyful expression on my parents’ faces.
Are they really my parents…?
Apparently they were some kind of special guardians.
I wasn’t sure yet.
Their names didn’t even appear on the family register.
“…This should be the place.”
After showering and putting on some skincare, I walked for a while and soon saw a massive building.
“Yeah, this is it.”
Just in case I checked the surroundings.
Sure enough, a giant banner hung outside.
I nodded and stepped through the main gate.
–Welcome, New Students of Hanul Academy!!!!–
Under the banner stood female students guiding people inside.
“Whoa… damn.”
They were all unbelievably beautiful.
So pretty it made you wonder why they weren’t idols or actresses.
But—
Why were there only women?
“…Am I the only guy?”
The freshmen looked like women.
The seniors looked like women.
Even the people who looked like teaching assistants—
Were all women.
“…Something feels weird.”
Feeling a strange sense of dread, I followed the seniors toward the main auditorium.
“Whoa—damn, I almost drooled.”
“You’ll get arrested if you do that, bitch.”
“…?”
Why do I feel so uneasy?
Something—
Something was definitely wrong.