Regular.
A term used for ordinary people who lack Awakening, leading them to live their lives like ordinary people, performing ordinary activities.
And now I was one of them.
I sat pensively on a park bench with my suitcase containing my clothes and pants beside me.
The park lights still not lighten up, along with the broad blue sky, and I sat alone here, enduring the cold wind.
I leaned back and stared at the sky.
The question kept repeating itself in my head: why did this misfortune happen to me?
I had prepared for this Awakening Test for years, practicing while working part-time to become an Awakened, but it all ended in vain.
And I never expected the failures to multiply, to the point of being disowned by my own family.
I took a deep breath, stared blankly at the blue sky, and then closed my eyes, hoping that all this misfortune was just a dream.
But that seemed impossible, as I could feel the pain of failure and expulsion from my own family.
'WHOOMM…!'
Suddenly, I felt the wind around me intensify.
I opened my eyes and froze in shock as I saw a flash of red lightning streak across the sky.
As I looked east, a large magical circle, the Monster Gate, had just formed and was slowly opening.
"Attention…! A Rank D Monster Gate has formed…! Regulars, please stay away…! The Rangers have been informed and will immediately secure this area…!"
The automated warning sound emitted from the park's detection machine was clearly audible.
This was part of the Rangers' protocol for opening a Monster Gate.
The Rangers couldn't yet determine the cause of the Monster Gate opening in random locations, but they had developed a special protocol to anticipate it, essentially securing the Regulars so they could close it again.
The Ranger's way of closing the Monster Gate is to enter it and defeat the Dungeon Boss within.
If the Dungeon Boss remains undefeated within seven days, the Dungeon Boss and its army will emerge from the Monster Gate and begin hunting humans.
The distance between me and the formed Monster Gate is only about 20 meters, which is an unsafe distance, as a Regular human like me would suffer severe burns due to the immense magical pressure if I forced myself into the Monster Gate area.
It would be even more dangerous if a Regular human dared to enter the Monster Gate, as their body would be destroyed instantly.
I looked around; the park area was empty, just me.
Well, good then, I could die peacefully as the Monster Gate drew closer and my body was destroyed by it.
Even faster, I could have just entered the Monster Gate without a second thought.
After all, who cared anymore?
Kayla already considered me trash, as did Mr. and Mrs. Kaine, who abandoned me after learning I failed the awakening test.
I felt my body begin to sweat as the heat emanating from the Monster Gate intensified its magical aura.
There was no one here, not even the Rangers assigned to complete this mission yet, so I had plenty of opportunities to end my already ruined life.
The thought of that opportunity made me close my eyes for a moment and take a deep breath.
"Hey, what's that big light…?!"
A child's voice suddenly made me open my eyes, wide-eyed, not realizing that a little girl was riding her tricycle toward the Monster Gate.
The innocent little girl accelerated her tricycle even faster, feeling the Monster Gate pulling me along.
This was dangerous.
A girl that small was definitely not an Awakened.
She didn't feel the heat from the Monster Gate's aura because she was too focused on speeding up her bike.
If she was too late to stop, she would be incinerated by the Monster Gate.
…but.
Why should I care?
I'm not a Ranger.
I'm just a Regular.
And a Regular just lives his life like a civilian.
Besides, a child that young should be the responsibility of his parents.
What irresponsible parents.
'WHOOMM…!'
Ah, damn it.
I don't know what moved my body, but I felt an urge to jump out of my chair and sprint after the little girl.
"Don't go in there...! Hey...! Come here...!" I shouted as I ran after the girl.
Instead of stopping, the little girl was shocked to see me running like a demon.
She just kept running, terrified, as if I were trying to kidnap her.
"Help...! Dad...! Mom...! I don't want to be kidnapped...!" the little girl cried, her path becoming increasingly chaotic and uncertain.
I didn't care if she cried, whined, or begged for help because I was considered an intruder.
All I wanted was to keep her safe, even though I felt like my life was falling apart.
I sprinted as fast as I could, even as the red aura from the Monster Gate grew stronger and felt like it was piercing my skin.
"I-It hurts…! Ahh….! Dad…! Mom…! Help…!"
