What's this? My wounds are healed.
How long has it been that it got healed.
The last time i remember i was slashed 52 times.
Chapter 1
Meeting with new people.
It was supposed to be a normal day.
Another strange dungeon cleared… another disaster avoided… another victory for the them. People who protect the world from collapsing are called - Magis.
And technically, I'm one of them.
I am a Magi.
At least… on paper.
The truth is I'm weak. Too weak to step into S-level dungeons, too weak to fight monsters, too weak to save anyone. So My "job" is something no one wants: I clean the bodies of the people who didn't make it out of their raids.
And, honestly… I hate it.
Every night I see their faces in my dreams.
Their souls chasing me… blaming me… and trying to kill me.
"Karl!"
A sharp sting burst across my cheek. My senior had slapped me. Again, because I was lost in my thoughts and the cleanup wasn't done yet.
It's normal. They don't bully me. They say I deserve it. And sometimes… I think they're right.
Karl Max is 17 years old, he lives on Freita Island, the cold northern edge of the world. At his age, other Magis are training to fight against monsters or exploring some high-ranked dungeons, but Karl spend his days doing something far less heroic.
He cleaned corpses.
And, Today was no different.
Three male bodies, two female, all laid out in a neat line.
Karl raised his hand, and a faint blue glow circled his fingers. With just a wave, their names appeared in the air, and their last-taken photos shimmered beside each one. It was his unique magic, being able to see a person's identity right away.
That is why he got this job.
A stable decent job… which everybody else avoid and yet, for some reasons he did not understand, why? But Karl continued doing it.
He stood silently outside the entrance to the dungeon, awaiting the final procedure. Soon, the dungeon would close and sealed away by a special group of Magis known as The Doors. They used an ancient magic created by the legendary Win Freita, the greatest Magi the world had ever known.
Too bad history remembered him not for his power… but for how he died. He was Killed by his own friend.
Three Magis stood in perfect triangle formation. Slowly, their eyes closed and an intense red aura rose from their bodies, like flames licking the air. The dungeon entrance crackled under the pressure then burned into nothingness.
The gate vanished just like that.
He clapped lightly and said, "Good job, everyone!" Then the team dispersed to go back to their duties.
Karl slipped away quietly.
He found himself standing in the washroom, gazing at his reflection in the dim, flickering light. His tired eyes, pale face, and trembling hands told a story nobody cared about.
"How long?" His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Just how long am I going to work like this? I hate this job… I want to quit. I want to live like them. I want to be a Magi."
His desire wasn't a dream but an ache that had already begun to burn out from exhaustion and reality.
But fate never cared about timing.
The door creaked softly as it opened, and footsteps echoed through the stillness.
Karl straightened instantly. "Mr. Giovani."
He bowed deeply. The man who had entered was no ordinary figure; he was the manager of the Magi Association, one of the most powerful organizations in the world. Giovani was looking bit scary staring directly at Karl but his face softened when he saw Karl. It was unusual…almost warm. As if he had been waiting for him.
"I have good news," he said. "Good news… for me? Karl blinked with curiosity.
"You're promoted."
"What?"
"Yes. You are promoted."
"I'm… promoted?"
Standing there in Disbelief a spark of hope lit in his chest. A promotion meant change. A promotion meant he wouldn't have to drag bodies from dungeons any longer. And with that he started to believe Maybe his life is finally turning.
Giovani smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You will now work as the assistant of Guild C. From now on, you'll be under their command."
This slowed down his heartbeat.
Assistant of Guild C.
Not a fighter.
Not a Magi.
He is still a helper… still running behind others… still doing the jobs that nobody else want.
The next day, Karl stood nervously in front of Guild C's office on Freita Island: 65th Street, Bungalow No. 156A. His luggage rested at his feet; and his heart was thumping because he was nervous. Because From today onward, this would be his workplace… and his new home.
"Are you Karl?" Someone called him from behind.
A woman stood there, stunning, sharp, and confident. Her cat like eyes seemed to slice through the morning light. She was beautiful enough to steal someone's breath away.
"Y-Yes, I'm Karl," and Karl had started to stammer.
She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What happened? You look shocked."
"N-nothing!" The behaviour embarrassed him.
