Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Awakening
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-Sorry. You're out of the party.
A simple text message. That was it.
He was just a porter, and he'd been kicked out of the party. The reason was even more ridiculous.
He'd ignored a late-night designated driver request. They must have figured since he wasn't a proper hunter, just a porter, it was fine to treat him like that.
What a shitty situation.
He woke up early out of habit, but with nothing to do, he turned on the TV. Staring blankly at the screen, a sudden wave of envy washed over him.
[Youngest B-Rank Hunter, Park Chan-seong!]
On the screen, a handsome young man who looked like an actor strode out confidently.
A pretty announcer congratulated Hunter Park Chan-seong on reaching B-Rank, while the celebrity panelists clapped and chattered excitedly.
Watching it, he muttered without thinking.
"Damn, I'm so jealous... I want an easy life like that too."
He envied that guy, Park Chan-seong. Awakened as a C-Rank hunter at 19. Climbing the ranks steadily until he hit B-Rank.
A protagonist straight out of a novel.
In contrast...
Si-woo was 26.
The odds of awakening plummet after 30. So rare that you could count them worldwide on one hand.
He still had four years left, but he was growing anxious. Realistically speaking, it was already too late.
'Should've just joined any guild.'
He suddenly regretted his past choices.
At 20, he'd taken an awakening potential test. Luckily, his odds and potential were pretty high.
Almost record-breaking levels.
The rumor was that higher awakening odds meant better abilities, so he instantly became a hot prospect.
Guilds swarmed him, showering him with sweet offers.
Some even wanted pre-awakening contracts. Crazy ones offered over 100 million won annually, no strings attached.
But he turned them all down. Back then, he was brimming with confidence.
'If the offers are this good now, imagine after I awaken?'
Until he turned 22. He worked part-time jobs and trained daily, preparing for that day. But awakening showed no signs.
Anxiety built up. By then, most guilds had cut contact. The few that remained just said to call after awakening.
He used his part-time savings to complete Hunter Academy for a year.
Then three more years passed.
Almost every day, he went into rifts as a porter. Clinging to the superstition that frequent rift exposure boosted awakening odds.
Six years wasted. Now at 26, no guilds reached out. Choi Si-woo had become a forgotten man.
Reluctant to waste more time, he kept portering out of inertia, but he was burning out.
Bzzz.
His smartphone vibrated. A text message appeared.
-[Han So-young]: Temp spot opened up today. You in?
It was from a friend who portered with him. Staring at it, he felt torn.
Should he keep going? Or give up?
"Haa..."
A sigh escaped, but he steeled himself. He'd bet his life on becoming a hunter. No backing out now.
'Yeah, I have to go.'
It wasn't time to quit yet. Just one more year. Exactly one more.
He resolved to reply when a strange app caught his eye.
[Reincarnation Management App]
'What the hell is this?'
He'd never seen it before. Never downloaded it either.
He long-pressed to delete it, but it launched on its own.
"Huh?"
For a split second, he thought he'd been hacked. Then light burst from his smartphone. No time to dodge—it all absorbed into him.
He stumbled back a step. The intense light forced his eyes shut.
'What the fuck.'
Panic was brief.
Ding-!
You have become the owner of All Things Reincarnation.
"Wh-what?!"
Awakening didn't come with holograms like this. You typically gained one superpower and instinctively knew how to use it. Done.
The hologram felt alien, but the superpower usage was the same as others. He knew it intuitively, like moving his limbs.
'...Management screen.'
Flash!
Si-woo tilted his head.
'I get that the world I'm in is [Earth-26]...'
Curious about the other two, a message popped up when he focused.
-Would you like to access [Earth-21]?
'...No.'
He took a deep breath and calmed down a bit.
Staring at it, [Earth-26] bugged him. The number made it confusing.
'Can I change it?'
It felt possible, so he tried. Sure enough, he could do it intuitively.
Pondering a new name, the most famous entity on this Earth came to mind.
'Earth is a world of hunters.'
[Earth-26] → [Hunter Earth]
'Yeah. Easier to tell apart now.'
He dismissed the hologram and closed his eyes.
The alert distracted him, but something even better thrilled him.
Mana.