At the same time, the little girl screamed in pain as the red aura from the Monster Gate reacted.
Amidst the little girl's screams and the red aura surrounding me, I kept running until I finally reached her.
I lifted her off her bike and ran away from the Monster Gate area.
But I didn't expect the red aura from the Monster Gate to surge out faster and more deadly than usual.
"It hurts…! Ahhh….!"
The little girl was gasping for breath, her body trembling with pain as the red aura surrounding her reacted more brutally than usual.
Furthermore, my legs felt like they were floating as the Monster Gate was pulling me inside.
Even though I was running as fast and as hard as I could, my legs were floating more and more, preventing me from getting any further away.
"Lyra…! Oh my God…! Help my daughter…!"
The screams of a middle-aged man and woman, about 30 meters away, were clearly audible, calling for the girl I was holding.
I was sure they were parents who couldn't keep their daughters safe and were being pulled by the Monster Gate.
From what I could see, they were both a safe distance away, so they weren't pulled by the Monster Gate, meaning I only needed to quicken my pace to reach them.
But unfortunately, it was too late.
My feet were already in the air, as the Monster Gate pulled me with its force.
Although I tried to force myself to run through the air, I was just sprinting in place, getting farther and farther away.
Amidst the chaos, I saw a woman with long silver hair, part of it tied back in a braid, staring at me with red eyes.
Judging by her combat attire, combined with her belt and arm guards, and the three swords sheathed at her waist, I was certain she was the first Ranger assigned to this Monster Gate mission.
"Don't be reckless...! Wait there until help arrives..." the silver-haired woman shouted, keeping her distance.
I knew she was waiting for another Ranger to pull me because if she went ahead herself, she would just end up going into the Monster Gate, leaving the girl and I to die.
The plan was good, but the timing was terrible.
Slowly, my body was moving further and further away from a safe distance, and I was certain that in a few minutes, the Monster Gate would pull me faster, swallowing me and the already crying girl.
Fuck it.
Someone had to be sacrificed, and I knew who.
"Hey, Lady…! Catch this kid…!" I shouted loudly.
"W-what…?! D-don't—"
Without hesitation, I threw the girl as hard as I could, and the female ranger caught her deftly.
I saw the girl's parents immediately hug their child and cry with emotion.
But they were completely oblivious to my condition as I was being pulled further and further into the Monster Gate.
Ah, this wasn't new to me.
Don't they only care about their own family?
I, born an orphan, adopted by the Kaine family and abandoned for failing to Awaken, now understand that I'm not someone my own family can simply accept.
They don't even consider me family anymore, so... why should I worry about my fate anymore?
"Hey...! Wait for us...! We Rangers will help you! Please calm down...!" the silver-haired, red-eyed woman exclaimed in a worried and concerned tone.
I could sense the guilt on the beautiful female ranger's face.
But it seemed like she was wasting her time trying to save me.
I simply smiled in response, then closed my eyes, resigned to the fact that, as I suspected, the Monster Gate was now pulling me in even harder and faster.
A regular like me would surely end up burned to ashes when entered the Monster Gate.
'WHOOMM…!'
The female Ranger's screams were no longer audible in my mind.
It felt like I'd entered a vacuum that numbed all my senses.
Perhaps this was a sign that my end was near, and I didn't really care anymore.
[DING!]
Amidst the silence, I heard a notification sound in my head.
What was that sound?
[The system has completed the attunement process]
[Job Class Unlocked and Assigned: Generalist]
Job Class…?
Does this mean I've awakened…?
And my Job Class is… Generalist?
What the hell has happened?
I thought my life is over…!
And amidst my confusion, the faint sound of wind caught my eye.
The smell of grass, the warmth of the sun, and the wind in my hair felt real again.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a vast meadow.
Amidst the blue sky, I saw the Monster Gate, its red aura clearly visible.
A Regular would never have been able to reach this point if he were forcibly pulled by the Monster Gate.
Yet here I am, standing unharmed, having successfully entered the Monster Gate that connected to the Dungeon.
I never imagined…that I would truly be an Awakened now.