As I lay sprawled across my bed, enveloped in the warmth of a blanket, my gaze drifted aimlessly towards the ceiling, a dull, gray expanse that seemed to stretch on forever.
The emptiness within my heart was mirrored in the void above me, a constant reminder of the monotony that suffocated me.
I slowly broke free from the shackles of sleep, my hand instinctively reaching for my smartphone, which sat atop the nightstand, its screen glowing softly in the dim light.
I unlocked the device, and my eyes scanned the screen for the time, the numbers flashing before me like a harsh reality check.
It was already 11 am.
A wave of disappointment washed over me as I realized I had overslept, again.
My mind, still foggy from the remnants of slumber, struggled to shake off the weight of my lack of punctuality.
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, trying to clear the haze that clouded my thoughts.
As my senses slowly returned, a nagging thought pierced through the fog: I was late for Professor Han's lecture, again.
I could almost hear the professor's stern voice, reprimanding me for my tardiness.
A sense of resignation settled within me, and I knew I was in for another session of scolding.
My thoughts drifted to the university I attended, Yeoncheon University, and the department I was a part of – the Hunter Department.
A wry smile spread across my face as I thought about the irony of the name.
Despite its comical sound, the Hunter Department was surprisingly popular, and that too for a good reason.
In the world I lived in, individuals with special abilities, known as hunters, were revered as heroes.
Their unique skills and prowess made them invaluable assets to society, and their average earnings rivaled those of top corporate employees.
Moreover, if they were skilled, they could become stars, idolized by the masses and earning fame and fortune on par with celebrities.
The Hunter Department was the epicenter of training and development for these gifted individuals, and I was proud to be a part of it, even if I was still waiting for my own abilities to awaken.
To the outside world, the Hunter Department was a beacon of hope and promise, a place where dreams were woven into reality. The notion was deeply ingrained in the minds of the general public, who saw the department as a sanctuary for those with extraordinary abilities.
However, the truth was far from it.
The Hunter Department was not a place that welcomed anyone with open arms.
It was an elite institution, reserved for those who possessed a unique gift – a gift that set them apart from the rest of humanity.
There were two prerequisites for admission, two conditions that had to be met before one could even think of joining the hallowed halls of the department.
The first was the possession of an ability, a supernatural power that allowed one to transcend the limitations of the human body.
In this world, only those who could harness and wield such abilities were worthy of being called hunters – superhumans with capabilities that defied explanation.
The second condition was more nuanced, yet equally crucial.
It was the potential to awaken one's abilities, a latent talent that lay dormant, waiting to be unleashed.
I fell into the second category, a hunter trainee with a promise of greatness that had yet to be fulfilled.
I was a student of the Hunter Department, but my journey was far from smooth.
"Damn it," I muttered to myself, frustration and desperation etched on my face. "Fck... When the in the world am I going to awaken?" The question echoed in my mind, a constant reminder of my inadequacy.
I had potential, or so I had been told.
The state had certified it, and I had undergone not one, not two, but three physical examinations at different hospitals to confirm it.
Each time, the verdict had been the same – I had the makings of a hunter, but the spark within me had yet to be ignited.
But as I approached my 21st year, I couldn't shake off the feeling of being an outcast.
I was the only one in the department who had not awakened, a fact that made me feel like a failure.
The weight of my peers' disdain was crushing, the pity of my seniors suffocating, and the indifference of my juniors a harsh reminder of my isolation.
I felt like I was stuck in limbo, unable to move forward or backward.
The only thing that echoed in my mind was a haunting refrain – "Awaken! Awaken! Awaken!" It was a cry that seemed to mock me, a cruel reminder of my inability to tap into the power that lay within me.
I lay there, my body twisting in torment, as the weight of my solitude bore down on me like a physical force.
The ache within me grew more unbearable with each passing moment, a desperate longing to awaken that seemed to consume my every waking thought.
