Chapter 05
Flustered, I was the one who stopped singing.
“Uh… are you okay?”
“Yes. The effect is definite.”
Visibly, nothing had changed. But he took a step forward as if signaling that it was enough, then reached his hand into the empty air.
A dazzling light, like crystal, gathered in his palm and soon shaped itself into a massive scythe. At that sight, a nickname of Guildmaster Jung Hwan suddenly flashed in my mind.
“Reaper.”
“Let’s go. Now.”
He swung the scythe, slicing through the air. In an instant, a crimson glow flooded the surroundings. I squeezed my eyes shut from the glare, and when I opened them again, I was already standing in front of the subway screen doors.
Others appeared around me one by one—summoned outside the dungeon in order of contribution: the first-clear, then the next most helpful.
Which meant… I was the second-biggest contributor to this dungeon clear.
I looked at him in disbelief, but he simply, matter-of-factly, placed a small card in my hand. A holographic “Hante” logo shimmered on its surface.
“Start work tomorrow.”
“…What?”
“That’s an intern teleport card. Use it to come in, then you’ll convert to full-time.”
As if he had nothing else to say, the man turned and began walking away—but suddenly stopped. He shrugged off his black coat and tossed it to me.
“Huh?”
“It’s my fault, so you don’t need to return it.”
And then, at terrifying speed, he vanished before I could even process his words—let alone hand the coat back.
The coat was so long it reached my ankles, its sleeves swallowing my hands completely. What on earth had I done wrong?
Checking my clothes underneath, I noticed the hem of my skirt—snipped short by barely a fingernail’s width.
[Liri: Worrying too much can also be a problem.]
“…”
So that’s what I was fretting over?
[Liri: Shameless.]
Quietly, I pulled the coat shut. I hadn’t realized at all that its pockets were heavy.
* * *
“Hey, Yeom. This is gear—you can’t dry-clean it.”
“Eh? Oh… right. Why not?”
“You ever hear about the knight who put fabric softener on his gear and ended up paying thirty billion in damages? Don’t even joke about it.”
So it really was equipment…
When he had handed me the coat so casually, I’d thought it was just for fashion. The laundry shop owner carefully hung the coat on a rack and returned my altered skirt along with it.
I had heard that equipment couldn’t be cleaned at normal laundries. Repairs and cleaning had to be done at special shops staffed by awakened artisans—and, of course, the costs skyrocketed.
With only 120,000 won left in my account, there was no way I could even consider it. So I just folded the clothes neatly, plastic and hanger and all, into a paper bag.
“But you look bright today. Even yesterday when you dropped the clothes off, you seemed in good spirits.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. In the year you’ve been coming here, I’ve never seen you smile.”
“Oh, come on, boss. People will think I live with a scowl. No, it’s just… I landed a full-time job.”
“For real?”
When I told him, he cheered, saying it was about time. After thanking him loudly, I headed out.
“Yeom! Wait up.”
If he hadn’t rushed after me, I’d have strode off happily. He pressed a black gem-like object into my palm.
“What’s this?”
“Don’t know? It came out of that coat. Keep it safe.”
I nearly walked off with that man’s belonging. Hastily, I tossed it into the paper bag as well and hurried away.
[Liri: Heading to work now?]
…Yes!
[Liri: Then we’ll provide you with your Awakener Gift, prepared by the Valder system.]
Yes!
The fabled Awakener Gift—only granted after returning from a dungeon, never through ordinary awakening. A welcome kit supposedly provided by “Valder,” thought to be the originator or overseer of the world’s status windows. Its contents varied wildly depending on the recipient’s ability and condition.
– Caution: The gap between train and platform is wide. Please mind your step when boarding or alighting.
Walking with a stronger stride than yesterday, I boarded the subway. Even surrounded by Hunters glittering with extravagant gear, I no longer felt small.
Because now, I was a Hunter too. A Healer, no less—treated like nobility wherever one went.
Excited, I opened the glowing message in my status window.
Valder congratulates you on your first Ragnarok participation. A new gift has been granted.
May fortune and blessing accompany Yeom Yea-ah henceforth.
[Random Music Box (S ~ D) ×2]
[Ragnarok Guide (Yeom Yea-ah) – Unlocks from third entry]
New Buff! Until your third dungeon entry, Strength, Magic, and Speed each increase by 0.5 levels.
[Random Equipment Box (A ~ D). Gear grade depends on current proficiency at opening. Up to 4 bonus stats assigned at random.]
Most of it I could easily guess the purpose of—except the Music Boxes. I could open those after work.
Then came the final screen:
Your first Ragnarok dungeon entry has been acknowledged. Valder’s Blessing has ended. From now on, fatal attacks will no longer be forcibly negated.
So much for that.
What they gave me felt tiny compared to what they’d just taken away. My expression must have darkened too much, because Liri hurriedly messaged again.
[Liri: The first dungeon is when most Awakeners die. That’s why we pay a high cost to provide the so-called “newbie-only buff.” Keeping it up any longer is just too expensive. Please understand.]
Didn’t you used to only connect when I summoned you? You’ve been popping up nonstop these past two days.
[Liri: That’s because the distance between us is shrinking. The closer we are, the longer our chat messages can be. If we get close enough, I could even manifest in your world! But there’s a daily message limit, so I end up cramming in more words. …Do you not like me reaching out?]
If she had emojis, I was sure she’d be sending a crying one. My heart softened, and I shook my head.
[Liri: Thank goodness! Still, I’ll only connect after work so I won’t disturb you. If you need me otherwise, just connect the usual way. Okay? Fighting!]
The connection with my assigned staff ended. It could be resumed any time on request.
Just then, the subway arrived. From here on out, it was a solo battle. To steel myself, I walked with firm steps.
At the third teleport gate, I swiped the intern card. Blue smoke billowed around me, making me dizzy, and after a few seconds the scenery flipped upside down.
The familiar street behind the Hunter Association was… not a residential block at all. A massive building loomed in its place. What kind of high-level concealment gear had they used to hide something like this?
[Hante]
The plain two-character sign on the building seemed to proclaim: our name alone carries weight. My chest swelled.
On the first day, even cynics feel workplace pride.
As I stepped inside, someone heading out muttered curses—but I politely pretended not to hear.
Hunters bustled around: famous names proudly flaunting their Hante affiliation, freelance rankers, and a few newcomers looking as lost as me.
I checked my phone for the induction notice once more.
[Hunter Yeom Yea-ah, thank you for joining Hante. Please report to Room 2701 on the 27th floor by 10 a.m. for orientation and training. The session will take approximately 40 minutes.]
