Year 2020
At that time, our peaceful world had changed after the incident known as "DayBreak."
This whole event began with some researchers who discovered a mysterious box within ancient ruins. After finding the ruins, they held a conference about the box until one of the archaeologists requested to open the mysterious artifact. Everyone was anxious to see what was inside until one of the researchers opened it.
A huge pillar of light cleared the night sky, dyeing it a reddish-orange color, and from there, the calamities began.
Monsters had come out from portals all around the world: all kinds of unimaginable enemies such as dungeons, towers, and beasts threatened all humanity, causing countless casualties.
Humanity seemed lost, submerged in despair. The armies' weapons could barely deal with this new threat.
Everything seemed hopeless—until they appeared. Humans with special powers, later named "Hunters," emerged to hunt monsters and acquire valuable treasures.
The most important figures started the Hunter program and spread this system to give humanity a ray of hope.
After the calamity, now in the year 2820, humanity has made surprising technological advancements. Pollution is almost nonexistent, most diseases like cancer or AIDS are now curable, and the planet is very healthy. This world—my world—is completely different from the old world of 2020.
Nowadays, many want to become Hunters because of the stories parents told their children.
It all sounds very touching.
But...
Now let's look at my situation.
═════════════════════════════════════════════════
=Statistics=
Name: Alan Harwey
Age: 16 years
[Strength: 9.61 (E)]
[Endurance: 10.10 (E)]
[Speed: 13.04 (E)]
[Mana: 20.20 (E)]
=Fixed stats=
[Luck: 19/20]
[Charm: 10/20]
[Perseverance: 20/20]
[Intelligence: 9/20]
=Talents=
[Blacksmithing/Low-Grade] [Swordsmanship/Low-Grade] [Magic/Low-Grade]
=Elemental Affinity/Learned Elements=
[Fire, Lightning, Ether, Wind, ???]
=Skills=
Unique: [???]
Active:
Passive:
=Magic/Spells=
[Fire Magic] [Reinforcement]
=Constitution=
[Magical Circuits]
=Specialties=
[None]
═════════════════════════════════════════════════
After the incident that destroyed the old world, this phenomenon known as "Awakening" appeared, which is now a fundamental requirement to become a Hunter, along with having a unique ability.
This last part relieved me since my unique ability is not awakened yet, and for a long time, I believed I didn't have one at all.
Active Hunters are awakened; you need great concentration and good luck to reach this state. Normally, this happens at 15 years old, and others may awaken as early as 10 years old, but these are very rare cases.
An awakened person could see their talents, skills, and capabilities objectively, allowing them to train efficiently. It also allowed one to receive "clear rewards" from towers and dungeons.
This phenomenon was called a "Status Window," and it was a known fact that only the owner could see their own window. Additionally, awakened ones could break the language barrier, enabling people speaking different languages to communicate easily, as well as to read and understand any written language as if it were their native tongue.
This phenomenon is known as 'wisdom before the time of Babel' which allows us to understand any language that comes from a human.
-What a shitty day... I'm an E-rank Hunter, and on top of that, the lowest possible level...-
I sighed in disappointment, lowering my head slightly and staring at the floor.
My talents are among the lowest possible.
The average E-rank Hunter usually has stats at least above 20 or at least Medium-rank talents, but that's not my case.
-Damn it, I'm going to be late again!-
Half-dressed, I activated the enchantment embedded in my clothes: "Equip," a kind of spell that folds the clothes in the air and dresses you like an invisible hand.
It only failed once, when it put the pants on my head like a hat, but now I have it mostly under control.
I went down the stairs of my floating apartment.
Yes, floating. It's powered by levitation crystals integrated into its base. I headed to the kitchen.
The kitchen is very simple; I don't have luxuries like those expensive AI utensils capable of cooking dinner in less than a second.
I'm just a lower-middle-class guy living life as best as he can, surviving day by day in this crazy world.
After breakfast,
I walked out the door and started running to my part-time job next to the school district.
Next to me, a car powered by magical energy sped past like a Formula 1 race car. All vehicles, without exception, run on magical power to avoid damaging the planet's health.
