Zen entered into the Gate without a lick of fear. The first thing he noticed was the surprising presence of wind.
"No. This isn't just wind. These are magical waves." Zen noticed, as he entered the dungeon.
"Did you guys hear? The new recruit is an E Rank." A woman gossiped, which made her friend gasp in shock. "Really? What could the manager be thinking? Can an E Rank even properly control their energy?" The friend responded with a flurry of questions, to which another miner chimed in.
"Well, if that's the case, then how did he catch Hunter Cha?" Another miner stuck up for him. "If that man is who I think he is, he's a truly amazing person." The miner took of his hard hat for a moment, and ran his hand through his hair.
"You think you know him, Kim?" The miner asked Kim, the man who was brutally attacked by Gang Shik. "Yeah. If he is who I hope he is, then I pray that I can properly apologize for some mistakes I've made in the past." Kim sighed and put his hard-hat back on. "Anyways, it's time for some work. Let's start already!"
"That's surprising. I didn't actually think he'd leave the dangerous frontlines for being something like a miner." Zen thought as the collecting team pulled several bodies from deeper inside the Gate.
Zen looked to his right to see the burly man that handed him his outfit skillfully mining. Each of his strokes masterfully swept up the crystals by the base, with every few swings he'd move on to the next one after, and after that it'd be another.
Zen slowly copied the other miners techniques, before he imitating the miner perfectly.
His speed and efficiency was where the big difference began. Using his S Rank reflexes, he kept himself light as each swing took out more and more crystals, until his insane skills warranted the attention of the other miners.
"Sir, was this truly his first time mining?" A miner dared to ask his manager, who was just as shocked about the situation.
"Of course. I wouldn't dare to take in a miner without checking his information." The manager reassured, as Zen left a ton of crystals in his path.
"Then how in the world do you explain that?" The miner asked, which the manager could only respond in silence.
"Mr. Zen must be a miner blessed from heaven. It seems like I really do have a good eye for workers." The manager chuckled, patting his worker on his back.
"Okay, lunch break!" The manager called out, causing the miners to quickly start moving out of the Gate, eager for a break.
"Aren't you coming as well, Mister Zen?" The manager questioned, only to cause the S Rank to shake his head.
"I'm alright. I ate earlier." Zen looked at the manager, informing him. "Oh? Then do as you please." The manager left the Gate as well, but Zen wasn't alone just yet.
"Mister Zen?" Kim called out to the man he once wronged. "Hm? What's up, Mister Kim?" Zen replied nonchalantly, as he looked to the troubled man.
"Before... Before I couldn't even give you a properly apology, because I was scared I would die if I bowed my head. So I apologized with what I thought would be my last breath, but the next day... I woke up. I woke up with my beautiful wife and child visiting me in the hospital, even though I was somehow completely unhurt. I was supposed to die there, but somehow, someway, I didn't." Kim began to choke up, tears welling up within his eyes, but he didn't slow down.
"I don't know who or what gave me this opportunity, but I will not foolishly waste it again!" He bowed to Zen, as the tears that welled up in his eyes dared to break free and fall onto the ground.
"I'm sorry for leaving you to die like a coward! I will endure any punishment you wish!" Kim apologized, causing for Zen to approach him.
"Stand up tall." Zen ordered, and Kim did as he told. "You must be strong, unshakable, and indomitable. You must be strong for your wife and child. Just make sure to go back home every day, and don't ever take another day for granted. That would be enough for me." Zen told Kim, who couldn't help but shed a tear.
"Now, go eat lunch. I'm gonna continue working." Zen patted Kim's shoulder, and the father made his way out of the Gate, wiping his tears away as he stood tall, ready to face his family with pride again.
"Great, I've got an hour of free time. It's also pretty cool that Kim apologized, that made him more likeable. Now, let's see this boss. It'll only be a quick peak." Zen grinned as he held his hard-hat with one hand.
He held down his hat as he suddenly began sprinting off, following his senses to where the boss was.
It was absolutely humongous, and it looked like it was a monster made of rocks.
"It feels stronger than Metus and Vulcan, but at my current strength, I can certainly beat it. But even though I know the exp will be amazing, my conscious is telling me that it's wrong. If I do this, the Hunter's Guild will take a massive loss, because the Gate'll shut down." Zen thought, as his Shadows got ready for a fight as well.
