The other side

Cerise's mother was one of the most instrumental awakeners belonging to the silversword guild. Thus, her treatment by the guild had always been good, until two years ago, when the guild general manager changed. Her mother started going on tower quests under the influence of the new GM. 

Unlike the simple dungeon clearing which is over within hours, Tower Quests last longer, and they give out equally great rewards. As such, their children are supposed to be treated with greater respect, but reality is rather opposite. They are more of a one treasure ten kills type of quests. The treasure that is brought back must be divided among all the team, including the dead teammates. As such, the survivor's children will become pariah's. 

The tower quest her mother had completed had especially high mortality. In a day, Cerise and her brother became anyone's game. All of a sudden, they can not live in the quarters they have lived their entire lives, but had to live in the community hostel that's meant for all the children. Cerise endured it, because she realized if she goes away, her brother will suffer more. Even if the entire dorm hated her, none of them moved their hands, for Cerise had a poisonous tongue and even sharper fist. 

They can not afford their previous luxury, but it is not like they are unable to live either. The one who suffered most was Cerise's brother, who can not walk. He can not understand why he had to leave behind his toys, his chef made meals and the big tv in their home and shift to this little place. He became more and more silent as he spent days in the hostel. Cerise made sure all of his caretakers are doing their job, but it's a long shot from the expert nanny to whom he was accustomed to. However, she had her own harrassars during this time. 

Worst of the lot was Peter Wilcox, the newly assigned warden officer for the children. He fell in love with Cerise at first sight, and he begged to be her boyfriend day and night. Cerise refused with no room for misinterpretation, as would any young girl to a grown ass adult. She always thought she could end all these problems the day she became a hunter. However, she did not realize the crux of the matter. 

The awakeners do not become hunters immediately.

First, the awakening is always provided by the government. It is like receiving a degree diploma, it is illegal to do it privately. Once you do the awakening, you become an awakener. 

During this ceremony, the abilities of the awakeners will become apparent. Then, the guilds will scout talented players if any. At the same time, children of the guilds will receive various resources from the guild, befitting the status of their parents. 

For Cerise, that was a new-bie package of SSS-class skill, a new awakening using a powerful awakening medium, and a package from her mother and finally, a status check. 

Obviously, Cerise first chose to open the package from her mother. 

There was a letter in there, along with a mysterious skill stone. The skill stone was absorbed into her the moment she placed her hands on it. Cerise kept the letter away, deciding to read it later. She looked up, only to notice the frown on the face of the guild orientation officer, Mary. 

Cerise did not realize the meaning of this frown at this time at all. Nor did she believe in the significance of the skill given by her mother, till she died in a dungeon, and opened her eyes during the moment right after she had absorbed the skill. 

This incredible skill is called Dual world core, and it is more of an innate talent rather than a skill. For this talent, her mana core was sacrificed when she was but a newborn. Then, the mana core changes into a connection, where it can link to a world's core. This allows her to regress to the point in the other world where she last made a save point. A save point is automatically created when she first gets the skill. 

In her first life, which was extremely short, she had ice magic for sss class skill. 

For the awakeners with no guild affiliation, they need to enter tier-1 dungeons and kill a monster by making an appointment. For the guilds with strong enough power, the guilds will hold a dungeon orientation meeting. It just means few of the newbies will meet together at the beginning of the day, then the guild lets them kill monsters in tier-1 dungeons. Usually, these monsters are stronger than the ones faced in public dungeons. 

Thus comes the second part of the dungeon orientation, where the guild gives its new players and affiliated children a weapon. 

This is where the catch came for Cerise. The newbie package for the signed on new players contained the strong weapons, such as a crossbow, wand, magic sword and war Axe. The ones for affiliated children who refused to become the new players of the guilds, the weapons provided are white grade longbows with wooden arrows. 

A crossbow deals fifty damage, while a longbow deals one. 

That's the sort of difference in this newbie package.

It's simply coercion to sign the new player contract. Cerise realized after carefully reading that the problem was the coverage for the health and education fund. Once she signs it, her brother's health insurance cover value will be the amount covered by her new player's health insurance. I.e. As long as her mother was on a quest, any and all benefits they should receive as the family are all canceled. 

The worst part is, in case of her death inside the dungeon, the guild becomes the inheritor for their mother's property, at the same time, they have no legal obligation to look after her brother. 

She took the bow and arrow, and faced the fire bicorn all by herself inside the dungeon. 

Only, she did not know this bicorn type is actually an exploding one. She fired the final arrow in the dungeon killing the bicorn, causing an explosion, then, she was here, choosing her skills once again. 

" Actually, this time around, we have choices prepared for all of you new hunters. You can choose a new awakening, or this box of twelve EX-rank skills here. The choice is yours. " The dungeon orientation officer announced. 

The ex rank skills are skill orbs that are un-appraised orbs retrieved from the field. They are not appraised, but these skill orbs can not be opened without satisfying conditions. Simply put, they are leftover skills that not many can get, and those who could absorb them did not want. If a newbie chooses them all they could do is have twelve very strong rocks to throw at the enemies. 

Last time, Cerise awakened ice magic through the new awakening. Or perhaps, that's the wrong word to describe what exactly happened. For dungeon babies, their innate talents can not be improved with the awakening stone. So, at most, the awakening stone detects that she has innate ice magic. There was no benefit to her at all. Thus, this time, Cerise decisively chose the ex rank skills. 

Twelve rocks are still better than nothing. 

Then she is supposed to choose her SSS rank skill. Initially, the deal with her mother was that she would get an SSS rank solo attack skill. That will be an OP attack. With that skill, Cerise could walk sideways in the guild with or without her mother. Only, the guild did not give her an attack skill at all. Instead, they gave her 'blizzard' skill, which freezes all the enemies with-in hundred meter radius, devours all her mana in a single shot. It's the AoE skill with least damage among all of the ice magic spells, worst of all, the skill stone is always dropped when a person holding it dies in the dungeon. They simply made sure their losses are zero, that's about it. 

However, she still can not fight them, for they technically performed all their legal responsibilities. Underneath it all, the guild was just a greedy business. 

Then, she entered the dungeon, the flaming bicorn froze barely for a second. Then, Cerise vanished to another dungeon, that's how she realized her innate ability of teleporting between dungeons. 

She grinded the flaming bicorn all the way till one point of health. When she shot her last arrow confidently, the bicorn blew up, killing her. For such a basic monster, it is impossible for the guild to not know it blows up. However, this detail is mentioned nowhere in the guild guide  n

This time, Cerise took the box of ex-rank skills instead of a new awakening. 

" You must inform the guild if you are able to activate any of these skills. " the orientation officer said. Cerise just silently took the box, then watched the officer, waiting for next words. 

She did not even want to say yes. The new awakening is already paid for as a benefit to her mother. Thus, she need not tell the guild 'sh*t all ' when she absorbs these skills. 

The guild officer presented her SSS rank skill. It was not even the sucky ass blizzard. 

It's the only EX rank skill that no one uses despite it being most useful skill anywhere and everywhere.