The fusion of magic and technology keeps this world running... although sometimes it seems like both sides want to kill each other.
Just the other day, a factory caught fire because of a misaligned fire-imbued crystal inside one of the machines. The result? No casualties, but the factory burned down, and the company had to pay for the damages.
I feel sorry for the person who caused that accident… they're probably fired by now.
After running for a while, I finally arrived at my part-time job: an ancient relics store.
I put on my uniform, which looked more like a suit but a little fancier.
They say part-time jobs are peaceful.
They say they help you gain experience and earn a little money.
They lie.
The truth is, you're just being exploited until the end of your days; the overtime... is the worst thing ever. I hate it because it wastes so much of your valuable time.
Plus, nothing here is normal when your boss's hologram is standing in front of you.
[Remember, Alan: customer service smile, greeting protocol, and DO NOT try to make friends.]
That was the first thing the hologram said to me when I started, and also the last, because ever since then, it just repeats pre-programmed phrases like an old tape recorder from the 2020s.
My name is Alan Harwey, and I'm 17 years old, as you saw in my status window.
I'm just a poor orphan living alone in an apartment in the great city of Madrid.
You feel sorry for me now, don't you?
Well, too bad, I don't accept your pity.I hate when people pity me just because I'm an orphan without a home.
I have some dignity, you know?
I get by as best I can. Thanks for feeling sorry for me, but it makes me uncomfortable.
I attended to customers regularly, explained things about the relics, blah, blah, blah…
Everything was as boring as ever: customers complaining, curious customers, new customers interested in buying, and a long list that's too tiresome to put into words.
Everything was so normal at work until the boss's hologram spoke to me.
[You're fired.]
-What?-
[You heard me, Harwey. You're fired. Lately, the store hasn't been doing well, and we need to make some cuts.]
-...-
I stood there speechless, clenching my hands.
The boss's hologram looked at me and sighed.
[Hey, I understand very well how it feels to be fired, but that's just how it is...]
-Thanks-
I interrupted the hologram.
[What?]
-THANKS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY!! I'M OUT OF THIS DUMP! I WISH YOU ALL THE WORST, BASTARDS! HAHAHA!!-
I ran so hard I didn't even feel tired until I reached a plaza.
I was finally free from that filthy job. I missed my first job, where they didn't exploit us, but unfortunately, that company went bankrupt and closed.
-No more overtime~ No more work~ God, God heard me, God hasn't abandoned me!-
-Mommy, what's wrong with that man?-
-Ignore him, dear, he's just a lunatic-
Without realizing it, a mother and her daughter looked at me uncomfortably and walked away. I returned to solid ground and felt deep embarrassment for what I had done.
Even though being fired was good news, in reality, I'm in trouble.
Lately, my wallet has been in the red, and I have to pay my rent.
Now I have a lot of problems, all thanks to my Awakening.
Enrolling in Wellston Academy was impossible for me. The written exams wouldn't have been a problem, but the practical test would have been a complete nightmare.
I took out my smart cellphone and started looking for jobs on the Hunter web portal.
-Money, I need money to pay rent, and I also have to pay off my debts...-
I looked for jobs where I could earn money until... I found nothing. I was disappointed until one of my contacts sent me a message.
[Hey Alan, it's me, James. I was wondering if you have time for a job. It's about an expedition to a C-rank dungeon. Would you like to be our porter? Of course, we'll pay you appropriately. If you see this message, reply!] [1 minute ago]
It was James, an old Hunter friend and part of the group I occasionally worked with.
[I'm in. Where's the dungeon?] [20 seconds ago]
[It's near the town of Tres Cantos. A small village reported a portal appeared a few days ago. We'll be waiting for you tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.]
-Thank God... at least they'll pay me well... The landlord won't scold me again-
«One of the main reasons I want to become a Hunter is to be recognized as a hero and... TO BECOME A MILLIONAIRE!! I want to get out of this financial mess! I don't want to be poor anymore!!»
I've been burdened by responsibilities.
If it weren't for the education I received from the orphanage director, society would have eaten me alive.
