Chapter 4
The transformation is not yet complete.
Kang Shin-hwa first waited for his body, which had undergone transformation, to recover.
Transformation instantly requires significant physical strength and pushes the body’s cellular energy to its limits.
If he rushed too much, there was a high probability of suffering internal injuries.
‘The liver and lungs are done. At least fourteen more areas remain? There’s probably no Awakener who has as many means to become as strong as me.’
Kang Shin-hwa smiled while touching various parts of his body.
Since he began making significant changes to his previously ordinary body, the sensation was more certain than before.
Youth does not lie.
The enhanced lungs explosively absorbed magical power through breathing, and the liver was storing it methodically.
‘In fact, the most effective area is the brain, so I must be careful. Once transformed, it’s essentially like having a supercomputer inside my head.’
He clicked his tongue in regret.
Of course, this was a change he could attempt in the not-too-distant future.
He was merely controlling the speed, avoiding rushing like catching up on delayed homework and potentially causing a negative effect.
‘Still, because I transformed my brain to nearly its ultimate limit in my previous life and remembered everything, recalling is not a problem.’
When he narrowed the scope to 2020.
Numerous future knowledge sprouted in his mind like bamboo shoots.
Perhaps the only regrettable thing was that lottery tickets were abolished after the Great Disaster?
The fact that there was no way to hit the jackpot with very little cost and risk was quite disappointing.
Of course, the lottery wasn’t the only method, so he could find other means if needed.
From now on, the changes I was about to attempt required several tests, so I needed an open space.
Fortunately, the area around Sindorim Station had well-established walking paths that were easy to stroll around.
He decided to proceed with modifications to three additional body parts there.
* * *
‘There are a lot of people.’
Kang Shin-hwa exclaimed to the considerable crowd on the walking path, despite it being the Lunar New Year holiday.
It was a sad story, but Sindorim Station in 2052 was literally just a desolate ruin filled with death.
They had succeeded in preventing a great disaster, but they couldn’t avoid massive human casualties.
When he returned, the Republic of Korea was entirely in ruins, and Sindorim Station was practically erased from the map.
However, seeing Sindorim Station preserving the beautiful appearance of 2020, he couldn’t help but be moved.
“Whew.”
Kang Shin-hwa sat on one of the benches on the walking path and began to control all the magical power within his body.
‘Eyes, teeth, and tongue.’
Kang Shin-hwa first chose three body parts with the lowest modification difficulty.
These were the three parts corresponding to the lowest level out of five difficulty levels, from lowest to highest.
Perhaps due to having already created magical liver and lungs, drawing up magical power was as easy as breathing.
“Whew…”
Deep breath and mental concentration.
With magical power moving at his will, it was easy to condense power into the necessary parts.
Soon, the entire magical power was divided into three branches, centering on the eyes, teeth, and tongue.
While lungs and liver required some difficulty and were processed separately, these parts had low risk and could be done together.
‘Maximizing change for potential ability enhancement.’
The purpose was clear.
Eventually, he raised the activation of magical power and pulled up his change-type abilities.
Creak. Crackle. Creak.
Various sounds emerged, and changes began to occur in his body.
Starting with an unpleasant sensation, but once changed, it was also a transformation that would bring happiness.
Shaaaa.
In a short time, a unique blue magical power was emitted from his eyes, teeth, and tongue.
Next moment.
“Ah…!”
A sound between an exclamation and a groan burst out as Kang Shin-hwa recognized his modified body.
The most definite change was felt in his ‘eyes’.
‘I can see!’
The dramatically increased vision created an entirely different world.
He could clearly see a woman’s smartphone screen from a distance well over 500 meters.
[Jagi♥: Honey, where are you?]
[Me: I’m coming to meet you! I’m almost home!]
[Jagi♥: Come quickly! I want to hug you tight and do a nose kiss!]
[Okay! I’ll be right there ♥♥]
“Ugh…”
He couldn’t calmly accept the couple’s display of affection, but it was tolerable with his anti-magical power.
In any case, the important thing was that he could definitely explore an area over 500 meters away.
‘This is about 5.0 vision. That’s about the eyesight of an eagle.’
Kang Shin-hwa gently stroked around his eyes with a satisfied touch.
With 5.0 vision, an entirely different world opens up.
You can even see stars in broad daylight!
Of course, only under the premise of a completely clear sky without fine dust.
‘Was it C-rank Jeong Hyeong-wook? With 5.0 vision, he would be treated top-tier in any engineering school, that guy who specialized in reconnaissance. If he met me, he’d immediately become unemployed.’
For some, vision might be their entire means of survival, but for Kang Shin-hwa, it was just a part of it.
This was definitely his big advantage.
By modifying one body part, he could quickly catch up to the level of top-performing experts in that field.
Shaaaa.
Then he felt his eyes becoming increasingly cool.
Not as much as lungs and liver, but evidence that magical power was gradually filling both eyeballs.
‘Hallucination, distortion, darkness immunity. No problem with vision now. Those guys with only those three talents will just show off in front of me.’
Kang Shin-hwa made a satisfied expression.
Now he could distinguish between real and fake even when using hallucination abilities.
Even when using distortion abilities, he could capture the corrected form before distortion.
Even if pitch-black darkness comes, his transformed eyes would function like night vision, making it possible to brighten his vision.
Additionally, eyes were a body part that could be further modified, offering potential for even greater changes later.
Tick. Tick.
Next, Kang Shin-hwa’s attention turned to his teeth. The part is usually called ‘teeth’.
Through modification, not only his teeth but also the surrounding gums and bite force were enhanced. Along with part of his jaw and masticatory muscles.
‘Here… Now I can probably chew through iron bars.’
Kang Shin-hwa chuckled, glancing at the iron pole, the steel signpost, next to him.
There’s no better way to check changed bodily functions than to demonstrate directly.
Grip.
Kang Shin-hwa grabbed the steel pole.
A substantial pole, undoubtedly solid and well-supported, with heavy rocks below and a sturdy steel frame.
Next moment.
Without hesitation, Kang Shin-hwa bit hard into the central part of the pole.
Wadak!
A sound of something breaking emerged.
Someone hearing this sound would definitely think his teeth had shattered…
“That’s it.”
Kang Shin-hwa was smiling.
His neatly arranged, bright white teeth were perfectly intact.
Instead.
Squeak. Squeak.
The central half of the steel pole was completely torn off, wobbling precariously from side to side.
He had literally just torn through steel with his mouth.
“…Did you just tear off this steel pole? With your mouth?”
A passerby who happened to witness Kang Shin-hwa’s bizarre act was filled with shock.
No matter how much of an awakened being one was, it was an unbelievable scene unfolding before their eyes.
