Chapter 2: Transformation
All hell broke loose.
Screaming in agony, Lucius tried to make sense of what was happening to his body.
"Aaaaaaah! What the hell!? Why does it hurt?! F*ck—damn it! %℅xkwpdj!"
His senses slowly returned as he regained consciousness—but it felt like he was dying.
'This… this has to be a dream! Arghhh!! Why won't I wake up?! Why!!?'
But it wasn't a dream.
The pain grew worse—unbearable. He wanted to scream again, but his voice failed him. His throat closed up.
No sound came out.
'_______'
Minutes later, he passed out.
---
⸻
Hearing a noise, Sophia woke with a jolt.
She thought she'd heard her brother screaming—like he was in pain.
Panicked, she sat up and rushed to his room, heart pounding with dread.
But the moment she opened the door, her knees buckled.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Lucius was floating in the air, his body glowing with radiant light.
Sophia froze, unable to process what she was seeing. Her mind screamed, but only a weak gasp escaped her lips.
Tears streamed down her face as she stared, helpless.
Then, the transformation began.
The light surrounding Lucius intensified.
His hair grew longer.
His height shrank.
His skin softened, turning smooth and unblemished.
His face lost its masculine sharpness.
Next came the changes that shattered Sophia's understanding of reality.
His features reshaped entirely—becoming delicate and feminine.
Thin eyebrows, plump lips, high cheekbones, and a narrow, refined nose replaced the face she had always known.
Now, it looked eerily similar to hers—but even more beautiful, in an ethereal way.
His shoulders narrowed, his hips widened—his body was reshaping into that of a woman.
Then, his chest began to swell—a pair of breasts formed.
His buttocks rounded out.
It was complete.
Lucius… was no longer he.
But the transformation hadn't ended.
A pair of white, feathered wings burst from his back, tearing through his clothes.
The glowing light began to dim as his now-altered body descended toward the bed.
But just before he landed, something unexpected happened.
One of the wing's feathers turned black.
His hair, once dark blond, turned silver, then streaks of black began to spread, leaving only patches of silver among the darkness.
Then, his body fell.
Sophia rushed forward and caught him, cradling his strange, changed body in her arms.
She trembled, tears falling freely as she hugged him tightly.
"Lucius! What… what happened to you!? Lucius!... Please wake up! Don't leave meee!"
Minutes passed.
Finally, Lucius stirred.
He let out a soft groan. His eyes fluttered open, weak and hazy.
He saw Sophia, holding him close, her body shaking.
"Si…sister Sophia...? Wh…what happened?
Why… are you hugging me…?
Why… are you crying?"
Even in his fragile state, Lucius's concern was for her.
Hearing his voice, Sophia cried again—this time with relief—and thanked God that he was alive.
She explained what she had seen.
Horrified, Lucius immediately looked down at himself.
Everything… had changed.
His body. His voice. His entire identity.
It matched what his sister had described—and his heart sank.
His mind reeled. His breath caught.
This couldn't be real.
A miracle?
No.
For Lucius, it was a tragedy.
'I… I can't… This is too much…'
Sophia tried her best to comfort him, to reassure him.
"It's okay… I'm here. I'll help you. I'll do everything I can."
But Lucius could only stare at the ceiling, lost in a storm of thoughts.
'How am I supposed to live like this now…?'
The two of them eventually fell asleep side by side, drained by the nightmare of the night.
Suddenly, just before losing consciousness, a voice echoed inside Lucius's mind.
> [ Congratulations, warrior! Your transformation is complete. ]
[ To access the system, think the word: 'Status.' ]
The voice was mechanical, unfamiliar… unnatural.
Lucius blinked.
He wasn't the only one.
Unknown to him, similar transformations—whether miracle or curse—were unfolding across the world.
But his case…
Lucius's transformation was different.
Uniquely tragic.
Unlike any other.
---
RING!.... RING!... RING!....
Lucius's smartphone rang insistently. His alarm blared, determined to wake its owner.
Still half-asleep, Lucius blindly swiped the screen to silence it.
As his mind began to clear, the memories from the night before crashed into him all at once.
He jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.
