After hearing what the employer said, I didn't know what I should do.
"Whoever doesn't want to go, raise your hand."
His words kept echoing in my head like an alarm bell.
I looked around, wishing... silently begging inside that someone would raise their hand. Just one! Then I would follow without hesitation.
But silence ruled the scene.
Everyone stood still, like stone statues. No refusals, no objections, no raised hands.
Am I... am I the only one who's afraid?
Thoughts started attacking me.
Does no one really want to refuse? Didn't some of them complain about fatigue and long working hours?
Where did all those complaints go now?
Are they really agreeing? Or has fear paralyzed them like it did me?
Why is no one raising their hand? Am I the only one who sees this as unnatural?
Before I could drown further in my whirlpool of thoughts, a clear voice interrupted my confused mind.
I turned quickly to see who spoke.
It was the blond man, standing confidently without a trace of doubt, as if everything was under his control. He spoke in a straightforward tone with a hint of challenge:
"How much will the rewards be for this hunt?"
A new moment of silence fell.
The workers turned to him all at once, as if they hadn't expected anyone to speak… or maybe because they wished they had his courage.
Even I was surprised.
The blond man raised his eyebrows in surprise and said:
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? I just asked about the rewards. If they're low, I simply won't go."
The employer chuckled softly and shook his head:
"You seem very brave. Well... I like your courage."
Then he added confidently:
"But don't worry, I guarantee the reward will be big."
...
I was still stunned.
That man had broken the silence in a way that made me rethink everything.
At that moment, another voice intervened — calm but clear:
"The blond-haired man is right. If we are really going, then the money should be good too."
I looked to the source of the voice, surprised...
It was the black-haired teenager.
I didn't expect such calm or logic from him.
At his age... I used to be afraid of dogs. How could he appear so confident in a situation like this? As if fear does not reside in him.
The blond man turned to the boy and said seriously, with a bit of pride:
"I am not just 'the blond guy'... I have a name."
He paused for a moment, then added:
"Luxian. That is my name. Remember it."
Silence fell again — a short moment but charged with astonishment.
Even the teenager seemed as if he hadn't expected that response.
Then the boy said coldly, with a hint of challenge:
"And why should I remember your name?"
Luxian smiled sarcastically and replied:
"And why shouldn't you?"
It was a small clash, but it caught everyone's attention.
Personally, I didn't know how to feel...
Should I laugh? Should I get nervous? Should I raise my hand and leave this strange show before it turns into something bigger?
All I did was watch... and stay silent.
Suddenly, the employer's voice boomed powerfully, cutting the tense atmosphere:
"That's enough."
He looked at everyone firmly, then continued:
"I didn't bring you here to fight or argue with words. I just came to know who doesn't want to go hunting."
Then he said clearly, looking at our faces one by one:
"So... whoever doesn't want to go, raise your hand now."
The tension returned to me — but in a different way.
The real decision was before me.
Should I raise my hand... or remain silent like the others?
Before I could think more, the same middle-aged man I had seen before intervened. His voice was strong, his gaze frightening:
"I want to go even if there are no rewards."
He continued with a challenging look in his eyes:
"So whoever stands in our way better step back now."
The employer smiled and said:
"Hmm, it seems we have many special people here. Ha ha ha."
Then he added:
"But don't take what he said literally — do what you want, the work waits for no one."
And he continued, adding:
"Any questions?"
The black-haired teenager raised his hand and said quietly but with a real question:
"How will we hunt those monsters when we don't have supernatural powers?"
I was astonished by his question — not just the question itself, but the way he asked it, with such confidence... as if he was asking about something obvious.
I couldn't help but smile slightly and laugh inside.
I said to myself:
"After all, the kid is still a kid. He really believes that humans can get supernatural powers... what a fool. I always thought supernatural power was reserved for those who came from stories, manhwas, and animes... only those who weren't from a normal world."
But suddenly, the employer said with a mysterious smile:
"And who told you we don't have supernatural powers?"
I was shocked again... what is he talking about?
Is he hinting that there's a fictional character among us?
Could one of them be from those other worlds?
I felt a chill run through my body... this was not part of my calculations.
Then the employer added in a calm tone with clear confidence:
"I'm an ordinary person, just like you, but I have a unique ability... one I gained after coming to this world."
I was shocked a third time, although I hadn't yet recovered from the second shock, and I said to myself:
"Whaaaat? How? How can an ordinary person have a supernatural power? Is this real or just talk to maintain control? Can anyone gain such a power? I feel like I understand nothing about this world yet."
I exchanged glances with everyone, each of us hiding the fear and curiosity in our hearts.
I knew this moment would be a turning point, and that after this meeting, nothing would be the same.
But despite everything, I remained silent, waiting for fate to show me what this strange world had in store for me.