episode_0006

I got the feeling that I’d done something absolutely enormous.

I’d just followed my instincts, but I’d summoned dark clouds and called down lightning.

What the hell is this?

This is beyond ridiculous. At this point, aren’t I just a walking natural disaster?

That variant… he’s not dead, right?

I approached the Minotaur and pressed a hand to his nose.

Thankfully, he was still alive.

His skin was charred black from the lightning bolt, but I could already see it slowly regenerating.

Damn, his endurance is insane. Just to make sure he wouldn’t get back up, I checked his condition more carefully and confirmed that he was completely unconscious. It’d probably take quite a while for him to come to.

But still… what should I do with him? I did get that NIS agent’s contact last time. If I call and ask them to clean this up, would they?

Actually, before anything else, maybe I should clear away these dark clouds first.

I waved my hand—and in an instant, the ominous clouds blotting out the sky dissipated.

……Seriously, this feels like I’ve become some kind of god or something.

I scratched my head lightly. The wind swirling around me when I called the lightning must’ve blown my hat away.

Glancing around, I spotted it lying in front of Lee Sihyeon.

The situation was mostly settled now, so I picked up the hat in front of her, dusted it off, and said:

“Since it’s all over now, you can go back.”

“Ah, yes, yes. Thank you.”

“Well, I should get going too. My younger sibling’s waiting.”

“Wait, I’d like to repay you somehow…”

“Repayment? It’s fine.”

“Still…”

“I said it’s fine. Didn’t I mention it before? I’m doing this to change how people see variants. If I accepted a reward, wouldn’t that undermine the whole point?”

“T-Then, can I at least know your name?”

“Oh, well… Seohyun. Yoon Seohyun.”

After speaking his name, Seohyun vanished—just like that. As if he were a mirage.

It seemed he’d disappeared right away because he’d noticed the stares around him. He probably didn’t want to become some spectacle.

Sihyeon couldn’t help but think that.

After all, most of the people who’d been fleeing earlier were now gaping at them with wide eyes.

Looking at the scene, she felt like she’d just dreamed everything.

“Wow…”

What burst out next was awe.

Her eyes shimmered with emotion at the sight of the variant, who could’ve stepped right out of a hero movie.

She’d nearly died, but that didn’t matter anymore.

The important thing was that she hadn’t.

That’s what she told herself.

“Will we meet again? Wait… Yoon Seohyun…? Why does that name sound familiar…?”

She murmured with vague hope, but at that moment, she couldn’t have known.

That she’d see Seohyun again much sooner than she expected.

Before contacting my younger sibling, I took out my phone and called the NIS agent whose number I’d saved.

“Yes, this is Choi Jungho.”

“Ah, hello. Agent. This is variant Yoon Seohyun.”

“Hello, Mr. Seohyun. What’s the reason for your call? I’m in a bit of a hurry, so apologies in advance if I can’t talk long.”

“I subdued a Minotaur-type variant, so I thought I’d let you know. I’m guessing the urgent situation you mentioned is probably because of him.”

“……What?”

“If you go out Exit 2 near Korea University Station and head straight to the commercial district, there’s a café called Hanbit. He should be unconscious right in front of it.”

“W-Wait a second. You subdued him? A Minotaur-type variant?”

“Yeah. I already left the area, but I doubt he’ll be moving anytime soon. He took a direct hit from lightning. He’s completely knocked out, so all you have to do is restrain him.”

“Lightning? Did you say lightning?”

“Uh, yeah… It’s part of my ability.”

“Huh. Understood. We’ll head there right away.”

After the call ended, my phone rang again not long after. Sure enough, it was Agent Choi Jungho. Seems he’d been much closer than I thought.

“Confirmed. But why did you involve yourself in something so dangerous?”

“If variants like him keep running wild, people will panic at the sight of any variant. They won’t even feel safe walking the streets… So I stepped in.”

“We truly appreciate your help. You’ve done us a tremendous favor.”

“Um, actually…”

“Yes? Is there something you need?”

“No, not that… When I tossed him around, the asphalt got a little damaged. I won’t be billed for the repairs, right?”

“Haha! Don’t worry about that. Billed? No way. In fact, you’ll be getting a reward. This guy was already listed on the wanted registry.”

“Oh.”

“Just give us your account number, and we’ll deposit the reward. He’s caused quite a few incidents, so the payout won’t be small.”

“Aren’t there usually more complicated procedures for this?”

“Despite appearances, I’m the one overseeing variant-related affairs. So I can bypass most formalities when needed.”

“Oh…”

“Either way, thank you again. That guy was in a frenzied state—if things had gone poorly, agents or civilians could’ve been seriously hurt. Because of you, we’ve resolved this cleanly.”

“Ah, got it.”

What a windfall.

Guess good deeds really do pay off.

After some small talk, I ended the call and rang my younger sibling.

