The huge building set before him was one he never thought he could step into. Its height was so tall and huge that it felt like it could crush him.
He walked into the building, ready for whatever he was going to face. Three days ago, he had received a letter from Park Dong-Sik stating he was to appear in the Hunter's Guild in three days' time.
He was given the grace of three days to be with his family and take care of his mother as long as he could before he began his training. Three fucking days. That was all they gave him.
His hands reached towards his back pocket and he brought out a card which was sent to him the previous day, it was called an access card which bore his name and with it, he could access the hunters building without any interruption. The card felt weird in his hands, like it didn't belong to him.
The lobby was huge, bigger than his entire apartment. People walked around in expensive clothes, looking like they owned the world. He felt like shit in his cheap jacket but he didn't care. He couldn't afford to care.
The elevator beeped in front of him, and ignoring everything behind him and the women dressed in classy corporate wear, he stepped into the elevator, but he wasn't alone.
Two men were in the elevator alongside a lady, she looked younger than all of them, her pink hair made her look outstanding and her blue eyes, they reminded him of someone, someone he had tried not to remember. Fuck. He didn't want to think about her now.
"Man stop staring at my woman like that, or I will rip your eyes off."
One of the bulky men said, glaring at him, his face looking unimpressed with his attitude but the girl remained quiet, her eyes steadied on her phone. She didn't even look up, like none of this mattered to her.
Lee-Min quickly looked away, not interested in starting shit. Looking at them and trying to banter would lead to maybe something tragic and he wasn't here to cause any problems rather to pay his debt. He was here for one reason only.
His mind wondered if that's what made people hunters, were they here because they owed the Hunter's Guild or they had other reasons? Did everyone have debts hanging over their heads like he did?
"I always wished to be a hunter. The moment I finished university, I told my father I wanted to be a hunter, fight these demons and become so rich. Do you even know how many raids I need to go on before I earn so much money."
The one who had warned him earlier said, grabbing his girlfriend's hands and kissing her knuckles like his life depended on it. Lucky bastard, talking about money like it was a game.
"You don't even need the money, your father is stinking rich. Isn't he one of the executives in the Hunter's board? Plus you need to be in a higher rank like C or B or maybe even D for you to earn from huge raids."
His friend replied, now his attention focused on Lee-Min who looked like he wasn't listening to their conversations. But he was listening. He was listening to every word about money and ranks because he needed to know.
Yet still, all he wanted was to leave them and forget he had ever met them before. Their casual talk about being rich made him sick.
"Hey you man, are you here for the tests too, what brings you here?"
The second guy asked, jabbing his fingers at his cheap jacket which looked overwashed. The jacket his mother had bought him three years ago with money she didn't have which signified he hadn't really changed much.
Lee-Min ignored him, not interested in being part of their conversations. What was he supposed to say? That he was here because people wanted to break his legs if he didn't pay up?
"Ayyee ignore him, he seems to be the quiet type. But he will start talking as soon as the test starts. I think he's new like us and he looks quite skinny. I wonder how he'll survive training."
The first man said and in all of this, his girlfriend hadn't said a single word. She just kept scrolling through her phone like she was bored.
Just then the elevator opened and Lee-Min stepped out, ignoring his words. It was normal banter he had received a lot and coming here wouldn't change that. People always had something to say about how he looked.
Just as he stepped out from the elevator, he realized that he wasn't the only one receiving training. The hall was packed with people.
There were about fifty people in the hall where they stood. Fifty fucking people. How many of them would actually make it?
"Ayyeee, seems like this year's hunter recruitment is going to be hot, last year, they weren't up to this size."
A young man said, looking around in bewilderment and his friend nodded in agreement. "But how did you know their numbers, were you a part of them too?" His friend asked, his eyes not leaving the crowd.
"Aishh, I was a part of the cleaning committee that cleans this building, so I know everything. Even seen two S and SS rank officials."
His eyes glazed with something Lee-Min couldn't understand, something like happiness, admiration. Like he was talking about celebrities or some shit.
"What? Wait you saw the S and SS rank officials, god you are so lucky. How could you even breathe around them? Wouldn't you get choked up by their aura…Damn"
His friend responded, following his line of happiness like they had just won a trophy. These people acted like hunters were gods or something.
Lee-Min rolled his eyes, he didn't know what S and SS rank officials meant but he didn't care who they were, all he needed was to pass this damn test and start any mission assigned to him. Ranks meant nothing if you couldn't pay your debts.
"Hey you there, why don't you join our group, it isn't nice being alone."
One of the men said but Lee-Min ignored him, he wanted to be alone, he liked being alone. Groups meant complications and he had enough of those already.
"Ayeshhh, He seems like the stubborn type. And I wonder how he will survive here, he looks so lean."
The first man said again, but Lee-Min ignored them like he always does, his hands rolling the ring his mother had given him on his twenty-third birthday which was about a year ago. She said it was a gift from his father and he had always worn it but wanted to keep it for him.
The ring kind of made him feel connected with his father and for some reason, it made him feel safe. It was the only thing he had from a man he hardly remembers, and sometimes he wondered if his father was too quiet, his memories with him were vague but still the ones he could remember, made him smile
But the ring was safe enough not to protect him from the debts he had to pay.
Suddenly, a mic hummed in the building and everyone turned to look at the man who stood a meter away from them. He was standing on a podium, his face looked rough like someone who had fought through battles and won each one of them, a scar ran across his face like it was part of him.
The man's eyes roamed through the room and then it landed on him, for a second, he felt like he was being suffocated by his stare, by his glare. What the hell was this feeling?
"What was this energy, this aura…"
Lee-Min thought as he tried so hard to sweep his eyes away from him but he couldn't, it felt like he would get sucked inside him but the man left his gaze and cleared his throat in the mic.
The room fell into dead silence, his command was enough to make anyone keep shut. Even the chatty guys from the elevator shut up.
"Welcome everyone to the Hunter's Guild. My name is Baek Hyun-Chai and today, you shall begin your training and see who you are meant to be."
The man said, and for a moment, he felt his heartbeat increase. For some reason, this sounded more official than the letter, that today, his life had changed. This was it. No going back now.
Lee-Min gripped his father's ring tighter, the metal cutting into his palm. Whatever happened next, he had to pass. He had to. His mother was counting on him, and he'd be damned if he let her down again.
Fifty people in this room, all wanting the same thing. But Lee-Min wanted it more. He had to want it more.