The rescue camp was packed—tents everywhere, injured civilians lying on stretchers, hunters carrying bloody weapons, and medics running left and right. Mana lamps flickered overhead, casting pale blue light over the chaos.
As I stepped through the gate of the camp, my heartbeat quickened.
⟦Relax… she's safe. I already told you.⟧
Aphrodite's voice echoed calmly in my mind.
"I'll relax when I see her," I muttered, scanning every direction.
Children crying. Civilians coughing. Healers chanting spells.
But none of that mattered.
I was only looking for one person.
Hana.
My little sister who I pushed over that huge wall…
The same wall I used to block the Minotaur from reaching her.
The same Minotaur I was "supposed" to die to.
I kept walking deeper until—
"…I told you he's alive! Big brother can't die like that, why are you not even searching for him?!"
My feet froze.
That voice.
That stubborn tone.
Hana.
I pushed past two medics and nearly ran into the next tent.
There she was.
Seventeen-year-old Hana Nightshade.
Dust all over her clothes, knees scraped, hair messy from running—but alive.
Her face was as red as her hairs from crying as she argued with two hunters sitting on crates.
"Kid," the older hunter sighed, "you saw him fighting an A-rank Minotaur alone. No civilian ever survives that."
"He does!" she shouted back. "My brother isn't that weak, he would've escaped just search, you will find him!"
The younger hunter rubbed his forehead. "Look… we searched. If he was alive, we would've found him."
My chest tightened.
Damn them.
"Hana," I called softly.
She stiffened.
Slowly—very slowly—she turned her head toward me.
Her eyes widened.
Mouth opened in a tiny gasp.
Her breath hitched.
"…B-Big brother…?"
I smiled faintly. "Yeah. It's me."
For a second she didn't move.
Then she burst forward and slammed into me with full force, hugging me so tightly it hurt.
"You idiot!!!" she cried into my chest. "You're alive! You're actually alive! I—I thought—everyone kept saying— I thought you died—"
"I'm here," I whispered, wrapping my arms around her. "I'm here, Hana."
Her body shook violently against mine, tears soaking into my shirt.
⟦She really thought she lost you…⟧
Aphrodite's voice murmured softly in my mind, almost emotional.
I stroked Hana's hair gently.
"I promised I'd catch up, didn't I?"
"You left me! You stayed behind alone!" she yelled, still crying. "You told me to climb that wall and run—how can you do something so stupid? idiot brother, you... you big dummy!"
"That wasn't stupid," I said quietly. "That was saving you."
She hit my chest with her fist once, weakly.
"Don't… don't do that again…"
"I won't. I promise."
The two hunters who rejected her request earlier stood frozen, jaws hanging open.
"Impossible… he survived an A-rank Minotaur?"
"How did he do it.…?"
I ignored them.
Hana finally pulled back, sniffing, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
Her brown eyes scanned me up and down.
"You're not hurt? You're really okay?" She asked as she looked at my clothes, they were still stained from blood of the time I almost died to that Minotaur.
"…Yeah. All okay."
⟦Don't ask me how, because even I don't fully know how that gray punishment place works…⟧ Aphrodite whispered.
Hana frowned suspiciously. "Then why do you look so tired?"
"Long story," I said, forcing a smile. "I'll explain later."
She grabbed my hand tightly, refusing to let go.
"Don't disappear again."
"Never," I reassured her.
For the first time since the gate broke, since that Minotaur raised its weapon, since I was dragged into that torture world—
I finally felt like I was home.
---
Hana was still clinging to my sleeve when the two hunter officers approached, both looking awkward.
"Uh… Damon Nightshade?" the older one asked.
"Yeah?" I replied.
"We need you to come with us for a quick verification. Standard protocol for survivors."
Before I could answer, Hana tightened her grip.
"I'm coming too," she said sharply.
The hunters exchanged a look but didn't object. "Fine. Follow us."
We walked toward a small white tent near the center of the camp. Inside, a glowing mana lantern hung overhead, illuminating a stone pedestal with a smooth, crystal-clear sphere resting on top.
I recognized it instantly.
A Hunter Awakening Sphere.
