There are no coincidences in this world. Everything is Fate.
Words of the Seer
______
In a field, a green goblin shrieked as it went down, its skin burned down by a small ice arrow. The one who dealt the finishing blow was a young woman in her teens. She looked as if she had just come out of high school. The others around her were not much older-looking.
"Nice work, everyone." A man in his forties, wearing heavy armor and bearing a large shield and a hammer, another spoke to all the trainees.
Well…All the trainees but me. It was easy to see that he spoke with the others and ignored me. But I was used to that behavior. It has been years since we had a proper talk that didn't involve insult and disdain.
"Thank you for your work, teacher."
"Good job!"
"Killing goblins is pretty easy now!"
The trainees chatted as they put away their weapons. The man they had addressed as 'Teacher' looked at the young men and women in the clearing with pride as he asked,
"Did everyone's stats increase?"
"Yes," answered a trainee.
"We didn't even kill that many, but we've already leveled our stats," added another from the group.
"Don't let it go to your head. The start is always easy." The teacher gave them a stern warning but there was clear pride in his eyes as he looked at them.
That glimmer of pride swiftly vanished when his eyes landed on me.
I could feel his judgmental gaze on me, but I ignored him, focusing on the prey I had to hunt today. It was a short goblin wearing only a loincloth and clutching a dagger.
"Krrrk? Krrrk?"
I unsheathed the sword at my waist and trod quietly toward it. Every step was cautious.
[Silent Steps –
Rank: Common
Proficiency: Adept
Description: "The unseen hunter is the most dangerous."
Allows the user to mask their presence, reducing sound, mana signatures, and movement detection.
Current Effect: Lower the sound of your step.]
A well-placed strike to the goblin's vulnerable spot, when it's unaware, should be enough to kill it. This should be an easy hunt.
However, the goblin spotted me and screeched warning the others.
I clicked my tongue. Today's hunt had turned out to be problematic. My surprise attack succeeded, but only sporadically and at odd times.
Consequently, most of my hunts turned out to be problematic.
Dodging the incoming short spear, I jumped toward the goblin and immediately stabbed it in its stomach. It wouldn't directly kill it, but it would take it down long enough for me to take care of the others.
With one down, I immediately sheathed my sword and took out my bow. The arrows, which I projected a few hours ago, were ready for use.
[Focus] and [Hawk's Eyes] activated immediately. They were very low in mana consumption, as long as I activated them only for one second. But one second was all I needed.
Adjusting my stance, I immediately pulled the bowstring and released two arrows, one after another. I couldn't imbue them with mana, but goblins were low-class monsters that even ordinary weapons could harm. Ideally, I would have simply used a sniper rifle, but that would defeat the purpose of training.
The first arrow was blocked, but the second one pierced the goblin's eye, resulting in screams of pain
[The Silent Watcher is amused by your struggles.]
I sighed. This was going to be a pain.
***
After an hour-long hunt, I was drained. I had been hunting goblins in the same place for five years now, so I should've been getting faster. But even now, it still took me over an hour to kill a few low-level monsters.
The way the teacher looked at me stung a little, but there was nothing I could do.
"I guess I'll go work out a little," I mumbled to myself, after washing away the blood and grime, preparing myself for my usual routine.
It should have been a morning like all the others before it. Go to the center of the Guild, train mindlessly for a few hours out of sheer stubbornness, helplessly fail, and then leave with no results and a growing sense of unease.
Today, though, as the Manager called me into her office, I knew it would be a different day.
[The Silent Watcher observes your growing despair.]
I ignored the message that had been a daily occurrence for years now and focused on the manager.
"Let me get straight to the point. You don't have to come to the training center starting tomorrow." The manager's voice was cool, but I could see the helplessness in her eyes.
I stared at her vacantly before I could regain my composure. I was not that surprised; I knew that this would happen, eventually. Yet, I couldn't help but grasp at straws.
"…Why am I being kicked out?" I asked.
"Cain, I think you know exactly why we're kicking you out." The Manager adjusted her glasses as she answered me. She wore her dark hair in a tight bun and wore a black suit with a pencil skirt. All of this gave her a very strict appearance. "Keeping you here is becoming too much of a burden for our training center."
"I've never missed a single payment, and I'm fulfilling all the prerequisites."
