Bab 1 – Bangun
Aku sedang melihat sebuah buku berkilauan di atas meja, sebuah [Buku Keterampilan], meskipun peringkatnya sangat rendah. [Bola Api], mantra peringkat F yang hanya bisa digunakan oleh pemula yang paling malang. Tapi buku keterampilan ini menghabiskan sebagian besar warisanku yang tersisa, dan semua tabunganku. Aku dikenal sebagai orang yang cukup pintar sebelum semuanya berantakan, jadi aku merencanakannya jauh-jauh hari sebelum menghabiskan sebagian besar uangku. Dalam skenario terburuk, saya masih memiliki cukup dana untuk bertahan setidaknya beberapa bulan. Dalam skenario terbaik, sesuai rencana, saya akan menghabiskan buku keterampilan ini dan berharap memperoleh bakat yang lumayan saat saya terbangun. Mendapatkan buku keterampilan ini memang tidak mudah, tetapi itu satu-satunya cara untuk bangkit jika Anda tidak terbangun secara alami. Orang kaya tidak kesulitan membangkitkan diri mereka sendiri, anak-anak mereka, dan cucu-cucu mereka. Aku melihat buku keterampilan itu lagi sebelum menguatkan tekad dan mengambilnya. Mendekatkannya ke dadaku, aku memejamkan mata. Beberapa detik berlalu sebelum aku melihat kilatan cahaya, meskipun mataku terpejam. Saat aku membukanya, buku di tanganku telah menghilang, dan di sudut mataku sesuatu yang lain muncul. [Nuh] [Vitalitas: 10] [Fokus: – ] [Kekuatan: 10] [Keterampilan: Bola Api] Bersinar dengan cahaya biru, kata-kata itu justru membuatku bingung, alih-alih lega. Di mana angka-angka untuk fokus? Dari pengetahuan yang dirilis, sejak peristiwa apokaliptik yang menewaskan lebih dari satu miliar orang itu terjadi, sebuah dunia magis baru menggantikannya. Orang-orang yang disebut Awakened muncul, dan yang lainnya juga bisa terbangun melalui pembelajaran [Skill book] yang bisa didapatkan dari monster yang terbunuh. Ya, monster. Makhluk ajaib yang umumnya tinggal di ruang bawah tanah, dan terkadang keluar saat terjadi perampokan ruang bawah tanah. Karena sudah lebih dari setahun berlalu, sudah menjadi pengetahuan umum bahwa mereka yang terbangun mampu menggunakan keterampilan, baik yang diperoleh secara inheren atau dari buku keterampilan, untuk melakukan prestasi luar biasa dan mengalahkan monster. Makhluk yang terbangun ini dapat meningkatkan kekuatan mereka dengan membunuh lebih banyak monster dan menyerap [Inti Kehidupan] yang mereka jatuhkan, yang menambah tiga atribut: [Vitalitas][Fokus] dan [Kekuatan] Huh. Jadi kenapa [Fokus]-ku kosong? Aku berusaha untuk tidak depresi karena aku merasakan tubuhku sedikit berubah setelah terbangun. Sepertinya aku menjadi sedikit lebih kuat, dan secara naluriah bisa menggunakan skill yang baru kupelajari. Masalahnya, bisakah saya mengeluarkan skill jika saya tidak memiliki Fokus? Kenapa sih, nggak ada angkanya? Kegembiraanku saat terbangun perlahan memudar karena aku nggak bisa menemukan angka-angka, atau ketiadaan angka, di layar biru di depanku. Kalau dipikir-pikir kembali, tidak ada yang seperti ini yang terlintas di benak saya dari berita-berita dan semua hal yang selama ini saya perhatikan dengan saksama.
Sigh, I’ll have to figure it out as I go, [Vitality] and [Strength] are average, and [Focus], what is required to cast skills and increase the damage you do, is black…
Can I even cast [Fireball] if I don’t even know how much [Focus] I have? Usually, most average awakanees can cast F tier skills 5 times before they completely deplete the energy in their body. The larger your [Focus], the higher tier the skills you can cast and the more times you can cast them
Since Awakened Mages are extremely powerful, [Focus Cores] are much more in demand than [Vitality Cores] and [Strength Cores]
Awakened Mages can shoot their skills at a long distance and not even give the monsters a chance to retaliate, while Awakened Berserkers and Awakened Knights have to get up close to fight
I was hoping to awaken to become a Mage…
Sigh, without wallowing in melancholic thoughts anymore, I try the last hail mary I can, actually casting the skill I just learned
[Fireball], a common F rank skill that many F ranked Awakened have. I step out of my small apartment and head to an empty barren field behind the apartment complex
Rent had become increasingly more expensive nowadays, as buildings that had high security where you won’t suddenly lose your life were high priced. I had to move quite a distance to get to the barren field before I could begin testing my first skill, and possibly my last
Hyping myself up, I raise my hand in front of me and call out, [Fireball]
A small ball of flames came to light in front of me, much to my shock and disbelief
Along with the shock came exhilaration. I can still cast skills even though my [Focus] bar doesn’t show anything?!
Putting my shock aside, I command the fireball to move forward before it exploded a few meters from me
Wanting to test to see if I can at least cast the average 5 fireballs that normal F ranked Awakened can cast, I keep ongoing
[Fireball]…[Fireball]…[Fireball]….
Three more fireballs were shot and exploded in front of me, increasing the shock and happiness in my heart. At Least I have average skills, even if it doesn’t show on the stat panel!
Weirdly enough, I did not feel any less energy in my body…Well, my [Focus] was blank, to begin with, so I didn’t really feel much.