The mystical energy swirling nobly in the air and his body—something absent moments ago. He could feel his mana.
'Ah.'
The proof of awakening brought tears of joy.
Biting his lower lip, he grabbed the dumbbells in the corner.
'Light.'
Not feather-light, but definitely lighter than yesterday.
As he closed his eyes to savor the mana...
Ding-!
Reincarnation Experience
📍 Objective: Access another reincarnation
⏰ Accept Reward:Temporary Inventory
🎁 Success Reward: Starter Pack
⚠️ Failure: Quest deleted
[Accept][Decline]
⏳ Time Limit: [02:59]
'Reincarnation experience? Access another reincarnation?'
A reward just for accepting? No way he could pass that up.
-[Temporary Inventory]: Part of the Starter Pack. Lowest-grade subspace
He nearly hit [Accept] without thinking, then hesitated.
Worried what might happen immediately after.
'Just in case...'
First, gear up.
Before that, he texted his friend Han So-young.
-Sorry. Can't make it today. Let's grab drinks next time.
He threw on some random clothes and headed to the Hunter Association.
Awakener gear wasn't for just anyone. Anything beyond basic cloth or iron swords required registration.
At the Hunter Association, he looked around.
Awakening balanced the body, turning people into lookers. Most hunters were above average in appearance.
As he ogled the handsome men and beautiful women, someone called him.
"Choi Si-woo? Are you here?"
"Ah! Yes, I'm here."
Following the staffer's guidance, he measured his mana.
"Measurement complete. F-Rank awakener. You already finished the academy?"
"Yes, three years ago."
F-Rank was a bit disappointing, but he brushed it off. He instinctively knew his abilities differed from a normal awakener's.
"Here's your registration card."
A square card appeared. An awakener ID made from special rift metals.
"Your mana pattern is registered, so it works as ID worldwide. Congratulations on your awakening once more."
"...Yes. Thank you."
The lightweight card felt oddly heavy.
With his awakener registration, time to buy gear.
35 million won.
Saved from three years of portering. Money set aside for hunter gear upon awakening—and the day had come.
Heart pounding, he entered the Hunter Department Store.
Standing before a reddish-black sword, a watchful clerk approached.
"Oh, great eye! This sword is made from drake bone..."
The clerk explained at length.
He half-listened. It was the sword he'd vowed to buy upon awakening—he knew it all.
Shing-
The sharp blade slid out smoothly with a pleasing sound.
He stared, entranced, at the crimson-black blade. Perfectly balanced weight gripped snugly. Goosebumps of delight shivered down his spine.
"...Self-repair function and sturdy durability! As expected from Holy Flame Group's steady seller—only the essentials!"
He glanced at the price tag. 19.9 million won.
A huge sum, but not expensive. Enchanted hunter gear prices were insane.
This was known for great value, so relatively cheap.
"I'll take it."
The clerk's awkward expression brightened instantly.
"Excellent choice!"
Back at his studio, he donned all his new gear. Unsure what might happen, he wore it.
"Whew..."
Tension dried his mouth. Deep breath, then he hit 'Quest Accept'.
Instantly, [Temporary Inventory] usage flooded his mind.
Like a game inventory—simple storage and retrieval.
Nothing else changed. A bit anticlimactic, he relaxed slightly.
"Hm."
Scanning for items to store, his old porter gear caught his eye.
Just in case, he tossed all his old equipment into [Temporary Inventory].
'Which sword to carry?'
He eyed his old porter sword and the new one. Had to pick one to hold and store the other.
After deliberation, he belted on the familiar iron sword. No idea what awaited—better the one he knew.
The 20-million-won blade went safely into inventory.
'Good. This is the best I can do.'
Iron sword at his waist, emergency pistol on his chest. Fully prepared.
Reincarnation Experience
📍 Objective: Access another reincarnation
🎁 Success Reward: Starter Pack
⚠️ Failure: Quest deleted
⏳ Time Limit: [00:21]
He'd rushed, but only 20 minutes left.
Reincarnation experience evoked hypnosis in a chair, but just in case, full gear.
Steeling his nerves, he selected [Earth-21]. No info on either, so random pick.
-Accessing [Earth-21].
Whoosh-!
Blinding light pulled his consciousness somewhere else.