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CHAPTER 01
#1
Someone once said:
“There’s nothing more pathetic than an F-rank Hunter.”
The lowest of the low.
Plenty of duties but no privileges—an ambiguous position.
Me, Chae Jiwoo, twenty-five years old, was exactly that: an F-rank Hunter.
“Hunter, you say? Ah… that trash rank?”
“Can you even call F-rank a Hunter?”
People who were all smiles when they heard the word “Hunter” would instantly frown the moment they learned my rank.
No matter where I went, my life was never welcomed.
Ever since my so-called family died in the Gate Incident, I’d been living as a nobody.
Still, I didn’t have major complaints.
My hobbies were nothing more than reading webnovels on the subway after work or feeding stray cats. But it gave me a little joy in life.
‘At least I can make a living. That’s something.’
That’s what I thought.
At least, until now.
—Screeeech!
‘What the hell? Why is a C-rank beast appearing in an E-rank dungeon?’
I hid behind a boulder, panting. The murderous aura and mana from the C-rank beast made my body shrink involuntarily.
The D-rank Hunters who were supposed to protect me, the porter, had long since abandoned me to save their own skins.
“Uh, s-sorry, kid. But we’ve got to live first, right?”
“I’ve got two kids at home. Let’s just meet outside alive, okay?”
‘Bastards!’
I ground my teeth, recalling their shameless excuses.
‘I never should’ve agreed to this, no matter how much they paid!’
By regulation, porters for E-rank dungeons are recommended to be at least E-rank Hunters themselves. Yet they hired me. Why?
Because even if they paid me “a lot” as an F-rank, it was still less than half the daily rate of an E-rank.
‘Damn it, damn it, damn it!’
I peeked again at the C-rank beast blocking the way. A lizard-like creature, it completely blocked the path to the exit.
‘Just once, just give me one chance…’
If I stayed here, the dungeon would close once the clear time passed.
Then I’d starve to death in this dark place. Alone.
My heart pounded in terror. That kind of miserable death was something I couldn’t accept.
I cautiously took a step forward.
And that’s when it happened.
[Warning! After a certain period, the dungeon boss will awaken!]
[Arachne (A-rank)]
A crimson warning screen filled my vision. A moment later, explosive mana crashed over me.
I couldn’t resist.
Just its mere presence was enough to crush me—
“Khk, hhhk…!”
With a groan of agony, I was pinned to the floor. My HP bar plummeted into the red in an instant.
Spiderwebs shot out in all directions, piercing the walls. The following strike came immediately.
‘Sh*t.’
So this is how I die—a worthless death.
If only I had been S-rank… or even just A-rank… I wouldn’t have gone out like this.
Unable to even breathe properly, I closed my eyes in despair.
And at the brink of death, pointless regrets lingered. I kept thinking about the webnovel I’d been reading on the subway this morning—the final chapter had released today.
It had wrapped up with a neat happy ending, but I was still curious about what came after.
‘Damn, if I’d known, I should’ve read the side stories while I had the chance…’
My thoughts stopped there.
Crunch. A thin spiderweb pierced through my skull.
[Awakener Chae Jiwoo (F-rank) has died.]
“Bold of you to nap during my lecture, Lady Escliff.”
“…?”
I looked up, unable to comprehend the sudden change.
The clothes were not modern at all. The desk had an antique, old-fashioned feel.
And when I raised my head, dozens of pairs of eyes were staring right at me.
‘What… is this?’
“If you’re that bored, I assume you already know everything I’m teaching?”
I turned toward the man who had been addressing me.
Wearing thin-rimmed glasses, he tilted his head back sharply, irritation written all over his face.
“Then why don’t you come up and solve this problem for us?”
“Uh…”
Still dazed, I stayed seated until he barked louder:
“Hurry up!”
Almost out of habit, I stood.
That’s what happens when you’ve lived your life as a low-level employee—if someone yells, you instinctively feel you have to do something.
