Every day felt the same.
Kael worked hard, not because he wanted to succeed as corpse handler, but because it helped him forget about the bad things happened to him and he can also earn enough money to support his family.
It really semms like he had already given up on his dreams to be a. Successful hunter.
Another day, another dungeon.
Outside a C-rank gate, a group of workers waited for instructions.
"Alright, boys. Good day today," called out Lito, the team leader. "According to the Association, this dungeon is full of humanoid mdungeon C-rank orcs. The research team's calling it an 'orc settlement.' Silver Fang Guild will be handling the raid."
Lito was around fifty, with a strong, muscular build. He looked more like a retired fighter than a team leader. His voice was rough but solid someone you could trust to lead without messing around.
Kael didn't say much. He didn't need to. He was used to it by now, outside he was considered as scumbag but here on his job he was considered as a good comrade.
As he geared up, he heard familiar voices.
"Kael! Over here!"
It was Liam, Jordan, and Paul the only people Kael could really call friends, asking kael to wait for them to enter the dungeon together at the same time.
They were all around his age. Like him, they'd been left behind by society after their Graduation/awakening.
Liam, 19 years old, was a 3-star Ice Mage. But he was only E-rank. He used to come from a respected family of mages until they kicked him out for being a shame to their family.
Jordan and Paul, both 20, were a 2-star Swordsman and a 2-star Tank E ranks. They'd graduated two years ago, but not a single guild ever accepted them.
Still, they didn't give up. Whenever they had a day off, the three of them would raid small F-rank dungeons together.
They are using their salary to pay guilds so they can join raiding low level dungeons since for a party will share the experience for everyone.
In this world, the System decided everything the moment you awakened.
There were two key results:
1. Your CClas
2. Your Mana Rank
Both were important but for different reasons.
CLASS SYSTEM
The Class you awakened into defined your role and rarity.
1★ – Common Class
(e.g. Farmer, Porter, Chef)
Non-combat, support, or civilian-type classes.
2★ – Basic Combat Class
(e.g. Swordsman, Archer, Tank)
3★ – Elite Class
(e.g. Mage, Blacksmith, Enchanter, Alchemist)
Highly skilled or specialized roles.
4★ – Rare/Unique Class
(e.g. Assassin, Magic Archer, Healer)
Rare and high-potential roles.
5★ – Legendary Class
(e.g. Berserker, Saint, Magic Swordsman, Necromancer, Beast Tamer)
But a good class didn't always mean a good future.
What truly limited a hunter's potential was their Mana Rank.
MANA RANK SYSTEM
Every hunter, regardless of class, received 5 attribute points per level.
These could be freely distributed to Strength, Agility, Endurance, and defense.
But Mana was totally different you will get different amount of Mana, everytime you level up.
S-Rank ×1500
A-Rank ×800
B-Rank ×600
C-Rank ×400
D-Rank ×300
E-Rank ×100
F-Rank ×20
Mana is the most importantmarket, since mana decides how many times you can use a skill.
If an S-Rank hunter level up they gained 1,500 mana.meanwhile an F-Ranker only gained 20 mana per level up.
That's why mana rank was considered the "true ceiling" of a hunter's growth.
For example
In Korea, there was a man who awakened as a 2-star Martial Artist, Taekwondo variant.
Normally this types of class was useless but he's different he was awakened with S rank Mana, he can keep using numbers of skills making him so powerful that he was been recongnized as one of the strongest hunters.
That man's name was Tatechniques and today, he stood as Korea's number one hunter.
Currently level 350, he held the title of a National-Level Hunter, ranked #16 in the world ranking as 28 years old.
While others relied on weapons or equipment, Tae Jin Choi fought using nothing but his legs.
He had developed dozens of kick-based techniques.
Going back outside the dungeon.
The only thing we're takin' are orc fangs used for potion catalysts. Government tracks how many orcs were killed by the guild based on what we collected so make sure don't leave even a single one. So count them right.
The orcs corpse was not needed Its just a trash, no one wants to eat a tasteless meat, so left it out inside the dungeon.
Someone in the back chuckled. "So some people tried to eat humanoid-type monsters? Is that count as cannibalism?l."
"Damn right," another replied by Mr Jude one of the senior in their field"No one wants an orc steak."
Lito smirked as he scanned the group, then his eyes paused at Kael, standing quietly at the edge of the circle, pulling on his gloves.
"Kael," he said with a rare, approving tone. "You're on duty today that's a great help,you are a hardworking kid, don't push you self too much ,okay? ."
Kael nodded. "Yes, sir."
Lito gave him a gentle smile, patting his shoulder. "Reliable as ever. You remind me of my kid. About your age, but can't hold this job for more than a month. Lazy brat."
The others laughed, and Kael gave a modest smile, appreciative of the praise.
Soon after, the hunters fresh off their victory emerged from the gate's exit with tired but smug expressions. With a nod from the clearing officer, the retrieval crew entered the gate.
The battlefield was strewn with hundreds of orc corpses green skin, blood-matted hair, jagged teeth. each ork is around 6-7 feet tall with hyper muscular build.
(they built like prime Ronnie Coleman in 1999 Mr Olympia)
Some were missing limbs. Others were still smoking from spell damage.
Kael knelt beside one and got to work. The others spread out, slicing jaws open, collecting fangs, dumping trash bodies into transport bags.
Hours passed quickly.
As they neared the end of the collection, Kael approached a red-skinned orc slumped behind a stone pillar the dungeon boss.
Red orcs were rare among Class-C class dungeon boss, 10 x stronger than the usual green ones. This orc gut twisted when he noticed the slight rise and fall of its chest. It was still breathing,and slowly regenerating.
Kael froze.
