Yoon Nam-hyuk agreed to participate in the AO gender experiment.

He wanted to know what it felt like to have this special gender. It must be very troubling, right? That’s why Qi Huai constantly roamed through the instance worlds, Yoon Nam-hyuk thought.

The potion took effect through injection. According to the Main Brain’s calculations, Yoon Nam-hyuk would complete the transition from a normal human to an Omega within 7 to 10 days and maintain that gender for about a month.

If he was lucky, Yoon Nam-hyuk wouldn’t experience a heat. But to ensure the integrity of the experiment, even if Yoon Nam-hyuk’s heat didn’t arrive by the time the potion was about to wear off, Qi Huai would use pheromone induction under the Main Brain’s monitoring.

It sounded a little scary.

“What’s the difference between a heat and a susceptibility period?” Yoon Nam-hyuk asked Qi Huai in a small voice. “Will I destroy clothes like a madman like you do?”

“…”

Qi Huai said helplessly, “I destroy clothes because you’re too busy. Every time my susceptibility period hits, you’re not by my side.”

Not only that, but because Yoon Nam-hyuk was human, his scent was simply too faint for him. Having a partner without pheromones made him feel very insecure, which was why he would go at it for so long and so intensely, yet still feel unsatisfied.

“Is that so?” Yoon Nam-hyuk was half-convinced.

His ability to destroy clothes had now become legendary among global luxury brands. Assistant Yoo frequently received calls from major top-tier brands, inviting the couple to attend fashion shows and new product pre-sales.

Assistant Yoo had repeatedly clarified that the bosses were very busy and not interested in purchasing clothes, but the other party wouldn’t believe him.

Indeed, every time he refused, they would end up buying a huge pile of clothes just a few days later. Who would believe him?

Besides Yoon Nam-hyuk, Qi Huai also needed to receive a potion injection. Yoon Nam-hyuk would transform from a normal human to an Omega, while Qi Huai would transform from a semi-A to a full-fledged Alpha.

The potion was a pale purple, glowing with a pearly luster like a seashell. Three slender needles, the length of an index finger’s joint, instantly sank into the back of Yoon Nam-hyuk’s neck. He couldn’t help but let out a muffled grunt.

Qi Huai’s heart ached. “Be gentle.”

The Main Brain was flustered. “Um… uh… actually, a faster injection makes the pain more fleeting. It’s always going to hurt, just like when you all got the physique enhancement shots as children.”

“It’s fine, I’m not a child,” Yoon Nam-hyuk said, sweat beading on his forehead as he clutched Qi Huai’s hand.

The potion spread from the back of his neck throughout his body. Before long, Yoon Nam-hyuk would grow an Omega’s gland and begin to emit his own unique pheromone scent.

Qi Huai was actually a little excited.

“Once you become an Omega, besides the gland, you’ll also grow a reproductive cavity,” Qi Huai suddenly whispered with a wicked smile in Yoon Nam-hyuk’s ear. “You’ll be able to absorb my stuff. Since the Omega transition period is only one month, you won’t get pregnant. Want to try?”

“Aish!” A certain president’s ears turned bright red. “In your dreams…”

__

On the day of the injection, the two felt no discomfort, just exceptionally drowsy. Qi Huai and Yoon Nam-hyuk fell asleep in each other’s arms and slept for nearly twenty hours.

Starting the next day, they both became very easily hungry, needing to drink a tube of nutrient solution every two or three hours. But this stuff, with no texture, no taste, and only nutrients, was clearly not to President Yoon’s liking. He frowned deeply as he consumed it.

“You grew up eating this stuff?” Yoon Nam-hyuk was incredulous. “From birth to adulthood, you only ate this?”

Although President Yoon had grown up alongside a hot-tempered, demanding father and a mischievous, spoiled older brother, and had suffered plenty of mental torment, at least no one had mistreated him when it came to food and clothing.

The thing in front of him was worse than kimchi mixed with rice. At least kimchi had flavor, unlike this stuff, which was slimy like snot…

Can’t think about it, I’m going to puke.

