Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Awakening
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Ever since the Gate Incident erupted, the world had changed dramatically.
Gates kept popping up at every opportunity, and if they weren't dealt with, monsters would spill out—an absolute disaster. But what really captured people's attention was the birth of a new privileged class.
Awakened ones. Some became Hunters, slaying monsters and clearing Gates. Others crafted items or healed the wounded.
Though their abilities varied, these superhuman Awakened had already cemented themselves as the new nobility of society.
Hell, even just having a basic E-rank ability that boosted your strength let you rake in ten million won a month doing manual labor without breaking a sweat.
"Sigh... So jealous. If only I could Awaken, I'd make a fortune."
And me? I was just your average joe, a fresh college grad and job hunter, envying those Awakened from afar.
I flopped my exhausted body from the part-time gig onto the bed. Tomorrow: another shift. Day after: interview. Weekend: more part-time work...
I let out a deep sigh at the thought of yet another tomorrow and collapsed into bed.
Oh right. Gotta write my daily post before sleep.
It was nothing special, just a daily post on the Hunter Gallery clinging to even the slimmest chance. Today marked day 999.
[Day 999 of Praying for Awakening]
[King of the Unemployed]
Please, let me Awaken too. Let me turn my life around.
Like that's gonna happen?
Get your head on straight and go job hunting. You think you're the only one like this? Awakening doesn't happen just because you try hard.
Daily post hype
I brushed off the familiar reactions and closed my phone.
Yeah, tomorrow on day 1000, I'll definitely Awaken. First, pay off the student loans, then dump all my savings into stocks...
Clinging to vain hopes, I drifted off to sleep.
Ding ding ding! Good morning!
The horrific alarm jolted me awake again today. Eyes still shut, I groped for my phone to silence it, but it wasn't where it should have been.
"Hwaaaah!"
Pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop!
No choice but to open my eyes. Couldn't endure that awful noise any longer—and I had to get up for my shift anyway.
The moment I reached for the phone, something felt off.
...Why is my hand so pale?
Everything else looked normal, so it wasn't my eyes. Slept wrong and lost circulation? My back and butt felt sore too.
Only then did I notice the hand's shape was completely different from what I remembered. Small and cute, slender yet rounded, soft.
"Huh?"
And it wasn't just my hand that had changed.
"Ah, ah. Aah. Uh? What's with my voice?"
Pitchy and delicate, way too girly. No way I could work like this. To figure things out, I hauled my groggy body upright.
That's when I spotted the full-length mirror in the corner.
Nah, no way. I didn't turn into a monster like Gregor Samsa overnight, right?
Heart pounding with dread, I slid off the bed. My legs had shrunk too—pants sagging, feet dangling in midair.
Standing before the mirror, I froze in shock.
"H-Huh...?!"
My body had transformed completely, not a trace of my old self left.
Hair grown impossibly long, golden branch-like horns sprouting from my head. Golden wings on my back, a sleek tail blending black and gold extending from above my butt.
"Th-this... a dream?"
I pinched my cheek hard, but the cute girl in the mirror just looked dazed. No change.
"Ow ow ow."
If not a dream, only one explanation.
Awakening...!
Rare, but some Awakened underwent total physical changes. That had to be it.
"...Status Window."
Muttering the words like a spell.
Name: Lee Da-yoon
Level: 1
Race: Gold Dragon
Skills: [Divine Treasure Creation (SSS)(Growth)], [Dragon Heart (SS)], [Gliding (C)]
Debuff: [Frail Wyrmling]
"N-no way!"
First thought: disbelief. Was this real?
But the stinging pain on my cheek, the crisp Status Window, the faint mana in the air—all confirmed it.
Once it sank in, indescribable joy flooded me.
"Heh, heh heh, hahaha!"
My thin-walled studio apartment? Didn't matter right now.
"I'm rich now!!"
Day 1000 of praying for Awakening. God finally answered!
SSS-rank skill—unheard of before. Plus another SS-rank! Starting with three skills made me the golden child of Awakened.
About to check skill details, my eye caught the 'Debuff' line.
Wyrmling...? What's that?
With an SSS skill, a debuff couldn't be that bad. I clicked it.
Frail Wyrmling
You are a newborn dragon wyrmling. Cannot use magic. Possess only human-level strength. Your only asset is tough hide. Suffer massive penalties in all combat.
Until natural release: 10 years
My elation plummeted like a rollercoaster.
"...What?"
No magic? Human strength? Combat penalties?
This killed any chance of being a Hunter—the pinnacle of Awakening. No combat meant high-rank specialties were useless.
Even non-combat leveling would be impossible. No growth.
I-it's fine. Releases in 10 years, and I have skills.
Yeah, the SSS skill was 'Divine Treasure Creation'. Crafters ranked right below Hunters. That alone was plenty.
Shaking off regret, I checked the skills.
Start with the lowest rank.
Best gifts last. C-rank first.
Gliding (C)
Spread wings to slow descent and aid midair movement.
No frills, but great for C-rank. No dying from falls.
"Next up..."
Dragon Heart (SS)
You possess the heart of a dragon, ruler of mana. Maximum mana output from the heart at all times. No mana depletion.
"...Insane."
Infinite mana meant no fatigue. Best ability for any Awakened.
...Though no magic for 10 years, I'd get it eventually.
And mana warded off illnesses too—immediate perks.
"Finally..."
The big one: SSS 'Divine Treasure Creation'. Item crafting? What exactly?
I took a deep breath to calm my pounding heart.
"Hoo! Hah..."
Carefully clicked.
Divine Treasure Creation (SSS)(Growth)
Consumes mana and materials to manifest imagined objects. Rank determined by mana input, material quality, and imagination clarity.
A chill ran down my spine reading it.
Jackpot.
Among Awakened, beyond rank, 'versatility' topped skill value.
Higher versatility meant broader use.
And 'Divine Treasure Creation' was versatility incarnate.
Not just swords or weapons—any 'tool' I imagine?
Revolutionary. No crafting skill had ever done this.
"Hee hee, hee hee hee..."
Giggles escaped despite myself.
A glittering future unfolded in my mind—like my wings and horns. Swimming in gold earned from crafting.
Then, a sound yanked me back to reality.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!