Civil Servant Hunter's S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 3
As she hesitantly lowered her hand, a transparent barrierwhose appearance she hadn't even noticedstood between her and the wolf.
The wolves, which had seemed ready to pounce at any moment, paced outside the barrier, drooling profusely, as if they knew they could never break through it.
What in the world had just happened?
"Administrator..."
The System Administrator. Did something like that really exist?
The system that only Awakeners could use. Some had speculated that, like a game, it must have someone managing it.
However, unlike the stars in the sky or the entities called "Celestials," it had never revealed its existence even once, so no one could be sure.
And now, that very Administrator was appearing here?
"...Administrator?"
When Se-ra, still half in doubt, tentatively called out into empty air, a new message appeared before her eyes as if it had been waiting.
"..."
What was that?
Was cursing at the system some kind of summoning spell for him...?
Se-ra, momentarily at a loss for words, hurriedly apologized before the Administrator could take offense.
"S-Sorry for the cursing! I must've lost my mind for a second there."
Another message appeared.
: Yoon Se-ra (F-rank)
: None
: Combat Sniper
: None
: Swears even at benefactors, foul-mouthed
"..."
Was it her imagination, or did that last special note stand out especially bold?
It seemed the System Administrator was a bit narrow-minded.
Se-ra immediately prostrated herself on the ground.
"I'm sorry, Administrator. I was wrong. And... thank you so much for saving my life."
Who would've known the Administrator was listening? She'd meant to curse at Park Jin-yong, but the words had come out wrongnot aimed at the system.
Really.
Mana: F-rank
Mana Sensitivity: F-rank
Combat Power: E-rank
Title Grant: Impossible
Celestial Contract: Impossible
Awakening Limit: F-rank
But instead of a reply, her comprehensive evaluation popped up, suggesting the Administrator was still upset.
See? It was laughably the stats of the absolute weakest.
Awakeners could generally rise to higher ranks with effort. Even F-ranks could, but Se-ra lacked even that much talent.
So how could the god-like Celestials take interest in her? Even surviving this place wouldn't change a thing.
She'd live her whole life as an F-rank, always ignored, and might face something like this again.
But.
"You're right. I'm weak."
So what?
"I'm truly sorry for cursing at you, Administrator. It wasn't on purpose. But I wanted to live that badly."
She hadn't struggled all this time just to end up as monster chow.
"I want to cling on desperately to the very end, no matter how much others point fingers."
Even with her bottom-of-the-bottom stats right in front of her, Se-ra flashed a bright smile.
"Even rolling in a dung field is better than the afterlife, right?"
As if reacting to her words, the system window began to glow brightly.
Earth's Administrator wishes to contract with Awakener 'Yoon Se-ra'.
1. If accepted, the contractor's stats will partially increase.
2. The Administrator can no longer kill the contractor.
3. The Administrator can bestow blessings upon the contractor.
Do you accept the contract?
(Yes | No)
Se-ra blankly stared at the messageno, the contractfloating before her.
"A contract... with me?"
Was she hallucinating?
Running into the Administrator was bizarre enough, but a contract was possible too? Like with a Celestial?
"But why me of all people...?"
Unable to comprehend, she blinked, and one line glowed especially bright.
As if saying to accept if she wanted to survive here, just as she desired.
"S-So, you're giving me a chance right now?"
Se-ra was speechless. She'd always thought her talent limit meant she'd never contract with a Celestial in her lifetime.
Yet the System Administratornot even a Celestialwanted to contract with her.
No, that didn't matter. What mattered was the chance to survive this place.
Who'd choose death over clutching a diamond spoon?
"Of course I'll do it."
When would she get a better opportunity? Even a partial stat boost sounded perfect.
She didn't want to be too strong. That would draw attention.
Better to be moderately strong than stand out and bear the responsibility.
Se-ra sorted her hesitations and happily selected [Yes].
"...Ah."
New messages flooded her vision nonstop. But she didn't need to read them; she could feel the changes in her body.
How to describe this?
Like being trapped in a narrow tank, then suddenly thrown into the vast ocean?
Like being stuck in a tiny hole, then floating up to the wide sky?
A waterfall pouring from deep within her body left her too awestruck to even gasp.
It felt like every channel in her body had opened up.
Mana: S-rank
Mana Sensitivity: SS-rank
Combat Power: S-rank
Title Grant: Complete
Celestial Contract: Impossible
Awakening Limit: None
: Yoon Se-ra (S-rank)
: System Administrator's Contractor , Sniper Overlooking the Battlefield (S-rank)
: Unique AbilitySniper
: None
: PlanetEarth's Administrator's sole contractor
"..."
Wait, hold on.
Se-ra, swept up in the endless surge of power, snapped back to reason at the stats before her eyes.
She must've seen something weird.
What was that?
...S-rank? 'No Awakening Limit'? And even her trait was now Unique Ability?
"Administrator! You said partial increase! Partial! You didn't say it'd be this much...!"
Jumping from F to S-rank?
Was this for real?
I cursed the Administrator, and now I'm S-rank.
Is that it?
'I thought I hit the lottery, but this is Powerball level...!'
Se-ra's eyes shook violently. She had zero desire to become S-rank, and now she wanted to grab the Administrator's pant leg.
But he showed no sign of stopping.
A gift.
Starting to feel afraid now, Se-ra hesitated a long time before finally opening her inventory.
There lay a sleek black sniper rifle she'd never placed there. A magnificent weapon befitting the title 'Sniper Overlooking the Battlefield'.
Though her sniper trait had manifested, her nonexistent mana had kept her from ever properly holding a gun. Se-ra was speechless.
"This could snap a diamond spoon in half."
S-rank jump plus a sniper rifle.
With favors like this, refusing now would be embarrassing.
'S-rank, huh... My feelings are complicated, but since it's come to this, let's milk every usable bit.'
Maybe this was fate.
"...Thank you."
Se-ra clutched the sniper rifle tightly and bowed to the air. She could overlook the rank-up; honestly, the rifle thrilled her.
Her lips kept twitching upward.
Then the transparent barrier in the dungeon's center dissolved into the air.
Se-ra, who had been hee-hee-hee-ing while stroking the rifle, snapped her head up.
Though only the Administrator's touch had vanished it, the atmosphere had completely shifted. The wolf monsters, baring their teeth, began cowering at the sudden arrival of an S-rank Hunter.
"A test to use the gift properly?"
Truly instinctive, the monsters tucked their tails, but Se-ra had no intention of sparing them.
To hunt prey, they had to endure becoming prey themselves.
Though holding the sniper rifle for the first time, Se-ra assumed a stance as naturally as if she'd been born with it.
It was all thanks to the title.
Se-ra pulled the trigger.
"...Ah."
Chills ran through her entire body.
Unlike before, when squeezing every drop of mana for a mana bullet barely scratched a monster's tough hide, this was worlds apart.
Not only did one shot explode a monster's head, but thanks to the title effect, her manaswirling abundantly insideshowed no sign of depleting even after several shots.
This was S-rank power.
Yoon Se-ra felt her stats' true rise throughout her body.
Bang!
Feeling the thrill envelop her, Se-ra pulled the trigger once more.