My dream is to become the strongest, then retire and live a quiet and simple life, like a recluse—or as they say in distant Japan, a hikikomori.
-Well, maybe my skills aren't the best, but I'll do my best to live the life I've always dreamed of!-
Unlike other novels or stories I've read about Hunters and their systems, in this world, everything changes starting from B-rank, once you reach that level, your stats stop growing unless you make multiple breakthroughs to surpass the limit.
If you want to know what I look like, I'll tell you
Jet black hair
Blue eyes
A very average but slightly handsome face (as the orphanage director always insisted)
And a height well above average, almost 1.90 meters tall (about 6.234 feet for Americans).
-Well, let's rest for a while. I deserve at least that privilege after this shitty day.-
***
«Where the hell is James?!»
That guy told me we'd meet at 2:00 p.m., but I couldn't see him anywhere—not even at the dungeon entrance.
Time passed quickly from the agreed 2:00 p.m., and now it was almost 3:00 p.m. I started pacing around the dungeon entrance, muttering
-...That bastard, he talked about meeting the next day, but he's not even casting a shadow... It would have been better if he hadn't said he was coming... no, no, no, calm down Alan, you need the money to pay rent, you need it, you don't want to be scolded again...-
«Please, please, James, just show up already, I don't want to get yelled at for not paying rent again»
After calming myself down, I let out a sigh while observing the surroundings.
Just then, I spotted a silhouette—it was James, finally arriving with the rest of the team.
There were three familiar people I'd worked with before to scrape a living.
-Eh? Hey kid, sorry to keep you waiting!-
I turned my head toward the voice—definitely James.A middle-aged man, quite likable, but... with the bad habit of always being late.
-You're so late, old man!! Do you even know what time it is?! I was worried sick because of you!!-
-Agh, stop hitting me! Sorry, sorry Alan! I just wanted our reunion to be interesting!-
«What an idiot. He only took a month off to rest, and he's already causing trouble...»
James, an idiot who is always late, is nonetheless a very tough warrior—and a glutton too.
-Geez, you're hopeless, James. Forgive him, Alan. He's just a bonehead-
The one who spoke to me was John, a 21-year-old man, a mage, and also a money-grubber.He and I got along quite well since we're the "only smart ones" on the team. He even taught me the [Fireball] spell.
-By the way, kid, did you use that financial strategy I recommended?-
-Not yet... I'll invest in that guild you suggested once I turn 17~-
-I highly recommend it! That company's starting to rise, I can feel it~-
At that moment, a red-haired woman smacked John's head.He yelped in pain, clutching his head.
-Don't turn Alan into a money-hungry fool like you, please! Alan, you're the only sane one on the team. Please don't become as weird as they are!-
-I know, I know. No way I'm turning into them!-
«But... my ambition for money will never change!!»
The young lady in front of me was Victoria. She had great sword talent and was the most responsible member of the group.
These three made up a very well-balanced team, and since they were C-rank, they usually did very well on most missions.
-Alright, we're all here. Let's head into the dungeon!-
My mood softened a little.
I was annoyed that idiot James arrived so late, but at least now I could earn some money after getting fired from my job.
***
-Hey, James, hold the line! Keep the formation straight!-
James was protecting us from the monsters, attracting all their attention, while Victoria ruthlessly cut them down. Meanwhile, John and I were channeling our mana to launch a powerful magic attack.
-All set, kid!!-
-I was born ready!!-
Both of us simultaneously cast the [Fireball] spell.
*BOOM!
The monsters running toward James turned into ashes.
Everything was so simple that I was happy with this result, there were no problems in my journey through this dungeon and that was good since it indicated that he is not the type who hides his power nor did he have any signs that he would mutate and rank up.
-Ugh... thanks, guys, you saved me-
-Shut up, you idiot! You shouldn't have provoked those monsters in the first place! We almost died because of you!-
-Ah!! Sorry, Victoria! It's not my fault monsters always come after me!!-
Victoria grabbed James by the ear and started dragging him around while James begged for mercy with tearful eyes.
