The Star That Will Shine One Day
I flipped the bronze-colored badge over and over in my palm, studying it from every angle as we walked back toward the square after the fight with Dante. He had rummaged through his cabin for what felt like forever before finally tossing it to me right after our bout ended.
It was about the size of my palm, a simple bronze badge with an emblem-like pattern engraved on its surface.
“So this is the hunter badge?”
“That’s right. Unfortunately, it’s the lowest rank.”
“Hmm…”
The lowest rank, huh. I’d awakened as an A-rank from the very beginning back in my old life, so receiving the bottom-tier badge here felt strangely refreshing. Life really does throw you curveballs.
Reina kept glancing at me as I silently spun the badge around my finger. She cleared her throat awkwardly.
“Um… Grandpa probably wanted to give you a higher rank too. You definitely earned it. But when he retired, he gave up every possible privilege for his successor… so this really was the best he could do right now.”
She coughed lightly, looking a little nervous.
“And even though it’s the lowest rank, it’s actually really good. A lot of people used to go after it back in the day.”
“People went after this?”
I stared at her, completely confused. The lowest rank? That didn’t make any sense.
“It’s true.”
“Why? Is there a reason?” I asked, genuinely curious now.
Reina puffed up with pride, looking incredibly smug. “You wanna know? Should I tell you?”
Just like the viewers said, that smug look was seriously getting on my nerves. I suddenly felt the urge to wipe that triumphant expression right off her face.
“Nah, now that I think about it, I’m not really that curious.”
“What?!”
Reina’s face instantly filled with panic. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. Yeah. That’s much better. I found myself nodding in satisfaction.
“You really don’t want to know?”
I thought about teasing her a little more, but when I saw her nervously watching me, I decided I’d pushed it far enough.
“No, I’m actually really curious.”
“Then why did you say you weren’t!!”
“Because I didn’t like that smug look on your face?”
“Ugh!! Seriously!!”
She stomped her feet in frustration for a long moment, even grabbing at her hair. Finally she glared at me with pure irritation in her eyes.
“So are you going to listen or not?”
“Yes.”
“You definitely said you would.”
“I know, I know.”
Reina took a small breath to calm herself, then continued in a much more composed voice.
“Want to check the back of the badge?”
“The back?”
I flipped it over as she suggested.
“See that mark there?”
It had been slightly covered in dust, but when I tilted it, the mark became crystal clear on the metal surface. It looked like a star that had been carved with a sword.
“Yeah, I see it.”
What could this symbol possibly mean?
“Grandpa Dante probably planned to give you a regular lowest-rank badge at first. That much could’ve been passed off as simple luck instead of overstepping his authority. But after fighting you, it looks like he changed his mind.”
She paused for a moment.
“That mark is a special symbol given only to hunters that Grandpa Dante personally acknowledges. It was the very last privilege he kept for himself when he retired. He said he would only give it to someone he truly recognized. The words he said back then were probably…”
She thought for a second, then let out a small gasp.
“Ah, I remember now. It was definitely this: ‘I want to give this last one to a star that will shine someday.’”
A star that will shine someday…
I guess everyone gets sentimental when they get older. Otherwise there’s no way he could’ve said something like that out loud. Still…
Well, it’s not bad. I’m kind of used to it anyway.
I gently turned the badge over in my hand. The cold touch of metal felt surprisingly pleasant.
“So? Do you like it?”
Reina was back to looking smug again, puffing her chest out with pride. If someone didn’t know any better, they’d probably think she was the one who gave me the badge.
I was curious about that too. Was it just a fancy decoration, or did it actually grant some kind of authority?
“So does this give me any special privileges?”
“Hmm, well first of all you get a thirty percent discount on all facilities inside the outpost, slightly higher quest rewards, priority when crafting weapons… and what else was there? I feel like there was more… I can’t quite remember.”
