A week had passed since that incident.

  Many things had happened quickly during that time.

  The chief surgeon at the hospital said that although the lump in my head was moving, it didn't appear to be malignant, and since it was small, we should just observe it periodically. However, his eyes revealed not just concern, but scientific curiosity.

  Cases as unusual as mine must be rare.

  Anyway, it wasn't bad that they were paying extra attention to me.

  After spending one more day in the hospital bed, I completed the discharge procedures with a promise to continue outpatient treatment.

  The TV in the ward kept showing news about the meteor impact areas. Along with reports that military units had been deployed for recovery operations, there were also reports of increasing disappearances in areas near the accident site.

  I was particularly concerned about the strange phenomena that the reporter was describing with a serious expression. There were continuous accounts of normally docile animals suddenly becoming aggressive.

  There was also an expert interview suggesting that some substance from meteor fragments might be affecting the ecosystem. It gave me chills to think that the same substance might be inside my body.

  A caption reading 'National Emergency Response Center Activated' was scrolling across one side of the news screen. It said a controlled zone had been designated around the meteor impact area.

  As public anxiety escalated, the government maintained that "the abnormal phenomena are temporary and controllable," but according to the news, various conspiracy theories were already spreading on social media.

  As I was completing the discharge procedures, I noticed two middle-aged men standing at the hospital entrance, watching me.

  They seemed to follow my movements. It was clear their gaze followed me with every step.

  'Could they be police?' I wondered. My guess was correct.

  As I approached the entrance, they came over as if they had been waiting.

  "Mr. Kang Chul. I'm Detective Choi Dong-seok from the Violent Crimes Division of Hanguk City Police Station. Could we talk for a moment?"

  'So it is the police. This was bound to happen.'

  The meteor fall alone might have been considered a simple accident, but the fact that gangsters and I were together on a remote mountain in the middle of the night couldn't help but attract police attention.

  "I understand you've just been discharged, but we won't take much of your time. Just a moment will do. Would that coffee shop over there be okay?"

  His attitude was as polite as possible.

  "Yes, that's fine. Let's go."

  There was no reason to refuse.

  At the coffee shop, the detectives continued their investigation, asking about the situation at the time of the incident. Questions continued under their sharp gaze.

  Kang Chul explained the encounter with the thugs at the convenience store and how he survived the meteor impact after being kidnapped, but he didn't mention the liquid from the meteor that had seeped into his body. It was obvious that if he said such a thing, they would think he was out of his mind.

  But one of the detectives' questions surprised Kang Chul.

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  "Only two gangsters were found at the scene... but you just mentioned there were three?"

  Kang Chul clearly remembered that there were three men-Dragon Tattoo, Snake Tattoo, and Tiger Tattoo-but the detectives said they hadn't found the man with the tiger tattoo at the scene.

  '...What? There were definitely three... Could he have been blown to pieces?'

  A chill ran down my spine and my heart pounded.

  I shook hands with the detectives and left the coffee shop.

  ＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃

  I immediately hailed a taxi and headed home. Looking at the scenery passing by outside the window, I closed my eyes gently.

  "I don't know what's what... but I should be thankful that I made it back alive."

  I clenched my fist in the taxi, resolving, 'I can't stay like this. I need to become stronger.' But I wasn't sure how to become stronger.

  I searched for various sports, but nothing seemed suitable.

  'Should I learn Hapkido or Taekwondo again? No, that alone won't be enough.'

  Mixed martial arts seemed cool, but it felt distant from me. Then, one sport caught my eye. Without much thought, I immediately left an inquiry call.

  For the past few days, memories of that night wouldn't leave my mind. The confrontation with the gangsters, the meteor impact, and the miraculous moments of survival.

  The whereabouts of Tiger Tattoo particularly bothered me. Was there a reason only he disappeared? Was it related to the meteor? Everything still felt like a dream.

  Every night, suffocating nightmares visited me. The feeling of being buried in soil, and the sensation of that liquid penetrating my body.

  When I woke up, my blanket would be soaked with sweat and my pillow with tears. Though I had survived, it seemed like a different life was waiting for me.

  Five days after being discharged, it seemed like I had returned to normal life.

  The night before submitting my resignation to the convenience store manager, I stayed up all night contemplating. Continuing to work might have been the more normal choice.

  But the helplessness I had shown when the gangsters stormed in that night kept circling in my mind.

