Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Fate Just Doesn’t Give Up on You

“...Ugh.”

I had no more strength in my body. It felt like I’d just had an intense sweating session in a sauna, my body growing languid.

[Hunter: Joo Donghoon]

[Energy: 0/100]

This is what happens when your energy hits zero.

But while my body was limp, my mind was boiling like a kettle.

“No way...”

The desire to live, the instinct to survive, was bubbling within me. Even though part of me felt I had done enough, there was still a sting of regret in my heart. I hadn’t suffered for three years just to die a meaningless death. I hadn’t wanted to live such a wretched life.

But the reality was a shit pit. Now, all that was left were three skeletons swaying like flickering embers in the wind.

Becoming a ranker, my ass. It seems I was destined to be orc food.

My strength was failing.

I felt both unjustly treated and frustrated. Was I just a chicken dreaming of flying high one day? Was my dream too grand for my own good? Was it such a great crime for a chicken to aspire to be like a menacing bird of prey soaring through the sky?

“Roar!”

The orc let out a foul laugh and a victorious roar as if sensing my psychological resignation.

[Check the condition achievement message!]

“Huh?”

I frowned.

The message had been there for a while, but I’d been too enraged to pay it any attention.

“...?”

But then I snapped back to reality because this message was different—it was completely golden.

I quickly clicked it.

[Hidden condition achieved!]

[This is the hidden condition for ‘Unique Authority: Cursed Necromancer’!]

[Condition: The 10,000 Uses Rule!]

– To upgrade your unique authority, significant effort is required!

– Use the skill ‘Summon Ordinary Skeleton’ (E-rank) 10,000 times!

“Wha...?”

My eyes widened. A dumbfounded sound escaped my mouth.

Golden dust sparkled around the message.

—Creak, clatter?

Even the skeletons facing off against the orc stood in a daze.

The 10,000 Uses Rule?

It was a condition I had never heard of. But then again if I had known, the “hidden” label would be meaningless.

So does that mean...

I’ve used my skill 10,000 times?

It makes sense, considering I’ve been doing this for about three years and about ten times daily.

It was at that moment...

[Congratulations!]

[Your rank has upgraded to D-rank!]

Oh heavens, gods.

D-rank...?

Three years with no response, and now?

Well, better late than never, I suppose. Thanks.

[A reward for the rank change has arrived!]

Yeah, hurry! Give me something good!

I urged the unknown entity inwardly.

“Huff!”

The orc started moving again, so I had to hurry.

[Energy restored!]

[Energy: 100/100]

“Yes!” I shouted involuntarily.

For me, energy was like extra lives.

—Clang! Clang!

The orc’s axe clashed a few times with Boney 1’s greatsword.

But the sound was different from before. Instead of a brittle snap, there was a mighty clang.

“Ooh.”

The skeletons’ strength had changed!

[Skill: ‘Summon Ordinary Skeleton’ (E-rank) has been upgraded!]

[Skill: ‘Summon Awakened Skeleton’ (D-rank) acquired!]

In line with the message:

[Skill: Summon Awakened Skeleton]

[Rank: D]

[Effect 1: Consumes 10 energy to summon a mid-grade skeleton. A maximum of 10 can be summoned.]

[Effect 2: You can name each skeleton.]

The change was simple: my “low-grade” skeletons had evolved into “mid-grade” ones.

And one more thing.

Besides.

How could I be calm when the fruits of three years of effort had just been realized?

I returned to my tiny basement room, finishing my training early, and stared at my status window the entire day.

“Hehehe.”

A smile crept onto my lips.

[Hunter: Joo Donghoon]

[Alias: X]

[Energy: 100/100]

[Unique Authority: Cursed Necromancer]

[Rank: D]

[Effect]

– You possess the profession of a necromancer, capable of handling dead souls. You can use fearsome spirits and toxic substances to subdue opponents. However, you are cursed.

– You can only summon skeletons.

[Skills]

‘Summon Awakened Skeleton’ (D-rank)

Nice.

I clenched my fist.

I had thought my life was going downhill, but now hope had returned. I had misunderstood this beautiful world, cursing it as a failure. Yes, efforts should be rewarded, no doubt about it.

“...”

Of course, it was still a long way to reach the ranker level, where A and S-ranks dominated.

A thorny path stretched before me. Who knew what antics I would have to pull to reach C-rank next?

But I was happy. I had thought it was an unattainable dream.

I must return to the basics.

Anyway, the path I designed wasn’t wrong. Only endless effort and training made one strong. That’s all there was to it.

And the skeletons.

Honestly, I was surprised. The power of the mid-grade skeletons, now at D-rank, was beyond imagination.

They were different from the undead I had studied and organized. Ordinarily, skeletons were just skeletons. I had never heard of powerful skeletons. There was no concept of “mid-grade” skeletons. Not to mention that my skeletons could grow. Furthermore, there’s one that uses magic.

Unbelievable.

When it comes to magic-using undead, only the highest-ranking lich among the A-ranks could do that.

“...”

For a moment, I imagined the image of Boney 5, spamming top-tier spells like Blink, Hellfire, and Blizzard Storm.

And Boney 1 and Boney 2, who would become Sword Master and Spear Master.

Then Boney 3 and Boney 4 would become Bow Master and Defense Master, respectively?

I chuckled as I heated a cup of ramen.

—Slurp!

Despite eating it all year long, it tasted especially good after surviving a life-threatening situation.

Anyway.

There hadn’t been much change in my life yet. Even tomorrow, I still had to go to the mercenary guild and earn money. I had to make a living, and I had to keep training.

I hope the other five skeletons awaken soon too.

This might be a premature hope. But if I keep training the first five, I believe the rest will gradually awaken, too.

—Plop!

I lay down on my bed after finishing my meal.

I might stay up all night staring at the status window, but... I had to sleep.

It was a good night, in any case.

* * *

The next day.

There was a bustling atmosphere at the Problem Solver, the mercenary guild I was affiliated to.

Usually, it was a place for E-rank and D-rank mercenaries, with a few flies buzzing around. But today, I saw some upper-tier mercenaries whose faces I had only heard about.

What’s going on?

As I set my bag on the table, the team leader, Kim Joonseo, approached. We’d known each other for so long that we were more like brothers.

“Hey, Donghoon! You’re here! Take a look at this. This is huge!”

“Something huge?”

“Yeah, you know the Parang Guild? The one established by Giparang?”

“Yes, I know it.”

Who wouldn’t? Giparang, the “Fine Bow.” Of the 37 rankers within Korea, including the recent addition of Dark Lord, Giparang was one of them.

Giparang once shot an arrow that accidentally destroyed the top of a mountain. Parang was a prestigious guild that he founded.

“Parang has commissioned our mercenary group. They’re exploring a newly opened dungeon and need porters. The pay is ten times the usual rate!”

“...Ten times?”

Typical of a large guild, they were big spenders.

Ah, so that’s why even the upper-tier mercenaries were here.

For now, I was intrigued because a low-rank hunter rarely got a chance to enter a high-rank dungeon.

“Yeah, they’re even accepting E-ranks. Are you in? Honestly, today’s requests are all trash otherwise.”

When he said trash, he meant there were no other significant requests.

I smacked my lips.

Maybe because of yesterday, I couldn’t just blindly accept. I learned how precious life is.

After a moment of contemplation, I nodded.

“Let’s see what kind of dungeon it is first.”