Why did it have to be so elusive?
Others around me had experienced that moment of transformation, their abilities bursting forth like a dam breaking free.
But for me, that moment remained a distant dream, a mirage that vanished whenever I thought I was closing in on it.
A silent scream tore through my mind, a raw, anguished cry that I dared not voice aloud.
I knew the soundproofing in this studio apartment was laughable, a fact that was reinforced every Friday night when the moans of my neighbor's girlfriend echoed through the walls.
I had no desire to share my own frustrations with the world, so I bit back the sound, letting it reverberate through my skull instead.
"I want to awaken toooooooo!" I raged inwardly, the words seething with a mix of desperation and envy.
"I also want to succeed, to excel and to experience the thrill of the hunt! I want to walk into a club and have women fawn over me and to know the rush of a one-night stand!"
It was a tantalizing prospect, one that I knew was within reach for those who possessed the coveted title of Hunter.
I had seen it firsthand – a colleague, barely scraping by as an F-rank Hunter, yet somehow managing to effortlessly charm women into his bed.
The memory of it still rankled, a bitter reminder of my own inadequacies.
"Damn it all!" I cursed, the words spilling out of me like venom.
The more I dwelled on it, the more infuriating it became.
My body began to contort, twisting in agony as I writhed on the bed, lost in a sea of frustration.
And then, without warning, my entire body began to glow with a soft, white light.
I froze, my heart skipping a beat as I realized what was happening.
"Awakening!" The word burst forth from me, a mix of shock, wonder, and elation.
Could it be?
Was this finally the moment I had been waiting for?
I sprang to my feet, my heart racing with anticipation as I felt it - the precursor to awakening.
It was happening, manifesting within my body at that very moment.
A shiver ran down my spine as I gulped, my throat constricting with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
As I stood there, frozen in anticipation, my body began to glow with a soft, ethereal light.
The radiance enveloped me, casting an otherworldly aura around my form.
Time seemed to slow as I basked in the gentle warmth, my senses heightened as I awaited the revelation that was to come.
The glow lingered for what felt like an eternity before gradually fading away, leaving me feeling both exhilarated and apprehensive.
I immediately closed my eyes, my mind racing with the possibilities.
The moment of truth had finally arrived.
Upon awakening, one naturally becomes aware of their abilities - the unique gifts that set them apart from the rest of humanity.
As I stood there, my eyes shut tight, I focused on the sensations coursing through my mind. 'My ability is….' I thought, my mental voice barely above a whisper.
The anticipation was almost too much to bear.
And then, it happened.
A surge of information flooded my mind, the feeling of being forcibly injected with knowledge far from pleasant.
It was as if my brain was being rewired, new pathways and connections being forged at an incredible pace.
I gritted my teeth, enduring the discomfort as the information continued to flow into my mind.
Awakened Trait: The All Fantasy Life
The words echoed through my thoughts, followed by a phrase that seemed almost too ridiculous to be true - 'A life of pleasure, fantasy and desires?'
What kind of ability was this?
I couldn't help but feel a sense of incredulity, my mind struggling to wrap itself around the concept.
But the information continued to flow, more details about my ability being injected into my mind. 'Check the app for details,' a mental voice instructed, the words accompanied by a sense of frustration and confusion.
'What? Damn! What is this?' I thought, my mental voice laced with exasperation.
What kind of ability required an app to understand? I couldn't shake the feeling that my life was about to become a lot more complicated.
As I stood there, frozen in a mix of shock and incredulity, a string of curses escaped my lips, and my hands instinctively reached for my smartphone.
My fingers danced across the screen, fueled by a growing sense of unease and confusion.
That's when I saw it – an app I had never seen before, its icon a bright "DnD" shape that seemed to mock me with its cheerfulness. "Dungeon & Desires" was its name, and I couldn't help but wonder what kind of twisted joke this was.
Was this really how abilities were supposed to awaken?