A heavy asphalt rain pelted down furiously, drenching the lonesome figure of Grey as he struggled through the dilapidated streets, trying to make his way home. He had no umbrella, no raincoat—only a drenched, faded hoodie.
His crimson pupils strained to pierce the obscured distance, checking if home was within sight.
Brooom!
Splash!
Suddenly, a speeding Huracán raced past him, baptizing him with a puddle of water. His fists clenched as he cursed,
"Fucking bastard! You can't give me a lift, yet you decide to make my life even more miserable."
He recognized the vehicle all too well. Its owner was none other than his spiteful foster brother, Aron.
His teeth ground together in anger. His forceful inclusion into this foster family had been the start of his literal hell. His foster siblings hated him to the bone from day one. His foster parents, William and Hera, didn't really care about him either. They had adopted him for a reason, and as long as he got the job done, they never cared about anything else.
'Sigh… is this really my fate? Remaining a dog for the rest of my life?' he wondered bitterly. Unfortunately, there was no one to give him the answers he searched for, and he could only wade his way through the chilly downpour.
Minutes that felt like awfully long hours passed before he finally stood before the porch of his home… his foster family's home.
His steps halted as he took a deep breath. Then he reached for the doorknob and stepped inside, leaving behind a soggy, muddy trail.
"Tch! What the hell! You really are a dog, huh? You'd better clean that shit up!"
A mocking voice rang out as he passed by the sitting room, heading for the stairs.
Not before his eyes roamed toward the figure yelling. A beautiful damsel lay sprawled on the sofa, arms propping her fair cheeks, velvet red hair cascading across her back. A pair of crystalline amethyst pupils met his gaze.
He gulped, his eyes wandering toward her ample, plump breasts, which perked through her crop top, eager for attention. Sadly, he had to avert his gaze as quickly as it trailed. He dared not linger, lest he earned another black eye.
Of course, this beautiful lady was none other than his foster sister, Aella—the shining star of their family. A perfect figure who dominated every field, just like her brother. In comparison, Grey wasn't even worth mentioning.
He proceeded to scale the steps, having the same thought as always: 'One day I will tame that little bitch!'
He reached his room, showered, and changed into dry, cozy clothes before making his way to his gaming table. His eyes blazed with expectation, ready to venture into the only thing he was perfect at—the only place where others made him feel noticed and important.
Ghoul Eater Online, a famous MMORPG where he was a well known top ranker, sought after by many.
The moment his hands rested on the gamepad, his demeanor morphed. Gone was the useless dog, Grey. In his place stood the top ranker—God's Wrath.
And so he immersed himself in premium gameplay for what seemed like hours. He loved the feel of this game. It gave him the acceptance he never got in real life—the clout that seemed unobtainable.
"Ahh man, you're really the best! If Earth was plunged into an apocalypse, I'd bet you'd have the greatest survival rate among us all."
"Ahh, if that really happened, I'd be sure to hug Wrath's thighs."
"Indeed, gamers will have the highest survival rate compared to others, and pros like Wrath will be even better off!"
Grey read through his teammates' messages with a self deprecating smile, shaking his head in dismay. He was well aware of how wrong they were.
Though he hated to admit it, he was crap in reality.
One didn't even need to wait for an apocalypse to glimpse this fact—especially when he was well aware that there was more to Earth than regular humans saw.
Grey had been adopted by the prestigious Griffith family. Unknown to normal denizens but renowned in the exorcist space, they were special rank cursed hunters who not only dealt with curses and ghosts but had also reached the level of playing with demons.
And yes, his foster siblings were both genius cursed hunters, ones who had awakened Mythic class Aspects. They were already mid grade cursed hunters who had exorcised quite a few second grade curses.
But him? The useless dog?
Though he had been adopted by his foster parents because of his special talent, he was still useless through and through. He had hoped desperately for a second awakening, but reality proved otherwise.
Not only did he have no cursed energy, his Aspect was pretty useless. It merely allowed him to detect and track the presence of supernatural curses, ghosts, and fiendish wraiths.
Thus the origin of the name his foster siblings called him: Dog.
Well, they weren't wrong for treating him this way. Apparently, his body barely had any trace of curse energy. It was said that others with this condition had heavenly pacts, gaining unreasonable, inhuman strength comparable to the physical prowess of demons…
But he was different. No heavenly pact. Physically weak as shit. Though he had tried training, to his horror he discovered that his physical capabilities were even lower than the average human's.
And thus, he accepted his fate. He wasn't ever going to be a hunter like his foster siblings. Heck, even having an Aspect was a gift in itself—and a curse. After all, what was the use of knowing there was something beyond regular life, but being too useless to achieve it?
Bam!
Suddenly, his door was kicked open, startling him as he fumbled with the gaming pad, almost dropping it.
"Get ready—we're going hunting tonight!" Aron commanded. This was none other than his hated foster brother.
With the command and disregard in his voice, one would find it hard to believe they were age mates. But that was the difference that came with status: one was a dignified cursed hunter, and the other…?
"But both your parents are on an expedition! Hunting without them isn—" Grey had barely voiced his protest when Aron cut him short.
"Shut the fuck up, you mutt! Your work is to sniff out prey we hunt. Simple! Know your place." Aron spat, each word barbed and dripping with disdain.
"Now, Aella is getting her gear. Before she's done, you should be ready… or else." Aron threatened with a chilly glare before turning and leaving the room.
Grey was left alone once more with his thoughts. His fists clenched so tight his nails pierced his palms.
'This is how it has always been. What am I getting so worked up for?'
Suddenly he noticed something at the corner of his vision, something he could have sworn that was never there before.
[Awakening: 14% / 100%]
Huh?