Beep beep beep
A beeping sound, the kind you'd hear in a hospital room, echoed. What is that sound?
It's irritating.
In a fit of pique, I opened my eyes.
When I opened my eyes, all I saw was a white, yet unfamiliar, ceiling.
Am I in a hospital?
Why am I in the hospital? I was definitely in my studio apartment... No. Wait a minute.
I definitely went in to clear my head while out for some fresh air, so why am I here now?
What on earth happened?
"Ugh. My head hurts... Huh?"
As I clutched my throbbing head and mumbled, I felt a tremendous sense of unease. A strange stuffiness. And an alien voice.
That voice just now. It didn't sound like my voice.
"Huh? Ah, ah? Ahhhh!?"
A woman's voice suddenly blurted out. I hastily got up... No, before that, what is this IV drip!?
In any case, I looked around for something that might reflect my appearance.
The window.
And in my reflection glimpsed through the window, I couldn't help but be startled.
Because there was a woman with horns on her head.
Not just any woman, but an incredibly beautiful one.
In common parlance, she had silky black hair and golden eyes shaped like those of a reptile.
And the most shocking thing was that the woman moved as I moved... and the coiled, jet-black horns on my head.
What in the world is this situation?
I was informed about this absurd incident by the nurse and doctor who suddenly burst in.
The moment I witnessed something akin to bright starlight, the fact that I wasn't the only one who witnessed it.
And that those who witnessed it had their existing bodies reconstructed, as if shedding their skin.
Roughly several hundred people experienced physical changes like mine; some changed gender, while others did not.
Lastly, the most important thing... is that three months have already passed since then.
Three months is enough time to finish the semester and take a leave of absence.
Then what about my assignments? My grades?
"...Three months?"
"Yes."
"I'm screwed."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, I was in the middle of the semester... I'm going to have to retake everything."
Seeing me sigh, the doctor wore a somewhat bewildered expression.
"Uh, yes. Well. That can be important. But Seohyun-ssi?"
"Yes."
"Aren't you feeling confused?"
To the doctor's question, I shook my head. Confused?
Not particularly.
It might be because I'm someone with a narrow range of emotional fluctuations to begin with, or it might be because what's happening to me now feels so unreal.
But strangely, I was accepting this situation naturally. I don't know why.
"Yes. It's strange. Normally, in a situation like this, I'd be crying and making a huge fuss, then grabbing the doctor by the collar."
"Haha. I suppose so. It would be great if other mutants were as calm as you, Seohyun-ssi."
"Ah, so I'm the only one like this? By the way, 'mutant'? What is a mutant?"
"Three months ago, light suddenly poured down all over the world. Everyone exposed to that light had their bodies engulfed in flames... and their bodies began to mutate. Just like you, Seohyun-ssi."
"Ah."
"Those people are called mutants. And usually... many are confused, unable to accept the situation. In fact, we were surprised when you came in. We have security personnel waiting outside."
"Security personnel?"
"Yes. Generally, mutants experience a dramatic increase in physical abilities. If they were to cause a rampage, it would be a big problem... so now we have to station security personnel around mutants."
"Huh..."
At that moment, I suddenly wondered if dramatically enhanced physical abilities would make them impervious to bullets, so I asked the doctor.
"Then, are bullets also ineffective?"
"Haha. Well, there's a perception like that in novels or comics these days, isn't there? But it's nowhere near that. Most mutants are stopped by a taser. In the end, mutants only exhibit unique physical characteristics, but their basic framework is still 'human.' Just as a human dies when electrocuted, so do mutants. Ah, of course, some mutants have hardened exteriors due to unique racial traits... but even then, they can't withstand military-grade firepower."
Military-grade firepower...?
Did some terrorist incident involving mutants occur?
I'll ask about this later.
"Ah, I see. But listening to you, does that mean I'm exceptionally slow to regain consciousness among mutants? Seeing as there are stories of mutants who woke up before me. It seems like many major incidents and accidents have occurred..."
"That's correct. Among the mutants confirmed worldwide, Seohyun-ssi, you were the last to finish mutating. And as you mentioned, many incidents have indeed occurred. Like mutant crimes."
"Ah."
"So, honestly, we were very worried. Mutants are generally manageable, but the longer the mutation takes, the more rapidly their physical abilities increase."
"Wow."
"So, do you have any discomfort right now? Or any part that feels pain?"
Pain...? No, not really.
"No. Not particularly."
"Then... could you please come this way? Let's start with a check-up."
After the check-up, it was time to test my physical abilities.
The doctor took me to a space filled with seemingly sturdy reinforced walls and various structures.
There's a place like this in the basement of a building?
It felt like a scene from a secret society movie, and I let out an exclamation of admiration.
"But, do hospitals usually need such facilities?"
"It's a kind of physical test. They call it a medical check, don't they? Since mutants need to return to their daily lives, they need to be aware of their own strength. Honestly, I didn't expect such structures to be installed in a hospital either."
"Ah... I see. That's true. You could cause a catastrophe if you swung something carelessly."
"There have been similar cases. When mutants first appeared and there were no guidelines, one mutant unintentionally injured someone severely with a swing of their hand."
"Then it could be even more dangerous."
"I suppose so? So please participate diligently."
The medical check proceeded quite smoothly. And as the medical check progressed, I was able to confirm one fact.
"If I don't control my strength properly, I'll be dealing with a lot of corpses."
"Hahaha... It's truly fortunate that you, Seohyun-ssi, are not violent. It was almost a disaster."
"I suppose so. Perhaps my unusual calmness is a safety mechanism to prevent me from swinging my power around carelessly."
"That's a possibility."
The doctor let out a hollow laugh, looking at the scene I had created.
I slowly turned my gaze to where the doctor was looking.
The reinforced wall, struck by a slightly swung fist, was deeply dented. This wall, the doctor had said, was made of a very strong alloy...
Even I, who had swung it, was dumbfounded.
If I had been thrown back into daily life without even a medical check, I might have become a wanted criminal.
Just with a slight swing of my hand, this was the power.
By the way...
What kind of unique trait are these coiled, jet-black horns on my head? I touched my horns and said to the doctor.
"But, what animal's horns are these? They look like the horns of a Dragon, the kind you see in fantasy media."
"Well, it's highly likely they are indeed Dragon horns."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. During your physical transformation process, scales and the like kept falling off, wings sprouted, and a tail grew. And after the final change... no, in this case, 'molting' would be the correct term. After molting, the tail and wings disappeared, and your current appearance stabilized."
"Wait a minute. A tail and wings...?"
"Yes."
"Huh."
I was speechless. Dragon? A Dragon in 2018?
It felt like the world around me had turned into a fantasy.
No, it had literally turned into a fantasy.
I felt a slight throbbing in my head.
I realized that this change that had befallen me, separate from my current calm demeanor, was extraordinary.
Is daily life possible, this?
"Is daily life possible...?"
"Let's try our best together. Many mutants have made great efforts to return to their daily lives."
"...Yes. Ah, by any chance, how can I discover other abilities?"
"You will find out on your own. All mutants have."
"Ah."
As soon as I returned to my hospital room after the medical check, I was met by a stranger who had suddenly come to see me.
This man, dressed in a black suit, exuded an aura different from that of a mere security guard. He looked at me, smiled, and said.
"Nice to meet you, Yun Seo-hyun-ssi. I'm from the National Intelligence Service."
"...The NIS?"
"Yes."
Suddenly, the NIS.
Why are the people who catch spies here?