I’m Sorry, but It’s Because I’m an Ordinary Person - Chapter 1

It was 20XX, a time when the apocalypse theory was spreading.

Geez. Why do people believe in such things, given there is more than one apocalypse theory?

I was attending a driver’s license academy just after finishing the CSAT, and I turned over an Internet article as I rushed my way.

Wow, look at that foreign car. How much is that? Even if I get my driver’s license now, I won’t be able to drive around like that right away, right? How much work do you have to do to buy a foreign car that others will envy when you drive it out? … Ten years? Can I live by working for ten years? University tuition is a problem right now. How can I think of a foreign car?

I walked through the fine dust-filled streets at night, memorizing English words like chanting Buddhist prayers.

You should study TOEIC in advance when your mind is still working vigorously so you don’t suffer later. You must suffer when you are young to live comfortably in your old age. There’s nothing wrong with listening to adults.

competent, skillful.

plausible, which makes sense.

Fucking English words rolled around in the vocabulary book. Like when I was studying for the college entrance exam, I pronounced every word with my tongue. I could memorize well if I did this, but maybe it was just me. Oh, I hated taking exams.

A ruined life full of tests after tests. Study, specs, employment, money! Nothing went my way.

Everyone says it will be harder than it is now, but I’m already having a hard time. I’d rather the Earth be destroyed like this article said.

I crumpled up the simple vocabulary book made from torn notes and threw it away. The paper crumpled like a ball, rolled across the floor, and stopped in front of the sewer.

At that moment, Screerereech— there was a strange sound like scratching glass. The world seemed hazy, and the air seemed to break into pieces. A bizarre sensation landed on the skin, twisting concrete and shattering windows. As soon as I sensed an abnormality on the other side of the overpass, I checked the article I had read earlier.

— Mr. Lee, the leader of a pseudo-religious group, prophesies that a new space-time will open on a certain day of a certain month, and a passage to another dimension will open. The Earth will perish with the creatures that came out of it.

An eerie sound could be heard on the other side of the swirling overpass, which turned black. Footsteps shook the ground, blunt iron tools brushed across the concrete, spit dripping between the fangs rising wildly upward and gaping mouths. Monsters seen only in games were pouring out from there.

Wh-what’s this? This isn’t a dream, is it? I’m not in a game or anything like that, right?

I stupidly blinked and tugged at my cheek. Ssk. Seeing the pain, it wasn’t a dream.

Bang, bang, bang—! Roads were destroyed, and buildings collapsed at the monsters’ beckoning. The foreign car I had been swallowing saliva while watching was also smashed into pieces by a steel blunt instrument, and the driver was crushed along with the car. The bloody blunt weapon split the air in search of another victim.

This is crazy. What’s this?

I couldn’t help but curse. I ran and ran, blinded by the absurd sight. I didn’t forget to hold onto the 1XX,XXX won smartphone I got after the college entrance exam so I wouldn’t drop it. It was worth more than myself.

Thud, thud—! The overpass collapsed. Something flashed, and my head rang.

The silhouettes of non-human beings shimmered beyond the bluish sparkling passage.

***

On the day when the gates opened all over the world, and monsters poured out like rain, the Earth was in a period of upheaval. Countless cities were destroyed, numerous people died, technology regressed, and civilization fell behind. However, as if to say there was hope even in this despair, people who could stand up to the monsters began to appear. People called them the Awakened then, and after everything stabilized, they were called Hunters.

Hunter, huntsman. People who hunt monsters professionally.

Some referred to it as a day of calamity, while others called it a day of blessing. The by-products of the monsters brought by the Hunters advanced human civilization and changed our society differently. My life also changed 180° from that day onwards because I awakened before becoming minced meat to the monsters that day. It was something I had never even dreamed of, but it happened anyway.

Well, looking back now, it was very implausible.

***

The Awakened, who had awakened before the death crisis, waged a short war against the invading monsters, resulting in the death of many Awakened and ordinary people.

