The world had irrevocably changed since the Gate Incident erupted.
While the frequent emergence of Gates and the subsequent monster incursions, if left unchecked, posed a grave threat, what truly captured public attention was the rise of a new privileged class.
These were the ‘Awakened.’ Some became Hunters, tasked with eliminating monsters and sealing Gates, while others manifested abilities to create artifacts or heal the afflicted.
Though their individual powers varied, these Awakened, having transcended human limitations, had already cemented their position as the new aristocracy of society.
To put it bluntly, even a mere E-rank ability that simply granted enhanced physical strength could make a laborer 10 million won a month with ease.
“Sigh… I’m so envious. If only I could Awaken, I’d make a fortune.”
Yet, I remained an ordinary person, a recent college graduate struggling to find a job, merely able to gaze upon these Awakened with distant admiration.
My body, weary from part-time work, sank onto the bed.
Tomorrow would bring another shift, the day after, an interview, and then weekend work…
I let out a deep sigh at the thought of the inevitable days to come, before finally settling into bed.
‘Oh, right. I need to post my daily update before bed.’
It was a daily post I wrote on the Hunter Gallery, hoping against all odds, though it held no particular significance.
Today marked its 999th consecutive day.
****
[Awakening Prayer Day 999]
[King of the Unemployed]
Please, let me Awaken too. Let me turn my life around.
[Comments]
[ㅇㅇ (121.138)] You think that’ll happen?
[Lightning Man ▣] Get a grip and focus on finding a job. You’re not the only one like this. Awakening isn’t something you achieve through effort.
[Deadline ▣] Daily post, recommended.
****
Dismissing the now-familiar responses, I closed my phone.
‘Yes, I’ll definitely be Awakened tomorrow. It’s the 1000th day, after all. Once I Awaken, I’ll pay off my student loans first, then invest all my assets in stocks…’
Drifting on these fleeting hopes, I slowly succumbed to sleep.
****
Ding-ding-ding! Good morning!
Once again, the dreadful alarm jolted me awake.
Keeping my eyes shut, I fumbled to silence my phone, but it wasn’t in its usual, easily accessible spot.
“Huuuh-aaaaah-m!”
Bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap!
Reluctantly, I opened my eyes.
I couldn’t endure that awful alarm any longer, and I needed to get up immediately if I didn’t want to be late for my part-time job.
However, the moment I reached out to turn off the alarm, I realized something was terribly wrong.
‘…Why is my hand so pale?’
Since everything else appeared normal, it wasn’t an issue with my eyes.
Had I slept poorly, cutting off circulation to my hand?
My back and bottom also felt strangely uncomfortable.
Only then did I belatedly notice that the shape of my hand was entirely different from what I remembered.
It was adorably small, slender yet rounded, and incredibly soft.
“Huh?”
And it wasn’t just my hand that had changed.
“Ah, ah. Ahh. Uh-oh? What’s wrong with my voice?”
My voice had transformed, becoming strangely high-pitched and delicate.
There was no way I could work my part-time job like this.
To assess the situation, I pushed my stiff body upright.
My gaze fell upon the full-length mirror positioned in the corner of the room.
‘Oh, surely not. I haven’t suddenly turned into a monster like Gregor Samsa, have I?’
With a heart full of trepidation, I climbed out of bed.
My legs seemed to have shrunk too, as my clothes hung loose and my feet dangled above the floor.
And when I finally stood before the mirror, I was utterly aghast.
“H-huh…?”
My body had transformed, leaving no trace of its former self.
My hair had somehow grown incredibly long, and golden, branch-like horns sprouted from my head.
Golden wings unfurled from my back, and a black and gold-tipped tail extended gracefully from above my hips.
“Th-this. Is this a dream?”
In this unbelievable situation, I pinched and pulled at my cheek, but nothing changed except for the cute girl in the mirror making a dumbfounded expression.
“Ow, ow.”
If this wasn’t a dream, then only one explanation remained for this situation.
‘Awakening…!’
I had heard that, though exceedingly rare, some Awakened underwent complete physical transformations.
If that were the case, it would explain my current predicament.
“…Status Window.”
As if uttering an incantation, I softly spoke those three syllables.
Fwoosh!
With a shimmering sound, a blue window materialized before my eyes.
[Status Window]
[Name: Lee Dayoon]
[Level: 1]
[Species: Gold Dragon]
[Skills]: [Artifact Crafting (SSS)(Growth-type)], [Dragon Heart (SS)], [Glide (C)]
[Debuffs]: [Frail Wyrmling]
“Th-this is insane!”
