What the hell is this?

He clicked on yes.

[Title: “Light Sleeper”]

[Rarity: Uncommon]

[Rank: F]

[Requirements: Wake up multiple times due to light stimuli]

[Special Requirements: Wake up first in your cohort, (Additional requirements not available)]

[Rank Up Requirements: None]

[Because you have obtained the title through the special requirements, there exists the possibility of a rank up for this title]

[Special Rank Up Requirements: (Not available)]

[Equip Effects: You are more sensitive to stimuli while asleep]

[+1 Luck, -1 Vitality]

[wHaT woUld yOU likE to eDiT?]

Doran glanced around the room as if he was doing something illegal. These blue screens were something that only high level guilds and governments had access to. They took lots of magical energy. He’d seen it twice before, once when he awakened, and the other when he was evaluated for his rank.

“Is this one of those special gates?”

In certain gates, much larger than average, hunters who entered were presented with screens throughout the entire dungeon.

He looked at the screen again.

[wHaT woUld yOU likE to eDiT?]

He tapped on the effects. A text cursor appeared. He watched as it blinked a few times and tapped on the screen again.

[ERROR]

[USE------------]

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[YoU HaVe oBtAinEd a NeW sKiLL::: “SySTeM EdiTor”]

[WoUld yOu liiiKe to uSe tHe SkiLl?]

[yEs/nO]

What the hell’s up with this system?

He chose ‘yes’.

[Skill---]

[ERROR]

[THE SELECTED SKILL-]

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[Skill: “sYsTem EDitOr” hAs bEEn uSEd]

[yOu MaY nOw EdIt tHe SyStEm]

The broken text disappeared before he could grasp the situation and the blinking cursor appeared over the ‘equipped effects’ again. He touched the screen a couple times. The action served only to move the cursor’s spot.

“How am I supposed to edit this thing?”

As he said that, a new screen appeared. It was a screen with letters and numbers, a keyboard in other words. He put the cursor over the ‘-1’ in vitality and changed it to ‘+1’.

[ERROR]

[The edit has been REJECTED]

[The change does not match the “logic” of the title]

[Would you like to override?]

[Yes/No]

How many times do I have to mess with this buggy system?

Before he could hit ‘Yes’, the man at his foot groaned. A couple other hunters in the area began to groan as well. Within seconds, everyone was awake. He helped the man beside him to his feet.

“Thank you.”

[Skill: “sYsTem EdiToR” has 4 uses remaining]

Doran ignored the message that popped up and asked, “Do you remember what happened?”

“No, not really,” the man said as he pressed against his arched back. “I remember seeing some monsters run at us, but everything else is black.”

The man looked to be in his late-thirties with hints of crows feet and laugh lines. His large ears were red as he took off his helmet. “I’m Yohan.”

“Doran. Nice to meet you. Were you taking the Swallowtail Guild contract?”

Yohan nodded, “I was part of team 1.”

This happened to every team?

There were five gates and twenty people were sent into each one, which meant that at least one hundred people were here. Of course, that wasn’t the case. In the room he was in, he guessed there were about one hundred people but he couldn’t find either Ryan or Allie. Some of the people didn’t even speak English.

[Languages will be synced]

“What the hell?”

“A system?”

“Is it a government test? Hey, I’ve gotten stronger! I’m at least an E-rank now!”

As people scrambled to figure out what the situation was, a few members from various guilds started gathering together. They didn’t seem to know the people they were with very well meaning they were most likely contracted hunters.

“I’m part of the Winter Guild sweeper team. Please raise your hand if you’re the same.”

“Giant Guild, over here!”

Doran and Yohan exchanged glances.

“Swallowtail Guild sweepers!”

“We’re from the Swallowtail Guild!”

After a few minutes of everyone organizing themselves, a new message popped up.

[Welcome]

[You are in the “Tutorial”]

[Please make a decision]

[Decision 1: Stay in the “Room”]

[Decision 2: Leave the “Room”]

[Please decide in 5 minutes]

More lights flicked to life revealing a single red door.

“They’re making us choose in the tutorial?” someone said.

“Fuck this, I’m staying. There was a D-rank with us. He can go and handle it.”

“What are you going to do?” Yohan asked him.

Doran looked at the faces of the Swallowtail sweepers. A group of twelve had gathered and among them, he recognized only one face. “I’m going to get a closer look at that door,” he said. He hoped that he’d find Allie or Ryan once everyone started grouping together, but it became clear that they were part of his ‘cohort’ as the system said.

He approached the door.

“Hey, look at that guy.”

“Is he actually gonna choose the door?”

“Fuck that. If orcs are past that thing then we’re screwed.”

Standing in front of the red door he opened the system. It happened so naturally he almost didn’t register the action and jumped at the appearance of the blue screen. A couple of the hunters behind him tensed upon seeing him startled.