After thinking for a moment, she added, “Oh right. This is more of a superstition, but they say the materials Grandpa Dante processed were always higher quality and more abundant. So people started saying that anyone who received this badge would have insane luck. That’s probably why so many people wanted it. Recognition and good fortune in one package.”
When I first heard it, I didn’t think it sounded that amazing, but judging from the viewers’ reactions, these privileges were apparently way more broken than I realized.
“Is it really that good?”
Bulramyeon has donated 1,000 won.
It’s really good. The other options are just nice to have, but that last one about increased material yield? That single effect completely overshadows everything else.
“Increased material yield?”
KingOfClubs has donated 1,000 won.
It’s real. I don’t know exactly how much it increases, but with that alone you could finish a monster that normally takes five hunts in just two. Saves time, reduces stress… it’s literally GOAT status. And since the quality improves too, you’ll be able to get rare materials way faster.
After sorting through the viewers’ opinions, I carefully tucked the badge into my inner pocket.
Hmm. Good is good.
I’d have to take good care of it so I didn’t lose it. As I kept fiddling with the badge, Reina suddenly stepped closer.
“So what are you going to do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You got the badge, so you’re an official hunter now. What’s your next plan?”
“Oh, that?”
The corner of my mouth curled up slightly. I did have something in mind.
The place Reina and I headed to was the Guild Headquarters. It was the hub where countless gathering, subjugation, and capture requests flowed in and out, and where just as many hunters came to accept them.
When we arrived, the building was already packed with people. Some were there to apply for quests, others to report completions, and some simply to gather information. As we stepped inside the three-story building, the noisy atmosphere hit me like a wave. In one corner people were drinking and laughing, while in another hunters were browsing the request boards on the walls.
We pushed through the crowd and approached the reception desk. That’s when the stares started coming our way—one by one, filled with all kinds of emotions. Ignoring them, I reached the counter. The receptionist looked up.
“Welcome. How can I help you today?”
She greeted us politely, but then—
“…Reina?”
Her eyes widened the moment she spotted Reina standing behind me. Her face instantly lit up with joy.
“When did you get back to the outpost?! When did you arrive? Yesterday? Today?”
Before she even finished speaking, she dashed out from behind the counter and pulled Reina into a tight hug.
“No matter what, I’m so glad to see you!!! I missed you so much!!”
Reina just gave an awkward laugh, looking a bit flustered.
“Ahaha…”
“Anna… I can’t breathe…”
“Ah, sorry. I just got too excited. You should’ve told me you were coming back. Showing up so suddenly like this… really.”
The woman called Anna puffed out her cheeks as she looked at Reina.
“Sorry, I’ve been a bit distracted lately.”
“That’s understandable. So what brings you to the guild? Are you here to start working right away?”
“No, it’s not that…”
When Reina glanced at me, Anna naturally followed her gaze. The moment she noticed me, she immediately started apologizing.
“Ah, I’m so sorry. It’s been so long since I last saw Reina that I got too excited…”
“It’s fine. That kind of thing happens.”
She’s pretty, so it’s okay!
At my words, she bowed her head carefully before slowly lifting it again. Her eyes were the color of blue coral reefs.
“My name is Anna. And you are…?”
“I’m Haerang.”
“Nice to meet you. So what brings you here…?”
Reina answered for her. “He’s my successor. He just became a hunter.”
Anna blinked in confusion. “What do you mean? Your successor became a hunter?”
“Well, it’s a long story…”
If I left the explanation to Reina it would probably take forever, so I spoke up first. I had an objective here, after all.
“I passed the qualification test given by old man Dante.”
“You took a qualification test from Sir Dante?”
“Yes. Here’s the badge.”
When I handed it over, Anna’s eyes slowly widened. And then—
“This badge is?!!”
At her shout, the already noisy surroundings grew even more focused on us. And soon after…
“That little guy received Sir Dante’s badge?”
The event I had been waiting for had arrived. A large, burly man set down his drink with a loud clack and swaggered over. I smiled faintly as I watched him approach.
Bingo.
This was exactly what I wanted.