Chapter Text
He has seen the statistics.
Both on paper, and right in front of him, with his own two eyes.
He has long stopped flinching, or making any sound of distress at the sight of blood, injuries, and even death itself.
One could say that he's become desensitised to it.
Legally, this is as high as he can go, as an 'E'-ranked Hunter. Even so, he has personally witnessed Hunters get seriously injured and even die in places like 'D'-ranked dungeons. Far too many.
If there is one thing Sung Jinwoo is eternally grateful for, it is his dad's warnings.
The ranking system might not have been established when his dad, quote, Awakened, but he could've easily become a Hunter, perhaps one of the strongest out there. Hell, even by his dad's own admission, he could've become an 'S'-ranked Hunter, judging from the current ranking system, or maybe even a National-level one if they wanted to stretch things. Maybe, in another universe parallel to their own, his dad would get sucked into some convoluted plot by divine beings far beyond his own comprehension, thereby dragging him, Jinwoo, into the mess himself.
But his dad never did become a Hunter.
Not because of an injury or something traumatic, though.
People always commented about how Jinwoo inherited his dad's looks, but virtually no one said anything about his dad's uncanny sense of perception and observation. And it was those two traits that kept his dad away from the dungeons that suddenly and inexplicably appeared all over the world about a decade ago by now.
His dad's job as a firefighter is already risky and dangerous enough. When dungeons first started popping up, and the entire country had been in disarray from the lack of proper authority and handling of, at the time, unknown risks that came with the gates that often appeared at random with no regard for timing or location, his dad watched as thousands of young people rushed in through the gates, eager to get some action, strike it rich or become famous (he had heard the rumours, after all), and watched as most of these young people either came out injured, broken and bloody, and in tragic cases, shrouded in bodybags, or never returning at all once the gates winked shut.
The formation of the Korean Hunters Association and the guilds couldn't come fast enough. Regardless, his dad took every opportunity to warm him about the risks, and reminded him to never forget that, at the day, his safety and life are far more valuable than any spoils from dungeon raids. Not to mention, the so-called "lizards", criminals and unscrupulous characters who prey on the gullible and naïve, more often leaving dead bodies behind and unanswered questions from grieving loved ones.
That said, his dad never once stopped him from thinking of becoming a Hunter. Which seems ironic on the surface, until one considered the circumstances.
Even a decade after the first gates suddenly appeared, there remains so much that is still unknown, to both the public and established Hunters' institutions, such as the effects of these gates and dungeons on non-Awakened individuals.
Jinwoo's mum is one such unfortunate victim.
When dungeons became a part of daily life, so did all kinds of new conditions and diseases. One of them, aptly named Eternal Slumber disease, caused victims to randomly black out, before progressing into a comatose state. There remains no cure, and without the assistance of a mana-fuelled life support system, the disease will eventually spread across the patient's body like a cancer, destroying their life essence and kill them.
Despite there being no cure, the causes have been established from extensive research - exposure and adverse bodily reaction to mana, from both dungeons, and people who venture into such locations, namely Hunters.
Jinwoo's mum was diagnosed before his Awakening, despite the family's minimal exposure to mana and dungeons. And when she fell into a coma, Jinwoo decided, upon his Awakening, that he would become a Hunter.
Even with his dad's job as a firefighter, the family barely had enough to cover his mum's hospital bills and daily needs. By becoming a Hunter, Jinwoo hoped to help supplement the family's finances, spread the burden out a bit more evenly, and also, with his sister, Jinah, expressing an intent to become a doctor, help save up for medical school tuition.
Neither his dad, nor sister, had any objections to his plans, but the night before his first dungeon raid, his dad sat him down, and reiterated the warnings drummed into him since he could understand the world at large. Always be on his guard, never take up contracts or offers from shady characters or with terms that are too good to be true, and if possible, study up on the kind of monsters that typically roam in the various ranked dungeons.
Jinwoo did all of that, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Frankly, Jinwoo doesn't care if his mana rating is the lowest in recorded history, that he is 'E'-rank, or the derisive sneers and insults aimed at him. Those around him can say whatever they want, but he is doing this for his family, and while Hunter fatalities have drastically reduced over the past ten years, every corpse he sees carried away, shrouded on a stretcher, is a sobering reminder that his safety is always number one, and what his dad warned him about.
So long as he holds on to what is most important, everything else can be easily ignored as empty, background buzz.
"You wished to speak with me, Chairman Go?"
"Ah, Manager Woo, thank you for coming. Yes, I need your input on a potentially concerning matter."
"…do you wish for my honest opinion on whatever matter has come to your attention?"
"I would appreciate it."
"Then what is this matter?"
"It has occurred to me that, despite drastically reduced numbers, there are still far too many Hunters becoming permanently disabled or killed in dungeon raids. Manager Woo, what are your thoughts on this?"
"…the numbers speak for themselves, Chairman Go. The majority of them are 'D'-ranked Hunters, likely stemming from overconfidence in their skills and abilities. I cannot speak for all of them, but I suspect a good proportion believe that, since they are not 'E'-ranked, they have what it takes to join more difficult dungeon raids, which understandably, results in injuries, disabilities and death. The same could be applied to higher ranked Hunters, though to a lesser degree."
"Hm…such a waste of promising talent and futures, all because of pride and overconfidence." A deep sigh, "Even with fewer cases, this cannot be allowed to keep happening. We need to find a way to better prepare Hunters for the dangers in dungeons, regardless of rank."
"…Chairman Go, if I may propose a suggestion?"
"Please, elaborate."
"Why don't we start a training programme to prepare Hunters for dungeon raids?"
To Be Continued.