I focus once more as I cast what is probably my last fireball until I rest for a while before I can cast again
[Fireball]
The fifth fireball flew out and exploded just like the ones before
With a smile on my face, I wiped the perspiration on my forehead while feeling relieved. Being average is not bad, at least with this, I can count myself among the top of many people in the world today
I was still confused on the fact that no numbers were showing on my [Focus] though, which meant I couldn’t get a gauge on just how much energy I had and how many times I could cast my skill
I hesitantly raised my hand again to see just how many times I could cast [Fireball]
…[Fireball]…[Fireball]…[Fireball]…Semakin sering aku mengeluarkan skill dan semakin banyak bola api yang beterbangan dan meledak di depanku, semakin aku terkejut. …[Bola api]… Keterkejutan itu segera berubah menjadi ketidakpercayaan, karena saya telah menghitung lebih dari 50 bola api terbang dari saya dan meledak Ini… 10 kali jumlah energi normal yang dimiliki peringkat F rata-rata?! Aku mencoba bernapas untuk menenangkan diri. 10 kali. Itu berarti energiku mendekati level D Awakened. Itu sangat jarang, karena Awakened jarak jauh dengan skill seperti bola api bisa dengan mudah mengalahkan monster peringkat F, dan 3 hingga 4 bola api atau skill yang setara bisa mengalahkan monster peringkat E. Individu Awakened peringkat D juga bisa mengalahkan monster peringkat D dengan cukup mudah jika mereka menggunakan skill mereka dengan baik. Apakah aku benar-benar salah satu wakanees berbakat? Aku mencoba menekan kesombongan yang mulai muncul sebelum memanggil [Bola Api] lagi, karena aku masih merasa belum kehabisan energi. Ini membuatku takut sekaligus membuatku sangat berharap untuk masa depan. Saat aku terus menggunakan skill ini, aku tidak merasakan energiku habis, dan aku juga tidak merasa lelah. Ketika saya mencapai 100 kali lemparan, keterkejutan saya bertambah. Ketika mencapai 300, kepalaku berdenyut karena situasi yang tidak diketahui ini Ketika mencapai 500 kali lemparan, seluruh tubuhku bergetar. Aku bernapas berat sebelum melihat sekelilingku. Aku sudah cukup jauh di dalam ladang tandus dan terlindung oleh pepohonan di belakangku. Melihat sekeliling dan memastikan tidak ada orang di sekitarku, aku bergegas kembali ke apartemenku untuk mencoba menenangkan hatiku yang hampir meledak. 500 kali aku mengeluarkan skill peringkat F, dan aku tidak merasakan kelelahan apa pun, apa sebenarnya yang terjadi?
Chapter 2 – Hunter License
As soon as I was back in my apartment, I took deep breaths and analyzed everything that had happened so far.
No numbers were showing for my [Focus], something I have never heard about before. Yet, I could still cast skills that require focus. I did not feel any exhaustion while casting F ranked skill over 500 times.
My goodness. Taking another deep breath, I continued thinking
The most important question now is, Do I just have an abnormal amount of Focus that surpasses most people, or something else? This was the biggest thing on my mind, as even the strongest B ranked Awakened individuals cannot cast skills that many times without exhausting themselves
Alright…with that in mind, I need to test just how many times I can continue to cast skills before I can’t anymore. Which also means I need to get my hands on higher-ranked skills that consume more energy
With that in mind, a smile bloomed on my face
Just the fact that I could cast an F ranked skill more than 500 times meant amazing things. As long as I am not braindead, I can easily clear an F and E ranked dungeons, even if I’m alone
D ranked dungeons might be a stretch, as the strength of monsters increase and I would need higher ranked skills besides fireball to take them down
But there’s no problem taking things slow. I pull out my phone and look at the remaining balance in my bank account
$5,867
Enough money for rent and food for a few months, and the remainder of my savings. I convinced myself to buy the F ranked skill book, [Fireball], for $20,000. After this, most of my inheritance money was now gone
A year ago, when the apocalypse began, my parents were not so lucky to survive. I was stuck in the bas.e.m.e.nt of my old house asleep and escaped the onslaught of monsters that were taken care of by the government and newly awakened people after a few days
As time passed, more information was released to the public. Monsters had appeared. Most of them congregated in Dungeons. If they were left alone, they would increase and something called dungeon break would occur. This caused monsters to leave the dungeon and indiscriminately attack everything on site
But never fear, Awakened people are here. Able to use powerful skills and great strength to protect everyone else…
And now, I was among those people too
The first order of business? Obtain an Awakened License that will allow me to enter dungeons. Without a license, you cannot bypass the security that allows the Awakened to clear dungeons
You can get a license fairly easily, as you just have to be examined and exhibit skills. I was itching to get started as soon as possible, so I grabbed my backpack and rushed downtown.
With the advent of monsters and heroes, many of the populations were condensed onto a few protected cities. Almost everything was close to each other, so the Awaken Center was not too far away
A few minutes and I was already there. On the way, I saw the usual people with sullen faces and occasional awakened individuals rushing about.
The Awakened Center was vibrating with life, as long lines of people visiting shops could be seen, with even more carefully selling monster [Cores] to the authorities
Many people chose to first consume the [Cores] and get stronger themselves, but many more also sold them to the government and other markets as they went for high prices
[Vitality Core]s and [Strength Core]s went for around a $1000, while [Focus] cores were almost double that price because of their demand
I moved my eyes to another section of the Center, which was dealing in the selling of Skill Books ranging from F to C. Obtaining a C ranked skill book was a dream for many people, as they were extremely rare and went for more than half a million dollars
Looking at the skill books that I greatly desired, I shook my head and moved towards the Registration Hall.
