The moment Jin Seok-woo opened his eyes again, he knew something was wrong.
Gone was the weight of a grown man's body. Gone were his broad shoulders and the countless scars he bore from two years of labor. He could feel it—his frame smaller, arms thinner, legs shorter. He sat up, slow and cautious, only to find the room around him dimly lit by weak sunlight bleeding through cracked blinds.
> "Where the hell…?"
The voice that escaped his throat wasn't his. It was younger. Rough with sleep, but higher in pitch. He stumbled off the bed and rushed toward the nearest mirror, which was half-broken and spotted with age.
The boy who looked back at him had pale skin, black hair, and sharp brown eyes full of suspicion and youth. He looked no older than fifteen.
Memories—faint, fractured, and incomplete—rushed in like a flood breaking its dam.
> Joo Yeong-su.
Age: 15.
Orphan.
Living in Sector 3 of Seoul with no relatives.
Hunter aptitude test pending.
Seok-woo backed away, his breath unsteady.
> "Did I… reincarnate? In a modern world… again?"
The city outside the window looked like Seoul. His Seoul. High-rises. Buses. Convenience stores. The smell of instant ramen. It wasn't a fantasy world or some ancient empire.
This was modern Korea.
But it wasn't the same Korea he'd died in. That Korea didn't have armored Hunters walking around the streets in black leather suits and mana-activated gauntlets. That world didn't have demon outbreak sirens installed at every corner or glowing dungeon gates randomly appearing in alleys and forests.
This world was eerily similar, but different in one critical way.
It was one where monsters and demons existed—and humanity fought back with Awakened powers.
---
Thirty years ago, the first dungeon gate opened inside a subway station in Busan. From that spatial rift, a massive ogre stepped into reality and tore through the population. Ten thousand people died before the Korean military contained it.
It was the beginning of the Gate Era.
Now, portals—called Gates—randomly opened across the world. From them emerged beasts, spirits, and hell-born abominations. Humanity was nearly wiped out… until Awakenings began. Certain individuals manifested supernatural abilities when exposed to mana—fire, ice, gravity, healing, summoning.
They were called Hunters.
Today, every fifteen-year-old in the country underwent a mandatory Awakening Test. If they awakened, they could join guilds—private military groups registered by the Korean Hunter Association—and legally enter dungeons to slay monsters, mine mana stones, and gain fame.
It wasn't a dream job. It was war. But it paid.
> "So… I'm in this world. In a young body. Before my test."
"And this time… I'm not powerless."
Suddenly—
Ding!
A strange sound echoed in his head.
A blue screen appeared in front of his eyes, translucent like a hologram.
---
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
> Welcome, Jin Seok-woo.
Unique soul detected.
Initializing hidden class access...
[New Skill Unlocked – Foresight (Lv. 1)]
You can see 3 seconds into the future in critical life-threatening situations.
Cooldown: 60 seconds
[Hidden System Status Online]
Some functions are currently locked.
---
His breath hitched.
> "This is… a system."
A power interface. Like something from a game or a web novel. But it was real. The panel hovered silently in the air, and the moment he blinked, it followed his vision.
> "I can see the future…?"
He looked around, focused on a pencil on the desk, and picked it up. Then he imagined someone swinging a blade at him—and suddenly, his vision blurred.
He saw an image: the pencil dropping, his body shifting left, a knife missing him by inches.
Then it vanished.
And the real pencil slipped from his fingers and fell—just as he'd seen.
His heart pounded.
> 'It's real.'
This system wasn't just a minor benefit. It was a broken cheat. Seeing the future for even a few seconds was enough to turn the tide of any battle. And this was just Level 1.
He stared at the flickering screen.
> "Why me? Why now?"
There was no answer. But he had no time to waste. In four days, he'd take the Awakening Test—a one-time ritual. Fail, and you'd live your life as a civilian. Pass, and you become eligible to join guilds and hunt in dungeons.
He had to pass.
> Because in this world… you can't just kill monsters. You need a Hunter license. And to get that, you need a guild.
---
Later that day, he ventured outside.
Seoul looked the same—crowded, alive, and fast-paced—but danger lurked behind every corner. Government patrols in reinforced armor kept watch over open Gates, and posters warned civilians to report mana disturbances. A huge billboard showed a smiling Hunter in gold armor holding a mana crystal.
> "JOIN THE GUILD. SERVE THE NATION. GET PAID."
Seok-woo scoffed.
> "Same as my last world. No power, no value."
He entered a PC café and used one of the public terminals to search the Korea Hunter Association Database.
[How to Become a Hunter]
1. Pass the Awakening Test (minimum: E-rank)
2. Apply for a Hunter license
3. Join a registered guild (mandatory for dungeon access)
> "So even if I awaken… I can't hunt freely. I need a guild's backing."
There were hundreds of guilds, ranging from small 5-man units to massive S-rank organizations like Titan, Shadow Blade, and Baekho Guild.
But every guild wanted one thing:
Talented Hunters.
And Yeong-su, in his new life, intended to become the most dangerous among them.
---
That night, as he returned to his small studio apartment, his system pinged again.
[Quest Generated – Hidden Path Unlocked]
> Quest Name: Path of the Unseen Hunter
Objective: Awaken before the official test using system guidance
Reward: Unknown
Failure: System Lock
> "Awaken early? But how?"
Then he noticed something else—a faint marker on his vision, pointing northeast. A small dungeon... unregistered. Hidden from the public.
His lips curled into a grin.
> "So this system wants me to cheat the rules."
> "Fine. I'll become a Hunter not by their standards—but by my own."
---
In four days, the test would begin.
In four nights, Jin Seok-woo would already be something far beyond a normal Hunter.
And when the guilds finally saw what he was capable of...
They'd fight each other just for the right to own him.