"Well, of course, because you're preparing for the hunter exam. The problem is that it's been eight years since you've started preparing." She sounded exasperated even as she said this.
Her eyes narrowed, and she assessed my body. It was a well-trained body, but that was all. Nothing special.
"You were chosen as a promising prospect when you were only thirteen. Since then, you have been training non-stop for years. Even after years of physical training, you haven't been able to unlock your secret innate ability. You can't even raise a single stat point." She massaged her brows.
"If this was all, we could still have done something. F-rank hunters are still useful after all, and you have gained superb skills with your sub-class. But you…" She sighed.
Her harsh response hurt. But more than anything, it was the helplessness she showed that felt like a dagger in my heart. Like she said, I had achieved nothing in the last eight years of training.
Everyone who Awakens must train in one of these centers for a couple of months before they can debut as a hunter. This minimized casualties for overeager young awakened, who could end up dying in many stupid ways if left untrained.
Awakened received lessons in everything from theory to biology and even received practical experience on the field, with experienced hunters serving as bodyguards. One could say that the training centers really gave their all. After all, one of the biggest guilds in America supported them.
But…
'I couldn't get anything done in the years that I've been training here.'
Realistically, it was no exaggeration to say that I could never become an official hunter. I didn't have a hint of the fundamental qualifications that even the most basic hunters have.
Sure, I could somehow kill monsters with a few skills. But hunting three or four goblins every day was a waste of time.
I stayed calm and asked in a deadpan voice—"…Is that the reason I'm being kicked out?"
"To be a little more specific, you're giving us a bad name. A pretty infamous one at that. You understand, right? Not only did you not grow, your stats kept decreasing."
I could only give a bitter smile. I could not argue with that. After all, this was the 'greatest' accomplishment in my life.
Earth's Hunter system was pretty simple, as Hunters were ranked from F- at the lowest, to SSS and even National.
What about me? I had broken the system's rules, a feat never done by anyone before me.
Status. I muttered inwardly, and a blue screen flickered in front of me.
[Name: Cain Bishop
Affiliation: Training Center
Title: Failed Genius, Lowest Ranked Hunter, Training Madman
Race: Human
Rank: I
Age: 21
Negative Status: Corrupted Magic Circuit, Gaze of the Abyss
Main class: [Maker]; [????]
Sub Class: Ranger
??? Skill: [????]
Maker Skills: [Projection], [Analysis], [Reinforcement]
Ranger Skills: [Archery]; [Hawk Eyes]; [Focus]; [Tracking]; [Silent Steps]
Strength: I-5
Speed: I-5
Dexterity: I-5
Endurance: I-5
Mana: I-5
Resistance: SSS-159
Combat Capacity: F-]
I didn't bother focusing on the second part. The upper part alone was enough to remind me of my reality.
Rank I.
The Hunter system had appeared on Earth 57 years ago now, and for five decades, the lowest ranking had been F. Until I appeared, and my stats dropped to Rank I, making me the only I-rank Hunter in all existence.
I was Awakened in name only. My stats were barely equal to those of a trained human adult. If not for my classes and skills, it would be impossible to distinguish me from a civilian.
All this time, the Manager stayed silent, giving me time to come to grips with the sad reality.
"Let me be honest. Some of the Guild's upper members are clamoring for you to give back all the growth potions that were invested in you when you first joined."
"Back when I was a genius."
She did not deny it.
"If not for what happened eight years ago, things might have been very different. Sadly, we do not live in a world of 'if.' The Guildmaster is currently on an expedition on the upper floor of the Tower, and there is no one here to protect you. If you leave now, at least you will be able to keep some dignity."
Her words, filled with pity, pierced my soul. But I couldn't dispute her points or even throw a punch. As she said, it wasn't an exaggeration to call me completely talentless.
I didn't want to repress these feelings, but I had to.
Why?
'Because I'm weak, and I have nothing.'
I'd been enduring this for so long, but it appeared there was no need for that anymore.
It was time to end it. I was exhausted.
"Of course, we're not just going to banish you without compensation. We'll refund you 50% of the fees that you've paid. This is something the Guildmaster prepared for you, in case you decide to leave."
In this unfriendly world, those words warmed my heart. The person who had saved my life all those years ago, and who had given me a chance even after my body became corrupted. She was my hero in more ways than one.