The receptionist was very welcoming, asking for my name, date of birth, address, and bank account information
As soon as she had everything down, I was told to head toward a certain door where my ability would be observed.
There were 3 people standing behind thick glass and an open area with testing dummies. After hearing the directions, I stood a few meters from the dummies and cast [Fireball] consecutively 8 times, making sure to look like I was struggling to get the last few out
“Wow..” (Judge 1)
“A peak F rank huh…” (Judge 2)
Drawing a few surprises from the observers behind the thick glass, everything was completed successfully and I received my license. It was a golden card similar to a credit card with my name, age, and rank. The surprise from the observers was most likely due to the fact that high ranked awakened are extremely rare, with there being only one B ranked awakened in this city that is known publicly
There a few tens of C ranked awakened, a few hundred D ranks, and thousands of E and F ranks. Most of the hunters were F ranked, so being at the peak of this rank at the starting point was a good thing by itself
One can slowly raise their rank by absorbing [Core]s, but unless you were in the army where they were provided for you by the government or in a rich household that could buy them in mass, you would rise very slowly Gét latest 𝒏ovel ch𝒂pters on n𝒐v(e)lbj/n(.)c/𝒐m
There were some slight changes to the panel on the corner of my eyes as I walked out of the Awakened Center and received my license.
[Noah] [Occupation: Hunter]
[Vitality: 10]
[Focus: – ]
[Strength: 10]
[Skill(s): (Fireball-8)]
A new occupation had appeared, marking me as an official awakened Hunter, and…Oh?
I was surprised because I didn’t see it before, but the proficiency of the [Fireball] skill had quickly risen to 8. The was an extremely fast process when it took people weeks to raise their proficiency with their skill
I guess it is understandable as I was able to cast the skill more than 500 times, and most people have to use their skills over a period of weeks to reach that number
My next course of action after getting my license was the nearest beginner dungeon in this city, [Ape’s Paradise]
Boasting 10 floors, each floor held 10-20 monsters, with the last floor housing a huge black Ape 3 meters in size. This dungeon was regularly cleared by parties of F and E ranked Hunters, who could take on the monsters and the boss without fear of casualties if everyone was doing their jobs
Parties consisting of 2 Knights who put their focus on their [Vitality], 2 berserkers with their focus on [Strength], and 2 mages with their focus on [Focus] were the most common for this dungeon
The Knights act as tanks to ward off coming monsters, Berserkers use their high strength to strike down and protect the mages that are the brunt of the firepower to kill everything on site
Equipment from dungeons was extremely rare, so most people had to make do with newly designed machetes or metal pipes and iron shields as their first equipment. Only the boss of the dungeon had a chance to drop [Skill Book]s and [Items].
Any item dropped from a dungeon was highly sought after, with their prices not being too different from the [Skill Book]s
My goal today was to enter [Ape’s Paradise]… and alone at that. My heart was pounding at this crazy idea. When the thought was forming in my head, I had to ask myself multiple times if I had gone insane
But it will not be that dangerous. Seeing how I can cast my Skills so many times without feeling any fatigue, the rank of my [Focus], even though I cant f.u.c.k.i.n.g see it for some reason, should be nearing B if not A
And any rank B hunter can easily clear Rank F and E dungeons, though they don’t care to, and put their focus on higher-ranked dungeons
Now, with me being the only F ranked Hunter entering and clearing this dungeon…My heart was pounding from the possible rewards
Usually, rewards are split between the many members of the Party, But I would keep all the [Core]s and possible [Skill Book]s and [Item]s that drop. Just the thought of it made my heart excited
I steeled my resolve and heading towards [Ape’s Paradise]
Chapter 3 – [Ape’s Paradise]
A huge monolith structure was surrounded by high walls. There was security at the entrance and heavily armed soldiers on the walls.
Even though this was only an F ranked dungeon, it made up for millions of dollars of revenue every day with a large number of people entering, clearing the monsters, and selling the resources they receive inside
This monolith had a blue color, indicating it was a normal dungeon with little danger of a dungeon break. If the color changed to orange and then to red, it meant a dungeon break was imminent
Regularly clearing the dungeon kept the color at blue, turning it into a treasure trove with capable people farming it
You always had casualties every now and then from Hunters that were either too full of themselves, bad teammates, or just plain unlucky
Now, I sincerely hope I don’t make myself on the category of being too full of myself
Gathering my wits, I show the guards at the metal entrance of the enclosure my hunter ID before heading in. Inside the walls, there were a few hunter teams getting their gear in order or just talking
A few people were standing around looking to either form parties or invite others to their party. At the center of the blue monolith, there was a square, door-like structure. This door like structure was how you entered the dungeon
Those in a group would have to touch the door with a few second differences, but under a minute, to be transferred to the first floor of the dungeon together
There was a party prepared to go into the dungeon in front of me already, so I reigned in my curiosity about the other hunters around me and stood a few feet away from the in-going party
It didn’t take long before a few hunters noticed a lone man waiting by himself
“Oy, is that kid thinking of going in alone?” Hunter A
“Bro, another one with a death wish” Hunter B
“Just ignore him, who knows, maybe he’s one of those prodigies that can solo an F rank dungeon? Haha” Hunter C
Ignoring the laughs around me, I wait patiently as the entire party in front of me disappeared in a flash, and waited the required minute before going forward and placing my hand on the square door
In an instant, I was transported into a large cavern, where I had just caught the attention of two 1 meter tall black apes
I brought myself to full attention and observed both the apes and my surrounding before I began my first dungeon hunt
[Fireball]
A single fireball, and then a second, and a third, and a forth quickly flew towards the two apes
When the ball of fire exploded on their faces, they were already incapacitated and letting out dying screeches. They would not survive after that, and a second fireball hit them at the same location, quickly finishing them off
I breathed heavily as I felt the adrenaline course through my body. 2 F rank monsters, easily taken care of by me. Haha, this was a feeling I could get used to!