Unsure of how many more days he’d have to eat the nutrient solution, Yoon Nam-hyuk’s face was about to turn green. Qi Huai naturally couldn’t bear to see him suffer, but he couldn’t help but tease, “Oh, I thought President Yoon, who likes to sneak ramen while working overtime, could handle the nutrient solution.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk suddenly froze. “You… how did you know?”

Qi Huai laughed out loud. “In a few days, when your sense of smell gets sharper, you’ll know. You think you can hide that little scent on you from me?”

“Forget it, I won’t torture you. If you don’t want to eat it, then don’t.” Qi Huai smiled and took the nutrient tube from Yoon Nam-hyuk’s hand, drinking the rest of it. “How about I take you to see an instance world? We can meet other Alphas and Omegas, and while we’re at it, watch a musical adapted from an epic work. Help President Yoon find some inspiration for a movie. Happy?”

“Really?” Yoon Nam-hyuk’s eyes lit up. “What kind of world?”

Qi Huai recalled, “To you, it would be the future. To me, it was the past. It’s an era where technology and culture were both very prosperous. The last time I went, I was eighteen. I was suffering from my susceptibility period and feeling very unwell, so the Main Brain sent an experienced system to accompany me to an ABO instance to see a doctor.”

This was the first time the Main Brain had allowed a human gene-bearer to enter a perilous instance world. Qi Huai was very curious about this place. After seeing the doctor, he didn’t immediately return to the Main Brain but wandered around for a long time, watching many historical films and musicals about this world.

Spaceships, interstellar creature invasions, the revival of ancient species… these thrilling and exciting things were extremely attractive to the eighteen-year-old Qi Huai.

As a natural semi-A, Qi Huai felt a strong sense of belonging here, but he lacked the ability to handle unexpected situations.

At that time, Qi Huai, having just finished watching a musical, was on his way to a museum by subway. However, the subway was attacked by interstellar creatures midway. Qi Huai, having no ID, had no choice but to return to the Main Brain’s base. He never went back after that.

Because the system accompanying him snitched on him, Qi Huai was reprimanded by the Main Brain.

“If you like it there, should we stay for a few more days?” Yoon Nam-hyuk hugged Qi Huai, his nose lingering at his partner’s collar. “You won’t have the chance to go to instances anymore in the future, right?”

“Forget it, it’s too dangerous. For the sake of our future, let’s just watch a musical and come back.” Qi Huai smiled and playfully pinched Yoon Nam-hyuk’s nose. “I know your nose is getting sharper, but I advise you not to seduce me, or we won’t be able to watch the musical.”

“Oh.” Yoon Nam-hyuk was quite disappointed.

Before entering the instance, they had to undergo an inspection.

[It’s only been two days, and the gland is already taking shape,] the Main Brain said in surprise. [It might be due to the influence of Alpha pheromones.]

[Remember to wear a pheromone-blocking patch to avoid any sudden situations. You too,] the mechanical arm gently pressed on the back of Yoon Nam-hyuk’s neck, then looked at Qi Huai.

“Yeah, got it.”

The musical venue had a dress code, so Qi Huai had to take Yoon Nam-hyuk to get a formal suit that fit the style of the instance world.

Unlike in ordinary human worlds, the suits here looked more like military uniforms—crisp, formal, double-breasted, somewhat loose, and adorned with ornate epaulets and cufflinks.

“Excuse me, are you a Beta?” The sales assistant asked Yoon Nam-hyuk in a low voice, looking a bit embarrassed.

These two customers had a very striking presence. The taller one, without a doubt, was an Alpha, but he couldn’t figure out the other one.

He was about 180cm tall. While this height was rare among Omegas, it wasn’t unheard of. It was more likely he was a Beta.

But his features were so delicate and beautiful, not quite matching the typical temperament and appearance of a Beta.

