The next morning, Pan woke up feeling unusually refreshed. The room was quiet, clean, and—thankfully—free of cockroaches and mosquitoes. For once, he hadn't been woken by strange noises or talking pests. It was peaceful enough that he almost forgot he had awakened at all.
After a quick wash, he put on his usual work clothes and stepped outside. The city was already awake, with hunters walking in groups toward the nearby gates, their weapons gleaming under the morning sun. It looked like any normal day—except Pan was now one of them. Technically.
He sighed. "Just gotta register and get this over with."
Even if he didn't plan on becoming a hunter, the law was strict. Anyone who awakened had to report it to the local Hunter Association. Too many unregistered awakeners in the past had caused problems—panic in cities, accidental damage, or worse.
The walk to the Association was uneventful. No talking pigeons, no weird dogs. Just silence, the kind Pan was starting to appreciate.
The Hunter Association building looked cleaner and more modern than he expected—white walls, glass doors, and staff in neat uniforms. Pan pushed the door open and approached the registration counter, where a polite young woman smiled at him.
"Welcome to the Greenlight Branch of the Hunter Association. Are you here to register as a newly awakened?"
"Yeah," Pan said, nodding. "Awakened yesterday."
"Congratulations. Please fill out your information—name, age, city code, and if you wish, your skill."
Pan hesitated for a moment. He could skip that part, but something about her calm tone made him feel like being honest. "I'll include it."
The agent nodded and began typing. "And your skill?"
Pan cleared his throat. "Universal Language Pack. It lets me understand any sound or speech made by living beings."
The woman froze mid-type. Her eyes blinked twice, slowly, like her brain was still buffering. "I'm sorry… did you say any living being?"
"Uh, yeah," Pan replied. "Animals, too, I think."
For a second, she just stared at him, processing the words. Then suddenly, she shot up from her seat so fast her chair nearly toppled over.
"Please wait right here, Mr. Pan. Don't move!"
Before he could ask why, she rushed to the elevator and slammed the top-floor button.
Pan stood awkwardly in the lobby, hands in pockets, as a few nearby hunters gave him confused glances.
"…Was it something I said?" he muttered under his breath.
Upstairs, the agent sprinted down the corridor and burst into the top office without knocking.
"President! There's someone downstairs with a skill that lets him understand any living being's speech!"
The old man behind the desk looked up from a pile of reports. His sharp eyes gleamed with sudden interest.
"…Bring him to me," he said.
Pan didn't wait long before the receptionist returned, looking slightly out of breath but clearly excited.
"Mr. Pan, the president would like to meet you personally," she said, her tone respectful now.
"President?" Pan blinked. "Of this whole branch?"
"Yes. Please follow me."
Pan scratched his head, feeling a bit uneasy as he followed her into the elevator. The higher they went, the quieter the building became. By the time the elevator doors opened on the top floor, the air felt… heavy.
The agent led him through a long corridor lined with trophies, framed photos of famous hunters, and weapons displayed behind glass. Finally, they reached a large wooden door engraved with the Association's emblem.
"Please go in," she said softly before stepping aside.
Pan took a breath and pushed the door open.
Inside, the room was spacious and dimly lit by sunlight filtering through tall windows. Behind a large desk sat an elderly man in a dark blue coat, his hair silver but his eyes sharp and steady.
"So you're the new awakener," the man said, his deep voice carrying a natural authority. "Come closer."
Pan nodded and approached, trying not to look as nervous as he felt.
The old man smiled faintly. "I am Garven Tull, president of the Greenlight Branch. I hear you possess a rather… unusual skill."
"Uh, yes sir," Pan replied, scratching his cheek. "It's called Universal Language Pack. It lets me understand the speech of living beings."
Garven leaned back in his chair, clearly intrigued. "Most interesting. I'd like to verify that claim myself, if you don't mind."
Pan hesitated. "Uh, sure, I guess?"
Garven extended his hand slightly. A magic circle shimmered on the floor beside him, and with a brief flash of light, a small creature appeared—cat-sized, covered in sleek gray fur, but with horns like a goat and a tail that split in two. Its golden eyes gleamed with arrogance as it yawned and stretched.
Pan instinctively stepped back. "That's… adorable. And slightly terrifying."
The little monster turned to him and spoke in a surprisingly smug tone, its voice echoing clearly in Pan's mind.
"Adorable? You dare call me adorable, peasant? I am Lord Mewdrath, the Great! Servant of no one—least of all this wrinkled old man who keeps pretending he's my master!"
Pan blinked twice. "Uh… what?"
Garven raised an eyebrow. "What did it say?"
Pan looked hesitant. "…You sure you want to know?"
"Please."
"It said… uh… that it's, um, the master. Of you."