Usually, F rank hunters would use their skills sparingly, making sure to cast them all either on the BOSS or on emergencies. I did not have such reservations
I went towards where the apes fell and grabbed a glistening [Strength Core] that dropped. It was small in size, smaller than a pigeon’s egg, and yet they went for a thousand dollars on the market
I placed the [Core] into my backpack and ventured farther in. I didn’t have to walk far, as 3 apes were quickly rushing towards me screeching after hearing the death screams of their brethren
With a thought, [Fireball] was cast one after another, each not missing its targets that were rushing forward.
Another [Strength Core] dropped from these three. [Core]s were not guaranteed to drop every time a monster died, and getting 2 from 5 monsters was already fairly average
Placing the newly acquired [Core]s in the bag, I rushed down the path of the Cavern, meeting another set of 5 apes that I quickly burned
I had to force myself to calm down as I so easily and quickly took down the monsters and collected [Core]s. I never imagined myself being able to do something like this and had to pinch myself a few times just to make sure it wasn’t a dream
Forcing myself to remain calmer, I cleared the first floor quickly and headed down the winding steps to the 2nd floor.
The apes came in batches of 3-5, and just ran towards me when I neared. I didn’t let them get any closer than 4 meters from me, hurling balls of fire towards them as soon as they were in my sight
And just like that, an incredulous sight occurred in the F ranked Dungeon [Ape’s Paradise]. Without a moment of rest, an F ranked hunter cleared the 2nd floor, and the 3rd…and the 5th…all the way to the end of the 9th floor with ease
“WAAH!”
I lost control of my emotions as I let out a triumphant shout before the boss room. I had never imagined something like this to be possible!
Without a single issue, I had effectively taken down groups of Apes, collected multiple [Core]s, and reached the BOSS room all by myself
I reeled my emotions in as I let out a confident smile…and went further down to the BOSS room
A huge ape awaits me in the circular cave that is the last room.
“ROAR!!!”
The cave lightly shakes from the scream. My smile does not leave my face as five fireballs fly towards the ape that is now charging towards me. The first hit its chest, stopping it on its tracks. The second and third smash its shoulders, knocking it backward. The fourth and fifth explode on either side of its head, effectively finishing it off.
As soon as the ape crashed down, a blinding light flashed in the last floor and a green crystal rose in the middle. Touching this crystal will allow you to leave the room and appear at a random location near the entrance of the dungeon
I slowly revel in my first ever completed dungeon hunt, a solo one at that.
I then go towards the now dead ape to see any possible drops. By its side, a few F rank [Core]s are present…along with a [Skill Book]
I grab the [Core]s and put them inside the bag, before reaching out for the skill book. [Minor Heal] was now in my hands, giving me quite a shock. It wasn’t the rarest of F rank skill books, but it was one of the more expensive ones as it easily took care of any cuts and minor injuries.
I also placed the skill inside the bag and proceeded to sit down and think while staring at the green crystal in front of me. The problem at hand is how I should handle myself from now on
An F rank newly awakened hunter clearing an F ranked Dungeon in under 30 minutes was unbelievable. It would have to be someone who was B ranked or above to be able to carry out the same thing
I made sure not to show too much of what I could do when I took the licensing exam because currently, all I have going for me is the fact that I seem to have a large pool of energy to cast skills. This does not mean I am powerful, nor do I hold the power of someone rank B or higher
Even a rank D or C could easily sneak behind me and take me out as long as they’re faster than me. So my plan was to stay low key until I could buy more skills, preferably higher ranking ones that would match my large energy reserves
Sigh, and that required money.
Another plan was forming in my head though. Looking over at the gains just from clearing [Ape’s Paradise] once, I had in total 1 F Rank [Skill Book] and 40+ [Core]s from the more than 160 apes I had killed from the 9 floors before
This alone made me bolder to make some accelerated plans…
Just from one Dungeon run alone, I can make more than $60,000…In under 30 minutes. This alone gave me a great shock.
Normal parties would have to split the loot, and it would take them more than 2 hours of intensely fighting monsters in close combat, which brought them exhaustion and made many parties recuperate for a few hours after each dungeon run.
Most parties would go into the dungeon once or twice a day. With each person making around $10,000, the life of a hunter can be considered very luxurious
So, assuming the BOSS drops either a skill book or possibly an item, I can make around 60 grand each run…this made many ideas dance around in my head wildly.
I’ve already spent many months observing hunters and researching every knowledge available to the public about them. I’ve researched even more into all the known [Skill Book]s and [Item]s that can be dropped from BOSS rooms
For someone with a large energy pool like me, I already had a few books in mind that would work very well. Of course, I also have to keep on testing just how much [Focus] I really have
A wild thought keeps appearing in my head that I do not want to entertain as it is too grand…the possibility that because my [Focus] appears blank, and I can repeatedly continue to cast skills with no feeling of exhaustion…could mean that I can simply keep on casting skills as much as I want…
BOOM
It felt like something had exploded in my head as this idea came and my mind entertained it more and more. My heart was also beating fast that this could even be a possibility
But…why not? From what I’ve seen so far, there is no value for my [Focus] attribute. Is it more logical to think that it is just a really high number that I somehow cannot see, or that because it is blank and I can still cast skills, I can simply continue to cast skills without any problem of depleting something?
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before I came to terms with a new plan. It was somewhat risky, but it will be fast and reduce any possible future problems, whether it be from monsters or hunters.
