Lathan chuckled softly. "It's just 'cause I'm not dead yet, bro."
"I'm serious."
"andd me too."
"… Hahaha yeah yeah, whatever you say," Razy replied.
They continued walking along the street, which was growing quieter, the sound of traffic fading away.
"Sometimes I wonder… maybe I'm just fighting against time, waiting for the system to awaken," Lathan said softly.
Razy stopped and turned to him, his eyes serious. "Maybe. But I believe if you keep going, that system will come to you. I believe you're going to be different."
Lathan nodded slowly, but deep inside, doubt gnawed at him. He wanted more than just to survive—he wanted to prove he could become something great, even if he hadn't been blessed like his friends.
"Maybe what matters isn't how fast we rise, but how we hold on until that moment finally comes," Lathan continued.
Razy smiled, then patted his friend's shoulder. "Agreed. And as long as we can still stand, we're not alone."
"And hopefully your system will awaken real soon, Than," said Razy.
"Yeah," replied Lathan.
"Poor you, man, your system hasn't awakened at all—but your inner weeb sure did, hahaha!" Razy burst out laughing.
"Hey you damn monkey, we were having a calm dramatic moment and now you're just making fun of me," Lathan snapped, annoyed at Razy's teasing.
Right after saying that, Lathan glanced at his watch—it was already 4 PM.
"Eh, I gotta go, Zy. I'm almost late," Lathan said as he hurried off.
Hearing that, Razy responded, "What? You're already leaving?"
"I've got work, man... and it's your fault for chatting with me and making me almost late," Lathan called out as he ran off.
"Alright then! Let's hang out again sometime!" Razy shouted.
"Sipp!" Lathan replied from a distance, giving a thumbs-up.
You're probably wondering where I work and what my job is right now.
I mentioned it before—I work part-time at a guild, in the "Cleanup Division" for portals.
Hmmph? You're wondering what a cleanup division in a portal is? Well, simply put, it's a division where people are assigned to clean up the leftovers from a dungeon or portal that's almost been cleared. Their job is to carry out monster corpses, gather crystals, and collect minerals found inside the dungeon.
In this division, even normal people—non-players—can work and enter dungeons. That's why I took this job.
Besides needing money to survive, I also get to see players in action as they clear dungeons with their skills.
Even if I can't compare to top players, at least I can learn a thing or two from watching them.
It was 4:45 PM when Lathan arrived at his part-time workplace.
"Haaa… ha…" Lathan panted heavily from running.
"Finally made it… from the entrance on, I can only hope the boss doesn't cut my pay for being late," he muttered anxiously.
Lathan entered the guild office where he worked part-time. The building wasn't too big or too small. It was clean enough, and as usual, plenty of players were gathered, ready to enter the dungeon.
Lathan quickly made his way to the Cleanup Division room, where a group of people had already gathered for their shift.
"Oi, Lathan, late again, huh?!" came a heavy voice.
"Aghhh… Boss Erwin…" Lathan stammered, trembling in fear of being scolded.
"How many times do I have to tell you—don't slack off! Still coming in late!!" Boss Erwin yelled.
"I-I'm sorry, Boss… There were some… complications," Lathan replied with a weak excuse.
"Hahhh, fine. Go get your gear on, we're heading out in 20 minutes to clean up a D-ranked dungeon alongside the players," Boss Erwin said.
"Since you're not Awakened yet, you need to wear protective equipment. That way, if something unexpected happens, at least you can put up some resistance," he continued.
"Alright, Boss. I'll go get ready now," Lathan replied as he rushed to the locker room.
The cleanup division's locker room was cramped, filled with the stench of sweat and metal. Lathan opened his locker, rusted at the bottom, and began putting on his standard gear—protective vest, scratch-resistant gloves, and a cheap helmet that might cause more harm than good if it actually took a hit.
"Ugh, a helmet like this would probably cause a concussion if I got smacked by a minotaur," Lathan muttered, smirking, trying to cheer himself up. Still, he wore it. Better to look dumb than die a fool's death.
While suiting up, Lathan suddenly found himself pondering one word.
"Hmm… Portal… huh?" he muttered.
"Portals," or what people usually call "Dungeons,"
are places that distort Earth's landscape, causing chaos and disaster for humanity… Countless monsters beyond comprehension have emerged from these dungeons.
Years have passed since the Dungeon Disaster began… Just like with players, a dungeon's danger level can be measured based on the intensity of energy within it.
Just like players, a dungeon's threat is ranked.
A portal's rank is based on how dense and powerful the energy it emits is, and the tool used to measure that energy is called a "Devixer."
The "Devixer" was created by scientists using dungeon materials and skills granted by the System.
Indeed, tools crafted with System-blessed skills and materials defy common sense. But thanks to these tools, humanity has been able to avoid even greater disasters.
The catastrophe that struck Earth decades ago left deep scars for everyone—but ironically, it's also what spurred humanity's rapid development.
Oh right, I forgot to mention—these dungeons are managed by people from the Player Association.
You're wondering what the Player Association is? Well, simply put, it's a government-run organization that regulates emerging dungeons. I'll explain more about it another time.
Since the boss and his team have already arranged everything and confirmed the dungeon rank using the Devixer, I, as a member of the cleanup team, must be ready to depart with the others.
Some time passed, and Lathan finished changing. He returned to the waiting room.
About ten people were already gathered there—all part of the Cleanup Division. Some were old, some around his age, and one looked like a street thug but always brought two packs of nasi uduk as lunch.
I looked around—some still weren't finished changing. While waiting, someone approached me.
"Yo Lathan, still alive, huh?" said Deni, one of his coworkers in the division.
We're not that close—more like just work acquaintances. Or maybe just formal coworkers.
"Still breathing, Den," Lathan replied with a small grin.
Not long after, Boss Erwin arrived. "Okay, the Hunter group is ready to enter." He shouted loudly, "Everyone ready?! You, Lathan—you ready?!"
"Ready, Boss!" Lathan replied firmly.
"Since the cleanup team is ready, we'll head in five minutes after the main hunting party. This dungeon is classified as D-Rank. Its magical readings have been checked—no anomalies," Boss Erwin continued.
"Remember, we follow the player squad from the guild at a safe distance. Our job is to gather materials and collect any items or parts dropped from defeated monsters," Boss Erwin commanded.
"Yes, Boss!" replied everyone from the Cleanup Division in unison.
They began to move.
~~Continued~~