"I understand." I stood up. Speaking more was pointless—my situation was hopeless. It was better to leave somewhat on my own terms, rather than wait for those who had a bone to pick with me to act against me.
"Thank you for everything until now." I gave a light bow to the woman who had been taking care of me and training me, even when all the other trainers had already given up on me.
She wanted to say something else, but she did not stop me. I smiled at her and left. I did not know what my face looked like, but from her expression, it didn't look good.
***
Coming out of her office, I could see a few trainees loitering and clearly eavesdropping. The room had good soundproofing, but not enough to block an Awakened's hearing.
"Woah, he's been here since way before I was, but now he's getting kicked out like that. Some genius he is."
Starting with that comment, I was soon bombarded with whispered words and stares from all over the room.
"But he came in every morning to train non-stop… It's too bad, huh?"
"Fuck feeling bad. He's an idiot for not knowing his place and stopping sooner."
"You think so? I guess he is pretty stupid for not giving up. I don't know how he couldn't increase a single stat point after training for eight years. Didn't he start alongside Jason and Helen? They're both already official Hunters."
"Yeah. They're clearing a D-rank gate currently. The higher-ups say the two might get chosen by a constellation and enter the Tower soon."
Sympathy, scorn, and even ridicule…
I didn't know what I did so wrong to have them look down on me for all those years of training.
Whether or not I heard them, they always jeered at the fact that I was essentially powerless as an Awakened.
And just like that, my eight years of training became proof of my foolishness.
Though the names they uttered made me pause for a moment, I did not give them the satisfaction of seeing my sadness. I simply walked away, leaving the center behind me.
Perhaps it was time for me to think about the future.
****
Walking home, I thought about my situation.
Fifty-seven years ago, in 2020, the world changed.
All over the planet, Gates had suddenly opened, and monsters had poured out of them.
The sudden appearance of unknown monsters caught the world's governments off guard—but not for long. They quickly followed standard military protocols and mobilized to defend their citizens.
But conventional weapons had little effect.
The monsters were surrounded by barriers that deflected bullets. Even after hundreds of rounds, they didn't fall. While smaller creatures could be taken out with missiles or heavy artillery, the stronger, named ones either tanked the damage or moved so fast it was impossible to track them.
Some had abilities that made them immune to firearms altogether. Even nuclear weapons—the peak of modern firepower—failed to make a difference.
It was like resistance itself was meaningless.
And so, one by one, cities fell. Lives were lost by the millions.
Hope faded.
However, the monsters were not the only ones to emerge from the Gates.
The [Towers of Trial].
These were large monoliths, which appeared all over the world, allowing certain chosen individuals to not only enter, but to gain special powers and even contact different races. The Awakened, who were chosen by a Constellation and granted entry passes, were called Regulars.
Humans soon learned that Earth was not the only place in the universe with living beings. The universe was made up of many dimensions that also had intelligent beings in them. Those beings from a distant galaxy taught the humans how to fight back against the monsters, sharing their precious information.
Even the mythical existence of super-entities such as gods, demons, and dragons was revealed. I could only imagine how much chaos all of this created in the minds of the humans.
In return for this information, the aliens asked that Earth join their Alliance. That was all they wanted. However, considering that Earth was a new applicant to the Alliance, they decided trade barriers would be in place for a certain period. The specific details of what would happen after that would be discussed when the first treaty expired.
Then, the aliens went back to their own dimensions, leaving humanity with newfound 'powers.' Humanity evolved from that fateful encounter, using their new powers to fight fiercely against the monsters and push them back.
Those who gained unlimited potential ascended the Tower and closed the Gates, creating their own powerful group.
Now, the world was dependent on those who could ascend the Towers, knowing they could not survive without them. A player was an admired hero and also a symbol of wealth, since Hunters and Regulars controlled the world's economy as well.
In my case, I hadn't always wanted to be a Hunter. My parents might not have been rich, but we had more than enough to live well.
Everything changed during the Great Calamity, however, when my parents had been devoured by a horde of monsters during a dungeon break.
I Awakened then, and swore to one day close all the Gates, even reaching the top of the Tower.
Now, though, I could see how ridiculous I had been. Anger was replaced by bitterness, which soon faded into numbness. I could barely remember what my parents even looked like nowadays.
This was nothing special. Abyss City had millions of orphans in the same situation.
