The next day, I jolted awake from a nightmare.

In the dream, I’d been attacked by a monster…

No! I refused to relive that horror. But a strange dampness between my legs made me sit up—and seeing the evidence, I wanted to jump off a building.

I yanked off the sheets. Thankfully, the stain hadn’t soaked through. I balled them up and tossed them aside. In this world, fresh sheets were easy to find. Clean water? Not so much.

"Washing them? Nah. I’ll just grab a new set from Big Brother Liu’s place."

I chucked the scorching-hot bundle out the window. A sigh escaped me as I felt that weird, unfamiliar sensation below.

"Time for another shower…"

First, I rummaged through my backpack for food. We still had gas canisters at home, so I could boil water. I grabbed four packs of instant noodles—yes, four. My stomach was devouring itself.

*Snap!*

A blue flame flared on the stove. I dumped mineral water from a bottle into a stainless steel pot, tossed in the noodles, and grabbed chopsticks from the cupboard. Tiny bubbles rose in the water as I replayed yesterday’s events.

That monster… clearly different from the green one I’d first met. It could camouflage. Moved lightning-fast. Its limbs were nearly identical, and it packed serious strength.

If it’d been the old me? I’d have died the second I saw it.

I’d watched plenty of zombie flicks and read novels. But monsters targeting women? Rare. Both mutants I’d seen seemed… fixated on females.

I doubted my charm spared me. Yet it happened.

These creatures must retain fragments of human DNA. That’d explain their… urges.

The first green mutant? Obviously human-turned. Half its body stayed human—maybe malnutrition or genetic flaws halted the transformation.

But yesterday’s gecko monster…

*Ahem.* Bad naming skills, I know. "Gecko monster" it is.

My mind flashed to… hentai scenes?

*Ahem!*

Seriously though—a world with mutants hunting women *did* feel like some twisted hentai plot.

I shook my head, tearing open seasoning packets. Powder, sauce, dried veggies swirled into the pot. My stomach growled loudly.

…

Steam curled into the room, dampening the air. It clung to my skin, making me squint.

Before the change, I’d loved going shirtless. Felt freeing. Now…

I glanced down.

"These fatty mounds block my view."

Old me stood perfectly clear of the rising steam. Now? They got scorched.

Literally burned.

The pot was low, so no real injury—but the indignity cut deep.

"Sigh… Why me?"

I cupped the soft, pinkish-white weight with one hand, easing the strain on my shoulders. The broth bubbled, releasing savory aromas. I remembered eggs in the fridge.

But the power’s been out over a month. Would they still be good?

I set down my chopsticks, one arm still cradling my chest, and shuffled to the fridge. I yanked the door open—

*Ptooey!* "Cough! Cough! Cough!!"

*Slam!*

A putrid stench hit me. I slammed the door shut. Right—the pig’s head meat I’d bought right before everything collapsed.

"Gag…"

The reek nearly made me vomit. That fridge was a lost cause.

Then I spotted a faint stain on the tiles—melted ice leaking from the ruined fridge.

"Cleaning it? Forget it."

I trudged back to the stove, grabbing luncheon meat sausages from my pack. I tore open the wrapper, snapping chunks into the pot with my chopsticks while my thoughts drifted.

"These Mutant Monsters aren’t like Zombies."

I twisted the stove knob. *Click.* The flame died. I lifted the pot and started eating straight from it.

"Slurp… They’re alive. Not dead. The virus didn’t kill them—it turned them into something else… Slurp… a new species."

Mumbling around mouthfuls, I devoured the steaming noodles. The warmth felt heavenly after so long.

But—

*Plop.*

"Hssss—! Blow blow blow! So hot!"

A noodle strand slapped onto my chest. I slapped it away, blowing frantically. A bright red mark bloomed on my skin.

"Damn it!!"

Who could I blame? I had to accept this. Adapt. I couldn’t exactly… cut them off. The pain alone—

And my hair grew back after a trim. What if *these* grew bigger?

I set down the chopsticks, wandered to my bedroom, and pulled on an old white shirt. It clung…

*Way* too alluring. But at least no more noodle burns on my chest. *Ahem.* My bad.

Clearing my throat, I headed back to finish my meal.