"Place your hand on it," the younger hunter instructed.
I nodded and touched the surface.
—The sphere pulsed.
First faint blue.
Then bright.
Then brighter.
The hunters stiffened.
"Oh… so he awakened at the last moment," the older one murmured, sounding relieved. "That explains it."
"Yeah," the younger one nodded. "Escaping an A-rank Minotaur would've been impossible otherwise."
Escape.
Right.
That was their logical conclusion.
Not killing it. Not a civilian overpowering an A-rank monster.
Just… running away.
I didn't correct them,
The Minotaur core in my pocket felt heavier for a moment.
No reason to show it.
Not yet.
And to begin with, they were not wrong aphrodite was the who killed it not me.
"We… owe you an apology," the older hunter said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your sister begged us to go back for you. We searched but… realistically… we thought you were already gone."
"It's fine," I replied calmly.
Because it really was.
Expecting them to believe a random civilian survived an A-rank fight was insanity.
If not for Aphrodite, I'd be a corpse on the pavement.
And worse—Hana might've been dragged and torn apart depending on whether that Minotaur chased her.
So… I couldn't blame them.
The younger hunter opened a desk drawer and pulled out a sealed envelope.
"This is for you."
I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"An exam pass," he explained. "You're eligible to participate in the Hunter Rank Selection Exams. They're scheduled five days from now."
He continued:
"As a newly awakened, you have two choices:
• Request an instant E-rank pass
• Or take the exam and receive a rank between E to B based on performance."
Hana looked at me, eyes still red but determined.
I took the envelope.
"Thank you. I'll participate in the exam."
Every hunter knew:
B-rank is the ceiling for new awakeners.
Anything higher must be earned through:
• Gate raids
• Monster eliminations
• Contributions
• Field achievements
And I planned to climb far, far beyond that.
The hunters nodded, relieved that everything ended cleanly.
"Welcome to the awakened world, Damon."
I didn't say it out loud…
But inside, I couldn't help the faint grin tugging at my lips.
Awakened?
They had no idea what actually awakened inside me.
---
As soon as the hunters finished congratulating me, Hana finally exhaled—like she had been holding her breath this entire time.
Her shoulders dropped, and she bit her lip before speaking.
"…You really awakened," she whispered, eyes shimmering. "Damon… you always wanted it. Ever since middle school you said you wanted to be an awakened like your parents."
I blinked.
That was true.
I always wanted to be an awakened just like my parents.
Before everything went downhill… Before mom and dad died in a gate raid...
I did dream of this.
Hana took a shaky step closer, gripping my sleeve again.
"I'm… I'm so glad," she murmured, voice soft. "If you didn't awaken, that Minotaur… you would've…"
I gently patted her head.
She froze.
But she didn't move away.
Before I could say anything, the younger hunter suddenly leaned forward, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"So uh, Damon—what's your ultimate skill?"
The tent went dead silent.
I blinked. Hana blinked.
And the man beside him slapped the back of his head.
"Oi! You idiot! You don't ask someone that!" the older hunter scolded. "Ultimate skills are private unless you're teammates in a gate raid!"
The younger hunter flinched. "Ah—s-sorry! Habit! I just get excited around new awakeners…"
He looked at me nervously.
"I didn't mean to pry or anything. It's… y'know… kinda rude. Sorry again."
"It's fine," I replied casually.
(Yeah, like I can tell them my ultimate skill is literally the God Summon Core of a Lust God System…)
I kept my expression neutral.
Hana shot the young hunter a glare on my behalf—but hugged my arm a little tighter, as if reassuring herself I was really here and safe.
The older hunter, trying to smooth things over, cleared his throat.
"Well, anyway… your awakening is a good thing. And Hana here—" he chuckled softly "—has been raising hell in the camp until we promised we'd search again."
Hana immediately looked away, cheeks puffed.
"I-I was just… doing what anyone would do…"
Her voice trembled again, and she clung even closer.
I smiled despite myself.
This girl…
The hunters exchanged knowing looks.
"Alright," the older one said, "you two can head out. Rest up. Exam's in five days."
I nodded.
And with Hana holding my sleeve the entire time—we stepped out of the tent.
---