[SYSTEM INITIATING...]
[SYSTEM LOADING....]
[SYSTEM COMPLETE]
> Good morning, Eli.
The greeting blinked across his vision in crisp, cheerful font—far too cheerful for someone who hadn't slept a damn minute.
Eli squinted at the glowing system interface hovering before him, its soft blue light casting harsh shadows across his hollow eyes and sleep-deprived face. His head throbbed, his limbs felt like lead, and his thoughts swam in a fog of exhaustion.
He felt like shit.
And the system, of course, didn't care.
"Good morning," he muttered hoarsely, rubbing the side of his face. His voice lacked life, just like everything else in this stupid, glitched-out existence. With a heavy sigh, he asked, "How many affection points did I get yesterday?"
[POINTS LOADING...]
Current Affection Points:
Kairo: (3/500)Caelen: (1/500)
"...Fuck," he whispered, dragging a hand down his face until his fingers curled into his hair. The numbers felt like a punch to the gut—measly points earned through a day that had already torn him apart.
He let out a broken laugh, one that didn't reach his eyes.
"All that humiliation... for this?"
He leaned forward, arms resting on his knees, head hanging low. The cold system glow reflected in his tired eyes.
"Am I ever going to get back to my body... or even stay alive long enough to try?"
His voice cracked at the end, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep it together.
'God, fuck... where did it all go wrong?'
But he knew the answer. Of course he did.
'It started with that fucking S-Class Dungeon.'
▒▓ ▀▄█ ⚠ ▄█▀ ▓▒
"Where on Aerth are you going?"
Lucien groaned, already halfway through pulling on his jacket. "Mom, I told you. I have to do this cleanup gig."
Anna crossed her arms over her faded apron, the worry in her eyes deepening. "I told you to stop doing those jobs and find a proper one! You're an E-Class, honey. What if there are still monsters—or worse, corrupted creatures—alive and they attack you?"
She stepped closer, gently cupping his face with both hands. Her palms were soft, worn from years of washing, cooking, caring... never from battle. She wasn't built for this world, not anymore.
Lucien's eyes softened. He leaned into her touch despite the exasperation in his voice. "Mom, we're barely surviving on Dad's salary, and it's not like you can go back to work. Lucas still has school, and he'll need money if he ever wants to go to university."
He sighed, resting a hand over hers.
"Besides, it's an S-Class dungeon this time. That's a big deal! I did such a good job on the last one that my boss pulled strings to get me on this cleanup crew."
Anna's fingers trembled slightly. "But sweetheart... aren't S-Class Dungeons dangerous?"
Lucien chuckled and gently patted her head. "Pfft. Don't worry, Mom. The Lion's Fang Guild handled the raid. You know how strong they are. They never leave anything half-done. I'll just be sweeping up whatever scraps are left behind."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, the familiar scent of her skin grounding him for a moment in the warmth of home. It made his chest ache.
That wasn't the only reason he'd accepted the job.
A flicker of light sparked in his chest—a small, wild hope.
'What if I get to see them? Even just a glimpse…'
Caelen Ryu. The golden lion of the Lion's Fang Guild. One of the top two hunters in the entire country. Lucien was almost certain it was Caelen's squad that cleared this one.
His idol.
His unreachable star.
Anna still looked unsure, but her shoulders sagged in reluctant surrender. "Just be safe, my little miracle."
"I always am." Lucien smiled and kissed the crown of her head again. Then, grabbing his worn-out bag, he turned for the door. "Oh! And tell Lucas to finish that damn project or I'll whack his butt into next week."
"Oh hush," she scolded, swatting at him lightly.
Lucien laughed, his heart lighter, and stepped out into the morning air.
He tightened his grip on his bag strap as he descended the creaky stairs of their old apartment building, trying to steady his nerves, though excitement buzzed through him like a live wire.
'I have a good feeling about today.'
Mostly because… maybe—just maybe—he'd get to see Caelen today. Or even Kairo, if fate really loved him.
Kairo, the other Top 1 S-Class Hunter in Korenea, tied with Caelen in skill, power, and fame. They were legends—untouchable beings of strength and charisma. The kind of people that made the world stop and watch when they appeared.
There were around 25 known S-Class Hunters in Korenea. Each one was a force of nature. But not all awakened people could be like them.
Lucien knew that better than anyone.
He had awakened as an E-Class. The lowest rank. A joke to some, a pity to others. His ability? Slightly enhanced strength. Nothing spectacular. Not enough to be a hunter. Not even enough to register as a combatant.
'Why did I even awaken if it was going to be useless?'
Still, being an awakened meant something. There were a few jobs left open to the lower-class ranks—some became cops or firefighters, others found work as guild assistants or couriers if they had the right ability for it.
And then there were people like him.
Dungeon Cleaners.
The bottom feeders of the post-raid world.
They were tasked with entering dungeons after the fighting was over, cleaning up any remnants that might have been missed by the hunters—cracked crystals, monster remains, loose cores, broken equipment. And most importantly: making sure nothing foreign was left behind when the dungeon closed.
Because if something was left? The resulting energy backlash could cause a catastrophic explosion. It had happened once, years ago. Hundreds had died. Ever since, the Hunter's Association sanctioned and formalized the Dungeon Cleaner division.
It wasn't glorious. It wasn't fun. But it was necessary.
Lucien had settled for this path—not because he wanted to, but because dreaming any bigger just hurt too damn much. He'd accepted it.
'I'm a loser. Just an average joe. An E-Class. That's all I'll ever be.'
So he became the next best thing.
A fanboy.
A superfan of the hunters, especially the S-Class ones. He devoured their footage, memorized their battle stats, read every interview and article and fanfic.
"I've never even seen an S-Class Hunter in real life," he muttered under his breath, voice jittery with anticipation. "I'm always stuck cleaning D to B-Class gates... but fuck—finally—I get to see what an S-Class gate looks like up close!"
S-Class raids weren't broadcast live, only aired afterward like some kind of action docuseries. He knew what they looked like, sure—but he'd never felt the pressure of one. Never breathed the same air as those gods among mortals.
Today, he would.
And it was going to be amazing.