"You might as well shove a log up my ass!"
"Crazy son of a bitch! Do you have any idea how much that sword cost me?"
The man in front of me slammed his fist onto the marble counter. The plastic nameplate that read Lee Kwon rattled and fell over.
I didn't pick it up. I just stared at the spit landing on my keyboard.
"Sir, as I explained, the Golem's Forest is a Public Tower Zone."
"Clause 4, Section 2 of the Hunter Association Safety Act states that the Association is not responsible for equipment lost or destroyed in public areas.
Because of that, I cannot process a refund."
"I don't care about your clauses! I'm a D-Rank Hunter! I risk my life clearing those floors so people like you can sit in air-conditioned offices!"
I looked at him.
He was wearing mismatched leather armor and smelled like dried sweat.
He was likely a bottom-tier freelancer who probably spent his entire savings on a low-grade magic sword and broke it by hitting a rock.
"I understand your frustration, sir. But the rules are the rules."
"Rules? I'll show you rules!"
He grabbed the edge of the desk.
For a second, I thought he might actually jump over. This happened multiple times a week.
Dealing with Awakened people who think their rank gives them the right to act like animals was my daily routine.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over the desk.
"Hunter Kang Min-ho. D-Rank. Specialized in blunt weapons. Correct?"
The screaming man froze. He turned his head.
Han Seo-yoon stood there. She was holding a stack of folders.
She didn't look angry. She actually had a small, pleasant smile on her face, but her eyes were scanning his rank badge with clinical precision.
"Ah... yes," the man stuttered.
"Your license is up for renewal in two weeks."
Her tone was friendly, like she was offering him a cup of coffee.
"Making a scene at the Civil Affairs Desk is a 10-point deduction on your social credit.
If you keep this up, you won't be able to enter the Tower for six months. Is the sword worth your career?"
The man's face went from red to pale.
He grumbled something under his breath, kicked the base of the desk, and stomped toward the exit.
I exhaled. I picked up my nameplate and put it back.
"You okay, Kwon?"
Seo-yoon asked. She leaned against the divider and looked at me. She was always like this.
Even though she was a senior staffer, she spent half her time checking up on everyone in the department.
"I'm fine. Just another Tuesday."
"You look like you haven't slept in three days. You should really try that new health tea I told you about."
She reached out and dropped a thick, heavy folder onto my desk. It made a loud thud.
"Anyway, here are 50 more complaints from the Morning Shift. Most of them are about the drop rates in the 3rd Floor Water Zone.
Work faster, Lee. The paperwork isn't going to finish itself."
I looked at the folder. It was three inches thick. This led to a heavy feeling in my chest.
"Thanks, Seo-yoon."
"Don't mention it! I'll bring you a snack later."
She said with a wink before heading back to her station.
'Ugghh.'
I opened the folder. More complaints. More people crying about lost items, unfair loot distribution, or the fact that the Tower was too hard today.
The Tower.
It appeared ten years ago. It's a massive structure that defies physics, sitting right in the middle of the city. The Hunter Association was built to manage it. We handle the logistics, the licensing, the monster disposal, and the thousands of Awakened who enter it every day to hunt.
Awakened are people who gained special powers when the Tower appeared. They are the only ones who can enter and survive the floors. Some become rich. Most just end up like the guy who screamed at me bitter and broke.
I looked at my computer screen. Shortly after I decided to give attention to the floating thing at the corner of my eye. A small icon stayed minimized. I tapped it.
[Status Window]
Name: Lee Kwon
Level: 0
Rank: F (Evaluated)
Level 0.
It was a joke. Ten years ago, I awakened. I was excited. I thought I would be a hero and earn big.
I did the tutorial. It was a simple labyrinth with weak goblins.
I cleared it. The system said I did a 'Great Job.' But when I exited, my level didn't move.
Because of that, I went back in. I did the tutorial 14 times.
I cleared it perfectly every time to the point I experimented. I stayed in the first floor zones for months. I hunted exactly 1,000 slimes. I tracked the numbers. I optimized my movements.
Nothing changed. My level remained at 0.
In this world, Level 1 is the minimum to enter the higher floors. Level 0 means you are functionally a civilian with a fancy status window. You can't get stronger. You can't learn skills. You are stuck.
I closed the window. It was a waste of time to look at it.
"Hey, Kwon! Focus!"
I looked up. A middle-aged woman was standing there. She looked exhausted.
"My son went into the 2nd floor three days ago and hasn't come out."
Her voice was trembling.
"The HA tracking system says his vitals are still active, but no one is going in to get him. Why?"
I pulled up the 2nd floor logs.
"The 2nd floor is currently under a 'Mana Storm' alert, ma'am."
I kept my voice steady.
"The Association cannot send rescue teams until the environment stabilizes. It's too dangerous for the staff."
"But he's just a kid! He's only C-Rank!"
"I understand. But the rescue protocol is clear. We have to wait."
She started to cry. She didn't scream like the man before. She just sobbed quietly. This was the other part of the job. It wasn't just slurs and spit... grief too was a part of it.
I watched her for a moment. I wanted to tell her that the 2nd floor has three Safe Zones hidden behind the waterfall area that the official maps don't show. I knew because I spent hours studying the Tower's layout back when I thought I could climb it. If her son was smart, he was hiding there.
But I couldn't say that. I was just a Level 0 clerk. If I gave unofficial advice and her son died, the Association would sue me into the ground.
"Please wait in the lounge, ma'am. We will notify you the moment the storm clears."
She nodded slowly and walked away.
I went back to the paperwork. I processed 15 more complaints. I filed three death reports. I denied five more refund requests. My back ached. My eyes burned from the blue light of the monitor.
The clock on the wall moved slowly. 4:00 PM. 4:01PM.
The Civil Affairs Desk is the lowest basement of the Hunter Association. It's where the dreams of being a Hunter come to die. People come here when they realize they aren't the main character of a story.
I am the person who tells them that their failure is permanent.
Maybe that's why I'm good at this job. I've lived with my own failure for a decade. Level 0. A capped ceiling that never broke.
"Kwon, you're doing that thing again."
Seo-yoon said, walking past with a stack of empty coffee cups.
"What thing?"
"The 'I'm-staring-into-the-abyss' face. Snap out of it. We're almost done for the day."
"Maybe you are...but I'm not."
She patted my shoulder. Her hand was warm.
"You're a good worker. The Association is lucky to have someone who doesn't lose his temper."
"I just don't have the energy to get angry."
"Whatever works!"
I stood up and stretched. My joints popped.
I just wanted to go home, eat a cheap meal, and check my phone. That was my real life.