"Haha… Hahahahaha. I knew it… I knew it was real…"
"What a life-changing event… Can't my life go SMOOTH for once?! WHY?! SHOULD I JUST DIE!? HUH?! WHY, GOD?! WHY?!"
It wasn't a dream.
His knees buckled. Panic filled his chest. His mind was unraveling. Dark thoughts crossed his mind—but he caught himself.
"NO! You can't think like that. Remember your family! This is a disaster, but it's not the worst thing that could happen. Don't give up, Lucius!"
A surge of determination rose inside him. He took a deep breath, trying to stabilize himself.
"Right. I have to calm down and assess this situation. Despair won't help me now."
"Most importantly, I need to think long-term. If there's a way to reverse this… then that will be my goal."
He sighed.
"Okay. First step—let's check what the hell happened to my body."
Lucius began undressing, reluctantly.
"Damn it. Don't think weird thoughts. Just treat this like a medical checkup."
When he finally saw his reflection—he froze.
It was impossible.
He had seen plenty of pretty women on social media and YouTube… but his new body? It could put gravure idols to shame.
"What the hell… this body is… dayumm… Maybe I should look away…"
His heart raced. His cheeks flushed. His brain short-circuited.
He shut his eyes tight and started meditating, muttering to himself:
"Don't think anything strange… 177 times 3 is… Damn politicians… One, two, three, four…"
After a few minutes of mental rewiring, he reopened his eyes, more composed.
"Alright. Just pretend this is a mannequin. Top to bottom. Check everything."
From his shoulders to his chest, down to his thighs and feet—everything had changed.
Every inch screamed with a surreal, almost exaggerated beauty.
His body was… too perfect.
He avoided touching any "sensitive" areas, fearing where his thoughts might go.
Instead, he looked around for a distraction—and noticed a feather near the sink.
"Right… the wings."
He turned his focus inward, trying to feel them.
"Okay, how do I move these things? Maybe flexing my back? Wait… I can sense them…"
With effort, he finally moved them.
"Yes!"
But in his excitement, he accidentally spread them wide—inside the cramped bathroom.
One wing slammed into the wall.
"OWW!! Shit! That stung!"
He rubbed the base of the wing, feeling a dull pain echo in his nerves.
"Good thing I didn't knock over any shampoo…"
Sighing, he sat down on the toilet lid.
"So… wings. Cool. But what now?"
"I can't wear normal shirts anymore. I definitely can't go outside like this…"
"Ughhh… what the hell am I supposed to do now?"
Then something stirred in his memory.
"Wait… last night… there was a voice."
Shivering slightly, he tried to recall it.
"It said something like… 'Congratulations!'… then… 'Warrior'? And… 'Status'?"
The moment he thought the word 'Status', a glowing, semi-transparent panel popped into view before his eyes.
> [ STATUS ]
Name: _______
Default Race: Human
Transformation Race: Nephilim
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Mana Rank: Knight (Sealed)
Mana Core: 1
Strength: 25
Willpower: 30
Dexterity: 23
Mana: 33
Transformation Traits:
Elemental Dualism
Hybrid Body
Fallen One
The Adheres
Transformation Abilities:
Partial Body Transformation
Sixth Sense
Beginner Nephilim Mana Manipulation (Low Rank)
Strong Lungs
Default Traits:
Determined Mind
Strong Bonds
Sympathetic Heart
Brilliant Laziness
Default Abilities:
Basic Understanding
____
Lucius stared at the screen, dumbfounded.
"What the hell?! A status window?! Is this a game?! A manga?!"
"A floating interface showing stats!? Seriously!?"
Then he remembered the night before… the pain, the wings, the change.
Compared to that, this screen actually seemed normal.
"Did I just have an… awakening? Or something?"
He scrolled through the panel—until he saw it:
> Name: _______
[Tap to set]
"Wait. My name is blank?"
Frustrated, he tapped it.
> [ Do you want to change your name? ]
"What?! I can change it?!"
He hesitated.
"Should I leave it blank… or set a new name?"
His mind spiraled again.
"My old ID is useless now. I can't prove who I am. I can't access my bank account. Or my insurance. Or my job…"
"If I'm not Lucius anymore… then what am I?"
