The world has weathered countless cataclysms since its birth nearly 50 million years ago. From the primordial era of fire and lava to the shifting of tectonic plates and the emergence of life, species have risen and fallen through the eons. Now, it is the era of humanity.
This era reached the pinnacle of civilization—a peak the world likely never anticipated. Yet, with such progress came decay, weakening the world even as humans sat atop the food chain. That was until "The Unknown Origin" appeared, striking humanity on an ordinary day.
In less than a year, these entities nearly drove the human race to extinction. It was then, as humanity realized they were no longer the apex predators and fell into despair, that individuals with special powers "Skills" emerged. These hunters of the unknown, the protectors of the masses, were called "Hunters."
Through their newfound abilities, they fought back, reclaiming a fragment of peace. Today, that struggle continues without end.
Yet, not every corner of the world is a battlefield. Even hunters must eat and survive. In times of disaster, people truly realized the vital importance of public infrastructure.
…
…
Inside the office of Giga-Shop & Paramedic Super Exchange, MRO Sales Department.
[Come on, sweetheart, give big brother a break on the price, okay? I'll be your regular, I promise!]
"Oh, my dear customer, this is already a special price just for you," Rosalin replied in an endearing, honeyed tone, her eyes fixed on the script she had written on her monitor. "I've even sacrificed my own commission just to get you this deal, you know?"
[Rosaline, since you've been so kind, why not just drop it by 2 more Pures? Just for this one item. I'll wrap up the quote and place the order right now.]
'There are ten items on this list, and you're asking for a 50% discount on every single one! I even had to mark up some items because the competitors' prices were suspiciously low... Dammit! I don't care if you're a pharmaceutical giant, why is procurement so stingy?!' Rosaline screamed internally, though her face remained bright and smiling.
"But the total hasn't even reached 2,000 Pures yet," she countered sweetly. "Could you perhaps add a little more to the order? That way, Rosaline can arrange free shipping for you."
She glanced at the driver's schedule. 'The next slot is Wednesday... but honestly, the customer is close by. I can just ask the driver to swing by on his way...'
[...I thought you'd already factored in the shipping. You're too honest, sweetheart,] the man interrupted her thoughts. [Fine, fine. I'll take another 50 Pures worth of crystal shards. That brings the quote to 2,000.]
'Asking for discounts while wanting freebies... just call this charity already,' Rosaline thought, but she replied with a smile, "Thank you so much! I'll have it delivered according to the schedule on the quote."
…
…
Lunch break arrived swiftly after the successful negotiation. Most employees headed out, but Rosaline chose to eat the meal she had prepared the night before to save on daily expenses, scrolling through the news on her smartphone as she ate.
The news reported an "Unknown Origin" appearing from Dungeon A, though hunters had quickly brought the situation under control.
"Wow, lunch looks delicious today. Let me have a bite!" A coworker chimed and appeared with a bright smile. She was a senior colleague who had trained Rosaline during her first month, a half-European, half-Japanese woman.
"Help yourself," Rosaline said. Her senior used chopsticks to pick up a fried sausage cut to look like an octopus, smiling as she savored it.
"How was work today?"
"I got absolutely slaughtered on pricing today'," Rosaline sighed. "He asked for 50% off and then haggled over 2 more Pures."
"...And you let him have his way again," her senior smiled knowingly.
"He's a new customer," Rosaline sighed, her expression weary. "I wanted to win his heart first."
"That's a good sentiment, but if you do it every time, you're just training customers to think they can always haggle. You won't be the one in control of the price." Her senior warned before taking another bite. "It's really good, Rosaline. Have you ever thought about opening a restaurant?"
"Just keeping up with the housework is exhausting enough," Rosaline replied with a sigh. She had considered hiring a maid, but one look at the cost made her decide to keep doing it herself.
Ring— Ring—
The screen flashed the name: 'Leslie.'
"Hey, little brother. Why are you calling at noon?"
[...I forgot my house keys, Rose'. Could you come home a bit earlier today?] Leslie's voice came from the other end.
Rosaline exhaled softly. She had left early this morning and left Leslie to lock up, but she hadn't expected him to forget the keys. "Fine, fine. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Less than three minutes after hanging up, another call came in. The contact name: 'Special Line: Beethoven'
"Hello?" Rosaline's tone shifted immediately to one of utter politeness.
[Big sis Hermit! Are you interested in looking after us this summer break?!] The voice on the other end was so loud she flinched. Seeing it was an important call, she stepped out onto the balcony.
"Young Master Beethoven, don't call me at this hour. Didn't we have an agreement?" Rosaline said, sounding exhausted.
[Ah... but Dad said that if it's about money, you have to take the call no matter what,] Beethoven replied. [Anyway, are you taking the job this break?]
Rosaline took a moment to steady her breath. "I'm only free on weekends right now."