Yoon Nam-hyuk glanced at Qi Huai, who was picking out clothes, and subconsciously touched the back of his neck, feeling very unaccustomed to his new identity. “I’m an Omega.”

“Oh! You and that gentleman must be a couple, right?” The sales assistant was very perceptive and said with a grin, “Don’t worry, I will select the most suitable designs for you both.”

The sales assistant was very excited. He figured these two were not short on money and trotted off.

Qi Huai habitually rested his chin on Yoon Nam-hyuk’s shoulder and took a sniff of his partner’s neck. “See anything you like?”

Ah!

A suppressed cry of excitement came from the cashier’s counter. Qi Huai looked up, confused, but when he looked over, he only saw the expressionless faces of the sales assistants.

The sales assistants: So intimate! So intimate! Sniffing a gland in broad daylight in front of strangers! So intimate!

Qi Huai, who didn’t understand the customs of the ABO world: “…”

Did I mishear?

Yoon Nam-hyuk, who was used to Qi Huai sniffing him: “?”

Was there some strange noise?

The two looked around, puzzled, and could only turn their focus back to the style catalog in front of them, flipping through it from beginning to end.

After a short while, the sales assistant serving them trotted back with two couple’s suits. “Sirs, what do you think of these two sets? They are both the latest models.”

One suit on the rack was mainly dark gray, while the other was a milk-coffee color. They weren’t as somber as black, nor did they have the heavy sense of ceremony as white. Both were colors that Yoon Nam-hyuk liked.

“What do you think?” Yoon Nam-hyuk looked at Qi Huai.

Qi Huai smiled. “You pick for me. I’ll listen to you.”

The sales assistants: Damn! So sweet! Which Alpha smiles so tenderly! And actually says ‘I’ll listen to you’ in front of outsiders! You have to know, 99% of the Alphas they’d seen were stone-faced!

“The milk-coffee colored one,” Yoon Nam-hyuk decided.

Although Qi Huai looked so sexy in dark gray tones that it made one’s legs go weak, Yoon Nam-hyuk inexplicably preferred him in soft, warm-toned clothes, which gave him a gentle sense of security.

As they were changing, the sales assistant winked at Yoon Nam-hyuk. “Sir, actually, this suit has an innovative design specifically for Omegas, which is why it’s 30% more expensive than the regular model.”

He lifted the shirt collar. “Look, there’s a special isolating material at the position corresponding to the gland. It can perfectly fit the back of your neck and help block pheromone leakage, so you won’t have to wear a gland patch~”

The sales assistant wasn’t wrong, but this was on the premise that Yoon Nam-hyuk was marked.

A marked Omega, because their gland contains their own Alpha’s pheromones, would only find other Alphas’ pheromones disgusting and nauseating, and would not be affected by them to the point of going into heat.

So, the reason they used gland patches was more to block the combined AO pheromones from their own glands from leaking out. After all, continuously releasing the entangled scent of AO pheromones in front of others was quite embarrassing for thin-skinned Omegas.

In this situation, wearing clothes with a special isolating material in the collar was much more convenient. Your own pheromone scent wouldn’t leak out, and you wouldn’t have to wear the constricting gland patch. This was also why this suit had been a bestseller since its release.

How would Yoon Nam-hyuk know any of this?

He was already feeling annoyed by the gland patch, feeling that the small sticker was like a plastic suit, making him feel stuffy and breathless. Having the latest technology as a replacement was of course a good thing, so he immediately tore off the gland patch and changed into the new suit.

The technological material pressed against the skin on the back of his neck, soft, dry, and breathable. Yoon Nam-hyuk let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank you, it’s very comfortable.”

The pheromone concentration detector on the wall showed everything was normal. The Beta sales assistant, who was completely insensitive to pheromone scents, clapped his hands with a smile. “That’s great. As long as you like it.”

Neither of them knew that at this moment, Yoon Nam-hyuk’s gland development was not yet complete. He couldn’t secrete pheromones and naturally had no scent, and his sensitivity to others’ pheromones was also almost non-existent.

But that might not be the case later on.