"God they just keep on comin!"

"I know right! How's Jin-Woo doing?"

"Fine, The healer is B-rank. So minor cuts and scrapes aren't too much trouble."

"Good. Well let's keep pushing pushing through

-----5 Hours Later-----

"All right... that... seems to be the last of them"

"Hey? What's with this door??"

"Boss room?"

"Must be"

"Hmmmm, but wait? Didn't we just fight the boss?!"

"OH! You're right, I didn't notice it died so quickly."

"So, I guess it is a double dungeon. Huh, maybe they do exist." The double dungeon anomaly has been reported only twice, once in Japan, and once in America. Both reports say that the second dungeon matched the strength of the primary one, and was at least ten times more profitable. The party decided to vote, the agreement was that if they enter the second dungeon the loot would be split evenly, even if one only damages a single monster. The votes were 50/50, the last vote lies with Sung-Jin-Woo.

"If we go in there is a chance that we could make a ton of profit, I could send Jin-ah to school with more than just rice and an egg, I could pay rent, And mom... well I won't get my hopes up....I- I vote yes."

"OK then, in we go." As the massive cold-iron doors swing open the group walks into a gargantuan cathedral-like room lit with blood red flames. In the center of the room is a massive altar made of what looks to be bronze, gold, and multi-colored A-rank crystals and mana stones to work like stained glass

To say that the hunters were delighted would be an understatement, they were overjoyed, ecstatic, and completely dazzled.

'WOAH!! Jackpot, lets see 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28!!!"

"That's enough for everyone to get two!, Not to mention the altar itself, let's go get our tools and call the association." After doing just that, the fastest of the mining group began removing the crystals.

"26...27.... And 28, ALL RIGHT WE'RE DONE UP HERE."

"All right let's get a moooooooove ooooooooonnn" Suddenly everyone began to freeze in place, as though someone hit a pause button on reality. Jin-Woo was more than a little terrified, then things went from bad to worse as some of them began turning to ash, their gear along with them.

"I'm just imagining this, right! Please let this just be a bad dream! PLEASE! LET ME OUT!" and then everything went dark, as the abyss consumed him, in his last moments of consciousness, he thought only of his sister, and his bedridden mother.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... that I... couldn't... stay with you."

-----***3 Years Later***-----

POV: Jin-ah

Today is the 3rd year since Jin-woo disappeared, because she couldn't pay rent she was living on the streets, her friends let her stay in their dorms when it got too cold, but the rules of the dorms were strict and they wouldn't be allowed to let her stay unless she could pay, greedy bastards. none of the local businesses would hire her and she was still suffering from the fallout of her brother's 'death'. She still didn't want to believe it but deep down she knew it was true.
"Jin-ah sung."

"AH! What, who are you and what do you want?"

"I am with the hunter association, I am here to collect you on behalf of your brother's will, I am sorry it took so long, you made it difficult for us, always moving around."

"What did you expect me to do, sit on the same street everyday with the drug dealers that follow me, no thanks."

"...It was the last will of your brother that his status as a hunter be transferred to you along with all his savings, not including any of his debt of course,. We also believe that you have awakened as a hunter, you are practically glowing with mana. And again, I apologize it took us so long."

----2 hour time skip----

"That was the best bibimbap I have ever had, Jin-Woo used to make that for me during the weekends when we could afford it..." Jin-ah begins reminiscing about her life with her brother, their birthdays, parties with friends, movie nights, nights where they played 'planeswalker' till 3 in the morning.

A knock at the door pulls her from her thoughts

"Jin-ah your room is ready, tomorrow we will test you for your ranking, but for now, please, get some rest" The monitoring division agent said with genuine sympathy.

But Jin-ah couldn't sleep. She was plagued with memories of her brother, and she broke down into silent tears.

"Why did he have to leave me, 형제 (brother) please come back to me" for another 7 hours she was in and out of consciousness crying when she was awake before eventually succumbing to the welcome embrace of sleep.

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"HIGH PITCHED DEMONIC ALARM"

Jin-ah bolts upright and hurries to get changed due to her almost being late to her appointment, which was fortunately just down the stairs and to the right.

"Jin-ah. You are right on time, just this way."

The short man leads her to a small room with a rather large ball made of... well she can't quite tell.

