NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2
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If Evie had bought Mikewood’s Bracelet some time ago, she wouldn’t have had to pay for today’s treatment.
That was how this extreme capitalist hunter society functioned.
There was no such thing as ‘treat first, pay later.’ They only provided treatment to the extent that one could pay.
A bitter reality, but there was no other choice. Even though it was a bit regretful, not purchasing the bracelet was also the right decision.
‘I grind, I earn, I spend it on healing, I invest it in equipment…
When will I be able to quit being a hunter? It feels like a comfortable retirement keeps getting farther away.’
No, I shouldn’t think like this.
Evie shook her head to dispel gloomy thoughts.
Let’s think of something good, something happy.
A safe zone where gates had never been created, living there without financial worries.
‘I know I can’t afford it now, but one day I’ll buy a house there, even if it’s small.’
A life unrelated to dungeons. No giant bugs, moving corpses, eyeball monsters, or acid slimes. Just tending a garden in the yard.
Growing vegetables, cultivating strawberries and tomatoes.
The outcome was definite.
Just picturing that joyful future energized Evie again.
“Now…the skill scrolls. I guess my contribution must have been significant.”
Skill Acquisition Scroll x2Scrolls that grant you random skills.
Obtainable skill grades: F-S
Untradeable
“Tsk.”
Evie clicked her tongue.
Defeating boss monsters or mutants would occasionally drop scrolls that allow you to acquire skills.
Some scrolls are tradable. Unfortunately, this time they were not.
Evie slumped onto the bench, sighing in disappointment, but soon rose to her feet.
Although she couldn’t sell them for money, these scrolls still counted as a gain for her.
‘This time, I hope it’s an offensive skill.’
Gently touching her now-healed arm and leg before stepping forward.
I didn’t want to advertise that I acquired new skills through scrolls.
Hailing a taxi, Evie ordered two boxes of combination pizza with extra cheese and slouched in the backseat. All she wanted was to return home, take a shower, savor the pizza, and drift off to sleep under cozy blankets while watching videos of fluffy four-legged friends.
***
“Let’s pull out a skill.”
Evie settled onto the worn-out sofa, composed her thoughts, and opened her inventory.
She took out two skill acquisition scrolls and placed one on her lap.
Clasping the scroll tightly with both hands, she mentally commanded, ‘Use.’
The scroll vanished from her grip, replaced by an endless array of cards before her eyes.
The cards flashed by rapidly, one after another, with their backs facing her. It was a dazzling, disorienting sight. Evie held her breath, watching intently with wide-open eyes.
Eventually, one card was chosen, revealing its front side to Evie.
New skill acquiredBright Eyes CYou can see what others cannot.
▫️ Stackable
“…Yeah, I figured as much.”
Evie put the skill card away with a dejected expression.
I didn’t expect much, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t disappointed. Everyone else seemed to get F-grade attack skills like Fireball or Ice Arrow, but why was she different?
Evie reclined on the couch, covering her eyes with her arms.
“I’m so fed up, seriously.”
No matter how hard she tried in dungeons, being treated like a dead weight had grown exhausting.
Although such treatment was natural given her reliance on low-ranking buff skills, Evie still felt bitter.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t fight upfront just because I lacked offensive skills. I was always out there fighting too.
I’d rather quit everything and take any job, but Awakened individuals couldn’t get employed in regular companies.
There was a perception that the Awakened snatched job opportunities away from the Non-Awakened. The real issue was that only the Awakened could check their status.
That meant if the Awakened hid their skills, they could threaten the safety of the Non-Awakened.
In reality, there were indeed cases like that.
However, the guild wouldn’t accept Evie either, whether as a hunter or an ordinary employee.
With mediocre abilities and no notable academic or professional background, the result was expected.
Out of 100 job applications, 97 were rejected at the document stage, and the remaining 3 failed during interviews.
I really tried my best, but it seemed I still lacked in many ways.
Evie wished she had a family by her side to console her at times like this, but there was no one else living in the house except herself.
It was hard to find an intact family from her generation.About 20 years ago, dungeons appeared all around the world without warning.
More than half of the global population was said to have been killed by the monsters pouring out of those dungeons.
Evie’s parents were among those casualties. She had been shuffled between several orphanages until awakening at 18 and becoming a hunter.
Since then, for four years, Evie had been delving into dungeons to acquire this small, old shelter.
Evie softly sobbed, reminiscing and shedding aimless tears.
Suddenly, she sprang up from the sofa and grabbed the remaining skill scroll.
“Please, just grant me one useful skill. Please. If possible, give me a healing skill. Heal, heal, heal.”
