Ten years after the dungeon disaster…
Bughh…bugh…
A man was being attacked by several adults. The adults occasionally shouted curses and insults.
"You damn bastard!! If you don't want to die, get out of here!"
"Damn poor bastard!"
The beating went on for quite some time, nearly killing the young man. Even after they were satisfied with beating him, they took his money. However, it seemed like the young man's mind was no longer there. His eyes, gazing at the distant sky, cared only about the small stars there, no longer feeling the blows and abuse he was enduring.
Walking in the cold night with a dry loaf of bread he had bought before encountering the thugs, he created a scene of a quiet night. The only thing on his mind was his younger sibling. It didn't matter if he didn't eat today. As long as his sibling wasn't starving, the little man would do everything he could.
In the distance, a small house in the slum. The little man entered and lit a glowing crystal commonly found in dungeons. A small figure lay sound asleep on a simple bed. He woke him up and gave him the bread he had brought.
"Sera... wake up, eat!"
Hearing her name called, Sera wakes up and looks surprised at what is happening in front of her.
"Oppa? Did you go back to that place today?! Didn't Sera tell you it's dangerous!! Don't leave Sera alone!" The little girl doesn't know what happened before and probably never will.
The older brother named Hyun fell silent. He gave Sera some bread and then went to fetch some water. Sera just stared at the bread her brother had given her. Crack! The bread was broken into two pieces, one side larger than the other.
When Hyun returned, Sera gave him the larger piece of bread. Seeing the bread, Hyun took it and sat down next to Sera. Sera smiled as she ate her smaller piece, while Hyun simply watched his sister eat heartily.
By the time Sera had finished her bread, Hyun had not touched his portion. He only drank the water he had brought. Seeing her brother, Sera urged him to eat it, making Hyun smile.
Then Hyun divided his bread into two pieces and offered one to Sera. Of course, Sera refused.
"If Sera doesn't want it, then I won't eat it either!" Hyun joked.
Though reluctant, Sera took the smaller piece and left the larger one for Hyun. A simple night for the siblings who had lost everything.
The first requirement for taking a job is being at least 17 years old. And tonight was Hyun's last night as a 16-year-old, meaning that starting tomorrow, Hyun could take a job. After dinner, they continued to rest because the night was getting colder.
"Oppa oppa" Sera's voice whispered.
"Since you're going to take a job tomorrow, Sera prays that what you get will be exactly what you want!"
Hyun smiled at Sera's words. Of course, Hyun hoped for a job that was at least SR-tier, or if lucky, an SSR-tier one. However, their desires were different. On Sera's side, she wanted her brother to get a job that didn't involve dangerous situations. For Hyun, the dungeon was everything. For his sister's happiness, Hyun would do anything, even if it was dangerous. Therefore, his sole goal for tomorrow was an SSR-tier job.
Behind the different life he leads from Hyun, the man gazes at the city filled with lights and noise. The beautiful view from the height of the penthouse makes everything below seem small.
The night is so quiet. Only the hum of the air conditioner can be heard, making the atmosphere feel empty. Eyes staring blankly, hands caressing the little girl in his lap. As if by simply looking at her, you had already spoken all the mistakes and lies.
"As long as I'm here, no danger will come to you." A soft voice echoed, breaking the silence.
Oliver carried his sister to the bed and laid her down gently. He looked out again, seeing in the distance where the dimly lit area was. Whatever was on his mind, Oliver just stared blankly.
The next morning
Sera was ready in her school uniform, and Hyun planned to escort his younger sister. Under the gentle sunlight, the siblings walked together enthusiastically. Sera's cheerful face also brought a glimmer of hope to Hyun.
Since being abandoned by their parents due to the dungeon break that occurred ten years ago, their lives had become much harder, even just to eat. Insults, expulsions, mockery, and bullying were often experienced by Hyun. Even Sera wasn't spared from some of the bullying she faced at school. Sera often confided in her older brother and cried when recalling the words spoken to her. Though Hyun could endure it, it was different for Sera, who was still young.
From there, Hyun began seeking various jobs and occasionally worked as a porter for those entering the dungeon.
For the sake of his sister's future and happiness, Hyun couldn't simply give up on what they had experienced.
After dropping off Sera, Hyun sat on the bed and prepared to take on his job. The job selection process was actually simple. Just close your eyes, and when you open them, you'll see many panels showing various job options. The appearance of the job panels was also influenced by one's soul and what they had experienced before turning 17.
It can be concluded that the appearance of rare jobs is greatly influenced by the individual and is not random.
When Hyun opened his eyes, many panels showed various jobs, from normal-tier to some SR-tier jobs. Hyun continued searching for SSR jobs despite the extremely low likelihood. He also checked if there were any SR jobs that caught his attention.
After searching for a long time, a feeling of disappointment arose in his heart. There was not a single job that displayed SSR rarity. And everything he had seen was nothing special, except for one R card. Hyun was a little confused as to why this card was at level 2, and its usefulness was not very clear.
Its unusual name, Devour, made it even more intriguing. Hyun read the card's description repeatedly, but it only left him more confused. At that moment, Hyun recalled Sera's advice to find a job that he found interesting and aligned with his desires.
Without hesitation, Hyun selected the Devour job and began the tutorial. It should be noted that after obtaining a job, they are transferred to a room similar to a tutorial room. There, they are given instructions about the job they have obtained.
However, upon arriving at the tutorial room, Hyun saw no instructions and only an empty room. He walked around the room, hoping something would appear. After walking for a long time, the room suddenly disappeared and was replaced by the atmosphere of his room.
Hyun felt confused; this might be the first time such a thing had happened to someone who had just obtained a job. However, shortly afterward, a notification appeared in front of Hyun. A hologram panel suddenly appeared before him, introducing itself as the system.
System? I've never heard of it before.
Hyun stared at the screen in front of him for a long time.
Before he could speak, the system changed to a user confirmation panel. It displayed Hyun's name and the job he had previously obtained. The system requested confirmation of user ownership. Seeing this, Hyun immediately selected the "YES" option, and the panel returned to its original state.
Still confused, Hyun tried to ask the system.
"Wait a moment, what just happened? And why did the status window change to the system instead of appearing as usual?"
In response to Hyun's question, the system explained that its appearance was due to the job Hyun had selected. The system could only provide basic information, as the user lacked the necessary authority.
Hyun understood what the system explained. However, if a system appears, shouldn't the selected job at least have SSR rarity? There were still many questions Hyun wanted to ask, but thinking about the lack of authority made him stop.
The system also explained that authority can increase if the user also experiences level and rarity increases. Hyun understood about level increases and rarity, but there was one thing that made him hesitate—the explanation about the job he had. The system explained that the Devour job requires the user to absorb everything related to the current world. It could also come from materials or other sources.
Hearing that, Hyun tried to ask if it was possible to absorb the power of other hunters.
The system paused for a moment.
Yes, but it requires at least level 10 to do so.
Hyun fully understood his job. His priority now was to register himself at the hunter center. Before that, Hyun was a bit concerned about the description of his job.
"Can others see this description?"
No, the job description can only be seen by the user. Others can only see it as a job with "insatiable greed and an endless appetite," unless viewed by those with 'eyes of judgment.'
Hearing this, Hyun felt slightly relieved. However, the 'eyes of judgment' were what made him a bit worried. Not wanting to think too much about it, Hyun immediately headed to the hunter center to register and obtain his hunter license.