[What? I thought you'd be free all day every day like last time,] Beethoven said, sounding disappointed.
"But I'm available all day on weekends—overnight too, if you need. We can settle the rates later," Rosalin negotiated. She couldn't afford to let this gig slip away; it paid obscenely well. Just looking after a pack of rich kids during their break could net her nearly ten million Pures!
It was just a shame summer break only lasted three months.
[Alright then, let me ask my dad first.]
With that, Beethoven hung up.
"Phew..." Rosaline let out a long sigh, looking out over the city. It was a forest of buildings and crowds, so different from when she was a child. "The city has changed so much."
It had been nearly a hundred years since "The Unknown Origins"—now called "De-von"—first appeared. If the hunters hadn't emerged, Rosaline wouldn't be standing here today.
Her home was about five kilometers from the office. Every evening after work, she took the high-speed train home. Her two-story house was surrounded by flowers, herbs like thyme and rosemary, and strange plants like the Pearl-Valley, which bore white pearl-like flowers that could be eaten to recover from fatigue.
"You're late, Rose." Leslie, a brown-haired boy with green eyes like their mother, sat on a large rock near the gate, looking grumpy.
"Sorry, I was stuck with a big customer," Rosaline said with a tired, endearing smile. "It was exhausting."
Leslie couldn't stay mad seeing her like that. "Whatever. Let's go inside."
Rosaline reached out and "summoned" a spare key as if by magic. Leslie watched with a hint of envy. "I wish I could do that like you."
"Oh, right," Rosaline said as she flicked on the lights. "Eat dinner without me tonight. I have to head out for a bit."
"Should I leave some for you?"
"You can. If I'm back in time, I'll eat," Rosaline said before heading up to shower. She changed into a grey hoodie and dark jeans, but the most important piece was the full-face black mask. Once worn, it adhered to her skin, completely obscuring her true features.
"Here we go..." Rosaline opened the window and leaped. Her movements were so fast that an ordinary person's eyes couldn't track her as she bounded across the rooftops.
Meow!
"Sorry," Rosaline whispered to a stray cat she'd accidentally startled.
Beethoven had scheduled the meeting for 7:00 PM. His house was in a neighboring city, but moving at 90 km/h, Rosaline arrived at the mansion in just twenty minutes.
The massive estate loomed before her. After a few words with the butler via the intercom, the silver gates swung open. The mansion was opulent, featuring a grand fountain centered in a massive rose garden.
"Ah, Ms. Hermit, my apologies for the wait," the middle-aged butler greeted her. He looked exhausted, yet his voice remained sincere. "Young Master Beethoven is waiting inside."
Rosaline nodded and followed him. Inside the drawing-room, Beethoven was chatting with three friends—two boys and a girl.
"Big Sis Hermit! You're here. I've cleared it with my dad," Beethoven said, hanging up his phone. He had golden hair and deep pink eyes—a side effect of his 'Skill' abnormality.
"What's the pay this time?" Rosaline asked from behind the black mask.
"Four million Pures for three months of weekends," Beethoven said. "If you agree, I can transfer it right now."
Rosaline—or Hermit—nodded. She checked her phone a moment later; four million Pures had already been deposited. She was a support-class hunter who had looked after these kids last break. They were rich kids bored with their ordinary lives who wanted to play at being hunters, but they had ended up following her like she was their boss.
"Thank you, Young Master Beethoven," she said politely.
"A gift for taking care of us last time, Big sis" one of the boys said, his hands trembling slightly as he handed her a red gift box.
Rosaline paused. She felt something off. Using her sensing skill, she realized the box was rigged with a "Rainbow Popper" bomb. They wanted to startle her.
BANG!
Confetti sprayed her face. The four kids giggled, waiting for her reaction. But inside the box, Rosaline found a palm-sized, heart-shaped crystal—clear and shimmering with gold.
"An Ascension Crystal... something this valuable..."
"It was only a hundred million," Beethoven shrugged. "Besides, the four of us chipped in. It wasn't just my dad's money."
Rosaline gulped. A hundred million Pures for a single shard. These crystals were rare drops from high-ranking De-vons. Usually, one had to train a skill repeatedly to level it up, but eventually, only these crystals could break the limit.
"Thank you," Rosaline managed.
"It's for your skill ascension. You were complaining you wanted one, so I asked Dad for the cash. I thought it'd be more expensive, but a hundred million is nothing."
'Kid... that "nothing" is ten years of my life's savings!' Rosaline screamed internally. "You should learn to be more frugal," she said instead.
Beethoven shrugged. "We're rich. Why be frugal? No matter how much I ask for, my dad always finds a way."
'Right... my bad for asking...' Rosaline thought. "So, which dungeon are we diving into this time?"
"Area C," Beethoven said with a cocky grin.
"The same one as before?"
The boy nodded.
"Fine. We'll head out this Saturday."