Chapter 5: Hunter With One Eye (5)

Working on duty shifts can be quite problematic as it completely messes up your daily routine. After returning from the dungeon, I took a nap and woke up at a rather awkward time, 4 p.m. I wish I could have slept longer, but sleep eluded me.

"I have to sleep again at night... Maybe I should go for some training after a long time?"

I quickly freshened up and grabbed my smartphone, which was plugged into the charger. I noticed a bunch of messages piled up. It appears that yesterday's incident has already become known. I decided to reply only to the messages from close friends and postpone the rest.

"Oh? It's Sarah? Hello."

An excited voice came through as I answered the call from my associate who had put me on the dungeon raid team.

"Hello? Rowan! What's with you going into the dungeon alone when you're not feeling well?"

"Well, it was an emergency situation... What could I do..."

"Anyway, what are you up to now? If you're free, let's grab a meal. I'm curious to hear about what happened yesterday."

"I'll be at the training ground, so let's meet after that."

"Got it. See you then!"

An unexpected dinner invitation. As I checked my wallet, it was really disheartening. Since I received an introduction to the raid team last time, it feels like it's my turn to treat this time, but it's a bit burdensome. Nevertheless, I thought I could manage at least one meal somehow, so I headed to the training ground without hesitation.

The nearby hunter training ground was small but decent. The manager there recognized me and greeted me.

"Rowan! Long time no see. Did the surgery go well?"

"Yes. I still have a membership time left, right?"

"It's valid until the end of next month."

I had bought a 3-month membership just before falling ill, but I ended up wasting most of it due to the eye surgery and recovery. It's really frustrating. The manager noticed my situation and said quietly,

"Rowan, since you've been with us for a long time, we'll provide one month of complimentary service."

"Really? Thank you."

"Oh no, you made a splendid comeback this time."

Feeling relieved to hear that, I started with some cardio exercises. Gradually increasing the pace, I turned on the TV installed in front of the treadmill, and coincidentally, the news was on.

[Yesterday, an incident occurred in West Street District where a citizen got sucked into a dungeon...]

Phew!

I quickly turned off the TV and plugged in my earphones to listen to music. Right after the eye surgery, I struggled to distinguish between the left and right sides of my earphones. So, I just randomly plugged them in and realized the surprising fact a bit late.

'Well, if I can't distinguish with my ears anyway, there's no need to bother, right?'

Thanks to that, these days, I just plug them in without caring. Perhaps due to the evening rush hour, the training ground was crowded. Since it was a training ground exclusively for hunters, there were cases where people recognized me and struck up conversations.

"Oh, Mr. Rowan, you did something remarkable. Aren't you about to receive a medal?"

"Surely not. I wish they would let me take a break from duty."

"You're right. It was a bit too much to assign you duty right after being discharged."

Actually, I had been discharged a while ago, and the recovery period was long, but... without correcting them, I just laughed it off. Since I had a dinner appointment, I left the facility a bit early and saw Sarah at the meeting place. As an associate from the Hunter Department at Harvard University, she was an active hunter who was doing quite well. When she saw me, her expression turned stern.

"Rowan, are you really crazy?"

"I didn't want to do it either."

"But why do you enter the dungeon alone? You could've just waited for the strategy team to come."

"If I had just waited without taking any action, would people have let me go?"

If I hadn't stepped up, the missing person would undoubtedly have died. But that's the end result. My associate also pointed that out.

"We don't know if the missing person is alive or dead."

"Do you know how the spectators were looking at me there? And what about that kid's mother?"

"I can easily imagine the headlines for tomorrow: 'Tragedy caused by passive response of duty hunter. Is the Hunter Association okay with this...?' How about that?"

"You could be a reporter. Although, the latter part seems a bit outdated."

Sarah let out a deep sigh, feeling a bit relieved. "Still, I'm glad it ended well. They said you even took down two orcs alone in the middle of it all?"

"Who told you that?"

"That missing boy has already given an interview. He said you even repelled the weapons when they were chasing after you..."

Even though I explicitly told him to close his eyes, he didn't fully listen. When I clicked my tongue lightly, Sarah spoke with a slight excitement.

"Rowan, it feels like you've fully returned to your prime."

"Did I even have a prime?"

Sarah's expression became apologetic for no reason. I felt a little bitter and averted my gaze for a moment.

'If my university days were considered the prime, was it really the prime?'

Before graduating from the Hunter Department, I was definitely a promising student. I always scored nearly perfect on theory exams, and my practical skills were not bad either. I never dropped out of the top three throughout my four years of study. However, being a hunter ultimately means physically engaging in the field. No matter how skillful you are, it's pointless if your abilities are weak. My psychic power hardly grew even after graduation, and as a result, I became a perennial C-rank hunter instead of the promising talent I once was.

There was never a prime, to begin with. By the way, the other top two performers each became the best in their respective fields.

'Now it's time for my prime!'

"...Thank you."

"Even if you receive criticism and curses, it's not easy to enter the dungeon alone to rescue a missing person. As expected of you, Rowan..."

"I appreciate your kind words, but let's change the topic. How about we head out for a coffee break?"

