This world, being a "Hunter" was not just a symbol of strength—
it was proof of existence itself.
The name of this world was Aredia.
Aredia was a vast realm, divided into seven continents.
Each continent had its own climate, culture, and races.
But there was one continent—
A place where almost every race lived together.
It was called Luminark Continent.
Here, humans, elves, dwarven blacksmiths, beastkin, and many other intelligent races coexisted.
And here as well—
Monsters and demons were born.
Unlike humans, not every race in Aredia followed the same rules of power.
Monsters, demons, elves, beastkin, and several other races were born with power flowing through their blood.
From the moment they were born, their abilities already existed within them.
As they grew older, they naturally refined these abilities.
Through survival, battle, and time, they continued to grow stronger.
For them, power was instinct.
But humans were different.
Humans were not born with power.
Their abilities were sealed deep within their souls and could only surface through an event known as Awakening—
which usually occurred after the age of ten.
This difference was what separated humans from other races in their early years.
In this world, no one was born powerful.
This was not a fairy tale.
Power came in the form of an Awakening.
Usually—
After the age of ten, a person's talent could awaken
For some, it happened early
For others, late
And for some… never
Those whose talents never awakened—
Were called Inactive.
And in Aredia, that word was a curse.
Aeron Ashford was thirteen years old.
He lived in a border region of Luminark,
in the house of a distant relative.
With that same relative—
His younger sister Ria also lived.
Ria was still nine years old.
Aeron never told her—
But every morning when he woke up,
the first thing he checked was—
That Ria was alive.
That alone was enough for him.
Today was different.
Today was the day Aeron would go to take the
Hunter Qualification Test.
It was not called a "Hunter Exam."
It was known as—
The Qualification TrialIts purpose was not to make someone a Hunter.
It existed to determine—
Whether a person possessed any talent
If they did, what kind
And if they didn't… why not
Because—
Without talent,
becoming a Hunter was impossible.
Until now—
Aeron was considered completely talentless.
In his previous life,
this fact had broken him more than anything else.
But this time—
He knew.
Time had already begun to change.
Or perhaps—
It had only just started.
The Qualification Center was located slightly outside the city,
at the edge of a forest.
A massive structure built of stone.
Carved above its entrance were the words—
"Hunter Association – Luminark Branch"
Aeron had just reached the area when—
He heard something.
Grrrr… GRAAAH…
Aeron stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"That sound…"
"It shouldn't be here."
No monsters were supposed to be near the Qualification Center.
That was the rule.
But—
The sound came again.
And this time—
Closer.
Without thinking, Aeron changed direction.
He ran toward the forest.
The moment he entered between the trees—
What he saw made his blood run cold.
An elf youth lay on the ground.
His body was soaked in blood.
And standing before him—
Was a monster.
A tall, blackened body.
Smoke-like darkness leaked from its skin.
Glowing crimson eyes.
And its arms—
Twisted, unnatural, ending in sharp claws.
Its very presence made the air feel heavy.
The elf noticed Aeron.
"Run…"
he said weakly.
"This thing… it's stronger than D-Rank…"
The monster growled.
Its name—
Darkmaw.
A creature whose very existence felt wrong.
Aeron swallowed hard.
His body trembled.
He had—
No weapon
No talent
No training
And yet—
He did not step back.
"If I run now…"
"Then this elf will die."
He took a step forward.
Darkmaw noticed him.
And smiled.
"Human…"
its voice echoed.
"Do you wish to die as well?"
The next instant—
The monster attacked.
Aeron barely dodged.
A tree behind him split into two.
His heart was pounding.
"I…"
"I can't do anything…"
He tried to protect the elf—
But every exchange pushed him back.
Then—
Darkmaw's claw swept past Aeron's chest.
If he had been even a moment slower—
He would have died.
His knees trembled.
"Again…"
"Again, this helplessness…"
Ria's face flashed before his eyes.
Her tears.
Her smile.
"No…"
"I can't lose again."
In that moment—
Something broke.
Deep inside.
An unfamiliar sensation—
Like chains snapping apart.
The air shifted.
The forest fell silent.
Darkmaw stopped moving.
For the first time—
Fear appeared in its eyes.
Aeron's breathing grew heavy.
His body wasn't shaking from pain—
But from some unknown pressure.
He could see—
Darkmaw's movements slowing.
His vision locked onto every weak point.
Without thinking—
Aeron leapt forward.
One strike.
Then another.
Darkmaw screamed.
Its body cracked apart.
And moments later—
It collapsed to the ground.
Dead.
Silence filled the forest.
Aeron stood there, breathing heavily.
He looked toward the elf.
He was alive.
"I…"
"I did…"
The words never finished.
The world began to spin.
His body staggered—
And Aeron collapsed onto the ground.
Unconscious.
Only the sound of wind remained in the forest.
And somewhere far away—
It felt as if time itself
had changed its course.
To be continued…