Humanity was desperate to find a way to close the gates and end the war. Though the gates were not difficult to find, they were difficult to close.

The Awakened made countless sacrifices to defeat the high-ranking monsters and close the gates.

At that time, there were approximately 30 special and advanced gates around the world, and I remember how hard we tried to deal with them.

…

— Everything to be a Hunter, Star Academy! 20XX, 20 Awakened discharged this year!

An academy advertisement flashed past the glittering subway billboard.

It took us five years to close all the limited special and advanced gates that had opened during the death crisis. Despite the years of war, the world quickly stabilized. The governments of each country worked hard to rebuild the cities, and all countries signed a peace agreement. No one would help if another special or advanced gate went off in a country that did something wrong, so everyone had to join the peace agreement.

Well, that doesn’t mean you can close the gate when it opens, but it’s still good to do so because the moment it opens, the country will surely perish. So shouldn’t we get help from other countries to evacuate the people?

“We sell deli manju! We also have gimbap, dumplings, and walnut cakes!”

A strong When I was young~ feeling came to me upon seeing the billboard.

Sniff, sniff. When I smelled something fragrant, I noticed the stall.

I rummaged through my pockets as if possessed and approached the stall. The specialty of the subway was, of course, deli manju.

It took only five seconds for 3,000 won to go out of the wallet of a poor college student, and a happy smile appeared on the face of the street vendor. It starkly contrasted with the five minutes it took me to come to my senses and stand in front of the billboard again.

Cough. How far could one think, anyway?

Unlike low-level gates that repeat their own creation and destruction, or intermediate gates that can only be closed by an A-class or higher Hunter, advanced and special gates can be closed only at numerous sacrifices. Even during the five-year war, the 30 special/advanced gates caused countless casualties and were powerful enough to destroy a country. No Awakened would risk their lives to enter such a place. When an advanced gate was opened, thousands of veteran Hunters of C-class or higher died. Once a special gate was opened, there was no hope, even if all the high-ranking Hunters of A or higher rushed in. Civilian casualties were more than that, and more were wounded than combined.

When the special gate opened, everyone thought the country was doomed. If it was an advanced gate, it was possible to receive a Hunter dispatch from another country on the condition of dedicating almost all of the country, but everyone just took off in the face of a special gate. A total of four special gates have been opened so far. One was in a small island nation in the South Pacific, and the other was in the North Korean province of Pyeongan, now South Korea.

At that time, everyone thought Korea and China, located above it, would perish, but that didn’t happen. North Korea was destroyed, but South Korea was not, and although it suffered numerous casualties, the special gate was also closed safely.

— ‘World’s No. 1 for dungeon raids’

— ‘A melee Hunter with terrifying destructive power’

— ‘The Hunter who defeated SSS-class boss monster alone’

— ‘The nation’s hero who saved the country from the special grade gate’

— ‘Chosen as the most respected Hunter by fellow Hunters’

— ‘World’s most famous Hunter’

…

A video of a Hunter wearing a mask played on the subway billboard. I ate the deli manju while paying close attention to the various adjectives attached to the advertising video. It was freshly bought and piping hot. As expected of the subway specialty, deli manju. I haven’t seen a store open anywhere else. I lowered the mask to my chin and moved my jaw joint vigorously. A savory, sweet smell vibrated nearby.

“Hello.”

Tap, tap. An unknown person lightly tapped me on the shoulder.

Was it because I just looked at the billboard? I turned my head and looked to the side.

Two smartly dressed men and women were smiling sweetly. The clothes with guild patterns seemed to openly say, “I’m a Hunter.”

“We are the Halla Guild. We’ve been watching you for a while. It seems that you’re Awakened.”

“…?”

What’s this?

These days, some cons take away the ordinary people who long to become Awakened by saying they seem to be Awakened. I guess the rumor was true.

The era of great Hunters, where the number one hope for elementary school students in the future is not to be YouTubers but Hunters.

Are even subway cons changing in line with the trend of the new era? They are really hardworking.