The world after the apocalypse was vastly different, but still the same. Now even more filled with dangers and deaths. A hunter could easily be killed by monsters, robbed by other hunters, or killed by the government if they do not fall inline
To secure my safety while rising up, I will need a highly defensive and offensive skill, and well as a speed supporting skill. Something of C rank or above would be highly effective, and yet the cheapest C rank skills start off at $500,000
So…How do I go about this?
Chapter 4 – Is that a rookie…or?
An idea solidly formed in my head and took root. I knew what I had to do. I didn’t wanna cause too huge of a commotion, so even though I will have to go in a roundabout way, I can still keep on diving into dungeons today.
The plan was to head to another dungeon after leaving [Ape’s Paradise]. As much as I wanted to enter the dungeon again, I know I would easily be recognized the moment I head towards the entrance again.
I won’t repeatedly dive into dungeons with such a fast clear speed until I have some measure of confidence to be able to protect myself from most threats. The goal for now is…power close to or equivalent to Rank B.
There was a single B Rank Hunter in this city, and he was a known celebrity. The strength he showed made many people fearful, as even bullets and snipers were ineffective against someone of rank B
The city I’m in though, Outer Bank X , was only a small-sized city with a few dungeons, the highest rank being C. Other cities that are further inland have way more powerful hunters with even greater level dungeons
My next stop will be at the rank E dungeon, [Frozen Wasteland], which many hunters did not frequent. With the extremely cold characteristics, this dungeon held 20 floors, with various beasts of cold attributes appearing. It should be even easier to clear with my constant casting of [Fireball]
Before I head to the [Frozen Wasteland] though, I do want to continue testing just how many more times I can cast my sole skill at the moment, [Fireball]. From the previous 500 times, I’ve cast it 200+ times while clearing this dungeon
Wrapping my thoughts up, I moved a distance away from the green crystal and began my experimentation of whether I could endlessly cast skills or If I just had an abnormal amount of [Focus] that I could not see
Thus, a weird scene unfolded on the last floor of [Ape’s Paradise], with a man all by himself continuously casting fireballs. They exploded a few meters from him, and more followed right after
20 minutes passed.
I was still casting [Fireball] without stopping, causing my wildly beating heart to be leaning towards that insane idea. Approximately over a thousand casts in the last 20 minutes..let’s continue some more
40 minutes later, I had gone past the excitement, ran over fear, got over the whole ridiculous idea…and taken it as a fact. This was something out of my wildest dreams, and I did not even understand how it could be possible
In the last hour, I had cast an F rank skill, [Fireball], over 3000 times…not even someone of Rank A, or the highest known ranking Hunter, Steel Mikhail, would be able to do something like this. This both scared me and gave me a wild hope to someday stand up not far from them
Over the span of the time, the balls of fire that came out gradually became more condensed, and their explosions more pronounced as well as traveling much faster. In the last 10 minutes, instead of usually casting 1 fireball every second, 2 rushed out per second
They were apparently becoming smaller, faster, and more explosive as I continued to cast them. This should be my proficiency rising at a stupid crazy rate because of how many times I am casting the skill. My current panel looked like this
[Noah][Occupation: Hunter]
[Vitality: 10]
[Focus: – ]
[Strength: 10]
[Skill(s): (Fireball-59)]
The proficiency for the skill [Fireball] had amazingly risen all the way to 59, a crazy figure to wrap my head around. As far as I knew, there were very few people who had their proficiency higher than 30, as Hunters continuously improved themselves and got higher ranking skills with the passing of time
An F Rank Hunter using [Fireball] as their first skill would move on to using an E ranking skill as soon as they gained the funds to buy one. No one spent that much time using one of the lowest ranking skills for an extended period of time
Looking at the high proficiency, it made me excited about what would happen if I continue to cast and raise it even more. The power of the [Fireball] skill should currently surpass any other skills of the next rank in the damage and speed that it flies at, it’s most likely nearing rank D in its offensive ability
I was itching to continue my test of endless casting but brought myself to stop and move on to the plans on my agenda.
I moved towards the still glowing green crystal in the middle of the room and placed my hand on it, which instantly teleported me outside the monolith. I appeared not too far from the entrance, with a few people glancing my way with surprised expressions
“Did his entire team wipe, or do we have a ranker here?” Hunter F
“Hah! A Ranker? Have you ever seen them dressed like that with a flimsy backpack on them? My apologies kid, I hope they weren’t your closest friends!” Hunter G
A few people noticed the abnormalities as someone finished the dungeon and was transported out alone. My current attire really did not match anyone of Rank C or higher, as many people quickly noticed
Most of the people that were there an hour and a half ago when I went in the dungeon were either gone or not paying attention, as the surrounding compound of the dungeon was a fairly large space
I ignored the pitying gazes of Hunters who thought the rest of my team was gone and headed towards the gate. Funny enough, I was becoming more and more used of ignoring other people’s gazes as this day went on
Outside the gate, there were a few stalls and people rushing about. I went towards another section where there were a few cars lined up and planned to use the Hunter Ride system
There were many people making their living driving hunters from dungeons to the Awakened Center or to their lodging. It was a very dangerous job as you can always have an unstable customer, but this time they’re superpowered people who could either blow you up or snap your neck with a twist of their hands
One man quickly came up to me with a smiling expression and asked if I needed a ride. I nodded and quickly got on the parked Dodge Charger in front of me, our destination, the [Frozen Wasteland]
In the 25 minute trip towards the next dungeon, I kept on thinking of any things that I missed and went over my plans for the next few days.
