Today is my 18th birthday.
A day that should have been filled with joy, celebration, the promise of the future—yet all I feel is this heavy weight pressing down on my chest. The kind of weight that sits in your gut, twists your insides, and makes you wonder if anything in life will ever change.
I've always wanted to be a Hunter. Always. Ever since I was a child, watching those with power—real power—step into the dungeons and return with treasures, fame, and respect. They were heroes in my eyes. The ones who had it all figured out, who knew their place in the world. I thought, someday, I'd be like them.
But now? Now that I'm standing here, I feel nothing but doubt.
I stand in line at the Hunter Registration Desk, surrounded by other new hopefuls. They're all excited, chatting amongst themselves, speaking about the quests they'll take on, the ranks they'll climb. I try to listen, but their words blur together, becoming meaningless.
'Why am I even here?' I think to myself. 'What difference does it make if I'm just another lowly 1-star Hunter?'
The moment feels unreal, detached. I place my hand on the cold metal device that's required for registration. A soft, pulsing warmth shoots up my arm, as if the device is alive, scanning me. The beep sounds, and the clerk behind the counter looks at me with that trained, cheerful smile.
"Congratulations, Kai Verner," she says, her voice cheerful, almost annoyingly so. "You're officially a 1-star Hunter. Here's your license. Welcome to the world of Hunters."
I don't smile. I don't even feel a sense of accomplishment. 1-star. The lowest possible rank. The same rank that people get when they barely scrape by. I look at the small license she hands me, its sleek surface reflecting the dull light of the office.
'This is all I'll ever be,' I think. 'A 1-star Hunter, nothing special.'
She doesn't know. None of them do. The hopes I had for today... they feel like a cruel joke now. I step away from the counter, the weight of my failure settling on my shoulders like an invisible shackle.
I walk out of the building, the door closing behind me with a dull thud. The sunlight hits my face, but it doesn't feel warm. It feels cold.
The streets are crowded, full of people rushing about, all of them in their own worlds. They're heading to guilds, missions, dungeons—places where they'll prove themselves, where they'll grow.
But me? I'm just another face in the crowd.
I pull out my system device from my pocket and tap the screen, calling up the familiar interface. The cold glow of the screen makes me feel... isolated.
'Let's check my stats,' I think. 'As if anything could change.'
I speak quietly to myself, words barely audible as I utter the command, "Status."
The screen flickers, and my stats appear. I stare at them, the numbers mocking me. They are all so... low. So pathetic.
---
**System Status:**
*Name: Kai Verner*
*Class: 1-Star Hunter*
*Level: 1*
*Health: 50/50*
*Mana: 20/20*
*Strength: 5*
*Agility: 4*
*Intelligence: 3*
*Ability: Null*
---
'Is this really me?' I think, the sting of the numbers hitting harder than I expected. 'Strength: 5. Agility: 4. Intelligence: 3. Ability: Null.'
No abilities. No unique power. Nothing. Just... empty.
I feel the lump in my throat as I swallow hard. 'I thought this was my chance. I thought this would be the moment everything changed.'
But it hasn't. It won't. Not with stats like these.
I let out a long breath, trying to ignore the cold ache that gnaws at my chest. I check the screen again. The same result. The same emptiness.
'Maybe I'm just not cut out for this,' I think bitterly. 'Maybe all those people who told me I was worthless were right.'
I shove the device back into my pocket and keep walking, my footsteps heavy, like they're dragging me down, making it harder to move. My legs feel like lead, each step taking more effort than the last.
As I pass the guilds, the sounds of laughter and conversation spill out onto the streets. People walking in and out, faces full of determination, of purpose. They're not like me.
'They're different,' I think, 'They have something... something I don't.'
A part of me wonders if I'll ever feel like they do—like I'm worthy of being here. A Hunter. The kind of Hunter who can change the world. But that dream feels so far away now. It's like it was never mine to begin with.
I finally reach my apartment building. I stop in front of the door, the same one I've walked through for years. The familiar scent of dust and old furniture hits me, and for a moment, I stand there, lost in the silence.
'This is my life now,' I think bitterly. 'A 1-star Hunter. No abilities. No future.'
I step inside, the door creaking closed behind me. The dim lights of the hallway flicker, adding to the gloom.
I drop onto the couch, staring at the screen of my device again. I don't know what I'm expecting, but I tap the screen anyway, like I'm waiting for something to change.
The familiar system interface stares back at me, the void reflecting my own emptiness. And then, the system flashes a new message.
---
**System Notification:**
*"Would you like to update the system? [Yes] [No]"*