FTE 001

I never thought I’d end up doing someone else’s dirty work this year. It might be too early to reflect on the entire year since it isn’t even winter yet, but my mind is made up. This was indeed my experience for the year.

“I never thought I’d end up doing someone else’s dirty work,” I exclaimed loudly, trying to convey just how twisted my thoughts had become, but the broker driving me to the Hunter Association seemed utterly uninterested. Not only that, he appeared completely oblivious, as evidenced by his sleeping mask and earplugs firmly in place.

“Hey.” Seunggyu used to be one of my closest friends, but now our relationship rating was plummeting toward rock bottom due to his constant slacking off and false promises. I tapped him with some paperwork, calling out, “Seunggyu!” No response.

“Hey! What’s this? It’s a bloodbath!”

He snored louder, unmoved. Who knew this rookie would turn out so useless?

Whether Seunggyu was pretending or actually asleep, he didn’t respond, so I left him alone and continued reviewing the file. 

It contained basic information about the hunter assigned to me: Name: Chae Won-u; Age: 20 years old; Gender: Male.

There wasn’t much else despite the crucial stabilization interview yet to come. With such sparse data, all I could do was speculate based on what little there was.

Judging by his age, Chae Won-u might be newly awakened. Training a rookie hunter would entail teaching them many things and correcting their mistakes—a task that should’ve been relegated to someone else at this point, right? I couldn’t just sit back and watch my future become a thorny mess without doing anything.

Intent on getting even with Seunggyu, I quietly stuck some gum on his phone. Knowing him, as soon as he wakes up, he’ll reach for it before taking off his sleep mask. My wish would be fulfilled if the gum adheres perfectly to his hand.

I glanced around the van. These guys could sleep soundly anywhere, even smack-dab in the middle of a desert. More than half were snoring loudly with their legs sprawled out wide open.

Only five of us got on the van meant for ten people, yet it looked packed due to our size. Here, I was like a single stalk of bamboo and as fragrant as chrysanthemums… And what else? There was one about spicy rice porridge, but sadly, I couldn’t remember the other two.

Regardless, despite my appearance, I’ve been doing this longer than anyone here. It’s a thankless job. How long must I keep at this?

…Truthfully, I know very well why. It’s all about money. And unfortunately, I’ll have to continue working for quite some time.

In a country where oil wells had once run dry, dungeons now erupted everywhere. As a result, housing instability increased, while property values skyrocketed in areas with fewer reported dungeon occurrences.

I had no choice but to continue this line of work for stable housing and a comfortable retirement. Despite being dirty and unpleasant, the pay was excellent. This job could be summed up as the five Ds: dirty, difficult, dangerous, demanding, and…well, I wasn’t sure about the fifth one since my vocabulary was limited.

‘This is the highest fee you’ve ever received. With this, your net worth will now rank among the top 1 percent of Guides, Baekgyeom-ah.’

It was entirely my fault for falling for those empty promises without hearing all the details first.

Resigned, I tossed the file aside. As soon as I sank deep into my chair, it caught my eye—the splendid signboard of the Hunter Association of Korea made from rare dungeon materials that changed color depending on the light.

***

After dungeons started spawning, Korea quickly established a response system. The country’s area code is +82, and ‘quickly’ is one of its most recognizable words internationally. Koreans have no patience for being behind others, and this wartime mentality has proven advantageous.

The first order of business was dealing with the onslaught of monsters pouring out from these dungeons. Although they were able to kill many beasts, there was nothing they could do about the dungeons themselves. Additionally, there were numerous casualties. In the midst of all this chaos, Helios Pharmaceuticals, based in the United States, stepped forward.

They announced, “We’ve been preparing for this crisis that we knew would inevitably come upon humanity.”

They promptly dispatched teams consisting of mercenaries and researchers to countries requesting assistance.

According to Helios’ researchers, genetic mutations occurred as a response to this apocalyptic signal, resulting in people with extraordinary abilities unlike any ordinary humans. This phenomenon was worldwide, and they were certain it included South Korea.

South Korea is known for its meticulous record keeping: registering births immediately after delivery, requiring residents to register before adulthood, and mandating notification of address changes upon moving. The government swiftly identified potential superhumans.

There were three types of Ability User—or rather, there were many more if we delved deeper—but let’s just say… There were four main categories. Experts might classify them differently, but these four worked fine by me.

First, you have the Hunters. They are individuals with combat-focused abilities, officially registered with the Hunter Bureau, and actively involved in clearing dungeons. Then there are the Guides. Their role is crucial in supporting the Hunters who experience excruciating pain due to their abilities’ side effects, which intensify with use. Guides stabilize these Hunters and prevent them from losing control and exceeding their limits as the pain pushes them towards instability. We also have Espers, individuals with psychic or energy-based abilities. While not primarily combat-oriented, their powers are indispensable for dungeon exploration. Lastly, there are those individuals with abilities who don’t fit into the previous categories.  They possess physical capabilities surpassing ordinary people and display some potential for special abilities, but their powers are too weak for them to be considered anything more than just managed individuals under local government oversight. 

I was a guide, someone who stabilized hunters through physical contact. In simpler terms, I acted like a tranquilizer specifically designed for hunters.

“The Hunter Association is impressive once again today.”

The Hunter Association was part of the government and proved the world order where the youngest member held significant power despite being at the bottom. Its importance skyrocketed rapidly, receiving both huge budgets and profits annually, making its interior lavish…

…but not in a good way.

“Tsk, looks like they were at it again,” Seunggyu clicked his tongue as he pushed up his tacky sunglasses onto his head. Designer knockoffs, they called them. Personally, he thought even a decent fake would have more class.

“What happened?”

“Hunters fighting each other again. Look over there; the statue is shattered. No wonder they say the Hunter Association single-handedly resurrected the sculpting industry.” 

He gestured with one hand, revealing a small sculpture, perfectly rendered and utterly destroyed.  

“They should put this on display in the Louvre Museum.”

“Oh, they closed down. A dungeon emerged right under the glass pyramid.”