"A new dungeon opens in Kathmandu, Nepal!
The TV buzzed loudly, the news anchor's voice screaming at the top of his lungs.
His eyes flicked between the TV and his phone.
He groaned and whimpered, discontent clear in his voice.
"Another one..."
On his phone was an article announcing a new batch of people recruited by the government, the newly awakened soldiers for capturing dungeons.
He read it line by line in an exaggerated voice.
"The Hunter Association has announced a new batch of hunters. This time, the list includes the following: 1. Raider: Timothy James,
2. Slip: Anna Taylor...
and 12. Texturer: Giovanni Gator."
A saddened expression came on his face; he then turned the pages back to the article written two years ago.
Its title read: "City First Hires the Awakened as Saviors."
"Salvation of humanity is now in the hands of the Awakened. Our military can't fight the monsters of the rift; we have lost many cities. But now, we have finally found a way, a superhuman, a weapon in itself..."
He was scanning through the list of the Awakened once again, searching for the name. He already knew exactly which section to check, as if he had searched for it countless times before, Jonathan Marshall.
His eyes watered as he saw it, his quivering lips let a muffle word. "DAD."
---
Midnight.
Two men were robbing an old man with a gun in their hands.
"Empty your pockets!" one of them yelled.
The old man's hands trembled as he slowly reached toward his pocket, fear clearly etched on his face.
Meter away from them, someone was watching, analyzing. His piercing gaze calculated every possible move, every path that could keep him hidden from the robber.
"I am so fucked," whispered the cowardly man.
Trembling, his legs shook vigorously as he nearly soiled his pants.
He had been unwell all day and burdened by months of failure; a deep sadness and despair was eating him out. So, to relieve his stress and grief, he went to a bar, and whether it was his own sorrow or the bartender's heavy hand with the alcohol, he passed out. When he finally woke up, it was midnight, the bar was closed and he was on the ground, already been thrown out, he was left with empty wallet, with his money gone, taken by the bartender for the drinks.
He slowly got up, scratching his head, letting out a yawn as he stretched his body. He stumbled forward, trying to walk again.
The night was still young, as he retraced his steps, he spotted two men in the alley, surrounding an old man. The old man was backed up with the wall, quivering.
"He is getting robbed." Chris stepped out of the line of sight and quickly hid behind the wall, watching them cautiously.
Sobriety hit him as he saw it.
"Why am I so unlucky?" he whispered.
Suddenly, one of the robber's eyes caught a glimpse in the moonlight, a figure watching them discreetly. Its frame was small yet imposing.
Before he could yell, it was already upon him.
It slid through the air, its feathers on its back materialized and formed into wings.
Landing in front of them, its eye glistening with crimson red,
As the moonlight finally illuminated the figure, it revealed a girl; her jet-black hair curled to her shoulders, her crimson eyes menacing, and her skin glowing softly under the moon's light.
"Let the poor man go," she whispered.
Her nonchalant voice, resigned to reality, carried no authority, yet the two robbers backed away, fear coursing through their veins.
"We're sorry, we won't do it again, Ms. Hunter."
They emptied their pockets and with returning the old man's wallet, they hurried off.
"Take it back, old man," one of them screamed as they were already meters away.
The pair of robbers appeared comical and amusing; if not for the act they had just committed moments ago, they might have even seemed harmless.
The crimson-eyed girl gazed at the old man, her eyes filled with deep understanding. "What are you doing, Luthur?"
The old man was still trembling, his hands and expression visibly shaken.
"How... fine. It's something I'm researching. There are some unusual mana levels in this town."
He immediately stopped acting as he regained his composure.
He pulled out a device, its terminal flashing 3D holographic images in front of them, painting the entire alley with blue light.
A cube in the middle started vibrating and soon shook violently before crumbling, leaving behind a portal.
"There might be an awakening dungeon opening here soon. Though a bit unique, there's no doubt one will appear."
The lady's crimson eyes remained still. "Why didn't you tell the guild master about this discovery?"
Luther took a step back, rubbing the back of his head. He gave a faint smile. "You know, this... this awakening dungeon is F-rank, at least according to its mana signals..."
The lady didn't respond, and the long pause was making Luther even more nervous.
He added, "I want to use this as nourishment for my pet... You know, we don't need an F-rank anymore; they're a waste."
His voice quivered on the last sentence.
The lady's eyes finally moved and turned toward the alley corner. In her ethereal voice, she said, "Do not attempt to take part in it. I cannot guarantee your safety." With that, she took flight and disappeared into the shimmering moonlight.
Luther, now composed after she left, leaned against the corner, grunted. "Being an F-rank won't get you far. You shouldn't even bother thinking about it, it's already mine!"
With that, he bolted away, moving with an unnaturally swift speed.
The man, concealed from view, trembled with excitement.
"An awakening dungeon! I'm set for life. Hunter's Life, here I come!" he exclaimed, punching the air triumphantly.
---
Next day,
'Where can I even begin to look for it? That Luther guy had that strange device to monitor human signals, where can I find something like that?'
He moved quietly back and forth across the room, his thoughts drifting in slow, steady currents.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, struck by a eureka moment.
"What if I find a hunter with mana sensitivity? That way, I wouldn't need a device, though hiring one might be a bit tricky."
Hiring a hunter was expensive, a luxury only a rich tycoon could afford. On top of that, hiring a mage would cost an amount that even few among the wealthy could manage. Additionally, hunters themselves were often rich, so many might not even accept money as payment....
But that was the case for Combat and Utilitarian hunters, who were highly sought after.
For a normal low-rank, non-combatant, non-utility hunter, it would be significantly less. Hunters in this category include...