Handol Barony, Hunter's Guild
The Handol Barony Hunter's Guild pulsed with life, a cauldron of greed, desperation, and power. Built from thick, dark stone, the immense hall was perpetually loud. Every breath of air carried the heavy mix of old leather, sweat, stale beer, and the metallic tang of dried blood.
Inside, the guild was packed. Murmur filled the room, a ceaseless tide of conversations washing over the tables and notice boards.
Clatter and scrape—the sounds of boot heels and shifting chairs—were constant as hunters moved in and out, some returning weary from a fresh dungeon run, others heading out, their gear polished and their faces eager.
Teams were in the process of formation. A hulking warrior, his voice like gravel, stood on a bench, shouting: "Need a good healer! Rank D or better! We're hitting the Shadowfen tomorrow! Who's with us?"
Near the central fireplace, a group of three-star Hunters were already celebrating their luck, their loud, booming laughter, "Hah! Hahaha!" momentarily piercing the background noise before it was absorbed again. Everyone was talking, some seeking lucrative contracts on the large notice board, others intensely negotiating with potential team members for the next raid.
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The heavy timber door of the Hunter's Guild swung inward with a groan, and through the dust and light stepped a nineteen-year-old boy: Jun-Lucian Jun.
He was a stark contrast to the seasoned mercenaries who occupied the hall. Where they were bulky and scarred, Jun was thin and slightly built, his shoulders hunched almost defensively. His gear was faded and cheap, bearing none of the polished shine of successful hunters.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the already fierce murmur of the guild hall sharpened. It didn't stop, but its pitch changed, taking on an immediate, critical focus directed squarely at him. Heads turned from half-eaten meals and negotiation tables.
From a table nearby, a harsh whisper cut through the noise, loud enough to be heard by everyone nearby.
"Hey, look. That's the only E rank hunter in the whole world."
Another voice, laced with disbelief, immediately followed.
"Are you serious? Does an E rank really exist? I thought there was no E rank hunter in the world."
Then came the judgement, delivered with casual cruelty.
"Can't he just quit being a hunter? He can just do any other job, though."
Jun felt the familiar sting of the whispers at his back. He kept his eyes fixed ahead and his pace steady, pretending the words were nothing more than the general din of the guild.
They'll never understand.
He didn't like being a hunter. The constant risk, the gnawing fear, the ridicule—none of it was appealing. But the cruel reality was that he had no other choice. Only by accepting the scraps of work available to an E-Rank could he hope to earn enough money. Even when he managed to secure a spot in an E-Rank dungeon raid, often filling in for a riskier role like bait or porter, he barely walked away with one or two low-grade magic stones after the team split the meager profits. Those magic stones, chipped from the corpses of monsters, were the only true currency. Common labor was worthless. The Guild, even with the lowest ranking, offered the only path to survival.
His jaw set in a hard line. Ignoring the hundred eyes burning into his back, Jun walked directly through the bustling crowd toward his only objective.
He moved past the raucous groups and the chaotic notice board until he reached the large, mahogany counter that separated the hunters from the Guild administrators. Jun stopped right in front of it.
The counter was manned by a young woman named Elina, whose expression was permanently set to one of weary indifference. She was used to dealing with hunters—the arrogant, the desperate, and the pathetic. Jun fell squarely into the third category in her mind.
Reaching the mahogany barrier, Jun pulled out a thin plastic card—his Hunter ID—and slid it across the smooth, worn wood.
"Is there any team raiding E rank dungeon that I can join?" he asked, his voice low but firm enough to be heard over the continuous din.
Elina took the ID without looking at him. Her eyes flicked down to the screen, where the damning E-RANK certification glowed red against his profile. Her fingers danced quickly over the data slate.
Klick-clack.
"Yes, there is," she replied, her tone automated. She pushed the card back toward him. "I think they're outside now. If you go outside, you'll find them."
Jun didn't pocket the card immediately. The answer was too vague.
"But there are many people outside," he pressed. "How am I supposed to find them?"
Elina sighed internally, but maintained her composure. "They are being led by a C rank hunter, Sir Martin. Oh, and also Mira is also on the team."
At the mention of those two names, a flicker of something—recognition, perhaps relief—crossed Jun's face.
"Oh, that's enough."
Without another word, Jun retrieved his ID and turned away from the counter, leaving the stale air of the guild hall behind. He pushed through the heavy door, stepping back out into the bright, late afternoon sun and the chaos of the guild entrance.
The sunlight outside was blinding after the dim interior of the guild. Jun blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the hustle of the courtyard. Carriages loaded with massive supply crates rattled by (CRRRUNCH of wheels on gravel), and dozens of hunters milled about, checking gear or mapping routes.
It took only a moment for him to spot them. His future for the day—the group he was about to risk his life with—stood gathered in a tight cluster near a weathered supply wagon. There were nine hunters in total, already geared up and ready to move. Almost every single one of them, save for Mira, carried a sword at their hip. Jun recognized several of the faces, a mix of regulars who operated just above the bottom rung of the dungeon hierarchy.
He began walking toward them.
It was Finn, a burly, good-natured D-Rank warrior, who noticed him first. He wasn't carrying an axe, but a massive, well-worn claymore strapped to his back. Finn grinned, lifting a heavy gauntlet in a casual salute.
"Hey, Jun. What's up?"
Jun arrived at their side, offering a polite nod to the group.
"I'm fine, Mr. Finn. What about you?"
Finn chuckled, resting his hand on the claymore's pommel. "First class. So, are you gonna join us today?"
"Yeah."
The air immediately shifted as a second figure stepped forward. It was Mira. She was B-Rank, a true anomaly among this low-tier group, and her beauty was starkly contrasted by the fierce, angry glare she leveled at Jun.
Jun, however, looked at her with a soft, genuine smile.
"Oh, Miss Mira. How have you been?"
Mira didn't return the pleasantry. Her eyes narrowed on the bandaged arm poking out from beneath his worn sleeve. Her voice was sharp, fueled by genuine concern.
"I told you to at least rest for two more days, didn't I? Why did you come today? You didn't even recover fully from the last injury."
Jun's smile didn't falter, though he felt a familiar, humble contrition.
"I'm sorry Miss Mira."
"Don't laugh you idiot."
He knew she wasn't truly angry, and he let the insult roll off. Mira was a B-Rank Healer, a ridiculously high rank to find operating in the Handol Barony E-Rank scene. She didn't join high-ranking dungeon raids, and Jun didn't know the exact reason—perhaps she had some deep-seated problem or a restriction—but her presence here was his lifeline. If it wasn't for Mira, he would have died countless times by now. She had saved him again and again with her healing ability where he was almost at the death's door.
Just as the silence grew awkward, the team leader, Sir Martin—the C-Rank hunter they were all relying on—clapped his hands once.
"Ok, then. We have enough members now. Shall we go then?"
He didn't wait for a reply. Martin turned his back and started walking toward the road that led out of the Barony and into the wilderness, where the lowest-tier Gates were clustered. Clank, clank, clank—the sound of their gear and swords starting to move.
Jun and the rest of the nine-person team fell into line behind him, heading out of the busy guild courtyard and toward the dark promises of the E-Rank dungeon.