Chương 12: A Life Almost Normal

Ch 12 - A Life Almost Normal Working at the inn as a part-time job, with a place to stay and meals included on top of that. And on top of everything else, a chance to train alongside Lena and Madou. Zeph went still when the offer landed in front of him. Not that he had been particularly talkative before this moment, because he hadn't. But this time he was truly, genuinely thinking it over. Damn it. A good deal had never once failed to reel him in. Not that this was entirely free, since he would have to work for it.

But at least the work came with rewards he actually needed. A roof over his head, food on the table, and the kind of training he could not easily find anywhere else.

"Yes. I'll do it." And so he said.

"Ha! I love it. Welcome to the team, Zeph!" Madou laughed and threw an arm around Zeph's shoulders, squeezing and shaking him like they had been friends for years. Zeph glanced over at Lena, who was laughing softly. If either of them ever showed even the smallest sign of a threat, Zeph thought to himself, every possible outcome already running through his mind before the thought had fully formed. He would not hesitate. Not even for a second. Just as he had done before, and just as he always would. ** Life moved on.

For the next week, Zeph found himself fully absorbed into a routine he had never planned for. Not that he'd had much of a plan to begin with. The inn, the work, the people inside it, none of it had been part of any real calculation. And yet here he was. He woke before dawn each day. He handled the heavier tasks around the inn without being told twice.

He carried supply crates up from the storage room on the ground floor, scrubbed the shared kitchen clean after breakfast, and hauled bundles of laundry up to the third floor and back down again. None of it was complicated. It was simply work that needed a steady pair of hands and a body willing to endure it. He did not complain. He never had. Madou's father, a broad and quiet man named Haro, checked on him the first morning and said very little.

After that, he only gave a small nod whenever the job was done properly. Zeph found that he preferred it that way. Meals came three times a day. Sometimes Lena cooked. Sometimes Madou did, though his results were significantly less impressive. Either way, Zeph ate everything put in front of him without a word. Training took place in the evenings, once the inn had grown quiet and most guests had retired to their rooms. The three of them would head up to the hall on the fifth floor.

Lena naturally took the lead without anyone asking her to. Her fundamentals were solid, and she moved with confidence. Madou, on the other hand, relied on size and force. He was aggressive and sometimes let his excitement get the better of him, knocking over a chair or misjudging his distance. Zeph studied them carefully. He had never received formal training, yet his body had endured things no training hall could truly simulate.

That experience revealed itself in small, quiet ways, even if he could not fully explain how or why. By the end of the second week, he had slept more hours than he could remember sleeping in the past year combined. He had eaten proper meals every single day. No one had hit him once. It was the quietest two weeks of his life. Now he sat in his room, staring at the two items he had taken from someone some time ago. He had taken them because their original owner no longer needed them.

They were rough crystals, each about half the size of his palm. One glowed with a reddish hue like contained fire. The other was darker, tinted in deep purple.

"Monster cores," Zeph muttered softly. Yes. These were monster cores, or more generally called mana cores, the same concept that existed within the human body. When a monster was killed, there was a fairly high chance, maybe around forty percent, that its core would remain intact and could be harvested. However, if the rank difference between the hunter and the monster was too wide, especially if the hunter's rank was far higher, the chance of the core surviving became much smaller.

Monster cores stored dense mana within them. In simple terms, they could be used as energy sources. Yes, that was the most common application, even if some people considered it a bit morally questionable. Vehicles, machinery, and even weapons in this world were often powered by these very cores. That was how valuable they were. There were more advanced uses as well, usually reserved for higher grade cores or those with unique elements.

The stronger the monster's tier, the richer and more complex the mana composition inside the core would be. They could be used to craft weapons. To create mana tools. To build devices far beyond ordinary technology. The problem was this.

"What kind of monster did these come from?" This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Zeph could simply sell the cores and get a decent amount of money. But if he could not explain where he had obtained them, that would become a serious issue. The Hunter Association would investigate. They might track him down. And that would lead to complications he did not want. Maybe it was better to keep them for now. He did not urgently need a large amount of money.

He had food, a place to sleep, and work that covered his daily needs. For the moment, holding onto them felt like the safer choice. It was still somewhat early in the evening. Not exactly late, but late enough that Zeph should have been asleep by now. For some reason, he decided to step out of his room instead. Tonight, Haro was the one on duty at the front desk. Zeph went down the stairs and entered the lobby.

Sitting on the sofa was the broad man with his shirt slightly open at the collar, his tired eyes fixed on nothing in particular. After a moment, the man seemed to sense Zeph's presence and slowly turned his head toward him.