Nonetheless, she exhaled softly and gestured for him to follow. Karl walked behind her toward the house, still trying to process her beauty, when something else shocked him even more.
The interior of the house.
"This… it's so big!"
From outside, it was a simple, small bungalow. But inside? Well, it was massive, really massive. Almost like a mansion of luxury. Wide halls, polished floors, enchanted lamps… everything felt unreal.
Karl followed the woman upstairs.
"This is your room," she said.
"My room?" Karl blinked out of no words because the room was huge, bigger than his whole old apartment.
"Yes. Your room. Get ready, we have work soon."
She left him alone.
Karl laid his luggage on the bed, took a deep breath, and began his first day's preparation. He opened the file containing the names of the team members while unpacking.
Guild C: Members
Shiori Mikata: The one who welcomed him. The leader of Guild C. Sharp, powerful, confident.
Kiyomi Mikata: younger sister of Shiori. A sword master who is famous for her insane reaction speed.
Riomi Mikata: The second younger sister. The Aider. She could heal anyone instantly… even from fatal wounds.
Aoimi Mikata: The eldest sister. The strategist. The brain of Guild C.
A full team of sisters.
And now, Karl: a weak Magi who cleaned corpses will work with them.
Karl put on the light armor given to him not because he was a fighter, but because even a small scratch inside a dungeon could kill a normal person like him.
But there was still a one question which was bothering him.
What exactly was his new duty?
"Your job is simple," Shiori said, clenching her gloves tighter. Behind her stood the other three: Kiyomi, Riomi and Aoimi. All ready, with the sharp cat-like eyes stared at him.
"Wait for us," Aoimi added as they stepped into the dungeon.
Karl blinked.
Wait? That's it?
What Shiori told him was, "After we're done, you'll carry the monster corpses outside."
This left Karl stared at nothingness..
"Ah. So my new job… is to drag dead monster bodies." He has evolved but.
He sighed. Because he may got a promotion… but he's still a cleaner. Suddenly!
"AGHHHHHHHH!"
A scream echoed from inside the dungeon.
Karl jumped, "W–What was that!?
Another cry echoed but this time it was louder and sharper.
Karl was frozen.. His hands were shaking. His mind was racing with the question of, "Should I go? Should I stay? What If they're hurt… what if they're in danger… but I'm weak. I'm useless. I can't fight..."
His heartbeat pounded in his ears. He could listen to his heart crying... Out of symphathy.. he closed his fists.
"I'm weak… but I don't care!"
Before he could think twice, Karl ran right into the dungeon.
The air was cold and the tunnels twisted in every direction.
"Where are they…?" he muttered, panting harshly.
There was an another loud scream from within the stone walls. Karl sprinted toward the sound.
He slid to a stop and saw
Massive spider monsters, each as big as a horse, surrounded the four sisters. Blades and magic barely held them back; blood spilled on the ground. They were injured. With no amount of time waste he rushed directly toward the spiders with everything he had.
"AUGHAAAHHH!!" He screamed as loud as he could so the spider run away sensing the fear but a spider is known to sense the fear and prepares for the clash. They never run from any fight. It swung it's leg-
"THWAK!"
Karl slammed into the wall like a ragdoll "KARL!" Shior saw Karl lost his consciousness, her aarm was bleeding, but she couldn't reach him. Seeing him rush in to save them… it was what really stunned her, as she didn't notice another spider raised his leg to stab her.
"Ting!" A flash of silver sword. Kiyomi darted in and cut the spider's leg clean off. "Sis! Are you okay!?" Shiori winced. "Don't worry about me save Riomi! She… she's terrified of spiders!"
"On it!"
Ting! Ting!
Kiyomi moved in the blink of an eye, cutting down the monsters around Riomi. Aoimi cast a mental barrier, guiding the attack patterns. The duo cleared the dungeon, and one spider after another fell to the ground. It was Finally over.
Shiori ran to Karl, who lay slumped against the wall with blood trickling down his forehead, unconscious. And without hesitation, she had gently lifted him onto her back. "Let's go home," she whispered.
For the first time… they weren't carrying a burden. They were carrying someone who tried to save them. "He came here for us."
When i was unconscious, i saw a dream.
A dream where i was slashed, cut, burned and chopped.
It didn't felt like a dream. Was it real all the time?
Am i alive or already dead?