After he finished eating, he went to the bathroom to relieve himself. When he looked in the mirror, he almost jumped at the sight of his face because he couldn’t get used to it. 

Even though he had seen the changes in his hair and eyes, it still freaked him out every single time he saw himself. He was 24 years old, so his hair and eye color changes were still very new to him. 

Freyr had gray hair now, he didn’t look old. As for his eyes, they looked like the green from a blade of grass that had been unpolluted by chemicals. It was a bright green full of vitality and life. 

“Ah, I can’t get used to how I look now…” He wondered if he would ever get used to his new hair and eye color. Maybe he should think of it as him dying his hair and putting in colored contacts. 

Once Freyr finished in the bathroom, he didn’t go back to his room. He wanted to water his crops as quickly as he could before going back to bed. If the nurses or doctors found him missing, it would make him look suspicious. Plus, he didn’t want to trouble Lucian. 

Thankfully, he had a rain spell that he could cast over his crops. They were growing quickly and healthily, so he didn’t need to do much. 

When he finished, he went back to his hospital bed and laid down, resting so he could get discharged quickly. 

*****

The next day, the doctor cleared him for discharge and also gave him his wallet, 2 sets of clothes, and keys. His phone was broken, so they couldn’t give that to him, but they did give him his SIM card. 

Dr. Hernandez gave Freyr his belongings in a clear plastic bag. “Some of the Hunters from the Liberation Guild went to your apartment last night and found your wallet, keys, and your phone. They also knew you didn’t have clothes with you when you left, so they made to grab you a couple of sets. Your phone is broken, but they were able to save your SIM card. Be sure to thank them after you leave today.” 

Freyr was relieved to know that they were able to get most of his important documents and items. The only thing that was missing was his birth certificate, but he could request the state for a new one. 

“I will be sure to thank them. Thank you, Dr. Hernandez, for taking care of me.” 

“It is no problem at all. Be sure to take care of your health so I do not have to see you again unless it is for a check-up.” 

“Of course.” 

After that, Freyr put all of his items into an item boss and headed to the nearest phone store. With the help of the hospital staff, he walked to his destination. There were not many cars on the road and most of the traffic lights were down.

Many buildings and homes had their windows shattered, doors kicked down, and some were even reduced to rubble. 

The phone store was in a neighboring safe zone, which took him two hours to walk to. After awakening, his body didn’t feel tired from being on his feet. He was a bit hungry though, so he bought some food at a local restaurant halfway through his journey. 

Once he got there, got a new phone, case, and screen protector. They were a lot studier than his old phone. 

After inserting his old SIM card, he could finally contact his loved ones. First, he added Lucian’s number and sent him a message, saying he got a new phone. Then he texted his parents, telling them that he finally got a new phone and when they weren’t busy, to contact him. He wasn’t sure if they were at work or not. 

He also downloaded important apps like social media he used. Then he contacted his workplace to tell him he had to quit because he was now a Hunter and needed to report to the Hunter Association. They told him to send some documentation and he would be good to quit. 

“Finally, able to contact the outside world.” 

He went on one of the apps to order a driver so he could get to the nearest Hunter’s Association, which wasn’t too far from where he was. A Hunter’s Association was in each safe zone, so Hunters didn’t have to travel far to go to one.

In the U.S., there were six major districts, most having multiple states in them. Hawaii, Alaska, and other former U.S. territories were not included as they were liberated and became their own countries or territories. That was why, the major districts were only on the mainland of the United States. 

As for the safe zones, there were at least 10 of them in each district and a maximum of 20 districts, occasionally crossing state lines. Some of the safe zones were next to each other, while others had a large gap between them because of dungeon breaks that were not solved in time. 

Freyr was currently in District 6, which had the highest Asian-American population. This consisted of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. He was in one of the safe zones in California, which was called safe zone 6-4. This meant he was in District 6 and Safezone 4. District 6 was also where Lucian was stationed for the Liberation Guild.  

