Chapter 1: The Start

Chapter 1: The Start

Asher Blake was an unawakened person. Wherever he went, he would be mocked and taunted because of his impure blood. Needless to say, if he was a little bit rich, he wouldn't have minded such taunts. But no! He was penniless!

He was so poor that once a robber robbed a bank, he offered him some money.

He was so beggar-like that when a cat stole a fish from a shop, it gave half of it to him out of pity.

He was so broke that the beggar's union once decided to raise charity for him!

'Tsk, stupid fate.'

He wanted to earn money, not just for himself but for his siblings back at the Orphan Shelter. He did many part-time jobs that included night shifts, delivery, and many more! But the money earned would hardly suffice!

A part of it was wasted because of his passion to grow stronger! He started training mainly thinking that, if he could bulk up and become a good fighter, he might be able to participate in underground arenas!

Karate, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, boxing, judo, mixed martial arts, sumo, and many more... Asher immersed himself, attempting to learn them all. However, he could only grasp the moves in theory and gain minimal hands-on experience. Hindered by consistently low muscle mass, he struggled to attain the desired strength. With financial constraints preventing him from consuming enough food, he reluctantly had to abandon his pursuit.

No one can deny his earnest efforts, right?!

Being a hunter had been his lifelong dream, initially fueled by passion, but it waned as he confronted the harsh realities. Now, his sole aspiration is to awaken, aiming to provide for his sister and brothers in the shelter.

Asher tried applying for many other, higher, and different jobs. However, he failed to get any because he lacked the qualifications. Even his part-time jobs turned out to be with scammers. He got paid little to no money for his work and was abandoned or kicked out. He blamed his weakness for this treatment.

For the past six months, Asher has been working as a porter. Despite enduring heightened mockery and being perceived as disposable, he persisted in giving his best to prove his usefulness and secure the meager pay he received.

Reluctantly, he found himself in this position, driven by the pressing needs of his hungry, weak, and sick siblings at the Shelter.

Superhumans, Awakened, or Hunters—regardless of the label, they were ordinary humans transformed by the power emanating from gates that suddenly manifested in the world. These gates served as portals to diverse dimensions, each demanding a confrontation with a peculiar entity known as 'Story.'

A story is a scripted or predetermined sequence of events, where in, a character or a groups of them will enter, and try to live, survive and change the outcome.

To successfully conclude a story, one must meet the specified conditions. Failure could result in the demise of either the individual or the entire group. The complexity of stories varied, with the strength of an E rank gate corresponding to E rank stories.

There are a total of 6 ranks, arranged in descending order: S, A, B, C, D, and E. Despite the apparent weakness of an E rank story, caution was consistently emphasized.

The reason Asher, as an unawakened individual, could serve as a porter was due to the restriction preventing unawakened individuals from participating in these stories.

Only after a story is completed, the porters would be asked to enter the gate and collect the items obtained from the monsters or buildings or some remains!

Asher Blake found a particular liking for this job due to its safety and numerous benefits. The allure of the position lay in the ability to discreetly acquire low-grade items, stash them away without reporting to anyone, and later sell them on the black market. This practice was a common reason why many individuals opted to become porters.

However, Asher, never in his wildest dreams would have imagined what change would that one particular gate would cause!

Typically, the clearing of stories fell under the supervision of Guilds. When a gate emerged, the guild or government would designate a raid expedition head, granting them the autonomy to select the required hunters for the task. The stipulation was clear: choose 2 hunters from any location and 5 from the specific locality, ensuring a minimum participation of 8 even for a modest E rank gate. The average rank of the participating hunters usually exceeded E, leaning more towards D.

…

Near the Guanzu-River, in proximity to Asher's Shelter home, an E rank gate had materialized. Disguised in a delivery-man's uniform, Asher navigated the surroundings on his scooter, en route to the nearby locality of Hanzu. Along the way, he noticed a the gathering of hunters near a the gate.

At the sight of the gate, Asher briefly pondered his options, glancing between the gate and his scooter. Ultimately, the decision wasn't too difficult. He altered his course, steering the scooter toward the location of the newly opened gate.

