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"

*ding-a-ling*

The sound from the radio was disturbed as a person walked into the shop.

"welcome-...oh it's you"

From behind the counter, Ed turned towards the shop's door from his seat, with an expressionless face and a hunched back.

"yeah ..sorry for making you take care of my uncle's antique shop in my place today, Ed"

Saying this the Jong Kwan walked straight towards the counter.

"No problem I was bored at home anyway..how's your uncle doing now ."

Ed turned his gaze back to the dusty pocket radio on the counter and continued to stare at it in a daze.

"Oh nothing much, just back pain he'll be alright after a day of rest ...what are you listing to?"

Jong Kwan reached out to grab the radio from the counter and fiddled around with it.

"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 "

Ed looked at the radio in Jong Kwan's hand and stood up to stretch his back.

"Not really, even before the disaster people rarely used it. Some just kept it for hobby though "

Jong Kwan turned the radio off and looked at the man stretching before him, with a stupid grin on his face.

"oh.. hmmm what are you all giddy about ?"

Ed gave his friend a curious glance. Jong put aside the radio, puffed his chest out, and declared with a happy face.

"I bring about glorious tiding my fellow peasant, your friend the geat jong Kwan has passed the mana count test"

Ed absent-mindedly acknowledged this.

"You're mana recording was today?-NO WAIT! YOU PASSED THE TEST!!"

Half in shock and half joyful Ed took a good look at his friend.

"hehe, now we just have to wait for you to pass your test and we can go through the awakening together"

Still giddy with excitement Jong kawn gave his Ed a solid tap on the shoulder.

"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.."

Ed looks at the ground with uncertainty in his voice.

"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."

Jong Kwan tried to cheer up Ed as he lightly tapped his shoulder again in encouragement.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"I hope so... since you are back I'll get going."

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.

"I hope as well friend"
....................................

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.

"sigh.."

'I'm sorry for lying, friend. It's just that my situation is....well I don't know where to even start'

He slightly tilted his head up and stared at thin air.

A gesture that is an integral part of an awakened person's daily life.
___________________________________________________________________

Name: Edmond Dantes

Status: ( Status window will update after awakening )

___________________________________________________________________

' What is wrong with me for real... '

"Sigh... system what is my mana count"

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.

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.

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.

who knows what goes on there.

[ total mana count: 836 ]

'same as yesterday huh'

Unimpressed Ed continued asking.

"what about normal mana count?"

Ed still remembered when he went to get his mana count reading at the Hunters association bureau for the first time. He also vividly remembers how stupefied he was when he got his result.

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.

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?!?!

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.

The mana count technology of humans sucks and cannot detect this 'special' mana.

[ 'normal' mana count : 69 ]

' As expected....still hurts. Ah oh well better get home before Jen comes back from school '

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.

[ System prompt: Abnormal mana wave detected ]

[ System prompt: A gate is forming nearby evacuation recommended ]

...
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