I've carefully analyzed the text and will translate it following the glossary and style guidelines.

The sprinkler incident in the stairwell reminded me of the hospital sprinkler incident. Thanks to my abilities and Choi Hyun's considerable efforts, it ended as a simple mishap.

Fortunately, the fire safety system in the Association was designed to activate sprinklers only in areas where smoke was detected, rather than throughout the entire building. That's what made it manageable.

If it had been the type that set off water bombs throughout the entire building...

It's already giving me a headache just thinking about dealing with the Mental Interference device that must be somewhere underground right now. That would have been a double disaster.

Hmm. Just imagining it makes me dizzy.

I blinked vacantly while crouched in the corner, watching Hyun resolve the situation over the phone.

I feel wronged. It really wasn't my fault.

I just molted my Ignition Organ a bit late...

*I have plenty to say about this too...*

Honestly, who would have thought radiation would stimulate the Ignition Organ?

It's like thinking you're adding table salt to water, but what's actually inside isn't salt but sodium element number 11, and then your bean sprout soup explodes while cooking.

Who lives their life anticipating every little thing like that?

Anyone who does would literally die young from stress.

"..."

As I hugged my knees with my lips protruding, I heard Hyun's footsteps approaching after he finished his call.

I lowered my head further, resting my forehead on my knees.

It wasn't simply because I was in a bad mood. Being a poikilotherm now, I was cold after getting wet, which is why I was sitting like this.

It definitely wasn't because I was feeling down about making a stupid mistake.

"What happened while I was away?"

I flinched at the Light Dragon's voice, which sounded clearer than before. I looked around, but the impossible didn't happen.

That was to be expected.

The Light Dragon didn't have a physical body to begin with.

"It seems you were heavily affected by Mental Interference while I was briefly away."

"Huh...!"

"Why are you looking around like that?"

It wasn't my imagination—it really sounded like he was sitting right next to me and speaking...?

My ears are already sensitive, so even a whisper makes me shudder.

The fortunate thing was that I couldn't feel his breath on my ear... but that made it feel more like ASMR, which was even stranger.

I rubbed my ear with my palm as it itched from the completely different quality of his voice.

"Hmm... I see what happened based on your reaction."

His tone suggested he had no idea what had happened.

You don't know? You were right there watching... well, not person, but dragon?

I frowned while listening, my ears twitching.

*Weren't you trying to find where the Mental Interference was coming from? If so, you should have seen everything I did, so why don't you know?*

"That's why I stepped away. Not without reason, but because it's much faster to check things directly."

*That works? How?*

"Mental Interference means they can connect with our minds, and conversely, it means I can cross over to their side through that connection."

In simple terms, he traced it back.

I didn't know Mental Interference worked that way...

Well, I guess that's why the interference was targeting me specifically.

*Wait, does that mean you found out where the Mental Interference is coming from?*

"Yes, the Synchronization Rate suddenly increased significantly, allowing me to track it. However, the period was too brief to pinpoint the exact location."

*But knowing even that much is important. Couldn't we track them down now and at least get a lead?*

"Perhaps... but who would believe you besides Choi Hyun and Seo Ha-Young? Could the three of you thoroughly search an entire city? And in this chaotic situation with a terrorist attack, they can't divert manpower elsewhere based solely on your unconfirmed information."

*That's...*

His words were so accurate I had nothing to say.

"Don't be too hasty. They've shown their tail, so if we wait a little longer, we can step on it. For now, it's better to think about how to deal with what's underground."

*You mean what's down there... weapons made from your body? Or something causing Mental Interference?*

"Both apply. The weapons made from my remains are being used as amplifiers for Mental Interference, and the medium spreading the interference is also down there. I expected one, but not both."

The Light Dragon sighed deeply after saying that, and the sound made my ears itch so much that I shuddered.

"Ugh...!"

"What's wrong?"

Hyun, who had just ended his call, turned to me and asked. I shook my head, indicating it was nothing.

Seeing my reaction, Hyun gave me a puzzled look before answering another incoming call.

*I understand that, but why am I suddenly like this...? There must be a reason.*

"As I mentioned earlier, it's because your Synchronization Rate has increased. That's probably why my voice sounds clearer than before."