But I was different; I was special, or so I had thought. After all, not only did I awaken a rare dual class, but one of those classes was Unknown. Furthermore…
[The Silent Watcher is entertained by your self-derision.]
…I had this creepy guy following me. The gaze of a Constellation.
Back then, the Guilds had fought to have me join them. There was never any doubt that I would be chosen by the Tower and become a Regular.
Sadly, the reality was cruel. I may have survived the Abyss, but I was forever cursed. No matter what I did, my stats wouldn't increase; instead, they would decrease, and my 'Hidden Class' would never be unlocked.
But I didn't lose hope, and I continued to train. Skills are given to those who are ready, or so I was told.
I trained my heart out for eight years after that. I didn't even hope to unlock my innate ability anymore; I just wanted to be slightly more capable than an average person.
I only hoped that one day, I could avenge my parents.
But the world didn't allow me such a privilege. I couldn't even properly level up the few skills I possessed because my mana stats were below average. How could I train skills I couldn't activate?
And that's how I ended up here.
"Well, I guess becoming the first I-rank is indeed special." I chuckled to myself as I finally reached my house. Though calling it a house was an exaggeration, as it was more of a dump.
The door to the boarding house creaked as I opened it. It was even more rundown and depressing than an abandoned building. The communal kitchen was cramped, and a foul stench hung in the air.
Shouts, the lustful screams of people having sex, laughter, crying, construction noises—the soundproofing was paper-thin, and all kinds of noises reached me as I finally got to my room. I was used to them by now. As long as I ignored the gunshots that sometimes happened at night, it was pretty cozy.
"So small."
It was a 10-meter square room. The cracks spiderwebbing across the walls, the battered mini-desk, the crooked bedframe—everything about this place was awful.
Even for a cheap boarding house, this was too much.
At the very least, they could've done some wallpapering or replaced the furniture!
I tried to laugh. At least it was a place to stay, right?
"Hey! Cain! Are you there!?"
Just as I was about to open some instant noodles, someone banged on the door. As soon as I opened it, the bulldog-faced landlady shoved her head in.
"Hey, when are you going to pay this month's rent? You're already two months behind! You know what happens if you miss three months, right? Forced eviction!"
"Uh… don't I have any of my deposit left?"
"You used that up ages ago! So, when are you going to pay? Aren't you a Hunter or something?"
Well, this was awkward.
"I was fired."
"Fired?" Her aggressive demeanor softened for a moment, and she looked surprised.
"Was it bad?"
"Yes."
"Jeez… are you getting compensation?"
Well, at least she was direct.
"Yes. Around 50%. I will pay you soon."
"Well, at least you're okay." She seemed to think about something. "You are healthy, right?"
This was quite a strange question.
"Yeah…?"
"Good, good. Your body is your asset when you're young. You can't even afford to be sick nowadays. Do you even have insurance? Without insurance, those bills can bury you."
Maybe she wasn't as bad as I thought. She seemed a little more empathetic than her appearance suggested.
nsurance? Me? No chance. I had some while I was still a trainee, but now that I've left, it doesn't cover anything."
The landlady glanced around, thinking.
"If you're worried about money, I could refer you to someone."
"Someone?"
"A hospital. Well, it's not exactly official—no license—but the doctor's good. Remember Mr. Cheng? Had liver issues? I sent him there. He got better."
"And the cost?"
"You still have to pay, of course. But it's way cheaper than a normal hospital. Maybe a third of the price."
This was honestly pretty good. In this world, capitalism and conglomerations reigned supreme, money was king, and living without insurance was asking for death.
This was a good deal, and this was why I knew…
What's the catch?
The landlady licked her lips like a snake.
"You know the best part?" She asked. "He doesn't just take money for payment."
Here it is. I sighed inwardly but still asked, "Then what does he take?"
"Hah, think about it. There are all sorts of things he'll accept, but the best one is… well, body parts. Hell, he'll even pay you for them."
"Body parts? You're kidding, right?"
Human organs? Seriously? I knew she was trying to scam me, but I didn't expect it to become this dark.
The landlady, growing frustrated with my cluelessness, slapped my chest.
"What else do you have to offer besides that young, healthy body of yours? You're already behind on rent. Even if you are a failed Hunter, you are still an Awakened, right? I heard that the kidneys of the Awakened have a high value." The more she spoke, the more excited she seemed to get.
