Another Failure
"Haa... good. Failed again."
The perennial F-rank hunter, Eunha, let out a sigh that seemed to cave in the ground as she left the Hunter Association building.
She had failed the monthly "E-Rank Hunter Promotion Exam" held on the first of every month. How many times was this now? She'd been challenging it without fail every month for the past three years... probably over 30 times. Maybe even more. Even for a driver's license, if you failed 30 times, the people mocking you from the sidelines would back away like you were insane. Eunha let out a self-deprecating chuckle and patted her own shoulder.
It's okay. I'm getting the hang of it bit by bit... Gotta call Bangul when I get home.
May's lunchtime. The cool spring breeze had departed, leaving the midday sun blazing down. Dragging her body, as heavy as her heart, she plopped down on the edge of the fountain in front of the Association. A refreshing breeze swirled around the fountain. She exhaled lightly and extended her finger toward the water. The towering jet of water shattered like jewels at her fingertip.
Whoosh... Though her heart was heavy from failing the promotion exam,
the whispering wind around the fountain lightened her body, easing her frustrated mind.
...I wonder if I'll pass next time.
Thanks to that, she could smile today too. Or so she thought.
Ding-dong~.
Just then, as she sat on the fountain trying to piece together her shattered resolve, an alarm rang, and a text arrived on her phone. Startled, Eunha pulled out her smartphone. A single message on the screen—a web email from the Hunter Association notifying her of today's exam results.
"...What the hell am I gonna do."
The promotion exam failure notice email.
Her vision darkened at the dismal results from the Hunter Association.
Throb.
Flashing in her mind: herself lying still on the mat, unable to do sit-ups, and the exam proctor's pitiful gaze looking down. The nagging about how running the 100m like that meant she needed to go to the hospital. With a bitter smile, she looked down at her bandaged left hand. The bandage, stained red with blood, was wrapped tightly around it.
She'd skinned her palm falling during the 3km run earlier. They'd disinfected it quickly, but the wound was deeper than expected, so the proctor had given her emergency treatment.
The proctor's face rushing over in panic at the sight of blood gushing out wouldn't leave her mind. "Why is your skin so soft?" he'd grumbled. "If you wanna be a combat hunter, grow some calluses first." A strict guy with a foul mouth, but a good person deep down. Hope he goes bald.
Grumbling, she unwrapped the bandage on her left hand. Pale pink flesh appeared on her palm. The bleeding had already stopped, and like fast-forwarding, skin was regenerating in real-time, closing the wound. "Self-Regeneration skill..."
Confirming her skill activating faithfully as always, Eunha forced a smile, tugging at her lips. Visible regeneration on her scraped palm. Stamina recovered quickly too—no matter how much she ran, she rarely tired. Since awakening the skill, she'd never even caught a minor cold. On paper, an incredibly useful skill.
The one flaw? It reverted "positive changes" to the body back to the original state too. In simple terms, no muscle growth.
Even daily gym workouts, and Self-Regeneration treated the muscle gain as a change, reverting her body to its original soft, squishy limbs.
Thus, maintaining the glorious records of 0 push-ups, 0 sit-ups, and failing the promotion exam repeatedly. (Are you an idiot? Why try to be a hunter with that physique?) Someone's question. A perfectly reasonable doubt. So Eunha answered honestly. Those who heard backed away with looks reserved for the mad. She didn't know why. No matter what anyone said, she wanted to be a hunter. That was all.
"Haha."
Eunha laughed at the hopelessness. If not for this Self-Regeneration skill, I'd be E-rank by now... She stroked her frustrated chest.
"That person's here again."
"Whoa, for real. Isn't she a ghost? Why's she always here?"
Sitting on the fountain in broad daylight with a enlightened expression, she overheard nearby hunters whispering as they passed.
Were they just curious, or mocking her? Surely cheers. Thinking positively, Eunha casually turned her head away from their attention, pretending not to hear.
Hunter communities occasionally featured posts about her. Maybe the most famous F-rank in the country. If fame boosted rank, she'd be C-rank by now.
Promotion exam hall's resident ghost. Euncheon-gu's Soft Fist.
Nicknames too much.
Part of her wanted to quit hunting altogether, but she thought positively. Fame's needed for hunter success.
Clearing negativity, she watched the transparent jets from the fountain.
Why did I want to be a hunter again...?
There's mana, monsters. Awakened hunters with skills. Hunters, monsters, and villains worse than monsters clashing in this world.
A society numb to killing made life feel weightless, and life as an F-rank—barely more than powerless—was just tough.
...Alright! Done moping! Heading home!
After pondering by the fountain, Eunha stood. Venting cleared her mind. Moping solved nothing. Think positive.
This many exams, plenty of know-how... June, definitely E-rank.
Ignoring stares, she headed to the bus stop for home.
BAMMMM!!!
Right then, a sports car barreled through the crosswalk, smashing her shin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her ears rang. Head hitting the car hood, or screams around her? Unclear.
"Kyaaah—!"
Electric agony. Sickening bone-crack feel. Distant screams.
All dreamlike, hazy mirage.
Thud! Crunch!
Leg hit bumper, body tumbling, head smacking windshield, flying like a toy doll. Vision whites out briefly; asphalt looms when she comes to.
Crackkk!
Bones snapping as she rolls on hard pavement. Forgot how to breathe; chest tight. Incoming pain chases her flung body, clinging to startled heart. What just happened?
Screeech—!!
Forcing heavy eyelids open, glares at the car that hit her. Red sports car. No clue the model—looks expensive, that's seared in. It flees without braking.
License plate, got it... You bastard.
Body heavy. Breathing hurts like burning ribs. No sensation below neck, fingers won't move.
Less pain than expected. Just dazed, sleepy. Thick blood gushes from gaping mouth like sludge.
"Hit-and-run! That fucker didn't even brake!!"
"Resident Ghost! Wake up! What're you doing? Get the potion quick!"
Cold. Cold asphalt. Lukewarm blood.
Body chilling. Limbs freezing like winter's approach. Ugh... cold. Gotta watch for colds. Numb reality spawns useless thoughts.
"What do we do? She's not breathing! CPR? Will it work?"
"Not a prank call, asshole! Someone's dying!!"
"Hunter Association! Step back!"
Noise snaps her mind. Shoulder pats, "Resident Ghost" nickname wafts like breeze.
What's happening? She vomits blood in response; hard tube shoves down throat. Expensive "potion" poured, heart massage starts—no recovery signs.
Eunha mocked her Self-Regeneration. Always blocking her path before, now ghosting. Or damage too much, skill broken.
Limit from a car crash... Trash skill.
"Wrong, instant death. Recovery potion useless."
"Do something! If she dies, we're screwed!"
"Fuck... Thought safe near Association! Just blinked and..."
Arguments. Ears ringing, can't parse. Just sleepiness swallows her: Sleep and think later...Bangul... gotta rock her to sleep...
Like sand in hourglass, white sailboat drifting calm sea, something precious slips silently.
Step. Step.
As Eunha closes eyes over her blood pool, from crosswalk beyond... someone approaches her.
….
Step. Step.
Heavier than dress shoes, like combat boots. Couldn't make out 'its' features. Just black. Pitch-black person.
And with those meaningful words from 'it', Eunha's consciousness sank into deep ocean depths.
….
….
Whoosh...
"...Huh?"
When she came to, she was sitting on the Association fountain again, gazing at the sky.