"Zeph, come here," Haro said. Zeph had only intended to get some fresh air, but he ended up walking over and sitting across from him.

"You worked hard today. And you trained hard too. Why aren't you sleeping already? Madou passed out not long ago." Zeph gave a small smile but did not answer. In truth, there were many questions in his mind that he still could not find answers to. For example, Madou and Lena were already awakened. They were Rank 1 Apprentices. So why were they still here? They could have become registered hunters since last year, at least on paper. Yet they stayed at the inn. And then there was Lena herself.

As far as Zeph knew, she was Madou's cousin. A cousin. So where were her parents now?

"How has your time at the inn been?"

"Everything's been great. Thank you. Haro smiled faintly.

"You know, not everyone can make it as a registered hunter, Zeph," he said after a moment. Zeph listened quietly.

"It's not only about passing the tests. If you fail to break through to Rank 2 Guardian, you won't qualify no matter how long you train." Zeph nodded. He knew the requirements. To become a registered Hunter, one had to complete the academy's foundational training, which could take up to two years, and successfully advance to Rank 2 Guardian. Even after becoming registered Hunters, however, they could choose to continue their studies at the academy for up to five years.

"Not every Awakened can reach Rank 2," Haro continued.

"You know that, right?" Zeph nodded again.

"Many say that the breakthrough to Rank 2 is the real wall. That's where most people get stuck. They remain Rank 1 Apprentices for the rest of their lives." Haro leaned back slightly.

"That doesn't mean being a Rank 1 Apprentice is bad. Your body is already stronger than most normal humans. You can endure more. You can handle tougher work. Even if this world is not only about physical strength, you are still valuable. Rank 1 awakened often deals with Tier 1 monsters around populated areas. Higher rank hunters usually don't bother with those." Zeph nodded slowly. That was also why Tier 1 monsters often roamed near settlements.

Their numbers were high, while the number of awakened humans was limited. And among those awakened, not many were willing to hunt low tier monsters for long. For higher rank awakened, spending too much time hunting Tier 1 monsters would only slow their cultivation and stall their progress. The cores they obtained were not worth much to them, and the time lost was even more costly. No meaningful cores. No advancement.

It was a combination that made Tier 1 monsters continue to multiply near the edges of human territory.

"Madou has been at Level Twenty for the past one year," the man continued.

"Level Twenty?" Zeph was genuinely surprised. Before, they had only said their levels were fairly high. But Level Twenty?

"What about Lena?"

"Lena… well, she's not far behind. She's at Level Nineteen." Zeph nodded slowly, letting that sink in. Haro leaned forward slightly.

"With just a little push, and the right timing, both of them could break through to Rank 2 Guardian. Once that happens, their dream of becoming registered hunters will finally be within reach." Zeph nodded again. Honestly, this was new information for him. He had not realized they were that close. Haro let out a small chuckle.

"It's good that the three of you decided to train together. For your next trial at the hunter academy, that kind of teamwork will matter."

"Yes, sir," Zeph replied. After that, the conversation drifted into topics that felt distant to him. Some were about academy schedules, others about local matters that did not concern him much. The words gradually blurred in his mind. Eventually, he excused himself, returned to his room, lay down, and fell asleep almost instantly. ** Zeph was asleep before he had fully settled into the mattress. Then knocking pulled him out of it. It was loud. Repeated. Zeph jolted awake.

Morning light filtered faintly through the window. No way. Had he really slept that deeply? The knocking came again.

"Zeph, are you inside? Sorry for waking you up this early."

"Madou?" He quickly got out of bed and opened the door. Madou stood there, and he looked panicked.

"What's wrong?"

"Zeph, I need you to watch the inn. I have to leave right now. I won't be long. I'll be back by late afternoon at most." Madou was already turning as if ready to rush off.

"Wait. What about Lena? Is she staying?" Madou stopped.

"No. I mean, that's the thing. I have to go find her."

"Lena?"

"Yes. Please, just stay here and hold things down." Madou hurried off with fast, uneven steps.

"Wait, Madou." Zeph ran after him. Was it really that urgent? Why did he look like that?

"If you need help, take me with you. Is it that serious?" Zeph asked. Madou did not respond. He kept walking as if he had not heard a word. Zeph quickened his pace and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. Madou turned around sharply.

"Lena left her awakener device behind." Zeph frowned.

"Couldn't she just be out buying supplies or handling something?"

"No. Someone saw her leaving early in the morning. She looked like she was in a hurry."

"In a hurry?" Zeph repeated. Why?