Buji flipped open a new page with a new topic. And the topic was kind of interesting to him.
[Hunters and Dungeon Raids]
Unfortunately, he had found an interesting topic he couldn't read at the moment. The sound of a ringing bell distracted him. His heart skipped a beat.
'Could it be the second reckoning?'
His grip tightened on the pamphlet while he recalled the words 'Hunters and Dungeon Raid.' That was going to be the section where he would see the kind of dungeons they raided and what kind of hunters were allowed to raid each type of dungeon.
The bell's insistence pulled him out of his thought, and with a reluctant sigh, he shut the booklet, placing it carefully on his bed.
He wasn't sure if it was the second reckoning or what the bell signified, but he guessed the bell was used to summon students. Whatever the summons was about, he wasn't going to ignore it, especially as a new student. Or, maybe because of fear of getting punished on the resumption date, his ridicule from other students will surely increase.
He stood up from the edge of his bed, where he had sat, and went to his wardrobe, pulling out the folded uniform found inside. After putting on the cloth, he picked up the pamphlet he had dropped on his bed and pulled the door to his room open.
Later, he closed the door behind him and glanced at the pamphlet in his hand. He was going to use it to keep himself busy wherever they were summoned to. He knew he had no friend, so the pamphlet was going to be his friend.
"Dinner," someone muttered as they brushed past Buji, waking him from his momentary forgetfulness.
Dinner? Just then, he realized he hadn't eaten since the morning they left home, or rather, he left the Zin surrounding, and the thought of food suddenly made his stomach twist in hunger.
Once again, he had to trail behind the crowd. He followed as they descended the wide staircase.
After his descent from the stairs, he wanted to know where the dining was. It was as if he replayed what had happened earlier, except that this time, they were going to eat, and he wouldn't have to face humiliation again, even though he was going to be left alone.
They followed the pathway that had led to the dorm back to the hall. There, they had to descend another spiral staircase, which Buji never thought existed. The hall was quite spacious, but he never imagined that the hall had an underground area that was used as the dining hall.
The moment he stepped into the hall, his breath caught.
The dining hall was nothing like he had imagined. It wasn't like the typical underground basements he had seen before. Long tables stretched from one end to the other, each covered with pristine white tablecloths embroidered with golden threads.
Above him, he saw chandeliers hung from the high ceilings with their crystal drops refracting light into a thousand tiny rainbows. The walls were adorned with paintings depicting great hunters of the past, with their eyes watching over the room with solemn pride.
At the center of each long table, however, was the food itself. Platters of roasted meats, arranged beside bowls of vibrant salads and roasted vegetables. Set alongside were loaves of artisan bread and cheese, with a jar of honey.
'Wonderful! Guess this turns out to be a buffet service.' Buji was surprised. Even though he ate enough with the Zin, this arrangement was nothing like the meals he was used to.
He nodded stiffly and, without wasting much of his time, made his way to an empty seat, careful to avoid eye contact with anyone else.
Buji sat down silently, scanning the table with his eyes. Thankfully, no one at that table seemed to notice his presence, or, probably, seemed to care. He collected some chunks of roasted meat and placed them on the plate set before him. After which, he hesitantly reached for a slice of bread and some chunks of vegetables.
'What a mixture? But that's what I feel like consuming from these sorts.' He thought as he carefully released the products on the plate into his stomach.
For a while, different groups of students chattered their time away. He didn't blame them. That's what their luck had got them, unlike his. So, he resorted to the pamphlet that he had come with to be his friend in moments of boredom.
He turned to the page he was about to read before the bell rang, and started gulping down the information into his memory, leaving his food bare.
The first concept the page he had opened introduced him to was the concept of "Talents." It described talent as some innate abilities that defined every hunter and had gone further to categorize them into four: Tracking talents, Supporting talent, Combat talent, and Unique talent.
Tracking talents were for those with heightened awareness. These hunters could sense danger and navigate treacherous terrains with uncanny precision. Under this description, the talents which were attributed to hunters were "Intuition" and "Vision."
The next became the support talent. Mainly given to hunters who had the ability to heal their comrades' strength and health during raids and battles. So, they were attributed the "Healing" talent.
Then, he saw the combat talents which allowed the hunters to have "Slayer" talent and the unique talents which had a subcategory known as "Mage."
Buji tightened his finger around the pamphlet. Which of these talents could be his? He had always felt different, like an outsider, but that was not enough to make him special.
'For God's sake, I awakened no talent!' his thoughts yelled at him.
He, however, wondered if he could possess one of these talents. Instructor Hay had told him that he was given the benefit of the doubt, so he needed to find a way to awaken a talent before the expiration of three weeks.
Below the explanation of the hunter talents was a brief note. So, he swallowed his spit before reading what was said:
NB: The awakeners with no talent on the day of awakening were not given a second chance since they were suspected of originating from the monster bloodline. To prevent future dangerous possibilities, they are annihilated.
'So, this is why Instructor Hay made it clear that I was given a second chance. And come to think of it, those who approved of the death sentence were the higher-ups.'
"Does it mean Mr. Zin has a hand in the reason he wasn't annihilated? And was it part of their plan?" he murmured to himself, and raised his head only to notice someone standing beside his seat.
"Hi."