The headquarters of the Hunter’s Association in the U.S. was at the first district in Virginia, on the outskirts of the Appalachian Mountains because of the large tower nearby. All guilds in the United States had their headquarters in this general area so they could keep an eye on the tower and for easy access to it. 

The Hunter’s Association Freyr was going to was considered mid-size because of the number of hunters and employees that were stationed in the safe zone. 

The building was 6 stories tall and had reinforced windows, but it still looked modern. On the front of the building, it had the large symbol of the Hunter’s Association. This symbol had two swords crossed over a shield. Additionally, it was sitting on a plot of land that had a large garden and an outdoor patio area for people to eat or relax. 

Many people were going in and out because it was lunchtime, so no one paid much attention to Freyr when he arrived. 

Freyr, who was wearing clothes that the Hunters dropped off at the hospital, felt a bit out of place because the Hunters were wearing equipment made for Hunters, while the employees were wearing business casual. He was the only one wearing gray sweatpants, black and white sneakers, and a plain black t-shirt. 

It was fine. Once he got his Hunter ID, he could access the Hunter’s store and see if there was anything he could buy. 

The Hunter’s store was on the menu screen that only Hunters could see. Once they got their ID, it would activate. As for how this technology worked, he wasn’t sure. 

Freyr entered the building and was greeted by two receptionists. They were not helping anyone at the moment, but they were eating food at the desk since it was lunchtime. 

“Good afternoon, Sir, how can we help you today?” The lady to the left asked. 

The woman was wearing business casual clothing, so she was not a hunter. As for the other receptionist, it was a man but he used a prosthetic arm. He still wore some of his hunter gear though. 

Freyr introduced himself, “Hello, my name is Freyr Tran and I am here to get my Hunter’s ID. I recently awakened and just got out of the hospital today.” 

“Hello, Mr. Tran, I will be happy to help you. Could I please see your ID first?” The woman responded. She was the one who would be helping him while her colleague ate. 

“Of course, here you go.” He handed his ID to her. It was a government-issued ID because he didn’t drive. He mostly took public transportation or used an app to get a driver.

“Thank you… And you said you have just awakened, correct? Are you an offensive, defensive, or support Hunter?” 

“I am a support Hunter.” 

“That’s pretty rare. The Hunter’s Association is always happy to have a support Hunter. Okay, I have all of your information down. Please follow me to the testing room, from there, someone will help you get your Hunter’s ID.” 

The front desk was not authorized to give Hunter’s ID, but they made sure to document who was coming in and why.

“Thank you, Ma’am. Before I go, I heard the Hunter’s Association has accommodations for Hunters without a guild. Where do I go to get that?” 

“After you get your Hunter’s ID, you can come back to the front desk and I can see what is available for you. Do you urgently need housing? If so, I can mark that in your file for you.” 

“Yes, I do not have a place to stay anymore because it was destroyed during the recent dungeon break in Safezone 6-3.” 

“Ah, okay, then I will note that for you.” 

Once she was finished typing down all the information, she guided him further into the building. 

The woman began to talk about the facilities of the Hunter’s Association, “On the first floor, we typically have the testing for new Hunters. The training ground is in another building behind this one. You can sign up for teachers to help you learn how to use a weapon or magic. 

“As for the other floors, it is the office rooms of the staff and other hunters who work for the association. Most hunters do not need to go there unless they are called by someone. 

“Oh, since you need housing accommodations, it is across the street from us. The Hunter’s Association owns the apartment building, which is how we can house Hunters who do not have a guild. You will rent per day instead of per month since most people go to a guild’s apartment in less than a month. 

“Those who are seeking long-term housing can apply to pay monthly. This is rare though, as most people find themselves in a guild or create one themselves.” 

“Thank you for explaining everything to me.” 

“It is no problem at all. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me or one of the other staff members.” 

The woman stopped at a door. “They haven’t started testing yet because it happens every hour. You may see some new hunters in there so when you are ready, you can go inside.” 

Freyr nodded and opened the door. In the room, there were three new hunters and two staff members.