The Over-Hyped Awakening
It has already been 30 years since the Hunter Awakening Gates opened and the first Awakened appeared.
Actually, I don't know if it's been exactly 30 years. That’s just what I heard.
Well, that’s not important. The important thing is the fact that those two things appeared.
Anyway, a new profession for the Awakened was born.
The job title is Hunter. The name itself sounds cool.
Of course… it’s a profession far removed from my life.
I have arrived.
“Sigh…”
I let out a sigh and got up from the bed.
Kang Suho, 25 years old, unemployed.
I have no parents. They both passed away in a car accident when I was in high school.
All I have is this shabby studio apartment I bought with my parents' inheritance.
And right now, even that studio is on the verge of being taken away.
‘I’ve managed to scrape by with the inheritance and the money I earned in the military until now…’
Now, even that is running out. I need to get a job quickly.
I need to, but…
For someone like me who went straight to the military after graduating high school, finding a job is an incredibly difficult task.
Who would hire a high school graduate in this day and age? There are more than enough college graduates to go around.
This damn society and its academic elitism.
‘Why don’t I ever awaken?’
If I did, I could live the rest of my life without worrying about money.
Even if I were just an E-rank Hunter, the lowest rank, I’d make 6 million won a month. Plus, with the additional income from Gates, that’s roughly 7 to 9 million…
That’s plenty left over even after paying rent. If I worked for just a few years, I could live comfortably forever.
Well… it’s safe to say there’s no chance of that happening now.
The probability of awakening as a Hunter is extremely low. And most of it happens in your teens.
Occasionally, there are cases where people in their 20s or 30s awaken, but…
The probability is even lower. If I had to guess, if one in 10,000 teenagers awakens, it feels like only one in 10 million people in their 20s or 30s does.
“Sigh…”
I let out another sigh at the painful reality. This time, even deeper than before.
‘…I should go to that interview.’
The interview is in two hours. It’s not tight, but it’s not exactly leisurely either.
‘I finally passed the first round, I can’t blow this opportunity.’
I hurried into the bathroom to start getting ready.
Brush, brush—
‘My hair… when did it get this long?’
It feels like I just got it cut not too long ago.
…
“Ah… my life…”
I ruined it. No, I completely trashed it.
“Oh, you stupid Kang Suho!”
Why did I stutter like that!
My face burns just thinking about the interviewers' faces.
The way they were all twitching their lips, trying to hold back their laughter.
I can’t get it out of my head. I feel like I’m having a mental breakdown.
I need to pour some alcohol into my system. I need to get good and drunk to even survive this.
I headed to the convenience store in front of me. Luckily, they had a buy-one-get-one-free deal on beer.
I immediately bought two, making it four cans, and headed home.
Beep, beep, beep, beep—
As soon as I opened the door and entered, I sat on the edge of the shoe rack and cracked open a beer.
Hiss—!
Gulp, gulp.
“…Ugh.”
It tastes like shit.
There was a reason it was buy-one-get-one. This isn't fit for human consumption.
‘…Still, I have to drink it.’
To erase the faces of those damn interviewers from my head.
…It’s also a bit of a waste to throw it out.
…
‘Ugh… my head…’
My head feels like it’s going to split. That beer from yesterday, it didn't just taste like garbage, the hangover is brutal too.
‘Never buying buy-one-get-one beer again.’
I took off my shoes and headed to the fridge, clutching my head to get some cold water.
‘…Why does my chest feel so heavy?’
Is this a side effect of the beer, too?
What the hell did they make this beer with…
Clang—
“Should I report them…”
Huh?
What the fuck.
My sleepiness vanished instantly.
It’s no wonder… because suddenly, a strange woman’s voice echoed. And it was coming from inside my own throat.
Instinctively, I looked at my arms.
Thin, white arms without a single muscle. Slender, long fingers.
And, peeking out… something huge.
I forgot to close the fridge door and ran to the bathroom to check the mirror.
“…What is this?”
Standing in front of the mirror, I could only stare blankly at the glass.
Because…
Long silver hair, ocean-blue eyes, and smooth, flawless skin.
A beautiful girl with a face I’d never seen before was standing inside it.
“……”
I poked the huge mass reflected in the mirror.
It’s tangible. It feels a bit strange.
‘It’s… not a hallucination, then.’
…Then this is real?
I… I went to sleep and woke up as a woman?