"If you could just place your hand right here... yes just like that...............one moment, OK it seems like you are a mid level C-rank, You will be Issued your license shortly but for now breakfast is being served in the cafeteria"

C-rank huh, in all honesty Jin-ah was expecting something more like E-rank. It makes some sense, Jin-woo was E-rank, her dad was S-rank, and her mother was un-awakened. Not that her rank was unwelcome, with the added perks of being C-rank her mother's medical bill and her residential bills are far more affordable... but still, she shouldn't get complacent. Just because the money being spent was less than a fraction of what it was, the reverse was not true for their income

"I should probably find a raid soon so I can put food on the table.. Hmmmmmmm"

---3 Days Later---

Here she is, in front of a D-rank gate, completely terrified.

"Hey you over there, Jin-ah was it. Take this, it's dangerous to go unarmed."

"Oh, uuuh, thanks, but I don't know how to use this."

"Hmmmm, oh! Have you tested for your class yet?"

"Ummmmm, I don't think so"

"Okay, then, uuuh, here just put your hand on these stones, yup just like that."

As she puts her hands on the different colored stones, the purple one lights up, signifying her as a mage.

"Oh! Great, we just had one of our mages retire not too long ago, he left his focus with the guild, take it, consider it a gift to celebrate your first gate."

"OH... Thank you very much." The focus itself was a small ouroboros ring made of silver and practically bursting with mana

https://www.amazon.com/Dans-Collectibles-More-Ouroboros-3Douroboros/dp/B086H48NML

(won't let me ad the image)

"Wow. That's a bit intense"

"Yeah I hear mages can pass down knowledge with their artifacts, sounds freaky to me, like what if they accidentally send something private like their bank number, or-.oh, Its time"

"?"

"In 3"

"3 what?"

"2"

"Oh no."

"1"

"Shit."

"CHARGE!!!!!!!"

---3 Hour Time Skip---

For the most part the gate was, well, rather underwhelming. It was an ice based gate and since she had a quick cast fire spell the spiders and frog folk were no problem, however, she was now running low on mana.

She was meant to act as the healer of the party, which was fine in the beginning, but due to the sheer amount of spiders, people were frequently bitten and needed the venom removed and the puncture closed.

"Damn they just keep coming, how are you holding up Jin-ah?"

"I'm... fine."

"Are ya sure, you look just about out of mana, need a pick-me-up?"

"No, I am, just a bit tired and... hey what is that room?"

"....it looks like a boss room, not to mention that all the other monsters are gone. We better start cleaning up."

After about 2 hours the group finished recovering the mana cores along with the minimal amount of mana crystals the party finally began to prepare for the boss room.

"Archers have your arrows drawn, tanks prepare to draw agro, and Jin-ah."

"Yes sir."

"Do you have any offensive non-quick spells?"

".... well yes but.."

"But what?"

"I'm worried I might mess it up or miss it completely."

"If you got it from the ring then you physically can't mess up, and so far you haven't missed a single shot. So, begin preparing that spell. Liam, open the door."

"Aye, sir."

As the door creaks open Jin-ah begins to cast the spell, chanting in a language that she does not understand, nor even knew existed. Slowly but surely the group marches forward, deeper and deeper into the cavern, it becomes darker, darker, yet darker still, the only source of light and comfort being the now massive fireball summoned by the only mage present.

Suddenly a clearing appears up ahead, the sounds of something very large shuffling can be heard in the distance, when the group arrives in the clearing, all hell breaks loose.

"A-ARCHERS FIRE AT WILL" yells the expedition leader

"JIN-AH I HOPE THAT SPELL OF YOURS IS READY"

Naturally one would assume that a dungeon full of spiders and frog-folk would have a related boss, like a massive spider, or a gigantic poisonous frog, but no, that was to much to ask, but a high orc, apparently, was a-ok in the eyes of the universe. Even alone a high orc is equivalent to an A-rank hunter, the highest rank present in the group was the b-rank tank.. ice floods her veins and her limbs become lead, frozen in fear, Jin-ah had felt what she thought to be fear before, but those feelings were nothing against this, what she felt now, was true, unwavering terror.

"JIN-AH FIRE THAT SPELL"

With only a second of hesitation Jin-ah fires the spell at the monster before them, scoring a direct hit... which did absolutely nothing, the heat from the explosion should have at least stunned it, but it seems that all it did was piss it off. Panic over takes the group as the leader yells,

"RETREAT, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, RETREAT!!!!" with only a sentence the entire group is sprinting at top speed towards the exit. But that damnedable orc was following at a slow trot, and it was gaining on them.

Then, as the group rounds the corner at last, the gateway to freedom in their sight, the group charges through, but something compels Jin-ah to wait and help others to get through. The entire time she was casting barrier spells, reinforcing them until she was completely out of mana, the orc charges through, she raises the sword given to her right before the raid, knowing she was hopeless. For some reason she knew that this portal wouldn't stop the orc, that she had to kill it here and now. In the corner of her vision, she sees what looks to be a video game notification,

Secret quest: Sacrifice of The Valorous, Completed, welcome... Player.

