The aftermath of the breach brought chaos.
Sirens blared. Drones buzzed overhead, scanning the area. Gate stabilization crews worked overtime, surrounding the still-sparking portal with reinforced mana dampeners. And amidst it all, Jin Hwan—still covered in dirt and monster gunk—sat quietly in the shadow of a crumpled supply tent, staring at his golden system interface.
His body was shaking slightly. Not from fear, but something else.
Adrenaline?
No. Something… deeper.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE — ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
System Color: GOLDEN
Interface Designation: [???]
Sync Rate: 7.23%
Personal Class: UNDETERMINED
Current Skills:
Hop (Lv. 1)
Quick Hop (Lv. 1)
Titles:
Cowardly Courage
F-Rank Gate Staff
"Still no class," he muttered, frowning. "And why is my system gold…?"
Other hunters had blue interfaces. Standardized, recognized by the Hunter Bureau, monitored through central hubs.
Jin Hwan's?Golden, unstable, with odd shimmering effects that felt like living code. Sometimes the interface flickered, glitching like an old screen. Other times, it whispered.
Literally.
"Jump higher.""Run when the wind shifts.""She's watching."
Jin Hwan had learned to ignore the whispers.
Mostly.
While others returned to normal duties, Jin Hwan was summoned. Not to the janitor's tent. Not to a supervisor.
But directly to the Hunter Bureau's Mobile Command Unit stationed near the gate.
Two uniformed operatives stood beside the armored van, both S-rank assistants. Their presence made even the A-ranks bow slightly.
The door slid open.
A voice called, "Jin Hwan. F-rank cleaner. Come in."
His ears twitched nervously.
"Me?"
"You survived a gate breach and earned a combat skill," said the assistant, not unkindly. "Yes, you."
The interior was colder than he expected. Holographic projectors hovered above a round table. Hunter profiles floated midair. Gate data pulsed in real-time.
Sitting at the center, dressed in a Bureau-marked suit with a black badge indicating Commander Rank, was a woman.
Sharp. Young. Ruthless eyes.
Name: Baek Yerin
Rank: S-Rank
Class: Strategic Analyst / System Observer
Age: 27
Title: The Thousand-Eyed Owl
She didn't smile.
"You're the rabbit?"
"…Yes, ma'am."
She flicked her fingers. A drone zipped forward and scanned Jin Hwan's system. Static filled the room.
[ERROR: SYSTEM INTERFACE UNRECOGNIZED.][COLOR TYPE: GOLDEN — CLASSIFICATION: UNKNOWN.]
Her eyes narrowed. "I've never seen a golden interface before."
Jin Hwan stayed quiet.
"Yet you dodged a mid-tier gate beast with zero combat background. You awakened a skill under pressure. And you survived."
A pause.
"Do you want to remain a janitor, Jin Hwan?"
His rabbit ears twitched.
"…No."
She stood. "Then take this."
She tossed him a hunter license card. Temporary. Unranked.
"Come to the Bureau's Evaluation Center tomorrow morning. Gate combat simulation. If you pass, you're officially enrolled as a combatant trainee. You'll be monitored."
She stared directly into his eyes.
"And if you fail… we'll erase your system."
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Warning: Threat Detected — Bureau Override Possible
Recommendation: Grow Fast. Survive Faster.
"Don't let them leash the rabbit."
The moment Jin Hwan stepped out of the van, the wind hit differently.
Not because of the weather.
But because his life… had shifted.
From cleaner to candidate.From laughed at… to quietly watched.
And, as expected, whispers followed him.
"That's the bunny boy, right?""The one who dodged a gate beast?""He's probably just lucky.""I heard his system is a glitch. He won't last a week."
Jin Hwan ignored them.
He'd learned early: Words didn't cut. Actions did.
Later that night, he sat on the roof of the temporary dorms, legs swinging over the ledge, ears flicking gently in the wind.
He stared at the moon. Big and gold, like his system.
A quiet ding echoed in his ears.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE — SPECIAL EVENT TRIGGERED]
"You have taken your first steps toward evolution."
System Sync: 9.81%
New Passive Skill Unlocked:
Moonlit Fur (Passive - Lv. 1)Slightly increases agility and evasion during nighttime. May evolve based on moon phases.
New Quest Received: [Prove the Rabbit]
Survive the Bureau Combat Simulation
Score at least a C-grade or higher
Optional: Impress at least one examiner
Reward: Stat Increase, Title Unlock, ??? Skill Tree Access
Jin Hwan smiled faintly.
He stood, stretched, and opened his status window again—this time with pride.
🟨 [Golden System Interface] 🟨
Name: Jin Hwan
Rank: F
System Type: Beast-Type (Rabbit)
Class: Undetermined
Level: 1
Sync Rate: 9.81%
[STATS]
Strength: 3
Agility: 11
Endurance: 4
Mana: 6
Intelligence: 5
Luck: 8
[SKILLS]
Hop (Lv. 1)
Quick Hop (Lv. 1)
Moonlit Fur (Passive – Lv. 1)
[TITLES]
Cowardly Courage
F-Rank Gate Staff
Class Awakening Progress: ❌Hidden Trait Detected: Processing...
He closed the interface with a confident flick.
"Time to show them... even a rabbit can run faster than a lion."