-Remember this, kid: never make that woman angry. She looks like a demon when she's mad-
-No need to tell me twice-
All the monsters in the dungeon so far were undead-type.
Which meant they needed to be cut with sacred weapons, blasted with holy magic, or completely destroyed.Undead were the trickiest type of monster to deal with... unless you had a good team backing you up.
-Alright, let's take a short break, guys!-
At James's words, we all turned back.
I was walking alongside James when he started speaking:
-Wow... I didn't expect so many undead in this dungeon-
-Yeah, no kidding. It's your fault, old man. We almost died—are you ready to be haunted in your dreams?-
-I already apologized, what more do you want, Alan?-
This dungeon was slightly bigger than the ones I'd visited before.We could see some doors that looked like cave entrances in the misty darkness.
Maybe one of those doors led to the boss room.
-Hey Alan, don't tell me you're here just for the money-
-W-What?!-
-Come on, last year when you joined our group, you were desperate for money. Besides, you showed great skill on your first mission-
-T-That's because... I had to pay the rent on my apartment or the landlord would start lecturing me about responsibility! Plus, there might be some good loot even if it's just a C-rank dungeon!!-
-Hahaha! I knew it. You're desperate not to get kicked out onto the street. I don't blame you, in your situation I'd do the same-
James started laughing loudly, and I began to feel deeply embarrassed.
I wanted the earth to just swallow me whole.
«Stop laughing at me, you damned old man!!»
I kept covering my face until I remembered something...
A debt James owed me.
-God… Oh right! Old man, the thing you owe me-
-What debt? What thing?-
-Don't play dumb! You owe me two skills! You promised to teach me after you lost that bet!-
-...Aaah-
«If I hadn't reminded him, he would have conveniently forgotten forever!!»
-Fine, fine. I'll teach you a very useful skill to increase talent efficiency and another one to boost critical hits... Hey Victoria, come here for a second!-
Skills.
They are special powers that give us major advantages.
You can learn them from teachers, from relics, or even develop them yourself—but you can only learn skills related to your talents.
For broke people like me, having someone teach you a skill is almost a miracle.
James drew his sword, and Victoria drew hers as well.Suddenly, James's grey eyes started to glow.In an instant, he disarmed Victoria effortlessly.
-This is called [Concentration]. It's a basic skill that, as the name suggests, boosts your focus and can slightly improve your talent efficiency. Now, try cutting this stone. I'll throw it into the air, and you'll slice it-
Since it was a basic skill, learning it should be easy.
James lent me his sword.I inhaled deeply and focused all my attention on a single point.
I had fought through several dungeons to survive, barely scraping by since almost no one wanted to team up with an E-rank like me.
But I want to be strong enough so people stop looking down on me.
James tossed the stone into the air.
I jumped up and, with all my strength, managed to make a clean cut, splitting the rock in two.
[You have learned Concentration (D)]
I saw the system window pop up announcing it, while James clapped for me.
-Not bad. You learned Concentration, but remember, it's just a basic skill. The next one depends more on your luck-
James stopped talking, grabbed his sword again, and smashed it into a large rock.Electric-blue sparks shot out in the process.
Few people would notice, but he hadn't even used full strength; his expression showed he wasn't exerting himself at all.
-Good thing it worked this time... This skill is called [Critical Point]. It depends heavily on your luck—if you're lucky, your critical hit power triples-
James handed me his sword again.
I gripped it tightly and tried to strike the big rock...
My hands shook violently on impact.
-Aaagh! It hurts... ow, ow, my hands! They're all red!-
-Hahaha, looks like you weren't very lucky this time!-
-Shut up, I'm trying again!-
I took a deep breath.
[Critical Point] was considered a useless basic skill by most because it depended too much on luck.
But for me, it didn't matter—my luck stat was nearly perfect.I could learn this quickly.
I charged at the rock again, fully determined.
This time, I succeeded in destroying it completely.
[You have learned Critical Point (D)]
-YES! I always succeed on the second try!!-
-Hahaha, well now I owe you nothing. Let's move deeper into the dungeon!-
As I headed back to my group, my mind suddenly went blank.