I quickly got up to pay the bill, but Sarah beat me to it. The speed of a current B-rank hunter at the top is no joke.

"Don't worry about it. Instead, buy me coffee."

"Alright."

"But seriously, how did you do it? When I first heard the story, I couldn't believe it was you."

"Cedric made my new equipment. Take a look."

As they chatted about the unfinished story inside a nearby coffee shop chain, a well-groomed middle-aged man approached them from a distance.

With a courteous smile, he introduced himself, "Excuse me, are you, Mr. Rowan Anderson?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm from the Black Lion Guild. Our guild master would like to express his gratitude to you... If it's alright with you, he would like to meet you in person."

"Black Lion Guild?"

A renowned guild known among all hunters. Founded by one of America's seven A-rank hunters. The unexpected offer of gratitude could only have one reason. 'The missing person's father mentioned he was a hunter. Is he the master of the Black Lion Guild... Even if not, going to such lengths indicates that he would be at least an executive-level figure. I suddenly felt uneasy.

"I did hope for some form of gratitude, but not like this. Is it because of the reason, I suspect?"

"Yes, that's correct. The missing person you rescued is the guild master's son."

"Let's sit down and talk for now. Is that okay, Sarah?"

"Of course."

Standing and having a conversation with someone can be uncomfortable. I gestured towards an available table, and the man finally sat down after a few refusals.

"There's no need for gratitude."

"Oh, sir. I also work at a hunter guild, so I understand well. You did such a courageous act, and you won't accept anything?"

"It wasn't done with the expectation of gratitude."

If I hadn't rescued the missing person, I might have faced heavy criticism from the media. But my motivation for entering the dungeon wasn't solely driven by that concern. As a hunter, it's my duty and responsibility to protect people. That's why I took action. And now, the expected offer of gratitude has materialized.

"Our Black Lion Guild is interested in having you join us, Mr. Anderson."

As I suspected, it's a recruitment offer. Despite my recent stroke of luck, others still see me as a perennial C-rank hunter. If I were to accept this offer and join their guild, would my colleagues finally look at me with respect?

At the very least, I hope they won't see me as a laughingstock or a joke.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't believe it fits me right."

"The Black Lion Guild is in great need of talented individuals like yourself. We have a very favorable contract, so you don't need to worry about anything."

This person is probably just following orders from higher-ups, but their smooth and persuasive manner makes it tempting to listen. It's evident that they have years of experience working in society. However, my mind is already made up. I pointed to my left eye and said, "It's only been two months since the surgery."

"Oh, I see... You must have gone through a lot during that time."

"I've lost vision in my right eye completely, and there's still a risk of the left eye facing the same issue. Although the chances of another retinal detachment are low, they're not zero.."

As I explained, both the man and Sarah's faces stiffened.

"I'm worried about waking up one day and losing my sight again. So, joining the guild right now might put too much burden on my colleagues."

"I understand now. If that's the case, let me give you my business card. If there's any way we can assist you in the future, please don't hesitate to reach out."

The man seemed to grasp the situation better and excused himself from the room. Sarah's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at me.

"Rowan! What you just said, is it true?"

"No, not really. I'm not too worried, to be honest."

"Really?"

"If it breaks, I'll just have another surgery. American doctors are skilled, right?"

To reassure her, I replied with a smile. The truth was, while I couldn't completely shake off the anxiety about a potential relapse, I didn't want to let it consume me. Constantly worrying would only be a great loss in itself.

"If both eyes end up losing vision, there might be a surgical procedure utilizing hunter abilities, you know?"

"Rowan, instead of saying that, let's reach out to our peers for help. If we ask for assistance from Cedric or Abigail..."

Sarah covered her mouth under my gaze. It's not like I haven't considered seeking help from my fellow golden generation colleagues. However, I can't take away opportunities from patients who are in worse conditions than me. Above all...

"Sarah."

"Yes?"

"Sometimes, excessive sympathy can become a source of pain."

Sarah looked slightly regretful at my response but confidently retorted

"It's just frustrating to see you like this. How about you take a look at your successful peers?"

"Haha, true."

Sarah had come to visit me while I was ill, and her kindness made it difficult for me to say anything negative. As she bid farewell and left the cafe, her soft voice reached me, "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. I appreciate you sharing a meal with me. Take care on your way back."

"You're already heading out?"

Yurim kindly offered to drive me home. She's still stronger than me in many ways. Once I returned to my living room, I geared up in my hunter equipment and settled onto the sofa, attentively listening. After a satisfying meal and a cup of coffee, it was time to get to work. I focused my mind and soon heard the familiar sound of prayer.

"Communicating with humans is said to be rare among otherworlders, right?"

To most otherworlders, subhumans are seen as insignificant beings. In truth, that's often the case. They are smaller, less imposing, and have weaker abilities than humans.

However, to me, they are valuable guests, especially in my current state of weakness. Swiftness, kindness, accuracy - I always keep these three principles in mind as I enter the open portal.

As I prostrated myself on the ground, I could hear people calling out my name, and a slight smile appeared on my lips involuntarily.

Author's Note

Hey there, wonderful readers. I'm thrilled to announce that you can now read the next chapters right now on Toodat!

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