My initial thoughts were disbelief and doubt.
Was this situation truly real?
That was all I could fathom.
Yet, the tingling pain in my cheek, the vividly clear Status Window, and the faint magical energy I sensed around me all affirmed that this surreal situation was, in fact, reality.
And as I fully comprehended its reality, an indescribable euphoria surged through my entire being.
“Hee, heehee, hee-hahahaha!”
My studio apartment might not have been soundproof, but at this moment, such trivialities held no importance whatsoever.
“I’m rich now!!”
Day 1000 of praying for an Awakening.
Finally, the heavens had answered my prayers!
An SSS-rank skill was something whose existence had never even been revealed before, and on top of that, another SS-rank skill!
Starting with three skills from the outset, I had become the ultimate ‘golden spoon’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term referring to someone born into a wealthy or privileged family.) in the Awakened world!
Just as I was about to examine the skill descriptions, my gaze snagged on the ‘Debuffs’ section of the Status Window.
‘Wyrmling…? What’s this now?’
With an SSS-rank skill, surely a minor debuff couldn’t be that big of a deal, I reasoned, and clicked on the text in the Status Window.
[Frail Wyrmling]
[You are a newly hatched Dragon Wyrmling. You cannot use magic and possess only human-level strength. All you have is tough hide. You receive a very large disadvantage in all combat.]
[Until naturally lifted: 10 years]
And just as quickly as my spirits had soared to the heavens, they plummeted like a roller coaster.
“…What?”
No magic?
Human-level strength?
Disadvantage in all combat?
This was tantamount to making a life as a ‘Hunter,’ the pinnacle of Awakened careers, utterly impossible.
If I couldn’t engage in combat, then no matter how high my attribute rank, it would be meaningless.
Moreover, without combat, leveling up as a Hunter would be an insurmountable task.
My growth, too, would be stifled.
‘N-no, it’s fine. It’ll be lifted in 10 years anyway, and I still have skills, don’t I?’
Yes, the SSS-rank skill was definitely ‘Artifact Crafting.’
Crafting-type Awakened were also highly regarded, second only to Hunters.
This alone was more than enough.
Pushing aside my lingering disappointment, I proceeded to check the skill descriptions.
‘First, let’s check the lower-ranked ones.’
It was standard practice, after all, to save the grandest gift for last.
I examined the C-rank skill’s description.
[Glide (C)]
[Unfurl your wings to slow your descent and aid aerial movement.]
While the description wasn’t particularly grand, for a C-rank skill, it was remarkably good.
It meant I wouldn’t have to worry about falling to my death.
“Then, next….”
[Dragon Heart (SS)]
[You possess the heart of a Dragon, a dominant species of magic. The maximum magical energy that can be utilized continuously erupts from your heart, and you will not experience mana exhaustion.]
“…That’s incredible.”
Unlimited magical energy meant inexhaustible stamina.
For an Awakened, there could be no greater ability.
…Of course, I wouldn’t be able to use magic for 10 years, but wouldn’t I be able to use it after that period?
Moreover, having magical energy would prevent minor illnesses, so it wasn’t as if there were no immediate benefits.
“Then… this must be the last one.”
The highly anticipated SSS-rank.
‘Artifact Crafting.’
From its name, it seemed to be a skill for creating items, but what exactly did it entail?
To calm my wildly pounding heart, I took a deep breath.
“Hmph! Phew….”
And with a careful hand, I clicked the skill name.
[Artifact Crafting (SSS)(Growth-type)]
[Consumes mana and materials to manifest imagined objects. The rank is determined by the amount of mana invested, the quality of materials, and the concreteness of the imagination.]
And the moment I read the description, a thrill coursed through my mind.
‘Jackpot.’
Among Awakened, if there was one factor, regardless of rank, that truly distinguished a skill’s performance, it was ‘versatility,’ which would undoubtedly take the top spot.
It was only natural that a more versatile skill, even if of the same rank, could be utilized in more situations.
And the description of ‘Artifact Crafting’ I had just read was, quite literally, the epitome of versatility.
‘Not just a specific sword or weapon, but manifesting any desired ‘tool’?’
This was a revolutionary skill, one that had never existed before among crafting-type skills.
“Heehee, hehehe… Hehe….”
Even when I tried to suppress it, a giggle escaped me.
A brilliant future, as dazzling as my wings and horns, unfolded in my mind.
A future where I earned money with my crafting skill, swimming in mountains of gold.
Just then, a sound that dragged me back to reality rang out.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
