The taxi stopped at my house. I paid with my card.

  It was past 11 AM.

  On a weekday at this hour, both my father and brother would be out.

  Mom might be home though. Since I hadn't notified anyone about coming back, she'd probably still be here.

  I pushed the front door open and entered the password on the entrance lock.

  "I'm home."

  Mom stood right there in the entryway. She stared at me like I was a stranger.

  That's when I realized my situation.

  "Um... Mom?"

  Using her former A-Class Hunter skills, she had me restrained before I could react.

  My right arm was twisted behind my back, then a swift kick to the back of my knee knocked me off balance.

  I expected to be slammed hard against the floor, but she merely lowered me down and kept me pinned.

  "Mom? Can you let me explain?"

  "Miss? Sorry, but I only have sons."

  She increased the pressure on my twisted arm.

  It didn't hurt much actually. This body was more flexible than I expected, so I could still handle it.

  "I am your son Si-yeon! This happened after my Awakening!"

  Her grip didn't loosen.

  "Proof?"

  "My ID is in the wallet!"

  "That could be stolen. Anything else?"

  Encryption verification code

  Argh! Mom kept increasing the pressure on my arm. No matter how flexible I was, the pain kept growing.

  "Si-hyun! Call Si-hyun!"

  She seemed to consider this and slightly relaxed her hold.

  With my left hand, I pulled out my phone and called Si-hyun.

  He answered after two rings.

  -Yeah? Si-yeon? What's up?

  "Hey! Explain my situation to my mom!"

  Even after hearing Si-hyun's explanation, Mom remained skeptical. Her next judgment shocked me:

  "It could be a memory stealing monster."

  Maybe Si-hyun's words had some effect, because she finally let me get up from the floor.

  Unfortunately, she immediately sat me on a chair and tied me up tight.

  "So what's your Ability?"

  "Feminization..."

  Her doubt made sense. No one had ever reported an Ability like this before.

  While new Abilities kept appearing as more people Awakened, a gender-changing case like mine was probably the first.

  About an hour later, my brother arrived home after Mom called him.

  "So this little thing is really my brother?"

  Mom sighed and nodded.

  "Hard to believe, but it seems true."

  My brother pinched my cheeks and examined my face.

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  His rough handling made my neck ache.

  "Ow, that hurts..."

  "Looks real though? The eyes and brows resemble Mother's."

  Bro! You believe me!

  "Seong-yeon, you actually buy this nonsense?"

  "What else? He has Mother's features, and his friend confirmed it. We can't just ignore this."

  "What if it's a mimic or memory stealing monster?"

  Mom, please believe me...

  "As long as Father isn't involved, it should be fine. And his energy feels pathetically weak. Can't we do genetic testing to confirm?"

  Genetic testing?

  "Huh... that could work."

  Oh? Would that prove it?

  "Research shows that even when Elemental Type or Transformation Type Awakened undergo physical changes, their genes remain the same. If this kid really is our brother who changed through Awakening, a paternity test like they use for Transformation Types would confirm it."

  "Then we should arrange that immediately."

  Mom took out several sealed bags from the kitchen and plucked a few strands of my hair.

  "Collect your father's sample separately and deliver it yourself."

  "Right. If I go personally, they'll prioritize it."

  "Stop dawdling and get going."

  For some reason, my brother kept grinning at me as he slowly headed toward the entrance.

  "Well~ Seeing my dumb little brother become so cute feels pretty good, doesn't it?"

  It made my blood boil.

  "Damn it..."

  After my brother left, only Mom and I remained.

  "Sigh... Are you really Si-yeon?"

  "I've told you so many times!"

  Mom rubbed her temples with a pained expression.

  "An unprecedented Awakening Ability."

  "Mom, first tell me about the Stat Values on the Status Panel."

  To lighten the mood and satisfy my curiosity, I asked about the Ability knowledge I needed to learn.

  Mom seemed hesitant about whether to answer.

  "Alright, consider this a short lesson."

  Unexpectedly, she agreed readily.

  As a retired Hunter, Mom had been active since the early days of the Portal Incident, with over a decade of experience. She now works as a freelance temporary lecturer or combat training instructor.

  Here is what Mom taught about the stats:

  The baseline stats for a healthy adult male are D-Class, but there are individual differences even within the same class. This standard is just a rough guideline, not an absolute value.

  If your Strength stat reaches C-Class, you can easily complete the three major lifts totaling 800 kilograms that fitness enthusiasts rave about. They say ordinary people can reach this level with consistent effort. Whether you achieve C-Class stats directly determines if you can become a real Hunter.

  From B-Class stats onward, you enter the transcendent realm, literally beginning to exhibit abilities beyond human limits. They say if you have just one B-Class stat, you have the potential to become a high-rank Hunter known as a B-Class Hunter.

  As for A-Class stats, that goes without saying.

  Physical abilities like Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Endurance can potentially improve through proper training and exercise after Awakening. This part is unrelated to Awakening Abilities.

  Mana is a stat that even Awakened individuals may not possess. It combines various factors like internal Mana reserves and control capability. Having Mana allows you to enhance your body or release Mana attacks, but the control methods are extremely difficult.

  Even though Awakened have existed for thirty years, the Mana stat remains tricky, even if you possess Mana, lacking talent makes it hard to master.

  Fortunately, thirty years of accumulated knowledge have established methods from Mana perception to application, but only about 60% of those with the Mana stat can actually control it.

  Mom said that just having the Mana stat provides physical benefits even if you can't control it voluntarily, but I don't really feel that.

  Finally, Special Attribute is granted based on your Awakening Ability and represents your mastery level over that ability.

  "Hey, does that mean I'm weak?"

  "Hard to say. Can't judge without real combat."

  Although I do have Mana, if I can't use it, I probably won't even qualify as a C-Class Hunter.

  "So if all my stats are D-Class and my Special Attribute is G-Class, I'm definitely out of luck unless I gain an Additional Ability, right?"

  Hmm... Mom has been a Hunter for so many years, she must know the industry situation well.

  By the way, Mom's Awakening Ability is 'Divine Spear Unity,' which lets her wield a spear with divine skill.

  If it were just pure spear technique, that would be one thing, but her Special Attribute was 'Growth', perhaps influenced by this trait, her other attributes skyrocketed, reaching their peak at Strength A, Agility A, Stamina A, Endurance B, and Mana B.

  According to my brother, the S-Class rating system didn't exist back then. By the time the grading system was implemented, Mom was already older and had given birth to us siblings, so her rating was only at a medium level.

  Sitting through over three hours of lectures was pure torture.

  I've never concentrated this hard in my life, but at least I now have a basic understanding of the attribute system.

  "So the key lies in the Additional Abilities acquired later?"

  "You could say that, but it's not entirely accurate."

  Just what makes Additional Abilities so remarkable?

  "What are Additional Abilities?"

  "They're abilities that help you better utilize your Awakened Ability."

  As Mom explained, these are derivative abilities related to one's Awakened Ability.

  Additional Abilities don't possess independent power themselves but exist as supportive functions for the Awakened Ability.

  Mom's Additional Abilities included 'Never-Drop', a support ability preventing her spear from slipping from her grasp, and 'Javelin Throw', a support ability improving throwing accuracy.

  The Status Panel can't be manipulated, so visual-based abilities are manageable, but if you encounter abilities with vague names, you have to experiment repeatedly to understand their specific effects.

  To summarize, my current Ability essentially changes my appearance to female while maintaining physical capabilities at the level of a fit adult male.