“It’s done.”

“Hey! You’re not hurt, are you!?”

“Nope, nope. Turns out I’m way stronger than I thought.”

“Damn… Okay.”

“Where are you?”

“Still where we split up earlier.”

“I’ll be there soon. Using my powers made me hungry. Let’s hurry home and eat something.”

“……Alright, I’ll go ahead and order something then.”

“Sweet. Works for me.”

They sounded a little exasperated… but maybe I was imagining it?

[Yo holy shit??? Just saw something insane.]

Remember that Minotaur-type variant who went on a rampage and got caught before?

That bastard escaped today and started wrecking everything near Korea University Station

Then outta nowhere, some girl shows up and knocks him flat in seconds??

But it didn’t end there

That freak had insane endurance and got back up—then dark clouds rolled in and lightning blasted him straight down

Bro got roasted in an instant, wtf??

Anyway, saw the girl from a distance—she had some kinda horn thing, and the lightning came from there

Remember that rumor floating around a while back? Some high elf wannabe on the forums claimed they heard about a dragon-type variant?

Turns out it might not be bullshit

Pretty sure the girl who fried the Minotaur is the dragon-type variant

-? Stop capping

-No, fr??? Tons of people saw it too, it’ll probably hit the news soon

-No way this is real

-LMAO so dragon-types actually exist?

-Anyone get footage? Pics? Anything?

-You idiot, who the hell’s gonna stick around filming while a Minotaur’s rampaging? Also, the power went out for a sec after the lightning struck

-Damn wtf

-She hot tho?

-Couldn’t see well from far away?? Mostly just a silhouette in black

“……Didn’t expect it to blow up like this.”

“Huh? What?”

While tearing into pizza with my sibling, I checked my phone—my story was all over the breaking news.

Something about a Minotaur-type variant causing havoc near Korea University Station and another variant who stopped it.

Said variant was reportedly capable of artificially summoning lightning… that kind of thing.

“Guess I made the news?”

“What!?”

“Look. Articles are popping up everywhere.”

“Wait—what’s this? ‘Artificially summoned lightning’? Is this for real!?”

“Yep. I can apparently call up dark clouds too.”

“Holy shit. What are you, some kind of god now?”

“I’m a dragon, remember? Probably part of the species traits. Like I told you—I’m the variant whose transformation finished last worldwide.”

“Man, even so… I still can’t wrap my head around this.”

“Trust me, how do you think I feel? I barely believe half the stuff I’m doing now.”

“Guess that makes you a real variant.”

I get why they’re reacting this way.

If my sibling suddenly turned into a dragon and started calling down lightning, I’d be pretty damn stunned too.

But whatever. As long as I don’t do anything too crazy, it’ll be fine.

No matter how draconic I’ve become, at my core, I’m still just Yoon Seohyun—a humble human with ordinary instincts.

The discomfort my family feels will fade with time.

……Actually, ever since I woke up, I feel like my thought process has gotten bolder. Normally, I’d have lost sleep over worrying about things like this.

Even if I act all confident now, my timid nature hasn’t completely vanished.

If I were still stuck with my old mindset, I’d have fretted over how people viewed variants but never taken direct action.

But going out of my way to hunt down that Minotaur? That level of confidence in my actions… had to be the variant’s influence.

Anyway… while my body’s grown stronger, so has my mind.

No point overthinking it. Might as well take it in stride.

Current time: 9:00 AM.

My eyes snapped open.

The officetel I was sharing with my sibling was surprisingly comfortable.

For convenience, we called it a rented place, but it was basically just home.

……Seems my parents pushed themselves harder than I thought.

Well, it’s not like I can’t understand why they did it.

Between me and my sibling, we’ve always been the types to buckle down and study when needed.

And Korea University’s name carries weight—though med and dental schools don’t count, obviously.

Anyway, what was I doing again?

Nothing came to mind.

A part-time job? What idiot would hire a variant?

Studying? I’ve already nailed all the foundational coursework. Being a third-year wasn’t just for show.

Meaning… keeping up with classes wouldn’t be an issue.

Hence… there’s honestly nothing for me to do.

Just killing time, really.

Scratching my stomach, I got up and washed some rice. My sibling was definitely still sprawled out asleep, so I figured I’d make breakfast.

About four servings—enough for both of us until dinner. After rinsing the rice, I pulled out some eggs.

With kimchi, eggs, and bacon, it’d be a luxurious enough meal.

Once I finished eating, I headed to the bathroom.

A dragon’s body is blessed—even without washing, it stays clean—but there’s still the matter of feeling fresh.

Drying my hair was annoying, but the post-shower refreshment made it worth the trouble.

“Haaah… Done washing?”

“Yep. Breakfast is ready, so just toss it in the microwave.”

“Oh… Thanks.”

By the time I finished drying my hair, my sibling shuffled out of their room, yawning.