Chapter 1: The Weight of Weakness

The World After the Cataclysm – 16 Years Later

Sixteen years ago, the Cataclysm tore through the world, splitting the skies and shattering the earth. On that day, towering dimensional rifts—gates—appeared without warning, unleashing legions of monsters onto an unsuspecting humanity. Cities fell. Governments crumbled. Humanity learned a harsh truth: their weapons, their armies—none of it mattered.

But as quickly as the nightmare began, salvation arrived. Hunters emerged from the chaos—ordinary people who awakened extraordinary abilities, the first generation of superhumans who turned the tide against the gates.

The first Hunters were accidental miracles, their powers awakening in the heat of battle, born out of desperation as they faced the horrors of the gates. But as the world adapted, a system began to form—a pattern that defined the laws of Awakening.

Every year, when a person turned 16, the System would choose them. A select 30% of the global population would experience the Awakening, their potential unlocked by a force that science could not explain.

The Awakening was not random but predetermined, seemingly woven into humanity's DNA after the Cataclysm. Those who awakened found themselves linked to classes that resembled fantastical professions: warriors, tanks, mages, assassins, healers, and even specialized utility roles like enchanters, artificers, and strategists. These professions shaped the very structure of society, dictating who would rule and who would serve.

For those 70% left untouched by the System, they could only watch from the sidelines, bound to mundane professions in a changed world. But even among the Awakened, not all paths led to glory. Some received powerful combat classes, while others were granted lesser support roles, obscure trades, or non-combatant professions that left them standing at the bottom of the Hunter hierarchy.

In this world, power was everything. The strong thrived. The weak were forgotten.

And Han Ryosuke was one of the forgotten.

Seoul – A City of Kings and Shadows

Seoul had become a shimmering metropolis, a city built atop the ruins of the old world. Floating holographic billboards stretched across the towering skyscrapers, advertising the elite guilds that ruled the city.

🔹 "Azure Dragon Guild – Led by A+ Rank Hunter Han Ryuji!"

🔹 "Top Hunters of Korea: Han Jisung (S-Rank), the Blade Sovereign, remains undefeated!"

Even here, in the crowded streets filled with merchants and aspiring Hunters, those names echoed like legends. The faces of Han Jisung—Ryosuke's father—and Han Ryuji, his older brother, loomed over the city on massive digital displays.

Their ranks shone like beacons of power and prestige.

S-Rank. A+ Rank. The strongest among men.

Ryosuke ducked his head and pulled his thin, tattered jacket tighter around himself. The cold wind bit at his skin, but the chill in his chest ran deeper. Every glance at those names was like a knife twisting in his heart.

"Han Ryuji, the pride of Korea. Han Jisung, the Blade Sovereign."

His lips curled into a bitter smile.

"And Han Ryosuke, the E+ failure. What a legacy."

Six Years Ago – The Day of Awakening

The day he awakened was supposed to be his rebirth.

Every child knew what to expect. When they turned 16, the System would awaken their class. There was no ritual, no ceremony—just an unspoken moment when destiny was revealed.

It would happen at the stroke of midnight.

Ryosuke lay awake in his bed, his body tense with anticipation. His hands clenched the sheets, his heart pounding in his chest. This was it.

"Please… something strong."

He didn't need to be an S-rank like his father. Not even an A-rank like his brother. Even a C-rank would be enough. A fighter. A mage. Anything that could prove he belonged.

And then it happened.

A cold, mechanical voice whispered in his mind.

🔹 [AWAKENING COMPLETE]

🔹 Level: 1

🔹 Class: Scrivener

🔹 Profession: Record Keeper

For a moment, he thought he misheard. His eyes widened. His breath caught in his throat.

🔹 [STATUS WINDOW]

🔹 Name: Han Ryosuke

🔹 Level: 1

🔹 Class: Scrivener

🔹 Title: None

🔹 [ABILITIES]

🔸 Passive:

Eidetic Memory – Retain perfect recollection of everything witnessed.

🔸 Active:

Transcribe – Record battle details in real-time with system assistance.

No combat skills. No magic. Just a glorified note-taking ability.

Outside, fireworks erupted in the streets as other teenagers celebrated their Awakening. But inside that small, dark room, Ryosuke sat frozen, staring at the screen that had just condemned him.

