Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Seoul Dragon
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Beep beep beep.
A beeping sound like something out of a hospital room pierced the air. What the hell is that noise?
It's getting on my nerves.
In a fit of irritation, I opened my eyes.
What came into view was a white ceiling—familiar, yet somehow unfamiliar.
Am I in a hospital?
Why the hell am I in a hospital? I was definitely in my studio apartment... No, hold on a second.
I had stepped out for some fresh air to clear my head, ducked into somewhere for a bit, so why am I here now?
What the hell happened?
"Ugh... my head hurts... Huh?"
Clutching my throbbing head and mumbling to myself, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of wrongness. A strange stuffiness. And a voice that didn't feel like mine.
That voice just now. It didn't sound like me.
"Huh? Ah, ah? Aaaah!?"
A woman's voice came bursting out. I shot up from my position—no, before that, what the hell is this IV drip!?
Anyway, scanning my surroundings, I searched for something that could reflect my appearance.
The window.
And through the window, catching a glimpse of myself, I couldn't help but freeze in shock.
Because there was a woman with horns on her head.
Not just any woman, but an insanely beautiful one.
In clichéd terms, silky black hair like fine silk, and golden eyes shaped like those of a reptile.
And the most shocking part was that the woman moved exactly as I did... and the coiled black horns sprouting from my head.
What... the hell is going on?
* * *
I learned about this absurd situation from the nurse and doctor who suddenly rushed in.
The moment I witnessed that brilliant, starlight-like something, I wasn't the only one who saw it.
And everyone who did see it had their bodies restructured, as if molting.
Roughly a few hundred people had undergone physical changes like me—some with gender swaps, some without.
And the most important part... three months had already passed since then.
Three months? That's when the semester ends and break starts.
What about my assignments? My grades?
"...Three months?"
"Yes."
"I'm screwed."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, it was mid-semester... Looks like I'll have to retake everything."
The doctor gave me a somewhat baffled look as I let out a sigh.
"Uh, yeah. I guess that could be important. But, Seo-hyun?"
"Yes."
"Aren't you confused?"
At the doctor's question, I shook my head. Confused?
Not really.
Maybe because my emotions don't fluctuate much to begin with, or because what happened to me felt so unreal.
But strangely enough, I was accepting this situation completely naturally. I had no idea why.
"Yeah. It's weird. Normally, I'd be freaking out, causing a scene, grabbing the doctor's collar by now."
"Haha. You're right. It would be great if all the other Mutants were as calm as you, Seo-hyun."
"Oh, am I the only one? By the way, what's a Mutant?"
"Three months ago, a sudden light poured down across the world. Everyone exposed to it felt their bodies burn... and began mutating. Just like you, Seo-hyun."
"Ah."
"That's what we call them—Mutants. Most people... can't accept it and get really confused. Honestly, we were startled when we came in too. There are security personnel waiting outside."
"Security personnel?"
"Yes. Mutants usually experience a dramatic boost in physical abilities. If someone like that goes berserk, it could be disastrous... so now they station guards around every Mutant."
"Huh..."
At that moment, I wondered if boosted physical abilities meant bullets wouldn't work, so I asked the doctor.
"So, do bullets not work on them?"
"Haha. Well, novels and comics these days push that idea, right? But no way. Most Mutants top out at resisting a taser. They're still fundamentally human—just with unusual physical traits. Like how electricity kills people, it kills Mutants too. Of course, some have tough hides from their racial traits... but even they can't withstand military-grade firepower."
Military-grade firepower...?
Was there some Mutant terror incident?
I'll ask about that later.
"Ah, got it. But from what you're saying, doctor, does that mean I'm one of the slowest to regain consciousness among the Mutants? Since there are stories about ones who woke up before me. Sounds like a lot of big incidents happened..."
"That's right. Among all confirmed Mutants worldwide, you finished mutating the latest, Seo-hyun. And yes, there were tons of incidents—like Mutant crimes."
"Ah."
"So honestly, we were worried. Mutants are generally suppressible, but the later the mutation finishes, the more extreme the physical enhancements get."
"Wow."
"So, any discomfort right now? Or any pain anywhere?"
Pain...? No, nothing.
"Nope, nothing."
"Then... could you come over here? Let's start the examination."
* * *
After the exam, it was time to test my physical abilities.
The doctor led me to a space filled with reinforced barriers and all sorts of structures that looked insanely sturdy.
There's a place like this underground in the building?
It felt like a scene from a secret society movie, and I let out an exclamation.
"But do regular hospitals really need facilities like this?"
"It's a kind of physical test. Medical check, they call it? Mutants need to get back to daily life, so they have to be aware of their own power levels. Honestly, I never thought our hospital would get structures like this."
"Ah... yeah, makes sense. Swing something wrong, and it could be a catastrophe."
"It has happened. Back when Mutants first appeared and there were no guidelines, one Mutant accidentally swung their arm and seriously injured someone."
"That could be even more dangerous."
"Exactly. So please take this seriously."
The physical test went smoothly. And during it, I confirmed one thing.
"If I mess up controlling my strength, I'll be burying bodies left and right."
"Hahaha... Thank goodness you're not violent, Seo-hyun. That was a near-disaster."
"Yeah. This unnatural calm might be some kind of safety lock to keep me from swinging wildly."
"Could be."
The doctor let out a hollow laugh while staring at the scene I'd created.
I turned my gaze to where he was looking.
The barrier I'd lightly punched was deeply dented. He said it was made of super-hard alloy...
Even I was dumbfounded by the power.
If they'd thrown me back into daily life without this test, I might've ended up wanted for murder.
Just a casual swing did this.
By the way...
What kind of mutant trait are these coiled black horns on my head? Touching them, I asked the doctor.
"But what animal horns are these? They look like dragon horns from fantasy stuff."
"W-well, it's probably actually a Dragon."
"Wait, really?"
"Yes. During your mutation, scales kept shedding, wings sprouted, and a tail grew. Then the final change—no, molting is the right term. After molting, the tail and wings vanished, stabilizing into your current form."
"Hold on. Tail and wings...?"
"Yes."
"Huh."
I was speechless. A Dragon? In 2018? A Dragon?
It felt like the world around me had turned into a fantasy.
No, it actually had.
My head throbbed slightly.
Something told me this change hitting me was huge, regardless of my calm attitude.
Can I even live normally like this?
"Can I go back to daily life...?"
"We'll work on it together. Lots of Mutants have put in the effort to return to normal."
"...Yeah. Oh, how do I discover other abilities, if any?"
"You'll figure it out naturally. All Mutants do."
"Ah."
* * *
Back in my room after the physical test, I came face-to-face with a stranger who'd shown up out of nowhere.
He wasn't just security—the black-suited man had a totally different vibe. He grinned at me and spoke.
"Nice to meet you, Yoon Seo-hyun. I'm from the National Intelligence Service."
"...The National Intelligence Service?"
"Yes."
The NIS, out of nowhere.
Why are the spy-catchers here?