Time quickly passed and we neared another huge monolith, this one with a slight tinge of orange. Many hunters did not like clearing this dungeon because of the extreme cold, resulting in mandatory clean up by the government routinely
I would take my time in this dungeon though, as there were significantly fewer hunters, and even a single run would probably net me more than double the money I made in [Ape’s Paradise]
I paid the high fare and got out of the car, flashing my hunter license to the guards at the door, who didn’t bother with me after giving me a second look and shaking their heads
Hey, I promise you I’m not just a hunter on a suicide mission alright?
I look around the enclosure of this dungeon and head towards the entrance. There wasn’t even a team on standby to be entering. With a few hunters cl.u.s.tered on some stalls and shops selling food and equipment
Nothing held me back as I quickly went to the entrance and placed my hand on one of the square doors, which quickly transported me to the first floor of the rank E dungeon, [Frozen Wasteland]
I was quickly besieged by the cold that drove many hunters away, and quickly cast 2 fireballs that did not fly away from me this time but circled around me. Doing this usually required Hunters to continuously provide more energy, but nothing like that could be felt from me
As soon as I commanded the fireballs to circle a few feet away from me, the cold was majorly offset and nowhere near where it was before
There wasn’t a pause to be given though, as I soon heard the growling of animals that quickly showed themselves. Clear white wolves were rushing towards me, their glistening white teeth flashing menacingly in the white wasteland
There wasn’t a single hint of fear in me though, as I moved forward confidently. Condensed [Fireball]s were quickly rushing from me at high speeds, exploding on the wolves’ bodies and blowing masses of meat away
The group was quickly taken care of in the first volley of fireballs, and all that was left for me was to pick up the [Core] that dropped
I looked forward to the misty cold path in front of me as I rushed down this 20 Floor dungeon that would be the beginning of my journey.
Chapter 5 – How many fireballs to take down a huge polar bear?
In the first 5 floors of the [Frozen Wasteland], packs of white wolves appeared. With the fast velocity of the ever so damaging fireballs, they were mowed down quickly.
Aside from casting the skill towards the enemies that appeared, I had a few of them rotating around me, and randomly cast the skill even more as I moved forward, even if there were no enemies near me. I wanted to increase the proficiency of [Fireball] as fast as possible
I could only imagine what these monsters felt, as they would hear sounds of an explosion that quickly pulled them toward me before they met a grisly fate. Killing all of these monsters did not have that much of an effect on me. I was looking at them like the mere monsters that they were, they would not hesitate a second to rip my head off if I gave them the chance. Not to mention the hatred that everyone has against monsters for all the massacres on the early stage of the apocalypse…
The first 5 floors were quickly cleared, and from the 6th floor, monsters with a similar shape to foxes began appearing. These ones much bigger than the wolves before them. Their size surprisingly did not make them any slower and they were rushing towards me while ferociously growling
The further condensed [Fireballs] were shooting out from me without stopping. I was doing my best to adjust to the ever so increasing speed while aiming for their heads and limbs.
As soon as there was an impact, an explosion followed and chunks of meat flew. The arctic foxes were then taken down just as easily as the wolves. This continued until the 15th floor, where huge Musk Ox began appearing. They looked like huge bisons, but with a lot more fur
I stopped aiming at their limbs, as it seemed their thick coating provided some protection for them and focused on throwing the fireballs only at their heads. At the speed they were rushing towards me, I actually had to move back to avoid being rammed into whenever I ran into a group of 4 or 5 Musk Ox
They required more fireballs to be taken down, and if there were many of them then at least one would be able to get within a few meters. This pushed down my ever so increasing confidence a bit, making me slow down and stop my incessant casting that caused explosive sounds that alerted the monsters when I neared
As soon as I met another group, I cast as many [Fireball]s as I could and kept them around me without losing my focus, before bombarding the group when I neared. Just like that, I smoothly cleared all the way until the 20th floor, which held crystal glass stairs heading downwards.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself, casting the maximum fireballs I could keep circling me before I lost control and they exploded, which was about 10. Any more than that and I would lose concentration of a few that would fly away and explode
I went down the stairs and was met with a wide cave that had cold winds rushing about. At the center was a huge slumbering mass of a beast. As soon as I stepped in, two bright shining eyes opened, giving me a shock
This was the first-ever monster that actually made me feel somewhat suffocated, mostly due to its size. I didn’t waste any more time before commanding the fireballs around me to rush towards the huge beast, which was now standing on its hind-legs? Damn
All 10 fireballs rushed towards it, with a few more appearing around me a few seconds after. The beast that seemed like a huge polar bear crossed its thick arms around its face as the fireballs came and a huge explosion occurred
BOOM!
Dust filled the room, but I didn’t even bother waiting and checking if it was still alive or not before I threw the next 10 fireballs in the same direction
WOOSH
I let out a scream as I quickly moved back, the bear was not dead and had rushed a few meters closed to me, its arms mangled and burnt, but its huge jaws with pristine white teeth wide open. The last 10 fireballs I had haphazardly thrown out saved my life, as they quickly exploded on the opened jaws of the bear and blasted its head off
Damn. Damn. DAMN!
I was breathing heavily while calming myself down. That was close. If I had waited a single second…
If I was just a tad bit more overconfident I would have had my head chewed right off. Dammit. Throwing those last fireballs without checking for anything just saved my life. I stumbled down and reeled my emotions in as the dust cleared and the room returned to serenity
I closed my eyes as the events in the last few minutes played in my head. I was rushing things. I only had one F rank skill, and I alone attacked an E ranked dungeon. Stupid. It doesn’t matter that I can cast it repeatedly if it cannot quickly take down huge bosses like this. Even with the increased proficiency of [Fireball], it wasn’t enough for me to comfortably take down a rank E BOSS
I also did not absorb any of the [Core]s I had collected so far because I planned on selling all of them to quickly buy a higher tier skill book. Also stupid. If I absorbed some [Strength Core]s, my muscles would be reinforced and I would be stronger and quicker. If I absorbed more [Vitality Core]s, my defenses and health would be further increased so that a single attack won’t kill me
I took a deep breath as these ideas flowed in. Okay. No need to rush. Plan ahead carefully first.