What good were attack skills, anyway?
A high-grade healing skill, or even a low-grade one, could change her life from then on.
At least she wouldn’t have to risk her life in dungeons anymore.
Clutching the scroll between her clasped hands as if in prayer, Evie shouted desperately from the depths of her heart.
“Use.”
The scroll vanished in an instant.
She shut her eyes, but she could sense the cards flickering past her view.
Her hands clenched in fervent prayer.
“Please, please…Show me something useful.”
As the flashing dimmed somewhat, Evie opened her eyes to slits.
She thought she had caught a glimpse of a brilliant golden glow.
Taking a deep breath, Evie fully opened her eyes.
New skill acquiredEnchantment S …A golden card emitted a blinding light, causing her eyes to tingle. It was an S-grade skill.
“Hic…hic..sob”
Evie crumbled onto the sofa.
She buried her face in the thin blanket, letting out quiet sobs.
She had done it.
From the skill acquisition scroll, she had pulled an S-grade skill.
She was too overwhelmed to examine it closely yet. But one thing was clear.
‘Evie James, now your life will change.’
After a long time of sobbing on the worn-out sofa, Evie finally sat up.
She reached for tissues on the table in front of her, wiping away her tears and taking a deep breath. Having celebrated to her heart’s content, it was time to discover what skill she had acquired. Evie pressed her face close to the floating golden card.
New skill acquiredEnchantment SMesmerizes a specific target, bypassing all defense-type skills. (Limited to other races, one-time use)
▫️ Activates under certain conditions
▫️ Duration: Permanent
“….”
After checking the skill details, Evie quietly stowed the card away and retrieved her phone to access Hunter Heaven.
Hunter HeavenKorea’s Largest Hunter Recruitment Information Site
Find Your Desired Party on Hunter Heaven!
New Member Benefit! Item trading fee DOWN!Recruiting for the Corpse DisposalNo experience is required
New and Low-level hunters are welcome
Evie stood up from her seat and went to the refrigerator. She popped open a can of beer and emptied it, standing before the fridge.
The empty aluminum can crumpled in Evie’s hand.
She tossed the beer can into the trash and returned to the couch. Her eyes scanned the new job posting on Hunter Heaven.
“Life sucks….”
It was time to wake from her brief dream and return to reality as Evie James, a low-rank supporter.
***
Rattle rattle.
With each minor bump the bus passed over, it jolted loudly. Due to constantly banging her head against the window, she couldn’t keep her eyes closed even briefly. The musty smell peculiar to old buses made her head spin.
Magic stones contain mystical energy that can be obtained from dungeons or monsters.
After the discovery of magic stones, the world changed significantly. But many things still remained unchanged.
Electricity was still needed, gas was still used, and oil remained a crucial resource in various sectors.
That was why Evie got on this rundown, dilapidated bus that seemed long overdue for retirement.
The local bus company had no intention of upgrading to newer models.
The efficiency of the energy extracted from magic stones, although revolutionary, still had an issue.
New energy requires new compatible machinery devices to utilize it.
Absently gazing out the window, Evie entertained useless thoughts that contributed nothing to her life. Suddenly, she snapped out of it and hastily grabbed her bag.
The bus continued past the stop without stopping, likely because no passengers were getting on or off.
In a panic, Evie pressed the bell and called out loudly, “I need to get off! Please stop!”
The bus came to an abrupt halt after passing the stop. If Evie had waited for the next stop, she would have had to walk a long way back.
With the grumbling complaints of the driver as background music, Evie managed to get off the bus just in time. The junker bus, fueled by diesel, belched out thick smoke as it drove away.
Covering her nose and mouth with her hand, Evie turned on her phone. The dungeon she had to raid today was located in a remote area with poorly paved roads.
It resembled an abandoned village, long devoid of its locals.
Rusted materials littered the streets, and the building facades were chipped away. The gust of wind blew grains of sand into the tumbleweed.
Only the sound of her footsteps crunching in the sand was heard, causing Evie to feel uneasy and quicken her pace.
Beside a two-story house that was once grand, there stood a gate shimmering in purple hues.
Despite arriving early, there were already several people present besides Evie. As they leisurely stretched, their heads turned upon hearing Evie’s approaching footsteps.
Walking over, Evie exchanged greetings.
“Hello.”
“Oh…ah, yes. Hello.”
The man at the center of the group greeted her with an awkward smile.
The nearby members nodded stiffly. Their responses were reluctant, but Evie paid it no mind.
Hunters with average skills like her often encountered such treatment.
‘They usually assume buff hunters will hang back and leech
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