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As I open my eyes the blinding lights of a hospital force me to close them again, after a few minutes of this I am eventually able to keep my eyes open and look around the room. It's a spacious room mostly colored white and blue, the only things taking up space are the IV's next to me, the bed I am laying on, a TV, and a smaller walled off section of the room that must be a bathroom. The door opens up and a small group of people walk in, after a few moments I recognise most of them as people I healed during the raid.

"Oh! She's awake"

I'm swarmed with about a million different forms of thanks and how are you's, until the doctor comes in and ushers them out.

"Excuse me but could you all give my patient a bit of room... and by that i mean, could you all leave."

Once the room was cleared out, two more men entered the room holding what looked to be a much smaller version of the mana stone the agency used to measure most people's rank.

"Ms. Jin-ah, If you could just put your hand here, we believe that you have reawakened."

This came as a shock to me, while her awakening was to be expected given that most of her family was, a double awakening, or reawakening, was a one in a million chance... and that was for you to have the potential to do so.

As I place my hand on the stone I feel a rush of mana enter my body, at the same time the faces of the two agents paled.

"W-What the ever loving hell does n̴̡͕̽̅̈́u̶̢͍͇̭̽͐̂̒l̶̖͓͓̎̍ͅl̸̹̯̼͒̉ mean"

"We will be one moment Ms. Jin-ah, we must make a call" The two men walk out holding the now dull and colorless mana stone. What was that just now, one minute I was touching the stone, and the next it seemed that I sucked the mana from it. Whatever it was, it does not seem to be normal. The two men re-enter and tell her to go to the agency's main building Next Friday at 3:00pm sharp.

Damn, that's when I was supposed to meet up for another raid. All that aside, I guess they didn't see the notification, huh.

"Welcome Player, to accept the rewards from your previous quest open your mailbox."

"Well then, how do I do that?" I was quite a video game nerd back before... before that day, but this, this was something completely different.

"To open your mail, all you need to do is ask."

"Okay then, uuuuh, open mail?" As soon as I said that, a new window popped up containing two things, rewards from my previous quest, and a new 'daily quest'.

"Accept rewards."

"Processing..... Rewards are, 5 stat points, one random loot box lvl 1, and 1000 gold, congratulations for passing the first trial."

"A loot box, um, open loot box."

"You have obtained one copy of 'Furies of Calderon, By David Butcher'"

"Oooooo I love that book. Never did finish it though, huh."

"Would you like to apply your stat points? If so, open your inventory"

"Hmmm, open inventory" just like the mail, as soon as I said that, the inventory popped up... I wonder.

'Close inventory' I think. The inventory page closes.

"Thank goodness, if I had to say it out loud to summon it every time, that could bring up some issues"

"What would bring up issues" A voice says behind me

"AH! Nothing, nothing, wait? Leah?!"

"Hiiiiii" Leah is a student from America who was transferred to my former school after she moved here, Korea, for a 'permanent cultural exchange'.

"Yup, the one and only!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you dummy, all I hear is that the raid went wrong and that you are in the hospital. But enough about why I'm here, are you ok? I mean they said none of your injuries would leave permanent damage, but..." Her voice fades out as she realizes that I am standing and not in the bed.

"Yeah, apparently C- rank healing properties are nothing to scoff at"

"I guess not." Her voice was still weak, oddly enough "Anyways the nurse got caught up in some chaos outside, but she wanted me to tell you that you are due to be released in a month, just to make sure you aren't suffering from longer term afflictions." It was very clear she was repeating the nurse word for word, she was never the most studious, but she could memorize a 1000 digits of Pi in a moment if she wanted to.

"A month! Well at least I'm still alive."

"Yeah no kidding, High orcs are nothing to joke with, they can stand toe-to-toe with A-ranks, which leads me to my next question, how the hell did you kill it?"

"What?"

"In the report, everyone said that you were found barely alive next to the orc's core... OH, right, I meant to give you this." and then she pulled out an A-rank crystal. I am no appraiser, but it looked higher in quality based on the research I did a while back, this could go for up to 500,000 won easily.

"H-holy shit"

"I know right, the rest of the guild even said that you should keep it, as a thanks for healing most of the raid party, killing the orc, and... I think it was something about medical bills." I almost laughed, this would easily cover my medical bills, and some of mom's for that matter. But still, what the hell had killed that orc, because there was no chance in the 9 rings of hell that it was her.