"...They die."
Those two words echoed throughout the laboratory.
Once again...
Silence swallowed the entire room.
The moment Hyunseok heard those words, his eyes widened in shock.
For a brief second, the calm expression he had maintained the entire time completely disappeared.
But almost immediately, he forced himself to regain his composure. His expression returned to its usual cold and unreadable state, as if nothing had happened.
He slowly looked at the doctors standing before him.
"...Can you create another version of the drug?"
"A version that doesn't cause any deaths."
The doctors looked at one another before slowly lowering their heads.
Even though none of them wanted to answer, they knew they had no choice.
After several moments of heavy silence, one of the senior doctors finally raised his head. He hesitated for a brief moment, wondering whether he should tell Hyunseok the truth.
But without wasting any more of Hyunseok's time, he took a deep breath and answered.
"...No, sir."
"We can't create another version."
"This..."
"...is already the final version."
"And... you already know this."
"To create this drug, we used your blood."
"It's because you're a Crown Alpha."
"Only your blood contains the properties required to become the root ingredient for this formula. Without your blood, creating a drug capable of changing a Beta into an Alpha or an Omega would have been impossible."
"But..."
"...even your blood only works to a certain extent."
"It isn't enough to make the transformation completely safe."
"If you want a method that guarantees the person survives..."
"...then there isn't one."
He lowered his voice before continuing.
"The only natural way for a Beta to change into an Alpha or an Omega without risking death..."
"...is through sex."
The room became silent once again.
After hearing those words, countless thoughts flooded Hyunseok's mind.
For the first time in a long while, worry quietly settled behind his cold eyes.
*What will happen if this drug ever reaches the outside world?*
*The moment people discover that a drug exists which can change someone's secondary gender... they'll do everything they can to steal the formula.*
His fingers slowly tightened into a fist.
*This world is filled with greedy people.*
*No matter how much they already have... they'll always want more.*
*Greed never dies.*
*It won't disappear until the very end of this world.*
*That's simply how humans are...*
*...and that's exactly how people like us became so powerful.*
He slowly closed his eyes.
He understood how dangerous this discovery truly was.
If this drug ever became public...
...it wouldn't just change a few people's lives.
It could turn the entire world upside down.
Even if he managed to hide it today...
...one day, someone else would eventually discover it.
And the day this drug reached the outside world...
...would be the day chaos began.
Betas couldn't experience heat.
They couldn't experience rut.
They couldn't smell pheromones.
They couldn't conceive children.
Their lives were completely different from Alphas and Omegas.
Because of that...
...countless Betas would desperately wish to change their secondary gender.
Sooner or later...
...someone would try to obtain this drug.
*Even if I stop it today...*
*...I can't stop it forever.*
*But until that day comes...*
*I have to make sure no one learns about its existence.*
After considering every possible outcome, Hyunseok slowly opened his eyes again.
His expression had already returned to its usual cold and intimidating appearance.
He looked directly at the doctors and asked,
"...Did any of you tell the Chairman about this drug?"
The doctors immediately shook their heads.
"No, sir."
"We haven't informed the Chairman."
"We were waiting for your decision first."
The moment Hyunseok heard their answer, a small feeling of relief passed through him.
He looked at every doctor standing in the laboratory, his sharp gaze moving across each of their faces.
Then, in a calm but commanding voice, he spoke.
"Don't tell the Chairman anything..."
"...until I give the order."
"And if he asks..."
"...tell him you still haven't found anything."
Soon after, Hyunseok's phone suddenly rang.
The caller ID showed **Seok Jaa**.
The moment he saw her name, his mind went blank.
His heartbeat skipped.
*A call from home...?*
*Did something happen to Yihan again?*
Without wasting another second, he answered the call. As soon as he picked it up, he walked out of the laboratory, away from the doctors. His breathing grew heavier with every passing second as countless terrible thoughts filled his mind.
"...Hello?"
Before Seok Jaa could even speak...
A familiar voice came from the other side.
"Mr. Husband..."
The moment Hyunseok heard Yihan's voice...
...he unconsciously let out the breath he had been holding ever since he saw the call.
The fear that had gripped his heart disappeared in an instant.
A small smile unknowingly appeared on his face.
With a much warmer voice than before, he gently asked,
"What happened, Yihan?"
Yihan stayed silent for a few seconds.
He hesitated, wondering whether he should ask or not.
But after thinking for a moment, he realized he had no other choice.
After a brief pause, he quietly asked,
"...Can you bring some fried chicken when you come home?"
"I've been craving it for the past few days."
Hyunseok couldn't help but laugh.
Then, with his warm, gentle voice, he smiled and said,
"Even if you asked me for the whole world..."
"...I'd place it in your hands."
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