The sound of laughter echoed through the hallway like knives cutting through silence.
"Hey, weakling! You dropped your lunch... again," sneered Kang Minho, one of the school's most notorious bullies. He kicked the small lunch box across the corridor, scattering its contents. The students watching barely reacted—some chuckled, others looked away in discomfort. No one helped.
Lee Raon stood frozen, his knuckles white as he clenched the straps of his worn-out backpack. He wanted to yell. To fight back. But his body, thin and frail, betrayed him—as it always had.
He bent down slowly, picking up his scattered rice and side dishes with trembling fingers.
"Just one more week," he reminded himself, eyes burning but dry. "Just one more week until the government distributes the Evolution Serum."
It had been announced months ago: every high school senior would receive a randomly-assigned Evolution Serum, developed by the Korean government in response to the rise of monsters that had begun appearing around the world. Some serums turned students into powerful warriors or beast-like creatures. Others… were duds.
No one could predict what they'd get. And no one could reject the process.
Lee Raon, the weakest student in Jeongmu High School, had only one wish — to change. Not just his body. His entire existence.
---
Later That Day – Classroom 3-D
The classroom buzzed with excitement. Posters of "Awaken Korea: Serum Ceremony in 7 Days" hung on the walls. A countdown played on the screen above the whiteboard.
"Guys, I heard someone from last year evolved into a Fire Titan," said Han Jiwon, pushing her glasses up. "And another became a Shadow Assassin. Like, invisible and everything!"
"Yeah, but some turned into useless mutants," Seo Hana added, her voice low. She glanced at Lee Raon, who sat quietly at the back, sketching something in his notebook.
He's always drawing that same symbol, she thought. A glowing blue dragon wrapped in chains.
The bell rang.
"Class dismissed!"
But before anyone moved, the homeroom teacher entered, followed by a man in a black suit—expression cold, movements precise. His presence alone silenced the room.
"I'm Agent Bae Gunwoo from the Department of Human Advancement," he announced. "We'll begin compatibility scans tomorrow. Prepare yourselves. And remember… not everyone survives evolution."
Lee Raon's heart pounded.
Not everyone survives...?
He looked out the window, at the dark clouds gathering above Seoul.
This was no longer just about being bullied.
It was about survival.
And he would evolve—or die trying.