"What are you doing over there?" Zen didn't even hear the female speak, because he was so entranced within his own thoughts. "I asked you a question." The woman had a powerful presence, which brought Zen back to reality.
"That was close. I got lost and somehow ended up here." Zen lied, turning to face her, to meet eyes with Hunter Cha.
"Are you apart of the mining team?" Cha asked, but before even letting him answer she continued. "That room is where the boss resides, please step away from it." Cha kindly asked, as she held her handkerchief close to her nose.
"She's not normal. She got on my trail." Zen grinned, as he nodded towards her. "Ah, alright." He walked past her, and all the sudden, he was stopped by Hunter Cha.
"Wait!" Cha couldn't smell the horrid smell that Hunters gave off. "Huh?" Zen stopped suddenly, and turned back towards Cha.
She walked up close to him, and leaned into his chest. He could hear her smelling him.
"There's no stench!" Cha thought as she became suspicious of the Shadow Sovereign. "Are you truly a Hunter?" She pressed her finger into his chest, as she looked up to Zen.
"Wait... You're that guy from earlier!" Cha suddenly broke eye contact with Zen. She looked at his official international Hunters license that was handing around his neck, when she looked back down.
"Ah... Nevermind. Just make sure to be careful. The dungeon is huge after all." Cha backed off, realizing she was incorrect about her assumptions.
"Oh, okay." Zen turned and walked away, feeling odd about the whole situation.
"He didn't smell bad... no, he actually smelled good." Cha thought, as she looked at Zen's figure get farther and farther.
"You met Hunter Cha again?! After you somehow caught her? I swear to you, your luck in pretty incredible." The manager joyfully slapped Zen's on his back.
"Most of us wouldn't get the chance to ever utter a word to her, but meeting her when she was patrolling does make some sense. She tends to patrol even when on break." The manager shrugged.
"Of course the mining team doesn't have much to worry about. They haven't felt the terrifying pressure of the boss." Zen thought.
"Hunter Cha has an incredible sense of smell. Apparently Hunters commonly give off a horrid smell, according to her. It's something to do with a unique physiology. That's why she always carries a handkerchief with her." A miner informed, causing Zen to nod his head.
"That must be why she asked me if I was a Hunter. Is this yet another side effect of being the Gamer?" Zen shook his head, leaving the Gate.
He got his money, and was offered a position right underneath the manager, but he denied.
"Ah well... would you like to work with us again tomorrow?" The manager asked, catching Zen's attention.
"Tomorrow?" He asked. "Oh, you don't know. The Hunter's Guild can afford to split their team into 2, in order to do more Gates, so tomorrow it'll be the B Team."
"Where should I show up to tomorrow?" Zen spoke confidently.
"Amazing choice Mr. Zen! I'll talk to the person in charge and have your pay doubled!" The manager happily shook Zen's hand, causing him to nervously chuckle in response.
"Hello." Hunter Cha stood looking out her large apartment window. As an S Rank, she was paid plenty of money, and with that money she paid for an expensive apartment.
"Hunter Cha calling me at a time like this? What's going on?" The voice on the other side of the phone seemed confused.
"Could you give me some information about a Hunter named Zen Han who worked on the mining team today?
"He got lost in a dungeon so large and somehow ended up at the boss room? No, I don't believe it. It's been bugging me." Cha thought as she heard the person on the phone grow nervous.
"Are you talking about the E Rank associated with the Association?" The woman on the other side of the phone spoke, causing Cha to raise her eyebrow. "You know him?" She asked.
"Well... It's just that Master Choi asked about him the other day as well." Cha's eyes widened upon learning this new information. "Master Choi wanted to learn about this man as well? Do you know why?" Cha asked.
"No... I don't know why. All I know is that no matter who wants information right now, the Association has put up some tight restrictions on getting information regarding the Hunter. I don't think I've ever seen so many restrictions regarding a low Ranked Hunter before."
"I see. Thank you for the help." Cha hung up, and laid in her bed gripping her sheets tightly.
"He's the first Hunter... to smell nice." Cha rolled over in bed, her mind stuck on the Shadow Sovereign.