I was lying down on my bed in my apartment. It was already fairly well into the night, and I had just changed out of the clothes that I took to work. It was embarrassing, almost, thinking about everything that had happened so far.

  “I kissed a girl…”

  My face slowly started to burn red as I thought about it again. It was almost childish, but it still felt quite good. Her lips were soft. Mmm… 10/10 experience, would recommend. Compliments to the chef. Repeatable. Encore. Please.

  “Ahhh!!!”

  I kicked my feet and turned around in my bed. What the hell was I even thinking!? My body was losing strength, there was also a bit of a pain in my chest, and I felt cold right where I thought my heart would be. It was best that Seraphina did not find out about the fact that our life-spans were now linked, and also that I had ended up taking some of her curse.

  If she knew those things, she would definitely go far to compensate me in some way. I didn’t know her well enough, and while her story definitely moved me, perhaps it wasn’t the smartest move from my side to take on so many risks for helping her.

  But…

  It was the first time my ability was showing a use of some kind. If my life as a hunter was going to be this limited… then I wanted to do something like my parents, too. I wanted to help someone, at least one person, after all, that was why I ever wanted to be a hunter too.

  “And that someone ended up being Seraphina Vahn… Haha! In that way, I am responsible for all the lives she will save from now on. I am a hero! Hah… haha…”

  As if.

  As if it worked like that.

  I shook my head and turned to the ceiling. The sunset lamp from my desk was projecting a vivid and dim aurora on the ceiling. In the end, perhaps, I didn’t have to get out of this without any benefit. Perhaps it would be okay for me to still work as a hunter, even if not at the Ashen Gryphon.

  Oh, the Ashen Gryphon was so out now. I had kicked my supervisor’s supervisor’s supervisor in the fucking nuts (deserved). There was no way they were going to take me back. But that wouldn’t stop me from still working as a hunter.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  And before, while I couldn’t do anything. And I still wasn’t going to go out and kiss training dummy XB whatever whatever, I had something else on my side now.

  With a soft stretch of my hand, I summoned some mana out. It moved through my body rapidly, and a breeze of cold wind started to flow out of my palm.

  [Ice Magic - Activated]

  I was not without any gain. There was Ice Magic, and the amount of Mana. Even my normal stats were at the level of an E-Rank Hunter now, not just an F-Rank. I could definitely take my license renewal test if I trained a little, and then continue making money through the gates.

  It was a good way to continue living my life, perhaps.

  “Haha…” I turned to the side and grabbed the pillows near the wall, hugging them tightly to my chest. “What a way to live. What is even left?”

  Maybe once there was enough money saved, I could start a cafe?

  I closed my eyes.

  I had done a good job today.

  I was a good person.

  So why…

  Why were these tears still flowing down?

  ***

  The morning came over and I stepped out of my house completely dressed in the best clothes I had. Today was my first day as an unemployed free bird, and I was planning to experience it to the fullest. Maybe I would spend a lot of money, then tomorrow I would go and renew my F-Rank License. Take a re-evaluation test by next month, then I will start making more.

  I would hope that I live till I die of old age, or well, maybe Seraphina Vahn would die sooner and take me with her. That was it now. That was all my life plans were.

  “For the first delicacy…!”

  I could go to a restaurant. How long had it been since I had gone into a restaurant? My money would not last me long if I went to any good place, but maybe one of those mom-and-pop stores where people are also allowed to smoke? That would work.

  I took off the roads. Many floating cars raced down the street. The first thing I did was reach the main road. As I tapped away on my phone to call a ride from the taxi app, I waited near the signal at my place.

  “Haven’t they been speaking about autonomous taxis for years now? That one Melon Dusk guy?”

  Billionaires, they sure lived in a different world. The busy streets expanded around me. On one of the many floating screens hanging above the skyscrapers touching the clouds, news about the recent developments came flashing out.

  {The Prime Minister has made a deal for mana stone exchange with the Eastern Federation. This is a major move for our country as a big player in the Geopolitical arena for power}

  {There is a lot of news about Artificial Intelligence and how it can help Hunters}

  A car stopped in front of me. A pure red sports car.

  “My cab…?”

  The hood of the car reeled back, and inside, wearing a pair of pure black sunglasses was a woman as white as the clouds with hair a shade whiter yet. She turned to face me and raised her glasses slightly.

  “Did you call a cab?”

  It was a deadpan, emotionless voice.

  A voice similar to ice.