The year 2035.
"It has now officially been five years since the formation of the world council and it has been announced the 5th year celebration would be canceled due to appearance of grade S gate in the USA."
"Council representative has announced that they will concentrate on closing the gate as it takes priority and it has been confirmed that the guild 'Legion of Pure' will be entering this gate while raid team from guild Ivory Eagles will be on standby"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Xi7QlZvPk
*ding-a-ling*
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9VnxmECLp
The sound from the radio was disturbed as a person walked into the shop.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkAZqUuxl0
"welcome-...oh it's you"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hp2lr350o
From behind the counter, Ed turned towards the shop's door from his seat, with an expressionless face and a hunched back.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgPjUjoEvE
"yeah ..sorry for making you take care of my uncle's antique shop in my place today, Ed"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPytKYAJJ3
Saying this the Jong Kwan walked straight towards the counter.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEloqzkooN4
"No problem I was bored at home anyway..how's your uncle doing now ."
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAqEsusDox
Ed turned his gaze back to the dusty pocket radio on the counter and continued to stare at it in a daze.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhXxl41m1V
"Oh nothing much, just back pain he'll be alright after a day of rest ...what are you listing to?"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkT0YduKdz0
Jong Kwan reached out to grab the radio from the counter and fiddled around with it.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRMRmSu1pD
"The news. I was messing around with the stuff here and found this radio.. it was really hard to get it to work though... imagine people back then used this for entertainment "
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1NipO86mW
Ed looked at the radio in Jong Kwan's hand and stood up to stretch his back.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VI7X9iauT
"Not really, even before the disaster people rarely used it. Some just kept it for hobby though "
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrux1W0GRxX
Jong Kwan turned the radio off and looked at the man stretching before him, with a stupid grin on his face.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzac3bdyMvF
"oh.. hmmm what are you all giddy about ?"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFR2cZW9Yz5
Ed gave his friend a curious glance. Jong put aside the radio, puffed his chest out, and declared with a happy face.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUw5k5No5uI
"I bring about glorious tiding my fellow peasant, your friend the geat jong Kwan has passed the mana count test"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nFSUObp7g
Ed absent-mindedly acknowledged this.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp3h59r3vf
"You're mana count was today?-NO WAIT! YOU PASSED THE TEST!!"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOrf6sbIzD
Half in shock and half joyful Ed took a good look at his friend.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShqJpdvHxM
"hehe, now we just have to wait for you to pass your test and we can go through the awakening together"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTF0ANclhB
Still giddy with excitement Jong kawn gave his Ed a solid tap on the shoulder.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvE60XPmScy
"I don't know man. In the last test, they said my mana count might take many years to reach 100 naturally and it's only been two years since then.."
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBLxhrKLvb
Ed looks at the ground with uncertainty in his voice.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUOYPSXa1F
"Who gives a damn about what they said. If I can pass I'm sure you will too, besides we are already 20, this year would be our last chance to get a free reading."
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLHaueGQRz
Jong Kwan tried to cheer up Ed as he lightly tapped his shoulder again in encouragement.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6XEpfmvzS
It has always been their dream to become hunters and join one of the big 10 guilds. Yet their dream got crushed when they both failed their test two years back after graduation.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2z8SS6lWjV
Many of their schoolmates awakened one after another, joined guilds, and became hunters, while they worked part-time jobs as both at the height of their obsession during high school disregarded studying like many others.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAfc5NgsSg
While Jong Kwan was from a well-off family, Eds' parents had died during the disasters. He and his younger sister lived in a rented apartment, paying the bills with his meager part-time jobs salary and some support from their parent's pension.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaxk2t41CT
He thought he could turn his life around and make it so that his sister never has to feel restricted due to financial reasons, however, he didn't pass the test.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ue0iWIh4G
"I hope so... since you are back I'll get going."
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFv3VDoGuh
Saying this Ed grabbed his back from behind the counter, slowly walk towards the door of the shop. Jong Kwan looked at the back of his friend as he walked out the door.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3S8O0aCfjW
"I hope as well friend"281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVspyOwGZ1X
....................................
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYcYWf9tYz
Ed walked for a while before stopping. Looking at the small park adjacent to the street, he no longer had the dazed or depressed look rather he had an expression of guilt.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRpMqD5Qqi
"sigh.."
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCM2urTmycf
'I'm sorry for lying, friend. It's just that my situation is....well I don't know where to even start'
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwjRYom3nB
He slightly tilted his head up and stared at thin air.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGvLTyowg2
A gesture that is an integral part of an awakened person's daily life.281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPAGTQd1EL
___________________________________________________________________
Name: Edmond Dantes
Status: (The status window will update after awakening )
___________________________________________________________________
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiMneVuw6I
' What is wrong with me for real... '
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQWpr8G0bu
"Sigh... system what is my mana count"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqfgKMLWWn
After Ed said this, floating text appeared before his eyes, just like every hunter can only see their status window no one could see the floating text. He had already tested it many times with his sister. Through many experiments, he has found that his case is quite special.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoWOQqRrKo
When he made his sister say this back when he was in high school, nothing happened, no text appeared for her. The only thing that happened was that he had to listen to his sister nagging about how he is too obsessed with hunters and should focus on studies.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmQTLVBjED
Other than his sister he has not tried this or brought this topic to anyone in fear of being reported to the government. It may sound stupid but the government takes topics regarding anything supernatural very seriously and he may as well get dragged to their research facilities.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47DkvAx9iV
who knows what goes on there.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNZrIWn4HF
[ total mana count: 836 ]
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHvVlfFWzV
'same as yesterday huh'
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPWWJhAkVj
Unimpressed Ed continued asking.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigGaSAxlcu
"what about normal mana count?"
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYOyxCNHjH
Ed still remembered when he went to get his mana count reading at the dungeon management bureau for the first time. He also vividly remembers how stupefied he was when he got his result.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJByHyHOLF
He managed to get a perfect score of 69 of the required 100. As to why he was shocked rather than sad was because at the time of the test, according to the system he had a mana count of 604.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxCAG66Gcy
Who wouldn't be shocked it's THE FREAKING SYSTEM WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!! IT CAN'T BE WRONG RIGHT?!! I AM NOT JUST IMAGINING THIS OR LOSING MY MIND RIGHT?!?!
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2lhv24c8k
It took him a few days to recover from this blow. After which he did another round of experiments(questions) with the system after hundreds of [ Host not qualified for this information ] this was the conclusion he reached.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuzTTZ1uzz
The mana count technology of humans sucks and cannot detect this 'special mana'.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjXV3Ouz02
[ 'normal' mana count : 69 ]
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjtoyqFRre
' As expected....still hurts. Ah oh well better get home before Jen comes back from school '
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhNIqJ2Qw2
Ed was about to continue on his way when he felt a sudden sharp chill climb up his back. He scrutinized the park more closely and what he saw gave him cold sweat. A small blue circle made of light was hovering in the middle of the park rapidly growing in size.
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7XSKUsdqF
[ System prompt: Abnormal mana wave detected ]
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6cqld28Pw
[ System prompt: A gate is forming nearby evacuation recommended ]
281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIl7E2N1sD
...281Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PVz1bdXm1
.
