"..498..499..500"
Huff..
Letting go of the metal bar placed high, the figure landed on the ground, finishing his session of muscle-ups. Stretching his body, he didn't feel even an ounce of fatigue.
Standing at 6'1", old and tight clothes covered his lean but muscular frame. His arms looked massive, and the clothes outlined the strong muscles of his back as his figure stood straight.
"System."
[Name: Damon Aldridge]
[Talent: Adaptive Evolution (Ex)]
[Skills: 4/10]
[Pain Resistance (F), Rough Skin (F), Dense Bones (F), Flexibility (F)]
Flexibility
Grade: F
Basic enhancement of bodily flexibility, allowing smoother movements and reducing minor strain risks.
"It should be enough, right?"
Damon muttered to himself as he looked down at his body, clenching his fists.
It's been a week since he awakened as a hunter and tested his talent, and this was the result. He had gained four acquired skills at the start.
There was still a lot to research about the skills, but according to what Damon knew, skills were like talents—a kind of ability that granted superhuman capabilities. However, unlike innate talents, skills were acquired through various means, such as monster cores or training.
By training, one could acquire a certain number of skills based on their talent and effort, but most often, they acquired low-level physical skills.
By pushing the body to its limits, these supernatural skills manifested. They were graded similarly to talents, and these skills were a hunter's main weapon against monsters, sometimes valued more than talent itself.
Skills were valuable, and any human could possess them as long as they were awakened. However, there was a certain limit to the number of skills one could possess. For humans, the natural limit was 10.
No human could inherit more than 10 skills. They could have individual skills with thousands of features, but the number of skills in the status could only be ten.
This was the rule among hunters, though there were exceptions.
'I could have gained a lot more skills if I tried to… but I don't have that kind of luxury, at least for now.'
For the entire week, Damon had focused only on improving his physical fitness while collecting as much money as possible for this very day.
He hadn't gained many skills, but his transformation and physical stats were enough to take his first step toward becoming a hunter.
For someone with op talent compared to many protagonist Damon might be lacking at the moment but he is still satisfied with his growth over th week, gaining more height and muscles, his figure now doesn't look that of someone malnourished or skinny, his face also has gain more masculine and handsome appearance which has brought him with a lot of satisfaction.
After completing his sets of exercises, Damon jogged back to his room and changed his old clothes for brand-new ones.
A plain black, full-sleeved T-shirt, suitable for combat. He grabbed all the money he had saved and took a final look at the place he had lived in for the past few years before stepping out, ready for his new life—a life of luxury, respect, and freedom as a hunter.
***
"This is your Hunter's Card."
Damon looked down at the sleek white card with his name and latest photo printed on it.
[Damon Aldridge]
Blood Group: AB+
Talent: Extreme Regeneration
Grade: B
Hunter ID: XXXXXXX01
"Congratulations! You are a hunter now."
The lady at the reception smiled brightly as she handed Damon the card.
"This is a valuable document that, as a hunter, you should always carry with you."
"With the hunter ID, you can log into your Hunter's Account on our app, where you can book gates and participate in them. The app also has an online store, which is the only legal way to purchase hunter-related items, such as swords, online."
"This is the basic registration card, and for now, you have 3 free entries to our basic F-ranked gate managed by the Association."
"Anything else you wish to know?"
The lady explained slowly, following her professional ethics as she handed Damon the card while maintaining a smile.
"No, nothing," Damon shook his head lightly as he held the card in his hands. He already knew all about the association and its basic rules, so there was no point in wasting time here, and he didn't have any questions either.
"Well, I heard the association has its own shop that provides basic gear. Can you point me in that direction?"
As if remembering something, Damon suddenly asked the lady, who pointed him in the right direction.
Following her lead, Damon made his way deeper into the large Association building. Every city had an Association Headquarters, a key building, especially for beginner hunters. It dealt with legalities, sold equipment, and managed gate entries—almost everything a hunter needed.
Walking in the direction the receptionist had pointed, Damon found himself in front of a large shop adorned in wood. It exuded a feeling of luxury, with hundreds of weapons on display.
The place had a few people—mostly his age and some older—looking at the weapons, while an old man in a suit could be seen polishing one of the swords on the other side.
"Excuse me, sir," Damon said as he approached the man, who looked up and set the sword he was holding down.
"Hello, young man. What can I do for you?"
The man smiled kindly, sizing Damon up as he adjusted his round, golden glasses.
"Hello, I'm a new hunter, just registered with the association. I want to buy myself a weapon."
Damon showed the man his Hunter's Card, which the man took. A Hunter's Card wasn't just proof of identity; it was also a license—a license to purchase and use weapons issued by the association.
"Damon… Damon Aldridge. Nice name you've got there, Mr. Aldridge. I'm David Williams, and this is my shop."
The old man, David, returned the card to Damon with a smile.
"First of all, congratulations on awakening, young man, and welcome to the world of hunters."
"I'm the owner of this store and also a guide for new hunters like yourself. If you ever need any equipment or have any difficulties, feel free to call me. Here's my card."
David handed Damon his business card, which he accepted, before getting down to business.
"So, what kind of weapon are you looking for, young man?"