  Above all, I was afraid. If I stood in that place again, memories of that night would overwhelm me. And what if this strange energy residing in my body suddenly burst out and hurt someone?

  It felt like both my body and mind had become dangerous. In the end, I explained my situation to the manager with a sincere apology.

  Fortunately, the manager understood and even showed concern for my health.

  I couldn't ignore the changes in my body over the past few days. With every meal, the taste of food felt ten times more intense than before, and in the shower, I could feel even a single drop of water flowing across my skin with clarity.

  The world felt too vivid.

  ＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃

  Finally, I arrived at the place I had reserved for today.

  As I reached the front of the gym, heavy "thump! thump!" sounds leaked from inside.

  'Pro Boxing Center.'

  It was a gym run by a former professional boxer.

  'A pro must be incredibly strong... the training must be really intense?'

  The sound of leather being hit and the smell of sweat wafted through the door. I was a bit worried, but I had no desire to turn back.

  As I opened the door and entered, a robust middle-aged man greeted me.

  "Welcome. You're Kang Chul who called earlier, right?"

  "Yes. Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Chul."

  The coach looked me over from head to toe, then laughed heartily and said,

  "I heard you've done Hapkido and Taekwondo, but boxing is a completely different sport. Learn it with the mindset of starting fresh."

  "Yes, I'll keep that in mind."

  Looking around the gym, I saw four or five trainees each engrossed in their training. A sturdy man hitting a sandbag, a slender young man jumping rope, a muscular man in his 40s doing stretches.

  And the most noticeable thing was the portraits hanging on the wall. They seemed to be champions from this gym.

  After changing into workout clothes in the locker room, the coach handed me a jump rope.

  "The basics of boxing start with jumping rope. Do a thousand and let me know when you're done."

  "...A thousand?"

  I hesitated at the sudden number but eventually nodded.

  "Yes, understood."

  I grabbed the jump rope and started jumping lightly.

  100, 200, 300...

  While jumping rope, I found it peculiar. 'Was this always so easy?' Far from being out of breath, my body actually felt more relaxed and my speed naturally increased.

  I put a little more force into my jump.

  At that moment.

  Thud!

  A loud noise was heard from the direction of my crown.

  "Oh, hey! Mr. Kang Chul, are you okay?"

  The surprised coach's voice echoed throughout the gym. I rubbed my head, bewildered.

  "Yes, it seems I hit something..."

  The coach's face hardened.

  "What do you mean 'okay'! You just hit your head on the ceiling!"

  "...What?"

  At those unbelievable words, I looked up to see a crack in the gym ceiling.

  "This... did I do this?"

  It was impossible to understand how this could happen with a ceiling at a height of 3 meters, completely out of reach for someone of my height. But I clearly just put a little more force into my jump.

  My heart raced and sweat ran down my entire body. It wasn't just from exercise. A feeling that something had changed inside me spread throughout my body.

  The other trainees around started to whisper.

  "What the heck? Is that guy a monster?" The man who was stretching dropped his jaw.

  "Yeah, who cracks the ceiling while jumping rope?" The sturdy man in front of the sandbag shook his head in disbelief.

  "Is he playing a prank? How with such an ordinary body..." The slender young man narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

  One of them took out a smartphone and started recording me. "This would go viral on social media."

  "Hyeong-seo, stop it," the coach barked.

  The trainee called Hyeong-seo reluctantly put his smartphone in his pocket. He was a tall young man with a slender build.

  Curiosity and wariness were mixed in his eyes.

  Feeling their wary gazes, I scratched my head, not knowing what to do.

  The coach couldn't hide his surprise as he looked back and forth between the ceiling and me. "I've been in this sport for over 20 years... but this is a first."

  I could feel the usual confidence fading from the coach's voice.

  The coach slowly approached me. His eyes crossed with wariness and complex emotions.

  He carefully examined my shoulders, then looked back and forth between his hand and mine.

  "How... how is this even possible..." As his voice trembled, curiosity began to seep in.

  The coach smiled awkwardly and shook his head.

  "Maybe I overlooked a jump rope master and unnecessarily asked you to do this."

  "I'm sorry. By the way, now that the ceiling is like this... what should we do?"

  I asked awkwardly.

  The coach laughed heartily and said,

  "Haha, it's okay. It's my fault for not expecting you to jump this high."

  Just as I was slightly relieved by his attitude, the coach made an unexpected suggestion.

  "Since it's come to this, how about some sparring?"