River sat alone, waiting for the moment they would finally allow the soon-to-be Hunters to go in.
As he sat there, quiet and unassuming, gazes still landed on him. Being alone in a place where coming with company was the norm—it stood out. People looked at him, judging him from head to toe. River could see and hear them snickering, pointing fingers in his direction with mockery and clear belittlement.
They were staring at him like he was already dead. Like a fool who came here just to die.
No matter where I go, it's always like this, River thought with a sigh. "I haven't even awakened my Bubble Skills, and I'm already being mocked?"
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized—it was strange. A lone man waiting for his Awakening, with no team or affiliation, was basically unheard of.
Affiliation with organizations like Hunter Guilds, private companies and families, or the Hunter Academy was a must if one wanted to Awaken as a Hunter. Not only would they receive proper training before undergoing the Awakening Ceremony, but if they showed talent, resources would be poured into them—making their path as a Hunter far easier.
One major benefit? Guidance during Awakening.
A veteran Hunter would accompany them, guiding their team and protecting them once they were inside the Portal. Of course, they wouldn't interfere too much—just enough to make sure the newbies got their own real experience without dying in the process. With this setup, rookie Hunters didn't have to worry about survival—they could focus solely on unlocking their Skills.
But Awakening as a Hunter wasn't simple. They had to kill a Monster on their own and absorb its essence to be recognized by the System. The more monsters they killed, the higher their starting Level would be once they Awakened. That starting Level indicated their talent. Anyone who started higher than the average had a bright future ahead.
As for the Skills—they would be granted the moment a Hunter killed their first Monster. This ability was innate. Some would be blessed with heaven-defying Skills, while the unlucky ones would receive weak Skills, unsuitable for combat—just like the Bubbles River was destined to get.
Those who ended up with Skills not meant for battle would either abandon the Hunter path or find work where their abilities could be of use.
That's why becoming a Hunter was a gamble. There was no way to know what Skill you'd get before Awakening. It wasn't guaranteed, and not everyone was cut out for it. Some wouldn't even be able to Awaken at all, remaining normal humans for the rest of their lives.
Thankfully, after the war with the Monsters ended and the portals around the world stabilized, no new threats had appeared. The Hunters and the Government were now able to manage the dungeons without issue.
But the downside? It had become a privilege. Hunters walked with their heads high, often looking down on normal people and the weak. Arrogance replaced duty, and the idea of protecting the world had twisted into something else.
That arrogance created the current generation of annoying, overconfident young Hunters.
Still, River could just be thinking this way because of his own experiences. There were good Hunters and bad Hunters—and River admitted he had probably only met the bad ones, which had shaped his view of these young Hunters.
He let out another sigh as he settled more comfortably into his chair. His gaze drifted upward, landing on the giant holographic screen floating above the portal.
It displayed the history of the Hunters—from the moment they first appeared to the present day—showcasing their might and abilities, especially the famous ones whose strength could topple mountains with their fists and Skills.
Still, no one could top the First Hunter who had ever appeared.
When the giant hologram reached the feats of the First Hunter, it only displayed words and archived articles—no video, no images.
A legend in Hunter history.
River scanned through the text until his eyes landed on one particular question—the mystery surrounding the man:
Why did he only appear when the second wave came?
It was one of those questions no one could answer. Many theories existed. Some believed the First Hunter only awakened during the second wave. Others speculated he appeared late because he wasn't from this world at all.
River knew the reason. And probably the Government did too.
If people could awaken as Hunters simply by killing monsters, then the first humans who gunned them down should've gained Skills. But they didn't. Not even the investigative teams who entered the portals.
The reason? Mana assimilation.
When the first portals appeared, Mana was still an unknown energy that arrived with them. Over time, this new force merged with the atmosphere and the gases of the world—until, ten years later, the entire planet was saturated with Mana.
Even without portals, Mana now thrived.
And one of the requirements to awaken was having enough Mana in the environment for the System to recognize and materialize within a person.
But that wasn't the real reason the First Hunter appeared during the second wave.
As River's mind began to wander, an autonomous voice echoed through the facility.
"The Awakening Ceremony shall now proceed. Please enter the portal according to your badge number. Deaths and injuries are not the responsibility of the Awakening Center. Good luck to all, and God bless!"
As the voice reverberated through the air, people began standing up.
River glanced at the number on his badge but remained seated. There was no need to hurry—people would enter the portal one by one.
Relaxed, his gaze shifted to a golden-haired young man surrounded by at least five women.
A private contractor... River thought, watching as the group began moving toward the portal.
Although most people preferred to join an organization for the care and support they offered, others chose a different route—hiring experienced Hunters to guide them through their Awakening.
From what River could see, the golden-haired man had been hired by the young women around him.
"For the sake of elevating their status, they're willing to take this risk," River said, shaking his head.
These women didn't want to become Hunters for the Skills—they wanted to rise above the ordinary. A good Skill would just be a bonus.
But that was normal. People would always try to reach the sky, even if they came from the streets.
River waited patiently for his turn, and before long, his badge number appeared on the giant floating screen.
The moment he stood up, all eyes turned to him.
Without caring what they thought, River walked toward the portal. He gave the floating black hole a final glance, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.