"You'd be better off selling a kidney or an eye, paying off your debt, and living stress-free! You know how good prosthetic eyes are now, right? Even without magic, they work just fine. Some people even swap out their real eyes by choice."
I thought she might have been joking. But she was serious all along? Was she really suggesting I sell my body parts for money?
I could feel anger and frustration grow inside me.
Who the hell is this shady doctor she's talking about?
Goosebumps crept up my arms.
"Get out!"
"Hey! Don't shove me!"
"I'll pay the rent next month. Just leave already!"
"You sure? I'm recording this—you said you'll pay!"
"Yes! Just go!"
"If you don't, I'm kicking you out for real. And you know what happens then. Better sell something. An eye, a kidney—whatever works!"
"Just get out!"
I slammed the door shut.
Even through the wood, I could still hear her yelling—ranting about how rude I was, how ungrateful I'd been for her 'advice.'
Eventually, the noise faded.
I slid down against the wall, completely drained.
"...Shit."
This whole thing was a mess.
I let out a long sigh and stood up. There were many ways to power in this world. For those who did not Awaken, genetic or cybernetic modifications were a good way to gain that power. However, those ways were not only very limited, they were also extremely expensive.
"I need to wash myself."
This dingy room didn't even have a mirror. I once bought one, but a prostitute living on the floor below stole it the next morning.
Thankfully, I didn't really need to buy one anymore.
"Projection," I muttered, focusing inwardly, rousing my sluggish mana circuit. It was sad how such simple things made me feel like I was running a marathon. But a few seconds later, a simple hand mirror appeared in front of me.
My body was covered in sweat. My heart was thumping so hard in my chest it felt like I was about to faint.
Mana exhaustion. One simple projection was enough for me to feel like shit, and my training this morning didn't help. When fighting, I had to project arrows and daggers far in advance before even starting.
For what it was worth, I thought the result was not bad.
[Projection
Rank: Rare
Proficiency: Adept
Description: Allows the user to materialize weapons, tools, or objects from mana and memory. Higher mastery results in stronger, longer-lasting projections, while lower levels produce unstable, fragile copies. The more complex the object, the more mana and mental strength are required.
Effect: Objects materialized can only last 10 hours before vanishing.]
This was one of the fundamental skills of the Maker class, a production-type class. Honestly, people should praise me for not becoming a scammer despite having something like this.
After waiting a few seconds for the symptoms to calm down, I finally observed myself in the mirror.
An ordinary face stared back at me. Brown skin, one nose, two blue eyes, and rebellious, wild black hair.
I couldn't say that I was ugly. But I wasn't the kind of man who would make people turn in awe in the street.
It was an ordinary face. The kind that was a dime a dozen, further proof that I was not a Hunter, except for one glaring feature.
A scar on my left cheek and multiple scars on my body. The results of that accident all those years ago.
Some women I had been with told me this gave me a dangerous look. After all, while my face may be ordinary, I was still rather tall and well-built, standing at around 182 cm, with a trained body filled with the perfect balance of muscles.
It was one of the few accomplishments in my life, the result of years of effort, and it was something of which I was proud.
"I must be crazy, admiring myself when I am broke and jobless."
I couldn't help but laugh. Reality felt like a knife stabbing me in the heart.
"Goddamn it."
Once I accepted this reality, a fierce sense of urgency kicked in.
The world was already a messed-up place. Until now, I had the protection of my Guild so I could survive. Soon, however, people would know I was not protected anymore.
An Awakened with no power? Hell, I was basically a wet dream for a trafficker, as proven by the words of my landlady.
My stats were also still decreasing. How far down would they go? Would I one day be unable to even move? Just thinking about this made me shiver.
If I just sat here doing nothing, I'd die.
You die if you're poor. You die if you're weak. You die if you're unlucky.
I didn't know exactly how this all happened, but one thing was for sure: I wasn't going to just roll over and give up. At the very least, I needed to leave the neighborhood as soon as possible.
I glared at the reflection of my face on the smartphone screen.
"I still have one way."
I avoided it because I was focused on training and because of how dangerous it was. But now I needed money urgently, and for that, no job was too dirty.
"It's time to join the cleaning association."
Time to put that SSS resistance to work.
[The Silent Watcher awaits the incoming comedy.]
Fuck you, like seriously.