[Doran]

[Race: Human]

[Primary Class: Hunter lvl 2]

[Sub-classes: None]

[ERROR: Currently unavailable]

[Health: 25/25]

[Mana: 9/9]

[Titles: “Light Sleeper”, “F-Rank Hunter”, “Weakest Hunter”, “Witness to Disaster”]

[Skills: Swordsmanship lvl 1, Danger Sense lvl 1, Reflexes lvl 1, Enhanced Strength lvl 1, Greatsword Swordsmanship lvl 1, sYsTeM EdItOr LvL 1]

[Vitality: 7 (-1)]

[Strength: 6 (-1)]

[Endurance: 5 (-1)]

[Dexterity: 4]

[Intelligence: 5]

[Luck: 8 (+1)]

What the heck was up with all those negatives on his stats? Were they from his titles? And what was ‘Hunter lvl 2’? Did that mean for him to rise in ranking, all he needed to do was level up the class? If the text was ‘Hunter Rank F lvl 2’ instead, he might’ve cursed or something. The ‘System Editor’ skill was still bugging out.

He swiped away the blue screen. His stats looked way too much like a beginner’s. A part of him wanted to complain or look through the description of each stat and each title to see what they constituted and their effects but there was a more pressing matter at hand. At the top of his screen was the timer getting ever closer to zero.

He looked at the door.

[Tutorial Door]

[This is the door of the “Tutorial”]

What a terrible description.

He tapped the edit button and more information appeared.

[Tutorial Door]

[This is the door of the “Tutorial”]

[Hidden]

[WoUld you like to eDit?]

[YEs/No]

It looks like it’s bugging out less now. That’s good.

He clicked on ‘yes’ and removed the ‘Hidden’ tag.

[ERROR]

[The following change cannot be made in the “Tutorial”]

[Would you like to override?]

[Yes/No]

He hit ‘yes’ and the ‘hidden’ tag disappeared.

[Skill: SyStem EdiTor: has 3 uses remaining].

[This is the door of the “Tutorial”. The “Tutorial Door” is connected to other “Rooms”. Harder challenges lie in wait for those who choose to open this door.]

“Are you gonna go through?” Yohan asked.

“Yeah. I have to. I have to find my friends.”

Yohan was taller than him by a few inches. Doran couldn’t see his expression because of the harsh light, casting his face in a dark shadow.

“It says things get harder,” Yohan said.

So my edits work for everyone?

He eyed Yohan more closely, trying to see if he could peek at his stats. So far, he had edited a title and a door description. What would happen if he edited someone’s strength stat? Would they instantly get stronger? Would the system just deny it again? His questions came to a stop when the timer flashed on their screens.

“Even if things get harder, this is just the tutorial. How bad could it get?” Doran opened the door and peered through. On the other side was a room identical to theirs. It had the same lights and everything. He walked in and Yohan, after a moment of thinking, followed after.

They waited for the timer to count down. In that time, they were joined by two more of the Swallowtail guild and ten others.

[You have chosen to leave the “Room”]

[The “Tutorial” will now begin]

[Please make contact with your partner team]

The walls of their new room shook and they all huddled closer together. For Doran, who was weak even among F-ranks, sticking with others would be his best bet. He didn’t want to just use them but he would if he didn’t have any other choice.

It was like they were on some kind of production. The walls fell outward and revealed a lush, green forest. Through the line of trees they saw more people, similar in number to their own. They waved each other down. Doran searched through their faces and he froze. Instead of finding Allie or Ryan, he saw someone he hated.

It was Mekan. Jun’s close friend and a resident asshole. He and Jun enjoyed picking on the F-ranks even though they themselves were only E-rankers. If there were at least three of himself, Doran could take one of them easily… It sounded kinda pathetic.

“Oh shit,” Mekan said as he started chuckling. “I should have fuckin stayed in the other room. There’s a useless piece of trash out here.”

Doran’s mouth twitched.

The person who approached them ignored Mekan. He had short brown hair and big ears. “Hello everyone. I’m Andy, a D-rank contract hunter currently with the Jawbreaker Guild. Although we might not be from the same guild, I hope we can get along and survive this gate.”

He seemed like an amicable guy. Everyone went on introducing themselves. Mekan spat when it was Doran’s turn and Doran ignored him. In the new group, there was one D-rank, Andy, and two E-ranks, one being Mekan. As for the people in Doran’s group, they were all F-ranked.

“Does anyone mind if I’m the leader and Mekan is my second in command?”

No one opposed. Doran wanted to but Mekan glared at him.

“Then it’s settled,” Andy said.

[You have twenty-two members in your team]

[The “First Event” will begin]

[“First Event!”]

[Defeat the ‘Shadows’]

[Alternate Victory Conditions: Survive until nightfall]

[Tips: ‘Shadows’ have low ‘vitality’ and are easily killed]

[mOrE TiPs]

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[HIDE]