Four days had passed since the incident.

The pain was starting to fade, though it still lingered in his sore muscles and wounds. He wasn’t fully recovered yet, but his body, though tired, could now bear the strain.

The need to join the raid outweighed caution, and he knew he was ready to face whatever awaited him.

The pain was there, but it was bearable… for now.

On the day of the raid, Han Soo-Jin arrived alone. Min-Jung, who was supposed to come with him, wasn’t late—it was Soo-Jin who had arrived a little early. Min-Jung had clearly explained the meeting point.

Around him, a group of hunters were talking. They were strangers to him. Some gestured wildly, others laughed; some stood here, others there.

A very familiar atmosphere. They probably were used to raiding together.

At the same time, several other hunters showed up.

Soo-Jin, with his shy and withdrawn air, looked for a quiet spot. He approached a pile of planks and sat down, leaning against a container.

There was a vibe here he never thought he’d experience—especially for someone who had never undergone an awakening.

He stayed silent, waiting for the raid to begin.

Then, a voice cut through the noise.

“Man, I’m bored as hell…” grumbled a hunter, nervously tapping his thigh. It was Nam Gyu-Min.

“It opens in two minutes. Calm down. And we’re still waiting on the rest of the team,” Im Na-Rae replied.

“Two minutes too long. Seriously, why do we always get stuck with the boring dungeons?” Gyu-Min complained.

“Because we’re not in some damn S-rank guild, that’s why,” Seo Ji-Hwan shot back.

“And the others are taking forever to get here!” Gyu-Min grumbled again.

“Well, we showed up too early, so quit whining,” she snapped.

Gyu-Min sighed loudly.

“Too early!! Yeah, right… pfft.” Then he scanned the area, stopping for a moment.

“Hey, who’s that guy over there?” he asked.

“Who?” Ji-Hwan replied.

“The one who just showed up, sitting on the pile of planks,” Gyu-Min specified.

Ji-Hwan squinted.

“Hm… Judging by his face and shy vibe, he’s probably an E-rank too. Likely here for his first mission.”

“Tch. Bet he’s gonna cry at the first scratch,” Gyu-Min sneered.

A brief silence followed, then he shrugged.

“Pff, another one. So we’re really stuck babysitting, huh?!”

“Wait…” Choi Min-Kyu narrowed his eyes. “I’m not sure he’s here to fight. Must be an E-rank hunter volunteering as a porter for the raid. Though even E-ranks usually have some presence. This guy’s a complete ghost.”

“An E-rank with presence? Are you kidding?! Are there special E-ranks now?!” Gyu-Min scoffed.

“I think he’s the porter Min-Jung mentioned. Well! He could’ve at least picked someone tougher. With this guy, we’ll be carrying the whole raid while he struggles hauling three ores. Bet he’ll need backup… and we risk the portal closing before we finish,” Min-Kyu grumbled.

“But Min-Jung said he’d come with the porter, and that it was someone he knew well. This guy arrived alone. And the fact he’s off to the side means he’s probably a freelance E-rank hunter who’s barely awakened and will participate as a hunter. Min-Jung himself will come with the porter… pfff, another one,” Gyu-Min retorted.

Another man approached and threw an arm over the two’s shoulders. It was Lee Sun-Woo.

“Hey guys, since we’re all bored, let’s make this interesting: how about a bet on who’s right? Huh?” he suggested.

“I say he is a porter, yeah, but a second one. Given our numbers tonight, they must’ve hired a second porter. You owe me a beer and a good meal after the dungeon if I’m right,” he added.

“What about you, Na-Rae? What do you think this kid is…?” Sun-Woo started.

But before he could finish, Im Na-Rae cut him off coldly.

“Whether he’s a porter or an E-rank hunter, I don’t care. Your debate makes no sense and bores me. Always trying to act smart around new people. If you really want my opinion, I suggest you find something better to do while waiting for the others instead of playing kids’ games.”

“Seriously, Na-Rae… You really don’t know how to be cool,” Nam Gyu-Min said with a mock offended laugh.

“Yeah, you kill the vibe like always,” Sun-Woo added.

“Forget it, you know how she is. Fine, I accept the bet. If you win, you get two beers instead of one,” Gyu-Min said.

“Alright, let’s check this out up close,” Sun-Woo proposed. Gyu-Min followed silently.

Soo-Jin was lost in thought when two figures approached. He barely looked up as mocking laughter reached his ears. Nam Gyu-Min, taller, with messy hair, laid a hand on his shoulder with a smirk.

“Hey, kid! Hiding off by yourself, huh? Another E-rank for the mission, right? What’s your name?”

Soo-Jin looked up, uncomfortable, then lowered his head again, unsure how to respond. He said nothing.

Damn… Gyu-Min thought to himself. “So shy, definitely an E-rank. Bet’s lost.”

He straightened up and said, frustrated:

“So! The kid really is a hunter. Damn, I’m buying the drinks tonight!”

A weak, almost trembling voice spoke up.

“My name’s Han Soo-Jin… I’m not a hunter but just a human. I’m the porter Mr. Jung said would join the…”

He hadn’t finished when mocking laughter exploded.

“Ha ha ha, a non-awakened in a raid, that’s hilarious. You’re not a hunter and want to enter a dungeon? Joke’s on you. Do you even know what you’re risking?!” Gyu-Min sneered.

Then he stopped laughing and put on a fake serious face.

“A porter, huh! So you’re one of those guys who just follow behind carrying bags and gear? That’s all you’re good for? You quit your peaceful human life for this? Ha ha ha!”

He burst into loud laughter again.

“You’re so frail, man! What the hell is Min-Jung thinking sometimes? Today’s not even April Fool’s!”

Then he shouted to the group:

“Hey guys, that’s the porter! You were right! Hahaha! But you know what? The kid’s not even an E-rank, he’s non-awakened…”

They turned back to the others, laughing.

Soo-Jin heard them in the distance.

“So I was right. That’s two free beers for me after this!” Sun-Woo called out.

“Hey, don’t get carried away. You said second porter. There’s only one: Min-Jun’s kid,” Nan Gyu-Min shot back.

“No cheating! I still said he’s a porter, and I was right!” Sun-Woo insisted.

“But you should’ve shut your mouth instead of adding ‘second’ at the end… Tss, you talk too much,” Min-Kyu growled, folding his arms.

“Nice one, thanks Min-Kyu, you’re the real deal haha.”

“Rrggg! That’s cheating… You’re two against me. Look, Im Na-Rae, is that fair?!”

“Don’t drag me into your nonsense,” Na-Rae cut in sharply.

They went back to their argument, and meanwhile, Soo-Jin sat alone, head between his knees.

Suddenly, footsteps approached. Without looking up, as if avoiding any talk, he said wearily:

“I’m just a normal human… not a hunter.”

At that moment, a familiar female voice answered him:

“I know. I’m not here to ask you that kind of question. Besides, their little game doesn’t interest me.”

It was a voice Soo-Jin knew so well.

He looked up.

“Kyuang-ah!!!!”