Brilliant bursts of light erupted. At first, it was pure white—until the whiteness was swallowed by darkness. In this void, stars began to appear.
They grew larger, revealing countless galaxies before all beca a blur, warping and twisting as if trying to collide with sothing unseen.
River stood in front of these galaxies, the stars orbiting around him, avoiding him as if he were a plague.
He could feel his body floating, surging forward at an insane speed. River couldn’t feel the wind or the gravity, but the passing gravity—blurry and distorted like bending light—hinted at the velocity he was traveling.
He was used to a scene like this, having experienced it hundreds—if not thousands—of tis. To him, it felt like walking ho, so familiar with the path that everything had beco monotonous.
The sensation of floating and being pulled forward continued for a few more seconds until space itself shattered into countless particles, making River blink—even when he tried not to.
When he opened his eyes, the swirling darkness and blurry galaxies were gone, replaced by a dense forest.
River looked down, his feet planted firmly on the ground. Then he looked up. Leaves from towering trees blanketed the sky, allowing only streaks of sunlight to slip through the small gaps.
"I’m back," River muttered, a small smile on his face.
...
Although it was called the Awakening Ceremony, the dungeon portal River and the others had entered was actually just a repeatable portal chosen by the Hunter Association. It didn’t really matter which portal soone used to awaken their Skills. However, entering one far beyond their capabilities was no different than suicide.
That’s why the Association selected weak, repeatable dungeons as the core of every Awakening Center—ones easy enough that even people without Skills could survive. Of course, killing a Monster inside was an entirely different matter.
These dungeons were rated F-rank, and the Association always chose the weakest F-rank available as the Awakening Portal. That way, people didn’t have to worry about dying just to awaken a Skill. Still, it was recomnded to have an experienced Hunter by their side. Even the weakest F-rank could be deadly for normal humans—especially if all they knew was how to swing a weapon.
That’s why people looked at River as if he were already dead.
But unbeknownst to them, River Faelan didn’t need any guide Hunters beside him. His experience and mind alone were more than enough to tread this weak dungeon.
He would be very disappointed in himself if he couldn’t even survive an Awakening Portal.
River let out a sigh before taking off his backpack, placing it on the ground, and opening it.
After checking that all his equipnt and essentials were accounted for, he zipped it up and slung it over his back—though not before taking out a small knife.
Then, with the knife clutched tightly in his right hand, River began walking.
As he took in his surroundings, a sense of familiarity crept in. It was the sa dungeon he had entered in the original tiline to awaken his Hunter Skills. Everything was the sa—dense forest reaching toward the sky, a dark environnt dappled with occasional sunlight filtering through the canopy.
Entering it a second ti, River realized the forest wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was calming. Quiet.
River walked with purpose and confidence—unlike the first ti, when he had stood frozen at the landing spot, his body trembling in fear.
If a Monster hadn’t wandered near where he landed, River might’ve stayed motionless until the Dungeon spat him out like a bug the portal didn’t an to eat.
Thinking about that ti, River couldn’t help but chuckle. "I was such a coward," he muttered, shaking his head.
River continued venturing through the forest, his mind working to recall the details of this barely F-rank portal. In order to Awaken, he needed to kill a monster.
Fortunately, River rembered all the monsters in this dungeon. And knowing the layout, he knew exactly where to go.
There were a few requirents for his target: easy to kill with a knife, and traveled in groups. A few candidates ca to mind before he ultimately decided on the easiest monster in the book—slis.
They were weak, gelatinous creatures that bounced around with their kin. The best kind of monster soone could kill without breaking a sweat.
However, this reputation also ant others would be targeting them, especially those hoping to beco Hunters with minimal risk. But as easy as they were to kill, slis also gave very little Experience Points—barely enough to reach Level 1.
So would accept this low level as their starting point, ending their Awakening there. But those with bigger ambitions would continue hunting until they were satisfied with their Level. Many wouldn’t even bother looking for slis because of the low EXP.
But to River? This monster was perfect for killing—and grinding.
A smile ford on his face as he rembered where to find them. He quickened his pace.
The forest was dark, with tall trees blocking out most of the sunlight. But the atmosphere was calming—not too hot, not too cold. River continued through the woods, leaping over wide gaps between massive tree trunks, the clanging of his equipnt echoing as the gear on his back struck together with every landing.
Then he ducked under a thick, vine-like root connecting one tree to another. After erging on the other side, he pressed forward for a few more minutes before suddenly coming to a stop.
River hid behind a giant rock, his head slowly turning to the side to observe sothing a short distance away.
Until now, he hadn’t encountered a single monster—or human. But what he was seeing now was a creature many Candidates feared and dreaded.
A goblin, River thought, unsurprised. He had already expected to run into so.
The forest he was in housed four to five goblin settlents, each with at least five mbers. Right now, River was watching two of them.
"One of the settlents must be nearby," he muttered.
Recalling specific details after dozens—or maybe even a hundred—years was difficult. River’s mory didn’t provide the exact locations of the settlents. Not that it mattered. With his vast experience, he could tell if a goblin nest was nearby, even without seeing one directly.
He watched the goblins closely and quickly concluded they were scouting the area.
Goblins were clever, always seeking ways to protect their small communities. Sending scouts to search for food and threats was one of their usual tactics.
Luckily, the goblins in this dungeon weren’t very strong—just slightly more powerful than a trained human. Their settlents only housed standard goblins. If there had been a Goblin Witch or an Elder Goblin in the mix... the Candidates wouldn’t stand a chance.
While keeping an eye on them, River began planning his route—one that wouldn’t attract the goblins’ attention. He scanned the forest carefully, checking for any tracks that might lead to a nearby settlent he needed to avoid.
Once he finalized his path, he began to move.
But just as he took his first step, a sharp crack sounded beneath his foot.
A whistling noise tore through the air.
River imdiately ducked behind the giant rock and peeked back toward the goblins.
One of them had been impaled—an arrow lodged deep in its head. Green blood erupted as the monster collapsed to the ground.
The other goblin shrieked in alarm, drawing the sword at its waist and charging toward the direction the arrow had co
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