The door opened to reveal a man in his forties, his weathered face framed by a frank, piercing gaze. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, but his energy remained palpable.

It was Mr. Min-Jung, a friend of Soo-Jin’s father and a D-rank hunter himself. He had been part of the raid during which Soo-Jin’s father had lost his life. Since then, Min-Jung had looked after Soo-Jin and his sister—never quite a father figure, but always keeping in touch to make sure they were doing okay.

He also had a six-year-old daughter from a previous engagement, now divorced. He had custody of the child at the end of each month, and whenever he could, he offered financial help to Soo-Jin and his sister. It was his way of honoring the memory of his fallen comrade.

“Soo-Jin?” he asked, his voice hoarse with surprise.

The young man nodded silently.

Min-Jung stepped aside without another word to let him in. The inside was modest, but warm.

They exchanged a few pleasantries, and then Min-Jung asked about his sister, his voice tinged with genuine concern. Soo-Jin responded softly, almost detached. But when his uncle asked how he was doing, he hesitated.

Slowly, Soo-Jin lowered his hood.

The yellow light of the room revealed the dark purple bruises marring his face.

Min-Jung’s expression darkened immediately. He straightened slightly, his features hardening.

“What the hell happened to you? Where did you get those marks?” he asked, his voice low and sharp.

Soo-Jin lowered his eyes, absentmindedly tugging at the hem of his sleeve.

“It’s nothing serious,” he replied simply.

“Did those bastards from school beat you up again?”

“They’re not my classmates. I don’t have anything to do with them,” Soo-Jin said, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

“I know. It just… feels wrong calling them ‘aggressors’ or something. Makes me sound like some clueless old man.” He sighed, then continued, “Tell me what happened.”

“I’m telling you, don’t worry about it. Just a bad encounter, that’s all. It’ll pass,” Soo-Jin said gently.

But his uncle stayed silent, eyes fixed on him. It was a heavy silence—one that demanded an answer.

So Soo-Jin explained, without unnecessary details, what had happened the previous night.

Min-Jung listened without interrupting, arms crossed, nodding now and then with a grave look, as if chewing on words he preferred not to say aloud.

When Soo-Jin finished, the room fell into a heavy stillness.

Only the quiet murmur of a television in the corner broke the silence.

Finally, Soo-Jin spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper:

“The worst part is… my boss gave me time off. A few days, maybe even weeks. Until I heal completely. But… since I’m paid by the day, I won’t get a cent.”

He bowed his head. He’d searched for a way out of this, but nothing came. He was stuck—unable to help others, unable to help himself.

Min-Jung grimaced, as if he’d already guessed what was coming.

“Hm…” He fell silent for a moment, tapping the table with his fingers.

He took a cigarette from his jacket, lit it, exhaled a long puff of smoke, and then said in a more pragmatic tone:

“You know… with all the gates opening lately, hunters are constantly being called for raids.”

He took a long drag, blowing out the smoke slowly, his gaze darkening.

“My team and I have a raid scheduled in four days. D-rank gate. Nothing major. But…”

He furrowed his brows, hesitating.

“Like with all missions, we’ll need a porter.”

He exhaled again in a slow, deliberate motion.

“As for you… I don’t know if I should. Or even if I want to.”

He turned to Soo-Jin, his face serious.

“I could register you as a porter for that raid. But there’s something you need to know: even if porters don’t fight, they have to be awakened hunters. That’s non-negotiable.”

“Why?” Soo-Jin asked, his breath catching.

“Because the inside of dungeons creates a pressure that’s harmful to non-awakened people. It can cause shortness of breath, vomiting, hallucinations… even unconsciousness, depending on the person’s tolerance.”

He paused, weighing his words.

“And when that happens… if you don’t get out within five minutes, you die.”

He nodded slowly.

“That’s not a risk I can take with someone like you, not until you’ve awakened.”

Soo-Jin raised his head, his eyes lit with a new fire.

“Register me.”

He paused, holding Min-Jung’s gaze, then said:

“I’m going on that raid.”

His fists clenched, his jaw tight.

“I can’t sit still anymore. I’m done running.”

In his mind, last night’s memories came rushing back—a vivid reminder of all the times he had chosen to yield instead of standing his ground.

Min-Jung exhaled. His thoughts were racing.

Should he bring Soo-Jin along, knowing full well the risks?

Or refuse him, and be powerless to help at all?

After a long silence, he finally said:

“Just know this: as a porter, the job is simple… which means the pay won’t be much. You stay back, a few meters from the fight. Once it’s over, you pick up the loot, pack it up. That’s it.”

He shrugged.

“We usually take two porters if the group’s ten or more. But if you’re the only one, the cut’s a bit better. Do a few runs, and you can make some decent cash. Better than nothing, especially since you can’t work your regular job right now.”

His eyes darkened.

“But promise me one thing: if anything feels wrong, even the slightest thing—you tell me. Immediately."

Soo-Jin perked up, a trace of excitement in his expression.

“Promise. You can count on me.”

“Alright. But there’s a catch.”

Min-Jung’s gaze flicked back to his bruises. He frowned.

“Your injuries. Four days…”

He let the sentence hang, his concern thick in the air.

Soo-Jin drew a quiet breath through his nose. Pain tugged at his shoulder with each movement, but despite that, he answered firmly, without hesitation:

“Four days is enough.”

Even tired, his gaze left no room for doubt.

Min-Jung studied him for a moment, as if searching for any trace of bluff. Then he nodded slowly. No matter what he said, he knew he couldn’t stop him now. He saw that fire in his eyes. A small, almost reluctant smile curled his lips.

He got up, pulled out his phone, and made a call.

“Hello? Choi Min-Kyu? I found a porter for the raid. Someone I trust. I’ll come with him on the day. You handle recruiting the rest—I’ve done my part.”

Then he hung up.

“Hm. Done. Four days from now—we’ll meet at the site. I’ll send you the location. You can head there without me. That’s part of being independent, huh? Ha!”

He grinned briefly.

“I’ve got something to take care of before then… but I’ll try not to be late.”

Soo-Jin stayed a while longer to talk with his uncle Min-Jung.

Then he made his way home