"Stop, you may not proceed any further," declared a group of men clad in black and sporting sunglasses. However, Asher faced no concern as he confidently presented his Porter-License, almost as if displaying a prized trophy.

The two men allowed Asher entry into the restricted area, albeit accompanied by a trace of mockery.

"Kek, he thinks he's a big shot. Did you see how he flashed the license? Pfft," one of them chuckled.

"Hush, he's probably struggling to make ends meet," the other attempted to quell further taunts, considering the possibility of Asher overhearing.

"Come on, that was pretty funny," the first one insisted. "If it were me, I'd dub him 'The Deliver Boy of Dungeons! Hahaha.'"

Asher, not too far away, could hear their banter distinctly.

'Sigh, can't even complain. What they said is true... Because of excitement, I flashed the license as if it was some great certificate,' Asher murmured, shaking his head. Accustomed to such taunts and mockery, this time it stemmed from his own unintentional foolishness.

The hunters positioned near the gates exhibited a variety of stylish outfits. Long jackets and short ones were equally represented, creating an atmosphere that seemed devoid of any overly serious demeanor. With the exception of one individual adorned in armor, the rest had opted for everyday clothing. Asher's gaze traversed from left to right, inevitably pausing on a woman in a sleeveless robe who stood out amidst the rest.

"Sleeveless? Did you come for a party?" Asher mumbled to himself, playfully wiping away a nonexistent nosebleed.

"I approve," he declared silently, casting an admiring glance at the gorgeous blonde-haired lady, appreciating her curves.

However, his attention swiftly shifted to the white-colored gate.

'Looks like an E-ranked gate. Could be E+ or E-, but let's stick with E.'

E rank gates were distinguished by white-colored shadows. D gates had yellow shadows, C had blue, B had purple, A had black, and S had red—making it relatively easy to discern their ranks without specialized instruments.

"And you are?" a man in his forties approached Asher, holding a glass of orange juice in his left hand.

The man, known as Dan, bore the weight of countless experiences in his serious eyes, complemented by his brown-black hair and a few visible wrinkles on his face. His demeanor exuded a seasoned air, reflecting the journey of a hunter who had faced the challenges of various stories. Everyone referred to him as "the Great," a title that encapsulated both respect and acknowledgment of his prowess in navigating the complexities of the gates.

"S-sir! I'm Asher, a porter!" Asher exclaimed, bowing his head sincerely.

"Ah?" The man paused mid-sip of his orange juice and turned to face the others.

"Guys, we got a porter here. Come and give your greetings," he called to the others.

"Yes, captain!" the seven behind him chorused, approaching Asher.

Choi, a 25-year-old mage of C rank, stood before Asher, his presence marked by an air of focused determination.

"Nice to have you, here. I'm Choi.", a smile sat on his face as he rubbed his hair.

His brown eyes, sharp and observant, hinted at both wisdom and youthful energy. He held a wooden staff with a large crystal ball at the top, a conduit for his magical abilities. Choi's attire was a mix of practicality and style. He wore a long robe that previously looked like a jacket.

Following Choi was Lia, the woman who had caught Asher's attention earlier.

"I'm Lia, a D rank Archer," the sleeveless lady stood in front, making herself known.

She exuded a confident demeanor as she introduced herself, her smile radiating a blend of warmth and self-assuredness. Her posture reflected both agility and precision. She wore a sleeveless top that revealed her smooth shoulders and neck. Lia's gaze, sharp and perceptive, hinted at a keen awareness of her surroundings—a quality essential for an archer.

After Lia, three middle aged men came rushing. Asher instantly recognized these men, as he had previously worked with them.

"I'm-"

"Haha, Uncle Kim, Uncle Shin, and Uncle Raan, how could I not recognize you," Asher scratched the back of his head, acknowledging the three middle-aged men.

These three were always together, giving them the famous title: The Trio. It was mainly because they were neighbours, but at the same time, it was due to their years of friendship.