“I’m sorry, but I’m an ordinary person,” I said with an expression of great regret. My mom told me not to get involved with con artists, but I couldn’t ignore them.

It was all because I was such a nice and desirable person.

But living hard means living hard, and conning someone is a different matter.

“But it will still be better to go with us and find out whether you’re Awakened or not,” the woman holding a flashy leaflet smiled and said, despite my rejection.

Kwaaaang—!

Before the woman could finish her words, a monster’s cry was heard from the other end of the peaceful subway.

“Oh…”

Beep—! Beep, beep—!

As soon as the cry rang, a beeping tone rang from the terminal roughly tucked into my coat pocket. All earthlings know this kind of notification; it was a summon to all Hunters near the dungeon gate.

“This sound is the signal to call the Awakened’s device, right?” the woman, who had been cut off by the monster’s cries, asked with wide-open eyes.

Damn it, I’m in trouble.

I sprinted past the two who realized I was a Hunter.

What’s so big about con artists who pretend to be Awakened finding a real Awakened, you ask? There’s no other target as appetizing as a real Awakened for those people!

“Ahh! Who keeps pushing me?!”

“Hey, don’t step on my foot!”

“I’m sorry. Please let me through, let me through.”

The inside of the subway was a complete mess because of the gate. And running away from that mayhem was easier than lying down and eating rice cakes.

Everyone was evacuating because of the Dungeon Gate alert, so I just had to mix in with them.

I pushed through the people who were clamoring to get out quickly.

Sorry for the push, but it can’t be helped.

Weeeeeeeng—! The sound of sirens resounding in the underground space was deafening.

I succeeded in making an emergency escape, caught my breath, and looked around for a while.

On another subway billboard, the last scene of the advertisement I had seen earlier flowed. A person who swung a greatsword and smashed the head of a monster.

[The World’s First, the God of War, Finger Techinque]

My nickname, ruined by a moment’s mistake.

I took out the beeping terminal and held it with tears of blood flowing. It was a signal for nearby Hunters to mobilize if possible since the lower level gate was opened on subway line 2.

“Excuse me! Wait a minute!”

As the beeping terminal went quiet, a terrifyingly unwelcome voice was heard.

Oh God, look who’s here.

When I turned back, I saw two people running towards me in the distance. They were the con artists who were trying to catch me earlier. This was why I didn’t live a nice life. Things that would have ended if I had ignored them became like this because I was too nice.

In any case, the request to mobilize if possible meant that it was not necessary to mobilize. So, I ran inside the subway station again to avoid the two people running. The two pretenders, who were the embodiments of obsession, continued to follow me.

“You are a Hunter! Are you interested in our guild?!”

“Ah, I’m just an ordinary person! I’m not a Hunter! And you guys are not a real guild; you are a fake guild!”

A legendary Hunter who made an outstanding performance during and even after the war. The one who closed the special gate that had opened in Pyeongan province alone. The Hunter whose identity no one knows.

Finger Technique… You see, the Finger Technique didn’t have any guild.

Even in that advertisement earlier, Finger Technique-ssi was dressed without any accessories or marks.

Everyone wondered why the first rank wandered alone without any guilds.

If they set up a guild with that name and reputation, there would be many rankers who would come running, and it was not unreasonable for them to become a founding monarch as someone who had single-handedly closed the special gate. That’s why everyone wondered why they didn’t reveal their identity.

Why don’t they reveal their identity? What a fascinating group of people.

Would you be able to reveal your identity with a nickname like Finger Technique?! Huh?! Would you?!

Moreover, I’ll have to reveal my nickname if I enter a guild! I’ll have to reveal my identity! I’ll have to do an interview! Then I’m going to be asked why I made that nickname!

Avoiding the two people who were chasing me, I ran like the wind.

I rejected both fake and actual guild admission invitations.

I’m sorry, but it’s because I’m an ordinary person. And even in the future, I plan to continue being an ordinary person.