Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Campus Life and the Demon's Approach
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With the magazine photoshoot wrapped up smoothly, there wasn't much else to do.
Just attending classes without incident, doing assignments without any fuss... that sort of daily routine.
I was keeping the magazine shoot under wraps for now. No need to make a big deal out of it.
There were a few underclassmen trying to get close to me, whether I knew it or not, but aside from a handful I actually clicked with on a human level, I didn't get too chummy with the rest.
Just as Professor Jeong-min had said, it wasn't that easy.
But what can you do? When people hit it off, they do; when they don't, they don't.
And lately, more and more were starting to ask for my number.
...Yeah.
"Um, could I maybe get your number...?"
"I'm not looking to date. Sorry."
"Oh, it's not about dating—I just want to get to know you."
"Sorry~"
Situations like that.
Not about dating, my ass... Their eyes were gleaming with the clear desire to bed a mutant.
It seemed the recent interview had spread the word around campus that I wasn't some dangerous mutant.
That came with pros and cons. The pro: people didn't look at me with fear or suspicion.
The con: situations like the one just now. Guys slyly taking advantage of the fact that I had no intention of harming anyone to worm their way closer.
No, I'm a guy—or was! What the hell do they expect from someone who hasn't even been a woman that long?
Ugh, disgusting.
"Man, university life's been eventful since becoming a mutant."
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Nah, I just feel kinda bad for you."
As we headed to the next class, Han-gyeol said to me. Look at that smug grin on his face.
"Enjoying it?"
"Can't help it. Who'd have thought Yoon Seo-hyun would get hit on by guys? If they knew what you looked like before mutating, you think they'd still want your number?"
"Absolutely not. Not like you guys."
"Exactly. Anyway... is department life fun at least?"
"Fun, but tiring."
"Fair enough. A homebody's a homebody."
"If you think about it, dragons are creatures that hole up in nests and sleep all day by nature, so maybe getting those racial traits just amplified it."
"You sure get around a lot for someone like that."
"...Do I?"
Yoo Han-gyeol looked at me like I'd said something ridiculous.
But thinking it over, he had a point.
My range of activity had exploded since mutating, fact.
"Whatever, live your life."
"Yeah. I'm still doing what I want, after all..."
"Have you met any other mutants, though?"
That's when Han-gyeol asked if I'd run into other mutants. Other mutants...? I had, but should I mention it?
...Why not?
With nothing better to talk about, I decided to spill about the ones I'd met recently.
"Just the other day?"
"Yeah, I did. Who?"
"A High Elf and an Arachne."
"A High Elf...? That dark-haired elf who went to California? Wait, not dark-haired anymore, right?"
"How do you even know that?"
"She posts updates on the mutant community forums now and then."
"...You follow that stuff?"
"More people check it out than you'd think. Lots of curiosity about mutants... I'm one of them."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. Anyway, you met that High Elf? How'd it go?"
He asked how she'd been when we met. Should I spare Sia her pride and not say...? Nah, Han-gyeol wasn't the type to blab, so I went ahead.
"She was shaking like a leaf around me."
"Why?"
"No idea. Something about racial terror imprinted on their species or whatever. You know, like in fantasy where dragons exploit elves and dwarves...? Probably that kind of ingrained fear."
"Isn't that just fantasy lore? And it was real?"
"I don't know the details, but yeah. And... she was super cute."
"Cute? Huh. From her online vibe, I figured she'd be a walking disaster."
"Well, online persona and real life are different. She was surprisingly calm, and stroking her cheeks felt nice."
"How old?"
"A year younger than me."
"Oho... So what about the Arachne? Seo Jin-ha, right?"
"How do you know more about mutants than me, the actual mutant?"
"Dude, anyone even casually interested in mutants knows Seo Jin-ha. She's a world-renowned artisan, daughter of a congresswoman with serious pull. Even the relatively lenient mutant laws owe a lot to her influence."
...Then what about my little sister? What has she been doing not to know Jin-ha?
"Really? I figured she was just niche since my sister didn't know her."
"For real? What rock has she been living under? She's all over the news if you just open your phone..."