My original plan was to dive into these dungeons repeatedly today until I gained enough money to purchase a C rank skill, but that might not be the smartest of ideas. I would need to repeat [Frozen Wasteland] at least 3 or 4 times alone if I wanted to collect funds nearing half a million
[Ape’s Paradise] alone had given me materials worth around $60,000, and I had gained close to a double that amount in here, with 100 [Core]s in the last 20 floors of this dungeon. A new plan quickly formed and I stood up to check what the BOSS had dropped
1 [Skill Book] and a few rank E [Core]s that were slightly bigger than a pigeons egg. The skill book I picked up was called [Arctic Armor]. Happiness quickly came to my face as this was one of the categories of skills I was planning to buy. Skills like these greatly complement the current me, as some armor skills are timed, and some stay as long as you provide the energy
Tanks usually cast this skill when fighting against BOSSes, granting them another layer of increased protection. If the tank doesn’t have a high enough [Focus] though, he might run out of energy for the armor and quickly be taken out, so his team members had to act fast to kill the BOSS
[Arctic Armor] would stay active as long as you provided the energy for the skill. I wasted no time learning it and quickly activating it. A thin crystal layer of ice quickly formed all over my body, giving me a cooling feeling. Almost all of the cold winds that were rushing about in the cave seemed like a breeze to me
Wow. I was already in love with this new skill. As usual, I didn’t feel like I was using any energy or depleting anything from my body as the skill was actively on. A confident smile quickly came back to my face as I collected the rest of the [Core]s and placed in my now heavy backpack
I turned to the green crystal that rose after the huge bear’s death, deactivated [Arctic Armor], and touched the crystal.
It was already night outside, the cold air emanating from the [Frozen Wasteland] monolith increasing some more. I passed by the few people that were there and went towards the roads where many cars were parked. Someone quickly approached me and I got in the car, my destination now being the popular Hunter Lodging at the center of Outer Bank X city
Many hunters did not have a permanent resident they stayed at as they moved around a lot, so luxurious hotel businesses were started that were specifically for hunters. Most paid to stay there by the day, as the cost was nowhere near what most hunters made from killing monsters day in and day out
Almost getting my head bitten off woke me up somewhat, even though I thought I was thinking very clearly when I was planning everything. I was calling it a day for now. I’ll sort through the [Core]s that dropped and see how much money I can make by selling them, and how many I should absorb myself
We quickly arrived at the hunter lodging called Pristine Residency. I paid the fare and went towards the entrance of the hotel. I would go back to my little apartment some other day to grab my valuables, now I just needed some rest
The Pristine Residency had a luxurious look with shining lights all around it. Being a hunter lodging, there were many services for hunters that were offered. Beside the extravagant dining with specially cooked monster meat, small shops that sold and bought [Skill Book]s, [Item]s, and [Core]s were also here, although they wouldn’t be anywhere near as extensive as the shops in the Awakened Centers
Selling your items at Awakened Centers would usually get you more profit and you would be able to find rarer skills there. Places like the Pristine Residency were more of a business while Awakened Centers were under the government’s wing. And the government never stopped buying all the items dropping from monsters in bulk
I went to the reception area where a crazily dolled up woman was flashing the sweetest smile and presented my hunter license. The smile never left her face as she quickly processed a room for me and gave me the key-card. I didn’t bother checking any of the shops in the huge building and went straight to the room which was on the 10 floor. All I wanted to do right now was lie down on a soft bed
Chapter 6 – Choosing new skills
The room of the Pristine Residency was fairly huge. Hunters preferred resting in these specially made lodgings because of the safety that was guaranteed. Nobody wanted to be the rich and renowned hunter that was killed in their sleep.
There was a platter of fresh fruits on the side and a thick bed in the middle of the room. I sat down on the bed and emptied the [Core]s in my backpack to get a grasp of just how much funds I could get tomorrow. There were 38 [Focus], 54 [Strength], and 48 [Vitality] cores, mixtures of F & E rank. This many cores were only possible if you were a very high ranker soloing lower dungeons or from partying with others of the same caliber to attack high ranking dungeons
Just the cores alone would probably net me a grand total of $180,000 were I to sell all of them. I wouldn’t be able to even come close to purchasing a Rank C skill, But I could probably get 1 Rank D skill or 2 Rank E skills
If I choose to sell the [Minor Heal] I got from the BOSS of [Ape’s Paradise], that’s another $20-30 k. But I was keener on learning that skill myself after the fight with that bear
I was absent-minded as I looked at the [Core]s in front of me. Doing something like this was always a wish of mine, but never in my wildest dreams had I thought it would ever become a reality
My mind quickly went back to the period of confusion, when monsters were first introduced to the world. The last thing I remember saying to my parents was “You guys have fun!”
They were going to their anniversary date, finally some time away from their son who hadn’t yet left the house. Those were the last words.
Tears unconsciously fell from my eyes as my mind went back to that time. I remember the rage I felt. The powerlessness as I hid in the bas.e.m.e.nt. Away from the screams and growls that were clearly heard as if they were next to me.
All I did was clutch my phone and watch the news updates as it went from monsters had appeared, to advice for the people to hide in their homes, to super-powered humans and the military stepping in.