*What does it mean that the Synchronization Rate increased? What happens?*

"Nothing much. You just become a little closer to being a dragon."

*Closer to a dragon? What does that mean? Are you saying I'll eventually become a dragon?*

A four-legged lizard flying through the sky and breathing fire...

My fondness for dragons because of their strength is a thing of the past.

It's already uncomfortable with just my hands, wings, and horns changing, but to actually become a dragon?

Being too large to enter buildings, unable to move freely, and attracting attention with every movement...

No thanks.

It's already difficult enough—what dragon?

"For a half-dragon to transform into a true dragon, this level is far from enough. At your level, the only change is that my voice sounds a bit clearer, so don't worry."

Twitch, twitch.

The inside of my ears felt ticklish, so I rubbed them against my shoulder as I replied.

*I get that, but can you somehow reduce this voice? My ears are so itchy it's driving me crazy...*

"This is my first experience with this too, so it might take some time. Wait a moment."

As I waited briefly after his words, it wasn't the Light Dragon but Hyun, who had finished his call, who spoke to me.

"Hey, Yu Sia."

"Hyeek!?"

The low-frequency voice near my ear, combined with my ears being extra sensitive from the Light Dragon's ASMR, made me involuntarily make a strange sound.

Hyun, clearly not expecting such a reaction from me, stared at me with wide eyes.

This really isn't my fault. I didn't expect my ears to become this sensitive.

"Are you okay?"

"...I'm fine. My ears are just a bit sensitive, that's all."

I was about to say I wasn't okay, but stopped myself.

If I said I wasn't okay, Hyun would worry.

But saying I was fine wasn't the right answer either, as Hyun approached and examined my ears.

"Did the emergency alarm damage your ears...?"

"It's not that kind of sensitivity, it's just... more sensitive, I guess. I can't explain it well, but that's what it is."

He gently pulled my earlobe to look inside my ear and touched my auricle, which felt strange, so I tried to pull away.

Seeing my reaction, Hyun quickly withdrew his hand.

"Does it hurt? If it hurts, tell me, don't hold back."

"It doesn't hurt, it's just sensitive like I said... So please let go now. It feels weird."

"If it starts hurting at all, don't hold back, okay? If you ignore it and it gets worse, you'll be the one suffering."

"I got it."

After I nodded in response, Hyun finally removed his hand from my ear.

I vigorously rubbed my ear with my palm to get rid of the strange sensation that lingered, then stood up.

"Anyway... the Light Dragon said there's a Mental Interference device down below. He said his weapons are being used to amplify Mental Interference."

"Then we need to go back underground. I should also inform Noona."

"But first, we need to do something about our clothes... I don't think we should go down like this..."

We need to buy clothes somewhere and change, because if we go like this, both Hyun and I will attract attention.

Drying our clothes is an option, but the only methods I can think of right now are using my newly molted Ignition Organ to breathe fire on them or going to a nearby coin laundry.

No, breathing fire would set off the sprinklers again. So we're back to square one.

As a firefighter, I probably don't need to wash up, just change into dry clothes...

"Oh, you have more clothes, right? You said you bought several outfits that would suit me."

Hyun definitely said earlier that he bought some clothes that would suit me.

Since he said so himself, he must have more than just this one outfit.

We could just go up by elevator, or if that doesn't work, take the emergency stairs all the way up to Hyun's personal room.

Couldn't we just go up and change clothes?

I looked at Hyun with that thought, but instead of nodding in agreement, he avoided my eyes with a reluctant expression.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem? Did you buy something weird?"

"...No, that's not it."

"Then it's fine. This is urgent, so as long as it's not something strange."

Despite my words, Hyun still wore that reluctant expression.

...Every time this guy makes that face, something weird happens.

But I should trust him...

"I won't complain since it can't be helped."

Only after I said that did Hyun think for a moment before nodding.

"Right, it can't be helped. Let's go."

I gave him a suspicious look at his tone that suggested resignation, but there was nothing I could do in this situation.

In the end, I followed Hyun to his personal room, pushing aside the inexplicable uneasiness.