Smoke curled from the corpse of the Riftbeast, acrid and thick, mixing with the rain in the dead air. The stench of scorched flesh clung to Yoon Taesung's uniform as he stood motionless, staring down at the body. His hands trembled slightly, not from fear—but from something deeper. Something colder. His mind was blank, not even racing—just... still.
A faint chime echoed inside his skull.
> [You have successfully defeated a Rift Pulse-class creature.]
[System Initialization Complete.]
[Class: Arcane Strider (C-Rank)]
[Skill Unlocked: Dimensional Step (Rank: B, Level: 1)]
[Skill Unlocked: Mana Severance (Rank: B, Level: 1)]
The glowing window hovered before his eyes, ethereal and silent. Numbers. Words. Lines of power. It felt unreal, like a hallucination born from exhaustion and desperation. But the ache in his bones, the dull heat in his chest, the smell of burnt asphalt beneath his boots—those were real.
He didn't even hear the footsteps until they stopped just a few meters behind him.
"Hey!" a voice barked. Deep. Controlled. Alert. Not hostile—yet.
Yoon Taesung turned, slow and deliberate.
A man in full combat gear stood near the broken Rift barrier, rifle slung across his back, a glinting insignia stitched onto his armored jacket: Silver Lions.
His visor slid back, revealing a sharp face, narrow eyes, and a short buzzcut. His gaze dropped to the smoldering corpse at Taesung's feet. Then back to him.
"…You did that?" the man asked.
Taesung nodded once. "It was trying to kill me."
The Hunter blinked. "…You're part of the cleanup crew, aren't you?"
Another nod.
"Shit," the man muttered, walking closer and crouching beside the corpse. He examined the wounds, the charred remnants, the split armor plates. "That thing's a Pulse-tier. Borderline C-class threat. Cleanup workers don't survive these. Not unless they're packing heat or… awakened."
"I just awakened," Taesung said. His voice was flat, stripped of emotion.
The Hunter straightened, eyes sharp now, searching his face. "No gear. No backup. First kill? You're one hell of a lucky bastard."
Was it luck? Or something else?
"I guess."
The man exhaled slowly and tapped the side of his comm. "This is Seong Jinhwan of Silver Lions. Rift 23-C breach neutralized. Confirmed Awakener on site—male, early twenties, unregistered. Bringing him in for classification."
Taesung tensed slightly.
Jinhwan raised a hand. "Relax. I'm not dragging you off. You just popped a Riftbeast solo. That makes you interesting. Not dangerous."
He stepped closer and held out a small silver card. The guild logo shimmered faintly under the dim streetlights. A lion's head, roaring upward, crowned in flame.
"Yoon Taesung, right? I scanned your cleanup badge."
Taesung didn't answer.
Jinhwan shrugged. "Fine. Keep your name. Here's the deal. You awakened during a Rift Pulse event. That puts you on the government radar. In three days, they'll call you in for an Evaluation—unless you want to wait in line for a month and get buried in paperwork."
He tapped the card. "Silver Lions can get you processed in a day. You show up, we test you, and if you don't die in the first month, maybe you stick around. Clean salary. Real gear. Medical. Training."
Taesung's eyes dropped to the card. It shimmered like everything else in this new life.
"You think I'm worth recruiting?"
Jinhwan smirked. "You're C-rank. That's average. But you're alive, and that Pulse Beast isn't. That alone makes you worth a look."
Average. The word echoed in his mind. Again.
He took the card.
Jinhwan gave him a nod. "Seoul Guild Evaluation Center. Three days. Ask for me. Or don't. Either way, get yourself checked before the next Rift eats you."
With that, the Hunter turned and disappeared down the cracked street, his silhouette vanishing into the fading Rift light.
Taesung stood alone again.
He looked down at the silver card. His fingers curled around it, slow and tight. He could still feel the blade in his hand—the weight of it, the heat of mana pulsing through his veins.
Average.
Maybe. For now.
He turned and walked away from the corpse, his boots crunching glass and bone. The ruined alley was quiet now, the Rift gone. But as he moved, another faint chime echoed softly behind his eyes.
> [New Passive Acquired: Rift Efficiency]
[Skill experience increased by 20% while within unstable Rift zones.]
He stopped walking.
A slow breath escaped his lips.
So it wasn't over. The System was still watching. Still giving. Still growing.
And so was he.