A male voice from an unknown source started echoing softly inside my head.
"…Can you hear me... hey…"
-James, did you say something?-
-Huh? No, I didn't say anything-
-Hmm... I thought I heard someone asking if I could hear them…-
I couldn't finish my sentence.I noticed a faint light starting to appear nearby.
I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was imagining things—but when I opened them, the small light was gone.
«What the hell was that just now?! Am I hallucinating?... I think I need to get some rest after this mission!»
A little scared, I stepped back a few paces.
We continued walking, exterminating the undead in our path.John blasted everything with [Fireball], turning enemies into ashes.
John suddenly spoke with a worried expression:
-This is weird...-
-Why do you say that, John?-
-It's just... only undead have appeared the whole time. Normally, a dungeon has some variety. Plus, ever since we entered, I've felt the atmosphere getting colder and colder-
He was right.
Ever since we entered, I had felt chills running down my spine, like someone was watching us.
-Stop scaring us, John! You're going to freak me out too!-
Victoria tried to keep the group calm.
But I knew John, and his instincts were always dead-on.
Just then...
*BOOM!
A massive fireball grazed past us, almost bursting my eardrums.
-Is everyone okay? Quickly, regroup!!-
-Shit! I had a feeling someone else was here—and I was right!-
The defensive line broke instantly from the attack, and the loud noise filled the dungeon.
-What's happening today?!-
I shouted in confusion, scanning the foggy surroundings with dizzy eyes.
I couldn't see anyone.Everything was silent...Until a strange black smoke began to rise from the floor.
-What is this?! I swear someone's here...-
The smoke quickly spread, blocking everyone's vision.
-Cough, cough! What the hell is this?!-
I quickly covered my mouth and nose with my sleeve, squinting.The black mist surrounding us was anything but normal.
-What a pain...-
John said as he extended his arms, blasting the mist away with a gust of wind.
-Everyone! We have to get out of here fast-
James shouted, but before he could finish, I shut my mouth tightly.
A fireball appeared out of nowhere, striking John.Blood sprayed from his body.
I was trembling—the stench of blood filled the dungeon in an instant.
A dungeon filled only with undead, a heavy black mist, and now someone was attacking our teammates…
Instantly, every hair on my body stood on end.
We were on high alert, scanning desperately in all directions, until I noticed the ambient temperature rising.
-Old man, to your right!!-
I screamed desperately.James reacted just in time, blocking the next attack with his shield.
Victoria gently laid a badly wounded John against the wall, trying to help him breathe.
James staggered back, and then—
Another attack came right at him.
James endured it with all his strength, but he collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.
-What is this?! Who the hell…-
-Wow... I didn't think you guys would survive this long-
We heard a voice—a young one—and then a silhouette appeared through the darkness.Black hair, grey eyes…
But above all, that dark, sinister aura surrounding his body.
-You're... a Daemon!!-
-Hahaha, correct, big guy. I'm a Daemon-
-Don't think you'll get away with this!!-
James lunged at the Daemon, grabbed his sword tightly and began to hit him but the Daemon was agile, the villain began to hit the weak James all over, he continued to resist the attacks but his body could no longer resist
Victoria appeared behind the Daemon, trying to stab him in the back, but he reacted in time, punching her in the stomach and then slamming her to the floor.
Today is my unlucky day. I get fired from work and soon after, I run into a Daemon.
-D-Damn it-
-John, don't talk, you're really hurt-
-Kid... run, you're in... a lot of danger now-
I was shaking, I don't know what I should do, fight or run
-That's right, kid, run, I'm not interested in killing weaklings... in the meantime, I'll enjoy slaughtering these three-
I noticed the arrogant eyes the Daemon had, he wasn't interested in anything and was only focused on my classmates
Since I was 5 years old
When I was always in school, everyone started bullying me, belittling me, saying pure stupid things "You're useless" "But you're so weak" "You're nothing but a loser" "How pathetic, don't you have a unique ability" they always looked at me with arrogance, as if they were on top just because they had a unique ability and I didn't
Just because they had families, lived under a cozy roof, and I didn't have that, did they have the right to look down on me?
