Prologue: The World Is Fucking Unfair
The world is fucking unfair. There’s no other explanation for why I’d be suffering this much. My name’s Han Semin, 24 years old. I’m a shit-tier streamer.
I’ve dreamed of becoming a hunter since I was a kid, but reality is a cruel bitch. Fuck, I never thought I’d be one of those one-in-a-hundred-thousand cases struck with Incapacity Syndrome. Talk about bad luck piling on way too thick.
Most people awaken their abilities by twenty at the latest. I figured I was different—just a late bloomer, right? I jerked off to that delusion for five whole years, flailing against harsh reality and wasting my life away.
I tried every damn thing to force my powers to awaken. For five years, I slaved away at day jobs, blowing every penny on pricey elixirs and herbs. Hell, I even snuck otherworld herbs from gates during those insane “post-gate cleanup” gigs—conquered gate cleanup, the kind of part-time hell that’d break most people.
The hunters who cleared those gates must’ve been rookies; they didn’t know grinding goblin horns into water made premium meds. That day, I swore my powers were about to burst forth… but nope. Just elixir overdose and a hernia flare-up.
In the end, I bawled my eyes out alone in my shitty room until my throat went raw, then started living half like a painkiller zombie. When I was about to starve to death, I kicked off streaming just to scrape by somehow.
My stream’s concept? Lightning Reviews: Otherworld Items! Using my hard-earned gate cleanup know-how, I review beginner-friendly otherworld loot from gates for newbie hunters. How’d that go?
"Alright, this is the [Orc Chieftain’s Necklace] I snagged this time! It’s the priciest E-grade item with killer cost-performance. Cost me a ton of cash, bros. I guarantee it—you slap this on, and E-grade gates are a cakewalk. Lie down and chow down while you clear ‘em."
"Ah, yeah… you must be new here. Truth is, I don’t have powers, so I can’t use ‘em myself, haha…"
…And they all bailed. Again. Total fucking flop, as usual.
Reviewing otherworld items? You need your own powers to even use ‘em. Awaken your unique ability, and mana floods your body. Items run on that mana. No mana? No dice. Losers like me don’t even get a shot.
"Catch you next review, bros!"
Streaming solo to an empty room. Pathetic enough to make me tear up.
I ended the stream and stared blankly at the ceiling. Shouldn’t a streamer grinding this hard snag at least one regular viewer by now?
"…Fuck this shit!"
I hurled my mouse and swallowed my rage. Yeah, the world is fucking unfair.
I woke up to a weird texture in my hand. Something square and solid. Did I fall asleep gripping this? I remember chugging booze in a rage…
Hungover, I cracked my eyes. What jumped out was…
"…W-what the fuck is this?!"
A portal. I’d punched the clock in gates like it was a 9-to-5, so I knew. Smaller than usual, but this was a dead ringer for a gate portal.
Did a gate spawn in my room? And I’m reaching right into it?
Gates spit out monsters that shred normies like paper. A mana-less scrub like me? Ant to their boot—toyed with, then devoured.
And here I was, hand deep in the damn thing.
…I’m fucked.
This mystery object in my grip—what the hell? Cold sweat soaked my back.
Couldn’t peek inside, couldn’t yank my hand free. Fear of the unknown hit harder than I thought.
F-fuck, what do I do…? C-call the cops first…
…Shit.
My phone sat on my desk across the room. Grabbing it meant pulling out of the portal.
Truly fucked.
Two hours stuck, paralyzed. Nothing happened yet, but anxiety nailed me down. What if dropping it triggers a bomb? Or monsters swarm the second I pull out?
Wild thoughts fried my brain. Time to man up.
Deep breath. Eyes shut tight. Gripped hard.
Fuck it! Life’s already fucked—might as well die here!
-Flash!
I yanked my hand out, mystery item still clutched. And…
…Nothing.
"…Huh?"
Cracking an eye—yep, zilch. I waited, arm hairs prickling, but boredom set in.
Tossed the item aside and eyed the floating portal. A strange hunch bubbled up.
Like I could control it. Familiar, like an extra limb. Wait…
I’d seen it on forums. Awakened folks wield powers like their own hands.
Skeptical, I reached out again. The portal snapped shut.
"…Wha—?"
Just willed it closed? Testing, I waved at empty air, imagining it open. Boom—portal reborn, same size.
This… this was it, right? Heart pounding, jaw slack.
"Holy fucking shit!"
Joy exploded. I bounced around the room like a maniac.
Finally… finally! My life’s upswing, 24 years in the making!
"I’ve got powers, you fuckers!!"
I was awakened.
Calmed down, I examined the item that tumbled out with the portal.
Appraisal tool time. No clue how it works, but it spits out names and effects. Downside? Cost me a year’s wages—still shakes me to touch it.
Worth every penny, though. Fired it up on the mystery vial.
◈ Brewed by the world’s greatest alchemist—a one-of-a-kind ultimate elixir from a lifetime of research.
◈ Rumors say it grants the alchemist’s lifelong wish. Tragically, he died of overwork right after making it.
◈ One drop activates it; more amplifies the effect. You’ll only learn the wish after drinking.
◈ Effect: Grants a mystery effect to the user.
◈ Locked
◈ xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx
"Urk…"
Foaming at the mouth. S+ grade? Never heard of it. S-grade’s the pinnacle, and even those are rarer than hen’s teeth.
S+? Insane!
…Not a dream, right? Holy shit!
Brain fogged. Like hitting the lottery? Nah, bigger—hundreds of jackpots wouldn’t touch this.
Auction this now? World would lose its mind. Value beyond my pea brain.
Heart racing, I agonized over the vial.
Sell it? Or…?
Logically? Auction ASAP. Recent S-grade started at billions. Final bid? Double, triple easy.
S+? Sky’s the limit.
But huge risk. A normie like me holding this? Suicide.
Auction’s anonymous, but in this hunter-crime wild west? Someone slits my throat while I sleep, snags it.
Head in hands, then resolve hardened.
Fine. I drink it. Eyes closed, chug.
Money chances are endless ahead.
Fame’s what matters now. S+? Gotta be god-tier. C-grade elixirs fetch billions for mana boosts—this? S-rank hunter mana pool, easy.
Done. Fame over cash.
"Heh heh heh… Not a drop left!"
Popped the lid, gulped-gulped it down.
"Pah! Bleeeech! Tastes like ass!"
Worst ever. Even I, elixir connoisseur, gagged.
But can’t waste it! Too precious—better finish now, avoid thieves.
Licked the lid clean. Still not enough—poured water in, swished, chugged thrice.
Perfect. Every drop gone. Bit dizzy, but tolerable…
"…Huh?"
Dizzy ramping up. Too late—body went rogue.
……
I crashed onto the bed, lights out.