Present Day – Life at the Bottom

The years had passed, but the weight of that moment never faded.

Ryosuke sighed, staring at the Hunter Recruitment Job Board in one of Seoul's lowest-ranked districts. The flickering holographic display listed available dungeon missions.

🔹 E-Rank Dungeon – Goblin Nest

🔹 D-Rank Dungeon – Wolf Den – Requires Party of 5

🔹 C+ Raid – Guild Contract Required

Most of the jobs barely paid enough to cover rent, and the risk of death was absurdly high. But as a Scrivener, Ryosuke had no other options. He wasn't allowed to wield weapons. He wasn't allowed to fight.

All he could do was observe, record, and submit reports—a glorified secretary in a world of warriors and mages.

"Ryosuke!"

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Jung Hwan, a C-rank Swordsman, approaching with his usual smirk.

"You're still alive, huh?" Jung chuckled. "Got room in your notebook for another mission?"

Jung's party was one of the few that bothered to hire low-ranked Hunters like Ryosuke. The twelve members of the party ranged from C-rank to D-rank, with Jung as their strongest.

"We're clearing an E-rank dungeon tomorrow," Jung continued. "Goblin Nest. Standard stuff. We'll need you to handle the post-raid report. Easy money for you, right?"

Ryosuke hesitated. Something felt… off.

But he nodded anyway. "Sure. I'll be there."

"Good." Jung grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. "Just don't get in the way."

A Scrivener's Reality

That night, Ryosuke sat alone in his tiny, dimly lit apartment.

He opened his status screen, staring at it with empty eyes.

🔹 [STATUS WINDOW]

🔹 Name: Han Ryosuke

🔹 Level: 7

🔹 Hunter Rank: E+

🔹 Class: Scrivener (Support-Class, Non-Combatant)

🔹 Profession: Record Keeper

🔹 Title: None

[STATS]

HP: 320 / 320

MP: 150 / 150

Fatigue: 14%

Strength: 8

Agility: 12

Stamina: 10

Intelligence: 45

Perception: 50

(Available Stat Points: 0)

[SKILLS]

🔹 Passive Skills:

🔸 Eidetic Memory (Lv. 3): Remembers everything in perfect detail. At higher levels, improves real-time battle analysis and cross-references past combat data for immediate insights.

🔸 Enhanced Perception (Lv. 2): Ryosuke's observational skills allow him to track enemy micro-movements, subtle environmental changes, and hidden patterns. Improves awareness and detection of unseen threats.

🔹 Active Skills:

🔸 Transcribe (Lv. 3): Records battle information with system assistance. Now capable of identifying enemy fighting styles and weaknesses in real-time. (Cost: 5 MP per minute)

🔸 Tactical Insight (Lv. 2): Analyzes enemy positioning, predicts their next attack based on movement data, and suggests counterstrategies. (Cooldown: 20 seconds, Cost: 10 MP)

🔸 Combat Synchronization (Lv. 1): By focusing on a single target, Ryosuke can temporarily synchronize with their battle rhythm, improving his ability to anticipate their movements with 80% accuracy. (Duration: 10 seconds, Cost: 25 MP, Cooldown: 1 minute.)

[INVENTORY]

Hunter Notebook (System-Bound): A Scrivener-exclusive tool that automatically records battle data and enemy statistics.

Basic Leather Jacket (Unenchanted): Provides minimal defense.

Low-Grade Mana Potion (x2): Restores 50 MP over 10 seconds.

"Why couldn't it have been something else?"

His thoughts drifted back to his family. His father's cold indifference. His brother's mocking smile. The weight of failure sat heavy on his shoulders.

And then, as if answering the bitterness in his heart—

Flicker.

The text on his status screen glitched, the letters shifting erratically, as though something unseen was trying to force its way in.

And then came the voice.

🔹 [The Forsaken Shall Rise.]

Ryosuke's breath hitched. His pulse thundered in his ears.

The flickering stopped. His status screen returned to normal, its cold, lifeless text unchanged.

But the words remained—not on the screen, but in his mind.

It was nothing, wasn't it? A hallucination? A glitch?

Then why did it feel so real?

His fingers trembled as he slowly closed the status window, but his unease did not fade.

Was this a warning of his doom… or the prelude to something far worse?