‘What is this? Am I not dead? Did I just enter a sub-dungeon?’
I’d heard about cases like this—people entering high-level dungeons sometimes got caught up in sub-quests that felt like fantasy worlds.
Of course, that kind of thing never applied to F-rank porters like me.
“The chalk is prepared right there.”
As I stood awkwardly in front of the blackboard, he pointed with his stick to my side.
I picked it up, and the classroom erupted in snickers.
“Pfft. As if the Lady could solve that.”
“Of course not. It’s a miracle she even made it to fourth year.”
“Honestly, why is someone with no mana even still at the Academy?”
“Right? At least if she studied hard, it’d be something…”
The scorn was sharp.
Naturally, I wasn’t hurt by it.
After all, those words weren’t aimed at me.
‘So I’ve landed in the role of someone hated, huh.’
Whatever the case, all I had to do was complete the “quest” in front of me.
And honestly, the problem written on the board was ridiculously simple, if this really was an E-rank dungeon.
[Draw the mana diagram for Fireball.]
‘Seriously? This is easy.’
What kind of country was Korea?
A place where not studying was practically a crime.
Of course there were mandatory training courses for Hunters, too.
And since even some F-ranks occasionally made stunning leaps in growth, no one was exempt.
I recalled page one of the textbook I’d crammed day and night for my Hunter license.
[βολίδα]
Then I wrote the answer.
“Is this correct?”
I already knew it was, but asked anyway to avoid awkwardness.
The man’s expression froze, as if he’d seen something impossible.
“You… you knew it?”
“Hmph. Whatever, everyone in fourth year should know that much.”
“But that’s material from second semester… ah, no, you’re right.”
The murmurs grew louder.
Even knowing they weren’t directed at me, it didn’t feel good.
I frowned slightly, and the teacher finally seemed to regain his composure.
“Ahem. Correct. Seems you’ve done some studying, at least.”
“Ah, yes.”
His response was rather begrudging, but I let it slide.
I returned to my seat, and the inexplicable lecture resumed.
About twenty minutes later, the bespectacled man stood before the podium.
“That concludes our first semester of fourth year. Students of the Magic Department, do not neglect your studies during the break, and I hope to see you again in good spirits.”
‘Ah, so it’s supposed to be the end-of-term setting.’
After the closing words, the students streamed out like a receding tide.
Only I remained in the classroom.
Well, me and the teacher.
“Lady Escliff.”
I sat quietly as he addressed me with a frown.
“The material you just answered was something I had not yet covered in class.”
“I see.”
“‘I see’? Weren’t you notorious for having no interest in my lectures?”
“Hmm…”
What was I supposed to say to that?
‘I literally just met you today.’
Of course, I couldn’t say that to his face.
First, I needed to understand the situation.
“And why do you think that?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Your misdeeds are infamous, and you’ve never once stayed awake in class.”
Wow. That was harsh.
From his reaction, I could guess the original owner of this body wasn’t a diligent student—but to never have been awake?
At least pretend to listen, for politeness’ sake.
“Well, maybe from now on, I’ll start paying attention and studying.”
His eyes widened.
“…If that’s so, then I shall be watching closely.”
“Understood.”
“Then please go. Your attendants should be waiting outside.”
I flinched slightly at the word “attendants,” but nodded and left.
And just as I stepped out of the classroom—
A familiar system window appeared before my eyes.
[Congratulations! You have been granted a chance at Reawakening.]
[Chae Jiwoo (F-rank Warrior) → Canis Escliff (S-rank Mage)]
[Mana: SSS (New!)]
“…Canis Escliff?”
Wait, don’t tell me… that Canis?
For a second, I doubted it. But no—it was certain.
Because “Canis Escliff” was—
‘Damn, if I’d known, I should’ve read the side stories while I had the chance…’
—the protagonist of the very novel I’d been thinking about at the moment of my death!