I hid in that bas.e.m.e.nt for 2 straight days before I even had the courage to go upstairs and eat something. The weeks that followed were just confirmation of many people that did not have their loved ones return to them. I was scared and ashamed at that time. My parents, who had done everything for me, were massacred by monsters while I cowered in fear
Time after that seemed to pass by in a blur. With the money my parents left behind, I was able to live off of it comfortably. It took months before I began to direct the rage and helplessness towards the things that did this, but I still wasn’t able to do anything about it
The months after that I spent learning every little thing I could about monsters, dungeons, awakened hunters, and the reality of our new world. Only today did I learn a skill book and awaken myself
I wiped the tears off my face as a resolute expression came back. I couldn’t do anything then, but I can change what I do now.
I set aside some F rank [Vitality] and [Strength] cores for me to absorb and grabbed the phone near the bed to order room service. I then learned the [Minor Heal] skill and tried the skill for the first time
A green light washed over my body, reducing some of the fatigue I felt. I also made [Arctic Armor] to be active at the same time, as its proficiency would increase the longer it was used, and its defensive properties would further increase. I then began absorbing some of the [Core]s I set aside
My food arrived not too long after, two plates of prime ribs with some water. I paused everything when I grabbed the food from the door and ate the steaks waiting for me. I turned on the T.V while eating to check if there was anything newsworthy that happened today. There was a bearded anchor in a suit talking to a celebrity hunter
“Mr. Doyle, you’ve just come back overseas from doing hero work over in Country Z of the United Federation, just how differently do the hunters live there compared to our great Blessed Empire?” News Anchor
“Haha, the work was fun, but it was definitely a new environment. Things are done very differently there. Dungeon diving is very strictly regulated, with Hunters having to mandatorily hand over more than half of their earnings over to the government. It was truly eye-opening to see.” Celebrity Hunter
“My goodness! How can hunters live under such oppression? I would rebel! It is nothing like our great Empire, where Hunters are given the freedom to grow and prosper. It’s why we have such amazing heroes rising up over the years. God bless this great nation of ours!” News Anchor
“Well…” Celebrity Hunter
I quickly turned the T.V back off while shaking my head. Nothing noteworthy seems to be going on, just the usual propaganda being hurled at the common news watcher. The Blessed Empire…are we truly blessed? Compared to the United Federation, hunters here have a much higher death rate. The occasional dungeon breaks also cause mass casualties as response times were usually slow. Though I’m definitely lucky to be where I am, over the years I’ve to be skeptical of many of the things I hear.
Hunters from the United Federation lead vastly different lives, but from what I’ve seen in online forums they’re happy with the way things work. Of course, there are still many issues, but nowhere near as horrid as all our news networks make it out to be. Even the good things you see online could also be a false depiction though. So I guess I’d have to visit there myself to see how things are in the future
As soon as I finished eating my food and absorbing about 40 [Vitality] and [Strength] cores, I went towards the bed to get some rest. Before sleeping, I made sure to activate [Arctic Armor]
[Noah][Occupation: Hunter]
[Vitality: 30]
[Focus: – ]
[Strength: 30]
[Skill(s): (Fireball-81)(Heal-1)(Arctic Armor- 5)]
—
Morning came. It was around 6 am when I woke up. The bed had an outline of frost from where I was sleeping. I checked my panel to see that [Arctic Armor] had its proficiency rise to 61. It became slightly thicker and now looked like there was almost an armor of ice all over my body. I felt extremely comfortable sleeping with the skill activated, my body feeling a cooling sensation throughout
I grabbed a quick shower and cleaned up, and then went to grab some breakfast in the dining area. After finishing the food, I checked around the hunter shops in the hotel just to see if the skills I had in mind would be there, but I wasn’t so lucky. There were a variety of Rank C-F skills, but none that fully fit the guidelines I had in mind
I went out and hailed another driver to bring me to the largest Awakened Center in Outer Bank X. This center was as large as a stadium, with many hunters and normal humans rushing about. It was already packed early morning, with many things being sold or traded. I first went to trade in the [Core]s I did not absorb in one of the shops, and my account soon had an extra $155,000. Even after I absorbed more than 40 [Core]s, the remaining was still enough to bring me this much from just diving into 2 dungeons. This money brought a smile to my face, even though I knew it would soon be gone
Ignoring everything else, I went to the shop that had a huge sign of [Skill Books]
There were hundreds of skill books laid behind thick glass with their descriptions written out. On either side of the entrance were two hunters who seemed to be Rank D or above
I went into the shop and sure enough, there were a few books that fit my criteria. The first skill that fit exactly what I wanted was the rank D skill, [Flames of Torment]. The skill allowed you to cast a pillar of flames at a maximum distance of 10 meters and would last as long as energy is applied. The skill neared rank C in power but was neglected by many hunters because of its high energy usage characteristic. It fit perfectly with me. With its high damage, the pillar of flames would continue to be concentrated into a line of fire that burns anything in front of me
The next skill that matched what I was looking for and I actually had enough money to buy was another Rank D skill called [Safeguard]. This was a very peculiar skill that caused headaches for many tanks. Casting this skill greatly boosted your defense, and even fully absorbed all damage from lower-ranking skills. The only downside was its high energy requirement and the fact that you could not move while this skill was active
BOSSES regularly move and attack anything that damages them, if they see their attacks aren’t getting through a tank that is standing still, they will simply move to attack other party members that are causing it harm. Tanks who first used this skill caused the death of many spell casters, as they were too late catching up to the monster after being able to move again. You also never want to be a mage with your flimsy defense to cast this skill and standstill, as soon as your mana runs out you will be surrounded and…
Because of all this, a D rank skill book that normally goes for around $100 k, I was able to buy for $60 k. With the [Flames of Torment] being $90 k, I had effectively used almost all the money I made the day prior.
Now, it was time to go back to the [Frozen Wasteland]