“…Fuck?”
That’s impossible. Logically, how could something like this…
“Ah.”
Come to think of it…
They say that when you awaken, your body shape can change…
“……”
Pfft,
A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
“No way.”
That’s ridiculous. Awakening suddenly at this age.
I’ve never even heard of someone’s gender changing.
It must be that beer. Someone probably played a prank and cast a spell on it, and I just happened to pick it up.
If I wait a little, the effect will wear off.
I should get some more sleep. My head keeps throbbing from the hangover.
I decided that, but then I stopped at the door.
‘…I could at least test it.’
It wouldn't hurt to test it. It’s just a bit of a reality check, which I experience every day anyway.
I swallowed hard and, in a trembling voice,
I shouted the word I said every single day.
“Status Window.”
“...Crazy.”
The blue window floating before my eyes.
That was enough to give me certainty.
The certainty that I had become a Hunter.
‘…This actually works.’
With a dazed mind, I stared at the status window with my mouth half-open.
“Huh?”
What is this?
‘…EX?’
Weren't there only six ranks: S, A, B, C, D, and E?
Could it be… a rank even higher than those?
With half curiosity and half expectation, I brought my finger to it, and a new window, different from before, popped up.
Thunderclad Execution (EX)
Lightning comes out of your hands.
“…?”
That’s… it?
Unlike the cool name, the description is only one line long.
…It seems like complete trash.
Still, you never know. There are still skills left.
I looked at the bottom of the status window.
[Unique Skills: Ride the Lightning, Railgun, Thunderbolt]
“Oh.”
The skills all have cool names, too.
‘Can’t I see the descriptions for these separately?’
No matter how much I press them, nothing pops up. I don’t even hear any sound effects.
Hmm….
Ah, right. There was that way.
I took my phone out of my pocket and logged into the Hunter Gallery, a.k.a. Hungall, a forum where Hunters and aspiring Hunters gather.
Title says it all.
“Hmm…”
Is that so….
I turned my gaze to the ‘Tower’ button at the very bottom of the status window.
Since even normal people can clear it….
‘Well, nothing bad should happen.’
Click—
[Would you like to enter the Tower?]
“Yes.”
[Approval complete]
Whoosh—!
I instinctively closed my eyes at the bright light erupting from the status window.
‘…So bright.’
After a moment, I slowly opened my eyes.
“…Wow.”
A completely new space unfolded before my eyes.
First of all, it’s wide. Extremely wide. I don’t even know where the end is.
And… there’s nothing here.
If that space inside the 500-million-year button existed in reality, it would feel like this.
[In a moment, monsters will appear.]
At the same time as those words, a timer appeared in the sky. It seems it starts in exactly one minute. The timer is slowly counting down from 60 seconds.
“Phew…”
I let out a deep breath, feeling nervous.
‘My first battle as a Hunter…’
My heart won’t stop pounding. It’s beating so fast it feels like it might burst.
“Phew…”
I let out another deep breath. The pounding finally started to calm down.
‘Alright.’
I looked at the timer. There’s not even 10 seconds left now.
‘Since I’ve awakened…’
I’ll make the most of my abilities!
[5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Battle… Start.]
As the count ended, blue fragments gathered and formed three small Goblins.
‘Ride the Lightning looks like a movement skill, so I’ll leave that aside for now…’
I should try this Railgun thing first.
‘They said I just need to say the skill name in my head, right?’
I swallowed hard.
‘Railgun!’
I shouted the technique name in my head.
‘Ohh…’
My arm moved on its own, pointing at the Goblins in front. My hand formed a gun shape with only my index finger and thumb extended.
A small sphere formed at my fingertips. Electricity crackled and erupted from my whole body.
‘This… how do I shoot it?’
Do I just bend my arm like shooting a gun in a movie, going bang!?
“…Bang?”
Boom!
“…Wow.”
I let out a gasp of awe.
A laser with immense power flew in a straight line. At this rate, the Goblins would have been obliterated without even leaving dust behind.
This… I might have awakened as an incredible Hunter?
“……”
But why isn't this ending?
They clearly said it would end once I caught all the enemies.
Could it be… no way, right?
And that ‘no way’ was correct.
When the dust cleared, the Goblins were still standing, completely unharmed.
“Kuaaack!!”
“…Fuck.”
This… I think I failed the gacha.