If this thing stood up now… their whole crew could be wiped out. They had no combat gear, no weapons beyond knives and crowbars. They weren't hunters they were laborers.
He looked around. No one had noticed yet.
The orc groaned, thick fingers twitching toward a massive stone club nearby.
Kael's heart raced.
He didn't think instinct took over.
With a fluid motion, he lunged forward, drove his knife deep into the orc's throat, and twisted.
The monster convulsed, choked once, then fell still.
Kael stepped back, breathing hard. His hand shook.
And then...
Ding!
[Level Up!]
Name: Kael
Level: 4
Profession: Farmer – 1★
Mana Rank: F (80/80)
Strength: 3
Endurance: 2
Agility: 2
Defense:2
Attribute Points: 20
Passive Skill:
Subspace Storage
Skills:
Nurture [F]
Kael stood there, stunned.
"Level… 4?"
His voice trembled. He hadn't even reached Level as level 4 instantly after a year and six months graduated from academy.
But now after just one kill he jumped three levels?
He smiled faintly and whispered, "It actually worked...it works I killed a monster. "
Ding!
[System Alert]
As a Farmer, you are required to possess your own farming land.
You have been recognized as the rightful owner of this C-rank Gate.
Daily Energy Consumption: 1000 Mana
System Calibrating...
Kael's eyes widened.
Warning: Due to the user's low Mana Rank, this dungeon will be downgraded to F-rank.
However, it will become infinitely upgradable in the future.
Adjusted Daily Mana Consumption: 35
Current Energy Reserves: 1000 / 1000
A core is required to stabilize this dimensional rift.
Kael's breath caught. A core?
The only one he had… was from the Red Orc.
The one that Silver Fang Guild had just claimed as their trophy.
He hesitated.
That core wasn't his. If he was caught, it'd be game over,but then again… if this System was real… if he really owned a dimensional rift...
"This will surely change his life"
He pulled the glowing orb out of his Subspace Storage, its crimson light pulsing like a heart in his hand.
No turning back now.
He shoved it into the waiting slot that had formed in the air.
[System Notification]
--- Core accepted.
--- Transaction completed
Congratulations! You have successfully acquired a personal Dimensional Rift.
System Calibrating…
Please exit the gate within 5 minutes to finalize synchronization.
Kael stared at the system, he couldn't believe it, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
A dimensional rift… that he owned.
Something no F-rank should ever have.
--- kael was bewildered since only s rank is the gate/dungeon that can be claimed as dimensional rift, and it cost hundred billions of star coins, and he get a dungeon for free.
His face lit up, maybe it will mark the start of his growth.
Oiiiiiii! Kael!!
Oiiiiii kael
His team members shouting while he was busy looking at his system screen.
Liam close by Pat him in his shoulders"are you good man?
"Hey Kael, you good what happened?"
Kael blinked, pocketing his knife. "Yeah… just spacing out, maybe I'm a bit tire. "
"Alright Let's just hurry it up this gate's small entrance keep getting g smaller,let's go inside immediately.
Kael stood frozen in disbelief.
Only S-rank gates could be claimed as dimensional rifts and they cost hundreds of billions in Star Coins. Yet here he was, being handed one for free.
His heart pounded. Could this be the start of my growth?
"Oi! Kael!"
"Oiiii! Kael!"
Voices broke through his thoughts. His teammates were calling out to him as he stared blankly at his system screen.
Liam jogged over and gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "You good, man?"
"Yeah…" Kael blinked, snapping out of it. He quickly pocketed his knife. "Just spacing out a bit. Maybe I'm tired."
Paul waved them forward. "Let's move. The gate's entrance is shrinking fast. We need to get inside before it closes."
Outside the dungeon…
The raid party leader's face darkened with rage. The boss core was gone missing from both his own subspace and that of his team.
"You scavengers!" he shouted, turning toward the cleanup crew. "Did one of you steal the boss core?!"
He sneered. "My team didn't land the finishing blow. Did one of you finish the boss off and sneak the core into your subspace?!"
One by one, he ordered his men to inspect the cleanup team's subspaces. Its a common knowledge that personal systems could be shown to others if the user permitted it.
Subspace slots were limited to fifteen items, and it displayed a user's Star Coin balance. Only Awakened above level 15 could trade mana crystals or boss cores for coins.
Most of the cleaners had only packed lunch, a few small items, and maybe some spare change. No one had more than a hundred Star Coins.
Nothing suspicious so far since if you convert the C rank boss core they will have atleast 10 thousand star coins.. Until the last one.
Kael is the last one,the raid team was almost sure that kael is the one who stole it, since there should a core.
"Hey, you." The party leader pointed directly at Kael. "You dare snatch the core from us, you little!"
A swordsman stepped forward, drawing his blade.
But Lito, the cleanup team leader, blocked him. "Hold it! This boy wouldn't do something like that. Let's check first."
The swordsman hesitated, eyeing Kael with suspicion. The party leader gave a sharp nod. "Fine. Open your system."
Kael's palms were sweaty. He couldn't say a word. Because if the party leader see anything strange, he will surely die.
Taking a breath, he opened his system screen.
[FARMER – F Class]
"Farmer? What the hell is this joke class?" the mage snorted.
"Level 4?" the swordsman raised a brow. "And you didn't even spend your stat points?"
The party leader narrowed his eyes, still suspicious. "Show me your subspace."
Kael complied.
Empty.
No boss core. No crystals. Not even Star Coins.
"…He doesn't even have access to the Star Coin Store," the leader muttered. "He's clean.", The leader stepped back and let out a breath. "Kid, I'm sorry. That must've scared you."
He scratched his head, puzzled. But then where did the boss core go? He was sure he had stabbed the red orc's abdomen and severed its limbs.
So why… did it drop nothing? I never heard a dungeon that does not drop a boss core.