Kim and Raan, both aged 32 and the eldest among the trio, shared similar training and expertise, each wielding a sword. Shin, the youngest at 28, brought a dynamic energy to the trio. Despite his youth, he matched his companions as a D-ranked hunter. Unlike them, he was armed with a spear.

Asher had already participated with them in a previous expedition.

"Aya Asher, you should have let us flex our ranks, you know," chuckled Kim, who sported a thick beard despite lacking a mustache. Among the trio, he was the most talkative and a notorious procrastinator. 

"Come on, Uncle Kim, if anyone should be showing off, it's us, not you!" echoed a synchronized voice from behind. Despite the professional atmosphere, two mischievous brats, both under 20 – around 16 and 17 – stepped forward. Elith, a girl, and Eric, a boy, both twins, challenged the norm.

'Ha... appearance like kids, but in reality, these two are B and C rank hunters. Just because they're young, they haven't got the permit for raids exceeding the E rank,' Asher mused to himself as he observed the youthful twins amidst the group of seemingly more seasoned individuals.

'As for the leader, it's Sir Great Dan, a B rank hunter like Elith,' Asher mumbled to himself, feeling a bit puzzled. The presence of high-level mages for a seemingly weak E-ranked gate left him wondering. He wanted to inquire about it but never found the opportunity.

It was already time and they were ready to leave. Dan noticed this after he saw the men in black raise their hands.

"Alright, it's time. I hope everyone is freshened up," Dan declared, glancing at the team members.

"Yes, captain."

"Then let's get moving," Dan said, nodding to Asher. The group entered the gate, ready to face the actual danger. Asher, on the other hand, would remain outside. He would slack off or sleep, until they returned.

"Should I go deliver the food in the meantime?" Asher pondered for a moment but quickly dismissed the idea, considering that clearing an E-ranked gate wouldn't take too long.

He dismounted his scooter, parked it to the side, and inspected the bag he carried. It had a few drinks and packets of chips. Since he was not going to deliver anymore, he removed and placed them on the scooter's seat. Having done that, he folded the plastic bag and stuffed it into the front compartment of the scooter.

'Let's get changed,' he decided. While there wasn't any particular need for a special dress code, he felt awkward wearing the uniform from his part-time job.

As he removed the shirt of the uniform halfway, he felt a light prick.

'…?' It was akin to an ant bite.

Continuing to take it off, he inspected the cause.

'A pen...? And here I thought it was some insect,' he face-palmed himself, placing the uniform in the scooter along with the pen. Raising his head, he turned his attention back to the gate.

"Alright, all I need to do is wait..." Asher thought to himself, starting to pass his time by drinking the juice from the cane and hogging on the chips.

'…?'

"Huh!?" Asher's eyes widened at the sudden turn of events. As soon as everyone entered, the gate underwent a dramatic transformation. The normal white-colored clouds turned into a red mist that engulfed the surroundings. Not only that, but the gate expanded in size, its suction power intensifying.

For the first time, obviously not but, Asher felt fear. The gate emitted a peculiar cry, a chilling sound that caused everyone nearby to collapse to the ground, forcing them to close their ears simultaneously. It wasn't all that different for Asher.

There were a few news reporters, all visibly frightened. Some of their cameras had broken, while others had an unfortunate accident, pissing themselves. The guards tightly covered their ears, but the eerie sound of some creature still managed to terrify them. One of them even shit himself... Quite literally!

"It's been ages since I've seen such a grown-up man soil himself," Asher joked a bit, attempting to find some humor in the situation to ease his own nerves.

But his eyeballs couldn't help but tremble on their own as he finally noticed; the gate had suddenly begun moving! It came closer and closer, growing larger and more ominous.

'I'm an unawakened. There's no chance that the gate can engulf me… right?' Before Asher could let out a single cry for help, the gate had already engulfed him!

"But I'm supposed to be an impure blood!", he screamed, getting sucked into the whirlpool-like gate before saying goodbye to the last ray of light of the outside world, finally losing consciousness.

Not the best start, but there's a great saying, 'Sometimes, the sharpest knives are hammered millions of times!'