"No clue. Maybe buried in studies since starting uni. Business classes are brutal, and she had to look after me post-mutation, so no time for news."
"Ah, yeah... that tracks. But still surprising. She seemed like the type who'd know that stuff inside out. So why'd you meet her?"
"She offered to make me clothes for free, so I jumped on it."
"Whoa, seriously? Her cheapest stuff goes for tens of millions, and you're getting it free?"
"...Tens of millions?"
"Yeah. Last auction, a suit went for... what was it? One-of-a-kind from the world's only Arachne-type Mutant at full effort, premiums stacked sky-high—around 1 billion won, I heard."
I couldn't believe my ears. What? How much? 1 billion?
"...For real?"
"Why would I lie to you about this? So you're getting a 1-billion-won outfit for free? Damn, mutating turned your life into a cheat code."
"I had no idea it was that level. No wonder the quality was insane. I heard she gives them free to mutants—as payment for the inspiration they give her."
Han-gyeol stared at me with pure envy in his eyes.
I teased him on purpose.
"Jealous?"
"Envious as hell... 1 billion falls in your lap while you sit there—who wouldn't be?"
"Not gonna ask me to buy you dinner or anything?"
"You buying?"
"You clued me in on the value, so yeah, dinner's on me."
"Ooh... Then let's grab the crew for dinner tonight?"
"Sure. But no other underclassmen—just us. Tired of dealing with them lately."
"Mr. Popular now, huh? Got it."
We were chatting idly as we walked when my phone suddenly rang.
Checking the caller: Agent Choi Jeong-ho.
...Huh? What's he calling at this hour for?
"Gotta take this."
"OK. Head to the lecture hall first?"
"Save me a seat."
"You got it."
* * *
As soon as I parted from Han-gyeol, I hit accept. After a brief ring, the agent's urgent voice came through.
-Yoon Seo-hyun? You near the university right now?
"Yeah, I'm on campus... What's up?"
His voice was so frantic that I sensed something big had happened.
-Well, I... I really didn't want to ask for your help with something like this again, but it's urgent. A wanted dangerous mutant is heading toward Korea University!
"What? Why's a mutant coming here?"
-We don't know the exact reason. This one's beyond rational thinking, with top-tier evasion skills—we've just been chasing shadows. Went quiet the last couple months, so we let our guard down... but it looks like it's active again.
"How dangerous?"
-If we're talking charges, serial murder. Killed way more people than that Minotaur-type last time and slipped away clean.
"What kind of mutant?"
-...A demon. Demon-type Mutant. We couldn't even track it before, but now it's leaving traces everywhere—like a declaration of war—heading straight for Korea University!
This was serious. A demon?
-I hate dragging you into something this grave, but we have no choice this time. Could you help?
"The bounty must be hefty this round."
-...It's the highest reward we've posted right now.
"Good enough. Feels like I'm a bounty hunter now."
-Really sorry. If things get dicey, run—no hard feelings. That's on us to handle the losses. We shouldn't be passing this danger to you, but our agents might not cut it, so we had to ask.
"It's fine. You've done me plenty of favors—let me pay it back. And... I think that bastard's after me. Probably my fault, so I'll handle it.
-...Thank you so much.
My instincts whispered: it's targeting me.
I scanned the area with Clairvoyance.
Sure enough, I spotted a dark, blurry figure approaching me.
...Found you, demon scum.
It was closing in fast.
Staying put could drag others into this.
But fleeing now wasn't an option either.
It'd arrive before I could.
Plus, it might grab hostages, so if it's definitely after me, better to face it here and assess.
And right as I thought that—
KABOOM!
"Kyaaack!"
The ground exploded, flames erupting around us.
The sudden mutant appearance turned the area into chaos.
Students peacefully strolling campus screamed and fled.
"...Found you."
At the same time, a hellish voice—like metal scraping metal—rang out.
I looked at it.
A man resembling me somewhat: black goat-like horns, black wings, jet-black tail.
Anyone would peg him as a demon.
And he glared at me with utter disgust.
In that moment, I was certain. This demon had come for me.