Hunter License & The Bronze Badge [2]
It felt heavier than he expected. Its cold surface was a stark reminder of the journey ahead.
The receptionist rattled off a series of instructions, talking about his Bronze Adventurer Badge and how it could be upgraded once he reached the Sage rank.
Noah barely caught the details, his thoughts returning to his new identity and how fragile it seemed.
"Is there a written test?" he asked suddenly, his voice pulling her back from her memorized spiel.
She shook her head. "No, the bronze badge you have confirms you've worked as a porter for two years. The written test is for those without any dungeon experience."
'Two years?' Noah blinked. He hadn't realized how valuable that small piece of metal had become. It was a step forward, a sign that his past of hard core training wasn't wasted.
'I need to thank that white-beared man for it if I ever manage to meet him!'
The conversation shifted to how he could raise his rank as an adventurer. Escorting important figures, dungeon raids, artifact crafting—there were many paths to follow. But the core of it all came down to one thing: his physical stats. Raising them would determine his future.
Noah had learned from his father about the names of those nine ranks: Dormant, Ascended, Sage, Herald, Venerable, Paragon, Archon ,Sovereign, and Zenith so he wasn't too surprised when he heard about the power of those ranks before.
The simplest and least effective way to increase physical stats was to train continuously. But as worrying as it was, Noah had no choice but to follow such a path for now due to his lack of funds.
"The simplest way," she said, "is to train constantly. But the fastest way is to absorb rare natural treasures found in dungeons or in kaiju lairs." Her eyes met his, knowing full well how difficult it was to acquire such items.
"They're expensive. A single rare fruit from a 1-star dungeon can cost over 100 silver coins."
Noah's eyes widened. 'A hundred thousand bronze coins?' He nodded slowly, absorbing the information.
Before leaving, the receptionist reminded him that he would need to enter a dungeon at least once every three months, or his license would be revoked.
He thanked her, bowing slightly, before stepping out into the sunlight.
"Good luck out there, Noah. Welcome to the Adventurers' Association."
Noah gave her a small, grateful nod, slipping the card into his pocket as he walked out of the reception room. His future, uncertain as it was, waited just beyond those doors. 'And I'm ready for it.'
...
As Noah Nightshade stepped out of the Adventurers' Association building, the cool breeze hit his face, but it did nothing to calm the excitement bubbling within him. His steps were light, almost bouncing, as he gripped the Hunter Card in his hand tightly.
The metallic surface glinted in the sunlight, reflecting the sky's blue hue. He couldn't help but smile, a wide, genuine smile that reached his eyes.
'Finally!!', he thought, I'm officially a Hunter.
With anticipation, Noah raised the card to his face, his heart racing as he mentally commanded his "Alliance Spot"—the wrist device that had been dormant for years—to display his profile one more time.
It had been a long time coming. For years, he had tried and failed to activate the bracelet on his wrist, the symbol of potential Awakening that had teased him with possibility. And now, here he was, able to finally access it.
The feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming, a silent scream of victory echoing in his mind.
'It's almost Identical to the floating System's Status window.'
Noah's eyes lingered on the stats displayed before him, his mind whirling with a mix of pride and disappointment.
'It's not much... but it's mine!'
His stats were low compared to the stories he'd heard about other Awakened—warriors with immense strength and towering endurance—but he was officially in the game now, and that meant everything.
The
'I can work with this.'
He slid the Hunter Card into his pocket and began to walk, his pace slow as he pondered his next steps. With this license, everything changes.
The privileges of being a Hunter were vast. He could now hunt Kaiju monsters, sell the valuable blood crystals they left behind at the Adventurers' sales centers, and make enough money to change his life. I can finally stop scraping by... stop living on the edge of survival.
Then, there were the dungeons—those mysterious portals that connected the human world to strange and dangerous dimensions filled with creatures and treasures beyond imagination.
Until now, his access had been restricted. As a porter, his role had been menial: carrying supplies, fetching treasure, but never fighting.
The bronze badge he had been given three days ago by that white-haired man—still tucked in the pocket of his jacket—felt like a relic of a different life now.
Noah pulled the badge out and examined it for a moment, its dull sheen a stark contrast to the new black Hunter Card.
It had been his lifeline, his pass into the dangerous world of dungeons. But it was a world he could only observe from the edges, never truly participating.
The bronze badge had allowed him to join parties as a glorified pack mule, a way to retrieve some of the treasures that the Hunter teams found. He remembered the cold looks of disdain some Hunters had given him.
Just a porter, they'd say, dismissing him as nothing more than an errand boy.
That badge had its limits, though. It didn't permit him to fight Kaiju, nor enter gates above two-star rank, nor sell the blood crystals he scavenged from fallen monsters.
The bronze badge had been a part-time license, meant for those who hoped to scrape a living from the crumbs of others.
It had barely offered him a way to survive. And Noah had often wondered if he would ever be more than a faceless shadow in the background of expeditions, watching others grow stronger while he remained stagnant.
But now, with his Hunter license in hand, the door to a new life was wide open.
'I can enter those higher-ranked gates now, he realized. I can travel to better cities, places where the real opportunities are. I can train with actual Hunters in their halls.' He clenched his fist in determination.
His new black card was his key to everything. It felt like a rebirth, as though the world was finally giving him a chance to prove his worth.
The thought of the Kaiju monsters sent a shiver down his spine. He had only seen them from a distance, towering, grotesque beasts that ruled their dungeons with unmatched power. But now, Noah could face them—maybe not today, but someday soon. He was no longer just a spectator in this world of battle and survival.
'No more standing on the sidelines, he resolved, his heartbeat quickening with anticipation. I'm going to hunt. I'm going to fight.'
For the first time in a long while, the future seemed full of promise. And this time... I'll make sure it's mine.
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[A/N: One bonus chapter for three unrepetitive Reviews. It's a limited deal so don't miss it!]