Chapter 1

As I lay sprawled across my bed, enveloped in the warmth of a blanket, my gaze drifted aimlessly towards the ceiling, a dull, gray expanse that seemed to stretch on forever.

The emptiness within my heart was mirrored in the void above me, a constant reminder of the monotony that suffocated me.

I slowly broke free from the shackles of sleep, my hand instinctively reaching for my smartphone, which sat atop the nightstand, its screen glowing softly in the dim light.

I unlocked the device, and my eyes scanned the screen for the time, the numbers flashing before me like a harsh reality check.

It was already 11 am.

A wave of disappointment washed over me as I realized I had overslept, again.

My mind, still foggy from the remnants of slumber, struggled to shake off the weight of my lack of punctuality.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, trying to clear the haze that clouded my thoughts.

As my senses slowly returned, a nagging thought pierced through the fog: I was late for Professor Han’s lecture, again.

I could almost hear the professor’s stern voice, reprimanding me for my tardiness.

A sense of resignation settled within me, and I knew I was in for another session of scolding.

My thoughts drifted to the university I attended, Yeoncheon University, and the department I was a part of – the Hunter Department.

A wry smile spread across my face as I thought about the irony of the name.

Despite its comical sound, the Hunter Department was surprisingly popular, and that too for a good reason.

In the world I lived in, individuals with special abilities, known as hunters, were revered as heroes.

Their unique skills and prowess made them invaluable assets to society, and their average earnings rivaled those of top corporate employees.

Moreover, if they were skilled, they could become stars, idolized by the masses and earning fame and fortune on par with celebrities.

The Hunter Department was the epicenter of training and development for these gifted individuals, and I was proud to be a part of it, even if I was still waiting for my own abilities to awaken.

To the outside world, the Hunter Department was a beacon of hope and promise, a place where dreams were woven into reality. The notion was deeply ingrained in the minds of the general public, who saw the department as a sanctuary for those with extraordinary abilities.

However, the truth was far from it.

The Hunter Department was not a place that welcomed anyone with open arms.

It was an elite institution, reserved for those who possessed a unique gift – a gift that set them apart from the rest of humanity.

There were two prerequisites for admission, two conditions that had to be met before one could even think of joining the hallowed halls of the department.

The first was the possession of an ability, a supernatural power that allowed one to transcend the limitations of the human body.

In this world, only those who could harness and wield such abilities were worthy of being called hunters – superhumans with capabilities that defied explanation.

The second condition was more nuanced, yet equally crucial.

It was the potential to awaken one’s abilities, a latent talent that lay dormant, waiting to be unleashed.

I fell into the second category, a hunter trainee with a promise of greatness that had yet to be fulfilled.

I was a student of the Hunter Department, but my journey was far from smooth.

“Damn it,” I muttered to myself, frustration and desperation etched on my face. “Fck ... When the in the world am I going to awaken?” The question echoed in my mind, a constant reminder of my inadequacy.

I had potential, or so I had been told.

The state had certified it, and I had undergone not one, not two, but three physical examinations at different hospitals to confirm it.

Each time, the verdict had been the same – I had the makings of a hunter, but the spark within me had yet to be ignited.

But as I approached my 21st year, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being an outcast.

I was the only one in the department who had not awakened, a fact that made me feel like a failure.

The weight of my peers’ disdain was crushing, the pity of my seniors suffocating, and the indifference of my juniors a harsh reminder of my isolation.

I felt like I was stuck in limbo, unable to move forward or backward.

The only thing that echoed in my mind was a haunting refrain – “Awaken! Awaken! Awaken!” It was a cry that seemed to mock me, a cruel reminder of my inability to tap into the power that lay within me.

I lay there, my body twisting in torment, as the weight of my solitude bore down on me like a physical force.