He clenched his fists, teeth grinding.
"Damn it all. Cold shower. That's what I need. I'll think later."
"Maybe Sister Sophia can help me figure this out. And Edward too… he always has crazy theories. He might actually believe me."
Lucius felt… complicated.
His thoughts were a swirling mess, and he couldn't find a solution to any of them. Resigned, he decided to take a shower to wash off the sweat from the chaotic night before.
He forgot to bring spare clothes.
Not that he cared. He just wanted to feel clean again.
After drying himself off, he wrapped the towel around his body — only to struggle for several minutes.
He forgot about the wings.
Every time he tried to wrap the towel properly, the wings got in the way. After several failed attempts, he managed to carefully maneuver them, finally succeeding in covering himself.
He let out a tired sigh, opened the bathroom door, and tiptoed his way back to the bedroom, trying not to wake his sisters.
Crouching by the cupboard, he opened his designated section — the bottom one — and tried to quietly grab some clothes.
After several minutes of fumbling around, he managed to put on just underwear and a pair of training trousers.
That was it.
There wasn't a single shirt or jacket that worked — his wings ruined the fit every time.
'How am I supposed to dress with these things sticking out of my back? I can't just walk around like this — not with this body. It's way too eye-catching…'
'Maybe I could cut holes into a jacket? Or… wait. I haven't actually checked all my traits and abilities. Maybe one of them can hide these wings?'
"Status."
The glowing panel appeared in front of him.
'Let's start with my race…'
He tapped on the word Nephilim, and a description popped up:
> [ Nephilim ]
A race born before the Age of War. Ostracized due to their dual lineage and volatile powers.
Nephilim were created through forbidden unions between divine beings and unholy entities, granting them traits of both lineages.
Most vanished after the Divine War, surviving only as myths in ancient scripture.
Lucius blinked.
'Damn… so I'm some kind of cursed myth? Half-angel, half-demon? I can't tell if that's good or horrifying…'
'Well, in games, mythical races are usually OP, so… I guess I'll take it.'
He scrolled to the next trait: Elemental Dualism.
> [ Elemental Dualism ]
You possess affinity for both divinity and profanity.
As your transformation progresses, you will gain the authority to manipulate both Light and Dark elements.
Lucius tilted his head.
'Divinity and profanity? So… holy and unholy? That sounds powerful… but also kind of dangerous.'
'Does "profanity" mean corruption? Curses? Something worse?'
'No way this ends cleanly.'
He shook his head and checked the next trait.
> [ Hybrid Body ]
Your body is uniquely adapted to handle both divine cleansing and profane corruption.
Both Light and Dark energies can be absorbed and converted into pure mana.
'Alright, that one sounds good. Durable and efficient. I'll take it.'
Then he scrolled to the next line.
> [ Fallen One ]
Your kind is prone to corruption.
'…Of course. There's always a catch.'
He took a deep breath before reading the last trait.
> [ The Adheres ]
Your transformation is permanent.
It is now your true physical form.
No mana is required to sustain it.
Lucius froze.
'So… this is it. This body is me now.'
His thoughts darkened for a moment.
'But this doesn't explain the gender change. Is that part of being Nephilim? Or something else?'
'I can't focus on that now. I need to stop obsessing over uncertainty and plan for the future. One step at a time.'
He moved to the next section: Abilities.
> [ Partial Body Transformation ]
You can manifest advanced racial traits.
Your wings are a product of this skill.
To summon your wings: Focus mana into your back
To retract your wings: Focus mana again and think of "retract"
Lucius's eyes widened.
"There it is!"
He closed his eyes, searching inward for the strange sensation he felt earlier — something foreign but also oddly familiar.
He found it.
He focused his thoughts on his back… the flow of mana surged through his body.
And—
"A.a.a.ANGEL!!"
Lucius flinched violently.
He had been so focused, he completely forgot to keep quiet — and now Eve was awake.
'Oh, crap… I planned to explain everything later — together with sister Sophia! Not like this!'
He cursed under his breath as the wings disappeared from his back, successfully retracted by the mental command.
Now he stood there awkwardly — wearing only trousers and underwear — eyes wide and guilty.
"H-Hi, Eve."