The world has endured countless ages since its birth nearly fifty million years ago.
There was a time when molten rock and lava ruled its surface.
Then came the forming of continents, the birth of the atmosphere, and the first fragile sparks of life. Species rose and fell with the passing eras, leaving only traces of their existence behind.
Now, it is the age of humanity.
Civilization has reached heights the planet itself might never have imagined possible. Technology thrives. Cities rise like steel forests. Humanity stands proudly at the top of the food chain.
Yet prosperity has come at a cost. The more humans advanced, the more the world itself seemed to weaken beneath them.
And then, one ordinary day—
Something appeared.
No one knew where it came from.
No one understood what it was.
Within less than a year, that unknown existence nearly drove humankind to extinction.
It was only when humanity realized they were no longer standing at the top of the pyramid—when despair began to spread—that a new power emerged.
Individuals capable of wielding "Skills."
Those who hunted the unknown beings and protected the people came to be known as Hunters.
Through blood and battle, the Hunters reclaimed fragments of peace.
Even now, the fighting continues somewhere in the world.
But not every place is a battlefield.
Even Hunters must eat. They must work. They must survive.
The disaster taught everyone a harsh truth—
Infrastructure matters just as much as strength.
Giga Shop & Paramedic Super Exchange
MRO Sales Department
"Sweety, give your big brother a better price. I'll become a regular customer."
The man's voice carried a teasing tone through the line.
Rosaline smiled sweetly.
Her long black hair was tied into a high ponytail, and her deep blue eyes—almost navy—remained fixed on the script displayed on her monitor.
"This is already a special price, sir. I've deducted my own commission for you."
Inside, however—
Ten items. Fifty percent discount on every single one. And now he wants more!? It's a pharmaceutical company!!. Why is their procurement department this ruthless!!!?
"Just two more Pures off. I'll confirm the order immediately."
Rosaline glanced at the delivery schedule.
Wednesday is open. He's nearby anyway. I can reroute the driver.
Aloud, she kept her tone gentle. "If the total reaches 2,000 Pures, I can arrange free shipping for you."
"…You're too honest." He said "I'll add 50 Pures worth of crystal fragments. That makes it 2,000."
This is charity work at this point…
Rosaline think and said out
"Thank you very much. We'll deliver according to the quotation."
Deal closed.
….
…
..
.
Lunch break arrived quickly. Most employees left to eat outside, but Rosaline stayed at her desk, eating the meal she had prepared the night before to save money.
At the same time, she scrolled through news on her phone.
An "Unknown Entity" had emerged from an A-rank dungeon earlier that morning. Fortunately, Hunters had contained the situation swiftly.
"Wow, that looks delicious. Mind if I try some?"
A cheerful voice interrupted her thoughts.
It was her senior colleague—the woman who had trained her during her first month. Half European, half Japanese. Reliable. Sharp.
"Please," Rosaline said.
Her senior picked up a fried sausage cut to resemble a squid and smiled after taking a bite.
"How was today?"
"I got destroyed in negotiations," Rosaline admitted with a sigh. "Fifty percent discount. Then they asked for more reductions. They wouldn't even let two Pures go."
"You gave in again, didn't you?"
"They're a new client. I wanted to build goodwill first."
"That's fine. But if you do that every time, you'll train them to expect it. Then you're not controlling the price—they are."
Rosaline lowered her eyes slightly.
"By the way," her senior added, "you cook well. Ever thought about opening a restaurant?"
"Managing the house after work is exhausting enough."
Hiring help was expensive. So she did everything herself.
….
…
..
.
Her phone rang.
Leslie.
"Hey, little brother. What's wrong?"
"I forgot my key. Can you come home early?"
She sighed softly. She had left early that morning and asked him to lock up.
"Alright. I'll hurry."
Less than three minutes later, another call came in.
Saved under: Special Call – Study Kids Gang
Rosaline immediately straightened her tone.
"Hello."
"Big Sis Hermit! Are you taking us this semester break?!"
She stepped out onto the balcony.
"Young Master Beethoven, we agreed not to call during work hours."
"But Father said if it's about money, you'll always answer."
She inhaled slowly.
"I'm only available on weekends."
"Oh… I thought you'd be free every day like last time."
"I can stay the entire weekend. Overnight if needed. We can discuss payment later."
This job paid heavily.
Just one semester break had earned her nearly ten million Pures.
"Alright. I'll confirm with Father."
The call ended.
Rosaline looked out over the city skyline.
It had been nearly a century since the Unknown first appeared.
They were now called De-von.
Her city had once been reduced to ruins. But through technology—and by utilizing materials that came with the De-von—human civilization rebuilt itself stronger than before.
….
…
..
.
Her home was five kilometers away. Every evening, she took the high-speed train back.
It was a modest two-story house surrounded by herbs—thyme, rosemary—and strange plants like Pearl Valley, whose white pearl-like flowers could be eaten fresh to relieve fatigue.
A plant that had arrived alongside the De-von.
"You're late, Sis Rose."
Leslie stood by the gate, green eyes flashing with annoyance.
"Sorry. Big client."
She softened her voice deliberately.
"I'm exhausted."
His irritation faded immediately.
"Let's go inside."
She produced a spare key seemingly out of nowhere and unlocked the door.
"I wish I could do that," he muttered.
"Right. Eat without me tonight. I'm going out."
"Should I cook?"
"If I make it back in time, I'll eat."
Upstairs, she changed into a gray hoodie, dark jeans, and finally—
A black full-face mask that sealed seamlessly to her skin.
Her true features disappeared.
She opened the window and jumped.
Her movements across rooftops were so fast that ordinary eyes could not follow.
A stray cat yelped as she passed.
"Sorry."
Beethoven's mansion was in the neighboring city.
Moving at roughly ninety kilometers per hour, she arrived within twenty minutes.
The silver gates opened after a brief exchange with the butler.
Inside, a grand rose garden surrounded a fountain. Beethoven's mother loved roses, and for a billionaire, maintaining such luxury was effortless.
"Miss Hermit. My apologies."
The butler bowed slightly.
Beethoven waited inside with three friends.
Golden hair. Deep pink eyes—a mutation caused by a Skill anomaly.
"Four million Pures. Weekends. Three months."
Her phone buzzed.
Transfer complete.
Rosaline—Hunter codename Hermit—was a support-type Hunter. She had been hired before to supervise this group of wealthy teenagers who wanted to experience dungeon life.
Somehow, they had grown attached.
A shy boy handed her a red gift box.
"For last time."
She sensed it immediately.
A prank explosive inside.
Bang!
Rainbow confetti burst outward.
They laughed.
Inside the box lay a palm-sized, golden heart-shaped crystal.
Her eyes widened.
"A Skill Advancement Crystal… something this valuable…"
"It's only a hundred million," Beethoven said casually. "We pooled our money."
Even a fragment of this crystal cost tens of millions. It only dropped from high-level De-von—and rarely.
At higher levels, Skills could no longer advance through training alone.
They required this.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"That's for your upgrade. You kept saying you wanted one."
That's ten years of my savings…
"Young masters should learn to save."
Beethoven shrugged.
"We're already rich."
She exhaled.
"So. Which dungeon?"
"C-Zone."
"The same one?"
He nodded.
Rosaline adjusted her mask slightly.
"Then we move this Saturday."