One day I exploded and started beating up those idiots until I couldn't stand the strength to stop them from bothering me the next day.
I kept going, going, and going, doing the same thing so no one would see me from below.
And now...
-...John uses all the Buffs on me-
"But Alan..."
I stared at the mage, hoping he'd accept my request. John bowed his head and extended his hand in my direction.
"...Hey...fine, punch that son of a bitch in the face for me. [Wind's Grace] [Robust Body] [Raw Power] [Speed Boost] [Strength Boost] [Stamina Boost] [Blessing]"
John threw all the buffs he had in his arsenal at me. I could notice my strength had increased considerably, and the last one temporarily boosted my luck.
«With this minimal power, I can give a D-rank hunter a run for his money»
"I see you decided not to run away, kiddo... fine, I'll respect your decision. Come be a hero for your friends, brat!"
I shouted with great joy and quickly threw several fireballs at me. I quickly began to dodge them. I was already familiar with dodging that magic thanks to John always using it on me.
I gritted my teeth as I ran in front of him, blue mana pouring from my body.
[Concentration has activated]
«This guy isn't someone I can beat with my skills, but thanks to John, I might have a chance.»
I grabbed James's sword in the process and quickly lunged. I felt my blood begin to boil, my concentration became clearer, and I felt the world slow down a little.
The Daemon began to attack me, creating multiple fireballs. I began to slash everything with my sword, and I approached him.
-Take this!-
Blue rays flashed across the space, and a loud scream from my enemy could be heard.
-Aaaah!! Damn idiot!-
I quickly moved away from him and started hitting him as fast as I could. Sometimes [Critical Hit] would activate because it's a passive ability. I slashed, punched, and kicked him. He was still weak from eliminating so many monsters, but this was enough. If I kept going like this, I could beat him.
-That...keep going...like that-
I heard the same voice, and that small ray of light began to appear in my field of vision.
I was distracted for a moment, and my enemy took advantage of that by grabbing my hand.
-I've got you, you bastard!-
He pulled me forward, headbutting me hard and then sending me flying with a kick.
-Kuak!-
I started spitting blood, and my vision was blocked by the wound on my head that covered my right eye.
"Use… Your… Unique… Ability."
Unique Ability? The one with the question marks next to my attribute, which is also in the same situation?
I stood up again, but this time I was weak. I could barely hold my sword because of the intense pain in my stomach
-You know, I thought they were the only ones who were interesting, but you're more interesting!-
"Activate it, activate it, activate it!"
That same voice kept repeating it to me, and the small light began to shine brighter.
-If this is going to be my last fight, then I'll take you to hell with me, son of a bitch!-
I ran without fear, my heart beating a thousand times a second. They say that's what happens when you're close to death.
The hand holding my sword began to emanate a darkness that enveloped it.
[???... identified, darkness element]
[???... unique ability identified, Duality]
-That's as far as you go, kid!-
The Daemon threw a gigantic fireball at me, preventing me from continuing.
-Now use your ability!!-
-Aaaahhh!-
I began to scream at the top of my lungs, and the darkness increased in size. My body was beginning to go numb. I was on the verge of exhausting my mana, and unconsciously, I did what the voice wanted: I used [Duality].
The darkness surrounding the sword transformed into a golden light.
Light was known to be a rare element and highly prized by hunters, being called the anti-demon element.
*Critical Point
The passive ability activated, increasing the attack's power.
With a single thrust, a huge beam of light pierced the gigantic fireball, hitting the Daemon in the process.
With all my strength and all the fear in the world, I ran frantically and began to cut him with my [Reinforcement]-enhanced sword, then cruelly decapitated him.
The Daemon's body fell to the ground only for the corpse to begin to fragment and turn into dust, scattered by the wind.
-Hey... fuck off for underestimating me.-
After saying those words, I fell to the ground, exhausted because I had used up all my mana in that attack and from the blows that wretch gave me.
"Mmm, not bad, kid, you're very talented"
Those were the last words I could hear from that light before falling to the ground, unconscious, praying that I could see the light of day again.