Chapter 04
The man stared calmly ahead. His voice, slightly distorted, carried a faint static—as if deliberately altered.
Perhaps I looked too suspicious, because he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet. What he showed was a guild employee ID.
“There’s also an Association staff member here. You can scan it for confirmation.”
“Ah, yes. Since we need to begin the dungeon raid soon, I’ll skip the formal procedures and proceed with a simplified check.”
Ajin, who had been eyeing him with the same cautiousness as me, raised her pen and wrote something across the ID card floating in the air.
Apparently, it was not just a weapon to assist awakeners but also a tool for processing Association duties.
Reading something that appeared before her, she lowered the pen.
“He’s indeed a hunter from the guild Hantae. Then I don’t think there’s anything left for me to help with. I’ll hand things over to him.”
She leaned closer and whispered to me in a small voice, “Good luck!” before trotting away.
Despite the stressful workload from sudden gates opening, she had still spared time for someone unemployed like me. I wished her nothing but good fortune. Maybe she’d accidentally win the lottery, or see her problems vanish for no reason at all, or at the very least, always find a wide parking spot waiting for her wherever she went…
“Let’s move somewhere a little more secluded.”
The low voice broke into my thoughts of admiration for Kim Ajin. Unsurprisingly, it belonged to the man from Hantae.
I stood quietly before him, glancing around. Violet mist filled the area, and it looked dangerous to step outside this protected zone even for a moment.
Survivors huddled together in worry. Leaving this safe zone didn’t seem like a wise idea.
“Why, though? Is it about the interview? If I leave here, I don’t mind rescheduling. Even if it’s delayed, I’ll definitely—”
“It’s not about disqualification or anything like that. It’s just that there are too many ears here. It’s difficult to talk about guild matters in public.”
Only then did I notice the stares around us—curious gazes sneaking toward me and the man conversing separately with an Association staff.
“Ah, so this place is…”
“Yes. This zone is designated for new or unaffiliated awakeners, or those with little hunter experience. I’m not supposed to stay here.”
“Then… am I allowed to leave?”
“If you’re accompanied by a hunter of higher rank than the dungeon’s difficulty.”
He didn’t look tense in the slightest. He must have been a veteran, experienced in dungeon raids. To even be part of Hantae meant he wasn’t ordinary. Judging by his confidence, he was at least one rank above this dungeon’s level.
As someone with no field experience whatsoever, the thought of leaving with him made me uneasy. But what choice did I have? Before joining a guild, you’re supposed to show nothing but diligence and positivity.
This was my first gate, but I was a veteran of late-night convenience store drunks. So I raised my chin and nodded firmly.
The man glanced at my reaction, then started walking. Clearly, this was a topic he didn’t want overheard.
“But how deep do we need to go into this ‘secluded’ place?”
“This dungeon isn’t random. Its maps and strategies are fully shared. If we walk far enough, we’ll find the exit.”
Not the most friendly explanation. Did that mean the dungeon would be cleared while we walked? Whatever the case, he had no intention of saying more. He simply turned his back and strode ahead.
I hurried to follow, nearly tripping when my right arm and leg moved forward together in nervous sync, but I managed to keep pace.
“So… your heals make people faint?”
He spoke once the crowd was far behind us. Association staff occasionally stopped us to check IDs, but the moment they saw his guild license, they waved us on. Everyone was too busy dealing with monsters hiding in the mist to listen in on our conversation.
“Everyone who’s heard it so far has collapsed…”
“Do you see any curses listed when you open your stat window?”
[Liri: If Yeah had something like that, she would’ve written it on her résumé! She’s not the type to lie so skillfully, you know!]
You’re still watching?
[Liri: Of course! This is a monumental moment. If something happens, I need to intervene! How dare he think you’re hiding a curse.]
She had a point.
Ever since I was young, people called me “rigid.” I’d never learned how to gloss over flaws or omit inconvenient truths. I was simply, foolishly honest.
I swiped Liri’s chat aside and pulled up my stat window.
“Your common stat average is… C? For someone with no experience, that’s actually quite high. Do you have any unique stats?”
“One marked with a question mark, then Creative Technique, and Singing.”
“And their grades?”
Every résumé had to list Strength, Speed, and Magic—basic stats used to determine ranking. Beyond those, awakeners each had their own unique stats. Some had over ten. The lowest rank was F, sometimes even considered below an ordinary human.
“They’re currently unmeasurable, F, and F-…”
“…F-?”
“As far as I know, yes.”
The moment I said it, a heavy silence fell. He stopped walking, frowning as if trying to remember whether such a stat even existed.
If normal people had stat windows, mine might’ve proved I was worse than one.
While I hesitated under his gaze, Liri popped up again.
[Liri: And don’t forget! Even if you don’t join a guild, you’re already inside a dungeon. This is the perfect chance to solve the problem I mentioned before!]
I know. But I can’t exactly use a skill here all of a sudden, can I?
“Then let’s hear it. The power of an F-.”
It was as though he’d read my mind. Folding his arms, he turned to face me, waiting.
An interviewer folding his arms was never a good sign. I bit my lip.
“But if you faint here—”
“I won’t. Go on.”
Where did that confidence come from? If even he collapsed inside this dungeon, I could be accused of all sorts of things—maybe even sued.
I weighed the risks. Which would ruin my life more? In the end, I chose the lawsuit. If I went to prison, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about food.
“Aah… hateful girl of mine, my wave-like girl…”
I continued the lyrics that had made the last interviewer faint. Immediately, the skill window appeared.
Skill activation conditions met.
Entering the domain of Ragnarok for the first time.
Correct skill wave output initiated.
Searching for a skill matching the singing frequency…
Mermaid of Slumber! Casting now. May Balder’s divinity be with you!
Just like before, staves and musical notes danced wildly in the air, flying straight toward the man.
They swirled around him, rippling up and down as if scanning him.
And still, he stood firm before me. Completely unshaken.