The old man's lips twitched into the faintest smirk. "Ah, still full of itself, I see."
The creature gasped dramatically. "He can hear me!? No, wait—he's bluffing! You don't scare me, old man! You still haven't refilled my milk bowl from yesterday!"
Pan's expression froze. "It's… it's still talking, sir. It's very specific about the milk."
Garven chuckled softly. "That's enough." He waved his hand, and the creature vanished in a puff of faint mist, still shouting insults about "poor hospitality."
For a moment, silence filled the room. Then the president folded his hands together, his eyes gleaming with genuine interest.
"Confirmed. You truly do understand living beings, word for word."
Pan blinked. "Uh, so… is that good?"
Garven leaned forward. "My boy, that is incredible. Few skills interact so deeply with the essence of life itself. The potential applications…" He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You may have stumbled upon something far greater than you realize."
Pan just stared. "Yeah, or I'll just end up arguing with more flying insects."
Garven laughed quietly. "Perhaps both."
Pan thought the meeting was over when President Garven stood up and walked around his desk. But instead of dismissing him, the old man smiled faintly.
"Pan," he said, "you're in luck. I have just the perfect opportunity for you to test your skill."
Pan blinked. "...Opportunity?"
Garven's tone was calm but carried an edge of excitement. "Come with me. You'll see soon enough."
Before Pan could ask any questions, Garven was already heading for the elevator. The staff on the top floor straightened instantly as he passed, nodding respectfully. Pan followed awkwardly behind, feeling increasingly out of place.
When they reached the front of the Association building, an armored black vehicle was already waiting—a sleek, reinforced car that looked more like a military transport than something for a bureaucrat.
Garven gestured for him to enter. "Hop in."
Pan hesitated. "Uh… am I getting recruited or kidnapped?"
Garven chuckled. "You'll live to tell the tale, I promise."
As the car started moving, Pan glanced out the tinted window. Hunters outside stopped mid-step, watching in disbelief as the branch president's personal car drove off—with an ordinary-looking young man sitting inside. A few even pulled out their phones to record.
Pan slumped in his seat. "...Great. Now the whole city's gonna think I'm some kind of VIP."
Garven didn't comment, simply staring out the window as the cityscape faded into rolling hills and stretches of reinforced fencing. After nearly half an hour, they reached a massive facility surrounded by high walls, guard towers, and layers of security barriers.
The car stopped at a checkpoint, and Garven flashed his ID. The guards instantly saluted and let them through.
"Welcome," Garven said as they entered the sprawling compound. "This is one of our research labs—restricted access, of course. Only top-ranked hunters and scientists are allowed here."
Pan swallowed nervously. "Why… am I here then?"
"You'll see soon enough."
Inside, the lab was pristine—white corridors, reinforced glass walls, and researchers in coats moving briskly from one section to another. The air smelled faintly of metal and disinfectant.
They stopped before a large reinforced door guarded by two soldiers. Garven pressed his hand against a scanner, and the door slid open with a hiss.
A woman stood inside, leaning over a digital console. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail, and her white coat was marked with faint scorch lines. Despite her sharp eyes and composed expression, there was an intensity about her that made Pan instinctively straighten up.
"Doctor Lira," Garven said, smiling. "I've brought someone who may be able to help you."
The woman looked up. "Help me? Unless he's carrying an anti-madness relic or a tranquilizer the size of a tank, I doubt it."
Garven chuckled. "Something better. He's awakened with a skill that allows him to understand any living being."
For a split second, the doctor froze. Then her eyes widened, gleaming like a treasure hunter spotting a diamond in the dirt.
"You're kidding," she whispered, stepping closer. "That skill actually exists?"
Pan rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… yeah, I guess so. I'm still figuring it out."
Lira's expression brightened completely. "Perfect! Absolutely perfect! You might just be what we've been waiting for!"
Before Pan could even ask what she meant, she grabbed him by the wrist. "Come on!"
"W–Wait! What's happening!?"
She didn't answer, practically dragging him down another corridor lined with reinforced doors and warning signs that said things like 'Danger — Biohazard Containment' and 'Explosive Risk — Authorized Personnel Only.'
Pan's heart was hammering by the time they stopped in front of a thick, explosion-proof chamber. Through the layered glass, he saw what looked like… a small squirrel.
It was pacing restlessly inside the room, its fur standing up slightly and its eyes glowing faintly blue.
Pan blinked. "That's it? A squirrel?"
Lira didn't even look at him. "Not just any squirrel," she said softly. "You'll understand soon enough."
Garven folded his arms behind them, smiling faintly. "Well, Pan, let's see how your gift handles this one."
Pan stared at the squirrel behind the glass. The creature had stopped moving. Its eyes locked onto his.
And for the first time that day, Pan felt an uneasy chill crawl down his spine.